Papers for Tuesday, Aug 13 2024

The HectoMAP spectroscopic survey provides a unique mass-limited sample of more than 35,000 quiescent galaxies ($D_n4000>1.5$) covering the redshift range $0.2<z<0.6$. We segregate galaxies in bins of properties based on stellar mass, $D_n4000$, and redshift to construct a set of high signal-to-noise spectra representing massive ($M_\ast>10^{10}\,M_\odot$) quiescent population at intermediate redshift. These high-quality summed spectra enable full spectrum fitting and the related extraction of the average stellar population age and metallicity. The average galaxy age increases with the central D$_n4000$ as expected. The correlation is essentially invariant with stellar mass; thus $D_n4000$ is a robust proxy for quiescent galaxy stellar population age. HectoMAP provides the first quiescent sample at intermediate redshift comparable with $z\sim0$ mass-complete datasets. Scaling relations derived from the HectoMAP summed spectra connect stellar age and metallicity with quiescent galaxy stellar mass up to $z\sim0.5$. Anti-correlation between the equivalent width of the [O II] emission line and stellar age, together with the mild increase in stellar age with stellar mass, supports a broad range of timescales for the mass assembly of intermediate-redshift quiescent systems. On average, the most massive galaxies ($M_\ast>10^{11}\, M_\odot$) assemble the bulk of their stars at earlier epochs. A strong increase in the average stellar metallicity with stellar mass, along with the correlation between the [O II] equivalent width and metallicity at $0.2<z<0.4$, suggests that lower-mass galaxies are more likely to have recent star formation episodes; related feedback from massive stars affects the chemical enrichment of these galaxies.

Kinetic Sunyaev Zel'dovich velocity reconstruction uses the statistically anisotropic cross-correlation between cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies and a galaxy survey to reconstruct the remotely observed CMB dipole. Using a reconstruction based on data from $\textit{Planck}$ and unWISE, we rule out non-linear Gpc-scale voids, provide the tightest constraint on the intrinsic dipole ($<14 \ {\rm km/s}$ at $68\%$ confidence), rule out matter-radiation isocurvature as an explanation of discrepancies between the measured CMB and galaxy number count dipoles, and constrain the amplitude of local-type primordial non-Gaussianity ($-220\lesssim f_{\rm NL}\lesssim 136$ at $68\%$ confidence) and compensated isocurvature ($-147\lesssim A_{\rm CIP} \lesssim 281$ at $68\%$ confidence). This representative set of constraints on beyond-$\Lambda$CDM scenarios demonstrates the breadth of fundamental science possible with measurements of secondary CMB anisotropies such as the kinetic Sunyaev Zel'dovich effect.

The black hole X-ray binary H1743-322 lies in a region of the Galaxy with high extinction, and therefore it has not been possible to make a dynamical mass measurement. In this paper we make use of a recent model which uses the X-ray reflection spectrum to constrain the ratio of the black hole mass to the source distance. By folding in a reported distance measurement, we are able to estimate the mass of the black hole to be $12\pm2~\text{M}_\odot$ ($1\sigma$ credible interval). We are then able to revise a previous disc continuum fitting estimate of black hole spin $a_*$ (previously relying on a population mass distribution) using our new mass constraint, finding $a_*=0.47\pm0.10$. This work is a proof of principle demonstration of the method, showing it can be used to find the mass of black holes in X-ray binaries.

Some gas-rich "ultra-diffuse" galaxies (UDGs), which are extreme examples of low surface brightness (LSB) dwarf galaxies, have been reported to lack dark matter and to be offset from the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR). If confirmed, these UDGs would represent a serious challenge for both LCDM galaxy-formation models and Milgromian dynamics. Here I demonstrate that these conclusions are very dubious due to underestimated uncertainties on inclinations and/or distances. First, I show that UDGs are offset from the BTFR in the same way as usual face-on LSB dwarfs due to systematic biases at low inclinations. Next, I analyze the two UDGs with the best available rotation-curve data. The first UDG (AGC 242019) is ideally inclined for kinematic studies; MOND can fit the observed rotation curve with a distance of 12.5 +/- 0.6 Mpc, which is consistent with Virgocentric flow models. The second UDG (AGC 114905) is close to face-on, so not ideal for kinematic studies; MOND can fit the observed rotation curve with a distance of 68 +/- 13 Mpc and inclination of 15 +/- 2 degrees, which are consistent with existing data. In particular, I show that the disk inclination is more uncertain than previously estimated due to significant asymmetries (lopsidedness) in the stellar distribution. In conclusion, there is no strong evidence that gas-rich UDGs and gas-rich LSB dwarfs are distinct galaxy populations with different dynamical properties; instead, UDGs seem to be a subset of LSB dwarf galaxies biased toward face-on systems.

We use JWST/NIRSpec observations from the Assembly of Ultradeep Rest-optical Observations Revealing Astrophysics (AURORA) survey to constrain the shape of the nebular attenuation curve of a star-forming galaxy at z=4.41, GOODSN-17940. We utilize 11 unblended HI recombination lines to derive the attenuation curve spanning optical to near-infrared wavelengths (3751-9550 Å). We then leverage a high-S/N spectroscopic detection of the rest-frame ultraviolet continuum in combination with rest-UV photometric measurements to constrain the shape of the curve at ultraviolet wavelengths. While this UV constraint is predominantly based on stellar emission, the large measured equivalent widths of H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ indicate that GOODSN-17940 is dominated by an extremely young stellar population <10 Myr in age such that the UV stellar continuum experiences the same attenuation as the nebular emission. The resulting combined nebular attenuation curve spans 1400-9550 Å and has a shape that deviates significantly from commonly assumed dust curves in high-redshift studies. Relative to the Milky Way, SMC, and Calzetti curves, the new curve has a steeper slope at long wavelengths ($\lambda>5000$ Å) while displaying a similar slope across blue-optical wavelengths ($\lambda=3750-5000$ Å). In the ultraviolet, the new curve is shallower than the SMC and Calzetti curves and displays no significant 2175 Å bump. This work demonstrates that the most commonly assumed dust curves are not appropriate for all high-redshift galaxies. These results highlight the ability to derive nebular attenuation curves for individual high-redshift sources with deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy, thereby improving the accuracy of physical properties inferred from nebular emission lines.

Euclid will provide deep NIR imaging to $\sim$26.5 AB magnitude over $\sim$59 deg$^2$ in its deep and auxiliary fields. The Cosmic DAWN survey complements the deep Euclid data with matched depth multiwavelength imaging and spectroscopy in the UV--IR to provide consistently processed Euclid selected photometric catalogs, accurate photometric redshifts, and measurements of galaxy properties to a redshift of $z\sim 10$. In this paper, we present an overview of the survey, including the footprints of the survey fields, the existing and planned observations, and the primary science goals for the combined data set.

We investigate the chiral magnetic instability in the crust of a neutron star as a potential mechanism for amplifying magnetic fields. This instability may become active when small deviations from chemical equilibrium are sustained over decades, driven by the star's gradual spin-down or residual heat loss. Our findings suggest that this mechanism can produce strong, large-scale magnetic fields consistent with models that align with observational data. Additionally, this instability naturally generates magnetic helicity in the star's crust, which is crucial for forming and maintaining strong dipolar toroidal fields, often invoked to explain magnetar observational phenomena. Our results offer a microphysically-based alternative to classical hydrodynamical dynamos for the origin of magnetar magnetic fields, addressing a long-standing debate in the field.

We investigate the influence of a phase transition from hadronic matter to a deconfined quark phase inside a neutron star on its cooling behaviour. We take particular care that all equations of state under investigation are compatible with astrophysical constraints as well as are able to reproduce finite nuclear properties. We find that while the inferred neutrino luminosity of cold transiently-accreting star MXB $1659\text{-}29$ is reproduced in all of the constructed twin star models, the luminosity of colder source SAXJ $1808.4\text{-}3658$ cannot be described by equations of state with quark-hadron transition densities below $1.7$ saturation density, suggesting that twin stars with such low density transitions to the quark phase are not realized in nature. We also discuss how constraints to the quark-hadron phase transition density are strongly dependent on the cooling effectiveness of quark phase reactions.

Next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors are expected to detect millions of binary black hole mergers during their operation period. A small fraction ($\sim 0.1 - 1\%$) of them will be strongly lensed by intervening galaxies and clusters, producing multiple copies of the GW signals. The expected number of lensed events and the distribution of the time delay between lensed images will depend on the mass distribution of the lenses at different redshifts. Warm dark matter or fuzzy dark matter models predict lower abundances of small mass dark matter halos as compared to the standard cold dark matter. This will result in a reduction in the number of strongly lensed GW events, especially at small time delays. Using the number of lensed events and the lensing time delay distribution, we can put a lower bound on the mass of the warm/fuzzy dark matter particle from a catalog of lensed GW events. The expected bounds from GW strong lensing from next-generation detectors are significantly better than the current constraints.

