Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ESTIMATING DISTANCES FROM PARALLAXES. II. PERFORMANCE OF BAYESIAN DISTANCE ESTIMATORS ON A GAIA-LIKE CATALOGUE

Estimating a distance by inverting a parallax is only valid in the absence of noise. As most stars in the Gaia catalog will have non-negligible fractional parallax errors, we must treat distance estimation as a constrained inference problem. Here we investigate the performance of various priors for estimating distances, using a simulated Gaia catalog of one billion stars. We use three minimalist, isotropic priors, as well an anisotropic prior derived from the observability of stars in a Milky Way model. The two priors that assume a uniform distribution of stars—either in distance or in space density—give poor results: The root mean square fractional distance error, , grows far in excess of 100% once the fractional parallax error, , is larger than 0.1. A prior assuming an exponentially decreasing space density with increasing distance performs well once its single parameter—the scale length— has been set to an appropriate value: is roughly equal to for , yet does not increase further as increases up to to 1.0. The Milky Way prior performs well except toward the Galactic center, due to a mismatch with the (simulated) data. Such mismatches will be inevitable (and remain unknown) in real applications, and can produce large errors. We therefore suggest adopting the simpler exponentially decreasing space density prior, which is also less time-consuming to compute. Including Gaia photometry improves the distance estimation significantly for both the Milky Way and exponentially decreasing space density prior, yet doing so requires additional assumptions about the physical nature of stars.
Strong influence of packing density in terahertz metamaterials

We investigate the response of a terahertz metamaterial depending on the unit cell density. The fundamental inductive capacitive (LC) resonance has its highest quality (Q) factor for a critical period Pc=λ/n, with λ being the LC resonance wavelength and n being the refractive index of the substrate. This occurs due to simultaneous excitation of the lowest order lattice mode that strongly favors radiative coupling in the metamaterial plane. Increasing or decreasing the period from Pc reduces the Q factor. Our results suggest that an optimal package density exists in metamaterials to induce the strongest dispersion.
The Ability of Acid-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents to Co-Extract Elements from the Roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Associated Health Risks

The roots of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) have been widely used in traditional and officinal medicines for the treatment of different diseases. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have become popular for the extraction of active principles from medicinal plants. However, the ability of NADES to co-extract trace elements during the isolation of target active compounds is rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze the content of trace elements in acid-based NADES extracts from the roots of G. glabra and the health risks associated with them. In this study, we have tested for the first time the ability of several acid-based NADES to co-extract glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and trace elements from the roots of G. glabra. GA has been identified as the dominant phytochemical in G. glabra NADES extracts (0.145–0.495 mg/g). Due to the close pKa of lactic acid and GA, the yield of GA in lactic acid-based NADES was higher in comparison with other tested NADES. The yield of GA in NADES3-NADES5 was statistically significant and surpassed the yield of GA in water. The recovery of all elements (except Li) by all tested NADES was low (less than 6%). According to an ANOVA test, the hydrogen bond donor type plays a decisive role in the extraction of elements. A strong positive correlation between the recovery of GA and MPI was noted. The metal pollution index, hazard quotient, hazard index, and chronic daily intake were calculated and suggest that all tested NADES extracts of G. glabra roots were nontoxic and possess no health risk for both ingestion and topical application.
PROBING THE –σ* RELATION IN THE NON-LOCAL UNIVERSE USING RED QSOs

We describe a method to measure the –σ* relation in the non-local universe using dust-obscured QSOs. We present results from a pilot sample of nine Two Micron All Sky Survey red QSOs with redshifts 0.14 < z < 0.37. We find that there is an offset (0.8 dex, on average) between the position of our objects and the local relation for active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in the sense that the majority of red QSO hosts have lower velocity dispersions and/or more massive black holes (BHs) than local galaxies. These results are in agreement with recent studies of AGNs at similar and higher redshifts. This could indicate an unusually rapid growth in the host galaxies since z ∼ 0.2, if these objects were to land in the local relation at present time. However, the z > 0.1 AGNs (including our sample and those of previous studies) have significantly higher than those of local AGNs, so a direct comparison is not straightforward. Further, using several samples of local and higher-z AGNs, we find a striking trend of an increasing offset with respect to the local –σ* relation as a function of AGN luminosity, with virtually all objects with log(L5100/erg s−1) >43.6 falling above the relation. Given the relatively small number of AGNs at z > 0.1 for which there are direct measurements of stellar velocity dispersions, it is impossible at present to determine whether there truly is evolution in –σ* with redshift. Larger, carefully selected samples of AGNs are necessary to disentangle the dependence of –σ* on mass, luminosity, accretion rates, and redshift.
Convergence and rate of approximation in $BV^{\varphi}(\mathbb{R}^N_+)$ for a class of Mellin integral operators

