Peer Revenue Publish or profit

Papers

Fresh from arXiv, typeset properly. Highlighted words trade on the market.

Physics Astrophysics Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

astro-ph.SR Watch Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Sunday 6 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Coordinated Coronagraphic Observations from Proba-3 and Aditya-L1: Investigating CME Energetics in the Inner Corona

Anjali Agarwal, Wageesh Mishra, R. Ramesh et al. (+16 more)

Constraining the plasma properties and energetics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the inner corona is essential for understanding their early evolution, yet remains challenging because of limited observations. We investigate the mass and density evolution, and energy partitioning of two CMEs observed on 2025 September 14 and 16, and assess the potential of coordinated Proba-3/ASPIICS and Aditya-L1/VELC observations to constrain CME energetics in the low corona. We present the first coordinated observations of CMEs obtained simultaneously by Proba-3/ASPIICS and Aditya-L1/VELC. Using ASPIICS white-light observations, we estimate the CME mass, volume, number density, and the evolution of kinetic, thermal, and magnetic energies. Magnetic energies are estimated from observed CME properties using observationally constrained, physically motivated assumptions. Simultaneous VELC Fe XIV 5303 Angstorm observations provide independent estimates of the emission measure, electron number density, thermal energy, and CME lateral extent. The two events exhibit markedly different energy partitioning in the low corona. For the 14 September CME, the kinetic and magnetic energies are comparable, while the thermal energy remains nearly two orders of magnitude smaller, indicating limited plasma heating. In contrast, the 16 September CME exhibits a substantial thermal-energy enhancement, with thermal energy eventually becoming comparable to kinetic energy. For both CMEs, the estimated magnetic energy remains comparable to or exceeds the kinetic energy over the observed height. Our results demonstrate the scientific potential of synergetic ASPIICS and VELC observations for constraining CME mass, density, and energetics in the inner corona, providing new observational constraints on the early evolution of CMEs.
Read the full abstract

All authors Anjali Agarwal, Wageesh Mishra, R. Ramesh, V. Muthu Priyal, A.N. Zhukov, Jagdev Singh, Nat Gopalswamy, Soumyaranjan Khuntia, K. Sasikumar Raja, B. Bourgoignie, L. Dolla, S. Shestov, S. Fineschi, S. Gunar, P. Lamy, M. Mierla, H. Peter, P. Rudawy, K. Tsinganos

Saturday 5 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.atom-ph

Opacity predictions in plasmas under stellar conditions using deep learning

Djamel Benredjem and Jean-Christophe Pain

The aim of this work is to predict the opacity of plasmas under stellar conditions. We focus on iron and nickel, as these elements have been extensively investigated both theoretically and experimentally. In certain regimes, notably under non-local thermodynamic equilibrium, calculating the spectral opacity can be computationally demanding. To mitigate this difficulty, we employ deep learning models to predict accurate opacities while achieving a substantial reduction in computational cost. Specifically, we develop and train a hybrid model that combines a convolutional neural network with a multilayer perceptron. The proposed approach provides both the spectral opacity over the 0–10,000 eV energy range, and the corresponding mean opacities for large sets of temperatures and mass densities, in close agreement with standard computational methods. The agreement is very satisfactory, except in the L- and M-shell energy ranges for nickel at high temperatures, where a very large number of emerging transitions leads to substantial discrepancies.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.GA

Interstellar Complex Organic Molecules and Molecular Outflows in NGC 1333 IRAS 4B and 4B' Observed Using NOEMA

C. C. Sarver, M. M. Giese, D. C. Lis et al. (+1 more)

We present interferometric observations with the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) of NGC 1333 IRAS 4B and 4B', two young stellar objects (YSOs) within the Perseus molecular cloud. YSOs, especially Class 0 protostars, are rich in gas-phase interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs), but relatively little is known about the spatial distribution of these important prebiotic molecules. Various molecules were imaged within IRAS 4B and the surrounding area in the 145 GHz spectral range, revealing hundreds of molecular transitions within the warm inner envelope of IRAS 4B. This work provides derived physical parameters (rotational temperature, column density, velocity shift with respect to local standard of rest, and full-width at half-maximum spectral line width) for 11 molecules toward IRAS 4B including methanol (CH$_3$OH and isotopologues), methyl formate (HCOOCH$_3$), dimethyl ether (CH$_3$OCH$_3$), acetaldehyde (CH$_3$CHO), ethanol (C$_2$H$_5$OH), glycolaldehyde (CH$_2$OHCHO), acetone (CH$_3$COCH$_3$), and isocyanic acid (HNCO). Out of these molecules, 10 are iCOMs (excluding HNCO) that trace the inner envelope of IRAS 4B and mark it as a rich source of organic material. There is a strong spatial correlation between the continuum emission of IRAS 4B and iCOM molecular emission and among various iCOMs with each other. Physical parameter and integrated intensity maps show that IRAS 4B is a binary protostar system that drives a jet in a north-south orientation and an outflow in a northwest-southeast orientation. IRAS 4B' also drives a west-east outflow but shows no evidence of molecular emission cospatial with its continuum emission.
Read the full abstract

All authors C. C. Sarver, M. M. Giese, D. C. Lis, S. L. Widicus Weaver

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.HE

The First Multi-Messenger Nova: External Shocks, TeV Photons, and Neutrinos in the Next Eruption of T CrB

E. Aydi, P. Craig, K. V. Sokolovsky et al. (+10 more)

T Coronae Borealis is the most compelling anticipated Galactic recurrent nova and one of the best opportunities to test whether nova eruptions can become genuine multi-messenger transients. Recent observational work on classical novae has shown that the GeV $\gamma$-ray luminosity correlates strongly with the differential velocity between interacting outflows, suggesting that shock power depends strongly on velocity contrast. We apply this empirical framework to T CrB and compare it with the 2021 eruption of RS Ophiuchi, the only nova securely detected at TeV energies. We argue that T CrB may lie at the extreme high-$\Delta v$ end of the nova population and that its strongest shock should arise at the external interaction between the nova ejecta and the slow circumbinary medium. This makes the external shock the most likely site of any TeV emission, while the GeV signal may contain contributions from both internal, if present, and external shocks. Because T CrB is substantially closer than RS Oph, it is an especially favorable target for TeV detection. The neutrino case is promising but more uncertain because it depends sensitively on the density and structure of the circumbinary material. We also revisit the recurrence time of T CrB. Using the observed scatter of better-sampled recurrent novae, we infer a representative population-scale recurrence of $T_{\rm rec}\simeq80\pm12$ yr. Taken together, its proximity and potentially extreme shock velocities make T CrB perhaps the best opportunity for a nova to become the first securely established multi-messenger nova.
Read the full abstract

