Author Archives: arxiver

Impact Erosion Model for Gravity-Dominated Planetesimals [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03053


Disruptive collisions have been regarded as an important process for planet formation, while non-disruptive, small-scale collisions (hereafter called erosive collisions) have been underestimated or neglected by many studies. However, recent studies have suggested that erosive collisions are also important to the growth of planets, because they are much more frequent than disruptive collisions. Although the thresholds of the specific impact energy for disruptive collisions (Q_RD^*) have been investigated well, there is no reliable model for erosive collisions. In this study, we systematically carried out impact simulations of gravity-dominated planetesimals for a wide range of specific impact energy (Q_R) from disruptive collisions (Q_R ~ Q_RD^*) to erosive ones (Q_R << Q_RD^*) using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. We found that the ejected mass normalized by the total mass (M_ej/M_tot) depends on the numerical resolution, the target radius (R_tar) and the impact velocity (v_imp), as well as on Q_R, but that it can be nicely scaled by Q_RD^* for the parameter ranges investigated (R_tar = 30-300 km, v_imp = 2-5 km/s). This means that M_ej/M_tot depends only on Q_R/Q_RD^* in these parameter ranges. We confirmed that the collision outcomes for much less erosive collisions (Q_R < 0.01 Q_RD^*) converge to the results of an impact onto a planar target for various impact angles and that M_ej/M_tot = C * QR/QRD* holds. For disruptive collisions (Q_R ~ Q_RD^*), the curvature of the target has a significant effect on Mej/Mtot. We also examined the angle-averaged value of M_ej/M_tot and found that the numerically obtained relation between angle-averaged M_ej/M_tot and Q_R/Q_RD^* is very similar to the cases for 45-degree impacts. We proposed a new erosion model based on our numerical simulations for future research on planet formation with collisional erosion.

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H. Genda, T. Fujita, H. Kobayashi, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
36/52

Comments: Accepted for publication in Icarus, 41 pages, 16 figures

Gravitational collapse to a Kerr-Newman black hole [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03223


We present the first systematic study of the gravitational collapse of rotating and magnetised neutron stars to charged and rotating (Kerr-Newman) black holes. In particular, we consider the collapse of magnetised and rotating neutron stars assuming that no pair-creation takes place and that the charge density in the magnetosphere is so low that the stellar exterior can be described as an electrovacuum. Under these assumptions, which are rather reasonable for a pulsar that has crossed the ‘death line’, we show that when the star is rotating, it acquires a net initial electrical charge, which is then trapped inside the apparent horizon of the newly formed back hole. We analyse a number of different quantities to validate that the black hole produced is indeed a Kerr-Newman one and show that, in the absence of rotation or magnetic field, the end result of the collapse is a Schwarzschild or Kerr black hole, respectively.

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A. Nathanail, E. Most and L. Rezzolla
Fri, 10 Mar 17
37/52

Comments: MNRAS accepted

Constraining proto-planetary disc evolution using accretion rate and disc mass measurements: the usefulness of the dimensionless accretion parameter [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02974


We explore how measurements of protoplanetary disc masses and accretion rates provided by surveys of star forming regions can be analysed via the dimensionless accretion parameter, which we define as the product of the accretion rate and stellar age divided by the disc mass. By extending and generalising the study of Jones et al (2012), we demonstrate that this parameter should be less than or of order unity for a wide range of evolutionary scenarios, rising above unity only during the final stages of outside in clearing by external photoevaporation. We use this result to assess the reliability of disc mass estimates derived from CO isotopologues and submm continuum emission by examining the distribution of accretion efficiencies in regions which are not subject to external photoevaporation. We find that while dust based mass estimates produce results compatible with theoretical expectations assuming canonical dust/gas ratio, the systematically lower CO based estimates yield accretion efficiencies significantly above unity in contrast with the theory. This finding provides additional evidence that CO based disc masses are an under-estimate, in line with arguments that have been made on the basis of chemical modelling of relatively small samples. On the other hand, we demonstrate that dust based mass estimates are sufficiently accurate to reveal distinctly higher accretion efficiencies in the Trapezium cluster, where this result is expected given the evident importance of external photoevaporation. We therefore propose the dimensionless accretion parameter as a new diagnostic of external photoevaporation in other star forming regions.

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G. Rosotti, C. Clarke, C. Manara, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
38/52

Comments: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted to MNRAS

Tracing magnetic fields with spectroscopic channel maps [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03119


We explore the ability of gradients of velocity channel map intensities to trace magnetic fields in turbulent diffuse media. This work capitalizes both on the modern theory of MHD turbulence that predicts the magnetic eddies tend to be aligned with the local direction of magnetic field, and the theory of Position-Position-Velocity (PPV) statistics that describes how the velocity and density fluctuations in real space are being mapped into the PPV space. We show that for steep, e.g. Kolmogorov-type density spectrum, the Velocity Channel Gradients (VChGs) in thin velocity channels are dominated by velocity contributions. While for the velocity channel thickness comparable to turbulent injection velocities, the VChGs are dominated by the properties of turbulent densities. As turbulent velocity structures are better aligned with magnetic fields, the tracing with thin channels has the ability of representing the magnetic field better. We decompose the results of 3D MHD simulations into Alfven, slow and fast modes and analyze synthetic maps produced with these modes. We show that Alfven and slow modes act in unison to trace magnetic field, while the velocity gradients produced by the fast mode are orthogonal to those produced by the first two modes. However, for thin channel maps the contributions from the Alfven and slow modes are shown to dominate which allows a reliable magnetic field tracing. We also introduce centroids that use only part of the spectral line rather the entire spectral line and apply them to GALFA 21 cm data. We compare the directions obtained with the gradients of these “reduced centroids” and the magnetic field directions as they are traced by the Planck polarization. We believe that the observed deviations can potentially reveal the variations of the magnetic field along the line of sight.

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A. Lazarian and K. Yuen
Fri, 10 Mar 17
39/52

Comments: 13 pages, 14 figures

Relativistic Disk Reflection in the Neutron Star X-ray Binary XTE J1709-267 with NuSTAR [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03103


We perform the first reflection study of the soft X-ray transient and Type 1 burst source XTE J1709-267 using NuSTAR observations during its 2016 June outburst. There was an increase in flux near the end of the observations, which corresponds to an increase from $\sim$0.04 L$_{\mathrm{Edd}}$ to $\sim$0.06 L$_{\mathrm{Edd}}$ assuming a distance of 8.5 kpc. We have separately examined spectra from the low and high flux intervals, which were soft and show evidence of a broad Fe K line. Fits to these intervals with relativistic disk reflection models have revealed an inner disk radius of $13.8_{-1.8}^{+3.0}\ R_{g}$ (where $R_{g} = GM/c^{2}$) for the low flux spectrum and $23.4_{-5.4}^{+15.6}\ R_{g}$ for the high flux spectrum at the 90\% confidence level. The disk is likely truncated by a boundary layer surrounding the neutron star or the magnetosphere. Based on the measured luminosity and using the accretion efficiency for a disk around a neutron star, we estimate that the theoretically expected size for the boundary layer would be $\sim0.9-1.1 \ R_{g}$ from the neutron star’s surface, which can be increased by spin or viscosity effects. Another plausible scenario is that the disk could be truncated by the magnetosphere. We place a conservative upper limit on the strength of the magnetic field at the poles, assuming $a_{*}=0$ and $M_{NS}=1.4\ M_{\odot}$, of $B\leq0.75-3.70\times10^{9}$ G, though X-ray pulsations have not been detected from this source.

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R. Ludlam, J. Miller, E. Cackett, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
40/52

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1701.01774

Thermally induced stresses in boulders on airless body surfaces, and implications for rock breakdown [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03085


This work investigates the macroscopic thermomechanical behavior of lunar boulders by modeling their response to diurnal thermal forcing. Our results reveal a bimodal, spatiotemporally-complex stress response. During sunrise, stresses occur in the boulders’ interiors that are associated with large-scale temperature gradients developed due to overnight cooling. During sunset, stresses occur at the boulders’ exteriors due to the cooling and contraction of the surface. Both kinds of stresses are on the order of 10 MPa in 1 m boulders and decrease for smaller diameters, suggesting that larger boulders break down more quickly. Boulders <30 cm exhibit a weak response to thermal forcing, suggesting a threshold below which crack propagation may not occur. Boulders of any size buried by regolith are shielded from thermal breakdown. As boulders increase in size (>1 m), stresses increase to several 10s of MPa as the behavior of their surfaces approaches that of an infinite halfspace. As the thermal wave loses contact with the boulder interior, stresses become limited to the near-surface. This suggests that the survival time of a boulder is not only controlled by the amplitude of induced stress, but also by its diameter as compared to the diurnal skin depth. While stresses on the order of 10 MPa are enough to drive crack propagation in terrestrial environments, crack propagation rates in vacuum are not well constrained. We explore the relationship between boulder size, stress, and the direction of crack propagation, and discuss the implications for the relative breakdown rates and estimated lifetimes of boulders on airless body surfaces.

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J. Molaro, S. Byrne and J. Le
Fri, 10 Mar 17
41/52

Comments: 31 pages, 12 figures

The Velocity Centroids Gradients for Absorbing Media [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03035


We explore the application of the Velocity Gradient Technique, new way to trace magnetic fields in the plane of the sky, to an absorbing media for the case of $^{13}$CO~2-1 emission. Using MHD turbulence simulations, we calculate the velocity gradient using velocity centroids and an improved procedure for calculating gradients suggested by Yuen & Lazarain. We find that the velocity centroid gradients trace the projected magnetic field in media with different CO abundances, densities and optical depths. We also explore how the calculations of the magnetic field strengths, which employs the dispersion of the velocity gradient, is modified in the presence of self-absorption. Our study opens up the possibility to use velocity centroid gradients to trace magnetic fields using $^{13}$CO~2-1 emission.

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D. Gonzalez-Casanova, A. Lazarian and B. Burkhart
Fri, 10 Mar 17
42/52

Comments: 8 pages , 6 figures

The intrinsic collective X-ray spectrum of luminous high-mass X-ray binaries [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03354


Using a sample of two hundred luminous (L_unabs>10^38 erg/s, where L_unabs is the unabsorbed 0.25-8 keV luminosity) high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) candidates found with Chandra in 27 nearby galaxies, we have constructed the collective X-ray spectrum of HMXBs in the local Universe per unit star formation rate, corrected for observational biases associated with intrinsic diversity of HMXB spectra and X-ray absorption in the interstellar medium. This spectrum is well fit by a power law with a photon index Gamma=2.1+/-0.1 and is dominated by ultraluminous X-ray sources with L_unabs>10^39 erg/s. Hard sources (those with the 0.25-2 keV to 0.25-8 keV flux ratio of <0.6) dominate above ~2 keV, while soft and supersoft sources (with the flux ratios of 0.6-0.95 and >0.95, respectively) at lower energies. The derived spectrum probably represents the angle-integrated X-ray emission of the near- and super-critically accreting stellar mass black holes and neutron stars in the local Universe. It provides an important constraint on supercritical accretion models and can be used as a reference spectrum for calculations of the X-ray preheating of the Universe by the first generations of X-ray binaries.

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S. Sazonov and I. Khabibullin
Fri, 10 Mar 17
43/52

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figues, accepted for publication in MNRAS

What if the fast radio bursts 110220 and 140514 are from the same source? [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03013


The fast radio bursts (FRBs) 110220 and 140514 were detected at telescope pointing locations within 9 arcmin of each other over three years apart, both within the same 14.4 arcmin beam of the Parkes radio telescope. Nevertheless, they generally have not been considered to be from the same source because of a vastly different dispersion measure (DM) for the two bursts by over $380\,{\rm pc\,cm^{-3}}$. Here we consider the hypothesis that these two FRBs are from the same neutron star embedded within a supernova remnant (SNR) that provides an evolving DM as the ejecta expands and becomes more diffuse. Using such a model and the observed DM change, it can be argued that the corresponding SN must have occurred within $\approx10.2$ years of FRB 110220. Furthermore, constraints can be placed on the SN ejecta mass and explosion energy, which appear to require a stripped envelope (Type Ib/c) SN and/or a very energetic explosion. A third FRB from this location would be even more constraining, allowing the component of the DM due to the SNR to be separated from the unchanging DM components due to the host galaxy and intergalactic medium. In the future, if more FRBs are found to repeat, the sort of arguments presented here can be used to test the young neutron star progenitor hypothesis for FRBs.

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A. Piro and S. Burke-Spolaor
Fri, 10 Mar 17
44/52

Comments: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Nature of hard X-ray (3-24 keV) detected luminous infrared galaxies in the COSMOS field [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02975


We investigate the nature of far-infrared (70 um) and hard X-ray (3-24 keV) selected galaxies in the COSMOS field detected with both Spitzer and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). By matching the Spitzer-COSMOS catalog against the NuSTAR-COSMOS catalog, we obtain a sample consisting of a hyperluminous infrared galaxy with log(L_IR/L_sun) > 13, 12 ultraluminous infrared galaxies with 12 < log(L_IR/L_sun) < 13, and 10 luminous infrared galaxies with 11 < log(L_IR/L_sun) < 12, i.e., 23 Hy/U/LIRGs in total. Using their X-ray hardness ratios, we find that 12 sources are obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with absorption column densities of N_H > 10^22 cm^-2, including several Compton-thick (N_H ~ 10^24 cm^-2) AGN candidates. On the basis of the infrared (60 um) and intrinsic X-ray luminosities, we examine the relation between star-formation (SF) and AGN luminosities of the 23 Hy/U/LIRGs. We find that the correlation is similar to that of optically-selected AGNs reported by Netzer (2009), whereas local, far-infrared selected U/LIRGs show higher SF-to-AGN luminosity ratios than the average of our sample. This result suggests that our Hy/U/LIRGs detected both with Spitzer and NuSTAR are likely situated in a transition epoch between AGN-rising and cold-gas diminishing phases in SF-AGN evolutional sequences. The nature of a Compton-thick AGN candidate newly detected above 8 keV with NuSTAR (ID 245 in Civano et al. 2015) is briefly discussed.

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K. Matsuoka and Y. Ueda
Fri, 10 Mar 17
45/52

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

A Reappraisal on Dark Matter Co-annihilating with a Top/Bottom Partner [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02977


We revisit the calculation of relic density of dark matter particles co-annihilating with a top or bottom partner, by properly including the QCD bound-states (onia) effects of the colored partners, as well as the relevant electroweak processes which become important in the low mass region. We carefully set up the complete framework that incorporates the relevant contributions and investigate their effects on the cosmologically preferred mass spectrum, which turn out to be comparable in size to those coming from the Sommerfeld enhancement. We apply the calculation to three scenarios: bino-stop and bino-sbottom co-annihilations in supersymmetry, and a vector dark matter co-annihilating with a fermionic top partner. In addition, we confront our analysis of the relic abundance with recent direct detection experiments and, in the case of bino-sbottom co-annihilation, collider searches at the LHC.

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W. Keung, I. Low and Y. Zhang
Fri, 10 Mar 17
46/52

Comments: 19 pages, 6 figures

New quantitative nitrogen abundance estimations in a sample of Seyfert 2 Active Galactic Nuclei [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03250


We obtained new quantitative determinations of the nitrogen abundance and a consistent relation between nitrogen and oxygen abundances for a sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies located at redshift $z < 0.1$. We carried out this analysis using the Cloudy code to build detailed photoionization models. We were able to reproduce observed optical narrow emission line intensities for 44 sources compiled from the literature. Our results show that Seyfert 2 nuclei have nitrogen abundances ranging from $\sim0.3$ to $\sim 7.5$ times the solar value. We derived the relation $\rm \log(N/H)=1.05 (\pm0.09) \times [\log(O/H)] -0.35 (\pm 0.33$). Results for N/O vs. O/H abundance ratios derived for Seyfert 2 galaxies are in consonance with those recently derived for a sample of extragalactic disk HII regions with high metallicity.

