Search

The distribution of different types of atmospheres and surfaces on rocky planets is one of the major questions in exoplanet astronomy, but there are currently no published unambiguous detections of atmospheres on any rocky exoplanets. The MIRI instrument on JWST can measure thermal emission from tidally locked rocky exoplanets orbiting small, cool stars. This emission is a function of their surface and atmospheric properties, potentially allowing the detection of atmospheres. One technique is to measure day-side emission to search for lower thermal emission than expected for a black-body planet due to atmospheric absorption features. Another technique is to measure phase curves of thermal emission to search for night-side emission due to atmospheric heat redistribution. In this work we compare strategies for detecting atmospheres on rocky exoplanets using these techniques. We simulate secondary eclipse and phase curve observations in the MIRI F1500W and F1280W filters, for a range of surfaces and atmospheres on thirty exoplanets selected for their F1500W signal-to-noise ratio. Our results show that secondary eclipse observations are highly degenerate between surfaces and atmospheres, given the wide range of potential surface albedos. We also show that thick atmospheres can support emission consistent with a black-body planet in these filters. These two results make it difficult to unambiguously detect or rule out atmospheres using their photometric day-side emission, except in a subset of CO$_{2}$-dominated atmospheres. We suggest that an F1500W phase curve could instead be observed for a similar sample of planets, allowing the unambiguous detection of atmospheres by night-side emission.

The sub-Jovian desert is a region in the mass-period and radius-period parameter space, typically encompassing short-period ranges between super-Earths and hot Jupiters, that exhibits an intrinsic dearth of planets. This scarcity is likely shaped by photoevaporation caused by the stellar irradiation received by giant planets that have migrated inward. We report the detection and characterization of TOI-3568 b, a transiting super-Neptune with a mass of $26.4\pm1.0$ M$_\oplus$, a radius of $5.30\pm0.27$ R$_\oplus$, a bulk density of $0.98\pm0.15$ g cm$^{-3}$, and an orbital period of 4.417965(5) d situated in the vicinity of the sub-Jovian desert. This planet orbiting a K dwarf star with solar metallicity, was identified photometrically by TESS. It was characterized as a planet by our high-precision radial velocity monitoring program using MAROON-X at Gemini North, supplemented by additional observations from the SPICE large program with SPIRou at CFHT. We performed a Bayesian MCMC joint analysis of the TESS and ground-based photometry, MAROON-X and SPIRou radial velocities, to measure the orbit, radius, and mass of the planet, as well as a detailed analysis of the high-resolution flux and polarimetric spectra to determine the physical parameters and elemental abundances of the host star. Our results reveal TOI-3568 b as a hot super-Neptune, rich in hydrogen and helium with a core of heavier elements with a mass between 10 and 25 M$_\oplus$. We analyzed the photoevaporation status of TOI-3568 b and found that it experiences one of the highest EUV luminosities among planets with a mass M$_{\rm p}$ $<2$ M$_{\rm Nep}$, yet it has an evaporation lifetime exceeding 5 Gyr. Positioned in the transition between two significant populations of exoplanets on the mass-period and energy diagrams, this planet presents an opportunity to test theories concerning the origin of the sub-Jovian desert., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A on September 4, 2024

K2-24 is a planetary system composed of two transiting low-density Neptunians locked in an almost perfect 2:1 resonance and showing large TTVs, i.e., an excellent laboratory to search for signatures of planetary migration. Previous studies performed with K2, Spitzer and RV data tentatively claimed a significant non-zero eccentricity for one or both planets, possibly high enough to challenge the scenario of pure disk migration through resonant capture. With 13 new CHEOPS light curves (seven of planet -b, six of planet -c), we carried out a global photometric and dynamical (RV+TTV) re-analysis by including all the available literature data as well. We got the most accurate set of planetary parameters to date for the K2-24 system, including radii and masses at 1% and 5% precision (now essentially limited by the uncertainty on stellar parameters) and non-zero eccentricities $e_b=0.0498_{-0.0018}^{+0.0011}$, $e_c=0.0282_{-0.0007}^{+0.0003}$ detected at very high significance for both planets. Such relatively large values imply the need for an additional physical mechanism of eccentricity excitation during or after the migration stage. Also, while the accuracy of the previous TTV model had drifted by up to 0.5 days at the current time, we constrained the orbital solution firmly enough to predict the forthcoming transits for the next ~15 years, thus enabling an efficient follow-up with top-level facilities such as JWST or ESPRESSO., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A on September 4, 2024

The fault tolerance method currently used in High Performance Computing (HPC) is the rollback-recovery method by using checkpoints. This, like any other fault tolerance method, adds an additional energy consumption to that of the execution of the application. The objective of this work is to determine the factors that affect the energy consumption of the computing nodes on homogeneous cluster, when performing checkpoint and restart operations, on SPMD (Single Program Multiple Data) applications. We have focused on the energetic study of compute nodes, contemplating different configurations of hardware and software parameters. We studied the effect of performance states (states P) and power states (states C) of processors, application problem size, checkpoint software (DMTCP) and distributed file system (NFS) configuration. The results analysis allowed to identify opportunities to reduce the energy consumption of checkpoint and restart operations., Comment: 15 pages, 20 figures

Transiting giant exoplanets around M-dwarf stars (GEMS) are rare, owing to the low-mass host stars. However, the all-sky coverage of TESS has enabled the detection of an increasingly large number of them to enable statistical surveys like the \textit{Searching for GEMS} survey. As part of this endeavour, we describe the observations of six transiting giant planets, which includes precise mass measurements for two GEMS (K2-419Ab, TOI-6034b) and statistical validation for four systems, which includes validation and mass upper limits for three of them (TOI-5218b, TOI-5616b, TOI-5634Ab), while the fourth one -- TOI-5414b is classified as a `likely planet'. Our observations include radial velocities from the Habitable-zone Planet Finder on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, and MAROON-X on Gemini-North, along with photometry and high-contrast imaging from multiple ground-based facilities. In addition to TESS photometry, K2-419Ab was also observed and statistically validated as part of the K2 mission in Campaigns 5 and 18, which provides precise orbital and planetary constraints despite the faint host star and long orbital period of $\sim 20.4$ days. With an equilibrium temperature of only 380 K, K2-419Ab is one of the coolest known well-characterized transiting planets. TOI-6034 has a late F-type companion about 40\arcsec~away, making it the first GEMS host star to have an earlier main-sequence binary companion. These confirmations add to the existing small sample of confirmed transiting GEMS., Comment: Accepted in AJ

In this article, we make an innovative adaptation of a Bayesian latent space model based on projections in a novel way to analyze influence networks. By appropriately reparameterizing the model, we establish a formal metric for quantifying each individual's influencing capacity and estimating their latent position embedded in a social space. This modeling approach introduces a novel mechanism for fully characterizing the diffusion of an idea based on the estimated latent characteristics. It assumes that each individual takes the following states: Unknown, undecided, supporting, or rejecting an idea. This approach is demonstrated using a influence network from Twitter (now $\mathbb{X}$) related to the 2022 Tax Reform in Colombia. An exhaustive simulation exercise is also performed to evaluate the proposed diffusion process., Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables

The height of the Milky Way diffusion halo, above which cosmic-rays can freely escape the galaxy, is among the most critical, yet poorly known, parameters in cosmic-ray physics. Measurements of radioactive secondaries, such as $^{10}$Be or $^{26}$Al, which decay equivalently throughout the diffusive volume, are expected to provide the strongest constraints. This has motivated significant observational work to constrain their isotopic ratios, along with theoretical work to constrain the cross-section uncertainties that are thought to dominate radioactive secondary fluxes. In this work, we show that the imprecise modelling of the Milky Way spiral arms significantly affects our ability to translate $^{10}$Be and $^{26}$Al fluxes into constraints on the diffusive halo height, biasing our current results. Utilizing state-of-the-art spiral arms models we produce new predictions for the $^{10}$Be and $^{26}$Al fluxes that motivate upcoming measurements by AMS-02 and HELIX., Comment: Main text has 4 figures and 8 pages without references. 3 appendices with 7 figures and 3 tables

We present a new analysis of Kepler-21, the brightest (V = 8.5) Kepler system with a known transiting exoplanet, Kepler-21 b. Kepler-21 b is a radius valley planet ($R = 1.6\pm 0.2 R_{\oplus}$) with an Earth-like composition (8.38$\pm$1.62 g/cc), though its mass and radius fall in the regime of possible "water worlds." We utilize new Keck/HIRES and WIYN/NEID radial velocity (RV) data in conjunction with Kepler and TESS photometry to perform a detailed study of activity mitigation between photometry and RVs. We additionally refine the system parameters, and we utilize Gaia astrometry to place constraints on a long-term RV trend. Our activity analysis affirms the quality of Kepler photometry for removing correlated noise from RVs, despite its temporal distance, though we reveal some cases where TESS may be superior. Using refined orbital parameters and updated composition curves, we rule out a ``water world" scenario for Kepler-21 b, and we identify a long period super-Jupiter planetary candidate, Kepler-21 (c).

As a byproduct of our search for Galactic stellar systems with gamma-ray emission, we have identified an unrelated cool and evolved star (IRC-10412) that attracted our attention due to its strong radio emission level with a spectral index matching, almost perfectly, the canonical +0.6 value expected from an ionized stellar wind. A follow-up observational analysis was undertaken given that these two properties are hard to reconcile as originating in the same stellar object. As a result, IRC-10412 has been classified as a new semiregular variable of SRb type in the asymptotic giant branch, and different but consistent estimates of its mass-loss parameter are reported. We propose that its unusually high radio emission arises from a ~ 1E-5 Msun/yr stellar wind exposed to an external source of ionizing photons, possibly coming from nearby OB associations., Comment: 15 pages, 7 Figs, Accepted for publication in ApJ

We report the spectroscopic confirmation and fundamental properties of TOI-757 b, a mini-Neptune on a 17.5-day orbit transiting a bright star ($V = 9.7$ mag) discovered by the TESS mission. We acquired high-precision radial velocity measurements with the HARPS, ESPRESSO, and PFS spectrographs to confirm the planet detection and determine its mass. We also acquired space-borne transit photometry with the CHEOPS space telescope to place stronger constraints on the planet radius, supported with ground-based LCOGT photometry. WASP and KELT photometry were used to help constrain the stellar rotation period. We also determined the fundamental parameters of the host star. We find that TOI-757 b has a radius of $R_{\mathrm{p}} = 2.5 \pm 0.1 R_{\oplus}$ and a mass of $M_{\mathrm{p}} = 10.5^{+2.2}_{-2.1} M_{\oplus}$, implying a bulk density of $\rho_{\text{p}} = 3.6 \pm 0.8$ g cm$^{-3}$. Our internal composition modeling was unable to constrain the composition of TOI-757 b, highlighting the importance of atmospheric observations for the system. We also find the planet to be highly eccentric with $e$ = 0.39$^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$, making it one of the very few highly eccentric planets among precisely characterized mini-Neptunes. Based on comparisons to other similar eccentric systems, we find a likely scenario for TOI-757 b's formation to be high eccentricity migration due to a distant outer companion. We additionally propose the possibility of a more intrinsic explanation for the high eccentricity due to star-star interactions during the earlier epoch of the Galactic disk formation, given the low metallicity and older age of TOI-757., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 26 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables

This letter illustrates the opinion of the molecular dynamics (MD) community on the need to adopt a new FAIR paradigm for the use of molecular simulations. It highlights the necessity of a collaborative effort to create, establish, and sustain a database that allows findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of molecular dynamics simulation data. Such a development would democratize the field and significantly improve the impact of MD simulations on life science research. This will transform our working paradigm, pushing the field to a new frontier. We invite you to support our initiative at the MDDB community (https://mddbr.eu/community/)

Understanding planet formation is important in the context of the origin of planetary systems in general and of the Solar System in particular, as well as to predict the likelihood of finding Jupiter, Neptune, and Earth analogues around other stars. We aim to precisely determine the radii and dynamical masses of transiting planets orbiting the young M star AU Mic using public photometric and spectroscopic datasets. We characterise the stellar activity and physical properties (radius, mass, density) of the transiting planets in the young AU Mic system through joint transit and radial velocity fits with Gaussian processes. We determine a radius of $R^{b}$= 4.79 +/- 0.29 R$_\oplus$, a mass of $M^{b}$= 9.0 +/- 2.7 M$_\oplus$, and a bulk density of $\rho^{b}$ = 0.49 +/- 0.16 g cm$^{-3}$ for the innermost transiting planet AU Mic b. For the second known transiting planet, AU Mic c, we infer a radius of $R^{c}$= 2.79 +/- 0.18 R$_\oplus$, a mass of $M^{c}$= 14.5 +/- 3.4 M$_\oplus$, and a bulk density of $\rho^{c}$ = 3.90 +/- 1.17 g cm$^{-3}$. According to theoretical models, AU Mic b may harbour an H2 envelope larger than 5\% by mass, with a fraction of rock and a fraction of water. AU Mic c could be made of rock and/or water and may have an H2 atmosphere comprising at most 5\% of its mass. AU Mic b has retained most of its atmosphere but might lose it over tens of millions of years due to the strong stellar radiation, while AU Mic c likely suffers much less photo-evaporation because it lies at a larger separation from its host. Using all the datasets in hand, we determine a 3$\sigma$ upper mass limit of $M^{[d]}\sin{i}$ = 8.6 M$_{\oplus}$ for the AU Mic 'd' TTV-candidate. In addition, we do not confirm the recently proposed existence of the planet candidate AU Mic 'e' with an orbital period of 33.4 days., Comment: Accepted in A&A. 28 pages, 15 figures

