Table of contents

We report Very Long Baseline Array observations of 22 GHz H₂O and 43 GHz SiO masers toward the Mira variable RR Aql. By fitting the SiO maser emission to a circular ring, we estimate the absolute stellar position of RR Aql and find agreement with Gaia astrometry to within the joint uncertainty of ≈1 mas. Using the maser astrometry we measure a stellar parallax of 2.44 ± 0.07 mas, corresponding to a distance of ${410}_{-11}^{+12}$ pc. The maser parallax deviates significantly from the Gaia EDR3 parallax of 1.95 ± 0.11 mas, indicating a 3.8σ tension between radio and optical measurements. This tension is most likely caused by optical photocenter variations limiting the Gaia astrometric accuracy for this Mira variable. Combining infrared magnitudes with parallaxes for RR Aql and other Miras, we fit a period–luminosity relation using a Bayesian approach with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling and a strong prior for the slope of −3.60 ± 0.30 from the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find a K-band zero-point (defined at logP(days) = 2.30) of −6.79 ± 0.15 mag using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) parallaxes and −7.08 ± 0.29 mag using Gaia parallaxes. The Gaia zero-point is statistically consistent with the more accurate VLBI value.

The purpose of this work is to extend a sample of accurately modeled, benchmark-grade eclipsing binaries (EBs) with accurately determined masses and radii. We select four "well-behaved" Kepler binaries, KIC 2306740, KIC 4076952, KIC 5193386 and KIC 5288543, each with at least eight double-lined spectra from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment instrument that is part of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys III and IV, and from the Hobby–Eberly High Resolution Spectrograph. We obtain masses and radii with uncertainties of 2.5% or less for all four systems. Three of these systems have orbital periods longer than 9 days, and thus populate an undersampled region of the parameter space for extremely well-characterized detached EBs. We compare the derived masses and radii against mesa mist isochrones to determine the ages of the systems. All systems were found to be coeval, showing that the results are consistent across mesa mist and phoebe.

The propagation direction and true velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection, which are among the most decisive factors for its geo-effectiveness, are difficult to determine through single-perspective imaging observations. Here we show that Sun-as-a-star spectroscopic observations, together with imaging observations, could allow us to solve this problem. Using observations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we found clear blueshifted secondary emission components in extreme-ultraviolet spectral lines during a solar eruption on 2021 October 28. From simultaneous imaging observations, we found that the secondary components are caused by a mass ejection from the flare site. We estimated the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the ejecta from both the double Gaussian fitting method and the red-blue asymmetry analysis. The results of both methods agree well with each other, giving an average LOS velocity of the plasma of ∼423 km s⁻¹. From the 304 Å image series taken by the Extreme ultraviolet Imager onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory-A (STEREO-A) spacecraft, we estimated the plane-of-sky velocity from the STEREO-A viewpoint to be around 587 km s⁻¹. The full velocity of the bulk motion of the ejecta was then computed by combining the imaging and spectroscopic observations, which turns out to be around 596 km s⁻¹ with an angle of 424 to the west of the Sun–Earth line and 160 south to the ecliptic plane.

We present a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy I Zwicky 1, for which a sequence of X-ray flares were detected during a long, simultaneous observation acquired with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR. We determine the key parameters of the inner accretion disk and hot corona in the context of the disk reflection model, which successfully captures the evolution of the X-ray corona during the X-ray flare. Using a thermal Comptonization continuum model, we confirm that the corona rapidly cooled from ∼200 to ∼15 keV, likely a consequence of strong pair production and runaway in a disk-like corona during the X-ray flare, when the nonthermal electron fraction rapidly increased. We detect multiple variable blueshifted absorption features arising from outflowing material along the line of sight to I Zwicky 1, which we associated with ionized winds and ultrafast outflows. One of the ionized winds may be newly launched just after the X-ray flare. During the 5 days of NuSTAR observations, the ionization state and velocity of these outflows followed a relation of the form ξ ∼ v_w^3.24, as expected from a super-Eddington wind. Comparison with molecular gas and warm ionized gas observations suggests that the kinematics of the ionized winds are consistent with a sufficiently cooled, momentum-driven outflow. Considering the dynamical feedback from these outflows can account for the significantly undermassive black hole in I Zwicky 1.

This work presents a new detection of H₂ absorption arising in a high-velocity cloud associated with either the Milky Way or the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The absorber was found in an archival Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer spectrum of the LMC star Sk-70°32. This is the fifth well-characterized H₂ absorber to be found in the Milky Way's halo and the second such absorber outside the Magellanic Stream and Bridge. The absorber has a local standard of rest central velocity of +140 km s⁻¹ and a H₂ column density of 10^17.5 cm⁻². It is most likely part of a cool and relatively dense inclusion (T ≈ 75 K, n_H ∼ 100 cm⁻³) in a warmer and more diffuse halo cloud. This halo cloud may be part of a still-rising Milky Way Galactic fountain flow or an outflow from the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Ultralight bosons are a proposed solution to outstanding problems in cosmology and particle physics: they provide a dark-matter candidate while potentially explaining the strong charge-parity problem. If they exist, ultralight bosons can interact with black holes through the superradiant instability. In this work we explore the consequences of this instability on the evolution of hierarchical black holes within dense stellar clusters. By reducing the spin of individual black holes, superradiance reduces the recoil velocity of merging binary black holes, which, in turn, increases the retention fraction of hierarchical merger remnants. We show that the existence of ultralight bosons with mass 2 × 10⁻¹⁴ ≲ μ/eV ≲ 2 × 10⁻¹³ would lead to an increased rate of hierarchical black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters. An ultralight boson in this energy range would result in up to ≈60% more present-day nuclear star clusters supporting hierarchical growth. The presence of an ultralight boson can also double the rate of intermediate-mass black hole mergers to ≈0.08 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹ in the local universe. These results imply that a select range of ultralight boson masses can have far-reaching consequences for the population of black holes in dense stellar environments. Future studies into black hole cluster populations and the spin distribution of hierarchically formed black holes will test this scenario.

Dust-induced polarization in the interstellar medium (ISM) is due to asymmetric grains aligned with an external reference direction, usually the magnetic field. For both the leading alignment theories, the alignment of the grain's angular momentum with one of its principal axes and the coupling with the magnetic field requires the grain to be paramagnetic. Of the two main components of interstellar dust, silicates are paramagnetic, while carbon dust is diamagnetic. Hence, carbon grains are not expected to align in the ISM. To probe the physics of carbon grain alignment, we have acquired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy/Higch-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera-plus far-infrared photometry and polarimetry of the carbon-rich circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10° 216. The dust in such CSEs are fully carbonaceous and thus provide unique laboratories for probing carbon grain alignment. We find a centrosymmetric, radial, polarization pattern, where the polarization fraction is well correlated with the dust temperature. Together with estimates of a low fractional polarization from optical polarization of background stars, we interpret these results to be due to a second-order, direct radiative external alignment of grains without internal alignment. Our results indicate that (pure) carbon dust does not contribute significantly to the observed ISM polarization, consistent with the nondetection of polarization in the 3.4 μm feature due to aliphatic CH bonds on the grain surface.

We assemble a large comprehensive sample of 2534 z ∼ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 galaxies lensed by the six clusters from the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program. Making use of the availability of multiple independent magnification models for each of the HFF clusters and alternatively treating one of the models as the "truth," we show that the median magnification factors from the v4 parametric models are typically reliable to values of 30–50, and in one case to 100. Using the median magnification factor from the latest v4 models, we estimate the UV luminosities of the 2534 lensed z ∼ 2–9 galaxies, finding sources as faint as −12.4 mag at z ∼ 3 and −12.9 mag at z ∼ 7. We explicitly demonstrate the power of the surface density–magnification relations Σ(z) versus μ in the HFF clusters to constrain both distant galaxy properties and cluster lensing properties. Based on the Σ(z) versus μ relations, we show that the median magnification estimates from existing public models must be reliable predictors of the true magnification μ to μ < 15 (95% confidence). We also use the observed Σ(z) versus μ relations to derive constraints on the evolution of the luminosity function faint-end slope from z ∼ 7 to z ∼ 2, showing that faint-end slope results can be consistent with blank-field studies if, and only if, the selection efficiency shows no strong dependence on the magnification factor μ. This can only be the case if very low-luminosity galaxies are very small, being unresolved in deep lensing probes.

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are promising environments for the assembly of merging binary black hole (BBH) systems. Interest in AGNs as nurseries for merging BBHs is rising, following the detection of gravitational waves from a BBH system from the purported pair-instability mass gap, most notably GW190521. AGNs have also been invoked to explain the formation of the high-mass-ratio system GW190814. We draw on simulations of BBH systems in AGNs to propose a phenomenological model for the distribution of black hole spins of merging binaries in AGN disks. The model incorporates distinct features that make the AGN channel potentially distinguishable from other channels, such as assembly in the field and in globular clusters. The model parameters can be mapped heuristically to the age and density of the AGN disks. We estimate the extent to which different populations of mergers in AGNs can be distinguished. If the majority of merging black holes are assembled in AGNs, future gravitational-wave observations may provide insights into the dynamics of AGN disks.

The variability of blazars in the X-ray and optical regions both informs the physics of their emitting region and places demands on the observer if a program requires that the object be bright or faint. The extensive simultaneous X-ray and optical observation by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) provides the best insight into the variable nature of these objects. This program uses Swift data for 19 X-ray-bright blazars, generally at z > 0.1, to determine their variability properties. The analysis is based on structure functions and provides insight into the nature of the variability and how it depends on time, luminosity, and redshift. We also consider strategies for observing blazars at or above average brightness, given a time delay between planning an observation and obtaining the data. This is critical to observations with orbiting X-ray telescopes, current or future. The variability in the soft X-ray band is typically three to eight times larger than at UV–optical wavelengths, at fixed time differences (i.e., 30 or 100 days). There is almost no difference in the amplitude of variation (X-ray or UV–optical) as a function of redshift (time delay of 30 days) and a modest positive correlation with luminosity. In the X-ray band, blazars that become brighter than normal typically remain bright for at least 2–3 months, although with significant flickering. One can avoid observing objects that are significantly below the average X-ray flux by scheduling the observation when F_X > 0.9F_X,avg, which requires monitoring observations near the time of the scheduling activity.

The globular cluster 47 Tucanae (47 Tuc) is one of the most massive star clusters in the Milky Way and is exceptionally rich in exotic stellar populations. For several decades it has been a favorite target of observers, and yet it is computationally very challenging to model because of its large number of stars (N ≳ 10⁶) and high density. Here we present detailed and self-consistent 47 Tuc models computed with the Cluster Monte Carlo code (CMC). The models include all relevant dynamical interactions coupled to stellar and binary evolution, and reproduce various observations, including the surface brightness and velocity dispersion profiles, pulsar accelerations, and numbers of compact objects. We show that the present properties of 47 Tuc are best reproduced by adopting an initial stellar mass function that is both bottom-heavy and top-light relative to standard assumptions (as in, e.g., Kroupa 2001), and an initial Elson profile (Elson et al. 1987) that is overfilling the cluster's tidal radius. We include new prescriptions in CMC for the formation of binaries through giant star collisions and tidal captures, and we show that these mechanisms play a crucial role in the formation of neutron star binaries and millisecond pulsars in 47 Tuc; our best-fit model contains ∼50 millisecond pulsars, 70% of which are formed through giant collisions and tidal captures. Our models also suggest that 47 Tuc presently contains up to ∼200 stellar-mass black holes, ∼5 binary black holes, ∼15 low-mass X-ray binaries, and ∼300 cataclysmic variables.

We investigate the properties, composition, and dynamics of dust formation and growth for a diverse set of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), with 15, 20, and 25 M_⊙ progenitor masses, explosion energies ranging from 0.5 to 120 foe, and varied engine type. These explosions are evolved with a 1D Lagrangian hydrodynamics code out to a minimum of 1157 days to model the ejecta as it expands and cools. A multigrain dust nucleation and growth model is applied to these results. We find that higher explosion energies lead to an earlier onset of dust formation, smaller grain sizes, and larger silicate abundances. Further, we see that nuclear burning during the explosion leads to enhanced formation of silicate dust. Finally, we build composite models from our suite to predict the efficiency of CCSN dust production as a function of metallicity.

The atmospheric structure of WASP-12b has been hotly contested for years, with disagreements on the presence of a thermal inversion as well as the carbon-to-oxygen ratio, C/O, due to retrieved abundances of H₂O, CO₂, and other included species such as HCN and C₂H₂. Previously, these difficult-to-diagnose discrepancies have been attributed to model differences; assumptions in these models were thought to drive retrievals toward different answers. Here, we show that some of these differences are independent of model assumptions and are instead due to subtle differences in the inputs, such as the eclipse depths and line-list databases. We replicate previously published retrievals and find that the retrieved results are data driven and are mostly unaffected by the addition of species such as HCN and C₂H₂. We also propose a new physically motivated model that takes into consideration the formation of H⁻ via the thermal dissociation of H₂O and H₂ at the temperatures reached in the dayside atmosphere of WASP-12b, but the data's current resolution does not support its inclusion in the atmospheric model. This study raises the concern that other exoplanet retrievals may be similarly sensitive to slight changes in the input data.

