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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Monday 11 May

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-th

Stochastic inflation from a non-equilibrium renormalization group

Sebastián Céspedes and Thomas Colas

Understanding stochastic inflation, and in particular the systematic computation of controlled corrections from first principles, remains an important open problem. In this work, we address this problem from two complementary perspectives. First, we derive the effective field theory governing long-wavelength modes from the reduced density matrix of a coarse-grained description. In this framework, locality in time follows from the thin-shell approximation, while locality in space is recovered dynamically in the super-Hubble regime. The resulting open effective field theory contains both dissipative and diffusive operators, with diffusion dominating as the coarse-graining scale is pushed into the infrared. This construction reproduces the usual Fokker-Planck equation at leading order and allows us to compute its corrections, including subleading contributions to the stochastic dynamics. Second, we study the evolution of the density matrix under changes of the coarse-graining scale. We show that this flow is governed by a Polchinski-type renormalisation group equation formulated directly for the density matrix. Dissipative and diffusive operators are generated dynamically along the flow, and the resulting effective action matches the Schwinger-Keldysh description. We derive a generalised Fokker-Planck equation directly from the renormalisation group flow, systematically incorporating subleading corrections and recovering the results obtained in the open effective field theory approach.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Chemical signatures of planetary systems in their host stars. Near-infrared spectroscopy of four planet-hosting wide binaries

Dongwook Lim, Sol Yun, Andreas J. Koch-Hansen et al. (+3 more)

An important open question in exoplanet studies is whether planets leave detectable chemical fingerprints on their host stars. While several studies have suggested possible planetary chemical signatures in planet-hosting stars, their origin remains debated because of stellar birth conditions and evolutionary effects. Wide binaries, whose components share a common formation environment, provide an ideal testbed for identifying planetary signatures. Such signatures are often characterized by differential abundance trends with condensation temperature (Tc), which traces the partitioning between gaseous and rocky planetary material. We investigate whether these trends are associated with planetary architectures in wide binaries. We obtained high-resolution NIR spectra of four planet-hosting wide binaries. We measured abundances for both components and analyzed differential abundances in each system. We also compiled literature measurements for planet-hosting and non-hosting wide binaries and compared their Tc trends. WASP-160 A/B and WASP-127/TYC 4916-897-1 exhibit significant abundance trends with Tc, while HD 20782/HD 20781 shows a weaker correlation and K2-54/K2-54 B is consistent with a flat relation. The trends are diverse, including both volatile- and refractory-enhanced patterns in planet-hosting stars. Literature comparisons indicate that extreme Tc slopes may occur more frequently among planet-hosting wide binaries, particularly at large separations, although the statistics remain limited by sample size and definition. Our results indicate that chemical signatures in planet-hosting wide binaries are not universal but vary across systems. While planetary architectures may be associated with some host-star abundance patterns, multiple processes are likely to contribute. Larger samples are essential for disentangling planetary signatures from stellar and binary effects.
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All authors Dongwook Lim, Sol Yun, Andreas J. Koch-Hansen, Sang-Hyun Chun, Young Sun Lee, Young-Wook Lee

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The Quadruply Lensed Supernova SN 2025wny: Implications for LSST

Paul L. Schechter, Michael Zeng Lu and Christopher Hernández

Lensed supernovae (SNae) are among the most eagerly anticipated transients expected from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Quadruply lensed SNae permit more highly constrained models than "mere" doubles. The quadruply lensed SN 2025wny offers multiple lessons on how one might respond to an alert. The full benefits of such rare events are best achieved with immediate spectroscopic and photometric followup, within hours rather than days. This in turn requires on-the-fly modeling to predict the position(s) and magnitudes of trailing images and to "pre-cover" any leading images that might have been too faint to trigger an alert and that cannot be detected in the triggering exposure. This paper sets out a proposed protocol for exploiting similar alerts. A list of quadruply lensed candidate hosts must first be supplied in advance to one or more brokers, along with on-the-fly software (an example of which is given) to determine whether an SN near an incipient host is strongly lensed, and whether quadruply or doubly. The brokers would then broadcast the positions and time delays (or "pre-lays") that permit "pre-covery” of leading images, "re-covery” of trailing images, and possibly, extraction of a rough lightcurve from prior LSST exposures. The scheme is illustrated (and some potential problems identified) using preliminary data for SN 2025wny presented by three independent teams. It employs software based on the geometric Witt-Wynne lens model and Falor's exact, forward, differentiable solution thereof.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Seasonal Insolation Variability on Early Venus: Implications for Energy Budget

Stephen R. Kane

Venus and Earth are similar in bulk properties yet followed dramatically different climatic trajectories. Reconstructing Venus's climate evolution requires understanding how rotation, obliquity, eccentricity, and solar luminosity shaped incident energy and the atmospheric response. Here we present latitude-orbital phase maps of incident solar flux for Venus at the present epoch and at an age of 0.5 Gyr, when the Sun was fainter and Venus may have occupied a different dynamical state. We explore slow- and fast-rotator regimes, moderate obliquity (10deg), and elevated eccentricity (e=0.15-0.30), motivated by dynamical studies of plausible limits. To translate flux maps into climate-relevant quantities, we apply an idealized atmospheric energy-balance framework with global (0-D) and latitude-dependent (1-D) formulations calibrated to modern Venus. This framework defines a radiative relaxation timescale that links forcing variability to thermal response. The resulting diagnostics connect orbital forcing to surface energy balance and assess seasonal and orbital variability relative to Venus's extreme greenhouse state. Our results show that early Venus could experience substantial redistribution of insolation across latitude and orbital phase, but orbit-averaged incident flux varies only modestly across the explored parameter space, leaving atmospheric opacity as the dominant control on surface temperature. Insolation variations therefore act mainly as modulators rather than primary drivers of climate state, with their expression governed by the competition between forcing and radiative adjustment timescales. The insolation maps and response diagnostics provide boundary conditions for future 3-D climate simulations of early Venus, including regimes in which temperate surface conditions may have been sustained.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

