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

Wednesday 16 September

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

Galactic archaeology meets exoplanets: linking stellar birth radii to exoplanet demographics

M. L. L. Dantas, J. J. García-Delgado, I. Rebollido et al. (+1 more)

Stars observed in the solar vicinity were not necessarily born there. Radial mixing can redistribute stellar populations across the Galactic disc, decoupling their present-day locations from the environments in which they formed. We summarise a framework that combines Galactic chemical evolution models with a generalised additive model to infer stellar birth radii. We apply it to 1327 predominantly thin-disc planet hosts with homogeneous ages, Gaia DR3 astrometry, and SWEET-Cat atmospheric parameters. We find that giant-planet systems preferentially trace metal-rich inner-disc birth environments, whereas rocky-only systems are less centrally concentrated; and no clear relation between radial displacement and detected planet multiplicity. Planet-host stars that migrate towards the inner parts of the Galaxy have systems with larger orbital separations; however, this may partly reflect the known dependence of planetary orbital properties on host-star metallicity rather than a causal effect of Galactic stellar migration. These results illustrate how Galactic archaeology can complement exoplanet demographics by linking planetary systems to their probable birth environments.
Read the full abstract

All authors M. L. L. Dantas, J. J. García-Delgado, I. Rebollido, R. Smiljanic

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

A census of massive eclipsing binaries in the Whirlpool Galaxy

Cheyanne Shariat, Kareem El-Badry, Maude Gull et al. (+3 more)

We present a census of massive eclipsing binary (EB) candidates in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), a face-on spiral galaxy at 7.5 Mpc with $Z\sim Z_\odot$. Using 34 epochs of red-optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry and a single epoch of broadband UV-optical photometry, we identify 173 massive EB candidates ($>5~{\rm M_\odot}$) with orbital periods $P_{\rm orb}$=1-30 days. The sample traces young stellar populations across the spiral arms of M51. Joint light-curve and spectral energy distribution fits for 136 systems yield binaries spanning $T_{\rm eff}=10{,}000$-$50{,}000$ K, $R=7$-$66~{\rm R_\odot}$, and masses of $5$-$120~{\rm M_\odot}$. We use detailed injection-recovery simulations to quantify the survey's completeness and infer intrinsic properties of the massive binary population. At the population level, we infer a close-binary fraction of $f_{\rm close}=27.4\pm7.1\%$ for $2\leq P_{\rm orb}/{\rm d}<20$ and $0.1\leq q\leq1$. Over the same period range, the intrinsic period distribution is consistent with being log-uniform, ${\rm d}N/{\rm d}\log P_{\rm orb}\propto P_{\rm orb}^{\pi}$ with $\pi=0.29\pm0.32$. These demographics broadly match those of massive-star populations in the Milky Way, LMC, and SMC, with tentative evidence for a lower close-binary fraction at lower metallicity. Across the $\sim0.2$-$1.1~Z_\odot$ range spanned by these galaxies, the overall similarities suggest that the formation of close massive binaries depends only weakly on metallicity. Our survey establishes EBs as a powerful tool for measuring massive-binary demographics beyond the Local Group and provides a rich panchromatic census of $\sim$100,000 luminous stars and variables in M51.
Read the full abstract

All authors Cheyanne Shariat, Kareem El-Badry, Maude Gull, Daniel R. Weisz, Charlie Conroy, Alessandro Savino

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

A Significant Dust Reservoir Uncovered with JWST in the Type Ic SN 1983V More Than 40 Years Post-Explosion

Sophia S. Kressy, Thomas Moore, Ori D. Fox et al. (+26 more)

Searching for late-time emission from supernovae (SNe) is an active field. Infrared (IR) wavelengths are sensitive to thermal emission from dust, which can be used to probe SN contributions to the cosmic dust budget and progenitor mass-loss histories. The older an SN, the more likely it is for any existing dust to have cooled below the detection threshold of most observatories, even JWST. Decades-old IR observations of SNe are therefore exceedingly rare. Here we present fortuitous and serendipitous JWST IR observations that detect a point source at the position of the Type Ic SN 1983V more than 40 yr post-explosion. We demonstrate that the source is unlike nearby HII regions and likely to be the dusty SN. We further show evidence from archival HST data of a plausible H/alpha counterpart associated with ongoing SN shock interaction that collisionally heats the dust. In this scenario, the dust is distributed in a torus, more consistent with mass loss from binary interaction than a spherical wind. While not the oldest SN detected by JWST (SN 1980K), SN 1983V is a close second. Moreover, it has a relatively large dust mass (~7.7 x 10^-3 M_solar), particularly for a stripped-envelope SN. Although the dust is not likely newly formed, it does suggest such systems may contribute to dust production, particularly in the early Universe where massive stars and binary systems were more common. Spectroscopic observations can ultimately confirm the SN nature of this source.
Read the full abstract

All authors Sophia S. Kressy, Thomas Moore, Ori D. Fox, Nathan Smith, Raphael Baer-Way, Luc Dessart, Michael J. Dulude, W. V. Jacobson-Galán, Melissa Shahbandeh, Tea Temim, Chris Ashall, David A. Coulter, Alexei V. Filippenko, Sebastian Gomez, Jacob Jencson, Kyle Medler, Daniel Patnaude, Tamás Szalai, Schuyler D. Van Dyk, Aiden Agostinelli, Sarah Healy, Zachary G. Lane, Dan Milisavljevic, Shazrene Mohamed, Benjamin Radmore, Armin Rest, Arkaprabha Sarangi, Yossef Zenati, Noah Zimmer

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

The T-GEX project. II. Chrono-chemo-dynamic signatures of UV-bright FGK stars

D. Beltrán, M. L. L. Dantas, R. Smiljanic et al. (+1 more)

We compare the ages, chemical abundances, Galactic orbits, and inferred birth environments of 37 T-GEX stars with strong (G1), normal (G2), and intermediate (G3) UV emission. The groups show distinct correlation structures: UV colours correlate with chemical and orbital quantities in G1; G2 has the largest number of significant (anti-)correlations; and no UV-colour correlation reaches the adopted threshold in G3. Most stars have prograde disc-like orbits, while both halo-like objects belong to G2. The groups overlap in the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane, but G1 is shifted towards lower [Fe/H] and higher [Mg/Fe]. Among the 18 probable thin-disc members, G3 has a smaller median birth radius than G2 (5.70 versus 8.10 kpc), despite their nearly identical median guiding radii ($\langle R_g \rangle$; 8.23 versus 8.25 kpc). All five G1 stars are Ti-enriched compared to Fe, and four combine enhanced Co with comparatively low Mn and, in some cases, Cr. A related but less complete pattern occurs in G3, whereas Co enhancement in some G2 stars does not reproduce the joint signature. The UV-defined groups are heterogeneous and do not correspond to unique Galactic components. The convergence of $\alpha$-enhancement (likely thick disc members), positive Ti ratios, and the Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni chemical abundance pattern (clearest in G1 but present in related form in G3) supports high-energy core-collapse (i.e. hypernovae) enrichment of the natal material of some UV-excess stars. Additionally, the smaller G3 birth radii (for those in the Galactic thin disc) indicate more inward formation regions and provide a possible spatial link to UV-bright stellar populations in the bulges of spiral galaxies. Neither result establishes a single causal pathway. Whether mixture-dependent metal-line blanketing connects this enrichment to the UV emission requires tailored spectral modelling.
Read the full abstract