The repeating fast radio burst FRB 20190520B is localized to a galaxy at z = 0.241, much closer than expected given its dispersion measure DM = 1205 ± 4 pc cm⁻³. Here we assess implications of the large DM and scattering observed from FRB 20190520B for the host galaxy's plasma properties. A sample of 75 bursts detected with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope shows scattering on two scales: a mean temporal delay τ(1.41 GHz) = 10.9 ± 1.5 ms, which is attributed to the host galaxy, and a mean scintillation bandwidth Δν_d(1.41 GHz) = 0.21 ± 0.01 MHz, which is attributed to the Milky Way. Balmer line measurements for the host imply an Hα emission measure (galaxy frame) EM_s = 620 pc cm⁻⁶ × (T/10⁴ K)^0.9, implying DM_Hα of order the value inferred from the FRB DM budget, ${\mathrm{DM}}_{{\rm{h}}}={1121}_{-138}^{+89}$ pc cm⁻³ for plasma temperatures greater than the typical value 10⁴ K. Combining τ and DM_h yields a nominal constraint on the scattering amplification from the host galaxy $\widetilde{F}G\,=\,{1.5}_{-0.3}^{+0.8}{({\mathrm{pc}}^{2}\,\mathrm{km})}^{-1/3}$, where $\widetilde{F}$ describes turbulent density fluctuations and G represents the geometric leverage to scattering that depends on the location of the scattering material. For a two-screen scattering geometry where τ arises from the host galaxy and Δν_d from the Milky Way, the implied distance between the FRB source and dominant scattering material is ≲100 pc. The host galaxy scattering and DM contributions support a novel technique for estimating FRB redshifts using the τ–DM relation, and are consistent with previous findings that scattering of localized FRBs is largely dominated by plasma within host galaxies and the Milky Way.

A sample of 14 FRBs with measured redshifts and scattering times is used to assess contributions to dispersion and scattering from the intergalactic medium (IGM), galaxy halos, and the disks of host galaxies. The IGM and galaxy halos contribute significantly to dispersion measures (DMs) but evidently not to scattering, which is then dominated by host galaxies. This enables the usage of scattering times for estimating DM contributions from host galaxies and also for a combined scattering–dispersion redshift estimator. Redshift estimation is calibrated using the scattering of Galactic pulsars after taking into account different scattering geometries for Galactic and intergalactic lines of sight. The DM-only estimator has a bias of ∼0.1 and rms error of ∼0.15 in the redshift estimate for an assumed ad hoc value of 50 pc cm⁻³ for the host galaxy's DM contribution. The combined redshift estimator shows less bias by a factor of 4 to 10 and a 20%–40% smaller rms error. We find that values for the baryonic fraction of the ionized IGM f_igm ≃ 0.85 ± 0.05 optimize redshift estimation using dispersion and scattering. Our study suggests that 2 of the 14 candidate galaxy associations (FRB 20190523A and FRB 20190611B) should be reconsidered.

The cosmic-ray ionization rate (CRIR) is a key parameter in understanding the physical and chemical processes in the interstellar medium. Cosmic rays are a significant source of energy in star formation regions, impacting the physical and chemical processes that drive the formation of stars. Previous studies of the circum-molecular zone of the starburst galaxy NGC 253 have found evidence for a high CRIR value: 10³–10⁶ times the average CRIR within the Milky Way. This is a broad constraint, and one goal of this study is to determine this value with much higher precision. We exploit ALMA observations toward the central molecular zone of NGC 253 to measure the CRIR. We first demonstrate that the abundance ratio of H₃O⁺ and SO is strongly sensitive to the CRIR. We then combine chemical and radiative transfer models with nested sampling to infer the gas properties and CRIR of several star-forming regions in NGC 253 from emission from their transitions. We find that each of the four regions modeled has a CRIR in the range (1–80) × 10⁻¹⁴ s⁻¹ and that this result adequately fits the abundances of other species that are believed to be sensitive to cosmic rays, including C₂H, HCO⁺, HOC⁺, and CO. From shock and photon-dominated/X-ray dominated region models, we further find that neither UV-/X-ray-driven nor shock-dominated chemistry is a viable single alternative as none of these processes can adequately fit the abundances of all of these species.

Some dozen supernovae (SNe) associated with long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been confirmed. Most of the previous studies derive the physical properties of the GRB-SNe by fitting the constructed (pseudo-)bolometric light curves. However, many GRB-SNe only have a few filter data, for which the (pseudo-)bolometric light curves are very difficult to construct. Additionally, constructing (pseudo-)bolometric light curves rely on some assumptions. In this paper, we use the multiband broken power-law plus ⁵⁶Ni model to fit the multiband light curves of the afterglows and the SNe (SN 2001ke, SN 2013dx, and SN 2016jca) associated with three GRBs (GRB 011121, GRB 130702A, and GRB 161219B). We find our model can account for the multiband light curves of the three GRB-SNe (except for the late-time z-band light curve of two events), indicating that the model is a reliable model. The ⁵⁶Ni masses we derive are higher than those in the literature. This might be due to the fact that the ⁵⁶Ni masses in the literature are usually obtained by fitting the pseudo-bolometric light curves whose luminosities are usually (significantly) underestimated. We suggest that the multiband model can not only be used to fit the multiband light curves of GRB-SNe that have many filter observations, but also fit those having sparse data.

Buckminsterfullerene, C₆₀, is the largest molecule observed to date in interstellar and circumstellar environments. The mechanism of formation of this molecule is actively debated. Despite targeted searches in primitive carbonaceous chondrites, no unambiguous detection of C₆₀ in a meteorite has been reported to date. Here we report the first firm detection of fullerenes, from C₃₀ to at least C₁₀₀, in the Almahata Sitta (AhS) polymict ureilite meteorite. This detection was achieved using highly sensitive laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry. Fullerenes have been unambiguously detected in seven clasts of AhS ureilites. Molecular family analysis shows that fullerenes are from a different reservoir compared to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons detected in the same samples. The fullerene family correlates best with carbon clusters, some of which may have been formed by the destruction of solid carbon phases by the impacting laser. We show that the detected fullerenes are not formed in this way. We suggest that fullerenes are an intrinsic component of a specific carbon phase that has yet to be identified. The nondetection of fullerenes in the Murchison and Allende bulk samples, while using the same experimental conditions, suggests that this phase is absent or less abundant in these primitive chondrites. The former case would support the formation of fullerenes by shock-wave processing of carbonaceous phases in the ureilite parent body. However, there are no experimental data to support this scenario. This leaves open the possibility that fullerenes are an interstellar heritage and a messenger of interstellar processes.

In this paper we discuss and confront recent results on metallicity variations in the local interstellar medium, obtained from observations of H ii regions and neutral clouds of the Galactic thin disk, and compare them with recent high-quality metallicity determinations of other tracers of the chemical composition of the interstellar medium as B-type stars, classical Cepheids, and young clusters. We find that the metallicity variations obtained for these last kinds of objects are consistent with each other and with that obtained for H ii regions but significantly smaller than those obtained for neutral clouds. We also discuss the presence of a large population of low-metallicity clouds as the possible origin for large metallicity variations in the local Galactic thin disk. We find that such a hypothesis does not seem compatible with: (a) what is predicted by theoretical studies of gas mixing in galactic disks, and (b) the models and observations on the metallicity of high-velocity clouds and their evolution as they mix with the surrounding medium in their fall onto the Galactic plane. We conclude that most of the evidence favors that the chemical composition of the interstellar medium in the solar neighborhood is highly homogeneous.

In the solar corona, magnetic reconnection occurs due to the finite resistivity of the plasma. At the same time, this resistivity leads to ohmic heating. Therefore, the reconnecting current sheet should heat the surrounding plasma. This paper presents experimental evidence of such plasma heating being caused by magnetic reconnection. We observed the effect during a C1.4 solar flare on 2003 February 16 at the active region NOAA 10278, near the solar limb. Thanks to such a location, we successfully identified all the principal elements of the flare: the flare arcade, the flux rope, and, most importantly, the presumed position of the current sheet. By analyzing the monochromatic X-ray images of the Sun obtained by the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT instrument in the Mg xii 8.42 Å spectral line, we detected a high-temperature (T ≥ 4 MK) emission at the predicted location of the current sheet. The high-temperature emission appeared during the CME's impulsive acceleration phase. We believe that this additionally confirms that the plasma heating around the current sheet and the magnetic reconnection inside the current sheet are strongly connected.

Our understanding of the convective-engine paradigm driving core-collapse supernovae has been used for two decades to predict the remnant mass distribution from stellar collapse. These predictions improve as our understanding of this engine increases. In this paper, we review our current understanding of convection (in particular, the growth rate of convection) in stellar collapse and study its effect on the remnant mass distribution. We show how the depth of the mass gap between neutron stars and black holes can help probe this convective growth. We include a study of the effects of stochasticity in both the stellar structure and the convective seeds caused by stellar burning. We study the role of rotation and its effect on the pair-instability mass gap. Under the paradigm limiting stellar rotation to those stars in tight binaries, we determine the effect of rotation on the remnant mass distribution.

The influences of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on the induced magnetosphere of Venus are investigated using a global multispecies magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model. The simulation results show that the induced magnetosphere is controlled by the IMF components perpendicular to the solar wind velocity (B_Y and B_Z in the Venus Solar Orbital coordinate), rather than the IMF magnitude (∣B∣). With the increase of ${({B}_{Y}^{2}+{B}_{Z}^{2})}^{\tfrac{1}{2}}$, the induced magnetosphere becomes stronger in field strength and thicker in spatial scale, and the bow shock locates farther from the planet. The parallel IMF component (B_X) has relatively small impacts on the magnetic barrier and the magnetotail, regardless of the various IMF magnitudes and orientations caused by different B_X. The responses of the Venusian induced magnetosphere to the change of upstream IMF are also studied. The time-dependent MHD calculations show that the dayside magnetosphere responds quickly with a timescale of 10 s–10 minutes, depending on the considered magnetospheric region. For comparison, the timescale required for the adjustment of magnetotail as driven by an IMF rotation is derived to be ∼10–20 minutes.

The boundaries of solar coronal holes are difficult to uniquely define observationally but are sites of interest in part because the slow solar wind appears to originate there. The aim of this article is to explore the dynamics of interchange magnetic reconnection at different types of coronal hole boundaries—namely streamers and pseudostreamers—and their implications for the coronal structure. We describe synthetic observables derived from three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the atmosphere of the Sun in which coronal hole boundaries are disturbed by flows that mimic the solar supergranulation. Our analysis shows that interchange reconnection takes place much more readily at the pseudostreamer boundary of the coronal hole. As a result, the portion of the coronal hole boundary formed by the pseudostreamer remains much smoother, in contrast to the highly distorted helmet-streamer portion of the coronal hole boundary. Our results yield important new insights on coronal hole boundary regions, which are critical in coupling the corona to the heliosphere as the formation regions of the slow solar wind.

We conduct intensity mapping to probe for extended diffuse Lyα emission around Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ∼2−7, exploiting very deep (∼26 mag at 5σ) and large-area (∼4.5 deg²) Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam narrowband (NB) images and large LAE catalogs consisting of a total of 1540 LAEs at z = 2.2, 3.3, 5.7, and 6.6 obtained by the HSC-SSP and CHORUS projects. We calculate the spatial correlations of these LAEs with ∼1–2 billion pixel flux values of the NB images, deriving the average Lyα surface brightness (SB_Lyα) radial profiles around the LAEs. By carefully estimating systematics such as fluctuations of sky background and point-spread functions, we detect Lyα emission at 100–1000 comoving kpc around z = 3.3 and 5.7 LAEs at the 3.2σ and 3.7σ levels, respectively, and tentatively (=2.0σ) at z = 6.6. The emission is as diffuse as ∼10⁻²⁰–10⁻¹⁹ erg s⁻¹ cm⁻² arcsec⁻² and extended beyond the virial radius of a dark matter halo with a mass of 10¹¹M_⊙. While the observed SB_Lyα profiles have similar amplitudes at z = 2.2–6.6 within the uncertainties, the intrinsic SB_Lyα profiles (corrected for the cosmological dimming effect) increase toward high redshifts. This trend may be explained by increasing hydrogen gas density due to the evolution of the cosmic volume. Comparisons with theoretical models suggest that extended Lyα emission around an LAE is powered by resonantly scattered Lyα photons in the CGM and IGM that originate from the inner part of the LAE and/or neighboring galaxies around the LAE.

Small-scale magnetic flux ropes (SMFRs) have been identified at a large range of heliospheric distances from the Sun. Their features are somewhat similar to those of larger-scale flux rope structures such as magnetic clouds (MCs), while their occurrence rate is far higher. In this work, we examined the orientations of a large number of SMFRs that were identified at 1 au by fitting to the force-free model. We find that, while most of the SMFRs lie mostly close to the ecliptic plane, as previously known, their azimuthal orientations relative to the Sun–Earth line are found largely at two specific angles (slightly less than 45° and 225°). This latter feature in turn leads to a strong statistical trend in which the axis of SMFRs lies at a large tilt angle relative to (most often nearly orthogonal to) the corresponding background interplanetary magnetic field directions in the ecliptic plane. This feature is different from previous reports on SMFRs—and in stark contrast to the cases of MCs. This is an important observational constraint that should be considered for understanding SMFR generation and propagation.

