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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Wednesday 3 December

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Push-broom Mapping of Galaxies and Supernova Remnants with the SPRITE CubeSat

Elena Carlson, Brian Fleming, Yi Hang Valerie Wong et al. (+12 more)

Supernovae (SNe) enrich and energize the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) and are a key mechanism in the galaxy feedback cycle. The heating of the ISM by supernova shocks, and its subsequent cooling is critical to future star formation. The cooling of the diffuse shock-heated ISM is dominated by ultraviolet (UV) emission lines. These cooling regions and interfaces have complex spatial structure on sub-parsec scales. Mapping this cooling process is essential to understanding the feedback cycle of galaxies, a major goal of the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. The Supernova remnants and Proxies for ReIonization Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) CubeSat Mission will house the first long-slit orbital spectrograph with sub-arcminute angular resolution covering far ultraviolet wavelengths (FUV; 1000 - 1750 angstroms) and access to the Lyman UV (lambda < 1216 angstroms). SPRITE aims to provide new insights into the stellar feedback that drives galaxy evolution by mapping key FUV emission lines at the interaction lines between supernova remnants (SNRs) and the ambient interstellar medium (ISM). SPRITE will also measure the ionizing escape from approximately 50 low-redshift (0.16 < z < 0.4) star-forming galaxies. Current models predict SPRITE capable of detecting strong O VI, O IV], and C IV emission lines with angular resolution from 10 - 20 arcseconds. The SPRITE SNR survey will use push-broom mapping of its long-slit on extended sources to produce the first large sample of sub-arcminute 3D data cubes of extended sources in the FUV. In this paper, we present simulated SPRITE observations of Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) SNRs to demonstrate the efficacy of the SPRITE instrument ahead of launch and instrument commissioning. These models serve as critical planning tools and incorporate the final pre-flight predicted performance of the instrument and the early extended source data reduction pipeline.
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All authors Elena Carlson, Brian Fleming, Yi Hang Valerie Wong, Briana Indahl, Dmitry Vorobiev, Maitland Bowen, Donal O'Sullivan, Kevin France, Anne Jaskot, Jason Tumlinson, Sanchayeeta Borthakur, Michael Rutkowski, Stephan McCandliss, Ravi Sankrit, John M. O'Meara

Tuesday 2 December

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

Lateral Deformation of Large-scale Coronal Mass Ejections during the Transition from Non-radial to Radial Propagation

Huidong Hu, Chong Chen, Yiming Jiao et al. (+4 more)

Many coronal mass ejections (CMEs) initially propagate non-radially, and then transition to radial propagation in the corona. This directional transition is a significant process that determines a CME's space weather effects but remains poorly understood. Based on multi-wavelength observations, we investigate the transition from non-radial to radial propagation in the low corona for two large-scale CMEs from the same active region on the solar limb. In the beginning, both CMEs move in a non-radial direction, beneath a system of overlying loops that are roughly parallel to the flux-rope axis. The CMEs laterally deform by bulging their upper flanks in the non-radial stage toward the higher corona, which results in the transition to a radial propagation direction approximately 25$^\circ$ away from the eruption site. After the directional transition, the non-radial-stage upper flank becomes the leading edge in the radial stage. Although the overlying loops do not strap over the flux rope, their strong magnetic tension force constrains the radial expansion of part of the CME during the transition by acting on the flux-rope legs. A major portion of the filament is displaced to the southern part of a CME in the radial stage, which implies the complexity of observational CME features. This study presents the first investigation of the lateral deformation during the transition of CMEs from non-radial to radial in the low corona, and makes an essential contribution to the complete CME evolution picture.
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All authors Huidong Hu, Chong Chen, Yiming Jiao, Bei Zhu, Rui Wang, Xiaowei Zhao, Liping Yang

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Probing jet base emission of M87* with the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope observations

Saurabh, Hendrik Müller, Sebastiano D. von Fellenberg et al. (+282 more)

