adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
AGN Triality of Triple Mergers: Multiwavelength Classifications

We present results from a multiwavelength analysis searching for multiple active galactic nucleus (AGN) systems in nearby (z < 0.077) triple galaxy mergers. Combining archival Chandra, Sloan Digital Data Survey (SDSS), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and Very Large Array observations, we quantify the rate of nearby triple AGNs, as well as investigate possible connections between supermassive black hole accretion and merger environments. Analyzing the multiwavelength observations of seven triple galaxy mergers, we find that one triple merger has a single AGN (NGC 3341); we discover, for the first time, four likely dual AGNs (SDSS J1027+1749, SDSS J1631+2352, SDSS J1708+2153, and SDSS J2356-1016); we confirm one triple-AGN system, SDSS J0849+1114; and one triple merger in our sample remains ambiguous (SDSS J0858+1822). Analyzing the WISE data, we find a trend of increasing NH (associated with the primary AGN) as a function of increasing W1 - W2 color, reflecting that the motions of gas and dust are coupled in merging environments, where large amounts of both can be funneled into the active central region during mergers. Additionally, we find that the one triple-AGN system in our sample has the highest levels of NH and W1 - W2 color, while the dual-AGN candidates all have lower levels; these results are consistent with theoretical merger simulations that suggest that higher levels of nuclear gas are more likely to activate AGNs in mergers.

Keywords: supermassive black holes; x-ray active galactic nuclei; galaxy mergers; agn host galaxies
Joint Modelling of Dust Scattering and Thermal Emission: The Spider Complex

Observations across the electromagnetic spectrum of radiative processes involving interstellar dust-emission, absorption, and scattering-are used to constrain the parameters of dust models and more directly to aid in foreground removal of dust for extragalactic and cosmological observations. Dust models can benefit from more independent constraints from complementary observations. Here, we quantify the relationship between scattered light and thermal emission from dust in a diffuse (cirrus) intermediate-latitude cloud, Spider, using data from the Dragonfly Telephoto Array and the Herschel Space Observatory. A challenge for optical observations of faint diffuse cirrus is accurate removal of a contaminating, spatially varying sky. We present a technique to analyze two images of the same cirrus field concurrently, correlating pixel values to capture the relationship and simultaneously fitting the sky-related signal as a complex noncorrelating additive component. For the Spider, we measure a color g - r = 0.644 ± 0.024 and ratios of visible-wavelength to 250 μm intensity of γ g,250 = (0.855 ± 0.025) × 10-3 and γ r,250 = (1.55 ± 0.08) × 10-3 for the g and r-bands, respectively. We show how to use any dust model that matches the thermal dust emission to predict an upper limit to the amount of scattered light. The actual brightness of the cirrus will be fainter than this limit because of anisotropic scattering by the dust combined with anisotropy of the incident interstellar radiation field (ISRF). Using models of dust and the ISRF in the literature, we illustrate that the predicted brightness is indeed lower, though not as faint as the observations indicate.

Keywords: interstellar dust; interstellar medium; astronomical techniques; submillimeter astronomy; optical astronomy; interstellar scattering; dust continuum emission; astronomy image processing
An Extended Halo-based Group/Cluster Finder: Application to the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR8

We extend the halo-based group finder developed by Yang et al. (2005c) to use data simultaneously with either photometric or spectroscopic redshifts. A mock galaxy redshift survey constructed from a high-resolution N-body simulation is used to evaluate the performance of this extended group finder. For galaxies with magnitude z ≤ 21 and redshift 0 < z ≤ 1.0 in the DESI legacy imaging surveys (the Legacy Surveys), our group finder successfully identifies more than 60% of the members in about 90% of halos with mass ≳1012.5 h-1 M⊙. Detected groups with mass ≳1012.0 h-1 M⊙ have a purity (the fraction of true groups) greater than 90%. The halo mass assigned to each group has an uncertainty of about 0.2 dex at the high-mass end ≳1013.5 h-1 M⊙ and 0.45 dex at the low-mass end. Groups with more than 10 members have a redshift accuracy of ∼0.008. We apply this group finder to the Legacy Surveys DR8 and find 6.4 million groups with at least three members. About 500,000 of these groups have at least 10 members. The resulting catalog containing 3D coordinates, richness, halo masses, and total group luminosities is made publicly available.

