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Determining the physical nature of a star requires precise knowledge of its stellar atmospheric parameters, including effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity. This study presents a new atomic line list covering a broad spectral range (1-2.5 $\mu$m; $YJHK$-bands) for iron (Fe) and $\alpha$-elements (Ca, Mg, Ti, Si) to improve stellar parameter determination using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. We highlight the limitations of existing line lists, stemming primarily from inconsistencies in oscillator strengths for ionized iron lines within the APOGEE DR17. The line list was validated using the high-resolution and high-quality disc-center NIR spectra of the Sun and its solar analog HD 76151. As a result of the spectroscopic analyses, the effective temperature of HD 76151 was calculated as 5790$\pm$170 K, surface gravity as 4.35$\pm$0.18 cgs, metal abundance as 0.24$\pm$0.09 dex, and microturbulence velocity of 0.30$^{\rm +0.5}_{\rm -0.3}$ km s$^{-1}$ by combining the optical and NIR line lists. A comparison of the model atmospheric parameters calculated for HD 76151 with the PARSEC isochrones resulted in a stellar mass of $1.053_{-0.068}^{+0.056} M_{\odot}$, radius $1.125_{-0.011}^{+0.035} R_{\odot}$, and an age of 5.5$^{\rm +2.5}_{\rm -2.1}$ Gyr. For the first time, kinematic and dynamical orbital analyses of HD 76151 using a combination of Gaia astrometric and spectroscopic data showed that the star was born in a metal-rich region within the Solar circle and is a member of the thin disc population. Thus, the slightly metal-rich nature of the star, as reflected in its spectroscopic analysis, was confirmed by dynamical orbital analysis., Comment: 31 pages, including 8 figures and 13 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

In this study, spectral, age, kinematic, and orbital dynamical analyses were conducted on metal-poor and high proper-motion (HPM) stars, HD 8724 and HD 195633, selected from the Solar neighborhood. This analysis combines detailed abundance measurements, kinematics, and orbital dynamics to determine their origin. Standard 1D local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis provides a fresh determination of the atmospheric parameters: $T_{\rm eff}=$4700$\pm$115 K, $\log g=$ 1.65$\pm$0.32 cgs, [Fe/H]=-1.59$\pm$0.04 dex, and a microturbulent velocity $\xi=$ 1.58$\pm$0.50 km s$^{\rm -1}$ for HD 8724 and $T_{\rm eff}=$6100$\pm$205 K, $\log g=$3.95$\pm$0.35 cgs, [Fe/H]=-0.52$\pm$0.05 dex, and $\xi=$1.26$\pm$0.50 km s$^{\rm -1}$ for HD 195633. The ages were estimated using a Bayesian approach (12.25 Gyr for HD 8724 and 8.15 Gyr for HD 195633). The escape scenarios of these stars from 170 candidate globular clusters (GCs) in the Galaxy were also investigated because of their chemical and physical differences (HPM and metal-poor nature). Accordingly, the calculated probability of encounter ($59\%$) for HD 8724 at a distance of five tidal radius suggests that star HD 8724 may have escaped from NGC 5139 ($\omega$ Cen), supported by its highly flattened orbit and may belong to a sub-population of this GC. Conversely, HD 195633's kinematics, age, and metal abundances point towards an escape from the bulge GC NGC 6356., Comment: 19 pages, including 12 figures and 8 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomische Nachrichten

The hyperfine structure of 40 spectral lines of singly ionized thulium (Tm II) in emission spectra from a hollow cathode discharge lamp measured with a Fourier transform spectrometer in the wavelength range from 335 nm to 2345 nm has been investigated. As a result of the analysis, the magnetic dipole hyperfine structure constants $A$ for 27 fine structure levels of Tm II were determined for the first time. In addition, the values of two magnetic dipole hyperfine structure constants $A$ from the literature were declared incorrect and the corrected values were given., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures and 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

We propose a line list that may be useful for the abundance analysis of G-type stars in the wavelength range 4080 -- 6780 A. It is expected that the line list will be useful for surveys/libraries with overlapping spectral regions (e.g. ELODIE/SOPHIE libraries, UVES-580 setting of Gaia-ESO), and in particular for the analysis of F- and G-type stars in general. The atomic data are supplemented by detailed references to the sources. We estimated the Solar abundances using stellar lines and the high-resolution Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) spectra of the Sun to determine the uncertainty in the log gf values. By undertaking a systematic search that makes use of the lower excitation potential and gf-values and using revised multiplet table as an initial guide, we identified 363 lines of 24 species that have accurate gf-values and are free of blends in the spectra of the Sun and a Solar analogue star, HD 218209 (G6V), for which accurate and up-to-date abundances were obtained from both ELODIE and PolarBASE spectra of the star. For the common lines with the Gaia-ESO line list v.6 provided by the Gaia-ESO collaboration, we discovered significant inconsistencies in the gf-values for certain lines of varying species., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures and 5 tables, accepted for publication in Physics and Astronomy Reports

