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Physics Astrophysics Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

astro-ph.SR Watch Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Monday 28 September

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

MATISSE in the era of GRAVITY+

Florentin Millour, Anthony Soulain, Stéphane Lagarde et al. (+28 more)

MATISSE, the mid-infrared spectro-interferometric imager of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), has been feeding on the light corrected by the GRAVITY+ Adaptive Optics (GPAO) systems since the retirement of MACAO on the four Unit Telescopes in 2024. We report the assessment of the new MATISSE performance with GPAO, based on commissioning observations obtained in 2024 and 2025 and compared with archival MACAO observations of the same stellar sources. The instrumental visibility transfer function is more stable in the L band, while its typical value in the L and N bands is unchanged; the visibility signal-to-noise ratio is consistent with, or better than, the values reported at the initial MATISSE commissioning. The correlated flux increases by 20–30% in GRA4MAT mode thanks to a better fringe tracking performance, and the total flux injected into the instrument increases by a factor of 1.3 to 1.4 (up to 1.7) in the L band at low spectral resolution, with no measurable loss in the N band. Combined with the new K-band fringe-tracking limits enabled by GPAO, this translates into a sensitivity gain of a factor 2 to 6 in the L and M bands, a confirmation of the N-band limits similar to the MACAO era. We then report the performances of MATISSE with the GPAO's laser guide stars in November and December 2025. The updated noise figures follow the exposure time calculator predictions in LM LOW and MED and come out better than them in N LOW, the L-band transfer function is stable at the few percent level between observing blocks an hour apart, and correlated fluxes, differential phases and closure phases are recovered down to a 10\,mJy target. Embedded young stellar objects and AGN are now within reach, thanks to the better performances on red targets brought by the lasers. We finally discuss the science cases opened by this gain and the case for a future upgrade of the instrument.
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All authors Florentin Millour, Anthony Soulain, Stéphane Lagarde, Alexis Matter, Valentin Fleury, Farin Drewes, Mathis Houllé, Jules Scigliuto, Bruno Lopez, Anthony Meilland, G. Petrov Romain, Philippe Berio, Anthony Berdeu, Guillaume Bourdarot, Sylvestre Lacour, Mathias Nowak, Jean-Baptiste Le Bouquin, Antoine Mérand, Frank Eisenhauer, Julien Woillez, Miguel Montargès, Diogo Ribeiro, Taro Shimizu, Jens Kammerer, Xavier Haubois, Stefan Gillessen, Pierre Cruzalèbes, Frédéric Gonté, Walter Jaffe, James Leftley, Nicole Nesvadba

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

First results from PADRE/MeDDEA: X-rays from a flare and its CME

Muriel Zoë Stiefel, Säm Krucker, Olivier Limousin et al. (+22 more)

The MeDDEA hard X-ray spectrometer onboard NASAs PADRE CubeSat operates four flight-spare detectors from the Solar Orbiter/STIX instrument. This paper aims to evaluate the accuracy of the MeDDEA calibration and to demonstrate that MeDDEA data are ready for scientific exploitation. Using the first joint observations between MeDDEA and STIX, we investigate faint HXR emission associated with an escaping CME relative to the emission from the full flare. The first large flare observed by MeDDEA is analyzed, and the MeDDEA spectrum is compared with simultaneous observations from Fermi/GBM and ASO-S/HXI. From the Solar Orbiter viewpoint, the flare is highly limb-occulted allowing STIX to isolate high coronal emission associated with the CME while MeDDEA observed the full flare. We combined spectral fitting with HXR/EUV imaging from STIX, HXI, and AIA to investigate the locations and energetics of the flare- and CME-associated HXR sources. The MeDDEA spectral observations are in agreement with FERMI/GBM and ASO-S/HXI within 10 percent in the energy range of 18-30 keV. The CME-associated photon flux observed by STIX in the nonthermal range is faint at about 1 percent of the flare photon flux. The energy content of the thermal component associated with the CME, on the other hand, is found to be of the same order of magnitude as the thermal energy of the flare loop, at least for a filling factor of unity. Imaging information from STIX in combination with AIA reveals that the emission measured by STIX is located within the associated CME. We report that MeDDEA provides scientifically reliable spectral observations and is ready for scientific use.
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All authors Muriel Zoë Stiefel, Säm Krucker, Olivier Limousin, Niharika Godbole, Gwendoline Marc, Amir Caspi, Kyle Gregory, Ace Stratton, Diana Renaud, Aline Meuris, Laura A. Hayes, André Csillaghy, Pascal Saint-Hilaire, Juan Camilo Buitrago Casas, Christopher Smith, Savannah Sky Perez-Piel, Anton Tremsin, Elizabeth Warren, Bradley Pafchek, Eliad Peretz, Carlos Urdiales, Reynaldo Gonzalez, Chris M. Moeckel, Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros, Steven Christe

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

Activity in White Dwarf Debris Disks II: WISE Mission Traces a Decade of Disk Evolution and Persistence

Hiba Tu Noor, Jay Farihi and Scott J. Kenyon

This study presents multi-epoch photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to investigate variability in white dwarf debris disks, utilizing the full 14.5 yr mission datasets pre- and post-cryogen. Unambiguous variations are detected across the bulk of the 52 confirmed dusty white dwarfs and are consistent with universal variability after correcting for the sensitivity of WISE relative to Spitzer. Some disk light curves exhibit trends such as possible oscillations, sudden brightening, and steadily decaying fluxes, but all infrared excesses persist utterly. On baselines longer than 0.5 yr, flux changes are significantly skewed toward decreases, in contrast to the symmetric distribution found at shorter baselines with Spitzer, consistent with gradual dust depletion over time. Disk emission generally becomes redder when dimmer and bluer when brighter, consistent with changes in the grain size distribution following collisions, although five disks exhibit the opposite trend possibly due to dust production near apastron. A moderate positive correlation is observed between disk luminosity and photospheric Ca abundance, consistent with the accretion of disk material in an optically thin configuration. Taken together with the Spitzer legacy of dusty white dwarfs, these results provide a comprehensive view of debris disk variability and provide empirical constraints on models of disk structure and evolution.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Limits on eccentricity excitation by tidally enhanced mass loss in Wolf-Rayet binaries