Keywords: dark matter; dark matter distribution; large-scale structure of the universe; galaxies; galaxy groups; galaxy clusters; galaxy dark matter halos
Fitting an Analytic Magnetic Field to a Prestellar Core

We deploy and demonstrate the capabilities of the magnetic field model developed by Ewertowski & Basu by fitting observed polarimetry data of the prestellar core FeSt 1-457. The analytic hourglass magnetic field function derived directly from Maxwell's equations yields a central-to-surface magnetic field strength ratio in the equatorial plane, as well as magnetic field directions with relative magnitudes throughout the core. This fit emerges from a comparison of a single plane of the model with the polarization map that results from the integrated properties of the magnetic field and dust throughout the core. Importantly, our fit is independent of any assumed density profile of the core. We check the robustness of the fit by using the POLARIS code to create synthetic polarization maps that result from the integrated scattering and emission properties of the dust grains and their radiative transfer, employing an observationally motivated density profile. We find that the synthetic polarization maps obtained from the model also provide a good fit to the observed polarimetry. Our model fits the striking feature of significant curvature of magnetic field lines in the outer part of FeSt 1-457. Combined with independent column density estimates, we infer that the core of size Rgas has a mildly supercritical mass-to-flux ratio and may have formed through dynamical motions starting from a significantly larger radius R. A breakdown of flux freezing through neutral-ion slip (ambipolar diffusion) could be responsible for effecting such a transition from a large-scale magnetic field structure to a more compact gas structure.

Keywords: interstellar clouds; interstellar magnetic fields
The Disk Wind in GRS 1915+105 as Seen by Insight-Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope

We analyze three observations of GRS 1915+105 in 2017 by Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope when the source was in a spectrally soft state. We find strong absorption lines from highly ionized iron, which are due to absorption by disk wind outflowing at a velocity of ~1000 km s-1 along our line of sight. Two of the three observations show large amplitude oscillation in their light curves and the variation pattern corresponds to state κ of GRS 1915+105. From time-averaged and flux-resolved analysis, we find that the variation in the ionization state of the disk wind follows the X-ray continuum on timescales from hundreds of seconds to months. The radial location of the disk wind is consistent with thermal driving. The mass-loss rate due to the outflowing wind is comparable to the mass accretion rate in the inner disk, which demonstrates the important role of the disk wind in the disk accretion system.

Keywords: accretion; astrophysical black holes; x-ray astronomy
The Magnetic Sensitivity of the Resonance and Subordinate Lines of Mg II in the Solar Chromosphere

We carry out a theoretical study of the polarization of the solar Mg II h-k doublet (including its extended wings) and the subordinate ultraviolet (UV) triplet around 280 nm. These lines are of great diagnostic interest, as they encode information on the physical properties of the solar atmosphere from the upper photosphere to the chromosphere-corona transition region. We base our study on radiative transfer calculations of spectral line polarization in one-dimensional models of quiet and plage regions of the solar atmosphere. Our calculations take into account the combined action of atomic polarization, quantum level interference, frequency redistribution, and magnetic fields of arbitrary strength. In particular, we study the sensitivity of the emergent Stokes profiles to changes in the magnetic field through the Zeeman and Hanle effects. We also study the impact of the chromospheric plasma dynamics on the emergent Stokes profiles, taking into account the angle-dependent frequency redistribution in the h-k resonance transitions. The results presented here are of interest for the interpretation of spectropolarimetric observations in this important region of the solar UV spectrum.

