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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Wednesday 11 March

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Electromagnetic Signatures of Supermassive Binary Black Holes: Synchrotron, Self-Lensing Flares, and Jet Precession

Hong-Xuan Jiang, Xinyu Li, Jing-Ze Xia et al. (+3 more)

The recent evidence for a nanohertz gravitational wave background from Pulsar Timing Arrays highlights the urgent need to identify electromagnetic counterparts to supermassive binary black holes. Here, we perform global 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of a secondary black hole (mass ratio $q=0.1$) interacting with a Magnetically Arrested Disk around a primary black hole using a time-dependent superposed Kerr-Schild metric and post-processed general relativistic radiation transfer calculations based on thermal electron distribution function (eDF). We explore three orbital configurations: a vertical impact orbit, a coplanar embedded orbit, and a high-spin, eccentric, inclined scenario. Despite clear orbital periodicity and recurrent shock formation, the thermal synchrotron light curves frequently lack expected shock-induced flares. In vertical impacts, shock brightenings are typically sub-dominant to the stochastic MAD variability of the primary black hole, unless viewed at specific alignment phases. Conversely, coplanar orbits produce distinctive, rapid flares driven by gravitational self-lensing. We identify a frequency-dependent emission hierarchy: the primary black hole dominates sub-millimeter flux, while the secondary dominates near-infrared emission due to higher electron temperatures in thermal eDF. Finally, spin-orbit coupling drives Lense-Thirring precession, yielding twisted, wobbling jets that following the tilt and precession of the primary BH. Crucially, we show that intrinsic MAD turbulence can easily mask shock-induced radio flares, making self-lensing flares a more reliable electromagnetic counterpart candidate for supermassive binary black holes.
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All authors Hong-Xuan Jiang, Xinyu Li, Jing-Ze Xia, Yosuke Mizuno, Ziri Younsi, Christian M. Fromm

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Identifying and Measuring Satellite Streaks in DECam Images

Alexandra Serrano Mendoza, Meredith L. Rawls and Andrés Alejandro Plazas Malagón

The rapid growth of satellite constellations, particularly Starlink, is increasingly affecting ground-based astronomy. In this project, we developed a workflow to detect, identify, and measure the brightness of trails from artificial satellites and other orbiting objects in archival images from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), available through the NOIRLab Data Archive. We filtered images with visible streaks, retrieved detector-level images, applied the Hough Transform (via satmetrics) to detect and align trails, and performed surface brightness photometry. We also used SatChecker to obtain likely identifications for each trail. Our sample of nine measured streaks includes Starlink satellites, a navigation satellite, a decommissioned science satellite, and a rocket body. Our results show that satellites and other orbiting objects are consistently detectable in DECam images, but their brightness varies significantly, reflecting design and operational differences across object types and models. While the methodology proved effective, detecting faint streaks was challenging, and short-lived glints remain an even harder problem for future work. This proof-of-concept establishes a foundation for larger statistical studies of satellite impacts on astronomical surveys. The code is available at https://github.com/iausathub/reca-streaks
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Mass measurements of the double neutron star system PSR J0641+0448

Z. L. Yang, J. L. Han, P. F. Wang et al. (+8 more)

Pulsar timing of double neutron star (DNS) systems is one of the best methodologies to study the neutron star masses distribution. Here we report the discovery of a double neutron star system PSR J0641+0448 in the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) survey. This pulsar has a 25.7 ms spin period and moves in a 3.73-days eccentric orbit with an eccentricity of 0.145. Using FAST observations, we obtained its phase-connected timing solution with periastron advance and Shapiro delay detected. Using $\chi^2$ analysis based on DDGR model, we constrain the pulsar mass to $1.319^{+0.021}_{-0.035}~M_\odot$, and the companion mass to $1.269^{+0.022}_{-0.016}~M_\odot$ with a 68.3% confidence level. The low companion mass and mild orbital eccentricity is consistent with the correlation between neutron masses and orbital eccentricities.
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All authors Z. L. Yang, J. L. Han, P. F. Wang, C. Wang, N. N. Cai, W. C. Jing, W. Q. Su, T. Wang, J. Xu, Yi Yan, D. J. Zhou

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Measuring neutrino mass in light of ACT DR6 and DESI DR2

Lu Feng, Tian-Nuo Li, Guo-Hong Du et al. (+2 more)

The recent release of high-precision cosmological data, particularly the small-scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements from ACT and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data from DESI, has opened a new landscape for probing the neutrino mass. In this work, we present updated constraints on the total neutrino mass, $\sum m_\nu$, and its hierarchy within the $\Lambda$CDM, $w$CDM, holographic dark energy (HDE), and $w_0w_a$CDM models, using the latest ACT DR6, DESI DR2, and DESY5 datasets. We find that the upper limits on $\sum m_\nu$ are critically governed by the evolutionary behavior of the dark energy equation of state. Specifically, models exhibiting early-time quintessence features (e.g., HDE) yield the most stringent constraints, whereas those allowing for early-time phantom behavior (e.g., $w_0w_a$CDM) result in significantly looser bounds. Despite these model-dependent variations, we observe a robust hierarchy dependence across all scenarios, where the inverted hierarchy consistently yields weaker constraints and the degenerate hierarchy consistently yields tightest constraints. Our analysis demonstrates that the improved small-scale CMB information from ACT, combined with high-precision BAO data, systematically tightens the limits on $\sum m_\nu$, providing a crucial benchmark for future neutrino mass measurement.
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All authors Lu Feng, Tian-Nuo Li, Guo-Hong Du, Jing-Fei Zhang, Xin Zhang

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

The Desert Fireball Network Clear-Sky Survey

Konstantinos S. Servis, Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix, Eleanor K. Sansom et al. (+1 more)