Results are presented for the measurement of large-scale anisotropies in the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory during 19 years of operation, prior to AugerPrime, the upgrade of the Observatory. The 3D dipole amplitude and direction are reconstructed above $4\,$EeV in four energy bins. Besides the established dipolar anisotropy in right ascension above $8\,$EeV, the Fourier amplitude of the $8$ to $16\,$EeV energy bin is now also above the $5\sigma$ discovery level. No time variation of the dipole moment above $8\,$EeV is found, setting an upper limit to the rate of change of such variations of $0.3\%$ per year at the $95\%$ confidence level. Additionally, the results for the angular power spectrum are shown, demonstrating no other statistically significant multipoles. The results for the equatorial dipole component down to $0.03\,$EeV are presented, using for the first time a data set obtained with a trigger that has been optimized for lower energies. Finally, model predictions are discussed and compared with observations, based on two source emission scenarios obtained in the combined fit of spectrum and composition above $0.6\,$EeV.

It is currently established that the sources contributing to the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) emission are mainly nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN), in particular those that are obscured. Thus, it is important to fully identify the hard X-ray sky source population to accurately characterize the individual contribution of different AGNs to the overall CXB emission. We present a follow-up analysis of all the 218 sources marked as unidentified in our previous revision of the third release of the Palermo Swift-BAT hard X-ray catalog (3PBC) based on our multifrequency classification scheme. These 218 sources were classified as unidentified in our previous analyses because they lack an assigned low-energy counterpart. We searched for soft X-ray counterparts of these 218 3PBC sources in archival Swift-XRT observations obtained between 2005 January 1st and 2018 August 1st. In particular, we found 1213 archival Swift-XRT observations for 192 of the 218 unidentified sources. We found 93 possible Swift-XRT counterparts inside of the Swift-BAT positional uncertainty regions. These correspond to 73 3PBC sources, where 60 have only a single Swift-XRT detection, and 13 sources have multiple detections. We present a catalog of all the detected possible counterparts of the yet unidentified hard X-ray sources to the community as a catalog for future spectroscopic follow-up targets, together with a short catalog of our classification of the ten sources for which we found available spectra.

Galaxy groups and clusters are the most massive collapsed structures in the Universe. Those structures are formed by collapsing with other smaller structures. Groups and cluster mergers provide an appropriate environment for the evolution and transformation of their galaxies. The merging process of groups and clusters can affect the properties of their galaxy populations. Our aim is to characterise the distribution of galaxies' colour, specific star formation rate, quenched galaxy fraction, and gas availability in galaxies bounded to groups and clusters and to examine how these properties relate to the dynamical state of their host environments. We used the most massive halos ($M > 10^{13} M_{\odot}$) in Illustris TNG100 simulations and separated the sample into two categories: relaxed and disturbed halos. This classification was done based on the offset between the position of the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) and the centre of mass of the gas. Subsequently, we classified their galaxy populations into red and blue galaxies using a threshold derived from a double Gaussian fit to their colour distribution. Our findings reveal differences in physical properties such as colour, star formation rates, and gas availability among satellite galaxies bound to interacting clusters compared to relaxed clusters. Disturbed clusters exhibit more blue, star-forming galaxies than their relaxed counterparts. This discrepancy in the fraction of blue and star-forming galaxies can be attributed to higher gas availability, including hot, diffuse, and condensed gas in satellite galaxies in disturbed clusters compared to relaxed ones. Furthermore, our study shows that during cluster mergers, there are two crucial phases; at the beginning of the interaction, there is an important boost in the star formation rate followed by suppression as the cluster reaches the equilibrium state.

The spin-orbit alignment of binary stars traces their formation and accretion history. Previous studies of spin-orbit alignment have been limited to small samples, slowly rotating solar-type stars, and/or wide visual binaries that not surprisingly manifest random spin-orbit orientations. We analyze 917 Gaia astrometric binaries across periods $P$ = 100-3,000 days ($a$ = 0.5-5 au) that have B8-F1 IV/V primaries ($M_1$ = 1.5-3 M$_{\odot}$) and measured projected rotational velocities $v$sin$i$. The primary stars in face-on orbits exhibit substantially smaller $v$sin$i$ compared to those in edge-on orbits at the 6$\sigma$ level, demonstrating significant spin-orbit alignment. The primaries in our astrometric binaries are rotating more slowly than their single-star or wide-binary counterparts and therefore comprise the slow-rotator population in the observed bimodal rotational velocity distribution of early-type stars. We discuss formation models of close binaries where some of the disk angular momentum is transferred to the orbit and/or secondary spin, quenching angular momentum flow to the primary spin. The primaries in astrometric binaries with small mass ratios $q$ = $M_2$/$M_1<$0.3 possess even smaller $v$sin$i$, consistent with model predictions. Meanwhile, astrometric binaries with large eccentricities $e>$0.4 do not display spin-orbit alignment or spin reduction. Using a Monte Carlo technique, we measure a spin-orbit alignment fraction of $F_{\rm align}$ = 75% $\pm$ 5% and an average spin reduction factor of $\langle S_{\rm align} \rangle$ = 0.43 $\pm$ 0.04. We conclude that 75% of close A-type binaries likely experienced circumbinary disk accretion and probably formed via disk fragmentation and inward disk migration. The remaining 25%, mostly those with $e>$0.4, likely formed via core fragmentation and orbital decay via dynamical friction.

White-light flares (WLFs) are energetic activity in stellar atmosphere. However, the observed solar WLF is relatively rare compared to stellar WLFs or solar flares observed at other wavelengths, limiting our further understanding solar/stellar WLFs through statistical studies. By analyzing flare observations from the \emph{Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)}, here we improve WLF identification methods for obtaining more solar WLFs and their accurate light curves from two aspects: 1) imposing constraints defined by the typical temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of WLF-induced signals; 2) setting the intrinsic threshold for each pixel in the flare ribbon region according to its inherent background fluctuation rather than a fixed threshold for the whole region. Applying the optimized method to 90 flares (30 C-class ones, 30 M-class ones, and 30 X-class ones) for a statistical study, we identified a total of 9 C-class WLFs, 18 M-class WLFs, and 28 X-class WLFs. The WLF identification rate of C-class flares reported here reaches 30\%, which is the highest to date to our best knowledge. It is also revealed that in each GOES energy level, the proportion of WLFs is higher in confined flares than that in eruptive flares. Moreover, a power-law relation is found between the WLF energy (\emph{E}) and duration ($\tau$): $\tau \propto {E}^{0.22}$, similar to those of solar hard/soft X-ray flares and other stellar WLFs. These results indicate that we could recognize more solar WLFs through optimizing the identification method, which will lay a base for future statistical and comparison study of solar and stellar WLFs.

We use the Phoenix simulations to study the mass assembly history and internal structures of cluster dark matter haloes ($M_{200} \gtrsim 5\times 10^{14} h^{-1}{\rm M}_\odot$). We confirm that cluster haloes grow inside-out, similar to galactic haloes. Major merger events dominate the growth of the internal region and minor mergers/diffuse accretion shape the outskirts. However, compared to galactic haloes, cluster haloes tend to have a younger and more actively evolving inner region. On average, the majority of mass (> 80%) in the inner region ($R< 0.1 r_{200}$) of Phoenix haloes is accreted after $z = 3$, while for galactic haloes, most mass in the central region has already been accreted before $z=6$. The density profiles of cluster haloes are less stable than those of galactic haloes over different radii. The enclosed mass within $50$ or $150$ kpc of all Phoenix haloes evolves substantially in the past ${\sim} 7$ Gyr, while galactic haloes remained stable during the same period. We suggest that the relatively younger and more active state explains the various observations of cluster haloes, especially in central regions.

The list of 409 probable cluster members down to $G=15^{\rm mag}$ ($m \gtrsim 0.5M_\odot$) is compiled for the two degree radius of the Pleiades, based on astrometric data from Gaia DR3 and the PPMXL catalog, along with several radial velocity surveys, including APOGEE and LAMOST. This approach allows for the inclusion of binary stars with unreliable Gaia solutions, thereby eliminating associated bias. Thus, the often-neglected 14 sources with Gaia two-parameter solutions are included. The subsequent analysis of color-magnitude and color-color diagrams exploits artifacts in Gaia photometric data, caused by the different field sizes used to measure fluxes in the $G$, $B_p$, and $R_p$ passbands, to reveal binary stars with subarcsecond angular separation. The findings are validated with prior high-resolution observations. Overall, $24 \pm 3$ cluster members with angular separation between 0.1 and 1 arcsec (13.5 to 135 AU projected distance) and mass ratio $q>0.5$ are deemed binary, indicating a binarity fraction of $6 \pm 1$\%.

