Papers for Monday, Aug 05 2024

The first interactions of photon-induced showers are of electromagnetic nature, and the transfer of energy to the hadron/muon channel is reduced with respect to the bulk of hadron-induced showers. This results in a lower number of secondary muons. Additionally, as the development of photon showers is delayed by the typically small multiplicity of electromagnetic interactions, their maximum of shower development is deeper in the atmosphere than for showers initiated by hadrons. These salient features have enabled searches for photon showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory. They have led to stringent upper limits on ultra-high-energy gamma-ray fluxes over four orders in magnitude in energy. These limits are not only of considerable astrophysical interest, but they also allow us to constrain beyond-standard-physics scenarios. For instance, dark matter particles could be superheavy, provided their lifetime is much longer than the age of the universe. Constraints on specific extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics that meet the lifetime requirement for a superheavy particle will be presented. They include limits on instanton strength as well as on mixing angle between active and sterile neutrinos.

We present a comprehensive examination of the three most recent versions of the L-Galaxies semi-analytic galaxy formation model, focusing on the evolution of galaxy properties across a broad stellar mass range ($10^7\:{\rm M}_{\odot}\lesssim{M_\star}\lesssim10^{12}\:{\rm M}_{\odot}$) from $z=0$ to $z\simeq10$. We compare the predictions with the latest multiband data from key astronomical surveys, including SDSS, CANDELS, and COSMOS along with HST, JWST, and ALMA. We assess the models' ability to reproduce various time-dependent galaxy scaling relations for star-forming and quenched galaxies. Key focus areas include global galaxy properties such as stellar mass functions, cosmic star formation rate density, and the evolution of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies. Additionally, we examine resolved morphological properties such as the galaxy mass-size relation, alongside core $(R<1\,{\rm{kpc}})$ and effective $(R<R_{\rm{e}})$ stellar-mass surface densities as a function of stellar mass. This analysis reveals that the \textsc{L-Galaxies} models are in qualitatively good agreement with observed global galaxy scaling relations up to $z\simeq10$. However, significant discrepancies exist at both low and high redshifts in accurately reproducing the number density, size, and surface density evolution of quenched galaxies. These issues are most pronounced for massive galaxies, where the simulations underpredict the abundance of quenched galaxies at $z\geq1.5$, reaching a discrepancy of a factor of 60 by $z\approx3$, with sizes several times larger than observed. Therefore, we propose that the physical prescriptions governing the cessation of star formation in galaxies, such as AGN feedback and processes related to merging, require improvement to be better supported by observational data.

Fuzzy dark matter (FDM) is a compelling candidate for dark matter, offering a natural explanation for the structure of diffuse low-mass haloes. However, the canonical FDM model with a mass of $10^{-22}~{\rm eV}$ encounters challenges in reproducing the observed diversity of dwarf galaxies, except for possibly scenarios where strong galactic feedback is invoked. The introduction of multiple-field FDM can provide a potential resolution to this diversity issue. The theoretical plausibility of this dark matter model is also enhanced by the fact that multiple axion species with logarithmically-distributed mass spectrum exist as a generic prediction of string theory. In this paper we consider the axiverse hypothesis and investigate non-linear structure formation in the two-field fuzzy dark matter (2FDM) model. Our cosmological simulation with an unprecedented resolution and self-consistent initial conditions reveals the diverse structures of dark matter haloes in the 2FDM model for the first time. Depending on the formation time and local tidal activities, late-time haloes can host solitons of nested cores or solitons of one dominant species.

Hierarchical decays of $N$ matter species to radiation may balance against Hubble expansion to yield stasis, a new phase of cosmological evolution with constant matter and radiation abundances. We analyze stasis with various machine learning techniques on the full $2N$-dimensional space of decay rates and abundances, which serve as inputs to the system of Boltzmann equations that governs the dynamics. We construct a differentiable Boltzmann solver to maximize the number of stasis $e$-folds $\mathcal{N}$. High-stasis configurations obtained by gradient ascent motivate log-uniform distributions on rates and abundances to accompany power-law distributions of previous works. We demonstrate that random configurations drawn from these families of distributions regularly exhibit many $e$-folds of stasis. We additionally use them as priors in a Bayesian analysis conditioned on stasis, using stochastic variational inference with normalizing flows to model the posterior. All three numerical analyses demonstrate the generality of stasis and point to a new model in which the rates and abundances are exponential in the species index. We show that the exponential model solves the exact stasis equations, is an attractor, and satisfies $\mathcal{N}\propto N$, exhibiting inflation-level $e$-folding with a relatively low number of species. This is contrasted with the $\mathcal{N}\propto \log(N)$ scaling of power-law models. Finally, we discuss implications for the emergent string conjecture and string axiverse.

Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, while the current state-of-the art methodology for generating theoretical predictions for the large scale structures of the Universe, are among the most expensive simulation tools, requiring upwards of 100 millions CPU hours per simulation. N-body simulations, which exclusively model dark matter and its purely gravitational interactions, represent a less resource-intensive alternative, however, they do not model galaxies, and as such cannot directly be compared to observations. In this study, we use conditional score-based models to learn a mapping from N-body to hydrodynamical simulations, specifically from dark matter density fields to the observable distribution of galaxies. We demonstrate that our model is capable of generating galaxy fields statistically consistent with hydrodynamical simulations at a fraction of the computational cost, and demonstrate our emulator is significantly more precise than traditional emulators over the scales 0.36 $h\ \text{Mpc}^{-1}$ $\leq$ k $\leq$ 3.88 $h\ \text{Mpc}^{-1}$.

I find that Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) with bimodal nebular emission profiles occur almost exclusively in massive ($M_\star \gtrsim 10^{11}~M_\odot$) galaxies with low star-formation rates (SFR~$\lesssim 0.5~M_\odot$/yr). The bimodal profiles are likely produced by two white dwarfs that exploded during a merger or collision, supported by a correlation between the peak-to-peak velocity separation ($v_{\rm sep}$) and the SN Ia peak luminosity ($M_V$) which arises naturally from more massive white dwarf binaries synthesizing more $^{56}$Ni during the explosion. The quiescent hosts are consistent with the long delay times required to form double white dwarf binaries. The distributions of SNe Ia with and without bimodal nebular lines differ in host mass, SFR, and specific SFR with K-S test probabilities of $3.1\%$, $0.03\%$, and $0.02\%$, respectively. Viewing angle effects can fully explain the SNe Ia in quiescent hosts without bimodal emission profiles and the dearth of merger/collision driven SNe Ia in star-forming hosts requires at least two distinct progenitor channels for normal SNe Ia. $30-40\%$ of all SNe Ia originate from mergers or collisions depending on how cleanly host environment distinguishes progenitor scenarios. The bimodal SNe Ia share some characteristics with the underluminous 91bg-like SNe Ia that also prefer older populations, but there is no unambiguous connection between the two classifications. This may suggest separate processes or multiple axes of ejecta (a)symmetry. Existing models for WD mergers and collisions broadly reproduce the $v_{\rm sep} - M_V$ correlation and future analyses may be able to infer the masses/mass-ratios of merging white dwarfs in external galaxies.

We present new results on the rest-frame UV luminosity function (UVLF) and stellar mass-to-light (M/L) ratio of bright (M$_{\rm UV}\lesssim-20$ mag) spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies at $z=7-9$ derived from the BoRG-$JWST$ survey, a unique data set of NIRSpec prism follow up of $HST$-selected sources from random-pointing imaging. By selecting galaxies from over 200 independent sight lines, the survey minimizes cosmic variance ensuring a statistically robust sample of the bright-galaxy population during the epoch of reionization. The data is used to constrain, for the first time, the bright end of the UVLF at $z=7-9$ from spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies over eight independent fields. We find that the bright end of the UVLF is higher than found using imaging over $JWST$ legacy fields, suggesting the latter may be significantly affected by cosmic variance, and thus reducing the tension with recent findings from $JWST$ at $z>10$ and comparable to models invoking little dust attenuation and bursty star formation. Additionally, we use the galaxies' $JWST$ spectra to infer their stellar masses and M/L ratios relative to other $HST$ and $JWST$ studies. We show that the stellar mass scales almost linearly with UV luminosity (M$_* \propto L_{\rm UV}^{0.85\pm0.12}$), albeit with large ($\sim0.5$ dex) intrinsic scatter, consistent with stochastic bursts of star formation in early galaxy formation.

Context: Photoevaporation is an important process for protoplanetary disc dispersal but there has so far been a lack of consensus from simulations over the mass-loss rates and the most important part of the high-energy spectrum for driving the wind. Aims: We aim to isolate the origins of these discrepancies through carefully-benchmarked hydrodynamic simulations of X-ray photoevaporation with time-dependent thermochemistry calculated on the fly. Methods: We conduct hydrodynamic simulations with pluto where the thermochemistry is calculated using prizmo. We explore the contribution of certain key microphysical processes and the impact of using different spectra used previously in literature studies. Results: We find that additional cooling results from the excitation of O by neutral H, which leads to dramatically reduced mass-loss across the disc compared to previous X-ray photoevaporation models, with an integrated rate of 10^-9 Msun/yr. Such rates would allow for longer-lived discs than previously expected from population synthesis. An alternative spectrum with less soft X-ray produces mass-loss rates around a factor of 2-3 times lower. The chemistry is significantly out of equilibrium, with the survival of H2 into the wind aided by advection. This leads to its role as the dominant coolant at 10s au - thus stabilising a larger radial temperature gradient across the wind - as well as providing a possible wind tracer.

