Papers for Wednesday, Jul 03 2024

JWST's discovery of well-formed galaxies and supermassive black holes only a few hundred Myr after the big bang, and the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at $z=6.71$, seriously challenge the timeline predicted by $\Lambda$CDM. Now, a recent analysis of reionization after JWST by Munoz et al. (2024) has concluded that the $\Lambda$CDM timeline simply cannot accommodate the combined JWST-Planck observations even if exotic fixes are introduced to modify the standard reionization model. In this paper, we argue that this so-called `photon budget crisis' is more likely due to flaws in the cosmological model itself. We employ the standard reionization model using the JWST-measured UV luminosity function in the early Universe and the timeline and physical conditions in both $\Lambda$CDM and $R_{\rm h}=ct$. We then contrast the predicted reionization histories in these two scenarios and compare them with the data. We confirm that the reionization history predicted by $\Lambda$CDM is in significant tension with the observations, and demonstrate that the latter are instead in excellent agreement with the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ timeline. Together, the four anomalies uncovered by JWST provide strong evidence against the timeline predicted by $\Lambda$CDM and in favor of the evolutionary history in $R_{\rm h}=ct$.

In 2022-2023, the X-ray pulsar RX J0440.9+4431 underwent a Type II giant outburst, reaching a peak luminosity L_x ~ 4*10^{37} erg/s. In this work, we utilize Insight-HXMT data to analyze the spectral evolution of RX J0440.9+4431 during the giant outburst. By analysing the variation of the X-ray spectrum during the outburst using standard phenomenological models, we find that as the luminosity approaches the critical luminosity, the spectrum became flatter, with the photon enhancement predominantly concentrated around ~ 2 keV and 20-40 keV. The same behavior has also been noted in Type II outbursts from other sources. While the phenomenological models provide good fits to the spectrum, this approach is sometimes difficult to translate into direct insight into the details of the fundamental accretion physics. Hence we have also analyzed spectra obtained during high and low phases of the outburst using a new, recently-developed physics-based theoretical model, which allows us to study the variations of physical parameters such as temperature, density, and magnetic field strength during the outburst. Application of the theoretical model reveals that the observed spectrum is dominated by Comptonized bremsstrahlung emission emitted from the column walls in both the high and low states. We show that the spectral flattening observed at high luminosities results from a decrease in the electron temperature, combined with a compactification of the emission zone, which reduces the efficiency of bulk Comptonization. We also demonstrate that when the source is at maximum luminosity, the spectrum tends to harden around the peak of the pulse profile, and we discuss possible theoretical explanations for this behavior. We argue that the totality of the behavior in this source can be explained if the accretion column is in a quasi-critical state when at the maximum luminosity observed during the outburst.

The collapse of supermassive stars (SMSs) via the general-relativistic (GR) instability would provide a natural explanation to the existence of the most extreme quasars. The presence of dark matter in SMSs is thought to potentially impact their properties, in particular their mass at collapse. Dark matter might be made of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that can be captured by the gravitational potential well of SMSs due to interaction with the baryonic gas. The annihilation of WIMPs can provide fuel to support the star before H-burning ignition, favouring low densities of baryonic gas, long stellar lifetimes and high final masses. Here, we estimate the impact of dark matter on the GR dynamical stability of rapidly accreting SMSs. We add a dark matter term to the relativistic equation of adiabatic pulsations and apply it to hylotropic structures in order to determine the onset point of the GR instability. We find that, in principle, the dark matter gravitational field can remove completely the GR instability. However, for SMSs fuelled by H-burning, the dark matter densities required to stabilise the star against GR are orders of magnitude above the values that are expected for the dark matter background. On the other hand, for SMSs fuelled by WIMP annihilation, we find that the low densities of baryonic gas inhibit the destabilising GR corrections, which shifts the stability limit by typically an order of magnitude towards higher masses. As long as central temperatures $\lesssim10^7$ K are maintained by WIMP annihilation, the GR instability is reached only for stellar masses $>10^6$ M$_\odot$. Dark matter can impact the GR dynamical stability of SMSs only in the case of energetically significant WIMP annihilation. The detection of a SMS with mass $>10^6$ M$_\odot$ in an atomically cooled halo can be interpreted as an evidence of WIMP annihilation in the star's core.

Lyman break analogs in the local Universe serve as counterparts to Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at high redshifts, which are widely regarded as major contributors to cosmic reionization in the early stages of the Universe. We studied XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of the nearby LBG analog Haro 11, which contains two X-ray-bright sources, X1 and X2. Both sources exhibit Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage, particularly X2. We analyzed the X-ray variability using principal component analysis (PCA) and performed spectral modeling of the X1 and X2 observations made with the Chandra ACIS-S instrument. The PCA component, which contributes to the X-ray variability, is apparently associated with variable emission features, likely from ionized superwinds. Our spectral analysis of the Chandra data indicates that the fainter X-ray source, X2 (X-ray luminosity $L_{\rm X} \sim 4 \times 10^{40} $ erg s$^{-1}$), the one with higher LyC leakage, has a much lower absorbing column ($N_{\rm H} \sim 1.2 \times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$) than the heavily absorbed luminous source X1 ($L_{\rm X} \sim 9 \times 10^{40} $ erg s$^{-1}$ and $N_{\rm H} \sim 11.5 \times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$). We conclude that X2 is likely less covered by absorbing material, which may be a result of powerful superwinds clearing galactic channels and facilitating the escape of LyC radiation. Much deeper X-ray observations are required to validate the presence of potential superwinds and determine their implications for the LyC escape.

The measurement of magnitudes with different filters in photometric surveys gives access to cosmological distances and parameters. However, for current and future large surveys like the ZTF, DES, HSC or LSST, the photometric calibration uncertainties are almost comparable to statistical uncertainties in the error budget of type Ia cosmology analysis, which limits our ability to use type Ia supernovae for precision cosmology. The knowledge of the bandpasses of the survey filters at the per-mill level can help reach the sub-percent precision for magnitudes. We show how a misknowledge of the bandpasses central wavelengths or of the presence of out-of-band leakages leads to biased cosmological measurements. Then, we present how to measure the filter throughputs at the required precision with a Collimated Beam Projector.

Massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) produce gravitational waves (GWs) that are detectable with pulsar timing arrays. We determine the properties of the host galaxies of simulated MBHBs at the time they are producing detectable GW signals. The population of MBHB systems we evaluate is from the Illustris cosmological simulations taken in tandem with post processing semi-analytic models of environmental factors in the evolution of binaries. Upon evolving to the GW frequency regime accessible by pulsar timing arrays, we calculate the detection probability of each system using a variety of different values for pulsar noise characteristics in a plausible near-future International Pulsar Timing Array dataset. We find that detectable systems have host galaxies that are clearly distinct from the overall binary population and from most galaxies in general. With conservative noise factors, we find that host stellar metallicity, for example, peaks at twice solar metallicity as opposed to the total population of galaxies which peaks at ~0.6 solar metallicity. Additionally, the most detectable systems are much brighter in magnitude and more red in color than the overall population, indicating their likely identity as large ellipticals with diminished star formation. These results can be used to develop effective search strategies for identifying host galaxies and electromagnetic counterparts following GW detection by pulsar timing arrays.

Cosmological accretion shocks created during the formation of galaxy clusters are a ubiquitous phenomenon all around the Universe. These shocks, and their features, are intimately related with the gravitational energy put into play during galaxy cluster formation. Studying a sample of simulated galaxy clusters and their associated accretion shocks, we show that objects in our sample sit in a plane within the three dimensional-space of cluster total mass, shock radius, and Mach number (a measure of shock intensity). Using this relation, and considering that forthcoming new observations will be able to measure shock radii and intensities, we put forward the idea that the dark matter content of galaxy clusters could be indirectly measured with an error up to around 30 per cent at the $1\sigma$ confidence level. This procedure would be a new and independent method to measure the dark matter mass in cosmic structures, and a novel constraint to the accepted $\Lambda$CDM paradigm.

Galaxy cluster abundance measurements provide a classic test of cosmology. They are most sensitive to the evolved amplitude of fluctuations, usually expressed as $S_8 = \sigma_8\sqrt{\Omega_m/0.3}$. Thus, abundance constraints exhibit a strong degeneracy between $\sigma_8$ and $\Omega_{\rm m}$, as do other similar low-redshift tests such as cosmic shear. The mass distribution in the infall region around galaxy clusters, where material is being accreted from the surrounding field, also exhibits a cosmological dependence, but in this case it is nearly orthogonal to the $S_8$ direction in the $\Omega_m$--$\sigma_8$ plane, making it highly complementary to halo abundance or cosmic shear studies. We explore how weak lensing measurements of the infall region might be used to complement abundance studies, considering three different tests. The splashback radius is a prominent feature of the infall region; we show that detection of this feature in lensing data from the Euclid survey could independently constrain $\Omega_{\rm m}$ and $\sigma_8$ to $\pm 0.05$. Another feature, the depletion radius where the bias reaches a minimum, also shows cosmological dependence, though it is challenging to observe in practice. The strongest constraints come from direct measurements of the shear profile in the infall region at $2$--$4\,r_{200{\rm c}}$. Combining the latter with abundance constraints such as those reported from SRG$/$eROSITA should reduce the area of the error contours by an estimated factor of $1.2$ using a sample of clusters observed by the UNIONS survey, or a factor of $3$ using clusters observed by the Euclid Wide survey over a broader range of redshift.