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O. Dors, K. Arellano-Cordova, M. Cardaci, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
47/52

Comments: Accepted for publication in MNRAS LETTER. 6 pages. 4 figures

On Kinetic Slow Modes, Fluid Slow Modes, and Pressure-Balanced Structures in the Solar Wind [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03040


Observations in the solar wind suggest that the compressive component of inertial-range solar-wind turbulence is dominated by slow modes. The low collisionality of the solar wind allows for non-thermal features to survive, which suggests the requirement of a kinetic plasma description. The least-damped kinetic slow mode is associated with the ion-acoustic (IA) wave and a non-propagating (NP) mode. We derive analytical expressions for the IA-wave dispersion relation in an anisotropic plasma in the framework of gyrokinetics and then compare them to fully-kinetic numerical calculations, results from two-fluid theory, and MHD. This comparison shows major discrepancies in the predicted wave phase speeds from MHD and kinetic theory at moderate to high $\beta$. MHD and kinetic theory also dictate that all plasma normal modes exhibit a unique signature in terms of their polarization. We quantify the relative amplitude of fluctuations in the three lowest particle velocity moments associated with IA and NP modes in the gyrokinetic limit and compare these predictions with MHD results and in-situ observations of the solar-wind turbulence. The agreement between the observations of the wave polarization and our MHD predictions is better than the kinetic predictions, suggesting that the plasma behaves more like a fluid in the solar wind than expected.

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D. Verscharen, C. Chen and R. Wicks
Fri, 10 Mar 17
48/52

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJ

Revealing modified gravity signal in matter and halo hierarchical clustering [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03395


We use a set of N-body simulations employing a modified gravity (MG) model with Vainshtein screening to study matter and halo hierarchical clustering. As test-case scenarios we consider two normal branch Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (nDGP) gravity models with mild and strong growth rate enhancement. We study higher-order correlation functions $\xi_n(R)$ up to $n=9$ and associated hierarchical amplitudes $S_n(R)\equiv\xi_n(R)/\sigma(R)^{2n-2}$. We find that the matter PDFs are strongly affected by the fifth-force on scales up to $50h^{-1}$Mpc, and the deviations from GR are maximised at $z=0$. For reduced cumulants $S_n$, we find that at small scales $R\leq10h^{-1}$Mpc the MG is characterised by lower values, with the deviation growing from $7\%$ in the reduced skewness up to even $40\%$ in $S_5$. To study the halo clustering we use a simple abundance matching and divide haloes into thee fixed number density samples. The halo two-point functions are weakly affected, with a relative boost of the order of a few percent appearing only at the smallest pair separations ($r\leq 5h^{-1}$Mpc). In contrast, we find a strong MG signal in $S_n(R)$’s, which are enhanced compared to GR. The strong model exhibits a $>3\sigma$ level signal at various scales for all halo samples and in all cumulants. In this context, we find that the reduced kurtosis to be an especially promising cosmological probe of MG. Even the mild nDGP model leaves a $3\sigma$ imprint at small scales $R\leq3h^{-1}$Mpc, while the stronger model deviates from a GR-signature at nearly all scales with a significance of $>5\sigma$. Since the signal is persistent in all halo samples and over a range of scales, we advocate that the reduced kurtosis estimated from galaxy catalogues can potentially constitute a strong MG-model discriminatory as well as GR self-consistency test.

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W. Hellwing, K. Koyama, B. Bose, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
49/52

Comments: 19 pages, 11 figures, comments are welcome

Sourcing Dark Matter and Dark Energy from $α$-attractors [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03295


Recently, Kallosh and Linde have drawn attention to a new family of superconformal inflationary potentials, subsequently called $\alpha$-attractors. The $\alpha$-attractor family can interpolate between a large class of inflationary models. It also has an important theoretical underpinning within the framework of supergravity. We demonstrate that the $\alpha$-attractors have an even wider appeal since they may describe dark matter and perhaps even dark energy. The dark matter associated with the $\alpha$-attractors, which we call $\alpha$-dark matter ($\alpha$DM), shares many of the attractive features of fuzzy dark matter, with $V(\varphi) = \frac{1}{2}m^2\varphi^2$, while having none of its drawbacks. Like fuzzy dark matter, $\alpha$DM can have a large Jeans length which could resolve the cusp-core and substructure problems faced by standard cold dark matter. $\alpha$DM also has an appealing tracker property which enables it to converge to the late-time dark matter asymptote, $\langle w\rangle \simeq 0$, from a wide range of initial conditions. It thus avoids the enormous fine-tuning problems faced by the $m^2\varphi^2$ potential in describing dark matter.

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S. Mishra, V. Sahni and Y. Shtanov
Fri, 10 Mar 17
50/52

Comments: 40 pages, 22 figures

A time dependent relation between EUV solar flare light-curves from lines with differing formation temperatures [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02995


Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) solar flare emissions evolve in time as the emitting plasma heats and then cools. Although accurately modeling this evolution has been historically difficult, especially for empirical relationships, it is important for understanding processes at the Sun, as well as for their influence on planetary atmospheres. With a goal to improve empirical flare models, a new simple empirical expression has been derived to predict how cool emissions will evolve based on the evolution of a hotter emission. This technique was initially developed by studying 12 flares in detail observed by the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Then, over 1100 flares observed by EVE were analyzed to validate these relationships. These results have practical implications in improving flare irradiance modeling and for identifying key emission lines for future monitoring of flares for space weather operations, and also provide insight into the cooling processes of flare plasma.

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E. Thiemann, F. Eparvier and T. Woods
Fri, 10 Mar 17
51/52

Comments: N/A

Immediate dense circumstellar environment of supernova progenitors caused by wind acceleration: its effect on supernova light curves [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03084


Type IIP supernova progenitors are often surrounded by dense circumstellar media that may result from mass-loss enhancement of the progenitors shortly before their explosions. Previous light-curve studies suggest that the mass-loss rates are enhanced up to ~ 0.1 Msun/yr, assuming a constant wind velocity. However, density of circumstellar media at the immediate stellar vicinity can be much higher than previously inferred for a given mass-loss rate if wind acceleration is taken into account. We show that the wind acceleration has a huge impact when we estimate mass-loss rates from early light curves of Type IIP supernovae by taking SN 2013fs as an example. We perform numerical calculations of the interaction between supernova ejecta and circumstellar media with a constant mass-loss rate but with a beta-law wind velocity profile. We find that the mass-loss rate of the progenitor of SN 2013fs shortly before the explosion, which was inferred to be ~ 0.1 Msun/yr with a constant wind velocity of 10 km/s by a previous light-curve modeling, can be as low as ~ 1e-3 Msun/yr with the same terminal wind velocity of 10 km/s but with a wind velocity profile with beta ~ 5. In both cases, the mass of the circumstellar medium is similar (~ 0.5 Msun). Therefore, the beginning of the progenitor’s mass-loss enhancement in our interpretation is ~ 100 years before the explosion, not several years. Our result indicates that the immediate dense environment of Type II supernova progenitors may be significantly influenced by wind acceleration.

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T. Moriya, S. Yoon, G. Grafener, et. al.
Fri, 10 Mar 17
52/52

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters

K2 Observations of 95 Vir: delta Scuti Pulsations in a Chromospherically Active Star [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02711


We have searched for photometric variability in 95 Vir, a fast rotating, chromospherically active early F-type star, which was observed in the framework of Campaign 6 of the Kepler K2 mission. Available literature information on 95 Vir were procured, and well-established calibrations were employed to verify the derived astrophysical parameters. We have investigated the location of our target star in the M(Bol) versus log T(eff) diagram, which provides information on evolutionary status. We have discussed our results in detail, drawing on literature information and the theoretical predictions of state-of-the-art pulsation models, with the aim of unraveling the underlying variability mechanisms. From an analysis of 3400 long-cadence measurements, we have identified two main frequencies and several harmonics in our target star. We attribute the main frequency, f1 = 9.53728 d**-1, to delta Scuti pulsations. The origin of the secondary signal, f2 = 1.07129 d**-1, is less clear. We have investigated three possible interpretations of the low-frequency variation: binarity, pulsation and rotational modulation. Current evidence favours an interpretation of f2 as a signature of the rotational period caused by the presence of cool star spots, which goes along well with the observed chromospheric activity. However, phase-resolved spectroscopy is needed to verify this assumption. We briefly consider other chromospherically active delta Scuti stars that have been presented in the literature. A search for star spot-induced photometric variability in these objects might be of great interest, as well as an investigation of the interplay between chromospheric and pulsational activity.

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E. Paunzen, S. Huemmerich, K. Bernhard, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
1/54

Comments: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Integral Field Spectroscopy of the Low-Mass Companion HD984B with the Gemini Planet Imager [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02607


We present new observations of the low-mass companion to HD 984 taken with the Gemini Planet Imager as a part of the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey campaign. Images of HD 984 B were obtained in the J (1.12–1.3 micron) and H (1.50–1.80 micron) bands. Combined with archival epochs from 2012 and 2014, we fit the first orbit to the companion to find an 18 AU (70 year) orbit with a 68% confidence interval between 14 and 28 AU, an eccentricity of 0.18 with a 68% confidence interval between 0.05 and 0.47, and an inclination of 119 degrees with a 68% confidence interval between 114 degrees and 125 degrees. To address considerable spectral covariance in both spectra, we present a method of splitting the spectra into low and high frequencies to analyze the spectral structure at different spatial frequencies with the proper spectral noise correlation. Using the split spectra, we compare to known spectral types using field brown dwarf and low-mass star spectra and find a best fit match of a field gravity M6.5+/-1.5 spectral type with a corresponding temperature of 2730+120 K. Photometry of the companion yields a luminosity of log(L_bol/L_sun) = -2.88+/-0.07 dex, using DUSTY models. Mass estimates, again from DUSTY models, find an age-dependent mass of 34+/-1 to 95+/-4 M_Jup. These results are consistent with previous measurements of the object.

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M. Johnson-Groh, C. Marois, R. Rosa, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
2/54

Comments: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

Global stability of self-gravitating disks in modified gravity [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02718


We study the global stability of a self-gravitating disk in the context of Modified Gravity (MOG) using N-body simulations. This theory is a relativistic scalar-tensor-vector theory of gravity and presented to address the dark matter problem. In the weak field limit MOG possesses two free parameters $\alpha$ and $\mu_0$ which have been already determined using rotation curve data of spiral galaxies. The evolution of a stellar self-gravitating disk and more specifically the bar instability in MOG is investigated and compared to a Newtonian case. Our models have exponential and Mestel-like surface densities as $\Sigma\propto \exp(-r/h)$ and $\Sigma\propto 1/r$. It is found out that, surprisingly, the disks are more stable against the bar mode in MOG than in Newtonian gravity. In other words, the bar growth rate is effectively slower than the Newtonian disks. Also we show that both free parameters, i.e. $\alpha$ and $\mu_0$, have stabilizing effects. In other words, increase in these parameters will decrease the bar growth rate.

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N. Ghafourian and M. Roshan
Thu, 9 Mar 17
3/54

Comments: 16 pages, to appear in MNRAS

Exoplanet Characterization by Multi-Observatory Transit Photometry with TESS and CHEOPS [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02656


Space-based photometric surveys have discovered large numbers of planets transiting other stars, but these observe in a single band-pass and yield only the planet radius, orbital period, and transit duration. Information on the masses, compositions, and any atmospheres of these planets requires additional observations from the ground or space. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will yield thousands of planets around bright stars suitable for such follow-up. In the absence of spectroscopy or spectrophotometry from space, observations through the different pass-bands of multiple space telescopes provide some spectral information useful for identifying false positive signals, distinguishing between reflected light and thermal emission from hot Jupiters, and detecting Rayleigh scattering by planetary atmospheres. We calculated the expected difference in transit depths measured by the TESS and Characterizing Exoplanets Satellites (CHEOPS) missions, which will be more sensitive to redder and bluer optical wavelengths, respectively. The difference due to companion or background stars is small (<3% for main sequence companions) and likely to be negligible and undetectable. For only a few “hot” Jupiters, can combined photometry disambiguate between the reflected and thermal signals from planets. However, Rayleigh scattering by hazy atmospheres with particles sizes near 0.04 $\mu$m and at pressure altitudes above ~1 mbar can be detected for ~100 transiting planets, assuming every planet has such an atmosphere. Hazes with this characteristic particle size do not obscure observations at longer (near-infrared) wavelengths; CHEOPS follow-up of TESS-detected planets could thus identify candidates suitable for further study with the James Webb Space Telescope.

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E. Gaidos, D. Kitzmann and K. Heng
Thu, 9 Mar 17
4/54

Comments: MNRAS, in press

High-mass twin stars with a multi-polytrope EoS [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02681


We show that in the 3-polytropes model of Hebeler et al. \cite{Hebeler:2013nza} for the neutron star equation of state at supersaturation densities a third family of compact stars can be obtained which confirms the possibility of high-mass twin stars that have coincident masses $M_1=M_2\approx 2~M_\odot$ and significantly different radii $|R_1-R_2|>2-3 $ km. We consider a scenario of a first order phase transition which eliminates one of the three polytropes from the star structure and results in a sharp boundary between a high-density and low-density phase.

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D. Alvarez-Castillo and D. Blaschke
Thu, 9 Mar 17
5/54

Comments: 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 table

Small-scale Intensity Mapping: Extended Ly$α$, H$α$ and Continuum emission as a Probe of Halo Star Formation in High-redshift Galaxies [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02593


Lyman alpha halos are observed ubiquitously around star-forming galaxies at high redshift, but their origin is still a matter of debate. We demonstrate that the emission from faint unresolved satellite sources, $M_{\rm UV} \gtrsim -17$, clustered around the central galaxies may play a major role in generating spatially extended Ly$\alpha$, continuum (${\rm UV + VIS}$) and H$\alpha$ halos. We apply the analytic formalism developed in Mas-ribas & Dijkstra (2016) to model the halos around Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) at $z=3.1$, for several different satellite clustering prescriptions. In general, our UV and Ly$\alpha$ surface brightness profiles match the observations well at $20\lesssim r \lesssim 40$ physical kpc from the centers of LAEs. We discuss how our profiles depend on various model assumptions and how these can be tested and constrained with future H$\alpha$ observations by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Our analysis shows how spatially extended halos constrain (i) the presence of otherwise undetectable satellite sources, (ii) the integrated, volumetric production rates of Ly$\alpha$ and LyC photons, and (iii) their population-averaged escape fractions. These quantities are all directly relevant for understanding galaxy formation and evolution and, for high enough redshifts, cosmic reionization.

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L. Mas-Ribas, M. Dijkstra, J. Hennawi, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
6/54

Comments: 13 pages, 6 figures, submitted to ApJ

A review of gravitational waves from cosmic domain walls [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02576


In this contribution, we discuss the cosmological scenario where unstable domain walls are formed in the early universe and their late-time annihilation produces a significant amount of gravitational waves. After describing cosmological constraints on long-lived domain walls, we estimate the typical amplitude and frequency of gravitational waves observed today. We also review possible extensions of the standard model of particle physics that predict the formation of unstable domain walls and can be probed by observation of relic gravitational waves. It is shown that recent results of pulser timing arrays and direct detection experiments partially exclude the relevant parameter space, and that a much wider parameter space can be covered by the next generation of gravitational wave observatories.

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K. Saikawa
Thu, 9 Mar 17
7/54

Comments: 25 pages, 4 figures, invited paper to special issue `Gravitational Waves: Prospects after the First Direct Detections’ in `Universe’

Instabilities in Mimetic Matter Perturbations [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02923


We study cosmological perturbations in mimetic matter scenario with a general higher derivative function. We show that the model suffers from the ghost and the gradient instabilities. We perform the analysis in both comoving and Newtonian gauges and confirm that the Hamiltonians and the associated instabilities are consistent with each other in both gauges. The existence of instabilities is independent of the specific form of higher derivative function which generates gradients for mimetic field perturbations. It is verified that these instabilities are not associated with the higher derivative instabilities such as the Ostrogradsky ghost.

