Search

Ultra-light axion-like particles (ALPs) can be a viable solution to the dark matter problem. The scalar field associated with ALPs, coupled to the electromagnetic field, acts as an active birefringent medium, altering the polarisation properties of light through which it propagates. In particular, oscillations of the axionic field induce monochromatic variations of the plane of linearly polarised radiation of astrophysical signals. The radio emission of millisecond pulsars provides an excellent tool to search for such manifestations, given their high fractional linear polarisation and negligible fluctuations of their polarisation properties. We have searched for the evidence of ALPs in the polarimetry measurements of pulsars collected and preprocessed for the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) campaign. Focusing on the twelve brightest sources in linear polarisation, we searched for an astrophysical signal from axions using both frequentist and Bayesian statistical frameworks. For the frequentist analysis, which uses Lomb-Scargle periodograms at its core, no statistically significant signal has been found. The model used for the Bayesian analysis has been adjusted to accommodate multiple deterministic systematics that may be present in the data. A statistically significant signal has been found in the dataset of multiple pulsars with common frequency between $10^{-8}$ Hz and $2\times10^{-8}$ Hz, which can most likely be explained by the residual Faraday rotation in the terrestrial ionosphere. Strong bounds on the coupling constant $g_{a\gamma}$, in the same ballpark as other searches, have been obtained in the mass range between $6\times10^{-24}$ eV and $5\times10^{-21}$ eV. We conclude by discussing problems that can limit the sensitivity of our search for ultra-light axions in the polarimetry data of pulsars, and possible ways to resolve them., Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures

Sympathetic cooling of molecular ions through the Coulomb interaction with laser-cooled atomic ions is an efficient tool to prepare translationally cold molecules. Even at relatively high collisional energies of about 1eV (T$\sim$10000K), the nearest approach in the ion-ion collisions never gets closer than $\sim$1nm such that naively perturbations of the internal molecular state are not expected. The Coulomb field may, however, induce rotational transitions changing the purity of initially quantum state prepared molecules. Here, we use estimates of rotational state changes in collisions of diatomic ions with atomic ions (arXiv:1905.02130) and determine the overall rotational excitation accumulated over the sympathetic cooling. We also estimate the cooling time, considering both a single atomic ion and a Coulomb crystal of atomic ions., Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1905.02130

JWST observations of the young Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A revealed an unexpected structure seen as a green emission feature in colored composite MIRI F1130W and F1280W images - hence dubbed the Green Monster - that stretches across the central parts of the remnant in projection. Combining the kinematic information from NIRSpec and MIRI MRS with the multi-wavelength imaging from NIRCam and MIRI, we associate the Green Monster with circumstellar material that was lost during an asymmetric mass-loss phase. MIRI images are dominated by dust emission but its spectra show emission lines from Ne, H and Fe with low radial velocities indicative of a CSM nature. An X-ray analysis of this feature in a companion paper (Vink et al. 2024) supports its CSM nature and detects significant blue shifting, thereby placing the Green Monster on the near side, in front of the Cas A SN remnant. The most striking features of the Green Monster are dozens of almost perfectly circular 1" - 3" sized holes, most likely created by interaction between high-velocity SN ejecta material and the CSM. Further investigation is needed to understand whether these holes were formed by small 8000-10500 km/s N-rich ejecta knots that penetrated and advanced out ahead of the remnant's 5000 - 6000 km/s outer blastwave, or by narrow ejecta fingers that protrude into the forward-shocked CSM. The detection of the Green Monster provides further evidence of the highly asymmetric mass-loss that Cas A's progenitor star underwent prior to explosion., Comment: 28 pages, 12 figures, resubmitted to ApJL after minor revision, comments welcome