We consider a Bubble Expansion mechanism for the production of scalar dark matter during a first-order phase transition in the early Universe. Seeking for a dark matter energy density in agreement with observations, we study different non-renormalizable interactions between the dark matter species and the field undergoing the transition. The resulting relic abundance is shown to display a strong dependence on the Lorentz boost factor associated to the bubble wall motion, with this dependence becoming more significant the higher the dimension of the non-renormalizable interaction. This allows for observational compatibility across a wide range of dark matter masses and transition temperatures, typically excluded in renormalizable scenarios. For a transition around the electroweak scale, the associated gravitational wave spectrum is also within the reach of future detectors., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures

We focus on connectivity methods used to understand and predict how landscapes and habitats facilitate or impede the movement and dispersal of species. Our objective is to compare the implication of methodological choices at three stages of the modelling framework: landscape characterisation, connectivity estimation, and connectivity assessment. What are the convergences and divergences of different modelling approaches? What are the implications of their combined results for landscape planning? We implemented two landscape characterisation approaches: expert opinion and species distribution model (SDM); four connectivity estimation models: Euclidean distance, least-cost paths (LCP), circuit theory, and stochastic movement simulation (SMS); and two connectivity indices: flux and area-weighted flux (dPCflux). We compared outcomes such as movement maps and habitat prioritisation for a rural landscape in southwestern France. Landscape characterisation is the main factor influencing connectivity assessment. The movement maps reflect the models' assumptions: LCP produced narrow beams reflecting the optimal pathways; whereas circuit theory and SMS produced wider estimation reflecting movement stochasticity, with SMS integrating behavioural drivers. The indices highlighted different aspects: dPCflux the surface of suitable habitats and flux their proximity. We recommend focusing on landscape characterisation before engaging further in the modelling framework. We emphasise the importance of stochasticity and behavioural drivers in connectivity, which can be reflected using circuit theory, SMS or other stochastic individual-based models. We stress the importance of using multiple indices to capture the multi-factorial aspect of connectivity., Comment: 34 pages, 9 figures + Appendix

Context: There are currently three pulsars firmly detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), two of them reaching TeV energies, challenging models of very-high-energy (VHE) emission in pulsars. More precise observations are needed to better characterize pulsar emission at these energies. The LST-1 is the prototype of the Large-Sized Telescope, that will be part of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). Its improved performance over previous IACTs makes it well suited for studying pulsars. Aims: To study the Crab pulsar emission with the LST-1, improving and complementing the results from other telescopes. These observations can also be used to characterize the potential of the LST-1 to study other pulsars and detect new ones. Methods: We analyzed a total of $\sim$103 hours of gamma-ray observations of the Crab pulsar conducted with the LST-1 in the period from September 2020 to January 2023. The observations were carried out at zenith angles less than 50 degrees. A new analysis of the Fermi-LAT data was also performed, including $\sim$14 years of observations. Results: The Crab pulsar phaseogram, long-term light-curve, and phase-resolved spectra are reconstructed with the LST-1 from 20 GeV to 450 GeV for P1 and up to 700 GeV for P2. The pulsed emission is detected with a significance of 15.2$\sigma$. The two characteristic emission peaks of the Crab pulsar are clearly detected (>10$\sigma$), as well as the so-called bridge emission (5.7$\sigma$). We find that both peaks are well described by power laws, with spectral indices of $\sim$3.44 and $\sim$3.03 respectively. The joint analysis of Fermi-LAT and LST-1 data shows a good agreement between both instruments in the overlapping energy range. The detailed results obtained in the first observations of the Crab pulsar with LST-1 show the potential that CTAO will have to study this type of sources., Comment: Accepted by A&A

Multiplanetary systems spanning the radius valley are ideal testing grounds for exploring the proposed explanations for the observed bimodality in the radius distribution of close-in exoplanets. One such system is HIP 29442 (TOI-469), an evolved K0V star hosting two super-Earths and a sub-Neptune. We observe HIP 29442 with CHEOPS for a total of 9.6 days, which we model jointly with 2 sectors of TESS data to derive planetary radii of $3.410\pm0.046$, $1.551\pm0.045$ and $1.538\pm0.049$ R$_\oplus$ for planets b, c and d, which orbit HIP 29442 with periods of 13.6, 3.5 and 6.4 days. For planet d, this value deviates by more than 3 sigma from the median value reported in the discovery paper, leading us to conclude that caution is required when using TESS photometry to determine the radii of small planets with low per-transit S/N and large gaps between observations. Given the high precision of these new radii, combining them with published RVs from ESPRESSO and HIRES provides us with ideal conditions to investigate the internal structure and formation pathways of the planets in the system. We introduce the publicly available code plaNETic, a fast and robust neural network-based Bayesian internal structure modelling framework. We then apply hydrodynamic models to explore the upper atmospheric properties of these inferred structures. Finally, we identify planetary system analogues in a synthetic population generated with the Bern model for planet formation and evolution. Based on this analysis, we find that the planets likely formed on opposing sides of the water iceline from a protoplanetary disk with an intermediate solid mass. We finally report that the observed parameters of the HIP 29442 system are compatible with both a scenario where the second peak in the bimodal radius distribution corresponds to sub-Neptunes with a pure H/He envelope as well as a scenario with water-rich sub-Neptunes., Comment: 30 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

In this paper we present a generalization in the context of multilinear Muckenhoupt classes of the endpoint extrapolation theorem on restricted weights due to Carro, Grafakos and Soria. Moreover, our main result is obtained on limited ranges of boundedness and to this aim we introduce a new limited range, off-diagonal extrapolation theorem in the context of restricted weights. In addition, as one of the applications, we prove endpoint estimates of certain bi-sublinear maximal functions associated with the study of return time theorems in ergodic theory., Comment: 16 pages

In barter exchanges agents enter seeking to swap their items for other items on their wishlist. We consider a centralized barter exchange with a set of agents and items where each item has a positive value. The goal is to compute a (re)allocation of items maximizing the agents' collective utility subject to each agent's total received value being comparable to their total given value. Many such centralized barter exchanges exist and serve crucial roles; e.g., kidney exchange programs, which are often formulated as variants of directed cycle packing. We show finding a reallocation where each agent's total given and total received values are equal is NP-hard. On the other hand, we develop a randomized algorithm that achieves optimal utility in expectation and where, i) for any agent, with probability 1 their received value is at least their given value minus $v^*$ where $v^*$ is said agent's most valuable owned and wished-for item, and ii) each agent's given and received values are equal in expectation., Comment: A previous version of this work appeared in the proceedings of WWW '24