We have analyzed Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6 data of the hypercompact H ii region G24.78+0.08 A1 (G24 HC H ii) and report the detection of vibrationally excited lines of HC₃N (v₇ = 2, J = 24 − 23). The spatial distribution and kinematics of a vibrationally excited line of HC₃N (v₇ = 2, J = 24 − 23, l = 2e) are found to be similar to the CH₃CN vibrationally excited line (v₈ = 1), which indicates that the HC₃N emission is tracing the disk around the G24 HC H ii region previously identified by the CH₃CN lines. We derive the ¹³CH₃CN/HC¹³CCN abundance ratios around G24 and compare them to the CH₃CN/HC₃N abundance ratios in disks around Herbig Ae and T Tauri stars. The ¹³CH₃CN/HC¹³CCN ratios around G24 (∼3.0–3.5) are higher than the CH₃CN/HC₃N ratios in the other disks (∼0.03–0.11) by more than 1 order of magnitude. The higher CH₃CN/HC₃N ratios around G24 suggest that the thermal desorption of CH₃CN in the hot dense gas and efficient destruction of HC₃N in the region irradiated by the strong UV radiation are occurring. Our results indicate that the vibrationally excited HC₃N lines can be used as a disk tracer of massive protostars at the HC H ii region stage, and the combination of these nitrile species will provide information of not only chemistry but also physical conditions of the disk structures.

Experimental and theoretical results are presented for double, triple, and quadruple photoionization of Si⁺ and Si²⁺ ions and for double photoionization of Si³⁺ ions by a single photon. The experiments employed the photon–ion merged-beams technique at a synchrotron light source. The experimental photon-energy range 1835–1900 eV comprises resonances associated with the excitation of a 1s electron to higher subshells and subsequent autoionization. Energies, widths, and strengths of these resonances are extracted from high-resolution photoionization measurements, and the core-hole lifetime of K-shell ionized neutral silicon is inferred. In addition, theoretical cross sections for photoabsorption and multiple photoionization were obtained from large-scale multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock calculations. The present calculations agree with the experiment much better than previously published theoretical results. The importance of an accurate energy calibration of laboratory data is pointed out. The present benchmark results are particularly useful for discriminating between silicon absorption in the gaseous and in the solid component (dust grains) of the interstellar medium.

We report an improved measurement of the degree-scale cosmic microwave background B-mode angular-power spectrum over 670 deg² sky area at 150 GHz with Polarbear. In the original analysis of the data, errors in the angle measurement of the continuously rotating half-wave plate, a polarization modulator, caused significant data loss. By introducing an angle-correction algorithm, the data volume is increased by a factor of 1.8. We report a new analysis using the larger data set. We find the measured B-mode spectrum is consistent with the ΛCDM model with Galactic dust foregrounds. We estimate the contamination of the foreground by cross-correlating our data and Planck 143, 217, and 353 GHz measurements, where its spectrum is modeled as a power law in angular scale and a modified blackbody in frequency. We place an upper limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r < 0.33 at 95% confidence level after marginalizing over the foreground parameters.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the nearest laboratory for detailed studies on the formation and survival of complex organic molecules (COMs), including biologically important ones, in low-metallicity environments—typical of earlier cosmological epochs. We report the results of 1.2 mm continuum and molecular line observations of three fields in the star-forming region N 105 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. N 105 lies at the western edge of the LMC bar with ongoing star formation traced by H₂O, OH, and CH₃OH masers, ultracompact H ii regions, and young stellar objects. Based on the spectral line modeling, we estimated rotational temperatures, column densities, and fractional molecular abundances for 12 1.2 mm continuum sources. We identified sources with a range of chemical makeups, including two bona fide hot cores and four hot core candidates. The CH₃OH emission is widespread and associated with all the continuum sources. COMs CH₃CN and CH₃OCH₃ are detected toward two hot cores in N 105 together with smaller molecules typically found in Galactic hot cores (e.g., SO₂, SO, and HNCO) with the molecular abundances roughly scaling with metallicity. We report a tentative detection of the astrobiologically relevant formamide molecule (NH₂CHO) toward one of the hot cores; if confirmed, this would be the first detection of NH₂CHO in an extragalactic subsolar metallicity environment. We suggest that metallicity inhomogeneities resulting from the tidal interactions between the LMC and the Small Magellanic Cloud might have led to the observed large variations in COM abundances in LMC hot cores.

We reported two new glitches of PSR B1822−09 that were detected at the Shanghai Tian Ma Radio Telescope. The glitches occurred around MJD 58,025 and 58,474.5, respectively. The shapes of the integrated mean pulse profiles in both the radio-bright (B-mode) and the radio-quiet (Q-mode) modes changed after two glitches. Such changes are probably related to the trigger mechanisms of the glitches. According to the Gaussian fitting to the integrated mean pulse profiles, variations of the integrated mean pulse profiles can be attributed to variations of the Gaussian components. The fitting also indicates that there may be changes in only a part of the Gaussian components after glitches. We proposed an interpretation of the relation between the precursor and the interpulse of PSR B1822−09 according to variations of Gaussian components. We analyzed the cumulative distributions of the glitch sizes and the waiting times of all 14 glitches of PSR B1822−09. The cumulative distribution of the glitch sizes can be fitted well by a power law with an index α of 0.985 ± 0.005. The cumulative distribution of the waiting times follows a Poisson model with a mean waiting time λ of 466 ± 66 days. The correlation coefficient between the waiting times and the sizes of the corresponding preceding glitches is 0.906. In contrast, there is no apparent correlation between the waiting times and the sizes of the corresponding trailing glitches.

We explore the effects of rapid rotation on the properties of neutrino-heated winds from proto-neutron stars (PNS) formed in core-collapse supernovae or neutron-star mergers by means of three-dimensional general-relativistic hydrodynamical simulations with M0 neutrino transport. We focus on conditions characteristic of a few seconds into the PNS cooling evolution when the neutrino luminosities obey ${L}_{{\nu }_{e}}+{L}_{{\bar{\nu }}_{e}}\approx 7\times {10}^{51}$ erg s⁻¹, and over which most of the wind mass loss will occur. After an initial transient phase, all of our models reach approximately steady-state outflow solutions with positive energies and sonic surfaces captured on the computational grid. Our nonrotating and slower rotating models (angular velocity relative to Keplerian Ω/Ω_K ≲ 0.4; spin period P ≳ 2 ms) generate approximately spherically symmetric outflows with properties in good agreement with previous PNS wind studies. By contrast, our most rapidly spinning PNS solutions (Ω/Ω_K ≳ 0.75; P ≈ 1 ms) generate outflows focused in the rotational equatorial plane with much higher mass-loss rates (by over an order of magnitude), lower velocities, lower entropy, and lower asymptotic electron fractions, than otherwise similar nonrotating wind solutions. Although such rapidly spinning PNS are likely rare in nature, their atypical nucleosynthetic composition and outsized mass yields could render them important contributors of light neutron-rich nuclei compared to more common slowly rotating PNS birth. Our calculations pave the way to including the combined effects of rotation and a dynamically important large-scale magnetic field on the wind properties within a three-dimensional GRMHD framework.

Using the data from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Wind spacecraft, we statistically studied the Parker spiral angle (PSA) of the solar wind magnetic field from 1998 to 2019 at 1 au. The PSA occurrences over both a Carrington rotation (CR) and a year can be well fitted by a Gaussian distribution. However, large-scale magnetic structures, such as interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), can significantly deviate the PSA distribution of a CR from the Gaussian distribution. The PSA distributions of each CR and each year are affected by the solar activity: They are more concentrated at a relatively higher average PSA at solar maximum. There is also a weak anticorrelation between the yearly solar wind speed (v_sw) and the average PSA. MESSENGER, Venus Express, and ACE observations at different heliocentric distances within 1 au show that the dominating polarities of the heliospheric magnetic field change greatly from year to year even when the solar activity is on the same level. Our results suggest that the PSA distribution in addition to the sunspot number can provide some new information on the magnetic field variation of the Sun.

Quasars (QSOs) are extremely luminous active galactic nuclei currently observed up to redshift z = 7.642. As such, they have the potential to be the next rung of the cosmic distance ladder beyond Type Ia supernovae, if they can reliably be used as cosmological probes. The main issue in adopting QSOs as standard candles (similarly to gamma-ray bursts) is the large intrinsic scatter in the relations between their observed properties. This could be overcome by finding correlations among their observables that are intrinsic to the physics of QSOs and not artifacts of selection biases and/or redshift evolution. The reliability of these correlations should be verified through well-established statistical tests. The correlation between the ultraviolet and X-ray fluxes developed by Risaliti & Lusso is one of the most promising relations. We apply a statistical method to correct this relation for redshift evolution and selection biases. Remarkably, we recover the the same parameters of the slope and the normalization as Risaliti & Lusso. Our results establish the reliability of this relation, which is intrinsic to the QSO properties and not merely an effect of selection biases or redshift evolution. Hence, the possibility to standardize QSOs as cosmological candles, thereby extending the Hubble diagram up to z = 7.54.

Detection of black holes (BHs) with detached luminous companions (LCs) can be instrumental in connecting the BH properties with their progenitors since the latter can be inferred from the observable properties of the LC. Past studies showed the promise of Gaia astrometry in detecting BH–LC binaries. We build on these studies by (1) initializing the zero-age binary properties based on realistic, metallicity-dependent star formation history in the Milky Way (MW); (2) evolving these binaries to current epoch to generate realistic MW populations of BH–LC binaries; (3) distributing these binaries in the MW, preserving the complex age–metallicity-Galactic position correlations; (4) accounting for extinction and reddening using three-dimensional dust maps; and (5) examining the extended Gaia mission's ability to resolve BH–LC binaries. We restrict ourselves to detached BH–LC binaries with orbital period P_orb ≤ 10 yr such that Gaia can observe at least one full orbit. We find that (1) the extended Gaia mission can astrometrically resolve ∼30–300 detached BH–LC binaries depending on our assumptions of supernova physics and astrometric detection threshold; (2) Gaia's astrometry alone can indicate BH candidates for ∼10–100 BH–LC binaries by constraining the dark primary mass ≥3 M_⊙; and (3) distributions of observables, including orbital periods, eccentricities, and component masses, are sensitive to the adopted binary evolution model and hence can directly inform binary evolution models. Finally, we comment on the potential to further characterize these BH binaries through radial velocity measurements and observation of X-ray counterparts.

We search for features in the mass distribution of detected compact binary coalescences which signify the transition between neutron stars (NSs) and black holes (BHs). We analyze all gravitational-wave (GW) detections by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration (LVK) made through the end of the first half of the third observing run, and find clear evidence for two different populations of compact objects based solely on GW data. We confidently (99.3%) find a steepening relative to a single power law describing NSs and low-mass BHs below ${2.4}_{-0.5}^{+0.5}{M}_{\odot }$, which is consistent with many predictions for the maximum NS mass. We find suggestions of the purported lower mass gap between the most massive NSs and the least massive BHs, but are unable to conclusively resolve it with current data. If it exists, we find the lower mass gap's edges to lie at ${2.2}_{-0.5}^{+0.7}{M}_{\odot }$ and ${6.0}_{-1.4}^{+2.4}{M}_{\odot }$. We reexamine events that have been deemed "exceptional" by the LVK collaborations in the context of these features. We analyze GW190814 self-consistently in the context of the full population of compact binaries, finding support for its secondary to be either a NS or a lower mass gap object, consistent with previous claims. Our models are the first to accommodate this event, which is an outlier with respect to the binary BH population. We find that GW200105 and GW200115 probe the edges of, and may have components within, the lower mass gap. As future data improve global population models, the classification of these events will also improve.

We conduct 24.4 fps optical observations of repeating fast radio burst (FRB) 20190520B using Tomo-e Gozen, a high-speed CMOS camera mounted on the Kiso 105 cm Schmidt telescope, simultaneously with radio observations carried out using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). We succeeded in the simultaneous optical observations of 11 radio bursts that FAST detected. However, no corresponding optical emission was found. The optical fluence limits as deep as 0.068 Jy ms are obtained for the individual bursts (0.029 Jy ms on the stacked data) corrected for the dust extinction in the Milky Way. The fluence limit is deeper than those obtained in the previous simultaneous observations for an optical emission with a duration ≳0.1 ms. Although the current limits on radio-optical spectral energy distribution (SED) of FRBs are not constraining, we show that SED models based on observed SEDs of radio variable objects such as optically detected pulsars, and a part of parameter spaces of theoretical models in which FRB optical emission is produced by inverse Compton scattering in a pulsar magnetosphere or a strike of a magnetar blastwave into a hot wind bubble, can be ruled out once a similar fluence limit as in our observation is obtained for a bright FRB with a radio fluence ≳5 Jy ms.

Observational signatures of the circumstellar material (CSM) around Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide a unique perspective on their progenitor systems. The pre-supernova evolution of the SN progenitors may naturally eject CSM in most of the popular scenarios of SN Ia explosions. In this study, we investigate the influence of dust scattering on the light curves and polarizations of SNe Ia. A Monte Carlo method is constructed to numerically solve the process of radiative transfer through the CSM. Three types of geometric distributions of the CSM are considered: spherical shell, axisymmetric disk, and axisymmetric shell. We show that both the distance of the dust from the SN and the geometric distribution of the dust affect the light curve and color evolutions of SN. We found that the geometric location of the hypothetical circumstellar dust may not be reliably constrained based on photometric data alone, even for the best observed cases such as SN 2006X and SN 2014J, due to the degeneracy of CSM parameters. Our model results show that a time sequence of broadband polarimetry with appropriate time coverage from a month to about one year after explosion can provide unambiguous limits on the presence of circumstellar dust around SNe Ia.