Viktória Fröhlich and Zsolt Regály

Wolf–Rayet (WR) binaries frequently display high orbital eccentricities, and their eccentricity distributions are inconsistent with that of high-mass Galactic field binaries at high significance. This raises the question of whether these eccentricities are primordial or generated during the WR phase. We test whether a tidal enhancement of the mass-loss rate can pump the eccentricity of a WR binary on a sample of 14 WR systems. We model each system as a variable-mass two-body problem and integrate the orbital evolution over the WR lifetime under three prescriptions: i) adiabatic isotropic mass loss, ii) equilibrium-tide circularization, and iii) a tidally enhanced, pericenter-focused mass loss in which the companion-facing reduction of the effective surface gravity raises the local Eddington parameter. Adiabatic mass loss can not change eccentricity and affects only the orbital separation, which increases by up to a factor of ~20. Tidal circularization is effective only in the tightest orbits, which are compatible with the observed systems only for high mass-loss rates, a regime in which any primordial eccentricity is erased. The tidally enhanced mass loss channel pumps the eccentricity by only $\leq10^{-4}$, three to four orders of magnitude below the observed values, and therefore cannot be the responsible mechanism. We conclude that the high eccentricities of WR binaries are predominantly primordial rather than generated by mass loss during the WR phase.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Doppler Velocity Variation near the Solar Limb in the Solar Photosphere Observed with Hinode

Akie Moritsuka, Yukio Katsukawa and Ryohtaroh T. Ishikawa

The Doppler velocity and bisector of photospheric lines show significant center-to-limb variation. This variation has been considered to be caused by the projection angle of the granular convection which has a corrugated surface. This study aimed to show the spectral line shifts up to limb and investigate how these shifts are caused by granular convection. We analyzed the Fe I 630.15 nm absorption line by spatially resolving the granulation very close to the limb using datasets of polar observations obtained with the Spectro-polarimeter (SP) of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode. We also analyzed the Fe I 630.15 nm emission line, which was observed within 1" above the limb. This study revealed the following: 1) the spatially averaged spectral lines showed an increase in redshift toward the limb, then became constant, and finally became nearly zero, 2) the Doppler velocities of granules, which were classified as bright and non-magnetic regions, showed as increase in redshifts toward the limb, 3) the bisector of granules changed more than that of the intergranules, and 4) the emission lines showed small blueshifts. These results indicate that the increase in redshift toward the limb is caused by the increase in the redshift of granules. Because the bisector reflects the atmospheric velocity along the line-of-sight, our observations can be interpreted as suggesting that the line-forming region in granules is geometrically thicker than that in intergranules.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.space-ph

P2D - A Two-Dimensional Multi-Spacecraft Solar Wind Persistence Model

Daniel Milošić, Manuela Temmer, Stephan G. Heinemann et al. (+2 more)

The background solar wind is a key component in space weather forecasting, as it contains geoeffective high-speed streams and provides the medium through which coronal mass ejections propagate and evolve in interplanetary space. Due to the solar rotation and the slow evolution of large-scale solar wind structures, solar wind properties exhibit an autocorrelation with a period of roughly 27 days, particularly at solar minimum. We made use of this property to develop a solar wind persistence model with input from multiple spacecraft (Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, STEREO-A, STEREO-B and the OMNI database). The model ballistically propagates in-situ data from the position of their measurement radially away from the Sun, as well as longitudinally with the solar rotation rate, producing 2D maps of solar wind parameters. These can be extracted at any point in the heliosphere for a solar wind reconstruction. From Earth's perspective, the reconstruction performs with an MAE of 65.41 km/s and 3.51/cm^3 for speed and density, respectively. During high-speed streams, the peak hit rate is 50% and 48% for speed and density. It performs best during times when there are spacecraft located between Earth and Lagrange point L5. During these times, the mean absolute error of the predicted solar wind speed decreases by roughly 35% in comparison to the benchmark 27-day persistence model. Therefore, future L5 missions like Vigil are expected to provide a robust basis for reliable persistence forecasts.
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All authors Daniel Milošić, Manuela Temmer, Stephan G. Heinemann, Mathew Owens, Stefan J. Hofmeister

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Power balance and anomalous exchange in post-AGB pulsations

Jan Zalewski

We develop a complex balance relation for stellar pulsations whose real and imaginary parts give paired relations for the excitation rate and oscillation frequency. The formulation includes thermodynamic exchange, boundary power, and the inertial, compression, horizontal-area, and gravitational-stratification terms, without assuming weak nonadiabaticity. Applied to portions of an envelope, it provides cumulative diagnostics evaluated using the eigenfrequency and eigenfunctions of the complete pulsation problem. We show that a negligible global boundary contribution can coexist with substantial internal boundary power, which may largely compensate the thermodynamic exchange within the envelope. Applications to radial pulsations of post-AGB envelopes illustrate this behaviour for ordinary, strange, and anomalous-exchange modes. The latter have a negative effective norm and opposite signs of net exchange power and excitation rate. For a selected excited anomalous mode, the principal exchange occurs between the He II ionization region and the Z-bump, with less participation from the outer ionization layers than in the comparison modes. Classification by the largest response norm reveals distinct domains across the examined pulsation spectrum. The selected anomalous branch retains horizontal-area dominance across its transition from damping to excitation.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

Resolved Structure and Orbital Motion of a Localized 1 au-scale Dust Accumulation in the Protoplanetary Disk around TW Hya

Takashi Tsukagoshi, Takayuki Muto, Hideko Nomura et al. (+6 more)

We present the results of high-resolution ($\sim1$~au) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the TW~Hya protoplanetary disk in the Band 6 dust continuum, as well as the \ce{^13CO} and \ce{C^18O} J=2–1 emission lines. The primary focus of this study is to investigate the kinematics, internal morphology, and local gas environment of the prominent dust blob at a radius of 52~au. By comparing our 2021 data with archival observations from 2017, we detect the proper motion of the blob. The measured azimuthal velocity of 3.3$\pm$0.9~km~s$^{-1}$ is fully consistent with local Keplerian rotation. Combined with the lack of significant radial migration over the four-year baseline, this confirms that the structure is robustly co-moving with the disk system. Crucially, our high-resolution continuum map resolves the blob into a distinct double-peaked morphology separated by $\sim$1.7~au azimuthally. We robustly validate this double-peaked substructure by reproducing it in the independent 2017 dataset using a sparse-modeling image reconstruction technique. We discuss potential physical origins for this double-peaked morphology, including an inclined circumplanetary disk with an inner dust cavity, the roots of planet-induced spiral arms, or alternative hydrodynamic scenarios that do not involve an actively accreting planet such as the U-turn trajectory of secondary dust or a short-lived hydrodynamic gas vortex. We detect no compact gas emission counterparts associated with the continuum blob. Since these CO lines likely trace optically thick upper atmospheric layers, the absence of localized vertical gas perturbations suggests that if an embedded planet is responsible for the dust structure, its mass must be exceptionally low.
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All authors Takashi Tsukagoshi, Takayuki Muto, Hideko Nomura, Ryohei Kawabe, Satoshi Okuzumi, Shigeru Ida, Jun Hashimoto, Taichi Uyama, Motohide Tamura

