adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Tackling the Challenges in the 21 cm Global Spectrum Experiment: The Impact of Ionosphere and Beam Distortion

The H I 21 cm global signal from the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) offers critical insights into the evolution of our Universe. Yet, its detection presents significant challenges, due to its extremely low signal-to-contamination ratio and complex instrumental systematics. In this paper, we examine the effects of the ionosphere and antenna beam on data analysis. The ionosphere, an ionized plasma layer in the Earth's atmosphere, refracts, absorbs, and emits radio waves in the relevant frequency range. This interaction results in additional spectral distortion of the observed signal, complicating the process of foreground subtraction. Additionally, chromatic variations in the beam can also introduce further contamination into the global spectrum measurement. Notably, the ionospheric effect, being dependent on the direction of incoming light, interacts with the instrumental beam, adding another layer of complexity. To address this, we evaluate three different fitting templates of foreground: the logarithmic polynomial, the physically motivated Experiment to Detect the Global EoR Signature (EDGES) template, and a singular value decomposition (SVD)-based template. Our findings indicate that the EDGES and SVD templates generally surpass logarithmic polynomials in performance. Recognizing the significance of beam chromaticity, we further investigate specific beam distortion models and their impacts on the signal extraction process.

Keywords: cosmology; reionization; earth ionosphere
JWST/NIRSpec Balmer-line Measurements of Star Formation and Dust Attenuation at z 3-6

We present an analysis of the star formation rates (SFRs) and dust attenuation properties of star-forming galaxies at 2.7 ≤ z < 6.5 drawn from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey. Our analysis is based on JWST/NIRSpec Micro-Shutter Assembly R ~ 1000 spectroscopic observations covering approximately 1-5 μm. Our primary rest-frame optical spectroscopic measurements are Hα/Hβ Balmer decrements, which we use as an indicator of nebular dust attenuation. In turn, we use Balmer decrements to obtain dust-corrected Hα-based SFRs (i.e., SFR(Hα)). We construct the relationship between SFR(Hα) and stellar mass (M *) in three bins of redshift (2.7 ≤ z < 4.0, 4.0 ≤ z < 5.0, and 5.0 ≤ z < 6.5), which represents the first time the star-forming main sequence has been traced at these redshifts using direct spectroscopic measurements of Balmer emission as a proxy for SFR. In tracing the relationship between SFR(Hα) and M * back to such early times (z > 3), it is essential to use a conversion factor between Hα and SFR that accounts for the subsolar metallicity prevalent among distant galaxies. We also use measured Balmer decrements to investigate the relationship between dust attenuation and stellar mass out to z ~ 6. The lack of significant redshift evolution in attenuation at fixed stellar mass, previously confirmed using Balmer decrements out to z ~ 2.3, appears to hold out to z ~ 6.5. Given the rapidly evolving gas, dust, and metal content of star-forming galaxies at fixed mass, this lack of significant evolution in attenuation provides an ongoing challenge to explain.

Keywords: high-redshift galaxies; galaxy evolution; galaxy formation
A Study of the Blue Straggler Population of the Old Open Cluster Collinder 261

Blue stragglers (BSs) are stars located in an unexpected region of the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of a stellar population, as they appear bluer and more luminous than the stars in the turn-off region. They are ubiquitous, since they have been found among Milky Way field stars, in open and globular clusters, and also in other galaxies of the Local Group. Here we present a study on the BS population of the old and metal-rich open cluster Collinder 261, based on Gaia DR2 data and on a multi-epoch radial velocity survey conducted with Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph (FLAMES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We also analyze the radial distribution of the BS population to probe the dynamical status of the cluster. BS candidates were identified first with Gaia DR2, according to their position on the CMD, proper motions, and parallaxes. Their radial distribution was compared with those of main sequence, red giant, and red clump stars, to evaluate mass segregation. Additionally, their radial velocities (and the associated uncertainties) were compared with the mean radial velocity and velocity dispersion of the cluster. When possible, close binaries and long-period binaries were also identified, based on the radial velocity variations for the different epochs. We also looked for yellow stragglers, i.e., possible evolved BSs. We found 53 BS members of Collinder 261, six of them were already identified in previous catalogs. Among the BS candidates with radial velocity measurements, we found one long-period binary, five close-binary systems, three nonvariable stars; we also identified one yellow straggler.

