adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Synchrotron Firehose Instability

We demonstrate using linear theory and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations that a synchrotron-cooling collisionless plasma acquires pressure anisotropy and, if the plasma beta is sufficiently high, becomes unstable to the firehose instability, in a process that we dub the synchrotron firehose instability (SFHI). The SFHI channels free energy from the pressure anisotropy of the radiating, relativistic electrons (and/or positrons) into small-amplitude, kinetic-scale, magnetic-field fluctuations, which pitch-angle scatter the particles and bring the plasma to a near-thermal state of marginal instability. The PIC simulations reveal a nonlinear cyclic evolution of firehose bursts interspersed by periods of stable cooling. We compare the SFHI for electron-positron and electron-ion plasmas. As a byproduct of the growing electron-firehose magnetic-field fluctuations, magnetized ions gain a pressure anisotropy opposite to that of the electrons. If these ions are relativistically hot, we find that they also experience cooling due to collisionless thermal coupling with the electrons, which we argue is mediated by a secondary ion-cyclotron instability. We suggest that the SFHI may be activated in a number of astrophysical scenarios, such as within ejecta from black hole accretion flows and relativistic jets, where the redistribution of energetic electrons from low to high pitch angles may cause transient bursts of radiation.

Keywords: plasma astrophysics
The GALEX-PTF Experiment. II. Supernova Progenitor Radius and Energetics via Shock-cooling Modeling

The radius and surface composition of an exploding massive star, as well as the explosion energy per unit mass, can be measured using early ultraviolet (UV) observations of core-collapse supernovae (CC SNe). We present the results from a simultaneous Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) search for early UV emission from SNe. We analyze five CC SNe for which we obtained near-UV (NUV) measurements before the first ground-based R-band detection. We introduce SOPRANOS, a new maximum likelihood fitting tool for models with variable temporal validity windows, and use it to fit the Sapir & Waxman shock-cooling model to the data. We report four Type II SNe with progenitor radii in the range of R * ≈ 600-1100 R ⊙ and a shock velocity parameter in the range of v s* ≈ 2700-6000 km s-1 (E/M ≈ 2-8 × 1050 erg/M ⊙) and one Type IIb SN with R * ≈ 210 R ⊙ and v s* ≈ 11,000 km s-1 (E/M ≈ 1.8 × 1051 erg/M ⊙). Our pilot GALEX/PTF project thus suggests that a dedicated, systematic SN survey in the NUV band, such as the wide-field UV explorer ULTRASAT mission, is a compelling method to study the properties of SN progenitors and SN energetics.

Keywords: supernovae; core-collapse supernovae; high energy astrophysics
Effects of Vertical Advection on Multimessenger Signatures of Black Hole Neutrino-dominated Accretion Flows in Compact Binary Coalescences

In the coalescence events of binary neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) and an NS, a BH hyperaccretion disk might be eventually formed. At very high mass accretion rates, MeV neutrinos will be emitted from this disk, which is called a neutrino-dominated accretion flow (NDAF). Neutrino annihilation in the space out of the disk is energetic enough to launch ultrarelativistic jets to power gamma-ray bursts. Moreover, vertical advection might exist in NDAFs, which can generate the magnetic buoyancy bubbles to release gamma-ray photons. In this paper, we visit the effects of the vertical advection in NDAFs on the disk structure and gamma-ray and neutrino luminosities for different accretion rates. Then we study the anisotropic emission of kilonovae and the following gravitational waves (GWs) driven by the gamma-ray photons and neutrinos from NDAFs. Comparing NDAFs without vertical advection, the neutrino luminosity and GW strains slightly decrease for the case with vertical advection, and the kilonovae will be brightened by the injected gamma-ray photons. The future joint multimessenger observations might distinguish whether the vertical advection exists in NDAFs or not after compact binary coalescences.

