Papers

Groups of HI-rich galaxies are key laboratories for understanding galaxy evolution and environmental effects, constructing samples of such groups is fundamental for relevant studies. Using the FAST All Sky HI Survey (FASHI) Data Release 2 (DR2), currently the largest and deepest HI catalog available, we identify galaxy groups directly from HI signals, without relying on optical pre-selection. A group-finding algorithm with a density contrast criterion and a minimum membership of five yields a catalog of 459 galaxy groups containing 3015 HI sources. Using archival spectroscopic data, we identify optical counterparts and derive total stellar masses of member galaxies as a proxy for the group total mass. The group redshift distribution peaks at z ~ 0.02, and the total HI mass peaks at ~ 10^{10} M_{\odot}. We find a significant positive correlation between total HI mass and total stellar mass, consistent with the increase in HI mass with halo mass reported in previous stacking studies. The ratio of total HI mass to total stellar mass decreases significantly with increasing total stellar mass, indicating gradual HI depletion in groups. Our sample provides rich targets for future studies of galaxy evolution and large-scale structure in the local Universe.

Common-envelope evolution (CEE) is a key process in the evolution of close binary systems. Many important astrophysical objects and evolutionary stages are closely related to CEE, including white dwarf binaries, hot subdwarfs, and gravitational wave mergers. In the standard energy formalism of CEE, the binding energy of the donor envelope plays a crucial role, as it directly affects the final orbital period after CEE and serves as a key physical parameter in binary population synthesis studies. However, the currently adopted binding energy suffers from large uncertainties, mainly because the envelope binding energy of giant-branch stars varies strongly near the helium-core boundary. In addition, the expansion of the star during CEE can also affect the binding energy. To address these issues, we introduce an improved binding energy for the envelope mass residual. Based on adiabatic mass loss models, we recalculate the distribution of the CEE binding-energy parameter lambda for stars with different masses and at different evolutionary stages, and we analyse the effects of envelope mass residual and adiabatic expansion. Due to the envelope mass residual, the lambdas of some donors can increase by one to two orders of magnitude at the late red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch stages. Furthermore, we provide interpolation grids and fitting formulae for these results, which can be readily applied to various binary population synthesis codes.

AT2019aalc is considered a repeating tidal disruption event (TDE) candidate occurring in an active galactic nucleus (AGN). In this paper, we highlight previously unnoticed but intriguing features that include a brief optical dimming prior to the rise of the main flare and a significantly lower post-flare luminosity compared to the pre-flare level. By applying a time-dependent obscured TDE model to AT2019aalc, we successfully reproduce its light curves with the tidal disruption of a $1.122_{-0.176}^{+0.246}\rm M_\odot$ main-sequence star by a $1.862_{-0.259}^{+0.255} \times 10^7{\rm M_\odot}$ supermassive black hole (SMBH). Both the pre-flare dimming and the reduced post-flare luminosity are attributed to obscuration of the intrinsic AGN emission. The total energy of the event derived from our fit is $1.24\times10^{51}$ ergs and about 0.2 ${\rm M_\odot}$ of debris mass is accreted by the SMBH. In addition, the $g-r$ color of the net flare in AT2019aalc exhibits a continuous reddening trend during the first flare, consistent with a gradual increase in $E(B-V)$ predicted by the obscured TDE model. These results suggest that AT2019aalc can be considered a second member of the recently proposed class of obscured TDE candidates hosted in AGNs. } \keywords{galaxies: active-galaxies: nuclei-quasars: supermassive black holes-quasars: individual (AT2019aalc)-transients: tidal disruption events.

We present CAMELS-CROCODILE, a suite of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations that extends the CAMELS framework with the \gadget{} smoothed particle hydrodynamics code and the Osaka feedback model. As a companion to the IllustrisTNG-based second-generation CAMELS suite, it provides an independent implementation of the baryonic physics that shapes galaxies, the intergalactic medium, and large-scale structure, broadening the range of subgrid models over which machine-learning (ML) inference can be marginalized and tested. The suite comprises $25$ and $50Mpc/h$ boxes organized into one-parameter, cosmic-variance, and Sobol-sequence sets that vary $26$ cosmological and astrophysical parameters around a fiducial Osaka model. We describe the simulation design and validate the suite against benchmarks and other CAMELS suites. Compared with IllustrisTNG, the fiducial model suppresses the matter power spectrum by only a few per cent, against up to ${\sim}27\%$ at $z=0$, and forms stars with similar efficiency below $10^{12.2} M_\odot/h$ but up to $2.5$ times more efficiently in group-scale halos, both consistent with weaker AGN feedback. We also present the stellar and black hole bias and the Ly$\alpha$ absorption around galaxies. As a first ML application, we apply a graph neural network trained on IllustrisTNG galaxy catalogs, with frozen weights, to CAMELS-CROCODILE. It fails to recover $\Omega_{\rm m}$ and $\sigma_8$ and returns overconfident posteriors, mainly for simulations containing more galaxies than any in its training set; within that range $\Omega_{\rm m}$ is recovered with an error only $1.5$ times the in-distribution value. These results underline the need to train and test ML inference across physically distinct galaxy formation models.