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H. Firouzjahi, M. Gorji and A. Mansoori
Thu, 9 Mar 17
8/54

Comments: N/A

VLTI/PIONIER images the Achernar disk swell [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02839


Context. The mechanism of disk formation around fast-rotating Be stars is not well understood. In particular, it is not clear which mechanisms operate, in addition to fast rotation, to produce the observed variable ejection of matter. The star Achernar is a privileged laboratory to probe these additional mechanisms because it is close, presents B-Be phase variations on timescales ranging from 6 yr to 15 yr, a companion star was discovered around it, and probably presents a polar wind or jet. Aims. Despite all these previous studies, the disk around Achernar was never directly imaged. Therefore we seek to produce an image of the photosphere and close environment of the star. Methods. We used infrared long-baseline interferometry with the PIONIER/VLTI instrument to produce reconstructed images of the photosphere and close environment of the star over four years of observations. To study the disk formation, we compared the observations and reconstructed images to previously computed models of both the stellar photosphere alone (normal B phase) and the star presenting a circumstellar disk (Be phase). Results. The observations taken in 2011 and 2012, during the quiescent phase of Achernar, do not exhibit a disk at the detection limit of the instrument. In 2014, on the other hand, a disk was already formed and our reconstructed image reveals an extended H-band continuum excess flux. Our results from interferometric imaging are also supported by several H-alpha line profiles showing that Achernar started an emission-line phase sometime in the beginning of 2013. The analysis of our reconstructed images shows that the 2014 near-IR flux extends to 1.7 – 2.3 equatorial radii. Our model-independent size estimation of the H-band continuum contribution is compatible with the presence of a circumstellar disk, which is in good agreement with predictions from Be-disk models.

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G. Vedova, F. Millour, A. Souza, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
9/54

Comments: N/A

Prospects for indirect dark matter searches with MeV photons [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02546


Over the past decade, extensive studies have been undertaken to search for photon signals from dark matter annihilation or decay for dark matter particle masses above $\sim1$ GeV. However, due to the lacking sensitivity of current experiments at MeV-GeV energies, sometimes dubbed the ‘MeV gap’, dark matter models with MeV to sub-GeV particle masses have received little attention so far. Various proposed MeV missions (like, e.g., e-ASTROGAM or AMEGO) are aimed at closing this gap in the mid- or long-term future. This, and the absence of clear dark matter signals in the GeV-TeV range, makes it relevant to carefully reconsider the expected experimental instrumental sensitivities in this mass range. The most common two-body annihilation channels for sub-GeV dark matter are to neutrinos, electrons, pions or directly to photons. Among these, only the electron channel has been extensively studied, and almost exclusively in the context of the 511 keV line. In this work, we study the prospects for detecting MeV dark matter annihilation in general in future MeV missions, using e-ASTROGAM as reference, and focusing on dark matter masses in the range 1 MeV-3 GeV. In the case of leptonic annihilation, we emphasise the importance of the often overlooked bremsstrahlung and in-flight annihilation spectral features, which in many cases provide the dominant gamma-ray signal in this regime.

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R. Bartels, D. Gaggero and C. Weniger
Thu, 9 Mar 17
10/54

Comments: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 table + appendix. Comments welcome

Giant ripples on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko sculpted by sunset thermal wind [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02592


Explaining the unexpected presence of dune-like patterns at the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko requires conceptual and quantitative advances in the understanding of surface and outgassing processes. We show here that vapor flow emitted by the comet around its perihelion spreads laterally in a surface layer, due to the strong pressure difference between zones illuminated by sunlight and those in shadow. For such thermal winds to be dense enough to transport grains — ten times greater than previous estimates — outgassing must take place through a surface porous granular layer, and that layer must be composed of grains whose roughness lowers cohesion consistently with contact mechanics. The linear stability analysis of the problem, entirely tested against laboratory experiments, quantitatively predicts the emergence of bedforms in the observed wavelength range, and their propagation at the scale of a comet revolution. Although generated by a rarefied atmosphere, they are paradoxically analogous to ripples emerging on granular beds submitted to viscous shear flows. This quantitative agreement shows that our understanding of the coupling between hydrodynamics and sediment transport is able to account for bedform emergence in extreme conditions and provides a reliable tool to predict the erosion and accretion processes controlling the evolution of small solar system bodies.

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P. Jia, B. Andreotti and P. Claudin
Thu, 9 Mar 17
11/54

Comments: 37 pages, 13 figures, 1 table

ALMA constraints on star-forming gas in a prototypical z=1.5 clumpy galaxy: the dearth of CO(5-4) emission from UV-bright clumps [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02550


We present deep ALMA CO(5-4) observations of a main sequence, clumpy galaxy at z=1.5 in the HUDF. Thanks to the ~0.5″ resolution of the ALMA data, we can link stellar population properties to the CO(5-4) emission on scales of a few kpc. We detect strong CO(5-4) emission from the nuclear region of the galaxy, consistent with the observed $L_{\rm IR}$-$L^{\prime}_{\rm CO(5-4)}$ correlation and indicating on-going nuclear star formation. The CO(5-4) gas component appears more concentrated than other star formation tracers or the dust distribution in this galaxy. We discuss possible implications of this difference in terms of star formation efficiency and mass build-up at the galaxy centre. Conversely, we do not detect any CO(5-4) emission from the UV-bright clumps. This might imply that clumps have a high star formation efficiency (although they do not display unusually high specific star formation rates) and are not entirely gas dominated, with gas fractions no larger than that of their host galaxy (~50%). Stellar feedback and disk instability torques funnelling gas towards the galaxy centre could contribute to the relatively low gas content. Alternatively, clumps could fall in a more standard star formation efficiency regime if their actual star-formation rates are lower than generally assumed. We find that clump star-formation rates derived with several different, plausible methods can vary by up to an order of magnitude. The lowest estimates would be compatible with a CO(5-4) non-detection even for main-sequence like values of star formation efficiency and gas content.

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A. Cibinel, E. Daddi, F. Bournaud, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
12/54

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS

The Spherical Bolometric Albedo of Planet Mercury [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02670


Published reflectance data covering several different wavelength intervals has been combined and analyzed in order to determine the spherical bolometric albedo of Mercury. The resulting value of 0.088 +/- 0.003 spans wavelengths from 0 to 4 {\mu}m which includes over 99% of the solar flux. This bolometric result is greater than the value determined between 0.43 and 1.01 {\mu}m by Domingue et al. (2011, Planet. Space Sci., 59, 1853-1872). The difference is due to higher reflectivity at wavelengths beyond 1.01 {\mu}m. The average effective blackbody temperature of Mercury corresponding to the newly determined albedo is 436.3 K. This temperature takes into account the eccentricity of the planet’s orbit (M\’endez and Rivera-Valet\’in. 2017. ApJL, 837, L1).

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A. Mallama
Thu, 9 Mar 17
13/54

Comments: 20 pages, 5 figures, 1 table

Effects of neutrino mass hierarchies on dynamical dark energy models [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02556


We investigate how three different possibilities of neutrino mass hierarchies, namely normal, inverted, and degenerate, can affect the observational constraints on three well known dynamical dark energy models, namely the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder, logarithmic, and the Jassal-Bagla-Padmanabhan parametrizations. In order to impose the observational constraints on the models, we performed a robust analysis using Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data, Supernovae type Ia from Joint Light curve analysis, baryon acoustic oscillations distance measurements, redshift space distortion characterized by $f(z)\sigma_8(z)$ data, weak gravitational lensing data from Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey, and cosmic chronometers data plus the local value of the Hubble parameter. We find that the degenerate hierarchy scheme leads to significant variations on the model parameters in compared to other two neutrino mass hierarchies. It is observed that the fixation of a hierarchy scheme can play an important role in determining some crucial properties in the dynamical dark energy models. We also discussed that these dynamical dark energy models can assuage the current tension on the local Hubble parameter $H_0$.

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W. Yang, R. Nunes, S. Pan, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
14/54

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures

The Curved Magnetic field in the ring-like shell of bubble N4 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02649


We report detection of a curved magnetic field in the ring-like shell of bubble N4, derived from near-infrared polarization of reddened diskless stars located behind this bubble. The magnetic field in the shell is curved and parallel to the ring-like shell, and its strength is estimated to be $\sim120\,\mu$G in the plane of the sky. The magnetic field strength in the shell is significantly enhanced, compared to the local field strength. We calculate the mass-to-flux ratio for the submillimeter clumps in the shell, and find that they are all magnetically subcritical. Our results demonstrate that the magnetic field strengthens as the interstellar medium is compressed into a shell, and suggest that the magnetic field has the potential to hinder star formation triggered by HII region expansion.

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Z. Chen, Z. Jiang, T. Motohide, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
15/54

Comments: accepted for publication in ApJ

A discovery of young stellar objects in older clusters of the Large Magellanic Cloud [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02661


Recent studies have shown that an extended main-sequence turn-off is a common feature among intermediate-age clusters (1–3 Gyr) in the Magellanic Clouds. Multiple-generation star formation and stellar rotation or interacting binaries have been proposed to explain the feature. However, it remains controversial in the field of stellar populations. Here we present the main results of an ongoing star formation among older star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Cross-matching the positions of star clusters and young stellar objects has yielded 15 matches with 7 located in the cluster center. We demonstrate that this is not by chance by estimating local number densities of young stellar objects for each star cluster. This method is not based on isochrone fitting, which leads to some uncertainties in age estimation and methods of background subtraction. We also find no direct correlation between atomic hydrogen and the clusters. This suggests that gas accretion for fueling the star formation must be happening in situ. These findings support for the multiple-generations scenario as a plausible explanation for the extended main-sequence turn-off.

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B. For and K. Bekki
Thu, 9 Mar 17
16/54

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters. Media release: this http URL

Effects of Pre-ionisation in Radiative Shocks II: Application to the Herbig-Haro Objects [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02700


In an earlier paper we treated the pre-ionisation problem in shocks over the velocity range $20 < v_{\rm s} < 1000$km/s in a fully self-consistent manner. Here we investigate in detail the effect of the upstream UV photon field generated in the radiative zone of shocks in the range in which hydrogen is only partly ionised ($20 < v_{\rm s} < 150$km/s). We show that, as a result of super-heating in the non-equilibrium pre-shock plasma, both the magnetic parameter and the Mach number of the shock is strongly affected by the pre-ionisation state of the gas which controls to a large extent the radiative spectrum of the shock. We use these models to provide specific line diagnostics for Herbig-Haro objects which allow us to solve for both the pre-shock density and shock velocity, and present detailed models of the HH34 jet which allows us to derive the shock conditions, mass-loss rate, momentum flux and chemical abundances in the jet. We show that the refractory elements, Mg, Ca, Fe and Ni are enhanced by 0.22 dex over the solar values, which provides interesting clues about the jet launching mechanism in pre-main sequence evolution.

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M. Dopita and R. Sutherland
Thu, 9 Mar 17
17/54

Comments: 13 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, accepted March 2017 ApJS

Counting Black Holes: The Cosmic Stellar Remnant Population and Implications for LIGO [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02551


We present an empirical approach for interpreting gravitational wave signals of binary black hole mergers under the assumption that the underlying black hole population is sourced by remnants of stellar evolution. Using the observed relationship between galaxy mass and stellar metallicity, we predict the black hole count as a function of galaxy stellar mass. We show, for example, that a galaxy like the Milky Way should host millions of $\sim 30~M_\odot$ black holes and dwarf satellite galaxies like Draco should host $\sim 100$ such remnants, with weak dependence on the assumed IMF and stellar evolution model. Most low-mass black holes ($\sim10 M_\odot$) typically reside within massive galaxies ($M_\star \simeq 10^{11} M_\odot$) while massive black holes ($\sim 50~M_\odot$) typically reside within dwarf galaxies ($M_\odot \simeq 10^9 M_\odot$) today. If roughly $1\%$ of black holes are involved in a binary black hole merger, then the reported merger rate densities from Advanced LIGO can be accommodated for a range of merger timescales, and the detection of mergers with $> 50~M_\odot$ black holes should be expected within the next decade. Identifying the host galaxy population of the mergers provides a way to constrain both the binary neutron star or black hole formation efficiencies and the merger timescale distributions; these events would be primarily localized in dwarf galaxies if the merger timescale is short compared to the age of the universe and in massive galaxies otherwise. As more mergers are detected, the prospect of identifying the host galaxy population, either directly through the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of binary neutron star mergers or indirectly through the anisotropy of the events, will become a realistic possibility.

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O. Elbert, J. Bullock and M. Kaplinghat
Thu, 9 Mar 17
18/54

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to MNRAS

The origin of dust polarization in molecular outflows [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02932


Aims: In this paper we present a case study to investigate conditions necessary to detect a characteristic magnetic field substructure embedded in a large-scale field. A helical magnetic field with a surrounding hourglass shaped field is expected from theoretical predictions and self-consistent magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations to be present in the specific case of protostellar outflows. Hence, such an outflow environment is the perfect for our study. Methodes: We present synthetic polarisation maps in the infrared and millimeter regime of protostellar outflows performed with the newly developed RT and polarisation code POLARIS. The code, as the first, includes a self-consistent description of various alignement mechanism like the imperfect Davis-Greenstein (IDG) and the radiative torque (RAT) alignment. We investigate for which effects the grain size distribution, and applied alignement mechanism have. Results: We find that the IDG mechanism cannot produce any measurable polarization degree (< 1 %) whereas RAT alignment produced polarization degrees of a few 1 %. Furthermore, we developed a method to identify the origin of the polarization. We show that the helical magnetic field in the outflow can only be observed close to the outflow axis and at its tip, whereas in the surrounding regions the hourglass field in the foreground dominates the polarization. Furthermore, the polarization degree in the outflow lobe is lower than in the surroundings in agreement with observations. We also find that the orientation of the polarization vector flips around a few 100 micron due to the transition from dichroic extinction to thermal re-emission. Hence, in order to avoid ambiguities when interpreting polarization data, we suggest to observed in the far-infrared and mm regime. Finally, we show that with ALMA it is possible to observe the polarization emerging from protostellar outflows.

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S. Reissl, D. Seifried, S. Wolf, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
19/54

Comments: 15 pages, 9 figures

Introducing the FirstLight project: UV luminosity function and scaling relations of primeval galaxies [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02913


We introduce the FirstLight project that aims to generate a large database of high-resolution, zoom-in simulations of galaxy formation around the epoch of reionisation ($z\geq6$). The first results of this program agree well with recent observational constraints at z=6-8, including the UV luminosity function and galaxy stellar mass function, as well as the scaling relationships between halo mass, stellar mass, and UV magnitude. The UV luminosity function starts to flatten below MUV>-14 due to stellar feedback in halos with maximum circular velocities of V=30-40 km/s. The power-law slope of the luminosity function evolves rapidly with redshift, reaching a value of alpha=-2.5 at z=10. On the other hand, the galaxy stellar mass function evolves slowly with time between z=8-10, in particular at the low-mass end.

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D. Ceverino, S. Glover and R. Klessen
Thu, 9 Mar 17
20/54

Comments: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Propagating Cosmic Rays with exact Solution of Fokker-Planck Equation [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02554


Shortfalls in cosmic ray (CR) propagation models obscure the CR sources and acceleration mechanisms. This problem became particularly obvious after the Fermi, Pamela, and AMS-02 have discovered the electron/positron and $p/$He spectral anomalies. Most of the CR models use diffusive propagation that is inaccurate for weakly scattered energetic particles. So, some parts of the spectra affected by the heliospheric modulation, for example, cannot be interpreted. I discuss and adopt an exact solution of the Fokker-Planck equation arXiv1610.01584, which gives a complete description of a ballistic, diffusive and transdiffusive (intermediate between the first two) propagation regimes. I derive a simplified version of an exact Fokker-Planck propagator that can easily be employed in place of the Gaussian propagator, currently used in major Solar modulation and other CR transport models.

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M. Malkov
Thu, 9 Mar 17
21/54

Comments: Conference paper, San Vito, Italy 2016

Average value of the cosmic ray injection exponent at Galactic sources [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02802


The energy spectrum of high energy cosmic rays emitted by sources change during propagation in the Galaxy. Using the spectrum observed at the Earth and two different transport models, based on anomalous and normal diffusion equations, we have retrieved an average value of the cosmic ray injection exponent at Galactic sources taking into account the inhomogeneity of the interstellar medium. We have shown that the average value of the injection index $p$, obtained in the framework of both transport models, equals to $p\sim (2.8-3.0)$.

