Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radial metal abundance profiles in the intra-cluster medium of cool-core galaxy clusters, groups, and ellipticals

The hot intra-cluster medium (ICM) permeating galaxy clusters and groups is not pristine, as it has been continuously enriched by metals synthesised in Type Ia (SNIa) and core-collapse (SNcc) supernovae since the major epoch of star formation (z similar or equal to 2-3). The cluster/group enrichment history and mechanisms responsible for releasing and mixing the metals can be probed via the radial distribution of SNIa and SNcc products within the ICM. In this paper, we use deep XMM-Newton/EPIC observations from a sample of 44 nearby cool-core galaxy clusters, groups, and ellipticals (CHEERS) to constrain the average radial O, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Fe, and Ni abundance profiles. The radial distributions of all these elements, averaged over a large sample for the first time, represent the best constrained profiles available currently. Specific attention is devoted to a proper modelling of the EPIC spectral components, and to other systematic uncertainties that may affect our results. We find an overall decrease of the Fe abundance with radius out to similar to 0.9 r(500) and similar to 0.6 r(500) for clusters and groups, respectively, in good agreement with predictions from the most recent hydrodynamical simulations. The average radial profiles of all the other elements (X) are also centrally peaked and, when rescaled to their average central X/Fe ratios, follow well the Fe profile out to at least similar to 0.5 r(500). As predicted by recent simulations, we find that the relative contribution of SNIa (SNcc) to the total ICM enrichment is consistent with being uniform at all radii, both for clusters and groups using two sets of SNIa and SNcc yield models that reproduce the X/Fe abundance pattern in the core well. In addition to implying that the central metal peak is balanced between SNIa and SNcc, our results suggest that the enriching SNIa and SNcc products must share the same origin and that the delay between the bulk of the SNIa and SNcc explosions must be shorter than the timescale necessary to diffuse out the metals. Finally, we report an apparent abundance drop in the very core of 14 systems (similar to 32% of the sample). Possible origins of these drops are discussed.
Big bang nucleosynthesis and physics beyond the standard model

The Hubble expansion of galaxies, the 2.73 K black-body radiation background and the cosmic abundances of the light elements argue for a hot, dense origin of the universe - the standard big bang cosmology - and enable its evolution to be traced back fairly reliably to the nucleosynthesis era when the temperature was of O(1) MeV corresponding to an expansion age of O(1) s. All particles, known and hypothetical, would have been created at higher temperatures in the early universe and analyses of their possible effects on the abundances of the synthesized elements enable many interesting constraints to be obtained on particle properties. These arguments have usefully complemented laboratory experiments in guiding attempts to extend physics beyond the standard model, incorporating ideas such as supersymmetry, compositeness and unification. We first present a pedagogical account of relativistic cosmology and primordial nucleosynthesis, discussing both theoretical and observational aspects, and then proceed to examine such constraints in detail, in particular those pertaining to new massless particles and massive unstable particles. Finally, in a section aimed at particle physicists, we illustrate applications of such constraints to models of new physics.
The COS CGM Compendium. III. Metallicity and Physical Properties of the Cool Circumgalactic Medium at z ≲ 1

We characterize the metallicities and physical properties of cool, photoionized gas in a sample of 152 z ≲ 1 strong Lyα forest systems (SLFSs, absorbers with 15 < log NH i < 16.2). The sample is drawn from our Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) circumgalactic medium compendium (CCC), an ultraviolet survey of H i-selected circumgalactic gas around z ≲ 1 galaxies that targets 261 absorbers with 15 < log NH i < 19. We show that the metallicity probability distribution function of the SLFSs at z ≲ 1 is unimodal, skewed to low metallicities with a mean and median of [X/H] = −1.47 and −1.18 dex. Very metal-poor gas with [X/H] < −1.4 represents about half of the population of absorbers with 15 < log NH i ≲ 18, while it is rare at higher NH i. Thus, there are important reservoirs of primitive (though not pristine) diffuse ionized gas around z ≲ 1 galaxies. The photoionized gas around z ≲ 1 galaxies is highly inhomogeneous based on the wide range of metallicities observed (−3 ≲ [X/H] ≲ +0.4) and the fact that there are large metallicity variations (factors of 2 to 25) for most of the closely spaced absorbers (Δv ≲ 300 km s−1) along the same sightlines. These absorbers show a complex evolution with redshift and H i column density, and we identify subtle cosmic evolution effects that affect the interpretation of metallicity distributions and comparison with other absorber samples. We discuss the physical conditions and cosmic baryon and metal budgets of the CCC absorbers. Finally, we compare the CCC results to recent cosmological zoom simulations and explore the origins of the 15 < log NH i < 19 absorbers within the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) high-resolution simulations.
Astrophysical black holes