We investigate the presence and spatial characteristics of the jet base emission in M87* at 230 GHz, enabled by the enhanced uv coverage in the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. The addition of the 12-m Kitt Peak Telescope and NOEMA provides two key intermediate-length baselines to SMT and the IRAM 30-m, giving sensitivity to emission structures at scales of $\sim250~\mu$as and $\sim2500~\mu$as (0.02 pc and 0.2 pc). Without these baselines, earlier EHT observations lacked the capability to constrain emission on large scales, where a "missing flux" of order $\sim1$ Jy is expected. To probe these scales, we analyzed closure phases, robust against station-based gain errors, and modeled the jet base emission using a simple Gaussian offset from the compact ring emission at separations $>100~\mu$as. Our analysis reveals a Gaussian feature centered at ($\Delta$RA $\approx320~\mu$as, $\Delta$Dec $\approx60~\mu$as), a projected separation of $\approx5500$ AU, with a flux density of only $\sim60$ mJy, implying that most of the missing flux in previous studies must arise from larger scales. Brighter emission at these scales is ruled out, and the data do not favor more complex models. This component aligns with the inferred direction of the large-scale jet and is consistent with emission from the jet base. While our findings indicate detectable jet base emission at 230 GHz, coverage from only two intermediate baselines limits reconstruction of its morphology. We therefore treat the recovered Gaussian as an upper limit on the jet base flux density. Future EHT observations with expanded intermediate-baseline coverage will be essential to constrain the structure and nature of this component.
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All authors Saurabh, Hendrik Müller, Sebastiano D. von Fellenberg, Paul Tiede, Michael Janssen, Lindy Blackburn, Avery E. Broderick, Erandi Chavez, Boris Georgiev, Thomas P. Krichbaum, Kotaro Moriyama, Dhanya G. Nair, Iniyan Natarajan, Jongho Park, Andrew Thomas West, Maciek Wielgus, Kazunori Akiyama, Ezequiel Albentosa-Ruíz, Antxon Alberdi, Walter Alef, Juan Carlos Algaba, Richard Anantua, Keiichi Asada, Rebecca Azulay, Uwe Bach, Anne-Kathrin Baczko, David Ball, Mislav Baloković, Bidisha Bandyopadhyay, John Barrett, Michi Bauböck, Bradford A. Benson, Dan Bintley, Raymond Blundell, Katherine L. Bouman, Geoffrey C. Bower, Michael Bremer, Roger Brissenden, Silke Britzen, Dominique Broguiere, Thomas Bronzwaer, Sandra Bustamante, Douglas F. Carlos, John E. Carlstrom, Andrew Chael, Chi-kwan Chan, Dominic O. Chang, Koushik Chatterjee, Shami Chatterjee, Ming-Tang Chen, Yongjun Chen, Xiaopeng Cheng, Paul Chichura, Ilje Cho, Pierre Christian, Nicholas S. Conroy, John E. Conway, Thomas M. Crawford, Geoffrey B. Crew, Alejandro Cruz-Osorio, Yuzhu Cui, Brandon Curd, Rohan Dahale, Jordy Davelaar, Mariafelicia De Laurentis, Roger Deane, Gregory Desvignes, Jason Dexter, Vedant Dhruv, Indu K. Dihingia, Sheperd S. Doeleman, Sergio A. Dzib, Ralph P. Eatough, Razieh Emami, Heino Falcke, Joseph Farah, Vincent L. Fish, Edward Fomalont, H. Alyson Ford, Marianna Foschi, Raquel Fraga-Encinas, William T. Freeman, Per Friberg, Christian M. Fromm, Antonio Fuentes, Peter Galison, Charles F. Gammie, Roberto García, Olivier Gentaz, Ciriaco Goddi, Roman Gold, Arturo I. Gómez-Ruiz, José L. Gómez, Minfeng Gu, Mark Gurwell, Kazuhiro Hada, Daryl Haggard, Ronald Hesper, Dirk Heumann, Luis C. Ho, Paul Ho, Mareki Honma, Chih-Wei L. Huang, Lei Huang, David H. Hughes, Shiro Ikeda, C. M. Violette Impellizzeri, Makoto Inoue, Sara Issaoun, David J. James, Buell T. Jannuzi, Britton Jeter, Wu Jiang, Alejandra Jiménez-Rosales, Michael D. Johnson, Svetlana Jorstad, Adam C. Jones, Abhishek V. Joshi, Taehyun Jung, Ramesh Karuppusamy, Tomohisa Kawashima, Garrett K. Keating, Mark Kettenis, Dong-Jin Kim, Jae-Young Kim, Jongsoo Kim, Junhan Kim, Motoki Kino, Jun Yi Koay, Prashant Kocherlakota, Yutaro Kofuji, Patrick M. Koch, Shoko Koyama, Carsten Kramer, Joana A. Kramer, Michael Kramer, Cheng-Yu Kuo, Noemi La Bella, Deokhyeong Lee, Sang-Sung Lee, Aviad Levis, Shaoliang Li, Zhiyuan Li, Rocco Lico, Greg Lindahl, Michael Lindqvist, Mikhail Lisakov, Jun Liu, Kuo Liu, Elisabetta Liuzzo, Wen-Ping Lo, Andrei P. Lobanov, Laurent Loinard, Colin J. Lonsdale, Amy E. Lowitz, Ru-Sen Lu, Nicholas R. MacDonald, Jirong Mao, Nicola Marchili, Sera Markoff, Daniel P. Marrone, Alan P. Marscher, Iván Martí-Vidal, Satoki Matsushita, Lynn D. Matthews, Lia Medeiros, Karl M. Menten, Hugo Messias, Izumi Mizuno, Yosuke Mizuno, Joshua Montgomery, James M. Moran, Monika Moscibrodzka, Wanga Mulaudzi, Cornelia Müller, Alejandro Mus, Gibwa Musoke, Ioannis Myserlis, Hiroshi Nagai, Neil M. Nagar, Masanori Nakamura, Gopal Narayanan, Antonios Nathanail, Santiago Navarro Fuentes, Joey Neilsen, Chunchong Ni, Michael A. Nowak, Junghwan Oh, Hiroki Okino, Héctor Raúl Olivares Sánchez, Tomoaki Oyama, Feryal Özel, Daniel C. M. Palumbo, Georgios Filippos Paraschos, Harriet Parsons, Nimesh Patel, Ue-Li Pen, Dominic W. Pesce, Vincent Piétu, Alexander Plavin, Aleksandar PopStefanija, Oliver Porth, Ben Prather, Giacomo Principe, Dimitrios Psaltis, Hung-Yi Pu, Alexandra Rahlin, Venkatessh Ramakrishnan, Ramprasad Rao, Mark G. Rawlings, Luciano Rezzolla, Angelo Ricarte, Luca Ricci, Bart Ripperda, Jan Röder, Freek Roelofs, Cristina Romero-Cañizales, Eduardo Ros, Arash Roshanineshat, Helge Rottmann, Alan L. Roy, Ignacio Ruiz, Chet Ruszczyk, Kazi L. J. Rygl, León D. S. Salas, Salvador Sánchez, David Sánchez-Argüelles, Miguel Sánchez-Portal, Mahito Sasada, Kaushik Satapathy, Tuomas Savolainen, F. Peter Schloerb, Jonathan Schonfeld, Karl-Friedrich Schuster, Lijing Shao, Zhiqiang Shen, Sasikumar Silpa, Des Small, Randall Smith, Bong Won Sohn, Jason SooHoo, Kamal Souccar, Joshua S. Stanway, He Sun, Fumie Tazaki, Alexandra J. Tetarenko, Remo P. J. Tilanus, Michael Titus, Kenji Toma, Pablo Torne, Teresa Toscano, Efthalia Traianou, Tyler Trent, Sascha Trippe, Matthew Turk, Ilse van Bemmel, Huib Jan van Langevelde, Daniel R. van Rossum, Jesse Vos, Jan Wagner, Derek Ward-Thompson, John Wardle, Jasmin E. Washington, Jonathan Weintroub, Robert Wharton, Kaj Wiik, Gunther Witzel, Michael F. Wondrak, George N. Wong, Jompoj Wongphexhauxsorn, Qingwen Wu, Nitika Yadlapalli, Paul Yamaguchi, Aristomenis Yfantis, Doosoo Yoon, André Young, Ziri Younsi, Wei Yu, Feng Yuan, Ye-Fei Yuan, Ai-Ling Zeng, J. Anton Zensus, Shuo Zhang, Guang-Yao Zhao, Shan-Shan Zhao

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.pop-ph

Responsible Discovery in Astrobiology: Lessons from Four Controversial Claims

Daliah Raquel Bibas and Clément Vidal

This paper examines four case studies of life-detection claims in astrobiology, covering both biosignatures and technosignatures: the 1877 "canals" on Mars, the 1976 Mars Viking landers experiments, the 2020 phosphine detection on Venus, and the 2020 Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1 (BLC1) signal. We analyse the process of discovery for each case, including how they were detected, the media reception, the ensuing scientific debate, the correction processes, and the time it took until an expert consensus was reached. We identify lessons learned while providing scientists, the scientific community, and science communicators with recommendations for approaching future claims of astrobiological discoveries. To avoid potential cognitive biases and mitigate premature conclusions, we stress the need for clear communication of uncertainties, as well as thorough debate and verification processes among the scientific community. These responsible approaches can strengthen the credibility of scientists, cultivate a supportive scientific community, and help astrobiology flourish as a field.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

EFT of Dark Energy with Cosmic Chronometers: Reconstructing Background EFT Functions