In this paper we study convergence results and rate of approximation for a family of linear integral operators of Mellin type in the frame of $BV^{\varphi}(\mathbb{R}^N_+)$. Here $BV^{\varphi}(\mathbb{R}^N_+)$ denotes the space of functions with bounded $\varphi-$variation on $\mathbb{R}^N_+$, defined by means of a concept of multidimensional $\varphi-$variation in the sense of Tonelli.
Comparative investigation of third- and fifth-harmonic generation in atomic and molecular gases driven by midinfrared ultrafast laser pulses

We report on the comparative experimental investigation on third- and fifth-harmonic generation (THG and FHG) in atomic and molecular gases driven by midinfrared ultrafast laser pulses at a wavelength of {approx}1500 nm. We observe that the conversion efficiencies of both the THG and FHG processes saturate at similar peak intensities close to {approx}1.5 x 10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2} for argon, nitrogen, and air, whose ionization potentials are close to each other. Near the saturation intensity, the ratio of yields of the FHG and THG reaches {approx}10{sup -1} for all the gases. Our results show that high-order Kerr effect seems to exist; however, contribution from the fourth-order Kerr refractive index coefficient alone is insufficient to balance the Kerr self-focusing without the assistance of plasma generation.
Is germanium (Ge, Z = 32) a neutron-capture element?

Historically,Ge has been considered to be a neutron-capture element. In this case, the r-process abundance of Ge is derived by subtracting the s-process abundance from the total abundance in the Solar system. However, the Ge abundance of the metal-poor star HD 108317 is lower than that of the scaled residual r-process abundance in the Solar system, about 1.2 dex. In this paper, based on a comparison of the Ge abundances of metal-poor stars and stellar yields, we find that the Ge abundances are not the result of the primary-like yields in massive stars and come mainly from the r-process. Based on the observed abundances of metal-poor stars, we derived the Ge abundances of the weak r-process and main r-process. The contributed percentage of the neutron-capture process to Ge in the Solar system is about 59 per cent, which means that the contributed percentage of the Ge residual abundance in the Solar system is about 41 per cent. We find that the Ge residual abundance is produced as secondary-like yields in massive stars. This implies that the element Ge in the Solar system is not produced solely by the neutron-capture process.
Nuclear activity in isolated galaxies

We present a spectroscopic study of the incidence of AGN nuclear activity in two samples of isolated galaxies (Karachentseva, V.E. & Varela, J.). Our results show that the incidence of non-thermal nuclear activity is about 43% and 31% for galaxies with emission lines and for the total sample 40% and 27% respectively. For the first time we have a large number of bona-fide isolated galaxies (513 objects), with statistically significant number of all types. We find a clear relation between bulge mass and the incidence of nuclear activity in the sample with emission lines. This relation becomes flatter when we take into account the complete sample with no emission line galaxies. A large fraction (~70%) of elliptical galaxies or early type spirals have an active galactic nucleus and ~70% of them are LINERs. Only 3% of the AGN show the presence of broad lines (a not a single one can be classified as type 1 AGN). This is a remarkable result which is completely at odds with the unified model even if we consider warped or clumpy tori. Finally, we interpret the large fraction of AGN in isolated galaxies as the result of secular evolution of their supermasive black holes.
Covariance in the thermal SZ–weak lensing mass scaling relation of galaxy clusters