Context. Molecular Clouds (MCs) are the place where stars are formed and their feedback starts to take place, regulating the evolution of galaxies. Therefore, MCs represent the critical scale at which to study how ultra-violet (UV) photons emitted by young stars are reprocessed in the far-infrared (FIR) by interaction with dust grains, thereby determining the multi-wavelength continuum emission of galaxies. Aims. Our goal is to analyze the UV and IR emission of a MC at different stages of its evolution and relate its absorption and emission properties with its morphology and star formation rate. Such a study is fundamental to determine how the properties of MCs shape the emission from entire galaxies. Method. We consider a radiation-hydrodynamic simulation of a MC with self-consistent chemistry treatment. The MC has a mass $M_{\rm MC} = 10^5 ~ M_\odot$, is resolved down to a scale of $0.06\, \rm pc$, and evolves for $\simeq 2.4$~Myr after the onset of star formation. We post-process the simulation via Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations to compute the detailed UV-to-FIR emission of the MC. Such results are compared with data from physically-motivated analytical models, other simulations, and observations. Results. We find that the simulated MC is globally UV-optically thick, but optically-thin channels allow for photon escape ($0.1\%-10\%$), feature which is not well-captured in the analytical models. Dust temperature spans a wide range ($T_{\rm dust} \sim 20-300$~K) depending on the dust-to-stellar geometry, which is reproduced reasonably well by analytical models. However, the complexity of the dust temperature distribution is not captured in the analytical models, as evidenced by the 10 K (20 K) difference in the mass (luminosity) average temperature. Indeed, the total IR luminosity is the same in all the models, but the IR emission -abridged

We present an in-depth investigation of galaxy clustering based on a new suite of realistic large-box galaxy-formation simulations in $f(R)$ gravity, with a subgrid physics model that has been recalibrated to reproduce various observed stellar and gas properties. We focus on the two-point correlation functions of the luminous red galaxies (LRGs) and emission line galaxies (ELGs), which are primary targets of ongoing and future galaxy surveys such as DESI. One surprising result is that, due to several nontrivial effects of modified gravity on matter clustering and the galaxy-halo connection, the clustering signal does not depend monotonically on the fifth-force strength. For LRGs this complicated behaviour poses a challenge to meaningfully constraining this model. For ELGs, in contrast, this can be straightforwardly explained by the time evolution of the fifth force, which means that weaker $f(R)$ models can display nearly the same -- up to $25\%$ -- deviations from $\Lambda$CDM as the strongest ones, albeit at lower redshifts. This implies that even very weak $f(R)$ models can be strongly constrained, unlike with most other observations. Our results show that galaxy formation acquires a significant environment dependence in $f(R)$ gravity which, if not properly accounted for, may lead to biased constraints on the model. This highlights the essential role of hydrodynamical simulations in future tests of gravity exploring precision galaxy-clustering data from the likes of DESI and Euclid.

The cores of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are potential accelerators of 10-100 TeV cosmic rays, in turn producing high-energy neutrinos. This picture was confirmed by the compelling evidence of a TeV neutrino signal from the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068, leaving open the question of which is the site and mechanism of cosmic ray acceleration. One candidate is the magnetized turbulence surrounding the central supermassive black hole. Recent particle-in-cell simulations of magnetized turbulence indicate that stochastic cosmic ray acceleration is non-resonant, in contrast to the assumptions of previous studies. We show that this has important consequences on a self-consistent theory of neutrino production in the corona, leading to a more rapid cosmic ray acceleration than previously considered. The turbulent magnetic field fluctuations needed to explain the neutrino signal are consistent with a magnetically powered corona. We find that strong turbulence, with turbulent magnetic energy density higher than $1\%$ of the rest mass energy density, naturally explains the normalization of the IceCube neutrino flux, in addition to the neutrino spectral shape. Only a fraction of the protons in the corona, which can be directly inferred from the neutrino signal, are accelerated to high energies. Thus, in this framework, the neutrino signal from NGC 1068 provides a testbed for particle acceleration in magnetized turbulence.

Millimeter wavelength observations of Class II protoplanetary disks often display strong emission from hydrocarbons and high CS/SO values, providing evidence that the gas-phase C/O ratio commonly exceeds 1 in their outer regions. We present new NOEMA observations of CS $5-4$, SO $7_6-6_5$ and $5_6-4_5$, C$_2$H $N=3-2$, HCN $3-2$, HCO$^+$ $3-2$, and H$^{13}$CO$^+$ $3-2$ in the DR Tau protoplanetary disk at a resolution of $\sim0.4''$ (80 au). Estimates for the disk-averaged CS/SO ratio range from $\sim0.4-0.5$, the lowest value reported thus far for a T Tauri disk. At a projected separation of $\sim180$ au northeast of the star, the SO moment maps exhibit a clump that has no counterpart in the other lines, and the CS/SO value decreases to $<0.2$ at its location. Thermochemical models calculated with DALI indicate that DR Tau's low CS/SO ratio and faint C$_2$H emission can be explained by a gas-phase C/O ratio that is $<1$ at the disk radii traced by NOEMA. Comparisons of DR Tau's SO emission to maps of extended structures traced by $^{13}$CO suggest that late infall may contribute to driving down the gas-phase C/O ratio of its disk.

Photons that decouple from a relativistic jet do so over a range of radii, which leads to a spreading in arrival times at the observer. Therefore, changes to the comoving photon distribution across the decoupling zone are encoded in the emitted signal. In this paper, we study such spectral evolution occurring across a pulse. We track the radiation from the deep subphotospheric regions all the way to the observed time-resolved signal, accounting for emission at various angles and radii. We assume a simple power-law photon spectrum injection over a range of optical depths and let the photons interact with the local plasma. At high optical depths, we find that the radiation exists in one of three characteristic regimes, two of which exhibit a high-energy power law. Depending on the nature of the injection, this power law can persist to low optical depths and manifest itself during the rise time of the pulse with a spectral index $\beta \approx \alpha - 1$, where $\alpha$ is the low-energy spectral index. The results are given in the context of a gamma-ray burst jet but are general to optically thick, relativistic outflows.

We report new radio observations of SDSS J090122.37+181432.3, a strongly lensed star-forming galaxy at $z=2.26$. We image 1.4 GHz (L-band) and 3 GHz (S-band) continuum using the VLA and 1.2 mm (band 6) continuum with ALMA, in addition to the CO(7-6) and CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) lines, all at $\lesssim1.^{\prime\prime}7$ resolution. Based on the VLA integrated flux densities, we decompose the radio spectrum into its free-free (FF) and non-thermal components. The infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) parameter $q_{\rm TIR}=2.65_{-0.31}^{+0.24}$ is consistent with expectations for star forming galaxies. We obtain radio continuum-derived SFRs that are free of dust extinction, finding $\rm {620}_{-220}^{+280}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$, $\rm {230}_{-160}^{+570}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$, and $\rm {280}_{-120}^{+460}\,M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$ from the FF emission, non-thermal emission, and when accounting for both emission processes, respectively, in agreement with previous results. We estimate the gas mass from the CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) line as $M_{\rm gas}=(1.2\pm0.2)\times10^{11}\,M_\odot$, which is consistent with prior CO(1-0)-derived gas masses. Using our new IR and radio continuum data to map the SFR, we assess the dependence of the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation on choices of SFR and gas tracer for $\sim{\rm kpc}$ scales. The different SFR tracers yield different slopes, with the IR being the steepest, potentially due to highly obscured star formation in J0901. The radio continuum maps have the lowest slopes and overall fidelity for mapping the SFR, despite producing consistent total SFRs. We also find that the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation slope is flattest when using CO(7-6) or CI(${\rm ^3P_2\rightarrow ^3\!P_1}$) to trace gas mass, suggesting that those transitions are not suitable for tracing the bulk molecular gas in galaxies like J0901.

Several galaxy-scale observations challenge the predictions of the cold dark matter paradigm based on cosmological simulations. The cusp-core problem is one of the most outstanding. However, current simulations are unable to consider quantum statistical effects. For a fermionic dark matter halo, a degenerate inner core induces an extended outer core that dominates in gravity in the region relevant for rotation curve observation. We study the properties of this outer core and show that its density and radius are correlated. The prediction remarkably agrees with the measured scaling relation in both the slope and the magnitude. Such consistency suggests that the observed cored profiles do not contradict massive dark matter but indicate its fermionic nature.

The inflationary paradigm not only addresses early Universe puzzles but also aligns well with the observational constraints, with slow-roll inflationary models fitting best. Evaluating these model predictions requires considering both slow-roll inflationary dynamics and the subsequent reheating epoch. This involves the quantitative analysis that takes into account the effective equation of state (EoS) and duration of reheating, connecting these with the perturbations generated deep during the inflationary era. Given the complexities involved, many approximations are often used for simplification. However, as future observations are expected to improve the accuracy of these observables significantly, this work takes a different approach. Instead of relying on approximations, we consider the near-accurate solutions of inflationary models and compare our results with the pre-existing ones. It mainly incorporates two improvements: the first is the accurate dynamics of the slow-roll evolution, and, thus, the end of inflation; and the second is the higher-order slow-roll corrections to the perturbed observables. Our findings indicate that, by implementing these corrections, the theoretical predictions improve significantly. It also indicates that seemingly minor corrections can have significant effects on the perturbed observables, and these refined predictions can be compared with future observations to potentially rule out models and help resolve the degeneracy problem of the inflationary paradigm.

The Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) represents a challenge for some globular cluster (GC) formation models, because an exceptionally high fraction of its stellar mass is locked in its GC system. In order to shed light on our understanding of GC formation, we aim to constrain the amount of stellar mass that Fornax has lost via tidal interaction with the Milky Way (MW). Exploiting the flexibility of effective multi-component $N$-body simulations and relying on state-of-the-art estimates of Fornax's orbital parameters, we study the evolution of the mass distribution of the Fornax dSph in observationally justified orbits in the gravitational potential of the MW over 12 Gyr. We find that, though the dark-matter mass loss can be substantial, the fraction of stellar mass lost by Fornax to the MW is always negligible, even in the most eccentric orbit considered. We conclude that stellar-mass loss due to tidal stripping is not a plausible explanation for the unexpectedly high stellar mass of the GC system of the Fornax dSph and we discuss quantitatively the implications for GC formation scenarios.

We report on spectroscopic and photometric observations of the S-type Mira V667 Cas and the carbon star Mira OR Cep recorded during one pulsation cycle of each star in 2022. Spectra are calibrated in absolute flux using concurrent photometry. We present measurements of V and Ic magnitudes and V-Ic colour index, classify spectra in the revised MK system and investigate how absolute flux in the H-alpha to H-delta emission lines varies with pulsation phase for each star.

Annular substructures in protoplanetary discs, ubiquitous in sub-mm observations, can be caused by gravitational coupling between a disc and its embedded planets. Planetary density waves inject angular momentum into the disc leading to gap opening only after travelling some distance and steepening into shocks (in the absence of linear damping); no angular momentum is deposited in the planetary coorbital region, where the wave has not shocked yet. Despite that, simulations show mass evacuation from the coorbital region even in inviscid discs, leading to smooth, double-trough gap profiles. Here we consider the early, time-dependent stages of planetary gap opening in inviscid discs. We find that an often-overlooked contribution to the angular momentum balance caused by the time-variability of the specific angular momentum of the disc fluid (caused, in turn, by the time-variability of the radial pressure support) plays a key role in gap opening. Focusing on the regime of shallow gaps with depths of $\lesssim 20\%$, we demonstrate analytically that early gap opening is a self-similar process, with the amplitude of the planet-driven perturbation growing linearly in time and the radial gap profile that can be computed semi-analytically. We show that mass indeed gets evacuated from the coorbital region even in inviscid discs. This evolution pattern holds even in viscous discs over a limited period of time. These results are found to be in excellent agreement with 2D numerical simulations. Our simple gap evolution solutions can be used in studies of dust dynamics near planets and for interpreting protoplanetary disc observations.

Over three decades of reverberation mapping (RM) studies on local broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have measured reliable black-hole (BH) masses for $> 100$ AGNs. These RM measurements reveal a significant correlation between the Balmer broad-line region size and the AGN optical luminosity (the $R-L$ relation). Recent RM studies for AGN samples with more diverse BH accretion parameters (e.g., mass and Eddington ratio) reveal a substantial intrinsic dispersion around the average $R-L$ relation, suggesting variations in the overall spectral energy distribution shape as functions of accretion parameters. Here we perform a detailed photoionization investigation of expected broad-line properties as functions of accretion parameters, using the latest models for the AGN continuum implemented in {\tt qsosed}. We compare theoretical predictions with observations of a sample of 67 $z\lesssim0.5$ reverberation-mapped AGNs with both rest-frame optical and UV spectra in the moderate-accretion regime (Eddington ratio $\lambda_{\rm Edd}\equiv L/L_{\rm Edd}<0.5$). The UV/optical line strengths and their dependences on accretion parameters can be reasonably well reproduced by the locally-optimally-emitting cloud (LOC) photoionization models. We provide quantitative recipes that use optical/UV line flux ratios to infer the ionizing continuum, which is not directly observable. In addition, photoionization models with universal values of ionization parameter ($\log U_{\rm H}=-2$) and hydrogen density ($\log n({\rm H})=12$) can qualitatively reproduce the observed global $R-L$ relation for the current AGN sample. However, such models fail to reproduce the observed trend of decreasing BLR size with $L/L_{\rm Edd}$ at fixed optical luminosity, which may imply that the gas density increases with the accretion rate.

Ultraluminous X-ray binaries have challenged our assumptions of extreme accretion rates in X-ray binaries, and impact other subfields of astronomy, such as cosmology, gravitational wave sources and supernovæ. Our understanding of ULXs has changed tremendously over the last 35 years, and we now know that ULXs can be powered by accreting neutron stars as well as black holes, and can be found in a wide range of stellar environments. In this chapter, we introduce the observational techniques used to discover and characterize ULXs, and discuss our current understanding of their unique accretion physics and formation channels.

Gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB 221009A, a long-duration GRB, was observed simultaneously by the Water Cherenkov Detector Array (WCDA) and the Kilometer Squared Array (KM2A) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) during the prompt emission and the afterglow periods. Characteristic multi-TeV photons up to 13 TeV were observed in the afterglow phase. The observed very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray spectra by WCDA and KM2A during different time intervals and in different energy ranges can be explained very well in the context of the photohadronic model with the inclusion of extragalactic background light models. In the photohadronic scenario, interaction of high-energy protons with the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) photons in the forward shock region of the jet is assumed to be the source of these VHE photons. The observed VHE spectra from the afterglow of GRB 221009A are similar to the VHE gamma-ray spectra observed from the temporary extreme high-energy peaked BL Lac (EHBL), 1ES 2344+514 {\it only} during the 11th and the 12th of August, 2016. Such spectra are new and have been observed for the first time in a GRB.

We report on the results of an image-based search for pulsar candidates toward the Galactic bulge. We used mosaic images from the MeerKAT radio telescope, that were taken as part of a 173 deg**2 survey of the bulge and Galactic center of our Galaxy at L band (856-1712 MHz) in all four Stokes I, Q, U and V. The image root-mean-square noise levels of 12-17 uJy/ba represent a significant increase in sensitivity over past image-based pulsar searches. Our primary search criterion was circular polarization, but we used other criteria including linear polarization, in-band spectral index, compactness, variability and multi-wavelength counterparts to select pulsar candidates. We first demonstrate the efficacy of this technique by searching for polarized emission from known pulsars, and comparing our results with measurements from the literature. Our search resulted in a sample of 75 polarized pulsar candidates. Bright stars or young stellar objects were associated with 28 of these sources, including a small sample of highly polarized dwarf stars with pulsar-like steep spectra. Comparing the properties of this sample with the known pulsars, we identified 30 compelling candidates for pulsation follow-up, including two sources with both strong circular and linear polarization. The remaining 17 sources are either pulsars or stars, but we cannot rule out an extragalactic origin or image artifacts among the brighter, flat spectrum objects.

The formation of highly magnetized young neutron stars, called magnetars, is still a strongly debated question. A promising scenario invokes the amplification of the magnetic field by the Tayler-Spruit dynamo in a proto-neutron star (PNS) spun up by fallback. Barrère et al. 2023 supports this scenario by demonstrating that this dynamo can generate magnetar-like magnetic fields in stably stratified Boussinesq models of a PNS interior. To further investigate the Tayler-Spruit dynamo, we perform 3D-MHD numerical simulations with the MagIC code varying the ratio between the Brunt-Väisälä frequency and the rotation rate. We first demonstrate that a self-sustained dynamo process can be maintained for a Brunt-Väisälä frequency about 4 times higher than the angular rotation frequency. The generated magnetic fields and angular momentum transport follow the analytical scaling laws of Fuller et al. 2019, which confirms our previous results. We also report for the first time the existence of an intermittent Tayler-Spruit dynamo. For a typical PNS Brunt-Väisälä frequency of $10^{3}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$, the axisymmetric toroidal and dipolar magnetic fields range between $1.2\times 10^{15}-2\times 10^{16}\,{\rm G}$ and $1.4\times 10^{13}-3\times 10^{15}\,{\rm G}$, for rotation periods of $1-10\,{\rm ms}$. Thus, our results provide numerical evidence that our scenario can explain the formation of magnetars. As the Tayler-Spruit dynamo is often invoked for the angular momentum transport in stellar radiative zones, our results are also of particular importance in this field and we provide a calibration of the Fuller et al.'s prescription based on our simulations, with a dimensionless normalisation factor of the order of $10^{-2}$.

The three-point correlation function (3PCF) of a weak lensing shear field contains information that is complementary to that in the two-point correlation function (2PCF), which can help improve the cosmological parameters and calibrate astrophysical and observational systematics parameters. However, the application of the 3PCF to observed data has been limited due to the computational challenges of calculating theoretical predictions of the 3PCF from a bispectrum model. In this paper, we present a new method to compute the shear 3PCF efficiently and accurately. We employ the multipole expansion of the bispectrum to compute the shear 3PCF, and show that the method is substantially more efficient than direct numerical integration. We found that the multipole-based method can compute the shear 3PCF with 5% accuracy in 10 (40) seconds for the single (four) source redshift bin setup. The multipole-based method can be also used to compute the third-order aperture mass statistics quickly and accurately, accounting for the bin-averaging effect on the shear 3PCF. Our method provides a fast and robust tool for probing the underlying cosmological model with third-order statistics of weak lensing shear.