All authors D. Beltrán, M. L. L. Dantas, R. Smiljanic, P. B. Tissera

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

Stellar companions sculpt hot Jupiter formation and spin-orbit evolution

Cheyanne Shariat, Kareem El-Badry, Songhu Wang et al. (+4 more)

Stellar companions can drive hot-Jupiter (HJ) migration and spin-orbit misalignment, but their role in HJ formation remains uncertain. We construct a homogeneous census of resolved stellar companions to $147$ northern HJs with measured projected obliquities. We obtain uniform adaptive-optics imaging and combine these observations with Gaia common proper-motion pairs to identify 8 new companion candidates, bringing the observed companion fraction to $71/147=48\%$. Modeling the full survey selection function yields an intrinsic companion fraction of $62\pm5\%$ for mass ratios $q_\star=0.1$-$1$ and projected separations $s=50$-$50{,}000$~au, roughly 3-4$\times$ enhanced relative to field stars. Including white-dwarf companions would increase this fraction further. HJs with resolved companions at $50$-$2{,}000$~au are nearly twice as likely to be misaligned compared to systems without detected companions: $46\%$ compared to $24\%$ ($p=0.009$). The misaligned fraction rises steadily from $5\%$ among the coolest hosts to $80\%$ among the hottest, without a sharp transition at the Kraft Break, while the intrinsic companion fraction remains roughly constant across the temperature range. These trends are consistent with HJs beginning with a broad obliquity distribution, followed by progressively weaker tidal realignment at higher stellar temperatures. Contrary to previous work, we find that most stellar companions in our sample are capable of driving eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) oscillations to the tidal limit under suitable orbital configurations, making high-eccentricity migration dynamically promising. Taken together, these results indicate that stellar companions sculpt HJ formation and spin–orbit architectures.
Read the full abstract

All authors Cheyanne Shariat, Kareem El-Badry, Songhu Wang, Xian-Yu Wang, Malena Rice, Jerry W. Xuan, David R. Ciardi

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Precise and Accurate Mass and Radius Measurements of Thirty Galactic Metal-Poor Stars in Detached Eclipsing Binaries

D. M. Rowan, K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek et al. (+4 more)

Detached eclipsing binaries have long served as fundamental benchmarks for making direct comparisons with stellar models. By combining the light curve and radial velocity orbit of a detached eclipsing binary, precise masses and radii can be measured for both components. However, catalogs of eclipsing binaries are dominated by solar-metallicity stars. Here we characterize fifteen eclipsing binaries selected to have $[\rm{M/H}]\lesssim -0.5$ using TESS photometry, Gaia XP spectra, large spectroscopic surveys, and Galactic kinematics. We use three spectrographs, PEPSI on the Large Binocular Telescope, the Levy spectrograph on the Automated Planet Finder telescope, and CHIRON on the SMARTS 1.5m telescope. We jointly model the light curves and radial velocities and measure the stellar masses and radii with median fractional uncertainties of < 1%. We use spectral disentangling to extract the spectra of both stars and model them using the spectral synthesis code Korg. We find three systems with $[\rm{M/H}] < -2.0$, two of which are kinematically consistent with the Milky Way's halo. J0001+2156 has $[\rm{M/H}]=-2.51$, making it the most metal-poor detached eclipsing binary characterized to date. Eleven of the twelve other systems have $[\rm{M/H}] \lesssim -0.5$ and are split between being highly ($[\alpha/\rm{M}] > 0.25$) and moderately ($[\alpha/\rm{M}] < 0.25$) $\alpha$-enhanced. We compare our measured masses and radii to predictions from theoretical isochrones and estimate the ages of the binaries. We estimate ages with typical uncertainties of $\lesssim 0.5$ Gyr, and three of the binaries have estimated ages greater than 10 Gyr, up to $13.8^{+0.8}_{-0.7}$ Gyr. Finally, we update the empirical relations for stellar masses and radii on the main sequence using a sample of 621 stars.
Read the full abstract

All authors D. M. Rowan, K. Z. Stanek, C. S. Kochanek, Benjamin J. Fulton, Ilya Ilyin, Howard Isaacson, David V. Martin

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

A Binary Flux Calibrator Reveals the Scientific Potential of Short-integration JWST MIRI Imaging to Directly Detect sub-Jupiter Exoplanets

Rachel Bowens-Rubin, Mary Anne Limbach, Alexander Venner et al. (+11 more)

We report the direct imaging detection of a stellar companion to HD 101452 (HIP 56925; Gaia DR3 5384905720847544192), an A star historically used as an infrared flux calibrator. The companion was identified from an asymmetry in the stellar PSF using short-integration (<1 min), noncoronagraphic JWST MIRI imaging from 15 - 25.5$\mu$m that was obtained as part of the absolute flux calibration program CAL 4496. We detect the stellar companion in four MIRI imaging filters at a projected separation of 1.3 arcsec with a mid-infrared flux ratio of approximately $27\times$ warranting its removal from the ensemble of JWST flux calibrator systems. This detection also demonstrates that noncoronagraphic MIRI imaging can recover companions at separations below $3\lambda/D$ when a reference star with a closely matched flux level to the science target is available. Using the measured contrast curves from the calibration data, we evaluate the predicted sensitivity achievable with similar short MIRI observations for nearby stars (<30 pc) that are of interest to the direct-imaging community with comparable brightness to HD 101452 (W4 ~ 6.8 mag). We find that integrations of only 17-42 s are be capable of detecting sub-Jupiter-mass planets at solar system-like separations around a subset of neighboring systems if the PSF subtraction is conducted with closely flux-matched references. These results demonstrate that minutes-length, noncoronagraphic MIRI observations can provide a powerful and efficient new avenue for exploring the cold giant planet population around nearby stars.
Read the full abstract