Fumiya Okamatsu and Kazufumi Takahashi

The effective field theory (EFT) of dark energy provides a model-independent framework for studying cosmology within scalar-tensor theories. In this work, we explore how the time evolution of the cosmological background, inferred from cosmic chronometer measurements of the Hubble parameter, can be used to reconstruct the relevant EFT functions. Our approach enables the direct determination of these EFT functions from observational data without assuming any specific cosmological model. This makes it possible to test the background evolution of a wide range of dark energy models, including the $\Lambda$CDM model. We further demonstrate how the reconstructed EFT functions can be applied to constrain concrete theories, such as the quintessence model.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Roman coronagraph simulations of exozodi observations in the presence of wavefront errors

Jorge Llop-Sayson, Vanessa P. Bailey, Justin Hom et al. (+6 more)

The Coronagraph Instrument on board of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will demonstrate key technologies that will prepare the ground for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The current predictions for the Roman Coronagraph's detection limit range from 1e-8 to a few 1e-9, which would allow for groundbreaking science, such as potentially imaging Jupiter-like planets. However, the performance of the instrument depends on many factors. Simulating images with varying optical error sources can help us connect instrument and observatory performance to science yield. Here we present corosims, a tool to simulate observations of astrophysical scenes with the Coronagraph with evolving errors. This tool wraps around the Coronagraph PROPER diffraction model and detector simulator. We use it to investigate the potential degeneracy between jitter-induced speckles and both hot and warm exozodi disk structures. First, we simulate observations of exozodi around Tau Ceti, with varying jitter. We predict that with nominal post-correction pointing jitter performance (~0.3 mas RMS), the Roman Coronagraph should be sensitive to 12x zodis worth of dust, assuming a face-on (worst case scenario) inclination. We further predict that its sensitivity degrades to 35x zodis if jitter on-target is 3x worse than the nominal value. This estimate assumes the best-modeled wavefront control and stability values from the project, including additional model uncertainty factors. We find that, while jitter hinders warm exozodi detection, jitter residuals are unlikely to result in a false positive. However, if a faint hot exozodi falls at small separation, it may not be distinguishable from jitter-induced speckle residuals of comparable brightness. Finally, we discuss the degeneracies induced between flux and separation retrieved near the inner working angle due the sharp edge of the Roman Coronagraph's focal plane mask.
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All authors Jorge Llop-Sayson, Vanessa P. Bailey, Justin Hom, John Krist, Bertrand Mennesson, Samantha N. Hasler, Alexandra Z. Greenbaum, A J Eldorado Riggs, Geoffrey Bryden

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Surprisingly Large Doppler Shifts in Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) Solar Spectra, Resulting from an Inconspicuous Small-scale Jet in EUV Images

Alphonse C. Sterling, Louise K. Harra, Navdeep K. Panesar et al. (+1 more)

Strong EUV lineshifts in solar spectra are generally indicative of highly dynamic and explosive events that are easily detected in comparable-wavelength EUV images, with the strongest such line shifts (several 100 km/s) occurring in solar flares. Here we present observations of exceptionally strong lineshifts detected in Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) spectra outside the time of a flare-like brightening, with 195 Ang blueshifts of ~200 km/s. Although the likely culprit is too weak to register in GOES Soft X-ray fluxes, EIS pinpoints the source at the edge of an active region. Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) images and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetograms show a nondescript small-scale eruptive event at this location. We find this event likely to be an inconspicuous coronal jet, apparently triggered by converging/canceling magnetic flux patches, with plane-of-sky velocity ~159+-29 km/s. AIA and HMI observations of this faint transient feature, together with observations of a slightly brighter jetting event near the same location an hour earlier, suggest that the strong EIS Doppler shifts are indeed due to a coronal jet that is hard to detect in AIA images. These observations, together with other recent studies, show that EUV Doppler maps are a much more sensitive tool for detecting small-scale eruptions than are EUV images, and those eruptions are frequently triggered by magnetic flux cancelation episodes. Such-detected small-scale eruptions, that often produce small-scale coronal-jet-like features, might propagate into and help drive the solar wind.
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All authors Alphonse C. Sterling, Louise K. Harra, Navdeep K. Panesar, Ronald L. Moore

Astrophysics of Galaxies

A Comprehensive JWST/NIRSpec Census of Broad-line Active Galactic Nuclei: Faint, Low-mass Accretors and a Population of Little Red Dots

Caroline Baccus and Xinfeng Xu

We present a sample of 227 broad-line active galactic nuclei (BLAGNs), incorporating 148 newly identified sources, spanning a redshift interval from z = 0.8 to 7.2. We analyze spectroscopic data from the NIRSpec instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope, using the G140H, G140M, G235H, G235M, G395H, and G395M gratings to survey N ~ 80,000 galaxies for BLAGNs. Through emission-line fitting, using a sum of Gaussian models for $H\alpha$, $H\beta$, [N II] $\lambda\lambda$6548, 6584, and [O III] $\lambda\lambda$4959, 5007, we separate active galactic nucleus (AGN) broad-line components from narrow-line emission. We find the detection rate of BLAGNs to be relatively consistent across our redshift range. Compared to typical low-z AGNs (z $\lesssim$ 1), high-z BLAGNs are systematically fainter and less massive, yet they accrete more efficiently, with most showing Eddington ratios between 0.1 and 1.0. This confirms rapid black hole growth during the early cosmic epochs. The detection of faint, low-mass BLAGNs at high redshift also helps bridge the observational gap between local supermassive black holes and remote luminous quasars, providing a more complete view of black hole-galaxy coevolution across cosmic time. We also identify 48 known little red dots (LRDs) in our BLAGN sample. For these LRDs, we find a systematic preference for exponential over Gaussian broad-line profiles, which are consistent with electron scattering rather than virial broadening. This implies that standard virial black hole masses for LRDs may be overestimated by up to 2 orders of magnitude.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.hist-ph

Determining the Qibla Direction by Astronomical and Geometrical Methods

Duaa Abdullah

This paper investigates the determination of the Qibla direction using both astronomical and geometrical approaches. The study reviews historical and classical methods employed by Muslim scholars and astronomers including the use of instruments such as the astrolabe and compass. It further explores spherical trigonometry techniques to precisely calculate the Qibla azimuth from any given location on Earth. The research clarifies geometric constructions and presents a computational model implemented in C++ to facilitate accurate Qibla determination. This interdisciplinary analysis underscores the rich tradition of Islamic astronomy and geometry in solving practical religious requirements, providing both theoretical frameworks and practical algorithms for modern application.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Comparison of Ne-22 core and shell distilled WD detonations in AREPO

Uri Pierre Burmester, Lilia Ferrario, Ivo R. Seitenzahl et al. (+1 more)