Measuring the obliquities of stars hosting giant planets may shed light on the dynamical history of planetary systems. Significant efforts have been made to measure the obliquities of FGK stars with hot Jupiters, mainly based on observations of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. In contrast, M dwarfs with hot Jupiters have hardly been explored, because such systems are rare and often not favorable for such precise observations. Here, we report the first detection of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect for an M dwarf with a hot Jupiter, TOI-4201, using the Gemini-North/MAROON-X spectrograph. We find TOI-4201 to be well-aligned with its giant planet, with a sky-projected obliquity of $\lambda=-3.0_{-3.2}^{+3.7}\ ^{\circ}$ and a true obliquity of $\psi=21.3_{-12.8}^{+12.5}\ ^{\circ}$ with an upper limit of $40^{\circ}$ at a 95% confidence level. The result agrees with dynamically quiet formation or tidal obliquity damping that realigned the system. As the first hot Jupiter around an M dwarf with its obliquity measured, TOI-4201b joins the group of aligned giant planets around cool stars ($T_{\rm eff}<6250\ K$), as well as the small but growing sample of planets with relatively high planet-to-star mass ratio ($M_p/M_\ast\gtrsim 3\times 10^{-3}$) that also appear to be mostly aligned., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted to ApJL

We revisit the role of primordial black holes (PBHs) as potential dark matter (DM) candidates, particularly focusing on light asteroid-mass PBHs. These PBHs are expected to emit particles through Hawking evaporation that can generate cosmic rays (CRs), eventually producing other secondary radiations through their propagation in the Milky Way, in addition to prompt emissions. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of CR signals resulting from PBH evaporation, incorporating the full CR transport to account for reacceleration and diffusion effects within the Milky Way. In particular, we revisit the $e^\pm$ flux produced by PBHs, using Voyager 1, and study for the first time the diffuse X-ray emission from the up-scattering of Galactic ambient photons due to PBH-produced $e^\pm$ via the inverse Compton effect using XMM-Newton data, as well as the morphological information of the diffuse 511 keV line measured by INTEGRAL/SPI. In doing so, we provide leading constraints on the fraction of DM that can be in form of PBHs in a conservative way, whilst also testing how different assumptions on spin and mass distributions affect our conclusions., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures

Several extensions of the Standard Model predict the existence of sub-GeV particles that can be copiously produced in the cores of supernovae. A broad family of these particles are dubbed feebly interacting particles (FIPs), which can have masses of up to a few hundreds of MeV. Here, we review the most recent and leading constraints on electrophilic FIPs, describing multimessenger techniques that allow us to probe the full phenomenology of the electron/positron emission produced by these FIPs; from their associated X-ray emission to the production of the $511$~keV line. Furthermore, the approach described here is independent of the specific particle model and can be translated to the coupling and other properties of a variety of different particles, such as axion-like particles, sterile neutrinos or dark photons, Comment: Invited talk at the 58th Rencontres de Moriond, VHEPU (2024), La Thuile. Mainly based on ArXiv:2307.13728, ArXiv:2307.13731 and ArXiv:2405.08482

We study the canonical fair clustering problem where each cluster is constrained to have close to population-level representation of each group. Despite significant attention, the salient issue of having incomplete knowledge about the group membership of each point has been superficially addressed. In this paper, we consider a setting where errors exist in the assigned group memberships. We introduce a simple and interpretable family of error models that require a small number of parameters to be given by the decision maker. We then present an algorithm for fair clustering with provable robustness guarantees. Our framework enables the decision maker to trade off between the robustness and the clustering quality. Unlike previous work, our algorithms are backed by worst-case theoretical guarantees. Finally, we empirically verify the performance of our algorithm on real world datasets and show its superior performance over existing baselines.

Exoplanets hosting M dwarfs are the best targets to characterize Earth-like or super-Earth planetary atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We determine detailed stellar parameters ($T_{\rm eff}$, log$g$, and $\xi$) and individual abundances of twelve elements for four cool M dwarfs hosting exoplanets TOI-1685, GJ 436, GJ 3470, and TOI-2445, scheduled for future observations by the JWST. The analysis utilizes high-resolution near-infrared spectra from the SDSS-IV APOGEE survey between 1.51-1.69$\mu$. Based on 1D-LTE plane-parallel models, we find that TOI-2445 is slightly metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.16$\pm$0.09), while TOI-1685, GJ 436 and GJ 3470 are more metal-rich ([Fe/H] = 0.06$\pm$0.18, 0.10$\pm$0.20 dex, 0.25$\pm$0.15). The derived C/O ratios for TOI-2445, TOI-1685, GJ 436, and GJ 3470 are 0.526$\pm$0.027, 0.558$\pm$0.097, 0.561$\pm$0.029, and 0.638$\pm$0.015, respectively. From results for 28 M dwarfs analyzed homogeneously from APOGEE spectra, we find exoplanet-hosting M dwarfs exhibit a C/O abundance ratio approximately 0.01 to 0.05 higher than those with non-detected exoplanets, at limits of a statistically significant offset. A linear regression of [Fe/H] \textit{vs.} C/O distribution reveals a noticeable difference in the angular coefficient between FGK dwarfs (0.27) and M dwarfs (0.13). Assuming our abundance ratios of Ca/Mg, Si/Mg, Al/Mg, and Fe/Mg, we determine a mass of 3.276$^{+0.448}_{-0.419}$$M_{\oplus}$ for TOI-2445 b, having density (6.793$^{+0.005}_{-0.099}$ g.cm$^{-3}$) and core mass fraction (0.329$_{-0.049}^{+0.028}$) very similar to Earth's. We also present an atlas of 113 well-defined spectral lines to analyze M dwarfs in the $H$-band and a comprehensive evaluation of uncertainties from variations in the atmospheric parameters, signal-to-noise, and pseudo-continuum., Comment: 32 pages, 3 figures. Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

The NEXT-White detector, a high-pressure gaseous xenon time projection chamber, demonstrated the excellence of this technology for future neutrinoless double beta decay searches using photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to measure energy and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to extract topology information. This analysis uses $^{83m}\text{Kr}$ data from the NEXT-White detector to measure and understand the energy resolution that can be obtained with the SiPMs, rather than with PMTs. The energy resolution obtained of (10.9 $\pm$ 0.6) $\%$, full-width half-maximum, is slightly larger than predicted based on the photon statistics resulting from very low light detection coverage of the SiPM plane in the NEXT-White detector. The difference in the predicted and measured resolution is attributed to poor corrections, which are expected to be improved with larger statistics. Furthermore, the noise of the SiPMs is shown to not be a dominant factor in the energy resolution and may be negligible when noise subtraction is applied appropriately, for high-energy events or larger SiPM coverage detectors. These results, which are extrapolated to estimate the response of large coverage SiPM planes, are promising for the development of future, SiPM-only, readout planes that can offer imaging and achieve similar energy resolution to that previously demonstrated with PMTs.