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

Planets Around Solar Twins/Analogs (PASTA) III: Chemical Clock Relations in Planet-Hosting Solar Analogs

Qinghui Sun, Serat M. Saad, Yuan-Sen Ting et al. (+10 more)

Context. Abundance ratios between elements synthesized on different nucleosynthetic timescales provide empirical chemical clocks for estimating stellar ages, but robust calibrations require homogeneous samples with precise stellar parameters and elemental abundances. Aims. We aim to investigate whether the presence of planets modifies empirical chemical clock relations. Methods. We present high-precision stellar parameters and elemental abundances for 52 new planet-hosting targets observed with Keck/HIRES, LBT/PEPSI, and Subaru/HDS. Combined with PASTA I and II, the full sample comprises 94 stars, of which 81 are identified as planet-hosting solar twins and analogs, and is used to characterize Galactic chemical evolution and derive empirical chemical clock relations. Results. We recover the expected Galactic chemical evolution trends, with $\alpha$-elements such as Mg and S increasing with stellar age, while s-process elements such as Y, Ba, and Sr show negative age correlations. In contrast, Fe-peak elements and the r-process element Eu show little or no significant age dependence. These trends give rise to tight chemical clock relations based on [Y/Mg], [Y/Al], [Ba/Mg], [Ba/Al], and [Sr/Mg], with [Y/Mg] and [Y/Al] providing the strongest correlations. [Ba/Al] shows the steepest age dependence, and the Ba-based ratios are generally more sensitive to age than their Y-based counterparts. Conclusions. Planet-hosting solar analogs follow chemical-clock relations consistent with those of nearby solar twins, with no evidence for a significant planet-related effect. The derived relations are primarily applicable to local solar twins and analogs in the Galactic thin disk.
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All authors Qinghui Sun, Serat M. Saad, Yuan-Sen Ting, Jiayue Zhang, Chenyang Ji, Fei Dai, Sharon Xuesong Wang, Bryant Randolph, Yunzhe Gu, Ilya Ilyin, Yaguang Li, Jie Yu, Fan Liu

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Numerical analysis of electron density and response time delay during solar flares in mid-latitudinal lower ionosphere

Sayak Chakraborty and Tamal Basak

Impacts of solar flare vary at different parts of the lower ionosphere depending on its proximity to the direct exposure of incoming solar radiation. The quantitative analysis of this phenomenon can be attributed to the solar zenith angle (chi(t)) profile over the ionosphere. We numerically solve the electron continuity equation to obtain the lower ionospheric electron density profile (Ne(t)). The electron production rate (q(t)) is governed by the (i) X-ray profile (phi(t)) of the flare, (ii) chi(t)-values during the flare occurrence, etc. For analyzing the X-ray profile during flares, we use the GOES-15 satellite observations. Since we are working on an electron continuity equation based simplified ionospheric model, we confined our analysis to the comparatively stable mid-latitude ionosphere only. We choose three flares each from C, M, and X-classes for Ne(t)-profile computation. We observe that temporal Ne(t)-profiles differ when computed for the lower ionosphere over different discrete latitudes. Further, we compute the spatial Ne(t)-profile across the mid-latitude region at the time when phi(t) = phi_max. Now we assume that these flares repeat themselves every day of a year (DoY) at the same time of a day and we compute Ne(t)-profiles for each day. We found a seasonal effect on the Ne(t)-profile due to solar flare. Further, we investigate the response time delay (Delta t) of the lower ionosphere, which is the time difference between incidence of X-ray and the respective change in Ne(t)-profiles during solar flares. Strong seasonal effects on Ne(t)-profile and Delta t are the unique results of this work.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.GA

R Coronae Borealis fadings: a dusty gas cloud eclipse model

Mark A. Walker, Artem V. Tuntsov and Arthur G. Suvorov

R Coronae Borealis stars (RCBs) are hydrogen-deficient supergiants that undergo deep fading events due to transient extinction by dust. First observed over two centuries ago, that behaviour remains poorly understood. Our aim is to investigate the possibility that the fading events are eclipses by orbiting, dusty gas clouds. We construct a simple physical model of the dust wind that is driven from the cloud surface by the stellar radiation field, and we calculate the extinction and scattered light from wind and cloud. We consider a broad range of dust compositions. For the model that best matches the data, we sketch out implications for the RCB phenomenon more broadly. Our calculations show that conventional dust materials like graphite and silicate produce eclipses whose ingress is too slow and whose morphology too symmetric to account for RCB fadings. But dust made of solid H2 yields a good match: the eclipses are deep and strongly asymmetric, with rapid onset and slow recovery, and event timescales are about right if the clouds' periastra are within a few tens of AU. Such close approaches imply tidal stripping/disruption of each cloud, with hydrogen-deficient debris accreting onto the star via a disk. Starlight incident on the disk creates a metal-ion plasma that emits a powerful bremsstrahlung continuum, peaking in the mid-IR. We conclude that eclipses by orbiting, dusty clouds could be the cause of RCB fading events, but only if the dust is made of solid H2, in which case both the unusual, hydrogen-deficient nature of the stars and their mid-IR excess follow naturally. It is, however, challenging to account for the high eclipse rates that are observed; we propose a scenario in which the progenitor star is a wide binary inside a massive halo of clouds, suggesting a connection to the Galactic "missing mass" problem.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.GA

Toward Resolution Convergence for Star Formation and Galactic Winds in Galaxy Simulations