The design and optimization of laser-Compton x-ray systems based on compact distributed charge accelerator structures can enable micron-scale imaging of disease and the concomitant production of beams of Very High Energy Electrons (VHEEs) capable of producing FLASH-relevant dose rates. The physics of laser-Compton x-ray scattering ensures that the scattered x-rays follow exactly the trajectory of the incident electrons, thus providing a route to image-guided, VHEE FLASH radiotherapy. The keys to a compact architecture capable of producing both laser-Compton x-rays and VHEEs are the use of X-band RF accelerator structures which have been demonstrated to operate with over 100 MeV/m acceleration gradients. The operation of these structures in a distributed charge mode in which each radiofrequency (RF) cycle of the drive RF pulse is filled with a low-charge, high-brightness electron bunch is enabled by the illumination of a high-brightness photogun with a train of UV laser pulses synchronized to the frequency of the underlying accelerator system. The UV pulse trains are created by a patented pulse synthesis approach which utilizes the RF clock of the accelerator to phase and amplitude modulate a narrow band continuous wave (CW) seed laser. In this way it is possible to produce up to 10 $\mu$A of average beam current from the accelerator. Such high current from a compact accelerator enables production of sufficient x-rays via laser-Compton scattering for clinical imaging and does so from a machine of "clinical" footprint. At the same time, the production of 1000 or greater individual micro-bunches per RF pulse enables > 10 nC of charge to be produced in a macrobunch of < 100 ns. The design, construction, and test of the 100-MeV class prototype system in Irvine, CA is also presented., Comment: Accepted by Frontiers in Physics; Changes: expanded section 6, added numerical spectrum plot to Figure 10, expanded table 2 info, added citations; 29 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables

We present JWST observations of the Crab Nebula, the iconic remnant of the historical SN 1054. The observations include NIRCam and MIRI imaging mosaics, plus MIRI/MRS IFU spectra that probe two select locations within the ejecta filaments. We derive a high-resolution map of dust emission and show that the grains are concentrated in the innermost, high-density filaments. These dense filaments coincide with multiple synchrotron bays around the periphery of the Crab's pulsar wind nebula (PWN). We measure synchrotron spectral index changes in small-scale features within the PWN's torus region, including the well-known knot and wisp structures. The index variations are consistent with Doppler boosting of emission from particles with a broken power-law distribution, providing the first direct evidence that the curvature in the particle injection spectrum is tied to the acceleration mechanism at the termination shock. We detect multiple nickel and iron lines in the ejecta filaments and use photoionization models to derive nickel-to-iron abundance ratios that are a factor of 3-8 higher than the solar ratio. We also find that the previously reported order-of-magnitude higher Ni/Fe values from optical data are consistent with the lower values from JWST when we reanalyze the optical emission using updated atomic data and account for local extinction from dust. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding the nature of the explosion that produced the Crab Nebula and conclude that the observational properties are most consistent with a low-mass iron-core-collapse supernova, even though an electron-capture explosion cannot be ruled out., Comment: 32 pages, 3 tables, 20 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL

Gravitational waves from black-hole merging events have revealed a population of extra-galactic BHs residing in short-period binaries with masses that are higher than expected based on most stellar evolution models - and also higher than known stellar-origin black holes in our Galaxy. It has been proposed that those high-mass BHs are the remnants of massive metal-poor stars. Gaia astrometry is expected to uncover many Galactic wide-binary systems containing dormant BHs, which may not have been detected before. The study of this population will provide new information on the BH-mass distribution in binaries and shed light on their formation mechanisms and progenitors. As part of the validation efforts in preparation for the fourth Gaia data release (DR4), we analysed the preliminary astrometric binary solutions, obtained by the Gaia Non-Single Star pipeline, to verify their significance and to minimise false-detection rates in high-mass-function orbital solutions. The astrometric binary solution of one source, Gaia BH3, implies the presence of a 32.70 \pm 0.82 M\odot BH in a binary system with a period of 11.6 yr. Gaia radial velocities independently validate the astrometric orbit. Broad-band photometric and spectroscopic data show that the visible component is an old, very metal-poor giant of the Galactic halo, at a distance of 590 pc. The BH in the Gaia BH3 system is more massive than any other Galactic stellar-origin BH known thus far. The low metallicity of the star companion supports the scenario that metal-poor massive stars are progenitors of the high-mass BHs detected by gravitational-wave telescopes. The Galactic orbit of the system and its metallicity indicate that it might belong to the Sequoia halo substructure. Alternatively, and more plausibly, it could belong to the ED-2 stream, which likely originated from a globular cluster that had been disrupted by the Milky Way., Comment: 23 pages, accepted fro publication in A&A Letters. New version with small fixes