We have used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to map CO(3-2) emission from a galaxy, DLA-B1228g, associated with the high-metallicity damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorber at $z \approx 2.1929$ towards the QSO PKS B1228-113. At an angular resolution of $\approx0.32''\times0.24''$, DLA-B1228g shows extended CO(3-2) emission with a deconvolved size of $\approx0.78''\times0.18''$, i.e. a spatial extent of $\approx6.4$ kpc. We detect extended stellar emission from DLA-B1228g in a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 F160W image, and find that H$\alpha$ emission is detected in a Very Large Telescope SINFONI image from only one side of the galaxy. While the clumpy nature of the F160W emission and the offset between the kinematic and physical centers of the CO(3-2) emission are consistent with a merger scenario, this appears unlikely due to the lack of strong H$\alpha$ emission, the symmetric double-peaked CO(3-2) line profile, the high molecular gas depletion timescale, and the similar velocity dispersions in the two halves of the CO(3-2) image. Kinematic modelling reveals that the CO(3-2) emission is consistent with arising from an axisymmetric rotating disk, with an exponential profile, a rotation velocity of $v_{rot}=328\pm7$ km s$^{-1}$, and a velocity dispersion of $\sigma_{v}=62\pm7$ km s$^{-1}$. The high value of the ratio $v_{rot}/\sigma_v$, $\approx5.3$, implies that DLA-B1228g is a rotation-dominated cold disk galaxy, the second case of a high-$z$ HI-absorption-selected galaxy identified with a cold rotating disk. We obtain a dynamical mass of $M_{dyn}= (1.5\pm0.1)\times10^{11}~M_\odot$, similar to the molecular gas mass of $\approx10^{11} M_\odot$ inferred from earlier CO(1-0) studies; this implies that the galaxy is baryon-dominated in its inner regions.

In this study, we demonstrate the efficacy of the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) in identifying and characterizing white dwarfs (WDs) within the Milky Way Galaxy. Leveraging the UVIT point source catalogue towards SMC and crossmatching with Gaia DR3 data, we identified 43 single WDs (37 new detections), 13 new WD+main sequence (MS) candidates and 161 UV bright MS stars by analysing their Spectral Energy Distributions (SED). Using the WD evolutionary models, we determine the masses, effective temperatures, and cooling ages of these identified WDs. Masses of these WDs range from 0.2 to 1.3 M$_{\odot}$ and effective temperatures (T$_{eff}$) between 10000 K to 15000 K, with cooling ages spanning 0.1 to 2 Gyr. Notably, we detect hotter WDs compared to literature values, which is attributed to the sensitivity of UVIT. Furthermore, we report the detection of 20 new extremely low-mass (ELM) candidates from our analysis. Future spectroscopic studies of the ELM candidates will help us understand the formation scenarios of these exotic objects. Despite limitations in Gaia DR3 distance measurements for optically faint WDs, we provide a crude estimate of the WD space density within 1kpc as 1.3 $\times$ 10$^{-3}$ pc$^{-3}$, which is higher than previous estimates in the literature. Our results underscore the instrumental capabilities of UVIT and anticipate the forthcoming UV missions like INSIST for systematic WD discovery. Our methodology sets a precedent for future analyses in other UVIT fields to find more WDs and perform spectroscopic studies to verify their candidacy.

We report the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of an ultra-faint Milky Way (MW) satellite in the constellation of Leo. This system was discovered as a spatial overdensity of resolved stars observed with Dark Energy Camera (DECam) data from an early version of the third data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE EDR3). The low luminosity ($M_V = -3.56_{-0.37}^{+0.47}$; $L_V = 2300_{-800}^{+1000} L_\odot$), large size ($r_{1/2} = 90_{-30}^{+30}$ pc), and large heliocentric distance ($D = 111_{-4}^{+7}$ kpc) are all consistent with the population of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs). Using Keck/DEIMOS observations of the system, we were able to spectroscopically confirm 11 member stars, while measuring a mass to light ratio of $1000_{-700}^{+1900} M_\odot/L_\odot$ and a non-zero metallicity dispersion of $\sigma_{[\rm Fe/H]}=0.33_{-0.14}^{+0.19}$, further confirming Leo VI's identity as an UFD. While the system has an highly elliptical shape, $\epsilon = 0.54_{-0.29}^{+0.19}$, we do not find any evidence that it is tidally disrupting. Moreover, despite its apparent on-sky proximity to members of the proposed Crater-Leo infall group, its relatively lower heliocentric distance and inconsistent position in energy-angular momentum space with the other group members make it unlikely for it to be part of the proposed infall group.

