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In this paper, we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the subluminous Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2012ij, which has an absolute B -band peak magnitude M B , max = âˆ' 17.95 ± 0.15 mag. The B -band light curve exhibits a fast postpeak decline with Î" m 15(B) = 1.86 ± 0.05 mag. All the R - and I / i -band light curves show a weak secondary peak/shoulder feature at about 3 weeks after the peak, like some transitional subclass of SNe Ia, which could result from an incomplete merger of near-infrared (NIR) double peaks. The spectra are characterized by Ti ii and strong Si ii λ 5972 absorption features that are usually seen in low-luminosity objects like SN 1999by. The NIR spectrum before maximum light reveals weak carbon absorption features, implying the existence of unburned materials. We compare the observed properties of SN 2012ij with those predicted by the sub-Chandrasekhar-mass and the Chandrasekhar-mass delayed-detonation models and find that both optical and NIR spectral properties can be explained to some extent by these two models. By comparing the secondary maximum features in the I and i bands, we suggest that SN 2012ij is a transitional object linking normal SNe Ia to typical 91bg-like ones. From the published sample of SNe Ia from the Carnegie Supernova Project II, we estimate that the fraction of SN 2012ijâ€"like SNe Ia is not lower than ∼2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical light curves of quiescent black hole low-mass X-ray binaries often exhibit significant nonellipsoidal variabilities, showing the photospheric radiation of the companion star is veiled by other sources of optical emission. Assessing this “veiling” effect is critical to the black hole mass measurement. Here in this work, we carry out a strictly simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric campaign on the prototype of black hole low-mass X-ray binary A0620-00. We find that for each observation epoch, the extra optical flux beyond a pure ellipsoidal modulation is positively correlated with the fraction of veiling emission, indicating the accretion disk contributes most of the nonellipsoidal variations. Meanwhile, we also obtain a K2V spectral classification of the companion, as well as the measurements of the companion’s rotational velocity v sin i = 83.8 ± 1.9 km sâˆ'1 and the mass ratio between the companion and the black hole q = 0.063 ± 0.004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a spectral analysis of four Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) WC-type Wolfâ€"Rayet (WR) stars (BAT99-8, BAT99-9, BAT99-11, and BAT99-52) to shed light on two evolutionary questions surrounding massive stars. The first is: are WO-type WR stars more oxygen enriched than WC-type stars, indicating further chemical evolution, or are the strong high-excitation oxygen lines in WO-type stars an indication of higher temperatures. This study will act as a baseline for answering the question of where WO-type stars fall in WR evolution. Each star’s spectrum, extending from 1100 to 25000 Ă..., was modeled using cmfgen to determine the star’s physical properties such as luminosity, mass-loss rate, and chemical abundances. The oxygen abundance is a key evolutionary diagnostic, and with higher resolution data and an improved stellar atmosphere code, we found the oxygen abundance to be up to a factor of 5 lower than that of previous studies. The second evolutionary question revolves around the formation of WR stars: do they evolve by themselves or is a close companion star necessary for their formation? Using our derived physical parameters, we compared our results to the Geneva single-star evolutionary models and the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) binary evolutionary models. We found that both the Geneva solar-metallicity models and BPASS LMC-metallicity models are in agreement with the four WC-type stars, while the Geneva LMC-metallicity models are not. Therefore, these four WC4 stars could have been formed either via binary or single-star evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the largest and most homogeneous spectroscopic data set of field RR Lyrae variables (RRLs) available to date. We estimated abundances using both high-resolution and low-resolution (Î" S method) spectra for fundamental (RRab) and first overtone (RRc) RRLs. The iron abundances for 7941 RRLs were supplemented with similar estimates that are available in the literature, ending up with 9015 RRLs (6150 RRab, 2865 RRc). The metallicity distribution shows a mean value of 〈[Fe/H]〉 = âˆ'1.51 ± 0.01, and σ (standard deviation) = 0.41 dex with a long metal-poor tail approaching [Fe/H] ≃ âˆ' 3 and a sharp metal-rich tail approaching solar iron abundance. The RRab variables are more metal-rich (〈[Fe/H]〉ab = âˆ'1.48 ± 0.01, σ = 0.41 dex) than RRc variables (〈[Fe/H]〉c = âˆ'1.58 ± 0.01, σ = 0.40 dex). The relative fraction of RRab variables in the Bailey diagram (visual amplitude versus period) located along the short-period (more metal-rich) and the long-period (more metal-poor) sequences are 80% and 20%, while RRc variables display an opposite trend, namely 30% and 70%, respectively. We found that the pulsation period of both RRab and RRc variables steadily decreases when moving from the metal-poor to the metal-rich regime. The visual amplitude shows the same trend, but RRc amplitudes are almost two times more sensitive than RRab amplitudes to metallicity. We also investigated the dependence of the population ratio (N c /Ntot) of field RRLs on the metallicity and we found that the distribution is more complex than in globular clusters. The population ratio steadily increases from ∼0.25 to ∼0.36 in the metal-poor regime, it decreases from ∼0.36 to ∼0.18 for âˆ'1.8 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ âˆ'0.9 and it increases to a value of ∼0.3 approaching solar iron abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a sensitive search with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array for the radio counterpart of the gravitational wave candidate S191216ap, which is classified as a binary black hole merger and suggested to be a possible multimessenger event, based on the detection of a high-energy neutrino and a TeV photon. We carried out a blind search at C band (4–8 GHz) over 0.3 deg2 of the gamma-ray counterpart of S191216ap reported by the High-Altitude Water Cerenkov Observatory (HAWC). Our search, spanning three epochs over 130 days of postmerger and having a mean source-detection threshold of 75 μJy beam−1 (4σ), yielded five variable sources associated with active galactic nucleus activity and no definitive counterpart of S191216ap. We find <2% (3.0% ± 1.3%) of the persistent radio sources at 6 GHz to be variable on a timescale of <1 week (week–months), consistent with previous radio variability studies. Our 4σ radio luminosity upper limit of ∼1.2 × 1028 erg s−1 Hz−1 on the afterglow of S191216ap, within the HAWC error region, is 5–10 times deeper than previous binary black hole (BBH) radio afterglow searches. Comparing this upper limit with theoretical expectations given by Perna et al. for putative jets launched by BBH mergers, for on-axis jets with energy ≃1049 erg, we can rule out jet opening angles ≲ 20° (assuming that the counterpart lies within the 1σ HAWC region that we observed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M15 is a globular cluster with a known spread in neutron-capture elements. This paper presents abundances of neutron-capture elements for 62 stars in M15. Spectra were obtained with the Michigan/Magellan Fiber System spectrograph, covering a wavelength range from ∼4430 to 4630 Å. Spectral lines from Fe i, Fe ii, Sr i, Zr ii, Ba ii, La ii, Ce ii, Nd ii, Sm ii, Eu ii, and Dy ii were measured, enabling classifications and neutron-capture abundance patterns for the stars. Of the 62 targets, 44 are found to be highly Eu-enhanced r -II stars, another 17 are moderately Eu-enhanced r -I stars, and one star is found to have an s -process signature. The neutron-capture patterns indicate that the majority of the stars are consistent with enrichment by the r -process. The 62 target stars are found to show significant star-to-star spreads in Sr, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Dy, but no significant spread in Fe. The neutron-capture abundances are further found to have slight correlations with sodium abundances from the literature, unlike what has been previously found; follow-up studies are needed to verify this result. The findings in this paper suggest that the Eu-enhanced stars in M15 were enhanced by the same process, that the nucleosynthetic source of this Eu