Keywords: open star clusters
Mapping NGC 7027 in New Light: CO+ and HCO+ Emission Reveal Its Photon- and X-Ray-dominated Regions

The young and well-studied planetary nebula (PN) NGC 7027 harbors significant molecular gas that is irradiated by luminous, pointlike UV (central star) and diffuse (shocked nebular) X-ray emission. This nebula represents an excellent subject to investigate the molecular chemistry and physical conditions within photon- and X-ray-dominated regions (PDRs and XDRs). As yet, the exact formation routes of CO+ and HCO+ in PN environments remain uncertain. Here we present ~2″ resolution maps of NGC 7027 in the irradiation tracers CO+ and HCO+ obtained with the IRAM NOEMA interferometer, along with SMA CO and HST 2.12 μm H2 data for context. The CO+ map constitutes the first interferometric map of this molecular ion in any PN. Comparison of CO+ and HCO+ maps reveals strikingly different emission morphologies, as well as a systematic spatial displacement between the two molecules; the regions of brightest HCO+, found along the central waist of the nebula, are radially offset by ~1″ (~900 au) outside the corresponding CO+ emission peaks. The CO+ emission furthermore precisely traces the inner boundaries of the nebula's PDR (as delineated by near-IR H2 emission), suggesting that central star UV emission drives CO+ formation. The displacement of HCO+ radially outward with respect to CO+ is indicative that dust-penetrating soft X-rays are responsible for enhancing the HCO+ abundance in the surrounding molecular envelope, forming an XDR. These interferometric CO+ and HCO+ observations of NGC 7027 thus clearly establish the spatial distinction between the PDR and XDR formed (respectively) by intense UV and X-ray irradiation of molecular gas.

Keywords: astrochemistry; radio astronomy; planetary nebulae; bipolar nebulae; molecular gas
Revisiting the Impact of Dust Production from Carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet Binaries

We present a dust spectral energy distribution (SED) and binary stellar population analysis revisiting the dust production rates (DPRs) in the winds of carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet (WC) binaries and their impact on galactic dust budgets. DustEM SED models of 19 Galactic WC "dustars" reveal DPRs of ${\dot{M}}_{d}\sim {10}^{-10}\mbox{--}{10}^{-6}$ M⊙ yr-1 and carbon dust condensation fractions, χC, between 0.002% and 40%. A large (0.1-1.0 μm) dust grain size composition is favored for efficient dustars where χC ≳ 1%. Results for dustars with known orbital periods verify a power-law relation between χC, orbital period, WC mass-loss rate, and wind velocity consistent with predictions from theoretical models of dust formation in colliding-wind binaries. We incorporated dust production into Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) models to analyze dust production rates from WC dustars, asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs), red supergiants (RSGs), and core-collapse supernovae (SNe). BPASS models assuming constant star formation (SF) and a coeval 106 M⊙ stellar population were performed at low, Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)-like, and solar metallicities (Z = 0.001, 0.008, and 0.020). Both constant SF and coeval models indicate that SNe are net dust destroyers at all metallicities. Constant SF models at LMC-like metallicities show that AGB stars slightly outproduce WC binaries and RSGs by factors of 2-3, whereas at solar metallicities WC binaries are the dominant source of dust for ∼60 Myr until the onset of AGBs, which match the dust input of WC binaries. Coeval population models show that, for "bursty" SF, AGB stars dominate dust production at late times (t ≳ 70 Myr).

Keywords: circumstellar dust; wolf-rayet stars; infrared astronomy; wc stars; interstellar dust
Dynamo Saturation through the Latitudinal Variation of Bipolar Magnetic Regions in the Sun

Observations of the solar magnetic cycle showed that the amplitude of the cycle did not grow all the time in the past. Thus, there must be a mechanism to halt the growth of the magnetic field in the Sun. We demonstrate a recently proposed mechanism for this under the Babcock-Leighton dynamo framework, which is believed to be the most promising paradigm for the generation of the solar magnetic field at present. This mechanism is based on the observational fact that the stronger solar cycles produce bipolar magnetic regions (BMRs) at higher latitudes and thus have higher mean latitudes than the weaker ones. We capture this effect in our three-dimensional Babcock-Leighton solar dynamo model and show that when the toroidal magnetic field tries to grow, it produce BMRs at higher latitudes. The BMRs at higher latitudes generate a less poloidal field, which consequently limits the overall growth of the magnetic field in our model. Thus, our study suggests that the latitudinal variation of BMRs is a potential mechanism for limiting the magnetic field growth in the Sun.