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A. Lagutin and N. Volkov
Thu, 9 Mar 17
22/54

Comments: 4 pages, 2 figures. 19th International Symposium on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray Interactions (22-27 August 2016). Moscow, Russia. P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI RAS)

Implications of $z \sim 6$ Quasar Proximity Zones for the Epoch of Reionization and Quasar Lifetimes [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02539


We study quasar proximity zones in the redshift range $5.77 \leq z \leq 6.54$ by homogenously analyzing $34$ medium resolution spectra, encompassing both archival and newly obtained data, and exploiting recently updated systemic redshift and magnitude measurements. Whereas previous studies found strong evolution of proximity zone sizes with redshift, and argued that this provides evidence for a rapidly evolving intergalactic medium (IGM) neutral fraction during reionization, we measure a much shallower trend $\propto(1+z)^{-1.44}$. We compare our measured proximity zone sizes to predictions from hydrodynamical simulations post-processesed with one-dimensional radiative transfer, and find good agreement between observations and theory irrespective of the ionization state of the ambient IGM. This insensitivity to IGM ionization state has been previously noted, and results from the fact that the definition of proximity zone size as the first drop of the smoothed quasar spectrum below the $10\%$ flux transmission level probes locations where the ionizing radiation from the quasar is an order of magnitude larger than the expected ultraviolet ionizing background that sets the neutral fraction of the IGM. Our analysis also uncovered three objects with exceptionally small proximity zones (two have $R_p < 1$proper Mpc), which constitute outliers from the observed distribution and are challenging to explain with our radiative transfer simulations. We consider various explanations for their origin, such as strong absorption line systems associated with the quasar or patchy reionization, but find that the most compelling scenario is that these quasars have been shining for $\lesssim 10^5$yr.

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A. Eilers, F. Davies, J. Hennawi, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
23/54

Comments: 26 pages, 16 figures, submitted to ApJ

Quasar Rain: the Broad Emission Line Region as Condensations in the Warm Accretion Disk Wind [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02956


The origin of the broad emission line region (BELR) in quasars and active galactic nuclei is still unclear. I propose that condensations form in the warm, radiation pressure driven, accretion disk wind of quasars creating the BEL clouds and uniting them with the other two manifestations of cool, 10,000 K, gas in quasars, the low ionization phase of the warm absorbers (WAs) and the clouds causing X-ray eclipses. The cool clouds will condense quickly (days to years), before the WA outflows reach escape velocity (which takes months to centuries). Cool clouds form in equilibrium with the warm phase of the wind because the rapidly varying X-ray quasar continuum changes the force multiplier, causing pressure waves to move gas into stable locations in pressure-temperature space. The narrow range of 2-phase equilibrium densities may explain the scaling of the BELR size with the square root of luminosity, while the scaling of cloud formation timescales could produce the Baldwin effect. These dense clouds have force multipliers of order unity and so cannot be accelerated to escape velocity. They fall back on a dynamical timescale (months to centuries), producing an inflow that rains down toward the central black hole. As they soon move at Mach ~40 with respect to the WA outflow, these ‘raindrops’ will be rapidly destroyed within months. This rain of clouds may produce the elliptical BELR orbits implied by velocity resolved reverberation mapping in some objects, and can explain the opening angle and destruction timescale of the narrow ‘cometary’ tails of the clouds seen in X-ray eclipse observations. Some consequences and challenges of this ‘quasar rain’ model are presented along with several avenues for theoretical investigation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Elvis
Thu, 9 Mar 17
24/54

Comments: 25 pages, 2 figures. ApJ in press

Prospects for detection of detached double white dwarf binaries with Gaia, LSST and LISA [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02555


Double white dwarf (DWD) binaries are expected to be very common in the Milky Way, but their intrinsic faintness challenges the detection of these systems. Currently, only a few tens of detached DWDs are know. Such systems offer the best chance of extracting the physical properties that would allow us to address a wealth of outstanding questions ranging from the nature of white dwarfs, over stellar and binary evolution to mapping the Galaxy. In this paper we explore the prospects for detections of ultra-compact (with binary separations of a few solar radii or less) detached DWDs in: 1) optical radiation with Gaia and the LSST and 2) gravitational wave radiation with LISA. We show that Gaia, LSST and LISA have the potential to detect respectively around a few hundreds, a thousand, and 25 thousand DWD systems. Moreover, Gaia and LSST data will extend by respectively a factor of two and seven the guaranteed sample of binaries detected in electromagnetic and gravitational wave radiation, opening the era of multi-messenger astronomy for these sources.

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V. Korol, E. Rossi, P. Groot, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
25/54

Comments: submitted to MNRAS

Physical properties of superbubbles in the Antennae galaxies [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02902


Mass outflow generated by the dynamical feedback from massive stars is currently a topic of high interest. Using a purpose-developed analysis technique, and taking full advantage of the high kinematic and angular resolution of our instrument we have detected a number of expanding superbubbles in the interacting pair of galaxies Arp 244 (NGC 4038/9) commonly known as the Antennae. We use a Fabry-P\’erot interferometer GH{\alpha}FaS to measure the profile of H{\alpha} in emission over the full extent of the object, except for the extended HI tails. The superbubbles are found centred on most of the brightest HII regions, especially in the overlap area of the two merging galaxies. We use measured sizes, expansion velocities and luminosities of the shells to estimate most of the physical parameters of the bubbles, including the kinetic energy of the expansion. In order to assess the validity of our results and approximations we perform a hydrodynamic simulation and manage to reproduce well our best measured superbubble with reasonable physical input assumptions. We also study the sources of ionization of the shells, finding that at the current, quite late stage of expansion, radiation from the remaining stars dominates, though the effect of supernova shocks can still be noted.

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A. Camps-Farina, J. Zaragoza-Cardiel, J. Beckman, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
26/54

Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures

Magnetic fields in molecular clouds: Limitations of the analysis of Zeeman observations [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02745


Context. Observations of Zeeman split spectral lines represent an important approach to derive the structure and strength of magnetic fields in molecular clouds. In contrast to the uncertainty of the spectral line observation itself, the uncertainty of the analysis method to derive the magnetic field strength from these observations is not been well characterized so far.
Aims. We investigate the impact of several physical quantities on the uncertainty of the analysis method, which is used to derive the line-of-sight (LOS) magnetic field strength from Zeeman split spectral lines.
Methods. We simulate the Zeeman splitting of the 1665 MHz OH line with the 3D radiative transfer (RT) extension ZRAD. This extension is based on the line RT code Mol3D (Ober et al. 2015) and has been developed for the POLArized RadIation Simulator POLARIS (Reissl et al. 2016).
Results. Observations of the OH Zeeman effect in typical molecular clouds are not significantly affected by the uncertainty of the analysis method. We derived an approximation to quantify the range of parameters in which the analysis method works sufficiently accurate and provide factors to convert our results to other spectral lines and species as well. We applied these conversion factors to CN and found that observations of the CN Zeeman effect in typical molecular clouds are neither significantly affected by the uncertainty of the analysis method. In addition, we found that the density has almost no impact on the uncertainty of the analysis method, unless it reaches values higher than those typically found in molecular clouds. Furthermore, the uncertainty of the analysis method increases, if both the gas velocity and the magnetic field show significant variations along the line-of-sight. However, this increase should be small in Zeeman observations of most molecular clouds considering typical velocities of ~1 km/s.

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R. Brauer, S. Wolf, S. Reissl, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
27/54

Comments: 9 pages, 6 figures

A transient, flat spectrum radio pulsar near the Galactic centre [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02544


Recent studies have shown possible connections between highly magnetized neutron stars (“magnetars”), whose X-ray emission is too bright to be powered by rotational energy, and ordinary radio pulsars. In addition to the magnetar SGR J1745-2900, one of the radio pulsars in the Galactic centre (GC) region, PSR J1746-2850, had timing properties implying a large magnetic field strength and young age, as well as a flat spectrum. All characteristics are similar to those of rare, transient, radio-loud magnetars. Using several deep non-detections from the literature and two new detections, we show that this pulsar is also transient in the radio. Both the flat spectrum and large amplitude variability are inconsistent with the light curves and spectral indices of 3 radio pulsars with high magnetic field strengths. We further use frequent, deep archival imaging observations of the GC in the past 15 years to rule out a possible X-ray outburst with a luminosity exceeding the rotational spin down rate. This source, either a transient magnetar without any detected X-ray counterpart or a young, strongly magnetized radio pulsar producing magnetar-like radio emission, further blurs the line between the two categories. We discuss the implications of this object for the radio emission mechanism in magnetars and for star and compact object formation in the GC.

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J. Dexter, N. Degenaar, M. Kerr, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
28/54

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures, MNRAS in press

Exozodiacal clouds: Hot and warm dust around main sequence stars [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02540


A warm/hot dust component (at temperature $>$ 300K) has been detected around $\sim$ 20% of stars. This component is called “exozodiacal dust” as it presents similarities with the zodiacal dust detected in our Solar System, even though its physical properties and spatial distribution can be significantly different. Understanding the origin and evolution of this dust is of crucial importance, not only because its presence could hamper future detections of Earth-like planets in their habitable zones, but also because it can provide invaluable information about the inner regions of planetary systems. In this review, we present a detailed overview of the observational techniques used in the detection and characterisation of exozodiacal dust clouds (“exozodis”) and the results they have yielded so far, in particular regarding the incidence rate of exozodis as a function of crucial parameters such as stellar type and age, or the presence of an outer cold debris disc. We also present the important constraints that have been obtained, on dust size distribution and spatial location, by using state-of-the-art radiation transfer models on some of these systems. Finally, we investigate the crucial issue of how to explain the presence of exozodiacal dust around so many stars (regardless of their ages) despite the fact that such dust so close to its host star should disappear rapidly due to the coupled effect of collisions and stellar radiation pressure. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed to solve this paradox and are reviewed in detail in this paper. The review finishes by presenting the future of this growing field.

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Q. Kral, A. Krivov, D. Defrere, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
29/54

Comments: submitted to Astronomical Review

The average structural evolution of massive galaxies can be reliably estimated using cumulative galaxy number densities [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02568


Galaxy evolution can be studied observationally by linking typical progenitor and descendant galaxies through an evolving cumulative number density selection. This selection can be made to reproduce the expected evolution of the median stellar mass from abundance matching. However, models predict an increasing scatter in main progenitor masses at higher redshifts, which makes galaxy selection at the median mass unrepresentative. Consequently, there is no guarantee that the evolution of other galaxy properties, deduced from this galaxy selection, are reliable. Despite this concern, we show that when we apply this selection to the EAGLE hydrodynamical simulation it approximately reproduces the evolution of the average stellar density profile of main progenitors of M = 10^11.5 Msun galaxies out to z = 5. The accuracy improves when we include the expected scatter in cumulative number densities. Our results suggest that cumulative number density matching can be expected to give reasonably accurate results when applied to the evolution of the mean density profile of massive galaxies. Moreover, the average density profile evolution in EAGLE broadly agrees with observations from UltraVISTA and CANDELS, suggesting an inside-out growth history for these massive galaxies over 0 < z < 5. However, for z < 2 the inside-out growth trend in EAGLE is stronger than suggested by these observations.

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B. Clauwens, A. Hill, M. Franx, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
30/54

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to MNRAS Letters

Statistical Analysis of Supernova Remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02676


We construct the most complete sample of supernova remnants (SNRs) in any galaxy – the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) SNR sample. We study their various properties such as spectral index ($\alpha$), size and surface-brightness. We suggest an association between the spatial distribution, environment density of LMC SNRs and their tendency to be located around supergiant shells. We find evidence that the 16 known type Ia LMC SNRs are expanding in a lower density environment compared to the Core-Collapse (CC) type. The mean diameter of our entire population (74) is 41 pc, which is comparable to nearby galaxies. We didn’t find any correlation between the type of SN explosion, ovality or age. The $N(<D)$ relationship of $a={0.96}$ implies that the randomised diameters are readily mimicking such an exponent. The rate of SNe occurring in the LMC is estimated to be $\sim$1 per 200 yr. The mean $\alpha$ of the entire LMC SNR population is $\alpha=-0.52$, which is typical of most SNRs. However, our estimates show a clear flattening of the synchrotron $\alpha$ as the remnants age. As predicted, our CC SNRs sample are significantly brighter radio emitters than the type Ia remnants. We also estimate the $\Sigma – D$ relation for the LMC to have a slope $\sim3.8$ which is comparable with other nearby galaxies. We also find the residency time of electrons in the galaxy ($4.0-14.3$ Myr), implying that SNRs should be the dominant mechanism for the production and acceleration of CRs.

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L. Bozzetto, M. Filipovic, B. Vukotic, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
31/54

Comments: Accepted for publication in APJSS

Black Holes and Vacuum Cleaners: Using Metaphor, Relevance, and Inquiry in Labels for Space Images [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02927


This study extended research on the development of explanatory labels for astronomical images for the non-expert lay public. The research questions addressed how labels with leading questions/metaphors and relevance to everyday life affect comprehension of the intended message for deep space images, the desire to learn more, and the aesthetic appreciation of images. Participants were a convenience sample of 1,921 respondents solicited from a variety of websites and through social media who completed an online survey that used four high-resolution images as stimuli: Sagittarius A*, Solar Flare, Cassiopeia A, and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). Participants were randomly assigned initially to 1 of 3 label conditions: the standard label originally written for the image, a label with a leading question containing a metaphor related to the information for the image, or a label that contained a fact about the image relevant to everyday life. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 image and compared all labels for that image. Open-ended items at various points asked participants to pose questions to a hypothetical astronomer. Main findings were that the relevance condition was significantly more likely to increase wanting to learn more; the original label was most likely to increase overall appreciation; and, smart phone users were more likely to want to learn more and report increased levels of appreciation. Results are discussed in terms of the need to examine individual viewer characteristics and goals in creating different labels for different audiences.

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L. Smith, K. Arcand, B. Smith, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
32/54

Comments: 50 pages, 7 tables, 2 figures, accepted by the journal “Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts”

Inflationary Dynamics with a Smooth Slow-Roll to Constant-Roll Era Transition [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02853


In this paper we investigate the implications of having a varying second slow-roll index on the canonical scalar field inflationary dynamics. We shall be interested in cases that the second slow-roll can take small values and correspondingly large values, for limiting cases of the function that quantifies the variation of the second slow-roll index. As we demonstrate, this can naturally introduce a smooth transition between slow-roll and constant-roll eras. We discuss the theoretical implications of the mechanism we introduce and we use various illustrative examples in order to better understand the new features that the varying second slow-roll index introduces. In the examples we will present, the second slow-roll index has exponential dependence on the scalar field, and in one of these cases, the slow-roll era corresponds to a type of $\alpha$-attractor inflation. Finally, we briefly discuss how the combination of slow-roll and constant-roll may lead to non-Gaussianities in the primordial perturbations.

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S. Odintsov and V. Oikonomou
Thu, 9 Mar 17
33/54

Comments: N/A

Tidally induced bars in dwarf galaxies on different orbits around a Milky Way-like host [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02933


Bars in galaxies may develop through a global instability or due to an interaction with another system. We study bar formation in disky dwarf galaxies orbiting a Milky Way-like galaxy. We employ $N$-body simulations to study the impact of initial orbital parameters: the size of the dwarf galaxy orbit and the inclination of its disc with respect to the orbital plane. In all cases a bar develops in the center of the dwarf during the first pericenter on its orbit around the host. Between subsequent pericenter passages the bars are stable, but at the pericenters they are usually weakened and shortened. The initial properties and details of the further evolution of the bars depend heavily on the orbital configuration. We find that for the exactly prograde orientation, the strongest bar is formed for the intermediate-size orbit. On the tighter orbit, the disc is too disturbed and stripped to form a strong bar. On the wider orbit, the tidal interaction is too weak. The dependence on the disc inclination is such that weaker bars form in more inclined discs. The bars experience either a very weak buckling or none at all. We do not observe any secular evolution, possibly because the dwarfs are perturbed at each pericenter passage. The rotation speed of the bars can be classified as slow ($R_\mathrm{CR}/l_\mathrm{bar}\sim2-3$). We attribute this to the loss of a significant fraction of the disc’s rotation during the encounter with the host galaxy.

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G. Gajda, E. Lokas and E. Athanassoula
Thu, 9 Mar 17
34/54

Comments: 16 pages, 13 figures, submitted to ApJ

The jet-disk symbiosis without maximal jets: 1-D hydrodynamical jets revisited [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02842


In this work we discuss the recent criticism by Zdziarski of the maximal jet model derived in Falcke & Biermann (1995). We agree with Zdziarski that in general a jet’s internal energy is not bounded by its rest-mass energy density. We describe the effects of the mistake on conclusions that have been made using the maximal jet model and show when a maximal jet is an appropriate assumption. The maximal jet model was used to derive a 1-D hydrodynamical model of jets in agnjet, a model that does multiwavelength fitting of quiescent/hard state X-ray binaries and low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. We correct algebraic mistakes made in the derivation of the 1-D Euler equation and relax the maximal jet assumption. We show that the corrections cause minor differences as long as the jet has a small opening angle and a small terminal Lorentz factor. We find that the major conclusion from the maximal jet model, the jet-disk symbiosis, can be generally applied to astrophysical jets. We also show that isothermal jets are required to match the flat radio spectra seen in low-luminosity X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei, in agreement with other works.