pollution was the r -process, and that the r -process source occurred as the first generation of cluster stars was forming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have extended the work of Papers I and II of this series to determine at a higher spatial resolution the properties of the embedded Orion-S Molecular Cloud that lies within the ionized cavity of the Orion Nebula and of the thin ionized layer that lies between the Cloud and the observer. This was done using existing and new [N ii ] (658.3 nm) and [O iii ] (500.7 nm) spectra that map the central region of the Orion Nebula (the Huygens region). Although our observations show that the surface brightness of the ionized layer on the Orion-S Molecular Cloud and that of the nearer foreground ionized layer are linked, the process by which this is done is unclear. It is shown that the Cloud modifies the outer parts of the Huygens region in the direction of the extended hot X-ray gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared spectroscopic observations have established the presence of solid methanol (CH3OH) in the interstellar medium and in solar system ices, but the abundance of frozen CH3OH cannot be deduced without accurate band strengths, optical constants, and reference spectra. In this paper we identify disagreements, omissions, and gaps in the literature on infrared (IR) intensities of methanol ices, including unaddressed concerns that reach back several decades. New spectra are presented with intensity measurements aided by new data on the index of refraction and density of solid CH3OH. The result is that the large discordant results from different laboratory groups can now be reconciled. Multiple ices have been used to determine, apparently for the first time, IR intensities of H2O + CH3OH mixtures of accurately known composition for use with observations of interstellar ices. Also for the first time, measurements on CH3OH ices with different thicknesses have allowed us to report both near-IR band strengths and optical constants for two near-IR features used by planetary scientists. We have used our new IR results to determine vapor pressures of solid CH3OH and have compared them to measurements made with a quartz-crystal microbalance. Thermal annealings of methanol ices have been carried out and phase changes in the solid state examined. Comparisons of our results to earlier work are presented where possible, and electronic versions of our new results are made available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As observations of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) in redshifted 21 cm emission begin, we assess the accuracy of the early catalog results from the Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionization (PAPER) and the Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA). The MWA EoR approach derives much of its sensitivity from subtracting foregrounds to <1% precision, while the PAPER approach relies on the stability and symmetry of the primary beam. Both require an accurate flux calibration to set the amplitude of the measured power spectrum. The two instruments are very similar in resolution, sensitivity, sky coverage, and spectral range and have produced catalogs from nearly contemporaneous data. We use a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting method to estimate that the two instruments are on the same flux scale to within 20% and find that the images are mostly in good agreement. We then investigate the source of the errors by comparing two overlapping MWA facets where we find that the differences are primarily related to an inaccurate model of the primary beam but also correlated errors in bright sources due to clean. We conclude with suggestions for mitigating and better characterizing these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Magellan/MIKE and Keck/HIRES high-resolution spectra of six red giant stars in the dwarf galaxy Segue 1. Including one additional Segue 1 star observed by Norris et al., high-resolution spectra have now been obtained for every red giant in Segue 1. Remarkably, three of these seven stars have metallicities below [Fe/H] = –3.5, suggesting that Segue 1 is the least chemically evolved galaxy known. We confirm previous medium-resolution analyses demonstrating that Segue 1 stars span a metallicity range of more than 2 dex, from [Fe/H] = –1.4 to [Fe/H] = –3.8. All of the Segue 1 stars are α-enhanced, with [α/Fe] ∼ 0.5. High α-element abundances are typical for metal-poor stars, but in every previously studied galaxy [α/Fe] declines for more metal-rich stars, which is typically interpreted as iron enrichment from supernova Ia. The absence of this signature in Segue 1 indicates that it was enriched exclusively by massive stars. Other light element abundance ratios in Segue 1, including carbon enhancement in the three most metal-poor stars, closely resemble those of metal-poor halo stars. Finally, we classify the most metal-rich star as a CH star given its large overabundances of carbon and s-process elements. The other six stars show remarkably low neutron-capture element abundances of [Sr/H] < –4.9 and [Ba/H] < –4.2, which are comparable to the lowest levels ever detected in halo stars. This suggests minimal neutron-capture enrichment, perhaps limited to a single r-process or weak s-process synthesizing event. Altogether, the chemical abundances of Segue 1 indicate no substantial chemical evolution, supporting the idea that it may be a surviving first galaxy that experienced only one burst of star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first ground-based CCD (λ < 1 μm) image of an extrasolar planet. Using the Magellan Adaptive Optics system's VisAO camera, we detected the extrasolar giant planet β Pictoris b in Y-short (YS, 0.985 μm), at a separation of 0.470 ± 0.″010 and a contrast of (1.63 ± 0.49) × 10–5. This detection has a signal-to-noise ratio of 4.1 with an empirically estimated upper limit on false alarm probability of 1.0%. We also present new photometry from the Gemini Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager instrument on the Gemini South telescope, in CH4S,1% (1.58 μm), KS (2.18 μm), and Kcont (2.27 μm). A thorough analysis of our photometry combined with previous measurements yields an estimated near-IR spectral type of L2.5 ± 1.5, consistent with previous estimates. We estimate log (Lbol/L☼) = –3.86 ± 0.04, which is consistent with prior estimates for β Pic b and with field early-L brown dwarfs (BDs). This yields a hot-start mass estimate of 11.9 ± 0.7 MJup for an age of 21 ± 4 Myr, with an upper limit below the deuterium burning mass. Our Lbol-based hot-start estimate for temperature is Teff = 1643 ± 32 K (not including model-dependent uncertainty). Due to the large corresponding model-derived radius of R = 1.43 ± 0.02 RJup, this Teff is ∼250 K cooler than would be expected for a field L2.5 BD. Other young, low-gravity (large-radius), ultracool dwarfs and directly imaged EGPs also have lower effective temperatures than are implied by their spectral types. However, such objects tend to be anomalously red in the near-IR compared to field BDs. In contrast, β Pic b has near-IR colors more typical of an early-L dwarf despite its lower inferred temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the radial velocity curve of a single-lined spectroscopic binary in the faint Hercules dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, based on 34 individual spectra covering more than 2 yr of observations. This is the first time that orbital elements could be derived for a binary in a dSph. The system consists of a metal-poor red giant and a low-mass companion, possibly a white dwarf, with a 135 day period in a moderately eccentric (e = 0.18) orbit. Its period and eccentricity are fully consistent with metal-poor binaries in the Galactic halo, while the projected semimajor axis is small, at ap sin i = 38 R☼. In fact, a very close orbit could inhibit the production of heavier elements through s-process nucleosynthesis, leading to the very low abundances of neutron-capture elements that are found in this star. We discuss the further implications for the chemical enrichment history of the Hercules dSph, but find no compelling binary scenario that could reasonably explain the full, peculiar abundance pattern of the Hercules dSph galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying quasars at the highest redshifts can constrain models of galaxy and black hole formation, and it also probes the intergalactic medium in the early universe. Optical surveys have to date discovered more than 60 quasars up to z ≃ 6.4, a limit set by the use of the z-band and CCD detectors. Only one z ≳ 6.4 quasar has been discovered, namely the z = 7.08 quasar ULAS J1120+0641, using near-infrared imaging. Here we report the discovery of three new z ≳ 6.4 quasars in 332 deg2 of the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy Kilo-degree Infrared Galaxy (VIKING) survey, thus extending the number from 1 to 4. The newly discovered quasars have redshifts of z = 6.60, 6.75, and 6.89. The absolute magnitudes are between –26.0 and –25.5, 0.6-1.1 mag fainter than ULAS J1120+0641. Near-infrared spectroscopy revealed the Mg II emission line in all three objects. The quasars are powered by black holes with masses of ∼(1-2) × 109M☼. In our probed redshift range of 6.44 < z < 7.44 we can set a lower limit on the space density of supermassive black holes of ρ(MBH > 109M☼) > 1.1 × 10–9 Mpc–3. The discovery of three quasars in our survey area is consistent with the z = 6 quasar luminosity function when extrapolated to z ∼ 7. We do not find evidence for a steeper decline in the space density of quasars with increasing redshift from z = 6 to z = 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper, we derived a new equation of state (EOS) for dense hydrogen/helium mixtures that covers the temperature–density domain from solar-type stars to brown dwarfs and gaseous planets. This EOS is based on the so-called additive volume law and thus does not take into account the interactions between the hydrogen and helium species. In the present paper, we go beyond these calculations by taking into account H/He interactions, derived from quantum molecular dynamics simulations. These interactions, which eventually lead to H/He phase separation, become important at low temperature and high density, in the domain of brown dwarfs and giant planets. The tables of this new EOS are made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous study, Huang et al. used the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model, one of the widely used solar wind models in the community, driven by ADAPT-GONG magnetograms to simulate the solar wind in the last solar cycle and found that the optimal Poynting flux parameter can be estimated from either the open field area or the average unsigned radial component of the magnetic field in the open field regions. It was also found that the average energy deposition rate (Poynting flux) in the open field regions is approximately constant. In the current study, we expand the previous work by using GONG magnetograms to simulate the solar wind for the same Carrington rotations and determine if the results are similar to the ones obtained with ADAPT-GONG magnetograms. Our results indicate that similar correlations can be obtained from the GONG maps. Moreover, we report that ADAPT-GONG magnetograms can consistently provide better comparisons with 1 au solar wind observations than GONG magnetograms, based on the best simulations selected by the minimum of the average curve distance for the solar wind speed and density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual active galaxy nuclei (dAGNs) trace the population of post-merger galaxies and are the precursors to massive black hole (MBH) mergers, an important source of gravitational waves that may be observed by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). In Paper I of this series, we used the population of ≈2000 galaxy mergers predicted by the TNG50-3 simulation to seed semi-analytic models of the orbital evolution and coalescence of MBH pairs with initial separations of ≈1 kpc. Here, we calculate the dAGN luminosities and separations of these pairs as they evolve in post-merger galaxies, and show how the coalescence fraction of dAGNs changes with redshift. We find that because of the several gigayear-long dynamical friction timescale for orbital evolution, the fraction of dAGNs that eventually end in an MBH merger grows with redshift and exceeds 50% beyond z dAGN ≈ 1. Dual AGNs in galaxies with bulge masses ≲1010 M ⊙, or consisting of near-equal-mass MBHs, evolve more quickly and have higher than average coalescence fractions. At any redshift, dAGNs observed with small separations (≲0.7 kpc) have a higher probability of merging before z = 0 than more widely separated systems. Radiation feedback effects can significantly reduce the number of MBH mergers, and this could be manifested as a larger than expected number of widely separated dAGNs. We present a method to estimate the MBH coalescence rate as well as the potential LISA detection rate given a survey of dAGNs. Comparing these rates to the eventual LISA measurements will help determine the efficiency of dynamical friction in post-merger galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of the resolved Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) sources Sgr A* and M87* are constrained by observations at multiple wavelengths, resolutions, polarizations, and time cadences. In this paper, we compare unresolved circular polarization (CP) measurements to a library of models, where each model is characterized by a distribution of CP over time. In the library, we vary the spin of the black hole, the magnetic field strength at the horizon (i.e., both SANE and magnetically arrested disk or MAD models), the observer inclination, a parameter for the maximum ion–electron temperature ratio assuming a thermal plasma, and the direction of the magnetic field dipole moment. We find that Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of Sgr A* are inconsistent with all edge-on (i = 90°) models. Restricting attention to the MAD models favored by earlier EHT studies of Sgr A*, we find that only models with magnetic dipole moment pointing away from the observer are consistent with ALMA data. We also note that in 26 of the 27 passing MAD models, the accretion flow rotates clockwise on the sky. We provide a table of the means and standard deviations of the CP distributions for all model parameters, along with their trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous study (Paper I) investigated the polarization properties of a variety of simple convex grain shapes, some of which were found to be consistent with the observed polarization properties of interstellar dust from far-ultraviolet to far-infrared. Here, we study the optical properties of 45 nonconvex shapes, all aggregates of N equal-sized spheres. We consider N = 2, N = 3, and N = 256 random aggregates obtained from three different aggregation schemes. We also consider "trimmed" N = 256 aggregates obtained by systematically trimming initially random aggregates to increase either flattening or elongation. The "macroporosities" of the studied aggregates range from P macro = 0.18 (for the N = 2 bisphere) to P macro ≈ 0.85 (for the N = 256 "BA" aggregates). The only aggregates consistent with observations of starlight polarization and polarized thermal emission are shapes that have been trimmed to increase their asymmetry. If interstellar grains are high-porosity aggregates, there must be processes causing extreme elongation or flattening; if not, interstellar grains must be dominated by fairly compact structures, with at most moderate porosities. The ratio of polarization in the 10 μ m silicate feature to starlight polarization in the optical is shown to be insensitive to porosity and shape. X-ray scattering may be the best tool to determine the porosity of interstellar grains. We propose that modest porosities of interstellar grains could be the result of "photolytic densification." High polarization fractions observed in some Class 0 cores require processes to reduce porosities and/or increase asymmetries of aggregates in dense regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a U-Net model of deep learning algorithms for reconstructions of the 3D peculiar velocity field, which simplifies the reconstruction process with enhanced precision. We test the adaptability of the U-Net model with simulation data under more realistic conditions, including the redshift space distortion effect and halo mass threshold. Our results show that the U-Net model outperforms the analytical method that runs under ideal conditions, with a 16% improvement in precision, 13% in residuals, 18% in correlation coefficient, and 27% in average coherence. The deep learning algorithm exhibits exceptional capacities to capture velocity features in nonlinear regions and substantially improve reconstruction precision in boundary regions. We then apply the U-Net model trained under Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observational conditions to the SDSS Data Release 7 data for observational 3D peculiar velocity reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the completed KMOS3D survey, an integral field spectroscopic survey of 739 galaxies at 0.6 < z < 2.7 using the K-band Multi Object