Keywords: quiet solar chromosphere; active solar chromosphere; solar transition region; solar magnetic fields; spectropolarimetry; radiative transfer simulations
Tilted Circumbinary Planetary Systems as Efficient Progenitors of Free-floating Planets

The dominant mechanism for generating free-floating planets has so far remained elusive. One suggested mechanism is that planets are ejected from planetary systems due to planet-planet interactions. Instability around a single star requires a very compactly spaced planetary system. We find that around binary star systems instability can occur even with widely separated planets that are on tilted orbits relative to the binary orbit due to combined effects of planet-binary and planet-planet interactions, especially if the binary is on an eccentric orbit. We investigate the orbital stability of planetary systems with various planet masses and architectures. We find that the stability of the system depends upon the mass of the highest-mass planet. The order of the planets in the system does not significantly affect stability, but, generally, the most massive planet remains stable and the lower-mass planets are ejected. The minimum planet mass required to trigger the instability is about that of Neptune for a circular orbit binary and a super-Earth of about 10 Earth masses for highly eccentric binaries. Hence, we suggest that planet formation around inclined binaries can be an efficient formation mechanism for free-floating planets. While most observed free-floating planets are giant planets, we predict that there should be more low-mass free-floating planets that are as of yet unobserved than higher-mass planets.

Keywords: exoplanet dynamics; exoplanet systems; three-body problem; n-body simulations; computational astronomy; binary stars
On the Sizes of Ionized Bubbles Around Galaxies During the Reionization Epoch. The Spectral Shapes of the Lyα Emission from Galaxies

We develop a new method to determine the distance between a high-redshift galaxy and a foreground screen of atomic hydrogen. In a partially neutral universe, and assuming spherical symmetry, this equates to the radius of an ionized "bubble" (R B) surrounding the galaxy. The method requires an observed Lyα equivalent width, its velocity offset from systemic, and an input Lyα profile for which we adopt scaled versions of the profiles observed in low-z galaxies. We demonstrate the technique in a sample of 23 galaxies at z > 6, including 8 at z = 7.2-10.6 recently observed with JWST. Our model estimates the emergent Lyα properties and the foreground distance to the absorbing intergalactic medium. We find that galaxies at z > 7.5 occupy smaller bubbles (~0.5-1 pMpc) than those at lower z. With a relationship that is secure at 99% confidence, we empirically demonstrate the growth of ionized regions during the reionization epoch for the first time. We independently estimate the upper limit on the Strömgren radii (R S), and derive the escape fraction of ionizing photons ( ${f}_{\mathrm{esc}}^{\mathrm{LyC}}$ ) from the ratio of R B/R S, deriving a median value of 5%, which, on average, represents the lower end of the photon budget necessary for reionization.

Keywords: reionization; galaxy evolution; high-redshift galaxies; intergalactic medium; emission line galaxies
Extending the FOTE Method to Three-dimensional Plasma Flow Fields

In this study, we examine whether the First-Order Taylor Expansion (FOTE) method can be applied to steady-state plasma flow fields in space. We particularly examine whether this method (termed FOTE-V) can be used to identify the flow critical points (including both stagnation point and vortex center) and reconstruct the flow patterns around these points. Quantitatively, we test the accuracy of this method using 3D kinetic simulation data, and find the FOTE-V method can give accurate reconstruction results within an area about 2 times the size of the spacecraft tetrahedron, particularly when there are no clear nonlinear flow structures in the simulation box. With simulation data, we also reveal the ability of the FOTE-V method on reconstructing 3D flow field topology of both radial-type null and spiral-type nulls. We further test the accuracy of this method using measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multi-scale (MMS) mission. In a current sheet crossing event, the FOTE-V method successfully identifies the spiral-type nulls in the reconnection exhaust region. In an EDR crossing event, the FOTE-V method detects the stagnation point near the reconnection center. We find these 3D flow structures are quasi-linear at the MMS separation scale. Utilizing the continuity equation of the steady flow, we define a parameter, $\alpha =\tfrac{{\rm{\nabla }}\cdot \left(n{\boldsymbol{V}}\right)}{{\rm{\nabla }}\times \left(n{\boldsymbol{V}}\right)}$ , to quantify the error of this method—the smaller this parameter the better the results. This study demonstrates that the plasma flows at small scale are indeed linear, and thus the FOTE-V method can be applied to such flow fields. In particular, this method will be useful to study stagnation points and electron vortices in space plasmas.

