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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Thursday 15 January

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Simulating cosmic ray electron spectra and radio emission from an AGN jet outburst in a cool-core cluster

Léna Jlassi, Rainer Weinberger, Christoph Pfrommer et al. (+3 more)

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) powered jets can accelerate cosmic ray electrons, leading to the observed radio synchrotron emission. To simulate this emission, jet dynamics in galaxy clusters must be coupled to electron spectral modelling. We run magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of a single AGN jet outburst in a Perseus-like galaxy cluster and adopt a sub-grid model for the acceleration of cosmic ray protons and electrons at unresolved internal shocks in the jet. We evolve cosmic ray electron spectra along Lagrangian trajectories using the Fokker-Planck solver Crest and compute the non-thermal emission using Crayon+. The resulting total electron spectrum reaches a steady-state slope at high momenta, with a gradually decreasing normalization over time, while the lower-momentum portion continues to resemble a freely cooling spectrum. The interaction of the jets with the turbulent cluster environment inflates lobes which rise buoyantly, induce amplification of the magnetic fields and uplift old cosmic ray populations in the wake of the bubbles. We connect radio spectral indices to electron injection ages: at a given radio frequency, weaker magnetic fields are illuminated by higher momenta electrons, whose age is determined by the last injection event. On the other hand, stronger magnetic fields are illuminated by lower momenta electrons, whose age is determined by the maximum energy injection event in the past. This powerful approach allows us to relate the underlying MHD properties to electron spectra and the resulting radio synchrotron emission, thereby enabling us to infer the underlying physics from observed radio properties.
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All authors Léna Jlassi, Rainer Weinberger, Christoph Pfrommer, Maria Werhahn, Joseph Whittingham, Philipp Girichidis

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

The Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory

Emmanuel Proven-Adzri, Nia Imara, Theophilus Ansah-Narh et al. (+7 more)

The Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory (GRAO) marks a pivotal advance in African radio astronomy through the successful transformation of a decommissioned 32 m satellite communication antenna into a scientifically capable, VLBI-ready radio telescope. Strategically located near the equator at Kutunse, Ghana, the telescope offers nearly full-sky coverage (-77 degrees to +88 degrees declination), making it a valuable asset for time-domain astronomy, transient surveys, and global VLBI networks. This work documents the technical evolution of the facility, including beam-waveguide optics, dual-polarization C-band receivers (5 and 6.7 GHz), and recent backend upgrades culminating in the integration of a hydrogen maser, wideband ROACH2 system, and enhanced control and pointing infrastructure. We report early science results from high-resolution spectral-line observations of 6.7 GHz Class II methanol masers, pulse timing of PSR J0835-4510 (Vela), and successful VLBI fringe detections on intercontinental baselines. Simulations and commissioning tests confirm high aperture efficiency (>77%), low sidelobe levels, and robust time stability across the signal chain. These outcomes validate the GRAO's readiness for both standalone and networked operations. As the first operational node in West Africa contributing to the African VLBI Network, GRAO plays a critical role in advancing the continent's participation in global radio astronomy, capacity building, and the preparatory phase of the Square Kilometre Array.
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All authors Emmanuel Proven-Adzri, Nia Imara, Theophilus Ansah-Narh, Wonder Sewavi, Diana Klutse, Evaristus Iyida, Joseph Bremang Tandoh, Naomi Asabre Frimpong, Benedicta Woode, Pieter Pretorius

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Euclid preparation. 3D reconstruction of the cosmic web with simulated Euclid Deep spectroscopic samples

Euclid Collaboration: K. Kraljic, C. Laigle, M. Balogh et al. (+320 more)

