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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Thursday 26 March

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Core and mantle thermal evolution constraints on the onset of plate tectonics and a long-lived geodynamo

Valentin Bonnet Gibet and Nicola Tosi

Earth's long-lived geodynamo is difficult to reconcile with recent high estimates of the core thermal conductivity, a problem known as the new core paradox. At the same time, the long-term thermal evolution of the mantle remains uncertain, largely due to the poorly constrained onset of modern-style plate tectonics, which marks the transition to efficient cooling of the interior through mobile-lid convection. Because core cooling – and thus magnetic field generation – depends on the efficiency with which the mantle extracts heat from the core, these two problems are closely linked. Here, we investigate the coupled thermal evolution of mantle and core using a 1D model that incorporates a parametrized transition transition from stagnant- to mobile-lid convection, defined by its onset time and with a prescribed duration. This framework allows us to assess how different tectonic histories influence Earth's thermal and magnetic evolution. We perform a Bayesian inversion using constraints from the palaeomagnetic record, mantle cooling history, and present-day thermal state. Our results favour a transition from stagnant- to mobile-lid convection during the Archean, which promotes core cooling and enables a geodynamo throughout Earth's history, even for core thermal conductivities in excess of 100 W/m/K. A delayed onset of mobile-lid convection provides thus a viable solution to the new core paradox.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Verification of the Polarimetric Capability of the East Asia VLBI Network

Yunjeong Lee, Jongho Park, Do-Young Byun et al. (+10 more)

The East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN) has recently enabled dual-polarization observations at $22$ and $43\,\mathrm{GHz}$. We present the first systematic verification of its polarimetric performance using EAVN observations of M87, 3C 279, 3C 273, and OJ 287, calibrated with the GPCAL pipeline and evaluated against near-contemporaneous VLBA images at comparable frequencies. Most stations show stable polarimetric leakages with amplitudes of $5$-$10\%$ over monthly timescales. While several VERA stations exhibit D-term phase variations between epochs, we attribute these to field-rotator (FR) offsets and demonstrate that phase stability is restored after applying the analytically derived FR corrections. The resulting linear-polarization morphologies and EVPAs broadly agree with the VLBA results within uncertainties; fractional polarization measured by the EAVN tends to be slightly higher near polarization peaks. Although exact one-to-one comparisons are limited by moderate frequency and epoch differences, the combined evidence indicates robust EAVN polarimetric calibration and imaging capabilities at $22$ and $43\,\mathrm{GHz}$. These results support the scientific capability of EAVN polarimetry and lay the groundwork for expanded, higher-fidelity polarimetric studies in East Asia.
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All authors Yunjeong Lee, Jongho Park, Do-Young Byun, Minchul Kam, Kazuhiro Hada, Juan Carlos Algaba, Sanghyun Kim, Zhiqiang Shen, Junghwan Oh, Sincheol Kang, Hyeon-Woo Jeong, Whee Yeon Cheong, Sang-Sung Lee

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Bulge Fossil Fragments as a new population of factories of gravitational wave sources in the Galaxy

F. R. Ferraro, E. Vesperini, B. Lanzoni et al. (+9 more)

The discovery of the complex stellar populations hosted in two massive stellar systems in the Galactic bulge, namely Terzan5 and Liller 1, posed intriguing questions about their origin. Despite their globular cluster appearance, they host sub-populations with significantly different ages (several Gyrs) and metallicities (about 1 dex) tracing a chemical abundance pattern that is consistent only with that observed in the bulge. These surprising properties can be naturally explained in the context of a self-enrichment scenario, opening the possibility that they could be the remnants of primordial massive structures that contributed to the bulge formation (the so-called Bulge Fossil Fragments, BFFs) capable of retaining supernova ejecta within their potential well. In this paper we present a first attempt to quantify the expected contribution of BFFs to the gravitational wave emission. In particular, by adopting Terzan5 as prototype of BFF, using its chemical evolutionary model, and following a scaling relation derived for globular clusters, we present a first-guess estimate of the number of binary black hole (BH) mergers expected in this stellar system. Within the adopted simplifying assumptions and the uncertainties about the initial conditions of the proto-Terzan 5 system, we find that several hundreds of binary BH mergers are expected, a number that is between 15 and 250 times larger than that produced by a typical globular cluster. Hence, this study identifies in the BFF family a new population of stellar systems potentially able to produce a significant number of gravitational wave emitters, that has not been considered in any previous investigation. Moreover we speculate that they could also be the natural place where BHs with masses above 60 Msun and even intermediate-mass BHs can form via repeated dynamical interactions.
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All authors F. R. Ferraro, E. Vesperini, B. Lanzoni, D. Romano, L. Origlia, C. Pallanca, C. Fanelli, F. Calura, E. Dalessandro, D. Massari, G. Zullo, M. Cadelano

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Binary neutron star mergers with a subsolar mass star

Maxence Corman, William E. East and Jocelyn S. Read

While there are a number of proposed formation channels for subsolar mass compact objects, including black holes formed primordially, or neutron stars that form in collapsar disks, there have yet to be any conclusive observations of such objects. Motivated by the possibility that, if such objects exist, gravitational waves from binary mergers may reveal them, we study binary neutron star mergers where one star has a subsolar-mass in order to determine how well such systems are described by current models, and when they could be distinguished from a system with a subsolar-mass black hole. We perform fully general-relativistic simulations of a $1.7\ M_{\odot}$ star merging with a $0.8\ M_{\odot}$ star, leading to tidal deformabilities of up to $\mathcal{O}(10^4)$ for the latter, and quantify how this affects the merger dynamics and associated gravitation and electromagnetic signals. In this regime, we find mass transfer between the stars, as well as significantly lower disruption frequencies. Though this is not captured by current gravitational waveform models, we conclude that this does not significantly impact the sensitivity of current gravitational wave detectors to these sources. Assuming design sensitivity of the LIGO and Virgo detectors, we find no biases in the recovered intrinsic parameters for signal-to-noise ratios $\lesssim 100$. We also find that the large deformabilities lead to a significant increase in the amount of dynamically ejected matter compared to equal mass systems, exceeding the predictions of current phenomenological models.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.ins-det

A Telescope System for Charge and Position Measurement of High Energy Nuclei

Dexing Miao, Zhiyu Xiang, Giovanni Ambrosi et al. (+43 more)

A high-granularity telescope system with a large sensitive area and low material budget has been developed for high-energy heavy ion beam tests. The telescope consists of nine layers of silicon microstrip detectors (SSDs), whose performance was validated through a heavy ion beam test at the CERN SPS. A hybrid machine learning algorithm is proposed to address the challenges of nuclear charge measurement with SSDs. The system achieves a spatial resolution of $\mathcal{O}(1) \,$\SI{}{\micro\metre} and a charge resolution better than 0.16 charge units for nuclei from $Z = 1$ to $Z = 29$, with a sensitive area of $8 \times 8 \, \mathrm{cm}^2$. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the most precise charge and spatial resolution simultaneously achieved by a silicon telescope to date.
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All authors Dexing Miao, Zhiyu Xiang, Giovanni Ambrosi, Mattia Barbanera, Baasansuren Batsukh, Mengke Cai, Xudong Cai, Yuan-Hann Chang, Shanzhen Chen, Hsin-Yi Chou, Xingzhu Cui, Mingyi Dong, Matteo Duranti, Ke Gong, Mingjie Feng, Valerio Formato, Daojin Hong, Maria Ionica, Xiaojie Jiang, Yaozu Jiang, Liangchenglong Jin, Shengjie Jin, Vladimir Koutsenko, Tiange Li, Zuhao Li, Chih-Hsun Lin, Cong Liu, Pingcheng Liu, Xingjian Lv, Alberto Oliva, Ji Peng, Wenxi Peng, Rui Qiao, Shuqi Sheng, Gianluigi Silvestre, Congcong Wang, Feng Wang, Hongbo Wang, Zibing Wu, Suyu Xiao, Weiwei Xu, Sheng Yang, Xuhao Yuan, Xiyuan Zhang, Zijun Xu, Jianchun Wang

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Development of a one-dimensional position sensitive detector for Compton X-ray polarimeters

Abhay Kumar, Santosh V. Vadawale, N. P. S. Mithun et al. (+4 more)

The scientific potential of X-ray polarimetry has long been recognized, but the challenges in measuring polarization have left it largely unexplored, particularly in the hard X-ray regime. While tremendous advancement has been made in soft X-ray polarimetery, the lack of sensitive hard X-ray polarimeters and polarisation measurements continues to limit our understanding of high-energy astrophysical processes. With the development of hard X-ray mirrors, it is now possible to develop a sensitive focal plane hard X-ray polarimeter. One such effort is CXPOL, a prototype developed at PRL, India, which consists of a plastic scintillator as active scatterer readout by PMT surrounded by CsI(Tl) scintillators in cylindrical array with SiPM readout from one side. First results of the prototype have been demonstrated in 20 to 80 keV energy range. The sensitivity of the instrument can be significantly enhanced using faster and better light yield scintillator like NaI as absorbers. Further, the use of a position-sensitive scatterer and absorbers, can also provide spectroscopic information by measuring the interaction position along the length and from the known energy depositions in the detectors. Position sensitive detectors are also helpful in mitigating the systematic effects introduced by the off-axis events in the polarisation measurements. Here, we demonstrate the detection sensitivity in the 100x20x5 mm^3 NaI(Tl) scintillator absorber readout on both ends by SiPM arrays operating in co-incidence. In this work, we characterize the first prototype of this detector system and investigate the variation in energy and position resolution, and light output with irradiation position along the length of the detector. The two end readout in co-incidence also reduces the overall SiPM background per absorber by an order of magnitude, further enhancing the polarimetric sensitivity of the instrument.
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All authors Abhay Kumar, Santosh V. Vadawale, N. P. S. Mithun, Tanmoy Chattopadhyay, S. K. Goyal, A. R. Patel, M. Shanmugam

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Fitting the light curves of tidal disruption events with non-parabolic model

Shiyan Zhong, Chenxi Shang and Xiaowei Liu

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are powerful probes of supermassive black hole (SMBH) properties and accretion physics. The existing light curve fitting tools assume that the disrupted stars are on parabolic orbits, which may introduce systematic biases in derived parameters. In this work, we extend the model of Zhong (2025) to construct a non-parabolic TDE model that incorporates orbital energy of the disrupted star as a free parameter ($\tilde{\epsilon}_{\rm orb}$) to modify the debris mass distribution and mass fallback rate. We apply this model to 30 TDEs from the ZTF-I survey and compare the results with those from a standard parabolic model. We find that neglecting orbital energy leads to biased black hole mass estimates: for eccentric (hyperbolic) orbits, parabolic models systematically underestimate (overestimate) the black hole mass. Additionally, we measure orbital eccentricities ($e$) and penetration factors ($\beta$) of the disrupted stars in this sample, enabling an investigation of their origins via the $e$-$\beta$ parameter space. Most events (24/30) are consistent with production via two-body relaxation in spherical nuclear star clusters, but six outliers with high $\beta$ and $e<1$ suggest alternative mechanisms. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for orbital energy in TDE modeling to improve the accuracy of SMBH mass measurements and to better understand the dynamical origin of the disrupted stars.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

The 'Forgotten' Neutrons: Implications for the Propagation of High-Energy Cosmic Rays in Magnetized Astrophysical and Cosmological Structures

Ellis R. Owen, Kinwah Wu, Yoshiyuki Inoue et al. (+3 more)

Cosmological filaments, galaxy clusters, and galaxies are magnetized reservoirs of cosmic rays (CRs). The exchange of CRs across these structures is usually modeled assuming that they remain charged and magnetically confined. At high energies, hadronic interactions can convert CR protons to neutrons. This physics is routinely included in air-shower and ultra-high-energy (UHE) CR propagation Monte Carlo simulations used for composition studies but is rarely treated explicitly in propagation models of CR transport and exchange between magnetized reservoirs. CR neutrons are not affected by magnetic fields and can propagate ballistically over kpc-Mpc distances before decaying back into protons, with relativistic time dilation extending their effective decay length. We show how such charged-neutral switching modifies CR confinement and escape in four representative environments: a Milky Way-like galaxy, a starburst galaxy, a galaxy cluster, and a cosmological filament. By solving the transport of a confined CR proton population in each structure using a diffusion/streaming propagation approach with hadronic pp and p$\gamma$ interactions, and treating neutron production and decay as a stochastic Poisson ”jump” process, we find that neutron-mediated steps can allow additional CR escape from large-scale cosmological structures at energies where charged-particle transport alone would predict strong CR confinement and attenuation in ambient radiation fields. These effects imply a qualitative shift in how ultra-high-energy CRs are transferred from embedded sources into filaments and voids once intermediate neutron propagation is considered, with consequences for the partitioning of CRs across the large-scale structure of the Universe.
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All authors Ellis R. Owen, Kinwah Wu, Yoshiyuki Inoue, Tatsuki Fujiwara, Qin Han, Hayden P. H. Ng

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

Critical Behavior of Photon Rings in Kerr-Bertotti-Robinson Spacetime

Xi Wan, Zhenyu Zhang, Fang-Stars Wei et al. (+2 more)

In this work, we investigate the critical behavior of photon rings in the Kerr-Bertotti-Robinson spacetime, describing a rotating black hole immersed in a background magnetic field. We analyze the radial and angular motions of photons under the small magnetic field approximation. Focusing on unstable spherical orbits, we determine three key parameters, $\gamma$, $\delta$, and $\tau$, which characterize radial compression, azimuthal advancement, and time delay. We then examine how these parameters depend on the black hole spin, magnetic field strength, and observer inclination for both on-axis and off-axis observers, and we further analyze the properties of higher-order images through near-critical lens equations. The results show that the magnetic field modifies the geodesic structure, and leads to observable changes in the fine structure of photon rings, providing a useful framework for probing magnetized black hole environments.
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All authors Xi Wan, Zhenyu Zhang, Fang-Stars Wei, Yehui Hou, Bin Chen

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

X-ray spectral and temporal evolution of atoll source 4U 1820-30 with AstroSat: detection of high frequency quasi-periodic oscillation

Subhasish Das, Vivek Kumar Agrawal, Parijat Thakur et al. (+4 more)

AstroSat/LAXPC and SXT observed the persistent neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1820-30 between 2016 and 2022. During these observations, the hardness-intensity diagram (HID) and color-color diagram (CCD) indicated that the source was in the banana state. We divided the CCD into 11 segments for spectral and timing analyses. For each segment in the CCD, we modeled the spectral data using two distinct approaches over the 0.7-20.0 keV band. A combination of a multi-color-disk component with an inner disk temperature of around 0.6 keV and Comptonized emission from the boundary layer (BL)/ hot corona provided the best description of the X-ray spectral data of this source. The truncation radius was found to be in the range of $\sim$ 19-40 km. The Comptonized component has an optical depth in the range of $\sim 7 - 13$ with electron temperature in the range of $\sim 2.5 - 3.8$ keV. The optical depth of the corona varies significantly along the position on the CCD, while $\sim$ 80% of the X-ray flux comes from the Comptonized component. We discuss possible physical scenarios to explain the relationship between the spectral evolution and motion of the source along the CCD. The timing analysis revealed kHz QPOs peaks at $\sim 710$ Hz and $\sim 740$ Hz in the lower left banana branch. An energy-dependent study indicates that these QPOs are stronger in the high-energy band.
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All authors Subhasish Das, Vivek Kumar Agrawal, Parijat Thakur, G.C. Dewangan, Raj Kumar, Pragati Sahu, Vineet Kumar Mannaday

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Probing Dust Composition in Distant Galaxies with JWST Mid-IR Spectroscopy of Quasars with Foreground 2175 Å Absorbers II. Measurements of Grain Composition and Extinction Properties

Viacheslav V. Klimenko, Varsha P. Kulkarni and Monique C. Aller

We present results from a mini-survey of dust spectral features arising in galaxies at redshifts $0.5 < z < 1.2$ in our James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) mid-infrared spectra of physically-unrelated background quasars. We analyze the JWST Mid-infrared Instrument (MIRI) Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) spectra of five quasars presented in Klimenko, Kulkarni, & Aller 2025a (Paper I) to determine the best-fit silicate mineralogies. Template profile fits to the 10 $\mu$m feature suggest the possible presence of crystalline silicates in three of the galaxies. This contrasts with the predominately amorphous silicate grains in the Milky Way diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). We also measure the extinction curves using existing data from UV to mid-IR. Combining our results with past Spitzer IRS studies, we find that (i) the 10~$\mu$m silicate peak optical depth ($\tau_{10}$) is about three times stronger than expected for the local diffuse ISM over the range $A_V =0.1-2.0$, with $\tau_{10}/A_V$=$0.17\pm0.09$. (ii) The relative strength of the UV bump is similar to that in the local ISM. However, the ratio $\tau_{10}/A_{2175}$ is larger ($\sim0.1-1$), and appears to decrease with $A_V$, approaching the Galactic ISM value ($\sim 0.1$) at $A_V\sim1.5-2$. (iii) No significant correlation of $\tau_{10}/A_V$ with $R_V$. (iv) $\tau_{10}$ is strongly correlated with the gas-phase Mg~II absorption strength for the quasar sightlines. Possible interpretations include that some quasar sightlines probe dust in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), and that dust grains may have been significantly reprocessed in the ISM and CGM under conditions that may differ from those in the local ISM.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

A post-perihelion constraint on the CO$_{2}$/H$_{2}$O ratio of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from [O I] forbidden lines

Yoshiharu Shinnaka, Ko Tsujimoto, Hideyo Kawakita et al. (+3 more)

We present high-resolution optical spectroscopy of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) obtained with the High Dispersion Spectrograph mounted on the Subaru Telescope on UT 2026 January 7, when the comet was on its outbound trajectory at a heliocentric distance of $r_{\mathrm{h}} = 2.87$ au. The spectra cover the forbidden atomic oxygen lines, [O~I], at 557.7, 630.0, and 636.4 nm. The [O~I] red-doublet intensity ratio $I_{630.0}/I_{636.4} = 2.91 \pm 0.21$ matches the optically thin branching ratio ($\sim$3; \citealt{StoreyZeippen2000}), indicating that optical-depth effects are small and that our relative flux calibration is reliable. We measure a green-to-red [O~I] intensity ratio of $G/R = I_{557.7}/(I_{630.0} + I_{636.4}) = 0.339 \pm 0.027$. This value is higher than those of most Solar System comets at similar heliocentric distances, but comparable to that of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov. From the measured $G/R$ ratio in 3I/ATLAS, we estimate the CO$_2$/H$_2$O abundance ratio under the assumption that H$_2$O and CO$_2$ are the dominant parents of O($^1$S) and O($^1$D), with other oxygen-bearing species expected to have a smaller influence under typical conditions (e.g., \citealt{FestouFeldman1981}). The derived ratio is significantly lower than the extremely CO$_2$-rich composition reported from infrared observations on the inbound trajectory at $r_{\mathrm{h}} \sim 3.3$ au, yet higher than typical values measured for comets in the Solar System. Together with published pre- and post-perihelion measurements, our result indicates that the CO$_2$/H$_2$O ratio decreased substantially across perihelion.
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All authors Yoshiharu Shinnaka, Ko Tsujimoto, Hideyo Kawakita, Hitomi Kobayashi, Jun-ichi Watanabe, Takafumi Ootsubo

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Constraints on the Physical Association between ICECAT1 Neutrinos and Fast Radio Bursts Using the Second CHIME/FRB Catalogue

Hiroto Masaoka, Tetsuya Hashimoto, Shotaro Yamasaski et al. (+8 more)

We present a search for neutrino counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs) using temporal and spatial cross-matching between the Second CHIME/FRB catalogue and the IceCube high-energy alert-track catalogue ICECAT1. Because current FRB–neutrino models do not provide a unique consensus on emission ordering, our primary significance test adopts a two-sided, order-agnostic temporal hypothesis. The analysis accounts for declination-dependent CHIME/FRB exposure and the look-elsewhere effect across multiple trials. No statistically significant FRB–neutrino association is found. The most significant pair is FRB\,20190630C–IC\,190629A, with a post-trial probability of $p=0.076$ ($1.43\sigma$), consistent with a chance coincidence. Within our statistical framework, a detectable physical association would require a time offset shorter than $\sim256$~s at $3\sigma$ or $\sim63$~ms at $5\sigma$. Using a population-level stacking analysis, we derive 90% upper limits on the neutrino-to-radio luminosity ratio of FRBs, $\xi \lesssim 10^{8}-10^{11}$ for neutrino power-law spectral indices $\gamma=1.0-3.0$. These limits improve upon previous constraints by approximately two orders of magnitude and represent the most stringent bounds from FRB–neutrino coincidence searches to date. Although the current limits remain above the predictions of most magnetar-based models, they begin to constrain scenarios involving exceptionally efficient hadronic energy dissipation.
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All authors Hiroto Masaoka, Tetsuya Hashimoto, Shotaro Yamasaski, Yuhei Iwata, Tomoki Wada, Tomotsugu Goto, Shintaro Yoshiura, Kazuaki Hashiyama, Mareki Honma, Takuya Akahori, Kohei Kurahara

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Bar Properties and Star-by-Star Bar Membership via Action Conservation

Elizabeth J. Iles, Finn A. Pal, Joss Bland-Hawthorn et al. (+1 more)

A bar-like central feature is commonly observed in both nearby and distant spiral-type galaxies, including the Milky Way. While many methods exist to categorise this morphology, no one method has emerged as the field-wide standard. To develop a rigorous and consistent method for identifying these bars, we investigate a classification scheme based on dynamical actions. In the Gaia era, actions can be estimated for individual stars in both observations and simulations, making this a natural and unifying diagnostic, assuming the intrinsic errors and selection functions are understood. Our approach is straightforward: stars that participate in the bar are subject to a strongly non-axisymmetric potential and, therefore, do not completely conserve their actions. We use this property to define a star-by-star criterion, formulated as an inequality and evaluated within measurement uncertainties, to identify bar members based on the degree to which their total action fails to be conserved. From tests on simulated galaxies, we find that the bar region is indeed characterised by a lower fraction of stars with conserved actions and that stars on bar orbits are represented by larger percentage changes in their actions. We are able to classify the spatial extent of barred region via the standard parameters of bar length and orientation, while also individually separating bar-located from bar-member stars on bar orbits. As proof of concept, our automated method based on dynamical actions robustly identifies bar parameters that closely match the eye's performance (average bar length variation ~9%) in barred snapshots of the test galaxy.
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All authors Elizabeth J. Iles, Finn A. Pal, Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Ken Freeman

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Investigation on the X-ray emission of NGC 4051 during its 2009 optical/UV-X-ray dissociation phase

Minhua Zhou, Xinling Wu, Lei Xu et al. (+1 more)

This study investigates the X-ray characteristics of jet-associated radio-quiet AGNs across distinct optical/UV to X-ray correlation phases. Quasi-simultaneous optical/UV/X-ray observations of NGC 4051 from May-June 2009, obtained through Swift and XMM-Newton, reveal a temporal dichotomy: a strong optical/UV to X-ray correlation dominates the initial observation phase (before May 27), followed by an optical/UV flare event concurrent with X-ray flux suppression in the latter period. Our multi-method analysis of XMM-Newton data, incorporating short-term X-ray variability assessment, spectral decomposition, and RGS spectral analysis, identifies significant inter-phase X-ray emission disparities. During optical/UV flaring episodes, compared to the correlated phase, we observe: attenuated short-term X-ray variability amplitudes, enhanced soft X-ray absorption, suppressed intrinsic hard X-ray flux, and more prominent RGS emission-line features. Notably, these X-ray characteristics during optical/UV flaring intervals show no statistically significant deviations from pre-flare low-state X-ray emission patterns. These non-synchronous optical/UV-X-ray variations contradict predictions from both reprocessing models, starburst-driven emission scenarios, and the simplistic absorption models. While potential jet-related mechanisms remain ambiguous, our findings demonstrate strong consistency with predictions from the inhomogeneous accretion disk perturbation framework.
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All authors Minhua Zhou, Xinling Wu, Lei Xu, Nannan Chen

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Flare-driven habitability: Expanding life's potential around low-mass stars

Dong-Yang Gao, Hui-Gen Liu, Ming Yang et al. (+1 more)

The traditional definition of the circumstellar habitable zone (HZ) focuses on liquid water, but neglects the crucial role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in prebiotic chemistry. Low-mass stars typically emit insufficient UV radiation for photochemistry throughout the liquid water HZs during quiescent states. However, frequent flares can provide substantial UV fluxes, potentially fostering habitable conditions. We refine the concept of a UV habitable zone (UV-HZ) by incorporating a temperature-dependent model for RNA precursor synthesis. Furthermore, we explore a parameterized spectral energy distribution model and adopt an empirical flare frequency distribution for flares on different stars to quantify their UV contribution. Applying this framework to different flaring stars, we find the UV-HZ around low-mass stars can extend to inner regions, and overlap with the traditional HZ in wide ranges. Apply the analysis to 9 planets around Kepler flaring stars, three planets are located within both the refined UV-HZ and liquid water habitable zone (LW-HZ) without causing ozone depletion. Our findings highlight the significant role of flares in expanding the potential for life around low-mass stars, offering a revised perspective on exoplanet habitability criteria.
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All authors Dong-Yang Gao, Hui-Gen Liu, Ming Yang, Ji-Lin Zhou

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Dynamics and stability of magnetized AGN-blown bubbles in clusters of galaxies

Aleksey Mohov and Maxim Lyutikov

We perform MHD simulations of AGN-blown bubbles in the Intercluster Medium (ICM) containing large-scale coherent magnetic fields. We assume that bubbles, created by the intermittent jets from Active Galactic Nuclei, quickly relax to the Woltjer-Taylor spheromak-like state, with internal plasma beta-parameter $\sim 1$. We demonstrate that such bubbles rising through hydrostatically-stratified atmosphere are magnetically stabilized against fluid interface instabilities, remaining coherent for a long time. Typical velocity is $ v /c_s \sim \sqrt{R/H} \leq 1 $ ($c_s$ is sound speed, $R$ is the bubble size, $H$ is the scale height). Current-driven instabilities (internal kinks) lead to bubble's tilting, but develop on long time scales, and remain unimportant, leading to minor modifications of the internal structure. Our results explain apparent long-term stability of ICM cavities. Subsonically rising stable bubbles dissipate in their wake approximately the energy initially injected by the jet, and may efficiently reheat the clusters cores in a “gentle” way.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Revisiting the Claim for a Direct-Collapse Black Hole in UHZ1 at $z=10.05$

Fan Zou, Elena Gallo, Zihao Zuo et al. (+8 more)

We reassess the direct collapse black hole (DCBH) interpretation of UHZ1 (UNCOVER-26185), a gravitationally lensed galaxy at $z_\mathrm{spec}=10.054$. That interpretation rests on a hard ($2-7$ keV) X-ray excess detected with Chandra, attributed to a Compton-thick AGN with an inferred $2-10$ keV luminosity of $L_\mathrm{X,int}\sim10^{46}~\mathrm{erg~s^{-1}}$ (Bogdan et al. 2024). The resulting extreme X-ray to rest-frame optical-IR ratio was taken as the hallmark signature of an "outsize black hole galaxy" at cosmic dawn. We analyse the full 2.2 Ms Chandra imaging dataset – including 0.95 Ms of unpublished observations – and present new JWST/MIRI photometry at $\lambda_\mathrm{obs}>5~\mu\mathrm{m}$. Across the full range of plausible Chandra data reductions, the $2-7$ keV excess at the position of UHZ1 reaches a significance of only $2.0-2.9\sigma$; the originally reported $4.2-4.4\sigma$ detection is sensitive to the specific astrometric alignment adopted and is not robustly reproducible. Moreover, the hard X-ray signal does not grow with the additional exposure, contrary to expectations for a steady source, indicating that any excess is not persistent. UHZ1 is also undetected in all nine MIRI imaging bands. Fitting red/obscured AGN SED templates to the tightest MIRI upper limit, we constrain the bolometric luminosity of any buried AGN to $L_\mathrm{bol}<1.3\times10^{45}~\mathrm{erg~s^{-1}}$. These conclusions are further supported by independent JWST spectroscopy (Alvarez-Marquez et al. 2026), which reveals no AGN signatures in the rest-frame UV or optical. Taken together, the multiwavelength data paint a consistent picture of UHZ1 as a low-mass, metal-poor, star-forming galaxy in the early Universe, with no compelling evidence for a luminous obscured AGN, regardless of its proposed formation channel.
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All authors Fan Zou, Elena Gallo, Zihao Zuo, Edmund Hodges-Kluck, Dieu D. Nguyen, Guido Roberts-Borsani, Piero Madau, Fabio Pacucci, Anil C. Seth, Tommaso Treu, Shouyi Wang

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Propagating Kink Waves in Chromospheric Jet-like Structures and Coronal Plumelets

Youqian Qi, Mingzhe Guo, Zhenghua Huang et al. (+5 more)

Coronal plumes and chromospheric jet-like structures are believed to be highly dynamic. We report the first direct observations of a propagating kink wave in a chromospheric jet-like structure and its associated plumelet structure in the upper corona of the solar polar region, using data from the High Resolution Imager (HRI) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) on board Solar Orbiter (SO). The dark jet-like structure exhibits transverse oscillation during upward propagation, with a period of approximately 95s and a displacement of about 193km. The corresponding plumelet also displays transverse motion, with an oscillation period of around 99s and a displacement of about 315km. Given that both the dark jet-like structure and the plumelet share the same magnetic skeleton and have similar oscillation period, we suggest that these oscillations are the same transverse propagating wave originating in the chromosphere. This scenario is further supported by a 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation, in which both vertical and transverse perturbations were introduced in a stratified magnetic flux tube. The simulation successfully reproduces the upward propagation of a kink wave through both the chromospheric jet-like structure and the coronal plumelet. These results highlight the potential role of transverse waves in transferring energy from the lower solar atmosphere to the corona.
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All authors Youqian Qi, Mingzhe Guo, Zhenghua Huang, Tom Van Doorsselaere, Bo Li, Lidong Xia, Hengyuan Wei, Hui Fu

Wednesday 25 March

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

From Origins to Observables: Distinguishing Dark Compact Objects with Population-Level Microlensing Signatures

Joel Cortez Osuna and Sarah Shandera

While primordial black holes (PBHs) have long been a benchmark target for microlensing searches, the modern landscape of dark matter models suggests other, distinct, formation channels for compact objects made of dark matter. In the large class of self-interacting, dissipative models, dark matter has cooling channels that can enable fragmentation and gravitational collapse of some dark matter into compact objects, including black holes. The resulting populations have mass distributions, bias parameters, and abundance, spatial profile and velocity dispersion within the Milky Way that all differ from those of PBHs. We demonstrate that these population-level differences can leave imprints in the space of microlensing observables, with the differences in how the populations trace the dark matter giving the primary distinguishing lever. We discuss the possible overlap of microlensing signals from dark and baryonic lenses, and the complementarity of microlensing detection or constraints with other gravitational probes of novel populations of dark matter origin.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Interstellar stereoisomerism

Víctor M. Rivilla, Miguel Sanz-Novo and David San Andrés

The increasing detection of new molecules in the interstellar medium (ISM) shows that stereoisomerism is a fundamental contributor to interstellar molecular complexity. This work presents the first comprehensive overview of interstellar stereoisomerism. A total of 16 stereoisomeric pairs have been identified (13 conformational and 3 geometric), spanning molecules with 5-12 atoms and energy separations from 10 K to 2667 K. They were observed across diverse astrophysical environments with kinetic temperatures ranging from low to high values (7.5-300 K). The observed stereoisomeric ratios (OSR) - defined as the column density ratio of the higher-energy isomer divided by that of the lower-energy isomer - vary widely (0.009-4). While systems with small energy differences (1.2 kcal/mol) in hot environments (> 100 K) generally follow thermodynamic expectations (often assisted by tunneling-driven interconversion), many stereoisomers - particularly those in cold clouds or with larger energy separations - exhibit abundances far exceeding equilibrium values. This demonstrates that thermodynamics alone cannot explain interstellar stereoisomerism. Instead, stereoselective formation/destruction pathways (in the gas phase and/or in the surface of dust grains), photoisomerization, and chemical rearrangement during desorption must play a dominant role. Stereoisomeric ratios thus provide powerful constraints on interstellar chemical pathways, and about the physico/chemical conditions of the ISM. This review highlights the need for stereochemistry-sensitive astrochemical models. Progress in this field requires expanded laboratory spectroscopy of higher-energy stereoisomers, dedicated quantum chemical studies of isomerization processes, and the explicit inclusion of stereoselective chemistry in chemical networks.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Large Scale Spectrophotometric Relative Flux Calibration for the Roman High Latitude Wide Area Survey

Alan B. H. Nguyen, Gregory Walth, Ashley J. Ross et al. (+4 more)

We consider the application of a ubercalibration-like relative flux calibration to the grism observations of the Roman High Latitude Wide Area Survey (HLWAS). We propose a simplified model of the calibration with an independent flat field for each detector in each exposure of the focal plane. In addition, we include two wavelength dependent components: a single wavelength throughput curve, modulated by a simple parabolic model for the throughput as a function of a source's focal plane position. We consider the impact of the dither scale, as well as the calibrator magnitude cuts. We show that the width of the calibration residuals can be reduced to less than 1.5 mmag, or 0.15% in flux, within the optimal dither range 50-240". This wide range allows for significant flexibility in optimising other parts of the observing program without diminishing the effectiveness of the relative flux calibration. We also discuss some improvements to the methodology that must be strongly considered before the calibration can be applied to real data. Finally, although we focused on spectroscopic component of the HLWAS here, our formalism and results should carry over to the imaging surveys as well.
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All authors Alan B. H. Nguyen, Gregory Walth, Ashley J. Ross, James W. Colbert, Jaide Swanson, Nikhil Padmanabhan, Yun Wang

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Large-scale weak lensing convergence in nonlinear general relativity

Hayley J. Macpherson

In this work we investigate the weak lensing convergence using an end-to-end nonlinear general relativistic framework. Combining numerical relativity simulations of large-scale structure formation with general relativistic ray-tracing, we compare our nonlinear calculation to the expectation based on perturbation theory for a set of 20 synthetic observers. We focus on large angular scales $\ell < 100$ across a broad range of redshifts with $0.05<z<3$. We confirm the importance of Doppler lensing for redshifts below $z\sim$0.6, as predicted by previous works. On average across our observers, linear perturbation theory predicts the nonlinear convergence to within 3-30% across all redshifts and angular scales we study. In general, we find smaller angular scales are better matched by linear theory than larger angular scales. While we cannot definitively identify the source of the discrepancy, for our particular study of redshift slices on observers' light cones the differences are mostly below the level of cosmic variance.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

ALMAGAL VIII. Early phases of triggered star formation in source AG286.0716$-$1.8229

C. Mininni, S. Molinari, W.J. Kim et al. (+50 more)

Several theoretical and observational studies have shown that new waves of triggered star-formation can be induced by the feedback from newly formed massive protostars, due to the expansion of H II regions. We used the millimeter dust continuum data of the ALMAGAL survey and the Anderson et al. 2014 catalog of H II regions and selected one ALMAGAL source for ALMA follow-up observations. In fact, in source AG286.0716$-$1.8229 six cores were detected at a resolution of $\sim7600$ au, but only two at a higher resolution. The 4 cores not detected at higher resolution are prestellar core candidates. We used archival data from the SMGPS and RACS to confirm whether an H II region is present in the field. We observed the source with with ALMA in Band 4, covering the emission of DCO$^+$ (2$-$1), N$_2$D$^+$ (2$-$1), DCN (2$-$1), and CH$_3$CCH (9$-$8), to estimates whether these cores are in an early phase of the star-formation process. The new Band 4 continuum image revealed three cores outside of the ALMAGAL field of view, for a total of 9 cores in the region, 8 of which are located along an arch of radius $\sim0.75$ pc. We have derived a spectral index between -0.14 and -0.4, in the frequency range of 0.8-1.6 GHz for the candidate H II region, which is consistent with optically thin free-free emission. Using plausible temperature ranges, based on the information from chemical tracers and the dust continuum, we derived mass ranges for the cores ($\sim2-16\,$M$_{\odot}$) and ranges for the virial parameter ($\sim0.3-5$). All the cores along the arch have virial parameters $\lesssim$2, with only one exception. Comparing the typical separation and mass of the cores with those expected in the case of the collect and collapse scenario and with the thermal Jean length and mass, the best agreement is found with the characteristic scales in the case of triggered star formation.
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All authors C. Mininni, S. Molinari, W.J. Kim, E. Schisano, F. Fontani, A. Traficante, A. Nucara, A. Coletta, H.T. Lee, Á. Sanchez-Monge, M. Benedettini, D. Elia, S. Pezzuto, V.M. Pelkonen, P. Schilke, C. Battersby, P.T.P. Ho, M. Beltrán, H. Beuther, G.A. Fuller, B. Jones, R.S. Klessen, Q. Zhang, S. Walch, Y. Tang, A. Ahmadi, J. Allande, A. Avison, J. Ballesteros-Paredes, L. Bronfman, C.L. Brogan, F. De Angelis, E. Rodrigues da Costa, P. Hennebelle, T.R. Hunter, K.J. Johnston, K.T. Kim, P. Klaassen, R. Kuiper, C.Y. Law, D.C. Lis, S. Liu, L. Moscadelli, T. Möller, K.L.J. Rygl, P. Sanhueza, J.D. Soler, Y.N. Su, L. Testi, F.F.S. van der Tak, T. Zhang, H. Zinnecker, J. Wallace

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

On the importance of laboratory experiments for interpreting exoplanet observations

Maggie A. Thompson

With the advanced capabilities of ground- and space-based telescopes, exoplanet science is beginning to characterize the physics and chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres. However, interpreting exoplanet observations requires sophisticated modeling tools that rely on laboratory data to provide critical inputs and constraints. In preparation for the influx of observational data that the coming decades will bring, laboratory experiments that simulate the diverse conditions expected in exoplanet atmospheres, surfaces and interiors are vital to advancing models and thereby our understanding of these worlds. Here we discuss the key areas where laboratory experiments are providing fundamental data for exoplanet models, particularly for low-mass planets from rocky worlds to sub-Neptunes. First, we present a series of experiments to measure outgassing and volatile solubilities that are essential for establishing the connection between low-mass exoplanet interiors and their observable atmospheres. We then discuss additional laboratory techniques that can be used to understand the interior-atmosphere connection and simulate the high pressure-high temperature conditions of exoplanet interiors. Next, we summarize the experimental methods used to constrain the spectroscopic properties of atmospheric gases and aerosols along with their formation and reaction mechanisms. We also discuss how similar methods can be used to constrain exoplanet surface compositions, which is important for interpreting observations of atmosphere-less worlds. Finally, we conclude by presenting several examples of astrobiology experiments that constrain how life can modify the atmosphere and surface of rocky exoplanets. Together, these laboratory efforts are crucial to maximizing the scientific yield of exoplanet observations in the coming decades.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Understanding Balmer Decrements in T Tauri stars in terms of Multiflow Magnetospheric Accretion

Naiara Patiño, Nuria Calvet, Gladis Magris et al. (+4 more)

Magnetospheric accretion is the paradigm for accretion in Classical T-Tauri Stars (CTTS). However, the standard, one-flow magnetospheric accretion model fails to replicate important characteristics such as the observed Balmer decrements. We address this limitation by adopting a model with two axisymmetric magnetospheric accretion flows of different accretion rates and geometries. We calculate the fluxes of the hydrogen $H_\alpha$, $H_\beta$, and $H_\gamma$ lines of each flow with the magnetospheric accretion model and use Bayesian statistics to fit the Balmer line fluxes of 139 CTTS in the Orion OB1b subassociation, and in the Upper Scorpius, Lupus and Chamaeleon I star-forming regions. We find that the Balmer decrements and line fluxes can be fitted by two distinct but coexisting flows: a compact, high accretion rate flow, close to the star and narrow (mean inner radius $R_i \sim 2.9 R_*$ and mean width $\Delta R \sim 0.7 R_*$), covering a few percent of the emitting area, and a more spread out flow, thicker ($\Delta R \sim 1.2 R_*$), and larger ($R_i \sim 3.7 R_*$), with lower accretion rate, encompassing the rest of the emitting area. The two-flow model can also reproduce the empirical correlation between the luminosity in $H_\alpha$ and the accretion luminosity. Overall, our findings suggest that a multicolumn approach provides a more accurate representation of the observed Balmer line emission, in agreement with results of numerical simulations.
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All authors Naiara Patiño, Nuria Calvet, Gladis Magris, Marbely Micolta, Thanawuth Thanathibodee, Thomas K. Waters, María José Colmenares

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

SaNDi-SHoP: Searching for Satellites'N'Disks with a Star-Hopping Program I. Analysis of the close surroundings of DI companions

Cecilia Lazzoni, Alice Zurlo, Silvano Desidera et al. (+6 more)

We aim to search for satellites and circumplanetary or circumsubstellar disks around directly imaged substellar companions, exploring their immediate environment to constrain the conditions for satellites and disk formation. We conducted a dedicated survey of twelve planets and brown dwarfs with VLT/SPHERE using a novel application of the star hopping technique. By building libraries of contemporaneous point spread function (PSF) references from nearby stars, we applied a frame-by-frame subtraction of each companion's flux using the Negative Fake Companion method (NEGFC). This approach mitigates temporal PSF variability and enhances sensitivity to faint circumplanetary features. We derived contrast curves, translated them into mass detection limits using evolutionary models, and constrained the dynamically stable regions through estimates of Hill radii from orbital fits. Our analysis yields stringent limits on the presence of massive satellites, generally excluding companions more massive than a few Jupiter masses at separations beyond 1-5 au, depending on each system's Hill radius. In most cases, no convincing point-like or extended residuals were found. However, we identify promising signals for three systems: extended residuals consistent with a circumplanetary disk around CT Cha b, tentative repeated residuals near TYC 8047-232-1 B that may trace a bound satellite companion of 3-6 MJup, and marginal residual signals at the location of the previously reported candidate around DH Tau b, whose interpretation, however, remains uncertain due to possible contamination by instrumental effects. These results confirm the power of star hopping in reducing PSF-related artifacts and provide some of the most stringent constraints to date on the mass and location of potential satellites and disks around directly imaged substellar companions.
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All authors Cecilia Lazzoni, Alice Zurlo, Silvano Desidera, Andrea Bernardi, Sebastian Pérez, Dino Mesa, Domenico Barbato, Pedro Henrique Nogueira, Anuroop Dasgupta

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Signatures of coronal mass ejections in differential emission measure analysis of the Sun as a star

Angelos Michailidis and Spiros Patsourakos

We investigated if signatures of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be retrieved in the differential emission measure (DEM) from Sun-as-a-star extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) observations. We analyzed 16 major, eruptive (i.e., associated with CMEs) flares. For each flare we constructed light curves of the average intensity of full-disk images taken by the SDO/AIA mission in EUV channels centered at 94, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 Angstrom. We also corrected the light curves for the flare gradual phase. From the analysis of the light curves we find that all the studied flares exhibit dimmings, where the intensity decreases with respect to the pre-flare phase, mainly in the 171, 193, and 211 Angstrom channels. The dimmings in these channels become more pronounced upon applying the gradual-phase correction. Calculation of the DEM from the six AIA EUV channels shows that during all the observed dimmings, the DEM decreases with respect to its value in the pre-flare phase in the temperature range $10^{5.7}-10^{6.3}$ K. The signature of the dimming is more pronounced in the range $10^{5.7}-10^{6.0}$ K for the DEMs calculated with the original light curves, and in the range $10^{6.0}-10^{6.3}$ K for the DEMs calculated by taking into account the gradual-phase correction. For a sample event, we also calculated DEMs from EVE and spatially resolved AIA observations of the source region to assess the impact of spectral resolution and full-disk averaging. For both these cases the temperature range where the dimming in the DEM is more pronounced is similar to that resulting from the analysis of the spatially averaged AIA data; the magnitude of the dimming is similar for the EVE and larger for the spatially resolved AIA observations. Coronal dimmings associated with CMEs can be detected in Sun-as-a-star DEMs. The flare gradual phase can lead to an underestimation of the magnitude of the dimming.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Resizing the giants: How modelling adiabatic interiors impacts predicted planetary radii

Simon Müller and Ravit Helled

The interiors of giant planets are commonly assumed to be convective and adiabatic, making the adiabatic temperature gradient a key ingredient in interior and evolution models. Multiple numerically distinct methods exist for computing this gradient, yet their impact on inferred planetary structure and radius has not been systematically assessed. In this letter we investigate how the numerical treatment of adiabatic temperature profiles affects inferred planetary radii and internal structure, comparing different methods for evaluating the adiabatic gradient against a ground-truth isentropic baseline, for both the logarithmic and non-logarithmic forms of the temperature differential equation. Static interior models of a one Jupiter mass planet were computed using a state-of-the-art hydrogen-helium equation of state. We find that the choice of numerical method significantly impacts the inferred interior structure and radius. Using the logarithmic temperature equation, central temperatures deviate by several thousand kelvin and surface radii differ by up to 3.4 per cent, exceeding the 1 per cent precision of current giant exoplanet radius measurements threefold. The non-logarithmic form reduces deviations to below ~1 per cent for most methods. We recommend spline derivatives to evaluate the adiabatic gradient, combined with the non-logarithmic temperature equation. Finite differencing and direct use of tabulated gradients or derivatives should be avoided.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Deep radiative zones affect giant planet cooling and internal structure: Implications for exoplanet characterisation

Simon Müller and Ravit Helled

The radiative opacity plays a critical role in shaping the thermal evolution and interior structure of giant planets. Near $\sim$ 2,000 K, a hydrogen-transparency region creates a window of reduced opacity that can give rise to detached, deep radiative zones between two convective zones. This local opacity minimum could be deepened further by alkali depletion. While such zones have been explored for Jupiter and Saturn, their influence on cold to warm giant exoplanets remains unstudied. We investigate how opacity windows and the resulting deep radiative zones affect the cooling, radius evolution, and characterisation of giant exoplanet interiors and atmospheres. We computed thermal evolution models for cold to warm Jupiters spanning masses of 0.3 to 4.0 M$_{\rm{J}}$, envelope metallicities from one to ten times solar, equilibrium temperatures of 100 to 800 K, and a parametrised reduction in the radiative opacity. Detached deep radiative zones develop in moderately irradiated Jupiters older than a few gigayears even with unmodified opacities, and earlier and more extensively when the opacity is reduced. The age and equilibrium temperature at which they appear depend on planetary mass, envelope metallicity, and opacity, with metal enrichment suppressing them at low equilibrium temperatures but promoting them at higher ones. A deep opacity window accelerates cooling, reducing predicted radii by up to 5% and interior temperatures by several tens of percent, which translates to a $\sim$ 10 percentage point difference in the inferred bulk metallicity. Deep radiative zones are likely common in warm giant exoplanets and could decouple atmospheric composition from bulk interior composition, complicating the interpretation of atmospheric observations. The opacity treatment therefore introduces significant uncertainties in atmospheric and interior characterisation.
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