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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Wednesday 18 February

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

First Detection of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) Feature in the 3-Point Correlation Function of DESI DR1 Luminous Red Galaxies

Farshad Kamalinejad, Zachary Slepian, Alex Krolewski et al. (+55 more)

We present the first detection of the 3-Point Correlation Function (3PCF) Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) signal from the DESI Data Release 1 (DR1) sample of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs), which contains over 2.1 million galaxies. Our analysis is based on a tree-level redshift-space bispectrum template, which is then transformed to position space using the Fast Fourier Transform on Logarithmic scales (FFTLog) algorithm. We detect the BAO feature with a significance of approximately $8.1\sigma$ using the EZmock covariance matrix and $8.5\sigma$ using the analytical covariance matrix, for the full LRG redshift range ($0.4<z<1.1$), denoted as the $z_{\rm full}$ sample. We use the Abacus altMTL mocks, the most precise DESI DR1 mock catalogs currently available, to validate our model. We find that our model fits the mocks well, with a small offset of $0.6\%$ in the recovered BAO scale, which we treat as a systematic error due to modeling. We measure the angle-averaged distance, $D_{\rm V}(z = 0.68)/r_{\rm d} = 15.88 \pm 0.27$ ($1.72\%$ precision) when using the covariance matrix estimated from EZmocks and $D_{\rm V}(z = 0.68)/r_{\rm d} = 15.72 \pm 0.18$ ($1.12\%$ precision) when using the analytical Gaussian covariance matrix. Our results show excellent agreement with the DESI DR1 2PCF BAO measurements as well. We also explore several other ways to estimate the error and find between $1.7$–$2.2\%$ precision on the BAO scale from the EZmock covariance matrix and between $1.1$–$1.5\%$ precision from the analytical covariance matrix. This work represents the first detection of the BAO feature in the DESI 3PCF, establishing its ability to probe the expansion history of the Universe with future DESI 3PCF measurements.
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All authors Farshad Kamalinejad, Zachary Slepian, Alex Krolewski, Alessandro Greco, William Ortolá Leonard, Jessica Chellino, Matthew Reinhard, Elena Fernández-García, Francisco Prada, J. Aguilar, S. Ahlen, A. Anand, C. Bebek, D. Bianchi, D. Brooks, T. Claybaugh, A. Cuceu, K. S. Dawson, A. de la Macorra, R. Demina, P. Doel, J. Edelstein, J. E. Forero-Romero, E. Gaztañaga, S. Gontcho A Gontcho, G. Gutierrez, H. K. Herrera-Alcantar, K. Honscheid, C. Howlett, D. Huterer, M. Ishak, R. Joyce, S. Juneau, D. Kirkby, T. Kisner, A. Kremin, O. Lahav, C. Lamman, M. Landriau, L. Le Guillou, M. Manera, A. Meisner, R. Miquel, J. A. Newman, W. J. Percival, C. Poppett, I. Pérez-Ràfols, L. Samushia, E. Sanchez, D. Schlegel, M. Schubnell, H. Seo, J. Silber, D. Sprayberry, G. Tarlé, B. A. Weaver, C. Zhao, H. Zou

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Morphological Fingerprints of Forbush Decreases and Their Relation to Geomagnetic Storm Severity

Juan D. Perez-Navarro and D. Sierra-Porta

Forbush decreases (FDs) are transient depressions in the galactic cosmic-ray flux observed by global neutron-monitor networks and are commonly associated with interplanetary disturbances driven by coronal mass ejections and related shocks. Despite extensive observational work, quantitatively comparing FD morphology across events and linking it to storm severity remains challenging due to heterogeneous station responses, coverage gaps, and the multivariate nature of the network. This work introduces a graph-based event representation in which each FD is mapped to an event network constructed from pairwise dissimilarities between station response time series. A controlled sparse backbone is obtained via the minimum spanning tree, enabling comparable event graphs across cases. From each graph, a compact set of geometric/topological fingerprints is computed, including global integration measures, spectral summaries, mesoscopic structure, centrality aggregates, and complexity descriptors. Predictive skill is assessed using strict leave-one-event-out validation over a pre-defined grid of distance metrics and distance-domain transformations, with selection criteria fixed a priori. The proposed fingerprints exhibit measurable signal for three tasks: (i) multi-class classification of geomagnetic storm intensity (G3/G4/G5) with moderate but consistent performance and errors dominated by adjacent categories; (ii) stronger binary severity screening ($\ge$G4 vs. G3) with high sensitivity to severe events; and (iii) drop regression with partial least squares achieving positive explained variance relative to a fold-wise mean baseline.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from nucl-th

Solving BDNK diffusion using physics-informed neural networks

Vicente Chomalí-Castro, Nick Clarisse, Nicki Mullins et al. (+1 more)

In this work, we reformulate the relativistic BDNK (Bemfica-Disconzi-Noronha-Kovtun) diffusion equation in flux-conservative form, and solve the resulting equations in $(1+1)$D using both a second-order Kurganov-Tadmor finite volume scheme and physics-informed neural networks (PINNs). In particular, we introduce the SA-PINN-ACTO framework, which combines the self-adaptive PINN technique with an exact enforcement of initial and periodic boundary conditions through an algebraic transform of the network's raw output, allowing the network to focus solely on minimizing the PDE residual. We test both approaches on smooth and discontinuous initial data, for both trivial and dynamically evolving velocity and temperature BDNK backgrounds, and for two characteristic speeds. The SA-PINN-ACTO method matches the converged Kurganov-Tadmor solutions for smooth profiles, while for discontinuous profiles the errors increase, reflecting an expected limitation of PINNs near sharp gradients.
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All authors Vicente Chomalí-Castro, Nick Clarisse, Nicki Mullins, Jorge Noronha

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Effects of Symmetron on growth and RSD multipoles

Gerardo Morales-Navarrete and Jorge L. Cervantes-Cota

In this work, we investigate the effects of the growth rate scale dependence in the Symmetron modified gravity (MG) model on cosmic structure formation and we analyze the redshift-space distortion (RSD) multipoles, comparing with the Hu-Sawicki $f(R)$ model (specifically the F6) and the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. The analysis employs a scale-dependent growth equation and utilizes the fk-PT perturbation theory approach, implemented in the FOLPS-nu code, to compute the full 1-loop power spectrum multipoles, in particular, the monopole and quadrupole ($\ell=0,2$, respectively). The results show that at redshift $z=0$, the monopole of both MG models is suppressed compared to $\Lambda$CDM, with the Symmetron being closer to the standard model, while the quadrupole presents the opposite behavior. To validate the pipeline, we use General Relativity (GR) mock catalogs (EZMocks), since suitable Symmetron simulations are not available. The main result is that the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis successfully recovers the expected GR limit (i.e., $\beta_0 \approx 0$) from the Symmetron model when applied to this mock data, confirming the viability of our methodology for cosmological inference. Then, we conclude that the pipeline is prepared to test MG models against current and near-future galaxy surveys.
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Tuesday 17 February