Although recent research suggests a link in support of a model of switchback formation in the solar corona via interchange reconnection that is propagated outward with the solar wind and similarities in their ion composition to plasma instability produced plasmoids, these plasma instabilities have yet to be observationally linked to magnetic switchbacks. In this paper we aim to use the theoretical framework of a twin coronal mass ejection event which is known to include interchange reconnection processes and compare this model with experimental observations using Parker Solar Probe FIELDS and $\isis$ instrumentationof an actual event containing two CMEs identified via the associated solar proton event in order to further test and refine the hypothesis of interchange reconnection as a possible physical origin for the magnetic switchback phenomenon. We also intend to introduce a plasma model for the formation of the switchbacks noted within the CME event.

While Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have the potential to shed light on the astrophysics of jets, compact objects, and cosmology, a major set back in their use as probes of these phenomena stems from our incomplete knowledge surrounding their prompt emission. There are numerous models that can account for various observations of GRBs in the gamma-ray and X-ray energy ranges due to the flexibility in the number of parameters that can be tuned to increase agreement with data. Furthermore, these models lack predictive power that can test future spectropolarimetric observations of GRBs across the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work, we use the MCRaT radiative transfer code to calculate the X-ray spectropolarimetric signatures expected from the photospheric model for two unique hydrodynamic simulations of long GRBs. We make time-resolved and time-integrated comparisons between the X-ray and gamma-ray mock observations, shedding light on the information that can be obtained from X-ray prompt emission signatures. Our results show that the $T_{90}$ derived from the X-ray lightcurve is the best diagnostic for the time that the central engine is active. We also find that our simulations reproduce the observed characteristics of the Einstein Probe detected GRB240315C. Based on our simulations, we are also able to make predictions for future X-ray spectropolarimetric measurements. Our results show the importance of conducting global radiative transfer calculations of GRB jets to better contextualize the prompt emission observations and constrain the mechanisms that produce the prompt emission.

The current sheet is an essential feature in solar flares and is the primary site for magnetic reconnetion and energy release. Imaging observations feature a long linear structure above the candle-flame-shaped flare loops, which resembles the standard flare model with the current sheet viewed edge-on. We investigate the thermal properties of plasmas surrounding the linear sheet during flares, using EUV observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The differential emission measure (DEM) analyses show evidence of high temperatures in the plasma sheets (PSs), containing hot emissions from only a narrow temperature range, suggestive of an isothermal feature. The sheet's temperature remains constant at different heights above the flare arcade, peaking at around logT=7.0-7.1; while the well-studied 2017 September 10 X8.2 flare exhibits as an exception in that the temperature decreases with an increasing height and peaks higher (logT=7.25) during the gradual phase. Most PS cases also hold similar emission measures and thicknesses; while the PS's emissions drop exponentially above the flare arcade, the sheet thicknesses show no significant height association as for all the measurements. The characteristics of isothermal and steady temperature suggests balanced heating and cooling processes along the current sheet, particularly additional heating may exist to compensate for the conductive and radiative cooling away from the reconenction site. Our results suggest a steady and uniform sheet structure in the macroscopic scale that results from flare reconnection.

So-called 'dark comets' are small, morphologically inactive near-Earth objects (NEOs) that exhibit nongravitational accelerations inconsistent with radiative effects. These objects exhibit short rotational periods (minutes to hours), where measured. We find that the strengths required to prevent catastrophic disintegration are consistent with those measured in cometary nuclei and expected in rubble pile objects. We hypothesize that these dark comets are the end result of a rotational fragmentation cascade, which is consistent with their measured physical properties. We calculate the predicted size-frequency distribution for objects evolving under this model. Using dynamical simulations, we further demonstrate that the majority of these bodies originated from the $\nu_6$ resonance, implying the existence of volatiles in the current inner main belt. Moreover, one of the dark comets, (523599) 2003 RM, likely originated from the outer main belt, although a JFC origin is also plausible. These results provide strong evidence that volatiles from a reservoir in the inner main belt are present in the near-Earth environment.

Magnetic switchbacks are of continuing interest to the scientific community due to the fact that the phenomenon has not been completely understood. Although most of the research into them in the Parker Solar Probe era has largely focused on creating a theoretical framework for causing the field reversal through magnetic interchange reconnection, reconnecting streams of plasma in the solar wind, or shear driven turbulence, it remains unclear to what extent these models may or may not represent the underlying physical reality of magnetic switchbacks. In this paper, we present the results of our study on the energetic ion composition of magnetic switchback events using statistical methods with the aim of obtaining new insights into the underlying physics. In doing so, we find consistent differences in arrival times of the peak flux of different energetic ion species in magnetic switchbacks which are indicative of switchback formed remotely in the solar corona and propagated outwards in the solar wind. We also find that while the data does not directly contradict a linear interchange reconnection model nor the flux rope driven interchange reconnection model, the structure of the plasma within the switchbacks themselves is reminiscent of reconnection produced plasmoids.

Sgr~A* often shows bright, episodic flares observationally, the mechanism of the flares intermittent brightening is not very clear. Many people believe the flares may formed by the non-thermal particles, which can be a consequence of the magnetic reconnection and shock waves. In this work, we use the larger magnetic loop in the presence of pseudo-Newtonian potential which mimics general relativistic effects. The simulation results show that the reconnection of magnetic field lines passes through a current sheet, which bifurcates into two pairs of slow shocks. We also find the shock waves heat the plasma, especially when the plasma density is low. The shock wave heating effect by the magnetic reconnection is confirmed by the simulation results, and thus the process of instantaneous brightening of the flares on the accretion disk can be explained.

Spectral synthesis codes are essential for inferring stellar parameters and detailed chemical abundances. These codes require many physical inputs to predict an emergent spectrum. Developers adopt the best measurements of those inputs at the time they release their code, but those measurements usually improve over time faster than the software is updated. In general, the impact of using incorrect or uncertain dissociation energies are largely unknown. Here we evaluate how incorrect dissociation energies impact abundances measured from C2, CN, CH, TiO, and MgO features. For each molecule we synthesised optical spectra of FGKM-type main-sequence and giant stars using the literature dissociation energy, and an incorrect (perturbed) dissociation energy. We find that the uncertainties in the dissociation energies adopted by spectral synthesis codes for CN, CH, TiO, and MgO lead to negligible differences in flux or abundances. C2 is the only diatomic molecule where the uncertainty of the inputted dissociation energy translates to a significant difference in flux, and carbon abundance differences of up to 0.2 dex. For Solar-like stars, the impact on carbon abundance is up to 0.09 dex. These large abundance differences demonstrate the importance of updating the inputs adopted by spectral synthesis codes, as well as a consensus on appropriate values between different codes.

Strong soft X-ray emission called soft X-ray excess is often observed in luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN). It has been suggested that the soft X-rays are emitted from a warm ($T=10^6\sim10^7\ \rm{K}$) region that is optically thick for the Thomson scattering (warm Comptonization region). Motivated by the recent observations that soft X-ray excess appears in changing look AGN (CLAGN) during the state transition from a dim state without broad emission lines to a bright state with broad emission lines, we performed global three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations assuming that the mass accretion rate increases and becomes around $10$\% of the Eddington accretion rate. The simulation successfully reproduces a warm, Thomson-thick region outside the hot radiatively inefficient accretion flow near the black hole. The warm region is formed by efficient radiative cooling due to inverse Compton scattering. The calculated luminosity $0.01L_{\rm Edd}-0.08L_{\rm Edd}$ is consistent with the luminosity of CLAGN. We also found that the warm Comptonization region is well described by the steady model of magnetized disks supported by azimuthal magnetic fields. When the anti-parallel azimuthal magnetic fields supporting the radiatively cooled region reconnect around the equatorial plane of the disk, the temperature of the region becomes higher by releasing the magnetic energy transported to the region.

We report the detection of the CO(2-1) emission line with a spatial resolution of 0.9 arcsec ($3.5 \mathrm{kpc}$) from the host galaxy of the fast radio burst (FRB), FRB 20191001A at $z=0.2340$, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. This is the first detection of spatially resolved CO emission from the host galaxy of an FRB at a cosmological distance. The inferred molecular gas mass of the host galaxy is $(2.3\pm0.4)\times10^{10} \mathrm{M_\odot}$, indicating that it is gas-rich, as evidenced by the measured molecular gas fraction $\mu_\mathrm{gas}=0.50\pm0.22$. This molecular-gas mass and the star formation rate of the host, $\mathrm{SFR}=8.06\pm2.42 \mathrm{M_\odot yr^{-1}}$, differ from those observed in the other FRB host galaxies with the average $M_\mathrm{gas}=9.6\times10^8 \mathrm{M_\odot}$ and $\mathrm{SFR}=0.90 \mathrm{M_\odot yr^{-1}}$. This lends further credibility to the hypothesis that FRBs may originate from single or multiple progenitors across a diverse range of galaxy environments. Based on the observed velocity field modeling, we find that the molecular gas disk is dominated by an ordered circular rotation, despite the fact that the host galaxy has a gas-rich companion galaxy with a projected separation of $\sim 25 \mathrm{kpc}$. The formation of the FRB's progenitor might not have been triggered by this interaction. We derive the 3$\sigma$ upper limit of the molecular gas column density at the FRB detection site to be $< 2.1\times 10^{21} \mathrm{cm^{-2}}$ with a 3$\sigma$ upper limit.