All authors Rachel Bowens-Rubin, Mary Anne Limbach, Alexander Venner, Kyle Franson, Emily K. Pass, Andrew Vanderburg, Kevin B. Stevenson, Logan Pearce, Taylor L. Tobin, Elisabeth Matthews, Aiza Kenzhebekova, Beth Biller, Ben J. Sutlieff, Klaus Subbotina Stephenson

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Oscillating dynamo models with a time-nonlocal $\alpha$ effect

Günther Rüdiger, Manfred Schultz and Alfio Bonanno

The traditional $\alpha$ effect is extended by the first temporal derivative, so that in turbulent flows the magnetic field entering the induction process is effectively sampled in the past. As a consequence, dynamo excitation becomes easier and cycle times are prolonged relative to solutions obtained from the local standard formulation. The temporal shape of the magnetic cycles is also modified, with rise times becoming shorter than decline times, so that the profiles acquire a characteristic “sawtooth” appearance. In the nonlocal formulation, the induced magnetic-field amplitudes acquire an additional dependence on the correlation time. For fixed dynamo number, the field amplitude reaches a maximum at a certain correlation time. For correlation times larger than this peak value, the model can reproduce Waldmeier-type trends known from solar sunspot observations. If the actual correlation time fluctuates around this value, the long-term magnetic cycle can occasionally enter weak-cycle episodes reminiscent of grand minima such as the Maunder minimum. For smaller dynamo numbers close to the critical one, however, rather long correlation times are required for this behaviour to occur.
Read the full abstract

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

Rotational spectroscopy and astronomical search of propane-1-thiol (CH3CH2CH2SH) and propane-2-thiol ((CH3)2CHSH)

Wentao Song, Assimo Maris, Victor M. Rivilla et al. (+4 more)

This study focuses on propanethiol (or propyl mercaptan, C3H7SH), a sulfur analogue of propanol and a key target for investigating interstellar sulfur chemistry. We report the laboratory rotational spectroscopic characterization of its two structural isomers, propane-1-thiol (1PT) and propane-2-thiol (2PT). For 1PT, experimental analysis led to the observation of three almost isoenergetic conformers, Aa,Ag and Gg, marking the first-time report of the latter. For 2PT, both the anti and gauche conformers were identified. We also assigned, for the first time, several monosubstituted isotopologues in natural abundance: the 34S, 13C1, and 13C2 species for the anti-2PT conformer, as well as the 34S species for the gauche-2PT conformer.Resolvable tunneling splitting, caused by the large-amplitude motion of the sulfhydryl (SH) group, was observed for both the Ag-1PT and gauche-2PT conformers. Global fittings, integrating previous measurements, allowed for the accurate determination of rotational constants, quartic centrifugal distortion constants, and vibrational coupling parameters. The newly derived spectroscopic parameters were utilized to conduct an astronomical search toward the chemically rich Galactic Center molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. While no evidence for propanethiol was found, we established rigorous upper limits for their column densities. These results indicate that 1PT and 2PT are approximately 13 and 5 times less abundant than ethanethiol in this source, respectively. Furthermore, the derived lower limit for the O/S ratio (29) for the 1-propanol/1-propanethiol pair is consistent with the solar value (37), proviiding a valuable benchmark for understanding the depletion of sulfur in the ISM.
Read the full abstract

All authors Wentao Song, Assimo Maris, Victor M. Rivilla, Miguel Sanz-Novo, Izaskun Jimenez-Serra, Luca Evangelisti, Sonia Melandri

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

A large shell around the hypergiant VY Canis Majoris

D. P. K. Banerjee, V. Joshi, A. Evans A. A. Djupvik et al. (+10 more)

We report the detection of a remarkable shell around the red hypergiant VY CMa using data from the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx). The shell, which in projection on the plane of the sky appears as a ring, is almost circular in appearance. It has an external diameter of $\sim14'$ to $15'$, and is seen most clearly in the SPHEREx 7827A spectro-photometric image. Filaments, radially aligned with VY CMa, are seen to cut across the shell in several places. We discuss the possibility that the shell is matter swept out from the neighboring star forming region Sh 2-310, by the wind from VY CMa. Resonant atomic scattering, a light echo, or Extended Red Emission are explored as the source of the observed SPHEREx emission. However, no interpretation is without difficulty and further observations are most desirable.
Read the full abstract

All authors D. P. K. Banerjee, V. Joshi, A. Evans A. A. Djupvik, Ken Hall, F.-J. Hambsch S. Sharma, G. Rangwal, A. Devaraj, T. R. Geballe, L. Izzo, T. Liimets, T. Schaeffer, S. Starrfield, C. E. Woodward

2609.18895 · 16 Sep · This paper is being withdrawn as we have been informed by Dr Viraj Karambelkar (Columbia University) and colleagues that the ring we have reported around VY CMa is an artifact. The results reported in our paper are therefore invalid. We are very grateful to Dr Karambelkar for drawing our attention to this matter in a timely fashion

Abstract PDF $STAR ×1

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Interferometric Survey of Stellar Parameters: Limb darkening study with the "Pipeline for Interferometric Measurements of Stars"

N. Ebrahimkutty, D. Mourard, P. Berio et al. (+21 more)

Accurate and unbiased determination of stellar parameters is of importance in many astrophysical domains. We therefore present an improved method to estimate stellar parameters, based on interferometric observations and stellar atmosphere models, as well as spectroscopic and photometric data. The fundamental stellar parameters were estimated by fitting a model of intensity profiles to interferometric data over a large spectral window and combining them with spectroscopic and photometric observations as an additional constraint on the fitting. Based on stellar atmosphere models, we have developed an algorithm that trains artificial neural networks (ANNs) to estimate the spectrum and intensity profile of a star over three bands: R, H, and K. The ANNs cover effective temperatures (Teff) ranging from 4500-7000 K for dwarf stars and 2500-8000 K for giant stars, with surface gravities (log g) ranging from 3.0-5.0 dex and -0.5-3.5 dex, respectively, and 12 viewing angles. As a result, consistent and precise stellar parameters, such as Teff, log g, and angular diameter ($\theta$), can be estimated. We fitted $\iota$ Psc (F7V) and $\delta$ Ari (G9.5IIIb) observed with SPICA, MIRC-X, and MYSTIC at the CHARA Array, and archival data of $\alpha$ Cen A and B (G2V and K1V) from VLTI/PIONIER with PIMS. For angular diameter estimations, when fitting with a one-dimensional stellar atmosphere model, we reached a precision of 0.5%. For Teff and radius, we obtained a precision of approximately 1%, while we obtained a precision of 5% for log g. Through evolutionary models, we further show how these constraints can improve the mass and age determination, as they attain a precision of approximately 2% for mass and 5-10% for age.
Read the full abstract