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Particle acceleration to PeV energies in Pulsar Wind Nebula: a two zone model

Gunindra Krishna Mahanta, Nilay Bhatt, Bitan Ghosal et al. (+1 more)

PeVatrons are the extreme galactic accelerators capable of producing PeV particles. Recent observation of Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory have detected UHE photons ($\geq$ 100 TeV) from 43 galactic sources. Detection of UHE photons demands the presence of at least PeV particles in the acceleration site. Although the exact nature of most of the sources are still unknown, a large fraction of these sources have spatial association with pulsar wind nebula. In this work we investigate the acceleration mechanism in pulsar wind nebula by following a magnetohydrodynamics approach. Current study relates the MHD flow solution in immediate downstream with the particle spectrum and spectral energy distribution of photons. Our study shows that MHD description in the PWN environment reduces the parameter space and most of the parameters can be constrained in terms of a single parameter, the magnetization parameter $\sigma$ only. Considering the effect of $\sigma$, we show that in low $\sigma$ environment pulsar wind nebula can produce PeV particles. We have also investigate the role of turbulence in the nebular region in acceleration of particle to PeV energy. Current study shows that both low $\sigma$ environment and turbulence environment is favorable for acceleration of particles up to PeV energy. We have also tested our model in two different LHAASO detected PeVatron 1LHAASO J1848-000u and 1LHAASO J1929+1846u.
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All authors Gunindra Krishna Mahanta, Nilay Bhatt, Bitan Ghosal, Subir Bhattacharyya

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Three Saturn-mass Microlensing Planets Identified through Signals from Peripheral-caustic Perturbations

Cheongho Han, Chung-Uk Lee, Andrzej Udalski et al. (+63 more)

We present the discovery and analysis of three microlensing planets identified through brief positive anomalies on the wings of their light curves. The events, KMT-2021-BLG-0852, KMT-2024-BLG-2005, and KMT-2025-BLG-0481, were detected in high-cadence survey data from the KMTNet, OGLE, MOA, and PRIME collaborations. The anomaly morphologies are consistent with major-image perturbations induced by planetary-mass companions located near the peripheral caustic. A systematic exploration of model degeneracies, including binary-source scenarios, higher mass-ratio binary lenses, and the inner–outer caustic degeneracy, firmly establishes the planetary origin of each signal. Measurements of the angular Einstein radius and event timescale, combined with Bayesian priors from a Galactic model, yield the physical parameters of each system. The hosts are low-mass stars (0.12–0.75~$M_\odot$), while the companions are Saturn-mass planets (0.16–0.59 $M_{\rm J}$) projected at separations of 1.1–7.8 au, placing them beyond the snowline of their hosts. These results demonstrate the capability of microlensing to detect and characterize cold giant planets around low-mass stars at kpc distances, populating the critical transition region between ice giants and gas giants.
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All authors Cheongho Han, Chung-Uk Lee, Andrzej Udalski, Ian A. Bond, Michael D. Albrow, Sun-Ju Chung, Andrew Gould, Youn Kil Jung, Kyu-Ha Hwang, Yoon-Hyun Ryu, Yossi Shvartzvald, In-Gu Shin, Jennifer C. Yee, Weicheng Zang, Hongjing Yang, Doeon Kim, Dong-Jin Kim, Sang-Mok Cha, Seung-Lee Kim, Dong-Joo Lee, Yongseok Lee, Byeong-Gon Park, Kyeongsoo Hong, Richard W. Pogge, Przemek Mróz, Michał K. Szymański, Jan Skowron, Radosław Poleski, Igor Soszyński, Paweł Pietrukowicz, Szymon Kozłowski, Krzysztof A. Rybicki, Patryk Iwanek, Krzysztof Ulaczyk, Marcin Wrona, Mariusz Gromadzki, Mateusz J. Mróz, Fumio Abe, David P. Bennett, Aparna Bhattacharya, Ryusei Hamada, Yuki Hirao, Asahi Idei, Stela Ishitani Silva, Shuma Makida, Shota Miyazaki, Yasushi Muraki, Tutumi Nagai, Togo Nagano, Seiya Nakayama, Mayu Nishio, Kansuke Nunota, Ryo Ogawa, Ryunosuke Oishi, Yui Okumoto, Greg Olmschenk, Clément Ranc, Nicholas J. Rattenbury, Yuki Satoh, Takahiro Sumi, Daisuke Suzuki, Takuto Tamaoki, Sean K. Terry, Paul J. Tristram, Aikaterini Vandorou, Hibiki Yama

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Evolution of Low-Mass Population III Stars: Convection, Mass Loss, Nucleosynthesis, and Neutrinos

Thiago Ferreira, Earl P. Bellinger, Ebraheem Farag et al. (+1 more)

The first stars likely formed from pristine clouds, marking a transformative epoch after the dark ages by initiating reionisation and synthesising the first heavy elements. Among these, low-mass Population III stars are of particular interest, as their long lifespans raise the possibility that some may survive to the present day in the Milky Way's stellar halo or satellite dwarfs. As the first paper in a series, we present hydrodynamic evolutionary models for 0.7 - 1 MSun stars evolved up to the white dwarf phase, utilising the MESA software instrument. We systematically vary mass-loss efficiencies, convective transport, and overshooting prescriptions, thereby mapping how uncertain physics influences nucleosynthetic yields; surface enrichment, including nitrogen-rich post-main sequence stars arising from convective shell mergers; remnant properties, such as low-mass helium or carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (M_WD ~ 0.45-0.55 MSun) and transient UV-bright phases; and potential observational signatures, including neutrino emission during shell mergers and helium flashes. These models establish a predictive framework for identifying surviving Pop III stars and their descendants, providing both evolutionary and observational constraints that were previously unexplored.
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All authors Thiago Ferreira, Earl P. Bellinger, Ebraheem Farag, Christopher J. Lindsay

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The Carousel Lens II: Cosmological Constraints with GIGA-Lens

Felipe Urcelay, Xiaosheng Huang, William Sheu et al. (+28 more)