Xue-Fu Li, Weishan Zhu, Tian-Rui Wang et al. (+2 more)

The predictive power of hydrodynamic simulations of galaxies is often hampered by the resolution dependence of sub-grid models for star formation (SF) and stellar feedback. We present three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of an M82-like low-mass starburst galaxy at resolutions of 4, 8, 16, 32 pc and develop optimized sub-grid prescriptions to mitigate these numerical inconsistencies. For star formation, we adopt a $\sim20$ pc physical-scale control volume, corresponding to the typical size of giant molecular clouds (GMCs), for gas accretion onto sink particles, reducing its dependence on numerical resolution. We further incorporate an empirical, resolution- and density-dependent star formation scheme that accounts for variations in gas surface density across spatial scales, as suggested by observations. Furthermore, we refine the supernova feedback coupling by anchoring the injection volume to the physical cooling radius of the supernova remnant ($R_{\rm cool}$) and utilizing a resolution-dependent thermal-to-kinetic energy partition. These improvements substantially enhance convergence across 4 to 32 pc: variations in the total stellar mass formed and kinetic energy are reduced to $\sim20\%$, while relative errors in the cool-phase mass outflow rate and integrated X-ray luminosity decrease to below $\sim40\%$. The warm and hot outflow phases remain less well converged, with variations of $\sim50\%$ and $\sim75\%$, respectively. The upgraded model also improves the convergence of normalized wind properties, with relative errors below $\sim50\%$, $\sim80\%$, and $\sim20\%$ for the time-averaged mass loading factor, energy loading factor, and X-ray emission efficiency, respectively. Our results provide a practical framework for achieving more robust simulations of starburst galaxies.
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All authors Xue-Fu Li, Weishan Zhu, Tian-Rui Wang, Huan Chen, Long-Long Feng

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

A Study on the Evolution of NGC6822. I. Investigating the Star Formation History through Evolved Stellar Populations

Fatemeh Khatamsaz, Mahdi Abdollahi, Atefeh Javadi et al. (+4 more)

NGC6822 is an isolated dwarf irregular galaxy in the Local Group at a distance of $\sim$ 490 kpc . In this paper, we derived the star formation history (SFH) of NGC6822 employing a method based on evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, known as long-period variable (LPV) stars. We utilized a dataset of 329 LPVs in JHK$_s$ bands to estimate the star formation rate (SFR) over time and reconstructed the SFH of the galaxy. In addition to obtaining the SFH assuming constant metallicity values within the range of 0.0001 $<$ Z $<$ 0.012, we also adopted three distinct age-metallicity relations (AMRs) to account for variations in the chemical content of the galaxy throughout its lifetime. The SFH has been investigated in two regions. The bar region encloses a central area of 189 arcmin$^{2}$, and the outer region encircles a field beyond the bar region, extending to the radial distance of 3 kpc. In the bar region, we identified three episodes of star formation peaking at $t \sim$ 4.7 Gyr (log $t = 9.67$), $t \sim$ 1.6 Gyr (log $t = 9.21$), and $t \sim$ 48 Myr (log $t = 7.63$), where $t$ is the look-back time. In the outer region, we found one episode of star formation occurring at $t \sim$ 4.6 Gyr. The significant peak observed $\sim$ 4-5 Gyr ago further supports the hypothesis suggested by the previous research, indicating that NGC6822 passed through the virial radius of the Milky Way in the past.
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All authors Fatemeh Khatamsaz, Mahdi Abdollahi, Atefeh Javadi, Hamidreza Mahani, Jacco Th. van Loon, Hedieh Abdollahi, Sepideh Ghaziasgar

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

Dynamical Impacts of Accretion Streamers on Protoplanetary Disks

Han-Gyeol Yun, Jeong-Eun Lee, Jaehan Bae et al. (+1 more)

Recent observations suggest that accretion streamers are common in protoplanetary disks, yet their dynamical impact on disk evolution remains poorly understood. Using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with mass infall rates of $10^{-8}$–$10^{-6} \ M_{\odot}\ \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$, we investigate how streamer accretion influences the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks. We find that a prograde streamer can excite disk eccentricity globally to values as high as $\sim0.4$. The resulting eccentric disk develops prominent spiral arms and crescent-shaped overdensities whose spatial structures agree remarkably well with analytic eccentric-disk theory. It also undergoes significant warping, and exhibits enhanced and variable stellar accretion. In contrast, retrograde streamer accretion efficiently removes disk angular momentum, producing a compact disk and, in extreme cases, triggering disk breaking. Using synthetic ALMA molecular-line observations, we show that streamer-driven perturbations generate observable kinematic signatures, including Doppler flips in moment maps and wiggles in position–velocity diagrams. Remarkably, these signatures can persist for up to $100\ \mathrm{kyr}$ after infall has ceased, suggesting that some kinematic disturbances observed in disks without currently detected streamers may be relics of past infall events. Finally, we discuss the implications of streamer-driven disk evolution for planet formation and planet–disk interactions.
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All authors Han-Gyeol Yun, Jeong-Eun Lee, Jaehan Bae, Woong-Tae Kim

Sunday 27 September

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

An autonomous approach to model daytime behavior of sub-ionospheric VLF signals over short and medium propagation paths in India

Sayak Chakraborty, Tamal Basak, Sourav Palit et al. (+1 more)

We present an autonomous model to simulate the daytime variation of sub-ionospheric Very Low Frequency (VLF) signal amplitude, beginning with the computation of the D-region electron density by numerically solving the electron continuity equation (ECE). From the resulting altitude-dependent electron density profile (Ne), we extract Wait's ionospheric parameters (h' and beta) using a log-linear fitting method. The study focuses on two VLF propagation paths (one short and one medium in length) in India, originating from the VTX (18.2 kHz) transmitter. The model employs the Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) framework to reproduce the daytime VLF signal amplitude profile. It accurately captures the daytime variations observed at the Bengaluru (BAN) station, where the ground-wave component is dominant, as well as at Khukurdaha, WB (KHK). A quantitative comparison between the simulated (Asim) and observed (Aobs) amplitudes shows good agreement, supporting the physical consistency and potential predictive capability of the proposed approach.
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All authors Sayak Chakraborty, Tamal Basak, Sourav Palit, Sandip K. Chakrabarti

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Carrington's Last Sunspot Drawing in 1870