In this chapter, we introduce the concept of a black hole (BH) and recount the initial theoretical predictions. We then review the possible types of BHs in nature, from primordial, to stellar-mass, to supermassive BHs. Finally, we focus on the latter category and on their intricate relation with their host galaxies.
Numerical Simulations of Collisional Cascades at the Roche Limits of White Dwarf Stars

We consider the long-term collisional and dynamical evolution of solid material orbiting in a narrow annulus near the Roche limit of a white dwarf. With orbital velocities of 300 , systems of solids with initial eccentricity generate a collisional cascade where objects with radii are ground to dust. This process converts 1–100 km asteroids into 1 μm particles in 102−106 yr. Throughout this evolution, the swarm maintains an initially large vertical scale height H. Adding solids at a rate enables the system to find an equilibrium where the mass in solids is roughly constant. This equilibrium depends on and , the radius of the largest solid added to the swarm. When ≲ 10 km, this equilibrium is stable. For larger , the mass oscillates between high and low states; the fraction of time spent in high states ranges from 100% for large to much less than 1% for small . During high states, the stellar luminosity reprocessed by the solids is comparable to the excess infrared emission observed in many metallic line white dwarfs.
Detecting dark matter cores in galaxy clusters with strong lensing

Author(s): Andrade, Kevin E; Minor, Quinn; Nierenberg, Anna; Kaplinghat, Manoj | Abstract: We test the ability of strong lensing data to constrain the size of a central core in the dark matter halos of galaxy clusters, using Abell 611 as a prototype. Using simulated data, we show that modeling a cluster halo with ellipticity in the gravitational potential can bias the inferred mass and concentration, which may bias the inferred central density when weak lensing or X-ray data are added. We also the highlight the possibility for spurious constraints on the core size if the radial density profile is different from the assumed model. These systematics can be ameliorated if central images are present in the data. Applying our methodology to Abell 611 and imposing a reasonable prior on the stellar mass-to-light ratio restricts the core size to be less than about 4 kpc, with a minimum reduced $\chi^2$ of 0.28 for 0. "2 positional errors. Such small cores imply a constraint on the dark matter self-interaction cross section of the order of $0.1\ \mathrm{cm^2/g}$ at relative velocities of about 1500 km/s.
CN and CH Band Strengths of Bright Giants in M3

CN and CH band strengths for 10 bright red giants in M3 have been measured from archival spectra obtained with the Multiple Mirror Telescope. A CN-CH band strength anticorrelation is confirmed for the program stars together with other stars for which there is published data. This suggests an anticorrelation between carbon and nitrogen abundances with a constant total abundance of carbon plus nitrogen. However, stars that do not follow the CN-CH anticorrelation are also found. The star III-77, which is found to have both strong CN and CH bands, is the most peculiar among them. Three other stars, VZ 194, VZ 352, and VZ 1420, which show both weak CN and CH band strengths, could be asymptotic giant branch stars.
The trajectories of galaxies in groups: mass-loss and preprocessing

We present a study of environmental effects and preprocessing in a large galaxy group using a high-resolution, zoom-in simulation run with the GASOLINE2 hydrodynamics code. We categorize galaxies that were always in distinct haloes as unaccreted, galaxies that were distinct before accretion onto the main group as single, and galaxies that were in external sub-groups before accretion onto the main group as grouped. The unaccreted galaxy population experiences steady growth in dark matter, gas and stellar mass. Both single- and group-accreted galaxies begin to lose dark matter and gas after first accretion onto any host but continue to grow in stellar mass. Individual trajectories show that galaxies cease mass growth within roughly three virial radii of the main group. Single galaxies continue to form stars until the group virial radius is crossed, when they begin to lose both dark matter and gas. Grouped galaxies peak in mass when joining their external sub-group, indicating that they experience preprocessing. Most accreted galaxies retain their accumulated stellar mass. The total mass loss is dominated by tidal stripping, with evidence for additional gas stripping via ram pressure. Most accreted galaxies are quenched $\sim$(0.5-2.5) Gyr after accretion onto any group. These differing histories place unaccreted, single and grouped galaxies in distinct regions of the stellar mass-to-halo mass (SMHM) relation. This suggests that preprocessed galaxies are a key source of scatter in the SMHM relation for mixed galaxy populations.
NIHAO XIX: how supernova feedback shapes the galaxy baryon cycle