Plasmoid instability is usually accounted for the onset of fast reconnection events observed in astrophysical plasmas. However, the measured reconnection rate from observations can be one order of magnitude higher than that derived from MHD simulations. In this study, we present the results of magnetic reconnection in the partially ionized low solar atmosphere based on 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations. The whole reconnection process covers two different fast reconnection phases. In the first phase, the slow Sweet-Parker reconnection transits to the plasmoid-mediated reconnection, and the reconnection rate reaches about 0.02. In the second phase, a faster explosive reconnection appears, with the reconnection rate reaching above 0.06. At the same time, a sharp decrease in plasma temperature and density at the principle X-point is observed which is associated with the strong radiative cooling, the ejection of hot plasma from the local reconnection region or the motion of principle X-point from hot and denser region to cool and less dense one along the narrow current sheet. This causes gas pressure depletion and the increasing of magnetic diffusion at the main X-point, resulting in the local Petschek-like reconnection and a violent and rapid increase in the reconnection rate. This study for the first time reveals a common phenomenon that the plasmoid dominated reconnection transits to an explosive faster reconnection with the rate approaching the order of 0.1 in partially ionized plasma in the MHD scale.

Oscillations are ubiquitous in sunspots and the associated higher atmospheres. However, it is still unclear whether these oscillations are driven by the external acoustic waves (p-modes) or generated by the internal magnetoconvection. To obtain clues about the driving source of umbral waves in sunspots, we analyzed the spiral wave patterns (SWPs) in two sunspots registered by IRIS MgII 2796 Å slit-jaw images. By tracking the motion of the SWPs, we find for the first time that two one-armed SWPs coexist in the umbra, and they can rotate either in the same or opposite directions. Furthermore, by analyzing the spatial distribution of the oscillation centers of the one-armed SWPs within the umbra (the oscillation center is defined as the location where the SWP first appears), we find that the chromospheric umbral waves repeatedly originate from the regions with high oscillation power and most of the umbral waves occur in the dark nuclei and strong magnetic field regions of the umbra. Our study results indicate that the chromospheric umbral waves are likely excited by the p-mode oscillations.

It is beneficial to calibrate the period Wesenheit metallicity relation (PWZR) of Delta Cephei stars (DCEPs), i.e., classical Cepheids, using accurate parallaxes of associated open clusters (OCs) from Gaia data release 3 (DR3). To this aim, we obtain a total of 43 OC-DCEPs (including 33 fundamental mode, 9 first overtone mode, and 1 multimode DCEPs.) and calibrate the PWZR as $W_G=(-3.356 \,\pm\, 0.033) \,(\log{P-1})+(-5.947 \,\pm\, 0.025)+(-0.285 \,\pm\, 0.064)[\textrm{Fe/H}]$. The concurrently obtained residual parallax offset in OC, $zp = -4\pm5\,\mu\textrm{as}$, demonstrate the adequacy of the parallax corrections within the magnitude range of OC member stars. By comparing the field DCEPs' DR3 parallaxes with their photometric parallaxes derived by our PWZR, we estimated the residual parallax offset in field DCEPs as $zp = -15\pm3\,\mu\textrm{as}$. Using our PWZR, we estimate the distance modulus of the Large Magellanic Cloud to be $18.482 \,\pm\, 0.040$ mag, which aligns well with the most accurate published value obtained through geometric methods.

The long-standing question concerning Jetted Sub-Galactic Size (JSS) radio sources is whether they will evolve into large radio galaxies, die before escaping the host galaxy, or remain indefinitely confined to their compact size. Our main goal is to propose a scenario that explains the relative number of JSS radio sources and their general properties. We studied the parsec-scale radio morphology of a complete sample of 21 objects using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at various frequencies and analyzed the morphological characteristics of their optical hosts. Many of these radio sources exhibit radio morphologies consistent with transverse motions of their bright edges and are located in dynamically disturbed galaxies. VLBI images provide evidence for large-angle, short-period precessing jets, and the orbital motion of the radio-loud AGN in a dual or binary system. The majority of JSS radio sources are in systems in different stages of their merging evolution. We propose a scenario where the rapid jet redirection, through precession or orbital motion, prevents the jet from penetrating the interstellar medium (ISM) sufficiently to escape the host galaxy. Most JSS radio sources remain compact due to their occurrence in merging galaxies

At sufficiently large radii dark energy modifies the behavior of (a) bound orbits around a galaxy and (b) virialized gas in a cluster of galaxies. Dark energy also provides a natural cutoff to a cluster's dark matter halo. In (a) there exists a maximum circular orbit beyond which periodic motion is no longer possible, and orbital evolution near critical binding is analytically calculable using an adiabatic invariant integral. The finding implicates the study of wide galaxy pairs. In (b), dark energy necessitates the use of a generalized Virial Theorem to describe gas at the outskirts of a cluster. When coupled to the baryonic escape condition, aided by dark energy, the results is a radius beyond which the continued establishment of a hydrostatic halo of thermalized baryons is untenable. This leads to a theoretically motivated virial radius. We use this theory to probe the structure of a cluster's baryonic halo and apply it to X-ray and weak-lensing data collected on cluster Abell 1835. We find that gas in its outskirts deviates significantly from hydrostatic equilibrium beginning at $\sim 1.3\ {\rm Mpc}$, the `inner' virial radius. We also define a model dependent dark matter halo cutoff radius to A1835. The dark matter cutoff gives an upper limit to the cluster's total mass of $\sim7\times 10^{15}M_{\odot}$. Moreover, it is possible to derive an `outer' hydrostatic equilibrium cutoff radius given a dark matter cutoff radius. A region of cluster gas transport and turbulence occurs between the inner and outer cutoff radii.

Rossby wave instability (RWI) is considered the underlying mechanism to crescent-shaped azimuthal asymmetries, discovered in (sub-)millimeter dust continuum of many protoplanetary disks. Previous works on linear theory were conducted in the hydrodynamic limit. Nevertheless, protoplanetary disks are likely magnetized and weakly ionized. We examine the influence of magnetic fields and non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects - namely, Ohmic resistivity, Hall drift, and ambipolar diffusion - on the RWI unstable modes. We perform radially global linear analyses, employing constant azimuthal ($B_\phi$) or vertical ($B_z$) background magnetic fields. It is found that, in the ideal MHD regime, magnetism can either enhance or diminish RWI growth. Strong non-ideal MHD effects cause RWI growth rates to recover hydrodynamic results. The sign of Hall Elsässer number subtly complicates the results, and vertical wavenumbers generically diminish growth rates.

Giant (>100 kpc) nebulae associated with active galaxies provide rich information about the circumgalactic medium (CGM) around galaxies, its link with the interstellar medium (ISM) of the hosts and the mechanisms involved in their evolution. We have studied the giant nebula associated with the Teacup (z=0.085) quasar based on VLT MUSE integral field spectroscopy with two main scientific aims: to investigate whether the well known giant (10 kpc) AGN induced outflow has an impact on the distribution of heavy elements in and outside the host galaxy, and to establish whether there is a physical and/or evolutionary link between the CGM and the ISM. We have mapped the O/H and N/O gas abundances in two spatial dimensions across the giant nebula and within the galaxy by means of comparing emission line ratios with photoionization model predictions. We have also compared the kinematics of the giant nebula with that of the gas and the stars in the host galaxy. The widely studied AGN driven outflow responsible for the 10 kpc ionized bubble is enhancing the gas metal abundance up to 10 kpc from the AGN. O/H is solar or slightly higher in the bubble edges, in comparison with the subsolar abundances across the rest of the nebula median (O/H~0.63 (O/H)). The giant nebula shows complex kinematics. In addition to non circular motions, we propose that there is a rotational component that extends up to the nebular edge. It seems to be kinematically coupled at least partially with the stellar component and the ISM of the host galaxy. We conclude that AGN feedback can produce metal enrichment at large extranuclear distances in galaxies (~10 kpc). The dynamics of the giant nebula is consistent with CGM studies based on absorption lines that show evidence for a substantial rotation component in the CGM of numerous galaxies which, moreover, is often kinematically coupled with the ISM and stars of the galaxies.

We report the first identification in space of HC$_3$N$^+$, the simplest member of the family of cyanopolyyne cations. Three rotational transitions with half-integer quantum numbers from $J$=7/2 to 11/2 have been observed with the Yebes 40m radio telescope and assigned to HC$_3$N$^+$, which has an inverted $^2\Pi$ ground electronic state. The three rotational transitions exhibit several hyperfine components due to the magnetic and nuclear quadrupole coupling effects of the H and N nuclei. We confidently assign the characteristic rotational spectrum pattern to HC$_3$N$^+$ based on the good agreement between the astronomical and theoretical spectroscopic parameters. We derived a column density of (6.0$\pm$0.6)$\times$10$^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$ and a rotational temperature of 4.5$\pm$1\,K. The abundance ratio between HC$_3$N and HC$_3$N$^+$ is 3200$\pm$320. As found for the larger members of the family of cyanopolyyne cations (HC$_5$N$^+$ and HC$_7$N$^+$), HC$_3$N$^+$ is mainly formed through the reactions of H$_2$ and the cation C$_3$N$^+$ and by the reactions of H$^+$ with HC$_3$N. In the same manner than other cyanopolyyne cations, HC$_3$N$^+$ is mostly destroyed through a reaction with H$_2$ and a dissociative recombination with electrons.

