Papers for Thursday, Nov 21 2024

Students and professionals in astronomy, astrodynamics, astrophysics, and other related fields often download and parse data about objects in our solar system -- ephemeris data -- from two major providers: JPL's publicly-available [Generic SPICE Kernels](this https URL) and JPL's [Horizons platform](this https URL). SPICE kernels are typically read through the SPICE Toolkit, which is available in a variety of programming languages, including the C Programming Language with `CSPICE` [@cspice]. The Julia packages [`this http URL`](this https URL) and [`this http URL`](this https URL) expose many `CSPICE` functions through Julia functions. Julia users can load and interact with SPICE kernels through methods such as `this http URL` and `this http URL`. Horizons provides data through a variety of methods, including email, command-line, graphical web interfaces, and a [REST API](this https URL) [@horizons]. This paper introduces several packages -- `this http URL`, `this http URL`, `this http URL` and `this http URL` -- which allow users to download and process Cartesian state vector data idiomatically, all from within Julia. While ephemeris data comes in many forms, including observer tables, osculating orbital elements, and binary formats, these packages currently target Cartesian state vector (position and velocity) ephemeris data. Through the use of these packages, users can share replicable code which automatically fetches data from publicly-available ephemeris sources, as opposed to manually including ephemeris data files with their source code distribution.

Small-sized exoplanets in tight orbits around young stars (10-1000 Myr) give us the opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that led to their formation, the evolution of their physical and orbital properties and, especially, of their atmospheres. Thanks to the all-sky survey carried out by TESS, many of these exoplanets have been discovered and have subsequently been characterized with dedicated follow-up observations. In the context of a collaboration among the GAPS, TKS and CPS teams, we measured with a high level of precision the mass and the radius of TOI-1430 b, a young (~700 Myr) exoplanet with an escaping He atmosphere orbiting the K-dwarf star HD 235088 (TOI-1430). By adopting appropriate stellar parameters, which were measured in this work, we were able to simultaneously model the signals due to strong stellar activity and the transiting planet TOI-1430 b in both photometric and spectroscopic series. This allowed us to measure the density of the planet with high precision, and reconstruct the evolution of its atmosphere. TOI-1430 is an active K-dwarf star born 700+/-150 Myr ago and rotates in ~12 d. It hosts a mini-Neptune whose orbital period is Pb=7.434133+/-0.000004 d. Thanks to long-term monitoring of this target performed with TESS, HARPS-N, HIRES, and APF, we estimated a radius Rb=1.98+/-0.07 $R_{\oplus}$, a mass Mb=4.2+/-0.8 $M_{\oplus}$, and thus a planetary density $\rho$b=0.5+/-0.1 $\rho_{\oplus}$. TOI-1430 b is hence a low-density mini-Neptune with an extended atmosphere, at the edge of the radius gap. Because this planet is known to have an evaporating atmosphere of He, we reconstructed its atmospheric history. Our analysis supports the scenario in which, shortly after its birth, TOI-1430 b may have been super-puffy, with a radius 5x-13x and a mass 1.5x-2x that of today; in ~200 Myr from now, TOI-1430 b should lose its envelope, showing its Earth-size core.

We report the discovery of three ultracompact binary white dwarf systems hosting accretion disks, with orbital periods of 7.95, 8.68, and 13.15 minutes. This significantly augments the population of mass-transferring binaries at the shortest periods, and provides the first evidence that accretors in ultracompacts can be dense enough to host accretion disks even below 10 minutes (where previously only direct-impact accretors were known). In the two shortest-period systems, we measured changes in the orbital periods driven by the combined effect of gravitational wave emission and mass transfer; we find $\dot{P}$ is negative in one case, and positive in the other. This is only the second system measured with a positive $\dot{P}$, and it the most compact binary known that has survived a period minimum. Using these systems as examples, we show how the measurement of $\dot{P}$ is a powerful tool in constraining the physical properties of binaries, e.g. the mass and mass-radius relation of the donor stars. We find that the chirp masses of ultracompact binaries at these periods seem to cluster around $\mathcal{M}_c \sim 0.3 M_\odot$, perhaps suggesting a common origin for these systems or a selection bias in electromagnetic discoveries. Our new systems are among the highest-amplitude known gravitational wave sources in the millihertz regime, providing exquisite opportunity for multi-messenger study with future space-based observatories such as \textit{LISA} and TianQin; we discuss how such systems provide fascinating laboratories to study the unique regime where the accretion process is mediated by gravitational waves.

Galaxy mergers represent the most transformative and dramatic avenue for galaxy and supermassive black hole (SMBH) evolution. Multi-active galactic nuclei (multi-AGNs) are expected to ignite, grow, and evolve alongside the host galaxies, and these represent different evolutionary stages of the SMBHs over the merger sequence. However, no comprehensive census exists of observed multi-AGN systems. Here we present The Big Multi-AGN Catalog (The Big MAC), the first literature-complete catalog of all known (confirmed and candidate) multi-AGN systems, which includes dual AGNs (separations $\sim0.03-110$ kpc), binary AGNs (gravitationally bound, $\lesssim30$ pc), recoiling AGNs, and N-tuple AGNs (involving three or more AGNs), gleaned from hundreds of literature articles spanning the years 1970-2020. The Big MAC is the first archive to assemble all multi-AGN systems and candidates across all selection methods, redshifts, and galaxy mass ratios, and this catalog offers a solid foundation for archival and targeted multiwavelength follow-up investigations. In this work, we provide an overview of the creation of the multi-AGN literature library and the catalog itself, present definitions for different multi-AGN classes (including new definitions for dual AGNs derived from galaxy pairs in Illustris-TNG100), describe the general properties of the catalog as a function of redshift space and separation, and we provide a thorough examination of selection and confirmation method usage within the literature. We also discuss best practices for the multi-AGN literature, and we emphasize that a diverse, multiwavelength array of selection approaches is crucial for a complete understanding of multi-AGNs and - by extension - answering long-standing, open questions regarding the importance of AGNs and galaxy mergers.

We provide a purely dynamical global map of the non-axisymmetric structure of the Milky Way disk. For this, we exploit the information contained within the in-plane motions of disk stars from Gaia DR3 to adjust a model of the Galactic potential, including a detailed parametric form for the bar and spiral arms. We explore the parameter space of the non-axisymmetric components with the backward integration method, first adjusting the bar model to selected peaks of the stellar velocity distribution in the Solar neighbourhood, and then adjusting the amplitude, phase, pitch angle and pattern speed of spiral arms to the median radial velocity as a function of position within the disk. We check a posteriori that our solution also qualitatively reproduces various other features of the global non-axisymmetric phase-space distribution, including most of the moving groups and phase-space ridges despite those not being primarily used in the adjustment. This fiducial model has a bar with pattern speed $37~{\rm kms}^{-1}{\rm kpc}^{-1}$ and two spiral modes that are two-armed and three-armed respectively. The two-armed spiral mode has a $\sim 25~\%$ local contrast surface density, a low pattern speed of $13.1~{\rm kms}^{-1}{\rm kpc}^{-1}$, and matches the location of the Crux-Scutum, Local and Outer arm segments. The three-armed spiral mode has a $\sim 9~\%$ local contrast density, a slightly higher pattern speed of $16.4~{\rm kms}^{-1}{\rm kpc}^{-1}$, and matches the location of the Carina-Sagittarius and Perseus arm segments. The Galactic bar, with a higher pattern speed than both spiral modes, has recently disconnected from those two arms. The fiducial non-axisymmetric potential presented in this paper, reproducing most non-axisymmetric signatures detected in the stellar kinematics of the Milky Way disk, can henceforth be used to confidently integrate orbits within the Galactic plane.

Neutral hydrogen (HI) emission closely traces the dust column density at high Galactic latitudes and is thus a powerful tool for predicting dust extinction. However, the relation between HI column density $N_{\rm HI}$ and high-latitude dust emission observed by Planck has large-scale residuals at the level of $\lesssim 20\%$ on tens of degree scales. In this work, we improve HI-based dust templates in the North/South Galactic poles covering a sky fraction of $f_{\rm sky}=13.5\%/11.0\%$ (5,577/4,555 deg$^2$) by incorporating data from ionized (HII) and molecular (H$_2$) gas phases. We make further improvements by employing a clustering analysis on the HI spectral data to identify discrete clouds with distinct dust properties. However, only a modest reduction in fitting residuals is achieved. We quantify the contributions to these residuals from variations in the dust-to-gas ratio, dust temperature and opacity, and magnetic field orientation using ancillary datasets. Although residuals in a few particular regions can be attributed to these factors, no single explanation accounts for the majority. We derive an upper limit on the high-latitude dust temperature variation of $\sigma_T<1.28$ K, lower than the temperature variation reported in previous studies. Joint analysis of multiple existing and upcoming datasets that trace Galactic gas and dust properties is needed to clarify the origins of the variation of gas and dust properties found here and to significantly improve gas-based extinction maps.