We investigate the propagation of Alfv\'en waves in the solar chromosphere, distinguishing between upward and downward propagating waves. We find clear evidence for the reflection of waves in the chromosphere and differences in propagation between cases with waves interpreted to be resonant or nonresonant with the overlying coronal structures. This establishes the wave connection to coronal element abundance anomalies through the action of the wave ponderomotive force on the chromospheric plasma, which interacts with chromospheric ions but not neutrals, thereby providing a novel mechanism of ion-neutral separation. This is seen as a "First Ionization Potential Effect" when this plasma is lifted into the corona, with implications elsewhere on the Sun for the origin of the slow speed solar wind and its elemental composition., Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical review Letters; 7 pages, 3 figures and 3 pages of supplemental material (non present here, it will be available as link in the journal)

We present initial results from a JWST survey of the youngest Galactic core-collapse supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), made up of NIRCam and MIRI imaging mosaics that map emission from the main shell, interior, and surrounding circumstellar/interstellar material (CSM/ISM). We also present four exploratory positions of MIRI/MRS IFU spectroscopy that sample ejecta, CSM, and associated dust from representative shocked and unshocked regions. Surprising discoveries include: 1) a web-like network of unshocked ejecta filaments resolved to 0.01 pc scales exhibiting an overall morphology consistent with turbulent mixing of cool, low-entropy matter from the progenitor's oxygen layer with hot, high-entropy matter heated by neutrino interactions and radioactivity, 2) a thick sheet of dust-dominated emission from shocked CSM seen in projection toward the remnant's interior pockmarked with small (approximately one arcsecond) round holes formed by knots of high-velocity ejecta that have pierced through the CSM and driven expanding tangential shocks, 3) dozens of light echoes with angular sizes between 0.1 arcsecond to 1 arcminute reflecting previously unseen fine-scale structure in the ISM. NIRCam observations place new upper limits on infrared emission from the neutron star in Cas A's center and tightly constrain scenarios involving a possible fallback disk. These JWST survey data and initial findings help address unresolved questions about massive star explosions that have broad implications for the formation and evolution of stellar populations, the metal and dust enrichment of galaxies, and the origin of compact remnant objects., Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, now published in ApJL

The plasma composition of the solar corona is different from that of the solar photosphere. Elements that have a low first ionisation potential (FIP) are preferentially transported to the corona and, therefore, show enhanced abundances in the corona compared to the photosphere. The level of enhancement is measured using the FIP bias parameter. In this work, we use data from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode to study the plasma composition in an active region following an episode of significant new flux emergence into the pre-existing magnetic environment of the active region. We use two FIP bias diagnostics: Si X 258.375 A/S X 264.233 A (temperature of approximately 1.5 MK) and Ca XIV 193.874 A/Ar XIV 194.396 A (temperature of approximately 4 MK). We observe slightly higher FIP bias values with the Ca/Ar diagnostic than Si/S in the newly emerging loops, and this pattern is much stronger in the preexisting loops (those that had been formed before the flux emergence). This result can be interpreted in the context of the ponderomotive force model, which proposes that the plasma fractionation is generally driven by Alfv\'en waves. Model simulations predict this difference between diagnostics using simple assumptions about the wave properties, particularly that the fractionation is driven by resonant/non-resonant waves in the emerging/preexisting loops. We propose that this results in the different fractionation patterns observed in these two sets of loops., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Gaia's readout window strategy is challenged by very dense fields in the sky. Therefore, in addition to standard Gaia observations, full Sky Mapper (SM) images were recorded for nine selected regions in the sky. A new software pipeline exploits these Service Interface Function (SIF) images of crowded fields (CFs), making use of the availability of the full two-dimensional (2D) information. This new pipeline produced half a million additional Gaia sources in the region of the omega Centauri ($\omega$ Cen) cluster, which are published with this Focused Product Release. We discuss the dedicated SIF CF data reduction pipeline, validate its data products, and introduce their Gaia archive table. Our aim is to improve the completeness of the {\it Gaia} source inventory in a very dense region in the sky, $\omega$ Cen. An adapted version of {\it Gaia}'s Source Detection and Image Parameter Determination software located sources in the 2D SIF CF images. We validated the results by comparing them to the public {\it Gaia} DR3 catalogue and external Hubble Space Telescope data. With this Focused Product Release, 526\,587 new sources have been added to the {\it Gaia} catalogue in $\omega$ Cen. Apart from positions and brightnesses, the additional catalogue contains parallaxes and proper motions, but no meaningful colour information. While SIF CF source parameters generally have a lower precision than nominal {\it Gaia} sources, in the cluster centre they increase the depth of the combined catalogue by three magnitudes and improve the source density by a factor of ten. This first SIF CF data publication already adds great value to the {\it Gaia} catalogue. It demonstrates what to expect for the fourth {\it Gaia} catalogue, which will contain additional sources for all nine SIF CF regions.