This paper explores the ability of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to solve forward and inverse problems of contact mechanics for small deformation elasticity. We deploy PINNs in a mixed-variable formulation enhanced by output transformation to enforce Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions as hard constraints. Inequality constraints of contact problems, namely Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) type conditions, are enforced as soft constraints by incorporating them into the loss function during network training. To formulate the loss function contribution of KKT constraints, existing approaches applied to elastoplasticity problems are investigated and we explore a nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP) function, namely Fischer-Burmeister, which possesses advantageous characteristics in terms of optimization. Based on the Hertzian contact problem, we show that PINNs can serve as pure partial differential equation (PDE) solver, as data-enhanced forward model, as inverse solver for parameter identification, and as fast-to-evaluate surrogate model. Furthermore, we demonstrate the importance of choosing proper hyperparameters, e.g. loss weights, and a combination of Adam and L-BFGS-B optimizers aiming for better results in terms of accuracy and training time.

Altough both components of the bright eclipsing binary $\alpha$ Dra having been resolved using long baseline interferometry and the secondary component shown to contribute some 15\% of the total flux, a spectroscopic detection of the companion star was so far unsuccessful. To achieve our goals, we use a combined data set from interferometry with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI), photometry with the TESS space observatory, and high-resolution spectroscopy with the HERMES fibre-fed spectrograph at the La Palma observatory. We use the method of spectral disentangling to search for the contribution of a companion star in the observed composite HERMES spectra, to separate the spectral contributions of both components, and to determine orbital elements of the $\alpha$ Dra system. TESS light curves are analysed in an iterative fashion with spectroscopic inference of stellar atmospheric parameters to determine fundamental stellar properties and their uncertainties. Finally, NPOI interferometric measurements are used for determination of the orbital parameters of the system and angular diameters of both binary components. We report the first firm spectroscopic detection of the secondary component in $\alpha$ Dra and deliver disentangled spectra of both binary components. The inferred near-core mixing properties of both components do not support a dependence of the convective core overshooting on the stellar mass. At the same time, the $\alpha$ Dra system provides extra support to hypothesise that the mass discrepancy in eclipsing spectroscopic double-lined binaries is associated with inferior atmospheric modelling of intermediate- and high-mass stars, and less so with the predictive power of stellar structure and evolution models as to the amount of near-core mixing and mass of the convective core. (abridged abstract), Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We report a multisite photometric campaign for the Beta Cep stars V2052 Oph and V986 Oph. 670 hours of high-quality differential photoelectric Stromgren, Johnson and Geneva time-series photometry were obtained with eight telescopes on five continents during 182 nights. Frequency analyses of the V2052 Oph data enabled the detection of three pulsation frequencies, the first harmonic of the strongest signal, and the rotation frequency with its first harmonic. Pulsational mode identification from analysing the colour amplitude ratios confirms the dominant mode as being radial, whereas the other two oscillations are most likely l=4. Combining seismic constraints on the inclination of the rotation axis with published magnetic field analyses we conclude that the radial mode must be the fundamental. The rotational light modulation is in phase with published spectroscopic variability, and consistent with an oblique rotator for which both magnetic poles pass through the line of sight. The inclination of the rotation axis is 54o

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) collaboration is developing low-pressure gas TPC detectors for measuring WIMP-nucleon interactions. Optical readout with CCD cameras allows for the detection for the daily modulation in the direction of the dark matter wind, while several charge readout channels allow for the measurement of additional recoil properties. In this article, we show that the addition of the charge readout analysis to the CCD allows us too obtain a statistics-limited 90% C.L. upper limit on the $e^-$ rejection factor of $5.6\times10^{-6}$ for recoils with energies between 40 and 200 keV$_{\mathrm{ee}}$. In addition, requiring coincidence between charge signals and light in the CCD reduces CCD-specific backgrounds by more than two orders of magnitude., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. For proceedings of DPF 2011 conference

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) experiment uses CF_4 gas at low pressure (0.1 atm) to search for the directional signature of Galactic WIMP dark matter. We describe the DMTPC apparatus and summarize recent results from a 35.7 g-day exposure surface run at MIT. After nuclear recoil cuts are applied to the data, we find 105 candidate events in the energy range 80 - 200 keV, which is consistent with the expected cosmogenic neutron background. Using this data, we obtain a limit on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross-section of 2.0 \times 10^{-33} cm^2 at a WIMP mass of 115 GeV/c^2. This detector is currently deployed underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico., Comment: Conference proceedings from the Identification of Dark Matter 2010, Montpellier, France. To be published by SISSA as PoS(IDM2010)042. 7 pages, 6 figures

The connection between helium-rich hot subdwarfs of spectral types O and B (He-sdB) has been relatively unexplored since the latter were found in significant numbers in the 1980's. In order to explore this connection further, we have analysed the surface composition of six He-sdB stars, including LB 1766, LB 3229, SB 21 (= Ton-S 137 = BPS 29503-0009), BPS 22940-0009, BPS 29496-0010, and BPS 22956-0094. Opacity-sampled line-blanketed model atmospheres have been used to derive atmospheric properties and elemental abundances. All the stars are moderately metal-poor compared with the Sun ([Fe/H] ~ -0.5). Four stars are nitrogen-rich, two of these are carbon-rich, and at least four appear to be neon-rich. The data are insufficient to rule out binarity in any of the sample. The surface composition and locus of the N-rich He-sdBs are currently best explained by the merger of two helium white dwarfs, or possibly by the merger of a helium white dwarf with a post-sdB white dwarf. C-rich He-sdBs require further investigation., Comment: Accepted 2010 July 7