We report the spectro-temporal study of the neutron star low mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-2 using NICER and NuSTAR data while the source was in the normal branch (NB). We detect a normal branch oscillation (NBO) feature at ~ 5.41 Hz that appears in the middle portion of the NB branch. We note that the NBO appeared only in the 0.5-3 keV energy range, with maximum strength in the 1-2 keV energy band, but was absent in the 3-10 keV energy band of NuSTAR and NICER data. The energy spectrum of the source exhibits an emission feature at ~ 1 keV, previously identified as the Fe L transition in the outer region of the accretion disk. Upon considering both the Fe L and NBO features, we suggest that the originating location of the Fe L line and the NBOs may coincide and perhaps be due to the same underlying mechanism. Therefore, lags seen in the frequency/energy dependent lag spectra of Cygnus X-2 could be considered to be arising from a region of photoionized material far from the central source. We study the frequency and energy dependent lag spectra of the source, which exhibited a few milliseconds hard lag at the NBO frequency (12-15 ms) and a switch from hard to soft lags at 1 keV. The rms spectrum peaks at 1 keV and the covariance spectrum clearly resembles a thermal spectrum. We discuss the spectro-temporal behavior of the NBO and attempt to constrain its location of origin.

We present a detailed analysis of jet activity in the radio galaxy 3C348 at the center of the galaxy cluster Hercules A. We use archival Chandra data to investigate the jet-driven shock front, the radio-faint X-ray cavities, the eastern jet, and the presence of extended Inverse Compton (IC) X-ray emission from the radio lobes. We detect two pairs of shocks: one in the north-south direction at 150 kpc from the center, and another in the east-west direction at 280 kpc. These shocks have Mach numbers of $\mathcal{M} = 1.65\pm0.05$ and $\mathcal{M} = 1.9\pm0.3$, respectively. Together, they form a complete cocoon around the large radio lobes. Based on the distance of the shocks from the center, we estimate that the corresponding jet outburst is 90-150 Myr old. We confirm the presence of two radio-faint cavities within the cocoon, misaligned from the lobes, each $\sim$100 kpc wide and 40-60 Myr old. A backflow from the radio lobes might explain why the cavities are dynamically younger than the cocoon shock front. We also detect non-thermal X-ray emission from the eastern jet and from the large radio lobes. The X-ray emission from the jet is visible at 80 kpc from the AGN and can be accounted for by an IC model with a mild Doppler boosting ($\delta\sim2.7$). A synchrotron model could explain the radio-to-X-ray spectrum only for very high Lorentz factors $\gamma\geq10^{8}$ of the electrons in the jet. For the large radio lobes, we argue that the X-ray emission has an IC origin, with a 1 keV flux density of $21.7\pm1.4\text{(statistical)}\pm1.3\text{(systematic)}$ nJy. A thermal model is unlikely, as it would require unrealistically high gas temperature, density, and pressure, along with a strong depolarization of the radio lobes, which are instead highly polarized. The IC detection, combined with the synchrotron flux density, suggests a magnetic field of $12\pm3\mu$G in the lobes.

Shock-generated transients, such as hot flow anomalies (HFAs), upstream of planetary bow shocks, play a critical role in electron acceleration. Using multi-mission data from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and ESA's Cluster missions, we demonstrate the transmission of HFAs through Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock, associated with acceleration of electrons up to relativistic energies. Energetic electrons, initially accelerated upstream, are shown to remain broadly confined within the transmitted transient structures downstream, where betatron acceleration further boosts their energy due to elevated compression levels. Additionally, high-speed jets form at the compressive edges of HFAs, exhibiting a significant increase in dynamic pressure and potentially contributing to driving further localized compression. Our findings emphasize the efficiency of quasi-parallel shocks in driving particle acceleration far beyond the immediate shock transition region, expanding the acceleration region to a larger spatial domain. Finally, this study underscores the importance of multi-scale observational approach in understanding the convoluted processes behind collisionless shock physics and their broader implications.

We report on an international scientific conference, where we brought together the African and European academic astronomy communities. This conference aimed to bridge the gap between those in position of privilege, with ease of access to international networking events (i.e., the typical experience of those affiliated with Western institutions), with those who have been historically excluded (affecting the majority of African scientists/institutions). We describe how we designed the conference around cutting-edge problems in the research field, but with a large focus on building networking and professional relationships. Significant effort went into: (1) ensuring a diverse representation of participants; (2) practically and financially supporting those who may have never attended an international conference and; (3) creating an inclusive and supportive environment through a careful programme of activities, both before and during the event. Throughout this process maintaining scientific integrity was a core commitment. We summarise some of the successes, challenges, and lessons learnt from organising this conference. We also present feedback obtained from participants, which demonstrates an overall achievement of our objectives. This is all combined to provide some key recommendations for any groups, from any research field, who wishes to lead similar initiatives.

About 15%-60% of all supernova remnants are estimated to interact with dense molecular this http URL these high density environments, radiative losses are this http URL cooling radiation can be observed in forbidden lines at optical this http URL aim to determine whether supernovae at different positions within a molecular cloud can be distinguished based on their optical emission, using machine this http URL have conducted a statistical analysis of the optical line emission of simulated supernovae interacting with molecular clouds that formed from the multi-phase interstellar medium modelled in the SILCC-Zoom simulations with and without magnetic fields. This work is based on the post-processing of 3-D (magneto)hydrodynamical this http URL data set consists of 22 simulations. The supernovae are placed at a distance of either 25 pc or 50 pc from the molecular cloud centre of mass. First, we calculate optical synthetic emission maps (taking into account dust attenuation within the simulation sub-cube). Second, we analyse the data set of synthetic observations using principle component analysis to identify clusters with the k-means algorithm. We find that the presence or absence of magnetic fields has no statistically significant effect on the optical line emission. However, the ambient density distribution at the site of the supernova changes the entire evolution and morphology of the supernova remnant. Due to the different ambient densities in the 25 pc and 50 pc simulations, we are able to distinguish them in a statistically significant manner. Although, optical line attenuation within the supernova remnant can mimic this result depending on the attenuation model that is used. That is why, multi-dimensional analysis of optical emission line ratios in this work does not give extra information about the environmental conditions (ambient density and ambient magnetic field) of the SNR.

The Medium-Resolution Spectrometer on the Mid-Infrared Instrument on JWST obtained spectra of three carbon stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Two of the spectra differ significantly from spectra obtained ~16-19 years earlier with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The one semi-regular variable among the three has changed little. The long-period Mira variable in the sample shows changes consistent with its pulsation cycle. The short-period Mira shows dramatic changes in the strength of its molecular absorption bands, with some bands growing weaker and some stronger. Whether these variations result from its pulsation cycle or its evolution is not clear.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most energetic events in the universe, driven by relativistic jets launched from black holes (BHs) formed during the collapse of massive stars or after the merger of two neutron stars (NSs). The jet power depends on the BH spin and the magnetic flux accreted onto it. In the standard thin disk model, jet power is limited by insufficient magnetic flux, even when the spin approaches maximum possible value. In contrast, the magnetically arrested disk (MAD) state limits jet energy by extracting significant angular momentum, braking BH rotation. We propose a unified model incorporating both standard thin disk and MAD states, identifying a universal curve for jet power per accretion rate as a function of the magnetic flux ratio, $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} = (\Phi_\mathrm{BH}/\Phi_\mathrm{MAD})_\mathrm{eq}$, at spin equilibrium. For long GRBs (lGRBs), the model predicts a maximum jet energy of $\sim 1.5\%$ of the accretion energy, occurring at $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} \sim 0.4$ where the BH equilibrium spin is $a \sim 0.5$. Both long and short GRBs are unlikely to be produced by a MAD: for short GRBs (sGRBs), this requires an accreted mass orders of magnitude smaller than that available, while for lGRBs, the narrow progenitor mass distribution challenges the ability to produce the observed broad distribution of jet energies. This framework provides a consistent explanation for both standard and luminous GRBs, emphasizing the critical role of magnetic flux. Both long and short GRBs require magnetic flux distributions that peak around $10^{27}\,\mathrm{G\,cm}^2$.

Planets lose mass to atmospheric outflows, and this mass loss is thought to be central in shaping the bimodal population of gaseous giant and rocky terrestrial exoplanets in close orbits. We model the escape of planetary atmospheres in three dimensional gas dynamic simulations in order to study their emergent morphology. Planetary outflows show a range of shapes from fast, isotropic outflows bounded by bow shocks to slower motion confined to thin streams. We show that a crucial factor is the role of the tidal gravity and orbiting reference frame in which planets lose mass. Flows can be characterized by the dimensionless Rossby number evaluated at the scale of the Hill sphere. Flows with a low Rossby number are significantly deviated and shaped by the stellar gravity, while those with a high Rossby number are comparatively unaffected. Rossby number alone is sufficient to predict outflow morphology as well as kinematic gradients across transit. The known exoplanet population should span a range of outflow Rossby numbers and thus shapes. We can use this information to constrain outflow physics and to inform observing strategies.