The $R$-Process Alliance: The $R$-Process Enhancement of Stars from Chemodynamically Tagged Groups in the Milky Way Halo

Jessica Merritt Agnos, Charli M. Sakari, Pedro Silva et al. (+9 more)

As part of the ongoing work of the $R$-Process Alliance (RPA), detailed abundance measurements of 29 heavy elements in three metal-poor stars, 2MASS J14592981$-$3852558, 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459, and 2MASS J15211026$-$0607566, are presented based on an analysis of high-resolution ($R\sim 80,000$), high signal-to-noise “portrait” spectra from the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. The selected targets were identified as $r$-process-enhanced metal-poor stars in previous RPA snapshot analyses. They have also been linked to possible chemodynamically tagged groups, indicating that the stars may have formed in dwarf galaxies that were later accreted into the Milky Way halo. These stars have also been tentatively linked to the Thamnos structure. The detailed chemical abundances in this work confirm that 2MASS J14592981$-$3852558 and J15211026$-$0607566 are $r$-II stars, while 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459 is found to lie just below the threshold for $r$-I status. The $r$-II stars show signs of slight enhancement in fission fragments compared to 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459. Based on radioactive age dating with Th, the $r$-process material in the two $r$-II stars is found to be old (with ages $>10$ Gyr); neither star shows signs of an actinide boost. The varying elemental compositions suggest that these stars likely did not originate in the same environment, though each could be consistent with originating in the Thamnos progenitor.
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All authors Jessica Merritt Agnos, Charli M. Sakari, Pedro Silva, Terese T. Hansen, Erika M. Holmbeck, Ian U. Roederer, Hal France, Truman Farr, Rana Ezzeddine, Anna Frebel, Vinicius M. Placco, Timothy C. Beers

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

A Quantum Gravitational Mechanism for Isotropization of de Sitter Cosmologies

Stephon Alexander, Bruno Alexandre, Daine L. Danielson et al. (+1 more)

Today, the observable cosmos exhibits a remarkable degree of isotropy and plausibly began in a nearly isotropic initial state. The properties of the Lorentzian Chern-Simons-Kodama (CSK) functional can provide an understanding of this initial state. In gravity with a positive cosmological constant, the Chern-Simons-Kodama (CSK) wavefunctional is an exact, chiral solution of the quantum gravitational constraints. We suggest that the normalizability and other issues with this functional, if interpreted as a proper state of quantum gravity, instead suggest an embedding into a larger quantum gravitational completion, and recast the CSK functional as a gravitational sphaleron with observationally desirable properties. By perturbing around the dominant de Sitter saddle of the wavefunctional with appropriate quantum gravitational boundary conditions, we find that for a closed universe the system is dynamically driven to spatial isotropy, while all anisotropic modes acquire positive quadratic curvature and are Gaussian-suppressed. The decay of this sphaleron therefore proceeds along an isotropic channel, providing an intrinsic quantum-gravitational mechanism for dynamical isotropization. This isotropization effect is robust under the inclusion of a slow-roll inflaton, and no analogous isotropic sphaleron exists for spatially flat or hyperbolic geometries. Taken together, these results recast the Lorentzian CSK functional as a chiral sphaleron that naturally prepares an approximately isotropic de Sitter background for inflation. Beyond this phenomenological study, we further suggest that the CSK functional can be understood as a boundary functional for a class of anomaly-free objects, including a complexified generalization of the Hartle-Hawking state.
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All authors Stephon Alexander, Bruno Alexandre, Daine L. Danielson, David N. Spergel

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

FLAMINGO: The thermal history of the Universe from tSZ effect cross-correlations and its dependencies on cosmology and baryon physics

Jaime Salcido, Tianyi Yang, Ian G. McCarthy et al. (+9 more)

The cross-correlation between tracers of large-scale structure, such as galaxies or quasars, and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) signal yields a measure of the bias-weighted mean electron pressure, $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$, where $b_\mathrm{h}$ is the halo bias and $P_\mathrm{e}$ is the electron pressure. With a model for the bias, one can derive the thermal history, $\mathrm{d}y/\mathrm{d}z$, where $y$ is the Compton parameter and $z$ is redshift. We explore how these quantities depend on redshift, cosmology, and the physics of galaxy formation using the FLAMINGO suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, which spans a range of cosmological parameters and baryonic feedback implementations in volumes of up to $(2.8\,\text{Gpc})^3$. We find that $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$ depends steeply on $S_8 \equiv \sigma_8\sqrt{\Omega_\mathrm{m}/0.3}$, with an effective scaling $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle \propto S_8^{\epsilon(z)}$, where the exponent $\epsilon(z) \approx 3$ over the redshift range $0.1 \leq z \leq 1$. Compared with existing cross-correlation measurements using tracer samples from SDSS, BOSS, eBOSS, DES, and DESI cross-correlated with tSZ measurements from Planck, we find that models with a low-$S_8$ cosmology and strong feedback are preferred, with a joint fit yielding $S_8 = 0.72^{+0.03}_{-0.03}$ and a normalised group-mass halo baryon fraction $f_b(10^{13}\,M_\odot, z=0.1)/(\Omega_b/\Omega_m) = 0.10^{+0.09}_{-0.05}$ . Contrary to most probes of feedback which sample smaller scales (e.g., X-ray measurements), we show that feedback boosts $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$, thus providing a novel test of feedback models. Overall, our results show the thermal history provides a route to jointly constrain cosmological parameters and test models of galaxy formation.
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All authors Jaime Salcido, Tianyi Yang, Ian G. McCarthy, Emily E. Costello, Jonah T. Conley, Willem Elbers, Carlos S. Frenk, Matthieu Schaller, Joop Schaye, Amol Upadhye, Marcel P. van Daalen, Bert Vandenbroucke

