Table of contents

We study the mid-infrared color space of 30 galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) survey for which Sloan Digital Sky Survey data are also available. We construct two-color maps for each galaxy and compare them to results obtained from combining Maraston evolutionary synthesis models, galactic thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) colors, and smooth star formation histories. For most of the SINGS sample, the spatially extended mid-IR emission seen by Spitzer in normal galaxies is consistent with our simple model in which circumstellar dust from TP-AGB stars dominates at 8 and 24 μm. There is a handful of exceptions that we identify as galaxies that have high star formation rates presumably with star formation histories that cannot be assumed to be smooth, or anemic galaxies, which were depleted of their H i at some point during their evolution and have very low ongoing star formation rates.

We present a rest-frame ultraviolet morphological analysis of 108 z ≃ 2.1 Lyα emitters (LAEs) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South and compare it to a similar sample of 171 LAEs at z ≃ 3.1. Using Hubble Space Telescope images from the Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs survey, Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey, and Hubble Ultradeep Field, we measure size and photometric component distributions, where photometric components are defined as distinct clumps of UV-continuum emission. At both redshifts, >80% of LAEs have observed half-light radii <2 kpc, but the median half-light radius rises from 0.95 ± 0.04 kpc at z = 3.1 to 1.41 ± 0.14 kpc at z = 2.1. A similar evolution is seen in the sizes of individual rest-UV components, but there is no evidence for evolution in the number of multi-component systems. In the z = 2.1 sample, we see clear correlations between the size of an LAE and other physical properties derived from its spectral energy distribution (SED). LAEs are found to be larger for galaxies with higher stellar mass, star formation rate, and dust obscuration, but there is no evidence for a trend between equivalent width and half-light radius at either redshift. The presence of these correlations suggests that a wide range of objects are being selected by LAE surveys at z ∼ 2, including a significant fraction of objects for which a massive and moderately extended population of old stars underlies the young starburst giving rise to the Lyα emission.

Gravitational waves (GWs) are tiny ripples in the fabric of space time predicted by Einstein's general relativity. Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are well poised to detect low-frequency (10⁻⁹–10⁻⁷ Hz) GWs in the near future. There has been a significant amount of research into the detection of a stochastic background of GWs from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs). Recent work has shown that single continuous sources standing out above the background may be detectable by PTAs operating at a sensitivity sufficient to detect the stochastic background. The most likely sources of continuous GWs in the pulsar timing frequency band are extremely massive and/or nearby SMBHBs. In this paper we present detection strategies including various forms of matched filtering and power spectral summing. We determine the efficacy and computational cost of such strategies. It is shown that using an optimal matched filter explicitly including the poorly constrained pulsar distances with a grid-based method is computationally infeasible. We show that an Earth-term-matched filter constructed using only the correlated signal terms is robust, computationally viable and highly sensitive to GW signals. We further show that a simple power spectral summing technique is nearly equivalent to the Earth-term-matched filter in terms of the minimum detectable amplitude. Both of these techniques are only a factor of two less sensitive than the computationally unrealizable optimal matched filter. We also show that a pairwise matched filter, taking the pulsar distances into account, is comparable to the optimal matched filter for the single template case and comparable to the Earth-term-matched filter for many search templates. Finally, using simulated data optimal quality, we place a theoretical minimum detectable strain amplitude of h > 2 × 10⁻¹⁵ from continuous GWs at frequencies on the order ∼1/T_obs.

We study the likelihood of energy condition violations in the history of the universe. Our method is based on a set of functions that characterize energy condition violation. Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker cosmological models are built around these "indication functions." By computing the Fisher matrix of model parameters using Type Ia supernova and Hubble parameter data, we extract the principal modes of these functions' redshift evolution. These modes allow us to obtain general reconstructions of energy condition violation history independent of the dark energy model. We find that the data suggest a history of strong energy condition violation, but the null and dominant energy conditions are likely to be fulfilled. Implications for dark energy models are discussed.

The properties of unresolved protostars and their local environment are frequently inferred from spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using radiative transfer modeling. In this paper, we use synthetic observations of realistic star formation simulations to evaluate the accuracy of properties inferred from fitting model SEDs to observations. We use ORION, an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) three-dimensional gravito-radiation-hydrodynamics code, to simulate low-mass star formation in a turbulent molecular cloud including the effects of protostellar outflows. To obtain the dust temperature distribution and SEDs of the forming protostars, we post-process the simulations using HYPERION, a state-of-the-art Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. We find that the ORION and HYPERION dust temperatures typically agree within a factor of two. We compare synthetic SEDs of embedded protostars for a range of evolutionary times, simulation resolutions, aperture sizes, and viewing angles. We demonstrate that complex, asymmetric gas morphology leads to a variety of classifications for individual objects as a function of viewing angle. We derive best-fit source parameters for each SED through comparison with a pre-computed grid of radiative transfer models. While the SED models correctly identify the evolutionary stage of the synthetic sources as embedded protostars, we show that the disk and stellar parameters can be very discrepant from the simulated values, which is expected since the disk and central source are obscured by the protostellar envelope. Parameters such as the stellar accretion rate, stellar mass, and disk mass show better agreement, but can still deviate significantly, and the agreement may in some cases be artificially good due to the limited range of parameters in the set of model SEDs. Lack of correlation between the model and simulation properties in many individual instances cautions against overinterpreting properties inferred from SEDs for unresolved protostellar sources.

Future ground-based direct imaging of exoplanets depends critically on high-contrast coronagraph and wave-front manipulation. A coronagraph is designed to remove most of the unaberrated starlight. Because of the wave-front error, which is inherit from the atmospheric turbulence from ground observations, a coronagraph cannot deliver its theoretical performance, and speckle noise will limit the high-contrast imaging performance. Recently, extreme adaptive optics, which can deliver an extremely high Strehl ratio, is being developed for such a challenging mission. In this publication, we show that barely taking a long-exposure image does not provide much gain for coronagraphic imaging with adaptive optics. We further discuss a speckle subtraction and suppression technique that fully takes advantage of the high contrast provided by the coronagraph, as well as the wave front corrected by the adaptive optics. This technique works well for coronagraphic imaging with conventional adaptive optics with a moderate Strehl ratio, as well as for extreme adaptive optics with a high Strehl ratio. We show how to substrate and suppress speckle noise efficiently up to the third order, which is critical for future ground-based high-contrast imaging. Numerical simulations are conducted to fully demonstrate this technique.

We present a retrieval method based on Bayesian analysis to infer the atmospheric compositions and surface or cloud-top pressures from transmission spectra of exoplanets with general compositions. In this study, we identify what can unambiguously be determined about the atmospheres of exoplanets from their transmission spectra by applying the retrieval method to synthetic observations of the super-Earth GJ 1214b. Our approach to inferring constraints on atmospheric parameters is to compute their joint and marginal posterior probability distributions using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique in a parallel tempering scheme. A new atmospheric parameterization is introduced that is applicable to general atmospheres in which the main constituent is not known a priori and clouds may be present. Our main finding is that a unique constraint of the mixing ratios of the absorbers and two spectrally inactive gases (such as N₂ and primordial H₂+ He) is possible if the observations are sufficient to quantify both (1) the broadband transit depths in at least one absorption feature for each absorber and (2) the slope and strength of the molecular Rayleigh scattering signature. A second finding is that the surface pressure or cloud-top pressure can be quantified if a surface or cloud deck is present at low optical depth. A third finding is that the mean molecular mass can be constrained by measuring either the Rayleigh scattering slope or the shapes of the absorption features, thus enabling one to distinguish between cloudy hydrogen-rich atmospheres and high mean molecular mass atmospheres. We conclude, however, that without the signature of molecular Rayleigh scattering—even with robustly detected infrared absorption features (>10σ)—there is no reliable way to tell from the transmission spectrum whether the absorber is a main constituent of the atmosphere or just a minor species with a mixing ratio of X_abs < 0.1%. The retrieval method leads us to a conceptual picture of which details in transmission spectra are essential for unique characterizations of well-mixed exoplanet atmospheres.

The eclipsing binary system 2M 1938+4603 consists of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a cool M dwarf companion in an effectively circular three-hour orbit. The light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the cool companion. Here, we present constraints on the component masses and eccentricity derived from the Rømer delay of the secondary eclipse. Using six months of publicly available Kepler photometry obtained in short-cadence mode, we fit model profiles to the primary and secondary eclipses to measure their centroid values. We find that the secondary eclipse arrives on average 2.06 ± 0.12 s after the midpoint between primary eclipses. Under the assumption of a circular orbit, we calculate from this time delay a mass ratio of q = 0.2691 ± 0.0018 and individual masses of M_sd = 0.372 ± 0.024 M_☉ and M_c = 0.1002 ± 0.0065 M_☉ for the sdB and M dwarf, respectively. These results differ slightly from those of a previously published light-curve modeling solution; this difference, however, may be reconciled with a very small eccentricity, ecos ω ≈ 0.00004. We also report a decrease in the orbital period of $\dot{P}$ = (−1.23 ± 0.07) × 10⁻¹⁰.

We report on sensitive observations of the CO(J = 7→6) and C i(³P₂ → ³P₁) transitions in the z = 2.79 QSO host galaxy RXJ0911.4+0551 using the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer. Our extremely high signal-to-noise spectra combined with the narrow CO line width of this source (FWHM = 120 km s⁻¹) allows us to estimate sensitive limits on the spacetime variations of the fundamental constants using two emission lines. Our observations show that the C i and CO line shapes are in good agreement with each other but that the C i line profile is of the order of 10% narrower, presumably due to the lower opacity in the latter line. Both lines show faint wings with velocities up to ±250 km s⁻¹, indicative of a molecular outflow. As such, the data provide direct evidence for negative feedback in the molecular gas phase at high redshift. Our observations allow us to determine the observed frequencies of both transitions with so far unmatched accuracy at high redshift. The redshift difference between the CO and C i lines is sensitive to variations of ΔF/F with F = α²/μ where α is the fine structure constant and μ is the electron-to-proton mass ratio. We find ΔF/F = (6.9 ± 3.7) × 10⁻⁶ at a look-back time of 11.3 Gyr, which, within the uncertainties, is consistent with no variations of the fundamental constants.

We present the results of deep, high-resolution, 5 GHz Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) observations of the nearby, dwarf lenticular galaxy and intermediate-mass black hole candidate (M_BH ∼ 4.5 × 10⁵ M_☉), NGC 404. For the first time, radio emission at frequencies above 1.4 GHz has been detected in this galaxy. We found a modestly resolved source in the NGC 404 nucleus with a total radio luminosity of 7.6 ± 0.7 × 10¹⁷ W Hz⁻¹ at 5 GHz and a spectral index from 5 to 7.45 GHz of α = −0.88 ± 0.30. NGC 404 is only the third central intermediate-mass black hole candidate detected in the radio regime with subarcsecond resolution. The position of the radio source is consistent with the optical center of the galaxy and the location of a known, hard X-ray point source (L_X ∼ 1.2 × 10³⁷ erg s⁻¹). The faint radio and X-ray emission could conceivably be produced by an X-ray binary, star formation, a supernova remnant, or a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus powered by an intermediate-mass black hole. In light of our new EVLA observations, we find that the most likely scenario is an accreting intermediate-mass black hole, with other explanations being either incompatible with the observed X-ray and/or radio luminosities or statistically unlikely.

We combine data from two all-sky surveys in order to study the connection between the infrared and hard X-ray (>10 keV) properties for local active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The Swift Burst Alert Telescope all-sky survey provides an unbiased, flux-limited selection of hard X-ray-detected AGNs. Cross-correlating the 22 month hard X-ray survey with the AKARI all-sky survey, we studied 158 AGNs detected by the AKARI instruments. We find a strong correlation for most AGNs between the infrared (9, 18, and 90 μm) and hard X-ray (14–195 keV) luminosities, and quantify the correlation for various subsamples of AGNs. Partial correlation analysis confirms the intrinsic correlation after removing the redshift contribution. The correlation for radio galaxies has a slope and normalization identical to that for Seyfert 1 galaxies, implying similar hard X-ray/infrared emission processes in both. In contrast, Compton-thick (CT) sources show a large deficit in the hard X-ray band, because high gas column densities diminish even their hard X-ray luminosities. We propose two photometric diagnostics for source classification: one is an X-ray luminosity versus infrared color diagram, in which type 1 radio-loud AGNs are well isolated from the others in the sample. The other uses the X-ray versus infrared color as a useful redshift-independent indicator for identifying CT AGNs. Importantly, CT AGNs and starburst galaxies in composite systems can also be differentiated in this plane based upon their hard X-ray fluxes and dust temperatures. This diagram may be useful as a new indicator to classify objects in new and upcoming surveys such as WISE and NuSTAR.

We present a study of the peculiar Type Ia supernova 2001ay (SN 2001ay). The defining features of its peculiarity are high velocity, broad lines, and a fast rising light curve, combined with the slowest known rate of decline. It is one magnitude dimmer than would be predicted from its observed Δm₁₅, and shows broad spectral features. We base our analysis on detailed calculations for the explosion, light curves, and spectra. We demonstrate that consistency is key for both validating the models and probing the underlying physics. We show that this SN can be understood within the physics underlying the Δm₁₅ relation, and in the framework of pulsating delayed detonation models originating from a Chandrasekhar mass, M_Ch, white dwarf, but with a progenitor core composed of 80% carbon. We suggest a possible scenario for stellar evolution which leads to such a progenitor. We show that the unusual light curve decline can be understood with the same physics as has been used to understand the Δm₁₅ relation for normal SNe Ia. The decline relation can be explained by a combination of the temperature dependence of the opacity and excess or deficit of the peak luminosity, α, measured relative to the instantaneous rate of radiative decay energy generation. What differentiates SN 2001ay from normal SNe Ia is a higher explosion energy which leads to a shift of the ⁵⁶Ni distribution toward higher velocity and α < 1. This result is responsible for the fast rise and slow decline. We define a class of SN 2001ay-like SNe Ia, which will show an anti-Phillips relation.

We provide a quantitative description and statistical interpretation of the optical continuum variability of quasars. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has obtained repeated imaging in five UV-to-IR photometric bands for 33,881 spectroscopically confirmed quasars. About 10,000 quasars have an average of 60 observations in each band obtained over a decade along Stripe 82 (S82), whereas the remaining ∼25,000 have 2–3 observations due to scan overlaps. The observed time lags span the range from a day to almost 10 years, and constrain quasar variability at rest-frame time lags of up to 4 years, and at rest-frame wavelengths from 1000 Å to 6000 Å. We publicly release a user-friendly catalog of quasars from the SDSS Data Release 7 that have been observed at least twice in SDSS or once in both SDSS and the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, and we use it to analyze the ensemble properties of quasar variability. Based on a damped random walk (DRW) model defined by a characteristic timescale and an asymptotic variability amplitude that scale with the luminosity, black hole mass, and rest wavelength for individual quasars calibrated in S82, we can fully explain the ensemble variability statistics of the non-S82 quasars such as the exponential distribution of large magnitude changes. All available data are consistent with the DRW model as a viable description of the optical continuum variability of quasars on timescales of ∼5–2000 days in the rest frame. We use these models to predict the incidence of quasar contamination in transient surveys such as those from the Palomar Transient Factory and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

The magnetic variance anisotropy ($\mathcal {A}_m$) of the solar wind has been used widely as a method to identify the nature of solar wind turbulent fluctuations; however, a thorough discussion of the meaning and interpretation of the $\mathcal {A}_m$ has not appeared in the literature. This paper explores the implications and limitations of using the $\mathcal {A}_m$ as a method for constraining the solar wind fluctuation mode composition and presents a more informative method for interpreting spacecraft data. The paper also compares predictions of the $\mathcal {A}_m$ from linear theory to nonlinear turbulence simulations and solar wind measurements. In both cases, linear theory compares well and suggests that the solar wind for the interval studied is dominantly Alfvénic in the inertial and dissipation ranges to scales of kρ_i ≃ 5.

The detection of radio pulsars within the central few parsecs of the Galaxy would provide a unique probe of the gravitational and magneto-ionic environments in the Galactic center (GC) and, if close enough to Sgr A*, precise tests of general relativity in the strong-field regime. While it is difficult to find pulsars at radio wavelengths because of interstellar scattering, the payoff from detailed timing of pulsars in the GC warrants a concerted effort. To motivate pulsar surveys and help define search parameters for them, we constrain the pulsar number and spatial distribution using a wide range of multiwavelength measurements. These include the five known radio pulsars within 15' of Sgr A*, non-detections in high-frequency pulsar surveys of the central parsec, radio and gamma-ray measurements of diffuse emission, a catalog of radio point sources from an imaging survey, infrared observations of massive star populations in the central few parsecs, candidate pulsar wind nebulae in the inner 20 pc, and estimates of the core-collapse supernova rate based on X-ray measurements. We find that under current observational constraints, the inner parsec of the Galaxy could harbor as many as ∼10³ active radio pulsars that are beamed toward Earth. Such a large population would distort the low-frequency measurements of both the intrinsic spectrum of Sgr A* and the free–free absorption along the line of sight of Sgr A*.

We present nebular phase optical imaging and spectroscopy and near/mid-IR imaging of the Type II SN 2006bc. Observations reveal the central wavelength of the symmetric Hα line profile to be redshifted with respect to the host galaxy Hα emission by day 325. Such a phenomenon has been argued to result from an asymmetric explosion in the iron-peak elements resulting in a larger mass of ⁵⁶Ni and higher excitation of hydrogen on the far side of the supernova (SN) explosion. We also observe a gradual blueshifting of this Hα peak which is indicative of dust formation in the ejecta. Although showing a normal peak brightness, V ∼ −17.2, for a core-collapse SN, 2006bc fades by ∼6 mag during the first 400 days suggesting either a relatively low ⁵⁶Ni yield, an increase in extinction due to new dust, or both. A short-duration flattening of the light curve is observed from day 416 to day 541 suggesting an optical light echo. Based on the narrow time window of this echo, we discuss implications on the location and geometry of the reflecting interstellar medium. With our radiative transfer models, we find an upper limit of 2 × 10⁻³ M_☉ of dust around SN 2006bc. In the event that all of this dust were formed during the SN explosion, this quantity of dust is still several orders of magnitude lower than that needed to explain the large quantities of dust observed in the early universe.

We combine surveys of the radio sky at frequencies 22 MHz to 1.4 GHz with data from the ARCADE-2 instrument at frequencies 3 GHz to 10 GHz to characterize the frequency spectrum of diffuse synchrotron emission in the Galaxy. The radio spectrum steepens with frequency from 22 MHz to 10 GHz. The projected spectral index at 23 GHz derived from the low-frequency data agrees well with independent measurements using only data at frequencies 23 GHz and above. Comparing the spectral index at 23 GHz to the value from previously published analyses allows extension of the model to higher frequencies. The combined data are consistent with a power-law index β = −2.64 ± 0.03 at 0.31 GHz, steepening by an amount of Δβ = 0.07 every octave in frequency. Comparison of the radio data to models including the cosmic-ray energy spectrum suggests that any break in the synchrotron spectrum must occur at frequencies above 23 GHz.

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves are ubiquitous in the solar atmosphere. Alfvén waves and magneto-sonic waves are particular classes of MHD waves. These wave modes are clearly different and have pure properties in uniform plasmas of infinite extent only. Due to plasma non-uniformity, MHD waves have mixed properties and cannot be classified as pure Alfvén or magneto-sonic waves. However, vorticity is a quantity unequivocally related to Alfvén waves as compression is for magneto-sonic waves. Here, we investigate MHD waves superimposed on a one-dimensional non-uniform straight cylinder with constant magnetic field. For a piecewise constant density profile, we find that the fundamental radial modes of the non-axisymmetric waves have the same properties as surface Alfvén waves at a true discontinuity in density. Contrary to the classic Alfvén waves in a uniform plasma of infinite extent, vorticity is zero everywhere except at the cylinder boundary. If the discontinuity in density is replaced with a continuous variation of density, vorticity is spread out over the whole interval with non-uniform density. The fundamental radial modes of the non-axisymmetric waves do not need compression to exist unlike the radial overtones. In thin magnetic cylinders, the fundamental radial modes of the non-axisymmetric waves with phase velocities between the internal and the external Alfvén velocities can be considered as surface Alfvén waves. On the contrary, the radial overtones can be related to fast-like magneto-sonic modes.

The fast extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves (>1000 km s⁻¹) in the solar corona were very rare in the past. Taking advantage of the high temporal and spatial resolution of the Solar Dynamics Observatory observations, we present a fast EUV wave associated with a mini-filament eruption, a C1.0 flare, and a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2011 September 30. The event took place at the periphery between two active regions (ARs). The mini-filament rapidly erupted as a blowout jet associated with a flare and a CME. The CME front was likely developed from the large-scale overlying loops. The wave onset was nearly simultaneous with the start of the jet and the flare. The wave departed far from the flare center and showed a close location relative to the rapid jet. The wave had an initial speed of about 1100 km s⁻¹ and a slight deceleration in the last phase, and the velocity decreased to about 500 km s⁻¹. The wave propagated in a narrow angle extent, likely to avoid the ARs on both sides. All the results provide evidence that the fast EUV wave was a fast-mode MHD wave. The wave resisted being driven by the CME, because it opened up the large-scale loops and its front likely formed later than the wave. The wave was most likely triggered by the jet, due to their close timing and location relations.

We identify low-redshift clusters and groups in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and estimate their kinetic and correlation potential energies. We compare the distribution of these energies to the predictions by Yang & Saslaw and in the process estimate a measure of an average three-dimensional velocity and spatial anisotropy of a sample of clusters. We find that the inferred velocity anisotropy is correlated with the inferred spatial anisotropy. We also find that the general shape of the energy distribution agrees with theory over a wide range of scales from small groups to superclusters once the uncertainties and fluctuations in the estimated energies are included.

We perform a detailed analysis of the resolved colors and stellar populations of a complete sample of 323 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 0.5 < z < 1.5 and 326 SFGs at 1.5 < z < 2.5 in the ERS and CANDELS-Deep region of GOODS-South. Galaxies were selected to be more massive than 10¹⁰ M_☉ and have specific star formation rates (SFRs) above 1/t_H. We model the seven-band optical ACS + near-IR WFC3 spectral energy distributions of individual bins of pixels, accounting simultaneously for the galaxy-integrated photometric constraints available over a longer wavelength range. We analyze variations in rest-frame color, stellar surface mass density, age, and extinction as a function of galactocentric radius and local surface brightness/density, and measure structural parameters on luminosity and stellar mass maps. We find evidence for redder colors, older stellar ages, and increased dust extinction in the nuclei of galaxies. Big star-forming clumps seen in star formation tracers are less prominent or even invisible in the inferred stellar mass distributions. Off-center clumps contribute up to ∼20% to the integrated SFR, but only 7% or less to the integrated mass of all massive SFGs at z ∼ 1 and z ∼ 2, with the fractional contributions being a decreasing function of wavelength used to select the clumps. The stellar mass profiles tend to have smaller sizes and M20 coefficients, and higher concentration and Gini coefficients than the light distribution. Our results are consistent with an inside-out disk growth scenario with brief (100–200 Myr) episodic local enhancements in star formation superposed on the underlying disk. Alternatively, the young ages of off-center clumps may signal inward clump migration, provided this happens efficiently on the order of an orbital timescale.

Geometric cross sections of dust aggregates determine their coupling with disk gas, which governs their motions in protoplanetary disks. Collisional outcomes also depend on geometric cross sections of initial aggregates. In a previous paper, we performed three-dimensional N-body simulations of sequential collisions of aggregates composed of a number of sub-micron-sized icy particles and examined radii of gyration (and bulk densities) of the obtained aggregates. We showed that collisional compression of aggregates is not efficient and that aggregates remain fluffy. In the present study, we examine geometric cross sections of the aggregates. Their cross sections decrease due to compression as well as to their gyration radii. It is found that a relation between the cross section and the gyration radius proposed by Okuzumi et al. is valid for the compressed aggregates. We also refine the compression model proposed in our previous paper. The refined model enables us to calculate the evolution of both gyration radii and cross sections of growing aggregates and reproduces well our numerical results of sequential aggregate collisions. The refined model can describe non-equal-mass collisions as well as equal-mass cases. Although we do not take into account oblique collisions in the present study, oblique collisions would further hinder compression of aggregates.