Star-forming regions host a large and evolving suite of molecular species. Molecular transition lines, particularly of complex molecules, can reveal the physical and dynamical environment of star formation. We aim to study the large-scale structure and environment of high-mass star formation through single-dish observations of CH$_3$CCH, CH$_3$OH, and H$_2$CO. We have conducted a wide-band spectral survey with the IRAM 30-m telescope and the 100-m GBT towards the high-mass star-forming region DR21(OH)/N44. We use a multi-component local thermodynamic equilibrium model to determine the large-scale physical environment near DR21(OH) and the surrounding dense clumps. We follow up with a radiative transfer code for CH$_3$OH to look at non-LTE behaviour. We then use a gas-grain chemical model to understand the formation routes of these molecules in their observed environments. We disentangle multiple components of DR21(OH) in each of the three molecules. We find a warm and cold component each towards the dusty condensations MM1 and MM2, and a fifth broad, outflow component. We also reveal warm and cold components towards other dense clumps in our maps: N40, N36, N41, N38, and N48. We find thermal mechanisms are adequate to produce the observed abundances of H$_2$CO and CH$_3$CCH while non-thermal mechanisms are needed to produce CH$_3$OH. Through a combination of wide-band mapping observations, LTE and non-LTE model analysis, and chemical modelling, we disentangle the different velocity and temperature components within our clump-scale beam, a scale that links a star-forming core to its parent cloud. We find numerous warm, 20-80 K components corresponding to known cores and outflows in the region. We determine the production routes of these species to be dominated by grain chemistry.

The Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) is the first in-ice radio array in the northern hemisphere for the detection of ultra-high energy neutrinos via the coherent radio emission from neutrino-induced particle cascades within the ice. The array is currently in phased construction near Summit Station on the Greenland ice sheet, with 7~stations deployed during the first two boreal summer field seasons of 2021 and 2022. In this paper, we describe the installation and system design of these initial RNO-G stations, and discuss the performance of the array as of summer 2024.

Radiation is a universal friction-increasing agent. When two fluid layers are in relative motion, the inevitable exchange of radiation between such layers gives rise to an effective force, which tries to prevent the layers from sliding. This friction is often modeled as a Navier-Stokes shear viscosity. However, non-Newtonian corrections are expected to appear at distances of about one optical depth from the layers' interface. Such corrections prevent the viscous stress from becoming too large. Here, we set the foundations of a rigorous theory for these corrections, valid along incompressible flows. We show that, in the linear regime, the infinite Chapman-Enskog series can be computed analytically, leading to universal formulas for all transport coefficients, which apply to any fluid, with any composition, with radiation of any type (also neutrinos), and with nearly any type of radiative process. We then show that, with an appropriate shear-heat coupling coefficient, Israel-Stewart theory can correctly describe most non-Newtonian features of radiative shear stresses.

Comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1) is a bright dwarf sungrazer, the second Kreutz comet discovery from the ground this century, 13 years after comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3). The Population II membership of comet ATLAS sets it apart from the overwhelming majority of other bright dwarf sungrazers, most of them classified as members of Populations I, Pe, or Pre-I in the context of the contact-binary model. The new sungrazer might be closely related to comet du Toit (C/1945 X1), but most exciting is the possibility that it is a fragment of the parent comet of the Great September Comet of 1882 (C/1882 R1) and comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1). However, this scenario requires that the original orbital period of comet ATLAS -- rather poorly known at present -- be 886 yr. If its orbital period should turn out to be decidedly shorter, another scenario involving a 13th-century sungrazer should be preferred instead. More work on the orbit needs to be done. The apparent contradiction between the discovery of comet ATLAS and previous failures to find any dwarf Kreutz sungrazers in images taken with large ground-based telescopes at moderate heliocentric distances is explained by the propensity of Population II dwarf comets for outbursts, acting in collusion with extremely rare occurrences of these objects. Also addressed are the dynamical properties of perihelion fragmentation as well as the nature and timing of the expected 21st-century cluster of Kreutz comets, swarms of dwarf sungrazers, and related issues.

Gravitational-lensing parallax of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is an intriguing probe of primordial black hole (PBH) dark matter in the asteroid-mass window, $2\times 10^{-16}M_{\odot} \lesssim M_{\text{PBH}} \lesssim 5 \times 10^{-12}M_{\odot}$. Recent work in the literature has shown exciting potential reach for this "picolensing" signal if a future space mission were to fly two x-/$\gamma$-ray detectors in the Swift/BAT class, with inter-spacecraft separation baselines on the order of the Earth-Moon distance. We revisit these projections with a view to understanding their robustness to various uncertainties related to GRBs. Most importantly, we investigate the impact of uncertainties in observed GRB angular sizes on reach projections for a future mission. Overall, we confirm that picolensing shows great promise to explore the asteroid-mass window; however, we find that previous studies may have been too optimistic with regard to the baselines required. Detector baselines on the order of at least the Earth-L2 distance would make such a mission more robust to GRB size uncertainties; baselines on the order of an astronomical unit (AU) would additionally enable reach that equals or exceeds existing microlensing constraints up to $M_{\text{PBH}}\sim 10^{-5}M_{\odot}$.

The UV/optical light curves observed in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are well-characterized by damped random walk (DRW) process, with the damping time $\tau_d$ exhibiting correlations with both the black hole mass ($M_{BH}$) and the photon wavelength ($\lambda$). However, the underlying physical origins for the DRW process and the scaling laws remain unclear. We aim to understand the AGN variability induced by a quasi-periodic large-scale dynamo in an accretion disk, and examine whether it reproduces the observed variability features in AGN UV/optical light curves. Using a one-dimensional, optically thick, geometrically thin disk model, we introduce variability into the viscosity parameter $\alpha$ by incorporating quasi-periodic large-scale magnetic fields. With reasonable dynamo parameters, our model successfully reproduces both the linear relation between the root-mean-square and the mean values of the radiation flux, and the log-normal distribution of the flux variability. The PSDs of accretion rates and radiation fluxes align well with DRW models, and yield consistent values of $\tau_d$ with AGN observations. Analytical arguments, supported by numerical evidence, suggest that the flattening of flux PSDs at low frequencies is governed by the timescale at the inner boundary of the emission region for a given wavelength. For $M_{BH} \gtrsim 10^6 M_\odot$, variations in the Eddington ratio flatten the $\tau_d$-$M_{BH}$ scaling, resulting in $\tau_d \propto M_{BH}^{0.5-1}$. For $M_{BH} \lesssim 10^6 M_\odot$, we find a steeper scaling, $\tau_d \propto M_{BH}$. Including further refinements, such as the dependence of dynamo properties on $M_{BH}$ and AGN luminosity, and accounting for X-ray reprocessing, would further enhance the accuracy of the model compared to observations.

We discuss the usability of the gravitational wave detector LISA for studying the orientational distribution of compact white dwarf binaries in the Galactic bulge. We pay special attention to measuring the dipole pattern of the distribution around the Galactic rotation axis. Based on our new formulation, which leverages the parity properties of the involved systems, we found that the apparent thickness of the bulge in the sky becomes critical for the dipole measurement. We also discuss the extra-Galactic studies for black hole binaries and neutron star binaries with BBO/DECIGO.

The Fe K$\alpha$ fluorescence line emission in X-ray spectra is a powerful diagnostic tool for various astrophysical objects to reveal the distribution of cold matter around photo-ionizing sources. The advent of the X-ray microcalorimeter onboard the \textit{XRISM} satellite will bring new constraints on the emission line. We present one of the first such results for the high-mass X-ray binary Centaurus X-3, which is composed of an O-type star and a neutron star (NS). We conducted a 155 ks observation covering an entire binary orbit. A weak Fe K$\alpha$ line was detected in all orbital phases at an equivalent width (EW) of 10--20 eV. We found for the first time that its radial velocity (RV) is sinusoidally modulated by the orbital phase. The RV amplitude is 248 $\pm$ 13 km s$^{-1}$, which is significantly smaller than the value (391 km s$^{-1}$) expected if the emission is from the NS surface, but is consistent if the emission takes place at the O star surface. We discuss several possibilities of the line production site, including the NS surface, O star surface, O star wind, and accretion stream from the O star to the NS. We ran radiative transfer calculation for some of them assuming spherically-symmetric density and velocity profiles and an isotropic distribution of X-ray emission from the NS. None of them explains the observed EW and velocity dispersion dependence on the orbital phase, suggesting that more elaborated modeling is needed. In other words, the present observational results have capability to constrain deviations from these assumptions.

The magnetic dynamo mechanism of giant stars remains an open question, which can be explored by investigating their activity-rotation relations with multiple proxies. By using the data from the LAMOST and \emph{GALEX} surveys, we carried out a comprehensive study of activity-rotation relations of evolved stars based on \cahk lines, $\rm{H\alpha}$ lines and near ultraviolet (NUV) emissions. Our results show that evolved stars and dwarfs obey a similar power-law in the unsaturated region of the activity-rotation relation, indicating a common dynamo mechanism in both giant and dwarfs. There is no clear difference in the activity levels between red giant branch stars and red clump stars, nor between single giants and those in binaries. Additionally, our results show that the NUV activity levels of giants are comparable to those of G- and K-type dwarfs and are higher than those of M dwarfs.