Estimating the meteoroid flux density at centimetre to metre sizes is notoriously difficult. Yet it is an important endeavour, as these sizes represent the transition between small meteoroids that pose a risk to spacecraft, and the Near-Earth Objects that are relevant for planetary defense. We present a novel automated methodology for debiasing meteor observations from multi-camera networks, applied to data from the Desert Fireball Network (DFN). Our approach utilizes the Hierarchical Equal Area isoLatitude Pixelisation (HEALPix) framework to partition the sky into equal-area pixels at 70 km altitude, enabling precise and convenient measurement of effective survey coverage and fireball counting across the network. We developed a comprehensive data processing pipeline that analyses millions of all-sky camera images to determine clear-sky conditions through automated star source detection and flux distribution analysis. As a case study, we apply this methodology to observations of the 2015 Southern Taurid meteor shower, during which there was significant fireball activity. Processing data from 33 cameras over a three-month period (October-December 2015), we calculate an effective observation coverage of $1.58 \times 10^{12}$ km$^2$.h and identified 54 Southern Taurid fireballs from 141 validated detections. Our results are consistent with the extrapolation of previous work done on the same meteor shower at smaller sizes, when we set a $\sim300$ kg.m$^{-3}$ mean meteoroid density, consistent with the cometary origin of the Taurid stream. The HEALPix-based approach successfully automates what was previously a labor-intensive manual process, providing a scalable solution for accurate flux measurements from distributed camera networks; it is directly applicable to other meteor surveys.
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All authors Konstantinos S. Servis, Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix, Eleanor K. Sansom, Thomas W. C. Stevenson

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

A Python-Based Peeling Framework for Radio Interferometry: Application to uGMRT 650MHz Imaging

Hao Peng, Fangxia An, Yuheng Zhang et al. (+4 more)

Modern radio interferometric arrays offer high sensitivity, wide fields of view, and broad frequency coverage, but also pose significant data calibration challenges. Standard direction-independent calibration is insufficient to correct direction-dependent effects, such as ionospheric phase distortions and primary beam variations, which produce strong artifacts around bright sources and limit achievable image dynamic range. Built on standard CASA tasks, we present a Python-based direction-dependent calibration and peeling framework, demonstrated using radio continuum imaging data from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT). The framework efficiently subtracts bright-source models and suppresses their associated direction-dependent artifacts, producing significantly flattened backgrounds and improving image fidelity and faint-source detectability. We further introduce an optimized “model-restoration” strategy that mitigates direction-dependent artifacts while preserving the flux densities and morphologies of bright sources that are themselves of scientific interest. For fields containing multiple bright sources, sequential application of the framework systematically reduces background noise, thereby increasing sensitivity and faint-source detectability. The framework is Python-based, CASA-compatible, and can be readily applied to other mid- and low-frequency interferometric arrays. The code is publicly released with this paper.
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All authors Hao Peng, Fangxia An, Yuheng Zhang, Srikrishna Sekhar, Russ Taylor, Xianzhong Zheng, Yongming Liang

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Design and performance of the coded mask for the Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X)

Yuri Evangelista, Alessio Nuti, Francesco Ceraudo et al. (+16 more)

The Lunar Electromagnetic Monitor in X-rays (LEM-X) is a proposed wide-field X-ray observatory designed for deployment on the Moon's surface. Its primary scientific goal is to enhance multi-messenger astrophysics by detecting, localizing, and monitoring high-energy transient phenomena and variable X-ray sources across the sky. Building on the heritage of the eXTP and LOFT mission proposals, LEM-X employs pairs of coded-aperture cameras equipped with large-area linear Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs), offering excellent spectral resolution ($\leq$350 eV at 6 keV) over the 2-50 keV energy range. Each camera provides a field of view of ~1 steradian at 25% effective area and achieves a Point-Source Location Accuracy (PSLA) of 1 arcminute, with an on-axis sensitivity better than 5 mCrab in 50 ks and 700 mCrab in 1 s. In this paper we describe the experiment and focus on the detailed design and optimization of the LEM-X coded mask, analyzing its scientific performance, imaging capabilities, and thermo-mechanical properties. We describe the mask code generation, decoding algorithms, and the trade-offs involved in achieving the required angular resolution, sensitivity, and structural integrity. Imaging simulations and mechanical analyses confirm the effectiveness of the proposed design, demonstrating its suitability for high-precision, wide-field X-ray imaging devoted to multi-messenger astrophysics and transient events detection.
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All authors Yuri Evangelista, Alessio Nuti, Francesco Ceraudo, Edoardo Giancarli, Giuseppe Dilillo, Riccardo Campana, Giovanni Della Casa, Ettore Del Monte, Marco Feroci, Mauro Fiorini, Giovanni Lombardi, Massimo Rapisarda, Francesca Esposito, Immacolata Donnarumma, Alessandro Turchi, Ugo Cortesi, Fabio D'Amico, Marco Gai, Andrea Argan

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Euclid: The linear-construction covariance and cosmology