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P. Crumley, C. Ceccobello, R. Connors, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
35/54

Comments: 7 pages, accepted by A&A

Multi-GPU maximum entropy image synthesis for radio astronomy [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02920


The maximum entropy method (MEM) is a well known deconvolution technique in radio-interferometry. This method solves a non-linear optimization problem with an entropy regularization term. Other heuristics such as CLEAN are faster but highly user dependent. Nevertheless, MEM has the following advantages: it is unsupervised, it has an statistical basis, it has a better resolution and better image quality under certain conditions. This work presents a high performance GPU version of non-gridded MEM, which is tested using interferometric and simulated data. We propose a single-GPU and a multi-GPU implementation for single and multi-spectral data, respectively. We also make use of the Peer-to-Peer and Unified Virtual Addressing features of newer GPUs which allows to exploit transparently and efficiently multiple GPUs. Several ALMA data sets are used to demonstrate the effectiveness in imaging and to evaluate GPU performance. The results show that a speedup from 1000 to 5000 times faster than a sequential version can be achieved, depending on data and image size. This has allowed us to reconstruct the HD142527 CO(6-5) short baseline data set in 2.1 minutes, instead of the 2.5 days that takes on CPU.

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M. Carcamo, P. Roman, S. Casassus, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
36/54

Comments: 11 pages, 13 figures

Photoionization-driven Absorption Lines Variability in Balmer Absorption Line Quasar LBQS 1206+1052 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02686


In this paper we present an analysis of absorption line variability in mini-BAL quasar LBQS 1206+1052. The SDSS spectrum demonstrates that the absorption troughs can be divided into two components of blueshift velocities of $\sim$700 km s$^{-1}$ and $\sim$1400 km s$^{-1}$ relative to the quasar rest-frame. The former component shows rare Balmer absorption, which is an indicator of high density absorbing gas, thus the quasar is worth follow-up spectroscopic observations. Our follow-up optical and near-infrared spectra using MMT, YFOSC, TripleSpec and DBSP reveal that the strengths of the absorption lines vary for both of the two components, while the velocities do not change. We reproduce all of the spectral data by assuming that only the ionization state of the absorbing gas is variable and that all other physical properties are invariable. The variation of ionization is consistent with the variation of optical continuum from the V-band light-curve. Additionally, we can not interpret the data by assuming that the variability is due to a movement of the absorbing gas. Therefore, our analysis strongly indicates that the absorption line variability in LBQS 1206+1052 is photoionization-driven. As shown from photo-ionization simulations, the absorbing gas with blueshift velocity of $\sim$700 km s$^{-1}$ has a density in the range of $10^9$ to $10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and a distance of $\sim$1 pc, and the gas with blueshift velocity of $\sim$1400 km s$^{-1}$ has a density of $10^3$ cm$^{-3}$ and a distance of $\sim$1 kpc.

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L. Sun, H. Zhou, T. Ji, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
37/54

Comments: Accepted by ApJ, 47 pages, 15 figures and 5 tables

Magnetic fields in the massive dense cores of DR21 filament: weakly magnetized cores in a strongly magnetized filament [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02566


We present Submillimeter Array 880 $\mu$m dust polarization observations of six massive dense cores in the DR21 filament. The dust polarization shows complex magnetic field structures in the massive dense cores with sizes of 0.1 pc, in contrast to the ordered magnetic fields of the parsec-scale filament. The major axes of the massive dense cores appear to be aligned either parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic fields of the filament, indicating that the parsec-scale magnetic fields play an important role in the formation of the massive dense cores. However, the correlation between the major axes of the cores and the magnetic fields of the cores is less significant, suggesting that during the core formation, the magnetic fields below 0.1 pc scales become less important than the magnetic fields above 0.1 pc scales in supporting a core against gravity. Our analysis of the angular dispersion functions of the observed polarization segments yields the plane-of-sky magnetic field strengths of 0.4–1.7 mG of the massive dense cores. We estimate the kinematic, magnetic, and gravitational virial parameters of the filament and the cores. The virial parameters show that in the filament, the gravitational energy is dominant over magnetic and kinematic energies, while in the cores, the kinematic energy is dominant. Our work suggests that although magnetic fields may play an important role in a collapsing filament, the kinematics arising from gravitational collapse must become more important than magnetic fields during the evolution from filaments to massive dense cores.

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T. Ching, S. Lai, Q. Zhang, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
38/54

Comments: 10 Figures, 5 Tables, ApJ accepted

Dynamics of Abell 3266 – I. An Optical View of a Complex Merging Cluster [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02616


We present spectroscopy of 880 galaxies within a 2-degree field around the massive, merging cluster Abell 3266. This sample, which includes 704 new measurements, was combined with the existing redshifts measurements to generate a sample of over 1300 spectroscopic redshifts; the largest spectroscopic sample in the vicinity of A3266 to date. We define a cluster sub-sample of 790 redshifts which lie within a velocity range of 14,000 to 22,000 kms$^{-1}$ and within 1 degree of the cluster centre. A detailed structural analysis finds A3266 to have a complex dynamical structure containing six groups and filaments to the north of the cluster as well as a cluster core which can be decomposed into two components split along a northeast-southwest axis, consistent with previous X-ray observations. The mean redshift of the cluster core is found to be $0.0594 \pm 0.0005$ and the core velocity dispersion is given as $1462^{+99}_{-99}$ kms$^{-1}$. The overall velocity dispersion and redshift of the entire cluster and related structures are $1337^{+67}_{-67}$ kms$^{-1}$ and $0.0596 \pm 0.0002$, respectively, though the high velocity dispersion does not represent virialised motions but rather is due to relative motions of the cluster components. We posit A3266 is seen following a merger along the northeast southwest axis, however, the rich substructure in the rest of the cluster suggests that the dynamical history is more complex than just a simple merger with a range of continuous dynamical interactions taking place. It is thus likely that turbulence in A3266 is very high, even for a merging cluster.

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S. Dehghan, M. Johnston-Hollitt, M. Colless, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
39/54

Comments: 11 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Particle Spectra and Mass Composition in the Ultra-High Energy Region in the Framework of the Galactic Origin of Cosmic Rays [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02795


The possibility for a self-consistent description of all the basic features of the observed cosmic ray spectra and primary composition variations in the energy range of $10^{15}\div 10^{20}$ eV within the Galactic origin scenario is examined.
We assume the existence of Galactic sources that accelerate particles up to $\sim 3\cdot 10^{18}Z$ eV and take into account a highly inhomogeneous (fractal-like) distribution of matter and magnetic fields in the Galaxy that leads to extremely large free paths of particles (“L\'{e}vy flights”), along with an overwhelming contribution to the cosmic ray fluxes observed above $\sim 10^{18}$ eV from particles reaching the Solar System without scattering. Our scenario was refined on the basis of recent experimental results on primary mass composition. Model predictions, which could be verified with the improved high-precision measurements in the nearest future are discussed.

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A. Lagutin, N. Volkov, A. Tyumentsev, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
40/54

Comments: 5 pages, 2 figures, 19th International Symposium on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray Interactions (22-27 August 2016). Moscow, Russia. P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI RAS)

Reconstruction of extended inflationary potentials for attractors [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02220


We give the procedure to reconstruct the extended inflationary potentials for general scalar-tensor theory of gravity and use the $\alpha$ attractor and the constant slow-roll model as examples to show how to reconstruct the class of extended inflationary potentials in the strong coupling limit. The class of extended inflationary potentials have the same attractor in the strong coupling limit, and the reconstructed extended inflationary potentials are consistent with the observational constraints. We also derive the condition on the coupling constant $\xi$ for satisfying the strong coupling.

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Q. Gao and Y. Gong
Thu, 9 Mar 17
41/54

Comments: 12 pages, 3 figures

Universal dark halo scaling relation for the dwarf spheroidal satellites [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02604


Motivated by a recently found interesting property of the dark halo surface density within a radius, $r_{\rm max}$, giving the maximum circular velocity, $V_{\rm max}$, we investigate it for dark halos of the Milky Way’s and Andromeda’s dwarf satellites based on cosmological simulations. We select and analyze the simulated subhalos associated with Milky Way-sized dark halos and find that the values of their surface densities, $\Sigma_{V_{\rm max}}$, are in good agreement with those for the observed dwarf spheroidal satellites even without employing any fitting procedures. This implies that this surface density would not be largely affected by any baryonic feedbacks and thus universal. Moreover, all subhalos on the small scales of dwarf satellites are expected to obey the relation $\Sigma_{V_{\rm max}}\propto V_{\rm max}$, irrespective of differences in their orbital evolutions, host halo properties, and observed redshifts. Therefore, we find that the universal scaling relation for dark halos on dwarf galaxy mass scales surely exists and provides us important clues to understanding fundamental properties of dark halos. We also investigate orbital and dynamical evolutions of subhalos to understand the origin of this universal dark halo relation and find that most of subhalos evolve generally along the $r_{\rm max}\propto V_{\rm max}$ sequence, even though these subhalos have undergone different histories of mass assembly and tidal stripping. This sequence, therefore, should be the key feature to understand the nature of the universality of $\Sigma_{V_{\rm max}}$.

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K. Hayashi, T. Ishiyama, G. Ogiya, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
42/54

Comments: 12 pages, 5 figures and 3 tables, submitted to ApJ

Identification of coronal heating events in 3D simulations [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02808


The solar coronal heating problem is an open question. One model for the transport and release of mechanical energy generated in the sub-phorospheric layers and photosphere is the nanoflare model that incorporates Ohmic heating which releases a part of the energy stored in the magnetic field. The problem with the verification of this model is that we cannot resolve small scale events. Histograms of observable characteristics of flares, show powerlaw behavior, for both energy release rate, size and total energy. Depending on the powerlaw index of the energy release, nanoflares might be an important candidate for coronal heating; we seek to find that index. In this paper we employ a numerical 3D-MHD simulation produce by the numerical code {\it{Bifrost}}, and a new technique to identify the 3D heating events at a specific instant. The quantity we explore is the Joule heating, which is explicitly correlated with the magnetic reconnection because depends on the curl of the magnetic field. We are able to identify 4136 events in a volume $24 \times 24 \times 9.5 \ \textrm{Mm}^3$ (i.e. $768 \times 786 \times 331$ grid cells) of a specific snapshot. We find a powerlaw slope of the released energy per second, and two powerlaw slopes of the identified volume. The identified energy events do not represent all the released energy, but of the identified events, the total energy of the largest events dominate the energy release. Most of the energy release happens in the lower corona, while heating drops with height. We find that with a specific identification method that large events can be resolved into smaller ones, but at the expense of the total identified energy releases. The energy release which cannot be identified as an event favours a low energy release mechanism.

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C. Kanella and B. Gudiksen
Thu, 9 Mar 17
43/54

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures

First Steps Toward a Method for Estimating Cosmological Parameters using Strong Lensing, X-ray and Dynamics Total Mass Estimates [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02533


In this thesis we want to introduce the first steps towards realising a new method to investigate the cosmological parameters and conduct a detailed analysis of the galaxy cluster MACS J0416. Toward this end, we use the current model from Grillo et al. (2015) as a template and the publicly available lensing code Lenstool. This code has previously been used by Jauzac et al. (2014), Richard et al. (2014), Jauzac et al. (2015) and Caminha et al. (2016) to model MACS J0416 (Grillo et al. (2015) used GLEE). We created $10$ different models to cover a reasonable set of different approaches. In addition to the replication of the Grillo et al. (2015) models, with two cluster scale halos and 175 circular cluster member mass-density profiles, we created models using elliptical mass-density profiles for the cluster members and models where we optimize the cluster member scaling relation slopes. In order to investigate the viability of using the projected total mass estimate from different cosmological models to estimate the cosmological parameter values, we created 49 models each representing a different set of cosmological parameters.

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M. Hansen
Thu, 9 Mar 17
44/54

Comments: N/A

Uncrowding R 136 from VLT-SPHERE extreme adaptive optics [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02876


This paper presents the sharpest near-IR images of the massive cluster R136 to date, based on the extreme adaptive optics of the SPHERE focal instrument implemented on the ESO/VLT and operated in its IRDIS imaging mode. Stacking-up a few hundreds of short exposures in J and Ks spectral bands over a FoV of 10.9″x12.3″ centered on the R136a1 stellar component, enabled us to carry a refined photometric analysis of the core of R136. We detected 1110 and 1059 sources in J and Ks images respectively with 818 common sources. Thanks to better angular resolution and dynamic range, we found that more than 62.6% (16.5%) of the stars, detected both in J and Ks data, have neighbours closer than 0.2″ (0.1″). Among newly resolved and detected sources R136a1 and R136c are found to have optical companions and R136a3 is resolved as two stars separated by 59mas. The new set of detected sources were used to re-assess the age and extinction of R136 based on 54 spectroscopically stars that have been recently studied with HST slit-spectroscopy. Over 90% of these 54 sources identified visual companions (closer than 0.2″). We found the most probable age and extinction for these sources within the photometric and spectroscopic error-bars. Additionally, using PARSEC evolutionary isochrones and tracks, we estimated the stellar mass range for each detected source (common in J and K data) and plotted the generalized histogram of mass (MF with error-bars). Using SPHERE data, we have gone one step further and partially resolved and studied the IMF covering mass range of (3-300) Msun at the age of 1 and 1.5 Myr. The density in the core of R136 is estimated and extrapolated in 3D and larger radii (up to 6pc). We show that the stars in the core are still unresolved due to crowding, and the results we obtained are upper limits. Higher angular resolution is mandatory to overcome these difficulties.

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Z. Khorrami, F. Vakili, T. Lanz, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
45/54

Comments: 15 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables, Accepted to A&A

CMU DeepLens: Deep Learning For Automatic Image-based Galaxy-Galaxy Strong Lens Finding [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02642


Galaxy-scale strong gravitational lensing is not only a valuable probe of the dark matter distribution of massive galaxies, but can also provide valuable cosmological constraints, either by studying the population of strong lenses or by measuring time delays in lensed quasars. Due to the rarity of galaxy-scale strongly lensed systems, fast and reliable automated lens finding methods will be essential in the era of large surveys such as LSST, Euclid, and WFIRST. To tackle this challenge, we introduce CMU DeepLens, a new fully automated galaxy-galaxy lens finding method based on Deep Learning. This supervised machine learning approach does not require any tuning after the training step which only requires realistic image simulations of strongly lensed systems. We train and validate our model on a set of 20,000 LSST-like mock observations including a range of lensed systems of various sizes and signal-to-noise ratios (S/N). We find on our simulated data set that for a rejection rate of non-lenses of 99%, a completeness of 90% can be achieved for lenses with Einstein radii larger than 1.4″ and S/N larger than 20 on individual $g$-band LSST exposures. Finally, we emphasize the importance of realistically complex simulations for training such machine learning methods by demonstrating that the performance of models of significantly different complexities cannot be distinguished on simpler simulations. We make our code publicly available at https://github.com/McWilliamsCenter/CMUDeepLens .

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F. Lanusse, Q. Ma, N. Li, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
46/54

Comments: 12 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Evidence for abnormal H$α$ variability during near-transit observations of HD 189733 b [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02562


Changes in levels of stellar activity can mimic absorption signatures in transmission spectra from circumplanetary material. The frequency and magnitude of these changes is thus important to understand in order to attribute any particular signal to the circumplanetary environment. We present short-cadence, high-resolution out-of-transit H$\alpha$ spectra for the hot Jupiter host HD 189733 in order to establish the frequency and magnitude of intrinsic stellar variations in the H$\alpha$ line core. We find that changes in the line core strength similar to those observed immediately pre- and post-transit in two independent data sets are uncommon. This suggests that the observed near-transit signatures are either due to absorbing circumplanetary material or occur preferentially in time very near planetary transits. In either case, the evidence for abnormal H$\alpha$ variability is strengthened, although the short-cadence out-of-transit data do not argue for circumplanetary absorption versus stellar activity caused by a star-planet interaction. Further out-of-transit monitoring at higher signal-to-noise would be useful to more strictly constrain the frequency of the near-transit changes in the H$\alpha$ line core.

