Light rings and shadows of rotating black holes in the semiclassical gravity with trace anomaly [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14924


In a recent work by Fernandes [arXiv:2305.10382], an exact stationary and axisymmetric solution was discovered in semiclassical gravity with type-A trace anomaly, identified as a quantum-corrected version of the Kerr black hole. This discovery presents exciting research opportunities for observing non-circular spacetimes. In this study, we explore the light rings and shadow of this black hole solution. Our investigation reveals that there exist prograde and retrograde normal light rings, whose radii increase monotonically with the coupling parameter $\alpha$. We also observe that when $\alpha$ is negative, the shadow area for the quantum-corrected black hole is smaller than that of the Kerr black hole, whereas when $\alpha$ is positive, the area is larger. Furthermore, the NHEKline for nearly extreme black hole disappears when $\alpha$ is greater than zero, while it appears for negative $\alpha$, even if the spin is not too high. Such line sinks in the middle part when $|\alpha|$ is relatively large if $\alpha$ is less than zero.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Z. Zhang, Y. Hou, M. Guo, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 14 pages, 7 figures

The comoving curvature perturbation in Jordan and Einstein frames [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15326


In the context of $F(\phi)R$ models of gravity, the conformal invariance of the curvature perturbation on the uniform-field slicings has been already demonstrated in several publications. In this work, we study the conformal invariance of the curvature perturbation defined on hypersurfaces that are comoving with an effective fluid. We derive the comoving curvature perturbation in each conformal frame and relate both. It is shown that the conformal invariance of this gauge-invariant curvature perturbation does not always hold, and the analysis on superhorizon and subhorizon scales is performed in the slow-roll regime of inflation. We find that the comoving curvature perturbation is conformally invariant on superhorizon scales but the same cannot be concluded on the subhorizon regime.

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J. Díaz and M. Karčiauskas
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 21 pages

Provably convergent Newton-Raphson methods for recovering primitive variables with applications to physical-constraint-preserving Hermite WENO schemes for relativistic hydrodynamics [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14805


The relativistic hydrodynamics (RHD) equations have three crucial intrinsic physical constraints on the primitive variables: positivity of pressure and density, and subluminal fluid velocity. However, numerical simulations can violate these constraints, leading to nonphysical results or even simulation failure. Designing genuinely physical-constraint-preserving (PCP) schemes is very difficult, as the primitive variables cannot be explicitly reformulated using conservative variables due to relativistic effects. In this paper, we propose three efficient Newton–Raphson (NR) methods for robustly recovering primitive variables from conservative variables. Importantly, we rigorously prove that these NR methods are always convergent and PCP, meaning they preserve the physical constraints throughout the NR iterations. The discovery of these robust NR methods and their PCP convergence analyses are highly nontrivial and technical. As an application, we apply the proposed NR methods to design PCP finite volume Hermite weighted essentially non-oscillatory (HWENO) schemes for solving the RHD equations. Our PCP HWENO schemes incorporate high-order HWENO reconstruction, a PCP limiter, and strong-stability-preserving time discretization. We rigorously prove the PCP property of the fully discrete schemes using convex decomposition techniques. Moreover, we suggest the characteristic decomposition with rescaled eigenvectors and scale-invariant nonlinear weights to enhance the performance of the HWENO schemes in simulating large-scale RHD problems. Several demanding numerical tests are conducted to demonstrate the robustness, accuracy, and high resolution of the proposed PCP HWENO schemes and to validate the efficiency of our NR methods.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Cai, J. Qiu and K. Wu
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 49 pages

Progenitors of Low Redshift Gamma-ray Bursts [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15081


Bimodal distribution of the observed duration of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has led to two distinct progenitors; compact star mergers, either two neutron stars (NSs) or a NS and a black hole (BH), for short GRBs (SGRBs), and so-called collapsars for long GRBs (LGRBs). It is therefore expected that formation rate (FR) of LGRBs should be similar to the cosmic star formation rate (SFR), while that of SGRBs to be delayed relative to the SFR. The localization of some LGRBs in and around the star forming regions of host galaxies and some SGRBs away form such regions support this expectation. Another distinct feature of SGRBs is their association with gravitational wave (GW) sources and kilonovae. However, several independent investigations of the FRs of long and short bursts, using the Efron-Petrosian non-parametric method have shown a LGRB FR that is significantly larger than SFR at low redhift, and similar to the FR of SGRBs. In addition, recent discovery of association of a low redshift long GRB211211A with a kilonova raises doubt about its collapsar origin. In this letter we review these results and show that low redshift LGRBs could also have compact star mergers as progenitor increasing the expected rate of the GW sources and kilonovae significantly.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Vah/’e and M. Dainotti
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures of two panels

Light rings and shadows of rotating black holes in the semiclassical gravity with trace anomaly [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14924


In a recent work by Fernandes [arXiv:2305.10382], an exact stationary and axisymmetric solution was discovered in semiclassical gravity with type-A trace anomaly, identified as a quantum-corrected version of the Kerr black hole. This discovery presents exciting research opportunities for observing non-circular spacetimes. In this study, we explore the light rings and shadow of this black hole solution. Our investigation reveals that there exist prograde and retrograde normal light rings, whose radii increase monotonically with the coupling parameter $\alpha$. We also observe that when $\alpha$ is negative, the shadow area for the quantum-corrected black hole is smaller than that of the Kerr black hole, whereas when $\alpha$ is positive, the area is larger. Furthermore, the NHEKline for nearly extreme black hole disappears when $\alpha$ is greater than zero, while it appears for negative $\alpha$, even if the spin is not too high. Such line sinks in the middle part when $|\alpha|$ is relatively large if $\alpha$ is less than zero.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Z. Zhang, Y. Hou, M. Guo, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 14 pages, 7 figures

Extremely red galaxies at $z=5-9$ with MIRI and NIRSpec: dusty galaxies or obscured AGNs? [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14418


We study a new population of extremely red objects (EROs) recently discovered by JWST based on their NIRCam colors F277W$-$F444W $>1.5$ mag. We find 37 EROs in the CEERS field with F444W $<28$ mag and photometric redshifts between $5<z<7$, with median $z=6.9^{+1.0}{-1.6}$. Surprisingly, despite their red long-wavelength colors, these EROs have blue short-wavelength colors (F150W$-$F200W$\sim$0 mag) indicative of bimodal SEDs with a red, steep slope in the rest-frame optical, and a blue, flat slope in the rest-frame UV. Moreover, all these EROs are unresolved, point-like sources in all NIRCam bands. We analyze the spectral energy distributions of 8 of them with MIRI and NIRSpec observations using stellar population models and AGN templates. We find that a dusty galaxy or an obscured AGN provide similarly good SED fits but different stellar properties: massive and dusty, log M/M_sun$\sim$10 and A${\rm V}\gtrsim3$ mag, or low mass and obscuration, log M/M_sun$\sim$7.5 and A${\rm V}\sim0$ mag, hosting an obscured QSO. SED modeling does not favor either scenario, but their unresolved sizes are more suggestive of an AGN. If any EROs are confirmed to have log M/M_sun$\gtrsim10.5$, it would increase pre-JWST number densities at $z>7$ by up to a factor $\sim$60. Similarly, if they are OSOs with luminosities in the L${\rm bol}>10^{46-47}$ erg s$^{-1}$ range, their number would exceed that of bright blue QSOs by more than two orders of magnitude. Additional photometry at mid-IR wavelengths will reveal the true nature of the red continuum emission in these EROs and will place this puzzling population in the right context of galaxy evolution.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Barro, P. Perez-Gonzalez, D. Kocevski, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 26 pages, 10 figures, submitted to ApJ

VERTICO VI: Cold-gas asymmetries in Virgo cluster galaxies [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14823


We analyze cold-gas distributions in Virgo cluster galaxies using resolved CO(2-1) (tracing molecular hydrogen, H2) and HI observations from the Virgo Environment Traced In CO (VERTICO) and the VLA Imaging of Virgo in Atomic Gas (VIVA) surveys. From a theoretical perspective, it is expected that environmental processes in clusters will have a stronger influence on diffuse atomic gas compared to the relatively dense molecular gas component, and that these environmental perturbations can compress the cold interstellar medium in cluster galaxies leading to elevated star formation. In this work we observationally test these predictions for star-forming satellite galaxies within the Virgo cluster. We divide our Virgo galaxy sample into HI-normal, HI-tailed, and HI-truncated classes and show, unsurprisingly, that the HI-tailed galaxies have the largest quantitative HI asymmetries. We also compare to a control sample of non-cluster galaxies and find that Virgo galaxies, on average, have HI asymmetries that are 40 +/- 10 per cent larger than the control. There is less separation between control, HI-normal, HI-tailed, and HI-truncated galaxies in terms of H2 asymmetries, and on average, Virgo galaxies have H2 asymmetries that are only marginally (20 +/- 10 per cent) larger than the control sample. We find a weak correlation between HI and H2 asymmetries over our entire sample, but a stronger correlation for those specific galaxies being strongly impacted by environmental perturbations. Finally, we divide the discs of the HI-tailed Virgo galaxies into a leading half and trailing half according to the observed tail direction. We find evidence for excess molecular gas mass on the leading halves of the disc. This excess molecular gas on the leading half is accompanied by an excess in star formation rate such that the depletion time is, on average, unchanged.

Read this paper on arXiv…

I. Roberts, T. Brown, N. Zabel, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 15 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&A

Point source contribution to the Diffuse X-ray Background below 1 keV and its effect on our understanding of the circum-galactic medium [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14484


We studied the spectral signature of different components of the Diffuse X-ray Background (DXB), including Local Hot Bubble (LHB), Solar Wind Charge Exchange (SWCX), Galactic Halo, and typically unresolved point sources (galaxies and AGN), in the direction of the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) using the 4 Ms XMM-Newton survey and Chandra 4 Ms Source Catalog. In this paper, we present our results showing how the different components contribute to the DXB below 1 keV. In particular, we have found that ~6% of the emission at 3/4 keV (all-sky average value ~ 3$\times10^{-3}$ cm$^{-6}$pc), which is typically associated with Galactic Halo (GH) and Circum-galactic medium (CGM) is, in fact, due to emission from typically unresolved galaxies.
We will discuss the effect that this has on our understanding of GH and CGM, and to our understanding of the missing CGM baryons.

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S. Huang, N. Cappelluti, M. Galeazzi, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 18 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables

Extreme broad He\2 emission at high and low redshifts: the dominant role of VMS in NGC 3125-A1 and CDFS131717 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14563


Super star cluster (SSC) A1 (3.1E5 Msun) in NGC 3125 has one of the strongest (EW = 4.6 +/- 0.5 Ang) broad (FWHM = 1131 +- 40 km/s) He II 1640 emission lines in the nearby Universe and constitutes an important template for interpreting observations of extreme He II emitters out to redshifts of z = 2-3. We use Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observations of A1 to show that there is no significant contamination of the He II line with nebular emission and that the line is redshifted by 121 +/-17 km/s relative to ISM lines. We compare the COS G130M + G160M observations of A1 to recent binary BPASS and single-star Charlot & Bruzual (C&B) simple stellar population (SSP) models with Very Massive Stars (VMS) of up to 300 Msun. We suggest why BPASS models fail to reproduce A1’s He II emission. On the other hand, a C&B model with Z = 0.008, age = 2.2 Myr, and VMS approaching the Eddington limit provides an excellent fit to the He II emission and fits reasonably well C III 1175, N V 1238,1241, and C IV 1548, 1551. We present O V 1371 line-profile predictions showing that this line constitutes an important tracer of youth and VMS in galaxies. Finally, we discuss the presence of VMS in CDFS131717, a highly star-forming low-metallicity galaxy located at z = 3.071, which has a tentative detection of O V absorption and strong broad He II emission. These features are rare and hint to the presence of short-lived VMS in the galaxy. Our results show the effect of the latest developments of stellar wind theory and the importance of accounting for VMS in models.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Wofford, A. Sixtos, S. Charlot, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 17 pages, 17 figures, accepted in MNRAS

Study of the long-term $BVR_{c}I_{c}$ photometric variability of eight PMS stars in the young open cluster Trumpler 37 [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15050


This paper reports results from our long-term $BV(RI)_{c}$ photometric CCD observations of eight pre-main-sequence stars collected from June 2008 to October 2022. These stars are located in the young open cluster Trumpler 37, in the field of GM Cephei. The observational data indicate that all stars from our study exhibit variability in all-optical passbands, typical for young stars. In this paper, we describe and discuss the photometric behavior of the stars and the possible reasons for their variability. For two of the objects, we identified periodicity in their light variation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Ibryamov, G. Zidarova, E. Semkov, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 13 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA)

AutoSourceID-FeatureExtractor. Optical images analysis using a Two-Step MVE Network for feature estimation and uncertainty characterization [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14495


Aims. In astronomy, machine learning has demonstrated success in various tasks such as source localization, classification, anomaly detection, and segmentation. However, feature regression remains an area with room for improvement. We aim to design a network that can accurately estimate sources’ features and their uncertainties from single-band image cutouts, given the approximated locations of the sources provided by the previously developed code ASID-L or other external catalogues. Methods. The algorithm presented here, AutoSourceID-FeatureExtractor (ASID-FE), uses single-band cutouts of 32×32 pixels around the localized sources to estimate flux, sub-pixel centre coordinates, and their uncertainties. ASID-FE employs what we call a TS-MVE, a Two-Step Mean Variance Estimator approach to first estimate the features and then their uncertainties without the need for additional information, e.g. Point Spread Function (PSF). Results. We show that ASID-FE, trained on synthetic images from the MeerLICHT telescope, can predict more accurate features with respect to similar codes like SourceExtractor and that the two-step method can estimate well-calibrated uncertainties that are better behaved compared to similar methods that use deep ensembles of simple MVE networks. Finally, we evaluate the model on real images from the MeerLICHT telescope and the Zwicky Transients Facility (ZTF) to test its Transfer Learning abilities.