Hot Jupiters orbiting rapidly rotating stars on inclined orbits undergo tidally induced nodal precession measurable over several years of observations. The Hot Jupiters WASP-33 b and KELT-9 b are particularly interesting targets because they are among the hottest planets found to date, orbiting relatively massive stars. Here, we analyze archival and new data that span 11 and 5 yr for WASP-33 b and KELT-9 b, respectively, in order to model and improve upon their tidal precession parameters. Our work confirms the nodal precession for WASP-33 b and presents the first clear detection of the precession of KELT-9 b. We determine that WASP-33 and KELT-9 have gravitational quadrupole moments $({6.3}_{-0.8}^{+1.2})\times {10}^{-5}$ and $({3.26}_{-0.80}^{+0.93})\times {10}^{-4}$, respectively. We estimate the planets' precession periods to be ${1460}_{-130}^{+170}$ yr and ${890}_{-140}^{+200}$ yr, respectively, and that they will cease to transit their host stars around the years ${2090}_{-10}^{+17}$ CE and ${2074}_{-10}^{+12}$ CE, respectively. Additionally, we investigate both planets' tidal and orbital evolution, suggesting that a high-eccentricity tidal migration scenario is possible to produce both system architectures and that they will most likely not be engulfed by their hosts before the end of their main-sequence lifetimes.

GRB 210121A was observed by Insight-HXMT, by the Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM), and by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (Fermi/GBM) on 2021 January 21. In this work, photospheric emission from a structured jet is preferred to interpret the prompt emission phase of GRB 210121A, and emissions from different regimes are observed on-axis. Particularly, the emission from the intermediate photosphere is first observed in the first 1.3 s of the prompt emission, while emissions from the other part are dominant by the emissions from the saturated regime. This offers an alternative explanation compared with previous work. Moreover, the emissions that consider the intermediate photosphere can well interpret the changes in the low-energy photon index α during the pulses. In addition, the evolution of the outflow is extracted from a time-resolved analysis, and a correlation of ${{\rm{\Gamma }}}_{0}\propto {L}_{0}^{0.25\pm 0.5}$ is obtained, which implies that the jet may be mainly launched by neutrino annihilation in a hyper-accretion disk.

The power-law index of an occurrence frequency distribution of flares as a function of energy is one of the most important indicators to evaluate the contribution of small-scale flares to coronal heating. For a few decades, many studies tried to derive the power-law index using various instruments and methods. However, these results are various and the cause of this uncertainty is unknown due to the variety of observation conditions. Therefore, we investigated the dependence of the index on the solar activity, coronal features, released energy range, and active region properties such as magnetic flux, twist, and size. Our findings are (1) annual power-law index derived from time series of total solar irradiance (Sun-as-a-star observation analysis) has a negative correlation with sunspot number; (2) power-law index in active region is smaller than that of the quiet Sun and coronal holes; (3) power-law index is almost constant in the energy range of 10²⁵ ≲ E ≲ 10³⁰ erg; and (4) active regions that have more magnetic free energy density, unsigned magnetic flux, and shear angle tend to have smaller power-law indices. Based on the results and energy-scaling law of Petschek-type reconnection, we suggest that the power-law index of sunspot-scale events is smaller than that of granule-scale events. Moreover, we indicated that sunspot-scale events follow CSHKP flare model whereas granule-scale events follow Parker's nanoflare model.

We present an improved inverse-ray-shooting code based on graphics processing units (GPUs) to generate microlensing magnification maps. In addition to introducing GPUs to accelerate the calculations, we also invest effort into two aspects: (i) A standard circular lens plane is replaced by a rectangular one to reduce the number of unnecessary lenses as a result of an extremely prolate rectangular image plane. (ii) An interpolation method is applied in our implementation, achieving significant acceleration when dealing with the large number of lenses and light rays required by high-resolution maps. With these applications, we have greatly reduced the running time while maintaining high accuracy: The speed was increased by about 100 times compared with an ordinary GPU-based inverse-ray-shooting code and a GPU-D code when handling a large number of lenses. If a high-resolution situation with up to 10,000² pixels, resulting in almost 10¹¹ light rays, is encountered, the running time can also be reduced by two orders of magnitude.

Hub-filament systems (HFSs) are potential sites of protocluster and massive star formation, and play a key role in mass accumulation. We report JCMT POL-2 850 μm polarization observations toward the massive HFS SDC13. We detect an organized magnetic field near the hub center with a cloud-scale "U-shape" morphology following the western edge of the hub. Together with larger-scale APEX ¹³CO and PLANCK polarization data, we find that SDC13 is located at the convergent point of three giant molecular clouds (GMCs) along a large-scale, partially spiral-like magnetic field. The smaller "U-shape" magnetic field is perpendicular to the large-scale magnetic field and the converging GMCs. We explain this as the result of a cloud–cloud collision. Within SDC13, we find that local gravity and velocity gradients point toward filament ridges and hub center. This suggests that gas can locally be pulled onto filaments and overall converges to the hub center. A virial analysis of the central hub shows that gravity dominates the magnetic and kinematic energy. Combining large- and small-scale analyses, we propose that SDC13 is initially formed from a collision of clouds moving along the large-scale magnetic field. In the post-shock regions, after the initial turbulent energy has dissipated, gravity takes over and starts to drive the gas accretion along the filaments toward the hub center.

Most current models of low-mass red giant stars do not reproduce the observed position of the red giant branch luminosity bump, a diagnostic of the maximum extent of the convective envelope during the first dredge up. Global asteroseismic parameters, the large frequency separation and frequency of maximum oscillation power, measured for large samples of red giants, show that modeling convective overshoot below the convective envelope helps match the modeled luminosity bump positions to observations; however, these global parameters cannot be used to probe envelope overshoot in a star-by-star manner. Red giant mixed modes, which behave like acoustic modes at the surface and like gravity modes in the core, contain important information about the interior structure of the star, especially near the convective boundary. Therefore, these modes may be used to probe interior processes, such as overshoot. Using a grid of red giant models with varying mass, metallicity, surface gravity, overshoot treatment, and amount of envelope overshoot, we find that changing the overshoot amplitude (and prescription) of overshoot below the convection zone in red giant stellar models results in significant differences in the evolution of the models' dipole mixed-mode oscillation frequencies, the average mixed-mode period spacing (〈ΔP〉), and gravity-mode phase offset term (_g).

Rossby waves are found at several levels in the Sun, most recently in its supergranule layer. We show that Rossby waves in the supergranule layer can be excited by an inverse cascade of kinetic energy from the nearly horizontal motions in supergranules. We illustrate how this excitation occurs using a hydrodynamic shallow-water model for a 3D thin rotating spherical shell. We find that initial kinetic energy at small spatial scales inverse cascades quickly to global scales, exciting Rossby waves whose phase velocities are similar to linear Rossby waves on the sphere originally derived by Haurwitz. Modest departures from the Haurwitz formula originate from nonlinear finite amplitude effects and/or the presence of differential rotation. Like supergranules, the initial small-scale motions in our model contain very little vorticity compared to their horizontal divergence, but the resulting Rossby waves are almost all vortical motions. Supergranule kinetic energy could have mainly gone into gravity waves, but we find that most energy inverse cascades to global Rossby waves. Since kinetic energy in supergranules is three or four orders of magnitude larger than that of the observed Rossby waves in the supergranule layer, there is plenty of energy available to drive the inverse-cascade mechanism. Tachocline Rossby waves have previously been shown to play crucial roles in causing seasons of space weather through their nonlinear interactions with global flows and magnetic fields. We briefly discuss how various Rossby waves in the tachocline, convection zone, supergranule layer, and corona can be reconciled in a unified framework.

We develop and apply a bespoke fitting routine to a large volume of solar wind electron distribution data measured by Parker Solar Probe over its first five orbits, covering radial distances from 0.13 to 0.5 au. We characterize the radial evolution of the electron core, halo, and strahl populations in the slow solar wind during these orbits. The fractional densities of these three electron populations provide evidence for the growth of the combined suprathermal halo and strahl populations from 0.13 to 0.17 au. Moreover, the growth in the halo population is not matched by a decrease in the strahl population at these distances, as has been reported for previous observations at distances greater than 0.3 au. We also find that the halo is negligible at small heliocentric distances. The fractional strahl density remains relatively constant at ∼1% below 0.2 au, suggesting that the rise in the relative halo density is not solely due to the transfer of strahl electrons into the halo.

Although the spatial curvature has been precisely determined via observations of the cosmic microwave background by the Planck satellite, it still suffers from the well-known cosmic curvature tension. As a standard siren, gravitational waves (GWs) from binary neutron star mergers provide a direct way to measure the luminosity distance. In addition, the accelerating expansion of the universe may cause an additional phase shift in the gravitational waveform, which will allow us to measure the acceleration parameter. This measurement provides an important opportunity to determine the curvature parameter Ω_k in the GW domain based on the combination of two different observables for the same objects at high redshifts. In this study, we investigate how such an idea could be implemented with the future generation of the space-based Decihertz Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (DECIGO) in the framework of two model-independent methods. Our results show that DECIGO could provide a reliable and stringent constraint on the cosmic curvature at a precision of ΔΩ_k = 0.12, which is comparable to existing results based on different electromagnetic data. Our constraints are more stringent than the traditional electromagnetic method from the Pantheon sample of Type Ia supernovae, which shows no evidence for a deviation from a flat universe at z ∼ 2.3. More importantly, with our model-independent method, such a second-generation space-based GW detector would also be able to explore the possible evolution of Ω_k with redshift, through direct measurements of cosmic curvature at different redshifts (z ∼ 5). Such a model-independent Ω_k reconstruction to the distant past could become a milestone in gravitational-wave cosmology.

We present a study of the stellar populations of globular clusters (GCs) in the Virgo Cluster core with a homogeneous spectroscopic catalog of 692 GCs within a major-axis distance R_maj = 840 kpc from M87. We investigate radial and azimuthal variations in the mean age, total metallicity, [Fe/H], and α-element abundance of blue (metal-poor) and red (metal-rich) GCs using their co-added spectra. We find that the blue GCs have a steep radial gradient in [Z/H] within R_maj = 165 kpc, with roughly equal contributions from [Fe/H] and [α/Fe], and flat gradients beyond. By contrast, the red GCs show a much shallower gradient in [Z/H], which is entirely driven by [Fe/H]. We use GC-tagged Illustris simulations to demonstrate an accretion scenario where more massive satellites (with more metal- and α-rich GCs) sink further into the central galaxy than less massive ones, and where the gradient flattening occurs because of the low GC occupation fraction of low-mass dwarfs disrupted at larger distances. The dense environment around M87 may also cause the steep [α/Fe] gradient of the blue GCs, mirroring what is seen in the dwarf galaxy population. The progenitors of red GCs have a narrower mass range than those of blue GCs, which makes their gradients shallower. We also explore spatial inhomogeneity in GC abundances, finding that the red GCs to the northwest of M87 are slightly more metal-rich. Future observations of GC stellar population gradients will be useful diagnostics of halo merger histories.

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations at a spatial resolution of 02 (60 pc) of CO emission from the Taffy galaxies (UGC 12914/5). The observations are compared with narrowband Paα, mid-IR, radio continuum and X-ray imaging, plus optical spectroscopy. The galaxies have undergone a recent head-on collision, creating a massive gaseous bridge that is known to be highly turbulent. The bridge contains a complex web of narrow molecular filaments and clumps. The majority of the filaments are devoid of star formation, and fall significantly below the Kennicutt–Schmidt relationship for normal galaxies, especially for the numerous regions undetected in Paα emission. Within the loosely connected filaments and clumps of gas we find regions of high velocity dispersion that appear gravitationally unbound for a wide range of likely values of X_CO. Like the "Firecracker" region in the Antennae system, they would require extremely high external dynamical or thermal pressure to stop them dissipating rapidly on short crossing timescales of 2–5 Myr. We suggest that the clouds may be transient structures within a highly turbulent multiphase medium that is strongly suppressing star formation. Despite the overall turbulence in the system, stars seem to have formed in compact hotspots within a kiloparsec-sized extragalactic H ii region, where the molecular gas has a lower velocity dispersion than elsewhere, and shows evidence for a collision with an ionized gas cloud. Like the shocked gas in the Stephan's Quintet group, the conditions in the Taffy bridge shows how difficult it is to form stars within a turbulent, multiphase, gas.