All authors E. Aydi, P. Craig, K. V. Sokolovsky, L. Chomiuk, C. C. Cheung, L. Izzo, J. D. Linford, B. D. Metzger, S. Mohamed, I. Molina, K. Mukai, K. J. Shen, J. L. Sokoloski

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Magnetically Confined Mountains on Accreting White Dwarfs

Pedro H. B. Rossetto, Manoel F. Sousa and Diego A. Falceta-Gonçalves

The hydromagnetic structure of magnetically confined mountains on accreting white dwarfs is computed, alongside the effects of accretion on the reduction of the star's magnetic field. The equilibrium structure of the mountain is obtained by numerically solving the Grad-Shafranov equation with a self-consistent scheme that enforces magnetic flux freezing. For characteristic system parameters, it is shown that magnetic field lines are significantly deformed and dragged equatorwards by mountains with masses $\sim10^{-3}M_\odot$ that have a characteristic height of $\sim10^5\,\mathrm{cm}$. A mathematical relation is obtained for the maximum mass that a white dwarf can confine magnetically given the star's magnetic field and temperature. It is found that the accretion buries the star's magnetic field by reducing it by up to $10\%$ of its pre-accretion value. The star's magnetic field remains dominantly dipolar, but with added multipolar components.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

A Uniform Census of Variable Stars in M101 Based on HST/ACS Photometry

Jiyu Wang, Xiaodian Chen, Pinjian Chen et al. (+3 more)

We present a homogeneous HST/ACS F555W/F814W time-series census of variable stars in two M101 disk fields, using a uniform multi-band reduction and reproducible variable-selection workflow for nearby SN-host galaxies. Supplementary archival F555W epochs are used only to refine selected long-period solutions. Candidates are selected with Lomb-Scargle period searches, Fourier light-curve modeling, two-band consistency statistics, artificial-star-test photometric corrections, and mode-aware Cepheid refinement. The final catalog contains 1417 variable-star candidates, including 1102 secure fundamental-mode and 78 secure first-overtone classical Cepheids. Of these secure Cepheids, 420 are newly identified relative to the Shappee & Stanek catalog. The catalog also contains luminous candidates outside the classical Cepheid locus. We release the catalog and source-level two-band light curves for studies of Cepheid physics, stellar variability, and distance-scale applications.
Read the full abstract

All authors Jiyu Wang, Xiaodian Chen, Pinjian Chen, Jianxing Zhang, Shu Wang, Licai Deng

Friday 4 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Asteroseismic Detection of a Massive Unseen Companion to the $\delta$ Scuti Star TIC 160582982

Chenglong Lv, J. Pascual-Granado, Ali Esamdin et al. (+4 more)

We present TIC 160582982, an eccentric $\delta$ Scuti binary with a dynamically massive unseen companion. Six coherent high-frequency pressure modes used as pulsation clocks yield a phase-modulation orbit with $P_{\rm orb}=89.29\pm0.19$ d, $e=0.539^{+0.040}_{-0.037}$, and $a_1\sin i/c=145.6^{+3.7}_{-3.4}$ s, corresponding to $K_1=42.2^{+2.2}_{-1.8}$ km s$^{-1}$ and $f(M)=0.416^{+0.032}_{-0.028}\,M_\odot$. An independent frequency-modulation analysis of the two strongest modes gives a consistent orbital solution. Rotating MIST isochrones constrained by the atmospheric parameters and spectral energy distribution (SED) give $M_1=1.93\pm0.19\,M_\odot$ and $R_1=2.65\pm0.23\,R_\odot$. The mass function implies a formal edge-on minimum companion mass of approximately $1.80\,M_\odot$. Assuming a luminous main-sequence companion and including the non-eclipsing geometry gives $M_2=2.19^{+1.24}_{-0.34}\,M_\odot$ and $i=61.5^{+16.6}_{-19.6}$ deg. However, no clear evidence for the presence of a luminous counterpart is found, either photometrically or spectroscopically. This suggests the presence of a massive compact object, such as a neutron star or even a stellar-mass black hole, as the massive unseen binary companion. Future phase-resolved high-resolution spectroscopy will be crucial for obtaining an independent orbital constraint and clarifying the nature of the companion.
Read the full abstract

All authors Chenglong Lv, J. Pascual-Granado, Ali Esamdin, Angela Gardini, Haozhi Wang, Jianwei Yao, Shuguo Ma

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.gen-ph

Einstein and the Solar Eclipses - Why Albert Einstein joined the Astronomische Gesellschaft in Potsdam 1921

Günther Rüdiger

In 1911 Einstein suggested that photons which pass close to the Sun are deflected by its effective mass which would apparently shift the positions of stars by up to one arcsecond, something that should be observable by astronomers during solar eclipses. Einstein`s ideas including the later doubling of the value due to relativistic space curvature met with enthusiastic responses from astronomers. The history of these efforts, their motivations and interactions with Einstein is presented here, beginning with the expedition that failed due to WWI of the young Erwin Freundlich in 1914 and ending with the unsuccessful Potsdam campaign to Öland (Sweden) in 1954. A newly found conference photograph from the first post-war meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft in 1921 shows Albert Einstein as a new member of the AG on the Telegraphenberg in Potsdam.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Unresolved triple systems in the aged open cluster Trumpler 19: Discovery, confirmation, and implications