Keywords: accretion; black holes; neutrino astronomy; gravitational waves; transient sources; gamma-ray bursts
The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: A Computationally Efficient Eccentric Binary Search Pipeline and Constraints on an Eccentric Supermassive Binary Candidate in 3C 66B

The radio galaxy 3C 66B has been hypothesized to host a supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) at its center based on electromagnetic observations. Its apparent 1.05 yr period and low redshift (∼0.02) make it an interesting testbed to search for low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) using pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments. This source has been subjected to multiple searches for continuous GWs from a circular SMBHB, resulting in progressively more stringent constraints on its GW amplitude and chirp mass. In this paper, we develop a pipeline for performing Bayesian targeted searches for eccentric SMBHBs in PTA data sets, and test its efficacy by applying it to simulated data sets with varying injected signal strengths. We also search for a realistic eccentric SMBHB source in 3C 66B using the NANOGrav 12.5 yr data set employing PTA signal models containing Earth term-only as well as Earth+pulsar term contributions using this pipeline. Due to limitations in our PTA signal model, we get meaningful results only when the initial eccentricity e 0 < 0.5 and the symmetric mass ratio η > 0.1. We find no evidence for an eccentric SMBHB signal in our data, and therefore place 95% upper limits on the PTA signal amplitude of 88.1 ± 3.7 ns for the Earth term-only and 81.74 ± 0.86 ns for the Earth+pulsar term searches for e 0 < 0.5 and η > 0.1. Similar 95% upper limits on the chirp mass are (1.98 ± 0.05) × 109 and (1.81 ± 0.01) × 109 M ☉. These upper limits, while less stringent than those calculated from a circular binary search in the NANOGrav 12.5 yr data set, are consistent with the SMBHB model of 3C 66B developed from electromagnetic observations.

Keywords: gravitational waves; millisecond pulsars; supermassive black holes
Time-resolved and Energy-resolved Polarizations of GRB Prompt Emission

Besides light curves and spectra, polarization provides a different powerful tool of studying the gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt phase. Compared with the time-integrated and energy-integrated polarization, time-resolved and energy-resolved polarization can deliver more physical information about the emitting region. Here we investigate time-resolved and energy-resolved polarization of GRB prompt emission using the synchrotron models. We find that the equal arrival time surface effect is very important in shaping the polarization degree (PD) curves when the physical conditions of the emitting region change violently with radius. Polarization properties are neither correlated with the spectral lag nor the peak energy evolution patterns. Polarization properties with a mixed magnetic field are very similar to those for a corresponding ordered magnetic field but the former has a smaller PD. The emission at the MeV peak can be highly polarized for a synchrotron model while it is unpolarized as predicted by a dissipative photosphere model. Future energy-resolved polarization observations can distinguish between these two models.

Keywords: gamma-ray bursts; magnetic fields
Fundamental Parameters of ∼30,000 M dwarfs in LAMOST DR1 Using Data-driven Spectral Modeling

M dwarfs are the most common type of star in the Galaxy, and because of their small size are favored targets for searches of Earth-sized transiting exoplanets. Current and upcoming all-sky spectroscopic surveys, such as the Large Sky Area Multi Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), offer an opportunity to systematically determine physical properties of many more M dwarfs than has been previously possible. Here, we present new effective temperatures, radii, masses, and luminosities for 29,678 M dwarfs with spectral types M0-M6 in the first data release (DR1) of LAMOST. We derived these parameters from the supervised machine-learning code, The Cannon, trained with 1388 M dwarfs in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Cool Dwarf Catalog that were also present in LAMOST with high signal-to-noise ratio (>250) spectra. Our validation tests show that the output parameter uncertainties are strongly correlated with the signal-to-noise of the LAMOST spectra, and we achieve typical uncertainties of 110 K in ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}} (∼3%), 0.065 ${R}_{\odot } (∼14%) in radius, 0.054 ${M}_{\odot } (∼12%) in mass, and 0.012 ${L}_{\odot } (∼20%) in luminosity. The model presented here can be rapidly applied to future LAMOST data releases, significantly extending the samples of well-characterized M dwarfs across the sky using new and exclusively data-based modeling methods.