The standing waves existed in radio telescope data are primarily due to reflections among the instruments, which significantly impact the spectrum quality of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Eliminating these standing waves for FAST is challenging given the constant changes in their phases and amplitudes. Over a ten-second period, the phases shift by 18$^{\circ}$ while the amplitudes fluctuate by 6 mK. Thus, we developed the fast Fourier transform (FFT) filter method to eliminate these standing waves for every individual spectrum. The FFT filter can decrease the root mean square (RMS) from 3.2 to 1.15 times the theoretical estimate. Compared to other methods such as sine fitting and running median, the FFT filter achieves a median RMS of approximately 1.2 times the theoretical expectation and the smallest scatter at 12%. Additionally, the FFT filter method avoids the flux loss issue encountered with some other methods. The FFT is also efficient in detecting harmonic radio frequency interference (RFI). In the FAST data, we identified three distinct types of harmonic RFI, each with amplitudes exceeding 100 mK and intrinsic frequency periods of 8.1, 0.5, and 0.37 MHz, respectively. The FFT filter, proven as the most effective method, is integrated into the HI data calibration and imaging pipeline for FAST (HiFAST, this https URL).

The disk mass and substructure in young stellar objects suggest that planet formation may start at the protostellar stage through the growth of dust grains. To accurately estimate the grain size at the protostellar stage, we have observed the Class I protostar TMC-1A using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at the Q (7 mm) and Ka (9 mm) bands at a resolution of ~0.2" and analyzed archival data of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 6 (1.3 mm) and 7 (0.9 mm) that cover the same spatial scale. The VLA images show a compact structure with a size of ~25 au and a spectral index of ~2.5. The ALMA images show compact and extended structures with a spectral index of ~2 at the central ~40 au region and another index of ~3.3 in the outer region. Our SED analysis using the observed fluxes at the four bands suggests one branch with a small grain size of ~0.12 mm and another with a grown grain size of ~4 mm. We also model polarized dust continuum emission adopting the two grain sizes and compare them with an observational result of TMC-1A, suggesting that the small grain size is preferable to the grown grain size. The small grain size implies gravitational instability in the TMC-1A disk, which is consistent with a spiral-like component recently identified.

The typically large distances, extinction, and crowding of Galactic supermassive star clusters have so far hampered the identification of their very low mass members, required to extend our understanding of star and planet formation, and early stellar evolution, to starburst. This situation has now evolved thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and its unmatched resolution and sensitivity in the infrared. In this paper, the third of the series of the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS), we present JWST/NIRCam and JWST/MIRI observations of the supermassive star cluster Westerlund 1. These observations are specifically designed to unveil the cluster members down to the BD mass regime, and to allow us to select and study the protoplanetary disks and to study the mutual feedback between the cluster members and the surrounding environment. Westerlund 1 was observed as part of JWST GO-1905 for 23.6 hours. The data have been reduced using the JWST calibration pipeline, together with specific tools necessary to remove artifacts. Source identification and photometry were performed with DOLPHOT. The MIRI images show a plethora of different features. Diffuse nebular emission is observed around the cluster, which is typically composed of myriads of droplet-like features pointing toward the cluster center or the group of massive stars surrounding the WR star W72/A. A long pillar is also observed in the NW. The MIRI images also show resolved shells and outflows surrounding the M-type RSG W20, W26, W75, and W237, the sgB[e] star W9 and the YHG W4. The color-magnitude diagrams built using the NIRCam photometry show a clear cluster sequence, which is marked in its upper part by the 1828 NIRCam stars with X-ray counterparts. NIRCam observations using the F115W filter have reached the 23.8 mag limit with 50\% completeness (roughly corresponding to a 0.06 Msol brown dwarf).

Context: The small- to intermediate-mass ($M <0.8 M_\odot$), most metal-poor stars that formed in the infancy of the Universe are still shining today in the sky. They are very rare, but their discovery and investigation brings new knowledge on the formation of the first stellar generations. Aims: SDSS J102915.14+172927.9 is one of the most metal-poor star known to date. Since no carbon can be detected in its spectrum, a careful upper limit is important, both to classify this star and to distinguish it from the carbon-enhanced stars that represent the majority at these metallicities. Methods: We undertook a new observational campaign to acquire high-resolution UVES spectra. The new spectra were combined with archival spectra in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. From the combined spectrum, we derived abundances for seven elements (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, Ni, and a tentative Li) and five significant upper limits (C, Na, Al, Sr, and Ba). Results: The star has a carbon abundance A(C) <4.68 and therefore is not enhanced in carbon, at variance with the majority of the stars at this Fe regime, which typically show A(C)> 6.0. A feature compatible with the Li doublet at 670.7 nm is tentatively detected. Conclusions: The upper limit on carbon implies $Z<1.915 \times 10^{-6}$, more than 20 times lower than the most iron-poor star known. Therefore, the gas cloud out of which the star was formed did not cool via atomic lines but probably through dust. Fragmentation of the primordial cloud is another possibility for the formation of a star with a metallicity this low.

Motivated by the vast gap between photometric and spectroscopic data volumes, there is great potential in using 5D kinematic information to identify and study substructures of the Milky Way. We identify substructures in the Galactic halo using 46,575 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) from Gaia DR3 with the photometric metallicities and distances newly estimated by Li et al. (2023). Assuming a Gaussian prior distribution of radial velocity, we calculate the orbital distribution characterized by the integrals of motion for each RRL based on its 3D positions, proper motions and corresponding errors, and then apply the friends-of-friends algorithm to identify groups moving along similar orbits. We have identified several known substructures, including Sagittarius (Sgr) Stream, Hercules-Aquila Cloud (HAC), Virgo Overdensity (VOD), Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage (GES), Orphan-Chenab stream, Cetus-Palca, Helmi Streams, Sequoia, Wukong and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) leading arm, along with 18 unknown groups. Our findings indicate that HAC and VOD have kinematic and chemical properties remarkably similar to GES, with most HAC and VOD members exhibiting eccentricity as high as GES, suggesting that they may share a common origin with GES. The ability to identify the low mass and spatially dispersed substructures further demonstrates the potential of our method, which breaks the limit of spectroscopic survey and is competent to probe the substructures in the whole Galaxy. Finally, we have also identified 18 unknown groups with good spatial clustering and proper motion consistency, suggesting more excavation of Milky Way substructures in the future with only 5D data.

Leveraging the photometric data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), we construct mean/median spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for unique bright quasars in redshift bins of 0.2 and up to $z \simeq 3$, after taking the GALEX non-detection into account. Further correcting for the absorption of the intergalactic medium, these mean/median quasar SEDs constitute a surprisingly redshift-independent mean/median composite SED from the rest-frame optical down to $\simeq 500~{\rm \mathring A}$ for quasars with bolometric luminosity brighter than $10^{45.5}~{\rm erg s^{-1}}$. Moreover, the mean/median composite quasar SED is plausibly also independent of black hole mass and Eddington ratio, and suggests similar properties of dust and gas in the quasar host galaxies since cosmic noon. Both the mean and median composite SEDs are nicely consistent with previous mean composite quasar spectra at wavelengths beyond $\simeq 1000~{\rm \mathring A}$, but at shorter wavelengths, are redder, indicating, on average, less ionizing radiation than previously expected. Through comparing the model-predicted to the observed composite quasar SEDs, we favor a simply truncated disk model, rather than a standard thin disk model, for the quasar central engine, though we request more sophisticated disk models. Future deep ultraviolet facilities, such as the China Space Station Telescope and the Ultraviolet Explorer, would prompt revolutions in many aspects, including the quasar central engine, production of the broad emission lines in quasars, and cosmic reionization.

Context. Magnetic batteries are potential sources that may drive the generation of a seed magnetic field, even if this field is initially zero. These batteries can be the result of non-aligned thermodynamic gradients in a plasma, as well as of special and general relativistic effects. So far, magnetic batteries have only been studied in ideal magnetized fluids. Aims. We study the non-ideal fluid effects introduced by the energy flux in the vortical dynamics of a magnetized plasma in curved spacetime. We propose a novel mechanism for generating a heat flux-driven magnetic seed within a simple accretion disk model around a Schwarzschild black hole. Methods. We use the 3+1 formalism for the splitting of the space-time metric into space-like and time-like components. We study the vortical dynamics of a magnetized fluid with a heat flux in the Schwarzschild geometry in which thermodynamic and hydrodynamic quantities are only dependent on the radial coordinate. Assuming that the magnetic field is initially zero, we estimate linear time evolution of the magnetic field due to the inclusion of non-ideal fluid effects. Results. When the thermodynamic and hydrodynamic quantities vary only radially, the effect of the coupling between the heat flux, spacetime curvature and fluid velocity acts as the primary driver for an initial linearly time growing magnetic field. The plasma heat flux completely dominates the magnetic field generation at an specific distance from the black hole, where the fluid vorticity vanishes. This distance depends on the thermodynamical properties of the Keplerian plasma accretion disk. These properties control the strength of the non-ideal effects in the generation of seed magnetic fields.