V. Lindholm, E. Sihvola, J. Valiviita et al. (+137 more)

We study the properties of galaxy cluster 2-point correlation function covariance matrices estimated using the linear-construction (LC) method, which is computationally up to 20 times faster than the standard sample-covariance method. Our goal is to assess how well the LC method performs in cosmological parameter estimation compared to the sample covariance. We use a set of 1000 mock dark matter halo catalogues to compute both the LC-covariance and the sample-covariance estimates in four redshift shells. These numerical matrices are used to fit a theoretical four-parameter model for the covariance. We then use the two fitted covariance models in a likelihood function to estimate two cosmological parameters - the matter density parameter $\Omega_{\rm m}$ and the amplitude of the matter density fluctuations $\sigma_8$ - from the simulated mock catalogues. The purpose of this is to validate the LC-covariance-based model against the sample-covariance model. The catalogues were simulated assuming the spatially flat $\Lambda$CDM cosmology, with $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.30711$ and $\sigma_8=0.8288$. We find that the parameter posteriors obtained using the sample- and LC-covariance models agree well with each other and with the simulation cosmology. The two pairs of marginalized constraints are $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.307 \pm 0.003$ and $\sigma_8 = 0.826\pm 0.009$ (sample covariance), and $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.308 \pm 0.003$ and $\sigma_8 = 0.825 \pm 0.009$ (LC covariance). The posterior widths are the same, and the difference in the median values is less than $0.16\,\sigma$ for both parameters.
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All authors V. Lindholm, E. Sihvola, J. Valiviita, A. Fumagalli, B. Altieri, S. Andreon, N. Auricchio, C. Baccigalupi, M. Baldi, S. Bardelli, P. Battaglia, A. Biviano, E. Branchini, M. Brescia, S. Camera, V. Capobianco, C. Carbone, V. F. Cardone, J. Carretero, S. Casas, M. Castellano, G. Castignani, S. Cavuoti, K. C. Chambers, A. Cimatti, C. Colodro-Conde, G. Congedo, L. Conversi, Y. Copin, F. Courbin, H. M. Courtois, A. Da Silva, H. Degaudenzi, G. De Lucia, H. Dole, F. Dubath, X. Dupac, S. Dusini, S. Escoffier, M. Farina, R. Farinelli, S. Ferriol, F. Finelli, P. Fosalba, S. Fotopoulou, M. Frailis, E. Franceschi, M. Fumana, S. Galeotta, K. George, 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, S. Kermiche, A. Kiessling, B. Kubik, M. Kunz, H. Kurki-Suonio, A. M. C. Le Brun, S. Ligori, P. B. Lilje, I. Lloro, G. Mainetti, E. Maiorano, O. Mansutti, S. Marcin, O. Marggraf, M. Martinelli, N. Martinet, F. Marulli, R. J. Massey, E. Medinaceli, S. Mei, M. Melchior, 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, V. Pettorino, S. Pires, G. Polenta, M. Poncet, L. A. Popa, F. Raison, A. Renzi, J. Rhodes, G. Riccio, E. Romelli, M. Roncarelli, C. Rosset, R. Saglia, Z. Sakr, A. G. Sánchez, D. Sapone, P. Schneider, T. Schrabback, A. Secroun, G. Seidel, P. Simon, C. Sirignano, G. Sirri, L. Stanco, P. Tallada-Crespí, A. N. Taylor, I. Tereno, S. Toft, R. Toledo-Moreo, F. Torradeflot, I. Tutusaus, T. Vassallo, G. Verdoes Kleijn, Y. Wang, J. Weller, G. Zamorani, E. Zucca, T. Castro, J. Martín-Fleitas, P. Monaco, A. Pezzotta, V. Scottez, M. Sereno, M. Viel, D. Sciotti

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Hinode EIS Observations of Plasma Composition Evolution and Radiative Cooling of Solar Flare Loops

Teodora Mihailescu, Peter R. Young, David H. Brooks et al. (+4 more)

Plasma composition in flaring regions has been shown to have significant spatial and temporal variations, likely driven by dynamical processes that take place as a consequence of the sudden energy release at the reconnection site. The origins of these variations, as well as the effects they might, in turn, have on flare loops dynamics are not yet fully understood. In this work, we investigate the link between flare loop cooling times and plasma composition evolution in the loops formed during the M-class flare peaking at 13:56 UT on the 2022 April 2 using high cadence Hinode EIS spectroscopic observations. The analysis focuses on quantifying the cooling rate (using a series of emission lines covering a wide temperature range) and plasma composition evolution (using the Ca XIV 193.866 A/Ar XIV 194.401 A diagnostic) at the apex and footpoint of the flare loop arcade. Results show slower cooling and a FIP bias of 2.4 +/- 0.2 in the loop footpoint and faster cooling and a stronger FIP bias of 2.8 +/- 0.2 in the loop apex. The potential effects of plasma composition changes on the radiative cooling process of flare loops are also investigated by comparing observed loop cooling times to those predicted by simulations from the EBTEL 0D hydrodynamic model. The EBTEL simulations show that an higher FIP bias would lead to a faster radiative cooling rate and, therefore, shorter cooling times. This suggests that the variation in FIP bias observed in the two features could be responsible for the different cooling times observed.
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All authors Teodora Mihailescu, Peter R. Young, David H. Brooks, Deborah Baker, Lucie M. Green, David M. Long, Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Multi-scale weak lensing detection of galaxy clusters with source redshift tomography

L. Chappuis, S. Pires, G.W. Pratt et al. (+4 more)

Recently, a number of methods have emerged to detect galaxy clusters solely through their weak lensing signal. Using the recently-introduced wavelet multi-scale detection method, we focus here on the potential for the use of tomographic information of the source galaxies to increase the number of weak lensing detections. We apply the $z_{s,\mathrm{min}}$-cut technique, consisting of the combination of weak lensing peak detections emerging from lensing maps obtained using different source redshift bins, to mock data sets of progressively increasing sophistication. The source redshift distribution is chosen to be $Euclid$-like, with a maximum depth of $z_{s,\mathrm{max}}=3$, and overlapping tomographic redshift bins are constructed by progressively increasing the minimum source redshift $z_{s,\mathrm{min}}$. Considering all possible detection combinations from one to four tomographic bins, we find that a single source redshift bin, with $z_{s,\mathrm{min}}=0.4$, performs as well as the combination of multiple redshift bins. By running detections on synthetic clusters of varying complexity – from isolated Navarro Frenk White haloes to haloes embedded in and formed within N-body cosmological simulations, and considering both true and photometric source redshifts – we show that while large-scale structure contamination and photometric redshift errors reduce the potential gains of the tomographic approach, the dominant limitation is the accumulation of spurious detections across redshift bins, leading to decreased purity at a fixed detection threshold.
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All authors L. Chappuis, S. Pires, G.W. Pratt, G. Leroy, A. Daurelle, C. Giocoli, C. Carbone

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Interacting dark sector from intrinsic entropy couplings