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

New Isocurvature Constraints from JWST UV Luminosity Function

Raymond T. Co and Sai Chaitanya Tadepalli

We constrain uncorrelated primordial isocurvature perturbations using a combination of large- and small-scale cosmological probes, with the small-scale data provided by the ultraviolet luminosity function (UVLF) – a measure of number density of galaxies as a function of UV brightness. We consider several isocurvature modes, including cold dark matter, baryon, neutrino density, neutrino velocity, and dark radiation perturbations. The isocurvature power spectrum is modeled using two independent parameterizations: a broken power law and a running power law, without fixing the spectral index a priori. Our analysis combines large-scale data from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), baryon acoustic oscillations, and Type Ia supernovae with small-scale constraints from UVLF measurements obtained by HST and JWST. The UVLF probes matter fluctuations over a continuous range of intermediate scales, $k \sim 0.5$–$10~\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ over a wide range of redshift $4\lesssim z \lesssim 13$, providing a direct handle on structure formation in a regime where constraints on the scale dependence of isocurvature perturbations remain comparatively limited. Our result represents the first UVLF-based constraint on model-agnostic isocurvature perturbations carried by various components. We construct $68\%$ and $95\%$ credible envelopes in $k$-space for the allowed isocurvature power and find good agreement between the envelopes for the $95\%$ envelope across a wide range of scales, indicating that our constraints are mostly insensitive to the assumed power-law form.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-ph

An ultra-broadband axion dark matter experiment

Angelo Esposito, Kin Chung Fong and Lam Hui

We propose a novel broadband strategy to search for axions by leveraging observables controlled by the axion field squared. We present a practical implementation of this concept for probing the axion–photon coupling. This is done by operating a dc SQUID at the flux sweet spot, where the voltage depends quadratically on the magnetic flux, and using lock-in modulation to evade low-frequency noise. The proposed setup is ultra-broadband, spanning over 15 orders of magnitude in axion mass, with further expansion of the mass range possible. The projected sensitivity is $|g_{a\gamma\gamma}| \gtrsim 10^{-16} \text{ GeV}^{-1}$, orders of magnitude better than current bounds, and largely independent of axion mass. We discuss the sources of systematic background and a nulling technique to reduce them to an acceptable level. We also discuss how our strategy could be adapted to probe the axion-fermion coupling, as well as to detect other dark matter candidates such as dark photons.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The Impact of Cosmic Variance and Satellites on JWST Clustering Measurements at Redshift around 6

Jiamu Huang, Elia Pizzati, Joseph F. Hennawi et al. (+4 more)

We present a framework for inferring the dark matter halo masses of quasars and [O III]-emitting galaxies from JWST/NIRCam Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (WFSS) clustering measurements at z approximately 6. Using the FLAMINGO-10k N-body simulation, we construct mock realizations of quasar and galaxy catalogs that incorporate realistic selection functions, spatial coverage, and sensitivity limits matched to the ASPIRE survey. These mocks enable accurate measurements of the quasar-galaxy cross-correlation and galaxy auto-correlation functions, with covariance matrices derived from 1000 realizations that capture both cosmic variance and bin-to-bin correlations. We employ Bayesian inference to fit the correlation functions and infer the minimum halo masses for quasars and galaxies. Our results demonstrate that Poisson pair-count uncertainties, commonly adopted in high-redshift clustering studies, significantly underestimate the true measurement errors. The dominant missing component is cosmic variance: even the diagonal of the full covariance matrix exceeds the Poisson expectation, with off-diagonal bin-to-bin correlations contributing a smaller additional correction. In particular, 1) the commonly used Poisson error on the correlation functions underestimates the true uncertainty by a factor of approximately 3; 2) the uncertainties on the inferred minimum halo masses are underestimated by a factor of approximately 1.5-3 when adopting Poisson errors instead of the full covariance matrix; 3) the inferred QSO halo mass is robust to whether central and satellite [O III]-emitters share a common mass threshold. Our framework provides a more complete error budget for JWST/WFSS clustering analyses, enabling robust constraints on the host halo masses and duty cycles of high-redshift quasars and emission-line galaxies.
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All authors Jiamu Huang, Elia Pizzati, Joseph F. Hennawi, Joop Schaye, Matthieu Schaller, Benjamin Snyder, Yi Kang

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

A Uniform Determination of the Bulk Metallicities and Alpha Enrichments of Confirmed Exoplanet Systems with TRES

Romy Rodríguez Martínez, Emily K. Pass, Phillip A. Cargile et al. (+4 more)

We present a uniform spectroscopic characterization of 625 F, G, and K stars hosting 859 confirmed exoplanets using high-resolution archival optical spectra from the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES). We use the neural network spectral code uberMS, which combines spectra with broadband photometry to estimate precise and accurate stellar parameters. We determine stellar effective temperatures, surface gravities, radii, luminosities, projected rotational velocities, [Fe/H] abundances, and [$\alpha$/Fe] enrichments for most confirmed planet hosts observed by TRES. This uniform catalog can be used for a broad range of astrophysical studies, particularly to explore links between stellar [$\alpha$/Fe] and a suite of observed exoplanet properties. Combining our metallicity measurements with galactic kinematics, we identify 58 planet hosts that are likely members of the thick disk. We investigate the chemical environments of giant-planet formation by comparing the [$\alpha$/Fe] distributions of giant-planet host stars across different metallicity regimes. We find that subsolar metallicity giant-planet hosts are significantly enhanced in [$\alpha$/Fe] relative to Fe-rich giant-planet hosts and to the average Fe-poor field star, at high statistical significance. This suggests that enhanced $\alpha$-element abundances may partially compensate for low-Fe content and thus enable the formation of giant planets in metal-poor environments. We additionally compare the [$\alpha$/Fe] distributions of single- and multi-planet hosts and find modest evidence that $\alpha$-enhanced stars may preferentially host multi-planet systems. Finally, we recover previously observed trends between stellar metallicity and planetary eccentricity.
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All authors Romy Rodríguez Martínez, Emily K. Pass, Phillip A. Cargile, Victoria DiTomasso, David Charbonneau, Jason D. Eastman, David W. Latham

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Observational Signatures and Constraints on the Intermediate Neutron-Capture Process. The Case of the CEMP star TYC 6044-714-1 (RAVE J094921.8-161722)

Riano E. Giribaldi, Diego Vescovi, Laura Magrini et al. (+6 more)