Hisashi Hayakawa and E. Thomas H. Teague

Richard Christopher Carrington carried out extensive sunspot observations from 1853 to 1861 and left numerous scientific legacies. However, despite his fame, consulting his original manuscripts, we have found Carrington's last sunspot drawing, which he never published. We date this drawing 23 Dec 1870, when Carrington was based at his Churt Observatory. The drawing allows us to count 3 sunspot groups and 10 individual sunspots and measure the group positions at N14{\deg} W37{\deg}, N11{\deg} W46{\deg}, and S08{\deg} W08{\deg}, where our longitude values represent longitudinal distance from the central meridian. In comparison with the existing datasets, his raw group counts look slightly lower than the contemporaneous observers. His position data look consistent. These additions contribute to the ongoing efforts for the sunspot number recalibration and butterfly diagram constructions, as long as we follow the standard assumption for the homogeneity of the "Schmidt backbone". Otherwise, this case instead questions the validity of the common assumption of "Schmidt backbone" keeping the data homogeneity. This sunspot drawing is unlikely to represent the tip of a huge, lost iceberg, but rather an isolated drawing that he left from his Churt era. Carrington may have temporarily revived his interest upon the solar eclipse of 22 Dec 1870. Otherwise, Carrington's references to his sunspot research in his Churt era are confined to priority claims in response to Chevalier's RAS obituary and a local newspaper report. The former confirms that Carrington was probably the first person, who counted and published sunspot data from Thomas Harriot's original sunspot drawings.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Constraining Ultra-Light Vector Bosons via Solar Neutrino Oscillations: The Gauged $L_\mu - L_\tau$ Model and Prospects for JUNO and XLZD

Ilídio Lopes

We present an extension of the Standard Model based upon the gauged $U(1)_{L_\mu - L_\tau}$ symmetry, featuring an ultra-light vector boson that couples to the difference of muon and tau lepton numbers. This anomaly-free construction, historically motivated by the muon's anomalous magnetic moment, is employed here as an independent phenomenological framework for solar neutrino physics. Through kinetic mixing with the photon, the $Z^\prime$ boson generates an effective matter potential within the solar interior, thereby modifying neutrino flavour oscillations via the Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein mechanism. Utilising recent solar neutrino measurements from Borexino, SNO, and Super-Kamiokande, together with an up-to-date standard solar model, we constrain the boson mass to be below $5.7\times 10^{-17}\,{\rm eV}$, a potential ultra-light dark matter candidate. The optimal model, with coupling parameter $\eta_o \approx -2$, yields $\chi_\nu^2 = 2.7$, compared with $\chi_\nu^2 = 3.1$ for the standard three-flavour scenario. This best fit corresponds to an effective four-fermion coupling $g_{Z^\prime}^2 \varepsilon / m_{Z^\prime}^2 \approx 6.6 \times 10^{-23}\,{\rm eV}^{-2}$, approximately $5.7$ times the Fermi constant, equivalent for $\varepsilon \approx 1$ and a reference mediator mass of $1\,{\rm eV}$ to a gauge coupling $g_{Z^\prime} \approx 8\times 10^{-12}$. We also present projections for forthcoming experiments: the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), operating since August 2025 with world-leading precision on oscillation parameters, together with the XLZD consortium, should substantially refine these constraints. Such ultra-light particles may address long-standing discrepancies in galaxy simulations within the cold dark matter paradigm, whilst terrestrial long-baseline neutrino experiments provide complementary probes of this parameter space.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Synthesis of organo-phosphorous species in space: the reaction of P$^+$ with C$_2$H$_2$

Matteo Michielan, Jorge Alonso de la Fuente, Roland Thissen et al. (+8 more)

Despite its low cosmic abundance, phosphorus is a bioessential element whose prebiotic availability and incorporation into biomolecules remain open questions. Only a few phosphorous containing molecules with P to C bonds have been detected in astronomical environments (CP, CCP, HCP). More complex species have been proposed, but their formation and destruction pathways remain poorly constrained. Gas-phase ion molecule chemistry involving P cations may contribute to organophosphorus formation, particularly in protostellar shocks and outflows, while reactions of ground state P cations with closed-shell neutrals provide benchmarks for spin-forbidden mechanisms. We investigate the reaction of P+ with C$_2$H$_2$ through a joint experimental and theoretical study aimed at revising astrochemical database rate coefficients. Absolute cross sections and branching ratios were measured as a function of collision energy and complemented by high-level electronic structure calculations and a refined capture model accounting for higher-order long-range interactions and intermediate complex formation. Channel-specific rate coefficients were derived in the range from 10 to 5000 K. The reaction produces predominantly HCCP$^+$ + H (branching ratio 99%), while CCP$^+$ + H$_2$ is a minor channel (branching ratio 1%) arising from intersystem crossing from the triplet to the singlet potential energy surfaces. The total rate coefficient at 300 K agrees well with the SIFT value, but it increases with decreasing temperature, deviating from a pure Langevin trend. The reaction should be included in astrochemical models where phosphorus is released as P+, such as during energetic processing of icy grains in shocks. It provides a pathway to linear HCCP$^+$, a potentially relevant precursor to the observed CP and CCP species through dissociative recombination
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All authors Matteo Michielan, Jorge Alonso de la Fuente, Roland Thissen, Christian Alcaraz, Nicolas Solem, Cristina Sanz Sanz, Susana Gómez Carrasco, Miroslav Polášek, Alexandre Zanchet, Marcelino Agúndez, Daniela Ascenzi

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Modeling of the variability of D-region ionospheric electron density during solar cycle-24

Sayak Chakraborty, Sourav Palit, Semontee Deb et al. (+1 more)

Solar cycle variation of earth's atmosphere, particularly the ionosphere is of particular interest in the field of space science and space weather studies. In this article, we present the outcome of our detailed quantitative study on solar cycle variation of lower ionospheric properties using numerical investigation. First, we seek to model and compare the collective D-region ionization rates (q's) due to the individual contributions from the ionizing sources, namely, (a) solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation including the Lyman-alpha irradiation and (b) solar X-ray irradiation throughout the 24th solar cycle (C24). Then, we compute the electron density (Ne) profiles using the ionization rates. We report significant solar cycle variation in ionization rate and electron density profiles for the entire span of C24. We use the sunspot number (SPN) profile to substantiate the finer details of Ne profile during C24. For the segments of the D-region above two different geographic coordinates, we report that Ne profiles show a consistent "dual peak" nature. It is very similar to the SPN profile during C24. As a next-order validation, we compare our modeled Ne profiles with their IRI-2020 counterpart (Ne,iris). Their overall trends are found to be in agreement. Finally, we discuss the response of the D-region in terms of Ne due to C24. The work lays the foundation for our upcoming studies on D-region response to solar cycle variation with Very Low Frequency (VLF) observation.
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All authors Sayak Chakraborty, Sourav Palit, Semontee Deb, Tamal Basak