Context. Strongly lensed quasars are fundamental sources for cosmology. The Gaia space mission covers the entire sky with the unprecedented resolution of $0.18$" in the optical, making it an ideal instrument to search for gravitational lenses down to the limiting magnitude of 21. Nevertheless, the previous Gaia Data Releases are known to be incomplete for small angular separations such as those expected for most lenses. Aims. We present the Data Processing and Analysis Consortium GravLens pipeline, which was built to analyse all Gaia detections around quasars and to cluster them into sources, thus producing a catalogue of secondary sources around each quasar. We analysed the resulting catalogue to produce scores that indicate source configurations that are compatible with strongly lensed quasars. Methods. GravLens uses the DBSCAN unsupervised clustering algorithm to detect sources around quasars. The resulting catalogue of multiplets is then analysed with several methods to identify potential gravitational lenses. We developed and applied an outlier scoring method, a comparison between the average BP and RP spectra of the components, and we also used an extremely randomised tree algorithm. These methods produce scores to identify the most probable configurations and to establish a list of lens candidates. Results. We analysed the environment of 3 760 032 quasars. A total of 4 760 920 sources, including the quasars, were found within 6" of the quasar positions. This list is given in the Gaia archive. In 87\% of cases, the quasar remains a single source, and in 501 385 cases neighbouring sources were detected. We propose a list of 381 lensed candidates, of which we identified 49 as the most promising. Beyond these candidates, the associate tables in this Focused Product Release allow the entire community to explore the unique Gaia data for strong lensing studies further., Comment: 35 pages, 60 figures, accepted for publication by Astronomy and Astrophysics

The third Gaia Data Release (DR3) provided photometric time series of more than 2 million long-period variable (LPV) candidates. Anticipating the publication of full radial-velocity (RV) in DR4, this Focused Product Release (FPR) provides RV time series for a selection of LPVs with high-quality observations. We describe the production and content of the Gaia catalog of LPV RV time series, and the methods used to compute variability parameters published in the Gaia FPR. Starting from the DR3 LPVs catalog, we applied filters to construct a sample of sources with high-quality RV measurements. We modeled their RV and photometric time series to derive their periods and amplitudes, and further refined the sample by requiring compatibility between the RV period and at least one of the $G$, $G_{\rm BP}$, or $G_{\rm RP}$ photometric periods. The catalog includes RV time series and variability parameters for 9\,614 sources in the magnitude range $6\lesssim G/{\rm mag}\lesssim 14$, including a flagged top-quality subsample of 6\,093 stars whose RV periods are fully compatible with the values derived from the $G$, $G_{\rm BP}$, and $G_{\rm RP}$ photometric time series. The RV time series contain a mean of 24 measurements per source taken unevenly over a duration of about three years. We identify the great most sources (88%) as genuine LPVs, with about half of them showing a pulsation period and the other half displaying a long secondary period. The remaining 12% consists of candidate ellipsoidal binaries. Quality checks against RVs available in the literature show excellent agreement. We provide illustrative examples and cautionary remarks. The publication of RV time series for almost 10\,000 LPVs constitutes, by far, the largest such database available to date in the literature. The availability of simultaneous photometric measurements gives a unique added value to the Gaia catalog (abridged), Comment: 36 pages, 38 figures