Recent discoveries of Earth-sized planets transiting nearby M dwarfs have made it possible to characterize the atmospheres of terrestrial planets via follow-up spectroscopic observations. However, the number of such planets receiving low insolation is still small, limiting our ability to understand the diversity of the atmospheric composition and climates of temperate terrestrial planets. We report the discovery of an Earth-sized planet transiting the nearby (12 pc) inactive M3.0 dwarf Gliese 12 (TOI-6251) with an orbital period ($P_{\rm{orb}}$) of 12.76 days. The planet, Gliese 12b, was initially identified as a candidate with an ambiguous $P_{\rm{orb}}$ from TESS data. We confirmed the transit signal and $P_{\rm{orb}}$ using ground-based photometry with MuSCAT2 and MuSCAT3, and validated the planetary nature of the signal using high-resolution images from Gemini/NIRI and Keck/NIRC2 as well as radial velocity (RV) measurements from the InfraRed Doppler instrument on the Subaru 8.2 m telescope and from CARMENES on the CAHA 3.5 m telescope. X-ray observations with XMM-Newton showed the host star is inactive, with an X-ray-to-bolometric luminosity ratio of $\log L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm bol} \approx -5.7$. Joint analysis of the light curves and RV measurements revealed that Gliese 12b has a radius of 0.96 $\pm$ 0.05 $R_\oplus$, a 3$\sigma$ mass upper limit of 3.9 $M_\oplus$, and an equilibrium temperature of 315 $\pm$ 6 K assuming zero albedo. The transmission spectroscopy metric (TSM) value of Gliese 12b is close to the TSM values of the TRAPPIST-1 planets, adding Gliese 12b to the small list of potentially terrestrial, temperate planets amenable to atmospheric characterization with JWST., Comment: 29 pages (20 pages in main body), 13 figures (10 figures in main body). Equal contributions from M. K. and A. F.. Accepted for Publication in ApJL at 2024 March 21

Predicting cancer dynamics under treatment is challenging due to high inter-patient heterogeneity, lack of predictive biomarkers, and sparse and noisy longitudinal data. Mathematical models can summarize cancer dynamics by a few interpretable parameters per patient. Machine learning methods can then be trained to predict the model parameters from baseline covariates, but do not account for uncertainty in the parameter estimates. Instead, hierarchical Bayesian modeling can model the relationship between baseline covariates to longitudinal measurements via mechanistic parameters while accounting for uncertainty in every part of the model. The mapping from baseline covariates to model parameters can be modeled in several ways. A linear mapping simplifies inference but fails to capture nonlinear covariate effects and scale poorly for interaction modeling when the number of covariates is large. In contrast, Bayesian neural networks can potentially discover interactions between covariates automatically, but at a substantial cost in computational complexity. In this work, we develop a hierarchical Bayesian model of subpopulation dynamics that uses baseline covariate information to predict cancer dynamics under treatment, inspired by cancer dynamics in multiple myeloma (MM), where serum M protein is a well-known proxy of tumor burden. As a working example, we apply the model to a simulated dataset and compare its ability to predict M protein trajectories to a model with linear covariate effects. Our results show that the Bayesian neural network covariate effect model predicts cancer dynamics more accurately than a linear covariate effect model when covariate interactions are present. The framework can also be applied to other types of cancer or other time series prediction problems that can be described with a parametric model., Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures

We present an updated characterization of the TOI-1685 planetary system, which consists of a P$_{\rm{b}}$ = 0.69\,day USP super-Earth planet orbiting a nearby ($d$ = 37.6\,pc) M2.5V star (TIC 28900646, 2MASS J04342248+4302148). This planet was previously featured in two contemporaneous discovery papers, but the best-fit planet mass, radius, and bulk density values were discrepant allowing it to be interpreted either as a hot, bare rock or a 50\% H$_{2}$O / 50\% MgSiO$_{3}$ water world. TOI-1685 b will be observed in three independent JWST cycle two programs, two of which assume the planet is a water world while the third assumes that it is a hot rocky planet. Here we include a refined stellar classification with a focus on addressing the host star's metallicity, an updated planet radius measurement that includes two sectors of TESS data and multi-color photometry from a variety of ground-based facilities, and a more accurate dynamical mass measurement from a combined CARMENES, IRD, and MAROON-X radial velocity data set. We find that the star is very metal-rich ([Fe/H] $\simeq$ +0.3) and that the planet is systematically smaller, lower mass, and higher density than initially reported, with new best-fit parameters of \Rpl = 1.468 $^{+0.050}_{-0.051}$ \Rearth\ and \Mpl = 3.03$^{+0.33}_{-0.32}$ \Mearth. These results fall in between the previously derived values and suggest that TOI-1685 b is a hot, rocky, planet with an Earth-like density (\Rhopl = 5.3 $\pm$ 0.8 g cm$^{-3}$, or 0.96 \rhoearth), high equilibrium temperature (T$_{\rm{eq}}$ = 1062 $\pm$ 27 K) and negligible volatiles, rather than a water world., Comment: 20 pages, 9 Figures, accepted for publication in ApJL. Datasets and software available via Zenodo and GitHub links found in the paper

Recent $\gamma$-ray and neutrino observations seem to favor the consideration of non-uniform diffusion of cosmic rays (CRs) throughout the Galaxy. In this study, we investigate the consequences of spatially-dependent inhomogeneous propagation of CRs on the fluxes of secondary CRs and antiprotons detected at Earth. A comparison is made among different scenarios in search of potential features that may guide us toward favoring one over another in the near future. We also examine both the influence of inhomogeneous propagation in the production of secondary CRs from interactions with the gas, and the effects of this scenario on the local fluxes of antiprotons and light antinuclei produced as final products of dark matter annihilation. Our results indicate that the consideration of an inhomogeneous diffusion model could improve the compatibility of the predicted local antiproton flux with that of B, Be and Li, assuming only secondary origin of these particles. In addition, our model predicts a slightly harder local antiproton spectrum, making it more compatible with the high energy measurements of AMS-02. Finally, no significant changes are expected in the predicted local flux of antiprotons and antinuclei produced from dark matter among the different considered propagation scenarios., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures in the main text and 3 figures in appendices, 1 table, 2 appendices; based on MSc Thesis of \'Alvaro Tovar-Pardo. Comments are welcome

Sub-Neptunes with $2-3R_\oplus$ are intermediate in size between rocky planets and Neptune-sized planets. The orbital properties and bulk compositions of transiting sub-Neptunes provide clues to the formation and evolution of close-in small planets. In this paper, we present the discovery and follow-up of four sub-Neptunes orbiting M dwarfs (TOI-782, TOI-1448, TOI-2120, and TOI-2406), three of which were newly validated by ground-based follow-up observations and statistical analyses. TOI-782 b, TOI-1448 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b have radii of $R_\mathrm{p} = 2.740^{+0.082}_{-0.079}\,R_\oplus$, $2.769^{+0.073}_{-0.068}\,R_\oplus$, $2.120\pm0.067\,R_\oplus$, and $2.830^{+0.068}_{-0.066}\,R_\oplus$ and orbital periods of $P = 8.02$, $8.11$, $5.80$, and $3.08$\,days, respectively. Doppler monitoring with Subaru/InfraRed Doppler instrument led to 2$\sigma$ upper limits on the masses of $<19.1\ M_\oplus$, $<19.5\ M_\oplus$, $<6.8\ M_\oplus$, and $<15.6\ M_\oplus$ for TOI-782 b, TOI-1448 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b, respectively. The mass-radius relationship of these four sub-Neptunes testifies to the existence of volatile material in their interiors. These four sub-Neptunes, which are located above the so-called ``radius valley'', are likely to retain a significant atmosphere and/or an icy mantle on the core, such as a water world. We find that at least three of the four sub-Neptunes (TOI-782 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b) orbiting M dwarfs older than 1 Gyr, are likely to have eccentricities of $e \sim 0.2-0.3$. The fact that tidal circularization of their orbits is not achieved over 1 Gyr suggests inefficient tidal dissipation in their interiors., Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 32 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables

The imaging of individual Ba$^{2+}$ ions in high pressure xenon gas is one possible way to attain background-free sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay and hence establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino. In this paper we demonstrate selective single Ba$^{2+}$ ion imaging inside a high-pressure xenon gas environment. Ba$^{2+}$ ions chelated with molecular chemosensors are resolved at the gas-solid interface using a diffraction-limited imaging system with scan area of 1$\times$1~cm$^2$ located inside 10~bar of xenon gas. This new form of microscopy represents an important enabling step in the development of barium tagging for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in $^{136}$Xe, as well as a new tool for studying the photophysics of fluorescent molecules and chemosensors at the solid-gas interface.

M dwarf stars provide us with an ideal opportunity to study nearby small planets. The HUMDRUM (HUnting for M Dwarf Rocky planets Using MAROON-X) survey uses the MAROON-X spectrograph, which is ideally suited to studying these stars, to measure precise masses of a volume-limited ($<\,30$ pc) sample of transiting M dwarf planets. TOI-1450 is a nearby (22.5 pc) binary system containing a M3 dwarf with a roughly 3000 K companion. Its primary star, TOI-1450A, was identified by $TESS$ to have a 2.04d transit signal, and is included in the HUMDRUM sample. In this paper, we present MAROON-X radial velocities which confirm the planetary nature of this signal and measure its mass at a nearly 10% precision. The 2.04d planet, TOI-1450Ab, has $R_b\,=\,1.13\,\pm\,0.04\,R_\oplus$ and $M_b\,=\,1.26\,\pm\,0.13\,M_\oplus$. It is the second-lowest-mass transiting planet with a high-precision RV mass measurement. With this mass and radius, the planet's mean density is compatible with an Earth-like composition. Given its short orbital period and slightly sub-Earth density, it may be amenable to $JWST$ follow-up to test whether the planet has retained an atmosphere despite extreme heating from the nearby star. We also discover a non-transiting planet in the system with a period of 5.07 days and a $M\mathrm{sin}i_c\,=\,1.53\,\pm\,0.18\,M_\oplus$. We also find a 2.01d signal present in the systems's $TESS$ photometry that likely corresponds to the rotation period of TOI-1450A's binary companion, TOI-1450B. TOI-1450A, meanwhile, appears to have a rotation period of approximately 40 days, which is in-line with our expectations for a mid-M dwarf., Comment: 31 pages, 17 figures, accepted in AJ

The $\gamma$ ray emission originating from in-flight annihilation (IA) of positrons is a powerful observable for constraining high-energy positron production from exotic sources. By comparing diffuse $\gamma$ ray observations of INTEGRAL, COMPTEL and EGRET to theoretical predictions, we set the most stringent constraints on electrophilic feebly interacting particles (FIPs), thereby proving IA as a valuable probe of new physics. In particular, we extensively discuss the case of MeV-scale sterile neutrinos, where IA sets the most stringent constraints, excluding $|U_{\mu4}|^{2} \gtrsim 10^{-13}$ and $|U_{\tau4}|^{2} \gtrsim 2\times 10^{-13}$ for sterile neutrinos mixed with $\mu$ and $\tau$ neutrinos respectively. These constraints improve existing limits by more than an order of magnitude. We briefly discuss the application of these results to a host of exotic positron sources such as dark photons, axion-like particles, primordial black holes (PBHs) and sub-GeV dark matter (DM)., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, no appendices. Comments are welcome!

We solve the PBW-like problem of normal ordering for enveloping algebras of direct sums.

The challenges presented by climate change are escalating and pose significant threats to global biodiversity, which in turn increases the risk of species extinctions. Therefore, meticulous monitoring efforts are necessary to mitigate the consequential impacts on both human well-being and environmental equilibrium. Biodiversity mapping is pivotal for establishing conservation priorities, often accomplished by assessing alpha, beta, and gamma diversity levels. Two main data sources, in situ and remote sensing (RS) data, are key for this task. In situ methods entail direct data collection from specific study areas, offering detailed insights into ecological patterns, albeit limited by resource constraints. Conversely, RS provides a broader observational platform, albeit at lower spatial resolution than in situ approaches. RS-derived diversity metrics have potential, particularly in linking spectral and biological diversity through high-resolution imagery for precise differentiation at fine scales. Coupling in situ and RS data underscores their complementary nature, contingent upon various factors including study scale and logistical considerations. In situ methods excel in precision, while RS offers efficiency and broader coverage. Despite prior investigations predominantly relying on limited datasets, our study endeavors to employ both in situ and RS data to assess plant and spectral species diversity across France at a high spatial resolution, integrating diverse metrics to unravel different biogeographical structures while gaining in understanding the relationship between plant and spectral diversity within and across bioregions., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures + Appendix

In Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT), a population reaches a Nash equilibrium when none of the agents can improve its objective by solely changing its strategy on its own. Roughly speaking, this equilibrium is a protection against betrayal. Generalized Nash Equilibrium (GNE) is a more complex version of this idea with important implications in real-life problems in economics, wireless communication, the electricity market, or engineering among other areas. In this paper, we propose a first approach to GNE with Membrane Computing techniques and show how GNE problems can be modeled with P systems, bridging both areas and opening a door for a flow of problems and solutions in both directions.