D. Minniti, R. K. Saito, V. D. Ivanov et al. (+31 more)

It is difficult to identify unresolved triple and higher-order systems beyond the solar vicinity. Star clusters yield controlled environments with known physical parameters, providing a way to explore homogeneous stellar samples. Combining modern optical and near-IR surveys, our main goal is to explore the region of the color-magnitude diagrams located above the sequence of equal-mass binaries, which is inhabited by unresolved triple and quadruple systems. Specifically, here we aim to discover and characterize the presence of multiple systems in the aged open star cluster Trumpler 19. We selected cluster members using Gaia astrometry and photometry from the VVVX and DECAPS2 surveys. We made optical and near-IR color-magnitude diagrams to select stars located >0.75 mag above the cluster main sequence, including suitable unresolved triple and quadruple systems. We confirm previous results that there is a sizable sequence of unresolved binaries in Trumpler 19. We also report the discovery of a sequence of unresolved multiple systems in this cluster, and confirm some of these multiple systems via radial velocities measured by the ESO KMOS VVVX-GalCen spectroscopic survey. The fraction of multiple stars in this cluster is comparable to that of the solar neighborhood, with the caveat that the local sample probes deeper down the main sequence. The fraction of unresolved triples and quadruples is also three times higher than that of the open cluster M 67, which is of a similar age and chemical composition. The discovery of unresolved triple systems in Trumpler 19 leads to our main conclusion that these systems were able to survive within the cluster for nearly 4 Gyr. In addition, this cluster contains more multiple systems than M 67, which has a similar total present mass. Further investigations are needed to unveil if this is a primordial feature or the result of dynamical evolution.
Read the full abstract

All authors D. Minniti, R. K. Saito, V. D. Ivanov, C. O. Obasi, M. Gómez, P. W. Lucas, J. G. Fernández-Trincado, J. Alonso-García, E. R. Garro, J. Corral-Santana, A. Luna, Z. Guo, R. Kurtev, J. Borissova, V. Fermiano, J. Osses, C. Morris, B. Dias, C. Cáceres, S. Saroon, J. B. Pullen, P. Rodriguez, M. Lad, S. Federle, I. Petralia, D. Bhadrakumar, P. Esteves, M. G. Navarro, T. Palma, L. Baravalle, D. Galdeano, M. V. Alonso, J. L. Nilo Castellon, A. N. Chené

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Calibration of the Next Generation Palomar Spectrograph as a Stellar Speedometer

Pranav Nagarajan and Kareem El-Badry

We calibrate the Next Generation Palomar Spectrograph (NGPS) for precision stellar radial-velocity (RV) measurements using repeated observations of 24 Gaia-ESO RV standards spanning $G=11$-$18$. Because NGPS is mounted at the Hale telescope's Cassegrain focus, changes in instrumental flexure produce wavelength-solution shifts of tens of km s$^{-1}$, with substantial time and wavelength dependence. We develop a pipeline that measures these shifts directly from each science exposure, using telluric absorption features in the R and I channels and the [O I] 5577 Å sky-emission line in the G channel. This approach eliminates the need for frequent on-sky arc calibrations. The resulting wavelength-dependent flexure corrections reduce the median absolute discrepancy relative to Gaia-ESO RVs from tens of km s$^{-1}$ to 1.6 km s$^{-1}$. Telluric absorption provides substantially more reliable flexure calibration than sky emission lines, which do not track point-source illumination of the slit. The I channel, which contains both many telluric lines and strong photospheric lines across a range of spectral types, generally yields the most stable RVs. The achieved precision remains above the photon-noise limit, indicating that NGPS RV performance is currently limited by calibration and modeling systematics. These results demonstrate that NGPS is well-suited for accurate and precise stellar RV measurements across a wide range of astrophysical studies.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Deep H$\alpha$ Imaging Survey of IC 348 with the Hubble Space Telescope: I. Accretion Properties of Stellar and Substellar Objects

Lillian Yushu Jiang, Brendan P. Bowler, Yifan Zhou et al. (+5 more)

Accretion governs the growth of young stars and the early evolution of their circumstellar disks, yet population-level measurements of accretion are often hampered by heterogeneous diagnostics and by samples preferentially selected toward disk-bearing or accreting objects. This can impact the mass accretion rate-stellar mass ($\dot{M}$-$M_\star$) relation, particularly at substellar masses. We present a uniform analysis of accretion in the $\sim$2 Myr-old star-forming cluster IC 348 based on deep Hubble Space Telescope F656N imaging. Using H$\alpha$ excess as a single, homogeneous accretion tracer, we derive accretion rates and robust upper limits for 200 cluster members spanning the stellar to substellar mass regime ($3\ M_\odot$ to $4\ M_{\rm Jup}$). Accretion is detected in $37\pm3\%$ of the sample, with fractions of $34\pm4\%$ among stellar members and $46\pm6\%$ among substellar objects. For accretors alone, the inferred $\dot{M}$-$M_\star$ relation is consistent with those measured in similarly aged regions such as Lupus. In contrast, including weak accretors and non-detections increases the scatter and flattens the slope while lowering the intercept, demonstrating the strong influence of the low-accretion tail on population-level accretion relations. For free-floating planetary-mass objects in IC 348, extrapolating the accretors-only fit overpredicts $\dot{M}$ by approximately an order of magnitude compared to the fit that includes upper limits, which instead implies mass accretion rates of $<10^{-12}$ $M_{\odot}\ \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. These results show that sample selection, specifically whether the sample is restricted to disk-bearing or accreting targets, or instead is drawn from a complete membership census, is a dominant factor shaping population-level accretion relations across a wide dynamic range in stellar mass.
Read the full abstract

All authors Lillian Yushu Jiang, Brendan P. Bowler, Yifan Zhou, Adam L. Kraus, Sean M. Andrews, Lynne A. Hillenbrand, Michael J. Ireland, Zhaohuan Zhu

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Unresolved Binary Systems in the Rubin Era I: An Autoencoder Framework for Binary Identification Applied to 47 Tucanae

Tobias Géron, Alexander Laroche, Joshua S. Speagle et al. (+1 more)