All authors N. Ebrahimkutty, D. Mourard, P. Berio, O. Creevey, A. Domiciano de Souza, K. Lee, T. Morel, B. Plez, D. Salabert, N. Anugu, R. V. Ibañez Bustos, J. Jonák, H. Nowacki, M. Vrard, J. Dejonghe, F. Morand, N. Nardetto, A. Meilland, K. Perraut, M. Wittkowski, J. Monnier, S. Kraus, M. Gutierrez, N. Ibrahim

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

After 60 years, here comes the Sun

Anatael Cabrera, Mark Chen, Stefano Dusini et al. (+7 more)

For sixty years, the Sun served neutrino physics more than the reverse: its neutrinos established oscillations rather than probing the star itself. That is now changing. Reactor antineutrinos have pinned down the oscillation parameters governing solar-neutrino flavour conversion so precisely that the propagation-related uncertainty is becoming negligible – closing the first of two abysses. Solar neutrinos can, at last, be turned on the Sun. Yet a second abyss remains: today's solar-neutrino detection falls an order of magnitude short of the precision the Standard Solar Model already predicts for the dominant pp flux ($>\,$90$\%$) – a gap no reactor experiment can close. The intrinsic $^{14}\mathrm{C}$ background walls off the pp region; only new detection techniques can breach it. Bridging this second abyss demands a revolution, not an increment. Combined with helioseismology's complementary reading of the Sun's mechanical structure, precision neutrino measurements of the nuclear source terms would enable a multi-messenger heliotomography of the solar interior – reading our star from both sides at once. A new age of solar discoveries may follow, on one condition: that the field builds the instruments equal to the task.
Read the full abstract

All authors Anatael Cabrera, Mark Chen, Stefano Dusini, Jeff Hartnell, Jorge Martín Camalich, Diana Navas Nicolás, Hiroshi Nunokawa, Aldo Serenelli, Javier Trujillo Bueno, Frédéric Yermia

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

A homogeneous analysis of archival and new low-resolution spectra of YZ Cancri

Zhibin Dai, Lihuan Yu, Jiao Li et al. (+2 more)

YZ Cancri is an SU UMa-type dwarf nova with sparse and heterogeneous optical spectroscopy. We present a homogeneous analysis of archival outburst-related spectra and seven new low-resolution quiescent spectra. We consistently characterize the Balmer, He I, Fe II, O I, and occasional He II and Bowen features, and assess which state-dependent differences are robustly supported. We applied a common continuum-normalization and line-measurement procedure, measuring equivalent widths, integrated line intensities, and selected profile parameters, and comparing line morphologies and intensity ratios between quiescent and outburst-related states. Because the spectra have modest and nonuniform resolving power and are not orbital-phase resolved, profile widths and centroid shifts are used only as relative diagnostics. Outburst-related spectra are dominated by broad Balmer absorption or composite profiles, whereas quiescent spectra show strong single-peaked Balmer and He I emission, recurrent Fe II {\lambda}5169, and weak O I {\lambda}7772 emission. He II {\lambda}4686 is detected in only two quiescent exposures, and the Bowen blend in one. The quiescent Balmer decrement is relatively flat, while the He I ratios show substantial exposure-to-exposure scatter. The measured Fe II ratios show no clear systematic departure from optically thin reference values, although blending limits their interpretation. These spectra establish an empirical state-dependent description of YZ Cnc and provide a reference dataset for future phase-resolved, higher-resolution spectroscopy.
Read the full abstract

All authors Zhibin Dai, Lihuan Yu, Jiao Li, Xuefei Chen, Zhanwen Han

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

The emergence of a [WC] star in Sakurai's object

W. Marcolino, P. A. M. van Hoof, V. C. Maria et al. (+9 more)

Sakurai's object provides a rare opportunity to observe stellar evolution on human timescales. Since its born-again event and detection in 1996, its evolution has been extensively monitored, and recent optical spectroscopy has suggested the emergence of [WR]-type emission features. In this Letter, we present a secure spectroscopic identification of its central star based on new VLT/FORS2 observations and NLTE expanding atmosphere models. Several observed emission lines arise in a [WR]-type stellar wind, establishing the central star as a [WR] object. The strongest stellar features are due to C II-III and He I. We derive the stellar and wind parameters of Sakurai's object and discuss its evolutionary status. The [WR] star is much cooler (Teff ~ 30.5 kK) than the born-again star V605 Aql (Teff} ~ 95 kK), which erupted about 80 years earlier. The inferred temperature is lower than predicted by models suppressing convective mixing efficiency during the VLTP, but is consistent with higher time-resolution calculations involving slightly lower-mass (<~ 0.6Msun) remnants. Continued spectroscopic monitoring and atmospheric modelling will be crucial for tracing its reheating curve and constraining the physics of this rapid evolutionary phase.
Read the full abstract

All authors W. Marcolino, P. A. M. van Hoof, V. C. Maria, H. Todt, G. C. Van de Steene, J. A. Toalá, S. Kimeswenger, M. Hajduk, J.-C. Bouret, D. Tafoya, D. Barría, A. A. Zijlstra

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Spectral classification of OB-type stars using tree-based ensemble methods and evaluation of their explainability

J.E. Gonzales, S. Simón-Díaz, S. Cuellar et al. (+3 more)

[Abridged] The advent of large-scale spectroscopic surveys will deliver tens of thousands of spectra of blue massive stars. This data volume renders traditional spectral classification techniques increasingly impractical. We aim to develop a robust ML framework for the automated spectral classification of massive OB stars by assessing several tree-based ensemble algorithms. Using a large catalog of high-quality optical spectra of OB stars, we design 3 hierarchical experiments of increasing complexity: classification into broad SpT; fine-grained classification within the O and B domains; and joint classification of SpT and LC. We evaluate 6 algorithms, ranging from single Decision Trees to ensemble methods and gradient boosting techniques. We further analyze model consensus and probabilistic outputs, and employ SHAP value analysis to provide an interpretation of the model decisions by identifying the features that drive each classification. Models achieve excellent performance for broad SpT classification, with LGBM reaching an accuracy of 98%. For fine-grained SpT, RF provides the most robust results (89%). For the most challenging task combining SpT subtype and LC the XGB reaches a 77% accuracy. Decrease in performance is primarily driven by intrinsic degeneracies in the classical spectral classification scheme. SHAP analysis confirms that the models rely on meaningful spectral features. We also find a high level of agreement among different algorithms, indicating that current performance limits are largely set by the intrinsic complexity of the classification problem rather than by model choice. Tree-based ensemble methods provide a reliable and interpretable framework for the automated spectral classification of OB stars. The combination of full-spectrum modeling, algorithm comparison, and model interpretability offers a robust approach for future large-scale spectroscopic surveys.
Read the full abstract