We model the observed charge states of the elements C, O, Mg, Si, and Fe in the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ejecta. We concentrate on "halo" CMEs observed in situ by ACE/SWICS to measure ion charge states, and also remotely by STEREO when in near quadrature with Earth, so that the CME expansion can be accurately specified. Within this observed expansion, we integrate equations for the CME ejecta ionization balance, including electron heating parameterized as a fraction of the kinetic and gravitational energy gain of the CME. We also include the effects of non-Maxwellian electron distributions, characterized as a kappa function. Focusing first on the 2010 April 3 CME, we find a somewhat better match to observed charge states with kappa in the range 2-4, close to the theoretical minimum value of kappa = 3/2, implying a hard spectrum of non-thermal electrons. Similar, but more significant results come from the 2011 February 15 event, although it is quite different in terms of its evolution. We discuss the implications of these values, and of the heating required, in terms of the magnetic reconnection Lundquist number and anomalous resistivity associated with CME evolution close to the Sun., Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

Our current theoretical and observational understanding suggests that critical properties of the solar wind and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are imparted within 10 Rs, particularly below 4 Rs. This seemingly narrow spatial region encompasses the transition of coronal plasma processes through the entire range of physical regimes from fluid to kinetic, and from primarily closed to open magnetic field structures. From a physics perspective, therefore, it is more appropriate to refer to this region as the Critical Coronal Transition Region (CCTR) to emphasize its physical, rather than spatial, importance to key Heliophysics science. This white paper argues that the comprehensive exploration of the CCTR will answer two of the most central Heliophysics questions, "How and where does the solar wind form?" and "How do eruptions form?", by unifying hardware/software/modeling development and seemingly disparate research communities and frameworks. We describe the outlines of decadal-scale plan to achieve that by 2050., Comment: White paper submitted to the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033; 6 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables

We outline and discuss a model for the enhanced abundances of trans-Fe elements in impulsive Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events, where large mass dependent abundance enhancements are frequently seen. It comes about as a variation of the ponderomotive force model for the First Ionization Potential (FIP) Effect, i.e. the increase in coronal abundance of elements like Fe, Mg, and Si that are ionized in the solar chromosphere relative to those that are neutral. In this way, the fractionation region is placed in the chromosphere, and is connected to the solar envelope allowing the huge abundance variations to occur, that might otherwise be problematic with a coronal fractionation site. The principal mechanism behind the mass-independent FIP fractionation becoming the mass dependent impulsive SEP fractionation is the suppression of acoustic waves in the chromosphere. The ponderomotive force causing the fractionation must be due to torsional Alfven waves, which couple much less effectively to slow modes than do shear waves, and upward propagating acoustic waves deriving from photospheric convection must be effectively mode converted to fast modes at the chromospheric layer where Alfven and sound speeds are equal, and subsequently totally internally reflected. We further discuss observations of the environments thought to be the source of impulsive SEPs, and the extent to which the real Sun might meet these conditions., Comment: 11 pages, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

In this paper, we provide a unified treatment of the Vanna-Volga pricing technique. We derive the value of single and double barriers FX options, as well as closed formulas for the Delta, Vega, Vanna and Volga of those contracts., Comment: 19 pages

The first critical fast Mach number is defined for a magnetohydrodynamic shock as the Mach number where the shock transitions from subcritical, laminar, behavior to supercritical behavior, characterized by incident ion reflection from the shock front. The ensuing upstream waves and turbulence are convected downstream leading to a turbulent shock structure. Formally this is the Mach number where plasma resistivity can no longer provide sufficient dissipation to establish a stable shock, and is characterized by the downstream flow speed becoming subsonic. We revisit these calculations, including in the MHD jump conditions terms modeling the plasma energy loss to accelerated particles and the presence of waves associated with these particles. The accelerated particle contributions make an insignificant change, but the associated waves have a more important effect. Upstream waves can be strongly amplified in intensity on passing through the shock, and represent another means of shock dissipation. The presence of such waves therefore increases the first critical fast Mach number, especially at quasi-parallel shock where wave excitation is strongest. These effects may have significance for the solar regions where shock waves accelerate particles and cause Type II and Type III radio bursts, and also contribute to the event-to-event variability of SEP acceleration., Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