We present a simulation-based framework to forecast the HI power spectrum on non-linear scales ($k\gtrsim 1\ {\rm Mpc^{-1}}$), as measured by interferometer arrays like MeerKAT in the low-redshift ($z\leq 1.0$) universe. Building on a galaxy-based HI mock catalog, we meticulously consider various factors, including the emission line profiles of HI discs and some observational settings, and explore their impacts on the HI power spectrum. While it is relatively insensitive to the profile shape of HI emission line at these scales, we identify a strong correlation with the profile width, that is, the Full Width at Half Maxima (FWHM, also known as $W_{\rm 50}$ in observations) in this work. By modeling the width function of $W_{50}$ as a function of $v_{\rm max}$, we assign each HI source a emission line profile and find that the resulting HI power spectrum is comparatively close to results from particles in the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulation. After implementing $k$-space cuts matching the MeerKAT data, our prediction replicates the trend of the measurements obtained by MeerKAT at $z\approx 0.44$, though with a significantly lower amplitude. Utilizing a Monte Carlo Markov Chain sampling method, we constrain the parameter $A_{W_{\rm 50}}$ in the $W_{\rm 50}$ models and $\Omega_{\rm HI}$ with the MeerKAT measurements and find that a strong degeneracy exists between these two parameters.

Unveiling the dark sector of the Universe is one of the leading efforts in theoretical physics. Among the many models proposed, axions and axion-like particles stand out due to their solid theoretical foundation, capacity to contribute significantly to both dark matter and dark energy, and potential to address the small-scale crisis of $\Lambda$CDM. Moreover, these pseudo-scalar fields couple to the electromagnetic sector through a Chern-Simons parity-violating term, leading to a rotation of the plane of linearly polarized waves, namely cosmic birefringence. We explore the impact of the axion-parameters on anisotropic birefringence and study, for the first time, its cross-correlation with the spatial distribution of galaxies, focusing on ultralight axions with masses $10^{-33}\,{\rm eV}\le m_\phi\le10^{-28}\,{\rm eV}$. Through this novel approach, we investigate the axion-parameter space in the mass $m_\phi$ and initial misalignment angle $\theta_i$, within the framework of early dark energy models, and constrain the axion-photon coupling $g_{\phi\gamma}$ required to achieve unity in the signal-to-noise ratio of the underlying cross-correlation, computed with the instrument specifications of Euclid and forthcoming CMB-polarization data. Our findings reveal that for masses below $10^{-32}\,{\rm eV}$ and initial misalignment angles greater in absolute value than $\pi/4$, the signal-to-noise ratio not only exceeds unity but also surpasses that achievable from the auto-correlation of birefringence alone (up to a factor 7), highlighting the informative potential of this new probe. Additionally, given the late-time evolution of these low-mass axions, the signal stems from the epoch of reionization, providing an excellent tool to single out the birefringence generated during this period.

Recent catalog of Faraday rotation measures (RM) of extragalactic sources together with the synchrotron polarization data from WMAP and Planck provide us with the wealth of information on magnetic fields of the Galaxy. However, the integral character of these observables together with our position inside the Galaxy makes the inference of the coherent Galactic magnetic field (GMF) complicated and ambiguous. We combine several phenomenological components of the GMF -- the spiral arms, the toroidal halo, the X-shaped field and the field of the Local Bubble -- to construct a new model of the regular GMF outside of the thin disk. To have control over the relative contributions of the RM and polarization data to the fit we pay special attention to the estimation of errors in data bins. To this end we develop a systematic method which is uniformly applicable to different data sets. This method takes into account individual measurement errors, the variance in the bin as well as fluctuations in the data at angular scales larger than the bin size. This leads to decrease of the errors and, as a result, to better sensitivity of the data to the model content. We cross checked the stability of our method with the new LOFAR data. We found that the four components listed above are sufficient to fit both the RM and polarization data over the whole sky with only a small fraction masked out. Moreover, we have achieved several important improvements compared to previous approaches. Due to account of our location inside of the Local Bubble our model does not require introduction of striated fields. For the first time we showed that the Fan Region can be modeled as a Galactic-scale feature. The pitch angle of the magnetic field in our fit converged to the value around 20 degrees. Interestingly, with value is very close to the direction of arms inferred recently from Gaia data on upper main sequence stars.

Along the I24, I27 and I31 flybys of Io (1999-2001), the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) onboard the Galileo spacecraft observed localised regions of energetic protons losses (155 keV-1250 keV). Using back-tracking particle simulations combined with a prescribed atmospheric distribution and a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model of the plasma/atmosphere interaction, we investigate the possible causes of these depletions. We focus on a limited region within two Io radii, which is dominated by Io's SO$_2$ atmosphere. Our results show that charge exchange of protons with the SO$_2$ atmosphere, absorption by the surface and the configuration of the electromagnetic field contribute to the observed proton depletion along the Galileo flybys. In the 155-240 keV energy range, charge exchange is either a major or the dominant loss process, depending on the flyby altitude. In the 540-1250 keV range, as the charge exchange cross sections are small, the observed decrease of the proton flux is attributed to absorption by the surface and the perturbed electromagnetic fields, which divert the protons away from the detector. From a comparison between the modelled losses and the data we find indications of an extended atmosphere on the day/downstream side of Io, a lack of atmospheric collapse on the night/upstream side as well as a more global extended atmospheric component ($> 1$ Io radius). Our results demonstrate that observations and modeling of proton depletion around the moon constitute an important tool to constrain the electromagnetic field configuration around Io and the radial and longitudinal atmospheric distribution, which is still poorly understood.

The increasing interest in spacecraft autonomy and the complex tasks to be accomplished by the spacecraft raise the need for a trustworthy approach to perform Verification & Validation of Guidance, Navigation, and Control algorithms. In the context of autonomous operations, vision-based navigation algorithms have established themselves as effective solutions to determine the spacecraft state in orbit with low-cost and versatile sensors. Nevertheless, detailed testing must be performed on ground to understand the algorithm's robustness and performance on flight hardware. Given the impossibility of testing directly on orbit these algorithms, a dedicated simulation framework must be developed to emulate the orbital environment in a laboratory setup. This paper presents the design of a low-aberration optical facility called RETINA to perform this task. RETINA is designed to accommodate cameras with different characteristics (e.g., sensor size and focal length) while ensuring the correct stimulation of the camera detector. A preliminary design is performed to identify the range of possible components to be used in the facility according to the facility requirements. Then, a detailed optical design is performed in Zemax OpticStudio to optimize the number and characteristics of the lenses composing the facility's optical systems. The final design is compared against the preliminary design to show the superiority of the optical performance achieved with this approach. This work presents also a calibration procedure to estimate the misalignment and the centering errors in the facility. These estimated parameters are used in a dedicated compensation algorithm, enabling the stimulation of the camera at tens of arcseconds of precision. Finally, two different applications are presented to show the versatility of RETINA in accommodating different cameras and in simulating different mission scenarios.

Localisation of fast radio bursts (FRBs) to arcsecond and sub-arcsecond precision maximizes their potential as cosmological probes. To that end, FRB detection instruments are deploying triggered complex-voltage capture systems to localize FRBs, identify their host galaxy and measure a redshift. Here, we report the discovery and localisation of two FRBs (20220717A and 20220905A) that were captured by the transient buffer system deployed by the MeerTRAP instrument at the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa. We were able to localize the FRBs to a precision of $\sim$1 arc-second that allowed us to unambiguously identify the host galaxy for FRB 20220717A (posterior probability$\sim$0.97). FRB 20220905A lies in a crowded region of the sky with a tentative identification of a host galaxy but the faintness and the difficulty in obtaining an optical spectrum preclude a conclusive association. The bursts show low linear polarization fractions (10--17$\%$) that conform to the large diversity in the polarization fraction observed in apparently non-repeating FRBs akin to single pulses from neutron stars. We also show that the host galaxy of FRB 20220717A contributes roughly 15$\%$ of the total dispersion measure (DM), indicating that it is located in a plasma-rich part of the host galaxy which can explain the large rotation measure. The scattering in FRB 20220717A can be mostly attributed to the host galaxy and the intervening medium and is consistent with what is seen in the wider FRB population.