Electrostatic dust lofting may be a common occurrence on small bodies in the solar system, whereby the upward electrostatic force on a grain is able to overcome the surface gravity and cohesion binding it to the surface. This electrostatic lofting may serve to redistribute and transport dust across the surface of these bodies to produce features such as dust ponds and lineations found on Eros, or even to rid bodies of small particles completely. Classical models, which distribute charge evenly across a dust grain, have historically predicted electric field strengths that are insufficient to loft dust. However, recent studies have developed grain-scale charging models that account for the buildup of charge in the microcavities of regolith and assume unequal distribution of charge on a dust grain. These models predict electric field strengths orders of magnitude larger than classical models, which may explain how electrostatic dust lofting occurs on small bodies. In this paper, we compare the grain-scale supercharging models developed by Zimmerman et al. and survey how the different parameters affect grain charging—namely, charge separation, grain size, and dielectric breakdown strength. Furthermore, we investigate how each of the charging models can be used to bound initial condition requirements such as charge and velocity for dust lofting to occur on these small bodies. Initial condition requirements are examined for a range of grain sizes, regolith cohesive strengths, and small body sizes.

The fact that the spatial velocity of pulsars is generally higher than that of their progenitor stars has bothered astronomers for nearly 50 years. It has been extensively argued that the high pulsar velocity should be acquired during a natal kick process on a timescale of 100 ms–10 s in the supernova explosion, in which some asymmetrical dynamical mechanism plays a key role. However, a satisfactory picture generally is still lacking. In this study, it is argued that the neutrino rocket model can well account for the high speed as well as the long-term evolution behaviors of pulsars. The neutrinos are emitted from superfluid vortex neutrons through the neutrino cyclotron radiation mechanism. The unique characters of left-handed neutrinos and right-handed antineutrinos resulting from the nonconservation of parity in weak interactions play a major role in the spatial asymmetry. The continuous acceleration of pulsars can be naturally explained by this model, which yields a maximum velocity surpassing 1000 km s⁻¹. The alignment between the spinning axis and the direction of motion observed for the Crab pulsar (PSR 0531) and the Vela pulsar (PSR 0833) can be well accounted for. The observed correlation between the spin-down rate and the period of long-period pulsars with P ≳ 0.5 s can also be satisfactorily explained.

The metallicity dependence of the wide binary fraction (WBF) is critical for studying the formation of wide binaries. While controversial results have been found in recent years, here we combine the wide binary catalog recognized from Gaia EDR3 and stellar parameters from LAMOST to investigate this topic. Taking the bias of the stellar temperature at given separations into account, we find that the relationship between the WBF and metallicity depends on the temperature for the thin disk at s > 200 au. It changes from negative to positive as the temperature increases from 4000 to 7500 K. This temperature/mass dependence is not seen for the thick disk. Besides, the general tendency between the WBF and metallicity varies with the separation, consistent with previous results. It shows anticorrelation at small separations, s < 200 au for the thin disk and s < 600 au for the thick disk. Then it becomes an "arcuate" shape at larger separations (hundreds to thousands of astronomical units), peaking at [Fe/H] ≈0.1 for the thin disk and [Fe/H] ≈−0.5 for the thick disk. Finally it becomes roughly flat for the thin disk at 1000 < s < 10,000 au. Our work provides new observational evidence for theoretical studies on binary formation and evolution.

We constrain the cosmic-ray (CR) population in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the Milky Way by comparing the observations of absorption lines of O viii ions with predictions from analytical models of the CGM: the precipitation (PP) and isothermal (IT) models. For a CGM in hydrostatic equilibrium, the introduction of CR suppresses thermal pressure and affects the O viii ion abundance. We explore the allowances given to the ratio of CR pressure to thermal pressure (P_CR/P_th = η), with varying boundary conditions, CGM mass content, photoionization by extragalactic ultraviolet background, and temperature fluctuations. We find that the allowed maximum values of η are η ≲ 10 in the PP model and η ≲ 6 in the IT model. We also explore the spatial variation of η: rising (η = Ax) or declining (η = A/x) with radius, where A is the normalization of the profiles. In particular, the models with a declining ratio of CR to thermal pressure fare better than those with a rising ratio with suitable temperature fluctuation (higher σ_lnT for PP and lower for IT). The declining profiles allow A ≲ 8 and A ≲ 10 in the case of the IT and PP models, respectively, thereby accommodating a large value of η (≃200) in the central region but not in the outer regions. These limits, combined with the limits derived from the γ-ray and radio background, can be useful for building models of the Milky Way CGM including the CR population. However, the larger amount of CRs can be packed in the cold phase, which may be one way to circumvent these constraints.

During reionization, a fraction of galactic Lyα emission is scattered in the intergalactic medium (IGM) and appears as diffuse light extending megaparsecs from the source. We investigate how to probe the properties of the early galaxies and their surrounding IGM using this scattered light. We create a Monte Carlo algorithm to track individual photons and reproduce several test cases from previous literature. Then, we run our code on the simulated IGM of the CoDaII simulation. We find that the scattered light can leave an observable imprint on the emergent spectrum if collected over several square arcminutes. Scattering can redden the emission by increasing the path lengths of photons, but it can also make the photons bluer by upscattering them according to the peculiar motion of the scatterer. The photons emitted on the far blue side of the resonance appear more extended in both frequency and space compared to those emitted near the resonance. This provides a discriminating feature for the blueward emission, which cannot be constrained from the unscattered light coming directly from the source. The ionization state of the IGM also affects the scattered light spectrum. When the source is in a small H ii region, the emission goes through more scatterings in the surrounding H i region regardless of the initial frequency and ends up more redshifted and spatially extended. This can result in a weakening of the scattered light toward high z during reionization. Our results provide a framework for interpreting the scattered light to be measured by high-z integral-field-unit surveys.

Free-form strong-lensing (SL) mass reconstructions typically suffer from overfitting, which manifests itself as false-positive small-scale fluctuations. We present a new free-form MAximum-entropy ReconStruction (MARS) method without the assumption that light traces mass (LTM). The MARS algorithm enables us to achieve excellent convergence in source positions (∼0001), minimize spurious small-scale fluctuations, and provide a quasi-unique solution independently of initial conditions. Our method is tested with the publicly available synthetic SL data FF-SIMS. The comparison with the truth shows that the mass reconstruction quality is on par with those of the best-performing LTM methods published in the literature, which have been demonstrated to outperform existing free-form methods. In terms of the radial mass profile reconstruction, we achieve <1% agreement with the truth for the regions constrained by multiple images. Finally, we apply MARS to A1689 and find that the cluster mass in the SL regime is dominated by the primary halo centered on the brightest cluster galaxy and the weaker secondary halo is also coincident with the bright cluster member ∼160 kpc northeast. Within the SL field, the A1689 radial profile is well described by a Navarro–Frenk–White profile with c₂₀₀ = 5.53 ± 0.77 and ${r}_{s}={538}_{-100}^{+90}$ kpc, and we find no evidence that A1689 is overconcentrated.

It is difficult to distinguish the hadronic process from the leptonic one in γ-ray observation, which is however crucial in revealing the origin of cosmic rays. As an endeavor in this regard, we focus in this work on the complex γ-ray emitting region, which partially overlaps with the unidentified TeV source HESS J1858+020 and includes supernova remnant (SNR) G35.6−0.4 and H ii region G35.6−0.5. We reanalyze CO line, H i, and Fermi-LAT GeV γ-ray emission data of this region. The analysis of the molecular and H i data suggests that SNR G35.6−0.4 and H ii region G35.6−0.5 are located at different distances. The analysis of the GeV γ-rays shows that GeV emission arises from two point sources: one (SrcA) coincident with the SNR, and the other (SrcB) coincident with both HESS J1858+020 and H ii region G35.6−0.5. The GeV emission of SrcA can be explained by the hadronic process in the SNR–molecular cloud association scenario. The GeV-band spectrum of SrcB and the TeV-band spectrum of HESS J1858+020 can be smoothly connected by a power-law function, with an index of ∼2.2. The connected spectrum is well explained with a hadronic emission, with the cutoff energy of protons above 1 PeV. It thus indicates that there is a potential PeVatron in the H ii region and should be further verified with ultrahigh-energy observations with, e.g., LHAASO.

To undergo diffusive shock acceleration, electrons need to be preaccelerated to increase their energies by several orders of magnitude, else their gyroradii will be smaller than the finite width of the shock. In oblique shocks, where the upstream magnetic field orientation is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the shock normal, electrons can escape to the shock upstream, modifying the shock foot to a region called the electron foreshock. To determine the preacceleration in this region, we undertake particle-in-cell simulations of oblique shocks while varying the obliquity and in-plane angles. We show that while the proportion of reflected electrons is negligible for θ_Bn = 743, it increases to R ∼ 5% for θ_Bn = 30°, and that, via the electron acoustic instability, these electrons power electrostatic waves upstream with energy density proportional to R^0.6 and a wavelength ≈2λ_se, where λ_se is the electron skin length. While the initial reflection mechanism is typically a combination of shock-surfing acceleration and magnetic mirroring, we show that once the electrostatic waves have been generated upstream, they themselves can increase the momenta of upstream electrons parallel to the magnetic field. In ≲1% of cases, upstream electrons are prematurely turned away from the shock and never injected downstream. In contrast, a similar fraction is rescattered back toward the shock after reflection, reinteracts with the shock with energies much greater than thermal, and crosses into the downstream.

Protostellar outflows and jets play a vital role in star formation as they carry away excess angular momentum from the inner disk surface, allowing the material to be transferred toward the central protostar. Theoretically, low-velocity and poorly collimated outflows appear from the beginning of the collapse at the first hydrostatic core (FHSC) stage. With growing protostellar core mass, high-density jets are launched, entraining an outflow from the infalling envelope. Until now, molecular jets have been observed at high velocity (≳100 km s⁻¹) in early Class 0 protostars. We, for the first time, detect a dense molecular jet in SiO emission with low velocity (∼4.2 km s⁻¹, deprojected ∼24 km s⁻¹) from source G208.89–20.04Walma (hereafter G208Walma) using ALMA Band 6 observations. This object has some characteristics of FHSCs, such as a small outflow/jet velocity, extended 1.3 mm continuum emission, and N₂D⁺ line emission. Additional characteristics, however, are typical of early protostars: collimated outflow and SiO jet. The full extent of the outflow corresponds to a dynamical timescale of ∼${930}_{-100}^{+200}$ yr. The spectral energy distribution also suggests a very young source having an upper limit of T_bol ∼ 31 K and L_bol ∼ 0.8 L_⊙. We conclude that G208Walma is likely in the transition phase from FHSC to protostar, and the molecular jet has been launched within a few hundred years of initial collapse. Therefore, G208Walma may be the earliest object discovered in the protostellar phase with a molecular jet.

We present new period-ϕ₃₁-[Fe/H] relations for first-overtone RRL stars (RRc), calibrated over a broad range of metallicities (−2.5 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ 0.0) using the largest currently available set of Galactic halo field RRL with homogeneous spectroscopic metallicities. Our relations are defined in the optical (ASAS-SN V band) and, inaugurally, in the infrared (WISE W1 and W2 bands). Our V-band relation can reproduce individual RRc spectroscopic metallicities with a dispersion of 0.30 dex over the entire metallicity range of our calibrator sample (an rms smaller than what we found for other relations in literature including nonlinear terms). Our infrared relation has a similar dispersion in the low- and intermediate-metallicity range ([Fe/H] ≲ −0.5), but tends to underestimate the [Fe/H] abundance around solar metallicity. We tested our relations by measuring both the metallicity of the Sculptor dSph and a sample of Galactic globular clusters, rich in both RRc and RRab stars. The average metallicity we obtain for the combined RRL sample in each cluster is within ±0.08 dex of their spectroscopic metallicities. The infrared and optical relations presented in this work will enable deriving reliable photometric RRL metallicities in conditions where spectroscopic measurements are not feasible; e.g., in distant galaxies or reddened regions (observed with upcoming Extremely Large Telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope), or in the large sample of new RRL that will be discovered in large-area time-domain photometric surveys (such as the LSST and the Roman space telescope).

Since the day of its explosion, supernova (SN) 1987A has been closely monitored to study its evolution and to detect its central compact relic. In fact, the formation of a neutron star is strongly supported by the detection of neutrinos from the SN. However, besides the detection in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data of a feature that is compatible with the emission arising from a protopulsar wind nebula (PWN), the only hint of the existence of such an elusive compact object is provided by the detection of hard emission in NuSTAR data up to ∼20 keV. We report on the simultaneous analysis of multiepoch observations of SN 1987A performed with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR. We also compare the observations with a state-of-the-art three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of SN 1987A. A heavily absorbed power law, consistent with the emission from a PWN embedded in the heart of SN 1987A, is needed to properly describe the high-energy part of the observed spectra. The spectral parameters of the best-fit power law are in agreement with the previous estimate, and exclude diffusive shock acceleration as a possible mechanism responsible for the observed nonthermal emission. The information extracted from our analysis is used to infer the physical characteristics of the pulsar and the broadband emission from its nebula, in agreement with the ALMA data. Analysis of the synthetic spectra also shows that, in the near future, the main contribution to the Fe K emission line will originate in the outermost shocked ejecta of SN 1987A.