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of detonations in $1.0 \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ white dwarfs that have undergone $^{22} \mathrm{Ne}$ distillation during crystallisation. These simulations, conducted with the moving-mesh code AREPO, aim to investigate the effects of chemical separation on the ejecta and spectra of such WDs undergoing thermonuclear explosions. The distillation process alters the internal chemical stratification of the star, concentrating neutron-rich material either in a central core or in an interior shell. We model both configurations as well as a homogeneous equivalent for each case with the same $^{22} \mathrm{Ne}$ content distributed evenly at all radii. Despite similar $^{56} \mathrm{Ni}$ yields between the core and shell models ($0.40$ and $0.45 \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ respectively), the two models yield markedly different iron-group abundances. Both distilled models showed significantly enhanced production of $^{15} \mathrm{N}$ via the decay of $^{15} \mathrm{O}$. The $^{22} \mathrm{Ne}$-core model produces enhanced amounts of stable neutron-rich iron-group isotopes such as $^{58} \mathrm{Ni}$ and $^{54} \mathrm{Fe}$. We highlight observational signatures associated with these differences, including potentially enhanced [$\mathrm{Ni}_{\rm II}$] lines in nebular spectra. Synthetic TARDIS spectra at early times show only moderate differences. Our results suggest that white dwarf distillation, a process linked to delayed cooling in the Gaia Q branch population, may leave detectable nucleosynthetic fingerprints in a subset of Type Ia supernovae. These findings open additional pathways to probe progenitor evolution and the role of crystallisation in shaping the diversity of thermonuclear transients.
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All authors Uri Pierre Burmester, Lilia Ferrario, Ivo R. Seitenzahl, Simon Blouin

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Spectral Characterization of a 90 GHz CLASS Pixel

Gregory Jaehnig, John Appel, Sarah Marie Bruno et al. (+10 more)

The Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) is an experiment designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background on large angular scales to probe cosmic reionization and search for the inflationary $B$-mode signal. CLASS is a multi-frequency ensemble of telescopes with bands centered at 40, 90, 150, and 220 GHz. Each telescope has arrays of feedhorn-coupled transition edge sensor bolometers at the focal plane. The frequency response is primarily defined by the on-chip bandpass filter with additional contributions coming from the feedhorn, orthomode transducer, and 180-degree hybrid. In this study, we compare simulations and measurements of the frequency response of single pixel witness devices in the 90 GHz band with and without the bandpass filter. For the first time, we can separate the effects of the bandpass filter from the other microwave components using Fourier transform spectroscopy and design splits of the pixel. The results show that the -3 dB band edges are at 80 GHz and 108 GHz. The measurements demonstrate a robust method for characterizing the spectral response of individual components, which is crucial for optimizing the performance of future detector arrays.
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All authors Gregory Jaehnig, John Appel, Sarah Marie Bruno, Jake Connors, Shannon M. Duff, Naina Gupta, Johannes Hubmayr, Matthew A. Koc, Tammy Lucas, Tobias Marriage, Lola Morales Perez, Caleigh Ryan, Jeff Van Lanen

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Fine-Scale Features of the Sun's Atmosphere: Spicules and Jets

Alphonse C. Sterling

We present an overview of fine-scale features in the Sun's atmosphere, with a focus on spicules and jets. We consider older and newer observations and theories for chromospheric spicules and coronal jets. We also consider the connection between these features and some other solar atmospheric phenomena. We then discuss the possibility that there is a continuum of jet-like features ranging from spicules to large-scale CME-producing eruptions, all driven by similar magnetic processes operating on differing corresponding size scales. Future observational and theoretical studies will help clarify further the nature of these solar events, and elucidate possible connections between them.
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2512.03253 · 2 Dec · Published in: Space Physics and Aeronomy, Volume 1, Solar Physics and Solar Wind. Nour E. Raouafi (Editor), Angelos Vourlidas (Editor), Yongliang Zhang (Editor-in-Chief), Larry J. Paxton (Editor-in-Chief). Geophysical Monograph Series, Vol. 258. ISBN: 978-1-119-50753-6, 320 pp. American Geophysical Union, Wiley, 2021, p.221

Abstract PDF $SOLAR ×2$MAG ×1

Astrophysics of Galaxies

(Re)solving the Complex Multiscale Morphology and V-shaped Spectral Energy Distribution of a Newly Discovered Strongly Lensed Little Red Dot in A383

Josephine F.W. Baggen, Pieter van Dokkum, Ivo Labbé et al. (+1 more)

We present a luminous "little red dot" (LRD) at $z$ = 6.027, doubly imaged by the galaxy cluster A383 and observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam. Owing to its large magnifications, $\mu$ $\sim$ 11 for image A383-LRD1A and $\mu$ $\sim$ 7 for A383-LRD1B, the system is exceptionally bright and highly stretched, providing a rare, spatially resolved view of an LRD. The images reveal a complex morphology with a compact red dot, a spatially offset blue dot, and faint emission bridging and surrounding the two. After correcting for lensing, the blue and red dots have rest-frame UV and optical sizes of $\sim 60$ pc and $\lesssim 150$ pc, respectively, while extended emission traced most clearly in F356W ([O III]+H$\beta$) reaches scales of order $\sim 1$ kpc. Spatially resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis reveals that the characteristic V-shaped SED arises from the superposition of a flat UV continuum from the blue dot, consistent with a young stellar population, and a steep red SED from the red dot, which, based on Hubble Space Telescope+JWST photometry alone, admits a straightforward stellar interpretation as a massive, heavily dust-attenuated component. However, this interpretation is challenged by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array dust continuum upper limits, suggesting a nonstellar origin such as dense gas configurations. Separated by only $\sim$ 300 pc in the source plane, these components would blend into a single compact source in unlensed observations with the canonical LRD colors. This system therefore provides a rare opportunity to resolve the internal structure of an LRD and to begin unraveling the physical nature of this population.
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All authors Josephine F.W. Baggen, Pieter van Dokkum, Ivo Labbé, Gabriel Brammer

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: global zero-point and $H_0$ constraints

A. Carr, C. Howlett, A. J. Amsellem et al. (+55 more)

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) in its first Data Release (DR1) already provides more than 100,000 galaxies with relative distance measurements. The primary purpose of this paper is to perform the calibration of the zero-point for the DESI Fundamental Plane and Tully-Fisher relations, which allows us to measure the Hubble constant, $H_0$. This sample has a lower statistical uncertainty than any previously used to measure $H_0$, and we investigate the systematic uncertainties in absolute calibration that could limit the accuracy of that measurement. We improve upon the DESI Early Data Release Fundamental Plane $H_0$ measurement by a) using a group catalog to increase the number of calibrator galaxies and b) investigating alternative calibrators in the nearby Universe. Our baseline measurement calibrates to the SH0ES/Pantheon+ type Ia supernovae, and finds $H_0=73.7\pm 0.06\;(\text{stat.})\pm 1.1\;(\text{syst.})$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$. Calibrating to surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances yields a similar $H_0$. We explore measurements using other calibrators, but these are currently less precise since the overlap with DESI peculiar velocity tracers is much smaller. In future data releases with an even larger peculiar velocity sample, we plan to calibrate directly to Cepheids and the tip of the red giant branch, which will enable the uncertainty to decrease towards a percent-level measurement of $H_0$. This will provide an alternative to supernovae as the Hubble flow sample for $H_0$ measurements.
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All authors A. Carr, C. Howlett, A. J. Amsellem, Tamara M. Davis, K. Said, D. Parkinson, A. Palmese, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, J. Bautista, S. BenZvi, D. Bianchi, C. Blake, D. Brooks, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, P. Doel, K. Douglass, S. Ferraro, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. G. Kim, D. Kirkby, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, M. E. Levi, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, S. Nadathur, W. J. Percival, F. Prada, I. Pérez-Ràfols, F. Qin, C. Ross, G. Rossi, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, H. Seo, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, R. J. Turner, B. A. Weaver, P. Zarrouk, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 peculiar velocity survey: growth rate measurements from the galaxy power spectrum