Keywords: stellar properties; low mass stars; astronomy data modeling
On the Relation between Diffuse Bands and Other Interstellar Features

We discuss possible relations between different constituents of interstellar clouds, such as gas atoms (Fe I), simple molecular species (CH, CN), and the carriers of the puzzling diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs 5780, 5797, 5850 Å) as well as dust grains. We exemplify that abundances of carriers of these spectral features, revealed by the Doppler components, may be astonishingly poorly related to each other. Spectra of interstellar clouds seem to be sensitive to the changes of the environmental parameters such as density, temperature, and irradiation from nearby stars. The diffuse bands' carriers likely do not occupy the same volumes with CH, CN, or Fe I and/or are much less sensitive to the processes related to the formation/destruction of these species. * This Letter includes data gathered with the UT2 telescope—a part of the VLT ESO telescope (Chile).

Keywords: interstellar clouds; interstellar dust; interstellar atomic gas; interstellar medium
Spectrum and Polarization of the Galactic Center Radio Transient ASKAP J173608.2–321635 from THOR-GC and VLITE

The radio transient ASKAP J173608.2–321635, at the position (ℓ, b) = (356.°0872, ‑0.°0390), was serendipitously observed by The H I/OH/Recombination line survey of the Galactic center at three epochs in 2020 March, 2020 April, and 2021 February. The source was detected only on 2020 April 11 with a flux density of 20.6 ± 1.1 mJy at 1.23 GHz and in-band spectral index of α = ‑3.1 ± 0.2. The commensal Very Large Array Low-band Ionsophere and Transient Experiment simultaneously detected the source at 339 MHz with a flux density of 122.6 ± 20.4 mJy, indicating a spectral break below 1 GHz. The rotation measure (RM) in 2020 April was 63.9 ± 0.3 rad m‑2, which almost triples the range of the variable RM observed by Wang et al. to ∼130 rad m‑2. The polarization angle, corrected for Faraday rotation, was 97° ± 6°. The 1.23 GHz linear polarization was 76.7% ± 3.9% with wavelength-dependent depolarization, indicating a Faraday depth dispersion of . We find an upper limit to the circular polarization of ∣V∣/I < 10.1%. Interpretation of the data in terms of diffractive scattering of radio waves by a plasma near the source indicates an electron density and a line-of-sight magnetic field strength within a factor of 3 of n e ∼ 2 cm‑3 and B ∥ ∼ 2 × 105 μ G. Combined with causality limits to the size of the source, these parameters are consistent with the low-frequency spectral break resulting from synchrotron self-absorption, not free–free absorption. A possible interpretation of the source is a highly supersonic neutron star interacting with a changing environment.

Keywords: interstellar magnetic fields; radio transient sources; sky surveys; radio bursts; galactic radio sources
The Evolution of the Baryons Associated with Galaxies Averaged over Cosmic Time and Space

We combine the recent determination of the evolution of the cosmic density of molecular gas (H2) using deep, volumetric surveys, with previous estimates of the cosmic density of stellar mass, star formation rate and atomic gas (H I), to constrain the evolution of baryons associated with galaxies averaged over cosmic time and space. The cosmic H I and H2 densities are roughly equal at z ∼ 1.5. The H2 density then decreases by a factor ${6}_{-2}^{+3}$ to today's value, whereas the H I density stays approximately constant. The stellar mass density is increasing continuously with time and surpasses that of the total gas density (H I and H2) at redshift z ∼ 1.5. The growth in stellar mass cannot be accounted for by the decrease in cosmic H2 density, necessitating significant accretion of additional gas onto galaxies. With the new H2 constraints, we postulate and put observational constraints on a two-step gas accretion process: (i) a net infall of ionized gas from the intergalactic/circumgalactic medium to refuel the extended H I reservoirs, and (ii) a net inflow of H I and subsequent conversion to H2 in the galaxy centers. Both the infall and inflow rate densities have decreased by almost an order of magnitude since z ∼ 2. Assuming that the current trends continue, the cosmic molecular gas density will further decrease by about a factor of two over the next 5 Gyr, the stellar mass will increase by approximately 10%, and cosmic star formation activity will decline steadily toward zero, as the gas infall and accretion shut down.