In this paper, we report on 606 S-type stars identified from Data Release 9 of the LAMOST medium-resolution spectroscopic (MRS) survey; 539 of them are reported for the first time. The discovery of these stars is a three-step process, i.e., selecting with ZrO-band indices greater than 0.25, excluding non-S-type stars with the iterative Support Vector Machine method, and finally retaining stars with absolute bolometric magnitude larger than −7.1. The 606 stars are consistent with the distribution of known S-type stars in the color–magnitude diagram. We estimated the C/Os using the [C/Fe] and [O/Fe] provided by APOGEE and the MARCS model for S-type stars, respectively, and the results of the two methods show that the C/Os of all stars are larger than 0.5. Both the locations on the color–magnitude diagram and C/Os further verify the nature of our S-type sample. Investigating the effect of TiO and atmospheric parameters on ZrO with the sample, we found that log g has a more significant impact on ZrO than T_eff and [Fe/H], and both TiO and log g may negatively correlate with ZrO. According to the criterion of Tian et al., a total of 238 binary candidates were found by the zero-point-calibrated radial velocities from the officially released catalog of LAMOST MRS and the catalog of Zhang et al. A catalog of these 606 S-type stars is available from the following link: doi.org/10.12149/101097.

Acceleration can change the ionization of X-ray irradiated gas to the point that the gas becomes thermally unstable. Cloud formation, the expected outcome of thermal instability (TI), will be suppressed in a dynamic flow, however, due to the stretching of fluid elements that accompanies acceleration. It is therefore unlikely that cloud formation occurs during the launching phase of a supersonic outflow. In this paper, we show that the most favorable conditions for dynamical TI in highly supersonic outflows are found at radii beyond the acceleration zone, where the growth rate of entropy modes is set by the linear theory rate for a static plasma. This finding implies that even mildly relativistic outflows can become clumpy, and we explicitly demonstrate this using hydrodynamical simulations of ultrafast outflows. We describe how the continuity and heat equations can be used to appreciate another impediment (beside mode disruption due to the stretching) to making an outflow clumpy: background flow conditions may not allow the plasma to enter a TI zone in the first place. The continuity equation reveals that both impediments are in fact tightly coupled, yet one is easy to overcome. Namely, time variability in the radiation field is found to be a robust means of placing gas in a TI zone. We further show how the ratio of the dynamical and thermal timescales enters linear theory; the heat equation reveals how this ratio depends on the two processes that tend to remove gas from a TI zone: adiabatic cooling and heat advection.

The question of how magnetic reconnection accelerates particles is a long-standing problem in space physics and astrophysics. Earth's magnetosphere is an ideal laboratory for investigating this issue via in situ satellite observations. This article presents a statistical study of the electron acceleration produced by different mechanisms in the near-Earth magnetotail using the unique measurement capabilities of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We find that the average acceleration rates and occurrence rates of large acceleration tend to be higher in outflows with greater speeds. Betatron and first-order Fermi accelerations are intensified near the neutral sheet, while the acceleration from E_∣∣ is not only intensified in the neutral sheet but also significant far away from it, likely in the separatrix region. In contrast to previous studies suggesting that the acceleration and energy conversion predominantly occur in the outflow region, we find that the acceleration rate near the X line is comparable to that in the outflow.

The puzzle of the Li-rich giant is still unsolved, contradicting the prediction of the standard stellar models. Although the exact evolutionary stages play a key role in the knowledge of Li-rich giants, a limited number of Li-rich giants have been observed with high-quality asteroseismic parameters to clearly distinguish the stellar evolutionary stages. Based on the LAMOST Data Release 7 (DR7), we applied a data-driven neural network method to derive the parameters for giant stars, which contain the largest number of Li-rich giants. The red giant stars are classified into three stages of Red Giant Branch (RGB), Primary Red Clump (PRC), and Secondary Red Clump (SRC) relying on the estimated asteroseismic parameters. In the statistical analysis of the properties (i.e., stellar mass, carbon, nitrogen, Li-rich distribution, and frequency) of Li-rich giants, we found that (1) most of the Li-rich RGB stars are suggested to be the descendants of Li-rich pre-RGB stars and/or the result of engulfment of planet or substellar companions; (2) the massive Li-rich SRC stars could be the natural consequence of Li depletion from the high-mass Li-rich RGB stars; and (3) internal mixing processes near the helium flash can account for the phenomenon of Li richness on PRC that dominated the Li-rich giants. Based on the comparison of [C/N] distributions between Li-rich and normal PRC stars, the Li-enriched processes probably depend on the stellar mass.

Relativistic magnetized jets, such as those from AGN, GRBs, and XRBs, are susceptible to current- and pressure-driven MHD instabilities that can lead to particle acceleration and nonthermal radiation. Here, we investigate the development of these instabilities through 3D kinetic simulations of cylindrically symmetric equilibria involving toroidal magnetic fields with electron–positron pair plasma. Generalizing recent treatments by Alves et al. and Davelaar et al., we consider a range of initial structures in which the force due to toroidal magnetic field is balanced by a combination of forces due to axial magnetic field and gas pressure. We argue that the particle energy limit identified by Alves et al. is due to the finite duration of the fast magnetic dissipation phase. We find a rather minor role of electric fields parallel to the local magnetic fields in particle acceleration. In all investigated cases, a kink mode arises in the central core region with a growth timescale consistent with the predictions of linearized MHD models. In the case of a gas-pressure-balanced (Z-pinch) profile, we identify a weak local pinch mode well outside the jet core. We argue that pressure-driven modes are important for relativistic jets, in regions where sufficient gas pressure is produced by other dissipation mechanisms.

In this study, we systematically studied the X-ray to GeV gamma-ray spectra of 61 Fermi Large Area Telescope detected radio galaxies. We found an anticorrelation between peak frequency and peak luminosity in the high-energy spectral component of radio galaxies, similar to blazars. With this sample, we also constructed a gamma-ray luminosity function (GLF) of gamma-ray-loud radio galaxies. We found that blazar-like GLF shapes can reproduce their redshift and luminosity distribution, but the log N–log S relation prefers models with more low-z radio galaxies. Utilizing our latest GLF, the contribution of radio galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background is found to be 1%–10%. We further investigated the nature of gamma-ray-loud radio galaxies. Compared to radio or X-ray flux-limited radio galaxy samples, the gamma-ray-selected sample tends to lack high radio power galaxies like FR II radio galaxies. We also found that only ∼10% of radio galaxies are GeV gamma-ray loud. Radio galaxies may contribute to the cosmic MeV gamma-ray background comparable to blazars if gamma-ray-quiet radio galaxies have X-ray to gamma-ray spectra like Cen A, with a small gamma-ray-to-X-ray flux ratio.

We show the improvement to cosmological constraints from galaxy cluster surveys with the addition of cosmic microwave background (CMB)-cluster lensing data. We explore the cosmological implications of adding mass information from the 3.1σ detection of gravitational lensing of the CMB by galaxy clusters to the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) selected galaxy cluster sample from the 2500 deg² SPT-SZ survey and targeted optical and X-ray follow-up data. In the ΛCDM model, the combination of the cluster sample with the Planck power spectrum measurements prefers ${\sigma }_{8}{\left({{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}/0.3\right)}^{0.5}=0.831\pm 0.020$. Adding the cluster data reduces the uncertainty on this quantity by a factor of 1.4, which is unchanged whether the 3.1σ CMB-cluster lensing measurement is included or not. We then forecast the impact of CMB-cluster lensing measurements with future cluster catalogs. Adding CMB-cluster lensing measurements to the SZ cluster catalog of the ongoing SPT-3G survey is expected to improve the expected constraint on the dark energy equation of state w by a factor of 1.3 to σ(w) = 0.19. We find the largest improvements from CMB-cluster lensing measurements to be for σ₈, where adding CMB-cluster lensing data to the cluster number counts reduces the expected uncertainty on σ₈ by respective factors of 2.4 and 3.6 for SPT-3G and CMB-S4.

Cosmic rays (CRs) are an important energy source in the circumgalactic medium that impact the multiphase gas structure and dynamics. We perform two-dimensional CR-magnetohydrodynamic simulations to investigate the role of CRs in accelerating multiphase gas formed via thermal instability. We compare outflows driven by CRs to those driven by a hot wind with equivalent momentum. We find that CR-driven outflow produces lower density contrast between cold and hot gas due to nonthermal pressure support, and yields a more filamentary cloud morphology. While entrainment in a hot wind can lead to cold gas increasing due to efficient cooling, CRs tend to suppress cold gas growth. The mechanism of this suppression depends on magnetic field strength, with CRs either reducing cooling or shredding the clouds by differential acceleration. Despite the suppression of cold gas growth, CRs are able to launch the cold clouds to observed velocities without rapid destruction. The dynamical interaction between CRs and multiphase gas is also sensitive to the magnetic field strength. In relatively strong fields, the CRs are more important for direct momentum input to cold gas. In relatively weak fields, the CRs impact gas primarily by heating, which modifies gas pressure.

We analyze the formation and three-dimensional (3D) evolution of two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their associated waves in the low corona via a detailed multi-viewpoint analysis of extreme-ultraviolet observations. We analyze the kinematics in the radial and lateral directions and identify three stages in the early evolution of the CME: (1) a hyper-inflation stage, when the CME laterally expands at speeds of ∼1000 km s⁻¹, followed by (2) a shorter and slower expansion stage of a few minutes and ending with (3) a self-similar phase that carries the CME into the middle corona. The first two stages coincide with the impulsive phase of the accompanying flare, the formation and separation of an EUV wave from the CME, and the start of the metric type II radio burst. Our 3D analysis suggests that the hyper-inflation phase may be a crucial stage in the CME formation with wide-ranging implications for solar eruption research. It likely represents the formation stage of the magnetic structure that is eventually ejected into the corona, as the white-light CME. It appears to be driven by the injection of poloidal flux into the ejecting magnetic structure, which leads to the lateral (primarily) growth of the magnetic flux rope. The rapid growth results in the creation of EUV waves and eventually shocks at the CME flanks that are detected as metric type II radio bursts. In other words, the hyper-inflation stage in the early CME evolution may be the "missing" link between CMEs, flares, and coronal shocks.

The accretion process in a typical S-type symbiotic star, targeting AG Draconis, is investigated through 3D hydrodynamical simulations using the FLASH code. Regardless of the wind velocity of the giant star, an accretion disk surrounding the white dwarf is always formed. In models where the wind is faster than the orbital velocity of the white dwarf, the disk size and accretion rate are consistent with the predictions under Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton (BHL) conditions. In slower-wind models, unlike the BHL predictions, the disk size does not grow, and the accretion rate increases to a considerably higher level, up to >20% of the mass-loss rate of the giant star. The accretion disk in our fiducial model is characterized by a flared disk with a radius of 0.16 au and a scale height of 0.03 au. The disk mass of ∼5 × 10⁻⁸M_⊙ is asymmetrically distributed, with the density peak toward the giant star being about 50% higher than the density minimum in the disk. Two inflowing spiral features are clearly identified, and their relevance to the azimuthal asymmetry of the disk is pointed out. The flow in the accretion disk is found to be sub-Keplerian, at about 90% of the Keplerian speed, which indicates a caveat of overestimating the O vi emission region from the spectroscopy of Raman-scattered O vi features at 6825 and 7082 Å.

Short-period, low-mass water-rich planets are subject to strong irradiation from their host star, resulting in hydrospheres in a supercritical state. In this context, we explore the role of irradiation on small terrestrial planets that are moderately wet in the low-mass regime (0.2–1 M_⊕). We investigate their bulk properties for water content in the 0.01–5% range by making use of an internal structure model that is coupled to an atmosphere model. This coupling allows us to take into account both the compression of the interior due to the weight of the hydrosphere and the possibility of atmospheric instability in the low-mass regime. We show that, even for low masses and low water content, these planets display inflated atmospheres. For extremely low planetary masses and high irradiation temperatures, we find that steam atmospheres become gravitationally unstable when the ratio η of their scale height to planetary radius exceeds a critical value of ∼0.1. This result is supported by observational data, as all currently detected exoplanets exhibit values of η smaller than 0.013. Depending on their water content, our results show that highly irradiated, low-mass planets up to 0.9 M_⊕ with significative hydrospheres are not in a stable form and should lose their volatile envelope.

Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) and their environments provide the nearest laboratories to study SN feedback. We performed molecular observations toward SNR W49B, the most luminous Galactic SNR in the X-ray band, aiming to explore signs of multiple feedback channels of SNRs on nearby molecular clouds (MCs). We found very broad HCO⁺ lines with widths of dv ∼ 48–75 km s⁻¹ in the SNR southwest, providing strong evidence that W49B is perturbing MCs at a systemic velocity of V_LSR = 61–65 km s⁻¹, and placing the W49B at a distance of 7.9 ± 0.6 kpc. We observed unusually high-intensity ratios of HCO⁺J=1–0/CO J=1–0 not only at shocked regions (1.1 ± 0.4 and 0.70 ± 0.16) but also in quiescent clouds over 1 pc away from the SNR's eastern boundary (≥0.2). By comparing with the magnetohydrodynamics shock models, we interpret that the high ratio in the broad-line regions can result from a cosmic-ray (CR) induced chemistry in shocked MCs, where the CR ionization rate is enhanced to around 10–10² times of the Galactic level. The high HCO⁺/CO ratio outside the SNR is probably caused by the radiation precursor, while the luminous X-ray emission of W49B can explain a few properties in this region. The above results provide observational evidence that SNRs can strongly influence the molecular chemistry in and outside the shock boundary via their shocks, CRs, and radiation. We propose that the HCO⁺/CO ratio is a potentially useful tool to probe an SNR's multichannel influence on MCs.