We present JWST/MIRI MRS spatially resolved $\sim 5-28\,\mu$m observations of the central ~4-8kpc of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy and broad absorption line quasar Mrk231. These are part of the Mid-Infrared Characterization of Nearby Iconic galaxy Centers (MICONIC) program of the MIRI European Consortium guaranteed time observations. No high excitation lines (i.e., [MgV] at 5.61$\mu$m or [NeV] at 14.32$\mu$m) typically associated with the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are detected in the nuclear region of Mrk231. This is likely due to the intrinsically X-ray weak nature of its quasar. Some intermediate ionization potential lines, for instance, [ArIII] at 8.99$\mu$m and [SIV] at 10.51$\mu$m, are not detected either, even though they are clearly observed in a star-forming region ~920pc south-east of the AGN. Thus, the strong nuclear mid-infrared (mid-IR) continuum is also in part hampering the detection of faint lines in the nuclear region. The nuclear [NeIII]/[NeII]line ratio is consistent with values observed in star-forming galaxies. Moreover, we resolve for the first time the nuclear starburst in the mid-IR low-excitation line emission (size of ~400pc, FWHM). Several pieces of evidence also indicate that it is partly obscured even at these wavelengths. At the AGN position, the ionized and warm molecular gas emission lines have modest widths (W_80~300km/s). There are, however, weak blueshifted wings reaching velocities v_02~-400km/s in [NeII]. The nuclear starburst is at the center of a large (~8kpc), massive rotating disk with widely-spread, low velocity outflows. Given the high star formation rate of Mrk231, we speculate that part of the nuclear outflows and the large-scale non-circular motions observed in the mid-IR are driven by its powerful nuclear starburst.

Understanding how elemental abundances evolve during solar flares helps shed light on the mass and energy transfer between different solar atmospheric layers. However, prior studies have mostly concentrated on averaged abundances or specific flare phases, leaving a gap in exploring the comprehensive observations throughout the entire flare process. Consequently, investigations into this area are relatively scarce. Exploiting the Solar X-ray Monitor data obtained from the Chang'E-2 lunar orbiter, we present two comprehensive soft X-ray spectroscopic observations of flares in active regions, AR 11149 and 11158, demonstrating elemental abundance evolutions under different conditions. Our findings unveil the inverse first ionization potential (IFIP) effect during flares for Fe for the first time, and reaffirm its existence for Si. Additionally, we observed a rare depletion of elemental abundances, marking the second IFIP effect in flare decay phases. Our study offers a CSHKP model-based interpretation to elucidate the formation of both the FIP and IFIP effects in flare dynamics, with the inertia effect being incorporated into the ponderomotive force fractionation model.

Accurate modeling for the evolution of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) is essential for using it as a standard ruler to probe cosmology. We explore the non-linearity of the BAO in different environments using the density-split statistics and compare them to the case of the conventional two-point correlation function (2PCF). We detect density-dependent shifts for the position of the BAO with respect to its linear version using halos from N-body simulations. Around low/high-densities, the scale of the BAO expands/contracts due to non-linear peculiar velocities. As the simulation evolves from redshift 1 to 0, the difference in the magnitude of the shifts between high- and low-density regions increases from the sub-percent to the percent level. In contrast, the scale of the BAO does not evolve in the total 2PCF in the same redshift range. The width of the BAO around high density regions increases as the universe evolves, similar to the known broadening of the BAO in the 2PCF due to non-linear evolution. In contrast, the width is smaller and stable for low density regions. We discuss possible implications for the reconstructions of the BAO in light of our results.

In this work, we use the theory of spatial networks to analyze galaxy distributions. The aim is to develop new approaches to study the spatial galaxy environment properties by means of the network parameters. We investigate how each of the network parameters (degree, closeness and betweeness centrality; diameter; giant component; transitivity) map the cluster structure and properties. We measure the network parameters of galaxy samples comprising the Coma Supercluster and 4 regions in their neighborhood ($z<0.0674$) using the catalog produced by \citet{tempel2014flux}. For comparison we repeat the same procedures for Random Geometric Graphs and Segment Cox process, generated with the same dimensions and mean density of nodes. We found that there is a strong correlation between degree centrality and the normalized environmental density. Also, at high degrees there are more elliptical than spiral galaxies, which confirms the density-morphology relation. The mean degree as a function of the connection radius is an estimator of the count-of-spheres and consequently provides the correlation dimension as a function of the connection radius. The correlation dimension indicates high clustering at scales indicated by the network diameter. Further, at this scales, high values of betweeness centrality characterize galaxy bridges connecting dense regions, tracing very well the filamentary structures. Then, since galaxies with the highest closeness centrality belongs to the largest components of the network, associated to supercluster regions, we can produce a catalog of superclusters only by extracting the largest connected components of the network. Establishing the correlation between the well-studied normalized environmental densities and the parameters of the network theory allows us to develop alternative tools to the study of the large-scale structures.

This work studies the kinematics of the leading edge and the core of 6 Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the combined field of view of Sun Watcher using Active Pixel System detector and Image Processing (SWAP) on-board PRoject for On-Board Autonomy (PROBA-2) and the ground-based K-Cor coronagraph of the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO). We report, for the first time, on the existence of a critical height h$_\mathrm{c}$, which marks the onset of velocity dispersion inside the CME. This height for the studied events lies between 1.4-1.8 R$_{\odot}$, in the inner corona. We find the critical heights to be relatively higher for gradual CMEs, as compared to impulsive ones, indicating that the early initiation of these two classes might be different physically. We find several interesting imprints of the velocity dispersion on CME kinematics. The critical height is strongly correlated with the flux-rope minor radius and the mass of the CME. Also, the magnitude of velocity dispersion shows a reasonable positive correlation with the above two parameters. We believe these results will advance our understanding of CME initiation mechanisms and will help provide improved constraints to CME initiation models.

Solar jets are an important field of study, as they may contribute to the mass and energy transfer from the lower to the upper atmosphere. We use the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) observations to study two small-scale jets originating in the same on-disk coronal hole observed in October 2013. We combine dopplergrams, intensity maps, and line width maps derived from IRIS Si IV 1393.755Å spectra along with images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on SDO to describe the dynamics of the jets. Images from AIA, with the use of the emission measure loci technique and rectangular differential emission measure (DEM) distributions, provide estimations of the plasma temperatures. We used the O \textsc{IV} 1399.77 Å, 1401.16~Å spectral lines from IRIS to derive electron densities. For jet 1, the SDO images show a small mini-filament 2 minutes before the jet eruption, while jet 2 originates at a pre-existing coronal bright point. The analysis of asymmetric spectral profiles of the Si \textsc{IV} 1393.755~Å and 1402.770~Å lines reveals the existence of two spectral components with inversely dependant 1393.755~Å/1402.770~Å ratios at both regions. One of the components can be related to the background plasma emission originating outside the jet, while the secondary component represents higher-energy plasma flows associated with the jets. Both jets exhibit high densities of the order of 10$^{11}$ cm$^{-3}$ at their base and 10$^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ at the spire, respectively, as well as similar average nonthermal velocities of $\sim$ 50-60 km/s. However, the two jets show differences in their length, duration, and plane-of-sky velocity. Finally, the DEM analysis reveals that both jets exhibit multithermal distributions.

Strong gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics are independent and powerful methods to probe the total gravitational potential of galaxies, and thus, their total mass profile. However, inherent degeneracies in the individual models makes it difficult to obtain a full understanding of the distribution of baryons and dark matter (DM), although such degeneracies might be broken by the combination of these two tracers, leading to more reliable measurements of the mass distribution of the lens galaxy. We use mock data from IllustrisTNG50 to compare how dynamical-only, lens-only, and joint modelling can constrain the mass distribution of early-type galaxies (ETGs). The joint model consistently outperforms the other models, achivieng a $2\%$ accuracy in recovering the total mass within $2.5R_\text{eff}$. The Einstein radius is robustly recovered for both lens-only and joint models, with the first showing a median fractional error of $-5\%$ and the latter a fractional error consistent with zero. The stellar mass-to-light ratio and total mass density slope are well recovered by all models. In particular, the dynamical-only model achieves an accuracy of $1\%$ for the stellar mass-to-light ratio, while the accuracy of the mass density slope is typically of the order of $5\%$ for all models. However, all models struggle to constrain integrated quantities involving DM and the halo parameters. Nevertheless, imposing more restrictive assumptions on the DM halo, such as fixing the scale radius, could alleviate some of the issues. Finally, we verify that the number of kinematical constraints ($15, 35, 55$ bins) on the kinematical map does not impact the models outcomes.

Turbulent diffuse molecular clouds can exhibit complicated morphologies caused by the interactions among radiation, chemistry, fluids, and fields. We performed full 3D simulations for turbulent diffuse molecular interstellar media, featuring time-dependent non-equilibrium thermochemistry co-evolved with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Simulation results exhibit the relative abundances of key chemical species (e.g., C, CO, OH) vary by more than one order of magnitude for the "premature" epoch of chemical evolution ($t\lesssim 2\times 10^5~{\rm yr}$). Various simulations are also conducted to study the impacts of physical parameters. Non-ideal MHD effects are essential in shaping the behavior of gases, and strong magnetic fields ($\sim 10~\mu{\rm G}$) tend to inhibit vigorous compressions and thus reduce the fraction of warm gases ($T\gtrsim 10^2~{\rm K}$). Thermodynamical and chemical conditions of the gas are sensitive to modulation by dynamic conditions, especially the energy injection by turbulence. Chemical features, including ionization (cosmic ray and diffuse interstellar radiation), would not directly affect the turbulence power spectra. Nonetheless, their effects are prominent in the distribution profiles of temperatures and gas densities. Comprehensive observations are necessary and useful to eliminate the degeneracies of physical parameters and constrain the properties of diffuse molecular clouds with confidence.