In this work we present a model of two young eclipsing binaries in the Orion Complex. Both heavily spotted, they present radii and temperatures that are in disagreement with the predictions of standard stellar models. 2M05-06 consists of two stars with different masses (~0.52 and ~0.42 Msun) but with very similar radii (~0.9 Rsun), and with the less massive star having a highly spotted surface that causes it to have a hotter (unspotted) photosphere than the higher-mass star. The other system, 2M05-00, consists of two stars of very similar masses (~0.34 Msun), but very different radii (~0.7 and ~1.0 Rsun), which creates an appearance of the two eclipsing stars being non-coeval. 2M05-00 appears to have a tertiary companion that could offer an explanation for the unusual properties of the eclipsing stars, as has been seen in some other young triple systems. Comparing the empirically measured properties of these eclipsing binaries to the predictions of stellar models, both standard and magnetic, we find that only the magnetic models correctly predict the observed relationship between mass and effective temperature. However, standard (non-magnetic) models better predict the temperatures of the unspotted photospheres. These observations represent an important step in improving our understanding of pre-main-sequence stellar evolution and the roles of spots and tertiaries on fundamental stellar properties.

A leading model for Type Ia supernovae involves the double-detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf. Double-detonations arise when a surface helium shell detonation generates shockwaves that trigger a core detonation; this mechanism may be triggered via accretion or during the merger of binaries. Most previous double-detonation simulations only included the primary white dwarf; however, the fate of the secondary has significant observational consequences. Recently, hydrodynamic simulations accounted for the companion in double-degenerate double-detonation mergers. In the merger of a 1.05$\text{M}_{\odot}$ primary white dwarf and 0.7$\text{M}_{\odot}$ secondary white dwarf, the primary consistently detonates while the fate of the secondary remains uncertain. We consider two versions of this scenario, one in which the secondary survives and another in which it detonates. We present the first 3D radiative transfer calculations for these models and show that the synthetic observables for both models are similar and match properties of the peculiar 02es-like subclass of Type Ia supernovae. Our calculations show angle dependencies sensitive to the companion's fate, and we can obtain a closer spectroscopic match to normal Type Ia supernovae when the secondary detonates and the effects of helium detonation ash are minimised. The asymmetry in the width-luminosity relationship is comparable to previous double-detonation models, but the overall spread is increased with a secondary detonation. The secondary detonation has a meaningful impact on all synthetic observables; however, multidimensional nebular phase calculations are needed to support or rule out either model as a likely explanation for Type Ia supernovae.

We perform a combined analysis of stellar kinematics and line-of-sight accelerations of millisecond pulsars to investigate the mass contents of Omega Centauri. We consider multiple mass components: the visible photometric distribution, a central cluster of dark remnants, an intermediate-mass black hole, and a distribution of intermediate extension traced by the pulsars. By self-consistently incorporating multiple independent datasets, including the effects of different centers, we obtain significant constraints on these mass distributions. Our results strongly favor an extended central mass of ~ 2 - 3 x 10^5 Msun, emulating a cluster of heavy stellar remnants, over an IMBH, with a 3-sigma upper limit of 6 x 10^3 Msun on its mass. Pulsar timing observations provide significant constraints, favoring a central mass distribution that is ~ 20% more massive and extended. Notably, we observe a clear linear scaling between the pulsar distribution and stellar encounter rates, showing excellent agreement with the expectation from millisecond pulsar formation models and motivating a profile for their distribution, providing the first validation of its kind where positions are linked to their place of formation in globular clusters. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of this novel methodology in exploring the structure of star clusters, setting a promising precedent amid the advent of the rapidly growing number of observations and discoveries currently being experienced in this field.

We systematically investigate the variability of polarized X-rays on a timescale of a few seconds in the low/hard state of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1. The correlation between polarization degrees and angles with X-Ray intensity was analyzed using data collected by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in June 2022. Given that X-Ray variability in the low/hard state of Cygnus X-1 is non-periodic, flux peaks were aggregated to suppress statistical fluctuations. We divided the temporal profiles of these aggregated flux peaks into seven time segments and evaluated the polarization for each segment. The results reveal that the polarization degree was 4.6\%$\pm$1.2 and 5.3\%$\pm$1.2 before and after the peak, respectively, but decreased to 3.4\%$\pm$1.1 and 2.7\%$\pm$1.1 in the segments including and immediately following the peak. Furthermore, the polarization angle exhibited a slight shift from approximately 30$^{\circ}$ to $\sim$40$^{\circ}$ before and after the peak. These findings suggest that the accretion disk contracts with increasing X-Ray luminosity, and the closer proximity of the X-Ray emitting gas to the black hole may lead to reduced polarization.