Keywords: solar dynamo; sunspot cycle; solar magnetic fields
Virialization of the Inner CGM in the FIRE Simulations and Implications for Galaxy Disks, Star Formation, and Feedback

We use the FIRE-2 cosmological simulations to study the formation of a quasi-static, virial-temperature gas phase in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) at redshifts 0 < z < 5 and how the formation of this virialized phase affects the evolution of galactic disks. We demonstrate that when the halo mass crosses ∼1012 M⊙, the cooling time of shocked gas in the inner CGM (∼0.1Rvir, where Rvir is the virial radius) exceeds the local free-fall time. The inner CGM then experiences a transition from on average subvirial temperatures (T ≪ Tvir), large pressure fluctuations, and supersonic inflow/outflow velocities to virial temperatures (T ∼ Tvir), uniform pressures, and subsonic velocities. This transition occurs when the outer CGM (∼0.5Rvir) is already subsonic and has a temperature ∼Tvir, indicating that the longer cooling times at large radii allow the outer CGM to virialize at lower halo masses than the inner CGM. This outside-in CGM virialization scenario is in contrast with inside-out scenarios commonly envisioned based on more idealized simulations. We demonstrate that inner CGM virialization coincides with abrupt changes in the central galaxy and its stellar feedback: the galaxy settles into a stable rotating disk, star formation transitions from "bursty" to "steady," and stellar-driven galaxy-scale outflows are suppressed. Our results thus suggest that CGM virialization is initially associated with the formation of rotation-dominated thin galactic disks, rather than with the quenching of star formation as often assumed.

Keywords: galaxies
HST Proper Motions of NGC 147 and NGC 185: Orbital Histories and Tests of a Dynamically Coherent Andromeda Satellite Plane

We present the first proper-motion (PM) measurements for the dwarf elliptical galaxies NGC 147 and NGC 185, two satellite galaxies of M31, using multiepoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging data with time baselines of ∼8 yr. For each galaxy, we take an error-weighted average of measurements from HST Advanced Camera for Surveys/WFC and Wide Field Camera 3/UVIS to determine the PMs. Our final results for the PMs are (μW, μN)N147 = (-0.0232, 0.0378) ± (0.0143, 0.0146) mas yr-1 for NGC 147 and (μW, μN)N185 = (-0.0242, 0.0058) ± (0.0141, 0.0147) mas yr-1 for NGC 185. The 2D direction of motion for NGC 147 about M31 is found to be aligned with its tidal tails. The 3D positions and velocities of both galaxies are transformed into a common M31-centric coordinate system to study the detailed orbital histories of the combined M31+NGC 147+NGC 185 system via numerical orbit integration. We find that NGC 147 (NGC 185) had its closest passage to M31 0.3-0.5 Gyr (≳1.6 Gyr) within the past 6 Gyr at distances of ∼70 kpc (70-260 kpc). The pericentric times of NGC 147/NGC 185 correlate qualitatively well with the presence/absence of tidal tails seen around the galaxies. Our PMs show that the orbital poles of NGC 147, as well as NGC 185, albeit to a lesser degree, agree within the uncertainties with the normal of the Great Plane of Andromeda (GPoA). These are the first measurements of the 3D angular momentum vector of any satellite identified as original GPoA members. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that the GPoA may be a dynamically coherent entity. We revisit previous claims that NGC 147 and NGC 185 are binary galaxies and conclude that it is very unlikely that the two galaxies were ever gravitationally bound to each other.