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

Testing Spin Prior Assumptions of Binary Black Hole Parameter Inference and Their Astrophysical Implications

Chen-He Wu, Wei-Hua Guo, Shu-Jin Hou et al. (+2 more)

With the growing number of binary black hole (BBH) candidates in the Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 5.0 (GWTC-5.0), an increasing number of BBH systems with distinct properties have been reported. The individual spins are relatively less constrained in the parameter estimations for most events. While the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration (LVK) adopts a uninformative spin prior by default, some binary evolution scenarios have strong predictions on component spins. In this work, we perform Bayesian parameter inference for a subset of BBH events spanning a broad range of properties in the chirp mass, mass ratio, and effective inspiral spin ($\mathcal{M}_{\rm c}$-$q$-$\chi_{\rm eff}$) parameter space. We consider three different spin priors: the LVK spin prior and two astrophysically motivated priors, assuming a non-spinning primary BH ($\chi_1 = 0$) or a non-spinning secondary BH ($\chi_2 = 0$). We find that the non-spinning primary BH prior is disfavored by the data for several systems with high effective inspiral spins, including GW190517_055101, GW190412, GW241113_163507, and GW231028_153006. We suggest that standard common-envelope evolution represents a promising formation channel that can be tested with gravitational-wave observations, and propose a novel method for estimating the merger rate of systems formed through alternative evolutionary channels. We further suggest that the binary evolution involving mass-ratio reversal may provide a possible formation pathway for these systems.
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All authors Chen-He Wu, Wei-Hua Guo, Shu-Jin Hou, Yuan-Zhu Wang, Ying Qin

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

Probing Solar Chameleons with XENONnT Ionization-Only Data

Guan-Wen Yuan

Screened scalar fields provide a possible connection between dark energy and laboratory-scale new physics while remaining compatible with existing fifth-force constraints. Solar production offers a direct probe of these models, and ionization-only measurements extend the sensitivity of liquid-xenon detectors into the sub-keV regime. We present the first search for solar chameleons using low-energy S2-only data, based on the 7.83 tonne-year XENONnT ionization-only data set. The predicted electronic-recoil spectrum is folded through the run-dependent detector response and tested directly in corrected-S2 (cS2) space. A joint binned likelihood combines the seven cS2 bins of science runs SR0, SR1, and SR2. We sample the five-dimensional parameter space $\{\beta_e,\beta_\gamma,M_e,\Lambda,n\}$ and derive posterior constraints on the conformal and disformal electron couplings. The data extend the recoil-energy reach to approximately $0.04~{\rm keV}_{ee}$, where the few-electron detector response and instrumental backgrounds must be modeled explicitly. In the disformal-dominated regime, the result is expressed in terms of $\beta_{\rm eff}\equiv\beta_\gamma({\rm eV}/M_e)^4$. We obtain the upper limit $\log_{10}\beta_{\rm eff}<-3.64$. Although the present analysis reaches a lower energy threshold than our previous XENONnT electronic-recoil analysis, the resulting constraint is weaker, primarily because the disformal absorption rate decreases rapidly toward low recoil energies, where the background rate also becomes larger. This analysis establishes low-energy ionization data as a new experimental channel for testing solar chameleons and screened dark-energy models.
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Saturday 26 September

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

Error Propagation from Integral Moments and Spectral Derivatives of Stokes Profiles to Magnetic Observables

Roberto Casini

We aim to derive convenient analytic estimations of magnetic inference errors, which can be used to inform and facilitate the creation of the science-traceability matrix of a polarimetric instrument. In order to do this, we study the general problem of the propagation of Poissonian noise in polarized light signals to derived data products of the Stokes profiles, namely integral moments of arbitrary orders and spectral derivatives of the intensity. In particular, we derive the errors on the longitudinal and transversal projections of the magnetic field inferred from the weak-field approximation (WFA) of the Zeeman effect. The propagated errors on magnetic inference are traced back to the signal- to-noise ratio (SNR) of the observations. The results can be used to quantify the contributions of different environmental and instrumental conditions (spectral line width, spectral resolution, line spread function, stray light) to the overall error on the inferred quantities. Our tests indicate that the integral-moment method of inference is comparable to the local derivative in a predictable way.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Cross-listed from astro-ph.EP

Worlds Next Door. V. A Candidate Solar System Scale Super-Jupiter in the 61 Cygni Binary System

Aniket Sanghi, Billy Quarles, Andrea S. J. Lin et al. (+16 more)

We present new constraints on a candidate third companion in the 61 Cygni binary system-one of the closest neighbors to our solar system (3.5 pc), the first stars to have a measured parallax, and two of the most favorable targets for habitable zone exo-Earth searches with future direct imaging missions. Kervella et al. (2022) first identified the candidate based on a 4.4$\sigma$ tangential velocity anomaly in the system determined using Hipparcos and Gaia DR3 astrometry of the A and B components. We combine this astrometric evidence with constraints from Gaia DR3 RUWE, MMT/Clio Lp imaging, nearly four decades of radial velocity (RV) measurements (including $\sim$2 years of new NEID RVs presented here), and N-body dynamical stability calculations of both stars in a Monte Carlo framework to estimate the candidate companion's mass and semi-major axis. Our analysis reveals that all of the available data are compatible with an $\approx(8 \pm 3)\;M_{\rm Jup}$ super-Jupiter in an $\approx(8 \pm 3)$ au orbit, with a broad range of allowed eccentricities and mutual inclinations. Using the Sonora Flame Skimmer evolutionary models, given the system's mature age of $(6.0 \pm 1.0)$ Gyr, we estimate a companion effective temperature of $(282 \pm 55)$ K and radius of $(1.02 \pm 0.02)\;R_{\rm Jup}$. Finally, we evaluate the stability of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone (HZ) of 61 Cygni AB in the presence of the giant planet candidate using N-body simulations. A companion semi-major axis $\lesssim$5 au, irrespective of the planet-planet mutual inclination, and between $\approx$5 au and 10 au, for misaligned orbits ($40^o \lesssim i_{\rm mut} \lesssim 140^o$), severely disrupts the HZ. Our results highlight the need to confirm the planet candidate and characterize its orbit to inform future exo-Earth searches with missions such as SHERA, HWO, and LIFE.
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All authors Aniket Sanghi, Billy Quarles, Andrea S. J. Lin, Cheyanne Shariat, Pierre Kervella, James Mang, Dimitri Mawet, Mark R. Giovinazzi, Arvind F. Gupta, Charles Beichman, Bertrand Mennesson, Mathilde Mâlin, Jerry W. Xuan, Liton Majumdar, Jack J. Lissauer, Mark Wyatt, William O. Balmer, Eduardo Bendek, Kevin Wagner