An exhaustive survey of categorical propositions is proposed in the present paper, both with respect to their nature and the logical problems raised by them. Through a comparative analysis of Term Logic and First-Order Logic, it is shown that the famous problem of existential import may be solved in two ways: with a model-adaptive strategy, in which the square of opposition is validated by restricting the models; with a language-adaptive strategy, in which the logical form of categorical propositions is extended in order to validate the square in every model. The latter strategy is advocated in the name of logic, which means truth in every model. Finally, the present paper needs some automatic process in order to determine the nature of logical relations between any pair of the available 256 categorical propositions. This requires the implementation of a programming machine in the style of Prolog., Comment: In Proceedings NCL 2022, arXiv:2204.06359

Our understanding of the formation and evolution of the corona and the heliosphere is linked to our capability of properly interpreting the data from remote sensing and in-situ observations. In this respect, being able to correctly connect in-situ observations with their source regions on the Sun is the key for solving this problem. In this work we aim at testing a diagnostics method for this connectivity. This paper makes use of a coronal jet observed on 2010 August 2nd in active region 11092 as a test for our connectivity method. This combines solar EUV and in-situ data together with magnetic field extrapolation, large scale MHD modeling and FIP (First Ionization Potential) bias modeling to provide a global picture from the source region of the jet to its possible signatures at 1AU. Our data analysis reveals the presence of outflow areas near the jet which are within open magnetic flux regions and which present FIP bias consistent with the FIP model results. In our picture, one of these open areas is the candidate jet source. Using a back-mapping technique we identified the arrival time of this solar plasma at the ACE spacecraft. The in-situ data show signatures of changes in the plasma and magnetic field parameters, with FIP bias consistent with the possible passage of the jet material. Our results highlight the importance of remote sensing and in-situ coordinated observations as a key to solve the connectivity problem. We discuss our results in view of the recent Solar Orbiter launch which is currently providing such unique data., Comment: 53 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews

Let $\omega$ and $\nu$ be radial weights on the unit disc of the complex plane such that $\omega$ admits the doubling property $\sup_{0\le r<1}\frac{\int_r^1 \omega(s)\,ds}{\int_{\frac{1+r}{2}}^1 \omega(s)\,ds}<\infty$. Consider the one weight inequality \begin{equation}\label{ab1} \|P_\omega(f)\|_{L^p_\nu}\le C\|f\|_{L^p_\nu},\quad 1

In this paper, kink scattering in the dimensional reduction of the bosonic sector of a one-parameter family of generalized Wess-Zumino models with three vacuum points is discussed. The value of the model parameter determines the specific location of the vacua. The influence of the vacuum arrangements (evolving from three collinear vacua to three vacua placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle) on the kink scattering is investigated. Two different regimes can be distinguished: in the first one, two symmetric BPS kinks/antikinks arise whereas in the second one a new different BPS kink/antikink emerges, with the exception of a three-fold rotational symmetry case, where the three topological defects are identical. The scattering between the two symmetric kinks is thoroughly analyzed. Two different scattering channels have been found: kink-kink reflection and kink-kink hybridization. In the last case, the collision between the two symmetric kinks gives rise to the third different kink. Resonance phenomena also appear allowing a vibrating kink to split into two symmetric kinks moving away., Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures

We analyse the coronal elemental abundances during a small flare using Hinode/EIS observations. Compared to the pre-flare elemental abundances, we observed a strong increase in coronal abundance of Ca XIV 193.84 {\AA}, an emission line with low first ionisation potential (FIP < 10 eV), as quantified by the ratio Ca/Ar during the flare. This is in contrast to the unchanged abundance ratio observed using Si X 258.38 {\AA}/S X 264.23 {\AA}. We propose two different mechanisms to explain the different composition results. Firstly, the small flare-induced heating could have ionised S, but not the noble gas Ar, so that the flare-driven Alfv\'en waves brought up Si, S and Ca in tandem via the ponderomotive force which acts on ions. Secondly, the location of the flare in strong magnetic fields between two sunspots may suggest fractionation occurred in the low chromosphere, where the background gas is neutral H. In this region, high-FIP S could behave more like a low-FIP than a high-FIP element. The physical interpretations proposed generate new insights into the evolution of plasma abundances in the solar atmosphere during flaring, and suggests that current models must be updated to reflect dynamic rather than just static scenarios., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