The nature of dark matter and dark energy are among the central questions in cosmology. Strong gravitational lenses with multiple source planes provide a geometric probe of cosmology: the ratio of deflection angles at different redshifts depends only on angular-diameter distances, constraining the matter density $\Omega_m$ and the dark energy equation of state $w$. However, constraints from this technique have historically lagged behind those from the CMB, SNe Ia, and BAO. In this work, we present new cosmological constraints from the Carousel Lens, a cluster-scale lens with more than 40 extended images from 11 spectroscopically confirmed sources. Its relaxed core and rich set of extended images behind the main halo make it particularly suitable for cosmological inference. Using the GIGA-Lens pipeline, we construct a pixel-level lens model including six HST-detected sources and four mass components. From this model, we obtain $w$CDM constraints of $\Omega_m = 0.34^{+0.16}_{-0.13}$ and $w = -1.31^{+0.35}_{-0.32}$ from the Carousel Lens alone, accounting for both statistical and systematic uncertainties. We further project that including four additional known higher-redshift sources, assuming similar fractional uncertainties, could improve the constraining power by ~80%, bringing the precision close to that of the CMB and SNe Ia. For an evolving dark energy model ($w_0w_a$CDM), the Carousel Lens alone yields constraints comparable to the CMB, providing an independent and complementary probe alongside SN Ia and BAO. While currently systematic uncertainties dominate, which we quantify through simulations, our results demonstrate that relaxed multi-source-plane cluster lenses can deliver competitive cosmological constraints. Further improvements are expected from reductions in systematics and from incorporating higher-redshift sources (known and new) with high-resolution imaging.
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All authors Felipe Urcelay, Xiaosheng Huang, William Sheu, Jackson H. O'Donnell, Tesla Jeltema, Demetrius Y. Williams, Sean Xu, Shrihan Agarwal, Greg Aldering, David Álvarez-García, Harsh Ambardekar, Tania M. Barone, Fuyan Bian, Adam S. Bolton, Aleksandar Cikota, Gerrit S. Farren, Karl Glazebrook, Taylor Hoyt, Aniket Jain, Tucker Jones, Glenn G. Kacprzak, Emerald Lin, Saul Perlmutter, David Rubin, David J. Schlegel, Ethan Silver, Christopher J. Storfer, Nao Suzuki, Jannik Truong, Mónica Úbeda, Keerthi Vasan G. C

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Direct contact binary planetesimal formation from gravitational collapse

Jackson T. Barnes, Stephen R. Schwartz and Seth A. Jacobson

Bilobate contact binaries comprise a significant fraction of the relict Kuiper Belt, which includes the exemplary contact binary (486958) Arrokoth. The surfaces of its lobes contain similar amounts of highly volatile chemical species and few craters, indicating formation in a homogeneous and gentle environment. Arrokoth's bilobate shape was initially hypothesized to have formed via the direct gravitational collapse of a pebble cloud in the solar system's protoplanetary disk. However, alternative hypotheses have proposed that Arrokoth may be the result of binary planetesimal formation and the subsequent dynamical evolution of the binary components into contact through external perturbations over long timescales. Here, we show that contact binary planetesimals like Arrokoth can form directly from the gravitational collapse of pebble clouds. We used a soft-sphere discrete element method (SSDEM) to discover that planetesimals form a wide variety of shapes, including bilobate contact binaries. This method creates planetesimals as particle-aggregates with particles resting upon each other's surfaces via mutual surface penetration. The formation of contact binaries in our simulations strengthens the hypothesis that Arrokoth, and perhaps many other contact binaries in the Kuiper Belt, formed directly as bilobate objects from gravitational collapse, and so their shapes and surfaces record the era of planet formation.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Diffusive Instabilities in Dusty Disks: Linear Growth and Nonlinear Breakdown

Konstantin Gerbig and Min-Kai Lin

We revisit the diffusive instability in dusty disks that arises when the dust mass diffusivity and/or viscosity decreases sufficiently steeply with increasing dust density. Our updated model includes an incompressible, viscous gas that responds azimuthally and couples to the dust through drag. We show that the basic criterion for diffusion-slope-driven instability remains approximately $\beta_\mathrm{diff}\lesssim -2$ for small dust stopping times, with gas feedback providing only modest quantitative changes for parameters motivated by streaming-instability turbulence. We perform nonlinear numerical calculations and confirm linear growth and mode selection toward the fastest-growing wavenumber. However, for power-law closures $D\propto\Sigma^{\beta_\mathrm{diff}}$ with $\beta_\mathrm{diff}<0$, the nonlinear evolution does not saturate. Instead, steepening gradients amplify the nonlinear dust-pressure term and drive finite-time collapse into increasingly sharp spikes. Motivated by the absence of multidimensional saturation channels in our 1D framework, we test a simple piecewise closure in which the negative diffusion slope operates only over a finite density interval. This modification eliminates blowup and produces peak densities controlled by the imposed saturation scale. Our results support diffusive instabilities as a linear organizing mechanism in dusty turbulence, while highlighting that realistic nonlinear saturation requires additional physics beyond the present closure.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Molecular diagnostics for the mid-infrared emission of planet-forming disks. Carbon and oxygen elemental abundances

Aditya M. Arabhavi, Inga Kamp, Ewine F. van Dishoeck et al. (+8 more)

Mid-infrared observations of planet-forming disks reveal a wide diversity in molecular spectra. Carbon and oxygen abundances play a central role in setting the chemical environment of the inner disk and the spectral appearance. We aim to systematically explore how variations in elemental carbon and oxygen abundances affect the mid-infrared spectra of planet-forming disks, and to identify robust mid-infrared molecular diagnostics of C/H, O/H, and the C/O ratio. Using the thermochemical disk code ProDiMo and the line radiative transfer code FLiTs, we construct a grid of 25 models with varying carbon and oxygen abundances, covering a broad range of C/O ratios. We analyze the resulting mid-infrared molecular emission, including species such as $\rm H_2O$, $\rm CO$, $\rm CO_2$, $\rm C_2H_2$, $\rm OH$. We find that the mid-infrared molecular spectra are highly sensitive not only to the C/O ratio, but also to the absolute abundances of carbon and oxygen. Despite the same disk structure and C/O ratios, molecular fluxes (e.g., $\rm C_2H_2$, $\rm CO_2$) vary by more than an order of magnitude. This variation stems from the differences in excitation conditions and emitting regions caused by the elemental abundances of oxygen and carbon. We identify diagnostic molecular flux ratios - such as $\rm CO_2$/$\rm H_2O$ and $\rm H_2O$/$\rm C_2H_2$ - that can serve as tracers of C/H and O/H respectively. By combining these diagnostics, we demonstrate a method to infer the underlying C/O ratio. Our model grid provides a framework for interpreting mid-infrared molecular emission from disks, allowing estimates of elemental abundances if the disk properties and structure are known. Comparisons with recent JWST observations suggest that a variety in C and O abundances is seen in a sample of T Tauri disks, possibly shaped by disk transport processes and the presence of gaps.
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All authors Aditya M. Arabhavi, Inga Kamp, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Peter Woitke, Christian Rab, Wing-Fai Thi, Till Kaeufer, Jayatee Kanwar, Benoît Tabone, Pacôme Esteve, Marissa Vlasblom