Read this paper on arXiv…

F. Stoppa, R. Austri, P. Vreeswijk, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: N/A

GRB 201015A and the nature of low-luminosity soft gamma-ray bursts [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14491


GRB 201015A is a peculiarly low luminosity, spectrally soft gamma-ray burst (GRB), with $T_{\rm 90} = 9.8 \pm 3.5$ s (time interval of detection of 90\% of photons from the GRB), and an associated supernova (likely to be type Ic or Ic-BL). GRB 201015A has an isotropic energy $E_{\gamma,\rm iso} = 1.75 ^{+0.60} {-0.53} \times 10^{50}$ erg, and photon index $\Gamma = 3.00 ^{+0.50} _{-0.42}$ (15-150 keV). It follows the Amati relation, a correlation between $E{\gamma,\rm iso}$ and spectral peak energy $E_{\rm p}$ followed by long GRBs. It appears exceptionally soft based on $\Gamma$, the hardness ratio of HR = $0.47 \pm 0.24$, and low-$E_{\rm p}$, so we have compared it to other GRBs sharing these properties. These events can be explained by shock breakout, poorly collimated jets, and off-axis viewing. Follow-up observations of the afterglow taken in the X-ray, optical, and radio, reveal a surprisingly late flattening in the X-ray from $t = (2.61 \pm 1.27)\times 10^4$ s to $t = 1.67 ^{+1.14} {-0.65} \times 10^6$ s. We fit the data to closure relations describing the synchrotron emission, finding the electron spectral index to be $p = 2.42 ^{+0.44} _{-0.30}$, and evidence of late-time energy injection with coefficient $q = 0.24 ^{+0.24} _{-0.18}$. The jet half opening angle lower limit ($\theta{j} \ge 16^{\circ}$) is inferred from the non-detection of a jet break. The launch of SVOM and Einstein Probe in 2023, should enable detection of more low luminosity events like this, providing a fuller picture of the variety of GRBs.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Patel, B. Gompertz, P. O’Brien, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 15 pages, 4 figures

Distinguishing nanohertz gravitational wave sources through the observations of ultracompact minihalos [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15100


The common-spectrum process observed by pulsar-timing arrays is interpreted as stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds originating from various sources in the early Universe. Along with generating gravitational waves, we find energy density perturbations also arise with the sources such as bubble collisions and sound waves during first-order phase transitions, cosmic strings, domain walls, condensate fragmentation, and primordial curvature perturbations from inflation. These perturbations can lead to the formation of abundant ultracompact minihalos. Currently, the observational precision is inadequate for discriminating between different models. Then, ongoing and future astrophysical observations of ultracompact minihalos can help to distinguish and constrain the gravitational-wave sources in the nanohertz and $\mu$Hz bands.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Liu
Thu, 25 May 23
64/64

Comments: 7 pages, 1 figure, 1 table

COOL-LAMPS. V. Discovery of COOL J0335$-$1927, a Gravitationally Lensed Quasar at $z$=3.27 with an Image Separation of 23.3" [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14317


We report the discovery of COOL J0335$-$1927, a quasar at $z$ = 3.27 lensed into three images with a maximum separation of 23.3″ by a galaxy cluster at $z$ = 0.4178. We construct a parametric strong gravitational lens model using ground-based imaging, constrained by the redshift and positions of the quasar images as well as the positions of three other multiply-imaged background galaxies. Using our best-fit lens model, we calculate the predicted time delays between the three quasar images to be $\Delta$t${AB}=$ $241^{+41}{-12}$ and $\Delta$t${AC}=$ $-64^{+3}{-33}$ days. We also present g-band photometry from archival DECaLS imaging, and new multi-epoch observations obtained between September 18, 2022 UT and February 22, 2023 UT, which demonstrate significant variability in the quasar and which will eventually enable a measurement of the time delay between the three quasar images.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Napier, M. Gladders, K. Sharon, et. al.
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

Confronting the neutron star population with inverse cascades [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14347


The origin and evolution of magnetic fields of neutron stars from birth has long been a source of debate. Here, motivated by recent simulations of the Hall cascade with magnetic helicity, we invoke a model where the large-scale magnetic field of neutron stars grows as a product of small-scale turbulence through an inverse cascade. We apply this model to a simulated population of neutron stars at birth and show how this model can account for the evolution of such objects across the $P\dot{P}$ diagram, explaining both pulsar and magnetar observations. Under the assumption that small-scale turbulence is responsible for large-scale magnetic fields, we place a lower limit on the spherical harmonic degree of the energy-carrying magnetic eddies of $\approx 40$. Our results favor the presence of a highly resistive pasta layer at the base of the neutron star crust. We further discuss the implications of this paradigm on direct observables, such as the nominal age and braking index of pulsars.

Read this paper on arXiv…

N. Sarin, A. Brandenburg and B. Haskell
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: Submitted. 6 pages, 3 figures

Understanding Binary Systems — a Comparison between COSMIC and MESA [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13328


We compare the evolution of binary systems evolved in the MESA stellar evolution code to those in the COSMIC population synthesis code. Our aim is to convey the robustness of the equations that model binary evolution in the COSMIC code, particularly for the cases of high mass stars with closely orbiting compact object companions. Our larger goal is to accurately model the rates of these systems, as they are promising candidates for the progenitor systems behind energetic, longer lasting, radio bright GRB jets. These systems also may be key contributors to the rates of binary black hole mergers throughout our universe.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Kenoly, A. Luu, C. Toral, et. al.
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: to appear in RNAAS

Cataclysmic Variables from Sloan Digital Sky Survey V — the search for period bouncers continues [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13371


SDSS-V is carrying out a dedicated survey for white dwarfs, single and in binaries, and we report the analysis of the spectroscopy of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and CV candidates obtained during the final plug plate observations of SDSS. We identify eight new CVs, spectroscopically confirm 53 and refute eleven published CV candidates, and we report 21 new or improved orbital periods. Combined with previously published data, the orbital period distribution of the SDSS-V CVs does not clearly exhibit a period gap. This is consistent with previous findings that spectroscopically identified CVs have a larger proportion of short-period systems compared to samples identified from photometric variability. Remarkably, despite a systematic search, we find very few period bouncers. We estimate the space density of period bouncers to be $\simeq0.2\times10^{-6}\,\mathrm{pc}^{-3}$, i.e. they represent only a few per cent of the total CV population. This suggests that during their final phase of evolution, CVs either destroy the donor, e.g. via a merger, or that they become detached and cease mass transfer.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Inight, B. Gänsicke, A. Schwope, et. al.
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS

Cataclysmic Variables from Sloan Digital Sky Survey V — the search for period bouncers continues [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13371


SDSS-V is carrying out a dedicated survey for white dwarfs, single and in binaries, and we report the analysis of the spectroscopy of cataclysmic variables (CVs) and CV candidates obtained during the final plug plate observations of SDSS. We identify eight new CVs, spectroscopically confirm 53 and refute eleven published CV candidates, and we report 21 new or improved orbital periods. Combined with previously published data, the orbital period distribution of the SDSS-V CVs does not clearly exhibit a period gap. This is consistent with previous findings that spectroscopically identified CVs have a larger proportion of short-period systems compared to samples identified from photometric variability. Remarkably, despite a systematic search, we find very few period bouncers. We estimate the space density of period bouncers to be $\simeq0.2\times10^{-6}\,\mathrm{pc}^{-3}$, i.e. they represent only a few per cent of the total CV population. This suggests that during their final phase of evolution, CVs either destroy the donor, e.g. via a merger, or that they become detached and cease mass transfer.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Inight, B. Gänsicke, A. Schwope, et. al.
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS

Diffuse Neutrino Flux Based on the Rates of Core-Collapse Supernovae and Black Hole Formation Deduced from a Novel Galactic Chemical Evolution Model [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13543


Fluxes of the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) are calculated based on a new modeling of galactic chemical evolution, where a variable stellar initial mass function (IMF) depending on the galaxy type is introduced and black hole (BH) formation from the failed supernova is considered for progenitors heavier than 18$M_{\odot}$. The flux calculations are performed for different combinations of the star formation rate, nuclear equation of state, and neutrino mass hierarchy to examine the systematic effects from these factors. In any case, our new model predicts the enhanced DSNB $\bar{\nu}{e}$ flux at $E\nu \gtsim 30$~MeV and $E_\nu \ltsim 10$~MeV due to more frequent BH formation and a larger core collapse rate at high redshifts in the early-type galaxies, respectively. Event rate spectra of the DSNB $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ at a detector from the new model are shown and detectability at water-based Cherenkov detectors, SK-Gd and Hyper-Kamiokande, is discussed. In order to investigate impacts of the assumptions in the new model, we prepare alternative models based on the different IMF form and treatment of BH formation, and estimate discrimination capabilities between the new and alternative models at these detectors.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Y. Ashida, K. Nakazato and T. Tsujimoto
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 11 pages, 10 figures, 1 table

A Hierarchical Bayesian Framework for Inferring the Stellar Obliquity Distribution [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14220


Stellar obliquity, the angle between a planet’s orbital axis and its host star’s spin axis, traces the formation and evolution of a planetary system. In transiting exoplanet observations, only the sky-projected stellar obliquity can be measured, but this can be de-projected using an estimate of the stellar obliquity. In this paper, we introduce a flexible, hierarchical Bayesian framework that can be used to infer the stellar obliquity distribution solely from sky-projected stellar obliquities, including stellar inclination measurements when available. We demonstrate that while a constraint on the stellar inclination is crucial for measuring the obliquity of an individual system, it is not required for robust determination of the population-level stellar obliquity distribution. In practice, the constraints on the stellar obliquity distribution are mainly driven by the sky-projected stellar obliquities.
When applying the framework to all systems with measured sky-projected stellar obliquity, which are mostly Hot Jupiter systems, we find that the inferred population-level obliquity distribution is unimodal and peaked at zero degrees. The misaligned systems have nearly isotropic stellar obliquities with no strong clustering near 90 degrees. The diverse range of stellar obliquities prefers dynamic mechanisms, such as planet-planet scattering after a convergent disk migration, which could produce both prograde and retrograde orbits of close-in planets with no strong inclination concentrations other than 0 degrees.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Dong and D. Foreman-Mackey
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures; AJ submitted, revised in response to the referee report; reproducible workflow built with showyourwork; open-source code can be found at this https URL

Methodological refinement of the submillimeter galaxy magnification bias. Paper III: cosmological analysis with tomography [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13836


This paper is the third in a series on submillimeter galaxy magnification bias, focusing on the tomographic scenario. It refines the methodology used to constrain the halo occupation distribution model and cosmological parameters within a flat $\Lambda$CDM model, using updated data. The study aims to optimize CPU time, explore strategies for analyzing different redshift bins, and assess the impact of excluding the GAMA15 field. The tomographic approach involves dividing the redshift range into bins and analyzing cross-correlation measurements between submillimeter and foreground galaxies. The results show good agreement between the mean-redshift and full model cases, with an increase in the minimum mass of lenses at higher redshifts. The inferred cosmological parameters have narrower posterior distributions, indicating reduced measurement uncertainties compared to previous studies. Excluding the GAMA15 field reduces the cross-correlation signal, suggesting sample variance within the large-scale structure. Extending the redshift range improves robustness against sample variance and produces similar but tighter constraints. The study highlights the importance of sample variance and redshift binning in tomographic analyses, and suggests using additional wide-area fields and updated foreground catalogues for more effective implementation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Bonavera, M. Cueli, J. González-Nuevo, et. al.
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: This work is the third of a series of three. 17 pages and 19 figure. submitted to A&A

Diffuse Neutrino Flux Based on the Rates of Core-Collapse Supernovae and Black Hole Formation Deduced from a Novel Galactic Chemical Evolution Model [HEAP]

Posted on by

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13543


Fluxes of the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) are calculated based on a new modeling of galactic chemical evolution, where a variable stellar initial mass function (IMF) depending on the galaxy type is introduced and black hole (BH) formation from the failed supernova is considered for progenitors heavier than 18$M_{\odot}$. The flux calculations are performed for different combinations of the star formation rate, nuclear equation of state, and neutrino mass hierarchy to examine the systematic effects from these factors. In any case, our new model predicts the enhanced DSNB $\bar{\nu}{e}$ flux at $E\nu \gtsim 30$~MeV and $E_\nu \ltsim 10$~MeV due to more frequent BH formation and a larger core collapse rate at high redshifts in the early-type galaxies, respectively. Event rate spectra of the DSNB $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ at a detector from the new model are shown and detectability at water-based Cherenkov detectors, SK-Gd and Hyper-Kamiokande, is discussed. In order to investigate impacts of the assumptions in the new model, we prepare alternative models based on the different IMF form and treatment of BH formation, and estimate discrimination capabilities between the new and alternative models at these detectors.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Y. Ashida, K. Nakazato and T. Tsujimoto
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 11 pages, 10 figures, 1 table

Dark Sectors with Mass Thresholds Face Cosmological Datasets [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14166


Interacting dark sectors may undergo changes in the number of their relativistic species during the early universe, due to a mass threshold $m$ (similar to changes in the Standard Model bath), and in doing so affect the cosmic history. When such changes occur close to recombination, i.e., for $m\sim (0.1-10)~\text{eV}$, the stringent bound on the effective number of neutrino species, $N_{\text{eff}}$, can be relaxed and the value of the Hubble expansion rate $H_0$ inferred from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations raised. We search for such sectors (with and without mass thresholds) in the latest cosmological datasets, including the full-shape (FS) of BOSS DR12 galaxy power spectrum. We perform a detailed analysis, accounting for the choice of prior boundaries and additionally exploring the possible effects of dark sector interactions with (a fraction of) the dark matter. We find $\Delta N_{\text{eff}}\leq 0.55\, (0.46)$ at 95% C.L. with (without) a mass threshold. While a significantly larger Hubble rate is achieved in this scenario, $H_0=69.01^{+0.66}_{-1.1}$, the overall fit to CMB+FS data does not provide a compelling advantage over the $\Lambda$CDM model. Furthermore, we find that dark matter interactions with the dark sector do not significantly improve the (matter fluctuations) $S_8$ tension with respect to the $\Lambda$CDM model. Our work provides model-independent constraints on (decoupled) dark sectors with mass thresholds around the eV scale.

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I. Allali, F. Rompineve and M. Hertzberg
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 18 + 18 pages, 38 figures and tables

Explaining the GeV excess with exploding black holes [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13434


Black holes may form in present-day collapse of microscopic structures of dark matter. We show that, if microstructure black holes (MSBH) with mass $m\sim 10^{13}~g$ are produced, the spectrum of gamma rays from their evaporation agrees remarkably well with the GeV excess observed by Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, while still avoiding all observational constraints. We also discuss the generic requirements for MSBHs to explain the GeV excess.

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Z. Picker and A. Kusenko
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: letter—4 pages 1 figure

New Insights into Variations in Enceladus Plume Particle Launch Velocities from Cassini-VIMS spectral data [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13489


Enceladus’ plume consists mainly of a mixture of water vapor and solid ice particles that may originate from a subsurface ocean. The physical processes underlying Enceladus’ plume particle dynamics are still being debated, and quantifying the particles’ size distribution and launch velocities can help constrain these processes. Cassini’s Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observed the Enceladus plume over a wavelength range of 0.9 micron to 5.0 microns for a significant fraction of Enceladus’ orbital period on three dates in the summer of 2017. We find that the relative brightness of the plume on these different dates varies with wavelength, implying that the particle size distribution in the plume changes over time. These observations also enable us to study how the particles’ launch velocities vary with time and observed wavelength. We find that the typical launch velocity of particles remains between 140 m/s and 148 m/s at wavelengths between 1.2 microns and 3.7 microns. This may not be consistent with prior models where particles are only accelerated by interactions with the vent walls and gas, and could imply that mutual particle collisions close to the vent are more important than previously recognized.

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H. Sharma, M. Hedman and S. Vahidinia
Wed, 24 May 23
81/81

Comments: 13 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in PSJ

Constraints on the gamma-ray emission from Small Solar System Bodies with the Fermi Large Area Telescope data [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12436


All known Small Solar System Bodies have diameters between a few meters and a few thousands of kilometers. Based on the collisional evolution of Solar System Bodies, a larger number of asteroids with diameters down to $\sim 2$ m is thought to exist. As all Solar System Bodies, Small Bodies can be passive sources of high-energy gamma rays, produced by the interaction of energetic cosmic rays impinging on their surfaces. Since the majority of known asteroids are in orbits between Mars and Jupiter (in a region known as the Main Belt), we expect them to produce a diffuse emission close to the ecliptic plane. In this work we have studied the gamma-ray emission coming from the ecliptic using the data collected by the Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi satellite. We have fit the results with simulations of the gamma-ray intensity at source level (calculated with the software FLUKA) to constrain the Small Solar System Bodies population. Finally, we have proposed a model describing the distribution of asteroid sizes and we have used the LAT data to constrain the gamma-ray emission expected from this model and, in turn, on the model itself.