Binary systems are extremely common and influence many areas of astrophysics, such as stellar evolution and cluster dynamics. In this work, we introduce flexAE, a framework that combines a classical autoencoder architecture with a dedicated classifier component. It is designed to distinguish between single stars and binary systems based on their broadband spectral energy distributions, using all available photometry simultaneously while accounting for observational uncertainties. We demonstrate the capability of flexAE by using it to identify unresolved main sequence binaries in the outskirts of the 47 Tucanae globular cluster (NGC 104) with photometric data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. We train the model on a simulated sample of single star and binary systems created with stellar atmosphere models. The model accurately reconstructs the photometric input features and achieves a classification accuracy of 0.85 on the simulated test set. We then apply the trained model to a sample of 1,424 cluster members found in Rubin DP1 with reliable $gri$ photometry, of which 32 are identified by the model as unresolved main sequence binaries. This corresponds to an observed binary fraction of $2.2^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$%. We estimate that the intrinsic main sequence binary fraction lies between $3.7^{+0.8}_{-0.5}$% and $7.5^{+1.5}_{-1.1}$%. The binary fraction stays constant between 18-36 arcmin (5.7-11.4 half-light radii) from the cluster center. We highlight that flexAE can be easily adapted for other use cases. This makes flexAE well-suited for large-scale binary classification in upcoming wide-field surveys, such as Rubin LSST. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/tobiasgeron/flexAE.
Read the full abstract

All authors Tobias Géron, Alexander Laroche, Joshua S. Speagle, Maria R. Drout

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

The youngest white dwarf companion to a millisecond pulsar: Insights from NGC 362D

Greta Ettorre, Emanuele Dalessandro, Mario Cadelano et al. (+7 more)

We report on the identification of the optical counterpart to the recently discovered millisecond pulsar (MSP) NGC362D in the Galactic globular cluster NGC362 based on deep, multi-band, and multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope observations. Our analysis robustly shows that this object is a very low-mass ($\sim0.18 M_{\odot}$) He white dwarf (WD) still in the pre-cooling phase. Interestingly, a detailed comparison with updated binary evolution models indicates that this object completed the mass-transfer phase only recently ($\sim0.6$ Gyr ago), thus strongly suggesting that COM-NGC362D is the youngest WD companion to a MSP identified to date. Remarkably, in this respect, the photometric properties of NGC362D show, for the first time in this class of objects, significant wavelength-dependent variations that are consistent with the presence of residual circumstellar material. This system therefore provides a valuable test case to directly probe the immediate aftermath of the MSP recycling process and to constrain the early evolutionary stages of proto-WD companions and their radio and optical properties. Our results suggest that residual material can produce radio and optical signatures that mimic those of systems with non-degenerate companions, potentially leading to the misclassification of young MSPs.
Read the full abstract

All authors Greta Ettorre, Emanuele Dalessandro, Mario Cadelano, Alessandro Ridolfi, Cristina Pallanca, Paulo C. C. Freire, Vivek Venkatraman Krishnan, Maurizio Salaris, Franca D'Antona, Rouhin Nag

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Evidence for Enhanced Helium Enrichment from Asteroseismology

Miqaela K. Weller, Marc H. Pinsonneault, Jennifer A. Johnson et al. (+1 more)

The helium abundance of a star has a dramatic effect on luminosity, internal structure, and evolutionary timescales, yet direct helium measurements are unavailable for most stars. In this work, we infer stellar helium abundances by comparing observed and predicted luminosities for a sample of subgiants with asteroseismic masses from the APOKASC sample and spectroscopic parameters from recent survey compilations. Stellar luminosities are predicted using grids of theoretical stellar evolution models and offsets are attributed to helium differences from the assumed model value. From this analysis, we see clear evidence of helium enrichment correlated with metallicity, $\Delta Y/\Delta Z = 1.959 \pm 0.061$, with the dominant error source being systematic differences in stellar fundamental parameters. Our inferred enrichment slope exceeds the value implied by a solar-calibrated helium enrichment relation, suggesting that commonly adopted assumptions regarding helium enrichment may underestimate stellar helium abundances at high metallicity. We further show that adopting the revised enrichment law can alter predicted main-sequence lifetimes by up to $\sim$ 1 Gyr and, in some cases, modify stellar structure through changes in convective core development. These results demonstrate that uncertainties in helium enrichment propagate directly into stellar age determinations and highlight the importance of empirical helium constraints for stellar evolution models.
Read the full abstract

All authors Miqaela K. Weller, Marc H. Pinsonneault, Jennifer A. Johnson, Charles Shunyu Yao

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

POSTELLAR: Posterior Stellar Spectrum Sampling - An Alternative to Approximate Stellar Spectra for Exoplanetary Analysis

Dhvani Doshi, Nicolas B. Cowan, Yashar Hezaveh et al. (+2 more)

We present a novel approach to perform posterior sampling of the underlying stellar spectrum in high-resolution spectroscopic observations. Our method, postellar, coherently combines information from empirical observations and physics-based models, enabling more accurate spectral recovery while providing uncertainties that can be propagated into downstream analyses. This is accomplished by treating the intrinsic stellar spectrum as a latent variable and performing posterior sampling under a Gaussian likelihood with an informative prior constructed using a score-based diffusion model trained on PHOENIX stellar models. We validate the framework on synthetic SPIRou radial velocity (RV) observations generated from the empirical spectra of Barnard's Star and Proxima Centauri. Spectra inferred with postellar more accurately recover the ground truth than standard empirical templates. For medium signal-to-noise observations, postellar improves RV accuracy by up to a factor of three, while RVs derived from empirical templates tend to be biased. This method performs particularly well in low signal-to-noise and low-cadence regimes. The postellar framework is broadly applicable to other high-resolution spectroscopy science cases including stellar abundance analyses and exoplanet atmospheric characterization.
Read the full abstract

All authors Dhvani Doshi, Nicolas B. Cowan, Yashar Hezaveh, Gabriel Missael Barco, Étienne Artigau

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Metallicity dependence of Wolf-Rayet binaries using detailed binary models: An absence of long-period systems at low metallicity

Max M. Briel, Eirini Kasdagli, Tassos Fragos et al. (+6 more)

Observations of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in binaries in the SMC and LMC suggest a preference for short period ($P\lesssim30$ days) orbits, with an apparent absence of WRs in long-period systems. The Galactic population does extend to longer periods but shows a deficit in long-period WR binaries compared to their progenitors, the O-star population. Across these populations a nearly constant binary fraction has been observed. We aim to characterize the population of WR binaries across a range of metallicity and determine the metallicity dependence of the formation of these systems, specifically focusing on the period distribution. We use detailed binary evolution models from POSYDON to predict the population of WR binaries at 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.45, and $1Z_\odot$, analyzing the resulting period distribution and formation channels, while comparing them against the observed population in the SMC, LMC, and Milky Way. We find that the absence of wider WR binaries in the SMC, and potentially in the LMC, can be explained by stable, Case-B mass transfer only partially stripping the donor star, combined with WR winds at low metallicity being insufficiently strong to strip the remaining envelope. As a result, the long-period peak from Case-B mass transfer, present at Zsun, disappears at low metallicity. We additionally find that stable mass transfer (SMT) produces a short-period peak through Case-A mass transfer (P~5-10 days) that closely matches observations across metallicity. Furthermore, SMT and non-interacting systems are the dominant formation channels of WR binaries at all metallicities, with their relative contribution showing no metallicity dependence. This result implies that the SMT channel has the same metallicity-dependence as isolated WR formation. At the same time, we find that common envelope evolution primarily produces short-period ($P<1$ day) WR binaries with black-hole companions.
Read the full abstract

All authors Max M. Briel, Eirini Kasdagli, Tassos Fragos, Tomer Shenar, Jeff J. Andrews, Denzel Goh, Abhishek Chattaraj, Seth Gossage, Philipp Srivastava

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

ROCKETS I: Investigating the Impact of the Rocket Effect on Two Nearby Young Open Clusters Encased in Infrared Bubbles

R. Arun, G. Maheswar, Annapurni Subramaniam et al. (+5 more)

We introduce ROCKETS (Rocket-driven Cluster Kinematics & Triggered Star-formation), a Gaia based programme investigating kinematic fingerprints of stellar feedback or rocket effect in young star forming regions. We analyse two young clusters with O-type stars enclosed by mid-infrared bubbles, Collinder 69 and IC 1396 as a methodological demonstration on two nearby benchmark regions. Co-moving candidates are selected within an astrometric ellipse defined by the median and median absolute deviation of Class I/II YSOs with Gaia data. For each star, we compute a relative proper-motion angle (RPMA) relative to the ionising source. In both regions the RPMA distribution shows a strong excess at RPMA $<15^{\circ}$, corresponding to sources moving away from the respective ionising sources. We quantify this using the Rocket Effect Index (REI), finding $\mathrm{REI}\simeq 1.1$ for Collinder 69 and $\mathrm{REI}\simeq 1.7$ for IC 1396. When considering only Class I/II YSOs, the REI of both regions increases to $\mathrm{REI}\gtrsim 10$. Velocity-structure analysis of the sample shows that the RPMA $<15^\circ$ subset has stronger positive pairwise expansion than the full co-moving population, providing additional support for the rocket effect. The outward-moving stars are not uniformly distributed; instead, their position angles are strongly anisotropic and preferentially aligned towards the bright-rimmed clouds. Gaia colour-magnitude diagrams show no strong age offset between sources moving outward and literature cluster members. The observed kinematic signatures support feedback-driven acceleration of gas and triggered star formation preferentially towards higher density regions of expanding bubbles due to the rocket effect.
Read the full abstract

All authors R. Arun, G. Maheswar, Annapurni Subramaniam, Piyali Saha, T.P. Sudheesh, B. Shridharan, Blesson Mathew, Akhil Krishna R

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Energy Partitioning at the Termination Shock

Judit Szente, Bart van der Holst, Gabor Toth et al. (+1 more)

We show new results of a global 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the Boston University outer heliosphere model where we used a newly developed approach that distributes the non-adiabatic shock heating among the cold protons, electrons, and pickup-ions (PUIs), while maintaining total energy conservation of all ions (cold protons and PUIs) and electrons. In our previous simulations ( E.S. Bair et al. 2025; B. van der Holst et al. 2026), all non-adiabatic shock heating was channeled to the cold protons, resulting in a too large temperature jump at the termination shock (TS) for the thermal solar wind. Using a new methodology we improved the simulation results with respect to the temperature jump observed at the TS by Voyager 2 (V2) spacecraft. Our simulations approached the observed jump conditions of a factor 10–20 in the cold solar wind temperature V2 measurements, and we obtain improvements in the simulation results relative to the data. Because we directly estimate in this way the distribution of non-adiabatic heating at the TS, we have the opportunity to study the physical process of heating cold plasma and PUIs in the TS. The results show that having almost 100% non-adiabatic shock heating going towards PUIs at the TS reproduces the jump conditions observed along the V2 trajectory. This information is key to understanding the physical processes that shape the heliosphere. As shown by M. Opher et al. (2020), PUIs significantly change the shape of the heliosphere, for example, the presence of hot PUIs results in a deflated inner heliosheath. Our work provides the architecture of how energy partitioning at shocks in kinetic simulations (J. Giacalone et al. 2021) can be utilized in global MHD models.
Read the full abstract

All authors Judit Szente, Bart van der Holst, Gabor Toth, Merav Opher

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

Enabling Metallicity Measurements of M-dwarf Microlensing Lenses out to the Galactic Bulge

Jiyuan Zhang, Gregory Green, Weicheng Zang et al. (+2 more)

We demonstrate that metallicity becomes identifiable for M-dwarf microlensing lenses out to bulge distances when multi-band lens photometry is combined with the angular Einstein radius, thereby defining the photometric–microlensing metallicity method. The cool atmospheres of M dwarfs contain abundant molecules, whose broad absorption bands make their positions in an optical–NIR color–absolute magnitude diagram sensitive to metallicity. The angular Einstein radius provides the mass–distance constraint needed to infer the lens absolute magnitude, while the intrinsic M-dwarf locus and reddening vector are non-parallel in color–color space, allowing the lens extinction and intrinsic color to be inferred simultaneously from its multi-band photometry, thereby recovering the lens intrinsic position in the metallicity-sensitive color–absolute magnitude diagram. The method requires three-band lens photometry spanning roughly the R, Z, and K bands, making it particularly well suited to Roman through its high-resolution F062, F087, and F213 imaging. With the planned Roman Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey (GBTDS) observations plus an additional $\sim$8 hr of F062 imaging per field ($\sim$40 hr in total) roughly a decade after Roman launch, host metallicities could be measured for $\sim$150 planetary systems under the GBTDS yield forecast, with a typical $1\sigma$ precision of $\sim$0.25 dex from our mock-recovery analysis. Applied homogeneously to GBTDS microlensing events with and without detected planets, the method would enable the first measurement of the occurrence–metallicity relation for cold low-mass planets beyond the snow line, constrain the low-metallicity cutoff for their formation, and extend occurrence–metallicity studies into the inner Galaxy.
Read the full abstract

All authors Jiyuan Zhang, Gregory Green, Weicheng Zang, Hongjing Yang, Shude Mao

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Can isolated binaries form unequal-mass binary black-hole mergers with a high-spin primary black hole?

Xiao-Tian Xu, Dong Lai and Bin Liu

GWTC-5 has revealed a subpopulation of merging binary black holes (BBHs) with a high-spin primary black hole (BH) and possibly unequal BH masses. GW241110 additionally exhibits a large spin-orbit misalignment, which suggests a hierarchical-merger origin. However, other formation scenarios are possible or even likely, especially for events without constraints on spin-orbit misalignment. As an alternative to hierarchical mergers, we investigate whether binary evolution can produce unequal-mass BBH mergers with a high-spin primary BH. Rather than performing comprehensive population-synthesis calculations, we examine the evolutionary pathways of forming merging BBHs and assess their uncertainties. We identify two possible pathways for producing unequal-mass BBHs with a high-spin primary. In initially wide binaries, mass-ratio reversal can make the tidally spun-up second-born BH both more massive and more rapidly rotating than the first-born BH; alternatively, in an initially close, unequal-mass binary, the primary star may evolve chemically homogeneously, while the secondary star evolves normally, producing a high-spin first-born BH that is more massive than its companion. Generally, large spin-orbit misalignment can be produced by large natal kicks or tertiary-induced nodal precession and/or Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai oscillations. We conclude that hierarchical mergers are not uniquely required to produce unequal-mass BBHs with a high-spin primary BH, although each isolated-binary pathway faces important theoretical constraints. Future detections of more merger events with primary BH spins around 0.7 would discriminate between binary evolution and hierarchical merger origin.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.GA

Membership Determination of 45 Open Clusters Beyond 3 kpc

Qian Cui, Zhihong He, Yangping Luo et al. (+1 more)

Context. Open clusters (OCs) are fundamental tracers for studying the structure and chemical evolution of the Galactic disc. Reliable identification of cluster members, particularly at the faint end of the main sequence, remains challenging owing to severe field-star contamination and the declining photometric completeness for distant, obscured systems. Aims. We aim to identify and characterise distant OC candidates at heliocentric distances $d \gtrsim 3$ kpc using Gaia DR3 astrometry, with emphasis on improving the recovery of faint candidate members in highly contaminated stellar fields. Methods. We apply a probabilistic membership method based on Gaia DR3 proper motions and parallaxes. Candidate members are selected through combined astrometric criteria and refined via spatial filtering using radial density profiles, with photometric data serving as a consistency check. For clusters affected by significant extinction, near-infrared photometry from 2MASS is incorporated to compensate for the limitations of optical data. Results. We analyse a sample of 45 targets, comprising 30 previously reported OCs and 15 newly identified candidates, all located at $d \gtrsim 3$ kpc. The method yields more compact astrometric distributions and improves the recovery of faint candidate members in several systems. However, residual field contamination remains non-negligible for the most obscured clusters projected against the Galactic plane. Conclusions. Gaia DR3 astrometry provides an effective basis for the exploratory identification and first-order characterisation of distant OC candidates. Dedicated near-infrared follow-up observations will be essential for robust membership assessment in high extincted regions.
Read the full abstract

All authors Qian Cui, Zhihong He, Yangping Luo, Yan Jiang

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

Signatures of rocky debris accretion in AF-Type planet hosts

J. Maldonado, I. Mendigutía, S. Barceló Forteza et al. (+3 more)

The gas-giant planet-metallicity correlation plays a fundamental role in our understanding of planet formation. We determine in a homogeneous way the metallicity and individual abundances of a sample of A and early-F stars, with and without known planetary companions, and discuss their abundance distribution and trends. We find that stars with planets generally exhibit higher abundances of both iron-peak and volatile elements compared to stars without known planets although in most cases this tendency is not statistically significant. The $\rm {C/O}$ ratio remains similar between both samples, while the $\rm {Mg/Si}$ ratio is shifted towards higher values in the general planet host sample. When the sample is limited to fully radiative stars (spectral type earlier than F5), the statistical significance of carbon overabundances vanishes. In contrast, elements such as O and Ni remain significantly overabundant. The $\rm {C/O}$ and $\rm {Mg/Si}$ ratios in this radiative subsample are statistically indistinguishable from that of the comparison sample. The persistent overabundance of O and Ni, combined with $\rm {C/O}$ and $\rm {Mg/Si}$ ratios similar to those of stars without planets in fully radiative hosts, points to the ongoing surface pollution by volatile-poor, silicate-rich rocky debris, rather than the accretion of gas giants. These findings might position early-type main-sequence stars as a crucial dynamical missing link in the chemical life-cycle of planetary systems: bridging the initial dust-trapping phase in pre-main sequence transition discs, the dilution of this superficial pollution during the fully convective red giant phase, and the eventual dynamically-driven accretion of asteroid material observed in polluted white dwarfs
Read the full abstract

All authors J. Maldonado, I. Mendigutía, S. Barceló Forteza, G. M. Mirouh, B. Montesinos, E. Villaver

Thursday 3 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Constraints on Scalar–Tensor–Vector Gravity Theory Parameters Inferred from Quasiperiodic Oscillations

Marco Muccino, Kuantay Boshkayev, Binay Prakash Akhouri et al. (+2 more)