This study aims to investigate whether the environment and the nuclear activity of a particular galaxy influence the ageing and quenching at the transition stage of the galaxy evolution using the volume-limited sample constructed from the twelve release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. To this end, the galaxies were classified into isolated and non-isolated environments and then each subsample was further classified according to their nuclear activity using the WHAN diagnostic diagram, and ageing diagram to obtain ageing and quenching galaxies. The ageing and quenching galaxies at the transition stage were selected for the rest of the analysis. Using the star formation rate and the $u-r$ colour-stellar mass diagrams, the study revealed a significant change of $0.03$ dex in slope and $0.30$ dex in intercept for ageing galaxies and an insignificant change of $0.02$ dex in slope and $0.12$ dex in intercept of the star formation main sequence between isolated and non-isolated quenching galaxies. Further, a more significant change in the number of ageing galaxies above, within and below the main sequence and the green valley was observed. On the other hand, an insignificant change in the number of quenching galaxies above, within and below the main sequence and the green valley was observed. The study concludes that ageing depends on the environment and the dependence is influenced by the nuclear activity of a particular galaxy while quenching does not depend on the environment and this independence is not influenced by the nuclear activity.

A rapidly spinning, millisecond magnetar is widely considered one of the most plausible power sources for gamma-ray burst-associated supernovae (GRB-SNe). Recent studies have demonstrated that the magnetar model can effectively explain the bolometric light curves of most GRB-SNe. In this work, we investigate the bolometric light curves of 13 GRB-SNe, focusing on key observational parameters such as peak luminosity, rise time, and decay time, estimated using Gaussian Process (GP) regression for light curve fitting. We also apply Principal Component Analysis to all the light curve parameters to reduce the dimensionality of the dataset and visualize the distribution of SNe in lower-dimensional space. Our findings indicate that while most GRB-SNe share common physical characteristics, a few outliers, notably SNe 2010ma and 2011kl, exhibit distinct features. These events suggest potential differences in progenitor properties or explosion mechanisms, offering deeper insight into the diversity of GRB-SNe and their central engines.

Understanding the interstellar and potentially circumstellar extinction in the sight lines of classical T Tauri stars is an important ingredient for constructing reliable spectral energy distributions, which catalyze protoplanetary disk chemistry, for example. Therefore, some attempts of measuring $A_{V}$ toward individual stars have been made using partly different wavelength regimes and different underlying assumptions. We used strong lines of Ly{\alpha} fluorescent H2 and derived the extinction based on the assumption of optically thin transitions. We investigated a sample of 72 classical T Tauri stars observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in the framework of the ULLYSES program. We computed $A_{V}$ and $R_{V}$ values for the 34 objects with sufficient data quality and an additionally $A_{V}$ value for the canonical $R_{V}$ = 3.1 value. Our results agree largely with values obtained from optical data. Moreover, we confirm the degeneracy between $A_{V}$ and $R_{V}$ and present possibilities to break this. Finally, we discuss whether the assumption of optical thin lines is valid.

We present a new iterative deblending method to separate the host galaxy (HG) and their Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) emission with the use of Integral Field spectroscopic (IFS) data. The method decomposes the resolved HG emission from the unresolved AGN emission by modelling the two-dimensional surface brightness (SB) profile of the point-spread function (PSF) and the two-dimensional SB HG continuum simultaneously per each monochromatic slide. Our method does not require any prior information about the observed SB profile or a detailed fitting of the PSF, making it ideal for the automatic analysis of large galaxy samples. In this work, we test the quality of our method, its advantages, and its disadvantages. We test our method by using a set of IFS mock data cubes to quantify the reliability of our deblending process and further compare our method with the {\sc QDeblend3D} analysis tool. Furthermore, we applied our method to three data cubes selected from the MaNGA survey according to the dominance of either its HG or its AGN. We show that our deblending method is capable of disengaging the bright, nonresolved AGN emission from the HG continuum and its narrow emission lines. However, the decoupling depends on how well the IFS spatially resolves the PSF, and on the relative flux intensity of the HG-AGN. Therefore, the method is ideal for disentangling the bright-flux contribution from AGN-dominated spectra.

Data access -- or the availability of new and archival data for use by the larger community -- is key for scientific advancement. How data is presented, searched, and formatted determines accessibility and it can be difficult to find a solution that fits the needs of a given subdiscipline. We present a generalized roadmap for developing a specialty astronomy database with web application based on the development of the SpExoDisks (Spectra of Exoplanet forming Disks) database (this http URL), which provides infrared spectra of protoplanetary disks. Expertise in an astronomy subdiscipline can provide two necessary components for creating a database: access to a large volume of specialized data and knowledge of how that data should be presented to the community. However, there are a variety of steps and decisions for database development that can fall outside astronomy expertise. Here we offer generalized discussions on design and process that are accompanied by real-world examples from the SpExoDisks developer team and website. Starting from the database portal design and data organization, we demonstrate on-demand data distribution and query using publicly accessible database software. These systems support interactive visualizations such that users can explore spectra directly from their browsers. We also offer details that show how the technical concepts in SpExoDisks are implemented, particularly emphasizing sustainability and long-term management of the codebase and processes. Finally, we illustrate the utility that a specialty website can offer to the community by providing a specific example of how the combined spectra from SpExoDisks can enhance our understanding of protoplanetary disks.

While WISE is the largest, best quality infrared all-sky survey to date, a smaller coverage mission, Spitzer, was designed to have better sensitivity and spatial resolution at similar wavelengths. Confusion and contamination in WISE data result in discrepancies between them. We present a novel approach to work with WISE measurements with the goal of maintaining both its high coverage and vast amount of data while taking full advantage of the higher sensitivity and spatial resolution of Spitzer. We have applied machine learning (ML) techniques to a complete WISE data sample of open cluster members, using a training set of paired data from high-quality Spitzer Enhanced Imaging Products (SEIP), MIPS and IRAC, and allWISE catalogs, W1 (3.4 {\mu}m) to W4 (22 {\mu}m) bands. We have tested several ML regression models with the aim of predicting mid-infrared fluxes at MIPS1 (24 {\mu}m) and IRAC4 (8 {\mu}m) bands from WISE fluxes and quality flags. In addition, to improve the prediction quality, we have implemented feature selection techniques to remove irrelevant WISE variables. We have notably enhanced WISE detection capabilities, mostly at lowest magnitudes, which previously showed the largest discrepancies with Spitzer. In our particular case, extremely randomized trees was found to be the best algorithm to predict mid-infrared fluxes from WISE variables. We have tested our results in the SED of members of IC 348. We show discrepancies in the measurements of Spitzer and WISE and demonstrate the good concordance of our predicted fluxes with the real ones. ML is a fast and powerful tool that can be used to find hidden relationships between datasets, as the ones that exist between WISE and Spitzer fluxes. We believe this approach could be employed for other samples from the allWISE catalog with SEIP positional counterparts, and in other astrophysical studies with analogous discrepancies.

We introduce TPCNet, a neural network predictor that combines Convolutional and Transformer architectures with Positional encodings, for neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) spectral analysis. Trained on synthetic datasets, our models predict cold neutral gas fraction ($f_\text{CNM}$) and HI opacity correction factor ($R_\text{HI}$) from emission spectra based on the learned relationships between the desired output parameters and observables (optically-thin column density and peak brightness). As a follow-up to Murray et al. (2020)'s shallow Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), we construct deep CNN models and compare them to TPCNet models. TPCNet outperforms deep CNNs, achieving a 10% average increase in testing accuracy, algorithmic (training) stability, and convergence speed. Our findings highlight the robustness of the proposed model with sinusoidal positional encoding applied directly to the spectral input, addressing perturbations in training dataset shuffling and convolutional network weight initializations. Higher spectral resolutions with increased spectral channels offer advantages, albeit with increased training time. Diverse synthetic datasets enhance model performance and generalization, as demonstrated by producing $f_\text{CNM}$ and $R_\text{HI}$ values consistent with evaluation ground truths. Applications of TPCNet to observed emission data reveal strong agreement between the predictions and Gaussian decomposition-based estimates (from emission and absorption surveys), emphasizing its potential in HI spectral analysis.