The Inverse First Ionization Potential (FIP) Effect, the depletion in coronal abundance of elements like Fe, Mg, and Si that are ionized in the solar chromosphere relative to those that are neutral, has been identified in several solar flares. We give a more detailed discussion of the mechanism of fractionation by the ponderomotive force associated with magnetohydrodynamic waves, paying special attention to the conditions in which Inverse FIP fractionation arises in order to better understand its relation to the usual FIP Effect, i.e. the enhancement of coronal abundance of Fe, Mg, Si, etc. The FIP Effect is generated by parallel propagating Alfv\'en waves, with either photospheric, or more likely coronal, origins. The Inverse FIP Effect arises as upward propagating fast mode waves with an origin in the photosphere or below, refract back downwards in the chromosphere where the Alfv\'en speed is increasing with altitude. We give a more physically motivated picture of the FIP fractionation, based on the wave refraction around inhomogeneities in the solar atmosphere, and inspired by previous discussions of analogous phenomena in the optical trapping of particles by laser beams. We apply these insights to modeling the fractionation and find good agreement with the observations of Katsuda et al. (2020; arXiv:2001.10643) and Dennis et al. (2015; arXiv:1503.01602)., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted to ApJ

Quantum stochastic cocycles provide a basic model for time-homogeneous Markovian evolutions in a quantum setting, and a direct counterpart in continuous time to quantum random walks, in both the Schrodinger and Heisenberg pictures. This paper is a sequel to one in which correspondences were established between classes of quantum stochastic cocycle on an operator space or C*-algebra, and classes of Schur-action `global' semigroup on associated matrix spaces over the operator space. In this paper we investigate the stochastic generation of cocycles via the generation of their corresponding global semigroups, with the primary purpose of strengthening the scope of applicability of semigroup theory to the analysis and construction of quantum stochastic cocycles. An explicit description is given of the affine relationship between the stochastic generator of a completely bounded cocycle and the generator of any one of its associated global semigroups. Using this, the structure of the stochastic generator of a completely positive quasicontractive quantum stochastic cocycle on a C*-algebra whose expectation semigroup is norm continuous is derived, giving a comprehensive stochastic generalisation of the Christensen--Evans extension of the GKS&L theorem of Gorini, Kossakowski and Sudarshan, and Lindblad. The transformation also provides a new existence theorem for cocycles with unbounded structure map as stochastic generator. The latter is applied to a model of interacting particles known as the quantum exclusion Markov process, in particular on integer lattices in dimensions one and two., Comment: 44 pages; to appear in CMP

We analyze and model the infrared spectrum of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, with the aim of determining the masses of various elements in the unshocked ejecta. In this way we complement the survey of the X-ray emitting ejecta of Hwang & Laming (2012) to provide a complete census of the elemental composition of the Cas A ejecta. We calculate photoionization-recombination equilibria to determine the ionization balance of various elements in the ejecta as a function of density, using the X-ray and UV emission from the forward and reverse shocks as the ionizing radiation. With the assumption that all emission lines are principally excited at the ejecta density that maximizes their emission, we can convert observed line intensities into element masses. We find that the majority of the $\sim 3 $M_sun ejecta have already been through the reverse shock and are seen today in X-rays. A minority, $\sim 0.47\pm 0.05$ M_sun, with uncertainties quoted here coming from the data fitting procedure only, are still expanding inside the reverse shock and emitting in the infrared. This component is comprised mainly of O, Si, and S, with no Fe readily detectable. Incorporating uncertainties estimated to come from our modeling, we quote $0.47 \pm {0.47\atop 0.24}$ M_sun. We speculate that up to a further 0.07 M_sun of Fe may be present in diffuse gas in the inner ejecta, depending on the Fe charge state., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal