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Physics Astrophysics

astro-ph Watch Astrophysics

Sunday 26 July

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Progress of the design of the 12-m optical, Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST)

P. Dierickx, G. Gausachs, C. Cudennec et al. (+16 more)

The Wide-Field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) is a 12-m class, Alt-Az optical telescope providing two simultaneous foci, 2 degrees and 3 by 3 arc minutes respectively, for Multi-Object Spectroscopy (MOS) and Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) at visible wavelengths. Within the framework of the Horizon Programme, the project has been approved for phase A funding by the EC in 2024 and is currently undergoing intensive development. The optical design relies on a corrected Cassegrain solution feeding multi-object spectrographs through fibres, while the central area of the field is propagated to a gravity-stable Integral Field Station housing an array of spectrographs. We report progress of the design, of the functional and physical definitions of key subsystems, and of the design of high-performance coatings of the telescope optics. The telescope would be located near ESO Paranal - Armazones observatory and protected by a VLT-like enclosure. With a view to minimising risks, from capital investment to operations, designs build extensively on VLT and ELT solutions. Owing to the optical configuration, the telescope can be wavefront-controlled at both foci, with little if any crosstalk between MOS and IFS controls. The optical path is constrained to provide natural guide star, ground-layer adaptive correction at the IFS field, within existing technology. Finally, from its earliest stage of development the system is being scrutinized for its properties in relation to sustainability.
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All authors P. Dierickx, G. Gausachs, C. Cudennec, D. Lee, R. Bacon, T. Travouillon, O. Bellido-Tirado, B. Sassolas, L. Pinard, S. DÁuria, C. Del Vecchio, V. De Caprio, V. Cianniello, W. Sutherland, P. Doel, T. Augusteijn, R. Navarro, L. Fréour, W. Saunders

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

A uniform transit survey of 461 ExoFOP M-dwarf TOI hosts: Follow-up prioritization and new transit candidates

Yohann Tschudi

Context. M dwarfs are favorable hosts for small transiting planets. A transit-detection and statistical-validation pipeline was previously developed and validated at the photometric noise frontier, on M3-M6 dwarfs observed in few sectors. Aims. That pipeline is applied uniformly to the full active ExoFOP M-dwarf TOI population, 461 hosts (M0-M6) each hosting a confirmed planet (CP) or planet candidate (PC), to test its recovery and classification of the cataloged signals and to prioritize the candidates for follow-up. Methods. The pipeline chains two complementary blind searches merged per host, a full-baseline transit-least-squares scan and a segmented, semi-coherent search across the gapped multiyear baseline. It adds an event-time-coherence test that rejects signals with incoherent per-transit timing (window-function aliases of stellar variability), all-sector TRICERATOPS false-positive probabilities, and Gaia DR3 background and aperture-localization analysis. Results. Of 193 in-range CP, 165 (85.5%) are re-detected, none rejected as a false positive, and 147 (76.2%) reach a Gaia-verified disposition. Of 286 in-range PC, 225 (78.7%) are re-detected, of which 11 are flagged as false positives and 87 ranked as planet candidates for follow-up. Beyond the catalog, 13 new transit candidates of 0.7-2.0 Earth radii emerge, including two new members of a compact, dynamically stable near-resonant three-planet candidate system; four cataloged single- or dual-transit TOIs have their orbital periods determined, two of them in the optimistic habitable zone. Conclusions. The recoveries and new candidates are released as a uniform, prioritized follow-up target list.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Spatial Correlations of PAH, UV, H$\alpha$ Emission and IMF - PAH Variations in the Star-Forming Complexes of NGC 628

S Amrutha, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Mousumi Das et al. (+1 more)

We examine the spatial correlation of emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (3.3 $\mu$m, 7.7 $\mu$m, and 11.3 $\mu$m) with the far-ultraviolet (FUV), near-ultraviolet (NUV), and H$\alpha$ emission from star-forming complexes (SFCs) in different regions of NGC 628. We use the James Webb Space Telescope to detect PAH emission, along with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer observations to sample the UV and H$\alpha$ emission, respectively. We investigate the correlation of PAH luminosities with FUV, NUV, and H$\alpha$ luminosities for the extracted SFCs. We find that the arm and spur SFCs show bright PAH emission, except for those with only NUV emission, located primarily in bubbles and superbubbles. We also examine these correlations in the phantom void, the largest superbubble in NGC 628. We investigate the trend for FUV-NUV and the Initial mass function (IMF) index $\alpha_2$ derived from the ratio of B stars with PAH band ratios (F335M/F1130W, F770W/F1130W, and F335M/F770W). We find that PAH band ratios increase as the IMF becomes more top-heavy and the SFCs become bluer, consistent with enhanced PAH excitation and ionisation in stronger UV radiation fields. However, $\alpha_2$ of spur SFCs shows a flat trend with PAH band ratios compared to arms. Upon closer examination, two SFCs in the shell region of the phantom void showed a flatter IMF compared to the SFC located near the elongated bubble. This is likely due to gas accumulation, possibly through feedback mechanisms in the shell region, while the SFC near the elongated bubble may have formed in a region affected by shear.
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All authors S Amrutha, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Mousumi Das, Jyoti Yadav

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Spectral properties of mesoscale fluctuations in interplanetary coronal mass ejections