We have used the NIHAO simulations to explore how supernovae (SNe) affect star formation in galaxies. We find that SN feedback operates on all scales from the interstellar medium (ISM) to several virial radii. SNe regulate star formation by preventing condensation of HI into H$_2$ and by moving cold neutral gas to the hot HII phase. The first effect explains why the cold neutral gas in dwarf galaxies forms stars inefficiently. The second maintains the hot ISM of massive galaxies (HII vents out at lower masses). At $v_{\rm vir}\simeq 67{\rm\,km\,s}^{-1}$, the outflow rate follows the relation: $\dot{M}_{\rm out}=23\,(v_{\rm vir}/67{\rm\,km\,s}^{-1})^{-4.6}\,{\rm SFR}$. $20\%$ to $70\%$ of the gas expelled from galaxies escapes from the halo (ejective feedback) but outflows are dominated by cold swept-up gas, most of which falls back onto the galaxy on a $\sim 1\,$Gyr timescale. This `fountain feedback' reduces the masses of galaxies by a factor of two to four, since gas spends half to three quarter of its time in the fountain. Less than $10\%$ of the ejected gas mixes with the hot circumgalactic medium and this gas is usually not reaccreted. On scales as large as $6r_{\rm vir}$, galactic winds divert the incoming gas from cosmic filaments and prevent if from accreting onto galaxies (pre-emptive feedback). This process is the main reason for the low baryon content of ultradwarves.
High-redshift Massive Quiescent Galaxies Are as Flat as Star-forming Galaxies: The Flattening of Galaxies and the Correlation with Structural Properties in CANDELS/3D-HST

We investigate the median flattening of galaxies at 0.2 < z < 4.0 in all five CANDELS/3D-HST fields via the apparent axis ratio, q. We separate the sample into bins of the redshift, stellar mass, Sérsic index, size, and UVJ-determined star-forming state to discover the most important drivers of the median q (qmed). Quiescent galaxies at z < 1 and M* > 1011 M⊙ are rounder than those at lower masses, consistent with the hypothesis that they have grown significantly through dry merging. The massive quiescent galaxies at higher redshifts become flatter and are as flat as star-forming massive galaxies at 2.5 < z < 3.5, consistent with formation through direct transformations or wet mergers. We find that in quiescent galaxies, correlations with qmed and M*, and z and re are driven by the evolution in the Sérsic index (n), consistent with the growing accumulation of minor mergers at lower redshifts. Interestingly, n does not drive these trends fully in star-forming galaxies. Instead, the strongest predictor of q in star-forming galaxies is the effective radius, where larger galaxies are flatter. Our findings suggest that qmed is the tracing bulge-to-total ratio, which would explain why smaller/more massive star-forming galaxies are rounder than their extended/less massive analogs, although it is unclear why the Sérsic index correlates more weakly with flattening for star-forming galaxies than for quiescent galaxies.
Design and characterization of finite-length fiber gratings

A rigorous analysis of the response of fiber Bragg gratings of finite length is presented. For the discrete grating model, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for the response to be realizable as a grating of finite length. These conditions are used to develop a general method for designing gratings with a prescribed length. The design process is divided into two parts. First, we find a realizable reflection spectrum which approximates the target spectrum. Once the spectrum is found, one can determine the associated grating profile by straightforward layer-peeling inverse-scattering or transfer matrix factorization methods. As an example, a dispersionless bandpass filter is designed and compared to the results when the layer-peeling algorithm is applied directly to a windowed impulse response. We also discuss potential applications to grating characterization including regularization and finding the absolute reflection spectrum from a measured, normalized version.
Acupuncture induce the different modulation patterns of the default mode network: an fMRI study

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and certain clinical treatment reports, the sustained effects of acupuncture indeed exist, which may last several minutes or hours. Furthermore, increased attention has fallen on the sustained effects of acupuncture. Recently, it is reported that the sustained acupuncture effects may alter the default mode network (DMN). It raises interesting questions: whether the modulations of acupuncture effects to the DMN are still detected at other acupoints and whether the modulation patterns are different induced by different acupoints. In the present study, we wanted to investigate the questions. An experiment fMRI design was carried out on 36 subjects with the electroacupuncture stimulation (EAS) at the three acupoints: Guangming (GB37), Kunlun (BL60) and Jiaoxin (KI8) on the left leg. The data sets were analyzed by a data driven method named independent component analysis (ICA). The results indicated that the three acupoints stimulations may modulate the DMN. Moreover, the modulation patterns were distinct. We suggest the different modulation patterns on the DMN may attribute to the distinct functional effects of acupoints.
Properties of disks and spiral arms along the Hubble sequence