F. Qin, C. Blake, C. Howlett et al. (+63 more)

The large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution encapsulate a wealth of cosmological information. A powerful means of unlocking this knowledge lies in measuring the auto-power spectrum and/or the cross-power spectrum of the galaxy density and momentum fields, followed by the estimation of cosmological parameters based on these spectrum measurements. In this study, we generalize the cross-power spectrum model to accommodate scenarios where the density and momentum fields are derived from distinct galaxy surveys. The growth rate of the large-scale structures of the Universe, commonly represented as $f\sigma_8$, is extracted by jointly fitting the monopole and quadrupole moments of the auto-density power spectrum, the monopole of the auto-momentum power spectrum, and the dipole of the cross-power spectrum. Our estimators, theoretical models and parameter-fitting framework have been tested using mocks, confirming their robustness and accuracy in retrieving the fiducial growth rate from simulation. These techniques are then applied to analyze the power spectrum of the DESI Bright Galaxy Survey and Peculiar Velocity Survey, and the fit result of the growth rate is $f\sigma_8=0.440^{+0.080}_{-0.096}$ at effective redshift $z_{\rm eff}=0.07$. By synthesizing the fitting outcomes from correlation functions, maximum likelihood estimation and power spectrum, yields a consensus value of $f\sigma_8(z_{\rm eff}=0.07) = 0.450 ^{+0.055}_{-0.055}$, and correspondingly we obtain $\gamma=0.580^{+0.110}_{-0.110}$, $\Omega_\mathrm{m}=0.301^{+0.011}_{-0.011}$ and $\sigma_8=0.834^{+0.032}_{-0.032}$. The measured $f\sigma_8$ and $\gamma$ are consistent with the prediction of the $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter Model and General Relativity.
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All authors F. Qin, C. Blake, C. Howlett, R. J. Turner, K. Lodha, J. Bautista, Y. Lai, A. J. Amsellem, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, D. Bianchi, D. Brooks, S. BenZvi, A. Carr, E. Chaussidon, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, K. Douglass, P. Doel, S. Ferraro, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. G. Kim, D. Kirkby, T. Kisner, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, M. E. Levi, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez, S. Nadathur, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, F. Prada, I. Perez-Rafols, C. Ross, G. Rossi, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, K. Said, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarle, B. A. Weaver, P. Zarrouk, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: growth rate measurements from galaxy and momentum correlation functions

R. J. Turner, C. Blake, F. Qin et al. (+61 more)

Joint analysis of the local peculiar velocity and galaxy density fields offers a promising route to testing cosmological models of gravity. We present a measurement of the normalised growth rate of structure, $f\sigma_8$, from the two-point correlations of velocity and density tracers from the DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity and Bright Galaxy Surveys, the largest catalogues of their kind assembled to date. We fit the two-point correlation measurements with non-linear correlation function models, constructed from density and momentum power spectra generated using 1-loop Eulerian perturbation theory, and validate our methodology using representative mock catalogues. We find $f\sigma_8 = 0.391^{+0.080}_{-0.081}$, consistent to within $1\sigma$ with accompanying analyses of the same datasets using power spectrum and maximum-likelihood fields methods. Combining these growth rate results from different methods including appropriate correlations, we find a consensus determination $f\sigma_8(z = 0.07) = 0.4497 \pm 0.0548$, consistent with predictions from Planck$+\Lambda$CDM cosmology. Jointly fitting to this consensus low-redshift growth rate and the DESI DR1 full-shape clustering dataset, we measure gravitational growth index $\gamma_{\rm L} = 0.580^{+0.110}_{-0.110}$, consistent with the prediction of general relativity.
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All authors R. J. Turner, C. Blake, F. Qin, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, A. J. Amsellem, J. Bautista, S. BenZvi, D. Bianchi, D. Brooks, A. Carr, E. Chaussidon, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, P. Doel, K. Douglass, S. Ferraro, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, C. Howlett, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, R. Kehoe, A. G. Kim, D. Kirkby, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, Y. Lai, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, A. Leauthaud, M. E. Levi, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez, S. Nadathur, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, F. Prada, I. Pérez-Ràfols, C. Ross, G. Rossi, K. Said, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, B. A. Weaver, P. Zarrouk, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: growth rate measurements from the maximum likelihood fields method

Y. Lai, C. Howlett, J. Aguilar et al. (+60 more)

We present the constraint on the growth rate of structure from the combination of DESI DR1 BGS sample, Fundamental Plane, and Tully-Fisher peculiar velocity catalogues using the maximum likelihood fields method. The combined catalogue contains 415,523 galaxy redshifts and 76,616 peculiar velocity measurements. To handle the large amount of data in the DESI DR1 peculiar velocity catalogue, we significantly improve the computational efficiency by rewriting the algorithm with JAX. After removing outliers and Tully-Fisher galaxies that are affected by systematics, we find $f\sigma_8 = 0.483_{-0.043}^{+0.080}(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.018(\mathrm{sys})$, consistent within $1\sigma$ with the power spectrum and correlation function analysis using the same dataset. Combining all three measurements with appropriate correlations, the consensus measurement is $f\sigma_8 (z_{\mathrm{eff}}=0.07) = 0.450\pm0.055$, consistent with Planck $+\Lambda$CDM cosmology $(f\sigma_8 = 0.449 \pm 0.008)$. Combining with the high redshift growth rate of structure measurements from DESI ShapeFit, the constraint on the growth index is $\gamma = 0.58\pm0.11$, consistent with GR.
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All authors Y. Lai, C. Howlett, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, A. J. Amsellem, J. Bautista, S. BenZvi, D. Bianchi, C. Blake, D. Brooks, A.Carr, T. Claybaugh, T. M. Davis, A. de la Macorra, P. Doel, K. Douglass, S. Ferraro, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. Kim, D. Kirkby, T. Kisner, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, A. Leauthaud, M. E. Levi, M. Manera, P. Martini, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez, S. Nadathur, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, F. Prada, I. Pérez-Ràfols, F. Qin, C. Ross, G. Rossi, K. Said, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, R. Turner, B. A. Weaver, P. Zarrouk, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: Mock Catalog