Spectrograph (KMOS) at the Very Large Telescope. The KMOS3D survey provides a population-wide census of kinematics, star formation, outflows, and nebular gas conditions both on and off the star-forming galaxy main sequence through the spatially resolved and integrated properties of Hα, [N ii], and [S ii] emission lines. We detect Hα emission for 91% of galaxies on the main sequence of star formation and 79% overall. The depth of the survey has allowed us to detect galaxies with star formation rates below 1 M⊙ yr−1, as well as to resolve 81% of detected galaxies with ≥3 resolution elements along the kinematic major axis. The detection fraction of Hα is a strong function of both color and offset from the main sequence, with the detected and nondetected samples exhibiting different spectral energy distribution shapes. Comparison of Hα and UV+IR star formation rates reveal that dust attenuation corrections may be underestimated by 0.5 dex at the highest masses (). We confirm our first year results of a high rotation-dominated fraction (monotonic velocity gradient and vrot/) of 77% for the full KMOS3D sample. The rotation-dominated fraction is a function of both stellar mass and redshift, with the strongest evolution measured over the redshift range of the survey for galaxies with . With this paper, we include a final data release of all 739 observed objects (http://www.mpe.mpg.de/ir/KMOS3D). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fukui et al. quantified the hadronic and leptonic gamma-rays in the young TeV gamma-ray shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) RX J1713.7-3946 (RX J1713), and demonstrated that gamma rays are a combination of hadronic and leptonic gamma-ray components with a ratio of ∼6: 4 in gamma-ray counts N g. This discovery, which adopted a new methodology of multi-linear gamma-ray decomposition, was the first quantification of the two gamma-ray components. In the present work, we applied the same methodology to another TeV gamma-ray shell-type SNR RX J0852.0-4622 (RXJ0852) in 3D space characterized by (the interstellar proton column density N p)-(the nonthermal X-ray count N x)-[ N g], and quantified the hadronic and leptonic gamma-ray components as having a ratio of ∼5:5 in N g. The present work adopted the fitting of two/three flat planes in 3D space instead of a single flat plane, which allowed suppression of the fitting errors. This quantification indicates that hadronic and leptonic gamma-rays are of the same order of magnitude in these two core-collapse SNRs, verifying the significant hadronic gamma-ray components. We argue that the target interstellar protons, in particular their spatial distribution, are essential in any attempts to identify the type of particles responsible for gamma-ray emission. The present results confirm that cosmic-ray (CR) energy ≲100 TeV is compatible with a scheme in which SNRs are the dominant source of these Galactic CRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present ALMA 230 GHz continuum and CO(2–1) observations of the nearby Compton-thick Seyfert galaxy ESO428–G14, with angular resolution 0.″7 (78 pc). CO(2–1) is distributed in clumpy spiral arms, a lopsided circumnuclear ring (CNR) with ∼200 pc radius, and a transverse gas lane with size <100 pc, which crosses the nucleus and connects the two portions of the CNR. The main CO velocity gradient is consistent with a rotating disk with dynamical mass Mdyn = 5 × 109M⊙ within ∼1 kpc. We detect off-plane gas motions with respect to the main disk plane which likely trace a molecular outflow with rate , along a biconical structure with radius 700 pc. The CO outflow smoothly joins the warm molecular outflow detected in SINFONI/Very Large Telescope data in the central 170 pc, suggesting that the outflow may cool with increasing distance. Our dynamical modeling of the inner 100 pc region suggests a warped disk or bar, and of fast gas streams which may trace an inflow toward the AGN. The inner warped disk overlaps with the most obscured, CT region seen in X-rays. There, we derive a column density , suggesting that molecular gas may contribute significantly to the AGN obscuration. Most of the hard X-ray emitting nuclear region is deprived of cold molecular gas and shows a CO-cavity. The CO-cavity is filled with warm molecular gas traced by H2, confirming that the 3–6 keV continuum and Fe Kα emission are due to scattering from dense ISM clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) provides the highest-resolution images in astronomy. The sharpest resolution is nominally achieved at the highest frequencies, but as the observing frequency increases, so too does the atmospheric contribution to the system noise, degrading the sensitivity of the array and hampering detection. In this paper, we explore the limits of high-frequency VLBI observations using ngehtsim, a new tool for generating realistic synthetic data. ngehtsim uses detailed historical atmospheric models to simulate observing conditions, and it employs heuristic visibility detection criteria that emulate single- and multifrequency VLBI calibration strategies. We demonstrate the fidelity of ngehtsim's predictions using a comparison with existing 230 GHz data taken by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), and we simulate the expected performance of EHT observations at 345 GHz. Though the EHT achieves a nearly 100% detection rate at 230 GHz, our simulations indicate that it should expect substantially poorer performance at 345 GHz; in particular, observations of M87* at 345 GHz are predicted to achieve detection rates of ≲20% that may preclude imaging. Increasing the array sensitivity through wider bandwidths and/or longer integration times—as enabled through, e.g., the simultaneous multifrequency upgrades envisioned for the next-generation EHT—can improve the 345 GHz prospects and yield detection levels that are comparable to those at 230 GHz. M87* and Sgr A* observations carried out in the atmospheric window around 460 GHz could expect to regularly achieve multiple detections on long baselines, but analogous observations at 690 and 875 GHz consistently obtain almost no detections at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) has made rapid advances in imaging black holes. However, due to the limitations imposed on terrestrial VLBI by the Earth's finite size and turbulent atmosphere, it is imperative to have a space-based component in future VLBI missions. This paper investigates the effect of the Earth's oblateness, also known as the J 2 effect, on orbiters in Earth–space and space–space VLBI. The paper provides an extensive discussion on how the J 2 effect can directly impact orbit selection for black hole observations and how, through informed choices of orbital parameters, the effect can be used to a mission's advantage, a fact that has not been addressed in previous space VLBI investigations. We provide a comprehensive study of how the orbital parameters of several current space VLBI proposals will vary specifically due to the J 2 effect. For black hole accretion flow targets of interest, we demonstrate how the J 2 effect leads to a modest increase in shorter-baseline coverage, filling gaps in the (u, v) plane. Subsequently, we construct a simple analytical formalism that allows isolation of the impact of the J 2 effect on the (u, v) plane without requiring computationally intensive orbit propagation simulations. By directly constructing (u, v) coverage using J 2-affected and J 2-invariant equations of motion, we obtain distinct coverage patterns for M87* and Sgr A* that show extremely dense coverage on short baselines as well as long-term orbital stability on longer baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraplanar diffuse ionized gas (eDIG) represents ionized gases traced by optical/UV lines beyond the stellar extent of galaxies. We herein introduce a novel multislit narrow-band spectroscopy method to conduct spatially resolved spectroscopy of the eDIG around a sample of nearby edge-on disk galaxies (eDIG-CHANGES). In this paper, we introduce the project design and major scientific goals, as well as a pilot study of NGC 3556 (M108). The eDIG is detected to a vertical extent of a few kiloparsecs above the disk, comparable to the X-ray and radio images. We do not see significant vertical variation of the [N ii ]/H α line ratio. A rough examination of the pressure balance between different circumgalactic medium phases indicates the magnetic field is in a rough pressure balance with the X-ray emitting hot gas and may play an important role in the global motion of both the eDIG and the hot gas in the lower halo. At the location of an Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observed UV bright