Erik Jensko, Elsa M. Teixeira and Vivian Poulin

We introduce a new class of interacting dark sector models that couple the intrinsic entropy of dark matter to scalar field dark energy. Using the Lagrangian formulation for relativistic perfect fluids, we construct consistent covariant actions that incorporate algebraic and derivative entropy couplings. These interactions leave the expansion history unchanged, rendering the background cosmology indistinguishable from $\Lambda$CDM or uncoupled quintessence. At the level of cosmological perturbations, the entropy couplings generate scale-dependent modifications to the dark matter Euler equation, while the continuity equation remains unaltered at linear order. The resulting interactions correspond to a pure-momentum exchange within the dark sector. We show that intrinsic entropy perturbations can carry primordial scale dependence, and non-minimal couplings can lead to a scale-dependent suppression or enhancement of structure growth. Finally, we demonstrate that these models are generically compatible with current Cosmic Microwave Background observations, while inducing distinctive signatures in large-scale structure. The framework provides a theoretically well-motivated and observationally viable extension to the standard cosmological model, opening new directions to explore novel interactions in the dark sector.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Star formation in the circumgalactic high-velocity cloud Complex H

Zhihong He, Wenkang Pang, Kun Wang et al. (+2 more)

The accretion of metal-poor gas sustains galactic star formation. In the Milky Way, this process is fueled by high-velocity clouds (HVCs), yet their fundamental properties have remained elusive in the absence of stellar tracers. Here we report a binary open cluster within HVC Complex H. With an age of 11.2 +- 0.6 Myr and a subsolar metallicity of 0.05(+0.05-0.02) Zsun, the clusters provide a direct stellar distance anchor to the cloud at 13.8 +- 0.6 kpc. Their proper motions indicate Complex H is on a prograde, south-to-north orbit through the outer Galactic disk. The resulting interaction produces a 'slow-fast-slow' velocity gradient, with the cloud's outer layers decelerating as they merge into the disk. Orbit integration suggests the clusters formed from an internal cloud-cloud collision. This triggering mechanism implies other HVCs could similarly produce high-velocity stars. The scarcity of previous stellar detections in HVCs is explained by the rapid escape of young stars (< 20 Myr), while CO non-detections may stem from weak emission due to low metallicity and gas dispersal. This work reveals that the circumgalactic medium can sustain star formation, offering a tangible laboratory to probe the physical conditions of accreting gas before it merges with the Galactic disk.
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All authors Zhihong He, Wenkang Pang, Kun Wang, Yangping Luo, Qian Cui

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

The Asteroid Framing Cameras on ESA's Hera mission

Jean-Baptiste Vincent, Gábor Kovács, Balázs V. Nagy et al. (+7 more)

As the first asteroid deflection test, NASA's successfully hit asteroid Dimorphos (secondary of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos) with the DART kinetic impactor on September 26, 2022. To fully characterise the physical properties of the objects, and measure precisely the effects of this impact in the context of planetary defence, ESA launched the Hera mission on 7 October 2024, with scheduled arrival at Didymos in fall 2026. Among the core payload of the mission, the Asteroid Framing Cameras are two identical imaging systems that will support navigation and scientific activities, by acquiring images from various distances and observing geometries during the course of the mission. Built by ena-Optronik (Germany), the cameras match the requirements designed by the science team and will provide data that supports a wide range of investigations: hazard detection, system dynamics, shape reconstruction, surface morphology and mapping, and surface photometry. Each instrument is a panchromatic camera equipped with a 5.5 x 5.5 degree field of view, and an angular resolution of 93.7 micro-radians per pixel. The cameras shall provide the necessary data to address the mission requirements through a global mapping of the two components of the binary system at spatial scales of 2-3 m/pixel in the Early Characterisation Phase, 1-2 m/pixel in the Detailed Characterisation Phase, and 0.5-2 m/pixel in the Close Operation Phase. Dedicated flybys will bring the resolution down to < 10 cm/pixel on specific areas of interest on Dimorphos, such as the DART impact site and the JUVENTAS cubesat landing site. Here, we present the technical specifications of the camera, as well as the status of the calibration. We then summarise the planned operations in cruise and at the asteroids. Finally, we provide examples of the scientific investigations and products that will make use of the data returned by the cameras
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All authors Jean-Baptiste Vincent, Gábor Kovács, Balázs V. Nagy, Frank Preusker, Naomi Murdoch, Maurizio Pajola, Michael Kueppers, Patrick Michel, Seiji Sugita, Hannah Goldberg

Astrophysics of Galaxies

The In Situ Growth of Stellar-mass "Light" Seed Black Holes in Nuclear Star Clusters

Yanlong Shi and Norman Murray

Remnant black holes (BHs) of massive stars (“light seeds”) are a potential origin for supermassive black holes (SMBHs). We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations to study the formation and growth of light seeds in star-forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs) with masses $10^5$–$10^9\,M_\odot$, which evolve for $\sim 10$–$30\,\rm Myr$ and form compact star clusters, akin to high-redshift nuclear star clusters. In particular, the simulations resolve very massive stars (VMSs, 100–$300\,M_\odot$), including their radiative and mechanical feedback, and model feedback-regulated accretion onto remnant BHs. We find that, even in compact GMCs capable of forming deep potential wells, the gas reservoir is expelled by sustained stellar feedback and rapidly dispersed after supernova explosions. Remnant BH populations emerge $\sim 3\,\rm Myr$ after the starburst and concentrate at the cluster center (where $\rho_{\rm BH}\sim 10^4$–$10^6\,M_\odot\,{\rm pc}^{-3}$). With our fiducial sub-grid BH accretion/feedback model, in-situ BH accretion is inefficient for forming heavy seeds: some direct-collapse BHs briefly accrete at $\sim$(1–10)$\times$ the Eddington rate, but they reach only $\sim 400$–$500\,M_\odot$. A top-heavy initial mass function or natal kicks do not change this conclusion. Runaway accretion is only possible if the sub-grid BH model allows a high fraction of Bondi inflow to reach the BH, in which case a few seeds can grow to $\sim 10^6\,M_\odot$. We also discuss multiple-generation star formation that may be intrinsically correlated with remnant BH accretion.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Extended Radio Galaxies in EMU: A Comparative Look at Source-Finding Techniques