We investigate satellite survival through gas redistribution in a dense circumplanetary disk with a low dimensionless viscosity parameter $\alpha \sim 10^{-6}$. The model combines modal Lindblad excitation, launch-dependent shock deposition, 3D effects, and an instantaneous Rayleigh adjustment that conserves angular momentum and suppresses sharp density gradients. An isolated Ganymede-mass satellite depletes the disk outside its orbit and stalls under a calibrated three-dimensional Lindblad torque. This behavior is consistent with the non-feedback branch of Rafikov's stalling criterion. The inward migration stalls near 15 Jupiter radii ($R_J$) when the gas depletion exterior to the satellite's orbit reduces the outer torque by the amount required to balance the torque of the undepleted inner disk, even when we adopt a transport prescription that begins smoothing density gradients halfway to Rayleigh marginality. Likewise, two Callisto masses form an extended depleted region and stall in nearly steady orbits before a late close encounter; however, a self-consistent disk response to satellite eccentricity remains to be modeled. A simulation of a Ganymede-mass satellite adds a specified source of unsaturated local angular momentum deposition by buoyancy torques, reducing the late radial oscillations indirectly caused by non-local shock deposition. Lastly, we redistribute gas while conserving angular momentum to proactively inhibit Rossby-wave unstable pressure bumps at the gap edges. We find that this approach preserves gap clearing and strong migration suppression for Ganymede and the two Callisto masses. In the pressure-adjusted run, the two Callisto masses are captured in a 7:5 resonance and retain eccentricities below 0.06.

Long-term cooling of planetary interiors is expected to progressively establish thermally stable stratification in the liquid outer core, yet its influence on dynamo action remains incompletely understood. Here we present three-dimensional numerical simulations of fingering double-diffusive convection-driven dynamos to investigate how progressively strengthening thermally stable stratification, modifies compositional convection driven flows and dynamos. Our results show that dynamo evolution is governed by a competition between Lorentz-force regulation and stratification-induced flow reorganisation. When stratification is weak, the system remains in a strong-field regime characterised by a relatively stable, dipole-dominated magnetic field, despite reduced flow intensity. As thermally stable stratification strengthens, systematic changes in flow morphology emerge, including the development of prograde equatorial zonal flows. Once a critical stratification strength is exceeded, flow reorganisation becomes dominant, leading to an abrupt transition to a weak-field dynamo accompanied by a sharp decline in magnetic energy. In the weak-field regime, magnetic field intensity exhibits enhanced temporal variability and continues to decay as stratification further strengthens, eventually resulting in dynamo cessation even when compositional buoyancy persists. These results indicate that thermally stable stratification may play an important role in regulating planetary dynamos and provide new insight into the long-term magnetic evolution of terrestrial planets.

Identifying the formation channels of merging compact-object binaries remains a fundamental challenge in gravitational-wave (GW) astrophysics. Here, we formulate a generalized framework incorporating both third-body perturbations and post-Newtonian effects to investigate the resonance-driven excitation of eccentricity and/or inclination for stellar orbits around merging black-hole binaries (BHBs). We show that at the quadrupole level, inclination excitation is driven by adiabatic capture into a quadrupole-order resonance, with subsequent resonance escape governed by the conservation of phase-space area. Furthermore, in the coplanar octupole regime, an apsidal precession resonance triggers robust eccentricity growth, where the capture probability depends on the initial conditions. For spatial octupole configurations, we reveal a distinct two-stage evolutionary pathway: the quadrupole-order resonance first excites the orbital inclination, followed by subsequent eccentricity growth driven by the inverse von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai (ZLK) resonance. Our results indicate that these resonance-driven dynamics could imprint observable kinematic signatures on surrounding stellar populations, thereby offering a novel indirect probe for merging BHBs.

We present preliminary results of a study of galaxy sizes at redshift $z \gtrsim 5$ using the high-resolution, zoom-in FirstLight simulations. We obtain a redshift-independent, chevron-shaped stellar mass–size relation with a peak at $M^{\star} \approx 10^{8.5}~\mathrm{M}_\odot$. This relation is shaped by the individual evolution of galaxies, which undergo a phase of contraction at this mass scale triggered by a strong central starburst.