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

CHARA Array Delay Lines: Upgrades, Performance and Future Directions

Narsireddy Anugu, Nils H. Turner, Theo A. ten Brummelaar et al. (+12 more)

Long baseline optical and infrared interferometric arrays achieve high angular resolution and enable detailed astrophysical measurements. Interferometers have enabled observations of stars at various stages of evolution, as well as studies of binary stars, circumstellar disks, and active galactic nuclei. The CHARA Array is a long-baseline interferometric array at the Mount Wilson Observatory, USA. At the core of CHARA operations are the delay lines, which equalize the optical path length for all telescopes as the Earth rotates and compensate for optical path variations induced by atmospheric turbulence. We report recent upgrades and performance of the CHARA Array optical delay lines for high-precision interferometric observations. The legacy system had been operational for over two decades, and it was increasingly difficult to acquire replacement parts. Beginning in mid-2021, the control system underwent a major upgrade, replacing the aging VME-based architecture with a modern hybrid FPGA and Linux-based system; this modernization continued through the end of 2024. We describe hardware/software changes, the servo architecture, and lab/on-sky performance. The upgraded system achieves residual delay line cart tracking errors of $\sim12$~nm, the same level as the legacy system, and a control bandwidth of 100-130~Hz, allowing fringe tracking across the R, H, and K bands. Initial commissioning revealed key issues such as metrology time-tick jitter and vibration-induced visibility loss, which were diagnosed and resolved. We note ongoing and future efforts to extend baselines up to 1~km and support advanced observing modes such as dual-field interferometry and nulling. This paper is a reference for current and future use of the CHARA Array and for next-generation instrument design.
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All authors Narsireddy Anugu, Nils H. Turner, Theo A. ten Brummelaar, Gail H. Schaefer, Philippe Bério, Christopher D. Farrington, Becky Flores, Douglas R. Gies, Stefan Kraus, Edgar R. Ligon III, Olli Majoinen, John D. Monnier, Denis Mourard, Nicholas J. Scott, Norman L. Vargas

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Multiwavelength Campaign Observations of a Young Solar-type Star, EK Draconis. III. Comparison between Starspot Mapping, Zeeman Doppler Imaging, and Multiwavelength Variability

Kai Ikuta, Kosuke Namekata, Pascal Petit et al. (+12 more)

Recent simultaneous multiwavelength observations of a nearby young solar-type star EK Dra in the optical, H$\alpha$ spectrum, and X-ray, have provided evidence for stellar prominence eruptions associated with superflares. The large prominence eruption is suggested to have been caused by a large mid-latitude spot on the polarity inversion lines near the stellar limb from the concurrent Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) and optical photometry by the TESS. In this study, we perform starspot mapping for the TESS data of EK Dra to investigate the relation of starspots and magnetic fields from the photometry and ZDI. We also explore the multiwavelength rotational variability ascribed to starspots and active regions for the TESS, B-band, H$\alpha$, and X-ray light curves. As a result, we find that (i) spot locations deduced from the TESS light curve are mostly consistent with the intensity map from the ZDI except for a polar spot, and (ii) the H$\alpha$ light curve exhibits clear periodicity with respect to the TESS light curve because the H$\alpha$ line is radiated around spots in the chromosphere. The X-ray light curve does not show such association probably because of multiple spots on high activity level and extended spatial structure of coronal active regions. The results provide clues to explore their association with stellar flares at different heights of active regions in chromospheric and coronal lines. Our study also enables us to quantify the stellar XUV radiation from the magnetic fields of active stars toward understanding atmospheric evolution of exoplanets.
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All authors Kai Ikuta, Kosuke Namekata, Pascal Petit, Vladimir S. Airapetian, Hiroyuki Maehara, Yuta Notsu, Aline A. Vidotto, Keith Gendreau, Sandra V. Jeffers, Stephen Marsden, Julien Morin, Coralie Neiner, Rishi R. Paudel, Daisaku Nogami, Kazunari Shibata

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Planet-Disk Interactions and the Convective Overstability. I. Low Mass Planets

M. Lehmann and M.K. Lin

Rapid inward migration driven by Type I torques threatens the survival of low-mass planets in their nascent protoplanetary disks (PPDs). Positive co-rotation torques offer a potential solution, but require viscous diffusion to remain unsaturated. However, it is unclear if (magneto)-hydrodynamic turbulence provides the necessary diffusion, and disk profiles supporting such torques are often also susceptible to the Convective Overstability (COS) for suitable gas cooling timescales. To this end, we investigate torques on low-mass planets through radially global 2D (razor-thin) and vertically unstratified 3D hydrodynamic simulations of PPDs with thermal diffusion and optically thin cooling. Our 3D models with thermal diffusion, which allows COS development, show systematically different torque behavior compared to 2D models, wherein COS is absent. In 3D, the COS saturates into large-scale, long-lived vortices that migrate radially and interact gravitationally with the embedded planet. When these vortices encounter the planet, they typically provide positive torque "kicks" counteracting inward migration, as the less-massive vortices are scattered onto horseshoe orbits by the more-massive planet. We validate our simulation methods against the theoretical framework of Paardekooper et al. (2011) and demonstrate that COS-induced torque modifications can extend migration timescales by factors of approximately 10. For plausible disk models, our results suggest that COS activity can lengthen migration timescales sufficiently to overlap with, or even exceed Super-Earth formation windows (0.1-5 Myr). In contrast, simulations with optically thin cooling do not show significant torque modifications, as COS saturates in near-axisymmetric structures without producing large-scale vortices for the disk models considered here.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Early Results from the Coma Legacy IFU Survey (CLIFS): Ram Pressure Induced Shocks and Ionization in Jellyfish Tails