Lachlan J. Barnes, Andrew M. Hopkins, Yjan Gordon et al. (+8 more)

Extended radio sources present unique challenges for automated detection and classification in wide-field radio surveys. With current surveys such as the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU), robust and scalable methods are essential to identify and catalogue these complex sources. We apply three automatic approaches to detect complex radio emission in EMU observations of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) 09 field (EMU-G09) in order to evaluate their relative strengths and limitations in preparation for large-scale application across future EMU data releases. These include DRAGNHunter, designed to detect likely DRAGNs (Double Radio sources associated with Active Galactic Nuclei) from a component catalogue; coarse-grained complexity, a metric designed to highlight regions of complex emission; and RG-CAT, a machine learning pipeline trained on radio sources identified in the EMU pilot survey. We find that together, the three methods recover nearly all extended sources in EMU-G09 but identify largely distinct, partially-overlapping subsets, with only 375 sources identified by all finders. This demonstrates that a combination of complementary techniques will be required to achieve a complete census of extended radio sources in future large-scale surveys.
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All authors Lachlan J. Barnes, Andrew M. Hopkins, Yjan Gordon, Nikhel Gupta, Gary Segal, Heinz Andernach, Michael J. I. Brown, Duncan Farrah, Stanislav S. Shabala, Sarah V. White, O. Ivy Wong

Astrophysics of Galaxies

The Rayleigh Taylor instability in partially ionized plasmas: ambipolar diffusion effects in the non linear phase

E. Callies, Z. Meliani, A. Marcowith et al. (+1 more)

Aims. We aim to determine how ion neutral coupling and ambipolar diffusion affect the linear and the nonlinear growth of the RTinstability under astrophysically relevant conditions, and to identify the coupling regimes in which departures from the classical single fluid picture become significant. Methods. We perform high resolution two fluid numerical simulations using the MPI AMRVAC code, spanning a wide range of perturbation wavelengths, coupling strengths, from uncoupled to strongly coupled passing by intermediate or ambipolar diffusion dominated regimes, and magnetic field configurations. The linear theory is revisited using a physically consistent formulation with different ion neutral coupling strengths across the interface and validated against the simulations. We investigate the physics of the instability using morphology based diagnostics of the mixing layer to compare simulations at equivalent nonlinear stages, complemented by spectral, force, and energy budgets analyses. Results. In the linear regime, theoretical growth rates are recovered over a wide range of wavelengths, from the single fluid limit to intermediate bi fluid coupling. In the nonlinear regime, ambipolar diffusion modifies the classical quadratic growth and introduces a coupling dependent evolution. For multi wavelength perturbations, the nonlinear dynamics becomes strongly scale dependent: intermediate coupling enhances fragmentation in hydrodynamic configurations, while magnetised cases exhibit a non monotonic reorganisation of the interface, with the smoothest morphologies occurring at intermediate coupling. Spectral and energetic diagnostics indicate that these behaviours correlate with changes in the relative contributions of ion neutral drift and magnetic stresses during thenonlinear evolution
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All authors E. Callies, Z. Meliani, A. Marcowith, V. Guillet

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Neural Differential Equations for the Solar Dynamo

E. Illarionov, R. Stepanov, K. M. Kuzanyan et al. (+1 more)

Physical models aimed to reproduce basic features of the solar sunspot cycle are typically based on the solar dynamo mechanism. Usually qualitative arguments are used to define parameters of the model, among which a challenging component is the nonlinear form of quenching of the alpha-effect governing regeneration of the magnetic field. We propose a novel approach, in which the functional form of the alpha-quenching is represented by a neural network model embedded into neural differential dynamo equations trained on observational data. For demonstration, we consider a low-mode dynamo model and find a wide set of alpha-quenching functions and corresponding dynamo numbers that provide an accurate fit to the average profile of the solar cycle data given by sunspot numbers. Within this set, we observe a strong relationship between the dynamo number and the shape of the alpha-quenching function indicating that additional magnetic field data or constraints are essential to unambiguously infer parameters of the dynamo model. In our opinion, the neural differential approach opens a new prospect for data-driven investigation of the closure problem in dynamo theory.
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All authors E. Illarionov, R. Stepanov, K. M. Kuzanyan, V. Kisielius

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Chromospheric and photospheric properties of sunspots as inferred from Stokes inversions under magneto-hydrostatic and non-local-thermodynamic equilibrium

A. Vicente Arevalo, J.M. Borrero, I. Milic et al. (+3 more)

Sunspots are crucial for exploring how magnetic fields and plasma flows interact in the solar atmosphere, spanning from the stable photosphere to the shock-dominated chromosphere. To determine the thermal, magnetic, and kinematic properties of a sunspot across these layers and to investigate transient phenomena like umbral flashes, we analyzed high-resolution spectropolarimetric data from the CRISP instrument at the Swedish Solar Telescope. By applying the FIRTEZ inversion code, which incorporates non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) and 3D magneto-hydrostatic (MHS) equilibrium, to full Stokes measurements of multiple spectral lines (Mg I, Na I, Fe I, and Ca II), we successfully mapped the atmospheric parameters in a 3D domain. Our analysis reveals that the photospheric Evershed flow actually reverses into an inflow in the upper photosphere. In contrast, the surrounding moat flow persists as an outflow at similar heights, indicating that it is not a direct continuation of the Evershed flow. Furthermore, observations of an umbral flash event uncovered supersonic upflows (Mach numbers $\|M\|\geq 1.5$) and thermodynamic conditions characteristic of shock fronts. Ultimately, combining 3D MHS equilibrium and non-LTE effects across multiple spectral lines proves highly effective for simultaneously constraining parameters in both the photosphere and chromosphere. These findings provide clear evidence of shock dynamics in umbral flashes, supporting the theory that converging supersonic flows act as the primary driving mechanism while shifting optical depth iso-surfaces.
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All authors A. Vicente Arevalo, J.M. Borrero, I. Milic, A. Pastor Yabar, I. Kontogiannis, A. G. M. Pietrow