We present low-resolution MMT Hectospec spectroscopy of 594 candidate Monoceros stream member stars. Based on strong color–magnitude diagram overdensities, we targeted three fields within the stream's footprint, with 178° ⩽ l ⩽ 203° and −25° ⩽ b ⩽ 25°. By comparing the measured iron abundances with those expected from smooth Galactic components alone, we measure, for the first time, the spectroscopic metallicity distribution function for Monoceros. We find the stream to be chemically distinct from both the thick disk and halo, with [Fe/H] = −1, and do not detect a trend in the stream's metallicity with Galactic longitude. Passing from b = +25° to b = −25°, the median Monoceros metallicity trends upward by 0.1 dex, though uncertainties in modeling sample contamination by the disk and halo make this a marginal detection. In each field, we find Monoceros to have an intrinsic [Fe/H] dispersion of 0.10–0.22 dex. From the Ca ii K line, we measure [Ca/Fe] for a subsample of metal-poor program stars with −1.1 < [Fe/H] < −0.5. In two of three fields, we find calcium deficiencies qualitatively similar to previously reported [Ti/Fe] underabundances in Monoceros and the Sagittarius tidal stream. Further, using 90 spectra of thick disk stars in the Monoceros pointings with b ≈ ±25°, we detect a 0.22 dex north/south metallicity asymmetry coincident with known stellar density asymmetry at R_GC ≈ 12 kpc and |Z| ≈ 1.7 kpc. Our median Monoceros [Fe/H] = −1.0 and its relatively low dispersion naturally fit the expectation for an appropriately luminous M_V ∼ − 13 dwarf galaxy progenitor.

Mechanisms regulating the origin of X-rays in young stellar objects and the correlation with their evolutionary stage are under debate. Studies of the X-ray properties in young clusters allow us to understand these mechanisms. One ideal target for this analysis is the Eagle Nebula (M16), with its central cluster NGC 6611. At 1750 pc from the Sun, it harbors 93 OB stars, together with a population of low-mass stars from embedded protostars to disk-less Class III objects, with age ⩽3 Myr. We study an archival 78 ks Chandra/ACIS-I observation of NGC 6611 and two new 80 ks observations of the outer region of M16, one centered on the Column V and the other on a region of the molecular cloud with ongoing star formation. We detect 1755 point sources with 1183 candidate cluster members (219 disk-bearing and 964 disk-less). We study the global X-ray properties of M16 and compare them with those of the Orion Nebula Cluster. We also compare the level of X-ray emission of Class II and Class III stars and analyze the X-ray spectral properties of OB stars. Our study supports the lower level of X-ray activity for the disk-bearing stars with respect to the disk-less members. The X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of M16 is similar to that of Orion, supporting the universality of the XLF in young clusters. Eighty-five percent of the O stars of NGC 6611 have been detected in X-rays. With only one possible exception, they show soft spectra with no hard components, indicating that mechanisms for the production of hard X-ray emission in O stars are not operating in NGC 6611.

By taking into account the local energy balance per unit volume between the viscous heating and the advective cooling plus the radiative cooling, we investigate the vertical structure of radiation pressure-supported accretion disks in spherical coordinates. Our solutions show that the photosphere of the disk is close to the polar axis and therefore the disk seems to be extremely thick. However, the density profile implies that most of the accreted matter exists in a moderate range around the equatorial plane. We show that the well-known polytropic relation between the pressure and the density is unsuitable for describing the vertical structure of radiation pressure-supported disks. More importantly, we find that the energy advection is significant even for slightly sub-Eddington accretion disks. We argue that the non-negligible advection may help us understand why the standard thin disk model is likely to be inaccurate above ∼0.3 Eddington luminosity, which was found by some works on black hole spin measurement. Furthermore, the solutions satisfy the Solberg-Høiland conditions, which indicate the disk to be convectively stable. In addition, we discuss the possible link between our disk model and ultraluminous X-ray sources.

Dust is a major component of protoplanetary and debris disks as it is the main observable signature of planetary formation. However, since dust dynamics are size-dependent (because of gas drag or radiation pressure) any attempt to understand the full dynamical evolution of circumstellar dusty disks that neglect the coupling of collisional evolution with dynamical evolution is thwarted because of the feedback between these two processes. Here, a new hybrid Lagrangian/Eulerian code is presented that overcomes some of these difficulties. The particles representing "dust clouds" are tracked individually in a Lagrangian way. This system is then mapped on an Eulerian spatial grid, inside the cells of which the local collisional evolutions are computed. Finally, the system is remapped back in a collection of discrete Lagrangian particles, keeping their number constant. An application example of dust growth in a turbulent protoplanetary disk at 1 AU is presented. First, the growth of dust is considered in the absence of a dead zone and the vertical distribution of dust is self-consistently computed. It is found that the mass is rapidly dominated by particles about a fraction of a millimeter in size. Then the same case with an embedded dead zone is investigated and it is found that coagulation is much more efficient and produces, in a short timescale, 1–10 cm dust pebbles that dominate the mass. These pebbles may then be accumulated into embryo-sized objects inside large-scale turbulent structures as shown recently.

We argue that bulk spiral flows are ubiquitous in the cool cores (CCs) of clusters and groups of galaxies. Such flows are gauged by spiral features in the thermal and chemical properties of the intracluster medium, by the multiphase properties of CCs, and by X-ray edges known as cold fronts. We analytically show that observations of piecewise-spiral fronts impose strong constraints on the CC, implying the presence of a cold, fast flow, which propagates below a hot, slow inflow, separated by a slowly rotating, trailing, quasi-spiral, tangential discontinuity surface. This leads to the nearly logarithmic spiral pattern, two-phase plasma, ρ ∼ r⁻¹ density (or T ∼ r^0.4 temperature) radial profile, and ∼100 kpc size, characteristic of CCs. By advecting heat and mixing the gas, such flows can eliminate the cooling problem, provided that a feedback mechanism regulates the flow. In particular, we present a quasi-steady-state model for an accretion-quenched, composite flow, in which the fast phase is an outflow, regulated by active galactic nucleus bubbles, reproducing the observed low star formation rates and explaining some features of bubbles such as their R_b∝r size. The simplest two-component model reproduces several key properties of CCs, so we propose that all such cores harbor a spiral flow. Our results can be tested directly in the next few years, for example by ASTRO-H.

We present an optical group catalog between 0.1  ≲  z  ≲  1 based on 16,500 high-quality spectroscopic redshifts in the completed zCOSMOS-bright survey. The catalog published herein contains 1498 groups in total and 192 groups with more than five observed members. The catalog includes both group properties and the identification of the member galaxies. Based on mock catalogs, the completeness and purity of groups with three and more members should be both about 83% with respect to all groups that should have been detectable within the survey, and more than 75% of the groups should exhibit a one-to-one correspondence to the "real" groups. Particularly at high redshift, there are apparently more galaxies in groups in the COSMOS field than expected from mock catalogs. We detect clear evidence for the growth of cosmic structure over the last seven billion years in the sense that the fraction of galaxies that are found in groups (in volume-limited samples) increases significantly with cosmic time. In the second part of the paper, we develop a method for associating galaxies that only have photo-z to our spectroscopically identified groups. We show that this leads to improved definition of group centers, improved identification of the most massive galaxies in the groups, and improved identification of central and satellite galaxies, where we define the former to be galaxies at the minimum of the gravitational potential wells. Subsamples of centrals and satellites in the groups can be defined with purities up to 80%, while a straight binary classification of all group and non-group galaxies into centrals and satellites achieves purities of 85% and 75%, respectively, for the spectroscopic sample.

We present a data-driven method—heteroscedastic matrix factorization, a kind of probabilistic factor analysis—for modeling or performing dimensionality reduction on observed spectra or other high-dimensional data with known but non-uniform observational uncertainties. The method uses an iterative inverse-variance-weighted least-squares minimization procedure to generate a best set of basis functions. The method is similar to principal components analysis (PCA), but with the substantial advantage that it uses measurement uncertainties in a responsible way and accounts naturally for poorly measured and missing data; it models the variance in the noise-deconvolved data space. A regularization can be applied, in the form of a smoothness prior (inspired by Gaussian processes) or a non-negative constraint, without making the method prohibitively slow. Because the method optimizes a justified scalar (related to the likelihood), the basis provides a better fit to the data in a probabilistic sense than any PCA basis. We test the method on Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra, concentrating on spectra known to contain two redshift components: these are spectra of gravitational lens candidates and massive black hole binaries. We apply a hypothesis test to compare one-redshift and two-redshift models for these spectra, utilizing the data-driven model trained on a random subset of all SDSS spectra. This test confirms 129 of the 131 lens candidates in our sample and all of the known binary candidates, and turns up very few false positives.

Young, OB-type candidates are identified in a ∼7900 deg² region encompassing the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC/SMC) periphery, the Bridge, part of the Magellanic Stream (MS), and Leading Arm (LA). Selection is based on UV, optical, and IR photometry from existing large-area surveys and proper motions from the Southern Proper Motion 4 (SPM4) catalog. The spatial distribution of these young star candidates shows (1) a well-populated SMC wing which continues westward with two branches partially surrounding the SMC, (2) a rather narrow path from the SMC wing eastward toward the LMC which is offset by 1°–2° from the high-density H i ridge in the Bridge, (3) a well-populated periphery of the LMC dominated by clumps of stars at the ends of the LMC bar, and (4) a few scattered candidates in the MS and two overdensities in the LA regions above and below the Galactic plane. Additionally, a proper-motion analysis is made of a radial-velocity-selected sample of red giants and supergiants in the LMC, previously shown to be a kinematically and chemically distinct subgroup, most likely captured from the SMC. SPM4 proper motions of these stars also indicate they are distinct from the LMC population. The observational results presented here, combined with the known orbits of the Clouds and other aspects of the LMC morphology, suggest an off-center, moderate to highly inclined collision between the SMC and the LMC's disk that took place between 100 and 200 Myr ago.

Some type III bursts are observed to undergo sudden flux modifications, e.g., reductions and intensifications, when type III beams cross shocks in the upper corona or solar wind. First simulations are presented for type III bursts perturbed by weak coronal shocks, which type III beams traverse. The simulations incorporate spatially localized jumps in plasma density and electron and ion temperatures downstream of a shock. A shock is predicted to produce significant modulations to a type III burst: (1) a broadband flux reduction or frequency gap caused by the shock's density jump, (2) a narrowband flux intensification originating from where the downstream plasma density locally has a small gradient, (3) a possible intensification from the shock front or just upstream, and (4) changes in the frequency drift rate profile and the temporal evolution of radiation flux at frequencies corresponding to the shocked plasma. The modulations are caused primarily by fundamental modifications to the radiation processes in response to the shocked density and temperatures. The predicted intensifications and reductions appear qualitatively consistent with the available small number of reported observations, although it is unclear how representative these observations are. It is demonstrated that a weak shock can cause an otherwise radio-quiet type III beam to produce observable levels of narrowband radio emission. The simulations suggest that type III bursts with frequency–time fine structures may provide a tool to probe shocks in the corona and solar wind, especially for weak shocks that do not radiate by themselves.

Single-epoch virial black hole (BH) mass estimators utilizing broad emission lines have been routinely applied to high-redshift quasars to estimate their BH masses. Depending on the redshift, different line estimators (Hα, Hβ, Mg ii λ2798, C iv λ1549) are often used with optical/near-infrared spectroscopy. Here, we use a homogeneous sample of 60 intermediate-redshift (z ∼ 1.5–2.2) Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars with optical and near-infrared spectra covering C iv through Hα to investigate the consistency between different single-epoch virial BH mass estimators. We critically compare rest-frame UV line estimators (C iv λ1549, C iii] λ1908,  and Mg ii λ2798) with optical estimators (Hβ and Hα) in terms of correlations between line widths and between continuum/line luminosities, for the high-luminosity regime (L₅₁₀₀ > 10^45.4 erg s⁻¹) probed by our sample. The continuum luminosities of L₁₃₅₀ and L₃₀₀₀, and the broad-line luminosities are well correlated with L₅₁₀₀, reflecting the homogeneity of quasar spectra in the rest-frame UV–optical, among which L₁₃₅₀ and the line luminosities for C iv and C iii] have the largest scatter in the correlation with L₅₁₀₀. We found that the Mg ii FWHM correlates well with the FWHMs of the Balmer lines and that the Mg ii line estimator can be calibrated to yield consistent virial mass estimates with those based on the Hβ/Hα estimators, thus extending earlier results on less luminous objects. The C iv FWHM is poorly correlated with the Balmer line FWHMs, and the scatter between the C iv and Hβ FWHMs consists of an irreducible part (∼0.12 dex), and a part that correlates with the blueshift of the C iv centroid relative to that of Hβ, similar to earlier studies comparing C iv with Mg ii. The C iii] FWHM is found to correlate with the C iv FWHM, and hence is also poorly correlated with the Hβ FWHM. While the C iv and C iii] lines can be calibrated to yield consistent virial mass estimates as Hβ on average, the scatter is substantially larger than Mg ii, and the usage of C iv/C iii] FWHM in the mass estimators does not improve the agreement with the Hβ estimator. We discuss controversial claims in the literature on the correlation between C iv and Hβ FWHMs, and suggest that the reported correlation is either a result based on small samples or only valid for low-luminosity objects.