All authors J.E. Gonzales, S. Simón-Díaz, S. Cuellar, J.A. Conejero, G. Holgado, A. de Burgos

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Mode Switching in Two Blue Large Amplitude Pulsators observed by OGLE, KMTNet and DREAMS

Hao Ma, Shude Mao, Seung-Lee Kim et al. (+20 more)

Blue large-amplitude pulsators (BLAPs) are rare, hot, short-period pulsating stars whose rapid oscillations provide a unique probe of stellar interiors and atmospheres. In this paper, we study two short-period BLAPs in the Galactic bulge, OGLE-BLAP-142 ($P \approx 6.6$ min) and OGLE-BLAP-148 ($P \approx 7.5$ min), by combining light curves from the OGLE, KMTNet, and DREAMS surveys, spanning 17 years with cadences ranging from minutes to hours to days. We perform Generalized Lomb-Scargle periodogram analyses of their light curves and identify, for each BLAP, three closely spaced pulsation modes separated by $\sim 1\%$. The dominant mode can switch within timescales of order a year, accompanied by a likely blueward color shift ($\sim 0.1$–$0.2$ mag). The yearly period excursions of the resolved mode families imply apparent $|\dot{P}/P|$ values of order $10^{-6}$–$10^{-4}\,\mathrm{yr^{-1}}$, large enough to mimic or exceed smooth evolutionary period changes. One mode family in OGLE-BLAP-148 shows a coherent decade-long drift at the $\sim10^{-5}\,\mathrm{yr^{-1}}$ level, but its failure to extrapolate to the earliest and latest epochs suggests a transient mode-family drift rather than secular evolution. Such close-spaced multiple pulsations and mode switching may be common among BLAPs with periods shorter than 10 min, and their physical origin remains unclear.
Read the full abstract

All authors Hao Ma, Shude Mao, Seung-Lee Kim, Hongjing Yang, Weicheng Zang, Tianjun Gan, Steve Heathcote, Chung-Uk Lee, Tao Wu, Dong-Jin Kim, Zhenhao Wang, Yaosong Yu, Qiyue Qian, Yuchen Tang, Yuxin Shang, Zhixing Li, Tomas Ahumada, Timothy Abbott, Guillermo Damke, Konstantina Boutsia, Alfredo Zenteno, Przemek Mróz, Andong Xu

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Fast Multilayer Spectral Inversion of H{\alpha} 6562.8 A and Ca II 8542.1 A Spectra

Ziyang Zhang, Qin Li, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn et al. (+4 more)

Strong chromospheric absorption lines such as H$\alpha$ 6562.8 A and Ca II 8542.1 A provide vital diagnostics of plasma dynamics and thermal structure in the solar chromosphere. Multilayer spectral inversion (MLSI) offers a physically interpretable framework for modeling these lines using a finite number of radiative-transfer layers, but conventional MLSI relies on pixel-by-pixel nonlinear least-squares fitting, making it computationally expensive for large imaging spectroscopic data sets. Here, we introduce a physics-informed neural-network (PINN) framework to accelerate MLSI while preserving its analytic radiative-transfer formulation. The network predicts MLSI parameters directly from observed line profiles and passes them through a differentiable MLSI forward model to synthesize spectra. Training follows a two-stage approach: an initial stage optimized solely via spectral reconstruction loss, followed by fine-tuning that combines spectral consistency with parameter-space supervision from conventional MLSI results on a single reference image. This strategy eliminates the need for large precomputed training sets while maintaining physical interpretability. Applied to Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) observations from the Goode Solar Telescope (GST) targeting both quiet-Sun and active-region regions, MLSI-PINN parameter maps reproduce the primary spatial structures of direct inversions, achieving an arithmetic mean pixel-wise Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.933 across all evaluated parameters. The reconstructed spectra closely match both observed profiles and conventional MLSI fits. Post-training, MLSI-PINN processes a raster in approximately 5-15 seconds compared to 3-5 minutes for conventional MLSI, delivering an inference speedup of about 12-60 times without substantial loss in reconstruction quality, enabling efficient MLSI analysis on large chromospheric data sets.
Read the full abstract

All authors Ziyang Zhang, Qin Li, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn, Kangwoo Yi, Haimin Wang, Wenda Cao, Bo Shen

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Three-dimensional simulations of accretion disks in pre-CE systems – II. Accretion efficiency and angular momentum transport

Ana L. Juarez-Garcia, Mike Y. M. Lau, Orsola De Marco et al. (+3 more)

Rapid mass transfer preceding a common envelope event is a critical yet poorly understood stage of binary stellar evolution, setting the initial conditions for the common envelope inspiral and for the formation of compact binary stars. We present three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of accretion disk formation during this phase using the Phantom code. We model the final $21~yr$ of Roche lobe overflow from a $7~M_{\odot}$ red giant onto a $1.4~M_{\odot}$ neutron star companion, with the mass transfer rate prescribed by a 1D MESA model. Over this interval, the mass transfer rate increases from $1.3\times10^{-4}$ to $1.0\times10^{-1}~M_\odot~yr^{-1}$. An accretion disk forms around the neutron star, reading a mass of $5.0\times10^{-3} ~ M_{\odot}$, a radius of $40~R_{\odot}$ and an aspect ratio H/R$\sim 0.1$ by the end of the simulation. A direct comparison with the grid-based simulation of Juarez-Garcia et al. (2025) shows that the two codes produce disk masses that agree to within 6%. The accretion rate onto the neutron star reaches $5.2\times10^{-3}~M_\odot~yr^{-1}$, corresponding to 14% of the mass injection rate and greatly exceeding the Eddington limit. We demonstrate that this accretion rate is consistent with being driven by turbulent angular momentum transport, with an effective viscosity parameter $\alpha_{\rm eff}~=~0.03-0.06$. Ejecta leaving the binary system carries specific angular momentum approximately 90% that of the $L_{2}$ Lagrange point, equivalent to $\sim10$ times the binary's specific orbital angular momentum. This indicates that $L_{2}$ mass loss efficiently reduces the binary orbital separation.
Read the full abstract