The Surface Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) database has provided the community with mass models for 175 nearby galaxies, allowing different research teams to test different dark matter models, galaxy evolution models, and modified gravity theories. Extensive tests, however, are hampered by the somewhat heterogeneous nature of the HI rotation curves and the limited sample size of SPARC. To overcome these limitations, we are working on BIG-SPARC, a new database that consists of about 4000 galaxies with HI datacubes from public telescope archives (APERTIF, ASKAP, ATCA, GMRT, MeerKAT, VLA, and WSRT) and near infrared photometry from WISE. For these galaxies, we will provide homogeneously derived HI rotation curves, surface brightness profiles, and mass models. BIG-SPARC is expected to increase the size of its predecessor by a factor of more than 20. This is a necessary step to prepare for the additional order of magnitude increase in sample size expected from ongoing and future HI surveys with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its pathfinders

Deciphering the structure of the circumplanetary disk that surrounded Jupiter at the end of its formation is key to understanding how the Galilean moons formed. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations have shown that this disk was optically thick and significantly heated to very high temperatures due to the intense radiation emitted by the hot, young planet. Analyzing the impact of Jupiter's radiative heating and shadowing on the structure of the circumplanetary disk can provide valuable insights into the conditions that shaped the formation of the Galilean moons. To assess the impact of Jupiter's radiative heating and shadowing, we have developed a two-dimensional quasi-stationary circumplanetary disk model and used a grey atmosphere radiative transfer method to determine the thermal structure of the disk. We find that the circumplanetary disk self-shadowing has a significant effect, with a temperature drop of approximately 100 K in the shadowed zone compared to the surrounding areas. This shadowed zone, located around 10 Jupiter radii, can act as a cold trap for volatile species such as NH$_3$, CO$_2$ and H$_2$S. The existence of these shadows in Jupiter's circumplanetary disk may have influenced the composition of the building blocks of the Galilean moons, potentially shaping their formation and characteristics. Our study suggests that the thermal structure of Jupiter's circumplanetary disk, particularly the presence of cold traps due to self-shadowing, may have played a crucial role in the formation and composition of the Galilean moons.

The Kepler and K2 missions enabled robust calculations of planet occurrence rates around FGKM-type stars. However, these missions observed too few stars with earlier spectral types to tightly constrain the occurrence rates of planets orbiting hotter stars. Using TESS, we calculate the occurrence rate of small ($1 \, R_\oplus < R_{\rm p} < 8 \, R_\oplus$), close-in ($P_{\rm orb} < 10$~days) planets orbiting A-type stars for the first time. We search a sample of 20,257 bright ($6 < T < 10$) A-type stars for transiting planets using a custom pipeline and vet the detected signals, finding no reliable small planets. We characterize the pipeline completeness using injection/recovery tests and determine the $3\sigma$ upper limits of the occurrence rates of close-in sub-Saturns ($4 \, R_\oplus < R_{\rm p} < 8 \, R_\oplus$), sub-Neptunes ($2 \, R_\oplus < R_{\rm p} < 4 \, R_\oplus$), and super-Earths ($1 \, R_\oplus < R_{\rm p} < 2 \, R_\oplus$). We find upper limits of $2.2 \pm 0.4$ sub-Saturns and $9.1 \pm 1.8$ sub-Neptunes per 1000 A-type stars, which may be more than $3\times$ and $6\times$ lower than \textit{Kepler}-era estimates for Sun-like stars. We calculate an upper limit of $186 \pm 34$ super-Earths per 1000 A-type stars, which may be more than $1.5\times$ lower than that for M dwarfs. Our results hint that small, close-in planets become rarer around early-type stars and that their occurrence rates decrease faster than that of hot Jupiters with increasing host star temperature. We discuss plausible explanations for these trends, including star-disk interactions and enhanced photoevaporation of planet atmospheres.

We explore the influence of interactions between dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE) on the cosmic evolution of the Universe within a viscous dark energy (VDE) framework. Moving beyond traditional interacting dark energy (IDE) models, we propose a generalized IDE model adaptable to diverse IDE scenarios via IDE coupling parameters. In order to investigate deviations from $\Lambda$CDM across cosmic epochs by highlighting how viscous and the interactions between DM and DE impact cosmic density and expansion rates, we consider a model agnostic form of VDE. Eventually we perform a Bayesian analysis using the Union 2.1 Supernova Ia dataset and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling to obtain optimal values of model parameters. This comprehensive analysis provides insights about the interplay between viscous and IDE in shaping the Universe's expansion history.

During electro-optical testing of the camera for the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time, a unique low-signal pattern was found in differenced pairs of flat images used to create photon transfer curves, with peak-to-peak variations of a factor of 10^-3. A turbulent pattern of this amplitude was apparent in many differenced flat-fielded images. The pattern changes from image to image and shares similarities with atmospheric 'weather' turbulence patterns. We applied several strategies to determine the source of the turbulent pattern and found that it is representative of the mixing of the air and index of refraction variations caused by the internal camera purge system displacing air, which we are sensitive to due to our flat field project setup. Characterizing this changing environment with 2-D correlation functions of the 'weather' patterns provides evidence that the images reflect the changes in the camera environment due to the internal camera purge system. Simulations of the full optical system using the galsim and batoid codes show that the weather pattern affects the dispersion of the camera point-spread function at only the one part in 10^-4 level

Radio detection of cosmic-ray (CR) induced extensive air showers with digital antenna arrays is a matured technique by now. At the Pierre Auger Observatory, the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) has been measuring air-shower signals in conjunction with the particle detectors of the surface detector (SD) for over ten years. For an absolute determination of the CR energy with the Auger baseline detectors, the shower size estimator from the SD is calibrated with the energy scale of the fluorescence detector (FD). However, AERA has an independent access to the energy scale through the reconstructed radio signals. The hybrid detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory offer the unique opportunity to compare the two independent energy scales. In this contribution, we present our envisaged methodology for cross-checking the agreement between the energy scales of the FD and AERA using hybrid SD-AERA shower data and simulations. We show individual steps of our radio signal reconstruction and highlight the key ingredients for calibrated energy measurements.

Context: L$_2$ Puppis (L$_2$ Pup) is a nearby red giant star and an important object in late-type star research because it has a dust disc and potentially a companion. Aims: L$_2$ Pup is often called the second-closest Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star to the sun, second only to R Doradus. However, whether the star is indeed on the AGB or the Red Giant Branch (RGB) is questionable. We review its evolutionary state. Methods: We analyse high-resolution optical archive spectra to search for absorption lines of the third dredge-up indicator technetium (Tc) in L$_2$~Pup. We also compare the star to a sample of well-known AGB stars in terms of luminosity and pulsation properties and place it in a Gaia-2MASS diagram. Results: L$_2$ Pup is found to be Tc-poor. Thus, it is not undergoing third dredge-up events. The star is fainter than the RGB tip and fainter than all Tc-rich stars in the comparison sample. L$_2$ Pup pulsates in the fundamental mode, similar to Mira variables, but its pulsation properties do not allow us to distinguish between the RGB and AGB stages. Conclusions: In conclusion, L$_2$ Pup could be an RGB or early AGB star, but it is more likely to be an RGB than an AGB star. Our findings are important for a better understanding of the L$_2$ Pup system and its past and future evolution

Throughout a planetary system's formation evolution, some of the planetary material may end up falling into the host star and be engulfed by it, leading to a potential variation of the stellar composition. The present study explores how planet engulfment may impact the chemical composition of the stellar surface and discusses what would be the rate of events with an observable imprint, for Sun-like stars. We use data from the NGPPS calculations by the Generation III Bern model to analyse the conditions under which planet engulfment may occur. Additionally, we use stellar models computed with Cesam2k20 to account for how the stellar internal structure and its processes may affect the dilution of the signal caused by planet engulfment. Our results show that there are three different phases associated to different mechanisms under which engulfment events may happen. Moreover, systems that undergo planet engulfment are more likely to come from protoplanetary disks that are more massive and more metal-rich than non-engulfing systems. Engulfment events leading to an observable signal happen after the dissipation of the protoplanetary disk when the convective envelope of the stars becomes thinner. With the stellar convective layer shrinking as the star evolves in the main sequence, they display a higher variation of chemical composition, which also correlates with the amount of engulfed material. By accounting for the physical processes happening in the stellar interior and in the optimistic case of being able to detect variations above 0.02 dex in the stellar composition, we find an engulfment rate no higher than $20\%$ for Sun-like stars that may reveal detectable traces of planet engulfment. Engulfment events that lead to an observable variation of the stellar composition are rare due to the specific conditions required to result in such signatures.

X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are intense soft X-ray bursts from the nuclei of nearby low-mass galaxies typically lasting about one hour and repeating every few. Their physical origin remains debated, although so-called impacts models in which a secondary orbiting body pierces through the accretion disc around the primary supermassive black hole (SMBH) in an extreme mass-ratio inspiral (EMRI) system are considered promising. In this work, we study the QPE timing properties of GSN 069, the first galactic nucleus in which QPEs were identified, primarily focusing on Observed minus Calculated (O-C) diagrams. The O-C data in GSN 069 are consistent with a super-orbital modulation on tens of days whose properties do not comply with the impacts model. We suggest that rigid precession of a misaligned accretion disc or, alternatively, the presence of a second SMBH forming a sub-milliparsec binary with the inner EMRI is needed to reconcile the model with the data. In both cases, the quiescent accretion disc emission should also be modulated on similar timescales. Current X-ray monitoring indicates that this might be the case, although a longer baseline of higher-cadence observations is needed to confirm the tentative X-ray flux periodicity on firm statistical grounds. Future dedicated monitoring campaigns will be crucial to test the overall impacts plus modulation model in GSN 069, and to distinguish between the two proposed modulating scenarios. If our interpretation is correct, QPEs in GSN 069 represent the first electromagnetic detection of a short-period EMRI system in an external galaxy, opening the way to future multi-messenger astronomical observations. [abridged]

Pulsar timing array observations have found evidence for an isotropic gravitational wave background with the Hellings-Downs angular correlations, expected from general relativity. This interpretation hinges on the measured shape of the angular correlations, which is predominately quadrupolar under general relativity. Here we explore a more flexible parameterization: we expand the angular correlations into a sum of Legendre polynomials and use a Bayesian analysis to constrain their coefficients with the 15-year pulsar timing data set collected by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav). When including Legendre polynomials with multipoles $\ell \geq 2$, we only find a significant signal in the quadrupole with an amplitude consistent with general relativity and non-zero at the $\sim 95\%$ confidence level and a Bayes factor of 200. When we include multipoles $\ell \leq 1$, the Bayes factor evidence for quadrupole correlations decreases by more than an order of magnitude due to evidence for a monopolar signal at approximately 4 nHz which has also been noted in previous analyses of the NANOGrav 15-year data. Further work needs to be done in order to better characterize the properties of this monopolar signal and its effect on the evidence for quadrupolar angular correlations.