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P. Cauley, S. Redfield and A. Jensen
Thu, 9 Mar 17
47/54

Comments: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted to AJ on 03/06/2017

Imaging a Central Ionized Component, a Narrow Ring, and the CO Snowline in the Multi-Gapped Disk of HD 169142 [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02957


We report Very Large Array observations at 7 mm, 9 mm, and 3 cm toward the pre-transitional disk of the Herbig Ae star HD 169142. These observations have allowed us to study the mm emission of this disk with the highest angular resolution so far ($0\rlap.”12\times0\rlap.”09$, or 14 au$\times$11 au, at 7 mm). Our 7 and 9 mm images show a narrow ring of emission at a radius of $\sim25$ au tracing the outer edge of the inner gap. This ring presents an asymmetric morphology that could be produced by dynamical interactions between the disk and forming planets. Additionally, the azimuthally averaged radial intensity profiles of the 7 and 9 mm images confirm the presence of the previously reported gap at $\sim45$ au, and reveal a new gap at $\sim85$ au. We analyzed archival DCO$^+$(3-2) and C$^{18}$O(2-1) ALMA observations, showing that the CO snowline is located very close to this third outer gap. This suggests that growth and accumulation of large dust grains close to the CO snowline could be the mechanism responsible for this proposed outer gap. Finally, a compact source of emission is detected at 7 mm, 9 mm, and 3 cm toward the center of the disk. Its flux density and spectral index indicate that it is dominated by free-free emission from ionized gas, which could be associated with either the photoionization of the inner disk, an independent object, or an ionized jet.

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E. Macias, G. Anglada, M. Osorio, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
48/54

Comments: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

A direct method to compute the galaxy count angular correlation function including redshift-space distortions [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02818


In the near future, cosmology will enter the wide and deep galaxy survey area allowing high-precision studies of the large scale structure of the universe in three dimensions. To test cosmological models and determine their parameters accurately, it is natural to confront data with exact theoretical expectations expressed in the observational parameter space (angles and redshift). The data-driven galaxy number count fluctuations on redshift shells, can be used to build correlation functions $C(\theta; z_1, z_2)$ on and between shells which can probe the baryonic acoustic oscillations, the distance-redshift distortions as well as gravitational lensing and other relativistic effects. Transforming the model to the data space usually requires the computation of the angular power spectrum $C_\ell(z_1, z_2)$ but this appears as an artificial and inefficient step plagued by apodization issues. In this article we show that it is not necessary and present a compact expression for $C(\theta; z_1, z_2)$ that includes directly the leading density and redshift space distortions terms from the full linear theory. It can be evaluated using a fast integration method based on Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature and Chebyshev polynomial series. This new method to compute the correlation functions without any Limber approximation, allows us to produce and discuss maps of the correlation function directly in the observable space and is a significant step towards disentangling the data from the tested models.

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J. Campagne, S. Plaszczynski and J. Neveu
Thu, 9 Mar 17
49/54

Comments: Submitted to ApJ

The Gamma-Ray Puzzle in Cygnus X: Implications for High-Energy Neutrinos [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02590


The Cygnus X region contains giant molecular cloud complexes and populous associates of massive young stars. The discovery of spatially extended, hard gamma-ray emission in Cygnus X by both Milagro and Fermi indicates that Cygnus X is also a potential source of high-energy Galactic neutrinos. Here, we adapt our single-zone model for cosmic ray interactions in the central molecular zones of starburst galaxies for use in Cygnus X. We calculate the potential neutrino flux corresponding to the hard gamma-ray emission from the “Cygnus Cocoon” and to the soft, diffuse interstellar gamma-ray emission. We check our results by comparing the corresponding gamma-ray emission against the Fermi interstellar emission model and Milagro, ARGO-YBJ, and HAWC observations. In comparing our results against a recent IceCube analysis and the current sensitivity limits, we find that neutrino emission from the Cocoon has a large enough flux that it could plausibly be detected, provided hadronic interactions are occurring at sufficiently high energies. High energy neutrinos from Cygnus X would provide direct evidence for the presence of as yet unidentified PeV energy accelerators in the Galactic disk.

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T. Yoast-Hull, J. Gallagher, F. Halzen, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
50/54

Comments: submitted for publication to Phys Rev D, 9 pages, 5 figures

Probing the atmosphere of a sub-Jovian planet orbiting a cool dwarf [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02630


We derive the 0.01 $\mu$m binned transmission spectrum, between 0.74 and 1.0 $\mu$m, of WASP-80b from low resolution spectra obtained with the FORS2 instrument attached to ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The combination of the fact that WASP-80 is an active star, together with instrumental and telluric factors, introduces correlated noise in the observed transit light curves, which we treat quantitatively using Gaussian Processes. Comparison of our results together with those from previous studies, to theoretically calculated models reveals an equilibrium temperature in agreement with the previously measured value of 825K, and a sub-solar metallicity, as well as an atmosphere depleted of molecular species with absorption bands in the IR ($\gg 5\sigma$). Our transmission spectrum alone shows evidence for additional absorption from the potassium core and wing, whereby its presence is detected from analysis of narrow 0.003 $\mu$m bin light curves ($\gg 5\sigma$). Further observations with visible and near-UV filters will be required to expand this spectrum and provide more in-depth knowledge of the atmosphere. These detections are only made possible through an instrument-dependent baseline model and a careful analysis of systematics in the data.

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E. Sedaghati, H. Boffin, L. Delrez, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
51/54

Comments: 13 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to MNRAS. Version after the first review

From the core to the outskirts: structure analysis of three massive galaxy clusters [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02763


The hierarchical model of structure formation is a key prediction of the Lambda cold dark matter model, which can be tested by studying the large-scale environment and the substructure content of massive galaxy clusters. We present here a detailed analysis of the clusters RXCJ0225.9-4154, RXCJ0528.9-3927, and RXCJ2308.3-0211, as part of a sample of massive X-ray luminous clusters located at intermediate redshifts. We used a multiwavelength analysis, combining WFI photometric observations, VIMOS spectroscopy, and the X-ray surface brightness maps. We investigated the optical morphology of the clusters, we looked for significant counterparts in the residual X-ray emission, and we ran several tests to assess their dynamical state. We correlated the results to define various substructure features, to study their properties, and to quantify their influence on simple dynamical mass estimators. RXCJ0225 has a bimodal core, and two massive galaxy groups are located in its immediate surroundings; they are aligned in an elongated structure that is also detected in X-rays. RXCJ0528 is located in a poor environment; an X-ray centroid shift and the presence of two central BCGs provide mild evidence for a recent and active dynamical history. RXCJ2308 has complex central dynamics, and it is found at the core of a superstes-cluster. The complexity of the cluster’s central dynamics reflects the richness of its large-scale environment: RXCJ0225 and RXCJ2308 present a mass fraction in substructures larger than the typical 0.05-0.15, whereas the isolated cluster RXCJ0528 does not have any major substructures within its virial radius. The largest substructures are found in the cluster outskirts. The optical morphology of the clusters correlates with the orientation of their BCG, and with the position of the main axes of accretion.

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G. Foex, G. Chon and H. Bohringer
Thu, 9 Mar 17
52/54

Comments: N/A

Young Stellar Objects in the Massive Star-Forming Regions W51 and W43 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02771


We present the results of our investigation of the star-forming complexes W51 and W43, two of the brightest in the first Galactic quadrant. In order to determine the young stellar object (YSO) populations in W51 and W43 we used color-magnitude relations based on Spitzer mid-infrared and 2MASS/UKIDSS near-infrared data. We identified 302 Class I YSOs and 1178 Class II/transition disk candidates in W51, and 917 Class I YSOs and 5187 Class II/transition disk candidates in W43. We also identified tens of groups of YSOs in both regions using the Minimal Spanning Tree (MST) method. We found similar cluster densities in both regions even though Spitzer was not able to probe the densest part of W43. By using the Class II/I ratios, we traced the relative ages within the regions and based on the morphology of the clusters we argue that several sites of star formation are independent of one another in terms of their ages and physical conditions. We used spectral energy distribution (SED)-fitting to identify the massive YSO (MYSO) candidates since they play a vital role in the star formation process and then examined them to see if they are related to any massive star formation tracers such as UCH II regions, masers and dense fragments. We identified 17 MYSO candidates in W51, and 14 in W43, respectively and found that groups of YSOs hosting MYSO candidates are positionally associated with H II regions in W51, though we do not see any MYSO candidates associated with previously identified massive dense fragments in W43.

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G. Saral, J. Hora, M. Audard, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
53/54

Comments: 21 pages, 14 tables, 15 figures

Asteroseismology of the {\it Kepler} target KIC\,9204718 [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02605


The high precision data obtained by the {\it Kepler} satellite allows us to detect hybrid type pulsator candidates more accurately than the data obtained by ground-based observations. In this study, we present preliminary results on the new analysis of the {\it Kepler} light curve and high resolution spectroscopic observations of pulsating Am star KIC\,9204718. Our tentative analysis therefore show that the star has hybrid pulsational characteristics.

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C. Ulusoy, I. Stateva, I. Iliev, et. al.
Thu, 9 Mar 17
54/54

Comments: ‘Proceedings of Wide Field variability surveys : a 21 st Century 22nd Los Alamos Stellar Pulsation Conference San Pedro De Atacama ,Chile Nov 28-Dec 2, 2016’ to be published by the EPJ Web of Conferences

Investigating the past history of EXors: the cases of V1118 Ori, V1143 Ori, and NY Ori [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02357


EXor objects are young variables that show episodic variations of brightness commonly associated to enhanced accretion outbursts. With the aim of investigating the long-term photometric behaviour of a few EXor sources, we present here data from the archival plates of the Asiago Observatory, showing the Orion field where the three EXors V1118, V1143, and NY are located. A total of 484 plates were investigated, providing a total of more than 1000 magnitudes for the three stars, which cover a period of about 35 yrs between 1959 to 1993. We then compared our data with literature data. Apart from a newly discovered flare-up of V1118, we identify the same outbursts already known, but we provide two added values: (i) a long-term sampling of the quiescence phase; and (ii) repeated multi-colour observations (BVRI bands). The former allows us to give a reliable characterisation of the quiescence, which represents a unique reference for studies that will analyze future outbursts and the physical changes induced by these events. The latter is useful for confirming whether the intermittent increases of brightness are accretion-driven (as in the case of V1118), or extinction-driven (as in the case of V1143). Accordingly, doubts arise about the V1143 classification as a pure EXor object. Finally, although our plates do not separate NY Ori and the star very close to it, they indicate that this EXor did not undergo any major outbursts during our 40 yrs of monitoring.

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R. Jurdana-Sepic, U. Munari, S. Antoniucci, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
1/60

Comments: 13 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A&A

The Effect of Multiple Heat Sources on Exomoon Habitable Zones [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02447


With dozens of Jovian and super-Jovian exoplanets known to orbit their host stars in or near the stellar habitable zones, it has recently been suggested that moons the size of Mars could offer abundant surface habitats beyond the solar system. Several searches for such exomoons are now underway, and the exquisite astronomical data quality of upcoming space missions and ground-based extremely large telescopes could make the detection and characterization of exomoons possible in the near future. Here we explore the effects of tidal heating on the potential of Mars- to Earth-sized satellites to host liquid surface water, and we compare the tidal heating rates predicted by tidal equilibrium model and a viscoelastic model. In addition to tidal heating, we consider stellar radiation, planetary illumination and thermal heat from the planet. However, the effects of a possible moon atmosphere are neglected. We map the circumplanetary habitable zone for different stellar distances in specific star-planet-satellite configurations, and determine those regions where tidal heating dominates over stellar radiation. We find that the `thermostat effect’ of the viscoelastic model is significant not just at large distances from the star, but also in the stellar habitable zone, where stellar radiation is prevalent. We also find that tidal heating of Mars-sized moons with eccentricities between 0.001 and 0.01 is the dominant energy source beyond 3–5 AU from a Sun-like star and beyond 0.4–0.6 AU from an M3 dwarf star. The latter would be easier to detect (if they exist), but their orbital stability might be under jeopardy due to the gravitational perturbations from the star.

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V. Dobos, R. Heller and E. Turner
Wed, 8 Mar 17
2/60

Comments: accepted for publication in A&A, 8 pages, 4 figures

Axisymmetric force-free magnetosphere in the exterior of a neutron star [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02273


Magnetar magnetospheres gradually become twisted due to shearing by footpoint motion. The axisymmetric solutions for the force-free field with a power-law current model are calculated by taking into account general relativistic effects. Here we show how the magnetic energy and helicity are accumulated along a sequence of equilibria. In a strongly twisted case, a magnetic flux rope, in which a large amount of toroidal field is confined, detaches in the vicinity of the star. It is found this kind of magnetic field line structure is easily produced due to strong relativistic effects compared with the results in flat spacetime. Although the structure is not inherent to the relativity, the confinement is possible even for a smaller power-law index. There is an upper bound on the energy and helicity stored in the magnetosphere. When the helicity is further accumulated, a catastrophic event such as a giant flare may occur.

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Y. Kojima
Wed, 8 Mar 17
3/60

Comments: 8 pages, 4 color figures

The surprisingly large dust and gas content of quiescent galaxies at z>1.4 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02207


Early type galaxies (ETG) contain most of the stars present in the local Universe and, above a stellar mass of ~5e10 Msun, vastly outnumber spiral galaxies like the Milky Way. These massive spheroidal galaxies have, in the present day, very little gas or dust, and their stellar populations have been evolving passively for over 10 billion years. The physical mechanisms that led to the termination of star formation in these galaxies and depletion of their interstellar medium remain largely conjectural. In particular, there are currently no direct measurements of the amount of residual gas that might be still present in newly quiescent spheroids at high redshift. Here we show that quiescent ETGs at z~1.8, close to their epoch of quenching, contained 2-3 orders of magnitude more dust at fixed stellar mass than local ETGs. This implies the presence of substantial amounts of gas (5-10%), which was however consumed less efficiently than in more active galaxies, probably due to their spheroidal morphology, and consistently with our simulations. This lower star formation efficiency, and an extended hot gas halo possibly maintained by persistent feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), combine to keep ETGs mostly passive throughout cosmic time.

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R. Gobat, E. Daddi, G. Magdis, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
4/60

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures (main); 9 pages, 6 figures (supplementary); submitted to Nature Astronomy, comments welcome

Differences between Doppler velocities of ions and neutral atoms in a solar prominence [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02132


In astrophysical systems with partially ionized plasma the motion of ions is governed by the magnetic field while the neutral particles can only feel the magnetic field’s Lorentz force indirectly through collisions with ions. The drift in the velocity between ionized and neutral species plays a key role in modifying important physical processes like magnetic reconnection, damping of magnetohydrodynamic waves, transport of angular momentum in plasma through the magnetic field, and heating. This paper investigates the differences between Doppler velocities of calcium ions and neutral hydrogen in a solar prominence to look for velocity differences between the neutral and ionized species. We simultaneously observed spectra of a prominence over an active region in H I 397 nm, H I 434 nm, Ca II 397 nm, and Ca II 854 nm using a high dispersion spectrograph of the Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida observatory, and compared the Doppler velocities, derived from the shift of the peak of the spectral lines presumably emitted from optically-thin plasma. There are instances when the difference in velocities between neutral atoms and ions is significant, e.g. 1433 events (~ 3 % of sets of compared profiles) with a difference in velocity between neutral hydrogen atoms and calcium ions greater than 3sigma of the measurement error. However, we also found significant differences between the Doppler velocities of two spectral lines emitted from the same species, and the probability density functions of velocity difference between the same species is not significantly different from those between neutral atoms and ions. We interpreted the difference of Doppler velocities as a result of motions of different components in the prominence along the line of sight, rather than the decoupling of neutral atoms from plasma.