background active galactic nucleus ∼29 kpc from the center of NGC 3556, the magnetic pressure is much lower than that of the hot gas and the ionized gas traced by UV absorption lines, although the extrapolation of the pressure profiles may cause some biases in this comparison. By comparing the position–velocity diagrams of the optical and CO lines, we also find the dynamics of the two gas phases are consistent with each other, with no evidence of a global inflow/outflow and a maximum rotation velocity of ∼150 km s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the study of X-ray binaries has led to major breakthroughs in high-energy astrophysics, their circumbinary environment at scales of ∼100–10,000 au has not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we undertake a novel and exploratory study by employing direct and high-contrast imaging techniques on a sample of X-ray binaries, using adaptive optics and the vortex coronagraph on Keck/NIRC2. High-contrast imaging opens up the possibility to search for exoplanets, brown dwarfs, circumbinary companion stars, and protoplanetary disks in these extreme systems. Here we present the first near-infrared high-contrast images of 13 high-mass X-ray binaries located within ∼2–3 kpc. The key results of this campaign involve the discovery of several candidate circumbinary companions ranging from substellar (brown dwarf) to stellar masses. By conducting an analysis based on Galactic population models, we discriminate sources that are likely background/foreground stars and isolate those that have a high probability (≳60%–99%) of being gravitationally bound to the X-ray binary. This paper seeks to establish a preliminary catalog for future analyses of proper motion and subsequent observations. With our preliminary results, we calculate the first estimate of the companion frequency and the multiplicity frequency for X-ray binaries: ≈0.6 and 1.8 ± 0.9, respectively, considering only the sources that are most likely bound to the X-ray binary. In addition to extending our comprehension of how brown dwarfs and stars can form and survive in such extreme systems, our study opens a new window to our understanding of the formation of X-ray binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar wind heating is an outstanding issue that has been discussed for decades. Research on the connection between solar wind particle temperatures and turbulence may provide insight into this issue. Based on Parker Solar Probe observations, this paper investigates the properties of solar wind proton and electron temperatures in relation to turbulent magnetic energy, via the calculation of correlation coefficients (CCs) between particle temperatures and magnetic energy. The calculations are regulated by the spatial scale, plasma beta (β), and the angle between the solar wind velocity and background magnetic field, where the plasma beta is the ratio of plasma thermal to magnetic pressure. Results show that the correlation between proton temperature and magnetic energy is positive and can be strong with a CC exceeding 0.8. The strong correlation preferentially occurs at ion scales, with the wind velocity and background magnetic field quasi-perpendicular and over a wide beta range (β < 3.0). On the other hand, the correlation between electron temperature and magnetic energy is commonly negative, often with an intermediate or negligible CC, accordingly. The CC with an amplitude up to 0.8 can arise at larger scales with the wind velocity and background magnetic field quasi-(anti)parallel and in the low-beta case (β < 0.6). The implication of these findings on the physics of turbulent heating in the solar wind is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the multiscale temperature structures in the Milky Way (MW) hot gas, as part of the XMM-Newton Line Emission Analysis Program, surveying the O vii, O viii, and Fe-L band emission features in the XMM-Newton archive. In particular, we define two temperature tracers, I OVIII/ I OVII (O87) and I FeL/(I OVII + I OVIII) (FeO). These two ratios cannot be explained simultaneously using single-temperature collisional ionization models, which indicates the need for multitemperature structures in hot gas. In addition, we show three large-scale features in the hot gas: the eROSITA bubbles around the Galactic center (GC), the disk, and the halo. In the eROSITA bubbles, the observed line ratios can be explained by a log-normal temperature distribution with a median of log T / K ≈ 6.4 and a scatter of σ T ≈ 0.2 dex. Beyond the bubbles, the line ratio dependence on the Galactic latitude suggests higher temperatures around the midplane of the MW disk. The scale height of the temperature variation is estimated to be ≈2 kpc assuming an average distance of 5 kpc for the hot gas. The halo component is characterized by the dependence on the distance to the GC, showing a temperature decline from log T / K ≈ 6.3 to 5.8. Furthermore, we extract the autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions to investigate the small-scale structures. O87 and FeO ratios show a consistent autocorrelation scale of ≈5° (i.e., ≈400 pc at 5 kpc), which is consistent with the expected physical sizes of X-ray bubbles associated with star-forming regions or supernova remnants. Finally, we examine the cross-correlation between the hot and UV-detected warm gas and show an intriguing anticorrelation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar magnetic fields emerging from the photosphere into the chromosphere and corona are comprised of a combination of closed (field lines with both ends rooted at the Sun) and open (field lines with only one end at the Sun) fields. Since the early 2000s, the magnitude of total unsigned open magnetic flux estimated by coronal models has been in significant disagreement with in situ spacecraft observations, especially during solar maximum. Estimates of total open unsigned magnetic flux using coronal hole observations (e.g., using extreme ultraviolet or helium (He) I) are in general, in average agreement with the coronal model results and thus show similar disagreements with in situ observations. This paper provides a brief overview of the problem, summarizes the proposed explanations for the discrepancies, and presents results that strongly support the explanation that the discrepancy is due to dynamics at the open-closed boundary. These results are derived from the determination of the total unsigned open magnetic flux, utilizing the Wang–Sheeley–Arge model at a particular spatial resolution and different field-line tracing methods. One of these methods produces excellent agreement with in situ observations. Our results imply that strong magnetic fields in close proximity to active regions and residing near the boundaries of mid-latitude coronal holes are the primary source of the missing open flux. Furthermore, the results outlined here resolve many of the seemingly contradictory facts that have made the open-flux problem so difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous examinations of fully convective M-dwarf stars have highlighted enhanced rates of nanoflare activity on these distant stellar sources. However, the specific role the convective boundary, which is believed to be present for spectral types earlier than M2.5V, plays on the observed nanoflare rates is not yet known. Here, we utilize a combination of statistical and Fourier techniques to examine M-dwarf stellar lightcurves that lie on either side of the convective boundary. We find that fully convective M2.5V (and later subtypes) stars have greatly enhanced nanoflare rates compared with their pre-dynamo mode-transition counterparts. Specifically, we derive a flaring power-law index in the region of 3.00 ± 0.20, alongside a decay timescale of 200 ± 100 s for M2.5V and M3V stars, matching those seen in prior observations of similar stellar subtypes. Interestingly, M4V stars exhibit longer decay timescales of 450 ± 50 s, along with an increased power-law index of 3.10 ± 0.18, suggesting an interplay between the rate of nanoflare occurrence and the intrinsic plasma parameters, e.g., the underlying Lundquist number. In contrast, partially convective (i.e., earlier subtypes from M0V to M2V) M-dwarf stars exhibit very weak nanoflare activity, which is not easily identifiable using statistical or Fourier techniques. This suggests that fully convective stellar atmospheres favor small-scale magnetic reconnection, leading to implications for the flare-energy budgets of these stars. Understanding why small-scale reconnection is enhanced in fully convective atmospheres may help solve questions relating to the dynamo behavior of these stellar sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper derives the one-to-one connecting relationships between plasma heating and its polytropic index, and addresses the consequences through the transport equation of temperature. Thermodynamic polytropic processes are classified in accordance to their polytropic index, the exponent of the power-law relationship of thermal pressure expressed with respect to density. These processes generalize the adiabatic one, where no heating is exchanged between the system and its environment. We show that, in addition to heating terms, the transport equation of temperature depends on the adiabatic index, instead of a general, nonadiabatic polytropic index, even when the plasma follows nonadiabatic processes. This is because all the information regarding the system's polytropic index is contained in the heating term, even for a nonconstant polytropic index. Moreover, the paper (i) defines the role of the polytropic index in the context of heating; (ii) clarifies the role of the nonadiabatic polytropic index in the transport equation of temperature; (iii) provides an alternative method for deriving the turbulent heating through the comparably simpler polytropic index path; and, finally, (iv) shows a one-component plasma proof-of-concept of this method and discusses the implications of such derived connecting relationships in the solar wind plasma in the heliosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A breakthrough in exoplanet detections is foreseen with the unprecedented astrometric measurement capabilities offered by instrumentation aboard the Gaia space observatory. Besides, astrometric discoveries of exoplanets are expected from the planned space mission, Small-JASMINE. In this setting, the present series of papers focuses on estimating the effect of the magnetic activity of G2V-type host stars on the astrometric signal. This effect interferes with the astrometric detections of Earth-mass planets. While the first two papers considered stars rotating at the solar rotation rate, this paper focuses on stars having solar effective temperature and metallicity but rotating faster than the Sun, and consequently more active. By simulating the distribution of active regions on such stars using the Flux Emergence And Transport model, we show that the contribution of magnetic activity to the astrometric measurements becomes increasingly significant with increasing rotation rates. We further show that the jitter for the most variable periodic Kepler stars is high enough to be detected by Gaia. Furthermore, due to a decrease in the facula-to-spot area ratio for more active stars, the magnetic jitter is found to be spot dominated for rapid rotators. Our simulations of the astrometric jitter have the potential to aid the interpretation of data from Gaia and upcoming space astrometry missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

She et al. (Paper I) assembled a catalog of nearby galaxies observed with the Chandra X-ray observatory, by cross-matching galaxies in the NASA Extragalactic Database within 50 Mpc and the Chandra archive. That sample has enabled searches of low-mass black holes associated with late-type, bulgeless galaxies and studies of the accretion physics related to low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Using a similar approach, here we construct an extended catalog up to 150 Mpc and make a cross-correlation with a catalog of nearby galaxy groups. The new catalog consists of 1964 galaxies, out of which 1692 have a redshift-independent distance, 1557 are listed in the galaxy group catalog with group properties available, and 782 are identified to be X-ray AGN candidates. Compared with the AGN sample in Paper I, the new sample is 2.5 times larger in size (782 versus 314), with ∼80% of the new members having an Eddington ratio less than 10−4. We confirm that the conclusions based on the previous sample remain. With the new sample, we compare AGN fractions between early-type and late-type galaxies, and between central and satellite galaxies in groups, and find no significant difference. This suggests that the secular process is not the dominant mechanism feeding AGNs in the local universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We search for local extremely metal-poor galaxies (EMPGs), selecting photometric candidates by broadband color excess and machine-learning techniques with the SDSS photometric data. After removing stellar contaminants by shallow spectroscopy with Seimei and Nayuta telescopes, we confirm that three candidates are EMPGs with 0.05–0.1 Z ⊙ by deep Magellan/MagE spectroscopy for faint [Oiii] λ 4363 lines. Using a statistical sample consisting of 105 spectroscopically confirmed EMPGs taken from our study and the literature, we calculate the cross-correlation function (CCF) of the EMPGs and all SDSS galaxies to quantify environments of EMPGs. Comparing another CCF of all SDSS galaxies and comparison of SDSS galaxies in the same stellar-mass range (107.0–108.4 M ⊙), we find no significant (>1 σ) difference between these two CCFs. We also compare mass–metallicity relations (MZRs) of the EMPGs and those of galaxies at z ∼ 0–4 with a steady chemical evolution model and find that the EMPG MZR is comparable with the model prediction on average. These clustering and chemical properties of EMPGs are explained by a scenario of stochastic metal-poor gas accretion on metal-rich galaxies showing metal-poor star formation. Extending the broadband color excess technique to a high- z EMPG search, we select 17 candidates of z ∼ 4–5 EMPGs with the deep (≃30 mag) near-infrared JWST/NIRCam images obtained by ERO and ERS programs. We find galaxy candidates with negligible [Oiii] λ λ 4959,5007 emission weaker than the local EMPGs and known high- z galaxies, suggesting that some of these candidates may fall in the range of 0–0.01 Z ⊙, which potentially breaks the lowest metallicity limit known to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 230 GHz lightcurves of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) predicted by general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics and general relativistic ray-tracing (GRRT) models by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration have higher variability M Δ T compared to observations. In this series of papers, we explore the origin of such large brightness variability. In this first paper, we performed large GRRT parameter surveys that span from the optically thin to the optically thick regimes, covering the ion-to-electron temperature ratio under strongly magnetized conditions, R Low, from 1 to 60. We find that increasing R Low can lead to either an increase or a reduction in M Δ T depending on the other model parameters, making it consistent with the observed variability of Sgr A* in some cases. Our analysis of GRRT image snapshots finds that the major contribution to the large M Δ T for the R Low = 1 models comes from the photon ring. However, secondary contributions from the accretion flow are also visible depending on the spin parameter. Our work demonstrates the importance of the electron temperature used for modeling radiatively inefficient accretion flows and places new constraints on the ion-to-electron temperature ratio. A more in-depth analysis for understanding the dependencies of M Δ T on R Low will be performed in subsequent papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 100 tidal disruption events (TDEs) have been detected at multiple bands, which can be viewed as extreme laboratories to investigate the accretion physics and gravity in the immediate vicinity of massive black holes. Future transient surveys are expected to detect several tens of thousands of TDEs, among which a small fraction may be strongly gravitationally lensed by intervening galaxies. In this paper, we statistically estimate the detection rate of lensed TDEs, with dependence on the limiting magnitude of the transient all-sky surveys searching for them. We find that the requisite limiting magnitude for an all-sky transient survey to observe at least 1 yr−1 is ≳21.3, 21.2, and 21.5 mag in the u, g, and z bands, respectively. If the limiting magnitude of the all-sky survey can reach ∼25–26 mag in the u, g, and z bands, the detection rate can be up to about several tens to hundreds per year. The discovery and identification of the first image of the lensed TDE can be taken as an early warning of the second and other subsequent images, which may enable detailed monitoring of the pre-peak photometry and spectroscopy evolution of the TDE. The additional early-stage information may help to constrain the dynamical and radiation processes involved in the TDEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-mass (≲1.2 M ⊙) main-sequence