Anna-Sofia Jylhä, Simon Good and Emilia Kilpua

Magnetic fields in interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) often display a flux rope structure at large scales and a turbulent cascade of fluctuations at smaller scales. However, the nature of fluctuations at transition scales between the flux rope and turbulence - i.e., at mesoscales - has not been previously examined in detail. Mesoscale fluctuations of the magnetic field in 142 ICME intervals with clear flux rope signatures at 1 au have been examined using wavelet power spectra, with "mesoscale" defined here as spacecraft-frame frequencies $10^{-4}\ \text{Hz}<f_\mathrm{sc}< 10^{-3}\ \text{Hz}$, equivalent to timescales $2.8\ \text{hr}\gtrsim \tau \gtrsim 17\ \text{min}$. The spectra were found to be significantly less steep at mesoscales than at larger and smaller scales, with an average spectral slope close to $-1$ at these intermediate scales. The mesoscale fluctuations had relatively high cross helicity magnitudes and low compressibility, suggesting a significant degree of Alfvénicity, while also having more negative residual energy than the turbulent fluctuations found at smaller scales. Uncertainties in the spectral slope values at mesoscales were used to distinguish between spectra showing a relatively smooth power-law behavior or (less commonly) a more bumpy trend; the smoother power-law intervals had a balanced cross helicity distribution while the more bumpy spectra had a predominantly antisunward cross helicity. Slow wind intervals were similarly analyzed, and showed similar properties to the ICMEs. These results indicate that a spectrally narrow $1/f$ range is typically present in ICMEs at mesoscales.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Angular Momentum of Planet-Forming Disks: Implications for Infall Driven Misalignments

Aashish Gupta, Cristiano Longarini, L. Ilsedore Cleeves et al. (+5 more)

Context. A significant fraction (>30%) of planet-forming disks and planetary are misaligned with respect to the rotational axis of their host stars, yet the dominant mechanism responsible for these misalignments remains unclear. Aims. We aim to observationally constrain the angular momentum of Class II protoplanetary disks and assess whether late-stage infall of material can bring sufficient angular momentum to tilt them. Methods. We first computed the angular momenta of 15 disks with surface density profiles inferred from dynamical modeling of high angular resolution ALMA observations. Based on this sample, we derived a relation linking disk angular momentum to stellar mass, disk mass, and the radius enclosing 90% of the 13CO flux and used it to estimate angular momenta of 18 more disks. We then compared disk values with theoretical predictions for late-stage accretion from clouds and observed streamers. Results. Angular momentum for most disks is lower than what theoretical models predict for late infall. This is also in qualitative agreement with comparison with streamer observations, however, characterization of mass of reservoirs feeding the streamers is needed to confirm this picture. Conclusions. Interactions with nearby clouds, resulting in late-stage infall of material onto Class II disks, can potentially explain the observed misalignments within disks and planetary systems.
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All authors Aashish Gupta, Cristiano Longarini, L. Ilsedore Cleeves, Giovanni P. Rosotti, Edwin A. Bergin, Cathie J. Clarke, Michael Küffmeier, Zhi-Yun Li

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Dust Without Na I D Trace: The Case of Highly Attenuated Type Ib SN 2024vjc

Javier Silva-Farfán, Keiichi Maeda, Andrea Pastorello et al. (+19 more)

Understanding dust attenuation toward extragalactic transients is critical for recovering their intrinsic properties and probing the local environments of distant galaxies. A popular diagnostic is the Na I D absorption equivalent width widely applied to extragalactic transients. In this paper, we present early-time optical and near-infrared observations of the Type Ib supernova (SN) SN 2024vjc, followed for $\sim$130 days post-explosion. SN~2024vjc exhibits only weak Na~I~D absorption, indicating only a modest host attenuation with $E (B-V)_{\rm host} \sim 0.18$ mag; if this argument were applied, SN~2024vjc would be a peculiar, faint, and red SN Ib while showing the light-curve shape and spectral evolution broadly consistent with those of canonical SNe Ib. We show that this is not the case; SN-based diagnostics (intrinsic color templates, color-curve evolution, and spectral dereddening) together with the Balmer decrement indicate substantial attenuation, $E(B-V) \sim 0.45$ $-$ $0.8$\,mag. The weak Na I D absorption may result from photoionization of neutral sodium by the intense radiation field of a young H$_{2}$ region at the explosion site; this scenario is directly supported by the detection of narrow H$_{\alpha}$, [N$_{2}$], and H$_{\beta}$ emission lines and a blue continuum excess in late-time spectroscopy. SN~2024vjc represents a clear counterexample to the commonly assumption that weak or absent Na I D absorption implies negligible host-galaxy attenuation, and highlights the importance of employing multiple, independent attenuation diagnostics.
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All authors Javier Silva-Farfán, Keiichi Maeda, Andrea Pastorello, Hanindyo Kuncarayakti, Takashi Nagao, Giorgio Valerin, Andrea Reguitti, Dino Pierluigi Fugazza, Giuliano Pignata, Jesper Sollerman, Chris Ashall, Tomás E. Müller-Bravo, Joseph P. Anderson, Claudia P. Gutiérrez, Priscila J. Pessi, Erkki Kankare, Niko Pyykkinen, Mariusz Gromadzki, Ting-Wan Chen, Thomas M. Reynolds, Irene Salmaso, Avishay Gal-Yam

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

Upper bounds on the force function in spatially regular self-gravitating matter configurations

Shahar Hod

We use the non-linearly coupled Einstein-matter field equations to prove four theorems that bound from above the dimensionless force function ${\cal F}=4\pi r^2\cdot p(r)$ in spatially regular curved spacetimes of spherically symmetric self-gravitating matter configurations [here $p(r)$ is the radially-dependent pressure inside the spatially regular matter configurations]. In particular, for generic (not necessarily isotropic) matter configurations it is proved that: (i) ${\cal F}\leq 2$ for matter fields that satisfy the dominant energy condition, and (ii) ${\cal F}\leq 1$ for matter fields with a non-positive energy-momentum trace. In addition, for self-gravitating isotropic matter configurations we derive the stronger upper bounds: (iii) ${\cal F}\leq 1$ for matter fields that satisfy the dominant energy condition, and (iv) ${\cal F}\leq 1/2$ for matter fields with a non-positive energy-momentum trace. Our analytically derived results are in accord with the spirit of the maximum force conjecture in general relativity.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Jeans criterion in hydrostatic stratified media