Lauren M. Foster, Ian D. Roberts, Laura C. Parker et al. (+6 more)

Jellyfish galaxies, which exhibit tails of gas opposite to their direction of motion, are a galaxy population showcasing the most extreme effects of ram pressure stripping (RPS). We present the emission line properties of a preliminary sample of five jellyfish galaxies in the Coma cluster, observed with the WEAVE Large-IFU as part of the Coma Legacy IFU Survey (CLIFS). When complete, CLIFS will form a sample of 29 jellyfish galaxies in Coma, selected based on the presence of one-sided tails in the radio continuum, enabling a comprehensive picture of the effects of ram pressure on galaxies in the Coma cluster. We extract emission line properties and confirm consistency between disk fluxes measured from WEAVE and MaNGA for galaxies with overlapping disk coverage between surveys. Comparing resolved radio and H$\alpha$-based star formation rates, we find that, in contrast to the disk, the dominant source of tail emission is not star formation. We find evidence for diffuse ionized gas excited by RPS-driven shocks in the tails, as indicated by: (1) LINER-like tail emission with the [OI]/H$\alpha$ BPT diagnostic; (2) enhanced [OII]/H$\alpha$ ratios in the tails relative to the disks; and (3) similarly elevated emission line velocities and velocity dispersions in the tails with respect to the disks. These results demonstrate that ram-pressure-driven shocks dominate the ionized emission in jellyfish galaxy tails.
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All authors Lauren M. Foster, Ian D. Roberts, Laura C. Parker, Timothy A. Davis, Alessandro Ignesti, Sean McGee, Nikki Zabel, Ming Sun, Reinout J. van Weeren

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Stellar microlensing surveys as a probe of Primordial Black Holes: status and prospects

Anne M. Green

Stellar microlensing surveys are a powerful tool for probing dark matter in the form of planetary and stellar mass compact objects (COs), in particular primordial black holes (PBHs). Under standard assumptions, current observations exclude COs in the mass range $10^{-11} \lesssim M/M_{\odot} \lesssim 10^{4}$ making up all of the dark matter. We provide an overview, aimed at theorists working on PBHs, of the history, theory, observational status, and future prospects of the field.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Is the overconcentration of pristine populations in Galactic globular clusters real? An N-body approach to the problem

P. Berczik, O. Sobodar, F. Flammini Dotti et al. (+5 more)

Recent observations indicate that in some Milky Way globular clusters (GCs) pristine red giant branch (RGB) stars appear more centrally concentrated than enriched ones. This contradicts most multiple stellar population (MSP) formation scenarios, which predict that the enriched (second) population (2P) should initially be more concentrated than the pristine (first) population (1P). Previous MOCCA Monte Carlo simulations suggested that this apparent overconcentration is a transient effect arising in clusters that have lost a large fraction of their initial mass and host an active black hole subsystem (BHS), and is visible only when RGB stars are used as tracers. In this letter, we test this interpretation using tailored NBODY6++GPU models evolved with direct N-body simulations, providing an independent validation that does not rely on a statistical treatment of relaxation. We performed direct N-body simulations with the NBODY6++GPU code, adopting initial conditions designed to reproduce the dynamical regime relevant to the proposed mechanism. The simulations include updated stellar and binary evolution, dynamical interactions, and the Galactic tidal field, enabling a direct comparison with MOCCA results. The simulations confirm that the spatial distributions and kinematics inferred from RGB stars can be strongly affected by stochastic fluctuations and interactions with the BHS. Preferential ejection of 2P RGB and their progenitors from the cluster center leads to a transient apparent overconcentration of 1P RGB stars, in agreement with earlier MOCCA predictions.
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All authors P. Berczik, O. Sobodar, F. Flammini Dotti, M. Sobolenko, M. Ishchenko, R. Spurzem, M. Giersz, A. Askar

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Gas Accretion versus BH Merger driven Growth Modes of Supermassive Black Holes and Implications for the Little Red Dots

Paramita Barai

We investigate the growth of central supermassive black holes in galaxies, aiming to distinguish between gas accretion versus BH merger-driven growth modes. By performing and analysing cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of $(50 ~ {\rm Mpc})^3$ comoving boxes, we also study how the BH feedback parameters affect the coevolution between SMBHs and their host galaxies. Starting as $10^5 M_{\odot}$ seeds, we find that the BHs grow initially via BH mergers to $\sim 10^7 M_{\odot}$. Gas accretion onto the BHs is initially low, then increases with time, and reaches the Eddington rate after $7-9$ Gyrs. The BHs then undergo very fast growth via efficient gas accretion over a period of $600 - 700$ Myr, when the BH mass increases $10^2 - 10^3$ times, causing their predominant growth from $10^7 M_{\odot}$ to $(10^9 - 10^{10}) M_{\odot}$. Taking into account the cosmological gas inflows and outflows, SMBHs do not grow to more than $10^{10} M_{\odot}$ by $z=0$, because of gas depletion from galaxy centers driven by AGN feedback. In terms of SMBH - host galaxy coevolution along the $M_{\rm BH} - M_{\star}$ relation, we find that they initially lie below and thereby move upward toward the relation. We make some physical implications of the growth of high-$z$ Little Red Dots recently observed by JWST: the normal-mass SMBHs had predominantly undergone BH merger driven evolution, whereas the overmassive BHs underwent periods of Eddington-limited or super-Eddington bursts of gas accretion.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

MadEvolve: Evolutionary Optimization of Cosmological Algorithms with Large Language Models

Tianyi Li, Shihui Zang and Moritz Münchmeyer

We develop a general framework to discover scientific algorithms and apply it to three problems in computational cosmology. Our code, MadEvolve, is similar to Google's AlphaEvolve, but places a stronger emphasis on free parameters and their optimization. Our code starts with a baseline human algorithm implementation, and then optimizes its performance metrics by making iterative changes to its code. As a further convenient feature, MadEvolve automatically generates a report that compares the input algorithm with the evolved algorithm, describes the algorithmic innovations and lists the free parameters and their function. Our code supports both auto-differentiable, gradient-based parameter optimization and gradient-free optimization methods. We apply MadEvolve to the reconstruction of cosmological initial conditions, 21cm foreground contamination reconstruction and effective baryonic physics in N-body simulations. In all cases, we find substantial improvements over the base algorithm. We make MadEvolve and our three tasks publicly available at madevolve.org.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: VII. Third Data Release