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Multi-wavelength emission modelling of PSR~J0437$-$4715

J. Pétri, P. Stammler, L. Guillemot et al. (+4 more)

The diversity of pulsar light-curves and radio polarisation properties originates in the structure of the magnetic field close to the stellar surface. For millisecond pulsars, this complexity is particularly puzzling. Fortunately, some means exist to uncover the magnetic field topology which indeed impacts the emission within the magnetosphere but also on the surface through its hot spot thermal radiation. We aim at deducing a plausible magnetic field geometry for the millisecond pulsar J0437$-$4715 by using combined information from the soft X-ray hot spot geometry deduced from NICER observations by pulse profile modelling and from radio and $\gamma$-ray pulse profile fitting. We also check the consistency between the geometry obtained and the radio polarisation data. Our $\gamma$-ray light-curve shapes rely on the striped wind model, whereas the radio polarisation fits rely on the rotating vector model. The magnetosphere structure is obtained from dipolar force-free magnetosphere simulations. We demonstrate that a slightly off-centred dipole augmented by a small scale dipole located on one polar cap explains simultaneously the shape of the hot spot and the radio and $\gamma$-ray data with a magnetic obliquity of $\alpha \approx (42\pm5) \degr$ and a line-of-sight inclination angle of $\zeta \approx (136 \pm5) \degr$. Our simple dipole model reproduces all the radio and $\gamma$-ray characteristics of PSR~J0437$-$4715, including its radio polarisation data. It shows that the radio emission could be produced in regions where the magnetic field is mainly of dipolar nature.
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All authors J. Pétri, P. Stammler, L. Guillemot, S. Guillot, D. González-Caniulef, F. Jankowski, N. Webb

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Kinematics and Untwisting Motion of an Intriguing Jet-like Prominence Eruption

Pradeep Kayshap, Petr Jelinek, B. Suresh Babu et al. (+2 more)

We aim to investigate the blowout jet-like prominence eruption, which occurred on October 6$^{th}$, 2023, with the help of imaging and spectroscopic observations. Firstly, the prominence rises slowly with a speed of 33 km/s, followed by a fast rise (i.e., 338 km/s). Later, the northern leg breaks completely, and the eruption forms the blowout jet. The jet consists of different plasma threads, which show a range of upflow (i.e., 125 to 593 km/s) and downflow velocities (i.e., 43 to 158 km/s). The jet plasma column exhibits transverse oscillations, and this motion (untwisting motion) propagate at the speed of 267 km/s, are consistent with being Alfevén waves. The transverse motion has the time period, amplitude, and transverse velocity of 1332 s, 26.19 Mm, and 126.18$\pm$7.27 km/s, respectively, and this transverse oscillation decays over time. Interestingly, the different plasma threads within the jet's body exhibit decayless transverse oscillations, and these decayless oscillations are related to the main decaying transverse oscillation. The transverse velocity of these decayless oscillations ranges from 66 to 30 km/s, the amplitudes from 8.52 to 2.74 Mm, and periods from 811 to 406 s. In addition, the spectroscopic analysis reveals Si~iv lines are forming in the optically thick conditions in high electron density regions (i.e., near the base of the blowout jet). Lastly, we mention that two weak C-class flares occurred during this event, and further, one CME also occurred, which propagated with the speed of $\sim$250 km/s.
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All authors Pradeep Kayshap, Petr Jelinek, B. Suresh Babu, Ashok Kumar Baral, Yuandeng Shen

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Spectral Decomposition Reveals Surface Processes on Europa

Gideon Yoffe and Sahar Shahaf

Competing processes shape Europa's surface: geological activity replenishes material through resurfacing, while bombardment by charged particles alters surface chemical composition. Each process leaves distinct spectral signatures. We present a novel data-driven analysis of JWST NIRSpec-IFU observations of Europa's leading hemisphere across three observing geometries, targeting nine spectral bands sensitive to water ice, radiolytic products, and volatiles. Through spectral factorization, we isolate the dominant components of spectral variability and reconstruct their spatial distributions. We find that CO2 enrichment extends beyond Tara Regio, and covers multiple chaos units in a lens-like pattern. These CO2-enriched areas co-occur with anomalous ice-texture signatures. Together, these findings suggest that enrichment in volatiles on Europa may reflect retention-favorable near-surface microphysics as well as emplacement, refining how they are interpreted in the context of surface–interior exchange. This has implications for interpreting the sources and supply rates of extant carbon-bearing species and, ultimately, for assessing Europa's habitability.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Newly discovered Luminous blue variable candidates in M31 & M33

Sai Li, Cheng Liu and Jincheng Guo

This study presents an investigation of nearly two dozen candidate Luminous Blue Variables (cLBVs) in the galaxies M31 and M33. Eight stars have been studied in detail, while an additional sixteen objects are briefly mentioned. Multi-epoch spectra of confirmed cLBVs from LAMOST and previous literature show broad hydrogen, He I lines, abundant Fe II and [Fe II] emission lines, and discernible spectral variability, consistent with the characteristics of known LBVs. Low outflow velocities inferred from P Cygni profiles are also incorporated into the classification criteria. Moreover, key stellar properties, including temperature and luminosity, are determined using the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fitting and spectral modeling. By comparison with stellar evolutionary tracks on the temperature luminosity diagram, the initial masses are estimated to be in the range of approximately 32 to 60 $M_{\odot}$. Except for J013401 and J013411, other stars locate within the typical LBV region between the S Doradus instability strip and their outburst phase. More importantly, our sample, except for the binary system, are all positioned in the LBVs region rather than that of B[e]SGs in the near-infrared color-color diagram. Based on all available information, one of the eight sources is confirmed as an LBV, four stars are designated as high-probability cLBVs, and the remaining three stars await further photometric observations to secure their classification. Given the current scarcity of known cLBVs, our study has the potential to make a significant increase in the number of LBVs in M31 and M33.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Novae breves from magnetar giant flares: Potential probes of neutron star crusts