Mahmood Roshan and Asiyeh Habibi

The classical Jeans stability criterion neglects spatial gradients in background physical quantities such as density and pressure. Here, we revisit the Jeans analysis for a non-rotating fluid in hydrostatic equilibrium, explicitly accounting for these gradients and deriving a modified dispersion relation governing perturbation propagation. Using physical arguments, we show why the Jeans swindle is not required to derive the Jeans criterion for perturbations that are small compared to the size of the host system. We use linear perturbation analysis alongside an averaging procedure to study the behavior of the local Eulerian perturbations in a hydrostatic medium, showing that background gradients enter the dispersion relation in a highly non-trivial manner, precluding the derivation of a general gravitational stability criterion applicable to an arbitrary hydrostatic system. We demonstrate that, in the local short-wavelength limit, the standard Jeans criterion remains valid despite the presence of nonzero background gradients, and that all local perturbations in a hydrostatic system are stable against local gravitational collapse. We conclude that it is not possible to derive a general local gravitational stability criterion valid for an arbitrary hydrostatic background; however, in the local short-wavelength limit, the standard Jeans criterion remains valid.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Breakthrough Listen's Automated Commensal Technosignature Survey with MeerKAT

Daniel J. Czech, David H.E. MacMahon, Ian Heywood et al. (+20 more)

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is an ongoing effort to detect technosignatures, evidence of technologically capable life beyond Earth. Conducting a comprehensive SETI programme requires a large amount of telescope time, which must be balanced with the science goals of a given observatory. Fortunately, many modern radio telescopes offer commensal access to the data they produce, allowing multiple scientific programmes to operate in parallel. The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa provides commensal access to a range of components, from each antenna's digitiser to the main channeliser (F-engine), via multicast Ethernet groups. Here, we describe the Breakthrough Listen user-supplied equipment (BLUSE) system at MeerKAT, which leverages multicast Ethernet to conduct an autonomous commensal technosignature survey, processing the full available bandwidth from all antennas. Its primary mode of operation is to upchannelise the incoming F-engine data to ~1Hz resolution, synthesize coherent beams on objects of interest, and search the resultant data for technosignatures. Since 2022, BLUSE has autonomously processed data from coherent beams synthesized on more than 1.2 million individual pointings, including repeat visits. BLUSE demonstrates how commensal technosignature surveys on radio telescope arrays offer a rapid and cost-effective way to increase the rate at which technosignature surveys can be conducted. This article describes the architecture of BLUSE, provides experimental evidence validating its features and performance, and quantifies its observing progress over the past few years. We also discuss the technical evolution of BLUSE, examine challenges faced and addressed, and consider avenues for future research and development.
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All authors Daniel J. Czech, David H.E. MacMahon, Ian Heywood, Chenoa D. Tremblay, Matt Lebofsky, Kevin Lacker, Cherry Ng, Dave Horn, Sarah Buchner, Brian Lacki, Alex Andersson, Joe S. Bright, Steve Croft, Dave R. DeBoer, Jamie Drew, Vishal Gajjar, Peter Ma, Alex W. Pollak, Danny Price, Mark Ruzindana, Andrew P.V. Siemion, S. Pete Worden, Fernando Camilo

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Scalar-induced gravitational waves from inflation with symmetry breaking

Chong-Bin Chen, Jia-Xi Feng, Fu-Wen Shu et al. (+1 more)

We investigate scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) in an inflationary model with symmetry breaking, in which charged scalar fields are coupled to an isotropic triplet of Abelian gauge fields through a kinetic function. Such SIGWs can be enhanced to a detectable level when the mixing between the inflaton and gauge-field perturbations is sufficiently large. We find that the longitudinal mode and the charge-dependent mixing between perturbations become relevant only when the gauge-field excitation occurs sufficiently late during inflation. In this regime, the corresponding SIGWs are shifted to ultra-high frequencies, typically can around the GHz band. We show that the parameters characterizing the effects of the longitudinal mode and charge-dependent mixing affect the signal in qualitatively different ways. This provides characteristic signatures for distinguishing the neutral case from the charged one through the frequency profile of the stochastic gravitational-wave background.
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All authors Chong-Bin Chen, Jia-Xi Feng, Fu-Wen Shu, Linjie Song

Astrophysics of Galaxies

Disc Candidates in IC 2395: A WISE Survey of the Kinematically Confirmed Membership

Daniel Rose

Circumstellar disc dissipation timescales constrain the window available for planet formation. At approximately 9 Myr, IC 2395 lies at a critical epoch in primordial disc evolution, yet no kinematically selected disc census exists beyond the inner cluster core. A wide-field survey of IC 2395, extending to a 2 degree radius, establishes a kinematically selected disc census and evaluates the frequency of planet-forming environments in the outer cluster field. Using a high-purity catalogue of 173 members identified via Gaia DR3 kinematics, mid-infrared excesses are identified using AllWISE photometry. Candidates are classified into two tiers: Crossvalidated (corroborated by Gaia variability) and Single-band detections. Twenty-one disc candidates are identified, 90% of which lie beyond the footprint of prior Spitzer surveys. The candidates are concentrated among low-mass members (0.31-0.68M), with no significant correlation between mass and excess (Spearman rho = +0.07, p = 0.84). A secure disc fraction of 4.0 p/m 1.5% is established by the Cross-validated subsample, independently confirmed by Gaia DR3 YSO variability classification; a photometric 3 sigma significance cut yields a consistent estimate of 2.9 p/m 1.3%. An upper bound of 12.1 p/m 2.5% is derived from all 21 W1-W2 excess candidates, with a background subtracted value of approximately 10.1%. Gaia DR3 epoch photometry reveals diverse variability morphologies, including a dramatic dipper and multiple bursters, confirming ongoing magnetospheric accretion. By extending the survey radius, this work demonstrates that infrared excess sources indicative of inner-disc emission in IC 2395 are more abundant and widely distributed than previously recognised. The survival of these discs in the lower-density outer field provides a well-characterised sample for studying the final stages of disc evolution and planet formation.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Hierarchical Gaussian-process reconstruction of late-time expansion with DESI BAO and compressed Planck priors