Heartbeat stars (HBSs) with tidally excited oscillations (TEOs) are ideal astrophysical laboratories for studying the internal properties of the systems. In this paper, five new HBSs exhibiting TEOs are discovered using TESS photometric data. The orbital parameters are derived using a corrected version of Kumar et al.'s model based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. The TEOs in these objects are examined, and their pulsation phases and modes are identified. The pulsation phases of the TEOs in TIC 266809405, TIC 266894805, and TIC 412881444 are consistent with the dominant $l=2$, $m=0$, or $\pm2$ spherical harmonic. For TIC 11619404, although the TEO phase is close to the $m=+2$ mode, the $m = 0$ mode cannot be excluded because of the low inclination in this system. The TEO phase in TIC 447927324 shows a large deviation ($>2\sigma$) from the adiabatic expectations, suggesting that it is expected to be a traveling wave rather than a standing wave. In addition, these TEOs occur at relatively low orbital harmonics, and we cautiously suggest that this may be an observational bias. These objects are valuable sources for studying the structure and evolution of eccentricity orbit binaries and extending the TESS HBS catalog with TEOs.

The Doppler beaming effect, induced by the reflex motion of stars, introduces flux modulations and serves as an efficient method to photometrically determine mass functions for a large number of close binary systems, particularly those involving compact objects. In order to convert observed beaming-flux variations into a radial-velocity curve, precise determination of the beaming factor is essential. Previously, this factor was calculated as a constant, assuming a power-law profile for stellar spectra. In this study, we present a novel approach to directly compute this factor. Our new method not only simplifies the computation, especially for blue bands and cool stars, but also enables us to evaluate whether the relationship between beaming flux and radial velocity can be accurately described as linear. We develop a python code and compute a comprehensive beaming-factor table for commonly used filter systems covering main-sequence, subgiant, and giant stars, as well as hot subdwarf and white dwarf stars. Both the code and our table are archived and publicly available at this http URL.

In the upcoming gravitational wave (GW) observing runs, identifying host galaxies is crucial as it provides essential redshift information and enables the use of GW events as standard sirens. However, pinpointing host galaxies remains challenging due to the large localization uncertainties and the rapidly fading nature of their optical counterparts. Analyzing the host galaxies of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) offers an alternative approach to deepen our understanding of the environments where binary neutron stars (BNS) primarily merge. This study compiles archival photometric data for the host galaxies of 76 sGRBs and 4 hybrid GRBs that are long GRBs accompanied by kilonova-like signals. We use this data to evaluate their physical properties through spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. To assess the characteristics of the host galaxies, we utilized a volume-limited sample ($z<0.5$) from the COSMOS field as a control group. Contrary to expectations that the BNS merger rate is proportional to host stellar mass, the short and hybrid GRB population appears less massive than the mass-weighted distribution of the control sample. Instead, we propose a formulation for the expected BNS merger rate from a galaxy as $\log(n_{\mathrm{BNS}}/\mathrm{Gyr}) = 0.86 \times \log(M_*/M_{\odot}) + 0.44 \times \log(\mathrm{sSFR}/\mathrm{yr}) + 0.857$, which optimally explains the deviation between the stellar mass distributions of the GRB host galaxies and the control sample. These insights provide a strategic framework for targeted GW follow-ups and enhance our ability to identify potential host galaxies for future GW events.

First identified in 1964, inverse Raman scattering (IRS) is a nonlinear stimulated phenomenon that induces Raman scattered absorptions where Raman emissions would be expected. While IRS is less well-known than stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), this study highlights its significance in analyzing the spectra of stars located in the distant background of HI interstellar clouds. Specifically, ultraviolet emission lines Raman scattered by atomic hydrogen, typically observed in emission at wide scattering angles in the optical spectra of symbiotic stars and nebulae, should appear as IRS absorption features in the optical spectra of the background stars. I show that all known interstellar Raman scattered emission lines in the H-alpha wavelength region are detected in absorption as diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in the spectra of reddened stars, and conclude that IRS by atomic hydrogen resolves the longstanding puzzle of the processes involved in producing these bands, and perhaps also explains the equally mysterious 2200A bump of ultraviolet extinction curves. This identification of DIBs as IRS HI absorptions sheds new light on the perplexing relationship between DIBs and the Red Rectangle nebula emission bands (RRBs). The conditions under which DIBs are detected highlight the importance of considering the physical relationship between the observer, the HI medium, and the direction of the illuminating radiation field (i.e., the geometry of the observation) in observations of HI interstellar matter. Observing in the direction of the radiation field or on its side determines whether IRS, yielding DIBs and the 2200A bump, or spontaneous Raman scattering at wide scattering angles, resulting in ERE, Raman scattered emission lines (including RRBs), and the unidentified infrared bands, will be observed.