The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect signal is widely recognized as a robust mass proxy of galaxy clusters with small intrinsic scatter. However, recent observational calibration of the tSZ scaling relation using weak lensing (WL) mass exhibits considerably larger scatter than the intrinsic scatter predicted from numerical simulations. This raises a question as to whether we can realize the full statistical power of ongoing and upcoming tSZ-WL observations of galaxy clusters. In this work, we investigate the origin of observed scatter in the tSZ-WL scaling relation, using mock maps of galaxy clusters extracted from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We show that the inferred intrinsic scatter from mock tSZ-WL analyses is considerably larger than the intrinsic scatter measured in simulations, and comparable to the scatter in the observed tSZ-WL relation. We show that this enhanced scatter originates from the combination of the projection of correlated structures along the line of sight and the uncertainty in the cluster radius associated with WL mass estimates, causing the amplitude of the scatter to depend on the covariance between tSZ and WL signals. We present a statistical model to recover the unbiased cluster scaling relation and cosmological parameter by taking into account the covariance in the tSZ-WL mass relation from multi-wavelength cluster surveys.
THE ROLE OF TURBULENT MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN THE FORMATION OF ROTATIONALLY SUPPORTED PROTOSTELLAR DISKS

The formation of protostellar disks out of molecular cloud cores is still not fully understood. Under ideal MHD conditions, the removal of angular momentum from the disk progenitor by the typically embedded magnetic field may prevent the formation of a rotationally supported disk during the main protostellar accretion phase of low-mass stars. This has been known as the magnetic braking problem and the most investigated mechanism to alleviate this problem and help remove the excess of magnetic flux during the star formation process, the so-called ambipolar diffusion (AD), has been shown to be not sufficient to weaken the magnetic braking at least at this stage of the disk formation. In this work, motivated by recent progress in the understanding of magnetic reconnection in turbulent environments, we appeal to the diffusion of magnetic field mediated by magnetic reconnection as an alternative mechanism for removing magnetic flux. We investigate numerically this mechanism during the later phases of the protostellar disk formation and show its high efficiency. By means of fully three-dimensional MHD simulations, we show that the diffusivity arising from turbulent magnetic reconnection is able to transport magnetic flux to the outskirts of the disk progenitor at timescales compatible with the collapse, allowing the formation of a rotationally supported disk around the protostar of dimensions ∼100 AU, with a nearly Keplerian profile in the early accretion phase. Since MHD turbulence is expected to be present in protostellar disks, this is a natural mechanism for removing magnetic flux excess and allowing the formation of these disks. This mechanism dismisses the necessity of postulating a hypothetical increase of the ohmic resistivity as discussed in the literature. Together with our earlier work which showed that magnetic flux removal from molecular cloud cores is very efficient, this work calls for reconsidering the relative role of AD in the processes of star and planet formation.
Fluctuation and strain effects in a chiral p -wave superconductor

For a tetragonal material, order parameters of $p_x$ and $p_y$ symmetry are related by rotation and hence have the same $T_{\rm c}$ at a mean-field level. This degeneracy can be lifted by a symmetry-breaking field, like (uniaxial) in-plane strain, such that at $T_{\rm c}$, the order parameter is only of $p_x$ or $p_y$ symmetry. Only at a lower temperature also the respective other order parameter condenses to form a chiral $p$-wave state. At the mean-field level, the derivative of $T_{\rm c}$ with strain is discontinuous at zero strain. We analyze consequences of (thermal) fluctuations on the strain-temperature phase diagram within a Ginzburg-Landau approach. We find that the order-parameter fluctuations can drive the transition to be weakly first order, rounding off this discontinuity. We discuss the possibility of a second-order transition into a non-superconducting time-reversal-symmetry-breaking phase and consequences for the spin-triplet superconductor Sr$_2$RuO$_4$.
Very Long Baseline Array observations of the intraday variable source J1128+592

Context. Short timescale flux density variations in flat spectrum radio sources are often explained by the scattering of radio waves in the turbulent ionized interstellar medium of the Milky Way. One of the most convincing observational arguments in favor of this is the annual modulation of the variability timescale caused by the orbital motion of Earth around the Sun. J1128+5925 is a recently discovered IDV source with a possible annual modulation in its variability timescale. New observations suggest a change in its variability characteristics.
Four stellar populations and extreme helium variation in the massive outer-halo globular cluster NGC 2419