stars lose angular momentum over time, leading to a decrease in their magnetic activity. The details of this rotation–activity relation remain poorly understood, however. Using observations of members of the ≈700 Myr old Praesepe and Hyades open clusters, we aim to characterize the rotation–activity relation for different tracers of activity at this age. To complement published data, we obtained new optical spectra for 250 Praesepe stars, new X-ray detections for 10, and new rotation periods for 28. These numbers for Hyads are 131, 23, and 137, respectively. The latter increases the number of Hyads with periods by 50%. We used these data to measure the fractional H α and X-ray luminosities, L H α / L bol and L X/ L bol, and to calculate Rossby numbers R o. We found that at ≈700 Myr almost all M dwarfs exhibit H α emission, with binaries having the same overall color–H α equivalent width distribution as single stars. In the R o– L H α / L bol plane, unsaturated single stars follow a power law with index β = −5.9 ± 0.8 for R o > 0.3. In the R o– L X/ L bol plane, we see evidence for supersaturation for single stars with R o ≲ 0.01, following a power law with index β sup = 0.5 − 0.1 + 0.2 , supporting the hypothesis that the coronae of these stars are being centrifugally stripped. We found that the critical R o value at which activity saturates is smaller for L X/ L bol than for L H α / L bol. Finally, we observed an almost 1:1 relation between L H α / L bol and L X/ L bol, suggesting that both the corona and the chromosphere experience similar magnetic heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we revisit metal-enriched rotating pair-instability supernovae (PISNe) models for metallicities consistent with the Small Magellanic Cloud, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and 0.1 Z ⊙. By calculating multiple models, we intend to clarify mass ranges and the ejected 56Ni masses from the PISNe, and mass-loss histories for progenitors. We find that the choice of the Wolf–Rayet (WR) mass-loss rates is important, and we adopt the recently proposed rate of Sander & Vink, which covers the mass ranges for PISNe progenitors. We show that slow rotation lowers the PISN range because the core mass increases by rotational mixing. On the other hand, when we assume a typical rotation speed for observed OB stars, the mass-loss increase becomes more significant, and the final stellar masses are lower than in nonrotating models. As a result, the typical mass range for bright supernovae (SNe), with a 56Ni mass higher than 10 M ⊙ for these fast-rotating models is more than 400 and 350 M ⊙ for LMC and 0.1 Z ⊙ metallicities, respectively. It is interesting that unlike in previous works, we find oxygen-rich progenitors for most cases. This O-rich progenitor may be consistent with the recently identified PISN candidate SN2018ibb. He-rich progenitors are seen only for relatively dim and metal-poor (Z ≲ 0.1 Z ⊙) PISNe. We also discuss the black hole mass gap for metal-enriched PISNe, and we show that the upper bound for the gap is lower than in the Population III case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of energetic charged particles through magnetized plasmas is ubiquitous in interplanetary space and astrophysics, and the important physical quantities are the parallel and perpendicular diffusion coefficients of energetic charged particles. In this paper, the influence of solar wind on particle transport is investigated. Using the focusing equation, we obtain parallel and perpendicular diffusion coefficients, accounting for the solar wind effect. For different conditions, the relative importance of the solar wind effect to diffusion is investigated. It is shown that, when energetic charged particles are close to the Sun, for parallel diffusion, the solar wind effect needs to be taken into account. These results are important for studying energetic charged particle transport processes in the vicinity of the Sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we extend our previous study on the Lemaitre–Tolman (LT) model showing how the prediction of the model changes when the equation of state (EoS) parameter (w) of dark energy (DE) is modified. In the previous study, it was considered that DE was merely constituted by the cosmological constant. In this paper, as in the previous study, we also took into account the effect of angular momentum and dynamical friction (JηLT model) that modifies the evolution of a perturbation, initially moving with the Hubble flow. As a first step, solving the equations of motion, we calculated the relationship between mass, M, and the turn-around radius, R0. If one knows the value of the turn-around radius R0, it is possible to obtain the mass of the studied objects. As a second step, we build up, as in the previous paper, a relationship between the velocity, v, and radius, R. The relation was fitted to data of groups and clusters. Since the relationship v–R depends on the Hubble constant and the mass of the object, we obtained optimized values of the two parameters of the objects studied. The mass decreases of a factor of maximum 25% comparing the JηLT results (for which w = −1) and the case w = −1/3, while the Hubble constant increases going from w = −1 to w = −1/3. Finally, the obtained values of the mass, M, and R0 of the studied objects can put constraints on the DE EoS parameter, w. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid simulations are carried out to study the instabilities driven by the outer heliosheath pickup ions of ring-beam velocity distributions. Following the linear instability analysis in the companion paper, the electromagnetic instabilities at various propagation directions (0° ≤ θ ≤ 180°) are studied for pickup ion ring-beam distributions of different pickup angles (0° ≤ α ≤ 90°). Previous studies of the ring-beam pickup ion distributions have been limited to the parallel- and antiparallel-propagating modes (θ = 0° and 180°). In this paper, several one-dimensional hybrid simulations are performed to investigate the most unstable modes of different propagation angles predicted by the linear instability analysis. Moreover, two-dimensional hybrid simulations are conducted to examine the simultaneous excitation of the parallel, antiparallel, and oblique unstable modes and their role in the scattering of the outer heliosheath pickup ions. Our recent one-dimensional hybrid and particle-in-cell simulations with simulation domains along the background magnetic field demonstrated that at small pickup angles, the outer heliosheath pickup ions experience an incomplete scattering limited to the hemisphere of positive parallel velocities with respect to the background magnetic field. In contrast, the present two-dimensional hybrid simulation results show that when both parallel/antiparallel and oblique unstable modes are acting together, the pickup ions can be scattered into the hemisphere of negative parallel velocities and approach a near-isotropic velocity distribution. This is in conflict with the spatial retention scenario of the energetic neutral atom ribbon observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, which requires pickup ions at small pickup angles to stream away from the ribbon directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarized foreground emission is a potential contaminant of attempts to measure the fluctuation power spectrum of highly redshifted 21 cm H i emission from the epoch of reionization. Using the Donald C. Backer Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionization, we present limits on the observed power spectra of all four Stokes parameters in two frequency bands, centered at 126 MHz (z = 10.3) and 164 MHz (z = 7.66), for a three-month observing campaign of a deployment involving 32 antennas, for which results on the unpolarized power spectrum have been reported at z = 7.7 (by Parsons et al.) and at (by Jacobs et al.). The power spectra in this paper are processed in the same way as by those authors, and show no definitive detection of polarized power. This nondetection is consistent with what is known about polarized sources, combined with the suppression of polarized power by fluctuations in the ionospheric rotation measure, which can strongly affect Stokes Q and U. We are able to show that the net effect of polarized leakage is a negligible contribution at the levels of the limits reported by Parsons et al. and Jacobs et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation mechanism underlying the prompt emission remains unresolved and can be resolved using a systematic and uniform time-resolved spectro-polarimetric study. In this paper, we investigated the spectral, temporal, and polarimetric characteristics