This paper presents some new statistical correlations between the properties of disks and of spiral arms with some physical properties of galaxies. Our results show that the thickness of spiral disks tends to diminish along the Hubble sequence in the sense that disks of Sc galaxies are 40% thinner than disks of Sab-Sb galaxies. Moreover, the thinner disks tend also to be bluer. We also nd that there exists a correlation between HI linewidths and arm pattern within each Hubble type, which suggests that the arm shape is partially determined by the mass of a galaxy. Total mass luminosity ratios and total mass surface densities also have correlations with pitch angles i.e., for disks with lower surface densities and lower total mass luminosity ratios, the pitch angles tend to be greater.
Plasma Parameters in the COMPASS Divertor During Ohmic Plasmas

This paper reports on probe measurements of the electron energy distribution function and plasma potential in the divertor region of the COMPASS tokamak during D‐shaped plasmas. The probe data have been processed using the novel first‐derivative technique. A comparison with the results obtained by processing the same data with the classical probe technique, which assumes Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions is presented and discussed. In the vicinity of the inner and outer strike points of the divertor the electron energy distribution function can be approximated by a bi‐Maxwellian, with a dominating low‐energy electron population (4‐7 eV) and a minority of higher energy electrons (12‐25 eV). In the private flux region between the two strike points the electron energy distribution function is found to be Maxwellian with temperatures in the range of 7‐10 eV. The comparative analysis using both techniques has allowed a better insight into the underlying physical processes at the divertor region of the COMPASS tokamak. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A 6-yr Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Climatology and Its Relationship to Rainfall over Central and Eastern China

AbstractThe cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning climatology and its relationship to rainfall over central and eastern China is examined, using data from 32 million CG lightning flashes and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission measurements during a 6-yr period covering 2008–13. Results show substantial spatial and temporal variations of flash density across China. Flash counts are the highest (lowest) in summer (winter) with the lowest (highest) proportion of positive flashes. CG lightning over northern China is more active only in summer, whereas in winter CG lightning is more active only in the Yangtze River basin. The highest CG lightning densities, exceeding 9 flashes per kilometer squared per year and more than 70 CG lightning days per year, are found in the northern Pearl River delta region, followed by the Sichuan basin, the Yangtze River delta, and the southeastern coast of China in that order. Lower-flash-density days occur over mountainous regions as a result of the development of short-lived afternoon.
APPLICATION EFFECTS OF CHLORPYRIFOS-ETHYL AND MALATHION ON THE LICHEN Xanthoria parietina AND THE MOSS Funaria hygrometrica

Insecticides used in agriculture are important for pest’s management . However, due to their known environmental damage, the study of their effect on non-target organisms is crucial. The literature on this topic deals with the effect of insecticide on plants, animals, fungus, algae, and cyanobacteria. So far, no ecotoxicological studies could be found about their effect on lichen or mosses. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of Chlorpyrifos-ethyl and Malathion on Xanthoria parietina and Funaria hygrometrica respectively a lichen and moss widely used in biomonitoring. Laboratory biotests were conducted applying insecticides by pulverization in controlled conditions. The results have shown no significant effect of the two pesticides in the two species within three days as F. hygrometrica treated with malathion within seven days. After seven days CPE is adversely affecting the lichen and the mosses resulting in a decrease of the photosynthetic pigment, in addition to, an increase in the concentrations of the products of oxidations. From this study, it was observed that that X. parietina and F. hygrometrica may be proposed to be used in biomonitoring of some insecticides risk.
X-Ray Surface Brightness Profiles of Optically Selected Active Galactic Nuclei: Comparison with X-Ray AGNs

We use data from the All Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey to construct stacked X-ray maps of optically bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and an associated control sample of galaxies at high redshift (z ∼ 0.6). From our analysis of the surface brightness profiles obtained from these X-ray maps, we find evidence of feedback from the active nuclei. We find that excluding galaxies and AGNs, residing in group environments, from our samples enhances the significance of our detection. Our results support the tentative findings of Chatterjee et al., who use X-ray-selected AGNs for their analysis. We discuss the implications of these results in the context of quantifying AGN feedback and show that the current method can be used to extract an X-ray source population in high-redshift galaxies.