We estimate the near-Sun axial magnetic field of a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 10 March 2022. Solar Orbiter's in situ measurements, 7.8 degrees east of the Sun-Earth line at 0.43 AU, provided a unique vantage point, along with the WIND measurements at 0.99 AU. We determine a single power-law index from near-Sun to L1, including in situ measurements from both vantage points. We tracked the temporal evolution of the instantaneous relative magnetic helicity of the source active region (AR), NOAA AR 12962. By estimating the helicity budget of the pre-and post-eruption AR, we estimated the helicity transported to the CME. Assuming a Lundquist flux-rope model and geometrical parameters obtained through the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) CME forward modelling, we determined the CME axial magnetic field at a GCS-fitted height. Assuming a power-law variation of the axial magnetic field with heliocentric distance, we extrapolated the estimated near-Sun axial magnetic field to in situ measurements at 0.43 AU and 0.99 AU. The net helicity difference between the post-and pre-eruption AR is $(-7.1 \pm 1.2) \times 10^{41} \mathrm{Mx^{2}}$, which is assumed to be bodily transported to the CME. The estimated CME axial magnetic field at a near-Sun heliocentric distance of 0.03 AU is 2067 $\pm$ 405 nT. From 0.03 AU to L1, a single power-law falloff, including both vantage points at 0.43 AU and 0.99 AU, gives an index $-1.23 \pm 0.18$. We observed a significant decrease in the pre-eruptive AR helicity budget. Extending previous studies on inner-heliospheric intervals from 0.3 AU to $\sim$1 AU, referring to estimates from 0.03 AU to measurements at $\sim$1 AU. Our findings indicate a less steep decline in the magnetic field strength with distance compared to previous studies, but they align with studies that include near-Sun in situ magnetic field measurements, such as from Parker Solar Probe.

The composition of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets remained a mystery until recently. In practice, we usually characterize the magnetization of the GRB jets ($\sigma_0$) through the ratio between the Poynting flux and matter (baryonic) flux. With the increasing value of $\sigma_0$, magnetic energy gradually takes on a dominant role in the acceleration and energy dissipation of the jet, causing the proportion of thermal component in the prompt-emission spectrum of GRBs to gradually decrease or even be completely suppressed. In this work, we conducted an extensive analysis of the time-resolved spectrum for all \textit{Fermi} GRBs with known redshift, and we diagnose $\sigma_0$ for each time bin by contrasting the thermal and nonthermal radiation components. Our results suggest that most GRB jets should contain a significant magnetic energy component, likely with magnetization factors $\sigma_{0}\geq 10$. The value of $\sigma_{0}$ seems vary significantly within the same GRB. Future studies with more samples, especially those with lower-energy spectral information coverage, will further verify our results.

UV/optical variability in quasars is a well-observed phenomenon, yet its primeval origins remain unclear. This study investigates whether the accretion disk turbulence, which is responsible for UV/optical variability, is influenced by the close environment of the accretion by analyzing the correlation between variability and infrared emission for two luminous SDSS quasar samples. The first sample includes light curves from SDSS, Pan-STARRS, and ZTF $g$ band photometry, while the second sample utilizes SDSS Stripe 82 $g$ band light curves. We explore the correlation between the $g$ band excess variance ($\sigma_{rms}$) and the wavelength-dependent infrared covering factor ($L_{\rm IR}(\lambda)/L_{\rm bol}$), controlling for the effects of redshift, luminosity, and black hole mass. An anti-correlation between two variables is observed in both samples, which is strongest at wavelengths of 2-3$\mu$m but gradually weakens towards longer wavelength. This suggests the equatorial dusty torus (which dominates near-infrared emission) plays a significant role in influencing the UV/optical variability, while the cooler polar dust (which contributes significantly to mid-infrared emission) does not. The findings indicate that quasar variability may be connected to the physical conditions within the dusty torus which feeds the accretion, and support the notion that the close environment of the accretion plays an important role in regulating the accretion disk turbulence.

The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), located in the Southern Hemisphere, far off the Galactic Plane, has a relatively high star-formation rate of about 7 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and hosts a young and bright stellar population, including several super star clusters and supernova remnants. It is also the first galaxy, apart from the Milky Way Galaxy to be associated with two giant magnetar flares. As such, it is a potential host of pulsars and/or fast radio bursts in the nearby Universe. The instantaneous sensitivity and multibeam sky coverage offered by MeerKAT therefore make it a favourable target. We searched for pulsars, radio-emitting magnetars, and fast radio bursts in NGC 253 as part of the TRAPUM large survey project with MeerKAT. We did not find any pulsars during a four-hour observation, and derive a flux density limit of 4.4 $\mu$Jy at 1400 MHz, limiting the pseudo-luminosity of the brightest putative pulsar in this galaxy to 54 Jy kpc$^2$. Assuming universality of pulsar populations between galaxies, we estimate that detecting a pulsar as bright as this limit requires NGC 253 to contain a pulsar population of $\gtrsim$20 000. We also did not detect any single pulses and our single pulse search flux density limit is 62 mJy at 1284\,MHz. Our search is sensitive enough to have detected any fast radio bursts and radio emission similar to the brighter pulses seen from the magnetar SGR J1935+2154 if they had occurred during our observation.