Jiahang Zhong, Qiu-Hong Chen, Yacheng Kang et al. (+4 more)

Matter ejected from the magnetar crust during giant flares (GFs) may undergo $r$-process nucleosynthesis, producing short-lived optical transients termed "novae breves". Although intrinsically much fainter than kilonovae from compact binary mergers, novae breves may occur within or near the Galaxy, making them promising observational targets. We aim to investigate how the neutron star (NS) equation of state (EOS) and the mass of the central magnetar affect the ejecta properties following GFs and the resulting nova brevis emission. We employ a semi-analytical ejecta model combined with nuclear reaction network calculations to compute nucleosynthesis yields and multi-band light curves for different EOSs and magnetar masses, and assess their detectability with current and future facilities. We find that variations in the EOS and magnetar mass modify the ejecta mass and its density and velocity distributions, etc., leading to observable differences in nova brevis light curves. In particular, both the peak luminosity and the characteristic peak timescale are EOS-dependent. Assuming a fixed Galactic magnetar mass of 1.4 solar mass and taking the $u$ band as an example, we find that the minimum apparent AB magnitudes range from 7 mag (H4 EOS) to 8.5 mag (WFF EOS) with peak timescales of 100-1000 s. A more massive magnetar produces fainter emission with a shorter peak timescale. For a magnetar mass of 1.4 solar mass, novae breves associated with known magnetars may reach peak luminosities of 1e37-1e39 erg/s, enabling targeted searches, particularly following high-energy GF alerts. Moreover, a detection horizon of 10 Mpc or beyond is achievable with current and future facilities, allowing searches for novae breves from previously unknown magnetars in the Local Volume. Although challenging, detection of such rapidly evolving transients is feasible.
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All authors Jiahang Zhong, Qiu-Hong Chen, Yacheng Kang, Hong-Bo Li, Jinghao Zhang, Meng-Hua Chen, Lijing Shao

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Detection of periodic transit timing variations in warm sub-Saturn HD 332231 b

Gracjan Maciejewski

Transit timing variations (TTVs) provide a powerful means to detect and characterise additional bodies in known planetary systems, even when they do not transit their host stars. We investigate the dynamical architecture of the HD 332231 system by analysing the TTVs of its close-in gas giant, HD 332231 b. Our goal is to assess whether the observed deviations from a linear ephemeris can be explained by the presence of an additional planetary companion. We refine the transit ephemeris of HD 332231 b using high-precision TESS photometry and complementary ground-based observations. We extract individual transit mid-times, construct an O-C diagram for transit timing data, and model the observed TTV signal through an extensive suite of N-body integrations covering a broad range of possible companion masses and orbital configurations. We detect a coherent TTV pattern with a period of approximately 6.7 years and an amplitude of about 45 minutes. Although numerous orbital configurations reproduce the observed TTVs, the combination of current radial velocity and photometric constraints yields a modest improvement in likelihood for solutions with an external planet on an orbit longer than 60 days, likely near a high-order mean-motion resonance and with moderate to high eccentricity. Our results suggest that HD~332231 b is part of a dynamically interacting multi-planet system. Continued transit monitoring and radial velocity follow-up will be essential to confirm the perturber's nature and refine the system's dynamical architecture.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

White Dwarfs with Infrared Excess from LAMOST Data Release 11

Keyi Wang, Qiong Liu, Siyi Xu et al. (+1 more)

Infrared (IR) excess observed around white dwarfs (WDs) is typically attributed to companions or debris disks. These systems are interesting because they offer a unique opportunity to study the late stages of stellar evolution and the interactions between WDs and surrounding material. The 11th data release (DR11) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) - one of the largest spectroscopic surveys to date - has recently provided spectra for 3092 WDs, many of which have yet to be systematically investigated for IR excess. In this study, we cross-correlated the LAMOST DR11 WD catalog with optical and IR surveys, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). We performed spectral energy distribution fitting using the VOSA tool for 1818 WDs and identified 167 IR excess WD candidates. After excluding 23 sources with potential contamination within 6" and five additional sources identified through WISE ccf flag analysis, we identified 139 objects with candidate IR excess. These include 30 candidate WD + M dwarf binaries (18 new systems), 19 candidate WD + brown dwarf (BD) binaries (eight new systems), 66 candidate WD + dust disks (38 new systems), and 24 candidate either WD + BD or WD + dust disks (19 new systems). Given the limited spatial resolution of WISE, all candidate systems require follow-up IR observations for confirmation, such as high spatial resolution imaging or IR spectroscopy. This will help expand the parameter space of dust disks, allowing us to explore a broader range of possibilities.
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All authors Keyi Wang, Qiong Liu, Siyi Xu, Alberto Rebassa-Mansergas

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

CSST-PSFNet: A Point Spread Function Reconstruction Model for the CSST Based on Deep Learning

Peipei Wang, Peng Wei, Chao Liu et al. (+3 more)

This paper presents CSST-PSFNet, a deep learning method for high-fidelity point spread function (PSF) reconstruction developed for the Chinese Space Station Survey Telescope (CSST). The model integrates a residual neural network, a lightweight Transformer architecture, and a variational latent representation to address key challenges in CSST imaging, including severe PSF undersampling, inter-band variability, and smooth spatial variation across the focal plane. Trained and validated on high-resolution star-PSF pairs generated by the CSST Main Survey Simulator, CSST-PSFNet achieves improved pixel-level accuracy and more precise recovery of shape parameters relevant to weak lensing compared to widely used PSFEx. On both the standard test dataset and a blurred dataset representing the upper bound of expected on-orbit PSF degradation, the model achieves a size residual precision below 0.005 and an ellipticity residual precision below 0.002. A weak-label adaptation experiment further shows that the model can recover PSFEx-level performance when the true PSF is unknown, demonstrating robustness in controlled degradation scenarios and weak-label adaptation experiments. These results indicate that CSST-PSFNet provides a flexible and extensible framework for future on-orbit PSF calibration in large-scale CSST surveys, with potential applications in weak-lensing cosmology and precision astrophysical measurements.
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All authors Peipei Wang, Peng Wei, Chao Liu, Rui Wang, Feng Wang, Xin Zhang