We present a method for creating simulated galaxy catalogs with realistic galaxy luminosities, broadband colors, and projected clustering over large cosmic volumes. The technique, denoted Addgals (Adding Density Dependent GAlaxies to Lightcone Simulations), uses an empirical approach to place galaxies within lightcone outputs of cosmological simulations. It can be applied to significantly lower-resolution simulations than those required for commonly used methods such as halo occupation distributions, subhalo abundance matching, and semi-analytic models, while still accurately reproducing projected galaxy clustering statistics down to scales of r ∼ 100 h⁻¹kpc . We show that Addgals catalogs reproduce several statistical properties of the galaxy distribution as measured by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) main galaxy sample, including galaxy number densities, observed magnitude and color distributions, as well as luminosity- and color-dependent clustering. We also compare to cluster–galaxy cross correlations, where we find significant discrepancies with measurements from SDSS that are likely linked to artificial subhalo disruption in the simulations. Applications of this model to simulations of deep wide-area photometric surveys, including modeling weak-lensing statistics, photometric redshifts, and galaxy cluster finding, are presented in DeRose et al., and an application to a full cosmology analysis of Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 like data is presented in DeRose et al. We plan to publicly release a 10,313 square degree catalog constructed using Addgals with magnitudes appropriate for several existing and planned surveys, including SDSS, DES, VISTA, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

The chemical abundances of very metal-poor stars provide important constraints on the nucleosynthesis of the first generation of stars and early chemical evolution of the Galaxy. We have obtained high-resolution spectra with the Subaru Telescope for candidates of very metal-poor stars selected with a large survey of Galactic stars carried out with LAMOST. In this series of papers, we report on the elemental abundances of about 400 very metal-poor stars and discuss the kinematics of the sample obtained by combining the radial velocities measured in this study and recent astrometry obtained with Gaia. This paper provides an overview of our survey and follow-up program, and reports radial velocities for the whole sample. We identify seven double-lined spectroscopic binaries from our high-resolution spectra, for which radial velocities of the components are reported. We discuss the frequency of such relatively short-period binaries at very low metallicity.

We present homogeneous abundance analysis of over 20 elements for 385 very metal-poor (VMP) stars based on the LAMOST survey and follow-up observations with the Subaru Telescope. It is the largest high-resolution VMP sample (including 363 new objects) studied by a single program, and the first attempt to accurately determine evolutionary stages for such a large sample based on Gaia parallaxes. The sample covers a wide metallicity range from [Fe/H] ≲ −1.7 down to [Fe/H] ∼ −4.3, including over 110 objects with [Fe/H] ≤ −3.0. The expanded coverage in evolutionary status makes it possible to define the abundance trends respectively for giants and turnoff stars. The newly obtained abundance data confirm most abundance trends found by previous studies, but also provide useful updates and new samples of outliers. The Li plateau is seen in main-sequence turnoff stars with −2.5 < [Fe/H] < −1.7 in our sample, whereas the average Li abundance is clearly lower at lower metallicity. Mg, Si, and Ca are overabundant with respect to Fe, showing decreasing trend with increasing metallicity. Comparisons with chemical evolution models indicate that the overabundance of Ti, Sc, and Co are not well reproduced by current theoretical predictions. Correlations are seen between Sc and α-elements, while Zn shows a detectable correlation only with Ti but not with other α-elements. The fraction of carbon-enhanced stars ([C/Fe] > 0.7) is in the range of 20%–30% for turnoff stars depending on the treatment of objects for which C abundance is not determined, which is much higher than that in giants (∼8%). Twelve Mg-poor stars ([Mg/Fe] < 0.0) have been identified in a wide metallicity range from [Fe/H] ∼ −3.8 through −1.7. Twelve Eu-rich stars ([Eu/Fe] > 1.0) have been discovered in −3.4 < [Fe/H] < −2.0, enlarging the sample of r-process-enhanced stars with relatively high metallicity.

In this work, predictions of the Ginzburg–Landau theory of dark energy (GLT) for cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing are studied. We find that the time and scale dependence of the dark energy fluctuations in this semiphenomenological model is favored by data in several ways. First, unlike ΛCDM, ℓ ≤ 801 and ℓ > 801 ranges of the CMB angular power spectrum are consistent in this framework. Second, the lensing amplitude A_L is completely consistent with unity when GLT is confronted with CMB data, even without including CMB lensing data. Therefore the lensing anomaly is absent in this model. Although the background evolution of dark energy in this model is able to reconcile the H₀ inferred from CMB with that directly measured through observing nearby standard candles, the inclusion of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data brings the inferred H₀ close to what ΛCDM predicts and hence the Hubble tension is not fully eased. However, this does not affect the posterior on A_L and the lensing anomaly is still absent.

Most globular clusters (GCs) show evidence for multiple stellar populations, suggesting the occurrence of several distinct star formation episodes. The large fraction of second population (2P) stars observed requires a very large 2P gaseous mass to have accumulated in the cluster core to form these stars. Hence, the first population of stars (1P) in the cluster core has had to become embedded in 2P gas, just prior to the formation of later populations. Here we explore the evolution of binaries in ambient 2P gaseous media of multiple-population GCs. We mostly focus on black hole binaries and follow their evolution as they evolve from wide binaries toward short periods through interaction with ambient gas, followed by gravitational-wave (GW) dominated inspiral and merger. We show that this novel GW merger channel could provide a major contribution to the production of GW sources. We consider various assumptions and initial conditions and calculate the resulting gas-mediated change in the population of binaries and the expected merger rates due to gas-catalyzed GW inspirals. For plausible conditions and assumptions, we find an expected GW merger rate observable by aLIGO of the order of up to a few tens of Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹ and an overall range for our various models of 0.08–25.51 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹. Finally, our results suggest that the conditions and binary properties in the early stage of GCs could be critically affected by gas interactions and may require a major revision in the current modeling of the evolution of GCs.

Recently, the MAGIC Collaboration reported a ∼5σ statistical significance of the very-high-energy (VHE) emission from a distant gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB 201216C. Such distant GRB may be effectively absorbed by the extragalactic background light (EBL). The origin of the VHE emission from such distant objects is still unknown. Here, we propose a numerical model for studying the afterglow emission of this distant GRB. The model solves the continuity equation governing the temporal evolution of electron distribution, and the broadband observed data can be explained by the synchrotron plus synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) radiation of the forward shock. The predicted observed 0.1 TeV flux can reach ∼10⁻⁹−10⁻¹⁰ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ at t ∼ 10³−10⁴ s, even with strong EBL absorption, such strong sub-teraelectronvolt (sub-TeV) emissions still can be observed by the MAGIC telescope. Using this numerical model, the shock parameters in the modeling are similar to two other sub-TeV GRBs (i.e., GRB 190114C and GRB 180720B), implying that the sub-TeV GRBs have some commonalities: they have energetic burst energy, low circumburst medium density, and a low magnetic equipartition factor. We regard GRB 201216C as a typical GRB, and estimate the maximum redshift of GRB that can be detected by the MAGIC telescope, i.e., z ∼ 1.6. We also find that the VHE photon energy of such distant GRB can only reach ∼0.1 TeV. Improving the low energy sensitivity of the VHE telescope is very important to detect the sub-TeV emissions of these distant GRBs.

We present measurements of periodicity for transverse loop oscillations during the periods of activity of two remote and separated (both temporally and spatially) flares. The oscillations are observed in the same location more than 100 Mm away from the visible footpoints of the loops. Evidence for several possible excitation sources is presented. After close examination, we find that the eruptions during the flaring activities play an important role in triggering the oscillations. We investigate periodicities using time–distance, fast Fourier transform, and wavelet techniques. Despite different excitation sources in the vicinity of the loops and the changing nature of amplitudes, the periodicity of multiple oscillations is found to be 4–6 min.

Extended, old, and round stellar halos appear to be ubiquitous around high-mass dwarf galaxies (10^8.5 < M_⋆/M_⊙ < 10^9.6) in the observed universe. However, it is unlikely that these dwarfs have undergone a sufficient number of minor mergers to form stellar halos that are composed of predominantly accreted stars. Here, we demonstrate that FIRE-2 (Feedback in Realistic Environments) cosmological zoom-in simulations are capable of producing dwarf galaxies with realistic structures, including both a thick disk and round stellar halo. Crucially, these stellar halos are formed in situ, largely via the outward migration of disk stars. However, there also exists a large population of "nondisky" dwarfs in FIRE-2 that lack a well-defined disk/halo and do not resemble the observed dwarf population. These nondisky dwarfs tend to be either more gas-poor or to have burstier recent star formation histories than the disky dwarfs, suggesting that star formation feedback may be preventing disk formation. Both classes of dwarfs underscore the power of a galaxy's intrinsic shape—which is a direct quantification of the distribution of the galaxy's stellar content—to interrogate the feedback implementation in simulated galaxies.

The explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae is not fully understood yet. In this work, we give constraints on the explosion timescale based on ⁵⁶Ni synthesized by supernova explosions. First, we systematically analyze multiband light curves of 82 stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) to obtain bolometric light curves, which is among the largest samples of the bolometric light curves of SESNe derived from the multiband spectral energy distribution. We measure the decline timescale and the peak luminosity of the light curves and estimate the ejecta mass (M_ej) and ⁵⁶Ni mass (M_Ni) to connect the observed properties with the explosion physics. We then carry out one-dimensional hydrodynamics and nucleosynthesis calculations, varying the progenitor mass and the explosion timescale. From the calculations, we show that the maximum ⁵⁶Ni mass that ⁵⁶Ni-powered SNe can reach is expressed as M_Ni ≲ 0.2 M_ej. Comparing the results from the observations and the calculations, we show that the explosion timescale shorter than 0.3 s explains the synthesized ⁵⁶Ni mass of the majority of the SESNe.

We examine the UV/X-ray properties of 1378 quasars in order to link empirical correlations to theoretical models of the physical mechanisms dominating quasars as a function of mass and accretion rate. The clarity of these correlations is improved when (1) using C iv broad emission line equivalent width (EQW) and blueshift (relative to systemic) values calculated from high signal-to-noise ratio reconstructions of optical/UV spectra and (2) removing quasars expected to be absorbed based on their UV/X-ray spectral slopes. In addition to using the traditional C iv parameter space measures of C iv EQW and blueshift, we define a "C iv ∥ distance" along a best-fit polynomial curve that incorporates information from both C iv parameters. We find that the C iv ∥ distance is linearly correlated with both the optical-to-X-ray slope, α_ox, and broad-line He ii EQW, which are known spectral energy distribution indicators, but does not require X-ray or high spectral resolution UV observations to compute. The C iv ∥ distance may be a better indicator of the mass-weighted accretion rate, parameterized by L/L_Edd, than the C iv EQW or blueshift alone, as those relationships are known to break down at the extrema. Conversely, there is only a weak correlation with the X-ray energy index (Γ), an alternate L/L_Edd indicator. We find no X-ray or optical trends in the direction perpendicular to the C iv distance that could be used to reveal differences in accretion disk, wind, or corona structure that could be widening the C iv EQW–blueshift distribution. A different parameter (such as metallicity) not traced by these data must come into play.

The Sgr B region, including Sgr B1 and Sgr B2, is one of the most active star-forming regions in the Galaxy. Hasegawa et al. originally proposed that Sgr B2 was formed by a cloud–cloud collision (CCC) between two clouds with velocities of ∼45 km s⁻¹ and ∼75 km s⁻¹. However, some recent observational studies conflict with this scenario. We have reanalyzed this region, by using recent, fully sampled, dense-gas data and by employing a recently developed CCC identification methodology, with which we have successfully identified more than 50 CCCs and compared them at various wavelengths. We found two velocity components that are widely spread across this region and that show clear signatures of a CCC, each with a mass of ∼10⁶M_⊙. Based on these observational results, we suggest an alternative scenario, in which contiguous collisions between two velocity features with a relative velocity of ∼20 km s⁻¹ created both Sgr B1 and Sgr B2. The physical parameters, such as the column density and the relative velocity of the colliding clouds, satisfy a relation that has been found to apply to the most massive Galactic CCCs, meaning that the triggering of high-mass star formation in the Galaxy and starbursts in external galaxies can be understood as being due to the same physical CCC process.

We identify members of 65 open clusters in the solar neighborhood using the machine-learning algorithm StarGO based on Gaia EDR3 data. After adding members of 20 clusters from previous studies we obtain 85 clusters, and study their morphology and kinematics. We classify the substructures outside the tidal radius into four categories: filamentary (f1) and fractal (f2) for clusters <100 Myr, and halo (h) and tidal tail (t) for clusters >100 Myr. The kinematical substructures of f1-type clusters are elongated; these resemble the disrupted cluster Group X. Kinematic tails are distinct in t-type clusters, especially Pleiades. We identify 29 hierarchical groups in four young regions (Alessi 20, IC 348, LP 2373, LP 2442); 10 among these are new. The hierarchical groups form filament networks. Two regions (Alessi 20, LP 2373) exhibit global orthogonal expansion (stellar motion perpendicular to the filament), which might cause complete dispersal. Infalling-like flows (stellar motion along the filament) are found in UBC 31 and related hierarchical groups in the IC 348 region. Stellar groups in the LP 2442 region (LP 2442 gp 1–5) are spatially well mixed but kinematically coherent. A merging process might be ongoing in the LP 2442 subgroups. For younger systems (≲30 Myr), the mean axis ratio, cluster mass, and half-mass–radius tend to increase with age values. These correlations between structural parameters may imply two dynamical processes occurring in the hierarchical formation scenario in young stellar groups: (1) filament dissolution and (2) subgroup mergers.