We investigate how to quantitatively model the observed differential image motion (DIM) in relative astrometric observations. As a test bed we used differential astrometric observations from the FORS2 camera of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) obtained during 2010-2019 under several programs of observations of southern brown dwarfs. The measured image motion was compared to models that decompose atmospheric turbulence in frequency space and translate the vertical turbulence profile into DIM amplitude. This approach accounts for the spatial filtering by the telescope's entrance pupil and the observation parameters (field size, zenith angle, reference star brightness and distribution, and exposure time), and it aggregates that information into a newly defined metric integral term. We demonstrate excellent agreement (within 1%) between the model parameters derived from the DIM variance and determined by the observations. For a 30s exposure of a typical 1 arcmin-radius field close to the Galactic plane, image motion limits astrometric precision to ~60 mu-as when sixth-order transformation polynomial is applicable. We confirm that the measured image motion variance is well described by Kolmogorov-type turbulence with exponent 11/3 dependence on the field size at effective altitudes of 16-18~km, where the best part of the DIM is generated. Extrapolation to observations with extremely large telescopes enables the estimation of the astrometric precision limit for seeing-limited observations of ~5 mu-as, which has a variety of exciting scientific applications.

The solar-type subgiant $\beta$ Hyi has long been studied as an old analog of the Sun. Although the rotation period has never been measured directly, it was estimated to be near 27 days. As a southern hemisphere target it was not monitored by long-term stellar activity surveys, but archival International Ultraviolet Explorer data revealed a 12 year activity cycle. Previous ground-based asteroseismology suggested that the star is slightly more massive and substantially larger and older than the Sun, so the similarity of both the rotation rate and the activity cycle period to solar values is perplexing. We use two months of precise time-series photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to detect solar-like oscillations in $\beta$ Hyi and determine the fundamental stellar properties from asteroseismic modeling. We also obtain a direct measurement of the rotation period, which was previously estimated from an ultraviolet activity-rotation relation. We then use rotational evolution modeling to predict the rotation period expected from either standard spin-down or weakened magnetic braking (WMB). We conclude that the rotation period of $\beta$ Hyi is consistent with WMB, and that changes in stellar structure on the subgiant branch can reinvigorate the large-scale dynamo and briefly sustain magnetic activity cycles. Our results support the existence of a "born-again" dynamo in evolved subgiants -- previously suggested to explain the cycle in 94 Aqr Aa -- which can best be understood within the WMB scenario.

Solar energetic particle (SEP) events are one of the most crucial aspects of space weather that require continuous monitoring and forecasting using robust methods. We demonstrate a proof of concept of using a data-driven supervised classification framework on a multivariate time series data set covering solar cycles 22, 23, and 24. We implement ensemble modeling that merges the results from three proton channels (E$\geq$10 MeV, 50 MeV, and 100 MeV) and the long band X-ray flux (1-8Å) channel from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite missions. Our task is binary classification, such that the aim of the model is to distinguish strong SEP events from nonevents. Here, strong SEP events are those crossing the Space Weather Prediction Center's "S1" threshold of solar radiation storm and proton fluxes below that are weak SEP events. In addition, we consider periods of non-occurrence of SEPs following a flare with magnitudes $\geq$C6.0 to maintain a natural imbalance of sample distribution. In our data set, there are 244 strong SEP events comprising the positive class. There are 189 weak events and 2,460 "SEP-quiet" periods for the negative class. We experiment with summary statistic classifier, one-nearest neighbor and supervised time series forest (STSF), and compare their performances to validate our methods for prediction windows from 5 min up to 60 min. We find STSF to perform better under all circumstances. For an optimal classification threshold of $\approx$0.3 and a 60 min prediction window, we obtain: TSS = 0.850, HSS = 0.878, GSS = 0.783.

We provide a framework for numerically computing the effects of free-streaming in scalar fields produced after inflation. First, we provide a detailed prescription for setting up initial conditions in the field. This prescription allows us to specify the power spectra of the fields (peaked on subhorizon length scales and without a homogeneous field mode), and importantly, also correctly reproduces the behaviour of density perturbations on large length scales consistent with superhorizon adiabatic perturbations. We then evolve the fields using a spatially inhomogeneous Klein-Gordon equation, including the effects of expansion and radiation-sourced metric perturbations. We show how gravity enhances, and how free streaming erases the initially adiabatic density perturbations of the field, revealing more of the underlying, non-evolving, white-noise isocurvature density contrast. Furthermore, we explore the effect of non-gravitational self-interactions of the field, including oscillon formation, on the suppression dynamics. As part of this paper, we make our code, ${\sf{Cosmic-Fields-Lite}}$ (${\sf{CFL}}$), publicly available. For observationally accessible signatures, our work is particularly relevant for structure formation in light/ultralight dark matter fields.

Our objective is to investigate the distribution of dust and associated large-scale structures of the Galaxy using optical linear polarization measurements of various open clusters located at different distances in the Galactic anticenter direction. We present R-band linear polarization observations of stars towards five open clusters: Kronberger~1, Berkeley~69, Berkeley~71, Berkeley~19, and King~8 in the anticenter direction. The polarization observations were carried out using AIMPOL instrument mounted on the 104 cm Sampurnanand telescope of ARIES, Nainital, making it the first study to target the polarization observations towards distant clusters ($\sim$6~kpc). We combined the observed polarization data with the distance information from the Gaia space telescope to infer the dust distribution along the line of sight. The variation in the degree of polarization and extinction with distance reveals the presence of multiple dust layers along each cluster direction. In addition, common foreground dust layers detected towards different cluster directions highlight the presence of global features such as spiral arms. Our results show that the dust clouds at 2~kpc towards Berkeley~69 and Berkeley~71 coincide with the Perseus arm, while the dust layer at $\sim$4~kpc towards distant clusters, Berkeley~19 and King~8, indicates the presence of the Outer arm. The large-scale dust distribution obtained by combining our polarization results with the previous polarization studies of nearby open clusters suggests that the anticenter direction is characterized by low extinction, homogeneous dust distribution with somewhat uniform orientation of the plane-of-sky component of the magnetic field along the line of sight. Our study demonstrates the utility of polarization as a tool to study the large-scale dust distribution.

Joint analyses of the large-scale distribution of galaxies, and their motions under the gravitational influence of this density field, allow powerful tests of the cosmological model, including measurement of the growth rate of cosmic structure. In this paper we perform a statistical comparison between two important classes of method for performing these tests. In the first method we measure the 2-point power spectra between the velocity and density tracers, and jointly fit these statistics using theoretical models. In the second method we use the density tracers to reconstruct a model velocity field through space, which we compare with the measured galaxy velocities on a point-by-point basis. By generating an ensemble of numerical simulations in a simplified test scenario, we show that the error in the growth rate inferred by the "reconstruction and scaling" method may be under-estimated, unless the full covariances of the underlying and reconstructed velocity fields are included in the analysis. In this case the inferred growth rate errors agree with both the power spectrum method and a Fisher matrix forecast. We provide a roadmap for evaluating these covariances, considering reconstruction performed using both a Fourier basis within a cuboid, and a Spherical Fourier-Bessel basis within a curved-sky observational volume.

We investigate the impacts of nuclear burning on the spherically symmetric stationary accretion flow of helium-rich matter on to compact objects. We have already shown the existence of the critical accretion rates for the accretion of CO-rich matter above which the flow truncates in the supersonic region due to nuclear burning in the previous paper \citep{2022ApJ...933...29N}. Here, we show that there are also critical accretion rates for helium-rich matter. While we used empirical formulae for the energy generation rates for carbon burning and oxygen burning without solving the nuclear reaction network in our previous work, we solve a simple nuclear reaction network consisting of 13 elements from $^4$He to $^{56}$Ni to investigate influence of the energy generation from not only triple-$\alpha$ reactions but also the subsequent reactions of synthesized elements. We have also qualitatively confirmed the previous results for CO-rich matter accretion using the revised code with the nuclear reaction network and reported some new findings.

The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) is a crucial link to grasp the complete evolutionary history of the universe. Several attempts with a variety of observables have been utilized in the past to understand the thermal and ionization evolution of the Intergalactic Medium during EoR. In this study, we explore the simultaneous prospects of two important observables which are expected to be available in the near future, i.e. Dispersion Measure (DM) of high redshift FRBs and large scale 21 cm power spectra. For this purpose, we use an earlier developed explicitly photon conserving semi numerical model, $\texttt{SCRIPT}$ including realistic recombination and radiative feedback effect. We check that DM evolution of 100 mock FRBs at high redshifts ($7.0\le z\le15.0$) is sufficient to recover the underlying reionization model, while 1000 FRB mocks at redshift range can constrain the reionization timeline within the percentage level uncertainties at 68\% confidence limit. Further, we study the effect of including large scale 21~cm power spectra (using only a single bin, $k\sim0.14~h/\mathrm{cMpc}$) at three redshifts along with FRB DM distribution. The joint exploration using these two observables can significantly improve the constraints on the various parameters ($\lesssim 8\%$ uncertainties for reionization interval and midpoint at 95\% confidence) alleviating the degeneracies and can narrow down the thermal history of the universe by discarding some of the extreme heating models.