Tentative observations of cosmic-ray antihelium by the AMS-02 collaboration have re-energized the quest to use antinuclei to search for physics beyond the standard model. However, our transition to a data-driven era requires more accurate models of the expected astrophysical antinuclei fluxes. We use a state-of-the-art cosmic-ray propagation model, fit to high-precision antiproton and cosmic-ray nuclei (B, Be, Li) data, to constrain the antinuclei flux from both astrophysical and dark matter annihilation models. We show that astrophysical sources are capable of producing $\mathcal{O}(1)$ antideuteron events and $\mathcal{O}(0.1)$ antihelium-3 events over 15~years of AMS-02 observations. Standard dark matter models could potentially produce higher levels of these antinuclei, but showing a different energy-dependence. Given the uncertainties in these models, dark matter annihilation is still the most promising candidate to explain preliminary AMS-02 results. Meanwhile, any robust detection of antihelium-4 events would require more novel dark matter model building or a new astrophisical production mechanism., Comment: 18 pages, 6 Figures. Comments are welcome

This work is motivated by the interest in determining the effect of the micro-anatomy of the spinal subarachnoid space on the cerebrospinal fluid flow and on the associated transport of solutes. To that aim, we focus on a canonical model problem in which a circular post of radius $a$, confined between two parallel plates separated by a distance $2h$, is subjected to an oscillatory flow. In particular, we are concerned with the steady, viscous, time-averaged flow that persists in the vicinity on the cylinder, when the stroke length of the oscillating flow, $U_{\infty}/\omega$ is smaller or comparable to the radius of the post, $a$, where $U_{\infty}$ and $\omega$ are the mean velocity amplitude and the corresponding angular frequency, respectively. First, we analyze the asymptotic limit of small values of the stroke length varying the aspect ratio of the post $\lambda$ and the Womersley number $M$. First-order steady-streaming corrections at leading order have been computed, together with associated Stokes-drift component, the sum of both yielding the mean Lagrangian velocity field. The confinement effect is seen to induce the three-dimensionality of flow. Moreover, in the mid plane the time-averaged steady flow exhibits a recirculating vortex attached to the wall of the post that decreases as $M$ increases for low values of $M$. However, for values of $M$ larger than a critical one, $M_{cr}(\lambda)$, a second, outer vortex is also formed. The dependence $M_{cr}(\lambda)$ has been quantified. The analysis has been corroborated experimentally for a fixed aspect ratio. Consideration of an anharmonic oscillating flow shows the fort-and-aft symmetry of the steady flow is broken. Finally, the analysis is experimentally extended to consider an array of equally spaced posts., Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures

Nanostructured catalysts have attracted the increased attention for biomass conversion into high-valued chemicals due to the rapid depletion of fossil resources and increasingly severe environmental issues. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) fluid is an attractive medium for synthesizing nanostructured materials due to its favorable properties. In this review, the properties of scCO2 and the roles of scCO2 in the fabrication of metal nanoparticles were assessed in detailed. A general overview of the synthesis of different types of metal nanoparticles (including metal oxide nanoparticles) using scCO2 and the relationship between the structure of the obtained metal nanoparticles and the preparation conditions such as reaction temperature and pressure, types of metal precursors, and deposition time are system summarized and compared in tables. Besides, compared to the meatal catalysts using the conventional methods, the catalysts obtained using scCO2 exhibited excellent catalytic performance on biomass conversion reactions, mainly focused on oxidation, hydrogenation reactions. Finally, opportunities and challenges of metal nanoparticle preparation using scCO2 for biomass valorization to chemicals and liquid fuels are highlighted. This review could be helpful for the rational design of more efficient metal catalysts for the selective synthesis of fine chemicals and fuels from biomass-derived chemicals., Comment: 66 pages, 21 figures

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene (Ph-NO2) reaction (EHNR) has been considered as a potential alternative to the traditional thermocatalytic process in the production of high-value aniline (Ph-NH2). However, due to the absence of robust catalyst and low surface H* coverage, the EHNR faces the challenges of undesired performance and indetermined mechanism. Herein, we construct a type of noble-metal free topological FeSi (M-FeSi) materials through a solvent-free microwave strategy for efficient EHNR in neutral medium. Impressively, benefiting from abundant active H* intermediates on the surface of M-FeSi catalyst, the topological M-FeSi catalyst exhibits 99.7% conversion of Ph-NO2 and 93.8% yield of Ph-NH2 after 200 C in neutral medium, which are superior to previous candidates and FeSi catalyst synthesized via the traditional arc-melting method under same conditions. Besides, theoretical calculations validate that high surface H* coverage over M-FeSi catalyst is conducive to switching the rate-determining step from Ph-NO2* Ph-NO* to Ph-NO* Ph-NHOH*, and thus decreasing the total energy barrier of electrocatalytic Ph-NH2 production.

In spite of astonishing advances and developments in remote sensing technologies, meeting the spatio-temporal requirements for flood hydrodynamic modeling remains a great challenge for Earth Observation. The assimilation of multi-source remote sensing data in 2D hydrodynamic models participates to overcome such a challenge. The recently launched Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) wide-swath altimetry satellite provides a global coverage of water surface elevation at a high resolution. SWOT provides complementary observation to radar and optical images, increasing the opportunity to observe and monitor flood events. This research work focuses on the assimilation of 2D flood extent maps derived from Sentinel-1 C-SAR imagery data, and water surface elevation from SWOT as well as in-situ water level measurements. An Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) with a joint state-parameter analysis is implemented on top of a 2D hydrodynamic TELEMAC-2D model to account for errors in roughness, input forcing and water depth in floodplain subdomains. The proposed strategy is carried out in an Observing System Simulation Experiment based on the 2021 flood event over the Garonne Marmandaise catchment. This work makes the most of the large volume of heterogeneous data from space for flood prediction in hindcast mode paves the way for nowcasting., Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE 2024 International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS 2024)

We present an X-ray analysis of three different XMM-Newton observations together with simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 4190 ULX-1. Our goal is to constrain the structure of the accretion disk and the geometrical properties of the source. We performed a temporal and spectral analyses in the 0.4--30 keV energy range where the source is significantly detected in dedicated XMM-Newton, NICER and NuSTAR observations. The temporal analysis shows no flaring activity in the light curves. No pulsation is detected throughout. The source exhibits a typical ULX spectrum, which can be fitted with two thermal blackbody components plus a Comptonization tail at high energies. The luminosity-temperature relation of each thermal spectral component is consistent with the $L \propto T^{2}$ relation expected from an advection-dominated supercritical disk. We interpret these results as a super-Eddington accreting black hole seen almost face-on. A dense wind ejected from the disk obscures the central source, and a hot electron plasma is evacuated through the funnel formed above the hole. Geometric beaming is responsible for the ULX soft emission, whereas the hard tail is the result of Comptonization of soft photons by the electrons ejected through the funnel., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

With the rapid industrial development, many dye pollutants have entered the water, along with heavy metals like As, leading to complex pollution that threatens the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, designing an effective strategy for treating complex dye wastewater is urgent. Herein, we have constructed high-purity pyrite FeS$_2$ nanoplates as bifunctional catalysts for the simultaneous removal of dyes and arsenite (As(III)).