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) is a low pressure (75 Torr CF4) 10 liter detector capable of measuring the vector direction of nuclear recoils with the goal of directional dark matter detection. In this paper we present the first dark matter limit from DMTPC. In an analysis window of 80-200 keV recoil energy, based on a 35.7 g-day exposure, we set a 90% C.L. upper limit on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross section of 2.0 x 10^{-33} cm^{2} for 115 GeV/c^2 dark matter particle mass., Comment: accepted for publication in Physics Letters B

We present the case for a dark matter detector with directional sensitivity. This document was developed at the 2009 CYGNUS workshop on directional dark matter detection, and contains contributions from theorists and experimental groups in the field. We describe the need for a dark matter detector with directional sensitivity; each directional dark matter experiment presents their project's status; and we close with a feasibility study for scaling up to a one ton directional detector, which would cost around $150M., Comment: 48 pages, 37 figures, whitepaper on direct dark matter detection with directional sensitivity

An abundance analysis based on a high-resolution spectrum is presented for a newly discovered post-AGB star in the globular cluster M79. The surprising result is that the iron abundance of the star is apparently about 0.6 dex less than that of the cluster's red giants as reported by published studies including a recent high-resolution spectroscopic analysis by Carretta and colleagues. Abundances relative to iron appear to be the same for the post-AGB star and the red giants for the 15 common elements. It is suggested that the explanation for the lower abundances of the post-AGB star may be that its atmospheric structure differs from that of a classical atmosphere; the temperature gradient may be flatter than predicted by a classical atmosphere., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Carbon-tetrafluoride (CF4) is used as a counting gas in particle detectors, but some of its properties that are of interest for large time-projection chambers are not well known. We measure the mean energy, which is proportional to the diffusion coefficent, and the attentuation coefficient of electron propagation in CF4 gas using a 10-liter dark matter detector prototype of the DMTPC project., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures

The DMTPC detector is a low-pressure CF4 TPC with optical readout for directional detection of Dark Matter. The combination of the energy and directional tracking information allows for an efficient suppression of all backgrounds. The choice of gas (CF4) makes this detector particularly sensitive to spin-dependent interactions., Comment: 8 pages, to be published by Journal of Physics: Conference Series in the proceedings of The Fourth International Symposium on Large TPCs for Low Energy Rare Event Detection

Directional detection of Dark Matter allows for unambiguous direct detection of WIMPs as well as discrimination between various Dark Matter models in our galaxy. The DMTPC detector is a low-pressure TPC with optical readout designed for directional direct detection of WIMPs. By using CF4 gas as the active material, the detector also has excellent sensitivity to spin-dependent interactions of Dark Matter on protons., Comment: 5 pages, 1 pdf figure, proceedings of IDM2008, submitted to PoS

Directional detection of Dark Matter allows for unambiguous direct detection of WIMPs as well as discrimination between various Dark Matter models in our galaxy. The DMTPC detector is a low-pressure TPC with optical readout designed for directional direct detection of WIMPs. By using CF4 gas as the active material, the detector also has excellent sensitivity to spin-dependent interactions of Dark Matter on protons., Comment: Presented at ICHEP08, Philadelphia, USA, July 2008. 3 pages, LaTeX, 1 pdf figure

We report a multisite photometric campaign for the Beta Cephei star 12 Lacertae. 750 hours of high-quality differential photoelectric Stromgren, Johnson and Geneva time-series photometry were obtained with 9 telescopes during 190 nights. Our frequency analysis results in the detection of 23 sinusoidal signals in the light curves. Eleven of those correspond to independent pulsation modes, and the remainder are combination frequencies. We find some slow aperiodic variability such as that seemingly present in several Beta Cephei stars. We perform mode identification from our colour photometry, derive the spherical degree l for the five strongest modes unambiguously and provide constraints on l for the weaker modes. We find a mixture of modes of 0 <= l <= 4. In particular, we prove that the previously suspected rotationally split triplet within the modes of 12 Lac consists of modes of different l; their equal frequency splitting must thus be accidental. One of the periodic signals we detected in the light curves is argued to be a linearly stable mode excited to visible amplitude by nonlinear mode coupling via a 2:1 resonance. We also find a low-frequency signal in the light variations whose physical nature is unclear; it could be a parent or daughter mode resonantly coupled. The remaining combination frequencies are consistent with simple light-curve distortions. The range of excited pulsation frequencies of 12 Lac may be sufficiently large that it cannot be reproduced by standard models. We suspect that the star has a larger metal abundance in the pulsational driving zone, a hypothesis also capable of explaining the presence of Beta Cephei stars in the LMC., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS, in press