Are WO-type Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars in the final stage of massive star evolution before core-collapse? Although WC- and WO-type WRs have very similar spectra, WOs show a much stronger O viλλ3811,34 emission-line feature. This has usually been interpreted to mean that WOs are more oxygen rich than WCs, and thus further evolved. However, previous studies have failed to model this line, leaving the relative abundances uncertain, and the relationship between the two types unresolved. To answer this fundamental question, we modeled six WCs and two WOs in the LMC using UV, optical, and NIR spectra with the radiative transfer code cmfgen in order to determine their physical properties. We find that WOs are not richer in oxygen; rather, the O vi feature is insensitive to the abundance. However, the WOs have a significantly higher carbon and lower helium content than the WCs, and hence are further evolved. A comparison of our results with single-star Geneva and binary BPASS evolutionary models show that, while many properties match, there is more carbon and less oxygen in the WOs than either set of evolutionary model predicts. This discrepancy may be due to the large uncertainty in the ¹²C+⁴He → ¹⁶O nuclear reaction rate; we show that if the Kunz et al. rate is decreased by a factor of 25%–50%, then there would be a good match with the observations. It would also help explain the LIGO/VIRGO detection of black holes whose masses are in the theoretical upper mass gap.

During the transition phase from a prestellar to a protostellar cloud core, one or several protostars can form within a single gas core. The detailed physical processes of this transition, however, remain unclear. We present 1.3 mm dust continuum and molecular line observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array toward 43 protostellar cores in the Orion molecular cloud complex (λ Orionis, Orion B, and Orion A) with an angular resolution of ∼035 (∼140 au). In total, we detect 13 binary/multiple systems. We derive an overall multiplicity frequency (MF) of 28% ± 4% and a companion star fraction (CSF) of 51% ± 6%, over a separation range of 300–8900 au. The median separation of companions is about 2100 au. The occurrence of stellar multiplicity may depend on the physical characteristics of the dense cores. Notably, those containing binary/multiple systems tend to show a higher gas density and Mach number than cores forming single stars. The integral-shaped filament of the Orion A giant molecular cloud (GMC), which has the highest gas density and hosts high-mass star formation in its central region (the Orion Nebula cluster), shows the highest MF and CSF among the Orion GMCs. In contrast, the λ Orionis GMC has a lower MF and CSF than the Orion B and Orion A GMCs, indicating that feedback from H ii regions may suppress the formation of multiple systems. We also find that the protostars comprising a binary/multiple system are usually at different evolutionary stages.

The advent of sensitive gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, coupled with wide-field, high-cadence optical time-domain surveys, raises the possibility of the first joint GW–electromagnetic detections of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). For targeted searches of GWs from CCSNe, optical observations can be used to increase the sensitivity of the search by restricting the relevant time interval, defined here as the GW search window (GSW). The extent of the GSW is a critical factor in determining the achievable false alarm probability for a triggered CCSN search. The ability to constrain the GSW from optical observations depends on how early a CCSN is detected, as well as the ability to model the early optical emission. Here we present several approaches to constrain the GSW, ranging in complexity from model-independent analytical fits of the early light curve, model-dependent fits of the rising or entire light curve, and a new data-driven approach using existing well-sampled CCSN light curves from Kepler and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. We use these approaches to determine the time of core-collapse and its associated uncertainty (i.e., the GSW). We apply our methods to two Type II SNe that occurred during LIGO/Virgo Observing Run 3: SN 2019fcn and SN 2019ejj (both in the same galaxy at d = 15.7 Mpc). Our approach shortens the duration of the GSW and improves the robustness of the GSW compared to the techniques used in past GW CCSN searches.

The Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS) is a cycle-7 ALMA Large Program (LP) that is identifying and performing a first characterization of many of the most luminous star-forming galaxies known in the z > 6.5 universe. REBELS is providing this probe by systematically scanning 40 of the brightest UV-selected galaxies identified over a 7 deg² area for bright [C ii]_{158 μm} and [O iii]_{88 μm} lines and dust-continuum emission. Selection of the 40 REBELS targets was done by combining our own and other photometric selections, each of which is subject to extensive vetting using three completely independent sets of photometry and template-fitting codes. Building on the observational strategy deployed in two pilot programs, we are increasing the number of massive interstellar medium (ISM) reservoirs known at z > 6.5 by ∼4–5× to >30. In this manuscript, we motivate the observational strategy deployed in the REBELS program and present initial results. Based on the first-year observations, 18 highly significant ≥ 7σ [C ii]_{158 μm} lines have already been discovered, the bulk of which (13/18) also show ≥3.3σ dust-continuum emission. These newly discovered lines more than triple the number of bright ISM-cooling lines known in the z > 6.5 universe, such that the number of ALMA-derived redshifts at z > 6.5 rival Lyα discoveries. An analysis of the completeness of our search results versus star formation rate (SFR) suggests an ∼79% efficiency in scanning for [C ii]_{158 μm} when the SFR_UV+IR is >28 M_⊙ yr⁻¹. These new LP results further demonstrate ALMA's efficiency as a "redshift machine," particularly in the Epoch of Reionization.

The task of finding the potential of a thin circular disk with power-law radial density profile is revisited. The result, given in terms of infinite Legendre-type series in the above reference, has now been obtained in closed form thanks to the method of Conway employing Bessel functions. Starting from a closed-form expression for the potential generated by the elementary density term ρ^2l, we cover more generic—finite solid or infinite annular—thin disks using superposition and/or inversion with respect to the rim. We check several specific cases against the series-expansion form by numerical evaluation at particular locations. Finally, we add a method to obtain a closed-form solution for finite annular disks whose density is of "bump" radial shape, as modeled by a suitable combination of several powers of radius. Density and azimuthal pressure of the disks are illustrated on several plots, together with radial profiles of free circular velocity.

Solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves are large-scale propagating disturbances in the corona. It is generally believed that a vital key to the formation of EUV waves is the rapid expansion of the loops that overlie erupting cores in solar eruptions, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar jets. However, the details of the interaction between the erupting cores and overlying loops are not clear because the overlying loops always instantly open after energetic eruptions. Here, we present three typical jet-driven EUV waves without CMEs to study the interaction between the jets and the overlying loops that remained closed during the events. All three jets emanated from magnetic flux cancellation sites in the source regions. Interestingly, after the interactions between the jets and overlying loops, three EUV waves respectively formed ahead of the top, the near end (close to the jet source), and the far (another) end of the overlying loops. According to the magnetic field distribution of the loops extrapolated through the potential field source surface method, it is confirmed that the birthplaces of three jet-driven EUV waves were around the parts of the overlying loops with the weakest magnetic field strengths. We suggest that the jet-driven EUV waves preferentially occur at the weakest part of the overlying loops, and the location can be subject to the magnetic field intensity around the ends of the loops.

We consider the flare prediction problem that distinguishes flare-imminent active regions that produce an M- or X-class flare in the succeeding 24 hr, from quiet active regions that do not produce any flares within ±24 hr. Using line-of-sight magnetograms and parameters of active regions in two data products covering Solar Cycles 23 and 24, we train and evaluate two deep learning algorithms—a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory (LSTM)—and their stacking ensembles. The decisions of CNN are explained using visual attribution methods. We have the following three main findings. (1) LSTM trained on data from two solar cycles achieves significantly higher true skill scores (TSSs) than that trained on data from a single solar cycle with a confidence level of at least 0.95. (2) On data from Solar Cycle 23, a stacking ensemble that combines predictions from LSTM and CNN using the TSS criterion achieves a significantly higher TSS than the "select-best" strategy with a confidence level of at least 0.95. (3) A visual attribution method called "integrated gradients" is able to attribute the CNN's predictions of flares to the emerging magnetic flux in the active region. It also reveals a limitation of CNNs as flare prediction methods using line-of-sight magnetograms: it treats the polarity artifact of line-of-sight magnetograms as positive evidence of flares.

Comets provide a valuable window into the chemical and physical conditions at the time of their formation in the young solar system. We seek insights into where and when these objects formed by comparing the range of abundances observed for nine molecules and their average values across a sample of 29 comets to the predicted midplane ice abundances from models of the protosolar nebula. Our fiducial model, where ices are inherited from the interstellar medium, can account for the observed mixing ratio ranges of each molecule considered, but no single location or time reproduces the abundances of all molecules simultaneously. This suggests that each comet consists of material processed under a range of conditions. In contrast, a model where the initial composition of disk material is "reset," wiping out any previous chemical history, cannot account for the complete range of abundances observed in comets. Using toy models that combine material processed under different thermal conditions, we find that a combination of warm (CO-poor) and cold (CO-rich) material is required to account for both the average properties of the Jupiter-family and Oort cloud comets, and the individual comets we consider. This could occur by the transport (either radial or vertical) of ice-coated dust grains in the early solar system. Comparison of the models to the average Jupiter-family and Oort cloud comet compositions suggests the two families formed in overlapping regions of the disk, in agreement with the findings of A'Hearn et al. and with the predictions of the Nice model.

3C 186, a radio-loud quasar at z = 1.0685, was previously reported to have both velocity and spatial offsets from its host galaxy, and has been considered as a promising candidate for a gravitational wave recoiling black hole triggered by a black hole merger. Another possible scenario is that 3C 186 is in an ongoing galaxy merger, exhibiting a temporary displacement. In this study, we present analyses of new deep images from the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3-IR and Advanced Camera for Surveys, aiming to characterize the host galaxy and test this alternative scenario. We carefully measure the light-weighted center of the host and reveal a significant spatial offset from the quasar core (11.1 ± 0.1 kpc). The direction of the confirmed offset aligns almost perpendicularly to the radio jet. We do not find evidence of a recent merger, such as a young starburst in disturbed outskirts, but only marginal light concentration in F160W at ∼30 kpc. The host consists of mature (≳200 Myr) stellar populations and one compact star-forming region. We compare with hydrodynamical simulations and find that those observed features are consistently seen in late-stage merger remnants. Taken together, those pieces of evidence indicate that the system is not an ongoing/young merger remnant, suggesting that the recoiling black hole scenario is still a plausible explanation for the puzzling nature of 3C 186.

The underlying physics of astronomical systems govern the relation between their measurable properties. Consequently, quantifying the statistical relationships between system-level observable properties of a population offers insights into the astrophysical drivers of that class of systems. While purely linear models capture behavior over a limited range of system scale, the fact that astrophysics is ultimately scale dependent implies the need for a more flexible approach to describing population statistics over a wide dynamic range. For such applications, we introduce and implement a class of kernel localized linear regression (KLLR) models. KLLR is a natural extension to the commonly used linear models that allows the parameters of the linear model—normalization, slope, and covariance matrix—to be scale dependent. KLLR performs inference in two steps: (1) it estimates the mean relation between a set of independent variables and a dependent variable and; (2) it estimates the conditional covariance of the dependent variables given a set of independent variables. We demonstrate the model's performance in a simulated setting and showcase an application of the proposed model in analyzing the baryonic content of dark matter halos. As a part of this work, we publicly release a Python implementation of the KLLR method.

We have developed an improved model of X-ray emission from optically thin, two-temperature accretion flows, kerrflow, using an exact Monte Carlo treatment of global Comptonization as well as with a fully general relativistic description of both the radiative and hydrodynamic processes. It also includes pion-decay electrons, whose synchrotron emission dominates the seed photon yield at $\dot{M}/{\dot{M}}_{\mathrm{Edd}}\gtrsim 0.1$ in flows around supermassive black holes. We consider in detail the dependence of the model spectra on the black hole spin, the electron heating efficiency, the plasma magnetization, and the accretion rate, and we discuss the feasibility of constraining these parameters by analyzing X-ray spectra of nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. We note some degeneracies that hinder precise estimations of these parameters when individual X-ray spectra are analyzed. These degeneracies are eliminated when several spectra from a given source are fitted jointly, which then allows us to reliably measure the model parameters. We find significant differences with previous spectral models of hot-flow emission, related with the computational methods for Comptonization. Finally, we briefly consider and discuss the dependence on the viscosity parameter and on the outflow strength.

We analyze the quasiperiodic oscillation (QPO) of the historical light curve of flat-spectrum radio quasars PKS 0405-385 detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope from 2008 August to 2021 November. To identify and determine the QPO signal of PKS 0405-385 in the γ-ray light curve, we use four time series analysis techniques based on frequency and time domains, i.e., the Lomb–Scargle periodogram (LSP), the weighted wavelet z-transform (WWZ), the REDFIT, and the epoch folding. The results show that PKS 0405-385 has a quasiperiodic behavior of ∼2.8 yr with the significance of ∼4.3σ in Fermi long-term monitoring. Remarkably, we also performed QPO analysis in the G-band light curve observed from 2014 October to 2021 October using LSP and WWZ technology, and the results (∼4σ of significance) are consistent with the periodic detection in γ-ray. This may imply that the optical emission is radiated by an electron population in the same way as the γ-ray emission. In discussing the possible mechanism of quasiperiodic behavior, either the helical motion within a jet or the supermassive black hole binary system provides a viable explanation for the QPO of 2.8 yr, and the relevant parameters have been estimated.