Recent work revealed that both the helium variation within globular clusters (GCs) and the relative numbers of first and second-generation stars (1G, 2G) depend on the mass of the host cluster. Precise determination of the internal helium variations and of the fraction of 1G stars are crucial constraints to the formation scenarios of multiple populations (MPs). We exploit multi-band Hubble Space Telescope photometry to investigate MPs in NGC 2419, which is one of the most-massive and distant GCs of the Galaxy, almost isolated from its tidal influence. We find that the 1G hosts the ~37% of the analyzed stars, and identified three populations of 2G stars, namely 2GA, 2GB, and 2GC, which comprise the ~20%, ~31% and ~12% of stars, respectively. We compare the observed colors of these four populations with the colors derived from appropriate synthetic spectra to infer the relative helium abundances. We find that 2GA, 2GB, and 2GC stars are enhanced in helium mass fraction by deltaY ~0.01, 0.06, and 0.19 with respectto 1G stars that have primordial helium (Y=0.246). The high He enrichment of 2GC stars is hardly reconcilable with most of the current scenarios for MPs. Furthermore, the relatively larger fraction of 1G stars (~37%) compared to other massive GCs is noticeable. By exploiting literature results, we find that the fractions of 1G stars of GCs with large perigalactic distance are typically higher than in the other GCs with similar masses. This suggests that NGC 2419, similarly to other distant GCs, lost a lower fraction of 1G stars.
WR 120bb and WR 120bc: a pair of WN9h stars with possibly interacting circumstellar shells

Two optically obscured Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars have been recently discovered by means of their infrared (IR) circumstellar shells, which show signatures of interaction with each other. Following the systematics of the WR star catalogues, these stars obtain the names WR 120bb and WR 120bc. In this paper, we present and analyse new near-IR, J-, H- and K-band spectra using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. For that purpose, the atomic data base of the code has been extended in order to include all significant lines in the near-IR bands. The spectra of both stars are classified as WN9h. As their spectra are very similar the parameters that we obtained by the spectral analyses hardly differ. Despite their late spectral subtype, we found relatively high stellar temperatures of 63 kK. The wind composition is dominated by helium, while hydrogen is depleted to 25 per cent by mass. Because of their location in the Scutum-Centaurus Arm, WR 120bb and WR 120bc appear highly reddened, A(Ks) approximate to 2 mag. We adopt a common distance of 5.8 kpc to both stars, which complies with the typical absolute K-band magnitude for the WN9h subtype of -6.5 mag, is consistent with their observed extinction based on comparison with other massive stars in the region, and allows for the possibility that their shells are interacting with each other. This leads to luminosities of log(L/L-circle dot) = 5.66 and 5.54 for WR 120bb and WR 120bc, with large uncertainties due to the adopted distance. The values of the luminosities of WR 120bb and WR 120bc imply that the immediate precursors of both stars were red supergiants (RSG). This implies in turn that the circumstellar shells associated with WR 120bb and WR 120bc were formed by interaction between the WR wind and the dense material shed during the preceding RSG phase.
THE GEMINI NICI PLANET-FINDING CAMPAIGN: DISCOVERY OF A CLOSE SUBSTELLAR COMPANION TO THE YOUNG DEBRIS DISK STAR PZ Tel