Coronal rain (CR) is a crucial part of the mass cycle between the corona and chromosphere. It includes the flare-driven CR and two types of quiescent CR separately along the non-flaring active region closed loops and along the open structures, labeled as types I, II, and III CR, respectively. Among them, types I and III CR are generally associated with magnetic reconnection. In this study, employing data taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Solar Upper Transition Region Imager (SUTRI) on 2022 October 11, we report three types of CR during an interchange reconnection between open and closed magnetic filed structures above the southeastern solar limb. The open and closed structures converge, with the formation of current sheet at the interface, and reconnect. The newly-formed closed and open structures then recede from the reconnection region. During the reconnection, coronal condensation occurs along the reconnecting closed loops, and falls toward the solar surface along both loop legs as the type II CR. Subsequently, condensation happens in the newly-formed closed loops, and moves down toward the solar surface along both loop legs as the type I CR. Magnetic dips of the reconnecting open structures form during the reconnection. In the dips, condensation occurs, and propagates along the open structures toward the solar surface as the type III CR. Our results suggest that the reconnection rate may be crucial for the formation of types I and III CR during the reconnection.

The diversity of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) has become increasingly apparent with the rapid growth in observational data. Understanding the explosion mechanism of SNe Ia is crucial for their cosmological calibration and for advancing our knowledge of stellar physics. The estimation of $^{56}$Ni mass produced in these events is key to elucidating their explosion mechanism. This study compares two methods of $^{56}$Ni mass estimation. We first examine the relationship between peak luminosity and the second maximum in near-infrared (NIR) bands using observations of 18 nearby SNe Ia. Based on this relationship, we estimate the Ni mass for a set of nine well-observed SNe Ia using the Arnett rule. Additionally, we estimate the $^{56}$Ni mass using bolometric light curves of these SNe through energy conservation arguments. A comparison of these two estimation methods using Student's t-test reveals no statistically significant differences between the estimates. This finding suggests that both methods provide robust estimates of Ni mass in SNe Ia.

As humankind prepares to establish outposts and infrastructure on the Moon, the ability to manufacture parts and buildings on-site is crucial. While transporting raw materials from Earth can be costly and time-consuming, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) presents an attractive alternative. This review paper aims to provide a thorough examination of the current state and future potential of Lunar-based manufacturing and construction (LBMC), with a particular focus on the prospect of utilizing in-situ resources and additive manufacturing. The paper analyzes existing research on LBMC from various perspectives, including different manufacturing techniques and compositions, the potential of ISRU for LBMC, characterization of built parts and structures, the role of energy sources and efficiency, the impact of low-gravity and vacuum conditions, and the feasibility of using artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics. By synthesizing these findings, this review offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for LBMC.

Cygnus X-1 is a high mass X-ray binary where accretion onto the black hole is mediated by the stellar wind from the blue supergiant companion star HDE 226868. Depending on the position of the black hole along the orbit, X-ray observations can probe different layers of the stellar wind. Deeper wind layers can be investigated at superior conjunction (i.e. null orbital phases). We aim at characterising the stellar wind in the Cyg X-1/HDE 226868 system analysing one passage at superior conjunction covered by XMM-Newton during the CHOCBOX campaign via modelling of colour-colour diagrams. Since X-ray absorption is energy-dependent, colour indices provide information on the parameters of the stellar wind, such as the column density $N_{H,w}$ and the covering factor $f_c$. We fitted colour-colour diagrams with models that include both a continuum and a stellar wind component. We used the KDE method to infer the unknown probability distribution of the data points in the colour-colour diagram, and selected the model corresponding to the highest likelihood. In order to study the temporal evolution of the wind around superior conjunction, we extracted and fitted time-resolved colour-colour diagrams. We found that the model that best describes the shape of the colour-colour diagram of Cyg X-1 at superior conjunction requires the wind to be partially ionised. The shape of the colour-colour diagram strongly varies during the analysed observation, as due to concurrent changes of the mean $N_{H,w}$ and the $f_c$ of the wind. Our results suggest the existence of a linear scaling between the rapid variability amplitude of $N_{H,w}$ (on time scales between 10 s and 11 ks) and its long term variations (on time scales 11>ks). Using the inferred best-fit values, we estimated the stellar mass loss rate to be $\sim 7\times10^{-6} {\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}}$ and the clumps to have a mass of $\sim10^{17}$ g.

This paper analyses spectropolarimetric observations of the classical T Tauri star (CTTS) GM Aurigae collected with SPIRou, the near-infrared spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, as part of the SLS and SPICE Large Programs. We report for the first time results on the large-scale magnetic field at the surface of GM Aur using Zeeman Doppler imaging. Its large-scale magnetic field energy is almost entirely stored in an axisymmetric poloidal field, which places GM Aur close to other CTTSs with similar internal structures. A dipole of about 730 G dominates the large-scale field topology, while higher-order harmonics account for less than 30 per-cent of the total magnetic energy. Overall, we find that the main difference between our three reconstructed maps (corresponding to sequential epochs) comes from the evolving tilt of the magnetic dipole, likely generated by non-stationary dynamo processes operating in this largely convective star rotating with a period of about 6 d. Finally, we report a 5.5$\sigma$ detection of a signal in the activity-filtered radial velocity data of semi-amplitude 110 $\pm$ 20 m/s at a period of 8.745 $\pm$ 0.009 d. If attributed to a close-in planet in the inner accretion disc of GM Aur, it would imply that this planet candidate has a minimum mass of 1.10 $\pm$ 0.30 Mjup and orbits at a distance of 0.082 $\pm$ 0.002 au.

This paper presents results from Kepler photometric light curves and high-resolution spectroscopic study of a super Li-rich giant KIC11087027. Using the light curve analysis, we measured the star's rotational period P$_{\rm rot}$=30.4$\pm$0.1~days, which translates to rotational velocity V$_{\rm rot}$=19.5 $\pm$ 1.7~km s$^{-1}$. Star's location in the HR-diagram, derived values of $^{12}C/^{13}C$ = 7$\pm$1 and $[C/N]=-0.95\pm 0.2$, and the inferred asteroseismic parameters from secondary calibration based on spectra suggest star is a low-mass red clump giant in the He-core burning phase. Using Gaia data, we found evidence of variation in radial velocity and proper motion, indicative of presence of an unresolved binary. The large V$_{\rm rot}$ is probably a result of tidal synchronization combined with the after-effects of He-flash, in which the size of the star is reduced significantly. The simultaneous presence of features like high rotation, very high Li abundance, strong dust shell, and strong flares in a single star is relatively uncommon, suggesting that the star experiencing tidal synchronization has recently undergone He-flash. The results pose a question whether the binary interaction, hence the high rotation, is a prerequisite for dredging-up of the high amounts of Li from the interior to the photosphere during or immediately after the He-flash event.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are transient radio signals of extragalactic origins that are subjected to propagation effects such as dispersion and scattering. It follows then that these signals hold information regarding the medium they have traversed and are hence useful as cosmological probes of the Universe. Recently, FRBs were used to make an independent measure of the Hubble Constant $H_0$, promising to resolve the Hubble tension given a sufficient number of detected FRBs. Such cosmological studies are dependent on FRB population statistics, cosmological parameters and detection biases, and thus it is important to accurately characterise each of these. In this work, we empirically characterise the sensitivity of the Fast Real-time Engine for Dedispersing Amplitudes (FREDDA) which is the current detection system for the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). We coherently redisperse high-time resolution data of 13 ASKAP-detected FRBs and inject them into FREDDA to determine the recovered signal-to-noise ratios as a function of dispersion measure (DM). We find that for 11 of the 13 FRBs, these results are consistent with injecting idealised pulses. Approximating this sensitivity function with theoretical predictions results in a systematic error of 0.3$\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}\,$Mpc$^{-1}$ on $H_0$ when it is the only free parameter. Allowing additional parameters to vary could increase this systematic by up to $\sim1\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}\,$Mpc$^{-1}$. We estimate that this systematic will not be relevant until $\sim$400 localised FRBs have been detected, but will likely be significant in resolving the Hubble tension.

M- and K-dwarf stars make up 86% of the stellar population and host many promising astronomical targets for detecting habitable climates in the near future. Of the two, M dwarfs currently offer greater observational advantages and are home to many of the most exciting observational discoveries in the last decade. But K dwarfs could offer even better prospects for detecting habitability by combining the advantage of a relatively dim stellar flux with a more stable stellar environment. Here we explore the climate regimes that are possible on Earth-like synchronous planets in M- and K-dwarf systems, and how they vary across the habitable zone. We focus on surface temperature patterns, water availability, and implications for habitability. We find that the risk of nightside cold-trapping decreases with increased orbital radius and is overall lower for K-dwarf planets. With reduced atmospheric shortwave absorption, K-dwarf planets have higher dayside precipitation rates and less day-to-night moisture transport, resulting in lower nightside snow rates. These results imply a higher likelihood of detecting a planet with a moist dayside climate in a habitable "eyeball" climate regime orbiting a K-dwarf star. We also show that "terminator habitability" can occur for both M- and K-dwarf land planets, but would likely be more prevalent in M-dwarf systems. Planets in a terminator habitability regime tend to have slightly lower fractional habitability, but offer alternative advantages including instellation rates more comparable to Earth in regions that have temperatures amenable to life.