X-ray binaries (XRBs) often exhibit spectral residuals in the 0.5 to 2 keV range, known as the "1 keV residual/1 keV feature", with variable centroid and intensity across different systems. Yet a comprehensive scientific explanation of the variability of the 1 keV feature has remained largely elusive. In this paper, we explain for the first time the origin and variability of the 1 keV feature in XRBs using the spectral synthesis code \textsc{Cloudy}. We constructed line blends for the emission and absorption lines and study the variability of these blends with ionization parameters, temperature, and column density. We conducted a sample study involving five XRBs including two ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs): NGC 247 ULX-1, NGC 1313 X-1, a binary X-ray pulsar: Hercules X-1, and two typical low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs): Cygnus X-2, and Serpens X-1, providing a comprehensive explanation of the 1 keV feature observed across these targets.

Type I gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to originate from compact binary merger usually with duration less than 2 seconds for the main emission. However, recent observations of GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A indicate that some merger-origin GRBs could last much longer. Since they show strikingly similar properties (indicating a common mechanism) which are different from the classic "long"-short burst (e.g. GRB 060614), forming an interesting subclass of type I GRBs, we suggest to name them as type IL GRBs. By identifying the first peak of GRB 230307A as a quasi-thermal precursor, we find that the prompt emission of type IL GRB is composed of three episodes: (1) a precursor followed by a short quiescent (or weak emission) period, (2) a long-duration main emission, and (3) an extended emission. With this burst pattern, a good candidate, GRB 170228A, was found in the Fermi/GBM archive data, and subsequent temporal and spectral analyses indeed show that GRB 170228A falls in the same cluster with GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A in many diagnostic figures. Thus this burst pattern could be a good reference for rapidly identifying type IL GRB and conducting low-latency follow-up observation. We estimated the occurrence rate and discussed the physical origins and implications for the three emission episodes of type IL GRBs. Our analysis suggests the pre-merger precursor model, especially the super flare model, is more favored for type IL GRBs.

We present a new method to search for long transient gravitational waves signals, like those expected from fast spinning newborn magnetars, in interferometric detector data. Standard search techniques are computationally unfeasible (matched filtering) or very demanding (sub-optimal semi-coherent methods). We explored a different approach by means of machine learning paradigms, to define a fast and inexpensive procedure. We used convolutional neural networks to develop a classifier that is able to discriminate between the presence or the absence of a signal. To complement the classification and enhance its effectiveness, we also developed a denoiser. We studied the performance of both networks with simulated colored noise, according to the design noise curve of LIGO interferometers. We show that the combination of the two models is crucial to increase the chance of detection. Indeed, as we decreased the signal initial amplitude (from $10^{-22}$ down to $10^{-23}$) the classification task became more difficult. In particular, we could not correctly tag signals with an initial amplitude of $2 \times 10^{-23}$ without using the denoiser. By studying the performance of the combined networks, we found a good compromise between the search false alarm rate (2$\%$) and efficiency (90$\%$) for a single interferometer. In addition, we demonstrated that our method is robust with respect to changes in the power law describing the time evolution of the signal frequency. Our results highlight the computationally low cost of this method to generate triggers for long transient signals. The study carried out in this work lays the foundations for further improvements, with the purpose of developing a pipeline able to perform systematic searches of long transient signals.

Cosmic rays (CRs) play a major role in the dynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM). Their interactions and transport ionize, heat, and push the ISM thereby coupling different regions of it. The spatial distribution of CRs depends on the distribution of their sources as well as the ISM constituents they interact with, such as gas, starlight, and magnetic fields. Particularly, gas interacts closely with CRs, influencing CR fluxes and gamma -ray emission. We illustrate the influence of 3D gas structures on CR transport and gamma -ray emission. We use the PICARD code and multiple samples of recent 3D reconstructions of the HI and H$_2$ Galactic gas constituents to investigate the impact on the transport of CRs and emission of gamma -rays. We find the necessary transport parameters to reproduce local measurements of CR fluxes, and see that they depend on the local distribution of gas density and structure. The distribution of CR fluxes exhibits energy-dependent structures that vary for all CR species due to their corresponding loss processes. Regions of enhanced secondary (primary) species are spatially correlated (anti-correlated) with the gas density. We observe a high sensitivity of the gamma -ray emission on the contrast of gas structures, as those determine the 3D spatial distributions of hadronic interactions and bremsstrahlung. We find that corresponding gas-induced structures in the distribution of CR electrons are also visible in Inverse Compton (IC) emission. Due to the aforementioned sensitivity, the analysis of CR data for CR sources and transport parameters requires the usage of accurate 3D gas maps.

Sample Return Capsules (SRCs) entering Earth's atmosphere at hypervelocity from interplanetary space are a valuable resource for studying meteor phenomena. The 24 September 2023 arrival of the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) SRC provided an unprecedented chance for geophysical observations of a well-characterized source with known parameters, including timing and trajectory. A collaborative effort involving researchers from 16 institutions executed a carefully planned geophysical observational campaign at strategically chosen locations, deploying over 400 ground-based sensors encompassing infrasound, seismic, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), and GPS technologies. Additionally, balloons equipped with infrasound sensors were launched to capture signals at higher altitudes. This campaign (the largest of its kind so far) yielded a wealth of invaluable data anticipated to fuel scientific inquiry for years to come. The success of the observational campaign is evidenced by the near-universal detection of signals across instruments, both proximal and distal. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the collective scientific effort, field deployment, and preliminary findings. The early findings have the potential to inform future space missions and terrestrial campaigns, contributing to our understanding of meteoroid interactions with planetary atmospheres. Furthermore, the dataset collected during this campaign will improve entry and propagation models as well as augment the study of atmospheric dynamics and shock phenomena generated by meteoroids and similar sources.

TRAPPIST-1e is a tidally locked rocky exoplanet orbiting the habitable zone of an M dwarf star. Upcoming observations are expected to reveal new rocky exoplanets and their atmospheres around M dwarf stars. To interpret these future observations we need to model the atmospheres of such exoplanets. We configured CESM2-WACCM6, a chemistry climate model, for the orbit and stellar irradiance of TRAPPIST-1e assuming an initial Earth-like atmospheric composition. Our aim is to characterize the possible ozone (O$_3$) distribution and explore how this is influenced by the atmospheric circulation shaped by orography, using the Helmholtz wind decomposition and meridional mass streamfunction. The model included Earth-like orography and the substellar point was located over the Pacific Ocean. For such a scenario, our analysis reveals a North-South asymmetry in the simulated O$_3$ distribution. The O$_3$ concentration is highest below 10 hPa level (below $\sim$30 km) near the South pole. This asymmetry results from the presence of land masses on the night side that cause drag in near-surface flows and lead to an asymmetric meridional overturning circulation. Catalytic species were roughly symmetrically distributed and were not found to be primary driver for the O$_3$ asymmetry. The total ozone column (TOC) density was higher for TRAPPIST-1e compared to Earth, with 8000 Dobson Units (DU) near the South pole and 2000 DU near the North pole. The results emphasize the sensitivity of O$_3$ to model parameters, illustrating how incorporating Earth-like orography can affect atmospheric dynamics and O$_3$ distribution. This link between surface features and atmospheric dynamics underlines the importance of how changing model parameters used to study exoplanet atmospheres can influence the interpretation of observations.

We analyze the confident binary black hole (BBH) detections from the third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) with an alternative mass population model in order to capture features in the mass distribution beyond the Powerlaw + Peak model. We find that the peak of a second power law characterizes the $\sim 30-35~ M_\odot$ bump, such that the data marginally prefers a mixture of two power laws for the mass distribution of binary components over a Powerlaw + Peak model with a Bayes Factor $\log_{10}\mathcal{B}$ of 0.1. This result may imply that the $\sim 30-35~ M_\odot$ feature represents the onset of a second population of BBH mergers (e.g. from a dynamical formation channel) rather than a specific mass feature over a broader distribution. When an additional Gaussian bump is allowed within our power law mixture model, we find a new feature in the BH mass spectrum at $\sim65-70~M_\odot$. This new feature may be consistent with hierarchical mergers, and constitute $\sim2\%$ of the BBH population. This model also recovers a maximum mass of $58^{+30}_{-14}~M_\odot$ for the second power law, consistent with the onset of a pair-instability supernova mass gap.

Among the models addressing the Hubble tension, those introducing a dynamical dark component around recombination have been the most promising thus far. Their study has highlighted that, in fact, cosmic microwave background (CMB) and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) observations can allow for such components before and near recombination. The new dynamical degree of freedom can be early dark energy (EDE) or early modified gravity depending on its coupling to gravity. We study a new model, $\mathcal{G}$EDE, featuring the cubic Galileon operator $X\Box\phi$ and test it against the most recent Planck PR4 CMB and Cepheid calibrated Pantheon+ type Ia Supernovae data. Thanks to the kinetic braiding effects, $\mathcal{G}$EDE gives a better fit to the data, with a higher $H_0$, and is preferred over the canonical EDE with a Bayes factor $\ln B=0.9$, despite introducing one more parameter. This calls for further explorations of modified gravity near and before last scattering. To facilitate these, we introduce a substantial extension of the cosmological code \texttt{EFTCAMB} that allows to fully evolve the background and linear dynamics of any covariant theory, oscillatory or not, belonging to the Horndeski class.