We report the confirmation and mass determination of a mini-Neptune transiting the M3.5 V star TOI-4438 (G 182-34) every 7.44 days. A transit signal was detected with NASA's TESS space mission in the sectors 40, 52, and 53. In order to validate the planet TOI-4438 b and to determine the system properties, we combined TESS data with high-precision radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES spectrograph, spanning almost one year, and ground-based transit photometry. We found that TOI-4438 b has a radius of Rb = 2.52 +/- 0.13 R_Earth (5% precision), which together with a mass of Mb=5.4 +/- 1.1 M_Earth (20% precision), results in a bulk density of rho = 1.85+0.51-0.44 g cm-3 (28% precision), aligning the discovery with a volatile-rich planet. Our interior structure retrieval with a pure water envelope yields a minimum water mass fraction of 46% (1-sigma). TOI-4438 b is a volatile-rich mini-Neptune with likely H/He mixed with molecules, such as water, CO_2, and CH_4. The primary star has a J-band magnitude of 9.7, and the planet has a high transmission spectroscopy metric (TSM) of 136 +/- 13. Taking into account the relatively warm equilibrium temperature of T_eq = 435 +/- 15 K, and the low activity level of its host star, TOI-4438 b is one of the most promising mini-Neptunes around an M dwarf for transmission spectroscopy studies., Comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysics

Monochromatic gamma-ray signals constitute a potential smoking gun signature for annihilating or decaying dark matter particles that could relatively easily be distinguished from astrophysical or instrumental backgrounds. We provide an updated assessment of the sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to such signals, based on observations of the Galactic centre region as well as of selected dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We find that current limits and detection prospects for dark matter masses above 300 GeV will be significantly improved, by up to an order of magnitude in the multi-TeV range. This demonstrates that CTA will set a new standard for gamma-ray astronomy also in this respect, as the world's largest and most sensitive high-energy gamma-ray observatory, in particular due to its exquisite energy resolution at TeV energies and the adopted observational strategy focussing on regions with large dark matter densities. Throughout our analysis, we use up-to-date instrument response functions, and we thoroughly model the effect of instrumental systematic uncertainties in our statistical treatment. We further present results for other potential signatures with sharp spectral features, e.g.~box-shaped spectra, that would likewise very clearly point to a particle dark matter origin., Comment: 44 pages JCAP style (excluding author list and references), 19 figures; minor changes to match published version

We study the origin of the positron excess observed in the local cosmic-ray spectrum at high energies, and relate it to the cosmic rays and gamma-ray emission across the entire Galaxy. In particular, we explore the hypothesis of a single, dominant source accountable for primary electron-positron pairs. Since we are agnostic about the physical nature of the underlying source population, we consider four simple models that are representative of young pulsars, old stars (as a tracer of millisecond pulsars), and annihilating dark matter particles. In the dark matter hypothesis, we consider both a cored and a cuspy model for the halo in the Milky Way. Then, we compare the associated gamma-ray sky maps with Fermi-LAT data. The aim of this work is not to derive constraints or upper limits for the different models considered, but rather to explore the possibility, as a proof of concept, of building a self-consistent model able to explain simultaneously the origin of all cosmic-ray species, including positrons, as well as the Galactic center GeV gamma-ray emission. We find that the emission arising from pulsar wind nebulae is fairly concentrated near the mid plane, and therefore additional cosmic-ray sources must be invoked to explain the emission at the center of the Galaxy. If the local positron excess were mainly due to millisecond pulsars, inverse Compton scattering by the particles injected in the Milky Way bulge would naturally account for a non-negligible fraction of the central gamma-ray emission. The case of annihilating dark matter is very sensitive to the precise shape of the dark matter profile. The results for a standard NFW cuspy profile are above the gamma-ray measurements by as much as a factor of 2 in some regions of the Galaxy, while the results for an isothermal, cored profile are still compatible with the data. However, the cross-sections exceed the current constraints., Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures

The advancement of Parkinson's Disease (PD) diagnosis through speech analysis is hindered by a notable lack of publicly available, diverse language datasets, limiting the reproducibility and further exploration of existing research. In response to this gap, we introduce a comprehensive corpus from 108 native Castilian Spanish speakers, comprising 55 healthy controls and 53 individuals diagnosed with PD, all of whom were under pharmacological treatment and recorded in their medication-optimized state. This unique dataset features a wide array of speech tasks, including sustained phonation of the five Spanish vowels, diadochokinetic tests, 16 listen-and-repeat utterances, and free monologues. The dataset emphasizes accuracy and reliability through specialist manual transcriptions of the listen-and-repeat tasks and utilizes Whisper for automated monologue transcriptions, making it the most complete public corpus of Parkinsonian speech, and the first in Castillian Spanish. NeuroVoz is composed by 2,903 audio recordings averaging $26.88 \pm 3.35$ recordings per participant, offering a substantial resource for the scientific exploration of PD's impact on speech. This dataset has already underpinned several studies, achieving a benchmark accuracy of 89% in PD speech pattern identification, indicating marked speech alterations attributable to PD. Despite these advances, the broader challenge of conducting a language-agnostic, cross-corpora analysis of Parkinsonian speech patterns remains an open area for future research. This contribution not only fills a critical void in PD speech analysis resources but also sets a new standard for the global research community in leveraging speech as a diagnostic tool for neurodegenerative diseases., Comment: Preprint version

The Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) is an emblematic alpine species with high conservation importance. The population size of these mountain bird tends to decline on the reference sites and shows differences according to changes in local landscape characteristics. Habitat changes are at the centre of the identified pressures impacting part or all of its life cycle, according to experts. Hence, an approach to monitor population dynamics, is trough modelling the favourable habitats of Black Grouse breeding (nesting sites). Then, coupling modelling with multi-source remote sensing data (medium and very high spatial resolution), allowed the implementation of a spatial distribution model of the species. Indeed, the extraction of variables from remote sensing helped to describe the area studied at appropriate spatial and temporal scales: horizontal and vertical structure (heterogeneity), functioning (vegetation indices), phenology (seasonal or inter-annual dynamics) and biodiversity. An annual time series of radiometric indices (NDVI, NDWI, BI {\ldots}) from Sentinel-2 has made it possible to generate Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs) to derive phenological indications on the nature and dynamics of natural habitats. In addition, very high resolution images (SPOT6) provided access to the fine structure of natural habitats, i.e. the vertical and horizontal organisation by states identified as elementary (mineral, herbaceous, low and high woody). Indeed, one of the essential limiting factors for brood rearing is the presence of a well-developed herbaceous or ericaceous stratum in the northern Alps and larch forests in the southern region. A deep learning model was used to classify elementary strata. Finally, Biomod2 R platform, using an ensemble approach, was applied to model, the favourable habitat of Black Grouse reproduction. Of all the models, Random Forest and Extreme Boosted Gradient are the best performing, with TSS and ROC scores close to 1. For the SDM, we selected only Random Forest models (ensemble modelling) because of their low susceptibility to overfitting and coherent predictions (after comparing model predictions).In this ensemble model, the most important explanatory variables are altitude, the proportion of heathland, and the DHI (NDVI Max and NDWI Max). Results from the habitat model can be used as an operational tool for monitoring forest landscape shifts and changes. In addition, to delimiting potential areas to protect the species habitat, which constitute a valuable decision-making tool for conservation management of mountain open forest., Comment: in French language