Close-proximity exploration of small celestial bodies is crucial for the comprehensive and accurate characterization of their properties. However, the complex and uncertain dynamical environment around them contributes to a rapid dispersion of uncertainty and the emergence of non-Gaussian distributions. Therefore, to ensure safe operations, a precise understanding of uncertainty propagation becomes imperative. In this work, the dynamical environment is analyzed around two asteroids, Apophis, which will perform a close flyby to Earth in 2029, and Eros, which has been already explored by past missions. The performance of different uncertainty propagation methods (Linear Covariance Propagation, Unscented Transformation, and Polynomial Chaos Expansion) are compared in various scenarios of close-proximity operations around the two asteroids. Findings are discussed in terms of propagation accuracy and computational efficiency depending on the dynamical environment. By exploring these methodologies, this work contributes to the broader goal of ensuring the safety and effectiveness of spacecraft operations during close-proximity exploration of small celestial bodies.

Interstellar molecules, which play an important role in astrochemistry, are identified using observed spectral lines. Despite the advent of spectral analysis tools in the past decade, the identification of spectral lines remains a tedious task that requires extensive manual intervention, preventing us from fully exploiting the vast amounts of data generated by large facilities such as ALMA. This study aims to address the aforementioned issue by developing a framework of automated line identification. We introduce a robust spectral fitting technique applicable for spectral line identification with minimal human supervision. Our method is assessed using published data from five line surveys of hot cores, including W51, Orion-KL, Sgr B2(M), and Sgr B2(N). By comparing the identified lines, our algorithm achieves a recall of ~ 84% - 98%. Our code, named Spectuner, is publicly available on GitHub.

The redshifted 21 cm line of cosmic atomic hydrogen is one of the most auspicious tools in deciphering the early Universe. Recovering this signal remains an ongoing problem for cosmologists in the field, with the signal being hidden behind foregrounds approximately five orders of magnitude brighter than itself. A traditional forward modelling data analysis pipeline using Bayesian data analysis and a physically motivated foreground model to find this signal shows great promise in the case of unchanging environmental conditions. However we demonstrate in this paper that in the presence of a soil with changing dielectric properties under the antenna over time, or a changing soil temperature in the far field of our observation these traditional methods struggle. In this paper we detail a tool using Masked Auto-regressive Flows that improves upon previous physically motivated foreground models when one is trying to recover this signal in the presence of changing environmental conditions. We demonstrate that with these changing parameters our tool consistently recovers the signal with a much greater Bayesian evidence than the traditional data analysis pipeline, decreasing the root mean square error in the recovery of the injected signal by up to 45 %.

Symbiotic systems often include an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star and a hot compact companion, such as a white dwarf, that are in close interaction. Due to the intense ultraviolet emission from the hot companion, the molecular content of circumstellar envelopes in the symbiotic systems is poor. As a result, the less abundant molecules have not been previously studied in detail in this kind of object. R Aqr is the closest and best-studied symbiotic system. We obtain the spatial distribution of the recombination line H30{\alpha} with a high and moderate angular resolution, and it is compared with the emission of the continuum at 1.3 mm. High-resolution maps of several molecules are also obtained in the three observed ALMA bands. We study the molecular emissions using a simplified model to explain the brightness distributions seen in the central position of our maps. We find that the low-resolution continuum map at 1.3mm shows the emission of the radio photosphere of the AGB star, its surroundings, and the structure of the bipolar jet launched by the companion. The high-resolution continuum map at 1.3mm shows the innermost part of the jet, probably revealing the position of the secondary, and suggests mass transfer from the AGB star to the white dwarf. The brightness distribution of H30{\alpha} is similar but not coincident with the continuum emission. The brightness distributions of the studied molecular lines show a variety of shapes. The emissions of the abundant molecules, CO and SiO, are relatively extended since they can survive far from the AGB star in spite of the intense ultraviolet emission from the white dwarf. On the contrary, less abundant molecules only survive in regions close to the AGB star, where shielding is stronger. From our best-fit model for these weak species, we find that these less abundant species are confined to the intra-orbital regions.

<Context> Pebbles drifting past a disk-embedded low-mass planet develop asymmetries in their distribution and exert a substantial gravitational torque on the planet, thus modifying its migration rate. <Aims> Our aim is to assess how the distribution of pebbles and the resulting torque change in the presence of pebble accretion, focusing on its 2D regime. <Methods> First, we performed 2D high-resolution multi-fluid simulations with Fargo3D but found that they are impractical for resolving pebble accretion due to the smoothing of the planetary gravitational potential. To remove the smoothing and directly trace pebbles accreted by the planet, we developed a new code, Deneb, which evolves an ensemble of pebbles, represented by Lagrangian superparticles, in a steady-state gaseous background. <Results> For small and moderate Stokes numbers, St $\lesssim 0.1$, pebble accretion creates two underdense regions with a front-rear asymmetry with respect to the planet. The underdensity trailing the planet is more extended. The resulting excess of pebble mass in front of the planet then makes the pebble torque positive and capable of outperforming the negative gas torque. Pebble accretion thus enables outward migration (previously thought to occur mainly for St $\gtrsim 0.1$) in a larger portion of the parameter space. It occurs for the planet mass $M_{pl}\lesssim3\,M_{\oplus}$ and for all the Stokes numbers considered in our study, St $\in$ [$10^{-2}, 0.785$], assuming a pebble-to-gas mass ratio of $Z = 0.01$. <Conclusions> If some of the observed planets underwent outward pebble-driven migration during their accretion, the formation sites of their progenitor embryos could have differed greatly from the usual predictions of planet formation models. To enable an update of the respective models, we provide a scaling law for the pebble torque that can be readily incorporated in N-body simulations.

Recent spectra of protoplanetary disks around very low-mass stars (VLMS), captured by the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), reveal a rich carbon chemistry. Current interpretations of these spectra are based on 0D slab models and provide valuable estimates for molecular emission temperatures and column densities in the innermost disk. However, the established fitting procedures and simplified models are challenged by the many overlapping gas features. We aim to simultaneously determine the molecular and the dust composition of the disk around the VLMS Sz28 in a Bayesian way. We model the JWST/MIRI spectrum of Sz28 up to $17\,\rm \mu m$ using the Dust Continuum Kit with Line emission from Gas (DuCKLinG). Systematically excluding different molecules from the Bayesian analysis allows for an evidence determination of all investigated molecules and isotopologues. We continue by examining the emission conditions and locations of all molecules, analysing the differences to previous 0D slab fitting, and analysing the dust composition. We find very strong Bayesian evidence for the presence of C2H2, HCN, C6H6, CO2, HC3N, C2H6, C3H4, C4H2, and CH4 in the JWST/MIRI spectrum of Sz28. Additionally, we identify CH3 and find tentative indications for NH3. There is no evidence for water in the spectrum. However, we show that column densities of up to $2\times10^{17}\,\rm cm^{-2}$ could be hidden in the observational noise if assuming similar emission conditions of water as the detected hydrocarbons. Contrary to previous 0D slab results, a C4H2 quasi-continuum is robustly identified. We expect some of the stated differences to previous 0D slab fitting results to arise from an updated data reduction of the spectrum, but also due to the different modelling process. The latter reason underpins the need for more advanced models and fitting procedures.

We apply the HanleRT Tenerife Inversion Code to the spectro-polarimetric observations obtained by the Chromospheric LAyer SpectroPolarimeter. This suborbital space experiment measured the variation with wavelength of the four Stokes parameters in the near-ultraviolet spectral region of the Mg II h & k lines over a solar disk area containing part of an active region plage and the edge of a sunspot penumbra. We infer the stratification of the temperature, the electron density, the line of-sight velocity, the micro-turbulent velocity, and the longitudinal component of the magnetic field from the observed intensity and circular polarization profiles. The inferred model atmosphere shows larger temperature and electron density in the plage and the superpenumbra regions than in the quiet regions. The shape of the plage region in terms of its brightness is similar to the pattern of the inferred longitudinal component of the magnetic field in the chromosphere, as well as to that of the overlying moss observed by AIA in the 171 A band, which suggests a similar magnetic origin for the heating in both the plage and the moss region. Moreover, this heating is particularly significant in the regions with larger inferred magnetic flux. In contrast, in the superpenumbra, the regions with larger electron density and temperature are usually found in between these regions with larger magnetic flux, suggesting that the details of the heating mechanism in the chromosphere of the superpenumbra may be different to those in the plage, but with the magnetic field still playing a key role.