All authors Ana L. Juarez-Garcia, Mike Y. M. Lau, Orsola De Marco, Lionel Siess, Daniel J. Price, Rebecca Nealon

Tuesday 15 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Effects of radial conductivity variation on the Ponomarenko dynamo

Shipra Verma and Kannabiran Seshasayanan

We study the effects of conductivity variation on the Ponomarenko dynamo. Taking monotonically increasing/decreasing and sinusoidally varying radial profiles, we study the kinematic dynamo problem. The threshold of the dynamo, given by the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm$_c$, is found to strongly depend on the form of conductivity variation near the discontinuity of the velocity field where the shear is dominant. For monotonically varying profiles in the limit of sharp variation, this threshold maps to the problem of the dynamo with a jump in conductivity, while for the sinusoidal profile with large variations/wavenumbers, the threshold increases due to effective diffusivity arising from the rapid changes in conductivity. Far from the threshold, it is found that the growth rate depends only on the local gradient of the conductivity near the discontinuity, with the opposite sign of shear and conductivity gradient leading to a larger growth rate, thereby aiding the dynamo instability in regenerating B$_{\phi}$ from B$_r$. We calculate the expression for the growth rate in the limit of large Rm$(\gg 1)$ and find that the conductivity variation leads to a modification proportional to the local gradient of conductivity times Rm$^{-1/2}$. This correction is found to depend only on the local gradient of the conductivity at the discontinuity. Similar dependencies are found for realistic, smooth velocity profiles and for different magnetic boundary conditions.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Host-star metallicities and kinematics of directly imaged brown-dwarf companions

C. Swastik, R. K. Banyal, M. Muduli et al. (+14 more)

Brown dwarfs are common as free-floating objects but rare as close companions to Sun-like stars, a disparity known as the "brown-dwarf desert". Host-star metallicity can constrain whether these companions form mainly through metal-sensitive core accretion or through less metal-dependent disc or cloud fragmentation. We extend our homogeneous spectroscopic analysis of directly imaged planet hosts into the brown-dwarf regime and compare their metallicities with those of planet hosts and close-in brown-dwarf hosts. We compiled 54 unique directly imaged brown-dwarf systems selected over an inclusive 13-80 M_Jup interval and projected separations from about 5 au to several thousand au. Objects near the model-dependent 70-75 M_Jup hydrogen-burning boundary may instead be very-low-mass stars. For 31 hosts with archival high-resolution spectra, we derived atmospheric parameters and metallicities using Bayesian spectral synthesis. Literature companion masses and projected separations are heterogeneous and are used only for demographic context. Galactic velocities were calculated for 46 hosts solely to characterise the youth-biased imaging sample. The host stars have a broadly solar metallicity distribution, with a median [Fe/H] of +0.06 dex and a median absolute deviation of 0.11 dex, and show no strong metal-rich bias. No statistically significant metallicity difference is detected between the lower- and higher-mass directly imaged subsamples. The hosts are kinematically cold, as expected from the youth-biased selection of direct-imaging surveys. The absence of a strong metal-rich bias suggests that classical core accretion does not dominate the wide-orbit brown-dwarf population. Disc instability and cloud fragmentation remain plausible, but the current sample and heterogeneous companion properties do not permit object-by-object discrimination between these channels.
Read the full abstract

All authors C. Swastik, R. K. Banyal, M. Muduli, S. Soni, A. Jino, S. Facchini, Z. Wahhaj, G. Lodato, P. Saraf, A. Choudhary, A. K. Bhavya, M. P. Navaneeth, B. Banerjee, S. Biswas, T. Sivarani, G. Maheswar, A. Surya

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Tidal Properties of White Dwarfs Admixed with Fermionic Dark Matter

G. A. Carvalho, J. D. V. Arbañil, I. A. Lacerda et al. (+1 more)

This study investigates the impact of fermionic dark matter (DM) on the structural and tidal properties of white dwarfs (WDs). Using a two-fluid general relativistic framework, we model stars with fixed DM mass fractions (${\rm MF}=M_{\rm DM}/M_{\rm NM} $), ranging from 0% to 8%, with zero representing the no DM scenario. Our results indicate that DM accumulation leads to a significant compactification of the star, reflected in increased surface gravity and compactness. Furthermore, we calculate the second-order tidal Love number $k_2$ and the dimensionless tidal deformability $\Lambda$. For some total mass range, we find that the presence of DM significantly reduces $\Lambda$, suggesting that DM-admixed WDs (DMWDs) are less susceptible to tidal deformations. These structural shifts alter the gravitational wave signatures in binary systems, potentially providing a new window for DM detection with future instruments like LISA.
Read the full abstract

All authors G. A. Carvalho, J. D. V. Arbañil, I. A. Lacerda, J. G. Coelho

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Proto-Planetary Nebulae Are Not the Precursors of Planetary Nebulae With Close Binary Central Stars

Todd C. Hillwig, Bruce J. Hrivnak and David Jones

Proto-planetary nebulae are considered to be the evolutionary link between AGB stars and planetary nebulae. They possess many of the physical characteristics expected of such a link and provide valuable information about the evolutionary process in these objects. One important characteristic of proto-planetary nebulae is the prevalence of very strong bipolar and point-symmetric morphologies. In planetary nebulae, these shapes are widely considered to be the result of shaping by a binary companion. Indeed, a number of studies have shown links between strong axial or point-symmetry in planetary nebulae and close binary central star systems that have gone through a common envelope phase. Here, we explore whether the observed proto-planetary nebulae may be the progenitors of planetary nebulae with close binary central stars. We find that despite the strong shaping of proto-planetary nebulae this is unlikely to be the case. We also discuss options for evolution to close binaries and the alternatives.
Read the full abstract

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Two Kepler red-giant eclipsing binaries as lower red-giant branch benchmarks for asteroseismic scaling relations. Dynamical masses and radii from JKTEBOP and PHOEBE-2 modeling