The ongoing Euclid mission aims to measure spectroscopic redshifts for approximately two million galaxies using the H $\alpha$ line emission detected in near-infrared slitless spectroscopic data from the Euclid Deep Fields (EDFs). These measurements will reach a flux limit of $5\times 10^{-17}\,{\rm erg}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$ in the redshift range $0.4<z<1.8$, opening the door to numerous investigations involving galaxy evolution, extending well beyond the mission's core objectives. The achieved H $\alpha$ luminosity depth will lead to a sufficiently high sampling, enabling the reconstruction of the large-scale galaxy environment. We assess the quality of the reconstruction of the galaxy cosmic web environment with the expected spectroscopic dataset in EDFs. The analysis is carried out on the Flagship and GAEA galaxy mock catalogues. The quality of the reconstruction is first evaluated using geometrical and topological statistics measured on the cosmic web, namely the length of filaments, the area of walls, the volume of voids, and its connectivity and multiplicity. We then quantify how accurately gradients in galaxy properties with distance from filaments can be recovered. As expected, the small-scale redshift-space distortions, have a strong impact on filament lengths and connectivity, but can be mitigated by compressing galaxy groups before skeleton extraction. The cosmic web reconstruction is biased when relying solely on H $\alpha$ emitters. This limitation can be mitigated by applying stellar mass weighting during the reconstruction. However, this approach introduces non-trivial biases that need to be accounted for when comparing to theoretical predictions. Redshift uncertainties pose the greatest challenge in recovering the expected dependence of galaxy properties, though the well-established stellar mass transverse gradients towards filaments can still be observed.
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All authors Euclid Collaboration: K. Kraljic, C. Laigle, M. Balogh, P. Jablonka, U. Kuchner, N. Malavasi, F. Sarron, C. Pichon, G. De Lucia, M. Bethermin, F. Durret, M. Fumagalli, C. Gouin, M. Magliocchetti, J. G. Sorce, O. Cucciati, F. Fontanot, M. Hirschmann, Y. Kang, M. Spinelli, N. Aghanim, A. Amara, S. Andreon, N. Auricchio, C. Baccigalupi, M. Baldi, S. Bardelli, A. Biviano, E. Branchini, M. Brescia, J. Brinchmann, S. Camera, G. Cañas-Herrera, V. Capobianco, C. Carbone, J. Carretero, R. Casas, S. Casas, F. J. Castander, M. Castellano, G. Castignani, S. Cavuoti, K. C. Chambers, A. Cimatti, C. Colodro-Conde, G. Congedo, C. J. Conselice, L. Conversi, Y. Copin, F. Courbin, H. M. Courtois, A. Da Silva, H. Degaudenzi, S. de la Torre, H. Dole, M. Douspis, F. Dubath, C. A. J. Duncan, X. Dupac, S. Dusini, S. Escoffier, M. Farina, R. Farinelli, S. Ferriol, F. Finelli, P. Fosalba, N. Fourmanoit, M. Frailis, E. Franceschi, M. Fumana, S. Galeotta, K. George, W. Gillard, B. Gillis, C. Giocoli, J. Gracia-Carpio, A. Grazian, F. Grupp, S. V. H. Haugan, W. Holmes, F. Hormuth, A. Hornstrup, K. Jahnke, M. Jhabvala, B. Joachimi, E. Keihänen, S. Kermiche, A. Kiessling, M. Kilbinger, B. Kubik, M. Kümmel, M. Kunz, H. Kurki-Suonio, A. M. C. Le Brun, S. Ligori, P. B. Lilje, V. Lindholm, I. Lloro, G. Mainetti, D. Maino, E. Maiorano, O. Mansutti, S. Marcin, O. Marggraf, M. Martinelli, N. Martinet, F. Marulli, R. Massey, S. Maurogordato, E. Medinaceli, S. Mei, Y. Mellier, M. Meneghetti, E. Merlin, G. Meylan, A. Mora, M. Moresco, L. Moscardini, R. Nakajima, C. Neissner, S.-M. Niemi, C. Padilla, S. Paltani, F. Pasian, K. Pedersen, W. J. Percival, V. Pettorino, S. Pires, G. Polenta, M. Poncet, L. A. Popa, L. Pozzetti, F. Raison, R. Rebolo, A. Renzi, J. Rhodes, G. Riccio, E. Romelli, M. Roncarelli, C. Rosset, E. Rossetti, R. Saglia, Z. Sakr, A. G. Sánchez, D. Sapone, B. Sartoris, P. Schneider, T. Schrabback, M. Scodeggio, A. Secroun, E. Sefusatti, G. Seidel, M. Seiffert, S. Serrano, P. Simon, C. Sirignano, G. Sirri, L. Stanco, J. Steinwagner, P. Tallada-Crespí, A. N. Taylor, H. I. Teplitz, I. Tereno, N. Tessore, S. Toft, R. Toledo-Moreo, F. Torradeflot, I. Tutusaus, L. Valenziano, J. Valiviita, T. Vassallo, G. Verdoes Kleijn, A. Veropalumbo, D. Vibert, Y. Wang, J. Weller, A. Zacchei, G. Zamorani, E. Zucca, V. Allevato, M. Ballardini, M. Bolzonella, E. Bozzo, C. Burigana, R. Cabanac, M. Calabrese, A. Cappi, D. Di Ferdinando, J. A. Escartin Vigo, L. Gabarra, W. G. Hartley, J. Martín-Fleitas, S. Matthew, N. Mauri, R. B. Metcalf, A. A. Nucita, A. Pezzotta, M. Pöntinen, C. Porciani, I. Risso, V. Scottez, M. Sereno, M. Tenti, M. Viel, M. Wiesmann, Y. Akrami, S. Alvi, I. T. Andika, S. Anselmi, M. Archidiacono, F. Atrio-Barandela, A. Balaguera-Antolinez, P. Bergamini, D. Bertacca, A. Blanchard, L. Blot, H. Böhringer, S. Borgani, M. L. Brown, S. Bruton, A. Calabro, B. Camacho Quevedo, F. Caro, C. S. Carvalho, T. Castro, R. Chary, F. Cogato, S. Conseil, T. Contini, A. R. Cooray, S. Davini, F. De Paolis, G. Desprez, A. Díaz-Sánchez, J. J. Diaz, S. Di Domizio, J. M. Diego, P. Dimauro, P.-A. Duc, A. Enia, Y. Fang, A. G. Ferrari, A. Finoguenov, A. Fontana, A. Franco, K. Ganga, J. García-Bellido, T. Gasparetto, R. Gavazzi, E. Gaztanaga, F. Giacomini, F. Gianotti, G. Gozaliasl, M. Guidi, C. M. Gutierrez, A. Hall, H. Hildebrandt, J. Hjorth, S. Joudaki, J. J. E. Kajava, V. Kansal, D. Karagiannis, K. Kiiveri, C. C. Kirkpatrick, S. Kruk, M. Lattanzi, V. Le Brun, J. Le Graet, L. Legrand, M. Lembo, F. Lepori, G. Leroy, G. F. Lesci, J. Lesgourgues, L. Leuzzi, T. I. Liaudat, S. J. Liu, A. Loureiro, J. Macias-Perez, G. Maggio, E. A. Magnier, F. Mannucci, R. Maoli, C. J. A. P. Martins, L. Maurin, M. Miluzio, P. Monaco, C. Moretti, G. Morgante, S. Nadathur, K. Naidoo, A. Navarro-Alsina, S. Nesseris, L. Pagano, F. Passalacqua, K. Paterson, L. Patrizii, A. Pisani, D. Potter, S. Quai, M. Radovich, P.-F. Rocci, G. Rodighiero, S. Sacquegna, M. Sahlén, D. B. Sanders, A. Schneider, D. Sciotti, E. Sellentin, L. C. Smith, K. Tanidis, C. Tao, G. Testera, R. Teyssier, S. Tosi, A. Troja, M. Tucci, C. Valieri, A. Venhola, D. Vergani, G. Verza, P. Vielzeuf, N. A. Walton

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Late-time acceleration without a vacuum term in ${f(R,L_m)}$ gravity: scaling deSitter dynamics and parameter constraints

Luciano Navarro-Coydán, J. Alberto Vázquez, Israel Quiros et al. (+1 more)

We investigate late-time cosmic acceleration in $f(R,L_m)$ gravity driven by nonlinear matter contributions, focusing on the class $f(R,L_m)=R/2+c_1 L_m+c_n L_m^{n}+c_0$ with the explicit choice $L_m=\rho_m$ and an uncoupled radiation sector. We analyze two realizations: (i) Case A: $f(R,L_m)=R/2+\beta \rho_m^{n}+\gamma$, where $\gamma$ acts as a vacuum term, and (ii) Case B: $f(R,L_m)=R/2+\beta \rho_m+\gamma \rho_m^{n}$, where the nonlinear sector can mimic dark energy without an explicit cosmological constant. For each case, we construct a bounded autonomous system, classify all critical points and their stability, and compute cosmographic diagnostics. The phase-space analysis shows that Case A reproduces the standard radiation$\to$matter$\to$de~Sitter sequence only for $n\gtrsim 4/5$, with acceleration essentially enforced by the vacuum term. In contrast, Case~B admits a qualitatively distinct and phenomenologically appealing branch: for $0<n<1/2$ the system possesses a physical scaling de~Sitter future attractor inside the bounded simplex, yielding radiation$\to$matter$\to$acceleration with $q=-1$ and $\omega_{\rm eff}=-1$ and without introducing $c_0$. We confront both models with background data (CC, Union3, DESI BAO, plus a BBN prior on $\Omega_b h^2$) using nested sampling and perform model comparison via Bayesian evidence and AIC/BIC. The full data combination constrains $n=1.08\pm0.05$ in Case A and $n=0.05\pm0.10$ in Case B (68% CL), the latter lying within the accelerating window while remaining statistically consistent with $\Lambda$CDM kinematics at the background level. We also record minimal consistency conditions for stability (tensor no-ghost and luminal propagation) and motivate a dedicated perturbation-level analysis as the next step to test growth and lensing observables.
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All authors Luciano Navarro-Coydán, J. Alberto Vázquez, Israel Quiros, Ricardo García-Salcedo

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

MHD modeling of magnetic flux evolution around solar maximum by the coronal model COCONUT

Haopeng Wang, Stefaan Poedts, Andrea Lani et al. (+15 more)

In this paper, we simulate the magnetic flux evolution at different heliocentric distances during two solar-maximum Carrington rotations (CRs) using the time-evolving coronal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model COCONUT to investigate the “open flux problem". The simulated open magnetic flux (OMF) near the solar surface is comparable to that derived from in situ observations by PSP and WIND satellites, and is about 5 times larger than that derived from SDO coronal hole (CH) observations, and the variation in the simulated radial solar wind speed is consistent with the evolution of the OMF evaluated around the corresponding solar disk center. We find that the OMF is reduced by up to $45\%$ from 1.01~$R_s$ to 0.1~AU and increases with a higher-resolution mesh. The OMF decreases mainly within 3~$R_s$, where the closed magnetic flux drops more rapidly, from about $60\%$ of the total magnetic flux at 1.01~$R_s$ to about $4\%$ at 3~$R_s$. Moderate adjustment of the heating source term can effectively regulate the simulated OMF. Preprocessing the photospheric magnetograms with a potential field solver that removes many high-order spherical harmonic components reduces the OMF in the low corona, while having little impact beyond 3~$R_s$. Additionally, the ratio of the maximum to the minimum OMF can reach 1.4 during a single solar maximum CR. These findings highlight the necessity of considering higher grid resolution, more realistic heating mechanisms, and the time-evolving regime of coronal MHD modeling when further addressing the “open flux problem".
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All authors Haopeng Wang, Stefaan Poedts, Andrea Lani, Junyan Liu, Quentin Noraz, Luis Linan, Tinatin Baratashvili, Hyun-Jin Jeong, Rayan Dhib, Wenwen Wei, Jia Huang, Mahdi Najafi-Ziyazi, Hao Wu, Rui Zhuo, José M. L. Murteira, Ketevan Arabuli, Brigitte Schmieder, Jasmina Magdalenić Zhukov

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Observation Timelines for the Potential Lunar Impact of Asteroid 2024 YR4

Yifan He, Yixuan Wu, Yifei Jiao et al. (+4 more)

The near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 – a $\sim$60 m rocky object that was once considered a potential Earth impactor – has since been ruled out for Earth but retained a $\sim$4.3% probability of striking the Moon in 2032. Such an impact, with equivalent kinetic energy of $\sim$6.5 Mt TNT, is expected to produce a $\sim$1 km crater on the Moon, and will be the most energetic lunar impact event ever recorded in human history. Despite the associated risk, this scenario offers a rare and valuable scientific opportunity. Using a hybrid framework combining Monte Carlo orbital propagation, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) impact modeling, and N-body ejecta dynamics, we evaluate the physical outcomes and propose the observation timelines of this rare event. Our results suggest an optical flash of visual magnitude from -2.5 to -3 lasting several minutes directly after the impact, followed by hours of infrared afterglow from $\sim$2000 K molten rock cooling to a few hundred K. The associated seismic energy release would lead to a global-scale lunar reverberation (magnitude $\sim$5.0) that can be detectable by modern seismometers. Furthermore, the impact would eject $\sim$10$^8$ kg of debris that escapes the lunar gravity, with a small fraction reaching Earth to produce a lunar meteor outburst within 100 years. Finally, we integrate these results into a coordinated observation timeline, identifying the best detection windows for ground-based telescopes, lunar orbiters, and surface stations.
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All authors Yifan He, Yixuan Wu, Yifei Jiao, Wen-Yue Dai, Xin Liu, Bin Cheng, Hexi Baoyin

Astrophysics of Galaxies

HII regions in NGC 628: the view of two catalogs

Ksenia I. Smirnova and Dmitri S. Wiebe

The study is devoted to comparing the parameters of the interstellar medium of HII regions in the Kongiu and Groves catalogs for the galaxy NGC 628. The article analyzes the characteristics of star-forming regions, including a comparison of radiation fluxes in the ranges of 7.7 $\mu$m and 21 $\mu$m and in the H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, OIII and CO lines, calculating the kinematic parameters (FWHM) for the lines, and analyzing the spatial distribution of regions for both catalogs. The results of the study showed that the regions from the Groves catalog demonstrate higher line widths compared to the Kongiu catalog. Signs of possible misidentified classification of some regions from the Groves catalog were revealed: there is a possibility that some of them are not HII regions, but shock ionization regions.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Cosmoglobe DR2. VI. Disentangling hot and cold thermal dust emission with Planck HFI

R. M. Sullivan, E. Gjerløw, M. Galloway et al. (+20 more)

We present a four-component high-resolution model of thermal dust emission for microwave and sub-mm frequencies derived from Planck HFI, WHAM and Gaia. The resulting high-resolution model derived here forms the basis for the thermal dust model employed in the Cosmoglobe DR2 reanalysis of COBE-DIRBE. The four dust components are called “cold dust”, “hot dust”, “nearby dust”, and “Ha correlated dust”, respectively, and trace different physical environments. The spatial distributions of the nearby dust and Ha dust components are defined by the Edenhofer et al. Gaia 3D extinction model and the WHAM survey, respectively, while the hot and cold dust components are fit freely pixel-by-pixel to the Planck HFI data. We use a global parameter grid search coupled to an amplitude map Gibbs sampler to fit this model to Planck HFI data. In agreement with the companion low-resolution analysis, we find that the hot dust component is strongly correlated with the FIRAS Cii map, while the cold dust component is strongly correlated with the HI4PI Hi map. Despite its fewer degrees of freedom per pixel compared to the Planck 2015 legacy dust model, we find that this new model performs competitively in terms of overall residuals, capturing over 98% of the full-sky dust variance for all channels. When fitting a spatially varying 3-parameter MBB model to the new dust model with isotropic SEDs, we find very similar spatial distributions to those of the official Planck analysis, and this new model thus represents an economical decomposition of previously published spatially varying spectral parameter maps. We conclude that this new model represents both a statistically more efficient summary of thermal dust in the microwave and far-infrared regimes and a physically more realistic decomposition of the sky compared to the traditional 3-parameter MBB model. (abridged)
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All authors R. M. Sullivan, E. Gjerløw, M. Galloway, D. J. Watts, R. Aurvik, A. Basyrov, L. A. Bianchi, A. Bonato, M. Brilenkov, H. K. Eriksen, U. Fuskeland, K. A. Glasscock, L. T. Hergt, D. Herman, J. G. S. Lunde, A. I. Silva Martins, M. San, D. Sponseller, N.-O. Stutzer, H. Thommesen, V. Vikenes, I. K. Wehus, L. Zapelli

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Measuring the Coronal Magnetic Field with 2D Coronal Seismology: A Forward-Modeling Validation

Zihao Yang, Sarah Gibson, Matthias Rempel et al. (+1 more)

In recent years, a two-dimensional (2D) coronal seismology technique applied to spectral-imaging data from the Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP) and UCoMP has enabled routine measurement of the global coronal magnetic field. The technique combines coronal transverse wave phase speed from Doppler measurements with electron densities from the Fe \sc{xiii}\rm{} 10798/10747 Å\ intensity ratio to infer the magnetic field strength, while the wave propagation directions from Doppler measurements trace the magnetic field direction. To validate the accuracy and robustness of this method, we use forward modeling of a MURaM simulation that produces open and closed magnetic structures with excited waves. From the synthetic Doppler velocity, Fe \sc{xiii}\rm{} infrared line intensities, and linear polarization signals, we apply the 2D coronal seismology technique to estimate the magnetic field strength and direction. A comparison with the simulation ground truth shows close agreement, indicating that the technique can recover the line-of-sight emissivity-weighted magnetic field direction and strength with high accuracy. We also perform a parameter-space analysis to quantify sensitivities of the method to parameter choice. These findings provide practical guidance for CoMP/UCoMP-like analysis and demonstrate that 2D coronal seismology can deliver reliable, LOS emissivity-weighted measurements of the coronal magnetic field from coronal wave observations.
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All authors Zihao Yang, Sarah Gibson, Matthias Rempel, Giuliana de Toma

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

WEAVE imaging spectroscopy of NGC 6720: an iron bar in the Ring

R. Wesson, J. E. Drew, M. J. Barlow et al. (+23 more)

We present spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the planetary nebula NGC 6720, the Ring Nebula, taken during the science verification phase of WEAVE, a new instrument mounted on the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. We use the instrument's Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) to obtain spectra of the Ring Nebula, covering its entire optically bright inner regions as well as parts of its much fainter outer molecular halo. We report the discovery of emission from [Fe~v] and [Fe~vi] confined to a narrow “bar” extending across the central regions of the nebula. No lines of other elements share this morphology or, at the spectral resolving power used ($R \sim 2500$), the same radial velocity. The extent to which iron in this bar is depleted is presently unclear; comparison with JWST-detected dust continuum emission suggests that some dust grain destruction may be occurring in the region, but there is currently no observational evidence for the $>$ 50~km\,s$^{-1}$ shock waves or $T > 10^6$~K X-ray emitting gas needed to enable this. Where the bar is located along the line of sight through the nebula, and how it was created, are new puzzles to be solved for this iconic planetary nebula.
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All authors R. Wesson, J. E. Drew, M. J. Barlow, J. García-Rojas, R. Greimel, D. Jones, A. Manchado, R. A. H. Morris, A. Zijlstra, P. J. Storey, J. A. L. Aguerri, S. R. Berlanas, E. Carrasco, G. B. Dalton, E. Gafton, R. García-Benito, A. L. González-Morán, B. Gänsicke, S. Hughes, S. Jin, R. Raddi, R. Sanchez-Janssen, E. Schallig, D. J. B. Smith, S. C. Trager, N. A. Walton

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Circumplanetary Disk Candidate in the Disk of HD 163296 Traced by Localized Emission from Simple Organics

Andres F. Izquierdo, Jaehan Bae, Maria Galloway-Sprietsma et al. (+6 more)

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations suggest that the disc of HD 163296 is being actively shaped by embedded, yet unseen protoplanets, as indicated by numerous gas and dust substructures consistent with planet-disc interaction models. We report the first detection of simple organic molecules, HCN and C2H, tracing a candidate circumplanetary disc (CPD) in the HD 163296 system, located at an orbital radius of $R=88\pm7$ au and azimuth $\phi=46\pm3^\circ$ (or $R=0.75''$, $\rm{{PA}}=350^\circ$ in projected sky coordinates), and originating near the midplane of the circumstellar disc. The signature is localised but spectrally resolved, and it overlaps with a previously reported planet candidate, P94, identified through kinematic perturbations traced by CO lines. We propose a scenario in which the observed chemical anomalies arise from increased heating driven by the forming planet and ongoing accretion through its CPD, facilitating the thermal desorption of species that would otherwise remain frozen out in the disc midplane, and potentially triggering the activation barriers of chemical reactions that lead to enhanced molecular production. Based on a first-order dynamical analysis of the HCN spectrum from the CPD–isolated with a 7$\sigma$ significance–we infer an upper limit on the planet mass of 1.8 $M_{\rm Jup}$, consistent with predictions from CO kinematics and constraints from direct imaging studies. By comparing the CPD sizes derived from our models with theoretical expectations where the CPD radius corresponds to roughly one-third of the planet's Hill radius, we favor CPD gas temperatures $T > 150$ K, planet masses $M_{\rm p} < 1.0$ $M_{\rm Jup}$, and CPD radii $R_{\rm CPD} < 2$ au.
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All authors Andres F. Izquierdo, Jaehan Bae, Maria Galloway-Sprietsma, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Stefano Facchini, Giovanni Rosotti, Jochen Stadler, Myriam Benisty, Leonardo Testi

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

On the Physical Origins of the Millimeter Fundamental Plane in Active Galactic Nuclei

Kratika Mazde, Angelo Ricarte and George N. Wong

Observations of active galactic nuclei have revealed a correlation between millimeter luminosity, X-ray luminosity, and mass, suggesting the emission in each of these bands is powered by a common source. Starting with a set of five general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations with dynamically important magnetic fields, we perform ray-tracing calculations to produce spectra including synchrotron emission, bremsstrahlung emission, and Compton scattering. Our models with similar Eddington ratios to the objects for which the relationship was inferred naturally reproduce observations without tuning. Our lower Eddington ratio models depart from this relationship, likely attributable to an observational bias against extremely low accretion rates. We find that inverse Compton scattering dominates the production of X-rays over bremsstrahlung radiation in almost all models, and in all models consistent with the observed correlation. We find only a modest spin dependence in this relationship. This study demonstrates that a compact, hot accretion flow with dynamically important magnetic fields can naturally explain observed millimeter and X-ray properties in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. Future work should explore the impacts of non-thermal electron populations, weaker magnetic fields, and radiative cooling.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

A young progenitor for the most common planetary systems in the Galaxy

John H. Livingston, Erik A. Petigura, Trevor J. David et al. (+39 more)

The Galaxy's most common known planetary systems have several Earth-to-Neptune-size planets in compact orbits. At small orbital separations, larger planets are less common than their smaller counterparts by an order of magnitude. The young star V1298 Tau hosts one such compact planetary system, albeit with four planets that are uncommonly large (5 to 10 Earth radii). The planets form a chain of near-resonances that result in transit-timing variations of several hours. Here we present a multi-year campaign to characterize this system with transit-timing variations, a method insensitive to the intense magnetic activity of the star. Through targeted observations, we first resolved the previously unknown orbital period of the outermost planet. The full 9-year baseline from these and archival data then enabled robust determination of the masses and orbital parameters for all four planets. We find the planets have low, sub-Neptune masses and nearly circular orbits, implying a dynamically tranquil history. Their low masses and large radii indicate that the inner planets underwent a period of rapid cooling immediately after dispersal of the protoplanetary disk. Still, they are much less dense than mature planets of comparable size. We predict the planets will contract to 1.5-4.0 Earth radii and join the population of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes that nature produces in abundance.
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All authors John H. Livingston, Erik A. Petigura, Trevor J. David, Kento Masuda, James Owen, David Nesvorný, Konstantin Batygin, Jerome de Leon, Mayuko Mori, Kai Ikuta, Akihiko Fukui, Noriharu Watanabe, Jaume Orell Miquel, Felipe Murgas, Hannu Parviainen, Judith Korth, Florence Libotte, Néstor Abreu García, Pedro Pablo Meni Gallardo, Norio Narita, Enric Pallé, Motohide Tamura, Atsunori Yonehara, Andrew Ridden-Harper, Allyson Bieryla, Alessandro A. Trani, Eric E. Mamajek, David R. Ciardi, Varoujan Gorjian, Lynne A. Hillenbrand, Luisa M. Rebull, Elisabeth R. Newton, Andrew W. Mann, Andrew Vanderburg, Gu{\dh}mundur Stefánsson, Suvrath Mahadevan, Caleb Cañas, Joe Ninan, Jesus Higuera, Kamen Todorov, Jean-Michel Désert, Lorenzo Pino

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

High-fidelity stellar extinction with Gaia and APOGEE – I. The method and a new extinction curve

Jie Yu, Luca Casagrande, John A. Taylor et al. (+9 more)

The scarcity of high-fidelity extinction measurements remains a bottleneck in deriving accurate stellar properties from Gaia parallaxes. In this work, we aim to derive precision extinction estimates for APOGEE DR19 stars, establishing a new benchmark for Galactic stellar population studies. We first determine reddening by comparing observed colorsr, etrieved from photometric surveys or standardized synthetic magnitudes from Gaia BP/RP spectra, to intrinsic colors predicted via an XGBoost model. The model is trained on minimally reddened stars to infer intrinsic colors and their associated uncertainties, using APOGEE stellar parameters (Teff, logg, [Fe/H], and [alpha/Fe]). The derived reddening values are then converted into extinctions using an anchor ratio of A_BP / A_RP = 1.694 +/- 0.004, derived from red-clump-like stars. Here, we provide extinction measurements in 39 filters across 10 photometric systems and introduce a new empirical extinction curve optimized for broadband passbands. Our extinction estimates (Av) outperform existing results (Bayestar19, StarHorse, SEDEX), achieving a typical precision of 0.03 mag in Av. Notably, we identify systematic deviations of up to 30% between monochromatic and passband-integrated extinction ratios at wavelengths greater than 700 nm. This result highlights the necessity of adopting passband-specific coefficients when correcting extinction to derive stellar parameters. The derived extinction and reddening data are available to the community for download through Zenodo.
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All authors Jie Yu, Luca Casagrande, John A. Taylor, Ioana Ciucă, Giacomo Cordoni, Ronald Drimmel, Shourya Khanna, Hiep Nguyen, Tomasz Różański, Dennis Stello, Haibo Yuan, Zhen Yuan

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Canceling Effects of Conjunctions Render Higher Order Mean Motion Resonances Weak

Elizabeth K Jones, Samuel Hadden, Supakrai Teekamongkol et al. (+1 more)

Mean motion resonances (MMRs) are a key phenomenon in orbital dynamics. The traditional disturbing function expansion in celestial mechanics shows that, at low eccentricities, $p$:$p-q$ MMRs exhibit a clear hierarchy of strengths, scaling as $e^q$, where $q$ is the order of the resonance. This explains why first-order MMRs (e.g., 3:2 and 4:3) are important, while the infinite number of higher order integer ratios are not. However, this relationship derived from a technical perturbation series expansion provides little physical intuition. In this paper, we provide a simple physical explanation of this result for closely spaced orbits. In this limit, interplanetary interactions are negligible except during close encounters at conjunction, where the planets impart a gravitational "kick" to each other's mean motion. We show that while first-order MMRs involve a single conjunction before the configuration repeats, higher order MMRs involve multiple conjunctions per cycle, whose effects cancel out more precisely the higher the order of the resonance. Starting from the effects of a single conjunction, we provide an alternate, physically motivated derivation of MMRs' $e^q$ strength scaling.
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All authors Elizabeth K Jones, Samuel Hadden, Supakrai Teekamongkol, Daniel Tamayo

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

HST Observations of HD 166620 and Tau Ceti: First UV Spectra of a Magnetic Grand Minimum Star and the Extent of Tau Ceti's Astrosphere

Brian E. Wood, Hans-Reinhard Mueller, Dean Hartshorn et al. (+2 more)

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV spectra of the K2 V star HD 166620, the first star clearly recognized to be in a "magnetic grand minimum" state analogous to the Sun's "Maunder Minimum" in the late 1600's. The stellar H I Lyman-alpha surface fluxes are extremely low, about a factor of two below fluxes observed during solar minimum, and also significantly lower than those of Tau Ceti (G8 V) and HD 191408 (K2.5 V), two stars more similar to HD 166620 in spectral type and age (~10 Gyr) than the Sun. The Tau Ceti data that are compared with HD 166620 include both old archival data and a new HST observation as well. The Lyman alpha data are used to confirm a nondetection of astrospheric Lyman-alpha absorption for this star, suggesting a very weak wind with Mdot<0.1 Mdot_sun. The very compact astrosphere inferred for Tau Ceti indicates that the star's debris disk is at least partly exposed to the ISM, and we discuss possible consequences.
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All authors Brian E. Wood, Hans-Reinhard Mueller, Dean Hartshorn, Seth Redfield, Travis S. Metcalfe

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Origins of the UV continuum and Balmer emission lines in Little Red Dots: observational validation of dense gas envelope models enshrouding the AGN

Yoshihisa Asada, Kohei Inayoshi, Qinyue Fei et al. (+2 more)

We present a statistical study on the origins of the UV continuum and narrow/broad emission lines in little red dots (LRDs), presumably involving active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Leveraging all archived JWST/NIRSpec data, we build a sample of 27 spectroscopically-confirmed LRDs at $5<z_{\rm spec}<7.2$, by requiring broad H$\alpha$ emission, blue UV colors, V-shaped continua, and compact morphology. We define a control sample of 7 blue, compact, broad-line AGNs without red optical continua (hereafter little blue dots; LBDs), and examine correlations between rest UV and the narrow/broad H$\alpha$ luminosities in these populations. In LRDs, both narrow and broad H$\alpha$ components are tightly correlated with the UV continuum, and the luminosity ratios are consistent with those in young starburst galaxies. In contrast, the UV to broad H$\alpha$ ratios in LBDs closely match local unobscured AGNs and are statistically different from LRDs. The Ly$\alpha$ occurrence rates and strengths do not differ between LRDs and LBDs and are comparable to normal star-forming galaxies. These results are consistent with a scenario where the central BH in LRDs is enshrouded by a dense opaque gas envelope – in this model, the UV continuum as well as narrow and even broad H$\alpha$ emissions are not powered by AGNs but predominantly by young massive stars surrounding the envelope, while the envelope radiates as a $\sim 5000$ K blackbody. As the envelope dissipates, direct AGN emission can emerge, potentially transforming LRDs into LBDs and marking the end of a short-lived phase of rapid black hole growth.
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All authors Yoshihisa Asada, Kohei Inayoshi, Qinyue Fei, Seiji Fujimoto, Chris Willott

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Numerical simulations of oscillating and differentially rotating neutron stars

Santiago Jaraba, Jérôme Novak and Micaela Oertel

The remnants of binary neutron star mergers are expected to be massive, rapidly rotating stars whose oscillations produce gravitational waves in the kilohertz band. The degree of differential rotation and the rotation profiles strongly influence their structure, stability and oscillation spectrum, and must therefore be taken into account when modeling their dynamics. We extend the pseudospectral code ROXAS (Relativistic Oscillations of non-aXisymmetric neutron stArS) to enable the dynamical evolution of oscillating, differentially rotating neutron stars. Using the updated code, we aim to study the star's oscillation frequencies. We extend the previous formalism, based on primitive variables and the conformal flatness approximation, to differential rotation. Within this framework, we run a series of axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric simulations of perturbed, differentially rotating neutron stars with different rotation rates, and extract their oscillation frequencies. Axisymmetric modes, as well as those under the Cowling approximation, show excellent agreement with published results. We show that the secondary fundamental mode in the Cowling approximation is an artifact that does not appear in dynamical spacetimes. In addition, we provide, for the first time, frequency values for non-axisymmetric modes in differentially rotating configurations evolved in conformal flatness. This extension broadens the range of physical scenarios that can be studied with ROXAS, and represents a step toward more realistic modeling of post-merger remnants and their gravitational-wave emission.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Shock Signatures of the Successive Type-II Solar Radio Bursts at Meter Wavelength

V. Vasanth

The successive type-II solar radio bursts observed on 31 July 2012 by the Bruny Island Radio Spectrometer (BIRS) in the frequency range between 62 - 6 MHz is reported and analyzed. The first type-II radio burst shows clear fundamental and harmonic band structures, while only one band is observed for the second type-II radio burst and is considered as the harmonic band. The first type-II radio burst is observed in the frequency range of 57 - 27 MHz between 00:03 - 00:09 UT at the harmonic band. The second type-II burst is observed between 00:18 - 00:27 UT in the frequency range of 43 - 17 MHz. The type-II radio bursts are associated with a C6 class flare located at the south-eastern limb (S24E87) and a CME observed from STEREO and LASCO observations. The EUVI signatures of the CME is observed in the ST-B EUVI FOV between 23:56 (on 30 July 2012) to 00:06 UT (on 31 July 2012), and are observed in the ST-B COR1 FOV between 00:10 - 00:35 UT moving within an average speed of 725 + or - 101 km/s. The CME is observed in the LASCO C2 FOV after 00:12 UT as a partial halo CME moving with an average speed of 486 km/s. The height-time plot shows that the first type-II radio burst was formed by the CME-shock along the shock front and the second type-II radio burst along the shock-dip structure, probably the dip structure results from the shock transiting across the high dense streamer structure. The successive type-II bursts are most likely produced by the single CME shock and their interactions with the streamer structures. The first type-II radio burst by the CME shock and the second type-II radio burst by the CME shock-streamer interactions.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Discovery of the First Five Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor Stars in the LMC

Madeline Lucey, Vedant Chandra, Alexander Ji et al. (+7 more)

A substantial fraction of metal-poor stars in the local Milky Way halo exhibit large overabundances of carbon. These stars, dubbed Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor (CEMP) stars, provide crucial constraints on the nature of the early universe including the earliest nucleosynthetic events. Whether these stars exist at similar rates in nearby galaxies is a major open question with implications for the environmental dependence of early chemical evolution. Here, we present the discovery of the first five CEMP stars in the Milky Way's largest dwarf companion, the LMC, using SDSS-V spectra from the BOSS instrument. We measure metallicities ranging from [Fe/H] = -2.1 to -3.2 and evolutionary state corrected carbon enhancements of [C/Fe] = +1.2 to +2.4, placing these stars among the most metal-poor and carbon-rich ever identified in the LMC. Their absolute carbon abundances and metallicities classify them as Group I CEMP stars, suggesting binary mass-transfer origins, though neutron-capture abundance measurements are required to confirm whether this classification scheme applies beyond the Milky Way. Although these stars were selected as the most promising CEMP candidates from the SDSS-V sample, likely biasing this initial sample toward higher absolute carbon abundances, their discovery suggests that previous null detections of CEMP stars in the LMC were caused by metallicity-sensitive photometric targeting biases against high [C/H] stars. A forthcoming analysis of the full spectroscopic sample will push to lower carbon abundances, providing a more complete census and enabling critical tests of whether environmental differences shape the formation channels and frequencies of CEMP stars in this system.
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All authors Madeline Lucey, Vedant Chandra, Alexander Ji, Andrew Casey, David Nidever, Sean Morrison, Robyn Sanderson, Slater Oden, José Fernández-Trincado, Guilherme Limberg

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

sponchpop: Population synthesis to investigate volatile sulfur as a fingerprint of gas giant formation histories

Anna Sommerville-Thomas, Mihkel Kama, Oliver Shottle et al. (+1 more)

Planet population synthesis is an integral tool for linking exoplanets to their formation environments. Most planet population synthesis studies have focused on the carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) in gas or solids, yet more insight into planet formation may be afforded by considering a wider suite of elements. Sulfur is one such key element. It has been assumed to be entirely refractory in population synthesis models, restricting it to being a tracer of accreted rocky solids. However, sulfur also has a volatile reservoir dominant at the onset of star and planet formation, which is then converted into refractories. We investigate sulfur's wider potential as a formation history tracer by implementing a gas-grain chemical conversion, the first multi-phase treatment of S in a planet population synthesis model. We also present the planet formation module of SPONCHPOP and its first predicted planet growth tracks and populations. We apply these to explore the diversity of the planetary sulfur budget. We show that planets can inherit a wide range of core and envelope sulfur content, depending on their formation environment and accretion history including late-stage infall, demonstrating sulfur's new potential as a diagnostic tool for planet formation. Our models predict that some rocky planets are born sulfur-poor, which may have significant implications for their geochemistry and habitability. Enhanced sulfur abundances in gas-giant atmospheres, such as in our solar system, may result not only from accretion of rocky planetesimals, but also from formation beyond the H2S iceline.
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All authors Anna Sommerville-Thomas, Mihkel Kama, Oliver Shottle, Jason Ran