The Gaia mission discovered many new candidate \beta Cephei (\beta Cep) pulsators, which are meanwhile confirmed from TESS space photometry. We aim to analyse all currently available TESS data for these \beta Cep pulsators, of which 145 were new discoveries, in order to exploit their asteroseismic potential. \beta Cep stars belong to an under-represented class of pulsators in the current space photometry revolution while being of critical importance to improve evolution models of massive stars. We extracted light curves for 216 star from the TESS full-frame images and performed pre-whitening. Based on Gaia DR3, we deduced stellar properties and compared them to those of known \beta Cep stars. We developed a methodology to identify the dominant pulsation modes of the \beta Cep stars from Gaia and TESS amplitude ratios and from the detection of rotationally-split multiplets. We used grid modelling to gain insights into the population of \beta Cep stars. With the combination of TESS and Gaia, we successfully identified the mode degrees for 176 stars. of which the majority are dipole non-radial modes. Many non-radial modes show splittings in their TESS frequency spectra allowing us to assemble a large set of split multiplets in \beta Cep stars and to calculate their envelope rotation, spin parameter, and the level of differential envelope-to-surface rotation. For the latter, we find an upper limit of 4, with most stars rotating almost rigidly. We also provide the asymmetries of the multiplets. Based on grid modelling, we provide mass, convective core mass, and ages for 164 stars. By combining Gaia and TESS, we enable asteroseismology of \beta Cep stars as a population. Our study prepares for future detailed modelling based on individual frequencies of identified modes leading towards a better understanding of these massive pulsators, as crucial probes of stellar evolution theory. (abridged)

We use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) observations of the radio loud AGN host UGC 8782 to map the warm molecular and ionized gas kinematics. The data reveal outflows in the inner 2 kpc, seen in low ionization (traced by the [Ar ii] 6.99 um emission) and in warm molecular gas (traced by the H2 rotational transitions), observed for the first time in an AGN host. We find a maximum mass-outflow rate of 4.90(2.04) M/yr at ~900 pc from the nucleus for the warm outflow (198 K<T<1000 K) and estimate and outflow rate of up to 1.22(0.51) M/yr for the hotter gas phase (T > 1000 K). These outflows can clear the entire nuclear reservoir of warm molecular gas in about 1 Myr. The derived kinetic power of the molecular outflows lead to coupling efficiencies of 2-5 percent of the AGN luminosity, way above the minimum expected to the AGN feedback be effective quenching the star formation

Times of minima of eclipsing binary KIC 7023917 show quasiperiodic anti-symmetric deviations from the calculated one with an amplitude of up to 10 minutes and a period of 200 - 300 days. These changes correlate with the observed variations of the light-curve maxima (amplitude and phase separation). We used photometric data obtained by Kepler and TESS missions to analyse the times of minima and determine system parameters. The phases and amplitudes of the maxima were measured to study the O'Connell effect. As an additional source of information, we performed ground-based multi-colour photometric observation and determined the radial velocities of the system from our spectroscopic measurements. We could explain long-term variations of the light-curve shape and times of the eclipses using the cold star spot located on the secondary component and the modification of its size. Based on our modelling, the system consists of a primary main-sequence star of spectral type A7 and an evolved, oversized secondary component with a mass ratio of only 0.1 due to past mass transfer. Calculation of absolute parameters gives us the mass of the primary component about 1.8 M$_\odot$ and 0.2 M$_\odot$ for the secondary one, and radii of 2.2 R$_\odot$ of the primary star and 0.9 R$_\odot$ of secondary one, respectively. The studied low-mass ratio eclipsing binary is probably a progenitor of the variable star of EL CVn type. A multiple-period photometric variability was disclosed in the TESS data ranging from half to two hours due to $\delta$ Scuti-type pulsations of the primary component.

Self-supervised learning (SSL) applied to natural images has demonstrated a remarkable ability to learn meaningful, low-dimension representations without labels, resulting in models that are adaptable to many different tasks. Until now, applications of SSL to astronomical images have been limited to Galaxy Zoo datasets, which require a significant amount of pre-processing to prepare sparse images centered on a single galaxy. With wide-field survey instruments at the forefront of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) era, this approach to gathering training data is impractical. We demonstrate that continuum images from surveys like the MeerKAT Galactic Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS) can be successfully used with SSL, without extracting single-galaxy cutouts. Using the SSL framework DINO, we experiment with various preprocessing steps, augmentations, and architectures to determine the optimal approach for this data. We train both ResNet50 and Vision Transformer (ViT) backbones. Our models match state-of-the-art results (trained on Radio Galaxy Zoo) for FRI/FRII morphology classification. Furthermore, they predict the number of compact sources via linear regression with much higher accuracy. However, fine-tuning results in similar performance between our models, the state-of-the-art, and open-source models on multi-class morphology classification. Using source-rich crops from wide-field images to train multi-purpose models is an easily scalable approach that significantly reduces data preparation time. For the tasks evaluated in this work, twenty thousand crops is sufficient training data for models that produce results similar to state-of-the-art. In the future, complex tasks like source detection and characterization, together with domain-specific tasks, ought to demonstrate the true advantages of training models with radio astronomy data over natural-image foundation models.

We present the latest results from the Chicago Carnegie Hubble Program (CCHP) to measure the Hubble constant using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This program is based upon three independent methods: (1) Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) stars, (2) JAGB (J-Region Asymptotic Giant Branch) stars, and (3) Cepheids. Our program includes 10 nearby galaxies, each hosting Type Ia supernovae, suitable for measuring the Hubble constant (Ho). It also includes NGC 4258, which has a geometric distance, setting the zero point for all three methods. The JWST observations have significantly higher signal-to-noise and finer angular resolution than previous observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We find three independent values of Ho = 69.85 +/- 1.75 (stat) +/- 1.54 (sys) for the TRGB, Ho = 67.96 +/- 1.85 (stat) +/- 1.90 (sys) for the JAGB, and Ho = 72.05 +/- 1.86 (stat) +/- 3.10 (sys) km/s/Mpc for Cepheids. Tying into supernovae, and combining these methods adopting a flat prior, yields our current estimate of Ho = 69.96 +/- 1.05 (stat) +/- 1.12 (sys) km/s/Mpc. The distances measured using the TRGB and the JAGB method agree at the 1% level, but differ from the Cepheid distances at the 2.5-4% level. The value of Ho based on these two methods with JWST data alone is Ho = 69.03 +/- 1.75 (total error) km/sec/Mpc. These numbers are consistent with the current standard Lambda CDM model, without the need for the inclusion of additional new physics. Future JWST data will be required to increase the precision and accuracy of the local distance scale.

The properties of the solar wind measured in-situ in the heliosphere are largely controlled by energy deposition in the solar. Previous studies have shown that long duration and large scale magnetic structures show an inverse relation between the solar wind velocity measured in situ near 1 au and the expansion factor of the magnetic flux tubes in the solar atmosphere. We exploit Solar Orbiter data in conjunction with the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) coronal model, and the solar wind trajectory to evaluate the flux expansion factor - speed relation at the solar "source surface" at rss. We find a statistically weak anti-correlation between the in-situ bulk velocity and the coronal expansion factor, for about 1.5 years of solar data. Classification of the data by source latitude reveals different levels of anticorrelation. We show the existence of fast solar wind that originates in strong magnetic field regions at low latitudes and undergoes large expansion factor. We provide evidence that such winds become supersonic during the super radial expansion (below rss), and are theoretically governed by a positive correlation v-f. We find that faster winds on average have a flux tube expansion at a larger radius than slower winds. An anticorrelation between solar wind speed and expansion factor is present for solar winds originating in high latitude structures in solar minimum activity, typically associated with coronal hole-like structures, but this cannot be generalized to lower latitude sources. Therefore, the value of the expansion factor alone cannot be used to predict the solar wind speed. Other parameters, such as the height at which the expansion gradient is the strongest must also be taken into account.

We compare and contrast the kinematics of various classes of stars, both normal (with M-K spectral types) and peculiar. Numerous plots show the differences in spatial and velocity distributions as well as distributions in kinetic energy vs. angular momentum (KE vs. LZ) space. In the latter plots, young, thin disk stars on nearly circular orbits cling to the left edge of a so-called solar parabola, while older objects on elliptical orbits fill the central parabolic region. Some of the young Wolf-Rayet stars violate this trend due to smaller semi-major axes than the Sun or orbital eccentricities. Deviation of the vertex of the velocity ellipsoid is discussed as an indication of population and youth, with an emphasis on Ap, Bp, Am, Fm, Herbig AeBe, and lambda Boo stars. Both the vertex deviation and phase space distribution provide useful insights.

We report on the discovery of a dual supermassive black hole system in the radio galaxy J1543-0757, with a projected separation between the two black holes of 46 mas. The result is based on recent multifrequency observations using the Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network, which reveal two compact, variable, flat-spectrum, active nuclei within the elliptical host galaxy of J1543-0757. Multiepoch observations from the VLBA also provide constraints on the spectral index and proper motions of all components. The flat spectra of both N and S at both frequencies strongly support that these radio components are associated with two separate, accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). The two nuclei appear stationary, while the jets emanating from the weaker of the two nuclei appear to move out and terminate in bright hot spots. The discovery of this system has implications for the number of close dual black holes that might be sources of gravitational radiation.