Observational abundances of CEMP stars with patterns in between those produced by the rapid and slow nucleosynthesis processes (CEMP-rs stars) are currently invoked as evidence of synthesis via the intermediate process in the early AGB evolutionary phase of metal-poor low mass stars. Nevertheless, discriminating between r+s- and i-process hypotheses requires high-precision abundances obtained through advanced spectral modelling techniques. Theoretical models of the i-process have become more robust, incorporating refined stellar modelling and nuclear reaction physics, providing ranges of probable elemental abundances and isotopic ratios predictions to be confronted with observational determinations. We performed a new analysis of a high resolution and high S/N UVES spectrum of TYC 6044-714-1. We derived accurate effective temperature and highly precise atmospheric parameters, element abundances, and isotopic ratios using state-of-the-art 1D non-LTE and 3D non-LTE spectral line modelling. Using the latest AGB nucleosynthesis models, we assessed the possibility of the i-process to act aside the s-process. We find that TYC~6044-714-1 was likely born as a normal in-situ halo star about 13 Gyr ago, pre-enriched by the r-process through a standard Galactic chemical-evolution pathway. The s+r model provides the best overall reproduction of the observed heavy-element abundance pattern and Ba isotopic ratios, yielding excellent agreement across all three s-process peaks. While i+s+r models with increasing overshooting efficiency improve the fit for specific elements, they do not consistently reproduce the full abundance pattern. The i+s+r models require extreme and physically implausible conditions, and predict s-process Ba fractions inconsistent with those inferred from isotopic ratios of the 4934 Å\ resonance line. We conclude that the pure s+r scenario is the most plausible explanation.
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All authors Riano E. Giribaldi, Diego Vescovi, Laura Magrini, Sergio Cristallo, Valentina D'Orazi, Luciano Piersanti, Deysi Cornejo Espinoza, Sofia Randich, Martina Baratella

Astrophysics of Galaxies

A correlation predicting galaxies without dark matter

Michal Bílek

The standard theory of galaxy formation predicts that all galaxies should contain dark matter, yet a handful of recently discovered galaxies appear to lack it, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation. We investigate whether such dark-matter deficient objects can be identified from their baryonic properties alone, analogously to the radial-acceleration relation, which tightly links baryon and dark matter distributions in spiral galaxies. Using a sample of ultra-diffuse and dwarf spheroidal galaxies – systems whose baryonic properties resemble those of the confirmed dark-matter-deficient galaxies – we systematically search for a formula to predict baryonic fractions from stellar mass, effective radius, distance to the host, and the host's baryonic mass. We find that baryonic fraction correlates most strongly with the gravitational acceleration expected from baryons alone, $a_\mathrm{bar}$, or equivalently, with mean surface brightness, following an approximately $a_\mathrm{bar}^{-1}$ dependence. This scaling resembles the radial-acceleration relation but differs in functional form and applies to a different galaxy population. Strikingly, the dark-matter-deficient galaxies occupy the extreme end of the correlation. This suggests that they result from standard formation processes operating at unusual intensities rather than from exotic mechanisms. Importantly, the correlation predicts that all ultra-diffuse galaxies brighter than approximately 25 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in the $g$-band should have very low dark matter content, offering a straightforward observational criterion for identifying these rare objects.
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Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Spectroscopic Bolometric Corrections and Empirical Zero-point Constants of Gaia Magnitudes, $G$, $G_{\rm BP}$, and $G_{\rm RP}$, from Gaia XP Spectra

Zeki Eker and Gökhan Yücel

The International Astronomical Union 2015 Resolution B2 (IAU2015GARB2) has resolved the long-standing problem of zero-point constants for the absolute and apparent bolometric magnitude scales and opened a new window in fundamental astrophysics. The empirical zero-point constants of the bolometric corrections, $C_2(\xi)$, and the absolute/apparent magnitudes, $C_\xi/c_\xi$, for the Gaia passbands were obtained from 88 Gaia XP spectra, and absolute bolometric/filtered magnitudes. The individual zero-point constants $\langle C_{\rm 2}\rangle$ of the bolometric corrections ($BC_\xi$) for each star revealed weighted averages of $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G)\rangle=0.8677\pm0.0109$ mag, $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G_{\rm BP})\rangle=1.0449\pm0.0116$ mag, and $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G_{\rm RP})\rangle=2.0510\pm0.0087$ mag. Furthermore, $C_{\rm Bol}=71.197425...$ mag and $c_{\rm Bol} =-18.997351...$mag announced by IAU2015GARB2, and using the definition of $C_{\rm 2}=C_{\rm Bol}-C_{\xi}=c_{\rm Bol}-c_{\xi}$, where the subscript $2$ indicate the wavelength ranges of two in which one is for bolometric and the other for one of the three filters, the zero-point constants of magnitudes for Gaia filters as $C_{\rm G}=70.1525\pm0.0109$ mag and $c_{\rm G}=-19.8651\pm0.0105$ mag, $C_{\rm G_{\rm BP}}=70.1525\pm0.0116$ mag and $c_{\rm G_{\rm BP}}=-20.0423\pm0.0116$ mag, and $C_{\rm G_{\rm RP}}=69.1464\pm0.0087$ mag and $c_{\rm G_{\rm RP}}=-21.0484\pm0.0087$ mag, if $L_{\xi}$ and $f_{\xi}$ are in SI units in case no extinctions. Lastly, spectroscopic $BC$s for Gaia magnitudes of 88 stars and the spectroscopic $BC-T_{\rm eff}$ relation for each Gaia filter are presented.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-th