Enkun Li, Yu-Hao Mu and Zhihuan Zhou

We reconstruct the late-time expansion history with a hierarchical Gaussian process (GP) that co-samples the kernel hyperparameters $(\sigma_f,l)$ together with $(\Hzero,\Om,\Ok,\omega_b h^2)$. The data are 37 cosmic-chronometer $H(z)$ points, DESI DR2 BAO, Planck 2018 compressed distance priors, and Pantheon+ supernovae, coupled by a Monte-Carlo effective likelihood. DESI's headline Chevallier–Polarski–Linder (CPL) preference at $2.8$–$4.2\sigma$ uses the full Planck likelihood; we do not reproduce or refute that result. On this compressed-CMB pipeline the baseline posterior is $w(z\simeq 0)=-0.80^{+0.26}_{-0.23}$ (68%~C.L.), less than $1\sigma$ from $w=-1$, with $l=3.79^{+0.81}_{-1.12}$. A CPL fit on the same data improves nested $\lcdm$ by only $\Delta\chi^2\sim 1$; Akaike's criterion prefers nested $\lcdm$ ($\Delta\mathrm{AIC}\simeq 3$), while BIC is quoted only as an indicative check for correlated supernovae. The reconstructed $f_{\rm DE}=1$ lies inside the 68% band at every grid point with $z\le 1.6$. Ablations that fix $(\sigma_f,l)$, drop SN or LRG1/2 BAO, replace the radial-basis kernel by a Matérn family, swap the SN catalogue (Union3, DES-Y5, DES-Dovekie), or nest a residual GP around $\lcdm$ leave the median $w(0)$ within $\lesssim 1\sigma$ of $-1$.
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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

ANDES, the high-resolution spectrograph of the ELT: simulated performance of the CORO module and overview of the high-contrast capabilities for exoplanet observations

M. N'Diaye, A. Simonnin, A. Spang et al. (+19 more)

We present the simulated performance of the coronagraph (CORO) module for ANDES, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) high-resolution spectrograph. ANDES aims to address a broad range of science cases, including the characterization of the atmosphere of exoplanets. With a first light envisioned by 2035, the instrument baseline features a modular fiber-fed echelle spectrograph with visible and near-infrared ultra-stable spectral arms to provide a simultaneous spectral range of 0.4-1.8\,$\mu$m with a spectral resolving power up to 100,000. ANDES also includes an Integral Field Unit (IFU) mode-fed by a single-conjugate adaptive optics (SCAO) module and an insertable CORO module, enabling the combination of high-contrast imaging and high-dispersion spectroscopy (R=100,000) for the study of exoplanet properties. In this contribution, the ANDES CORO design, its main features and its simulated performance are detailed in the presence of SCAO residual errors to probe exoplanet atmospheres with the spectro-imager mode at high-spatial resolution and with unprecedented angular resolution. We show the preliminary simulation results on the predicted contrast and the expected detection performance with ANDES performance unfolded (APU), the simulation tool to determine the yield of exoplanets that will be detected in emitted and possibly reflected light. The characterization operation of the instrument will be discussed to assess the ANDES ability to detect atomic and molecular signatures connected to the exoplanet atmosphere characteristics.
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All authors M. N'Diaye, A. Simonnin, A. Spang, P. Berio, A. Chiavassa, G. Agapito, C. Bailet, G. Carlà, Y. Caujolle, O. Carrión-Gonzalez, G. Chauvin, S. Cuevas, O. Gabella, M. Houllé, S. Lagarde, P. Martinez, E. Pinna, B. Rajpoot, J. Seidel, C. Selmi, A. Vigan, P. Di Marcantonio

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Cosmic microwave background temperature cosmography

C. J. A. P. Martins

The temperature-redshift relation, $T(z)=T_0(1+z)$, is a cornerstone of the standard cosmological model, but it is violated in many physically motivated extensions thereof, e.g. when photon number is not conserved. We apply the methodology of cosmography, a model-independent approach to cosmology, to this observable, and use astrophysical Sunyaev-Zeldovich and high-resolution spectroscopic measurements spanning the redshift range $0\le z\le6.34$, to constrain violations of the standard relation. We explore the impact of different cosmographic approaches and expansion variable choices and also compare the cosmographic constraints with those obtained, with the same data, in the canonical adiabatic extension model of Lima. While these choices have some impact, overall we find that such violations are constrained to percent level, and that a single non-standard parameter suffices to describe them. We also show that the directly fitted slope of the temperature-redshift relation is compatible with (but slightly smaller than) the one inferred from FIRAS, and that standard cosmography lore, based on scale factor expansions, does not apply to this observable, e.g. Padé approximants have no meaningful advantage over plain Taylor series.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

First Directional Dark Matter Limits from the MIMAC {\mu}-TPC Detector

Ilias Ourahou, Daniel Santos, Olivier Guillaudin et al. (+3 more)