In 1936, the protostar FU Orionis began to brighten. Two years later, it was 100 times brighter and has not dimmed since. This object defined the class of FUor-type accretion bursts in protostars. Previous attempts to model FUors simulate isolated protostellar discs, thereby limiting the mass available to drive the burst and shortening its duration. However, these protostars are embedded within the interstellar medium, from which they actively accrete via accretion streamers. This work seeks the origin of FUors starting at interstellar medium scales. An unbiased search of star particles from a 25AU resolution star cluster formation simulation was performed to find FUor candidates. Most candidates were low-mass secondary stars in highly eccentric binaries, like FU Orionis. Zoom-in simulations down to 0.79AU resolution found candidates experience dramatic accretion suppression and bursts at the closest binary separation at periastron. Approaching periastron, the candidate's orbital speed becomes supersonic striping away nearby gas. After periastron, the orbital speed decreases allowing gas to accrete onto the candidate rapidly via Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) accretion. BHL accretion tails form behind the candidate and appear as accretion streamers. This dramatic suppression and burst near periastron is a physical mechanism for strong variable accretion in embedded young eccentric binaries. This mechanism also implies that FU Orionis returned to its former accretion rate.

We describe the first Galactic-scale extreme-precision radial velocity (EPRV) survey and outline our goals of measuring Galactic accelerations and deriving constraints on the dark matter distribution in our Galaxy. We are targeting quiet subgiant stars within a kiloparsec in radius of the Sun and about 2 kiloparsec in vertical height relative to the Galactic mid-plane. The observations described here were carried out using the Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), between 2021-2025. We began by operating at a typical RV precision of $\sim$ 70 cm/s to select quiet stars from stellar activity indicators, and are now operating at $\sim$ 50 cm/s. We selected stars with low stellar jitter (determined from their RV scatter as a function of epoch) with the goal that they yield a measurement of the Galactic acceleration on approximately a decade timescale. We refer to this as our “gold" sample. We also identify stars with possible companions (either brown dwarfs or planetary companions) or hitherto unknown stellar binaries that we have culled from our survey. For a few cases, we present initial constraints on the companion mass and orbital period. We also present the photospheric and fundamental stellar parameters for our “gold" sample of sub-giant stars. This first Galactic-scale EPRV survey provides a pathfinder for next-generation surveys with extremely large telescopes, opening the possibility of directly mapping the gravitational acceleration field across the Milky Way and potentially beyond.

Radiation drag from inverse-Compton scattering of an external radiation field changes the acoustic dispersion relation of a relativistic fluid. We derive the linear dispersion relation and show that, depending on the electron distribution and fluid sound speed, radiation drag either damps both modes or damps one while driving the other unstable. The unstable growth is robust at short wavelengths but slow and overdamped at long wavelengths, where the linear analysis is limited by the background acceleration. The resulting growth and damping rates are of order the bulk radiative acceleration rate, so whenever radiation drag is important for the background flow, its effects on fluid perturbations are also important. A purely damped region exists for a wide range of parameters. Radiation drag also makes acoustic waves dispersive: The phase speed deviates from the ordinary sound speed at longer wavelengths, and approaches the sound speed at short wavelengths. We validate the derived rates using special-relativistic hydrodynamic simulations. We apply the derived relation to astrophysical jets such as gamma-ray bursts, blazars in the broad-line region of the host active galactic nucleus, and quasar jets traveling through the CMB and galactic radiation field. We find that the derived instability, damping and dispersion may be relevant across a range of relativistic outflow conditions.

ABRIDGED We investigate the temporal evolution of the intrinsic polarization of the 2011 eruption of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis and use its continuum and line-polarization signatures to constrain the geometry and kinematic structure of the ejecta. We analyzed nine epochs of VLT/FORS2 optical linear spectropolarimetry obtained between 24 and 70 days after discovery, from shortly before optical maximum to the early decline. The instrumental and interstellar polarization contributions were removed, with the latter estimated from the depolarization observed at the rest wavelengths of the Balmer emission components. We examined the continuum and the velocity-dependent intrinsic polarization across the Hbeta, Hgamma, and Hdelta P Cygni profiles. The intrinsic continuum polarization generally remains below 1% and is predominantly aligned at a position angle of approximately 95degrees, except near optical maximum, when an orthogonal component at approximately 185degrees temporarily dominates. The blueshifted Balmer absorptions display stronger polarization, frequently reaching 2%, associated with excursions and loops in the Q-U plane. At least two distinct velocity-dependent polarization components are detected: the higher-velocity absorption is preferentially associated with the 95degrees orientation, whereas the lower-velocity absorption generally traces the 185degrees orientation. The polarization peaks shift quasi-linearly towards higher blueshifted velocities with time in all three Balmer lines.