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

SolRaT: polarized spectral line modeling with multi-term and multi-level atoms

Ivan I. Yakovkin

The interpretation of polarized spectral lines requires models that combine statistical equilibrium with polarized radiative transfer accounting for atomic polarization, the Hanle effect, and Zeeman and Paschen-Back splitting. The aim is to provide an open-source Python implementation of the irreducible spherical tensor formalism of Landi Degl`Innocenti and Landolfi (2004), hereafter LL04, for forward synthesis of Stokes profiles with interchangeable atomic descriptions. SolRaT solves the statistical equilibrium and polarized transfer problem for interchangeable multi-term and multi-level atomic descriptions. The multi-term model retains coherences between fine-structure levels of the same term and treats the magnetic Hamiltonian by exact diagonalization, allowing the magnetic splitting to be followed from the linear Zeeman regime to the incomplete and complete Paschen-Back regimes. The widely used multi-level model in turn assumes only the linear Zeeman regime, resulting in a simpler and more developed formalism. The implementation is checked against analytic results from LL04, the Unno-Rachkovsky solution for local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) Zeeman transfer, the Hazel2 He I D3 synthesis, and published self-consistent non-LTE scattering benchmarks. The examples show how the intra-term magnetic mixing produces departures from a linear Zeeman multi-level description, and how a J-constrained multi-term approach can be used to isolate this effect on a chosen fine-structure component. Synthesizing the same spectral line with interchangeable multi-term and multi-level descriptions under identical conditions isolates the signatures of intra-term magnetic mixing and inter-J coherences from the linear Zeeman response. Such controlled comparisons are central to developing scattering polarization diagnostics applicable across multiple atomic descriptions.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Multiple regular frequency spacings in $\delta$ Scuti stars from automated analysis of TESS oscillation spectra

Shravan M. Hanasoge, Shashwat Chamoli, Subrata Kumar Panda et al. (+1 more)

The oscillation spectra of rapidly rotating $\delta$ Scuti stars are difficult to interpret because rotation modifies both the frequencies and spatial structure of the modes. Although theoretical studies predict that acoustic modes should organize into approximately equally spaced frequency sequences, systematic searches for such patterns have been limited by the absence of scalable, statistically robust detection methods. We present an automated statistical framework for identifying approximately equally spaced mode sequences in stellar oscillation spectra while quantifying the significance of each candidate detection. We apply this method to oscillation spectra of 4,681 $\delta$ Scuti stars observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The analysis identifies regular mode sequences in a large number of stars and, in many cases, reveals multiple independent regular frequency spacings within the same oscillation spectrum. While the existence of regular sequences is broadly consistent with theoretical expectations for rapidly rotating acoustic modes, the occurrence of multiple dissimilar spacings is not readily explained by current models. Differences in acoustic travel times between known island-mode families appear insufficient to account for the observed diversity of spacings, suggesting that additional mode families or other physical effects contribute to the organization of oscillation spectra of $\delta$ Scuti stars. Our results provide a scalable framework for studying regular mode sequences in large stellar surveys and new observational constraints on oscillations in rapidly rotating stars.
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All authors Shravan M. Hanasoge, Shashwat Chamoli, Subrata Kumar Panda, Daniel R. Reese

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Successfully Reproducing Solar Orbiter Polar Field Observations with a Surface Flux Transport Model

Ruihui Wang, Jie Jiang, Yukun Luo et al. (+2 more)

The solar polar field plays a fundamental role in predicting solar-cycle strength and determines the large-scale structure of the heliospheric magnetic field. The High Resolution Telescope of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager aboard Solar Orbiter (SO/PHI-HRT) provides unprecedented observations of the solar polar regions, as Solar Orbiter currently reaches heliographic latitudes of up to $\pm17^\circ$, about $10^\circ$ higher than those accessible from near-ecliptic observations. Using these observations to further test surface flux transport models, we present a successful simulation of the SO/PHI-HRT observations, reproducing the latitudinal profiles of the longitudinally averaged radial magnetic field in both polar regions. This result is achieved using the meridional-flow profile proposed by \citet{WangRH2026}, which also reproduces the evolution of the axial dipole strength, magnetic butterfly diagram, and high-latitude magnetic fields observed by SDO/HMI during Solar Cycle 25. We further compare simulations using this profile with simulations employing two representative meridional-flow profiles characterized by different peak latitudes. The latter fail to reproduce the observed high-latitude and polar fields. The comparison demonstrates that the meridional-flow profile strongly regulates poleward flux transport and the resulting polar-field evolution. Profiles peaking at higher latitudes produce stronger flux surges, and stronger and more concentrated polar fields. These results provide new constraints on the large-scale solar meridional flow.
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All authors Ruihui Wang, Jie Jiang, Yukun Luo, D. Calchetti, S. K. Solanki

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Self-constrained Magnetic Reconnection of a Solar Flare Co-spatial with a Non-ejected Filament

Ye Qiu, Changxue Chen, Anqin Chen et al. (+11 more)