Keywords: space plasmas; magnetohydrodynamics; astronomy data analysis; solar wind; solar magnetic reconnection
Generalized Harris Sheet Equilibrium in Regularized Kappa Distributed Plasmas

Harris sheet models with antiparallel magnetic field are the equilibrium solutions to the steady Vlasov-Maxwell equations, which have been widely adopted for the study of plasma instabilities and magnetic reconnection in thin current sheets. The original Harris equilibrium model assumes the Maxwellian velocity distribution, which necessarily gives rise to the isothermal current sheets. Many observations have shown that the suprathermal populations are indispensable features of particle distribution profiles, which may well be fitted by the Kappa distribution (KD) functions with the free parameter κ. The Harris equilibrium based on the standard Kappa distribution (SKD), however, may become unphysical for $\kappa \leqslant \displaystyle \frac{3}{2}$ . Alternatively, the regularized KD (RKD) with two adjustable parameters, κ and α 2, has been proposed to replace the SKD in various studies. The RKD may recover the SKD for α 2 = 0, and Maxwellian model for α 2 = 0 and κ → ∞ . This paper presents the first results of adopting the nonthermal RKDs in the Harris equilibrium models. It is shown that the new RKD-Harris equilibrium is applicable for all κ values, and exhibits a stronger magnetic field associated with higher temperature in the asymptotic region. The proposed formulations for the generalized Harris sheet equilibrium may be applied to multiple component plasmas (e.g., electrons, protons) with different RKDs and temperatures.

Keywords: plasma physics; plasma astrophysics; space plasmas; planetary magnetospheres
Magnetic Helicity Fluxes from Triple Correlators

Fluxes of the magnetic helicity density play an important role in large-scale turbulent dynamos, allowing the growth of large-scale magnetic fields while overcoming catastrophic quenching. We show here, analytically, how several important types of magnetic helicity fluxes can arise from terms involving triple correlators of fluctuating fields in the helicity density evolution equation. For this, we assume incompressibility and weak inhomogeneity, and use a quasi-normal closure approximation: fourth-order correlators are replaced by products of second-order ones, and the effect of the fourth-order cumulants on the evolution of the third moments is modeled by a strong damping term. First, we show how a diffusive helicity flux, until now only measured in simulations, arises from the triple correlation term. This is accompanied by what we refer to as a random advective flux, which predominantly transports magnetic helicity along the gradients of the random fields. We also find that a new helicity flux contribution, in some aspects similar to that first proposed by Vishniac, can arise from the triple correlator. This contribution depends on the gradients of the random magnetic and kinetic energies along the large-scale vorticity, and thus arises in any rotating, stratified system, even if the turbulence is predominantly non-helical. It can source a large-scale dynamo by itself while spatially transporting magnetic helicity within the system.

Keywords: galaxy magnetic fields; cosmic magnetic fields theory; magnetohydrodynamics; astrophysical magnetism
Incorporating Measurement Error in Astronomical Object Classification