Hydrogen lines are widely used as tracers of stellar and planetary accretion. In classical T~Tauri stars, hydrogen lines are usually interpreted as arising from magnetospheric accretion columns, whereas in lower-mass counterparts (subsolar-mass objects including brown dwarfs and gas giant planets), the post-accretion-shock region can directly emit a substantial fraction of the hydrogen-line luminosity. However, the boundary between non-shock-dominated and shock-dominated cases has remained unclear. In this study, we compare hydrogen-line profiles predicted by the shock emission model with 254 observations of 164 low-mass accreting objects ($\lesssim 0.5\,M_\odot$) in the VLT/X-Shooter archive. We simultaneously fit seven hydrogen lines (H$\beta$, H$\gamma$, H6, H8, H9, Pa$\beta$, and Br$\gamma$), testing both line profiles and flux ratios within a single framework, and introduce a phenomenological broad-component-subtracted fit for cases with mixed non-shock and shock contributions. We find that shock emission dominates the hydrogen-line emission at object masses $M\lesssim0.05\,M_\odot$ or free-fall velocities $v_\mathrm{ff}<175\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$, but becomes minor at $M \gtrsim 0.2\,M_\odot$. The inferred flow velocities at the shock front are often significantly smaller than the free-fall velocity from infinity, implying smaller truncation radii and surface dipole magnetic field strengths of sub-kG. The accretion luminosities inferred from the shock-emission fitting are systematically larger than literature values, often by orders of magnitude, likely because conventional estimates neglect line emission that is non-negligible in low-mass objects. We also confirm that H$\alpha$ is more susceptible than the other hydrogen lines to additional non-shock components.

Filaments in the solar atmosphere are plasma structures held aloft by magnetic fields, counteracting the pull of gravity. Analyzing their magnetic structure is challenging due to the lack of direct observations of their magnetic fields. However, through multi-wavelength intensity observations, one can infer their morphology. We identified 35 solar filaments during the maximum period of the solar cycle 24. In order to ascertain their chirality, we analyzed H$\alpha$ intensity observations. Using coronal ultraviolet intensity images, we also determined the skewness of the related coronal arcades. Furthermore, based on adjacent active regions, we classified filaments as quiescent or active, according to strength of nearby photospheric magnetic fields. We followed every filament over time to estimates their characteristics. The hemispheric chirality preference is followed by 27 (77%) filaments across all categories, based on observed bearing sense. We examined the skewness of the coronal arcades connected to 19 filaments, and they all complied with the hemisphere helicity criterion. The morphology of 16 filaments was also ascertained by integrating the skewness and bearing sense. There were two filaments with sheared arcade morphology and fourteen with flux rope shape. Additionally, by analyzing the changes in the skewness of coronal arcades and the bearing sense of filament barbs over time, we examined the variation in filament magnetic structure. Further, we examine the temporal evolution of selected filaments, which exhibit peculiar characteristics during the observational period. Lastly, we investigated the eruptive characteristics of these filaments. We did not find filaments that are more likely to explode because they do not adhere to the hemispheric chirality preference.

We investigate the phase-resolved X-ray spectral evolution of the high-mass X-ray binary Cen X-3 across eclipse ingress and egress, using two out-of-eclipse intervals as references, to constrain the absorbing material and Fe K emitting regions with high-resolution XRISM/Resolve spectroscopy. We model the spectra with SPEX, including interstellar and local wind absorption, a power-law and blackbody continuum, disk reflection, and Gaussian components for Fe XXV and Fe XXVI. We compare the orbital variation of the absorbing column with a smooth CAK wind model and investigate the variability of the Fe K alpha line width. The local absorbing column varies by nearly two orders of magnitude, from N_H^local = 4.25 x 10^22 cm^-2 during pre-ingress to 5.9 x 10^23 cm^-2 at ingress. The excess ingress absorption cannot be reproduced by a smooth wind model alone, suggesting a localized overdense structure along the line of sight. The Fe K alpha width varies from approximately 510 km s^-1 during pre-ingress to 1400 km s^-1 during egress, with intermediate, statistically indistinguishable values of approximately 900 km s^-1 during ingress and post-egress. Highly ionized Fe XXV and Fe XXVI emission is detected throughout the orbit, although fewer components are resolved during ingress. These diagnostics reveal a complex circumstellar environment with localized dense material and multiple reprocessing regions. The results demonstrate the capability of XRISM/Resolve to probe the geometry and kinematics of accretion environments in eclipsing high-mass X-ray binaries.