T. W. Shimwell, M. J. Hardcastle, C. Tasse et al. (+99 more)

We present the third data release of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS-DR3). The survey images cover 88% of the northern sky and were created from 12,950 hrs of data (18.6 PB) accumulated over 10.5 years. The images were produced through direction-independent and direction-dependent calibration pipelines that correct for instrumental effects as well as spatially and temporally varying ionospheric distortions. In our 120-168 MHz continuum mosaic images with an angular resolution of 6 arcsec (9 arcsec below declination 10$^\circ$) we catalogue 13,667,877 sources, formed from 16,943,656 Gaussian components. The scatter in the astrometric precision approximately follows the expected noise-like behaviour but with an additional systematic component of at least 0.24 arcsec that is likely due to calibration imperfections. The random flux density scale error is 6%, while the systematic offset was previously shown to be within 2%. The median sensitivity of our mosaics is 92$\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. Completeness simulations, accounting for realistic source models, time- and bandwidth-smearing effects, and astrometric errors, indicate that we detect more than 95% of compact sources with integrated flux densities exceeding 9 times the local root mean square (RMS) noise. However, the recovered source counts in a particular integrated flux density bin do not match the injected counts until flux densities exceed 45 times the local RMS noise. The Euclidean-normalised differential source counts derived from the survey constrain the radio source population over five orders of magnitude and are in good agreement with previous deep and wide-area surveys. All data products are publicly available, including catalogues, individual-field Stokes I, Q, U, and V images, mosaicked Stokes I images, and $uv$ data with associated direction-dependent calibration solutions.
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All authors T. W. Shimwell, M. J. Hardcastle, C. Tasse, A. Drabent, A. Botteon, W.L. Williams, P.N. Best, H.J.A. Röttgering, M. Brüggen, G. Brunetti, J.R. Callingham, K. T. Chyży, J.E. Conway, F. De Gasperin, M. Haverkorn, C. Horellou, N. Jackson, G.K. Miley, L.K. Morabito, R. Morganti, S.P. O'Sullivan, D.J. Schwarz, D.J.B. Smith, R.J. van Weeren, H.K. Vedantham, G.J. White, A. Ahmadi, L. Alegre, M. Arias, B. Asabere, B. Bahr-Kalus, B. Barkus, M. Bilicki, L. Böhme, M. Brentjens, M. Brienza, D.J. Bomans, A. Bonafede, M. Bonato, E. Bonnassieux, J.M. Boxelaar, S. Camera, R. Cassano, J. Chilufya, M. Cianfaglione, J.H. Croston, V.Cuciti, P.Dabhade, E. De Rubeis, J.M.G.H.J. de Jong, D. Dallacasa, R.J. Dettmar, K.J. Duncan, G. Di Gennaro, H.W. Edler, C. Groeneveld, G. Gürkan, M. Hajduk, C.L. Hale, V. Heesen, D.N. Hoang, M. Hoeft, H. Holties, M.A. Horton, M. Iacobelli, M. Jamrozy, M.J. Jarvis, V. Jelic, M. Kadler, R. Kondapally, M. Kunert-Bajraszewska, M. Loose, M. Magliocchetti, K. Małek, C. Manzano, J.P. McKean, M. Mevius, B. Mingo, A. Miskolczi, A. Misra, J. Moldón, D.G. Nair, S.J. Nakoneczny, E. Orru, M. Pashapour-Ahmadabadi, T. Pasini, J. Petley, J.C.S. Pierce, I. Prandoni, D. Rafferty, K. Rajpurohit, C.J. Riseley, I.D. Roberts, S. Sethi, A. Shulevski, M. Stein, C. Stuardi, F. Sweijen, S. ter Veen, R. Timmerman, M. Vaccari, S. Wijnholds

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Statistics of Daily Modulation in Dark Matter Direct Detection Experiments

Carlos Blanco, Joshua W. Foster, Yonatan Kahn et al. (+1 more)

The time-dependent modulation of the event rate in dark matter direct detection experiments, arising from the motion of the Earth with respect to the Galactic rest frame, is a distinctive signature whose observation is crucial for claiming a discovery of dark matter. While annual modulation has been well studied for decades, daily modulation due to the Earth's rotation has attracted increased attention recently due to the identification of anisotropic solid-state detector materials that yield a direction-dependent scattering rate without sacrificing the overall rate. We perform a statistical analysis of daily modulation in dark matter scattering experiments, with the goal of maximizing the statistical significance of a modulating signal in the presence of an unknown background rate, which may be either flat (non-modulating), or modulating over a 24-hour period with a known or unknown phase. In the background-dominated regime, we find that the discovery significance scales as $f_\text{RMS} \sqrt{T}$, where $T$ is the total exposure time and $f_\text{RMS}$ is the root-mean-square modulation amplitude; in particular, the significance continues to improve with exposure rather than saturating due to systematic uncertainties in the background rate. Using anisotropic trans-stilbene detectors for sub-GeV dark matter as a benchmark example, we provide prescriptions for optimizing the significance for a given total detector mass and location. In an example analysis using three detectors, optimizing the detector orientations can reduce the required exposure by a factor of $\sim 5$ for a desired discovery or exclusion significance, even after profiling over an unknown modulating background phase.
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All authors Carlos Blanco, Joshua W. Foster, Yonatan Kahn, Benjamin Lillard

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from math-ph

New formula for Asymptotic behavior of the Synchrotron function

Ivan Gonzalez and Daniel Salinas-Arizmendi

Synchrotron radiation plays a central role in astrophysical and high-energy processes. Its spectral description involves the synchrotron function, defined by a non-trivial integral of modified Bessel functions and commonly evaluated through numerical methods or dedicated approximations. In this work, we obtain a compact analytical representation of the synchrotron function using the Method of Brackets, which yields systematically controllable asymptotic expansions in both the small- and large-argument regimes. The resulting expressions accurately reproduce numerical integration and make the analytic structure of the function explicit. Our results provide an efficient alternative to repeated numerical evaluations and facilitate applications requiring fast and controlled approximations.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

The large cores of dark matter and globular clusters in AS1063. Possible evidence of self-interacting dark matter. Or not