J. Bautista, A. J. Amsellem, V. Aronica et al. (+59 more)

We describe the production of the official set of mock catalogs for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Peculiar Velocity Survey (DESI-PV) Data Release 1 (DR1). Our mock catalogs reproduce the Bright Galaxy Survey number density and clustering at low redshift $(z<0.1)$ and the DESI PV samples of Fundamental plane and Tully-Fisher distances, from which we derive peculiar velocities. We carefully match mock and data properties and we mimic measurements of distance indicators and peculiar velocities, which follow the same statistical properties as real data. Mock samples of type-Ia supernovae also complement the other two distance indicators. Our 675 available mock realizations were used consistently by our three different methodologies described in our companion papers that measure the growth rate of structure $f\sigma_8$ with DESI PV DR1. Those mocks allow us to perform precise tests of clustering models and uncertainty estimation to an unprecedented level of accuracy, and compute correlations between methodologies. The consensus value for the DESI DR1 PV growth rate measurement is $f\sigma_8 = 0.450 \pm 0.055$. This sample of mock catalogs represents the largest and most realistic set for cosmological measurements with peculiar velocities to date.
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All authors J. Bautista, A. J. Amsellem, V. Aronica, S. BenZvi, C. Blake, A. Carr, T. M. Davis, K. Douglass, T. Dumerchat, C. Howlett, Y. Lai, A. Nguyen, A. Palmese, F. Qin, C. Ravoux, C. Ross, K. Said, R. J. Turner, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, D. Bianchi, D. Brooks, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, P. Doel, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. Kremin, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, A. Leauthaud, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez, S. Nadathur, W. J. Percival, F. Prada, I. Pérez-Ràfols, G. Rossi, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, B. A. Weaver, P. Zarrouk, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: The Tully-Fisher Distance Catalog

K. Douglass, S. BenZvi, A. G. Kim et al. (+64 more)

We calibrate the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) using observations of spiral galaxies taken during the first year (DR1) of the DESI galaxy redshift survey. The rotational velocities of 10,262 galaxies are measured at 0.4 R26 by comparing the redshifts at 0.4 R26 with those at the galaxy centers of spatially-resolved galaxies targeted as part of the DESI Peculiar Velocity Survey. The DESI DR1 TFR slope is calibrated by separating the spiral galaxies into redshift bins of width dz = 0.005 from 0.03 < z < 0.1 and jointly fitting the TFR across all bins. We find a slope of -7.22+/-0.01 AB mag in the r-band for the TFR, with an intrinsic scatter of 0.466+/-0.001 AB mag. We present a catalog of the distances and peculiar velocities to these 10,262 galaxies using our calibrated TFR. For cosmological analyses, we also present a clustering catalog and associated random catalogs using a subset of 6807 of the DESI DR1 TF galaxies.
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All authors K. Douglass, S. BenZvi, A. G. Kim, S. Moore, A. Carr, J. Largett, N. Ravi, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, A. J. Amsellem, J. Bautista, D. Bianchi, C. Blake, D. Brooks, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, R. Demina, P. Doel, S. Ferraro, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztanaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, C. Howlett, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, A. Leauthaud, M. E. Levi, M. Manera, P. Martini, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Munoz-Gutierrez, S. Nadathur, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, A. Palmese, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, F. Prada, I. Perez-Rafols, F. Qin, C. Ross, G. Rossi, K. Said, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarle, R. J. Turner, B. A. Weaver, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The DESI DR1 Peculiar Velocity Survey: Fundamental Plane Catalogue

C. E. Ross, C. Howlett, J. R. Lucey et al. (+58 more)

Measurements of peculiar velocities in the local Universe are a powerful tool to study the nature of dark energy at low ($z < 0.1$) redshifts. Here we present the largest single set of $z<0.1$ peculiar velocity measurements to date, obtained using the Fundamental Plane (FP) of galaxies in the first data release (DR1) of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). We describe the photometric and spectroscopic selection criteria used to define the sample, as well as extensive quality control checks on the photometry and velocity dispersion measurements. Additionally, we perform detailed systematics checks for the many analysis parameters in our pipeline. Our DESI DR1 catalogue contains FP-based distances and peculiar velocities for $98,292$ unique early-type galaxies, increasing the total number of $z < 0.1$ FP distances ever measured by a factor of $\sim2$. We achieve a precision of $26\%$ random error in our distance measurements which is comparable to previous surveys. A series of companion DESI papers use the distances and peculiar velocities presented in this paper to measure cosmological parameters.
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All authors C. E. Ross, C. Howlett, J. R. Lucey, K. Said, T. M. Davis, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, A. J. Amsellem, J. Bautista, S. BenZvi, D. Bianchi, C. Blake, D. Brooks, A. Carr, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, A. de la Macorra, B. Dey, P. Doel, K. Douglass, S. Ferraro, A. Font-Ribera, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, J. Guy, K. Honscheid, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, A. G. Kim, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, A. Leauthaud, M. E. Levi, P. Martini, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. Moustakas, A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez, S. Nadathur, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, F. Prada, I. Pérez-Ràfols, F. Qin, G. Rossi, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, R. J. Turner, B. A. Weaver, R. Zhou, H. Zou

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Interferometric Detection and Orbit Modeling of the Subcomponent in the Hot-dust System $\kappa$ Tuc A: A Low-mass Star on an Eccentric Orbit in a Hierarchical-quintuple System

T. A. Stuber, A. Mérand, F. Kirchschlager et al. (+19 more)

The system $\kappa$ Tuc A is part of a hierarchical-quintuple system and is a prime target for studies of hot-exozodiacal dust, because a time-variable near-infrared excess has been detected. We observed the system with the Multi Aperture mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Experiment (MATISSE) and GRAVITY at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, and detected the stellar companion to the primary $\kappa$ Tuc Aa that was previously inferred by astrometry, $\kappa$ Tuc Ab. Its $L$-band flux ratio to the primary is 1.32% and its signature in the MATISSE closure phases is mostly smaller than +/- 2{\deg}, which makes $\kappa$ Tuc Ab the highest-contrast companion ever detected with MATISSE closure phases. We verified with GRAVITY that relative astrometry with milliarcsecond precision can be retrieved from MATISSE closure phases. Using multiple epochs of observations, we obtain a full orbital solution for $\kappa$ Tuc Ab. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.94 and a semi-major axis of 4.8au. The orbit of $\kappa$ Tuc Ab and the orbit of the wider separation companion $\kappa$ Tuc B are mutually inclined. Based on the measured flux ratio of $\kappa$ Tuc Ab to Aa and their dynamical mass, we estimate the spectral type of $\kappa$ Tuc Ab to be M3.5V to M4.5V. While the then unknown star $\kappa$ Tuc Ab might have caused the putative detection of hot-exozodiacal dust around $\kappa$ Tuc Aa in 2012 and 2014, this cannot be for the detection in 2019, giving rise to an intriguing system architecture. This motivates studies investigating the interplay of the low-mass star on an eccentric orbit, the hot-exozodiacal dust, and a possible planetesimal reservoir.
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All authors T. A. Stuber, A. Mérand, F. Kirchschlager, S. Wolf, G. Weible, O. Absil, T. D. Pearce, G. Garreau, J.-C. Augereau, W. C. Danchi, D. Defrère, V. Faramaz-Gorka, J. W. Isbell, J. Kobus, A. V. Krivov, R. Laugier, K. Ollmann, R. G. Petrov, P. Priolet, J. P. Scott, K. Tsishchankava, S. Ertel