We present and analyze observations—carried out using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope—of the R(3) and R(4) pure rotational lines of hydrogen deuteride (HD) detected from shock-heated material associated with the supernova remnant IC 443C and with the Herbig-Haro objects HH 7 and HH 54. Assuming a continuous temperature distribution for gas observed along the sight lines, we have constrained the gas density to be in the ∼10³–10⁴ cm⁻³ range, using both spectroscopic data for H₂, HD, and CO from IRS and from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), as well as photometric data from Spitzer's Infrared Array Camera. The derived HD abundance relative to H₂ is quite sensitive to the assumed excitation conditions in the emitting gas. Assuming that HD accounts for all gas-phase deuterium in the emitting material, and using all the available spectroscopic data to constrain the excitation conditions, we obtained gas-phase deuterium abundances [D/H]_gas of 0.95^+0.54_−0.27 × 10⁻⁵ and 0.87^+0.31_−0.27 × 10⁻⁵ (statistical errors only) for IC 443C and HH 54, respectively. The uncertainties in the HD abundance are dominated by systematic effects related to the poorly known excitation conditions, and more accurate estimates of the HD abundance in shocked molecular clouds will require measurements of the emission in additional HD rotational transitions.

PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 is a binary system in which a 48 ms pulsar orbits around a Be star in a high eccentric orbit with a long orbital period of about 3.4 yr. It is special for having asymmetric two-peak profiles in both the X-ray and TeV light curves. Recently, an unexpected GeV flare has been detected by the Fermi gamma-ray observatory several weeks after the last periastron passage. In this paper, we show that this observed GeV flare could be produced by the Doppler-boosted synchrotron emission in the bow-shock tail. An anisotropic pulsar wind model, which mainly affects the energy flux injection into the termination shock in a different orbital phase, is also used in this paper, and we find that the anisotropy in the pulsar wind can play a significant role in producing the asymmetric two-peak profiles in both X-ray and TeV light curves. The X-ray and TeV photons before periastron are mainly produced by the shocked electrons around the shock apex, and the light curves after periastron are contributed by the emission from the shock apex and the shock tail together, which result in asymmetric two-peak light curves.

About two-thirds of present-day, large galaxies are spirals such as the Milky Way or Andromeda, but the way their thin rotating disks formed remains uncertain. Observations have revealed that half of their progenitors, six billion years ago, had peculiar morphologies and/or kinematics, which exclude them from the Hubble sequence. Major mergers, i.e., fusions between galaxies of similar mass, are found to be the likeliest driver for such strong peculiarities. However, thin disks are fragile and easily destroyed by such violent collisions, which creates a critical tension between the observed fraction of thin disks and their survival within the ΛCDM paradigm. Here, we show that the observed high occurrence of mergers among their progenitors is only apparent and is resolved when using morpho-kinematic observations that are sensitive to all the phases of the merging process. This provides an original way of narrowing down observational estimates of the galaxy merger rate and leads to a perfect match with predictions by state-of-the-art ΛCDM semi-empirical models with no particular fine-tuning needed. These results imply that half of local thin disks do not survive but are actually rebuilt after a gas-rich major merger occurring in the past nine billion years, i.e., two-thirds of the lifetime of the universe. This emphasizes the need to study how thin disks can form in halos with a more active merger history than previously considered and to investigate what is the origin of the gas reservoir from which local disks would reform.

Detailed spectral analysis of the Galactic X-ray background emission, or the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission (GRXE), is presented. To study the origin of the emission, broadband and high-quality GRXE spectra were produced from 18 pointing observations with Suzaku in the Galactic bulge region, with a total exposure of 1 Ms. The spectra were successfully fitted by a sum of two major spectral components: a spectral model of magnetic accreting white dwarfs with a mass of 0.66^+0.09_−0.07 M_☉ and a softer optically thin thermal emission with a plasma temperature of 1.2–1.5 keV that is attributable to coronal X-ray sources. When combined with previous studies that employed high spatial resolution of the Chandra satellite, the present spectroscopic result gives stronger support to the scenario that the GRXE is essentially an assembly of numerous discrete faint X-ray stars. The detected GRXE flux in the hard X-ray band was used to estimate the number density of the unresolved hard X-ray sources. When integrated over a luminosity range of ∼10³⁰–10³⁴ erg s⁻¹, the result is consistent with a value that was reported previously by directly resolving faint point sources.

The radial component of the heliospheric magnetic field vector is used to estimate the open magnetic flux density of the Sun. This parameter has been calculated using observations from the Ulysses mission that covered heliolatitudes from 80°S to 80°N, from 1990 to 2009 and distances from 1 to 5.4 AU, the Advanced Composition Explorer mission at 1 AU from 1997 to 2010, the OMNI interplanetary database from 1971, and the Helios 1 and 2 missions that covered the distance range from 0.3 to 1 AU. The flux density was found to be much affected by fluctuations in the magnetic field which make its calculated value dependent on heliospheric location, type of solar wind (fast or slow), and the level of solar activity. However, fluctuations are distributed symmetrically perpendicular to the average Parker direction. Therefore, distributions of the field vector in the two-dimensional plane defined by the radial and azimuthal directions in heliospheric coordinates provide a way to reduce the effects of the fluctuations on the measurement of the flux density. This leads to a better defined flux density parameter; the distributions modified by removing the effects of fluctuations then allow a clearer assessment of the dependence of the flux density on heliospheric location, solar wind type, and solar activity. This assessment indicates that the flux density normalized to 1 AU is independent of location and solar wind type (fast or slow). However, there is a residual dependence on solar activity which can be studied using the modified flux density measurements.

Two and three magnetic flux ropes are created and studied in a well-diagnosed laboratory experiment. The twisted helical bundles of field lines rotate and collide with each other over time. In the two rope case, reverse current layers indicative of reconnection are observed. Using a high spatial and temporal resolution three-dimensional volume data set in both cases, quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) are identified in the magnetic field. Originally developed in the context of solar magnetic reconnection, QSLs are thought to be preferred sites for reconnection. This is verified in these studies. In the case of three flux ropes there are multiple QSLs, which come and go in time. The divergence of the field lines within the QSLs and the field line motion is presented. In all cases, it is observed that the reconnection is patchy in space and bursty in time. Although it occurs at localized positions it is the result of the nonlocal behavior of the flux ropes.

We have determined absolute dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for C ii, using the CRYRING heavy-ions storage ring. The resonances due to 2s–2p (▵n = 0) core excitations are detected in the center-of-mass energy range of 0–15 eV. The experimental results are compared with intermediate coupling AUTOSTRUCTURE calculations. Plasma rate coefficients are obtained from the DR spectrum by convoluting it with a Maxwell–Boltzmann energy distribution for temperatures in the range of 10³–10⁶ K. The derived temperature-dependent plasma recombination rate coefficients are presented graphically and parameterized by using a fit formula for convenient use in plasma modeling codes. The experimental rate coefficients are also compared with the theoretical data available in literature. In the temperature range of 10³–2 × 10⁴ K, our experimental results show that previous calculations severely underestimate the plasma rate coefficients and also our AUTOSTRUCTURE calculation does not reproduce the experimental plasma rate coefficients well. Above 2 × 10⁴ K, the agreement between the experimental and theoretical rate coefficients is much better, and the deviations are smaller than the estimated uncertainties.

We explore the connection between active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with single- and double-peaked broad Balmer emission lines by using models dealing with radiative transfer effects through a disk wind. Our primary goal is to assess the applicability of the Murray & Chiang model by making an extensive and systematic comparison of the model predictions with data. In the process, we also verify the original derivation and evaluate the importance of general relativistic effects. As the optical depth through the emission layer increases, the peaks of a double-peaked profile move closer and eventually merge, producing a single peak. The properties of the emission line profile depend as sensitively on the geometric parameters of the line-emitting portion of the disk as they do on the disk-wind parameters. Using a parameter range that encompasses the expected characteristics of the broad-line regions in AGNs, we construct a database of model profiles and measure a set of diagnostic properties. Comparisons of the model profiles with emission lines from a subset of Sloan digital Sky Survey quasars show that observed lines are consistent with moderately large optical depth in the disk wind and a range of disk inclinations i ≲ 45°. Including relativistic effects is necessary to produce the asymmetries of observed line profiles.

We present high-resolution maps of stars, dust, and molecular gas in a strongly lensed submillimeter galaxy (SMG) at z = 3.259. HATLAS J114637.9−001132 is selected from the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) as a strong lens candidate mainly based on its unusually high 500 μm flux density (∼300 mJy). It is the only high-redshift Planck detection in the 130 deg² H-ATLAS Phase-I area. Keck Adaptive Optics images reveal a quadruply imaged galaxy in the K band while the Submillimeter Array and the Jansky Very Large Array show doubly imaged 880 μm and CO(1→0) sources, indicating differentiated distributions of the various components in the galaxy. In the source plane, the stars reside in three major kpc-scale clumps extended over ∼1.6 kpc, the dust in a compact (∼1 kpc) region ∼3 kpc north of the stars, and the cold molecular gas in an extended (∼7 kpc) disk ∼5 kpc northeast of the stars. The emissions from the stars, dust, and gas are magnified by ∼17, ∼8, and ∼7 times, respectively, by four lensing galaxies at z ∼ 1. Intrinsically, the lensed galaxy is a warm (T_dust ∼ 40–65 K), hyper-luminous (L_IR ∼ 1.7 × 10¹³L_☉; star formation rate (SFR) ∼2000 M_☉ yr⁻¹), gas-rich (M_gas/M_baryon ∼ 70%), young (M_stellar/SFR ∼ 20 Myr), and short-lived (M_gas/SFR ∼ 40 Myr) starburst. With physical properties similar to unlensed z > 2 SMGs, HATLAS J114637.9−001132 offers a detailed view of a typical SMG through a powerful cosmic microscope.

We present a search for CO emission in a sample of 10 type-2 quasar host galaxies with redshifts of z ≈ 0.1–0.4. We detect CO(J = 1–0) line emission with ⩾5σ in the velocity integrated intensity maps of five sources. A sixth source shows a tentative detection at the ∼4.5σ level of its CO(J = 1–0) line emission. The CO emission of all six sources is spatially coincident with the position at optical, infrared, or radio wavelengths. The spectroscopic redshifts derived from the CO(J = 1–0) line are very close to the photometric ones for all five detections except for the tentative detection for which we find a much larger discrepancy. We derive gas masses of ∼(2–16) × 10⁹ M_☉ for the CO emission in the six detected sources, while we constrain the gas masses to upper limits of M_gas ⩽ 8 × 10⁹ M_☉ for the four non-detections. These values are of the order or slightly lower than those derived for type-1 quasars. The line profiles of the CO(J = 1–0) emission are rather narrow (≲300 km s⁻¹) and single peaked, unveiling no typical signatures for current or recent merger activity, and are comparable to that of type-1 quasars. However, at least one of the observed sources shows a tidal-tail-like emission in the optical that is indicative of an ongoing or past merging event. We also address the problem of detecting spurious ∼5σ emission peaks within the field of view.

Continuum fitting uncertainties are a major source of error in estimates of the temperature–density relation (usually parameterized as a power-law, T ∝ Δ^{γ − 1}) of the intergalactic medium through the flux probability distribution function (PDF) of the Lyα forest. Using a simple order-of-magnitude calculation, we show that few percent-level systematic errors in the placement of the quasar continuum due to, e.g., a uniform low-absorption Gunn–Peterson component could lead to errors in γ of the order of unity. This is quantified further using a simple semi-analytic model of the Lyα forest flux PDF. We find that under(over)estimates in the continuum level can lead to a lower (higher) measured value of γ. By fitting models to mock data realizations generated with current observational errors, we find that continuum errors can cause a systematic bias in the estimated temperature–density relation of 〈δ(γ)〉 ≈ −0.1, while the error is increased to σ_γ ≈ 0.2 compared to σ_γ ≈ 0.1 in the absence of continuum errors.

We report a detection of an absorption line at ∼44.8 Å in a >500 ks Chandra HRC-S/LETG X-ray grating spectrum of the blazar H 2356-309. This line can be identified as intervening C v–Kα absorption, at z ≈ 0.112, produced by a warm (log T = 5.1 K) intergalactic absorber. The feature is significant at a 2.9σ level (accounting for the number of independent redshift trials). We estimate an equivalent hydrogen column density of log N_H = 19.05(Z/Z_☉)⁻¹ cm⁻². Unlike other previously reported FUV/X-ray metal detections of warm–hot intergalactic medium (WHIM), this C v absorber lies in a region with locally low galaxy density, at ∼2.2 Mpc from the closest galaxy at that redshift, and therefore is unlikely to be associated with an extended galactic halo. We instead tentatively identify this absorber with an intervening WHIM filament possibly permeating a large-scale, 30 Mpc extended, structure of galaxies whose redshift centroid, within a cylinder of 7.5 Mpc radius centered on the line of sight to H 2356-309, is marginally consistent (at a 1.8σ level) with the redshift of the absorber.

We analyzed the radial surface brightness profile of the spiral galaxy NGC 7793 using HST/ACS images from the GHOSTS survey and a new HST/WFC3 image across the disk break. We used the photometry of resolved stars to select distinct populations covering a wide range of stellar ages. We found breaks in the radial profiles of all stellar populations at 280'' (∼5.1 kpc). Beyond this disk break, the profiles become steeper for younger populations. This same trend is seen in numerical simulations where the outer disk is formed almost entirely by radial migration. We also found that the older stars of NGC 7793 extend significantly farther than the underlying H i disk. They are thus unlikely to have formed entirely at their current radii, unless the gas disk was substantially larger in the past. These observations thus provide evidence for substantial stellar radial migration in late-type disks.

We present results of new XMM-Newton observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) NGC 5408 X-1, one of the few ULXs to show quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). We detect QPOs in each of four new (≈100 ks) pointings, expanding the range of frequencies observed from 10 to 40 mHz. We compare our results with the timing and spectral correlations seen in stellar-mass black hole systems, and find that the qualitative nature of the timing and spectral behavior of NGC 5408 X-1 is similar to systems in the steep power-law state exhibiting Type-C QPOs. However, in order for this analogy to quantitatively hold we must only be seeing the so-called saturated portion of the QPO frequency—photon index (or disk flux) relation. Assuming this to be the case, we place a lower limit on the mass of NGC 5408 X-1 of ≳ 800 M_☉. Alternatively, the QPO frequency is largely independent of the spectral parameters, in which case a close analogy with the Type-C QPOs in stellar systems is problematic. Measurement of the source's timing properties over a wider range of energy spectral index is needed to definitively resolve this ambiguity. We searched all the available data for both a broad Fe emission line as well as high-frequency QPO analogs (0.1–1 Hz), but detected neither. We place upper limits on the equivalent width of any Fe emission feature in the 6–7 keV band and of the amplitude (rms) of a high-frequency QPO analog of ≈10 eV and ≈4%, respectively.

We study two nearby early-type galaxies, NGC 4342 and NGC 4291, that host unusually massive black holes relative to their low stellar mass. The observed black-hole-to-bulge mass ratios of NGC 4342 and NGC 4291 are 6.9^+3.8_{− 2.3}% and 1.9% ± 0.6%, respectively, which significantly exceed the typical observed ratio of ∼0.2%. As a consequence of the exceedingly large black-hole-to-bulge mass ratios, NGC 4342 and NGC 4291 are ≈5.1σ and ≈3.4σ outliers from the M_•–M_bulge scaling relation, respectively. In this paper, we explore the origin of the unusually high black-hole-to-bulge mass ratio. Based on Chandra X-ray observations of the hot gas content of NGC 4342 and NGC 4291, we compute gravitating mass profiles, and conclude that both galaxies reside in massive dark matter halos, which extend well beyond the stellar light. The presence of dark matter halos around NGC 4342 and NGC 4291 and a deep optical image of the environment of NGC 4342 indicate that tidal stripping, in which ≳ 90% of the stellar mass was lost, cannot explain the observed high black-hole-to-bulge mass ratios. Therefore, we conclude that these galaxies formed with low stellar masses, implying that the bulge and black hole did not grow in tandem. We also find that the black hole mass correlates well with the properties of the dark matter halo, suggesting that dark matter halos may play a major role in regulating the growth of the supermassive black holes.

Crystallization experiments of relatively SiO₂-rich amorphous silicates using the mean chemical composition of the silicate portions in GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfide), which is a major component in anhydrous interplanetary dust particles and a primitive material of the early solar system, were performed to understand the presence of crystalline silica around young stars and crystallization in GEMS. Olivine crystallized at ∼900–1400 K, probably prior to pyroxene. Three different polymorphs of pyroxene, protopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene, were identified at ⩾1000 K. Cristobalite, which is one of the silica polymorphs, crystallized only at high temperatures (⩾1500 K). We obtained time–temperature-transformation (TTT) crystallization diagrams. These results suggest that crystallization of a silica polymorph is kinetically difficult in a day or so at ∼900–1400 K even for the SiO₂-saturated composition, while the crystallization might be possible after metastable olivine crystallization if duration is long enough. The TTT diagram also indicates that the GEMS cooling timescale was ∼10⁵ s if they condensed at 1000 K as amorphous silicates and annealed during cooling after the condensation.

We report the discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the young M dwarf 1RXS J235133.3+312720 as part of a high contrast imaging search for planets around nearby young low-mass stars with Keck-II/NIRC2 and Subaru/HiCIAO. The 24 (∼120 AU) pair is confirmed to be comoving from two epochs of high-resolution imaging. Follow-up low- and moderate-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of 1RXS J2351+3127 B with IRTF/SpeX and Keck-II/OSIRIS reveals a spectral type of L0⁺²₋₁. The M2 primary star 1RXS J2351+3127 A exhibits X-ray and UV activity levels comparable to young moving group members with ages of ∼10–100 Myr. UVW kinematics based the measured radial velocity of the primary and the system's photometric distance (50 ± 10 pc) indicate it is likely a member of the ∼50–150 Myr AB Dor moving group. The near-infrared spectrum of 1RXS J2351+3127 B does not exhibit obvious signs of youth, but its H-band morphology shows subtle hints of intermediate surface gravity. The spectrum is also an excellent match to the ∼200 Myr M9 brown dwarf LP 944-20. Assuming an age of 50–150 Myr, evolutionary models imply a mass of 32 ± 6 M_Jup for the companion, making 1RXS J2351+3127 B the second lowest-mass member of the AB Dor moving group after the L4 companion CD–35 2722 B and one of the few benchmark brown dwarfs known at young ages.

We present single-dish and very long baseline interferometry observations of an outburst of water maser emission from the young binary system Haro 6-10. Haro 6-10 lies in the Taurus molecular cloud and contains a visible T Tauri star with an infrared companion 13 north. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we obtained five observations spanning three months and derived absolute positions for 20 distinct maser spots. Three of the masers can be traced over three or more epochs, enabling us to extract absolute proper motions and tangential velocities. We deduce that the masers represent one side of a bipolar outflow that lies nearly in the plane of the sky with an opening angle of ∼45°. They are located within 50 mas of the southern component of the binary, the visible T Tauri star Haro 6-10S. The mean position angle on the sky of the maser proper motions (∼220°) suggests they are related to the previously observed giant Herbig–Haro (HH) flow which includes HH 410, HH 411, HH 412, and HH 184A–E. A previously observed HH jet and extended radio continuum emission (mean position angle of ∼190°) must also originate in the vicinity of Haro 6-10S and represent a second, distinct outflow in this region. We propose that a yet unobserved companion within 150 mas of Haro 6-10S is responsible for the giant HH/maser outflow while the visible star is associated with the HH jet. Despite the presence of H₂ emission in the spectrum of the northern component of the binary, Haro 6-10N, none of outflows/jets can be tied directly to this young stellar object.

New X-ray (XMM-Newton) and JHK_s (Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic) observations for members of the star cluster Alessi 95, which Turner et al. discovered hosts the classical Cepheid SU Cas, were used in tandem with UCAC3 (proper motion) and Two Micron All Sky Survey observations to determine precise cluster parameters: E(J − H) = 0.08 ± 0.02 and d = 405 ± 15 pc. The ensuing consensus among cluster, pulsation, and trigonometric distances ($d=414\pm 5(\sigma _{\bar{x}}) \pm 10 (\sigma)$ pc) places SU Cas in a select group of nearby fundamental Cepheid calibrators (δ Cep, ζ Gem). High-resolution X-ray observations may be employed to expand that sample as the data proved pertinent for identifying numerous stars associated with SU Cas. Acquiring X-ray observations of additional fields may foster efforts to refine Cepheid calibrations used to constrain H₀.

We present three-dimensional space velocities of stars selected to be consistent with membership in the Virgo stellar substructure. Candidates were selected from SA 103, a single 40' × 40' field from our proper-motion (PM) survey in Kapteyn's Selected Areas (SAs), based on the PMs, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry, and follow-up spectroscopy of 215 stars. The signature of the Virgo substructure is clear in the SDSS color–magnitude diagram (CMD) centered on SA 103, and 16 stars are identified that have high Galactocentric-frame radial velocities (V_GSR > 50 km s⁻¹) and lie near the CMD locus of Virgo. The implied distance to the Virgo substructure from the candidates is 14 ± 3 kpc. We derive mean kinematics from these 16 stars, finding a radial velocity V_GSR = 153 ± 22 km s⁻¹ and proper motions (μ_αcos δ, μ_δ) = (− 5.24, −0.91) ± (0.43, 0.46) mas yr⁻¹. From the mean kinematics of these members, we determine that the Virgo progenitor was on an eccentric (e ∼ 0.8) orbit that recently passed near the Galactic center (pericentric distance R_p ∼ 6 kpc). This destructive orbit is consistent with the idea that the substructure(s) in Virgo originated in the tidal disruption of a Milky Way satellite. N-body simulations suggest that the entire cloud-like Virgo substructure (encompassing the "Virgo Overdensity" and the "Virgo Stellar Stream") is likely the tidal debris remnant from a recently disrupted massive (∼10⁹ M_☉) dwarf galaxy. The model also suggests that some other known stellar overdensities in the Milky Way halo (e.g., the Pisces Overdensity and debris near NGC 2419 and SEGUE 1) are explained by the disruption of the Virgo progenitor.

Although the Sun's polar magnetic fields are thought to provide important clues for understanding the 11 year sunspot cycle, including the observed variations of its amplitude and period, the current database of high-quality polar field measurements spans relatively few sunspot cycles. In this paper, we address this deficiency by consolidating Mount Wilson Observatory polar faculae data from four data reduction campaigns, validating it through a comparison with facular data counted automatically from Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) intensitygrams, and calibrating it against polar field measurements taken by the Wilcox Solar Observatory and average polar field and total polar flux calculated using MDI line-of-sight magnetograms. Our results show that the consolidated polar facular measurements are in excellent agreement with both polar field and polar flux estimates, making them an ideal proxy to study the evolution of the polar magnetic field. Additionally, we combine this database with sunspot area measurements to study the role of the polar magnetic flux in the evolution of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF). We find that there is a strong correlation between HMF and polar flux at solar minimum and that, taken together, polar flux and sunspot area are better at explaining the evolution of the HMF during the last century than sunspot area alone.

We present Herschel PACS photometry of 17 B- to M-type stars in the 30 Myr old Tucana-Horologium Association. This work is part of the Herschel Open Time Key Programme "Gas in Protoplanetary Systems". 6 of the 17 targets were found to have infrared excesses significantly greater than the expected stellar IR fluxes, including a previously unknown disk around HD30051. These six debris disks were fitted with single-temperature blackbody models to estimate the temperatures and abundances of the dust in the systems. For the five stars that show excess emission in the Herschel PACS photometry and also have Spitzer IRS spectra, we fit the data with models of optically thin debris disks with realistic grain properties in order to better estimate the disk parameters. The model is determined by a set of six parameters: surface density index, grain size distribution index, minimum and maximum grain sizes, and the inner and outer radii of the disk. The best-fitting parameters give us constraints on the geometry of the dust in these systems, as well as lower limits to the total dust masses. The HD105 disk was further constrained by fitting marginally resolved PACS 70 μm imaging.

The spatial, kinematic, and elemental-abundance structure of the Milky Way's stellar disk is complex, and has been difficult to dissect with local spectroscopic or global photometric data. Here, we develop and apply a rigorous density modeling approach for Galactic spectroscopic surveys that enables investigation of the global spatial structure of stellar sub-populations in narrow bins of [α/Fe] and [Fe/H], using 23,767 G-type dwarfs from SDSS/SEGUE, which effectively sample 5 kpc < R_GC < 12 kpc and 0.3 kpc ≲ |Z| ≲ 3 kpc. We fit models for the number density of each such ([α/Fe] and [Fe/H]) mono-abundance component, properly accounting for the complex spectroscopic SEGUE sampling of the underlying stellar population, as well as for the metallicity and color distributions of the samples. We find that each mono-abundance sub-population has a simple spatial structure that can be described by a single exponential in both the vertical and radial directions, with continuously increasing scale heights (≈200 pc to 1 kpc) and decreasing scale lengths (>4.5 kpc to 2 kpc) for increasingly older sub-populations, as indicated by their lower metallicities and [α/Fe] enhancements. That the abundance-selected sub-components with the largest scale heights have the shortest scale lengths is in sharp contrast with purely geometric "thick–thin disk" decompositions. To the extent that [α/Fe] is an adequate proxy for age, our results directly show that older disk sub-populations are more centrally concentrated, which implies inside-out formation of galactic disks. The fact that the largest scale-height sub-components are most centrally concentrated in the Milky Way is an almost inevitable consequence of explaining the vertical structure of the disk through internal evolution. Whether the simple spatial structure of the mono-abundance sub-components and the striking correlations between age, scale length, and scale height can be plausibly explained by satellite accretion or other external heating remains to be seen.

Eclipsing binaries (EBs) provide critical laboratories for empirically testing predictions of theoretical models of stellar structure and evolution. Pre-main-sequence (PMS) EBs are particularly valuable, both due to their rarity and the highly dynamic nature of PMS evolution, such that a dense grid of PMS EBs is required to properly calibrate theoretical PMS models. Analyzing multi-epoch, multi-color light curves for ∼2400 candidate Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) members from our Warm Spitzer Exploration Science Program YSOVAR, we have identified 12 stars whose light curves show eclipse features. Four of these 12 EBs are previously known. Supplementing our light curves with follow-up optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, we establish two of the candidates as likely field EBs lying behind the ONC. We confirm the remaining six candidate systems, however, as newly identified ONC PMS EBs. These systems increase the number of known PMS EBs by over 50% and include the highest mass (θ¹ Ori E, for which we provide a complete set of well-determined parameters including component masses of 2.807 and 2.797 M_☉) and longest-period (ISOY J053505.71−052354.1, P ∼ 20 days) PMS EBs currently known. In two cases (θ¹ Ori E and ISOY J053526.88−044730.7), enough photometric and spectroscopic data exist to attempt an orbit solution and derive the system parameters. For the remaining systems, we combine our data with literature information to provide a preliminary characterization sufficient to guide follow-up investigations of these rare, benchmark systems.

We present a high-resolution ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the ultra-metal-poor (UMP) carbon-enhanced red giant HE 0557−4840 (T_eff/log g/[Fe/H] = 4900/2.2/−4.8). Combining these data with earlier observations, the radial velocity is 212.0 ± 0.4 km s⁻¹, with no evidence of variability during 2006 February to 2007 December. One-dimensional (1D) LTE model-atmosphere analysis of UV Fe and CH lines confirms the iron and carbon abundances obtained previously ([Fe/H] = −4.8 and [C/Fe]_1D = +1.7), and places a more stringent limit on nitrogen abundance of [N/Fe]_1D < +1.0. Analysis of the UV OH lines yields [O/Fe]_1D = +2.3 ± 0.4. When corrections are made for three-dimensional (3D) effects we obtain [C/Fe]_3D = +1.1, [N/Fe]_3D < +0.1, and [O/Fe]_3D = +1.4. Comparison of the abundances of HE 0557−4840 with those of supernova models of Nomoto et al. and Joggerst et al. suggests that none is able to explain fully the observed abundance pattern. For HE 0557−4840, the Frebel et al. transition discriminant D_trans(= log(10^[C/H] + 0.3 × 10^[O/H]) = −3.4 ± 0.2, consistent with fine-structure transitions of C ii and O i being a major cooling mechanism of star-forming regions at the earliest times. Of the four stars known to have [Fe/H] ≲ −4.3, three are strongly carbon and oxygen enhanced. If the suggestion by Caffau et al. that SDSS J102915+172927 ([Fe/H] = −4.7) does not belong to the class of C-rich, O-rich, UMP stars is supported by future similar discoveries, one will need to consider multiple channels for the production of stars having [Fe/H] ≲ −4.3.

We constrain cosmological models where the primordial perturbations have an adiabatic and a (possibly correlated) cold dark matter (CDM) or baryon isocurvature component. We use both a phenomenological approach, where the power spectra of primordial perturbations are parameterized with amplitudes and spectral indices, and a slow-roll two-field inflation approach where slow-roll parameters are used as primary parameters, determining the spectral indices and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. In the phenomenological case, with CMB data, the upper limit to the CDM isocurvature fraction is α < 6.4% at k = 0.002 Mpc⁻¹ and 15.4% at k = 0.01 Mpc⁻¹. The non-adiabatic contribution to the CMB temperature variance is −0.030 < α_T < 0.049 at the 95% confidence level. Including the supernova (SN) (or large-scale structure) data, these limits become α < 7.0%, 13.7%, and −0.048 < α_T < 0.042 (or α < 10.2%, 16.0%, and −0.071 < α_T < 0.024). The CMB constraint on the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r < 0.26 at k = 0.01 Mpc⁻¹, is not affected by the non-adiabatic modes. In the slow-roll two-field inflation approach, the spectral indices are constrained close to 1. This leads to tighter limits on the isocurvature fraction; with the CMB data α < 2.6% at k = 0.01 Mpc⁻¹, but the constraint on α_T is not much affected, −0.058 < α_T < 0.045. Including SN (or LSS) data, these limits become α < 3.2% and −0.056 < α_T < 0.030 (or α < 3.4% and −0.063 < α_T < −0.008). In addition to the generally correlated models, we study also special cases where the adiabatic and isocurvature modes are uncorrelated or fully (anti)correlated. We calculate Bayesian evidences (model probabilities) in 21 different non-adiabatic cases and compare them to the corresponding adiabatic models, and find that in all cases the data support the pure adiabatic model.

We present an analysis of supernova light curves simulated for the upcoming Dark Energy Survey (DES) supernova search. The simulations employ a code suite that generates and fits realistic light curves in order to obtain distance modulus/redshift pairs that are passed to a cosmology fitter. We investigated several different survey strategies including field selection, supernova selection biases, and photometric redshift measurements. Using the results of this study, we chose a 30 deg² search area in the griz filter set. We forecast (1) that this survey will provide a homogeneous sample of up to 4000 Type Ia supernovae in the redshift range 0.05 <z < 1.2 and (2) that the increased red efficiency of the DES camera will significantly improve high-redshift color measurements. The redshift of each supernova with an identified host galaxy will be obtained from spectroscopic observations of the host. A supernova spectrum will be obtained for a subset of the sample, which will be utilized for control studies. In addition, we have investigated the use of combined photometric redshifts taking into account data from both the host and supernova. We have investigated and estimated the likely contamination from core-collapse supernovae based on photometric identification, and have found that a Type Ia supernova sample purity of up to 98% is obtainable given specific assumptions. Furthermore, we present systematic uncertainties due to sample purity, photometric calibration, dust extinction priors, filter-centroid shifts, and inter-calibration. We conclude by estimating the uncertainty on the cosmological parameters that will be measured from the DES supernova data.

One of the key predictions of modeling from the IR excess of Herbig Ae stars is that for protoplanetary disks, where significant grain growth and settling has occurred, the dust disk has flattened to the point that it can be partially or largely shadowed by the innermost material at or near the dust sublimation radius. When the self-shadowing has already started, the outer disk is expected to be detected in scattered light only in the exceptional cases when the scale height of the dust disk at the sublimation radius is smaller than usual. High-contrast imaging combined with the IR spectral energy distribution allow us to measure the degree of flattening of the disk, as well as to determine the properties of the outer disk. We present polarimetric differential imaging in the H band obtained with Subaru/HiCIAO of one such system, MWC 480. The HiCIAO data were obtained at a historic minimum of the NIR excess. The disk is detected in scattered light from 02 to 10 (27.4–137 AU). Together with the marginal detection of the disk from 1998 February 24 by Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS, our data constrain the opening half-angle for the disk to lie between 13 ⩽θ ⩽ 22. When compared with similar measures in CO for the gas disk from the literature, the dust disk subtends only ∼30% of the gas disk scale height (H/R ∼ 0.03). Such a dust disk is a factor of 5–7 flatter than transitional disks, which have structural signatures that giant planets have formed.

We study the variation of the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of the BL Lac object Mrk 501 as a function of source activity, from quiescent to flaring. Through χ²-minimization we model eight simultaneous SED data sets with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model, and examine how model parameters vary with source activity. The emerging variability pattern of Mrk 501 is complex, with the Compton component arising from γ–e scatterings that sometimes are (mostly) Thomson and sometimes (mostly) extreme Klein–Nishina. This can be seen from the variation of the Compton to synchrotron peak distance according to source state. The underlying electron spectra are faint/soft in quiescent states and bright/hard in flaring states. A comparison with Mrk 421 suggests that the typical values of the SSC parameters are different in the two sources: however, in both jets the energy density is particle-dominated in all states.

We present the results of a Herschel-PACS study of a sample of 97 low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs) at redshift z ∼ 0.3 selected from the zCOSMOS survey. Of these sources, 34 are detected in at least one PACS band, enabling reliable estimates of the far-infrared L_FIR luminosities, and a comparison to the FIR luminosities of local LINERs. Many of our PACS-detected LINERs are also UV sources detected by GALEX. Assuming that the FIR is produced in young dusty star-forming regions, the typical star formation rates (SFRs) for the host galaxies in our sample are ∼10 M_☉ yr⁻¹, 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than in many local LINERs. Given stellar masses inferred from optical/NIR photometry of the (unobscured) evolved stellar populations, we find that the entire sample lies close to the star-forming "main sequence" for galaxies at redshift 0.3. For young star-forming regions, the Hα- and UV-based estimates of the SFRs are much smaller than the FIR-based estimates, by factors ∼30, even assuming that all of the Hα emission is produced by O-star ionization rather than by the active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These discrepancies may be due to large (and uncertain) extinctions toward the young stellar systems. Alternatively, the Hα and UV emissions could be tracing residual star formation in an older, less obscured population with decaying star formation. We also compare L_SF and L(AGN) in local LINERs and in our sample. Finally, we comment on the problematic use of several line diagnostic diagrams in cases with an estimated obscuration similar to that in the sample under study.

We present the discovery of another seven Y dwarfs from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using these objects, as well as the first six WISE Y dwarf discoveries from Cushing et al., we further explore the transition between spectral types T and Y. We find that the T/Y boundary roughly coincides with the spot where the J − H colors of brown dwarfs, as predicted by models, turn back to the red. Moreover, we use preliminary trigonometric parallax measurements to show that the T/Y boundary may also correspond to the point at which the absolute H (1.6 μm) and W2 (4.6 μm) magnitudes plummet. We use these discoveries and their preliminary distances to place them in the larger context of the solar neighborhood. We present a table that updates the entire stellar and substellar constituency within 8 pc of the Sun, and we show that the current census has hydrogen-burning stars outnumbering brown dwarfs by roughly a factor of six. This factor will decrease with time as more brown dwarfs are identified within this volume, but unless there is a vast reservoir of cold brown dwarfs invisible to WISE, the final space density of brown dwarfs is still expected to fall well below that of stars. We also use these new Y dwarf discoveries, along with newly discovered T dwarfs from WISE, to investigate the field substellar mass function. We find that the overall space density of late-T and early-Y dwarfs matches that from simulations describing the mass function as a power law with slope −0.5 < α < 0.0; however, a power law may provide a poor fit to the observed object counts as a function of spectral type because there are tantalizing hints that the number of brown dwarfs continues to rise from late-T to early-Y. More detailed monitoring and characterization of these Y dwarfs, along with dedicated searches aimed at identifying more examples, are certainly required.

We have been monitoring yearly variation in the Sun's polar magnetic fields with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode to record their evolution and expected reversal near the solar maximum. All magnetic patches in the magnetic flux maps are automatically identified to obtain the number density and magnetic flux density as a function of the total magnetic flux per patch. The detected magnetic flux per patch ranges over four orders of magnitude (10¹⁵–10²⁰ Mx). The higher end of the magnetic flux in the polar regions is about one order of magnitude larger than that of the quiet Sun, and nearly that of pores. Almost all large patches (⩾10¹⁸ Mx) have the same polarity, while smaller patches have a fair balance of both polarities. The polarity of the polar region as a whole is consequently determined only by the large magnetic concentrations. A clear decrease in the net flux of the polar region is detected in the slow rising phase of the current solar cycle. The decrease is more rapid in the north polar region than in the south. The decrease in the net flux is caused by a decrease in the number and size of the large flux concentrations as well as the appearance of patches with opposite polarity at lower latitudes. In contrast, we do not see temporal change in the magnetic flux associated with the smaller patches (<10¹⁸ Mx) and that of the horizontal magnetic fields during the years 2008–2012.

Since the large amplitude 2007 outburst which heated its accreting, pulsating white dwarf, the dwarf nova system GW Librae has been cooling to its quiescent temperature. Our Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectra combined with ground-based optical coverage during the third and fourth year after outburst show that the fluxes and temperatures are still higher than quiescence (T = 19,700 K and 17,300 K versus 16,000 K pre-outburst for a log g = 8.7 and d = 100 pc). The K_wd of 7.6 ± 0.8 km s⁻¹ determined from the C i λ1463 absorption line, as well as the gravitational redshift implies a white dwarf mass of 0.79 ± 0.08 M_☉. The widths of the UV lines imply a white dwarf rotation velocity v sin i of 40 km s⁻¹ and a spin period of 209 s (for an inclination of 11 deg and a white dwarf radius of 7 × 10⁸ cm). Light curves produced from the UV spectra in both years show a prominent multiplet near 290 s, with higher amplitude in the UV compared to the optical, and increased amplitude in 2011 versus 2010. As the presence of this set of periods is intermittent in the optical on weekly timescales, it is unclear how this relates to the non-radial pulsations evident during quiescence.

The Cygnus region is a very bright and complex portion of the TeV sky, host to unidentified sources and a diffuse excess with respect to conventional cosmic-ray propagation models. Two of the brightest TeV sources, MGRO J2019+37 and MGRO J2031+41, are analyzed using Milagro data with a new technique, and their emission is tested under two different spectral assumptions: a power law and a power law with an exponential cutoff. The new analysis technique is based on an energy estimator that uses the fraction of photomultiplier tubes in the observatory that detect the extensive air shower. The photon spectrum is measured in the range 1–100 TeV using the last three years of Milagro data (2005–2008), with the detector in its final configuration. An F-test indicates that MGRO J2019+37 is better fit by a power law with an exponential cutoff than by a simple power law. The best-fitting parameters for the power law with exponential cutoff model are a normalization at 10 TeV of 7⁺⁵₋₂ × 10⁻¹⁰ s⁻¹ m⁻² TeV⁻¹, a spectral index of 2.0^+0.5_−1.0, and a cutoff energy of 29⁺⁵⁰₋₁₆ TeV. MGRO J2031+41 shows no evidence of a cutoff. The best-fitting parameters for a power law are a normalization of 2.1^+0.6_−0.6 × 10⁻¹⁰ s⁻¹ m⁻² TeV⁻¹ and a spectral index of 3.22^+0.23_−0.18. The overall flux is subject to a ∼30% systematic uncertainty. The systematic uncertainty on the power-law indices is ∼0.1. Both uncertainties have been verified with cosmic-ray data. A comparison with previous results from TeV J2032+4130, MGRO J2031+41, and MGRO J2019+37 is also presented.

We determine the fraction of F, G, and K dwarfs in the solar neighborhood hosting hot Jupiters as measured by the California Planet Survey from the Lick and Keck planet searches. We find the rate to be 1.2% ± 0.38%, which is consistent with the rate reported by Mayor et al. from the HARPS and CORALIE radial velocity (RV) surveys. These numbers are more than double the rate reported by Howard et al. for Kepler stars and the rate of Gould et al. from the OGLE-III transit search; however, due to small number statistics these differences are of only marginal statistical significance. We explore some of the difficulties in estimating this rate from the existing RV data sets and comparing RV rates to rates from other techniques.

The bulk of the solar chromosphere is weakly ionized and interactions between ionized particles and neutral particles likely have significant consequences for the thermodynamics of the chromospheric plasma. We investigate the importance of introducing neutral particles into the MHD equations using numerical 2.5D radiative MHD simulations obtained with the Bifrost code. The models span the solar atmosphere from the upper layers of the convection zone to the low corona, and solve the full MHD equations with non-gray and non-LTE radiative transfer, and thermal conduction along the magnetic field. The effects of partial ionization are implemented using the generalized Ohm's law, i.e., we consider the effects of the Hall term and ambipolar diffusion in the induction equation. The approximations required in going from three fluids to the generalized Ohm's law are tested in our simulations. The Ohmic diffusion, Hall term, and ambipolar diffusion show strong variations in the chromosphere. These strong variations of the various magnetic diffusivities are absent or significantly underestimated when, as has been common for these types of studies, using the semi-empirical VAL-C model as a basis for estimates. In addition, we find that differences in estimating the magnitude of ambipolar diffusion arise depending on which method is used to calculate the ion–neutral collision frequency. These differences cause uncertainties in the different magnetic diffusivity terms. In the chromosphere, we find that the ambipolar diffusion is of the same order of magnitude or even larger than the numerical diffusion used to stabilize our code. As a consequence, ambipolar diffusion produces a strong impact on the modeled atmosphere. Perhaps more importantly, it suggests that at least in the chromospheric domain, self-consistent simulations of the solar atmosphere driven by magnetoconvection can accurately describe the impact of the dominant form of resistivity, i.e., ambipolar diffusion. This suggests that such simulations may be more realistic in their approach to the lower solar atmosphere (which directly drives the coronal volume) than previously assumed.

We report 31 GHz CARMA observations of IDCS J1426.5+3508, an infrared-selected galaxy cluster at z = 1.75. A Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) decrement is detected toward this cluster, indicating a total mass of M_{200, m} = (4.3 ± 1.1) × 10¹⁴ M_☉ in agreement with the approximate X-ray mass of ∼5 × 10¹⁴ M_☉. IDCS J1426.5+3508 is by far the most distant cluster yet detected via the SZ effect, and the most massive z ⩾ 1.4 galaxy cluster found to date. Despite the mere ∼1% probability of finding it in the 8.82 deg² IRAC Distant Cluster Survey, IDCS J1426.5+3508 is not completely unexpected in ΛCDM once the area of large, existing surveys is considered. IDCS J1426.5+3508 is, however, among the rarest, most extreme clusters ever discovered and indeed is an evolutionary precursor to the most massive known clusters at all redshifts. We discuss how imminent, highly sensitive SZ experiments will complement infrared techniques for statistical studies of the formation of the most massive galaxy clusters in the z > 1.5 universe, including potential precursors to IDCS J1426.5+3508.

The galaxy cluster IDCS J1426.5+3508 at z = 1.75 is the most massive galaxy cluster yet discovered at z > 1.4 and the first cluster at this epoch for which the Sunyaev–Zel'Dovich effect has been observed. In this paper, we report on the discovery with Hubble Space Telescope imaging of a giant arc associated with this cluster. The curvature of the arc suggests that the lensing mass is nearly coincident with the brightest cluster galaxy, and the color is consistent with the arc being a star-forming galaxy. We compare the constraint on M₂₀₀ based upon strong lensing with Sunyaev–Zel'Dovich results, finding that the two are consistent if the redshift of the arc is z  ≳  3. Finally, we explore the cosmological implications of this system, considering the likelihood of the existence of a strongly lensing galaxy cluster at this epoch in a ΛCDM universe. While the existence of the cluster itself can potentially be accommodated if one considers the entire volume covered at this redshift by all current high-redshift cluster surveys, the existence of this strongly lensed galaxy greatly exacerbates the long-standing giant arc problem. For standard ΛCDM structure formation and observed background field galaxy counts this lens system should not exist. Specifically, there should be no giant arcs in the entire sky as bright in F814W as the observed arc for clusters at z ⩾ 1.75, and only ∼0.3 as bright in F160W as the observed arc. If we relax the redshift constraint to consider all clusters at z ⩾ 1.5, the expected number of giant arcs rises to ∼15 in F160W, but the number of giant arcs of this brightness in F814W remains zero. These arc statistic results are independent of the mass of IDCS J1426.5+3508. We consider possible explanations for this discrepancy.

We report the discovery of an IR-selected massive galaxy cluster in the IRAC Deep Cluster Survey (IDCS). We present new data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the W. M. Keck Observatory that spectroscopically confirm IDCS J1426.5+3508 at z = 1.75. Moreover, the cluster is detected in archival Chandra data as an extended X-ray source, comprising 53 counts after the removal of point sources. We calculate an X-ray luminosity of L_{0.5 − 2 keV} = (5.4 ± 1.2) × 10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ within r = 60 arcsec (∼1 Mpc diameter), which implies $M_{200,L_x} = (5.3 \pm 1.6) \times 10^{14}$ M_☉. IDCS J1426.5+3508 appears to be an exceptionally massive cluster for its redshift.

We present the results from a Chandra pilot study of 12 massive galaxy mergers selected from Galaxy Zoo. The sample includes major mergers down to a host galaxy mass of 10¹¹ M_☉ that already have optical active galactic nucleus (AGN) signatures in at least one of the progenitors. We find that the coincidences of optically selected active nuclei with mildly obscured (N_H ≲ 1.1 × 10²² cm⁻²) X-ray nuclei are relatively common (8/12), but the detections are too faint (<40 counts per nucleus; f_2–10 keV ≲ 1.2 × 10⁻¹³ erg s⁻¹ cm⁻²) to reliably separate starburst and nuclear activity as the origin of the X-ray emission. Only one merger is found to have confirmed binary X-ray nuclei, though the X-ray emission from its southern nucleus could be due solely to star formation. Thus, the occurrences of binary AGNs in these mergers are rare (0%–8%), unless most merger-induced active nuclei are very heavily obscured or Compton thick.

Using two volume-limited main galaxy samples of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 (SDSS DR8), we explore the environmental dependence of the star formation rate (SFR), specific star formation rate (SSFR), and the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) for high stellar mass (HSM) and low stellar mass (LSM) galaxies. It is found that the environmental dependence of the SFR and SSFR for luminous HSM galaxies and faint LSM ones remains very strong: galaxies in the lowest density regime preferentially have higher SFR and SSFR than galaxies in the densest regime, while the environmental dependence of the SFR and SSFR for luminous LSM galaxies is substantially reduced. Our result also shows that the fraction of AGNs in HSM galaxies decreases as a function of density, while the one in LSM galaxies depends very little on local density. In the faint LSM galaxy sample, the SFR and SSFR of galaxies strongly decrease with increasing density, but the fraction of AGNs depends very little on local density. Such a result can rule out that AGNs are fueled by the cold gas in the disk component of galaxies that is also driving the star formation of those galaxies.

We use HST/WFC3 imaging from the CANDELS Multi-Cycle Treasury Survey, in conjunction with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, to explore the evolution of galactic structure for galaxies with stellar masses >3 × 10¹⁰ M_☉ from z = 2.2 to the present epoch, a time span of 10 Gyr. We explore the relationship between rest-frame optical color, stellar mass, star formation activity, and galaxy structure. We confirm the dramatic increase from z = 2.2 to the present day in the number density of non-star-forming galaxies above 3 × 10¹⁰ M_☉ reported by others. We further find that the vast majority of these quiescent systems have concentrated light profiles, as parameterized by the Sérsic index, and the population of concentrated galaxies grows similarly rapidly. We examine the joint distribution of star formation activity, Sérsic index, stellar mass, inferred velocity dispersion, and stellar surface density. Quiescence correlates poorly with stellar mass at all z < 2.2. Quiescence correlates well with Sérsic index at all redshifts. Quiescence correlates well with "velocity dispersion" and stellar surface density at z > 1.3, and somewhat less well at lower redshifts. Yet, there is significant scatter between quiescence and galaxy structure: while the vast majority of quiescent galaxies have prominent bulges, many of them have significant disks, and a number of bulge-dominated galaxies have significant star formation. Noting the rarity of quiescent galaxies without prominent bulges, we argue that a prominent bulge (and perhaps, by association, a supermassive black hole) is an important condition for quenching star formation on galactic scales over the last 10 Gyr, in qualitative agreement with the active galactic nucleus feedback paradigm.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and dust emission features between 10 and 37 μm, observed with Spitzer at 11 positions southeast of the Bright Bar (BB) in Orion, are analyzed and connected to atomic and H₂ lines reported earlier. Variations at these positions indicate changes in local conditions and materials sampled. The major findings are: (1) PAH erosion and destruction are important from the BB out to about 5'. (2) The ionized PAH fraction, inferred from the 11.0 μm PAH band, increases from the BB out to 65. This counterintuitive behavior is linked to PAH dehydrogenation. (3) The "11.2" μm PAH band profile shifts from class A_11.2 to A(B)_11.2 between 9' and 10', indicating these lines-of-sight probe a different environment, likely shielded molecular cloud material. (4) The different spatial behavior of the PAH bands and the 10–15 μm plateau supports the view that the plateau originates in a separate carrier. (5) The fullerene/PAH band strength ratio decreases out to about 7', increases between 9' and 10' and drops at 12'. The first region is where PAHs are dehydrogenated and eroded whereas the second, shielded zone, is where the "11.2" μm profile shifts and PAH erosion is unlikely. This suggests fullerenes are intimately mixed with PAHs in shielded regions. Taken together, the observations suggest three different regimes are sampled: (1) the H ii region–photodissociation region (PDR) interface directly southeast of the BB, (2) shielded molecular cloud material farther out, and (3) the H ii region–PDR interface seen limb brightened at the outermost position.

We report the detection of two new planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. These planets orbit two stars each previously known to host one planet. The new planet orbiting HD 142 has a period of 6005 ± 427 days, and a minimum mass of 5.3 M_Jup. HD 142c is thus a new Jupiter analog: a gas-giant planet with a long period and low eccentricity (e = 0.21 ± 0.07). The second planet in the HD 159868 system has a period of 352.3 ± 1.3 days and m sin i = 0.73 ± 0.05 M_Jup. In both of these systems, including the additional planets in the fitting process significantly reduced the eccentricity of the original planet. These systems are thus examples of how multiple-planet systems can masquerade as moderately eccentric single-planet systems.

The recent Kepler discovery of KOI-152 reveals a system of three hot super-Earth candidates that are in or near a 4:2:1 mean motion resonance. It is unlikely that they formed in situ; the planets probably underwent orbital migration during the formation and evolution process. The small semimajor axes of the three planets suggest that migration stopped at the inner edge of the primordial gas disk. In this paper, we focus on the influence of migration halting mechanisms, including migration "dead zones," and inner truncation by the stellar magnetic field. We show that the stellar accretion rate, stellar magnetic field, and the speed of migration in the protoplanetary disk are the main factors affecting the final configuration of KOI-152. Our simulations suggest that three planets may be around a star with low star accretion rate or with high magnetic field. On the other hand, slow type I migration, which decreases to one-tenth of the linear analysis results, favors forming the configuration of KOI-152. Under such a formation scenario, the planets in the system are not massive enough to open gaps in the gas disk. The upper limits of the planetary masses are estimated to be about 15, 19, and 24 M_⊕, respectively. Our results are also indicative of the near Laplacian configurations that are quite common in planetary systems.

The late-type dwarf GJ 436 is known to host a transiting Neptune-mass planet in a 2.6 day orbit. We present results of our interferometric measurements to directly determine the stellar diameter (R_⋆ = 0.455 ± 0.018 R_☉) and effective temperature (T_EFF = 3416 ± 54 K). We combine our stellar parameters with literature time-series data, which allows us to calculate physical and orbital system parameters, including GJ 436's stellar mass (M_⋆ = 0.507^+0.071_{− 0.062} M_☉), stellar density (ρ_* = 5.37^+0.30_{− 0.27} ρ_☉), planetary radius (R_p = 0.369^+0.015_{− 0.015} R_Jupiter), and planetary mass (M_p = 0.078^+0.007_{− 0.008} M_Jupiter), implying a mean planetary density of ρ_p = 1.55^+0.12_{− 0.10} ρ_Jupiter. These values are generally in good agreement with previous literature estimates based on assumed stellar mass and photometric light curve fitting. Finally, we examine the expected phase curves of the hot Neptune GJ 436b, based on various assumptions concerning the efficiency of energy redistribution in the planetary atmosphere, and find that it could be constrained with Spitzer monitoring observations.

We present the Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra of 157 compact Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe). These young PNe provide insight on the effects of dust in early post-asymptotic giant branch evolution, before much of the dust is altered or destroyed by the hardening stellar radiation field. Most of the selected targets have PN-type IRS spectra, while a few turned out to be misclassified stars. We inspected the group properties of the PN spectra and classified them based on the different dust classes (featureless or F, carbon-rich dust or CRD, oxygen-rich dust or ORD, mixed-chemistry dust or MCD) and subclasses (aromatic and aliphatic, and crystalline and amorphous). All PNe are characterized by dust continuum and more than 80% of the sample shows solid-state features above the continuum, in contrast with the Magellanic Cloud sample where only ∼40% of the entire sample displays solid-state features; this is an indication of the strong link between dust properties and metallicity. The Galactic PNe that show solid-state features are almost equally divided among the CRD, ORD, and MCD. We analyzed dust properties together with other PN properties and found that (1) there is an enhancement of MCD PNe toward the Galactic center, in agreement with studies of Galactic bulge PNe; (2) CRD PNe could be seen as defining an evolutionary sequence, contrary to the ORD and MCD PNe, which are scattered in all evolutionary diagrams; (3) carbon-rich and oxygen-rich grains retain different equilibrium temperatures, as expected from models; and (4) ORD PNe are highly asymmetric, i.e., bipolar or bipolar core, and CRD PNe highly symmetric, i.e., round or elliptical; point symmetry is statistically more common in MCD than in other dust class PNe. By comparing the sample of this paper to that of Magellanic Cloud PNe, we find that the latter sample does not include MCD PNe, and the other dust classes are differently populated, with continuity of the fraction of F, CRD, ORD, and MCD populations from high to low metallicity environments. We also find similar sequences for CRD PNe in the Galactic disk and the Magellanic Clouds, except that the Magellanic Cloud PNe seem to attain higher dust temperatures at similar evolutionary stages, in agreement with the observational findings of smaller dust grains (i.e., lower radiation efficiency) in low metallicity interstellar environments.

Sk 183 is the visually brightest star in the N90 nebula, a young star-forming region in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We present new optical spectroscopy from the Very Large Telescope which reveals Sk 183 to be one of the most massive O-type stars in the SMC. Classified as an O3-type dwarf on the basis of its nitrogen spectrum, the star also displays broadened He i absorption, which suggests a later type. We propose that Sk 183 has a composite spectrum and that it is similar to another star in the SMC, MPG 324. This brings the number of rare O2- and O3-type stars known in the whole of the SMC to a mere four. We estimate physical parameters for Sk 183 from analysis of its spectrum. For a single-star model, we estimate an effective temperature of 46 ± 2 kK, a low mass-loss rate of ∼10⁻⁷ M_☉ yr⁻¹, and a spectroscopic mass of 46⁺⁹₋₈ M_☉ (for an adopted distance modulus of 18.7 mag to the young population in the SMC Wing). An illustrative binary model requires a slightly hotter temperature (∼47.5 kK) for the primary component. In either scenario, Sk 183 is the earliest-type star known in N90 and will therefore be the dominant source of hydrogen-ionizing photons. This suggests Sk 183 is the primary influence on the star formation along the inner edge of the nebula.

The energetic, eclipsing millisecond pulsar J1816+4510 was recently discovered in a low-frequency radio survey with the Green Bank Telescope. With an orbital period of 8.7 hr and a minimum companion mass of 0.16 M_☉, it appears to belong to an increasingly important class of pulsars that are ablating their low-mass companions. We report the discovery of the γ-ray counterpart to this pulsar and present a likely optical/ultraviolet counterpart as well. Using the radio ephemeris, we detect pulsations in the unclassified γ-ray source 2FGL J1816.5+4511, implying an efficiency of ∼25% in converting the pulsar's spin-down luminosity into γ-rays and adding PSR J1816+4510 to the large number of millisecond pulsars detected by Fermi. The likely optical/UV counterpart was identified through position coincidence (<01) and unusual colors. Assuming that it is the companion, with R = 18.27 ± 0.03 mag and effective temperature ≳ 15,000 K, it would be among the brightest and hottest of low-mass pulsar companions and appears qualitatively different from other eclipsing pulsar systems. In particular, current data suggest that it is a factor of two larger than most white dwarfs of its mass but a factor of four smaller than its Roche lobe. We discuss possible reasons for its high temperature and odd size, and suggest that it recently underwent a violent episode of mass loss. Regardless of origin, its brightness and the relative unimportance of irradiation make it an ideal target for a mass, and hence a neutron star mass, determination.

A moderately spinning neutron star acquires an oblate shape and a spacetime with a significant quadrupole moment. These two properties affect its apparent surface area for an observer at infinity, as well as the light curve arising from a hot spot on its surface. In this paper, we develop a ray-tracing algorithm to calculate the apparent surface areas of moderately spinning neutron stars making use of the Hartle–Thorne metric. This analytic metric allows us to calculate various observables of the neutron star in a way that depends only on its macroscopic properties and not on the details of its equation of state. We use this algorithm to calculate the changes in the apparent surface area, which could play a role in measurements of neutron-star radii and, therefore, in constraining their equation of state. We show that whether a spinning neutron star appears larger or smaller than its non-rotating counterpart depends primarily on its equatorial radius. For neutron stars with radii ∼10 km, the corrections to the Schwarzschild spacetime cause the apparent surface area to increase with spin frequency. In contrast, for neutron stars with radii ∼15 km, the oblateness of the star dominates the spacetime corrections and causes the apparent surface area to decrease with increasing spin frequency. In all cases, the change in the apparent geometric surface area for the range of observed spin frequencies is ≲5% and hence only a small source of error in the measurement of neutron-star radii.

The spectral shape of radiation due to inverse Compton scattering is analyzed in the Thomson and the Klein–Nishina regime for electron distributions with exponential cutoff. We derive analytical, asymptotic expressions for the spectrum close to the maximum cutoff region. We consider monoenergetic, Planckian, and synchrotron photons as target photon fields. These approximations provide a direct link between the distribution of parent electrons and the upscattered spectrum at the cutoff region.

While the non-thermal radio through at least near-infrared emission in the hard state in X-ray binaries (XRBs) is known to originate in jets, the source of the non-thermal X-ray component is still uncertain. We introduce a new model for this emission, which takes into account the transient nature of outflows, and show that it can explain the observed properties of the X-ray spectrum. Rapid radiative cooling of the electrons naturally accounts for the break often seen below around 10 keV, and for the canonical spectral slope F_ν∝ν^−1/2 observed below the break. We derive the constraints set by the data for both synchrotron- and Compton-dominated models. We show that for the synchrotron-dominated case, the jet should be launched at radii comparable to the inner radius of the disk (∼few 100 r_s for the 2000 outburst of XTE J1118+480), with typical magnetic field B ≳ 10⁶ G. We discuss the consequences of our results for the possible connection between the inflow and outflow in the hard state of XRBs.

Recently, Fermi-LAT detected GeV emission during the X-ray flaring activity in GRB 100728A. We study various scenarios for its origin. The hard spectrum of the GeV emission favors the external inverse Compton (EIC) origin in which X-ray flare photons are up-scattered by relativistic electrons in the external forward shock. This EIC scenario, with anisotropic scattering effect taken into account, can reproduce the temporal and spectral properties of the GeV emission in GRB 100728A.