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.plasm-ph

From Weibel seeds to collisionless dynamos beyond pair-plasmas

Lise Hanebring, James Juno, Ammar Hakim et al. (+2 more)

Bridging the spatiotemporal scales of magnetic seed field generation and subsequent dynamo amplification in the weakly collisional intracluster medium presents an extreme numerical challenge. We perform collisionless turbulence simulations with initially unmagnetized electrons that capture both magnetic seed generation via the electron Weibel instability and the ensuing dynamo amplification. Going beyond existing pair-plasma studies, we use an ion-to-electron mass ratio of 100 for which we find electron and ion dynamics are sufficiently decoupled. These simulations are enabled by the 10-moment collisionless fluid solver of Gkeyll, which evolves the full pressure tensor for all species. The electron heat-flux closure regulates pressure isotropization and effectively sets the magnetic Reynolds number. We investigate how the strength of the closure influences the transition between a regime reminiscent of previous kinetic pair-plasma simulations and a regime exhibiting dynamo behavior qualitatively similar to magnetohydrodynamics.
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All authors Lise Hanebring, James Juno, Ammar Hakim, Jason M. TenBarge, Istvan Pusztai

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Charged Simpson-Visser AdS Black Holes: Geodesic Structure and Thermodynamic Properties

Faizuddin Ahmed, Ahmad Al-Badawi and Mohsen Fathi

In this article, we apply the Simpson-Visser (SV) regularization scheme to Anti-de Sitter (AdS) charged black holes and investigate the resulting spacetime geometry in detail, with emphasis on both geodesic structure and thermodynamic behavior. In particular, we analyze the motion of massless particle, focusing on key features such as the photon sphere, black hole shadow, photon trajectory and the dynamics of charged particles, including the characteristics of the circular and type of orbits. Furthermore, we compare the theoretical predictions of the charged SV-AdS black hole with recent observations reported by the Event Horizon telescope (EHT) for M87* and Sgr~A*. Beyond the geodesic analysis, we explore the thermodynamics of the regularized charged SV-AdS black hole by deriving essential quantities such as the Hawking temperature, Gibbs free energy, and specific heat capacity. Through a systematic examination of these thermodynamic variables, we demonstrate how the regularization parameter inherent in the SV regularization influences particle dynamics, stability conditions, and the overall thermal properties of the modified black hole solution. This comprehensive study highlights the interplay between regularization effects and the physical observables associated with charged AdS black holes.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Alertissimo – a tool for orchestration of LSST broker streams

V.Vujcic, V.A. Sreckovic and S. Babarogic

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, through its Legacy Survey of Space and Time, will soon start producing 10 million alerts on transient astronomical objects per night. Due to logistics and bandwidth, alerts will not be dispatched directly to the public but to 'brokers' i.e. tools selected by LSST to handle alert streams. Brokers offer both common, specific and micro-specific functionalities related to alert handling, analysis, representation and dissemination. In this ecosystem, potentially augmented by data streams from other astronomical sources, there is a - need demonstrated by the community - for use cases which combine features of individual brokers. In this paper we present initial efforts and a prototype of such a tool, along with a language that would allow users to define use cases / workflows in a manner tailored for the domain.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

TOI-3862 b: A dense super-Neptune deep in the hot Neptune desert

Ilaria Carleo, Amadeo Castro-González, Enric Pallé et al. (+61 more)

The structure and evolution of close-in exoplanets are shaped by atmospheric loss and migration processes, which give rise to key population features such as the hot Neptune desert, ridge, and savanna - regions of the period-radius space whose boundaries offer critical insights into planetary formation and survival. As part of the KESPRINT collaboration, we selected the TESS transiting planet candidate TOI-3862.01 for radial velocity follow-up to confirm its planetary nature and characterize its mass and bulk properties. This planet candidate is of particular interest due to its position in the middle of the hot Neptune desert, making it a valuable probe for testing theories of planet migration and atmospheric loss. We confirmed the planetary nature and determined the mass of TOI-3862.01 (hereinafter TOI-3862b) by performing a joint fit with both transit and radial velocity data, precisely characterizing the bulk properties of this planet. TOI-3862b is a super-Neptune on a 1.56-day orbit around a Sun-like star with an effective temperature of 5300$\pm$50K. It has a mass of 53.7$_{-2.9}^{+2.8}$ M$_{\oplus}$ and a radius of 5.53$\pm$0.18 R$_{\oplus}$, corresponding to a density of 1.7$\pm$0.2 g/cm^3. This places it among the rare population of hot and dense super-Neptune desert planets. TOI-3862b, residing deep in the hot Neptune desert, represents a rare occurrence in an otherwise sparsely populated region, offering a valuable opportunity to probe the processes that may allow planets to survive in such environments.
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All authors Ilaria Carleo, Amadeo Castro-González, Enric Pallé, Felipe Murgas, Grzegorz Nowak, Gaia Lacedelli, Thomas Masseron, Emily W. Wong, Patrick Eggenberger, Vincent Bourrier, Dawid Jankowski, Krzysztof Goździewski, Douglas R. Alves, James S. Jenkins, Sergio Messina, Keivan G. Stassun, Jose I. Vines, Matteo Brogi, David R. Ciardi, Catherine A. Clark, William Cochran, Karen A. Collins, Hans J. Deeg, Elise Furlan, Davide Gandolfi, Samuel Geraldía González, Artie P. Hatzes, Coel Hellier, Steve B. Howell, Judith Korth, Jorge Lillo-Box, John H. Livingston, Jaume Orell-Miquel, Carina M. Persson, Seth Redfield, Boris Safonov, David Baker, Rafael Delfin Barrena Delgado, Allyson Bieryla, Andrew Boyle, Pau Bosch-Cabot, Núria Casasayas Barris, Stavros Chairetas, Jerome P. de Leon, Izuru Fukuda, Akihiko Fukui, Pere Guerra, Kai Ikuta, Kiyoe Kawauchi, Emil Knudstrup, Florence Libotte, Michael B. Lund, Rafael Luque, Eduardo Lorenzo Martín Guerrero de Escalante, Bob Massey, Edward J. Michaels, Giuseppe Morello, Norio Narita, Hannu Parvianien, Richard P. Schwarz, Avi Shporer, Monika Stangret, Noriharu Watanabe, Cristilyn N. Watkins

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

ASTRA: A Python Package for Cross-Instrument Stellar and Telluric Template Construction

André M. Silva, J. P. Faria, N. C. Santos et al. (+3 more)