Keywords: proper motions; galaxy dynamics; andromeda galaxy; dwarf elliptical galaxies; local group
Multiphase Gas in Elliptical Galaxies: The Role of Type Ia Supernovae

Massive elliptical galaxies harbor large amounts of hot gas (T ≳ 106 K) in their interstellar medium (ISM) but are typically quiescent in star formation. The jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) inject energy into the ISM, which offsets its radiative losses and keeps it hot. SNe Ia deposit their energy locally within the galaxy compared to the larger few ×10 kiloparsec-scale AGN jets. In this study, we perform high-resolution (5123) hydrodynamic simulations of a local (1 kpc3) density-stratified patch of the ISM of massive galaxies. We include radiative cooling and shell-averaged volume heating, as well as randomly exploding SN Ia. We study the effect of different fractions of supernova (SN) heating (with respect to the net cooling rate), different initial ISM density/entropy (which controls the growth time t ti of the thermal instability), and different degrees of stratification (which affect the freefall time t ff). We find that SNe Ia drive predominantly compressive turbulence in the ISM with a velocity dispersion of σ v up to 40 km s‑1 and logarithmic density dispersion of σ s ∼ 0.2–0.4. These fluctuations trigger multiphase condensation in regions of the ISM, where $\min ({t}_{\mathrm{ti}})/{t}_{\mathrm{ff}}\lesssim 0.6\exp (6{\sigma }_{s})$ , in agreement with theoretical expectations that large density fluctuations efficiently trigger multiphase gas formation. Since the SN Ia rate is not self-adjusting, when the net cooling drops below the net heating rate, SNe Ia drive a hot wind which sweeps out most of the mass in our local model. Global simulations are required to assess the ultimate fate of this gas.

Keywords: early-type galaxies; interstellar medium; type ia supernovae; cooling flows
Fourteen E+A Galaxy Candidates Involved in Interactions

Galaxy mergers are a mechanism for rapid quenching of star formation. We are studying E+A galaxies (a type of post-starburst galaxy) and how they are impacted by merging. Examining E+A galaxies with companions offers insight into the evolution of E+As and the quenching process. The Y/Dim Collaboration collected a sample of E+A candidate galaxies from the SDSS DR16. Among the E+A candidates that were visually identified as interacting, 14 were spectroscopically confirmed to have companions. Our sample contained 11 pairs of galaxies and two groups of three galaxies. In one of these groups of three, there are two E+A candidates. Nine of these E+A candidates are involved in minor interactions with their companions.

Keywords: e+a galaxies; galaxy quenching; galaxy evolution; post-starburst galaxies; galaxy interactions; companion galaxies; galaxy mergers
Photometric Analysis of the Nucleus of the Main-belt Comet 2010 LH15

We analyzed the inactive nucleus of the main-belt comet 2010 LH15 at a true anomaly of 262°. Observations using the Gemini North Telescope in 2023 July yielded an absolute R-band magnitude of (18.4 ± 0.2) mag. Assuming a C-type geometric albedo and phase function, we estimated the nucleus radius to be (0.5 ± 0.1) km. The examination of the lightcurve profile did not yield clear evidence for a rotational period shorter than 2 hr.

Keywords: comet nuclei; astronomy data analysis; small solar system bodies; main-belt comets; comets; asteroids
Atmospheric Chemistry of Secondary and Hybrid Atmospheres of Super Earths and Sub-Neptunes

The atmospheres of small exoplanets likely derive from a combination of geochemical outgassing and primordial gases left over from formation. Secondary atmospheres, such as those of Earth, Mars, and Venus, are sourced by outgassing. Persistent outgassing into long-lived, primordial, hydrogen–helium envelopes produces hybrid atmospheres of which there are no examples in the solar system. We construct a unified theoretical framework for calculating the outgassing chemistry of both secondary and hybrid atmospheres, where the input parameters are the surface pressure, oxidation, and sulfidation states of the mantle, as well as the primordial atmospheric hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen content. Nonideal gases (quantified by the fugacity coefficient) and nonideal mixing of gaseous components (quantified by the activity coefficient) are considered. Both secondary and hybrid atmospheres exhibit a rich diversity of chemistries, including hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. The abundance ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide serves as a powerful diagnostic for the oxygen fugacity of the mantle, which may conceivably be constrained by James Webb Space Telescope spectra in the near future. Methane-dominated atmospheres are difficult to produce and require specific conditions: atmospheric surface pressures exceeding ∼10 bar, a reduced (poorly oxidized) mantle, and diminished magma temperatures (compared to modern Earth). Future work should include photochemistry in these calculations and clarify the general role of atmospheric escape. Exoplanet science should quantify the relationship between the mass and oxygen fugacity for a sample of super Earths and sub-Neptunes; such an empirical relationship already exists for solar system bodies.