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S. Gaetano, L. Venere, F. Gargano, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: 21 pages, 18 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ;

Exploring the high energy frontiers of the Milky Way with ground-based gamma-ray astronomy: PeVatrons and the quest for the origin of Galactic cosmic-rays [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12729


Cosmic rays (CRs) are charged particles that arrive at Earth isotropically from all directions and interact with the atmosphere. The presence of a spectral knee feature seen in the CR spectrum at $\sim$3 PeV energies is an evidence that astrophysical objects within our Galaxy, which are known as ‘Galactic PeVatrons’, are capable of accelerating particles to PeV energies. Scientists have been trying to identify the origin of Galactic CRs and have been looking for signatures of Galactic PeVatrons through neutral messengers. Recent advancements in ground-based $\gamma$-ray astronomy have led to the discovery of 12 Galactic sources emitting above 100 TeV energies, and even the first time detection of PeV photons from the direction of the Crab Nebula and the Cygnus region. These groundbreaking discoveries have opened up the field of ultra-high energy (UHE, E$>$100 TeV) $\gamma$-ray astronomy, which can help us explore the high energy frontiers of our Galaxy, hunt for PeVatron sources, and shed light on the century-old problem of the origin of CRs. This review article provides an overview of the current state of the art and potential future directions for the search for Galactic PeVatrons using ground-based $\gamma$-ray observations.

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E. Angüner
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: This review article is accepted for publication in Turkish Journal of Physics (57 pages, 24 figures)

Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence Modulated by Collisionless Damping in Earth's Magnetosheath: Observation Matches Theory [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12507


In this letter, we provide the first observational evidence of substantial collisionless damping (CD) modulation in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence cascade in Earth’s magnetosheath using four Cluster spacecraft. Plasma turbulence is primarily shaped by the forcing on large scales and damping on small scales. Based on an improved compressible MHD decomposition algorithm, our observations demonstrate that CD enhances the anisotropy of compressible MHD modes due to their strong pitch angle dependence. The wavenumber distributions of slow modes are more stretched perpendicular to the background magnetic field ($\mathbf{B_0}$) under CD modulation compared to Alfv\’en modes. In contrast, fast modes are subject to a more significant CD modulation. Fast modes exhibit a scale-independent, slight anisotropy above the CD truncation scales, and their anisotropy increases as the wavenumbers fall below the CD truncation scales. As a result, CD affects the relative energy fractions in total compressible modes. Our findings take a significant step forward in comprehending the functions of CD in truncating the compressible MHD turbulence cascade and the consequential energy anisotropy in the wavevector space.

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S. Zhao, H. Yan, T. Liu, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Main text: 5 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to PRL on May 11, 2023

Observational properties of a bright type Iax SN 2018cni and a faint type Iax SN 2020kyg [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12713


We present the optical photometric and spectroscopic analysis of two type Iax SNe 2018cni and 2020kyg. SN 2018cni is a bright type Iax SN (M${V,peak}$ = $-$17.81$\pm$0.21 mag) whereas SN 2020kyg (M${V,peak}$ = $-$14.52$\pm$0.21 mag) is a faint one. We derive $^{56}$Ni mass of 0.07 and 0.002 M${\odot}$, ejecta mass of 0.48 and 0.14 M${\odot}$ for SNe 2018cni and 2020kyg, respectively. A combined study of the bright and faint type Iax SNe in $R/r$- band reveals that the brighter objects tend to have a longer rise time. However, the correlation between the peak luminosity and decline rate shows that bright and faint type Iax SNe exhibit distinct behaviour. Comparison with standard deflagration models suggests that SN 2018cni is consistent with the deflagration of a CO white dwarf whereas the properties of SN 2020kyg can be better explained by the deflagration of a hybrid CONe white dwarf. The spectral features of both the SNe point to the presence of similar chemical species but with different mass fractions. Our spectral modelling indicates stratification at the outer layers and mixed inner ejecta for both the SNe.

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M. Singh, D. Sahu, R. Dastidar, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: 18 pages, 18 figures, Accepted for Publication in The Astrophysical Journal

The MeerKAT Fornax Survey — II. The rapid removal of HI from dwarf galaxies in the Fornax cluster [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13163


We present MeerKAT Fornax Survey atomic hydrogen (HI) observations of the dwarf galaxies located in the central ~2.5 x 4 deg$^2$ of the Fornax galaxy cluster. The HI images presented in this work have a $3\sigma$ column density sensitivity between 2.7 and 50 x 10$^{18}$ cm$^{-2}$ over 25 km s$^{-1}$ for spatial resolution between 4 and 1 kpc. We are able to detect an impressive MHI = 5 x 10$^{5}$ Msun 3$\sigma$ point source with a line width of 50 km s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 20 Mpc. We detect HI in 17 out of the 304 dwarfs in our field — 14 out of the 36 late type dwarfs (LTDs), and 3 of the 268 early type dwarfs (ETDs). The HI-detected LTDs have likely just joined the cluster and are on their first infall as they are located at large clustocentric radii, with comparable MHI and mean stellar surface brightness at fixed luminosity as blue, star-forming LTDs in the field. The HI-detected ETDs have likely been in the cluster longer than the LTDs and acquired their HI through a recent merger or accretion from nearby HI. Eight of the HI-detected LTDs host irregular or asymmetric HI emission and disturbed or lopsided stellar emission. There are two clear cases of ram-pressure shaping the HI, with the LTDs displaying compressed HI on the side closest to the cluster centre and a one-sided, starless tail pointing away from the cluster centre. The HI-detected dwarfs avoid the most massive potentials, consistent with massive galaxies playing an active role in the removal of HI. We create a simple toy model to quantify the timescale of HI stripping in the cluster. We find that a MHI = 10$^{8}$ Msun dwarf will be stripped in ~ 240 Myr. The model is consistent with our observations, where low mass LTDs are directly stripped of their HI from a single encounter and more massive LTDs can harbour a disturbed HI morphology due to longer times or multiple encounters being required to fully strip their HI.

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D. Kleiner, P. Serra, F. Maccagni, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 21 pages, 10 figures. Data available at the MeerKAT Fornax Survey website this https URL

On the impact of the galaxy window function on cosmological parameter estimation [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11956


One important source of systematics in galaxy redshift surveys comes from the estimation of the galaxy window function. Up until now, the impact of the uncertainty in estimating the galaxy window function on parameter inference has not been properly studied. In this paper, we show that the uncertainty and the bias in estimating the galaxy window function will be salient for ongoing and next-generation galaxy surveys using a simulation-based approach. With a specific case study of cross-correlating Emission-line galaxies from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and the Planck CMB lensing map, we show that neural network-based regression approaches to modelling the window function are superior in comparison to linear regression-based models. We additionally show that the definition of the galaxy overdensity estimator can impact the overall signal-to-noise of observed power spectra. Finally, we show that the additive biases coming from the window functions can significantly bias the modes of the inferred parameters and also degrade their precision. Thus, a careful understanding of the window functions will be essential to conduct cosmological experiments.

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T. Karim, M. Rezaie, S. Singh, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: 13 pages, 12 figures, complementary paper to an upcoming paper on Cross-Correlation of ELGs and Planck CMB lensing

Clustering of Primordial Black Holes from QCD Axion Bubbles [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13023


We study the clustering of primordial black holes (PBHs) and axion miniclusters produced in the model proposed to explain the LIGO/Virgo events or the seeds of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in arXiv:2006.13137. It is found that this model predicts large isocurvature perturbations due to the clustering of PBHs and axion miniclusters, from which we obtain stringent constraints on the model parameters. Specifically, for the axion decay constant $f_a=10^{16}~\mathrm{GeV}$, which potentially accounts for the seeds of the SMBHs, the PBH fraction in dark matter should be $f_\mathrm{PBH}\lesssim7\times 10^{-10}$. Assuming that the mass of PBHs increases by more than a factor of $\mathcal{O}(10)$ due to accretion, this is consistent with the observed abundance of SMBHs. On the other hand, for $f_a=10^{17}~\mathrm{GeV}$ required to produce PBHs of masses detected in the LIGO/Virgo, the PBH fraction should be $f_\mathrm{PBH}\lesssim6\times 10^{-8}$, which may be too small to explain the LIGO/Virgo events, although there is a significant uncertainty in calculating the merger rate in the presence of clustering.

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K. Kasai, M. Kawasaki, N. Kitajima, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: 18 pages, 11 figures

Spitzer IRS Observations of Titan as a Precursor to JWST MIRI Observations [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13234


In this work we present, for the first time, infrared spectra of Titan from the Spitzer Space Telescope ($2004-2009$). The data are from both the short wavelength-low resolution (SL, $5.13-14.29\mathrm{\mu m}, R\sim60-127$) and short wavelength-high resolution channels (SH, $9.89 – 19.51\mathrm{\mu m}, R\sim600$) showing the emissions of CH${4}$, C${2}$H${2}$, C${2}$H${4}$, C${2}$H${6}$, C${3}$H${4}$, C${3}$H${6}$, C${3}$H${8}$, C${4}$H${2}$, HCN, HC${3}$N, and CO${2}$. We compare the results obtained for Titan from Spitzer to those of the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) for the same time period, focusing on the $16.35-19.35\mathrm{\mu m}$ wavelength range observed by the SH channel but impacted by higher noise levels in CIRS observations. We use the SH data to provide estimated haze extinction cross-sections for the $16.67-17.54\mathrm{\mu m}$ range that are missing in previous studies. We conclude by identifying spectral features in the $16.35-19.35\mathrm{\mu m}$ wavelength range, including two prominent emission features at 16.39 and $17.35\mathrm{\mu m}$, that could be analyzed further through upcoming James Webb Space Telescope Cycle 1 observations with the Mid-Infrared Instrument ($5.0-28.3\mathrm{\mu m}, R\sim1500-3500$). We also highlight gaps in current spectroscopic knowledge of molecular bands, including candidate trace species such as C${60}$ and detected trace species such as C${3}$H${6}$, that could be addressed by theoretical and laboratory study.

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B. Coy, C. Nixon, N. Rowe-Gurney, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Accepted to Planetary Science Journal April 28, 2023

Halo formation and evolution in SFDM and CDM: new insights from the fluid approach [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12982


(abridged) We present simulations of halo formation and evolution in scalar field dark matter (SFDM) cosmologies in the Thomas-Fermi regime, aka SFDM-TF", where a strong repulsive 2-particle self-interaction (SI) is included, being a valuable alternative to CDM, with the potential to resolve itscusp-core” problem. In general, SFDM behaves like a quantum fluid. Previous literature has presented two fluid approximations for SFDM-TF, as well as simulations of halo formation. These results confirmed earlier expectations and are generally in mutual agreement, but discrepancies were also reported. Therefore, we perform dedicated 3D cosmological simulations for the SFDM-TF model, applying both fluid approximations, as well as for CDM. Our results are very well in accordance with previous works and extend upon them, in that we can explain the reported discrepancies as a result of different simulation setups. We find some interesting details: The evolution of both SFDM-TF and CDM halos follows a 2-stage process. In the early stage, the density profile in the center becomes close to a $(n=1.5)$-polytropic core, dominated by an “effective” velocity-dispersion pressure $P_{\sigma}$ which is common to both dark matter models. Consecutively, for CDM halos, the core transitions into a central cusp. In SFDM-TF halos, the additional pressure $P_\text{SI}$ due to SI determines the second stage of the evolution, where the central region follows closely a $(n=1)$-polytropic core, embedded in a nearly isothermal envelope, i.e. the outskirts are similar to CDM. We also encounter a new effect, namely a late-time expansion of both polytropic core plus envelope, because the size of the almost isothermal halo envelope is affected by the expansion of the background universe. So, an initial primordial core of $\sim 100$ pc can evolve into a larger core of $\gtrsim 1$ kpc, even without feedback from baryons.

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H. Foidl, T. Rindler-Daller and W. Zeilinger
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: submitted to Phys.Rev.D; 26 pages, 16 figures

Prospects for Detecting Gaps in Globular Cluster Stellar Streams in External Galaxies with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12045


Stellar streams form through the tidal disruption of satellite galaxies or globular clusters orbiting a host galaxy. Globular cluster streams are of particular interest since they are thin (dynamically cold) and therefore sensitive to perturbations from low-mass subhalos. Since the subhalo mass function differs depending on the dark matter composition, these gaps can provide unique constraints on dark matter models. However, current samples are limited to the Milky Way. With its large field of view, deep imaging sensitivity, and high angular resolution, the upcoming {\it Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope} ({\it Roman}); presents a unique opportunity to significantly increase the number of observed streams and gaps. This paper presents a first exploration of the prospects for detecting gaps in streams in M31 and other nearby galaxies with resolved stars. We simulate the formation of gaps in a Palomar-5-like stream and generate mock observations of these gaps together with background stars in M31 and foreground Milky Way stellar fields. We assess {\it Roman}’s ability to detect gaps out to 10~Mpc through visual inspection and with the gap-finding tool {\it FindTheGap}. We conclude that gaps of $\approx 1.5$~kpc in streams that are created from subhalos of masses $\geq5 \times 10^6$ {\Msun} are detectable within a 2–3~Mpc volume in exposures of 1000s–1~hour. This volume contains $\approx$ 200 galaxies. Large samples of stream gaps in external galaxies will open up a new era of statistical analyses of gap characteristics in stellar streams and help constrain dark matter models.

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C. Aganze, S. Pearson, T. Starkenburg, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Submitted to ApJ. Comments are welcome!

Winking filaments due to cyclic evaporation-condensation [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13237


Observations have shown that some filaments appear and disappear in the H$\alpha$ line wing images periodically. There have been no attempts to model these “winking filaments” thus far. The evaporation–condensation mechanism is widely used to explain the formation of solar filaments. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, how multi-dimensional evaporation–condensation in an arcade setup invariably causes a stretching of the magnetic topology. We aim to check whether this magnetic stretching during cyclic evaporation–condensation could reproduce a winking filament. We used our open-source code MPI-AMRVAC to carry out 2D magnetohydrodynamic simulations based on a quadrupolar configuration. A periodic localized heating, which modulates the evaporation–condensation process, was imposed before, during, and after the formation of the filament. Synthetic H$\alpha$ and 304 \r{A}, images were produced to compare the results with observations. For the first time, we noticed the winking filament phenomenon in a simulation of the formation of on-disk solar filaments, which was in good agreement with observations. Typically, the period of the winking is different from the period of the impulsive heating. A forced oscillator model explains this difference and fits the results well. A parameter survey is also done to look into details of the magnetic stretching phenomenon. We found that the stronger the heating or the higher the layer where the heating occurs, the more significant the winking effect appears.

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Y. Zhou, X. Li, J. Hong, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: 14 pages, 6 figures. Accepted by A&A

Density biases and temperature relations for DESIRED HII regions [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.13136


We present a first study based on the analysis of the DEep Spectra of Ionized REgions Database (DESIRED). This is a compilation of 190 high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra of HII regions and other photoionized nebulae, mostly observed with 8-10m telescopes and containing $\sim$29380 emission lines. We find that the electron density –$n_{\rm e}$– of the objects is underestimated when [SII] $\lambda6731/\lambda6716$ and/or [OII] $\lambda3726/\lambda3729$ are the only density indicators available. This is produced by the non-linear density dependence of the indicators in the presence of density inhomogeneities. The average underestimate is $\sim 300$ cm$^{-3}$ in extragalactic HII regions, introducing systematic overestimates of $T_{\rm e}$([OII]) and $T_{\rm e}$([SII]) compared to $T_{\rm e}$([NII]). The high-sensitivity of [OII] $\lambda\lambda7319+20+30+31/\lambda\lambda3726+29$ and [SII] $\lambda\lambda4069+76/\lambda\lambda6716+31$ to density makes them more suitable for the diagnosis of the presence of high-density clumps. If $T_{\rm e}$([NII]) is adopted, the density underestimate has a small impact in the ionic abundances derived from optical spectra, being limited to up to $\sim$0.1 dex when auroral [SII] and/or [OII] lines are used. However, these density effects are critical for the analysis of infrared fine structure lines, such as those observed by the JWST in local star forming regions, implying strong underestimates of the ionic abundances. We present temperature relations between $T_{\rm e}$([OIII]), $T_{\rm e}$([ArIII]), $T_{\rm e}$([SIII]) and $T_{\rm e}$([NII]) for the extragalactic HII regions. We confirm a non-linear dependence between $T_{\rm e}$([OIII])-$T_{\rm e}$([NII]) due to a more rapid increase of $T_{\rm e}$([OIII]) at lower metallicities.

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J. Méndez-Delgado, C. Esteban, J. García-Rojas, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Revealing mass distributions of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Subaru-PFS era [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11309


The Galactic dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) provide valuable insight into dark matter (DM) properties and its role in galaxy formation. Their close proximity enables the measurement of line-of-sight velocities for resolved stars, which allows us to study DM halo structure. However, uncertainties in DM mass profile determination persist due to the degeneracy between DM mass density and velocity dispersion tensor anisotropy. Overcoming this requires large kinematic samples and identification of foreground contamination. With 1.25 deg$^2$ and 2394 fibers, PFS plus pre-imaging with Hyper Suprime Cam will make significant progress in this undertaking.

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K. Hayashi, L. Dobos, C. Filion, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
1/60

Comments: 6 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Proceedings of the IAUS 379: Dynamical Masses of Local Group Galaxies, Potsdam, March 20-24, 2023

MUSE AO spectroscopy confirms five dual AGNs and two strongly lensed QSOs at sub-arcsec separation [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11850


The novel Gaia Multi Peak (GMP) technique has proven to be able to successfully select dual and lensed AGN candidates at sub-arcsec separations. Both populations are important because dual AGNs represent one of the central, still largely untested, predictions of lamdaCDM cosmology, and compact lensed quasars allow to probe the central regions of the lensing galaxies. In this work, we present high spatial resolution spectroscopy of twelve GMP-selected systems. We use the the adaptive-optics assisted integral-field spectrograph MUSE at VLT to resolve each system and study the nature of each component. All the targets reveal the presence of two components confirming the GMP selection. We classify five targets as dual AGNs, two as lensed systems, and five as a chance alignment of a star and and AGN. Having separations between 0.30″ and 0.86″, these dual and lensed systems are, to date, among the most compact ever discovered at z >0.3. This is the largest sample of distant dual AGNs with sub-arcsec separations ever presented in a single paper.

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M. Scialpi, F. Mannucci, C. Marconcini, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
2/60

Comments: 11 pages, 9 figures

The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Studying the Complex Magnetic Field of L43 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11306


We present observations of polarized dust emission at 850 $\mu$m from the L43 molecular cloud which sits in the Ophiuchus cloud complex. The data were taken using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as a part of the BISTRO large program. L43 is a dense ($N_{\rm H_2}\sim 10^{22}$-10$^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$) complex molecular cloud with a submillimetre-bright starless core and two protostellar sources. There appears to be an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity to the southeast. We see a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow, suggesting interaction with the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of up to $\sim$160$\pm$30 $\mu$G in the main starless core and up to $\sim$90$\pm$40 $\mu$G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and sub-critical values respectively and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfv\’enic. We also present a new method of data reduction for these denser but fainter objects like starless cores.

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D. Ward-Thompson, J. Karoly, K. Pattle, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
3/60

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 23 pages, 9 figures (7 main text, 2 appendix)

Density and magnetic intensity dependence of radio pulses induced by energetic air showers [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11668


We have studied the effect of changing the density and magnetic field strength in the coherent pulses that are emitted as energetic showers develop in the atmosphere. For this purpose we have developed an extension of ZHS, a program to calculate coherent radio pulses from electromagnetic showers in homogeneous media, to account for the Lorentz force due to a magnetic field. This makes it possible to perform quite realistic simulations of radio pulses from air showers in a medium similar to the atmosphere but without variations of density with altitude. The effects of independently changing the density, the refractive index and the magnetic field strength are studied in the frequency domain for observers in the Cherenkov direction at far distances from the shower. This approach is particularly enlightening providing an explanation of the spectral behavior of the induced electric field in terms of shower development parameters. More importantly, it clearly displays the complex scaling properties of the pulses as density and magnetic field intensity are varied. The usually assumed linear behavior of electric field amplitude with magnetic field intensity is shown to hold up to a given magnetic field strength at which the extra time delays due to the deflection in the magnetic field break it. Scaling properties of the pulses are obtained as the density of air decreases relative to sea level. A remarkably accurate scaling law is obtained that relates the spectra of pulses obtained when reducing the density and increasing the magnetic field.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Ammerman-Yebra, J. Alvarez-Muñiz and E. Zas
Mon, 22 May 23
4/60

Comments: 27 pages, 14 figures

A type II solar radio burst without a coronal mass ejection [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11545


The Sun produces the most powerful explosions in the solar system, solar flares, that can also be accompanied by large eruptions of magnetised plasma, coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These processes can accelerate electron beams up to relativistic energies through magnetic reconnection processes during solar flares and CME-driven shocks. Energetic electron beams can in turn generate radio bursts through the plasma emission mechanism. CME shocks, in particular, are usually associated with type II solar radio bursts. However, on a few occasions, type II bursts have been reported to occur either in the absence of CMEs or shown to be more likely related with the flaring process. It is currently an open question how a shock generating type II bursts forms without the occurrence of a CME eruption. Here, we aim to determine the physical mechanism responsible for a type II burst which occurs in the absence a CME. By using radio imaging from the Nan{\c c}ay Radioheliograph, combined with observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft, we investigate the origin of a type II radio burst that appears to have no temporal association with a white-light CME. We identify a typical type II radio burst with band-split structure that is associated with a C-class solar flare. The type II burst source is located above the flaring active region and ahead of disturbed coronal loops observed in extreme ultraviolet images. The type II is also preceded by type III radio bursts, some of which are in fact J-bursts indicating that accelerated electron beams do not all escape along open field lines. The type II sources show single-frequency movement towards the flaring active region. The type II is located ahead of a faint extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) front propagating through the corona.

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D. Morosan, J. Pomoell, A. Kumari, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
5/60

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures

Flux Calibration of CHIME/FRB Intensity Data [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11302


Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright radio transients of micro-to-millisecond duration and unknown extragalactic origin. Central to the mystery of FRBs are their extremely high characteristic energies, which surpass the typical energies of other radio transients of similar duration, like Galactic pulsar and magnetar bursts, by orders of magnitude. Calibration of FRB-detecting telescopes for burst flux and fluence determination is crucial for FRB science, as these measurements enable studies of the FRB energy and brightness distribution in comparison to progenitor theories. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a radio interferometer of cylindrical design. This design leads to a high FRB detection rate but also leads to challenges for CHIME/FRB flux calibration. This paper presents a comprehensive review of these challenges, as well as the automated flux calibration software pipeline that was developed to calibrate bursts detected in the first CHIME/FRB catalog, consisting of 536 events detected between July 25th, 2018 and July 1st, 2019. We emphasize that, due to limitations in the localization of CHIME/FRB bursts, flux and fluence measurements produced by this pipeline are best interpreted as lower limits, with uncertainties on the limiting value.

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B. Andersen, C. Patel, C. Brar, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
6/60

Comments: 29 pages, 13 figures, submitted to AJ

A type II solar radio burst without a coronal mass ejection [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11545


The Sun produces the most powerful explosions in the solar system, solar flares, that can also be accompanied by large eruptions of magnetised plasma, coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These processes can accelerate electron beams up to relativistic energies through magnetic reconnection processes during solar flares and CME-driven shocks. Energetic electron beams can in turn generate radio bursts through the plasma emission mechanism. CME shocks, in particular, are usually associated with type II solar radio bursts. However, on a few occasions, type II bursts have been reported to occur either in the absence of CMEs or shown to be more likely related with the flaring process. It is currently an open question how a shock generating type II bursts forms without the occurrence of a CME eruption. Here, we aim to determine the physical mechanism responsible for a type II burst which occurs in the absence a CME. By using radio imaging from the Nan{\c c}ay Radioheliograph, combined with observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft, we investigate the origin of a type II radio burst that appears to have no temporal association with a white-light CME. We identify a typical type II radio burst with band-split structure that is associated with a C-class solar flare. The type II burst source is located above the flaring active region and ahead of disturbed coronal loops observed in extreme ultraviolet images. The type II is also preceded by type III radio bursts, some of which are in fact J-bursts indicating that accelerated electron beams do not all escape along open field lines. The type II sources show single-frequency movement towards the flaring active region. The type II is located ahead of a faint extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) front propagating through the corona.

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D. Morosan, J. Pomoell, A. Kumari, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
6/60

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures

Hall effect on the magnetic reconnections during the evolution of a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11660


We present a novel Hall magnetohydrodynamics (HMHD) numerical simulation of a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic flux rope (MFR) — generated by magnetic reconnections from an initial 3D bipolar sheared field. Magnetic reconnections during the HMHD evolution are compared with the MHD. In both simulations, the MFRs generate as a consequence of the magnetic reconnection at null points which has not been realized in contemporary simulations. Interestingly, the evolution is faster and more intricate in the HMHD simulation. Repetitive development of the twisted magnetic field lines (MFL) in the vicinity of 3D nulls (reconnection site) is unique to the HMHD evolution of the MFR. The dynamical evolution of magnetic field lines around the reconnection site being affected by the Hall forcing, correspondingly affects the large-scale structures.

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K. Bora, S. Agarwal, S. Kumar, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
7/60

Comments: Accepted for publication in Physica Scripta

Coupled Multi Scalar Field Dark Energy [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11396


The main aim of this paper is to present the multi scalar field components as candidates to be the dark energy of the universe and their observational constraints. We start with the canonical Quintessence and Phantom fields with quadratic potentials and show that a more complex model should bear in mind to satisfy current cosmological observations. Then we present some implications for a combination of two fields, named as Quintom models. We consider two types of models, one as the sum of the quintessence and phantom potentials and other including an interacting term between fields. We find that adding one degree of freedom, by an interacting term, the dynamics enriches considerably and could lead to an improvement in the fit of $-2\ln\Delta \Like_{\rm max}= 5.13$, compared to $\Lambda$CDM. The resultant effective equation of state is now able to cross the phantom divide line, and in several cases present an oscillatory or discontinuous behavior, depending on the interaction value. The parameter constraints of the scalar field models (quintessence, phantom, quintom and interacting quintom) were performed using Cosmic Chronometers, Supernovae Ia and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations data; and the Log-Bayes factors were computed to compare the performance of the models. We show that single scalar fields may face serious troubles and hence the necessity of a more complex models, i.e. multiple fields.

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J. Vázquez, D. Tamayo, G. Garcia-Arroyo, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
8/60

Comments: 17 pages, 8 figures

Planet-disk-wind interaction: the magnetized fate of protoplanets [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11784


Models of planet-disk interaction are mainly based on 2D and 3D viscous hydrodynamical simulations. Accretion is classically prescribed by an alpha parameter which characterizes the turbulent radial transport of angular momentum (AM) in the disk. This accretion scenario has been questioned for a few years and an alternative paradigm has been proposed that involves the vertical transport of AM by MHD winds. We revisit planet-disk interaction in such context, with a focus on the planet’s ability to open a gap and produce meridional flows. Accretion, magnetic field and wind torque in the gap are also explored, as well as the gravitational torque exerted by the disk onto the planet. We carry out high-resolution 3D global non-ideal MHD simulations of a gaseous disk threaded by a large-scale vertical magnetic field harboring a planet in a fixed circular orbit using the GPU-accelerated code Idefix. We consider various planet masses and disk magnetizations. We find that gap-opening always occurs for sufficiently massive planets, with deeper gaps when the planet mass increases and when the initial magnetization decreases. We propose a gap opening criterion when accretion is dominated by MHD winds. We show that accretion is unsteady and comes from surface layers in the outer disk, bringing material directly towards the planet poles. A planet gap is a privileged region for magnetic field accumulation, leading to nearly sonic accretion stream through the gap. For massive planets, the wind torque induces an asymmetric gap, both in depth and in width, that gradually erodes the outer gap edge, reducing the outer Lindblad torque and potentially reversing the migration direction of Jovian planets in magnetized disks after a few hundreds of orbits. For low-mass planets, we find strongly fluctuating gravitational torques that are mostly positive on average, indicating a stochastic outward migration.

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G. Wafflard-Fernandez and G. Lesur
Mon, 22 May 23
9/60

Comments: N/A

DarkAI: I. Mapping the large-scale density field of dark matter using AI [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11431


We develop a deep learning technique to reconstruct the dark matter density field from the redshift-space distribution of dark matter halos. We implement a UNet-architecture neural network and successfully trained it using the COLA fast simulation, which is an approximation of the N-body simulation with $512^3$ particles in a box size of $500 h^{-1}{\rm {Mpc}}$. We evaluate the resulting UNet model not only using the training-like test samples, but also using the typical N-body simulations, including the Jiutian simulation which has $6144^3$ particles in a box size of $1000 h^{-1}{\rm {Mpc}}$, and the ELUCID simulation which has a different cosmology. The real-space dark matter density fields in the three simulations can all be recovered consistently with only a small reduction of the cross-correlation power spectrum at 1\% and 10\% levels at $k=0.1$ and $0.3~h\mathrm{Mpc^{-1}}$, respectively. It is evident that the reconstruction helps to correct for the redshift-space distortions and is unaffected by the different cosmologies between the training sample ({\bf Planck2018}) and the test sample ({\bf WMAP5}). In addition, we tested the application of the UNet-reconstructed density field to recover the velocity \& tidal field and found it outperforms the traditional approach based on the linear bias model, showing a 12.2 percent improvement in the correlation slope and a 21.1 percent reduction in the scatter between the predicted and the true velocities. As a result, our method is highly efficient and has an outstanding level of extrapolation reliability beyond the training set. This offers an optimal solution that determines the three-dimensional underlying density field from the abundant galaxy survey data.

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Z. Wang, F. Shi, X. Yang, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
10/60

Comments: 14 pages, 16 figures

The 14 Her Planetary System: Companion Masses and Architecture from Radial Velocities and Astrometry [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11753


We combine Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Fine Guidance Sensor, Hipparcos, and Gaia DR3 astrometric observations of the K0 V star 14 Her with the results of an analysis of extensive ground-based radial velocity data to determine perturbation orbits and masses for two previously known companions, 14 Her b and c. Radial velocities obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and from the literature now span over twenty five years. With these data we obtain improved RV orbital elements for both the inner companion, 14 Her b and the long-period outer companion, 14 Her c. We also find evidence of an additional RV signal with P $/sim$ 3789d. We then model astrometry from Hipparcos, HST, and Gaia with RV results to obtain system parallax and proper motion, perturbation periods, inclinations, and sizes due to 14 Her b and c. We find P_b = 1767.6 +/- 0.2 d, perturbation semi-major axis {\alpha}_b = 1.3 +/- 0.1 mas, and inclination i_b = 36 +/- 3 degrees, P_c = 52160 +/- 1028 d, perturbation semi-major axis {\alpha}_c = 10.3 +/- 0.7 mas, and inclination i_c = 82 +/- 14 degrees. In agreement with a past investigation, the 14 Her b, c orbits exhibit significant mutual inclination. Assuming a primary mass M = 0.98 +/- 0.04Msun, we obtain companion masses M_b = 8.5 +/- 1.0Mjup and M_c = 7.1 +/- 1.0Mjup.

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G. Benedict, B. McArthur, E. Nelan, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
11/60

Comments: To appear in the Astronomical Journal. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2204.13706

Evidence Networks: simple losses for fast, amortized, neural Bayesian model comparison [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11241


Evidence Networks can enable Bayesian model comparison when state-of-the-art methods (e.g. nested sampling) fail and even when likelihoods or priors are intractable or unknown. Bayesian model comparison, i.e. the computation of Bayes factors or evidence ratios, can be cast as an optimization problem. Though the Bayesian interpretation of optimal classification is well-known, here we change perspective and present classes of loss functions that result in fast, amortized neural estimators that directly estimate convenient functions of the Bayes factor. This mitigates numerical inaccuracies associated with estimating individual model probabilities. We introduce the leaky parity-odd power (l-POP) transform, leading to the novel “l-POP-Exponential” loss function. We explore neural density estimation for data probability in different models, showing it to be less accurate and scalable than Evidence Networks. Multiple real-world and synthetic examples illustrate that Evidence Networks are explicitly independent of dimensionality of the parameter space and scale mildly with the complexity of the posterior probability density function. This simple yet powerful approach has broad implications for model inference tasks. As an application of Evidence Networks to real-world data we compute the Bayes factor for two models with gravitational lensing data of the Dark Energy Survey. We briefly discuss applications of our methods to other, related problems of model comparison and evaluation in implicit inference settings.

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N. Jeffrey and B. Wandelt
Mon, 22 May 23
12/60

Comments: 21 pages, 8 figures

Planetesimal formation via the streaming instability with multiple grain sizes [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11297


Kilometre-sized planetesimals form from pebbles of a range of sizes. We present the first simulations of the streaming instability that begin with a realistic, peaked size distribution, as expected from grain growth predictions. Our 3D numerical simulations directly form planetesimals via the gravitational collapse of pebble clouds. Models with multiple grain sizes show spatially distinct dust populations. The smallest grains in the size distribution do not participate in the formation of filaments or the planetesimals that are formed by the remaining ~80% of the dust mass. This implies a size cutoff for pebbles incorporated into asteroids and comets. Observations cannot resolve this dust clumping. However, we show that clumping, combined with optical depth effects, can cause significant underestimates of the dust mass, with 20%-80% more dust being present even at moderate optical depths if the streaming instability is active.

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J. Rucska and J. Wadsley
Mon, 22 May 23
13/60

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS, 16 pages, 10 figures

Fast Neutrino Flavor Conversions can Help and Hinder Neutrino-Driven Explosions [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11207


We present the first simulations of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in axial symmetry (2D) with feedback from fast neutrino flavor conversion (FFC). Our schematic treatment of FFCs assumes instantaneous flavor equilibration under the constraint of lepton-number conservation. Systematically varying the spatial domain where FFCs are assumed to occur, we find that they facilitate SN explosions in low-mass (9-12 solar masses) progenitors that otherwise explode with longer time delays, whereas FFCs weaken the tendency to explode of higher-mass (around 20 solar masses) progenitors.

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J. Ehring, S. Abbar, H. Janka, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
14/60

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PRL

CN and CO Features: Key Indicators of Red Giant Evolutionary Phase in Moderate-Resolution X-Shooter Spectra [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11620


Data-driven analysis methods can help to infer physical properties of red giant stars where “gold-standard” asteroseismic data are not available. The study of optical and infrared spectra of red giant stars with data-driven analyses has revealed that differences in oscillation frequencies and their separations are imprinted in said spectra. This makes it possible to confidently differentiate core-helium burning red clump stars (RC) from those that are still on their first ascent of the red giant branch (RGB). We extend these studies to a tenfold larger wavelength range of 0.33 to 2.5 microns with the moderate-resolution VLT/X-shooter spectrograph. Our analysis of 49 stars with asteroseismic data from the K2 mission confirms that CN, CO and CH features are indeed the primary carriers of spectroscopic information on the evolutionary stages of red giant stars. We report 215 informative features for differentiating the RC from the RGB within the range of 0.33 to 2.5 microns. This makes it possible for existing and future spectroscopic surveys to optimize their wavelength regions to deliver both a large variety of elemental abundances and reliable age estimates of luminous red giant stars.

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K. Banks, C. Ho, S. Martell, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
15/60

Comments: 6 pages, 2 figures

Powerful Radio-Loud Quasars are Triggered by Galaxy Mergers in the Cosmic Bright Ages [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11804


While supermassive black holes are ubiquitous features of galactic nuclei, only a small minority are observed during episodes of luminous accretion. The physical mechanism(s) driving the onset of fueling and ignition in these active galactic nuclei (AGN) are still largely unknown for many galaxies and AGN-selection criteria. Attention has focused on AGN triggering by means of major galaxy mergers gravitationally funneling gas towards the galactic center, with evidence both for and against this scenario. However, several recent studies have found that radio-loud AGN overwhelmingly reside in ongoing or recent major galaxy mergers. In this study, we test the hypothesis that major galaxy mergers are important triggers for radio-loud AGN activity in powerful quasars during cosmic noon (1 < z < 2). To this end, we compare Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR observations of the z > 1 3CR radio-loud broad-lined quasars to three matched radio-quiet quasar control samples. We find strong evidence for major-merger activity in nearly all radio-loud AGN, in contrast to the much lower merger fraction in the radio-quiet AGN. These results suggest major galaxy mergers are key ingredients to launching powerful radio jets. Given many of our radio-loud quasars are blue, our results present a possible challenge to the “blow-out” paradigm of galaxy evolution models in which blue quasars are the quiescent end result following a period of red quasar feedback initiated by a galaxy merger. Finally, we find a tight correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy luminosity for these different high-redshift AGN samples inconsistent with those observed for local elliptical galaxies.

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P. Breiding, M. Chiaberge, E. Lambrides, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
16/60

Comments: Submitted to ApJ

Engineering the sensitivity of macroscopic physical systems to variations in the fine-structure constant [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11264


Experiments aimed at searching for variations in the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ are based on spectroscopy of transitions in microscopic bound systems, such as atoms and ions, or resonances in optical cavities. The sensitivities of these systems to variations in $\alpha$ are typically on the order of unity and are fixed for a given system. For heavy atoms, highly charged ions and nuclear transitions, the sensitivity can be increased by benefiting from the relativistic effects and favorable arrangement of quantum states. This article proposes a new method for controlling the sensitivity factor of macroscopic physical systems. Specific concepts of optical cavities with tunable sensitivity to $\alpha$ are described. These systems show qualitatively different properties from those of previous studies of the sensitivity of macroscopic systems to variations in $\alpha$, in which the sensitivity was found to be fixed and fundamentally limited to an order of unity. Although possible experimental constraints attainable with the specific optical cavity arrangements proposed in this article do not yet exceed the present best constraints on $\alpha$ variations, this work paves the way for developing new approaches to searching for variations in the fundamental constants of physics.

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B. Zjawin, M. Bober, R. Ciuryło, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
17/60

Comments: N/A

Temperature inhomogeneities cause the abundance discrepancy in H II regions [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11578


HII regions, ionized nebulae where massive star formation has taken place, exhibit a wealth of emission lines that are the fundamental basis for estimating the chemical composition of the Universe. For more than 80 years, a discrepancy of at least a factor of two between heavy-element abundances derived with collisional excited lines (CELs) and the weaker recombination lines (RLs) has thrown our absolute abundance determinations into doubt. Heavy elements regulate the cooling of the interstellar gas, being essential to the understanding of several phenomena such as nucleosynthesis, star formation and chemical evolution. In this work, we use the best available deep optical spectra of ionized nebulae to analyze the cause of this abundance discrepancy problem. We find for the first time general observational evidence in favor of the temperature inhomogeneities within the gas, quantified by t2. The temperature inhomogeneities inside H II regions are affecting only the gas of high ionization degree and producing the abundance discrepancy problem. This work implies that the metallicity determinations based on CELs must be revised, as they can be severely underestimated, especially in the regions of lower metallicity, such as the JWST high-z galaxies. We present methods to estimate these corrections, which will be critical for robust interpretations of the chemical composition of the Universe over cosmic time.

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J. Méndez-Delgado, C. Esteban, J. García-Rojas, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
18/60

Comments: A Nature paper. The final version of this article can be found here: this https URL This version of ArXiV is the initial version of the article, not refereed and without subsequent editorial changes. The accepted version will be updated here in 6 months. If you are a researcher and do not have access to the final version of Nature, please write me an email

Mass Derivation of planets K2-21b and K2-21c from Transit Timing Variations [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11359


While various indirect methods are used to detect exoplanets, one of the most effective and accurate methods is the transit method, which measures the brightness of a given star for periodic dips when an exoplanet is passing in front of the parent star. For systems with multiple transiting planets, the gravitational perturbations between planets affect their transit times. The difference in transit times allows a measurement of the planet masses and orbital eccentricities. These parameters help speculating on the formation, evolution and stability of the system. Using Transit Timing Variations (TTVs), we measure the masses and eccentricities of two planets orbiting K2-21, a relatively bright K7 dwarf star. These two planets exhibit measurable TTVs, have orbital periods of about 9.32 days and 15.50 days, respectively, and a period ratio of about 1.66, which is relatively near to the 5:3 mean motion resonance. We report that the inner and outer planets in the K2-21 system have properties consistent with the presence of a hydrogen and helium dominated atmospheres, as we estimate their masses to be 1.59^{+0.52}{-0.44} M_E and 3.88^{+1.22}{-1.07} M_E and densities of 0.22^{+0.05}{-0.04} rho_E and 0.34^{+0.08}{-0.06} rho_E, respectively (M_E and rho_E are the mass and density of Earth, respectively). Our results show that the inner planet is less dense than the outer planet; one more counter-intuitive exoplanetary system such as Kepler-105, LTT 1445, TOI-175 and Kepler-279 systems.

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M. Moutamid, K. Stevenson, B. Quarles, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
19/60

Comments: N/A

Properties and Asteroseismological analysis of a new ZZ ceti discovered by TMTS [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11585


Tsinghua university-Ma Huateng Telescope for Survey (TMTS) aims to discover rapidly evolving transients by monitoring the northern sky. The TMTS catalog is cross-matched with the white dwarf (WD) catalog of Gaia EDR3, and light curves of more than a thousand WD candidates are obtained so far. Among them, the WD TMTS J23450729+5813146 (hereafter J2345) is one interesting common source. Based on the light curves from the TMTS and follow-up photometric observations, periods of 967.113 s, 973.734 s, 881.525 s, 843.458 s, 806.916 s and 678.273 s are identified. In addition, the TESS observations suggest a 3.39 h period but this can be attributed to the rotation of a comoving M dwarf located within 3″. The spectroscopic observation indicates that this WD is DA type with Teff = 11778+/-617K,log g = 8.38+/-0.31,mass=0.84+/-0.20Msun and age=0.704+/-0.377 Gyrs. Asteroseismological analysis reveals a global best-fit solution of Teff =12110+/-10K and mass=0.760+/-0.005Msun,consistent with the spectral fitting results, and Oxygen and Carbon abundances in the core center are 0.73 and 0.27, respectively. The distance derived from the intrinsic luminosity given by asteroseismology is 93 parsec, which is in agreement with the distance of 98 parsec from Gaia DR3. Additionally, kinematic study shows that this WD is likely a thick disk star. The mass of its zero-age main-sequence mass is estimated to be 3.08 Msun and has a main-sequence plus cooling age of roughly 900 Myrs.

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J. Guo, Y. Chen, X. Wang, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
20/60

Comments: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Emergence of hot corona and truncated disk in simulations of accreting stellar mass black holes [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11429


Stellar mass black holes in X-ray binaries (XRBs) are known to display different states characterized by different spectral and timing properties, understood in the framework of a hot corona coexisting with a thin accretion disk whose inner edge is truncated. There are several open questions related to the nature and properties of the corona, the thin disk, and dynamics behind the hard state. This motivated us to perform two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of accretion flows onto a 10 solar masses black hole. We consider a two-temperature plasma, incorporate radiative cooling with bremmstrahlung, synchrotron and comptonization losses and approximate the Schwarzschild spacetime via a pseudo-Newtonian potential. We varied the mass accretion rate in the range 0.02 <= Mdot/Mdot_Edd <= 0.35. Our simulations show the natural emergence of a colder truncated thin disk embedded in a hot corona, as required to explain the hard state of XRBs. We found that as Mdot increases, the corona contracts and the inner edge of the thin disk gets closer to the event horizon. At a critical accretion rate 0.02 <= Mdot_crit\Mdot_Edd <= 0.06, the thin disk disappears entirely. We discuss how our simulations compare with XRB observations in the hard state.

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R. Nemmen, A. Vemado, I. Almeida, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
21/60

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS Letters

Gravitational waves from walls bounded by strings in $SO(10)$ model of pseudo-Goldstone dark matter [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11775


We explore the gravitational wave spectrum generated by string-wall structures in an $SO(10)$ ($Spin(10)$) based scenario of pseudo-Goldstone boson dark matter (pGDM) particle. This dark matter candidate is a linear combination of the Standard Model (SM) singlets present in the 126 and 16 dimensional Higgs fields. The Higgs $126$-plet vacuum expectation value (VEV) $\left<126_H\right>$ leaves unbroken the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ subgroup of $\mathbb{Z}_4$, the center of $SO(10)$. Among other things, this yields topologically stable cosmic strings with a string tension $\mu \sim \left<126_H\right>^2$. The subsequent (spontaneous) breaking of $\mathbb{Z}_2$ at a significantly lower scale by the $16$-plet VEV $\left<16_H\right>$ leads to the appearance of domain walls bounded by the strings produced earlier. We display the gravitational wave spectrum for $G \mu$ values varying between $10^{-15}$ and $10^{-9}$ ($\left<126_H\right>\sim 10^{11}$ – $10^{14}$ GeV), and $\left<16_H\right>\sim 0.1$ – $10^3$ TeV range ($G$ denotes Newton’s constant.) These predictions can be tested, as we show, by a variety of (proposed) experiments including LISA, ET, CE and others.

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R. Maji, W. Park and Q. Shafi
Mon, 22 May 23
22/60

Comments: 8 pages, 3 figures

Radiation-Driven Wind Hydrodynamics of Massive Stars: A Review [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11666


Mass loss from massive stars plays a determining role in their evolution through the upper Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The hydrodynamic theory that describes their steady-state winds is the line-driven wind theory (m-CAK). From this theory, the mass loss rate and the velocity profile of the wind can be derived, and estimating these properly will have a profound impact on quantitative spectroscopy analyses from the spectra of these objects. Currently, the so-called beta-law, which is an approximation for the fast solution, is widely used instead of m-CAK hydrodynamics, and when the derived value is beta greater than 1.2, there is no hydrodynamic justification for these values. This review focuses on (1) a detailed topological analysis of the equation of motion (EoM), (2) solving the EoM numerically for all three different (fast and two slow) wind solutions, (3) deriving analytical approximations for the velocity profile via the LambertW function and (4) presenting a discussion of the applicability of the slow solutions.

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M. Cure and I. Araya
Mon, 22 May 23
23/60

Comments: Published in Galaxies Journal (33 pages, 18 figures)

Sapaki: Galactic O3If* star possibly born in isolation [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11612


Context: The study of high-mass stars found to be isolated in the field of the Milky Way may help to probe the feasibility of the core-accretion mechanism in the case of massive star formation. The existence of truly isolated stars may efficiently probe the possibility that individual massive stars can be born in isolation. Aims: We observed WR67a (hereafter Sapaki), an O3If* star that appears to be isolated close to the center of a well-developed giant cavity that is aptly traced by 8.0 $\mu$m hot dust emission. Methods: We acquired medium-resolution ($R=4100$) and moderate signal-to-noise ($S/N = 95$ at 4500 \r{A}) spectra for Sapaki in the range of 3800-10500 \r{A} with the Magellan Echellette (MagE) at Las Campanas Observatory. We computed the line-of-sight total extinctions. Additionally, we restricted its heliocentric distance by using a range of different estimators. Moreover, we measured its radial velocity from several lines in its spectrum. Finally, we analyzed its proper motions from Gaia to examine its possible runaway status. Results: The star has been classified as having the spectral type O3If* given its resemblance to standard examples of the class. In addition, we found that Sapaki is highly obscured, reaching a line-of-sight extinction value of $A_{V} = 7.87$. We estimated the heliocentric distance to be in the range of $d = 4-7$ kpc. We also estimated its radial velocity to be $V_{r} = -34.2 \pm 15.6$ km/s. We may also discard its runaway status solely based on its 2D kinematics. Furthermore, by analyzing proper motions and parallaxes provided by Gaia, we found only one other star with compatible measurements. Conclusions: Given its apparent non-runaway status and the absence of clustering, Sapaki appears to be a solid candidate for isolated high-mass star formation in the Milky Way.

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M. Plaza, A. Roman-Lopes and D. Sanmartim
Mon, 22 May 23
24/60

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables

Photo-zSNthesis: Converting Type Ia Supernova Lightcurves to Redshift Estimates via Deep Learning [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11869


Upcoming photometric surveys will discover tens of thousands of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), vastly outpacing the capacity of our spectroscopic resources. In order to maximize the science return of these observations in the absence of spectroscopic information, we must accurately extract key parameters, such as SN redshifts, with photometric information alone. We present Photo-zSNthesis, a convolutional neural network-based method for predicting full redshift probability distributions from multi-band supernova lightcurves, tested on both simulated Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Vera C. Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) data as well as observed SDSS SNe. We show major improvements over predictions from existing methods on both simulations and real observations as well as minimal redshift-dependent bias, which is a challenge due to selection effects, e.g. Malmquist bias. The PDFs produced by this method are well-constrained and will maximize the cosmological constraining power of photometric SNe Ia samples.

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H. Qu and M. Sako
Mon, 22 May 23
25/60

Comments: submitted to ApJ

EUV fine structure and variability associated with coronal rain revealed by Solar Orbiter/EUI HRIEUV and SPICE [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11691


Coronal rain is the most dramatic cooling phenomenon of the solar corona and an essential diagnostic tool for the coronal heating properties. A puzzling feature of the solar corona, besides the heating, is its EUV filamentary structure and variability. We aim to identify observable features of the TNE-TI scenario underlying coronal rain at small and large spatial scales, to understand the role it plays in the solar corona. We use EUV datasets at unprecedented spatial resolution of ~240 km from EUI/HRIEUV and SPICE of Solar Orbiter from the spring 2022 perihelion. EUV absorption features produced by coronal rain are detected at scales as small as 260 km. As the rain falls, heating and compression is produced immediately downstream, leading to a small EUV brightening accompanying the fall and producing a “fireball” phenomenon. Just prior to impact, a flash-like EUV brightening downstream of the rain, lasting a few minutes is observed for the fastest events. For the first time, we detect the atmospheric response to the rain’s impact on the chromosphere and consists of upward propagating rebound shocks and flows partly reheating the loop. The observed widths of the rain clumps are 500 +- 200 km. They exhibit a broad velocity distribution of 10 – 150 km s^-1, peaking below 50 km s^-1. Coronal strands of similar widths are observed along the same loops co-spatial with cool filamentary structure, which we interpret as the CCTR. Matching with the expected cooling, prior to the rain appearance sequential loop brightenings are detected in gradually cooler lines from corona to chromospheric temperatures. Despite the large rain showers, most cannot be detected in AIA 171 in quadrature, indicating that LOS effects play a major role in coronal rain visibility. Still, AIA 304 and SPICE observations reveal that only a small fraction of the rain can be captured by HRIEUV.

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P. Antolin, A. Dolliou, F. Auchère, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
26/60

Comments: Astronomy & Astrophysics; 32 Pages, 24 Main Figures, Appendix

Rotation-tunneling spectrum and astrochemical modeling of dimethylamine, CH$_3$NHCH$_3$, and searches for it in space [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11656


Methylamine has been the only simple alkylamine detected in the interstellar medium for a long time. With the recent secure and tentative detections of vinylamine and ethylamine, respectively, dimethylamine has become a promising target for searches in space. Its rotational spectrum, however, has been known only up to 45 GHz until now. Here we investigate the rotation-tunneling spectrum of dimethylamine in selected regions between 76 and 1091 GHz using three different spectrometers in order to facilitate its detection in space. The quantum number range is extended to $J = 61$ and $K_a = 21$, yielding an extensive set of accurate spectroscopic parameters. To search for dimethylamine, we refer to the spectral line survey ReMoCA carried out with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array toward the high-mass star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) and a spectral line survey of the molecular cloud G+0.693$-$0.027 employing the IRAM 30 m and Yebes 40 m radio telescopes. We report nondetections of dimethylamine toward the hot molecular cores Sgr B2(N1S) and Sgr B2(N2b) as well as G+0.693$-$0.027 which imply that dimethylamine is at least 14, 4.5 and 39 times less abundant than methylamine toward these sources, respectively. The observational results are compared to computational results from a gas-grain astrochemical model. The modeled methylamine to dimethylamine ratios are compatible with the observational ratios. However, the model produces too much ethylamine compared with methylamine which could mean that the already fairly low levels of dimethylamine in the models may also be too high.

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H. Müller, R. Garrod, A. Belloche, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
27/60

Comments: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., accepted. 33 pages including tables, figures, and appendix

Extragalactic neutrino factories [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11263


Identifying the astrophysical sources responsible for the high-energy cosmic neutrinos has been a longstanding challenge. In a previous work, we report evidence for a spatial correlation between blazars from the 5th Roma-BZCat catalog and neutrino data of the highest detectable energies, i.e. >0.1 PeV, collected by the IceCube Observatory in the southern celestial hemisphere. The statistical significance is found at the level of 2 x 10^{-6} post-trial. In this work we test whether a similar correlation exists in the northern hemisphere, were IceCube is mostly sensitive to <0.1 PeV energies. We find a consistent correlation between blazars and northern neutrino data at the pre-trial p-value of 5.12 x 10^{-4}, and a post-trial chance probability of 6.79 x 10^{-3}. Combining the post-trial probabilities observed for the southern and northern experiments yields a global post-trial chance probability of 2.59 x 10^{-7} for the genuineness of such correlation. This implies that the spatial correlation is highly unlikely to arise by chance. Our studies push forward an all-sky subset of 52 objects as highly likely PeVatron extragalactic accelerators.

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S. Buson, A. Tramacere, L. Oswald, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
28/60

Comments: Under review, feedback welcome

Accurate Systemic Redshifts and Outflow Speeds for Extremely Red Quasars (ERQs) [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11223


Extremely Red Quasars (ERQs) are thought to represent a brief episode of young quasar and galactic evolution characterized by rapid outflows and obscured growth due to dusty environments. We use new redshift measurements from CO and Ly$\alpha$ emission-lines to better constrain outflow velocities from previous line measurements. We present sample of 82 ERQs, and the analysis confirms that ERQs have a higher incidence of large CIV blueshifts, accompanied by large Rest Equivalent Widths (REWs) and smaller line widths than blue quasars. We find that strong blueshifts (>2000 km s$^{-1}$) are present in 12/54 (22.22 per cent) of ERQs with the most robust redshift indicators. At least 4 out of 15 ERQs in the sample also have blueshifts in their H$\beta$ and low-ionization UV lines ranging from $-$500 to $-$1500 km s$^{-1}$. ERQs with strong CIV blueshifts are substantially offset in CIV REW and Full-Width at Half-Maximum (FWHM) from typical blue quasars in the same velocity range. ERQs have average values of REW = 124 A and FWHM = 5274 km s$^{-1}$, while blue quasars have REW = 24 A and FWHM = 6973 km s$^{-1}$. The extreme nature of the outflows in ERQs might explain some of their other spectral properties, such as the large CIV REWs and peculiar wingless profiles owing to more extended broad-line regions participating in outflows. The physical reasons for the extreme outflow properties of ERQs are unclear; however, larger Eddington ratios and/or softer ionizing spectra incident on the outflow gas cannot be ruled out.

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J. Gillette, F. Hamann, M. Lau, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
29/60

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Minimal Preheating [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11246


An oscillating inflaton field induces small amplitude oscillations of the Hubble parameter at the end of inflation. These Hubble parameter induced oscillations, in turn, trigger parametric particle production of all light fields, even if they are not directly coupled to the inflaton. We here study the induced particle production for a light scalar field (e.g. the Standard Model Higgs field) after inflation as a consequence of this effect. Our analysis yields a model-independent lower bound on the efficiency of energy transfer from the inflaton condensate to particle excitations.

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R. Brandenberger, V. Kamali and R. Ramos
Mon, 22 May 23
30/60

Comments: 9 pages, 7 figures

On the Metallicities and Kinematics of the Circumgalactic Media of Damped Ly$α$ Systems at $z \sim 2.5$ [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11232


We use medium- and high-resolution spectroscopy of close pairs of quasars to analyze the circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding 32 damped Ly$\alpha$ absorption systems (DLAs). The primary quasar sightline in each pair probes an intervening DLA in the redshift range $1.6<z_\text{abs}<3.5$, such that the secondary sightline probes absorption from Ly$\alpha$ and a large suite of metal-line transitions (including $~\rm OI$, $~\rm CII$, $~\rm CIV$, $~\rm SiII$, and $~\rm SiIV$) in the DLA host galaxy’s CGM at transverse distances $24\ \text{kpc}\le R_\bot\le284~\rm kpc$. Analysis of Ly$\alpha$ in the CGM sightlines shows an anti-correlation between $R_\bot$ and $~\rm HI$ column density ($N_\text{HI}$) with 99.8$\%$ confidence, similar to that observed around luminous galaxies. The incidences of $~\rm CII$ and $~\rm SiII$ with $N>10^{13}~\rm cm^{-2}$ within 100 kpc of DLAs are larger by $2\sigma$ than those measured in the CGM of Lyman break galaxies (C$f(N\text{CII})>0.89$ and C$f(N\text{SiII})=0.75_{-0.17}^{+0.12}$). Metallicity constraints derived from ionic ratios for nine CGM systems with negligible ionization corrections and $N_\text{HI}>10^{18.5}~\rm cm^{-2}$ show a significant degree of scatter (with metallicities/limits across the range $-2.06\lesssim\log Z/Z_{\odot}\lesssim-0.75$), suggesting inhomogeneity in the metal distribution in these environments. Velocity widths of $\text{CIV}\lambda1548$ and low-ionization metal species in the DLA vs. CGM sightlines are strongly ($>2\sigma$) correlated, suggesting they trace the potential well of the host halo over $R_\bot\lesssim300$ kpc scales. At the same time, velocity centroids for $\text{CIV}\lambda1548$ differ in DLA vs. CGM sightlines by $>100~\rm km\ s^{-1}$ for $\sim50\%$ of velocity components, but few components have velocities that would exceed the escape velocity assuming dark matter host halos of $\ge10^{12}M_\odot$.

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S. Stawinski, K. Rubin, J. Prochaska, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
31/60

Comments: 44 pages, 21 Figures, 5 Tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

Element Abundances in Impulsive Solar Energetic Particle Events [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11816


We outline and discuss a model for the enhanced abundances of trans-Fe elements in impulsive Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events, where large mass dependent abundance enhancements are frequently seen. It comes about as a variation of the ponderomotive force model for the First Ionization Potential (FIP) Effect, i.e. the increase in coronal abundance of elements like Fe, Mg, and Si that are ionized in the solar chromosphere relative to those that are neutral. In this way, the fractionation region is placed in the chromosphere, and is connected to the solar envelope allowing the huge abundance variations to occur, that might otherwise be problematic with a coronal fractionation site. The principal mechanism behind the mass-independent FIP fractionation becoming the mass dependent impulsive SEP fractionation is the suppression of acoustic waves in the chromosphere. The ponderomotive force causing the fractionation must be due to torsional Alfven waves, which couple much less effectively to slow modes than do shear waves, and upward propagating acoustic waves deriving from photospheric convection must be effectively mode converted to fast modes at the chromospheric layer where Alfven and sound speeds are equal, and subsequently totally internally reflected. We further discuss observations of the environments thought to be the source of impulsive SEPs, and the extent to which the real Sun might meet these conditions.

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J. Laming and N. Kuroda
Mon, 22 May 23
32/60

Comments: 11 pages, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

Assessing Exoplanet Habitability through Data-driven Approaches: A Comprehensive Literature Review [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11204


The exploration and study of exoplanets remain at the frontier of astronomical research, challenging scientists to continuously innovate and refine methodologies to navigate the vast, complex data these celestial bodies produce. This literature the review aims to illuminate the emerging trends and advancements within this sphere, specifically focusing on the interplay between exoplanet detection, classification, and visualization, and the the increasingly pivotal role of machine learning and computational models. Our journey through this realm of exploration commences with a comprehensive analysis of fifteen meticulously selected, seminal papers in the field. These papers, each representing a distinct facet of exoplanet research, collectively offer a multi-dimensional perspective on the current state of the field. They provide valuable insights into the innovative application of machine learning techniques to overcome the challenges posed by the analysis and interpretation of astronomical data. From the application of Support Vector Machines (SVM) to Deep Learning models, the review encapsulates the broad spectrum of machine learning approaches employed in exoplanet research. The review also seeks to unravel the story woven by the data within these papers, detailing the triumphs and tribulations of the field. It highlights the increasing reliance on diverse datasets, such as Kepler and TESS, and the push for improved accuracy in exoplanet detection and classification models. The narrative concludes with key takeaways and insights, drawing together the threads of research to present a cohesive picture of the direction in which the field is moving. This literature review, therefore, serves not just as an academic exploration, but also as a narrative of scientific discovery and innovation in the quest to understand our cosmic neighborhood.

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M. Jakka
Mon, 22 May 23
33/60

Comments: N/A

Black Hole Feeding and Feedback in a Compact Galaxy [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11415


We perform high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations using the framework of {\it MACER} to investigate supermassive black hole (SMBH) feeding and feedback in a massive compact galaxy, which has a small effective radius but a large stellar mass, with a simulation duration of 10 Gyr. We compare the results with a reference galaxy with a similar stellar mass but a less concentrated stellar density distribution, as typically found in local elliptical galaxies. We find that about 10% of the time, the compact galaxy develops multi-phase gas within a few kpc, but the accretion flow through the inner boundary below the Bondi radius is always a single phase. The inflow rate in the compact galaxy is several times larger than in the reference galaxy, mainly due to the higher gas density caused by the more compact stellar distribution. Such a higher inflow rate results in stronger SMBH feeding and feedback and a larger fountain-like inflow-outflow structure. Compared to the reference galaxy, the star formation rate in the compact galaxy is roughly two orders of magnitude higher but is still low enough to be considered quiescent. Over the whole evolution period, the black hole mass grows by $\sim$50% in the compact galaxy, much larger than the value of $\sim$ 3% in the reference galaxy.

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Y. Di, Y. Li, F. Yuan, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
34/60

Comments: 7 pages, 6 figures

Implementation of Rare Isotopologues into Machine Learning of the Chemical Inventory of the Solar-Type Protostellar Source IRAS 16293-2422 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11193


Machine learning techniques have been previously used to model and predict column densities in the TMC-1 dark molecular cloud. In interstellar sources further along the path of star formation, such as those where a protostar itself has been formed, the chemistry is known to be drastically different from that of largely quiescent dark clouds. To that end, we have tested the ability of various machine learning models to fit the column densities of the molecules detected in source B of the Class 0 protostellar binary IRAS 16293-2422. By including a simple encoding of isotopic composition in our molecular feature vectors, we also examine for the first time how well these models can replicate the isotopic ratios. Finally, we report the predicted column densities of the chemically relevant molecules that may be excellent targets for radioastronomical detection in IRAS 16293-2422B.

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Z. Fried, K. Lee, A. Byrne, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
35/60

Comments: Accepted for publication in Digital Discovery. 18 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables

$clustertools$: A Python Package for Analyzing Star Cluster Simulations [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11222


$clustertools$ is a Python package for analyzing star cluster simulations. The package is built around the $StarCluster$ class, which stores all data read in from the snapshot of a given model star cluster. The package contains functions for loading data from commonly used $N$-body codes, generic snapshots, and software for generating initial conditions. All operations and functions within $clustertools$ are then designed to act on a $StarCluster$. $clustertools$ can be used for unit and coordinate transformations, the calculation of key structural and kinematic parameters, analysis of the cluster’s orbit and tidal tails, and measuring common cluster properties like its mass function, density profile, and velocity dispersion profile (among others). While originally designed with star clusters in mind, $clustertools$ can be used to study other types of $N$-body systems, including stellar streams and dark matter sub-halos.

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J. Webb
Mon, 22 May 23
36/60

Comments: Accepted for Publication in the Journal of Open Source Software, also see this https URL for complete documentation

Constraints on star formation in Orion A from Gaia [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11823


We develop statistical methods within a Bayesian framework to infer the star formation history from photometric surveys of pre-main sequence populations. Our procedures include correcting for biases due to extinction in magnitude-limited surveys, and using distributions from subsets of stars with individual extinction measurements. We also make modest corrections for unresolved binaries. We apply our methods to samples of populations with Gaia photometry in the Orion A molecular cloud. Using two well-established sets of evolutionary tracks, we find that, although our sample is incomplete at youngest ages due to extinction, star formation has proceeded in Orion A at a relatively constant rate between ages of about 0.3 and 5 Myr, in contrast to other studies suggesting multiple epochs of star formation. Similar results are obtained for a set of tracks that attempt to take the effects of strong magnetic fields into account. We also find no evidence for a well-constrained “birthline” that would result from low-mass stars appearing first along the deuterium-burning main sequence, especially using the magnetic evolutionary tracks. While our methods have been developed to deal with Gaia data, they may be useful for analyzing other photometric surveys of star-forming regions.

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J. Alzate, G. Bruzual, M. Kounkel, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
37/60

Comments: N/A

A generalization of photon sphere based on escape/capture cone [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11208


In asymptotically flat spacetimes, bearing the null geodesics reaching the future null infinity in mind, we propose new concepts, the “dark horizons” as generalizations of the photon sphere. They are defined in terms of the structure of escape/capture cones of photons with respect to a unit timelike vector field. More specifically, considering a two-sphere that represents a set of emission directions of photons, the dark horizons are located at positions where a hemisphere is marginally included in the capture and escape cones, respectively. We show that both of them are absent in the Minkowski spacetime, while they exist in spacetimes with black hole(s) under a certain condition. We derive the general properties of the dark horizons in spherically symmetric spacetimes and explicitly calculate the locations of the dark horizons in the Vaidya spacetime and the Kerr spacetime.

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M. Amo, K. Izumi, H. Yoshino, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
38/60

Comments: 34 pages, 11figures

Computational Methods for Collisional Stellar Systems [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11606


Dense star clusters are spectacular self-gravitating stellar systems in our Galaxy and across the Universe – in many respects. They populate disks and spheroids of galaxies as well as almost every galactic center. In massive elliptical galaxies nuclear clusters harbor supermassive black holes, which might influence the evolution of their host galaxies as a whole. The evolution of dense star clusters is not only governed by the aging of their stellar populations and simple Newtonian dynamics. For increasing particle number, unique gravitational effects of collisional many-body systems begin to dominate the early cluster evolution. As a result, stellar densities become so high that stars can interact and collide, stellar evolution and binary stars change the dynamical evolution, black holes can accumulate in their centers and merge with relativistic effects becoming important. Recent high-resolution imaging has revealed even more complex structural properties with respect to stellar populations, binary fractions and compact objects as well as – the still controversial – existence of intermediate mass black holes in clusters of intermediate mass. Dense star clusters therefore are the ideal laboratory for the concomitant study of stellar evolution and Newtonian as well as relativistic dynamics. Not only the formation and disruption of dense star clusters has to be considered but also their galactic environments in terms of initial conditions as well as their impact on galactic evolution. This review deals with the specific computational challenges for modelling dense, gravothermal star clusters.

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R. Spurzem and A. Kamlah
Mon, 22 May 23
39/60

Comments: 98 pages, 13 figures, invited article for Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics

Quasar Luminosity Function at z = 7 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11225


We present the quasar luminosity function (LF) at $z = 7$, measured with 35 spectroscopically confirmed quasars at $6.55 < z < 7.15$. The sample of 22 quasars from the Subaru High-$z$ Exploration of Low-Luminosity Quasars (SHELLQs) project, combined with 13 brighter quasars in the literature, covers an unprecedentedly wide range of rest-frame ultraviolet magnitudes over $-28 < M_{1450} < -23$. We found that the binned LF flattens significantly toward the faint end populated by the SHELLQs quasars. A maximum likelihood fit to a double power-law model has a break magnitude $M^{1450} = -25.60^{+0.40}{-0.30}$, a characteristic density $\Phi^ = 1.35^{+0.47}{-0.30}$ Gpc$^{-3}$ mag$^{-1}$, and a bright-end slope $\beta = -3.34^{+0.49}{-0.57}$, when the faint-end slope is fixed to $\alpha = -1.2$ as observed at $z \le 6$. The overall LF shape remains remarkably similar from $z = 4$ to $7$, while the amplitude decreases substantially toward higher redshifts, with a clear indication of an accelerating decline at $z \ge 6$. The estimated ionizing photon density, $10^{48.2 \pm 0.1}$ s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-3}$, is less than 1 % of the critical rate to keep the intergalactic medium ionized at $z = 7$, and thus indicates that quasars are not a major contributor to cosmic reionization.

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Y. Matsuoka, M. Onoue, K. Iwasawa, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
40/60

Comments: The Astrophysical Journal Letters, in press

The role of grain size in AGN torus dust models [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11331


Fits the infrared spectra from the nuclear regions of AGN can place constraints on the dust properties, distribution, and geometry by comparison with models. However, none of the currently available models fully describe the observations of AGN currently available. Among the aspects least explored, here we focus on the role of dust grain size. We offer the community a new spectral energy distribution (SED) library, hereinafter [GoMar23] model, which is based on the two-phase torus model developed before with the inclusion of the grain size as a model parameter, parameterized by the maximum grain size Psize or equivalently the mass-weighted average grain size < P >. We created 691,200 SEDs using the SKIRT code, where the maximum grain size can vary within the range Psize = 0.01 – 10.0um ( < P >= 0.007 – 3.41um). We fit this new and several existing libraries to a sample of 68 nearby and luminous AGNs with Spitzer/IRS spectra dominated by AGN-heated dust. We find that the [GoMar23] model can adequately reproduce up to 85-88% of the spectra. The dust grain size parameter significantly improves the final fit in up to 90% of these spectra. Statistical tests indicate that the grain size is the third most important parameter in the fitting procedure (after the size and half opening angle of the torus). The requirement of a foreground extinction by our model is lower compared to purely clumpy models. We find that 41% of our sample requires that the maximum dust grain size is as large as Psize =10um (< P >= 3.41um). Nonetheless, we also remark that disk+wind and clumpy torus models are still required to reproduce the spectra of a non-negligible fraction of objects, suggesting the need for several dust geometries to explain the infrared continuum of AGN. This work provides tentative evidence for dust grain growth in the proximity of the AGN.

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O. González-Martín, C. Almeida, J. Fritz, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
41/60

Comments: 26 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

Leading Loops in Cosmological Correlators [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11228


Cosmological correlators from inflation are often generated at tree level and hence loop contributions are bounded to be small corrections by perturbativity. Here we discuss a scenario where this is not the case. Recently, it has been shown that for any number of scalar fields of any mass, the parity-odd trispectrum of a massless scalar must vanish in the limit of exact scale invariance due to unitarity and the choice of initial state. By carefully handling UV-divergences, we show that the one-loop contribution is non-vanishing and hence leading. Surprisingly, the one-loop parity-odd trispectrum is simply a rational function of kinematics, which we compute explicitly in a series of models, including single-clock inflation. Although the loop contribution is the leading term in the parity-odd sector, its signal-to-noise ratio is typically bounded from above by that of a corresponding tree-level parity-even trispectrum, unless instrumental noise and systematics for the two observables differ. Furthermore, we identify a series of loop contributions to the wavefunction that cancel exactly when computing correlators, suggesting a more general phenomenon.

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M. Lee, C. McCulloch and E. Pajer
Mon, 22 May 23
42/60

Comments: 34 pages, 4 figures

Searching for Scalar Ultralight Dark Matter with Optical Fibers [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11205


We consider optical fibers as detectors for scalar ultralight dark matter (UDM) and propose using a fiber-based interferometer to search for scalar UDM with particle mass in the range $10^{-17} – 10^{-13}$ eV/$c^2$ $\left(10^{-3}- 10 \text{ Hz}\right)$. Composed of a solid core and a hollow core fiber, the proposed detector would be sensitive to relative oscillations in the fibers’ refractive indices due to scalar UDM-induced modulations in the fine-structure constant $\alpha$. We predict that, implementing detector arrays or cryogenic cooling, the proposed optical fiber-based scalar UDM search has the potential to reach new regions of the parameter space. Such a search would be particularly well-suited to probe for a Solar halo of dark matter with a sensitivity exceeding that of previous DM searches over the particle mass range $7\times 10^{-17} – 2\times 10^{-14}$ eV/$c^2$.

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J. Manley, R. Stump, R. Petery, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
43/60

Comments: N/A

Fitting Probability Distribution Functions in Turbulent Star-Forming Molecular Clouds [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11218


We use a suite of 3D simulations of star-forming molecular clouds, with and without stellar feedback and magnetic fields, to investigate the effectiveness of different fitting methods for volume and column density probability distribution functions (PDFs). The first method fits a piecewise lognormal and power-law (PL) function to recover PDF parameters such as the PL slope and transition density. The second method fits a polynomial spline function and examines the first and second derivatives of the spline to determine the PL slope and the functional transition density. We demonstrate that fitting a spline allows us to directly determine if the data has multiple PL slopes. The first PL (set by the transition between lognormal and PL function) can also be visualized in the derivatives directly. In general, the two methods produce fits that agree reasonably well for volume density but vary for column density, likely due to the increased statistical noise in column density maps as compared to volume density. We test a well-known conversion for estimating volume density PL slopes from column density slopes and find that the spline method produces a better match (\c{hi}2 of 2.38 vs \c{hi}2 of 5.92), albeit with a significant scatter. Ultimately, we recommend the use of both fitting methods on column density data to mitigate the effects of noise.

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A. Kiihne, S. Appel, B. Burkhart, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
44/60

Comments: 14 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to ApJ. Comments welcome

A new technique to measure noise parameters for global 21-cm experiments [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11479


Radiometer experiments to detect 21-cm Hydrogen line emission from the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Reionization rely upon precise absolute calibration. During calibration, noise generated by amplifiers within the radiometer receiver must be accounted for; however, it is difficult to measure as the noise power varies with source impedance. In this letter, we introduce a convenient method to measure the noise parameters of a receiver system, which is practical for low-frequency receivers used in global 21-cm experiments.

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D. Price, C. Tong, A. Sutinjo, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
45/60

Comments: 4 pages, accepted paper for URSI GASS 2023 J08

Filling in the Gaps: Can Gravitationally Unstable Discs Form the Seeds of Gas Giant Planets? [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11336


Circumstellar discs likely have a short window when they are self-gravitating and prone to the effects of disc instability, but during this time the seeds of planet formation can be sown. It has long been argued that disc fragmentation can form large gas giant planets at wide orbital separations, but its place in the planet formation paradigm is hindered by a tendency to form especially large gas giants or brown dwarfs. We instead suggest that planet formation can occur early in massive discs, through the gravitational collapse of dust which can form the seeds of giant planets. This is different from the usual picture of self-gravitating discs, in which planet formation is considered through the gravitational collapse of the gas disc into a gas giant precursor. It is familiar in the sense that the core is formed first, and gas is accreted thereafter, as is the case in the core accretion scenario. However, by forming a $\sim 1 M_{\oplus}$ seed from the gravitational collapse of dust within a self-gravitating disc there exists the potential to overcome traditional growth barriers and form a planet within a few times $10^5$ years. The accretion of pebbles is most efficient with centimetre-sized dust, but the accretion of millimetre sizes can also result in formation within a Myr. Thus, if dust can grow to these sizes, planetary seeds formed within very young, massive discs could drastically reduce the timescale of planet formation and potentially explain the observed ring and gap structures in young discs.

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H. Baehr
Mon, 22 May 23
46/60

Comments: MNRAS accepted. 15 pages, 12 figures

Azimuthal Anisotropy of Magnetic Fields in the Circumgalactic Medium Driven by Galactic Feedback Processes [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11214


We use the TNG50 cosmological magnetohydrodynamical simulation of the IllustrisTNG project to show that magnetic fields in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) have significant angular structure. This azimuthal anisotropy at fixed distance is driven by galactic feedback processes that launch strong outflows into the halo, preferentially along the minor axes of galaxies. These feedback-driven outflows entrain strong magnetic fields from the interstellar medium, dragging fields originally amplified by small-scale dynamos into the CGM. At the virial radius, $z=0$ galaxies with M$\star \sim 10^{10}\,\rm{M\odot}$ show the strongest anisotropy ($\sim 0.35$ dex). This signal weakens with decreasing impact parameter, and is also present but weaker for lower mass as well as higher mass galaxies. Creating mock Faraday rotation measure (RM) sightlines through the simulated volume, we find that the angular RM trend is qualitatively consistent with recent observational measurements. We show that rich structure is present in the circumgalactic magnetic fields of galaxies. However, TNG50 predicts small RM amplitudes in the CGM that make detection difficult as a result of other contributions along the line of sight.

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R. Ramesh, D. Nelson, V. Heesen, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
47/60

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcome

OSSOS: XXVII. Population Estimates for Theoretically Stable Centaurs Between Uranus and Neptune [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11412


We calculate the upper bounds of the population of theoretically stable Centaur orbits between Uranus and Neptune. These small bodies are on low-eccentricity, low-inclination orbits in two specific bands of semi-major axis, centred at $\sim$24.6 au and $\sim$25.6 au. They exhibit unusually long Gyr-stable lifetimes in previously published numerical integrations, orders of magnitude longer than that of a typical Centaur. Despite the increased breadth and depth of recent solar system surveys, no such objects have been found. Using the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) survey simulator to calculate the detection efficiency for these objects in an ensemble of fully characterised surveys, we determine that a population of 72 stable Centaurs with absolute magnitude $H_{r}\leq10$ ($95\%$ confidence upper limit) could remain undetected. The upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will be able to detect this entire intrinsic population due to its complete coverage of the ecliptic plane. If detected, these objects will be interesting dynamically-accessible mission targets — especially as comparison of the stable Centaur orbital phase space to the outcomes of several modern planetary migration simulations suggests that these objects could be close to primordial in nature.

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R. Dorsey, M. Bannister, S. Lawler, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
48/60

Comments: Accepted to PSJ. 8 pages, 3 figures. Comments welcome

Testing Jeans dynamical models with prolate rotation on a cosmologically simulated dwarf galaxy [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11256


Prolate rotation is characterized by a significant stellar rotation around a galaxy’s major axis, which contrasts with the more common oblate rotation. Prolate rotation is thought to be due to major mergers and thus studies of prolate-rotating systems can help us better understand the hierarchical process of galaxy evolution. Dynamical studies of such galaxies are important to find their gravitational potential profile, total mass, and dark matter fraction. Recently, it has been shown in a cosmological simulation that it is possible to form a prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy following a dwarf-dwarf merger event. The simulation also shows that the unusual prolate rotation can be time enduring. In this particular example, the galaxy continued to rotate around its major axis for at least $7.4$\,Gyr (from the merger event until the end of the simulation). In this project, we use mock observations of the hydro-dynamically simulated prolate-rotating dwarf galaxy to fit various stages of its evolution with Jeans dynamical models. The Jeans models successfully fit the early oblate state before the major merger event, and also the late prolate stages of the simulated galaxy, recovering its mass distribution, velocity dispersion, and rotation profile. We also ran a prolate-rotating N-body simulation with similar properties to the cosmologically simulated galaxy, which gradually loses its angular momentum on a short time scale $\sim100$\,Myr. More tests are needed to understand why prolate rotation is time enduring in the cosmological simulation, but not in a simple N-body simulation.

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A. Sedain and N. Kacharov
Mon, 22 May 23
49/60

Comments: N/A

A New LBV Candidate in M33 [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11687


The evolutionary relationships and mechanisms governing the behavior of the wide variety of luminous stars populating the upper H-R diagram are not well established. Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are particularly rare, with only a few dozen identified in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Since 2012, the Barber Observatory Luminous Stars Survey has monitored more than 100 luminous targets in M33, including M33C-4119 which has recently undergone photometric and spectroscopic changes consistent with an S Doradus eruption of an LBV.

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J. Martin, R. Humphreys, K. Weis, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
50/60

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 Table

The origin of low-redshift event rate excess as revealed by the low-luminosity GRBs [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11380


The relation between the event rate of long Gamma-Ray Bursts at low redshift and the star formation rate is still controversial, especially in the low-redshift end. Dong et al. confirmed that the Gamma-Ray Burst rate always exceeds the star formation rate at low-redshift of z < 1 in despite of the sample completeness. However, the reason of low-redshift excess is still unclear. Considering low-luminosity bursts with smaller redshift generally, we choose three Swift long burst samples and classify them into low- and high-luminosity bursts in order to check whether the low-redshift excess is existent and if the excess is biased by the sample size and completeness. To degenerate the redshift evolution from luminosity, we adopt the non-parametric method to study the event rate of the two types of long bursts in each sample. It is found that the high-luminosity burst rates are consistent with the star formation rate within the whole redshift range while the event rates of low-luminosity bursts exceed the star formation rate at low redshift of z < 1. Consequently, we conclude that the low-redshift excess is contributed by the low-luminosity bursts with possibly new origins unconnected with the star formation, which is also independent of the sample size and the sample completeness.

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X. Dong, Z. Zhang, Q. Li, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
51/60

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures, sumitted

A GPU-accelerated viewer for HEALPix maps [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11507


HEALPix by G\’orski et. al. (2005) is de-facto standard for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data storage and analysis, and is widely used in current and upcoming CMB experiments. Almost all the datasets in Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) use HEALPix as a format of choice. Visualizing the data plays important role in research, and several toolsets were developed to do that with HEALPix maps, most notably original Fortran facilities and Python integration with healpy.
With the current state of GPU performance, it is now possible to visualize extremely large maps in real time on a laptop or a tablet. HEALPix Viewer described here is developed for macOS, and takes full advantage of GPU acceleration to handle extremely large datasets in real time. It compiles natively on Intel and Arm64 architectures, and uses Metal framework for high-performance GPU computations. The aim of this project is to reduce the effort required for interactive data exploration, as well as time overhead for producing publication-quality maps. Drag and drop integration with Keynote and Powerpoint makes creating presentations easy.
The main codebase is written in Swift, a modern and efficient compiled language, with high-performance computing parts delegated entirely to GPU, and a few inserts in C interfacing to cfitsio library for I/O. Graphical user interface is written in SwiftUI, a new declarative UI framework based on Swift. Most common spherical projections and colormaps are supported out of the box, and the available source code makes it easy to customize the application and to add new features if desired.

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A. Frolov
Mon, 22 May 23
52/60

Comments: 10 pages; 7 figures

Two-Screen Scattering in CRAFT FRBs [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11477


Temporal broadening is a commonly observed property of fast radio bursts (FRBs), associated with turbulent media which cause radiowave scattering. Similarly to dispersion, scattering is an important probe of the media along the line of sight to an FRB source, such as the circum-burst or circum-galactic mediums (CGM). Measurements of characteristic scattering times alone are insufficient to constrain the position of the dominant scattering media along the line of sight. However, where more than one scattering screen exists, Galactic scintillation can be leveraged to form strong constraints. We quantify the scattering and scintillation in 10 FRBs with 1) known host galaxies and redshifts and 2) captured voltage data enabling high time resolution analysis, obtained from the Commensal Real-time ASKAP (Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder) Fast Transient survey science project (CRAFT). We find strong evidence for two screens in three cases. For FRBs 20190608B and 20210320C, we find evidence for scattering screens less than approximately 16.7 and 3000 kpc respectively, from their sources. For FRB 20201124A we find evidence for a scattering screen at $\approx$26 kpc. Each of these measures is consistent with the scattering occurring in the host ISM (inter-stellar medium) or CGM. If pulse broadening is assumed to be contributed by the host galaxy ISM or circum-burst environment, the definitive lack of observed scintillation in four FRBs in our sample suggests that existing models may be over-estimating scattering times associated with the Milky Way’s ISM, similar to the anomalously low scattering observed for FRB 20201124A.

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M. Sammons, A. Deller, M. Glowacki, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
53/60

Comments: 13 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Submitted to MNRAS

A large $|η|$ approach to single field inflation [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11568


Single field models of inflation capable to produce primordial black holes usually require a significant departure from the standard, perturbative slow-roll regime. In fact, in many of these scenarios, the size of the slow-roll parameter $|\eta|$ becomes larger than one during a short phase of inflationary evolution. In order to develop an analytical control on these systems, we explore the limit of $|\eta|$ large, and promote $1/|\eta|$ to a small quantity to be used for perturbative expansions. Formulas simplify, and we obtain analytic expressions for the two and three point functions of curvature fluctuations, which share some of the features found in realistic inflationary models generating primordial black holes. We study one-loop corrections in this framework: we discuss criteria for adsorbing ultraviolet divergences into the available parameters, leaving log-enhanced infrared contributions of controllable size.

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G. Tasinato
Mon, 22 May 23
54/60

Comments: 20 pages, 3 figures

Catalytic role of HI in the interstellar synthesis of complex organic molecule [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11409


Using quantum chemical calculations, we model the pathways for synthesizing two purine nucleobases, adenine and guanine, in the gas-phase interstellar environment, surrounded by neutral atomic hydrogen (HI). HI is found active in facilitating a series of fundamental proton transfer processes of organic synthesis, including bond formation, cyclization, dehydrogenation, and H migration. The reactive potential barriers were significantly reduced in the alternative pathways created by HI, leading to a remarkable increase in the reaction rate. The presence of HI also lowered the reactive activation temperature from 757.8 K to 131.5-147.0 K, indicating the thermodynamic feasibility of these pathways in star-forming regions where some of the reactants have been astronomically detected. Our findings suggest that HI may serve as an effective catalyst for interstellar organic synthesis.

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S. Yang, P. Xie, E. Liang, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
55/60

Comments: 6 figures

EDGES and JWST with 21cm global signal emulator [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11441


The 21cm global signal is an important probe to reveal the properties of the first astrophysical objects and the processes of the structure formation from which one can constrain astrophysical and cosmological parameters. To extract the information of such parameters, one needs to efficiently evaluate the 21cm global signal for statistical analysis. First we developed an artificial neural network-based emulator to predict the 21cm global signal, which works with significantly less computational cost and high precision. Then we apply our emulator to demonstrate the parameter estimation based on the Bayesian analysis by using the publicly available EDGES low-band data. We find that the result is sensitive to the foreground model, the assumption of noise, and the frequency range used in the analysis. The Bayesian evidence suggests the models with higher order polynomial function and enhanced noise are preferred. We also compare models suggested from the EDGES low-band data and the ones from recent JWST measurements of the galaxy luminosity function at $z=16$. We find that the model which produces the 21cm absorption line at $z\approx15$ is well consistent with the central value of the observed luminosity function at $z=16$.

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S. Yoshiura, T. Minoda and T. Takahashi
Mon, 22 May 23
56/60

Comments: 11 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables. Comments welcome

Extreme lensing induces spectro-temporal correlations in black-hole signals [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11247


Rapid progress in electromagnetic black hole observation presents a theoretical challenge: how can the universal signatures of extreme gravitational lensing be distilled from stochastic astrophysical signals? With this motivation, the two-point correlation function of specific intensity fluctuations across image positions, times, and frequencies is here considered. The contribution of strongly deflected light rays, those which make up the photon ring, is analytically computed for a Kerr black hole illuminated by a simple geometric-statistical emission model. We subsequently integrate over the image to yield a spectro-temporal correlation function which is relevant for unresolved sources. Finally, some observational aspects are discussed and a preliminary assessment of detectability with current and upcoming missions is provided.

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S. Hadar, S. Harikesh and D. Chelouche
Mon, 22 May 23
57/60

Comments: N/A

MUSE-ALMA Halos XI: Gas flows in the circumgalactic medium [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11219


The flow of gas into and out of galaxies leaves traces in the circumgalactic medium which can then be studied using absorption lines towards background quasars. We analyse 27 log(N_HI) > 18.0 HI absorbers at z = 0.2 to 1.4 from the MUSE-ALMA Halos survey with at least one galaxy counterpart within a line of sight velocity of +/-500 km s^{-1}. We perform 3D kinematic forward modelling of these associated galaxies to examine the flow of dense, neutral gas in the circumgalactic medium. From the VLT/MUSE, HST broadband imaging and VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES high-resolution UV quasar spectroscopy observations, we compare the impact parameters, star-formation rates and stellar masses of the associated galaxies with the absorber properties. We find marginal evidence for a bimodal distribution in azimuthal angles for strong HI absorbers, similar to previous studies of the MgII and OVI absorption lines. There is no clear metallicity dependence on azimuthal angle and we suggest a larger sample of absorbers are required to fully test the relationship predicted by cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. A case-by-case study of the absorbers reveals that ten per cent of absorbers are consistent with gas accretion, up to 30 per cent trace outflows while the remainder trace gas in the galaxy disk, the intragroup medium and low-mass galaxies below the MUSE detection limit. Our results highlight that the baryon cycle directly affects the dense neutral gas required for star-formation and plays a critical role in galaxy evolution.

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S. Weng, C. Péroux, A. Karki, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
58/60

Comments: 13 pages, 6 figures, 12 pages of appendix. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Alpha-Meteoroids then and now: Unearthing an overlooked micrometeoroid population [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11698


The term $\alpha$-meteoroid' was introduced to describe a group of micrometeoroids with certain dynamical properties, which -- alongside the group of the $\beta$-meteoroids -- had been identified by the first generation of reliable in-situ dust detectors in interplanetary space. In recent years, use of the term $\alpha$-meteoroid has become more frequent again, under a subtly but crucially altered definition. This work shall bring attention to the discrepancy between the term's original and newly established meaning, and spotlight the now-overlooked group of particles that the term used to describe. We review past and present pertinent literature around the term $\alpha$-meteoroid, and assess the dynamics of the originally referred-to particles with respect to possible sources, showing that their formation is the expected consequence of collisional grinding of the zodiacal cloud at short heliocentric distances. The abundance of the original $\alpha$-meteoroids, which are essentiallybound $\beta$-meteoroids’, makes them relevant to all in-situ dust experiments in the inner solar system. Due to the change of the term’s meaning, however, they are not considered by contemporary studies. The characterization of this particle population could elucidate the processing of the innermost zodiacal cloud, and should thus be objective of upcoming in-situ dust experiments. The attained ambiguity of the term $\alpha$-meteoroid is not easily resolved, warranting great care and clarity going forward.

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M. Sommer
Mon, 22 May 23
59/60

Comments: N/A

Cosmic string bursts in LISA [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11653


Cosmic string cusps are sources of short-lived, linearly polarised gravitational wave bursts which can be searched for in gravitational wave detectors. We assess the capability of LISA to detect these bursts using the latest LISA configuration and operational assumptions. For such short bursts, we verify that LISA can be considered as “frozen”, namely that one can neglect LISA’s orbital motion. We consider two models for the network of cosmic string loops, and estimate that LISA should be able to detect 1-3 bursts per year assuming a string tension $G\mu \approx 10^{-11} – 10^{-10.5}$ and detection threshold $\rm{SNR} \ge 20$. Non-detection of these bursts would constrain the string tension to $G\mu\lesssim 10^{-11}$ for both models.

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P. Auclair, S. Babak, H. Leclere, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
60/60

Comments: 6 pages

A novel approach to infer population and cosmological properties with gravitational waves standard sirens and galaxy surveys [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.10488


Gravitational wave (GW) sources at cosmological distances can be used to probe the expansion rate of the Universe. GWs directly provide a distance estimation of the source but no direct information on its redshift. The optimal scenario to obtain a redshift is through the direct identification of an electromagnetic (EM) counterpart and its host galaxy. With almost 100 GW sources detected without EM counterparts (dark sirens), it is becoming crucial to have statistical techniques able to perform cosmological studies in the absence of EM emission. Currently, only two techniques for dark sirens are used on GW observations: the spectral siren method, which is based on the source-frame mass distribution to estimate conjointly cosmology and the source’s merger rate, and the galaxy survey method, which uses galaxy surveys to assign a probabilistic redshift to the source while fitting cosmology. It has been recognized, however, that these two methods are two sides of the same coin. In this paper, we present a novel approach to unify these two methods. We apply this approach to several observed GW events using the \textsc{glade+} galaxy catalog discussing limiting cases. We provide estimates of the Hubble constant, modified gravity propagation effects, and population properties for binary black holes. We also estimate the binary black hole merger rate per galaxy to be $10^{-6}-10^{-5} {\rm yr^{-1}}$ depending on the galaxy catalog hypotheses.

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S. Mastrogiovanni, D. Laghi, R. Gray, et. al.
Fri, 19 May 23
1/46

Comments: 16 pages, 9 figures

ALMA and Keck analysis of Fomalhaut field sources: JWST's Great Dust Cloud is a background object [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.10480


At 7.7 pc, the A-type star Fomalhaut hosts a bright debris disk with multiple radial components. The disk is eccentric and misaligned, strongly suggesting that it is sculpted by interaction with one or more planets. Compact sources are now being detected with JWST, suggesting that new planet detections may be imminent. However, to confirm such sources as companions, common proper motion with the star must be established, as with unprecedented sensitivity comes a high probability that planet candidates are actually background objects. Here, ALMA and Keck observations of Fomalhaut are found to show significant emission at the same sky location as multiple compact sources in JWST MIRI coronagraphic observations, one of which has been dubbed the “Great Dust Cloud” because it lies within the outer belt. Since the ground-based data were obtained between 6 to 18 years prior to the JWST observations, these compact sources are unlikely to be common proper motion companions to Fomalhaut. More generally, this work illustrates that images collected at a range of wavelengths can be valuable for rejecting planet candidates uncovered via direct imaging with JWST.

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G. Kennedy, J. Lovell, P. Kalas, et. al.
Fri, 19 May 23
2/46

Comments: submitted to MNRAS