We use a dimension reduction algorithm, Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), to study dynamical structures inside a dark matter halo. We use a zoom-in simulation of a Milky Way mass dark matter halo, and apply UMAP on the 6 dimensional phase space in the dark matter field at z = 0. We find that particles in the field are mapped to distinct clusters in the lower dimensional space in a way that is closely related to their accretion history. The largest cluster in UMAP space does not contain the entire mass of the Milky Way virial region and neatly separates the older halo from the recently accreted matter. Particles within this cluster, which only comprise $\sim 70\%$ of the Milky Way particles, have had several pericenter passages and are, therefore, likely to be phase mixed, becoming dynamically uniform. The infall region and recently accreted particle and substructure, even up to splashback, form distinct components in the lower dimensional space; additionally, higher angular momentum particles also take longer times to mix. Our work shows that the current state of the Milky Way halo retains historical information, particularly about the recent accretion history, and even a relatively old structure is not dynamically uniform. We also explore UMAP as a pre-processing step to find coherent subhalos in dark matter simulations.

The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at Vera C. Rubin Observatory will deliver high-quality, temporally-sparse observations of millions of Solar System objects on an unprecedented scale. Such datasets will likely enable the precise estimation of small body properties on a population-wide basis. In this work, we consider the possible applications of photometric data points from the LSST to the characterisation of Jupiter-family comet (JFC) nuclei. We simulate sparse-in-time lightcurve points with an LSST-like cadence for the orbit of a JFC between 2024-2033. Convex lightcurve inversion is used to assess whether the simulation input parameters can be accurately reproduced for a sample of nucleus rotation periods, pole orientations, activity onsets, shapes and sizes. We find that the rotation period and pole direction can be reliably constrained across all nucleus variants tested, and that the convex shape models, while limited in their ability to describe complex or bilobed nuclei, are effective for correcting sparse photometry for rotational modulation to improve estimates of nucleus phase functions. Based on this analysis, we anticipate that LSST photometry will significantly enhance our present understanding of the spin-state and phase function distributions of JFC nuclei.

KHARMA (an acronym for "Kokkos-based High-Accuracy Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics with Adaptive mesh refinement") is a new open-source code for conducting general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations in stationary spacetimes, primarily of accretion systems. It implements among other options the High-Accuracy Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics (HARM) scheme, but is written from scratch in C++ with the Kokkos programming model in order to run efficiently on both CPUs and GPUs. In addition to being fast, KHARMA is written to be readable, modular, and extensible, separating functionality into "packages," representing, e.g., algorithmic components or physics extensions. Components of the core ideal GRMHD scheme can be swapped at runtime, and additional packages are included to simulate electron temperature evolution, viscous hydrodynamics, and for designing chained multi-scale "bridged" simulations. This chapter presents the computational environment and requirements for KHARMA, features and design which meet these requirements, and finally, validation and performance data.

Using very long baseline interferometry data for the sources that comprise the third International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF3), we examine the quality of the formal source position uncertainties of ICRF3 by determining the excess astrometric variability (unexplained variance) for each source as a function of time. We also quantify multiple qualitatively distinct aspects of astrometric variability seen in the data, using a variety of metrics. Average position offsets, statistical dispersion measures, and coherent trends over time as explored by smoothing the data are combined to characterize the most and least positionally stable ICRF3 sources. We find a notable dependence of the excess variance and statistical variability measures on declination, as is expected for unmodeled ionospheric delay errors and the northern hemisphere dominated network geometries of most astrometric and geodetic observing campaigns.

The Big Fringe Telescope (BFT) is a facility concept under development for a next-generation, kilometer-scale optical interferometer. Observations over the past two decades from routinely operational facilities such as CHARA and VLTI have produced groundbreaking scientific results, reflecting the mature state of the techniques in optical interferometry. However, routine imaging of bright main sequence stars remains a surprisingly unexplored scientific realm. Additionally, the three-plus decade old technology infrastructure of these facilities leads to high operations \& maintenance costs, and limits performance. We are developing the BFT, based upon robust, modern, commercially-available, automated technologies with low capital construction and O\&M costs, in support of kilometer-scale optical interferometers that will open the door to regular `snapshot' imaging of main sequence stars. Focusing on extreme angular resolution for bright objects leads to substantial reductions in expected costs through use of COTS elements and simplified infrastructure.

CXOU J005245.0-722844 is an X-ray source in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) that has long been known as a Be/X-ray binary (BeXRB) star, containing an OBe main sequence star and a compact object. In this paper, we report on a new very fast X-ray outburst from CXOU J005245.0-722844. X-ray observations taken by Swift constrain the duration of the outburst to less than 16 days and find that the source reached super-Eddington X-ray luminosities during the initial phases of the eruption. The XRT spectrum of CXOU J005245.0-722844 during this outburst reveals a super-soft X-ray source, best fit by an absorbed thermal blackbody model. Optical and Ultraviolet follow-up observations from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE), Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), and Swift identify a brief ~0.5 magnitude optical burst coincident with the X-ray outburst that lasted for less than 7 days. Optical photometry additionally identifies the orbital period of the system to be 17.55 days and identifies a shortening of the period to 17.14 days in the years leading up to the outburst. Optical spectroscopy from the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) confirms that the optical companion is an early-type OBe star. We conclude from our observations that the compact object in this system is a white dwarf (WD), making this the seventh candidate Be/WD X-ray binary. The X-ray outburst is found to be the result of a very-fast, ultra-luminous nova similar to the outburst of MAXI J0158-744.