Jose M. Diego

Deep JWST images of AS1063 reveals tens of thousands of globular clusters in the galaxy cluster AS1063. When compared with the lensing model based on the same JWST data, the distribution of globular clusters traces closely the distribution of lensing mass (mostly composed of dark matter). Interestingly, both the distributions of dark matter and globular clusters have large central cores. However the size of the core in the distribution of globular clusters is about half the size the core of the dark matter distribution. We argue that the standard cold dark matter and fuzzy dark matter models struggle to explain these large cores. Meanwhile, the self interacting dark matter with a velocity dependent cross section, combined with core stalling, offers a natural explanation to the existence of these cores if $\sigma_{\rm SI}\approx 0.3$ cm$^2$ g$^{-1}$ for galaxy cluster halos. But we also discuss how the lack of hydrodynamical N-body simulations capable of resolving globular clusters in galaxy cluster scale halos, hinders the possibility of ruling out the standard non-collisional dark matter scenario. Future high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters, with several trillion particles, and containing over a hundred thousand globular clusters, can provide the insight needed to transform the epistemic nature of dark matter into an ontological one
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from physics.plasm-ph

Particle-in-Cell Methods for Simulations of Sheared, Expanding, or Escaping Astrophysical Plasma

Fabio Bacchini, Evgeny A. Gorbunov, Maximilien Péters de Bonhome et al. (+4 more)

Particle-in-Cell (PIC) methods have achieved widespread recognition as simple and flexible approaches to model collisionless plasma physics in fully kinetic simulations of astrophysical environments. However, in many situations the standard PIC algorithm must be extended to include macroscopic effects in microscale simulations. For plasmas subjected to shearing or expansion, shearing-box and expanding-box methods can be incorporated into PIC to account for these global effects. For plasmas subjected to local acceleration in confined regions of space, a leaky-box method can allow closed-box PIC simulations to account for particle escape from the accelerator region. In this work, we review and improve methods to include shearing, expansion, and escape in PIC simulations. We provide the numerical details of how Maxwell's equations and the particle equations of motion are solved in each case, and introduce generalized Boris-like particle pushers to solve the momentum equation in the presence of extra forces. This work is intended to serve as a comprehensive reference for the implementation of shearing-box, expanding-box, and leaky-box algorithms in PIC.
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All authors Fabio Bacchini, Evgeny A. Gorbunov, Maximilien Péters de Bonhome, Paul Els, Konstantinos-Xanthos Argyropoulos, Minh Nhat Ly, Daniel Grošelj

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Implications of the nanoHertz Gravitational-Wave Background for Galactic Feedback and Massive Black Hole Growth

Megan Taylor Tillman, Blakesley Burkhart, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli et al. (+5 more)

We investigate how pulsar timing array (PTA) measurements of the nanoHertz gravitational-wave background (GWB) can constrain models for the growth history of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and how active galactic nucleus (AGN) and stellar feedback models can affect GWB predictions. Feedback regulates supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth, altering the black hole mass function (BHMF). Using BHMFs drawn from multiple cosmological simulation suites including IllustrisTNG, MillenniumTNG, Simba, and CAMELS, and combining these with a quasar-based SMBH binary population framework, we predict the resulting GWB amplitude under a range of different stellar and AGN feedback prescriptions. We find that the choice of both stellar and AGN feedback models alters the high-mass end of the BHMF and changes the predicted GWB amplitude by up to a factor of 2 for the fiducial simulations and a factor 10 for extreme feedback variations in CAMELS. Models with inefficient or absent AGN feedback produce abundant SMBHs and yield GWB amplitudes consistent with PTA data, yet fail in producing realistic galaxies. Fiducial models of AGN and stellar feedback suppress SMBH growth too much and under-predict the expected signal, an effect which could possibly be mitigated by more realistic black hole seeding and growth prescriptions. The mismatch between the GWB amplitudes predicted by cosmological simulations and that inferred by PTA measurements suggests that SMBH growth is more efficient or occurs earlier than captured by current models. This demonstrates that PTA measurements provide a powerful new probe of not only the SMBH population but also feedback physics.
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All authors Megan Taylor Tillman, Blakesley Burkhart, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, J. Andrew Casey-Clyde, Lars Hernquist, Sownak Bose, Enikő Regős, César Hernández-Aguayo

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Exploring the Near Galactic Centre: A Comprehensive Study of Bulge OCs HSC 25, HSC 37, HSC 2878 Utilising Gaia DR3 Data

Deniz Cennet Ç{\i}nar, Waleed Elsanhoury and Aly Haroon

We present a comprehensive photometric and kinematic study of the open clusters HSC 25, HSC 37, and HSC 2878, located in the innermost regions of the Galactic disc. Utilizing data from Gaia DR3 and the UPMASK membership algorithm, we identify 44, 55, and 112 most probable members for HSC 25, HSC 37, and HSC 2878, respectively. The mean proper-motion components are obtained as (-5.901 +/- 0.41, -6.213 +/- 0.40), (-3.231 +/- 0.56, -4.564 +/- 0.47), and (-3.830 +/- 0.51, -5.198 +/- 0.44) mas yr^-1 for HSC 25, HSC 37, and HSC 2878, respectively. The open clusters span a broad range of evolutionary stages, with estimated ages of log(t/yr) = 8.38 +/- 0.08, 7.04 +/- 0.09, and 9.04 +/- 0.09, and corresponding heliocentric distances of 7.36 +/- 0.37, 6.79 +/- 0.18, and 6.17 +/- 0.22 kpc. The obtained metallicities are 0.0388 +/- 0.0039, 0.0259 +/- 0.0028, and 0.0209 +/- 0.0023, respectively. Total mass estimates are 135, 755, and 204 solar masses, respectively, highlighting notable differences in stellar content across the clusters. An analysis of dynamical relaxation times suggests that HSC 25 and HSC 2878 are dynamically evolved, whereas the much younger HSC 37 is still in an early phase of dynamical evolution. The high space velocities and orbital parameters of these clusters reveal significant deviations from typical disc kinematics. HSC 25 and HSC 37 exhibit eccentric orbits and small perigalactic distances, consistent with dynamically heated or accreted origins within the Galactic bulge. In contrast, HSC 2878's relaxed, planar orbit suggests in situ bulge membership despite its age. These findings point toward a heterogeneous dynamical origin for the clusters, with implications for star formation and evolution in the inner Milky Way.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Little Red Dots as Globular Clusters in Formation

John Chisholm, Danielle A. Berg, Michael Boylan-Kolchin et al. (+7 more)