We present a directional dark matter search using the MIMAC (Micro-tpc Matrix of Chambers) detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. Operating a low-pressure gas mixture of i-C4H10 and 50% CHF3 at 30 mbar, without any shielding, the detector allows the reconstruction of the 3D tracks of nuclear recoils produced in the 6-liter active volume. Directionality is a crucial tool to discriminate true WIMP signals from those of background producing identical recoils, such as neutrons. We analyze data from two independent chambers with effective exposures of 495.1 and 354.2 days, respectively. To estimate the background directly from the data, we apply a standard ON/OFF spatial analysis. By projecting the reconstructed tracks onto the galactic map and applying a moving kinematic energy cut depending on the WIMP mass, we compare the event rate in the signal direction with multiple OFF-source regions. Finding no significant excess of events in the direction of the Cygnus constellation, we set an upper limit on the spin-dependent WIMP-protoncross section.
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All authors Ilias Ourahou, Daniel Santos, Olivier Guillaudin, Jean-Francois Muraz, Nadine Sauzet, Charling Tao

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Updating the SCExAO/CHARIS polarimetric calibration following the Nasmyth beam-switcher upgrade

Thomas McIntosh, Manxuan Zhang, Briley L. Lewis et al. (+18 more)

Subaru/SCExAO/CHARIS enables near-infrared integral field spectropolarimetry. Quantitative polarimetry is useful for a variety of science cases, particularly measurements related to dust grain properties in circumstellar disks. This capability requires correcting for polarization effects from the optical path via a Mueller matrix model. We present an updated model accounting for the recently installed SCExAO near-infrared wavefront sensor YJH50 dichroic beamsplitter and the major Subaru Nasmyth beam-switcher upgrade. Using internal light source measurements from before and after the beam switcher installation, we find an elliptical retarder model for the image derotator improves polarimetric accuracy over the previous linear retarder model. We additionally find the YJH50 dichroic produces faint polarization effects that we cannot characterize with our Mueller matrix modeling capabilities, and that the Nasmyth beam-switcher has minimal polarization effects other than inducing a sign flip in Q and V polarized light. Using unpolarized standard star calibration measurements, we fit the diattenuation of Subaru's tertiary mirror as a function of wavelength and find that the diattenuation has increased since the previous CHARIS calibration. We calculate that the polarimetric accuracy of the model in the degree of linear polarization ranges from 0.02% to 0.12% for a 1% polarized target. This model update will soon be incorporated into CHARIS's data processing pipeline, and should be used for any polarimetric data taken after the Nasmyth beam-switcher update in October 2025. Additionally, we provide the code for this calibration as part of an open-source Python package for polarimetric calibration called pyPolCal, enabling straightforward re-calibration of the system after any future changes, e.g. the recent recoating of M3.
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All authors Thomas McIntosh, Manxuan Zhang, Briley L. Lewis, Miles Lucas, Maxwell A. Millar-Blanchaer, Jaren Ashcraft, Kyohoon Ahn, Jeffrey Chilcote, Thayne Currie, Vincent Deo, Yoshiyuki Doi, Tyler Groff, Olivier Guyon, Takashi Hattori, Tomoyuki Kudo, Kellen Lawson, Julien Lozi, Yosuke Minowa, Yuhei Takagi, Rob G. Van Holstein, Sebastien Vievard

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Hermes - Towards an Optimal High-Performance Algorithm for Cosmic Statistics of Large Data Sets

Long-long Feng, Tengpeng Xu, Tian-Cheng Luan et al. (+7 more)

We present Hermes, an in situ multiresolution framework for efficient and flexible measurements of cosmic large-scale-structure statistics from discrete catalogues. Hermes reconstructs a catalogue as a continuous density field in a compact scaling-function basis and replaces explicit counting of particle tuples with algebraic operations among window-filtered fields. Standard binning schemes for counts-in-cells, two-point and higher-order correlation functions are thereby expressed through choices of window functions, while new statistics can be constructed by modifying the kernels without redesigning the estimator. We introduce PyHermes, an open-source Python implementation combining multiresolution reconstruction, FFT-based convolution, MPI/thread parallelism, and GPU acceleration. It supports isotropic and anisotropic two-point statistics, marked correlations, standard and multipole three-point functions, filtered statistics, and differential operators for derived physical fields. Tests with cosmological N-body halo catalogues demonstrate a range of clustering measurements and quantify the computational efficiency and scalability of the approach. By separating field representation from statistical windows, a single reconstructed field can be reused for many standard and customised measurements, making Hermes well suited to large data sets from current and future galaxy surveys.
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All authors Long-long Feng, Tengpeng Xu, Tian-Cheng Luan, Jiawei Li, Xin Sun, Wenjie Ju, Zhuoyang Li, Shiyu Yue, Weishan Zhu, Yan-Chuan Cai

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Technologies and novel components for broadband splitting and coupling in pairwise and nulling interferometry

Harry-Dean Kenchington Goldsmith, Nemanja Jovanovic, Anusha Pai Asnodkar et al. (+9 more)