For flares associated with eruptive filaments, the filament normally rises above the post-flare loops. Here, we report an unusual event in which the post-flare loops instead overlie a filament that remains non-ejected throughout the flare. This event was simultaneously captured by the Chinese H$\alpha$ Solar Explorer (CHASE), the Solar Extreme-UltraViolet Imager (SUVI) onboard Fengyun-4C, the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) onboard the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) observations provided by FY4C/SUVI and SDO show that two hot loop systems form at the flare onset. The western end of the northern loop system undergoes a southwestward drifting motion with gradually increasing shear, whereas the southern loop system progressively converges toward and eventually overlies the northern one. Meanwhile, three-dimensional magnetic field extrapolations reveal an increase in both the twist of the filament-supporting magnetic structure and its poloidal magnetic field after the flare. Taken together, these observations suggest that the flare is driven by a self-constraining zipper-type magnetic reconnection, in which highly sheared arcades reconnect to form a series of overlying flare arcades and an underlying flux rope. This reconnection continuously strengthens the magnetic confinement of the filament, preventing its outward eruption, while facilitating substantial plasma drainage along the reconnected magnetic field revealed by the CHASE H$\alpha$ spectroscopic observations.
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All authors Ye Qiu, Changxue Chen, Anqin Chen, Chuan Li, Yang Guo, Linggao Kong, Feng Lu, Xiaohu Zhang, Weiguo Zong, Jinsong Wang, Xinkai Li, Peng Wang, Kefei Song, Bo Chen

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

The NEID Earth Twin Survey. VI. Discovery of a Low-Mass Planet Orbiting HD 126053 and RV Signals Near the Rotation Periods of HD 168009 and HD 10780

Arvind F. Gupta, Sarah E. Logsdon, Jacob K. Luhn et al. (+19 more)

Extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) spectrographs are making strides in extending the limits of radial velocity exoplanet detection. Perhaps the best evidence for this is how readily EPRV instruments are facilitating the discovery and detailed characterization of small-amplitude planetary signals around stars that have already been intensively monitored for decades with less stable instruments. In this paper, we use data from the ongoing NEID Earth Twin Survey (NETS) to detect and confirm the planet HD 126053 b (P=10.91 d), which is among the least massive planets (m sin i = 3.60 m M_\oplus) around solar-type stars within 25 pc. We then jointly characterize the known planet HD 168009 b (P=15.14 d; m sin i = 8.64 M_\oplus) orbiting a solar analog along with a previously unreported signal at 27.8 d which we tentatively attribute to rotational modulation of stellar activity (P_rot = 30.1 d). We also analyze and discuss periodic RV variations in HD 10780 arising from a combination of rotationally-modulated activity and a long-term activity cycle. We discuss HD 126053 b and HD 168009 b in the context of the broader small planet population and our sensitivity to long-period planets in these systems, and we comment on our capacity to disambiguate planet-induced and activity-induced radial velocity signals. HD 126053 is exceptionally RV-quiet, making it a promising target for continued RV monitoring in search of low-mass exoplanets in the habitable zone.
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All authors Arvind F. Gupta, Sarah E. Logsdon, Jacob K. Luhn, Evan Fitzmaurice, Suvrath Mahadevan, Paul Robertson, Eric B. Ford, Chad F. Bender, Mark R. Giovinazzi, Samuel Halverson, Te Han, Daniel M. Krolikowski, Andrea S.J. Lin, Joe P. Ninan, Michael L. Palumbo III, Leonardo A. Paredes, Jayadev Rajagopal, Arpita Roy, Christian Schwab, Gudmundur Stefansson, Ryan C. Terrien, Jason T. Wright

Friday 25 September

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Transport of Magnetic Fields by Thermohaline Convection in Crystallizing White Dwarfs

Nicolas Frazao Fernandes, J. R. Fuentes and Jim Fuller

The origins of strong magnetic fields observed in many white dwarfs are uncertain. Recent observations show that such fields are more common for white dwarfs with crystallized cores. Crystallization creates a destabilizing composition gradient that drives thermohaline convection in the star's fluid envelope, which may play an important role in magnetic field emergence. We perform 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations of thermohaline convection with magnetic fields of various strengths and orientations, using the Boussinesq approximation in periodic Cartesian boxes. Our simulations suggest that thermohaline convection can generate magnetic fields when the magnetic Prandtl number is large (i.e., low magnetic diffusivity), but they are likely too weak to account for those observed in magnetic white dwarfs. However, the simulations indicate that strong magnetic fields can be advected outwards by the thermohaline convection without being destroyed, depending on the net magnetic flux. Hence, crystallization-induced thermohaline mixing may transport magnetic fields initially trapped in white dwarf interiors to their outer layers, allowing them to be observed. However, additional simulations using more realistic geometry and magnetic field configurations will be needed to confirm this possibility.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Spectroscopic Signatures of Nonuniform Lateral Expansion of a Coronal Mass Ejection in the Low Corona with ADITYA-L1/VELC

Saurabh Tripathi, Tanmoy Samanta and Jayant Joshi

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) undergo rapid evolution in the low corona ($<2R_\odot$), yet their three-dimensional kinematics remain poorly constrained. We present a spectroscopic and imaging analysis of a CME observed on 2024 August 5 using the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) on board ADITYA-L1 and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA)/Solar Dynamics Observator (SDO). The VELC Fe XIV 5303 Å spectra captured the erupting CME as it crossed the western slit. Space-time maps from single-Gaussian fits reveal coronal dimming and enhanced Doppler velocities during the eruption. Detailed spectral analysis reveals strongly Doppler-shifted secondary components associated with the CME front. These components appear as two spatially separated emission branches on opposite sides of the rest wavelength, producing a distinct bifurcated spectral morphology superposed on the nearly stationary reduced-intensity coronal emission. Double-Gaussian fitting yields line-of-sight (LOS) plasma velocities of up to 218 km/s, likely a lower limit as the secondary component reaches the edge of spectral window. AIA 211 Å observations measure a projected radial speed of 1135 km/s, larger than the plane-of-sky (POS) lateral speed of 692 km/s along the slit. To interpret the observed CME evolution and spectral structure, we developed a simplified three-dimensional geometric-kinematic model of an expanding axially tilted CME shell. Synthetic spectra from the model show that an inclined CME undergoing asymmetric lateral expansion can produce a bifurcated spectral morphology similar to that observed, with velocity components projected in the radial, POS-lateral, and LOS-lateral directions. Our results demonstrate that combining spectroscopy and EUV imaging constrains different components of CME kinematics during early evolution.
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