The ages and masses of star clusters may leave systematic signatures in the second-order spatial structure of semi-resolved photometric images. To test this hypothesis, we analyze the images using the Hessian matrix and identify basic luminous structures, termed peak cores. Applying this analysis to six-band PHAT/AP images of 1249 M31 clusters with CMD-based ages of 10–300 Myr and masses of $10^{2.2}$–$10^{4.5}\,M_{\odot}$, we examine the correlations of age and mass with the peak-core structural parameters, $C_S$ and $Q$. Younger clusters show larger $C_S$ values in the ultraviolet bands, with the strongest age–$C_S$ anti-correlation in F336W ($\rho=-0.61$), whereas more massive clusters show smaller $Q$ values, most clearly in F336W ($\rho=-0.44$). These correlations suggest that the contrast of UV-bright peak cores decreases with age, whereas increasing mass alters the abundance and spatial organization of detectable structures across different bands.

Accurate prediction of ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) during geomagnetically disturbed conditions remains challenging, particularly when empirical models perform poorly during storms and neural network (NN) approaches rely explicitly on geomagnetic indices such as Kp/Ap or Dst/SYM-H. In this study, we develop an NN-based model to predict TEC variations over the Indian longitude sector without incorporating geomagnetic indices as inputs. The model is trained on the full-year (2024) Global Ionospheric Map (GIM) TEC dataset at a 15-minute cadence, together with solar wind parameters: Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) $B_z$, velocity ($V_{sw}$), and density ($N_p$), along with the F10.7 cm solar radio flux. Seasonal and diurnal variability are represented using sinusoidal transformations of Day of Year (DOY) and hour of day (HOD). An optimized architecture with 96 hidden neurons yields strong training performance ($R^2$ $\sim$ 0.96, RMSE $\sim$ 5.4, and MAE $\sim$ 3.8 TECU). Independent predictions for the year 2025 demonstrate robust generalization under both quiet and geomagnetically active conditions. Quiet-time residuals are generally confined within $\pm$10 TECU, while during moderate and strong storm-time conditions, the model maintains comparable error bounds across most of the Indian region, despite not being trained on geomagnetic indices. The results indicate that solar wind parameters, combined with the F10.7 solar flux and cyclical temporal encoding, contain sufficient information to reproduce geomagnetic storm-time TEC variability. This study therefore demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach for regional TEC prediction and ionospheric nowcasting, with potential applications in GNSS positioning, satellite navigation, radio communication systems, and the future development of operational ionospheric forecasting tools.

This study investigates storm-to-storm variability and hemispheric differences in magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling during the extreme (G5) geomagnetic storm of May 10-11 and the severe (G4) storm of October 10-11, 2024. Global field-aligned current (FAC) patterns derived from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Dynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), together with conjugate observations from ground-based magnetometers within the SuperMAG network and Global Positioning System (GPS)-derived total electron content (TEC), are analyzed to examine high-latitude electrodynamic and ionospheric responses in both hemispheres. The May event exhibits broad and relatively organized Region 1/Region 2 FAC systems encircling the polar caps across multiple local time sectors, accompanied by intervals of correspondence in conjugate magnetic perturbations and structured TEC enhancements with temporal offsets between hemispheres. In contrast, the October event shows more localized, asymmetric, and uneven FAC morphology with pronounced hemispheric and dawn-dusk asymmetries, together with greater divergence in conjugate magnetic responses and spatially heterogeneous TEC variability. These differences are consistent with enhanced mesoscale variability and asymmetric current closure under storm-time conditions. Overall, the results highlight that even under similarly strong solar wind driving, the coupled MI system can exhibit substantially different spatial organization and interhemispheric coupling, reflecting the combined influence of FAC morphology, ionospheric conductance, and local electrodynamic conditions.

We use deep observations from the Einstein Probe Follow-up X-ray Telescope (EP-FXT) to investigate the gas distribution and thermodynamic properties of the cool-core galaxy cluster Abell 478 (A478) from the center out to $R_{200}$, and to examine its azimuthal asymmetry and the influence of local dynamical disturbances on hydrostatic mass estimates. We derive the surface-brightness, temperature, electron-density, pressure, entropy, and total mass profiles. The surface-brightness distribution is well described by a double-$\beta$ model, while the temperature profile shows the characteristic cool-core behavior, with a cool center, a rise toward intermediate radii, and a gradual decline in the outskirts. The hydrostatic mass profile is well fitted by a Navarro-Frenk-White model, yielding $R_{200}=2082\pm95$ kpc and $M_{200}=(1.12\pm0.15)\times10^{15}\,M_\odot$, indicating that the cluster is close to quasi-static equilibrium on global scales. Despite the globally regular structure, clear azimuthal asymmetry is present. The SW sector shows lower temperatures, higher densities, and lower entropies at intermediate and large radii, together with signatures consistent with a cold-front candidate. Combined with the two-dimensional temperature distribution, these features suggest local dynamical disturbance, likely associated with gas sloshing. A478 is therefore globally relaxed but locally disturbed, demonstrating that nonequilibrium structures can still affect thermodynamic measurements and hydrostatic mass estimates even in an apparently regular cool-core cluster.

Stellar associations are difficult clustering targets because position, kinematics and extinction carry different physical units, different uncertainties and different discriminatory power. We extend the Extended Minimum Spanning Tree (XMST) framework without forcing these observables into a single metric. Three-dimensional spatial connectivity first defines candidate parent structures (XMST-S1), transverse kinematics then tests those parents for dynamically distinct populations (XMST-S3), and visual extinction provides a final reddening refinement (XMST-S2). Across 1000 Monte Carlo realisations, XMST-S1 produced a better purity–completeness balance than the eight predefined three-dimensional HDBSCAN configurations tested, although neither method reliably separated a deliberately superimposed pair using spatial information alone. Applying kinematics before reddening increased mean Jaccard similarity to 0.8354 and resolved the overlapping pair in 98.6 per cent of realisations. The S3 null experiment produced only five accepted subdivisions among 106,265 tested groups. Across 1000 paired reddening-uncertainty realisations, increasing uncertainty reduced the mean number of accepted S2 subdivisions from 4.224 to 1.982, while mean Jaccard similarity changed only from 0.8074 to 0.7993. Direct XMST-S3 uncertainty tests showed negligible practical degradation for transverse-velocity errors up to $0.5~\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$ per component, with larger errors progressively suppressing kinematic refinement. In a label-blind repartition of 2,551 stars from 56 published OB associations, median best-match Jaccard similarity increased from 0.6535 after spatial clustering to 0.8861 after complete refinement, with 22 associations recovered identically. The main result is that physically different observables can refine an existing spatial hierarchy without redefining its me

In this work, we construct models compatible with ACT constraints on inflation in the framework of $f\left(Q, \tilde R\right)$ gravity, with $f(R)$ gravity coupled to a scalar field. The $f\left(Q, \tilde R\right)$ theory is equivalent to $f(Q, B)$ gravity models or $f(Q, C)$ gravity where $B$ or $C$ is the difference between $Q$ and the scalar curvature $\tilde R$ in Einstein's gravity, so, $B=Q-\tilde R$ or $C=\tilde R - Q$. Using appropriate reconstruction techniques compatible with $f\left(Q, \tilde R\right)$ theory, we propose two functional behaviors of the Hubble rate $H$ that satisfy the constraints, and we construct models that realize these behaviors of the Hubble rate $H$ using $f\left(Q, \tilde R\right)$ gravity and $f(R)$ gravity coupled with a scalar field. We also discuss the reheating stage after inflation. Although the scenario of $f(R)$ gravity coupled with a scalar field is well-known, since the model can be rewritten in the form of Einstein's gravity coupled with two scalar fields, the non-trivial problem occurs in the $f\left(Q, \tilde R\right)$ gravity case, because the number of dynamical degrees of freedom in $f(Q)$ gravity is not settled.

The cosmic evolution of galactic bars offers key insights into the dynamical history of disk galaxies. However, studies of high-redshift bars are severely hampered by observational effects such as resolution degradation and surface brightness dimming. To quantify these biases and establish a robust methodology of bar detection and measurement for high-redshift galaxies, we develop an automated pipeline integrating isophotal ellipse fitting and Fourier decomposition. We benchmark its performance using a comprehensive set of mock observations generated by artificially redshifting high-quality images of local barred galaxies to match the background and resolution of HST ($z \approx 0.5-3$) and JWST ($z \approx 1-6$) observations. We find that applying standard bar detection criteria derived from local galaxies to high-redshift data results in a severe underestimation of the bar fraction, missing $>50%$ of bars at $z>0.5$ in HST imaging and a similar fraction at $z>2$ in JWST imaging. Using adaptive, redshift-dependent criteria optimized via mock data achieves recovery rates above $60%$ out to $z \approx 3$ for HST and $z \approx 6$ for JWST. The ellipse fitting method significantly outperforms Fourier decomposition in measurement reliability. While ellipse fitting systematically underestimates bar length by $\sim 4%$–$36%$ due to surface brightness dimming, this bias is consistent and correctable ($\sigma \approx 0.88$–$2.22$); in contrast, the Fourier method is prone to catastrophic failures ($\sigma \approx 2.40$–$6.14$) in the regime of low signal-to-noise ratio. We propose a standardized workflow that prioritizes mock-derived adaptive criteria and ellipse fitting, providing quantitative correction factors and empirical relations that enable future studies to recover intrinsic bar statistics from raw observations.

Three dimensional Earth-Moon transfers usually consume more fuel than planar ones, but are needed depending on the latitude of the launch site and the desired inclination of the final lunar orbit. A systematic search of the optimal 3D transfers represents a true challenge due the dimension of the parameter set to span. In this paper, we propose a new method to design 3D transfers using a tangential velocity constraint for the burns, modeled using the overdetermined constraints technique based on the Theory of Functional Connections for an optimal search of solutions in a numerically efficient way. The developed method is applied here for a systematic study of optimal 3D Earth-Moon transfers, but could be used to design any type of 3D maneuvers.

Background: During the navigation of Rosetta's first Earth flyby in 2005, a small yet unexplained asymptotic velocity increase was detected in the departing leg, necessitating inserting an artificial prograde delta-V at perigee in the orbit determination. Similar instances of this phenomenon have been observed in several missions. However, subsequent Rosetta Earth flybys did not exhibit this effect. Despite numerous investigations of the - so called Earth flyby anomaly - over the last decades, the underlying cause remains unresolved. Idea: To address the problem, we perform an Orbit Determination using ESOC's new system for Deep Space orbit determination, utilising the original radiometric tracking data and spacecraft model. This approach enables the incorporation of additional physical effects in the flight trajectory, with the aim of identifying the root cause of the anomaly. Results: We successfully reproduced the anomaly using the new orbit determination software. Subsequent analysis ruled out explanations involving Earth ephemeris errors, gravitational field modelling, relativistic contributions, and propagator configurations. Additional dynamical variations, such as the solar radiation pressure or albedo radiation, were evaluated but found insufficient to account for the observed discrepancy. Outlook: During investigations of Earth's albedo effect, a possible explanation for an artificial velocity increase was identified. Albedo-induced illumination on thermally sensitive spacecraft surfaces could have triggered outgassing, consistent in direction and magnitude with documented outgassing events during Rosetta's cruise phase. A detailed attitude analysis further strengthens this theory and provides conclusive results, also in comparison to Rosetta's other Earth flybys.

The influence of photon fields of local sources (LS) on the formation of the cosmic ray (CR) energy spectrum (E0) is considered. A model for the formation of irregularities in the CR spectrum, based on the local source model, is proposed. It is shown that the CR spectrum can be formed as a sum of partial spectra formed near local CR sources during the passage of primary cosmic radiation (PCR) through the photon fields of the sources. Local sources can be the most active stars of various types of variability in the stellar population, - from dwarfs to hypergiants. Studies have shown that the so-called "bump" near E0 = 100 PeV is formed in the photon fields of Mira-type variable stars, which are typically multiple stellar systems, consisting of a red giant and a white dwarf.

We investigate whether the plasma disturbances generated by a charged debris object can be used to infer its position without directly sampling the object or its immediate sheath. A one-dimensional open-boundary electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) framework is used to model a continuously flowing electron-ion plasma containing an initially uncharged debris object. The debris charges self-consistently and produces an ion-ion counter-streaming instability (IICSI), which is sustained and reaches a statistically stationary state. A matching simulation without debris provides a controlled background against which debris-induced changes in different plasma fields are identified. The precursor and wake are examined through their spatial extent, fluctuation power, and frequency–wavenumber spectra. Weak-form sparse regression is then used as a supporting tool to recover reduced fluid and kinetic residuals and to learn an empirical relation connecting the precursor and wake disturbance envelopes to the equilibrium plasma flow, debris charge, and distance from the source. The predictive capability is examined by successively treating each simulation as an independent case. For each evaluation, the model is constructed from the remaining simulations, while the excluded simulation is used only to infer the debris position from its plasma response. For the idealized cold-ion regime considered here, the procedure successfully localizes the debris in transonic and supersonic flows, whereas the subsonic cases remain unresolved. These results demonstrate that debris-induced plasma disturbances possess a learnable spatial structure and provide a proof-of-principle route toward future remote localization using more realistic multidimensional models; they do not constitute an operational debris-detection scheme.

Dark matter substructure properties such as their mass function and spatial distribution depend on the nature of dark matter and are strong tests of the cosmological model. Like luminous matter, these dark matter substructures cause gravitational lensing affecting observables such as time delays. Given the millisecond-level timing precision achievable with current and future gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, gravitationally lensed GWs provide a powerful probe of dark matter substructure, especially, at the lower end of the mass function. In contrast, the optical (or electromagnetic) observations can provide a precision of a few hours and are thus, not sensitive to deflections from the less massive subhalos. In this work, we investigate the impact of realistic population of DM subhalos ($10^6-10^9 M_\odot$) on the lensing time delays for two of the typical strong lens configurations, a fold and a cusp, seen in quadruply lensed sources for a galaxy-scale lens. We find that the subhalos with NFW density profiles cause perturbations of the order of few hours to the lensing time delays between the macro-lensed images produced by the main lensing galaxy. These time delay "anomalies", if not accounted for, may affect the results of strong lens searches conducted on the GW data by the LIGO–Virgo–Kagra collaboration. Lastly, for the 200 realisations analysed per fold and cusp lens systems, we find that the NFW subhalos produced no additional images of their own called milli-images. Statistical studies are needed to better determine the expected impact on the lensed GW time delays and (non-)detection of milli-images.

We report 10 epochs of 22 GHz East Asia To Italy: Nearly Global VLBI (EATING VLBI) observations of the nearby radio galaxy 3C~111 obtained from 2020 to 2023. Combined with VLBA data at 15 and 43 GHz, these observations yield a 64-epoch, multi-frequency sequence of high-resolution radio images. We used high-resolution Bayesian Stokes~I imaging and Gaussian component modeling to derive light curves and knot kinematics. We find evidence that a faster, later-emitted knot catches up with a slower, earlier knot at a deprojected distance of about 10 pc from the central engine. The knot component responsible for this interaction propagated at relativistic speed and exhibited a rise-and-decay evolution over approximately six months. The Stokes~I flux evolution supports the internal shock interpretation, while archival polarization images reveal a temporary increase in fractional linear polarization in the interaction region near the Stokes~I flux maximum. The timing of the 2021 GeV flare suggests that this earlier high-energy event is more naturally associated with activity near the core. These results provide direct evidence for an internal shock in an active galactic nucleus jet and support a hybrid picture in which internal and standing shocks coexist in relativistic jets and may play different roles in their variability.

Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) detect nanohertz gravitational waves through spatial correlations between the timing residuals of different pulsars. For an isotropic, unpolarized stochastic background in general relativity, the ensemble-mean correlation follows the Hellings–Downs (HD) curve; measuring this angular pattern tests the gravitational-wave origin of the signal. Standard bin-by-bin reconstructions optimize the weights within each angular bin separately. We reconstruct the curve jointly using the full pulsar-pair covariance, retaining a free amplitude in every bin. The resulting all-angle best linear unbiased estimator minimizes the variance of every bin value and every linear combination of bins. Applied to the public NANOGrav 15 yr data products, our method reduces the bin standard deviations by up to 12.9%, with a median reduction of 9.5%. For a future Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)-like PTA, the predicted reduction reaches 36.4%, with a median of 29.6%, enabling significantly more precise measurements of the gravitational-wave background.

We measure the galaxy stellar mass function at $z = 0-2$ using 28M galaxies from the KiDS DR4 which spans an effective survey area of 676.9 deg$^2$. Combining nine-band photometry ($u$–$K_s$) and redshifts derived using deep learning photometry, we use five SED fitting configurations, CIGALE/LePhare and CB19/BC03/M05 Stellar Population Synthesis (SPS). We present the impact of the systematics related to the code, SPS modeling and Star formation History (SFH) , which combined can introduce systematics of $\sim 0.6$ dex. The GSMFs outlined in this work agree well with previous studies (within the uncertainties introduced by systematics) that typically are able to cover measurements for the GSMF only up to $\log(M_*/M_\odot)\sim 11.75$, due to their limited volume. The large KiDS area and galaxy counts, allows us to gain some insights on the “extreme" high-mass end, and our GSMFs imply that possibly there are more massive galaxies than we would expect, from a simple exponential cut-off, at $\log(M_*/M_\odot)>11.75$. However, we heed caution that despite advances done both in redshift estimation techniques and SPS, future studies are required to confirm this behavior. We consider the effects of Eddington-bias (EB) to our observations via two different methods and compare our results with the predictions of semi-analytic models and hydrodynamical simulations. We use the Mean Absolute Difference (MAD) of residuals as a diagnostic metric. Due to inconsistencies ($> 0.5$ dex) between observations and Eddington biased simulations found, especially at the high mass end, we suggest that some theoretical models would achieve better performance once parameter tuning takes into account the effects of EB prior to the tuning of the uncertain parameters involved related to stellar physics and feedback.