We introduce the Planck SZiFi catalogues, a new set of 10 catalogues of galaxy clusters detected through their thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) signature. The catalogues are produced by applying the SZiFi cluster finder to the Planck PR3 temperature data down to a signal-to-noise threshold of 5. They span three frequency channel combinations (100-857 GHz, 100-545 GHz, and 100-353 GHz) and 7 of them are constructed by spectrally deprojecting the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB). This approach allows us, for the first time in the context of cluster finding, to carefully assess the impact of the cluster-correlated CIB on the recovered cluster tSZ observables, which we find to be negligible. In addition, we quantify the impact of the relativistic corrections to the tSZ signal, finding them to be at the 5-10% level for the cluster tSZ amplitude but negligible for the signal-to-noise. We compile our catalogues into a single Planck SZiFi master catalogue containing a total of 1499 detections. We cross-match the master catalogue with several external tSZ and X-ray cluster catalogues, setting a lower bound on the purity of our baseline catalogue of 95% and 99% at a minimum signal-to-noise of 5 and 6, respectively. We validate our cluster detection pipeline by applying it to synthetic observations, recovering cluster number counts for which we are able to produce a theoretical prediction that accurately describes them. This validation exercise indicates that our catalogues are well-suited for cosmological inference. The Planck SZiFi master catalogue will become publicly available at this http URL.

The accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR~J17498-2921 went into X-ray outburst on April 13-15, 2023, for the first time since its discovery on August 11, 2011. Here, we report on the first follow-up \nustar{} observation of the source, performed on April 23, 2023, around ten days after the peak of the outburst. The \nustar{} spectrum of the persistent emission ($3-60$ \kev{} band) is well described by an absorbed blackbody with a temperature of $kT_{bb}=1.61\pm 0.04$\kev{}, most likely arising from the NS surface and a Comptonization component with power-law index $\Gamma=1.79\pm0.02$, arising from a hot corona at $kT_{e}=16\pm 2$ keV. The X-ray spectrum of the source shows robust reflection features which have not been observed before. We use a couple of self-consistent reflection models, {\tt relxill} and {\tt relxillCp}, to fit the reflection features. We find an upper limit to the inner disc radius of $ 6\: R_{ISCO}$ and $ 9\: R_{ISCO}$ from {\tt relxill} and {\tt relxillCp} model, respectively. The inclination of the system is estimated to be $\simeq 40\degr$ from both reflection models. Assuming magnetic truncation of the accretion disc, the upper limit of magnetic field strength at the pole of the NS is found to be $B\lesssim 1.8\times 10^{8}$ G. Furthermore, the \nustar{} observation revealed two type I X-ray bursts and the burst spectroscopy confirms the thermonuclear nature of the burst. The blackbody temperature reaches nearly $2.2$ keV at the peak of the burst.

We extend the dust-filament-based model presented in Hervías-Caimapo & Huffenberger 2022 to produce parity-violating foreground spectra by manipulating the filament orientations relative to the magnetic field. We calibrate our model to observations of the misalignment angle using cross-correlations of Planck and HI 21-cm line data, producing a fiducial model that predicts a $\mathcal{D}_{\ell}^{EB}\sim$few $\mu$K$^2$ dust signal at 353 GHz and where $\sim 56$% of filaments have a positive misalignment angle. The main purpose of this model is to be used as dust with non-zero parity-violating emission in forecasting a measurement of cosmic birefringence by upcoming experiments. Here, we also use our fiducial model to assess the impact of dust in measurements of the isotropic cosmic birefringence angle $\beta$ with Planck data by measuring the misalignment angle as a function of scale, as well as directly using our model's $\mathcal{D}_{\ell}^{EB}$ prediction as a template. In both cases, we measure $\beta$ to be consistent within $0.83\sigma$ of the equivalent measurements with Planck data and its derivatives.

In stars, metallicity is usually traced using Fe, while in nebulae, O serves as the preferred proxy. Both elements have different nucleosynthetic origins and are not directly comparable. Additionally, in ionized nebulae, Fe is heavily depleted onto dust grains. We investigate the distribution of Fe gas abundances in a sample of 452 star-forming nebulae with \feiii~$\lambda 4658$ detections and their relationship with O and N. Additionally, we analyze the depletion of Fe onto dust grains in photoionized environments. We homogeneously determine the chemical abundances with direct determinations of electron temperature ($T_e$), considering the effect of possible internal variations of this parameter. We adopt a sample of 300 Galactic stars to interpret the nebular findings. We find a moderate linear correlation ($r=-0.59$) between Fe/O and O/H. In turn, we report a stronger correlation ($r=-0.80$) between Fe/N and N/H. We interpret the tighter correlation as evidence of Fe and N being produced on similar timescales while Fe-dust depletion scales with the Fe availability. The apparently flat distribution between Fe/N and N/H in Milky Way stars supports this interpretation. We find that when 12+log(O/H)<7.6, the nebulae seem to reach a plateau value around $\text{log(Fe/O)} \approx -1.7$. If this trend is confirmed, it would be consistent with a very small amount of Fe-dust in these systems, similar to what is observed in high-z galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We derive a relationship that allows us to approximate the fraction of Fe trapped into dust in ionized nebulae. If the O-dust scales in the same way, its possible contribution in low metallicity nebulae would be negligible. After analyzing the Fe/O abundances in J0811+4730 and J1631+4426, we do not see evidence of the presence of very massive stars with $M_\text{init}>300M_{\odot}$ in these systems.

We investigate the ability of the Euclid telescope to detect galaxy-scale gravitational lenses. To do so, we perform a systematic visual inspection of the $0.7\,\rm{deg}^2$ Euclid ERO data towards the Perseus cluster using both the high-resolution VIS $I_{\scriptscriptstyle\rm E}$ band, and the lower resolution NISP bands. We inspect every extended source brighter than magnitude $23$ in $I_{\scriptscriptstyle\rm E}$ with $41$ expert human classifiers. This amounts to $12\,086$ stamps of $10^{\prime\prime}\,\times\,10^{\prime\prime}$. We find $3$ grade A and $13$ grade B candidates. We assess the validity of these $16$ candidates by modelling them and checking that they are consistent with a single source lensed by a plausible mass distribution. Five of the candidates pass this check, five others are rejected by the modelling and six are inconclusive. Extrapolating from the five successfully modelled candidates, we infer that the full $14\,000\,{\rm deg}^2$ of the Euclid Wide Survey should contain $100\,000^{+70\,000}_{-30\,000}$ galaxy-galaxy lenses that are both discoverable through visual inspection and have valid lens models. This is consistent with theoretical forecasts of $170\,000$ discoverable galaxy-galaxy lenses in Euclid. Our five modelled lenses have Einstein radii in the range $0.\!\!^{\prime\prime}68\,<\,\theta_\mathrm{E}\,<1.\!\!^{\prime\prime}24$, but their Einstein radius distribution is on the higher side when compared to theoretical forecasts. This suggests that our methodology is likely missing small Einstein radius systems. Whilst it is implausible to visually inspect the full Euclid data set, our results corroborate the promise that Euclid will ultimately deliver a sample of around $10^5$ galaxy-scale lenses.

Magnetar is proposed as one of the possible central engines for a gamma-ray burst (GRB). Recent studies show that if a magnetar has a rotational axis misaligned from the magnetic one, a periodic lightcurve pattern is expected with a period of seconds to minutes. Inspired by this unique feature, in this paper, we search for the quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signals in the {\it Swift} observations of GRBs. Using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and the weighted wavelet Z-transform algorithms, we find that the {\it Swift}-BAT data of GRB 210514A has a QPO signal with a period $\sim 11\,{\rm s}$. The estimated confidence level of the signal is over $3 \sigma$. The global lightcurve of this GRB exhibits a double-plateau structure with a sharp decay segment between plateaus. The lightcurve feature resembles those of GRBs that were reported to have internal plateaus. We explain the observations of GRB 210514A with a supra-massive magnetar (SMM) model, where the QPO signal in the first plateau is produced via the dipole radiation of the SMM experiencing a precession motion, the sharp decay is due to the collapse of the SMM into a black hole (BH), and the second plateau could be produced via the fall-back accretion of the newborn BH. We fit the precession model to the observations using the Bayesian statistic and the best-fit magnetar parameters are discussed. Alternative models concerning a BH central engine may also provide reasonable explanations for this burst, only in this case the QPO signal could merely be a coincidence.

Many circumbinary gas giant planets have been recently discovered. The formation mechanism of circumbinary planets on wide orbits is unclear. We investigate the formation of Delorme 1 (AB)b, a 13$\pm$5M$_{\rm J}$ planet, orbiting its host binary at 84AU. The planet is accreting while having an estimated age of 40Myr, which is unexpected, as this process should have ceased due to the dissipation of the protoplanetary disc. Using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code SEREN, we model three formation scenarios for this planet. In Scenario I the planet forms in-situ on a wide orbit in a massive disc (by gravitational instability), in Scenario II closer to the binary in a massive disc (by gravitational instability), and in Scenario III much closer to the binary in a less massive disc (by core accretion). Planets in Scenario I stay at the observed separation, have mass accretion rates consistent with observed value, but their final mass is too high. In Scenario II, the planet reaches the observed separation through outward migration or scattering by the binary, and has mass accretion rate comparable to the observed; however, the planet mass is above the observed value. In Scenario III, the planet's final mass and mass accretion rate are comparable to the observed ones but the planet's separation is smaller. We conclude that all models may explain some features of the observations but not all of them, raising questions about how gas is accreted onto the planet from its circumplanetary disc, and of the presumed age of the system.