Galaxies come in different sizes and morphologies, and these differences are thought to correlate with properties of their underlying dark matter halos. However, identifying the specific halo property that controls the galaxy size is a challenging task, especially because most halo properties are dependent on one another. In this work, we demonstrate this challenge by studying how the galaxy-halo size relations impact the galaxy clustering signals. We investigate the reason that a simple linear relation model, which prescribes that the galaxy size is linearly proportional to the dark matter halo's virial radius, can still produce clustering signals that match the observational data reasonably well. We find that this simple linear relation model for galaxy sizes, when combined with the subhalo abundance matching technique, introduces an implicit dependence on the halo formation history. As a result, the effect of halo assembly bias enters the resulting galaxy clustering, especially at lower stellar masses, producing a clustering signal that resembles the observed one. At higher stellar masses, the effect of halo assembly bias weakens and is partially canceled out by the effect of halo bias, and the clustering of large and small galaxies becomes more similar. Our study confirms that the information of halo formation history must play a role in determining galaxy sizes to match the observed clustering signals, but also highlights the challenge of identifying a particular halo property that controls galaxy sizes through constraints from galaxy clustering alone.

We investigate observations of circumbinary disks (CBD), to find evidence for an equilibrium eccentricity predicted by current binary accretion theory. Although stellar binary demographics in the Milky Way show no evidence for a preferred eccentricity for binary systems, we show that actively accreting systems lie on a predicted equilibrium eccentricity curve. We constrain our sample to only systems that have well defined orbital parameters (e.g,. eccentricity, mass-ratio, inclination angle). We find observations are consistent with theory for stellar binaries that are aligned with the disk and that are separated enough that tidal circularization is negligible. This suggests that eccentricity in these systems evolves after the dissipation of the CBD, given the flat eccentricity distribution of binary systems in the Milky Way.

The measurement of magnetic fields in cosmic web filaments can be used to reveal the magnetogenesis of the Universe. In previous work, we produced first estimates of the field strength and its redshift evolution using the Faraday Rotation Measure (RM) catalogue of extragalactic background sources at low frequency obtained with LOFAR observations. Here we refine our analysis by selecting sources with low Galactic RM, which reduces its residual contamination. We also conduct a comprehensive analysis of the different contributions to the extragalactic RMs along the line of sight, and confirm that they are dominated by the cosmic filaments component, with only 21 percent originating in galaxy clusters and the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of galaxies. We find a possible hint of a shock at the virial radius of massive galaxies. We also find that the fractional polarization of background sources might be a valuable CGM tracer. The newly selected RMs have a steeper evolution with redshift than previously found. The field strength in filaments ($B_f$) and its evolution are estimated assuming $B_f$ evolves as a power-law $B_f=B_{f,0}\,(1+z)^\alpha$. Our analysis finds an average strength at $z=0$ of $B_{f,0} =11$--15~nG, with an error of 4 nG, and a slope $\alpha=2.3$--$2.6 \pm 0.5$, which is steeper than what we previously found. The comoving field has a slope of $\beta=$ [0.3, 0.6$]\pm 0.5$ that is consistent with being invariant with redshift. Primordial magnetogenesis scenarios are favoured by our data, together with a sub-dominant astrophysical-origin RM component increasing with redshift.

We present NEOWISE observations of Jupiter family comet 289P/Blanpain, the parent body of the Phoenicid meteoroid stream. Near-infrared images at 3.4$\mu$m ($W1$) and 4.6$\mu$m ($W2$) were obtained near perihelion on two occasions: UT 2019-10-30 (inbound, heliocentric distance $R_{\rm h}$ = 1.20 au) and UT 2020-01-11/12 (outbound, $R_{\rm h}$ = 1.01 au). To assess faint activity, we establish constraints on dust production driven by the limited sublimating area of water ice, based on studies of the 1956 Phoenicids. The ejected dust mass is $M_{\rm d}$ = 4100 $\pm$ 200 kg (inbound) and 1700 $\pm$ 200 kg (outbound), respectively. The dust production rates are $Q_{\rm dust}$ = 0.01$-$0.02 kg s$^{-1}$, corresponding to dust-to-gas production ratio 2 $\leqslant\,f_{\rm dg}\,\leqslant$ 6. The resulting fractional active area, $f_{\rm A}$ = 3.8 $\pm$ 1.9 $\times 10^{-5}$, is the smallest yet reported. The absence of 4.6$\mu$m ($W2$) excess suggests that 289P contains negligible amounts of CO$_2$ and CO. Time-resolved analysis of weighted mean of $W1$ and $W2$ magnitudes finds a distinctive peak amplitude in the light curve having a rotational period $P_{\rm rot}$ = 8.8536 $\pm$ 0.3860 hr, however, further verification is needed. The perihelion-normalized nongravitational acceleration, $\alpha_{\rm NG}^\prime$ = 3.1 $\times$ 10$^{-6}$, is approximately an order of magnitude smaller than the trend observed for well-studied comets, consistent with weak outgassing. Current dust production from 289P, regardless of plausible assumptions for particle size and distribution, is an order of magnitude too small to produce the Phoenicid stream within its $\sim$300 yr dynamical lifetime. This suggests another mass supply, probably in 1743$-$1819, rapid rotational destruction of a sub-km precursor body, resulting in fragments equaling the mass of an object with radius $\sim$ 100 m.

Green Peas (GPs) and blueberry galaxies (BBs) are thought to be local analogs ($z<$0.1) of high redshift Ly$\alpha$ emitters. H I study of these can help us understand the star formation in the primordial Universe. In this Letter, we present the results of H I 21 cm study of 28 high specific star formation rate (sSFR $\gtrsim$10$^{-8}$ yr$^{-1}$) BBs at $z\lesssim$0.05 with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. We report significant H I detection towards two BBs namely J1026+0426 and J1132+0809, and discuss possible H I contribution from neighboring galaxies. The median 3$\sigma$ upper limit of $\sim$2.0$\times$10$^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$ was obtained on H I mass for galaxies with nondetections. We find BBs tend to have lower H I-to-stellar mass ratio or gas fraction ($f_{\rm HI}$) than expected from $f_{\rm HI}$-sSFR and $f_{\rm HI}$-$M_{\ast}$ relations for main-sequence galaxies. The BBs also have a median 3$\sigma$ upper limit on H I gas depletion time scale ($\tau_{\rm HI}$) $\sim$0.5 Gyr, about 1 order of magnitude lower than $\tau_{\rm HI}$ for local main-sequence galaxies. We find a significantly low H I detection rate of 2/28 (7.1$^{+9.4}_{-4.6}$ \%) towards these galaxies, which is similar to previous H I studies of low redshift GPs of high ionization parameter indicator, O32 $\equiv$O[{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007/O[{\sc ii}]$\lambda$3727 ratios $\gtrsim$10.

The intracluster medium (ICM) in the far outskirts (r $>$ 2-3 R$_{200}$) of galaxy clusters interfaces with the intergalactic medium (IGM) and is theorized to comprise diffuse, multiphase gas. This medium may hold vital clues to clusters' thermodynamic evolution and far-reaching impacts on infalling, future cluster galaxies. The diffuse outskirts of clusters are well-suited for quasar absorption line observations, capable of detecting gas to extremely low column densities. We analyze 18 QSO spectra observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope whose lines of sight trace the gaseous environments of 26 galaxy clusters from within R$_{200}$ to 6 R$_{200}$ in projection. We measure the dN/dz and covering fraction of H I and O VI associated with the foreground clusters as a function of normalized impact parameter. We find the dN/dz for H I is consistent with the IGM field value for all impact parameter bins, with an intriguing slight elevation between 2 and 3 R$_{200}$. The dN/dz for O VI is also consistent with the field value (within 3$\sigma$) for all impact parameter bins, with potential elevations in dN/dz both within 1-2 R$_{200}$ and beyond 4 R$_{200}$ at $>2\sigma$. We propose physical scenarios that may give rise to these tentative excesses, such as a buildup of neutral gas at the outer accretion shock front and a signature of the warm-hot IGM. We do not find a systematic excess of potentially associated galaxies near the sightlines where O VI is detected; thus, the detected O VI does not have a clear circumgalactic origin.