A. Hedlund, P. Gaulme, J. Jackiewicz et al. (+2 more)

Space-based photometry has detected solar-like oscillations in thousands of stars, whose global seismic parameters yield stellar properties via the asteroseismic scaling relations. Because these relations systematically overestimate red-giant masses and radii empirical calibration is required. Double-lined eclipsing binaries hosting oscillating red giants provide precise dynamical masses and radii without external calibration, making them ideal benchmarks. We present KIC 8129189 and KIC 10920813, two Kepler eclipsing binaries containing less-evolved oscillating red giants, as new benchmarks that extend the calibration sample toward smaller radii. We measured radial velocities from high-resolution spectra, extracted global asteroseismic parameters from Kepler light curves, and modeled the binaries with JKTEBOP and PHOEBE-2 using both full light curves and selected eclipse sets, adopting benchmark masses and radii from the envelope of tested model/data configurations. We then fit correction factors $f_{\Delta\nu}$ and $f_{\nu_{max}}$ to the underlying $\Delta\nu$-density and $\nu_{max}$-surface-gravity relations. We obtain $M_{RG}=1.413 \pm 0.037 M_\odot$ and $R_{RG}=4.296 \pm 0.061 R_\odot$ for KIC 8129189, and $M_{RG}=1.383 \pm 0.022 M_\odot$ and $R_{RG}=5.914 \pm 0.043 R_\odot$ for KIC 10920813. The adopted 15-star calibration gives $f_{\Delta\nu}=0.9777 \pm 0.0048$ and $f_{\nu_{max}}=1.024 \pm 0.008$, corresponding to $C_M=0.850 \pm 0.020$ and $C_R=0.9333 \pm 0.0090$. Neither correction factor depends significantly on radius, nor does $f_{\nu_{max}}$ depend on metallicity; model-based $f_{\Delta\nu}$ values are systematically lower than the dynamically derived ones. Both systems agree with the correction from previous benchmarks, showing that continued expansion of the eclipsing-binary sample is essential for testing the scaling relations across evolutionary stage.
Read the full abstract

All authors A. Hedlund, P. Gaulme, J. Jackiewicz, T. Appourchaux, E. Guenther

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

The Solar Neighborhood LVI: The RMSTAR Catalog of the Nearest 3352 M Dwarf Systems and 305 of their Wide Companions

Madison R. LeBlanc, Tim M. Johns, Todd J. Henry et al. (+8 more)

We present the RMSTAR (RECONS M STAR) catalog, a 25 pc volume-limited and effectively volume-complete sample of the nearest 3352 M dwarf systems and their 305 wide stellar and 9 brown dwarf companions. RMSTAR has been created using only results from Gaia Data Releases 3 (GDR3) and 2 (GDR2), Hipparcos, and ground-based discoveries of M dwarf systems that are not available in the space-based results. The wide companions are identified using only results from GDR3 and GDR2, and have separations $\rho\ge0.''46$. There are 291 primaries with stellar companions, yielding a multiplicity rate of 8.68$\pm$0.49% for these widely separated systems, with a rate of 6.86$\pm$0.44% for projected separations $s\geq30$ au, where the sample of stellar companions is complete except perhaps for a few fringe cases. It is shown that the rate of stellar companions increases from the search limit of 30,000 au down to separations of 30 au, with a large set of companions to be characterized at closer separations in future work. We determine luminosity and mass functions for all stellar red dwarfs and their wide secondaries, finding that the luminosity function displays a classic turnover at $M_G\sim11$, whereas the mass function is described by an exponential function that rises from 0.60 M$_{\odot}$ to the end of the stellar main sequence at 0.075 M$_{\odot}$. We assess the large population of close, unresolved companions to M dwarfs by analyzing several Gaia parameters, identifying 1089 (30%) individual sources as having at least one of these elevated unresolved companion indication parameters.
Read the full abstract

All authors Madison R. LeBlanc, Tim M. Johns, Todd J. Henry, Kenneth J. Slatten, Jennifer G. Winters, Wei-Chun Jao, Aman Kar, Michele L. Silverstein, Eliot Halley Vrijmoet, Casey Rush, Andrew A. Couperus

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Can Auroral Heating Explain Brown Dwarf Thermal Inversions?

Anna Zuckerman, James Mang, J. Sebastian Pineda et al. (+2 more)

Recent modeling of the JWST spectra of the Y-dwarf CWISEPJ193518.59-154620.3 (Faherty et al. 2024; Suárez et al. 2025) and the T-dwarf SIMPJ013656.5+093347.3 (Nasedkin et al. 2025) indicates the presence of a thermal inversion in their atmospheres, implying an additional source of heating. Auroral energy deposition has been proposed as a potential mechanism. In this work, we model auroral energy deposition processes and the resulting atmospheric response to assess whether physically motivated auroral electron beam energy spectra can reproduce the inferred thermal inversions. We simulate the effects of several auroral electron beam energy spectra consistent with observations of the Jovian population of auroral electrons and scale them to the total electron flux expected for brown dwarfs. We find that auroral energy deposition alone cannot reproduce both the magnitude and pressure level of the inferred inversion in either object. While inversions are produced in our models, they occur at pressures that are too low compared to those required by the observations. These results suggest that the actual population of auroral electrons includes a stronger high-energy component than considered here, that additional heating mechanisms contribute to the observed thermal inversions, and/or that heterogeneous heating of the atmosphere is important for determining the observed emission.
Read the full abstract

All authors Anna Zuckerman, James Mang, J. Sebastian Pineda, Caroline V. Morley, David Brain

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Predicting Macroturbulence in F/G/K Dwarfs to 100 m/s Precision

Jack Lubin, Erik Petigura, Kento Masuda et al. (+6 more)

We leverage the high resolution and spectral stability of the Keck Planet Finder (KPF) spectrograph to investigate macroturbulence broadening via the stellar cross-correlation function (CCF). As our calibration sample, we use main sequence benchmark slow-rotators v$\sin$i < 4 km/s where rotation rates were derived from the most robust asteroseismic mode splitting measurements, independent from spectral line broadening. We fit a linear relationship for macroturbulence as a function of derived $\nu_{max}$, the frequency of maximum power due to stellar oscillations, with an RMS scatter of 90 m/s. Previous studies have calibrated macroturbulence against T$_{eff}$, but we find $\nu_{max}$ to be a lower dispersion predictor by a factor of 4 indicating a deeper relationship between $\nu_{max}$and convective motions.
Read the full abstract

All authors Jack Lubin, Erik Petigura, Kento Masuda, Samuel Halverson, Isabel Angelo, Daniel Huber, Michael L. Palumbo III, Songhu Wang, Xian-Yu Wang

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Frequent X-class Far UV Flares from a Young Solar Analog DS Tucanae A

Tristen Sextro, Kevin France, Vladimir Airapetian et al. (+4 more)