Despite the increasing prevalence of RL sources at cosmic noon, our understanding of the underlying physics that governs the accretion disc outflows in these particular sources and its dissimilarity with RQ quasars remains somewhat limited. Disentangling the real impact of the radio-loudness and accretion on the outflow parameters remains a challenge to this day. We present 10 new spectra of high-z high-L quasars, combined with previous data at both high and low z and evaluate the role of the feedback from RL and RQ AGN. The final high-z high-L sample consists of a combination of 60 quasars from our ISAAC and the Hamburg-ESO surveys. The low-z sample has 84 quasars with optical and FOS reanalyzed data. We perform a multicomponent analysis of optical and UV emission line profiles along the quasar MS, and provide a relation to estimate the outflow main parameters in both the BLR and NLR through the analysis of the [OIII]5007 and CIV1549 emission lines. High-ionization lines usually present a significant asymmetry towards the blue especially in RQ that is strong evidence of outflow motions. In the ISAAC sample, 72% of the quasars present significant O[III] outflows, with c(1/2) ~ -250 km/s. RL tend to present slightly more modest blueshifted components. The behavior of [OIII]5007 mirrors the one of CIV1549, with blueshift amplitudes between the two lines showing a high degree of correlation that appears unaffected by the presence of radio emission. Both RL and RQ AGN outflow parameters at high L appear in the range needed to provide feedback effects on their host galaxies. Both high- and low-z RL quasars exhibit smaller outflows compared to RQ, suggesting a potential role of radioloudness in mitigating outflow effects. Nevertheless, the radio-loudness effect on the AGN feedback is much less significant than the one of accretion that emerges as the main driver of the nuclear outflows.

The gas-phase abundance of carbon, x_C = C/H, and its depletion factors are essential parameters for understanding the gas and solid compositions that are ultimately incorporated into planets. The majority of protoplanetary disks are born in clusters and, as a result, are exposed to external FUV radiation. These FUV photons potentially affect the disk's evolution, chemical composition, and line excitation. We present the first detection of the [CI]609um fine-structure line of neutral carbon (CI), achieved with ALMA, toward one of these disks, d203-506, in the Orion Nebula Cluster. We also report the detection of CI forbidden and permitted lines (from electronically excited states up to 10 eV) observed with JWST in the IR. These lines trace the irradiated outer disk and photo-evaporative wind. Contrary to the common belief that these IR lines are C+ recombination lines, we find that they are dominated by FUV-pumping of CI followed by fluorescence cascades. They trace the transition from atomic to molecular gas, and their intensities scale with G0. The lack of outstanding IR OI fluorescent emission, however, implies a sharper attenuation of external FUV radiation with E > 12 eV (~Lyman-beta). This is related to a lower effective FUV dust absorption cross section compared to that of interstellar grains, implying a more prominent role for FUV shielding by the CI photoionization continuum. The [CI]609um intensity is proportional to N(CI) and can be used to infer x_C. We derive x_C ~ 1.4E-4. This implies that there is no major depletion of volatile carbon compared to x_C measured in the natal cloud, hinting at a young disk. We also show that external FUV radiation impacts the outer disk and wind by vertically shifting the water freeze-out depth, which results in less efficient grain growth and settling. This shift leads to nearly solar gas-phase C/O abundance ratios in these irradiated layers.

We conduct a systematic analysis of the early multi-band light curves and colors of 19 Type Ia Supernovae (SNe) from the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network SN Program, including 16 previously unpublished events. Seven are detected $\lesssim$ 1 day since the estimated epoch of first light and the rest within $\lesssim$ 3 days. Some show excess emission within $<$ 0.5 days to $\sim$ 2 days, but most show pure power-law rises. The colors are initially diverse before $\sim$ 5 days, but converge to a similar color at $\sim$ 10 days. We identify at least three populations based on 2--5-day color evolution: (1) "early-blues" exhibit slowly-evolving colors consistent with a $\sim$ 17,000 K blackbody; (2) "early-reds" have initially blue $B-V$ and red $V-i$ colors that cannot simultaneously be fit with a blackbody -- likely due to suppression of $B$- and $i$-band flux by Fe II/III and Ca II -- and evolve more rapidly; and (3) "early-yellows" evolve blueward, consistent with thermal heating from $\sim$ 8,000 to 13,000 K. The distributions of early-blue and early-red colors are compatible with them being either distinct populations -- with early-reds comprising (60 $\pm$ 15)% of them -- or extreme ends of one continuous population; whereas the early-yellow population identified here is clearly distinct. Compared to the other populations, early-blues in our sample differ by exhibiting excess emission within 1--2 days, nearly constant peak brightness regardless of $\Delta M_{15}(B)$ after standardization, and shallower Si II features. Early-blues also prefer star-forming host environments, while early-yellows and, to a lesser extent, early-reds prefer quiescent ones. These preferences appear to indicate at least two Type Ia SN production channels based on stellar population age, while early-reds and early-blues may still share a common origin.

Blazars, the peculiar class of active galactic nuclei (AGN), are known to show flux variations across the accessible electromagnetic spectrum. Though they have been studied extensively for their flux variability characteristics across wavelengths, information on their ultraviolet (UV) flux variations on time scales of hours is very limited. Here, we present the first UV flux variability study on intraday time scales of a sample of 10 blazars comprising 2 flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and 8 BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs). These objects, spanning a redshift (z) range of 0.034 <= z <= 1.003, were observed in the far-UV (FUV: 1300 - 1800 \textÅ) and near-UV (NUV: 2000 - 3000 \textÅ) wavebands using the ultraviolet imaging telescope on board AstroSat. UV flux variations on time scales of hours were detected in 9 sources out of the observed 10 blazars. The spectral variability analysis showed a bluer-when-brighter trend with no difference in the UV spectral variability behavior between the studied sample of FSRQs and BL Lacs. The observed UV flux and spectral variability in our sample of both FSRQs and BL Lacs revealed that the observed UV emission in them is dominated by jet synchrotron process.

In a spherically symmetric plasma constrained by its own gravity, the ionization degree lags behind changes in temperature and density. The ambipolar electric field accelerates ions radially and cools electrons. Ions lose energy and angular momentum in collisions with low-temperature electrons. The angular momentum of ions decreases much faster than their energy in cycles. The trajectories of ions are close to radial, and the density distribution resembles pseudo-isothermal. The velocity distributions of baryons moving outward and inward in galaxies tend to approach independent Maxwell distributions. This characteristic suppresses small-angle scattering of ions, reducing the ion collision cross-section by three orders of magnitude. In the massive galaxies, baryons can replace all dark matter.

Large-scale magnetic fields are observed off the midplanes of disk galaxies, indicating that they harbour magnetised halos. These halos are crucial to studies of galaxy evolution, galactic-scale outflows, and feedback from star formation activity. Identifying the magnetised halo of the Milky Way is challenging because of the potential contamination from foreground emission arising in local spiral arms. Additionally, it is unclear how our magnetic halo is influenced by recently revealed large-scale structures such as the X-ray emitting eROSITA Bubbles, which, according to previous simulations, might be transient structures powered by the Galactic Center or the Galaxy's star-forming ring. Here we report the identification of several kpc-scale magnetised structures based on their polarized radio emission and their gamma-ray counterparts, which can be interpreted as the radiation of relativistic electrons. These non-thermal structures extend far above and below the Galactic plane and are spatially coincident with the thermal X-ray emission from the eROSITA Bubbles. The morphological consistency of these structures suggests a common origin, which can be sustained by Galactic outflows driven by the active star-forming regions located at 3-5 kpc from the Galactic Centre. These results reveal how X-ray-emitting and magnetised halos of spiral galaxies can be related to intense star formation activities and suggest that the X-shaped coherent magnetic structures observed in their halos can stem from galaxy outflows.

Noise bias is a significant source of systematic error in weak gravitational lensing measurements that must be corrected to satisfy the stringent standards of modern imaging surveys in the era of precision cosmology. This paper reviews the analytical noise bias correction method and provides analytical derivations demonstrating that we can recover shear to its second order using the 'renoising' noise bias correction approach introduced by Metacalibration. We implement this analytical noise bias correction within the AnaCal shear estimation framework and propose several enhancements to the noise bias correction algorithm. We evaluate the improved AnaCal using simulations designed to replicate Rubin LSST imaging data. These simulations feature semi-realistic galaxies and stars, complete with representative distributions of magnitudes and Galactic spatial density. We conduct tests under various observational challenges, including cosmic rays, defective CCD columns, bright star saturation, bleed trails, and spatially variable point spread functions. Our results indicate a multiplicative bias in weak lensing shear recovery of less than a few tenths of a percent, meeting LSST DESC requirements without requiring calibration from external image simulations. Additionally, our algorithm achieves rapid processing, handling one galaxy in less than a millisecond.