Keywords: galaxy evolution; high-redshift galaxies; interstellar medium; molecular gas
An X-Ray Synchrotron Shell and a Pulsar: The Peculiar Supernova Remnant G32.4+0.1

We present a deep Chandra observation of the shell supernova remnant (SNR) G32.4+0.1, whose featureless X-ray spectrum has led to its classification as an X-ray synchrotron-dominated SNR. We find a partial shell morphology whose outline is quite circular, with a radius of about 11 pc at an assumed distance of 11 kpc. Thermal and power-law spectral models for three relatively bright regions provided equally good fits, but the absence of spectral lines required ionization timescales from thermal fits that are inconsistent with the mean densities derived from emission measures. We thus confirm the nonthermal, i.e., synchrotron, origin of X-rays from G32.4+0.1. Shock velocities needed to accelerate electrons to the required TeV energies are ≳1000 km s‑1, giving a remnant age ≲ 5000–9000 yr. There is no obvious X-ray counterpart to the radio pulsar PSR J1850‑0026, but its position adjoins a region of X-ray emission whose spectrum is somewhat harder than that of other regions of the shell, and which may be a pulsar-wind nebula (PWN), though its spectrum is steeper than almost all known X-ray PWNe. The distance of the pulsar from the center of symmetry of the shell disfavors a birth in a supernova event at that location only a few thousand years before; either the pulsar (and putative PWN) are not associated with the shell SNR, requiring a coincidence of both position and (roughly) absorbing column density, or the SNR is much older, making the origin of nonthermal emission problematic.

Keywords: supernova remnants; pulsar wind nebulae; pulsars
Molecular Distributions of the Protostellar Envelope and the Outflow of IRAS 15398-3359: Principal Component Analysis

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we have imaged 15 molecular-line emissions and the dust continuum emission around the Class 0 protostellar source IRAS 15398-3359. The outflow structure is mainly traced by the H2CO (Ka = 0 and 1), CCH, and CS emissions. These lines also trace the disk/envelope structure around the protostar. The H2CO (Ka = 2 and 3), CH3OH, and SO emissions are concentrated toward the protostar, while the DCN emission is more extended around the protostar. We have performed principal component analysis (PCA) for these distributions on two different scales, the outflow and the disk/envelope structure. For the latter case, the molecular-line distributions are classified into two groups, according to the contribution of the second principal component, one having a compact distribution around the protostar and the other showing a rather extended distribution over the envelope. Moreover, the second principal component value tends to increase as an increasing quantum number of H2CO (Ka = 0, 1, 2, and 3), reflecting the excitation condition: the distribution is more compact for higher excitation lines. These results indicate that PCA is effective at extracting the characteristic features of the molecular-line distributions around the protostar in an unbiased way. In addition, we identify four blobs in the outflow structure in the H2CO lines, some of which can also be seen in the CH3OH, CS, CCH, and SO emissions. The gas temperature derived from the H2CO lines ranges from 43-63 K, which suggests shocks due to the local impact of the outflow on clumps of the ambient gas.

Keywords: young stellar objects; interstellar medium; interstellar molecules; protostars; star formation
The Energy Transport Induced by Horizontal Turbulence in Rotating W-type W UMa Contact Binaries

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of energy transfer on the evolution of contact binaries. Horizontal turbulence is triggered by the differential rotation induced by meridional circulation, which is a direct consequence of nonuniform heating at the inner critical Roche lobes because of strong rotational and tidal distortions. Thermal energy is transferred by the horizontal turbulence from the more massive star to the less massive one, and horizontal turbulence can be responsible for the redistribution of what is a significant fraction of the total core luminosity. The secondary becomes overluminous and oversized owing to energy transfer from the companion star, whereas the primary shifts toward smaller luminosity and is undersized. The convective regions for primaries are enlarged by the improved radiative temperature gradient. The main region for energy transport is located at the bottom of the common envelope because of a higher local density and enthalpy difference. One can find that thermal structure can be disturbed and display periodic thermal relaxation oscillations between the semidetached stage and the contact stage. W-type W UMa contact binaries acquire efficient energy transfer, which can cause the temperature of secondaries to exceed that of the primaries. However, angular momentum loss owing to nonconservative mass transfer can make the system maintain shallow contact and not evolve from overcontact to semidetached configurations, and the system may appear as an A-type W UMa contact binary.