We study circular geodesics of neutral test particles in the static charged solution of Scalar–Tensor–Vector Gravity (STVG), and we use the twin kilohertz quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) of twelve accreting compact objects to bound its parameters. Starting from the effective potential we obtain closed forms for the specific energy, the specific angular momentum and the Keplerian angular velocity, and from these the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies. The horizon, photon sphere, shadow radius and innermost stable circular orbit are given in closed form as well, and each one reduces to the RN and Schwarzschild value in the appropriate limit. Null geodesics are integrated numerically and show how the enhanced coupling widens the capture cross section while leaving the logarithmic divergence of the deflection angle at the photon sphere intact. Within the RP model we then run Metropolis–Hastings MCMC simulations on the QPO pairs of eight neutron stars and four microquasars, comparing the Schwarzschild spacetime, the RN spacetime, STVG with vanishing charge and the full STVG solution. The best fits are obtained mainly for the charged solutions in the neutron star sample, while all four models describe the black hole sample equally well. We show that the orbital dynamics depends on the mass $M$, the coupling $\alpha$ and the charge $Q$ only through the two combinations $\Meff=(1+\alpha)M$ and $\Qeff^{2}=(1+\alpha)(\alpha M^{2}+Q^{2})$, which accounts for the multimodal posteriors found in the neutron star sample and sets a model-independent limit on what QPO timing alone can measure. The astrophysical implications of these bounds, in particular for inferred masses above the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit, are discussed in detail.
Read the full abstract

All authors Marco Muccino, Kuantay Boshkayev, Binay Prakash Akhouri, Izzet Sakall{\i}, Yassine Sekhmani

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from nucl-th

Breakdown of the Plane-Wave Trojan Horse Analysis of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ Fusion Reaction: Critical Role of Coulomb Distortions

Akram Mukhamedzhanov

Recently, a new Trojan Horse Method (THM) measurement of carbon-carbon fusion was reported by Li et al. [Phys. Lett. B (2026) 140675]. The purpose of the present work is to demonstrate the breakdown of the plane-wave approximation used in the analysis of these data and the critical role of Coulomb distortions in the initial and final states. The reaction mechanism underlying the THM analysis of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ fusion reaction using the $^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}\to \alpha_s+\alpha+{}^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ reaction is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the spectator momentum distribution and to the dependence of the THM reaction amplitude on the relative carbon-carbon energy $E$. It is demonstrated that agreement with the measured spectator momentum distribution does not by itself validate the plane-wave approximation. Although the experimental momentum distribution can be reproduced, inclusion of Coulomb distortions in both the initial and final channels leads to an energy dependence of the THM amplitude that is completely different from the plane-wave result. Consequently, the energy dependence of the $^{12}\mathrm{C}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ fusion cross section extracted from the THM data can be strongly distorted by the plane-wave treatment. It is concluded that the astrophysical factor extracted in the plane-wave analysis cannot be regarded as reliable and may lead to misleading conclusions concerning the low-energy $^{12}\mathrm{C}+{}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ fusion reaction.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Stability of Collective Neutrino Oscillations – A Distributional Approach

Rupak Majumder, Dwaipayan Mukherjee, Shamik Gupta et al. (+1 more)

We study the stability of collective neutrino oscillations using a distributional approach motivated by the statistical mechanics of Kuramoto synchronization. Treating the ensemble of neutrino flavor polarization vectors in the thermodynamic limit $N\to\infty$, we derive an exact nonlinear Fokker–Planck (continuity) equation for the one-body distribution $F(\vec{\mathbf{S}},\omega,t)$ on the flavor sphere. This equation admits a two-parameter family of azimuthally symmetric stationary solutions, whose stability we analyze by linearizing around them. The resulting eigenvalue condition determines the growth or decay rate of small perturbations from any initial distribution – not merely from a state close to full flavor coherence – thereby going significantly beyond the conventional linear stability analysis of collective modes. In special limits the condition reproduces known synchronization thresholds in the two-beam model, providing a non-trivial check of the framework. We present analytical results for the eigenvalue equation and explore stability phase diagrams for physically relevant frequency distributions.
Read the full abstract

All authors Rupak Majumder, Dwaipayan Mukherjee, Shamik Gupta, Basudeb Dasgupta

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Improvements to Asteroseismic Fitting of White Dwarfs in the Gaia Era

Andrew H. Dublin, Keaton J. Bell and Agnès Bischoff-Kim

White dwarf asteroseismology aims to constrain the interior structures of pulsating white dwarf stars by fitting observed pulsation periods to those computed for stellar models. However, there remain several obstacles for achieving reliable results with the model grid-fitting approach. We simulate data for a parameter recovery experiment in one and two dimensions (mass and effective temperature) to demonstrate improved methodologies that address challenges for characterizing degenerate asteroseismic solutions. We show that interpolating model periods onto a finer grid can adequately resolve asteroseismic solutions that would be missed with sparse model grids. Incorporating absolute magnitude from Gaia astrometry into the statistical fitting is shown to reduce solution degeneracy. We define a seismic solution as a solution to the mode identification problem, and we show that fitting to consistent model pulsation modes can isolate each candidate solution in degenerate solution space. A criterion based on $\chi^2$ for what should be considered a reasonable fit is adopted, and we identify all combinations of model periods that meet this criterion, not only those nearest to the measured periods. Finally, we demonstrate how fitting Gaussians to probability distributions allows for the robust characterization of each candidate solution, including uncertainties. Our accurate characterization of the degenerate solution landscape is supported by the comparison of our solutions to a direct marginalization of the likelihood function. These fitting approaches can be generalized to higher dimensions, where there are more than two free parameters.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

The DESI Data Release 1 white dwarf catalogue

Andrew Swan, Boris T. Gänsicke, Paula Izquierdo et al. (+49 more)

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument is conducting a redshift survey, mapping the universe in three dimensions to measure the history of cosmic expansion. As well as extragalactic objects, it is targeting millions of Milky Way stars, including white dwarfs. Using Data Release 1 we assemble the largest catalogue of spectroscopically-confirmed white dwarfs to date, whose straightforward selection function enables statistically-robust population studies. We visually inspect and fit models to spectra of 63968 objects, finding 44409 white dwarfs. We present their spectral classifications, atmospheric parameters and radial velocities. We assess survey completeness and uniformity, identify potential spectral contamination caused by flux from nearby sources entering the fibre, and assign confidence scores to our classifications to facilitate selection of statistical and observational samples. We present spectra representing most white dwarf classes, common and exotic. We conclude with recommendations and warnings regarding the use of the catalogue.
Read the full abstract