CMB Birefringence from Vacuum Interfaces

Nemanja Kaloper

Hints of cosmic microwave background polarization rotation ($\Delta\vartheta \sim 10^{-3}$ rad) are commonly attributed to late-time dynamics of ultralight axions. We show that such ultralight degrees of freedom are not required. Polarization rotation naturally arises as a geometric interface phase acquired when photons cross interfaces between topologically distinct dark sector vacua. The effect is a discrete phase shift fixed by the normalization of a wall-supported electromagnetic Chern–Simons interaction and protected by an emergent $1$-form symmetry of the low energy effective theory. This mechanism reproduces the familiar adiabatic rotation induced by light axion domain walls, but persists for arbitrarily thin walls where the axion is heavy or absent. In this regime the rotation manifests as a Pancharatnam phase localized at vacuum interfaces, independent of redshift and photon frequency below a natural ultraviolet cutoff. Cosmic birefringence thus emerges as a probe of vacuum structure in the dark sector, rather than of light-field dynamics.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Clustering constraints on super-early galaxy formation scenarios

Antonio Matteri, Andrea Pallottini and Andrea Ferrara

The unexpectedly high abundance of bright, blue, super-early galaxies ($z\gtrsim10$) has challenged most pre-JWST models of early galaxy formation and motivated a wide range of proposed explanations. We systematically investigate whether galaxy clustering can discriminate among representative scenarios that reproduce the observed UV luminosity function. Using the Shin-Uchuu dark-matter-only simulation, we populate $z \approx 11$ halos with galaxies according to solutions based on i) attenuation-free, ii) feedback-free bursts, iii) bursty star formation, and iv) primordial black hole models. For each model, we compute the two-point correlation function and predict the galaxy bias for flux-limited samples at different thresholds in the $-20 < {\rm M_{UV}} < -16$ magnitude range. We find that all models predict similar bias values ($b \approx 7$) for faint galaxies (${\rm M_{UV}}\approx-16$), but diverge at ${\rm M_{UV}}\lesssim-18$, as the underlying halo-mass to ${\rm M_{UV}}$ relations differ significantly. In particular, the primordial black hole scenario predicts an almost luminosity-independent bias, whereas the other models generally predict increasing bias with luminosity, reaching $b \approx 14$ for ${\rm M_{UV}} \approx -19$. Current observational estimates of the bias cannot yet rule out any of the models at a significant statistical confidence. More precise measurements from future JWST programs, together with improved theoretical predictions, will be required to break the present degeneracies. Ideally, constraints from a complete sample of galaxies with ${\rm M_{UV}} < -18$ would probe the knee of the $b({\rm M_{UV}})$ function, taking advantage of the difference in model predictions and strengthening our analysis. Although requiring further refinement, galaxy clustering is confirmed to be a promising probe of the physical origin of the JWST high-redshift luminosity function.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Neutrino mixing and gravitational production via inflation

Oleg Lebedev and Jong-Hyun Yoon

We develop the Bogolyubov coefficient formalism for gravitational production of fermions with time-dependent mixing, which allows us to study a prototype neutrino system. The neutrino masses and mixings depend on the scalar field values, i.e. the Higgs or singlet scalar expectation values. These are time-dependent in the Early Universe and, due to de Sitter fluctuations, can reach very large values during inflation. As a result, gravitational production of all types of neutrinos can be much enhanced. We obtain an upper bound on the abundance of active and sterile neutrinos produced by classical gravity, $Y \lesssim 10^{-11}$.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from physics.soc-ph

Big Mysteries Survey: Physicists' Views on Cosmology, Black Holes, Quantum Mechanics, and Quantum Gravity

Niayesh Afshordi, Phil Halper, Matteo Rini et al. (+1 more)

We present results from the Big Mysteries Survey, a large-scale survey conducted through the American Physical Society's Physics Magazine on foundational and controversial topics in contemporary physics. The survey provides a snapshot of physicists' views on issues in cosmology, black-hole physics, quantum mechanics, quantum gravity, and anthropic coincidences. A central finding is that several positions often described publicly as field-wide “consensus” views are, in practice, supported by much narrower majorities or by pluralities rather than majorities.
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All authors Niayesh Afshordi, Phil Halper, Matteo Rini, Michael Schirber

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

A practical guide to implementing zero-order-hold interplanetary trajectory legs

Dario Izzo, Harry Holt, Giacomo Acciarini et al. (+2 more)

We study the practical implementation of zero-order-hold (ZOH) transcriptions for spacecraft trajectory optimisation, identifying a set of design principles that render them robust across a broad class of dynamical settings without problem-specific tuning. The contributions are fourfold: (i) a thorough study of the forward–backward shooting construction, denoted $\mathrm{ZOH}_\alpha$; (ii) a redundant four-dimensional throttle parameterization that eliminates the singularity of the control influence matrix along ballistic arcs; (iii) a softmax time-grid encoding that avoids ordering constraints on segment durations while preserving full differentiability; and (iv) the TOPS benchmark (Trajectory Optimisation Problems in Space), a suite of 28 problems spanning four dynamical models, two-body Cartesian, modified equinoctial elements, circular restricted three-body, and solar sailing, designed to be extended over time.
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All authors Dario Izzo, Harry Holt, Giacomo Acciarini, Laurent Beauregard, Yuri Shimane

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Electromagnetic Follow-up of the Sub-Solar Mass Gravitational Wave Candidate S251112cm: Kilonova Constraints and a Coincident IIb Supernova

Xander J. Hall, Tomas Ahumada, Julius Gassert et al. (+25 more)