The young solar analog DS Tuc A (~45 million years old, spectral type G6V) serves as an excellent proxy to the Sun during early stages of the Earth's evolution. The young Sun's enhanced magnetic activity in the form of X-ray and extreme UV emission, stellar wind, and flares likely affected the magnetospheric and atmospheric environments of early Venus, Earth and Mars. Studies of DS Tuc A help constrain evolution of magnetospheric and atmospheric environments of early Venus, Earth, and Mars and create opportunities to study the impact of flares on the transiting exoplanet, DS Tuc Ab. We analyze ~11 hours of Far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1130 - 1450 $\mathring{A}$) observations taken by the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph during late 2023 and early 2024. We find DS Tuc A exhibited 26 flares over ~11.1 hours of observations in the transition region lines Si IV (1394 $\mathring{A}$ + 1402 $\mathring{A}$), with durations ranging 90 - 960 seconds and FUV absolute energies ranging ~ 10$^{29}$ - 10$^{31}$ erg over the observed bandpass. Si IV flares are accompanied by increases of other chromospheric and transition region lines, however the strongest Si IV flares show no enhanced coronal emission traced by Fe XXI 1354 $\mathring{A}$. We present an analysis of each detected flare, including X-ray and bolometric luminosities scaled from FUV flare energies, electron density measurements for the strongest flares, and the Far-UV continuum response to flaring. These results provide constraints on the frequency and energetics of flares comparable to X100-class solar flares and FUV-emitting regions in young solar analogs.
Read the full abstract

All authors Tristen Sextro, Kevin France, Vladimir Airapetian, Grace Sweetak, Randall McEntaffer, Kosuke Namekata, Yuta Notsu

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

1D PIC Simulations of Resonant Scattering-Driven Pair Cascades in Magnetar Magnetospheres

Jens F. Mahlmann, Alexander A. Philippov, Adrien Soudais et al. (+2 more)

Hard X-rays in persistent magnetar emission originate from radiative processes in pair-loaded magnetospheric plasma, yet self-consistent kinetic simulations of such radiation-rich systems remain limited. We perform 1D particle-in-cell simulations of pair creation mediated by resonant inverse Compton scattering (RICS) along isolated field lines in twisted magnetospheres, capturing particle acceleration and radiative drag from first principles. The drag force, which strongly depends on the particle Lorentz factor and location, plays a key role in the magnetospheric circuit. Strong RICS drag impedes the flow of electrons and positrons, particularly along extended field lines. Nevertheless, the plasma sustains the circuit by self-organizing into a single accelerating gap near the star in one hemisphere. The accelerated plasma flow from the gap becomes loaded with copious electron-positron pairs in extended RICS zones, and also carries ions extracted from the star and accelerated in the gap. When radiative drag stops the pair-loaded flow at the magnetic equator, the ion component transfers momentum through streaming instabilities, delivering a small lepton population into the opposite hemisphere and sustaining the circuit. The gap confined to a single (anode) hemisphere implies asymmetric hard X-ray production, possibly detectable in phase-resolved magnetar spectra.
Read the full abstract

All authors Jens F. Mahlmann, Alexander A. Philippov, Adrien Soudais, Andrei M. Beloborodov, Lorenzo Sironi

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

Stellar Ages of M Dwarf Hosts of Temperate Sub-Neptunes

Lalitha Sairam and Nikku Madhusudhan

Measuring M dwarf ages is a central challenge in stellar astrophysics. These stars evolve so slowly that isochrone fitting gives little constraint, requiring alternative methods based on rotation, activity, and kinematics. Reliable ages help constrain the formation and evolution of planetary systems around M dwarfs, including the temperate sub-Neptunes now being characterised with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We present an age analysis of six nearby M dwarf planet hosts (TOI-732, TOI-736, TOI-270, TOI-1468, TOI-1231, and K2-18) using lithium absorption at 6708 Å, rotation periods, and Galactic kinematics. The Li I 6708 Åfeature is absent above 3$\sigma$ in all targets, implying substantial depletion and ages exceeding 200 Myr. Rotation periods of 39-145 days yield ages of 2.8-8.6 Gyr, calibrated against open cluster M dwarfs and including the intrinsic dispersion of the rotation-age relation. Kinematic ages span 0.8-13 Gyr with uncertainties of 4-6 Gyr. These are less precise per star but help identify outliers such as TOI-1231 (~13 Gyr) and K2-18 ( ~1-2 Gyr) and place the stars in Galactic context. Rotation yields age constraints 2-6 times tighter than kinematics where periods are measured, and comparable constraints where periods must be inferred from chromospheric activity. Combining multiple indicators enables more secure classification of these stars' evolutionary states, providing reference points for future comparative studies.
Read the full abstract

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

Large ${\rm Pm}$ small-scale kinematic dynamo in protoneutron stars

Shipra Verma, Kannabiran Seshasayanan, Raphaël Raynaud et al. (+1 more)

Magnetars are young, isolated neutron stars that possess an exceptionally strong magnetic field, with surface dipolar strengths on the order of $10^{15}$ G. One of the plausible scenarios for generating such a strong field is an exponential amplification by a turbulent convective dynamo during the protoneutron star phase. However, the short expected duration of the convection ($\sim 10$ s) imposes a stringent constraint on the dynamo growth rate. We perform an extensive set of 82 three-dimensional convective dynamo simulations in the anelastic approximation and investigate the kinematic phase to quantify the dynamo growth rate $\gamma$. We find that $\gamma$ increases with both the magnetic Prandtl number ${\rm Pm}$ and the Rayleigh number ${\rm Ra}$, with the most unstable mode becoming highly non-axisymmetric and multipolar. We further observe a gradual transition from large-scale to small-scale dynamo as the magnetic Reynolds number ${\rm Rm}$ increases, resulting in a magnetic field that is predominantly concentrated at small scales. The trend remains unchanged when the outer magnetic boundary condition is varied. Since resolving the increasingly small scales becomes numerically impractical, we employ the theoretical small-scale Kazantsev dynamo model to explore the large ${\rm Pm}$ regime characteristic of protoneutron stars. The model qualitatively captures the growth rate behaviour observed in simulations and, upon extrapolation to the large ${\rm Pm}$ limit, indicates that $\gamma$ is only weakly dependent on the resistivity in a PNS. Under conditions relevant to the PNS, this model predicts a magnetic energy growth rate of the order of $\sim 1$ ms$^{-1}$.
Read the full abstract

All authors Shipra Verma, Kannabiran Seshasayanan, Raphaël Raynaud, Jérôme Guilet