All authors Andrew Swan, Boris T. Gänsicke, Paula Izquierdo, Detlev Koester, Christopher J. Manser, Laura K. Rogers, Siyi Xu, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, C. Allende Prieto, L. Beraldo e Silva, D. Bianchi, D. Brooks, F. J. Castander, T. Claybaugh, A. de la Macorra, A. Dey, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, N. Gentile Fusillo, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, K. Honscheid, K. Inight, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, S. E. Koposov, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, T. S. Li, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, S. Nadathur, J. Najita, I. Pérez-Ràfols, W. J. Percival, F. Prada, G. Rossi, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, B. A. Weaver, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.HE

Nebular Spectra of the Extremely Metal-Poor SN II 2023ufx Over a Year After Explosion: A Massive Progenitor and Unique Circumstellar Environment

Evan Jennerjahn, Michael A. Tucker, Christopher S. Kochanek et al. (+3 more)

We present new observations of the metal-poor ($< 0.1$ $\rm Z_\odot$) Type II supernova 2023ufx and its host galaxy. The deep nebular spectrum, obtained roughly a year after explosion, has a triple-peaked [O I] emission profile suggesting an asymmetric explosion. Comparison to nebular spectra models suggests a zero-age main sequence mass of $ M_{\rm ZAMS} \sim 25-35$ $\rm M_\odot$, which is supported by the low [Ca II]/[O I] emission-line ratio of $\approx0.4$. The diminishing, broad, boxy H$\alpha$ emission and flattening of the light curve in the late ($\sim2$ yr) photometry suggest a complex mass-loss history in the centuries to millennia before explosion. New optical and near-infrared imaging of the host galaxy confirms that it is a dwarf, with a stellar mass of $10^{6.6\pm0.1}$ $\rm M_\odot$ and a SFR of $10^{-2.5\pm0.1}$ $\rm M_\odot$/yr. Results from both SED fitting and galaxy stellar mass-metallicity scaling relations all lead to an environmental metallicity estimate of $0.02-0.07$ $\rm Z_\odot$. Taken together, these observations confirm that SN 2023ufx is the explosion of a very metal-poor, heavily stripped red supergiant.
Read the full abstract

All authors Evan Jennerjahn, Michael A. Tucker, Christopher S. Kochanek, Luc Dessart, Willem B. Hoogendam, Benjamin J. Shappee

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Ionized Nebulae Around Two New Symbiotic Stars: GR Cygni and [D75] 141

Howard E. Bond, Calvin Carter, Sven E. Eklund et al. (+4 more)

In the course of selecting targets for a spectroscopic survey of faint planetary-nebula nuclei, we encountered two anomalous cases of late-type variable stars surrounded by nebulosities discovered by amateur astronomers. We obtained follow-up deep narrow-band images of the two nebulae: StDr Objet 14 (diameter 1.5 arcmin) and StDr 4 (diameter 2.5 arcmin). StDr Objet 14 is found to be a low-excitation nebula, bright only in Ha+[N II], and showing a unique double-ring "bull's-eye" morphology. StDr 4 exhibits a bow-shock structure, bright in Halpha and [S II], embedded in an extended emission nebula. Both central stars, respectively GR Cygni and [D75] 141, are found to be pulsating semiregular variable stars. Our spectroscopic observations show GR Cyg to be a cool carbon star of type C9,2, with emission lines of the Balmer series, [O II] and [O III], [Ne III], [S II], and Fe II. A synthetic narrow-band image of GR Cyg shows that the source of its strong [O II] 3727 A emission line is a knot displaced from the star by about 1.6 arcsec, indicative of a recent collimated ejection event. [D75] 141 is a M6 III red giant, with weak Balmer-series emission. Both stars show a blue excess, and GR Cyg was detected in the near-UV by the GALEX spacecraft. These data establish both stars as new symbiotic binaries, containing a late-type red giant and a hot companion accreting from its stellar wind. We speculate that the double rings surrounding GR Cyg were ejected during helium-shell thermal pulses (or conceivably from recurring nova outbursts), while the nebula around [D75] 141 may be the result of a collision of the symbiotic star's ejecta with an interstellar cloud. Our accidental discoveries of these two binaries because they are surrounded by faint nebulae supports the view that there is a significant population of "missing" symbiotic stars yet to be discovered.
Read the full abstract

All authors Howard E. Bond, Calvin Carter, Sven E. Eklund, Peter Goodhew, Ulisse Munari, Jonathan Talbot, Gregory R. Zeimann

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

Detection of hydrocarbons in Titan using high-resolution cross-correlation spectroscopy

Maria Coelho, Rafael Rianço-Silva, Diogo Gonçalves et al. (+2 more)

High-resolution cross-correlation spectroscopy (HRCCS) is a powerful technique for detecting molecules whose individual spectral lines are too weak to be identified directly, but its sensitivity is limited by the availability and quality of high-resolution opacity data. Many molecules of atmospheric and astrobiological interest lack complete line lists, restricting traditional template-based searches. In this work, we use Titan as a controlled testbed to develop and validate a new cross-section-based methodology for HRCCS template construction. We analyse K-band CRIRES+ observations of Titan (1.99 - 2.48 {\mu}m), and compute cross-correlation functions using both line-by-line and cross-section-based templates. Our analysis recovers known hydrocarbons such as methane (CH4) and acetylene (C2H2), and yields the first HRCCS detection of ethane (C2H6) with a significance of SNRpeak = 5.17 {\pm} 0.07. The ethane detection was made possible exclusively through cross-section-based templates, as no high-resolution line list currently exists for this molecule. These results demonstrate that cross-section-based template construction is a practical and powerful strategy for extending HRCCS to molecules that currently lack reliable line lists, and establish Titan as a benchmark for calibrating molecular detection techniques that can be applied to both solar system and exoplanet atmospheres. Future applications of this approach to other ground-based high-resolution spectrographs, as well as to JWST's highest-resolution modes and next-generation facilities such as the ELT, could significantly expand the inventory of molecules detectable in planetary atmospheres.
Read the full abstract

All authors Maria Coelho, Rafael Rianço-Silva, Diogo Gonçalves, Pedro Machado, Zita Martins