Table of contents

The Kepler era of exoplanetary discovery has presented the astronomical community with a cornucopia of planetary systems that are very different from the one that we inhabit. It has long been known that Jupiter plays a major role in the orbital parameters of Mars and its climate, but there is also a long-standing belief that Jupiter would play a similar role for Earth if not for the Moon. Using a three-dimensional general circulation model (3D GCM) with a fully coupled ocean, we simulate what would happen to the climate of an Earth-like world if Mars did not exist, but a Jupiter-like planet was much closer to Earth's orbit. We investigate two scenarios that involve the evolution of the Earth-like planet's orbital eccentricity from 0 to 0.283 over 6500 years, and from 0 to 0.066 on a timescale of 4500 years. In both cases we discover that they would maintain relatively temperate climates over the timescales simulated. More Earth-like planets in multi-planet systems will be discovered as we continue to survey the skies and the results herein show that the proximity of large gas giant planets may play an important role in the habitability of these worlds. These are the first such 3D GCM simulations using a fully coupled ocean with a planetary orbit that evolves over time due to the presence of a giant planet.

We report the discovery of relatively massive, M32-like ultra compact dwarf (UCD) and compact elliptical (CE) galaxy candidates in $0.2\lt z\lt 0.6$ massive galaxy clusters imaged by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey. Examining the nearly unresolved objects in the survey, we identify a sample of compact objects concentrated around the cluster central galaxies with colors similar to cluster red sequence galaxies. Their colors and magnitudes suggest stellar masses around ${10}^{9}{M}_{\odot }$. More than half of these galaxies have half-light radii smaller than 200 pc, falling into the category of massive UCDs and CEs, with properties similar to M32. The properties are consistent with a tidal stripping origin, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they are early-formed compact objects trapped in massive dark matter halos. The 17 CLASH clusters studied in this work on average contain 2.7 of these objects in their central 0.3 Mpc and 0.6 in their central 50 kpc. Our study demonstrates the possibility of statistically characterizing UCDs/CEs with a large set of uniform imaging survey data.

Meteoritic abundances of r-process elements are analyzed to deduce the history of chemical enrichment by the r-process, from the beginning of disk formation to the present time in the solar vicinity. Our analysis combines the abundance information from short-lived radioactive nuclei such as ²⁴⁴Pu with the abundance information from stable r-process nuclei such as Eu. These two types of nuclei can be associated with one r-process event and an accumulation of events until the formation of the solar system, respectively. With the help of the observed local star formation (SF) history, we deduce the chemical evolution of ²⁴⁴Pu and obtain three main results: (i) the last r-process event occurred 130–140 Myr before the formation of the solar system; (ii) the present-day low ²⁴⁴Pu abundance as measured in deep-sea reservoirs results from the low recent SF rate compared to ∼4.5−5 Gyr ago; and (iii) there were ∼15 r-process events in the solar vicinity from the formation of the Galaxy to the time of solar system's formation and ∼30 r-process events to the present time. Then, adopting the hypothesis that a neutron star (NS) merger is the r-process production site, we find that the ejected r-process elements are extensively spread out and mixed with interstellar matter, with a mass of $\sim 3.5\times {10}^{6}$M_⊙, which is about 100 times larger than that for supernova ejecta. In addition, the event frequency of r-process production is estimated to be 1 per ~1400 core-collapse supernovae, which is identical to the frequency of NS mergers estimated from the analysis of stellar abundances.