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T. Anan, K. Ichimoto and A. Hillier
Wed, 8 Mar 17
5/60

Comments: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication n A&A

The effects of resistivity and viscosity on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in oscillating coronal loops [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02423


Aims – Investigate the effects of resistivity and viscosity on the onset and growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in an oscillating coronal loop. Methods – We modelled a standing kink wave in a density-enhanced loop with the three dimensional (3-D), resistive magnetohydrodynamics code, Lare3d. We conducted a parameter study on the viscosity and resistivity coefficients to examine the effects of dissipation on the KHI. Results – Enhancing the viscosity and resistivity acts to suppress the KHI. Larger values delay the formation of the instability and, in some cases, prevent the onset completely. This leads to the earlier onset of heating for smaller values of the transport coefficients. We note that viscosity has a greater effect on the development of the KHI than resistivity. Furthermore, when using anomalous resistivity, the Ohmic heating rate associated with the KHI may be greater than that associated with the phase mixing that occurs in an instability-suppressed regime (using uniform resistivity). Conclusions – From our study, it is clear that the heating rate crucially depends on the formation of small length scales (influenced by the numerical resolution) as well as the values of resistivity and viscosity. As larger values of the transport coefficients suppress the KHI, the onset of heating is delayed but the heating rate is larger. As increased numerical resolution allows smaller length scales to develop, the heating rate will be higher even for the same transport coefficients.

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T. Howson, I. Moortel and P. Antolin
Wed, 8 Mar 17
6/60

Comments: 13 pages, 12 figures

Perpendicular diffusion coefficient of cosmic rays in the presence of adiabatic focusing along background magnetic field [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02231


The influence of adiabatic focusing on particle diffusion is an important topic in space and plasma physics. In the past several authors have explored the influence of along-field adiabatic focusing on parallel diffusion of charged energetic particles. In this paper by using the Unified NonLinear Transport (UNLT) theory by Shalchi (SH2010) and the method of He and Schlickeiser (HS2014) we derive a new nonlinear perpendicular diffusion coefficient for non-uniform background magnetic field. This formula demonstrates that particle perpendicular diffusion coefficient is affected by along-field adiabatic focusing. And we also find that perpendicular diffusion coefficient is dependent on the sign of adiabatic focusing. For the diverging background magnetic field along-field adiabatic focusing makes spatial perpendicular diffusion coefficient $\kappa_\bot$ increase, that is, more particles diffuse across the diverging mean field than that in the uniform mean field. For converging case the spatial perpendicular diffusion coefficient $\kappa_\bot$ decreases for the reason of adiabatic focusing.

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J. Wang, G. Qin, Q. Ma, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
7/60

Comments: N/A

$C^{3}$ : A Command-line Catalogue Cross-matching tool for modern astrophysical survey data [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02300


In the current data-driven science era, it is needed that data analysis techniques has to quickly evolve to face with data whose dimensions has increased up to the Petabyte scale. In particular, being modern astrophysics based on multi-wavelength data organized into large catalogues, it is crucial that the astronomical catalog cross-matching methods, strongly dependant from the catalogues size, must ensure efficiency, reliability and scalability. Furthermore, multi-band data are archived and reduced in different ways, so that the resulting catalogues may differ each other in formats, resolution, data structure, etc, thus requiring the highest generality of cross-matching features. We present $C^{3}$ (Command-line Catalogue Cross-match), a multi-platform application designed to efficiently cross-match massive catalogues from modern surveys. Conceived as a stand-alone command-line process or a module within generic data reduction/analysis pipeline, it provides the maximum flexibility, in terms of portability, configuration, coordinates and cross-matching types, ensuring high performance capabilities by using a multi-core parallel processing paradigm and a sky partitioning algorithm.

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G. Riccio, M. Brescia, S. Cavuoti, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
8/60

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of the IAU-325 symposium on Astroinformatics, Cambridge University press

Using angular pair upweighting to improve 3D clustering measurements [CEA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02071


Three dimensional galaxy clustering measurements provide a wealth of cosmological information. However, obtaining spectra of galaxies is expensive, and surveys often only measure redshifts for a subsample of a target galaxy population. Provided that the spectroscopic data is representative, we argue that angular pair upweighting should be used in these situations to improve the 3D clustering measurements. We present a toy model showing mathematically how such a weighting can improve measurements, and provide a practical example of its application using mocks created for the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Our analysis of mocks suggests that, if an angular clustering measurement is available over twice the area covered spectroscopically, weighting gives a $\sim$10-20% reduction of the variance of the monopole correlation function on the BAO scale.

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W. Percivall and D. Bianchi
Wed, 8 Mar 17
9/60

Comments: 5 pages, 5 figures

Assessment of different formation scenarios for the ring system of (10199) Chariklo [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02295


The discovery that the centaur (10199) Chariklo possesses a ring system opens questions about their origin. We here asses the plausibility of different scenarios for the origin of the observed ring system. We first consider the possibility that the material of the ring originated in the disruption of a satellite that had reached a critical distance from the centaur. We discuss the conditions for the putative satellite to approach the centaur as a consequence of tidal interaction. A three-body encounter is also considered as a transport mechanism. In addition, we study the case in which the ring is formed by the ejecta of a cratering collision on the centaur and we constrain the collision parameters and the size of the resulting crater of the event. Finally, we consider that the ring material originates from a catastrophic collision between a background object and a satellite located at a distance corresponding to the the current location of the ring. We compute the typical timescales for these scenarios. We estimate that in order to be tidally disrupted a satellite would have had to be larger than approximately 6.5 km at the location of the rings. However the tidal interaction is rather weak for objects of the size of outer solar system bodies at the ring location, therefore we considered other more effective mechanisms by which a satellite migt have approached the centaur. Collisonal scenarios are both physically plausible for the formation, but semianalytical estimations indicate that the probability of the corresponding collisions is low under current conditions

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M. Melita, R. Duffard, J. Ortiz, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
10/60

Comments: N/A

Upper Limit on the Milky Way Mass from the Orbit of the Sagittarius Dwarf Satellite [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02137


As one of the most massive Milky Way satellites, the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy has played an important role in shaping the Galactic disk and stellar halo morphologies. The disruption of Sagittarius over several close-in passages has populated the halo of our Galaxy with large-scale tidal streams and offers a unique diagnostic tool for measuring its gravitational potential. Here we test different progenitor mass models for the Milky Way and Sagittarius by modeling the full infall of the satellite. We constrain the mass of the Galaxy based on the observed orbital parameters and multiple tidal streams of Sagittarius. Our semi-analytic modeling of the orbital dynamics agrees with full $N$-body simulations, and favors low values for the Milky Way mass, $\lesssim 10^{12}M_\odot$. This conclusion eases the tension between $\Lambda$CDM and the observed parameters of the Milky Way satellites.

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M. Dierickx and A. Loeb
Wed, 8 Mar 17
11/60

Comments: Submitted; 11 pages

An investigation into the fraction of particle accelerators among colliding-wind binaries. Towards an extension of the catalogue [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02385


Particle-accelerating colliding-wind binaries (PACWBs) are multiple systems made of early-type stars able to accelerate particles up to relativistic velocities. The relativistic particles can interact with different fields (magnetic or radiation) in the colliding-wind region and produce non-thermal emission. In many cases, non-thermal synchrotron radiation might be observable and thus constitute an indicator of the existence of a relativistic particle population in these multiple systems. To date, the catalogue of PACWBs includes about 40 objects spread over many stellar types and evolutionary stages, with no clear trend pointing to privileged subclasses of objects likely to accelerate particles. This paper aims at discussing critically some criteria for selecting new candidates among massive binaries. The subsequent search for non-thermal radiation in these objects is expected to lead to new detections of particle accelerators. On the basis of this discussion, some broad ideas for observation strategies are formulated. At this stage of the investigation of PACWBs, there is no clear reason to consider particle acceleration in massive binaries as an anomaly or even as a rare phenomenon. We therefore consider that several PACWBs will be detected in the forthcoming years, essentially using sensitive radio interferometers which are capable of measuring synchrotron emission from colliding-wind binaries. Prospects for high-energy detections are also briefly addressed.

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M. Becker, P. Benaglia, G. Romero, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
12/60

Comments: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

H0LiCOW VII. Cosmic evolution of the correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy luminosity [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02041


Strongly lensed active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide a unique opportunity to make progress in the study of the evolution of the correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes ($\mathcal M_{BH}$) and their host galaxy luminosity ($L_{host}$). We demonstrate the power of lensing by analyzing two systems for which state-of-the-art lens modelling techniques have been applied to Hubble Space Telescope imaging data. We use i) the reconstructed images to infer the total and bulge luminosity of the host and ii) published broad-line spectroscopy to estimate $\mathcal M_{BH}$ using the so-called virial method. We then enlarge our sample with new calibration of previously published measurements to study the evolution of the correlation out to z~4.5. Consistent with previous work, we find that without taking into account passive luminosity evolution, the data points lie on the local relation. Once passive luminosity evolution is taken into account, we find that BHs in the more distant Universe reside in less luminous galaxies than today. Fitting this offset as $\mathcal M_{BH}$/$L_{host}$ $\propto$ (1+z)$^{\gamma}$, and taking into account selection effects, we obtain $\gamma$ = 0.6 $\pm$ 0.1 and 0.8$\pm$ 0.1 for the case of $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{bulge}$ and $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{total}$, respectively. To test for systematic uncertainties and selection effects we also consider a reduced sample that is homogeneous in data quality. We find consistent results but with considerably larger uncertainty due to the more limited sample size and redshift coverage ($\gamma$ = 0.7 $\pm$ 0.4 and 0.2$\pm$ 0.5 for $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{bulge}$ and $\mathcal M_{BH}$-$L_{total}$, respectively), highlighting the need to gather more high-quality data for high-redshift lensed quasar hosts. Our result is consistent with a scenario where the growth of the black hole predates that of the host galaxy.

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X. Ding, T. Treu, S. Suyu, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
13/60

Comments: 16 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, submitted to MNRAS, comments welcome

METAPHOR: Probability density estimation for machine learning based photometric redshifts [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02292


We present METAPHOR (Machine-learning Estimation Tool for Accurate PHOtometric Redshifts), a method able to provide a reliable PDF for photometric galaxy redshifts estimated through empirical techniques. METAPHOR is a modular workflow, mainly based on the MLPQNA neural network as internal engine to derive photometric galaxy redshifts, but giving the possibility to easily replace MLPQNA with any other method to predict photo-z’s and their PDF. We present here the results about a validation test of the workflow on the galaxies from SDSS-DR9, showing also the universality of the method by replacing MLPQNA with KNN and Random Forest models. The validation test include also a comparison with the PDF’s derived from a traditional SED template fitting method (Le Phare).

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V. Amaro, S. Cavuoti, M. Brescia, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
14/60

Comments: proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, IAU-325 symposium, Cambridge University press

Searching for initial stage of massive star formation around the H II region G18.2-0.3 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02364


Sometimes the early star formation can be found in cold and dense molecular clouds, such as infrared dark cloud (IRDC). Considering star formation often occurs in clustered condition, HII regions may be triggering a new generation of star formation, so we can search for initial stage of massive star formation around HII regions. Based on that above, this work is to introduce one method of how to search for initial stage of massive star formation around HII regions. Towards one sample of the HII region G18.2-0.3, multiwavelength observations are carried out to investigate its physical condition. In contrast and analysis, we find three potential initial stages of massive star formation, suggesting that it is feasible to search for initial stage of massive star formation around HII regions.

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C. Zhang, J. Yuan, J. Xu, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
15/60

Comments: 15 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables. Accepted by Research in Astron. Astrophys

The VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey. Luminosity and stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering at z~3 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02049


We present the study of the dependence of galaxy clustering on luminosity and stellar mass in the redshift range 2$<$z$<$3.5 using 3236 galaxies with robust spectroscopic redshifts from the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We measure the two-point real-space correlation function $w_p(r_p)$ for four volume-limited stellar mass and four luminosity, M$_{UV}$ absolute magnitude selected, sub-samples. We find that the scale dependent clustering amplitude $r_0$ significantly increases with increasing luminosity and stellar mass indicating a strong galaxy clustering dependence on these properties. This corresponds to a strong relative bias between these two sub-samples of $\Delta$b/b$^*$=0.43. Fitting a 5-parameter HOD model we find that the most luminous and massive galaxies occupy the most massive dark matter haloes with $\langle$M$_h$$\rangle$ = 10$^{12.30}$ h$^{-1}$ M$_{\odot}$. Similar to the trends observed at lower redshift, the minimum halo mass M$_{min}$ depends on the luminosity and stellar mass of galaxies and grows from M$_{min}$ =10$^{9.73}$ h$^{-1}$M$_{\odot}$ to M$_{min}$=10$^{11.58}$ h$^{-1}$M$_{\odot}$ from the faintest to the brightest among our galaxy sample, respectively. We find the difference between these halo masses to be much more pronounced than is observed for local galaxies of similar properties. Moreover, at z~3, we observe that the masses at which a halo hosts, on average, one satellite and one central galaxy is M$_1$$\approx$4M$_{min}$ over all luminosity ranges, significantly lower than observed at z~0 indicating that the halo satellite occupation increases with redshift. The luminosity and stellar mass dependence is also reflected in the measurements of the large scale galaxy bias, which we model as b$_{g,HOD}$($>$L)=1.92+25.36(L/L$^*$)$^{7.01}$. We conclude our study with measurements of stellar-to-halo mass ratio (SHMR) of the stellar mass selected sub-samples.

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A. Durkalec, O. Fevre, A. Pollo, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
16/60

Comments: 18 pages, 11 figures, submitted to A&A

Asymmetries on red giant branch surfaces from CHARA/MIRC optical interferometry [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02406


Context. Red giant branch (RGB) stars are very bright objects in galaxies and are often used as standard candles. Interferometry is the ideal tool to characterize the dynamics and morphology of their atmospheres. Aims. We aim at precisely characterising the surface dynamics of a sample of RGB stars. Methods. We obtained interferometric observations for three RGB stars with the MIRC instrument mounted at the CHARA interfer- ometer. We looked for asymmetries on the stellar surfaces using limb-darkening models. Results. We measured the apparent diameters of HD197989 (Epsilon Cyg) = 4.61+-0.02 mas, HD189276 (HR7633) = 2.95+-0.01 mas, and HD161096 (Beta Oph) = 4.43+-0.01 mas. We detected departures from the centrosymmetric case for all three stars with the tendency of a greater effect for lower logg of the sample. We explored the causes of this signal and conclude that a possible explanation to the interferometric signal is the convection-related and/or the magnetic-related surface activity. However, it is necessary to monitor these stars with new observations, possibly coupled with spectroscopy, in order to firmly establish the cause.

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A. Chiavassa, R. Norris, M. Montarges, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
17/60

Comments: Accepted for publication as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysics, section 1. Letters to the Editor. The official date of acceptance is 06/03/2017

Magnifying the early episodes of star formation: super-star clusters at cosmological distances [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02044


We present VLT/MUSE and VLT/X-Shooter spectra of two faint (m_uv ~ 30.6), young (< 100 Myr), low-mass (<10^(7) Msun), low-metallicity (12+Log(O/H)~7.7, or 1/10 solar) and compact (30 pc effective radius) stellar systems separated by ~300 pc at z=3.2222, after correcting from the strong lensing effect. Six multiple images have been identified in the Hubble Frontier Field images of the galaxy cluster MACS-J0416, with magnifications \mu~40-70 for the brightest ones. We measured CIV1548-1550, HeII1640, OIII]1661-1666, CIII]1907-1909, Hbeta and [OIII]4959-5007 emission lines with velocity dispersion \sigma_v < 25 km/s measured with X-Shooter and (de-lensed) line fluxes as faint as 10^(-19) erg/s/cm2. This suggests hot stars are present in star-clusters whose mass is dominated by the stellar mass. Remarkably, the ultraviolet metal lines are not accompanied by Lya emission (e.g., CIV / Lya > 12), despite the Lya line flux is expected to be 150 times brighter (inferred from the Hbeta flux) arising in a mostly photo-ionized medium ([OIII]5007 / [OII]3727 >10). The detection at the same redshift of a spatially-offset and strongly-magnified (\mu >50) Lya emission at ~2 kpc, with a de-lensed spatial extension < 7.6 kpc^2, suggests a transverse leakage of ionizing radiation from the star-clusters that induces Lya fluorescence. The offset emission could also originate from another extremely faint source with m_uv >34 (de-lensed) and EW(Lya) > 450\AA\ rest-frame. This is the first confirmed metal-line emitter at such low-luminosity and redshift without Lya emission, suggesting that a highly fluctuating Lya visibility might be in place also in these regimes and small sizes.

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E. Vanzella, M. Castellano, M. Meneghetti, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
18/60

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to ApJL. Comments welcome

The Most Massive Heartbeat: An In-depth Analysis of ι Orionis [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02086


{\iota} Ori is a well studied massive binary consisting of an O9 III + B1 III/IV star. Due to its high eccentricity (e = 0.764) and short orbital period (P orb = 29.13376 d), it has been considered to be a good candidate to show evidence of tidal effects; however, none have previously been identified. Using photometry from the BRITE-Constellation space photometry mission we have confirmed the existence of tidal distortions through the presence of a heartbeat signal at periastron. We combine spectroscopic and light curve analyses to measure the masses and radii of the components, revealing {\iota} Ori to be the most massive heartbeat system known to date. In addition, using a thorough frequency analysis, we also report the unprecedented discovery of multiple tidally induced oscillations in an O star. The amplitudes of the pulsations allow us to empirically estimate the tidal circularization rate, yielding an effective tidal quality factor Q $\approx 4 \times 10^{4}$ .

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H. Pablo, N. Richardson, J. Fuller, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
19/60

Comments: 11 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in press

Spatial structure of several diffuse interstellar band carriers [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02043


Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) hold a lot of information about the state and the structure of the ISM. Structure can most directly be observed by extensive spectroscopic surveys, including surveys of stars where DIBs are especially important, as they are conveniently found in all observed bands. Large surveys lack the quality of spectra to detect weak DIBs, so many spectra from small regions on the sky have to be combined before a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is achieved. However, the clumpiness of the DIB clouds is unknown, which poses a problem, as the measured properties can end up being averaged over a too large area. We use a technique called Gaussian processes to accurately measure profiles of interstellar absorption lines in 145 high SNR and high resolution spectra of hot stars. Together with Bayesian MCMC approach we also get reliable estimates of the uncertainties. We derive scales at which column densities of 18 DIBs, CH, CH$^+$, Ca I, and Ca II show some spatial correlation. This correlation scale is associated with the size of the ISM clouds. Scales expressed as the angle on the sky vary significantly from DIB to DIB between $\sim0.23^\circ$ for the DIB at 5512 {\AA} and 3.5$^\circ$ for the DIB at 6196 {\AA}, suggesting that different DIB carriers have different clumpiness but occupy the same general space. Our study includes lines-of-sight all over the northern Milky Way, as well as out of the Galactic plane, covering regions with different physical conditions. The derived correlation scales therefore represent a general image of the Galactic ISM on the scales of $\sim5$ pc to $100$ pc.

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J. Kos
Wed, 8 Mar 17
20/60

Comments: Accepted to MNRAS

Über-Gravity and the Cosmological Constant Problem [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02052


Recently, the idea of taking ensemble average over gravity models has been introduced. Based on this idea, we study the ensemble average over (effectively) all the gravity models dubbing the name \”ubergravity. The \”ubergravity has interesting universal properties, independent from the choice of basis: $i)$ it mimics Einstein-Hilbert gravity for high-curvature regime, $ii)$ it predicts stronger gravitational force for an intermediate-curvature regime, $iii)$ surprisingly, for low-curvature regime, i.e. $R<R_0$ where $R$ is Ricci scalar and $R_0$ is a given scale, the Lagrangian vanishes automatically and $iiii)$ there is a sharp transition between low- and intermediate-curvature regimes at $R=R_0$. We show that the \”ubergravity response is robust to any value of the vacuum energy, $\rho_{vac}$. This means the response to any non-vanishing value of $\rho_{vac}$ gives an exact deSitter solution where $R_0$ plays the role of the cosmological constant. Consequently, $R_0$ should be fixed by the observations and there is no need to fine-tune the cosmological constant.

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N. Khosravi
Wed, 8 Mar 17
21/60

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, comments are welcomed

Identification of Young Stellar Variables with KELT for K2 I: Campaign 13 Taurus [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02522


One of the most well-studied young stellar associations, Taurus-Auriga, will be observed by the extended Kepler mission, K2, in the spring of 2017. K2 Campaign 13 (C13) will be a unique opportunity to study many stars in this young association at high photometric precision and cadence. Using observations from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey, we identify “dippers”, stochastic variables, and periodic variables among K2 C13 target stars. This release of KELT data (lightcurve data in e-tables) provides the community with long-baseline observations to assist in the understanding of the more exotic variables in the association. Transient-like phenomena on timescales of months to years are known characteristics of young stellar objects, making contextual pre- and post-K2 observations critical to understanding the underlying processes. We are providing a comprehensive set of KELT light curves for known Taurus-Auriga stars in K2 C13. The combined data sets from K2 and KELT permit a broad array of investigations related to star formation, stellar variability, and protoplanetary environments.

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J. Rodriguez, M. Ansdell, R. Oelkers, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
22/60

Comments: 14 pages, 7 figure, 2 tables, Submitted to the AAS Journals

Turbulent kinetic energy in the energy balance of a solar flare [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02392


The energy released in solar flares derives from a reconfiguration of magnetic fields to a lower energy state, and is manifested in several forms, including bulk kinetic energy of the coronal mass ejection, acceleration of electrons and ions, and enhanced thermal energy that is ultimately radiated away across the electromagnetic spectrum from optical to X-rays. Using an unprecedented set of coordinated observations, from a suite of instruments, we here report on a hitherto largely overlooked energy component — the kinetic energy associated with small-scale turbulent mass motions. We show that the spatial location of, and timing of the peak in, turbulent kinetic energy together provide persuasive evidence that turbulent energy may play a key role in the transfer of energy in solar flares. Although the kinetic energy of turbulent motions accounts, at any given time, for only $\sim (0.5-1)$\% of the energy released, its relatively rapid ($\sim$$1-10$~s) energization and dissipation causes the associated throughput of energy (i.e., power) to rival that of major components of the released energy in solar flares, and thus presumably in other astrophysical acceleration sites.

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E. Kontar, J. Perez, L. Harra, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
23/60

Comments: 5pages, 4 figures, to be published in Physical Review Letters

A New Constraint on Reionization by a Census of $z=7.0$ Ly$α$ Emitters with a Deep and Large Sample to 0.3 $L^*$: Evolution of Ly$α$ Luminosity Function and Equivalent Width at $z\sim6-7$ [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02501


We conduct a census of 20 $z=7.0$ Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) detected in Subaru Deep Field (SDF) and Subaru XMM Deep Survey (SXDS) field to a Ly$\alpha$ luminosity limit $L({\rm Ly}\alpha) = 2.0\times 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ or $\sim 0.3$ $L^*_{z=7}$ in a volume $V=6.1\times 10^5$ Mpc$^3$ by our $\sim 80$ and 37 hrs of Subaru Telescope Suprime-Cam narrowband NB973 and reddest optical y-band imagings. We compare Ly$\alpha$ luminosity function (LF), rest frame UV LF, Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width (EW) distribution of $z=7.0$ LAEs to those of $z=5.7$, 6.6 and 7.3 LAEs from previous Suprime-Cam surveys to comparable limits. The Ly$\alpha$ LF significantly declines from $z=5.7$ to 7.0 at the bright to faint end and from $z=6.6$ to 7.0 at the faint end. It more significantly declines from $z=7.0$ to 7.3. Meanwhile, though the UV LF of LAEs does not evolve much at $z=5.7$-6.6, it modestly declines from $z=6.6$ to 7.0. Furthermore, in addition to the systematic decrease in Ly$\alpha$ EWs from $z=5.7$ to 6.6 previously found, we find that 2/3 of our $z=7.0$ LAEs detected in the UV continuum have lower EWs than those of $z=6.6$ LAEs. These results indicate that the Ly$\alpha$ LF acceleratingly decreases at $z>5.7$ as suggested by previous studies, and the decline of the UV LF at $z=6.6$-7.0 suggests that galaxy evolution contributes to the declines of the Ly$\alpha$ LF and EWs at this epoch. Comparison of our $z=7.0$ Ly$\alpha$ LF to the one predicted by a recent LAE evolution model further reveals that galaxy evolution alone cannot explain all the decline of the Ly$\alpha$ LF at $z=7.0$. If we attribute the discrepancy to Ly$\alpha$ attenuation by neutral hydrogen, the intergalactic medium transmission of Ly$\alpha$ photons at $z=7.0$ would be $\leq 0.6$-0.7. It is lower (higher) than the one at $z=6.6$ ($z=7.3$) derived by previous studies, suggesting that neutral fraction increases at $z > 6$.

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K. Ota, M. Iye, N. Kashikawa, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
24/60

Comments: 36 Pages, 22 Figures, 10 Tables, Submitted to ApJ

The First Data Release from SweetSpot: 74 Supernovae in 36 Nights on WIYN+WHIRC [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02402


SweetSpot is a three-year National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) Survey program to observe Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the smooth Hubble flow with the WIYN High-resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC) on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. We here present data from the first half of this survey, covering the 2011B-2013B NOAO semesters, and consisting of 493 calibrated images of 74 SNe Ia observed in the rest-frame near-infrared (NIR) from $0.02 < z < 0.09$. Because many observed supernovae require host galaxy subtraction from templates taken in later semesters, this release contains only the 168 NIR ($JHK_s$) data points for the 33 SNe Ia that do not require host-galaxy subtraction. The sample includes 3 objects with coverage beginning before the epoch of B-band maximum and 26 beginning within 20 days of B-band maximum. We also provide photometric calibration between the WIYN+WHIRC and Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) systems along with light curves for 786 2MASS stars observed alongside the SNe Ia. This work is the first in a planned series of three SweetSpot Data Releases. Future releases will include the full set of images from all 3 years of the survey, including host-galaxy reference images and updated data processing and host-galaxy reference subtraction. SweetSpot will provide a well-calibrated sample that will help improve our ability to standardize distance measurements to SNe Ia, examine the intrinsic optical-NIR colors of SNe Ia at different epochs, explore nature of dust in other galaxies, and act as a stepping stone for more distant, potentially space-based surveys.

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A. Weyant, W. Wood-Vasey, R. Joyce, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
25/60

Comments: Submitted to ApJS. 10 tables. 11 figures. Lightcurve plots included as a figureset and available in source tarball. Data online at this http URL

Sensitivity Characterization of a Parametric Transducer for Gravitational Wave Detection Through Optomechanical Spring Effect [IMA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02179


We present the characterization of the most recent parametric transducers designed to enhance the Mario Schenberg Gravitational Wave Detector sensitivity. The transducer is composed of a microwave re-entrant cavity that attaches to the gravitational wave antenna via a rigid spring. It functions as a three-mode mass-spring system; motion of the spherical antenna couples to a 50 $\mu$m thick membrane, which converts its mechanical motion into a frequency shift of the cavity resonance. Through the optomechanical spring effect, the microwave transducer frequency-displacement sensitivity was measured to be 726 MHz/$\mu$m at 4 K. The spherical antenna detection sensitivity is determined analytically using the transducer amplification gain and equivalent displacement noise in the test setup to be $5.5 \times 10^{-19}\sqrt{Hz}^{-1}$.

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N. Carvalho, J. Bourhill, O. Aguiar, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
26/60

Comments: N/A

Demonstrating A New Census of INfrared Galaxies with ALMA (DANCING-ALMA). I. FIR Size and Luminosity Relation at z = 0-6 [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02138


We present the large statistics of the galaxy effective radius in the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) wavelength Re(FIR) obtained from 1258 deep Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1-mm band maps that are open for public by 2016 December. Our ALMA sample consists of 736 sources at z=0-6 that typically have the star-formation rate of ~50-1000 M$_{\odot}$/yr and the stellar mass of ~10$^{10}$-10$^{11.5}$ M$_{\odot}$. We homogeneously derive Re(FIR) and FIR luminosity L_FIR of our ALMA sources with the same uv-visibility method over the redshift range of z=0-6, carefully evaluating the selection incompleteness and the size measurement systematics by realistic Monte-Carlo simulations. We find that there is a positive correlation between Re(FIR) and L_FIR at the >99% significance level. Fitting the power-law function, Re(FIR) $\propto$ L_FIR$^{\alpha}$, we obtain the best-fit value of \alpha=0.26+/-0.06. Moreover, the average R_e(FIR) at a fixed L_FIR decreases toward high redshifts. The best-fit \alpha and the redshift evolution trend of Re(FIR) are similar to those of the galaxy effective radius in the rest-frame UV (optical) wavelength Re(UV) (Re(Opt.)) revealed by optical (near-infrared) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) studies. We compare Re(FIR) of our ALMA sources with Re(UV) and Re(Opt.) on the statistical and individual bases, and identify the significant trend that Re(FIR) is smaller than Re(UV) and Re(Opt.), which suggests that dusty starbursts take place in a compact region. We investigate details of the rest-frame UV and optical morphologies of our ALMA sources with deep HST imaging data, and find that 27% of our ALMA sources appear to be major mergers. Because the rest of the ALMA sources (73%) are compact isolated sources, dusty starbursts are triggered not only by major mergers but also the other mechanism(s).

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S. Fujimoto, M. Ouchi, T. Shibuya, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
27/60

Comments: 19 pages, 13 figures. Submitted to ApJ

FSR 1716: A new Milky Way Globular Cluster confirmed using VVV RR Lyrae stars [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02033


We use deep multi-epoch near-IR images of the VISTA Variables in the V\’ia L\’actea (VVV) Survey to search for RR Lyrae stars towards the Southern Galactic plane. Here we report the discovery of a group of RR Lyrae stars close together in VVV tile d025. Inspection of the VVV images and PSF photometry reveals that most of these stars are likely to belong to a globular cluster, that matches the position of the previously known star cluster FSR\,1716. The stellar density map of the field yields a $>100$ sigma detection for this candidate globular cluster, that is centered at equatorial coordinates $RA_{J2000}=$16:10:30.0, $DEC_{J2000}=-$53:44:56; and galactic coordinates $l=$329.77812, $b=-$1.59227. The color-magnitude diagram of this object reveals a well populated red giant branch, with a prominent red clump at $K_s=13.35 \pm 0.05$, and $J-K_s=1.30 \pm 0.05$. We present the cluster RR Lyrae positions, magnitudes, colors, periods and amplitudes. The presence of RR Lyrae indicates an old globular cluster, with age $>10$ Gyr. We classify this object as an Oosterhoff type I globular cluster, based on the mean period of its RR Lyrae type ab, $<P>=0.540$ days, and argue that this is a relatively metal-poor cluster with $[Fe/H] = -1.5 \pm 0.4$ dex. The mean extinction and reddening for this cluster are $A_{K_s}=0.38 \pm 0.02$, and $E(J-K_s)=0.72 \pm 0.02$ mag, respectively, as measured from the RR Lyrae colors and the near-IR color-magnitude diagram. We also measure the cluster distance using the RR Lyrae type ab stars. The cluster mean distance modulus is $(m-M)_0 = 14.38 \pm 0.03$ mag, implying a distance $D = 7.5 \pm 0.2$ kpc, and a Galactocentric distance $R_G=4.3$ kpc.

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D. Minniti, T. Palma, I. Dekany, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
28/60

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures. ApJL, in press

The dependence of cluster galaxy properties on the central entropy of their host cluster [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02234


We present a study of the connection between brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and their host galaxy clusters. Using galaxy clusters at $0.1<z<0.3$ from the Hectospec Cluster Survey (HeCS) with X-ray information from the Archive of {\it Chandra} Cluster Entropy Profile Tables (ACCEPT), we confirm that BCGs in low central entropy clusters are well aligned with the X-ray center. Additionally, the magnitude difference between BCG and the 2nd brightest one also correlates with the central entropy of the intracluster medium. From the red-sequence (RS) galaxies, we cannot find significant dependence of RS color scatter and stellar population on the central entropy of the intracluster medium of their host cluster. However, BCGs in low entropy clusters are systematically less massive than those in high entropy clusters, although this is dependent on the method used to derive the stellar mass of BCGs. In contrast, the stellar velocity dispersion of BCGs shows no dependence on BCG activity and cluster central entropy. This implies that the potential of the BCG is established earlier and the activity leading to optical emission lines is dictated by the properties of the intracluster medium in the cluster core.

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J. Kim, J. Ko, H. Hwang, et. al.
Wed, 8 Mar 17
29/60

Comments: 16 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Published in ApJ