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Magnetic field strength constraints on $\gamma$-ray flaring regions in the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1222+216

Yeji Jo and Sang-Sung Lee

We present a multi-wavelength study of the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar PKS 1222+216, analyzing its long-term variability of radio data obtained in 2013-2020 from the iMOGABA, MOJAVE, and VLBA-BU-BLAZAR programs, along with $\gamma$-ray data from Fermi-LAT. We found that the radio flux densities at 15, 22, 43, and 86 GHz declined exponentially by 37%-56% over a year following a $\gamma$-ray flare in November 2014. We estimated jet physical parameters through Gaussian model fitting of VLBA 43 GHz data, identifying 10 jet components. The cooling timescales of the jet emission regions, i.e., newly ejected components C9, C10, and C11, range from 43 to 222 days, with the estimated jet viewing angles of approximately 8 degrees and magnetic field strengths of 77-134 mG in the jet emission regions. Additionally, by determining the magnetic field strength at different frequencies, we found that the magnetic field scales as $B\propto r^{-0.3\pm0.04}$, indicating a non-equipartition condition ($k_\text{r}\gtrsim 1$) or a slow decline in magnetic field strength profile ($m<1$). By analyzing component ejection times, we discovered that the $\gamma$-ray flare in 2014 coincided with the interaction between the moving component C9 and the stationary feature A1. We estimated that the $\gamma$-ray emission region is located at $9.2\pm1.0$ pc from the central engine, beyond the BLR and dusty torus, suggesting that the seed photons for inverse Compton scattering originate from the jet itself, external CMB radiation, or a surrounding sheath. Our results favor a scenario where $\gamma$-ray emission originates further downstream from the central engine through interactions between moving and stationary components. Additionally, our study presents an alternative method for estimating magnetic field strengths in AGNs undergoing long-term synchrotron cooling based on the associated timescale.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from hep-ph

The phenomenon of the axion kinetic misalignment with a generic PQ-breaking operator

Xiangwei Yin and Ligong Bian

We investigate the phenomenology induced by generic PQ-breaking operators within the axion kinetic misalignment framework. We analyze their impact on the relic density of axion dark matter (DM), the PQ quality problem, axion-mediated fifth-force, as well as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) constraints. A nonzero initial axion velocity gives rise to brief periods of early matter domination and axion kinetic domination, leading to a nonstandard cosmological evolution. We compute the resulting gravitational wave (GW) signal from global cosmic strings and find that, because these nonstandard epochs are extremely short, the signal is highly suppressed and beyond the reach of existing experiments. Finally, we perform a parameter space scan, identify the regions and benchmark point that are consistent with all experimental constraints.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Evaluating the spatial intra-pixel sensitivity variations and influence based on space observation

Peipei Wang, Zihuang Cao, Chao Liu et al. (+3 more)

Intra-pixel sensitivity variations (IPSVs) in charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) detectors constitute a significant source of astrometric error for undersampled stellar observations. Since laboratory-based IPSV measurements suffer from limited applicability, we propose a computational method to directly infer IPSV from stellar images and validate it with simulated data. By minimizing the flux residuals between theoretical and observed stellar models through least-squares fitting, we can successfully recover the IPSV, which is treated as nearly identical across pixels. Simulations demonstrate that the reconstructed IPSV achieves high accuracy, and the instrumental point spread function (IPSF) restored using this IPSV improves stellar centroiding by nearly 30$\times$, effectively eliminating periodic pixel-phase errors. The method remains robust under different morphologies of IPSV and varying sampling conditions. Additionally, the framework can be extended to an iterative IPSF-IPSV closed-loop scheme that updates both components simultaneously, providing a practical pathway for continuous detector calibration in future space-based astronomical surveys.
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All authors Peipei Wang, Zihuang Cao, Chao Liu, Peng Wei, Xin Zhang, Jialu Nie

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Observed from Mars by China's Tianwen-1 Spacecraft

Xin Ren, Wei Yan, Ruining Zhao et al. (+20 more)

China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter successfully imaged the third interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, during its close encounter with Mars using the onboard HiRIC CMOS camera. This is China's first deep-space observation of an astronomical object. These observations constitute the first imaging of this object from a vantage point significantly out of its orbital plane, providing a unique constraint on dust dynamics. Three observing epochs between 2025 September 30 and October 3 reveal clear changes in coma and tail morphology driven by the rapidly evolving viewing geometry. Comparison with Finson-Probstein dust dynamical models indicates that the coma is dominated by large grains with solar radiation pressure parameter $\beta \approx 10^{-3} $ - $10^{-2}$, corresponding to grain sizes of a few 100s $\mu$m. The extent of the sunward coma implies dust ejection velocities of $3$ - $10$ m s$^{-1}$. Despite the morphological evolution, the azimuthally averaged surface brightness profile remains nearly unchanged through the three epochs, transitioning from a radial slope near -1 close to the nucleus to slightly steeper than -1.5 at larger cometocentric distances, consistent with steady-state dust outflow accelerated by solar radiation pressure. Photometry yields an average $Af\rho \sim (2.0\pm0.2)\times10^4$ cm and a corresponding dust mass loss rate of $\dot{M} \sim 10^3$ kg s$^{-1}$.
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All authors Xin Ren, Wei Yan, Ruining Zhao, Shu Wang, Xingye Gao, Qiang Fu, Qing Zhang, Bin Yang, Man-To Hui, Zhiyong Xiao, Xiaodong Liu, Cunhui Li, Renhao Tian, Wenguang Liu, Dong Wang, Shaoran Liu, Cong Ren, Jie Dong, Xinbo Zhu, Pan Xie, Jian-Yang Li, Yan Geng, Jianjun Liu