Little Red Dots (LRDs), among the most enigmatic high-redshift discoveries by JWST, are commonly believed to be powered by accreting supermassive black holes. Here, we explore the possibility that these sources are globular clusters in formation, with rest-frame UV arising from a very young stellar population and rest-frame optical from a short-lived supermassive ($>10^4$ M$_\odot$) star. The spectral profiles of LRDs are broadly consistent with this scenario, though the observed temperatures and bolometric luminosities favor emission reprocessed by optically thick, continuum-driven winds not fully captured by current models. The LRD $z\sim5-7$ UV luminosity function naturally evolves, under standard evolutionary and mass-loss prescriptions, into a present-day mass function with a turnover at $\log_{10}(M_\ast$/$M_\odot)=5.3$ and an exponential cutoff at high masses, consistent with local globular-cluster populations. We estimate the total present-day number density of LRDs formed across all redshifts to be $\approx0.3$ Mpc$^{-3}$, similar to local globular clusters. The observed LRD redshift range matches the age distribution of metal-poor globular clusters, without current LRD counterparts to the metal-rich population. If LRDs are globular clusters in formation, we predict chemical abundance patterns characteristic of multiple stellar populations, including enhanced He and N, and potential Na-O and Al-Mg anti-correlations. These results offer a local perspective to explore this surprisingly abundant population of distant sources, and a potential new window into extreme stellar astrophysics in the early Universe.
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All authors John Chisholm, Danielle A. Berg, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, Anna de Graaff, Lukas J. Furtak, Vasily Kokorev, Jorryt Matthee, Julian B. Muñoz, Rohan P. Naidu, Andreas A.C. Sander

Astrophysics of Galaxies

CLASH-VLT velocity anisotropy profiles in a stack of massive galaxy clusters

E. Maraboli, A. Biviano, C. Grillo et al. (+4 more)

We measure the velocity anisotropy profile $\beta(r)$ of different galaxy cluster member populations by analysing the stacked projected phase space of nine massive ($M_\mathrm{200c}>7\times10^{14}$ M$_\odot$) galaxy clusters at intermediate redshifts ($0.18 < z < 0.45$). We select our sample of galaxy clusters by choosing the most round and virialised objects among the targets of the CLASH-VLT spectroscopic program, which offers a large spectral database. Complementary MUSE observations on most of these clusters allowed us to identify an unprecedented number of cluster members, strongly enhancing the precision of our measurement with respect to previous studies. Our sample of cluster members is divided in four classes: red and blue by colour, and high- and low-mass by stellar mass. We employ two parallel techniques, namely the MAMPOSSt method (parametric in $\beta(r)$) and the Jeans equation inversion (non parametric in $\beta(r)$). The results from both techniques are found in agreement for any given cluster member population, and suggest that the orbital anisotropy in galaxy clusters grows from the centre (where $\beta\approx 0.2-0.4$) to the virial radius ($\beta\gtrsim 0.8$), and it is similar for the different cluster member populations. We also find an interesting dynamical feature in the Jeans inversion results, that is a drop in $\beta(r)$ at a distance of $\sim 250$ kpc from the cluster centre. We provide robust anisotropy estimates by exploring a highly significant number of model combinations: 72 with MAMPOSSt (varying the mass, surface number density, $\beta(r)$ model, and galaxy population) and 18 (varying total mass model and galaxy population) in the Jeans inversion. Such an extensive investigation of the $\beta(r)$ profile in galaxy clusters is a wide basis for future studies on cluster dynamical masses and cluster cosmology in the era of large spectroscopic surveys
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All authors E. Maraboli, A. Biviano, C. Grillo, A. Mercurio, L. Pizzuti, P. Rosati, M. D'Addona

Astrophysics of Galaxies

What does it mean to take the mean? The effect of the averaging scale on the characterization of interstellar turbulence

A. Konstantinou, E. Ntormousi and K. Tassis

In interstellar medium studies, separating ordered and random velocity or magnetic fields is essential for interpreting turbulence in both simulations and observations. We investigate how the choice of averaging scale affects the measurement and characterization of magnetic and kinetic turbulence in Milky Way-sized disk galaxies with different initial magnetic morphologies. We analyze two magnetohydrodynamic simulations of isolated disk galaxies, one initialized with a toroidal magnetic field (Model T) and the other with a random field (Model R). Using spherical filtering, we decompose the magnetic and velocity fields into mean and fluctuating components while varying the averaging scale, and examine their energy ratios and power spectra as functions of time and averaging radius. Both models develop ordered and turbulent magnetic structures, whose relative strengths vary strongly with the averaging radius. The power spectra of the velocity and magnetic mean fields steepen with increasing smoothing scale, tracing the transition from coherent to turbulent regimes. The turbulent kinetic energy dominates over the magnetic counterpart, though the latter remains dynamically significant. Very importantly, we find that these ratios depend more strongly on the averaging radius than on the initial conditions of the magnetic field. The characterization of turbulence as strong or weak, meaning whether or not fluctuations dominate over the mean depends sensitively on the chosen averaging scale, rather than being an intrinsic property of the system. The strong dependence of the turbulence fractions on the averaging scale has direct implications for magnetic field estimates obtained from observational methods such as the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi technique emphasizing the need for careful scale selection when interpreting magnetic and kinetic turbulence in galaxies.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

A targeted machine learning approach for detecting diffuse radio emission with Astronomaly: Protege

Verlon Etsebeth, Michelle Lochner, Konstantinos Kolokythas et al. (+2 more)

Diffuse radio emission in galaxy clusters, such as radio halos, relics, and mini halos, is a key tracer of non-thermal processes, turbulence, and magnetic fields within the intra-cluster medium. However, their low surface brightness, as well as contamination from compact sources and imaging artefacts, makes their detection challenging. The sheer volume of data from instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array will render traditional manual-inspection based detection methods infeasible. This paper introduces a novel machine learning approach that uses active learning to rapidly identify diffuse emission candidates from a small, optimally-selected subset of data. We apply the self-supervised deep learning algorithm Bootstrap Your Own Latent to extract features from source cutouts in the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS). We then pass these features through the Astronomaly: Protege anomaly detection framework to identify the final candidates. Using a human-labelled set, we evaluate our pipeline on high-resolution (~ 7”), convolved (15”), and combined-feature MGCLS datasets. Interestingly, the high-resolution features identify diffuse sources more efficiently than the convolved resolution, which are in turn outperformed by the combined features. Of the top 100 sources ranked by Protege, 98% exhibit diffuse characteristics, with 53% confirmed as cluster-related emission. Our work shows that Protege can identify diffuse emission with minimal human labelling effort, offering a powerful, scalable tool capable of detecting both known and novel diffuse radio sources.
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All authors Verlon Etsebeth, Michelle Lochner, Konstantinos Kolokythas, Kenda Knowles, Emma Tolley