Passive and active photonic components are central to the continued development of astronomical photonic integrated circuits (PICs), although achieving broadband achromatic performance remains a significant challenge. This work presents broadband evanescent tri-couplers, tapered directional couplers, and a chromatically controlled achromatic intensity modulator for astronomical interferometry in the J- and H-bands. Silicon nitride and silicon oxide provide complementary low-loss platforms, while customised tapered components enable broadband operation across the 0.95-1.8 microns range. For the silicon nitride platform developed by STMicroelectronics, tapered tri-couplers and directional couplers were designed as replacements for conventional components in a pairwise beam combiner for the PLANETS project. Optimised tapered tri-couplers achieve less than 1% excess loss across the J-band, while tapered directional couplers provide broadband 40:60 splitting suitable for beam combination. For the silicon oxide platform from Enablence, a two-dimensional tapered tri-coupler was investigated for nulling interferometry. The device provides broadband starlight suppression while limiting exoplanet throughput loss to less than 2.2% across the H-band and simultaneously retaining broadband phase-sensing capability for fringe tracking. The chromatically controlled achromatic intensity modulator is introduced as a combination of a tapered directional coupler with a thermo-optic phase shifter, the device provides programmable broadband intensity control for applications including null-depth balancing in interferometric PICs. Future work will extend these concepts to lithographically fabricated chalcogenide glass platforms operating in the mid-infrared, enabling compact photonic beam combiners for future ground- and space-based nulling interferometers targeting Earth-like exoplanets.
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All authors Harry-Dean Kenchington Goldsmith, Nemanja Jovanovic, Anusha Pai Asnodkar, Sanny Ahmed, Elsa Huby, Sylvestre Lacour, Michael Fitzgerald, Yoo Jung Kim, Pierre Labeye, Nicolas Dunoyer, Michael Ireland, Stephen Madden

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Cosmological perturbations and clustering mechanisms in multifield dark energy

Mohammad Arab and Yashar Akrami

We investigate the cosmological signatures of two-field dark energy with curved field-space geometry. We numerically solve the background and linear perturbation equations and assess the validity of the effective single-field description. We examine three distinct dark-energy clustering mechanisms: effective sound-speed suppression, dynamical excitation of the heavy mode, and tachyonic instabilities induced by field-space curvature, and explore their possible imprints on the matter power spectrum and cosmic microwave background anisotropies. Our analysis establishes multifield dark energy as a rich and testable extension of quintessence, with observable clustering signatures relevant to current and future cosmological surveys.
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Saturday 25 July

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

The Degree of Fine-Tuning Needed for a Viable Universe: Not Fragile?

Fred C. Adams

(abridged) In order for the universe to develop astrophysical structures and support life, the fundamental constants that determine the laws of physics and the cosmological parameters that specify cosmic properties must fall within a range of values. The goal of this review is to delineate these ranges. We start with the premise that multiple universes can exist and can sample different realizations of the laws of physics. This treatment focuses on the coupling constants that determine the strength of the fundamental forces $(\alpha,\alpha_G,\alpha_{\rm s},\alpha_{\rm w})$ and the masses of the particles $(m_u,m_d,m_e)$ that make up atomic matter. We also consider cosmological parameters, including the energy density parameter $\Omega$, the dark energy density $\rho_v$, the baryon-to-photon ratio $\eta$, the dark matter contribution $\delta$, the amplitude $Q$ of primordial density fluctuations, and the number ${\cal D}$ of spatial dimensions. These quantities are constrained by the need for the universe to emerge from its epoch of nucleosynthesis with an acceptable chemical composition, live for a long time, and ultimately produce galaxies, stars, and planets. Stellar lifetimes must be long enough and surface temperatures must be high enough to support life. These requirements place constraints on the fundamental constants and cosmological parameters. This overview discusses several classic instances of possible fine-tuning in stars, including the triple alpha reaction, stable diprotons, and unstable deuterium. Finally, we note that for universes with significantly different parameters, a variety of astrophysical processes can generate energy, drive nucleosynthesis, and potentially support habitability.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Interpreting the stacked kinetic SZ effect I: velocity reconstruction and non-linear velocity effects

Lurdes Ondaro-Mallea, Raul E. Angulo, Boryana Hadzhiyska et al. (+1 more)

The stacked kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal probes the velocity-weighted projected gas momentum around galaxies, and is emerging as a powerful probe of gas fractions and baryonic feedback. Its interpretation, however, rests on several assumptions that we test in this pair of companion papers. Using the FLAMINGO hydrodynamical simulations and DESI-like galaxy mocks for luminous red galaxies (LRGs), the bright galaxy sample (BGS), and emission-line galaxies (ELGs), we identify the ingredients required to model the signal to better than $10\%$. This first paper focuses on velocities. We decompose the signal into a dominant bulk-flow term, proportional to the mean optical depth, plus non-linear terms arising from the small-scale gas momentum and its coupling to the stacking velocity. When the stacking velocities are reconstructed from linear information in real space alone – an idealisation which is not possible in practice – the non-linear terms cancel and the signal traces the mean optical depth to within a few per cent. When the stacking velocity instead retains non-linear information or is affected by redshift-space distortions, the non-linear terms suppress the signal by $10-20\%$: a $1-2\sigma$ effect for current data that is expected to be statistically significant for upcoming surveys, and one that depends only weakly on baryonic feedback. Our results reveal a trade-off: velocity estimators that retain small-scale information boost signal-to-noise but require simulation-based modelling, whereas conservative reconstructions simplify the interpretation at the cost of signal-to-noise.
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All authors Lurdes Ondaro-Mallea, Raul E. Angulo, Boryana Hadzhiyska, Joop Schaye

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Measurement of All-sky Neutral hydrogen Absorption Spectrum (MANAS)

Vinand Prayag, Nivedita Mahesh, Gregg Hallinan et al. (+7 more)

MANAS is a single antenna, ground-based platform built to measure the sky averaged ('global') redshifted 21-cm signal from Cosmic Dawn. The cosmological signal is expected as a ~ 100-200 mK absorption trough against a foreground of 3-4 orders of magnitude brighter. The current crop of 21-cm experiments are limited by systematics namely the sky, ionosphere, beam, and signal path effects. MANAS combines an achromatic monopole antenna, an absolutely-calibrated receiver, and in-situ beam mapping with the OVRO-LWA, and develops an end-to-end error budget that quantifies each systematic.
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All authors Vinand Prayag, Nivedita Mahesh, Gregg Hallinan, Yanfen Lin, Joseph Lazio, Andrew Romero-Wolf, Judd Bowman, Mike Virgin, Charlie Harnach, Mark Hodges

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

Finite-source magnification residuals from a cNFW-inspired perturbation of an effective spinning black hole binary lens

Mohsen Fathi

We ask whether a cored-NFW-inspired radial perturbation leaves a finite-source magnification residual after refitting the best effective spinning vacuum binary. We compute the source flux by direct image-plane integration and vary the lens scale, separation, mass ratio, two spin magnitudes, two projected spin directions, and one phase shift. After refitting, the caustics and magnification curves are almost identical and the phase shift is nearly zero. Still, a structured residual remains. At the highest resolution, the full-orbit rms residual is $1.61\times10^{-2}$ and the maximum local residual is $4.41\times10^{-2}$. Increasing the grid from $800\times522$ to $1000\times653$ changes the full-orbit rms by only $3.39\times10^{-5}$. The residual also survives nine tests with Gaussian, uniform, and tapered sources at three RMS-size factors. Thus, a finite-source residual survives strong geometric degeneracy in this effective model. We do not claim a unique dark-matter detection or a prediction for a physically scaled binary.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey: Properties of Hot Molecular Fragments in the Massive Protocluster IRAS 17233-3606

Li Chen, Sheng-Li Qin, Dongting Yang et al. (+29 more)

To investigate the physical mechanisms of fragmentation within the hot molecular core of the massive protocluster IRAS 17233-3606 (G351.78-0.54), we carried out a detailed analysis of continuum and lines, using the ALMA Band 3 data from the ATOMS survey and Band 6 data from the QUARKS survey. The low-resolution 3 mm data reveal a massive hot core MM1 with a mass of ~81.3 Msun, and a prominent ultracompact (UC) HII region MM2, while the high-resolution data resolve MM1 into 11 hot molecular fragments (HMFs). These HMFs exhibit hot (Trot = 100-310 K) CH3CN and CH3OH emission and high column densities (NH2 > 10^23 cm^-2), indicating their potential to form massive stars. Based on outflows, masers, HII regions, and f[CH3CN/CH3O] abundance ratios, the evolutionary sequences of the 11 HMFs are categorized as phases I to IV. The mean minimum-spanning tree (MST) separation (~1.8 x 10^3 au) of the HMFs is nearly half of the thermal Jeans length (~3.3 x 10^3 au). Together with the Q parameter Q = 0.77 and virial parameter alpha_vir = 0.84 of MM1, these results suggest an evolutionary scenario in which fragmentation is initially driven by thermal instability, followed by global gravitational contraction and growth through active accretion. Meanwhile, feedback from the B2-type zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) star and the UC HII region significantly influence the morphology and chemical properties of MM1 and MM2. This heterogeneity highlights the role of diverse physical processes taking place in high-mass protoclusters.
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All authors Li Chen, Sheng-Li Qin, Dongting Yang, Wenyu Jiao, Tie Liu, Paul F. Goldsmith, Zhenying Zhang, Chuanshou Li, Fengwei Xu, Sami Dib, Shivani Gupta, Xindi Tang, Yaping Peng, Mengyao Tang, Mika Juvela, Di Li, Aiyuan Yang, Meizhu Liu, Lingmin Zhen, James O. Chibueze, L. Viktor Tóth, Ariful Hoque, Amelia M. Stutz, Leonardo Bronfman, Swagat R. Das, Pablo García, Kee-Tae Kim, Chang Won Lee, Jihye Hwang, Jiahang Zou, Yongqi Guo, Zhiping Kou

Astrophysics of Galaxies

X-ray disc reverberation modelling of the X-ray/UV/optical spectral/timing properties of Fairall 9

M. Polioudakis, M. Papoutsis, I. E. Papadakis et al. (+3 more)

Multiwavelength monitoring surveys of active galactic nuclei (AGN) have revealed correlated variability observed in the X-ray, UV, and optical bands. X-ray reverberation, arising from the absorption of X-rays illuminating the accretion disc, provides a self-consistent physical framework for interpreting these observations and imposing constraints on the geometry and energetics of accretion flows and X-ray coronae. We aim to apply the X-ray disc reverberation framework to the Seyfert 1 galaxy Fairall 9, a well-studied AGN with a clear line of sight to the accretion disc, to investigate whether this physical scenario can simultaneously account for its observed spectral and timing properties, as probed by its mean spectral energy distribution (SED), UV/optical power spectral densities (PSDs), and interband time lags. We used multiwavelength data from the 2018-2021 Swift intensive monitoring campaign to construct the mean X-ray/UV/optical SED and to compute PSDs in all bands. We first modelled the broadband average SED using KYNSED, which is a physical X-ray reverberation model assuming lamp-post geometry. The resulting best-fit parameter space was then used to model the UV/optical PSDs and further constrain the physical parameters of the system. Finally, we tested whether the observed interband time lags are consistent with the model predictions for the parameter sets that simultaneously reproduce both the SED and the PSDs. X-ray illumination of the accretion disc can explain the broadband mean SED of Fairall 9. The UV/optical variations are likely driven by the variable X-rays that illuminate the disc, and not by short-timescale disc fluctuations of unknown physical origin. X-ray disc illumination and reverberation can explain the mean energy spectrum, the UV/optical power spectra, and the wavelength-dependent time lags simultaneously for a common set of physical parameters.
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All authors M. Polioudakis, M. Papoutsis, I. E. Papadakis, C. panagiotou, E. Kammoun, M. Dovciak

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

Status of light inflaton: from inflation to laboratory

Niloy Mondal, Shashwat Sharma, Mathew Thomas Arun et al. (+1 more)

We investigate the viability of the light inflaton scenario in light of the latest inflationary constraints from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), together with bounds from collider and intensity-frontier experiments searching for a feebly coupled light scalar with a sub-GeV mass. Assuming a quartic inflaton potential, we identify the region of parameter space consistent with the ACT observations and derive constraints on the inflaton mass and inflaton-Higgs mixing using results from NA62, KOTO, BaBar, Belle, LHCb, MATHUSLA, FASER2, SHiP, and neutral meson oscillations. We also explore the prospects for dark matter production during reheating within this framework, while remaining consistent with the inflationary observables.
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All authors Niloy Mondal, Shashwat Sharma, Mathew Thomas Arun, Basabendu Barman

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

High-frequency gravitational waves from axion inflation in the weak-backreaction regime

Xun-Jie Xu and Junyu Zhu

Axion inflation, characterized by a Chern-Simons interaction between the inflaton and a gauge field, provides a powerful mechanism for generating primordial gravitational waves (GWs) through tachyonic enhancement of the gauge field. While recent literature has predominantly focused on the Strong Backreaction (SB) regime to maximize GW signals for future interferometers, this regime suffers from computational complexities as well as the risk of overproducing scalar perturbations. In this work, we investigate gauge field amplification and GW production strictly within the theoretically safer Weak Backreaction (WB) regime, with a particular focus on the largely unexplored non-instantaneous reheating phase. Because the tachyonic enhancement during slow-roll typically increases as inflation approaches its end, it is crucial to investigate how the production of GWs behaves at the very end of inflation and thereafter. By continuously tracking the evolution from slow-roll through reheating to radiation domination, we present a complete picture of inflationary and post-inflationary GW production in this framework. A particularly interesting feature of the post-inflationary phase is that the oscillatory behavior of the inflaton during reheating leads to frequent sign-flips of the instability parameter $\xi$, exciting both helical modes of the gauge field. Our analysis reveals that axion inflation can naturally generate one of the strongest known primordial GW signals at high-frequency bands. The yield is relevant for future precision measurements of the effective number of neutrino species, $N_{{\rm eff}}$, and also strongly motivates the development of novel high-frequency GW detectors.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Cross-listed from hep-ph

Testing selectively enhanced QCD axions couplings as an explanation of the RX J1856.5-3754 hard X-ray excess

Charul Rathod, Madhukar Mishra and P.K Das

We explore the possibility of explaining hard X-ray data obtained from one of the Magnificent Seven (M7) neutron-stars (NSs) employing QCD axion-converted photons. The emission of thermal axions along with neutrinos from the core has been considered. We adopt the nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung process as the baseline axion production mechanism and Cooper-pair breaking and formation (PBF) as an additional process. We investigate here whether the selectively enhanced QCD axion coupling model can better explain the hard X-ray excess than the commonly used KSVZ axion model. Our results suggest that meV-mass QCD axions cannot explain the hard X-ray observation within the adopted framework. The enhanced selective model in the micro-eV scale provides closer agreement with the hard X-ray data. We thus conclude that the emission of hard X-rays in the $2-8$ keV range from isolated M7 stars could be explained by QCD axions under an enhanced coupling scenario.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies

Correlation between the two-armed $V_R$ spiral in the $Z$–$V_Z$ plane and moving groups

Yan Xu, Chao Liu, Chengdong Li et al. (+5 more)

We use a cross-matched sample of 3.7 million stars from Gaia DR3 and LAMOST DR7 to investigate the velocity substructures in the Milky Way disk. The median radial velocity $V_R$ as a function of guiding-center radius $R_g$ exhibits alternating positive and negative stripes, which are strongly correlated with known moving groups. By examining the $V_R$ distribution in the $Z$–$V_Z$ phase space, we find that the D1, P2, D2, and P3 $V_R$ stripes display clear two-armed spirals. Among the moving groups embedded in these $V_R$ stripes, the Coma Berenices moving group in the P3 stripe exhibits the most pronounced two-armed spiral and serves as the primary contributor to the left arm of the overall P3 spiral. The angular momentum, eccentricities, orbital frequencies, and frequency ratios of its stars are consistent with either the corotation resonance of the spiral arms or the $m=4$ inner Lindblad resonance of the bar. Test-particle simulations confirm that a bar with a varying pattern speed, together with static or transient spiral arms, can produce such two-armed spirals.
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All authors Yan Xu, Chao Liu, Chengdong Li, Heidi Neiberg, Hao Tian, Hua Jian Wang, Xiao Dian Chen, Li Cai Deng

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Parameter Estimation on LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O4a Binary Merger Triggers with Sub-solar Mass Components

Nelson Christensen, Neil Cornish, Florian Kühnel et al. (+2 more)

The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration has reported the results for searches for sub-solar mass components in compact binary coalescence during observing run O4a. No detection candidates were identified, but the most significant seven triggers were reported. We present the results of Bayesian parameter inference on these triggers. Five of the triggers show agreement between the Bayesian parameter estimation and the search pipeline trigger. Our results show that three of the triggers may contain a possible sub-solar mass component. Parameter estimation indicates that the other two events, if real, would be neutron star - black hole binaries. The remaining two triggers do not provide informative parameter estimation. We also study three O4a compact binary coalescence triggers, and one O3 trigger, that have been noted by three other groups, and our parameter estimation indicates that three of these may contain a sub-solar mass component. We study the data quality associated with these triggers. Finally, we discuss the challenges for parameter estimation on compact binary coalescence events containing a sub-solar mass component: long signal duration, possible small chirp masses, possible small mass ratios, and data quality issues over potentially hundreds of seconds of data.
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All authors Nelson Christensen, Neil Cornish, Florian Kühnel, Mairi Sakellariadou, Andres Santiago Villares Guanga