MoonLITE (Lunar InTerferometry Explorer) is an Astrophysics Pioneers proposal to develop, build, fly, and operate the first separated-aperture optical interferometer in space, delivering sub-mas science results. MoonLITE will leverage the Pioneers opportunity for utilizing NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to deliver an optical interferometer to the lunar surface, enabling unprecedented discovery power by combining high spatial resolution from optical interferometry with deep sensitivity from the stability of the lunar surface. Following landing, the CLPS-provided rover will deploy the pre-loaded MoonLITE outboard optical telescope 100 meters from the lander's inboard telescope, establishing a two-element interferometric observatory with a single deployment. MoonLITE will observe targets as faint as 17th magnitude in the visible, exceeding ground-based interferometric sensitivity by many magnitudes, and surpassing space-based optical systems resolution by a factor of 50 times. The capabilities of MoonLITE open a unique discovery space that includes direct size measurements of the smallest, coolest stars and substellar brown dwarfs; searches for close-in stellar companions orbiting exoplanet-hosting stars that could confound our understanding and characterization of the frequency of Earth-like planets; direct size measurements of young stellar objects and characterization of the terrestrial planet-forming regions of these young stars; measurements of the inner regions and binary fraction of active galactic nuclei; and a probe of the very nature of spacetime foam itself. A portion of the observing time will also be made available to the broader community via a guest observer program. MoonLITE takes advantage of the CLPS opportunity and delivers an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and angular resolution at the remarkably affordable cost point of Pioneers.

Complementary to high-energy experimental efforts, indirect astrophysical searches of particles beyond the standard model have long been pursued. The present article follows the latter approach and considers, for the first time, the self-consistent treatment of the energy losses from dark flavored particles produced in the decay of hyperons during a core-collapse supernova (CCSN). To this end, general relativistic supernova simulations in spherical symmetry are performed, featuring six-species Boltzmann neutrino transport, and covering the long-term evolution of the nascent remnant proto-neutron star (PNS) deleptonization for several tens of seconds. A well-calibrated hyperon equation of state (EOS) is therefore implemented into the supernova simulations and tested against the corresponding nucleonic model. It is found that supernova observables, such as the neutrino signal, are robustly insensitive to the appearance of hyperons for the simulation times considered in the present study. The presence of hyperons enables an additional channel for the appearance of dark sector particles, which is considered at the level of the $\Lambda$ hyperon decay. Assuming massless particles that escape the PNS after being produced, these channels expedite the deleptonizing PNS and the cooling behaviour. This, in turn, shortens the neutrino emission timescale. The present study confirms the previously estimated upper limits on the corresponding branching ratios for low and high mass PNS, by effectively reducing the neutrino emission timescale by a factor of two. This is consistent with the classical argument deduced from the neutrino detection associated with SN1987A.

We present an analysis of 17 H-rich central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) observed in our spectroscopic survey of nuclei of faint Galactic PNe carried out at the 10-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. Our sample includes ten O(H) stars, four DAO white dwarfs (WDs), two DA WDs, and one sdOB star. The spectra were analyzed by means of NLTE model atmospheres, allowing us to derive the effective temperatures, surface gravities, and He abundances of the central stars. Sixteen of them were analyzed for the first time, increasing the number of hot H-rich central stars with parameters obtained through NLTE atmospheric modeling by approximately 20%. We highlight a rare hot DA WD central star, Abell 24, which has a $T_\mathrm{eff}$ likely in excess of 100kK, as well as the unusually high gravity mass of $0.70 \pm 0.05 \mathrm{M}_\odot$ for the sdOB star Pa 3, which is significantly higher than the canonical extreme horizontal-branch star mass of $\approx 0.48\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$. By investigating Zwicky Transient Facility light curves, which were available for our 15 northern objects, we found none of them show a periodic photometric variability larger than a few hundredths of a magnitude. This could indicate that our sample mainly represents the hottest phase during the canonical evolution of a single star when transitioning from an asymptotic giant branch star into a WD. We also examined the spectral energy distributions, detecting an infrared excess in six of the objects, which could be due to a late-type companion or to hot ($\approx 10^3$ K) and\or cool ($\approx 100$ K) dust. We confirm previous findings that spectroscopic distances are generally higher than found through Gaia astrometry, a discrepancy that deserves to be investigated systematically.