We report the discovery of a tight substellar companion to the young solar analog PZ Tel, a member of the β Pic moving group observed with high-contrast adaptive optics imaging as part of the Gemini Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager Planet-Finding Campaign. The companion was detected at a projected separation of 16.4 ± 1.0 AU (0.″33 ± 0.″01) in 2009 April. Second-epoch observations in 2010 May demonstrate that the companion is physically associated and shows significant orbital motion. Monte Carlo modeling constrains the orbit of PZ Tel B to eccentricities >0.6. The near-IR colors of PZ Tel B indicate a spectral type of M7 ± 2 and thus this object will be a new benchmark companion for studies of ultracool, low-gravity photospheres. Adopting an age of 12+8−4 Myr for the system, we estimate a mass of 36 ± 6 MJup based on the Lyon/DUSTY evolutionary models. PZ Tel B is one of the few young substellar companions directly imaged at orbital separations similar to those of giant planets in our own solar system. Additionally, the primary star PZ Tel A shows a 70 μm emission excess, evidence for a significant quantity of circumstellar dust that has not been disrupted by the orbital motion of the companion.
Indirect evidence of the Odderon from the LHC data on elastic proton-proton scattering

A simple multipole Pomeron and Odderon model for elastic hadron scattering, reproducing the structure of the first and second diffraction cones is used to analyze $pp$ and $\bar{p}p$ scattering. The main emphasis is on the delicate and non-trivial dynamics in the dip-bump region, at $|t| \approx 1$ GeV$^2$ and at the second cone. The simplicity of the model and the expected smallness of the absorption corrections enables one the control of various contributions to the scattering amplitude, in particular the interplay between the C-even and C-odd components of the amplitude, as well as their relative contribution, changing with $s$ and $t$. The role of the non-linearity of the Regge trajectories is verified. A detailed analysis of the LHC energy region, where most of the exiting models may be either confirmed or ruled out, is presented.
ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCE DIFFERENCES IN THE 16 CYGNI BINARY SYSTEM: A SIGNATURE OF GAS GIANT PLANET FORMATION?

The atmospheric parameters of the components of the 16 Cygni binary system, in which the secondary has a gas giant planet detected, are measured accurately using high-quality observational data. Abundances relative to solar are obtained for 25 elements with a mean error of σ([X/H]) = 0.023 dex. The fact that 16 Cyg A has about four times more lithium than 16 Cyg B is normal considering the slightly different masses of the stars. The abundance patterns of 16 Cyg A and B, relative to iron, are typical of that observed in most of the so-called solar twin stars, with the exception of the heavy elements (Z > 30), which can, however, be explained by Galactic chemical evolution. Differential (A–B) abundances are measured with even higher precision (σ(Δ[X/H]) = 0.018 dex, on average). We find that 16 Cyg A is more metal-rich than 16 Cyg B by Δ[M/H] = +0.041 ± 0.007 dex. On an element-to-element basis, no correlation between the A–B abundance differences and dust condensation temperature (TC) is detected. Based on these results, we conclude that if the process of planet formation around 16 Cyg B is responsible for the observed abundance pattern, the formation of gas giants produces a constant downward shift in the photospheric abundance of metals, without a TC correlation. The latter would be produced by the formation of terrestrial planets instead, as suggested by other recent works on precise elemental abundances. Nevertheless, a scenario consistent with these observations requires the convective envelopes of ≃ 1 M☉ stars to reach their present-day sizes about three times quicker than predicted by standard stellar evolution models.
THE FIRST SPECTROSCOPICALLY RESOLVED SUB-PARSEC ORBIT OF A SUPERMASSIVE BINARY BLACK HOLE

One of the most intriguing scenarios proposed to explain how active galactic nuclei are triggered involves the existence of a supermassive binary black hole (BH) system in their cores. Here, we present an observational evidence for the first spectroscopically resolved sub-parsec orbit of a such system in the core of Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. Using a method similar to those typically used for spectroscopic binary stars, we obtained radial velocity curves of the supermassive binary system, from which we calculated orbital elements and made estimates about the masses of the components. Our analysis shows that periodic variations in the light and radial velocity curves can be accounted for by an eccentric, sub-parsec Keplerian orbit with a 15.9 year period. The flux maximum in the light curve corresponds to the approaching phase of the secondary component toward the observer. According to the obtained results, we speculate that the periodic variations in the observed Hα line shape and flux are due to shock waves generated by the supersonic motion of the components through the surrounding medium. Given the large observational effort needed to reveal this spectroscopically resolved binary orbital motion, we suggest that many such systems may exist in similar objects even if they are hard to find. Detecting more of them will provide us with insight into the BH mass growth process.