On November 12th, 2025 the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) collaboration reported gravitational waves (GWs) from a compact object merger candidate (S251112cm) with at least one sub-solar mass component. Using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), the Fraunhofer Telescope at Wendelstein Observatory (FTW), and the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), we surveyed $56\%$ of the GW localization region beginning $2.4$~hours after the GW alert. We find no kilonova (KN) counterpart, and use radiative-transfer models to rule out $42\%$ (ZTF), $68\%$ (DECam), and $92\%$ (FTW) of the KN models as possible emission from this GW candidate. Within the recently proposed disk-fragmentation (“superkilonova”) model for generating sub-solar mass neutron star mergers from stellar core-collapse, the delay between the supernova explosion time and the GW merger time is estimated to be less than a few days. Searching this time window prior to the GW event, we identify and spectroscopically classify a IIb supernova (SN~2025adtq), with a spatial association odds ratio of $\log_{10}\mathcal{I} \approx 4.8$, a chance coincidence probability of ${\sim}2$–$9\%$, and an estimated explosion time ${\sim}2$ days prior to S251112cm. SN~2025adtq is the second Type~IIb supernova found in spatial and temporal coincidence with a sub-solar mass GW candidate, following the previously reported S250818k/SN~2025ulz association; jointly, we measure an odds ratio that favors the association hypothesis over the null, however, when conditioned on finding a coincident supernova by chance, the odds ratio disfavors association. Together, these results provide suggestive but inconclusive evidence for the superkilonova formation channel.
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All authors Xander J. Hall, Tomas Ahumada, Julius Gassert, Antonella Palmese, Brian D. Metzger, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Mattia Bulla, Daniel Gruen, Robert Stein, Christoffer Fremling, Shreya Anand, Igor Andreoni, Malte Busmann, Tomás Cabrera, Ryan Christinzio, James Freeburn, Ignacio Magaña Hernandez, Lei Hu, Brendan O'Connor, Ji-an Jiang, Zhengyan Liu, Wen Zhao, Eric C. Bellm, David Cook, Michael W. Coughlin, Richard Dekany, Matthew Graham, Russ R. Laher

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Demonstrating the Use of the Spherical Fourier Bessel Basis for Large Scale Clustering Systematics Discovery and Mitigation with eBOSS

Sean Bruton, James R. Cheshire IV, Olivier Doré et al. (+2 more)

The spherical Fourier-Bessel (SFB) basis, in separating the angular and radial modes of the power spectrum, permits a targeted identification and mitigation of systematics in clustering surveys while retaining more cosmological signal than traditional bases. We demonstrate this principle on the eBOSS DR16 luminous red galaxy (LRG) and quasistellar object (QSO) samples, identifying modes which may be contaminated by systematics. Our initial inference on the LRG sample yields an fNL value consistent with zero, while the QSO value is in slight tension with zero. Using the SFB basis, we vary the selection of angular and radial modes to search for inconsistencies in the inferred value of fNL, an indicator of underlying systematics. In the QSO sample, we find evidence ($p \lesssim 0.002$ compared to the same cuts on EZMocks) of a systematic afflicting large physical scales, which is consistent with residual stellar contamination; we also find evidence for an unknown systematic in the QSO sample ($p=0.01$), with consistent but less significant evidence in the LRGs ($p\approx0.06$), at the approximate angular plate and imaging scale of eBOSS.
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All authors Sean Bruton, James R. Cheshire IV, Olivier Doré, Henry S. Grasshorn Gebhardt, Robin Y. Wen

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Mitigating residual foregrounds and systematic errors in SKA1-Low AA* EoR observations via Bayesian Gaussian Process Regression

Samit Kumar Pal, Abhirup Datta, Aishrila Mazumder et al. (+1 more)

The redshifted 21\,cm line is an emerging tool in observational cosmology that can serve as a direct probe of the intergalactic medium throughout the cosmic timeline. However, the observation of the cosmological 21\,cm signal from early epochs is extremely challenging in practice, regardless of the scale of interest and redshift. The presence of bright astrophysical foregrounds and residual systematic errors along the line of sight poses challenges for its detection. Machine-learning-based Gaussian process regression\,(ML-GPR) has proven to be the most effective strategy for signal separation in LOFAR and NenuFAR observations to measure the 21\,cm signal power spectrum from the Cosmic Dawn\,(CD) and Epoch of Reionization\,(EoR). In this work, we extend this framework to synthetic CD/EoR SKA1-Low observations to assess its robustness in mitigating residual foregrounds against instrumental and environmental systematic effects. We use our developed end-to-end realistic simulation pipeline (21cmE2E) for SKA-Low observations. Our 4-hour tracking simulation includes extragalactic point sources, the AA* telescope configuration, primary beam response, and error models. The modelled errors incorporate residual antenna-based gain calibration errors, residual ionospheric phase errors, partial de-mixing of the out-of-field sources, and instrumental noise for 1000\,hours of deep integration time. We compare different Bayesian GPR frameworks to assess their ability to suppress residual foreground contamination while minimizing signal loss and providing reliable uncertainty estimates. Our analysis demonstrates that the 21\,cm signal can robustly recover within the $2\sigma$ credible interval for almost all k-modes over the range of $0.06 \leq k \leq 1.0$~h Mpc$^{-1}$.
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All authors Samit Kumar Pal, Abhirup Datta, Aishrila Mazumder, Anshuman Tripathi

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Magnetic Evolution of Highly-Sheared Region in Active Region 13842 Producing Large X9.0 Flare

Yijun Hou, Ting Li, Shuhong Yang et al. (+8 more)

Shearing motion and magnetic flux cancellation around the polarity inversion line (PIL) play significant roles in the build-up of free magnetic energy and magnetic flux rope (MFR) in source region of major solar flares. Here we investigate the magnetic evolution of a highly-sheared PIL in active region (AR) 13842, hosting the largest X9.0 flare of Solar Cycle 25. Since 2024 September 29, a positive-polarity pore persistently drifted northward along the western side of the AR's main negative-polarity sunspot. The main sunspot remained stationary until negative-polarity patches successively emerged to its east and approached. Rear-ended by these same-polarity patches, the sunspot then began moving westward toward the opposite-polarity pore around October 1, forming a collisional PIL. Meanwhile, on the PIL's other side, the pore was also rear-ended by same-polarity patches sequentially emerging behind it, accelerating the shearing motion around the PIL, where frequent flux cancellations were also observed. Synchronous rapid accumulation of free magnetic energy and formation of MFR were then observed in the PIL, where multiple major flares successively occurred within two days. Before these large flares, the area and total free energy of the high-free-energy-density PIL region gradually decreased in the photosphere, which could be caused by the initial ascent of MFR before eruption and serve as a precursor of solar eruptions. These results suggest that persistent flux emergences with cross separation directions facilitates rapid formation of collisional shearing PIL and frequent flux cancellations, leading to repeated MFR formations and multiple large flares in a relatively short time.
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All authors Yijun Hou, Ting Li, Shuhong Yang, Leping Li, Yingjie Cai, Xiaofeng Liu, Shuo Yang, Yilin Guo, Shihao Rao, Chuan Li, Guiping Zhou

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Can We Distinguish the Source Region Location of Filament/Prominence Eruptions from the Sun-as-a-star H$\alpha$ Spectrum?