Most general-purpose classification methods, such as support-vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF), fail to account for an unusual characteristic of astronomical data: known measurement error uncertainties. In astronomical data, this information is often given in the data but discarded because popular machine learning classifiers cannot incorporate it. We propose a simulation-based approach that incorporates heteroscedastic measurement error into an existing classification method to better quantify uncertainty in classification. The proposed method first simulates perturbed realizations of the data from a Bayesian posterior predictive distribution of a Gaussian measurement error model. Then, a chosen classifier is fit to each simulation. The variation across the simulations naturally reflects the uncertainty propagated from the measurement errors in both labeled and unlabeled data sets. We demonstrate the use of this approach via two numerical studies. The first is a thorough simulation study applying the proposed procedure to SVM and RF, which are well-known hard and soft classifiers, respectively. The second study is a realistic classification problem of identifying high-z (2.9 ≤ z ≤ 5.1) quasar candidates from photometric data. The data are from merged catalogs of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Spitzer IRAC Equatorial Survey, and the Spitzer-HETDEX Exploratory Large-Area Survey. The proposed approach reveals that out of 11,847 high-z quasar candidates identified by a random forest without incorporating measurement error, 3146 are potential misclassifications with measurement error. Additionally, out of 1.85 million objects not identified as high-z quasars without measurement error, 936 can be considered new candidates with measurement error.

Keywords: astrostatistics techniques; astrostatistics tools; classification; bayesian statistics; quasars
Simultaneous Horizontal and Vertical Oscillation of a Quiescent Filament Observed by CHASE and SDO

In this paper, we present the imaging and spectroscopic observations of the simultaneous horizontal and vertical large-amplitude oscillation of a quiescent filament triggered by an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave on 2022 October 2. Particularly, the filament oscillation involved winking phenomenon in Hα images and horizontal motions in EUV images. Originally, a filament and its overlying loops across AR 13110 and 13113 erupted with a highly inclined direction, resulting in an X1.0 flare and a non-radial coronal mass ejection. The fast lateral expansion of loops excited an EUV wave and the corresponding Moreton wave propagating northward. Once the EUV wave front arrived at the quiescent filament, the filament began to oscillate coherently along the horizontal direction, and the "winking filament" appeared concurrently in Hα images. The horizontal oscillation involved an initial amplitude of ~10.2 Mm and a velocity amplitude of ~46.5 km s-1, lasting for ~3 cycles with a period of ~18.2 minutes and a damping time of ~31.1 minutes. The maximum Doppler velocities of the oscillating filament are 18 km s-1 (redshift) and -24 km s-1 (blueshift), which were derived from the spectroscopic data provided by the Chinese Hα Solar Explorer/Hα Imaging Spectrograph. The three-dimensional velocity of the oscillation is determined to be ~50 km s-1 at an angle of ~50° to the local photosphere plane. Based on the wave-filament interaction, the minimum energy of the EUV wave is estimated to be 2.7 × 1020 J. Furthermore, this event provides evidence that Moreton waves should be excited by the highly inclined eruptions.

Keywords: solar activity; solar filaments; quiescent solar prominence; solar coronal waves; solar oscillations
Exoplanet Radio Transits as a Probe for Exoplanetary Magnetic Fields-Time-dependent MHD Simulations

We perform a series of time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the HD 189733 star-planet system in order to predict radio transit modulations due to the interaction between the stellar wind and planetary magnetic field. The simulation combines a model for the stellar corona and wind with an exoplanet that is orbiting the star in a fully dynamic, time-dependent manner. Our simulations generate synthetic radio images that enable us to obtain synthetic radio light curves in different frequencies. We find a clear evidence for the planetary motion in the radio light curves. Moreover, we find specific repeated features in the light curves that are attributed to the passage of the planetary magnetosphere in front of the star during transit. More importantly, we find a clear dependence in magnitude and phase of these light-curve features on the strength of the planetary magnetic field. Our work demonstrates that if radio transits could be observed, they could indeed provide information about the magnetic field strength of the transiting exoplanet. Future work to parameterize these light-curve features and their dependence on the planetary field strength would provide tools to search for these features in radio observation data sets. As we only consider the thermal radio emission from the host star for our study, very sensitive radio interferometers are necessary to detect these kinds of planetary transits in radio.

Keywords: magnetohydrodynamical simulations; magnetohydrodynamics; radio astronomy; exoplanet astronomy; exoplanet detection methods; exoplanet atmospheres; stellar winds