Keywords: close binary stars; stellar rotation; stellar interiors; stellar properties
Plasmoid-dominated Turbulent Reconnection in a Low-β Plasma

Properties of plasmoid-dominated turbulent reconnection in a low-β background plasma are investigated by resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. In the βin < 1 regime, where βin is plasma β in the inflow region, the reconnection site is dominated by shocks and shock-related structures and plasma compression is significant. The effective reconnection rate increases from 0.01 to 0.02 as βin decreases. We hypothesize that plasma compression allows a faster reconnection rate, and then we estimate a speed-up factor, based on a compressible MHD theory. We validate our prediction by a series of MHD simulations. These results suggest that the plasmoid-dominated reconnection can be twice as fast as expected in the β ≪ 1 environment in a solar corona.

Keywords: solar magnetic reconnection; solar corona; magnetic fields; magnetohydrodynamics
Gaussian Decomposition of λ21 cm H I profiles, the Critical Ionization Velocity, and the Interstellar Helium Abundance

Following an established protocol of science-that results must be reproducible-we examine the Gaussian fits to Galactic λ21 cm (H I) emission profiles obtained by two seemingly complementary methods using data from the Leiden-Argentine-Bonn all-sky survey. One is based on the method used by Verschuur, the other by Nidever et al. (2008). The comparisons led to the identification of four problems that might arise when an algorithm is applied to huge databases without close monitoring: (1) different methods of calculating ${\tilde{\chi }}^{2}$ measuring the goodness of fit; (2) an ultra-broad component found to imperfectly bridge the gap between low- and intermediate-velocity gas; (3) the lack of an imposed spatial coherence allowing different components to appear and disappear in profiles separated by a fraction of a beamwidth; and (4) multiple, fundamentally different solutions for profiles at both the north and south Galactic poles. Confirming evidence emerges from this study of an underlying component with a line width of an order 34 km s-1. If this feature is the result of the critical ionization velocity effect acting on interstellar helium, it can be used to calculate its interstellar abundance. Analysis of H I profiles in an area in the southern Galactic hemisphere using multitelescope data gives a helium abundance of 0.094 ± 0.035, in excellent agreement with the accepted cosmic abundance of 0.085.

Keywords: interstellar line emission
Accumulating Errors in Tests of General Relativity with Gravitational Waves: Overlapping Signals and Inaccurate Waveforms

Observations of gravitational waves (GWs) from compact binary coalescences provide powerful tests of general relativity (GR), but systematic errors in data analysis could lead to incorrect scientific conclusions. This issue is especially serious in the third-generation GW detectors in which the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is high and the number of detections is large. In this work, we investigate the impacts of overlapping signals and inaccurate waveform models on tests of GR. We simulate mock catalogs for Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer and perform parametric tests of GR using waveform models with different levels of inaccuracy. We find that the systematic error in non-GR parameter estimates could accumulate toward a false deviation from GR when combining results from multiple events, although a Bayesian model selection analysis may not favor a deviation. Waveform inaccuracies contribute most to the systematic errors, but multiple overlapping signals could magnify the effects of systematics owing to the incorrect removal of signals. We also point out that testing GR using selected "golden binaries" with high S/N is even more vulnerable to false deviations from GR. The problem of error accumulation is universal; we emphasize that it must be addressed to fully exploit the data from third-generation GW detectors and that further investigations, particularly in waveform accuracy, will be essential.

Keywords: gravitational waves; general relativity