Junyi Zhang, Yijun Hou, Xiaofeng Liu et al. (+7 more)

Solar filament/prominence eruptions can significantly perturb geospace when originating from favorable source locations and directions. While stellar analogs have been recently reported, the disk locations and magnetic environments of their source regions remain spatially unresolved on other stars. To bridge this gap, we investigate the typical Sun-as-a-star H$\alpha$ temporal spectral characteristics of solar filament/prominence eruptions with different source region locations (on-disk vs. limb, active region vs. quiet-Sun region). It is revealed that limb eruptions are characterized by blueshifted/redshifted emission caused by the bright off-limb erupting structures, whereas on-disk eruptions may show blueshifted absorptions due to the dark erupting filaments. Among the limb eruptions, front-side limb eruptions usually display line center emission before the blueshifted/redshifted emission, while far-side limb eruptions show the opposite sequence. Moreover, the magnetic environment at source also shapes the spectral characteristics. On-disk filament eruptions from active region exhibit much more intense flare-ribbon-dominated line center emission features compared with those from quiet-Sun region. Limb active region eruptions often show single-wing emissions, whereas large-scale quiet-Sun region (quiescent) prominence eruptions frequently display expansion-induced emission in both wings followed by line center absorption due to the disappearance of bright prominence. These distinct Sun-as-a-star H$\alpha$ spectral characteristics, dependent on eruption location, provide a diagnostic basis for inferring source regions of stellar filament/prominence eruptions from spatially unresolved H$\alpha$ spectra.
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All authors Junyi Zhang, Yijun Hou, Xiaofeng Liu, Ting Li, Shihao Rao, Ye Qiu, HuiPing Jin, Yingjie Cai, Yangrui Chen, Chuan Li

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Characterizing Pulsar Distances Using HI Kinematics

S. Romero-Ruiz and S.K. Ocker

Distance measurements are fundamental to radio pulsars' use as astrophysical probes of General Relativity and the interstellar medium. One of the primary methods for determining pulsar distances is HI kinematics, which leverages the radial velocities of HI absorption and emission features detected along pulsar lines-of-sight. This method necessarily assumes a model for Galactic rotation, our knowledge of which continues to evolve in both accuracy and precision. In this research note, we derive kinematic distances for 66 pulsars with archival HI radial velocity measurements using a state-of-the-art Galactic rotation curve. The results and software are provided in an online repository. Our kinematic distances differ by $<1\sigma$ from published parallaxes for nearly all pulsars in the sample that have both types of distance measurement available. Comparison to the NE2025 Galactic electron density model shows general consistency between measured and predicted distances.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Milky Way Dynamics Favor Dark Matter over Modified Gravity Models

Zheng-long Wang, Yue-Lin Sming Tsai, Lan Zhang et al. (+5 more)

Modified gravity theories such as Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) and Scalar-Tensor-Vector Gravity (STVG) have been proposed as alternatives to dark matter, but decisive tests have been hindered by degeneracies between baryonic structure and gravitational laws. Here we break this degeneracy using independent, high-precision constraints: the Milky Way radial rotation curve, vertical phase-space spirals from Gaia, and a broken-exponential stellar disk. A joint reconstruction of the radial and vertical gravitational fields reveals a structural inconsistency in modified gravity – no model can simultaneously reproduce both observations. Our results strongly disfavor MOND at $>13\sigma$ and STVG at $>4\sigma$. In contrast, dark matter halo models naturally explain the observations, providing a self-consistent test of gravity on galactic scales.
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All authors Zheng-long Wang, Yue-Lin Sming Tsai, Lan Zhang, Yin Wu, Haining Li, Xiang-Xiang Xue, Hongsheng Zhao, Yi-Zhong Fan

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Search for long-term variability of HESS J1745-290

H.E.S.S. Collaboration: A. Acharyya, F. Aharonian, M. Backes et al. (+114 more)

At the center of our Galaxy lies the bright {\gamma}-ray point-like source HESS J1745-290, which is compatible in position with Sgr A star, although an association between the two remains uncertain. Using data obtained between 2004 and 2019 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) on the Galactic center region, we studied the variability of HESS J1745-290 over 353 hours of observations collected over 16 years, representing the largest dataset gathered yet on this region at TeV energies. We performed a 3D maximum-likelihood analysis of the central source and the diffuse {\gamma}-ray emission in the Galactic center region. This analysis allowed us to extract the spectral and morphological intrinsic behavior of the two components. By performing this analysis on an annual basis, we derived the light curve of HESS J1745-290 and the diffuse emission over the past 16 years. The 3D maximum-likelihood analysis method allowed us to separate the central source from the overlapping diffuse emission, enabling a recalibration of the former by the latter and alleviating some of the systematic effects. We find no long-term or yearly variability. We also provide an estimate of the sensitivity of H.E.S.S. to variation of this specific source over 16 years. We rule out any yearly gamma-ray flux variation of this source larger than 30 percent, as well as any linear flux variation exceeding 30% over this time period.
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All authors H.E.S.S. Collaboration: A. Acharyya, F. Aharonian, M. Backes, R. Batzofin, D. Berge, K. Bernlöhr, M. Böttcher, C. Boisson, J. Bolmont, F. Brun, B. Bruno, C. Burger-Scheidlin, T. Bylund, J. Celic, M. Cerruti, A. Chen, M. Chernyakova, J. O. Chibueze, O. Chibueze, B. Cornejo, G. Cotter, J. Damascene Mbarubucyeye, J. de Assis Scarpin, M. de Bony de Lavergne, M. de Naurois, E. de Oña Wilhelmi, A. G. Delgado Giler, J. Devin, A. Djannati-Ataï, A. Dmytriiev, K. Egg, J.-P. Ernenwein, C. Escanuela Nieves, P. Fauverge, K. Feijen, M. D. Filipovic, G. Fontaine, S. Funk, S. Gabici, J. F. Glicenstein, J. Glombitza, P. Goswami, L. Heckmann, B. Hess, J. A. Hinton, W. Hofmann, T. L. Holch, M. Holler, D. Horns, M. Jamrozy, F. Jankowsky, I. Jaroschewski, I. Jung-Richardt, D. Kerszberg, B. Khélifi, N. Komin, K. Kosack, D. Kostunin, R. G. Lang, S. Lazarevic, A. Lemière, M. Lemoine-Goumard, J.-P. Lenain, P. Liniewicz, J. Mackey, D. Malyshev, V. Marandon, M. G. F. Mayer, A. Mehta, A. M. W. Mitchell, R. Moderski, L. Mohrmann, A. Montanari, J. Niemiec, L. Olivera-Nieto, M. O. Moghadam, S. Panny, R. D. Parsons8, U. Pensec, P. Pichard, T. Preis, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, A. Quirrenbach, A. Reimer, O. Reimer, I. Reis, H. X. Ren, B. Reville, F. Rieger, G. Rowell, B. Rudak, K. Sabri, V. Sahakian, A. Santangelo, M. Sasaki, F. Schüssler, W. Si Said, H. Sol, L. Stawarz, T. Tanaka, G. L. Taylor, R. Terrier, M. Tsirou, T. Unbehaun, C. van Eldik, M. Vecchi, C. Venter, J. Vink, V. Voitsekhovskyi, T. Wach, S. J. Wagner, A. Wierzcholska, M. Zacharias, A. Zech, W. Zhong, S. Zouari