The nearby M dwarf binary GJ65 AB, also known as BL Cet and UV Cet, is a unique benchmark for investigation of dynamo-driven activity of low-mass stars. Magnetic activity of GJ65 was repeatedly assessed by indirect means, such as studies of flares, photometric variability, X-ray, and radio emission. Here, we present a direct analysis of large-scale and local surface magnetic fields in both components. Interpreting high-resolution circular polarization spectra (sensitive to a large-scale field geometry) we uncovered a remarkable difference of the global stellar field topologies. Despite nearly identical masses and rotation rates, the secondary exhibits an axisymmetric, dipolar-like global field with an average strength of 1.3 kG while the primary has a much weaker, more complex, and non-axisymmetric 0.3 kG field. On the other hand, an analysis of the differential Zeeman intensification (sensitive to the total magnetic flux) shows the two stars having similar magnetic fluxes of 5.2 and 6.7 kG for GJ65 A and B, respectively, although there is evidence that the field strength distribution in GJ65 B is shifted toward a higher field strength compared to GJ65 A. Based on these complementary magnetic field diagnostic results, we suggest that the dissimilar radio and X-ray variability of GJ65 A and B is linked to their different global magnetic field topologies. However, this difference appears to be restricted to the upper atmospheric layers but does not encompass the bulk of the stars and has no influence on the fundamental stellar properties.

High-mass multiples might form via fragmentation of self-gravitational disks or alternative scenarios such as disk-assisted capture. However, only a few observational constraints exist on the architecture and disk structure of high-mass protobinaries and their accretion properties. Here, we report the discovery of a close (57.9 ± 0.2 mas = 170 au) high-mass protobinary, IRAS17216-3801, where our VLTI/GRAVITY+AMBER near-infrared interferometry allows us to image the circumstellar disks around the individual components with ∼3 mas resolution. We estimate the component masses to ∼20 and ∼18 M_⊙ and find that the radial intensity profiles can be reproduced with an irradiated disk model, where the inner regions are excavated of dust, likely tracing the dust sublimation region in these disks. The circumstellar disks are strongly misaligned with respect to the binary separation vector, which indicates that the tidal forces did not have time to realign the disks, pointing toward a young dynamical age of the system. We constrain the distribution of the Brγ and CO-emitting gas using VLTI/GRAVITY spectro-interferometry and VLT/CRIRES spectro-astrometry and find that the secondary is accreting at a higher rate than the primary. VLT/NACO imaging shows L'-band emission on (3–4)× larger scales than the binary separation, matching the expected dynamical truncation radius for the circumbinary disk. The IRAS17216-3801 system is ∼3× more massive and ∼5× more compact than other high-mass multiplies imaged at infrared wavelength and the first high-mass protobinary system where circumstellar and circumbinary dust disks could be spatially resolved. This opens exciting new opportunities for studying star–disk interactions and the role of multiplicity in high-mass star formation.

The discovery of Kepler 452b is a milestone in searching for habitable exoplanets. While it has been suggested that Kepler 452b is the first Earth-like exoplanet discovered in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star, its climate states and habitability require quantitative studies. Here, we first use a three-dimensional fully coupled atmosphere–ocean climate model to study the climate and habitability of an exoplanet around a Sun-like star. Our simulations show that Kepler 452b is habitable if CO₂ concentrations in its atmosphere are comparable or lower than that in the present-day Earth atmosphere. However, our simulations also suggest that Kepler 452b can become too hot to be habitable if there is the lack of silicate weathering to limit CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere. We also address whether Kepler 452b could retain its water inventory after 6.0 billion years of lifetime. These results in the present Letter will provide insights about climate and habitability for other undiscovered exoplanets similar to Kepler 452b, which may be observable by future observational missions.

The origin of the slow solar wind is still a topic of much debate. The continual emergence of small transient structures from helmet streamers is thought to constitute one of the main sources of the slow wind. Determining the height at which these transients are released is an important factor in determining the conditions under which the slow solar wind forms. To this end, we have carried out a multipoint analysis of small transient structures released from a north–south tilted helmet streamer into the slow solar wind over a broad range of position angles during Carrington Rotation 2137. Combining the remote-sensing observations taken by the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) mission with coronagraphic observations from the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, we show that the release of such small transient structures (often called blobs), which subsequently move away from the Sun, is associated with the concomitant formation of transient structures collapsing back toward the Sun; the latter have been referred to by previous authors as "raining inflows." This is the first direct association between outflowing blobs and raining inflows, which locates the formation of blobs above the helmet streamers and gives strong support that the blobs are released by magnetic reconnection.