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from nucl-th

Astrophysical Reaction Rates for Charged-Particle Induced Reactions on Proton-Rich Nuclides

Thomas Rauscher

Astrophysical reaction rates for reactions with proton-rich isotopes of Ne to Bi from stability to the proton dripline were calculated with an updated version of the SMARAGD statistical model (Hauser-Feshbach) code. Here, the focus was on reactions with protons or $\alpha$ particles as required for nucleosynthesis in proton-rich matter. For completeness, also neutron-induced reactions are provided for the same set of targets. Some comments on dependencies of rates on various nuclear properties and on the appropriate way to compare to experiments are given. The new rate set for charged-particle induced reactions provides a better description of experimental data than previously widely used rates, especially for reactions involving $\alpha$ particles.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

New Method for Investigating the Presence of Extragalactic Magnetic Fields

Boris Stern and Igor Tkachev

The extragalactic magnetic field could be detected by searching for signatures of the electromagnetic cascade initiated by high-energy photons on the intergalactic radiation and deflected by the field. This process produces a time delay and an extended gamma-ray halo around the source, which are looked for. We propose a new signature of electromagnetic echoes: the asymmetry of the gamma-ray distribution around blazars. As a measure of asymmetry, we use the offset of the gamma-ray distribution to the location of the blazar. This offset is due to the tilt of the jet of the blazar relative to the line of sight. Using a subsample of the 10 brightest BL Lacs, we exclude the range of extragalactic magnetic fields from $10^{-16}$ to $10^{-14}$ G, assuming that these objects have maintained a constant average luminosity over hundreds of thousands of years.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

The Extent of Solar Energetic Particle Irradiation in the Sun's Protoplanetary Disk

Steven J. Desch, Ashley K. Herbst, Richard L. Hervig et al. (+1 more)

Solar flares emit X rays and high-energy (MeV-GeV) ions (Solar Energetic Particles, or SEPs). Astronomical observations show solar mass-protostellar fluxes are a factor $\Phi \approx 3 \times 10^2 - 3 \times 10^3$ times higher than the present-day Sun. Constraining $\Phi$ in the early solar system is important for modeling ionization in the Sun's protoplanetary disk, the extent of magnetorotational instability or magnetocentrifugal outflows, or even production of short-lived radionuclides. Recent interpretations of meteoritic data – cosmogenic Ne in hibonite grains, initial $({}^{10}{\rm Be}/{}^{9}{\rm Be})_0$ ratios in Ca-rich, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs), or even inferences of live ${}^{7}{\rm Be}$ in CAIs – have suggested values $\Phi > 10^5$, even as large as $\Phi \approx 6 \times 10^6$, which would make the young Sun extraordinarily active, even for a protostar. We constrain $\Phi$ by re-examining these data. We conclude: cosmogenic Ne was produced in hibonite grains as they resided in the disk; ${}^{36}{\rm Cl}$ was created in Cl-poor grains after the disk dissipated; ${}^{10}{\rm Be}$ was inherited from the molecular cloud, with almost no ($< 1\%$) ${}^{10}{\rm Be}$ created in the disk; and there is no evidence whatsoever for any live ${}^{7}{\rm Be}$ in CAIs. We show these data are consistent with a value $\Phi \approx 3 \times 10^3$ for the first $> 5$ Myr of the solar nebula. The early Sun evidently emitted a flux of X rays and SEPs not atypical for a protostar.
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All authors Steven J. Desch, Ashley K. Herbst, Richard L. Hervig, Benjamin Jacobsen

Astrophysics of Galaxies

TDCOSMO. XXIII. Measurement of the Hubble constant from the doubly lensed quasar HE1104-1805

Eric Paic, Frédéric Courbin, Christopher D. Fassnacht et al. (+18 more)

Time-delay cosmography leverages strongly lensed quasars to measure the Universe's current expansion rate, H_0, independently from other methods. While the latest TDCOSMO results relied mainly on quadruply lensed quasars, doubly lensed systems are far more common and offer precise time delays, potentially enlarging the usable sample by a factor of five and enabling percent-level constraints on H_0. We present the first TDCOSMO analysis of a doubly imaged source, HE1104-1805, including the measurement of the four necessary ingredients. First, by combining 17 years of data from the SMARTS, Euler and WFI telescopes, we measure a time delay of 176.3\pm 10.8 days. Second, using MUSE data, we extract stellar velocity dispersion measurements in three radial bins with up to 5% precision. Third, employing F160W HST imaging for lens modelling and marginalising over various modelling choices, we measure the Fermat potential difference between the images. Fourth, using wide-field imaging, we measure the convergence added by objects not included in the lens modelling. Hence, we measure the time delay distance and the angular diameter distance to the deflector, favouring a power-law mass model over a baryonic and dark matter composite model. The measurement was performed blindly and yielded H_0 = 64.2^{+5.8}_{-5.0} x $\lambda_{int} km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, where \lambda_{int} is the internal mass sheet degeneracy parameter. This is in agreement with the TDCOSMO-2025 milestone and its precision for \lambda_{int}=1 is comparable to that obtained with the best-observed quadruply lensed quasars (4-6%). This work is a stepping stone towards a precise measurement of H_0 using a large sample of doubly lensed quasars, supplementing the current sample. The next TDCOSMO milestone paper will include this system in its hierarchical analysis, constraining \lambda_{int} and H_0 jointly with multiple lenses.
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All authors Eric Paic, Frédéric Courbin, Christopher D. Fassnacht, Aymeric Galan, Martin Millon, Dominique Sluse, Devon M. Williams, Simon Birrer, Elizabeth J. Buckley-Geer, Michele Cappellari, Frédéric Dux, Xiang-Yu Huang, Shawn Knabel, Cameron Lemon, Anowar J. Shajib, Sherry H. Suyu, Tommaso Treu, Kenneth C. Wong, Lise Christensen, Veronica Motta, Alessandro Sonnenfeld

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Magnetic Field Amplification and Particle Acceleration in Weakly Magnetized Trans-relativistic Electron-ion Shocks