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Revisiting the greenhouse effect of non-greenhouse gases in the atmospheres of Earth-like planets

Tetsuo Taki, Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Yuka Fujii et al. (+1 more)

Although non-greenhouse gases can vary substantially in abundance in Earth-like atmospheres, their climatic influences remain insufficiently understood. To investigate how such gases regulate climate, we vary the abundance of N$_2$ as a representative non-greenhouse component in one-dimensional N$_2$–CO$_2$–H$_2$O model atmospheres. Beyond pressure broadening of absorption lines and Rayleigh scattering emphasized in previous studies, our results show that changes in background N$_2$ pressure influence climate by modifying the amount of atmospheric H$_2$O, producing two effects: altering the thermodynamic lapse rate (H$_2$O-dilute warming) and changing the radiative contribution of H$_2$O to the greenhouse effect (H$_2$O-load warming). The resulting climate response to increasing N$_2$ depends on the CO$_2$ abundance. Under low CO$_2$ conditions, dilution of atmospheric H$_2$O leads to warming, whereas under high CO$_2$ conditions, increased H$_2$O loading also produces warming. At sufficiently high N$_2$ abundances, Rayleigh scattering induces cooling, an effect further amplified by the accompanying decrease in atmospheric H$_2$O. Under high CO$_2$ conditions, however, enhanced H$_2$O loading increases the absorption of stellar radiation and overwhelms the contribution of Rayleigh scattering, causing the cooling response to disappear. These results reveal multiple physical pathways through which non-greenhouse gases influence climate and provide a framework for understanding climate responses and habitability in diverse Earth-like atmospheres.
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All authors Tetsuo Taki, Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Yuka Fujii, Kosuke Aoki

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Joint probabilistic inference of galaxy redshifts and rest-frame spectra from photometric fluxes with latent diffusion

Han-Yue Guo and Martin Eriksen

Wide-field imaging surveys now provide photometry for billions of sources, while spectroscopic observations remain limited, motivating methods that can extract spectroscopic information from photometric data. We present a generative framework for the joint probabilistic inference of galaxy redshifts and rest-frame spectra from broadband photometric fluxes. The model provides a sampling-based estimate of the photometric-redshift probability density function (PDF) for each galaxy, from which accurate point estimates are derived, and reconstructs rest-frame spectra that preserve key spectral properties. We pre-train a spectral autoencoder, SPENDER, on 5 million DESI DR1 spectra to learn a low-dimensional latent space that represents rest-frame spectra. Conditioned on galaxy broadband photometric fluxes, a diffusion model jointly infers the corresponding spectral latent representation and photometric redshift. The inferred latent representation is decoded into a high-resolution rest-frame spectrum, which can be transformed to the observed frame by redshifting and resampling. Sampling from the conditional diffusion model yields a full photometric-redshift PDF for each galaxy, with the resulting point estimates showing a precision comparable to that of a gradient-boosted decision tree model. In most cases, the reconstructed rest-frame spectra reproduce the overall continuum shape and capture the presence of prominent spectral features. For galaxies with sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratios in their observed spectra, the Dn4000 index shows good agreement between the reconstructed spectra and the observed spectra. On average, the spectral reconstruction residuals are close to the noise level of the observed spectra. Latent-diffusion generative modeling enables joint inference of galaxy photometric-redshift PDFs and rest-frame spectra from photometric fluxes.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Numerical Study of Some Generalizations of the Starobinsky Inflationary Model

Jordan Zambrano, Ángel Rodríguez, Melisa Alvear et al. (+1 more)

In this work, we perform a numerical study of three Starobinsky–type inflationary scenarios: the $\alpha$–Starobinsky inflationary model, the power–law Starobinsky inflationary model, and the power–law $\alpha$–Starobinsky inflationary model. For an appropriate choice of parameters, each scenario reproduces the standard Starobinsky limit. For each case, we derive the relevant slow–roll expressions in order to compute numerically the scalar and tensor power spectra over the corresponding parameter space and evaluate the associated inflationary observables. Finally, we provide a comparative analysis in the $(n_\sca,A_\sca)$ and $(r,n_\sca)$ parameter spaces using contour plots. Our results indicate that, for certain choices of parameters, the $\alpha$–Starobinsky model and the power–law $\alpha$–Starobinsky model are favored by Planck 2018 observations.
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All authors Jordan Zambrano, Ángel Rodríguez, Melisa Alvear, Clara Rojas