Since the discovery of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) in the last decade, it has been known that these events exhibit bluer spectral energy distributions than other supernova subtypes, with significant output in the ultraviolet. However, the event Gaia16apd seems to outshine even the other SLSNe at rest-frame wavelengths below ∼3000 Å. Yan et al. have recently presented HST UV spectra and attributed the UV flux to low iron-group abundance in the outer ejecta, and hence reduced line blanketing. Here, we present UV and optical light curves over a longer baseline in time, revealing a rapid decline at UV wavelengths despite a typical optical evolution. Combining the published UV spectra with our own optical data, we demonstrate that Gaia16apd has a much hotter continuum than virtually any SLSN at maximum light, but it cools rapidly thereafter and is indistinguishable from the others by ∼10–15 days after peak. Comparing the equivalent widths of UV absorption lines with those of other events, we show that the excess UV continuum is a result of a more powerful central power source, rather than a lack of UV absorption relative to other SLSNe or an additional component from interaction with the surrounding medium. These findings strongly support the central-engine hypothesis for hydrogen-poor SLSNe. An explosion ejecting M_ej = 4.8(0.2/κ) M_⊙, where κ is the opacity in cm² g⁻¹, and forming a magnetar with spin period P = 2 ms, and B = 2 × 10¹⁴ G (lower than other SLSNe with comparable rise times) can consistently explain the light curve evolution and high temperature at peak. The host metallicity, Z = 0.18 Z_⊙, is comparable to other SLSNe.

NGC 7793 P13 is an ultraluminous X-ray source harboring an accreting pulsar. We report on the detection of a ∼65 day period X-ray modulation with Swift observations in this system. The modulation period found in the X-ray band is P = 65.05 ± 0.10 days and the profile is asymmetric with a fast rise and a slower decay. On the other hand, the u-band light curve collected by Swift UVOT confirmed an optical modulation with a period of P = 64.24 ± 0.13 days. We explored the phase evolution of the X-ray and optical periodicities and propose two solutions. A superorbital modulation with a period of ∼2700–4700 days probably caused by the precession of a warped accretion disk is necessary to interpret the phase drift of the optical data. We further discuss the implication if this ∼65 day periodicity is caused by the superorbital modulation. Estimated from the relationship between the spin-orbital and orbital-superorbital periods of known disk-fed high-mass X-ray binaries, the orbital period of P13 is roughly estimated as 3–7 days. In this case, an unknown mechanism with a much longer timescale is needed to interpret the phase drift. Further studies on the stability of these two periodicities with a long-term monitoring could help us to probe their physical origins.

The O viλλ1032, 1038 Å doublet emission traces collisionally ionized gas with $T\approx {10}^{5.5}$ K, where the cooling curve peaks for metal-enriched plasma. This warm-hot phase is usually not well-resolved in numerical simulations of the multiphase interstellar medium (ISM), but can be responsible for a significant fraction of the emitted energy. Comparing simulated O vi emission to observations is therefore a valuable test of whether simulations predict reasonable cooling rates from this phase. We calculate O viλ1032 Å emission, assuming collisional ionization equilibrium, for our small-box simulations of the stratified ISM regulated by supernovae. We find that the agreement is very good for our solar neighborhood model, both in terms of emission flux and mean O vi density seen in absorption. We explore runs with higher surface densities and find that, in our simulations, the O vi emission from the disk scales roughly linearly with the star formation rate. Observations of O vi emission are rare for external galaxies, but our results do not show obvious inconsistency with the existing data. Assuming the solar metallicity, O vi emission from the galaxy disk in our simulations accounts for roughly 0.5% of supernovae heating.

We study formation and long-term evolution of a circumstellar disk in a collapsing molecular cloud core using a resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulation. While the formed circumstellar disk is initially small, it grows as accretion continues, and its radius becomes as large as 200 au toward the end of the Class-I phase. A pair of grand-design spiral arms form due to gravitational instability in the disk, and they transfer angular momentum in the highly resistive disk. Although the spiral arms disappear in a few rotations as expected in a classical theory, new spiral arms form recurrently as the disk, soon becoming unstable again by gas accretion. Such recurrent spiral arms persist throughout the Class-0 and I phases. We then perform synthetic observations and compare our model with a recent high-resolution observation of a young stellar object Elias 2–27, whose circumstellar disk has grand-design spiral arms. We find good agreement between our theoretical model and the observation. Our model suggests that the grand-design spiral arms around Elias 2–27 are consistent with material arms formed by gravitational instability. If such spiral arms commonly exist in young circumstellar disks, it implies that young circumstellar disks are considerably massive and gravitational instability is the key process of angular momentum transport.

We present results from the first observations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Panchromatic Comparative Exoplanet Treasury program for WASP-101b, a highly inflated hot Jupiter and one of the community targets proposed for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Science (ERS) program. From a single HST Wide Field Camera 3 observation, we find that the near-infrared transmission spectrum of WASP-101b contains no significant H₂O absorption features and we rule out a clear atmosphere at 13σ. Therefore, WASP-101b is not an optimum target for a JWST ERS program aimed at observing strong molecular transmission features. We compare WASP-101b to the well-studied and nearly identical hot Jupiter WASP-31b. These twin planets show similar temperature–pressure profiles and atmospheric features in the near-infrared. We suggest exoplanets in the same parameter space as WASP-101b and WASP-31b will also exhibit cloudy transmission spectral features. For future HST exoplanet studies, our analysis also suggests that a lower count limit needs to be exceeded per pixel on the detector in order to avoid unwanted instrumental systematics.

We have mapped ¹²CO J = 3–2 and other molecular lines from the "water fountain" bipolar pre-planetary nebula (PPN) IRAS 16342-3814 with ∼035 resolution using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. We find (i) two very high-speed knotty, jet-like molecular outflows; (ii) a central high-density ($\gt \mathrm{few}\times {10}^{6}$ cm⁻³), expanding torus of diameter 1300 au; and (iii) the circumstellar envelope of the progenitor AGB, generated by a sudden, very large increase in the mass-loss rate to $\gt 3.5\times {10}^{-4}$M_⊙ yr⁻¹ in the past ∼455 years. Strong continuum emission at 0.89 mm from a central source (690 mJy), if due to thermally emitting dust, implies a substantial mass (0.017 M_⊙) of very large (∼millimeter-sized) grains. The measured expansion ages of the above structural components imply that the torus (age ∼160 years) and the younger high-velocity outflow (age ∼110 years) were formed soon after the sharp increase in the AGB mass-loss rate. Assuming a binary model for the jets in IRAS 16342, the high momentum rate for the dominant jet-outflow in IRAS 16342 implies a high minimum accretion rate, ruling out standard Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton wind accretion and wind Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) models with white-dwarf or main-sequence companions. Most likely, enhanced RLOF from the primary or accretion modes operating within common-envelope evolution are needed.

We present a new large-scale (2° × 2°) simultaneous ¹²CO, ¹³CO, and C¹⁸O (J = 1–0) mapping of L1188 with the Purple Mountain Observatory 13.7 m telescope. Our observations have revealed that L1188 consists of two nearly orthogonal filamentary molecular clouds at two clearly separated velocities. Toward the intersection showing large velocity spreads, we find several bridging features connecting the two clouds in velocity, and an open arc structure that exhibits high excitation temperatures, enhanced ¹²CO and ¹³CO emission, and broad ¹²CO line wings. This agrees with the scenario that the two clouds are colliding with each other. The distribution of young stellar object (YSO) candidates implies an enhancement of star formation in the intersection of the two clouds. We suggest that a cloud–cloud collision happened in L1188 about 1 Myr ago, possibly triggering the formation of low- and intermediate-mass YSOs in the intersection.

Two ensembles of three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the forward cascade of decaying whistler turbulence have been carried out on a model of collisionless, homogeneous, magnetized plasma with parameters similar to those of the solar wind near Earth. Initial, relatively isotropic, narrowband spectra of relatively long wavelength modes cascade to anisotropic, broadband spectra of magnetic fluctuations at shorter wavelengths. Electron and ion dissipation rates are computed as functions of the initial electron beta, β_e, over the range 0.1 ≤ β_e ≤ 5.0, where this quantity is varied by changes in the background magnetic field magnitude B_o. Ensemble One holds the value of the dimensionless initial magnetic fluctuation energy density _o ≡ Σ_k$| \delta {B}_{{\rm{k}}}{| }^{2}/{B}_{{\rm{o}}}^{2}$ constant; Ensemble Two follows solar wind observations, imposing the initial condition _o = 0.20 β_e. In both ensembles, the maximum dissipation rate of the electrons, Q_e, and the maximum dissipation rate of the ions, Q_i, satisfy Q_e ≫ Q_i. In Ensemble One, both dissipation rates scale approximately as ${\beta }_{{\rm{e}}}^{-1}$, whereas over 0.1 ≤ β_e ≤ 1.0 in Ensemble Two, Q_e is approximately constant while Q_i scales approximately as ${\beta }_{{\rm{e}}}^{1/2}$. These results, when combined with conclusions from earlier PIC simulations, suggest that sufficiently long wavelength and sufficiently large-amplitude magnetosonic-whistler turbulence at sufficiently large β_e may heat ions more rapidly than electrons.

Measurements of the lithium isotopic ratio in the diffuse interstellar medium from high-resolution spectra of the Li iλ6708 resonance doublet have now been reported for a number of lines of sight. The majority of the results for the ⁷Li/⁶Li ratio are similar to the solar system ratio of 12.2, but the line of sight toward o Per, a star near the star-forming region IC 348, gave a ratio of about two, the expected value for gas exposed to spallation and fusion reactions driven by cosmic rays. To examine the association of IC 348 with cosmic rays more closely, we measured the lithium isotopic ratio for lines of sight to three stars within a few parsecs of o Per. One star, HD 281159, has ⁷Li/⁶Li ≃ 2 confirming production by cosmic rays. The lithium isotopic ratio toward o Per and HD 281159 together with published analyses of the chemistry of interstellar diatomic molecules suggest that the superbubble surrounding IC 348 is the source of the cosmic rays.

Recent analysis of the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curve (SPARC) galaxy sample found a surprisingly tight relation between the radial acceleration inferred from the rotation curves and the acceleration due to the baryonic components of the disk. It has been suggested that this relation may be evidence for new physics, beyond ΛCDM. In this Letter, we show that 32 galaxies from the MUGS2 match the SPARC acceleration relation. These cosmological simulations of star-forming, rotationally supported disks were simulated with a WMAP3 ΛCDM cosmology, and match the SPARC acceleration relation with less scatter than the observational data. These results show that this acceleration relation is a consequence of dissipative collapse of baryons, rather than being evidence for exotic dark-sector physics or new dynamical laws.

Using the LAMOST-Gaia common stars, we demonstrate that the in-plane velocity fields for the nearby young stars are significantly different from those for the old ones. For the young stars, the probably perturbed velocities that are similar to the old population are mostly removed from the velocity maps in the X–Y plane. The residual velocity field shows that the young stars consistently move along Y with faster v_ϕ at the trailing side of the local arm, while at the leading side, they move slower in the azimuth direction. At both sides, on average the young stars move inward with a v_R of $-5\sim -3$ km s⁻¹. The divergence of the velocity in the Y direction implies that the young stars are associated with a density wave near the local arm. We therefore suggest that the young stars may reflect the formation of the local spiral arm by correlating themselves with a density wave. The range of the age for the young stars is around 2 Gyr, which is sensible since the transient spiral arm can persist for that long. We also point out that alternative explanations of the peculiar velocity field for the young population cannot be ruled out if solely using this observed data.