Keywords: exoplanets; exoplanet atmospheres; exoplanet atmospheric composition
ALMA 1.3 mm Survey of Lensed Submillimeter Galaxies Selected by Herschel: Discovery of Spatially Extended SMGs and Implications

We present an ALMA 1.3 mm (Band 6) continuum survey of lensed submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at z = 1.0 to ∼3.2 with an angular resolution of ∼0"2. These galaxies were uncovered by the Herschel Lensing Survey and feature exceptionally bright far-infrared continuum emission (Speak ≳ 90 mJy) owing to their lensing magnification. We detect 29 sources in 20 fields of massive galaxy clusters with ALMA. Using both the Spitzer/IRAC (3.6/4.5 μm) and ALMA data, we have successfully modeled the surface brightness profiles of 26 sources in the rest-frame near- and far-infrared. Similar to previous studies, we find the median dust-to-stellar continuum size ratio to be small (Re,dust/Re,star = 0.38 ± 0.14) for the observed SMGs, indicating that star formation is centrally concentrated. This is, however, not the case for two spatially extended main-sequence SMGs with a low surface brightness at 1.3 mm (≲0.1 mJy arcsec-2), in which the star formation is distributed over the entire galaxy (Re,dust/Re,star > 1). As a whole, our SMG sample shows a tight anticorrelation between (Re,dust/Re,star) and far-infrared surface brightness (ΣIR) over a factor of ≃1000 in ΣIR. This indicates that SMGs with less vigorous star formation (i.e., lower ΣIR) lack central starburst and are likely to retain a broader spatial distribution of star formation over the whole galaxies (i.e., larger Re,dust/Re,star). The same trend can be reproduced with cosmological simulations as a result of central starburst and potentially subsequent "inside-out" quenching, which likely accounts for the emergence of compact quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2.

Keywords: high-redshift galaxies; starburst galaxies; infrared galaxies; galaxy evolution; submillimeter astronomy
Heating Effects of Supra-arcade Downflows on Plasma above Solar Flare Arcades

We deliberately select three flares to investigate heating effects of supra-arcade downflows (SADs) on the surrounding fan plasma. Prior work found in one flare that the plasma around most SADs tends to heat up or stay the same temperature, accompanied by discernible signatures of the adiabatic heating due to plasma compression as well as viscous heating due to viscous motions of plasma. We extend this work to more flares and find that the heating effects of the SADs are also present in these events. The adiabatic heating is dominant over the viscous heating in each event. The adiabatic heating in the two M1.3 flares, being on the order of about 0.02-0.18 MK s-1, is fairly comparable. In the more energetic X1.7 flare, the adiabatic heating is on the order of 0.02-0.3 MK s-1, where we observe a more pronounced temperature increase during which dozens of SADs descend through the fan. As SADs constantly contribute to the heating of the surrounding fan plasma, the areas where SADs travel through tend to cool much slower than the areas without SADs, and the plasma of higher temperature ends up concentrating in areas where SADs frequently travel through. We also find that the cooling rate of areas without SADs is ~1000 K s-1, much slower than would be expected from normal conductive cooling. Instead, the cooling rate can be interpreted nicely by a process where conductive cooling is suppressed by turbulence.

Keywords: solar flares; solar activity
The Mean Overabundance of Manganese over the Surface of 21 Com from its Midultraviolet Spectra Recorded by IUE

The coaddition of 21 mid ultraviolet spectra of 21 Com taken over the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) mission reveals three strong lines of Mn II at 2576.10, 2593.72 and 2605.68 Å. The synthesis of these lines consistently yields a sizable overabundance of manganese about 10 times the solar manganese abundance. Inspection of the 10 individual spectra taken over the 24 hr monitoring of 21 Com with IUE on 1991 April 17 does not reveal convincing variations of these lines between rotational phases 0.18 and 0.65 of the 2 days period.

Keywords: chemically peculiar stars; chemical abundances