ASTRA is a Python package that provides a modular, instrument-independent interface for working with high-resolution stellar spectra. Designed to support data from multiple spectrographs, including ESPRESSO (Pepe et al., 2021), HARPS (Mayor et al., 2003; Pepe et al., 2002), MAROON-X (Seifahrt et al., 2022), and CARMENES (Quirrenbach et al., 2014). ASTRA offers a unified abstraction over their data formats, enabling consistent access to fluxes, wavelengths, uncertainties, and metadata across instruments. Furthermore, it applies the necessary wavelength and flux calibrations that are needed, as described by the official pipelines of each instrument.
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All authors André M. Silva, J. P. Faria, N. C. Santos, S. G. Sousa, P. T. P. Viana, J. H. C. Martins

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Spectroscopic follow-up of Gaia alerted Young Stellar Object variables: the Large Binocular Telescope view

Teresa Giannini, Manuele Gangi, Fernando Cruz-Saenz de Miera et al. (+13 more)

We analyzed optical/near-IR Large Binocular Telescope spectra of 16 sources alerted by Gaia between 2021 and 2024 due to significant photometric variability. Half of the spectra were taken during quiescence and the rest during a burst or at intermediate brightness. Our analysis of their ten-year light curves and photometric/spectroscopic features provide evidence that all 16 sources are accreting Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). One object, Gaia23bab, is a known EXor source. Other light curves either have peaks over a stable baseline, or significant variability throughout the entire observation period, suggesting multiple contributing processes. All spectra exhibit emission lines from accretion columns, and over half of them show atomic forbidden lines as signatures of outflowing gas. We determined stellar parameters, accretion luminosity (Lacc) and mass accretion rate (Macc) at different brightness phases. Only two sources showed variability primarily due to extinction. During quiescence, our sources exhibit Lacc and Macc values typical of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) sources, supporting the hypothesis that any YSO may undergo episodic accretion. In bursts, the Lacc and Macc of sources with photometric variations exceeding 2 mag follow a shallower relation with stellar luminosity and mass, typical of known EXor sources. This group includes one Class I, one flat-spectrum, and two Class II sources. Notably, the other Class I source, Gaia24beh, shows an Lacc value about ten times higher than typical EXor bursts of the same mass. In the other cases, Lacc and Macc align with variability seen in T Tauri and HAEBE sources.
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All authors Teresa Giannini, Manuele Gangi, Fernando Cruz-Saenz de Miera, Brunella Nisini, Mate Szilagyi, Katia Biazzo, Agnes Kospal, Peter Abraham, Simone Antoniucci, Roberta Carini, Eleonora Fiorellino, Adriana Gargiulo, Ester Marini, Zsofia Nagy, Maria Gabriela Navarro, Fabrizio Vitali

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Long Period Transients (LPTs): a comprehensive review

Nanda Rea, Natasha Hurley-Walker and Manisha Caleb

Long Period Transients (LPTs) are a recently identified class of sources characterized by periodic radio bursts lasting seconds to minutes, with flux densities that might reach several tens of Jy. These radio bursts repeat with periodicity from minutes to hours, and they exhibit strong polarization and transient activity periods. To date, about 12 such sources have been identified, which might encompass the same or different physical scenarios. Proposed explanations include binary systems with a white dwarf and a low-mass star companion, slow-spinning magnetars, highly magnetized isolated white dwarfs, and other exotic objects. In a few cases the optical counterpart indeed points toward a white dwarf with a low-mass companion, while in other cases, transient X-ray emission was detected, very common in magnetars. However, despite being able to reproduce partially some of the characteristics of LPTs, all the proposed scenarios find difficulty in explaining the exact physical origin of their bright, highly polarized and periodic radio emission. We review here the state-of-the-art in the observations and interpretation of this puzzling class of radio transients.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Active Galactic Nuclei and STaR fOrmation in Nearby Galaxies (AGNSTRONG). II: Results for Jetted Type-I AGNs with Strong Ionized Gas Outflows

Chen Qin, Huynh Anh N. Le, Yongquan Xue et al. (+3 more)

We investigate the correlation between ionized gas outflows, jets, and star formation in a sample of 42 local type-I active galactic nuclei (AGNs) exhibiting significant [O III] outflows. This study uses both new submillimeter (sub-mm) observations and archival data from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Our analysis, which includes a correction for jet emission in the sub-mm bands, fitting spectral energy distribution, and analyzing spectra, enables us to derive star-formation rates (SFRs) through various methods. By comparing radio power and SFRs, we select a sub-sample of jetted AGNs of which radio emission is mostly from the jets. We find that jetted AGNs predominantly lie above the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, suggesting a correlation between jet activity and star formation. By comparing dust extinction, we demonstrate that jetted AGNs do not have more dust which is the fuel of both star formation and AGN activity. Therefore, this correlation is more likely to arise from AGN feedback. We also find that the Eddington ratio does not impact the specific SFRs (sSFRs) of our sample. Additionally, for jetted AGNs, stronger radio emission corresponds to higher sSFRs, suggesting that jet emission may promote star formation, i.e., positive feedback. Our results not only shed light on the feedback mechanisms of AGNs but also underscore the complex interplay between black hole activity and star formation in galaxy evolution.
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All authors Chen Qin, Huynh Anh N. Le, Yongquan Xue, Shifu Zhu, Xiaozhi Lin, Kim Ngan Nhat Nguyen

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Testing the correlation between bending angle and polarization properties of bent radio galaxies

S. Vanderwoude, E. Osinga, B. M. Gaensler et al. (+2 more)

The bending of radio galaxies in galaxy clusters is expected to be caused by interactions with the local environment. The physical processes responsible for jet bending, and their influence on the polarization properties of radio galaxies, remain poorly understood, leading to the question of whether jet properties in bent radio galaxies differ from those in linear radio galaxies. Using a sample of 24 polarized bent radio galaxies, observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 1–2 GHz, we test for correlation of bending angle with polarization parameters measuring Faraday rotation, intrinsic fractional polarization, and Faraday rotation dispersion, used here as a measure of turbulence along the line of sight. We find no statistically significant correlations. At the spatial resolution of our dataset (3–46 kpc, median 18.4 kpc), our results indicate that we are primarily probing larger-scale intracluster medium effects not related to bending angle. The absence of a statistically significant correlation suggests that bent radio galaxies are reliable probes of intracluster magnetic fields, because their intrinsic properties do not appear to introduce systematic biases into measured polarization parameters. We do detect a preference for source magnetic field vectors to align with the direction of jet bending. Finally, we estimate that the POSSUM and SKA surveys will contain $\gtrsim$300 and $\gtrsim$1000 polarized radio galaxies, respectively, providing large future samples with a range of bending angles and similar redshift distribution and number of beams per source as in our sample, enabling our results to be tested with greater statistical power.
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All authors S. Vanderwoude, E. Osinga, B. M. Gaensler, J. L. West, R. J. van Weeren