of five bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) using archival data from AstroSat CZTI, Swift Burst Alert Telescope, and Fermi/GBM. These bright GRBs were detected by CZTI in its first year of operation, and their average polarization characteristics have been published in Chattopadhyay et al. In the present work, we examined the time-resolved (in 100–600 keV) and energy-resolved polarization measurements of these GRBs with an improved polarimetric technique such as increasing the effective area and bandwidth (by using data from low-gain pixels), using an improved event selection logic to reduce noise in the double events and extend the spectral bandwidth. In addition, we also separately carried out detailed time-resolved spectral analyses of these GRBs using empirical and physical synchrotron models. By these improved time-resolved and energy-resolved spectral and polarimetric studies (not fully coupled spectro-polarimetric fitting), we could pin down the elusive prompt emission mechanism of these GRBs. Our spectro-polarimetric analysis reveals that GRB 160623A, GRB 160703A, and GRB 160821A have Poynting flux-dominated jets. On the other hand, GRB 160325A and GRB 160802A have baryonic-dominated jets with mild magnetization. Furthermore, we observe a rapid change in polarization angle by ∼90° within the main pulse of very bright GRB 160821A, consistent with our previous results. Our study suggests that the jet composition of GRBs may exhibit a wide range of magnetization, which can be revealed by utilizing spectro-polarimetric investigations of the bright GRBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetized disk winds and wind-driven accretion are an essential and intensively studied dispersion mechanism of protoplanetary disks (PPDs). However, the stability of these mechanisms has yet to be adequately examined. This paper employs semi-analytic linear perturbation theories under nonideal magnetohydrodynamics, focusing on disk models whose magnetic diffusivities vary by a few orders of magnitude from the disk midplane to its surface. Linear modes are distinguished by their symmetry with respect to the midplane. These modes have qualitatively different growth rates: symmetric modes almost always decay, while at least one antisymmetric mode always has a positive growth rate. This growth rate decreases faster than the Keplerian angular velocity with cylindrical radius R in the disk and scales steeper than R −5/2 in the fiducial disk model. The growth of antisymmetric modes breaks the reflection symmetry across the disk equatorial plane, and may occur even in the absence of the Hall effect. In the disk regions where fully developed antisymmetric modes occur, accretion flows appear only on one side of the disk, while disk winds occur only on the other. This may explain the asymmetry of some observed PPD outflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We observed the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817 during an intensive multiwavelength reverberation mapping campaign for 16 months. Here, we examine the behavior of narrow UV absorption lines seen in the Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra, both during the campaign and in other epochs extending over 14 yr. We conclude that, while the narrow absorption outflow system (at −3750 km s−1 with FWHM = 177 km s−1) responds to the variations of the UV continuum as modified by the X-ray obscurer, its total column density (log N H = 19.5 − 0.13 + 0.61 cm−2) did not change across all epochs. The adjusted ionization parameter (scaled with respect to the variations in the hydrogen-ionizing continuum flux) is log U H = −1.0 − 0.3 + 0.1 . The outflow is located at a distance smaller than 38 pc from the central source, which implies a hydrogen density of n H > 3000 cm−3. The absorption outflow system only covers the continuum emission source and not the broad emission line region, which suggests that its transverse size is small (< 1016 cm), with potential cloud geometries ranging from spherical to elongated along the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many accretion-powered pulsars rotate in magnetocentrifugal disequilibrium, spinning up or down secularly over multiyear intervals. The magnetic dipole moment μ of such systems cannot be inferred uniquely from the time-averaged aperiodic X-ray flux 〈 L (t)〉 and pulse period 〈 P (t)〉, because the radiative efficiency of the accretion is unknown and degenerate with the mass accretion rate. Here, we circumvent the degeneracy by tracking the fluctuations in the unaveraged time series L (t) and P (t) using an unscented Kalman filter, whereupon μ can be estimated uniquely, up to the uncertainties in the mass, radius, and distance of the star. The analysis is performed on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations for 24 X-ray transients in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which have been monitored regularly for ∼16 yr. As well as independent estimates of μ, the analysis yields time-resolved histories of the mass accretion rate and the Maxwell stress at the disk–magnetosphere boundary for each star, and hence auto- and cross-correlations involving the latter two state variables. The inferred fluctuation statistics convey important information about the complex accretion physics at the disk–magnetosphere boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binary black holes (BBHs) embedded within the accretion disks that fuel active galactic nuclei (AGN) are promising progenitors for the source of gravitational wave (GW) events detected by LIGO/VIRGO. Several recent studies have shown that when these binaries form, they are likely to be highly eccentric and retrograde. However, many uncertainties remain concerning the orbital evolution of these binaries as they either inspiral toward merger or disassociate. Previous hydrodynamical simulations exploring their orbital evolution have been predominantly two-dimensional or have been restricted to binaries on nearly circular orbits. We present the first high-resolution, three-dimensional local shearing-box simulations of both prograde and retrograde eccentric BBHs embedded in AGN disks. We find that retrograde binaries shrink several times faster than their prograde counterparts and exhibit significant orbital eccentricity growth, the rate of which monotonically increases with binary eccentricity. Our results suggest that retrograde binaries may experience runaway orbital eccentricity growth, which may bring them close enough together at pericenter for GW emission to drive them to coalescence. Although their eccentricity is damped, prograde binaries shrink much faster than their orbital eccentricity decays, suggesting they should remain modestly eccentric as they contract toward merger. Finally, binary precession driven by the AGN disk may dominate over precession induced by the supermassive black hole depending on the binary accretion rate and its location in the AGN disk, which can subdue the evection resonance and von Ziepel–Lidov–Kozai cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally hard to put robust constraints on progenitor masses of supernovae and supernova remnants (SNRs) observationally, while they offer tantalizing clues to understanding explosion mechanisms and mass distribution. Our recent study suggests that "shell merger," which is theoretically expected for stellar evolution, can appreciably affect the final yields of intermediate-mass elements (IMEs; such as Ne, Mg, and Si). In light of this, here we report the results of the X-ray spectral analysis of a Galactic SNR G359.0−0.9, whose abundance pattern may possibly be anomalous according to a previous study. Our spectroscopy using all the available data taken with XMM-Newton reveals that this remnant is classified as a Mg-rich SNR because of its high Mg-to-Ne ratio ( Z Mg / Z Ne = 1.90 − 0.19 + 0.27 ; mass ratio 0.66 − 0.07 + 0.09 ) and conclude that the result cannot be explained without the shell merger. By comparing the observation with theoretical calculations, we prefer the so-called Ne-burning shell intrusion and in this case, the progenitor mass M ZAMS is likely <15 M ⊙. We confirm the result also with our new molecular-line observations with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope: G359.0−0.9 is located in the Scutum–Centaurus arm (2.66–2.94 kpc) and in this case, the resultant total ejecta mass ∼6.8 M ⊙ is indeed consistent with the above estimate. Our method using mass ratios of IMEs presented in this paper will become useful to distinguish the type of shell merger, the Ne-burning shell intrusion, and the O-burning shell merger, for future SNR studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]