Relations between the graviton mass and the cosmological constant $\Lambda$ have led to some interesting implications. We show that in any approach which leads to a direct correlation between the graviton mass and $\Lambda$, either through direct substitution of gravitational coupling in dispersion relations or through the linearization of Einstein equations with massive spin-2 fields, the Compton wavelength of the graviton lies in the superhorizon scale. As a result any gravitational approaches where the graviton mass is related directly to the cosmological constant are of no observational significance.

We analyse the stability issue of the vector and axial modes of the torsion and nonmetricity tensors around general backgrounds in the framework of cubic Metric-Affine Gravity. We show that the presence of cubic order invariants defined from the curvature, torsion and nonmetricity tensors allow the cancellation of the well-known instabilities arising in the vector and axial sectors of quadratic Metric-Affine Gravity. For the resulting theory, we also obtain Reissner-Nordström-like black hole solutions with dynamical torsion and nonmetricity, which in general include massive tensor modes for these quantities, thus avoiding further no-go theorems that potentially prevent a consistent interaction of massless higher spin fields in the quantum regime.

First-order phase transitions in the early universe have rich phenomenological implications, such as the production of a potentially detectable signal of stochastic relic background gravitational waves. The hypothesis that new, strongly coupled dynamics, hiding in a new dark sector, could be detected in this way, via the telltale signs of its confinement/deconfinement phase transition, provides a fascinating opportunity for interdisciplinary synergy between lattice field theory and astro-particle physics. But its viability relies on completing the challenging task of providing accurate theoretical predictions for the parameters characterising the strongly coupled theory. Density of states methods, and in particular the linear logarithmic relaxation (LLR) method, can be used to address the intrinsic numerical difficulties that arise due the meta-stable dynamics in the vicinity of the critical point. For example, it allows one to obtain accurate determinations of thermodynamic observables that are otherwise inaccessible, such as the free energy. In this contribution, we present an update on results of the analysis of the finite temperature deconfinement phase transition in a pure gauge theory with a symplectic gauge group, $Sp(4)$, by using the LLR method. We present a first analysis of the properties of the transition in the thermodynamic limit, and provide a road map for future work, including a brief preliminary discussion that will inform future publications.

The knowledge of beta decay transitional probabilities and GamowTeller (GT) strength functions from highly excited states of nuclides is of particular importance for applications to astrophysical network calculations of nucleosynthesis in explosive stellar events. These quantities are challenging to achieve from measurements or computations using various nuclear models. Due to unavailability of feasible alternatives, many theoretical studies often rely on the Brink Axel (BA) hypothesis, that is, the response of strength functions depends merely on the transition energy of the parent nuclear ground state and is independent of the underlying details of the parent state, for the calculation of stellar rates. BA hypothesis has been used in many applications from nuclear structure determination to nucleosynthesis yield in the astrophysical matter.

Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) observations provide valuable insights into the plasma conditions in the heliosphere and the surrounding interstellar medium. Unlike plasma detectors, which measure charged particles tied to the magnetic fields at their location, ENA detectors capture former ions that were neutralized in distant regions and traverse the heliosphere in straight trajectories. ENA fluxes near the Sun represent line-of-sight integrals of parent ion fluxes multiplied by neutralization (production) rates and reduced by the probability of ENA reionization (loss) processes. So far, most ENA analyses have focused on charge exchange between hydrogen atoms and protons as the primary source of ENAs. Here, we examine various ENA production and loss processes throughout the heliosphere in the broad energy range (5 eV to 500 keV) encompassing the next-generation ENA instruments aboard the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission. Our study considers binary collisions involving the most abundant species: protons, electrons, {\alpha}-particles, He+ ions, photons, as well as hydrogen and helium atoms. Our findings indicate that, in addition to ENAs produced by charge exchange of energetic protons with hydrogen atoms, a significant portion of high-energy ENAs originate from the charge exchange with helium atoms. Below 10 keV, the dominant ENA loss processes are charge exchange collisions with protons and photoionization. However, stripping ionization processes, e.g., from collisions with ambient interstellar neutral hydrogen, become the main loss mechanism for higher energies because the charge exchange rate rapidly decreases.

Recent observations by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) indicate a potential detection of a stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background. Metastable cosmic strings have been recognized as a possible source of the observed signals. In this paper, we propose an $R$-invariant supersymmetric new inflation model. It is characterized by a two-step symmetry breaking $\mathrm{SU}(2) \to \mathrm{U}(1)_G \to \mathrm{nothing}$, incorporating metastable cosmic strings. The field responsible for the initial symmetry breaking acts as the inflaton, while the second symmetry breaking occurs post-inflation, ensuring the formation of the cosmic string network without monopole production. Our model predicts symmetry breaking scales consistent with the string tensions favored by PTA data, $G_\mathrm{N} \mu_\mathrm{str} \sim 10^{-5}$, where $G_\mathrm{N}$ is the Newton constant. Notably, a low reheating temperature is required to suppress non-thermal gravitino production from the decay of inflaton sector fields. This also helps evading LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA constraints, while yielding a distinctive GW signature that future PTA and interferometer experiments can detect. Additionally, we examine the consistency of this scenario with non-thermal leptogenesis and supersymmetric dark matter.

The ringdown phase of a gravitational wave (GW) signal from a binary black hole merger provides valuable insights into the properties of the final black hole and serves as a critical test of general relativity in the strong-field regime. A key aspect of this investigation is to determine whether the first overtone mode exists in real GW data, as its presence would offer significant implications for our understanding of general relativity under extreme conditions. To address this, we conducted a reanalysis of the ringdown signal from GW150914, using the newly proposed F-statistic method to search for the first overtone mode. Our results are consistent with those obtained through classical time-domain Bayesian inference, indicating that there is no evidence of the first overtone mode in the ringdown signal of GW150914. However, our results show the potentiality of utilizing the F-statistic methodology to unearth nuanced features within GW signals, thereby contributing novel insights into black hole properties.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission is being developed by ESA with NASA participation. As it has recently passed the Mission Adoption milestone, models of the instruments and noise performance are becoming more detailed, and likewise prototype data analyses must as well. Assumptions such as Gaussianity, Stationarity, and continuous data continuity are unrealistic, and must be replaced with physically motivated data simulations, and data analysis methods adapted to accommodate such likely imperfections. To this end, the LISA Data Challenges have produced datasets featuring time-varying and unequal constellation armlength, and measurement artifacts including data interruptions and instrumental transients. In this work, we assess the impact of these data artifacts on the inference of Galactic Binary and Massive Black Hole properties. Our analysis shows that the treatment of noise transients and gaps is necessary for effective parameter estimation. We find that straightforward mitigation techniques can significantly suppress artifacts, albeit leaving a non-negligible impact on aspects of the science.

The evolution of a deformed subcritical fast magnetosonic shock front is compared between two two-dimensional PIC simulations with different orientations of the magnetic field relative to the simulation box. All other initial and simulation conditions are kept identical. Shock boundary oscillations are observed in the simulation where the magnetic field direction is resolved. This oscillation is caused by the reformation of the shock front. One part of the front acts as a shock, while the other functions as a magnetic piston, with both halves changing their states in antiphase. The oscillation period corresponds to the time required for one shock wave to grow as the other collapses. In contrast, the corrugated fast magnetosonic shock does not oscillate in the second simulation, where the magnetic field is oriented out of the simulation plane. This dependence on magnetic field orientation suggests that the shock oscillation is induced by magnetic tension, which is only effective in the first simulation. In both simulations, the shock perturbation does not grow over time, indicating that the shocks are stable. The potential relevance of these findings for the Alfvénic oscillations of the supercritical Earth's bow shock, detected by the MMS multi-spacecraft mission, is also discussed.

We show for the first time that rotating wormholes are capable of emitting a Poynting flux in the process of accreting magnetized matter. To this end, we analyze the Damour-Solodukhin metric describing a Kerr-type wormhole and calculate the electromagnetic flux assuming a specific geometry for the magnetic field contained by the wormhole ergosphere. We find that for highly rotating wormholes a mechanism similar to that of Blandford and Znajek is possible, and the emitted electromagnetic flux is of the same order as for a Kerr black hole.

We introduce a systematic method to derive the effective action for domain walls directly from the scalar field theory that gives rise to their solitonic solutions. The effective action for the Goldstone mode, which characterizes the soliton's position, is shown to consist of the Nambu-Goto action supplemented by higher-order curvature invariants associated to its worldvolume metric. Our approach constrains the corrections to a finite set of Galileon terms, specifying both their functional forms and the procedure to compute their coefficients. We do a collection of tests across various models in $2+1$ and $3+1$ dimensions that confirm the validity of this framework. Additionally, the method is extended to include bound scalar fields living on the worldsheet, along with their couplings to the Goldstone mode. These interactions reveal a universal non-minimal coupling of these scalar fields to the Ricci scalar on the worldsheet. A significant consequence of this coupling is the emergence of a parametric instability, driven by interactions between the bound states and the Goldstone mode.