Taiki Jikei, Daniel Groselj and Lorenzo Sironi

We investigate the physics of quasi-parallel trans-relativistic shocks propagating in weakly magnetized plasmas by means of long-duration two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The structure of the shock precursor is shaped by a competition between the Bell instability and the Weibel (filamentation) instability. The Bell instability is dominant at relatively high magnetizations $(\sigma\gtrsim10^{-3})$, whereas the Weibel instability prevails at lower magnetizations $(\sigma\lesssim10^{-4})$. Shocks with precursors shaped by Bell modes efficiently accelerate ions, converting a fraction $\varepsilon_{\mathrm{i}}\sim0.2$ of the upstream flow energy into downstream nonthermal ion energy. The maximum energy of nonthermal ions exhibits a Bohm scaling in time, as $E_{\max}\propto t$. A much smaller fraction $\varepsilon_{\mathrm{e}}\ll0.1$ of the upstream flow energy goes into downstream nonthermal electrons in the Bell regime. On the other hand, when the precursor is dominated by Weibel modes, the shock efficiently generates both nonthermal ions and electrons with $\varepsilon_{\mathrm{i}}\sim\varepsilon_{\mathrm{e}}\sim0.1$, albeit with a slower scaling for the maximum energy, $E_{\mathrm{max}}\propto t^{1/2}$. Our results are applicable to a wide range of trans-relativistic shocks, including the termination shocks of extragalactic jets, the late stages of gamma-ray burst afterglows, and shocks in fast blue optical transients.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The Origins of the Bulk flow

Richard Watkins, Trajan Clark and Hume A. Feldman

We analyze the origin of the large-scale bulk flow using the CosmicFlows-4 (CF4) peculiar-velocity catalog. We decompose the observed motions into internal components, generated by mass fluctuations within 200 Mpc/h, and external ones arising from structures beyond this volume. A weighted-average technique is developed to test the model's self-consistency while minimizing the impact of non-Gaussian distance errors. The CF4 velocities show excellent agreement with the predicted internal field, yielding beta = 0.31 pm 0.01. We also determine that the value of the Hubble constant that should be used for calculating peculiar velocities from the CF4 to be H0 = 75.0 pm 0.1 km/s/Mpc, consistent with CF4 calibrations. Using the minimum-variance formalism, we further separate the bulk flow into its internal and external contributions and find that the observed large-scale bulk flow is dominated by sources beyond 200 Mpc/h. The amplitude of this externally driven flow increases monotonically with scale, consistent with the influence of a distant, massive overdensity. These findings reinforce the reliability of the CF4 velocity field while calling into question the assumption of a spatially uniform flow generated by external sources. Our results challenge the commonly made hypothesis that the flow in our local volume due to external mass concentrations can be modeled as being spatially uniform.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

A Catalogue of Interstellar Material Delivery From Nearby Debris Disks

Cole R. Gregg and Paul A. Wiegert

We modeled the trajectories of material ejected from 20 nearby debris disk stars, including Epsilon Eridani (Ran), Vega, Fomalhaut, and Beta Pictoris, within a simulated Milky Way potential in order to quantify their contribution to the population of interstellar material entering the solar system. Our simulations show that material from each of these 20 systems is currently to be expected within our planetary system. We calculate expected fluxes of both macroscopic interstellar objects (ISOs, $\geq100~$m), which could be detected by telescopic surveys, and smaller meteoroids ($\geq200~$microns), which could manifest as meteors in Earth's atmosphere. We estimate that the ISO population originating from these debris disks and currently within the inner solar system is on the order of ~2, only a fraction of the expected total ISO population but nonetheless likely to be discovered by Rubin. Meteors in Earth's atmosphere from these systems are expected as well, but current methods, both radar and video, might require decades to collect even a single event. Our sample is found to be rich in relatively low excess velocity particles compared to the broader expected ISO population, which might make them harder to distinguish observationally from bound objects in some cases. These results provide a framework for linking detections of interstellar material to their astrophysical origins, offering new opportunities to probe the composition and dynamical history of nearby planetary systems.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

High-angular-resolution ALMA imaging of the inhomogeneous dynamical atmosphere of the asymptotic giant branch star W Hya

K. Ohnaka, K. T. Wong, G. Weigelt et al. (+1 more)

We present high-angular-resolution imaging of the asymptotic giant branch star W Hya with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to probe the dynamics and chemistry in the atmosphere and inner wind. W Hya was observed with the longest baselines of ALMA at 250-268 GHz with an angular resolution of ~17x20 mas. ALMA's high angular resolution allowed us to resolve the stellar disk of W Hya, along with clumpy, irregularly shaped emission extending to ~100 mas: plume in the north-northwest, a tail in the south-southwest, and the extended atmosphere elongated in the east-northeast–west-southwest direction, with semimajor and semiminor axes of ~70 and 40 mas (~3.4 and 1.9 Rstar), respectively. We identified 57 lines, which include SiO, H2O, SO2, SO, HCN, AlO, AlOH, TiO, TiO2, OH, and some of their isotopologues. The molecular line images show spatially inhomogeneous molecular formation. Our ALMA data taken at phase 0.53 (minimum light) indicate global, accelerating infall within ~75 mas (3.6 Rstar) but also outflow at up to ~10 km/s in deeper layers. While 38 of the detected lines appear in absorption against the continuum stellar disk as expected, we detect nonthermal emission on top of the continuum over the stellar disk in 19 lines of SiO, H2O, SO2, and AlO. The emission of SiO, AlO, TiO, TiO2, SO, and SO2 coincides well with the clumpy dust cloud distribution obtained from contemporaneous visible polarimetric imaging in addition to H2O reported in our previous work. This lends support to the idea that SiO, H2O, and AlO are directly involved in grain nucleation. The overlap of SO/SO2 (possibly also TiO/TiO2) with the dust clouds suggests the formation of these molecules and dust behind shocks induced by pulsation and/or convection. We detect HCN emission close to the star, down to ~30 mas (~1.4 Rstar), which is consistent with shock-induced chemistry.
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All authors K. Ohnaka, K. T. Wong, G. Weigelt, K.-H. Hofmann

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from gr-qc

From scalar clouds around evaporating black holes to boson star

Daniel Neves and João G. Rosa

We study, for the first time, the evolution of a scalar cloud bound to an evaporating black hole. Our simulations of the associated Schrödinger-Poisson system for non-relativistic and spherically symmetric clouds reveal that a scalar cloud may (partially) survive as a self-gravitating boson star if the black hole evaporates adiabatically until its mass becomes less than one half of the cloud's mass. This yields a novel mechanism for boson star formation and shows that, as previously conjectured, bosonic dark matter production by light primordial black holes may result in micro-boson stars with very large occupation numbers, greatly enhancing their potential detectability even for very weakly interacting dark matter particles.
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