adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Radar Perspective of the Aristarchus Pyroclastic Deposit and Implications for Future Missions

The Aristarchus plateau represents one of the most complex volcanic provinces on the lunar surface and is host to the largest pyroclastic deposit on the Moon. Lunar pyroclastic deposits offer a window into the Moon's interior and represent a valuable resource to support a sustained human presence. We present a new analysis of the Aristarchus pyroclastic deposit using Mini-RF bistatic radar data at wavelengths of 4.2 and 12.6 cm. Building on previous Earth-based Arecibo Observatory radar studies at 12.6 and 70 cm, we place further constraints on the spatial extent of the pyroclastic deposit and investigate the clast size distribution and provenance of foreign material distributed within the formation. Concentrations of blocky material >0.5 cm in diameter and suspended within the upper decimeters of the pyroclastic deposit are associated with potential buried mare flows along the rim of Vallis Schröteri and discrete pockets of primary material ejected by the Aristarchus impact. Unraveling the deposit from nonpyroclastic materials and the surrounding landscape creates new constraints with which to reconstruct the volcanic history of the region. From a future mission perspective, the identification of primary Aristarchus material distributed across the plateau offers an opportunity to sample diverse volcanic lithologies within an area that could be sampled by a single Commercial Lunar Payload Services mission. In terms of lunar resource in situ utilization, such ejected material also represents a contaminant; thus, radar data provide an invaluable tool to identify pristine pyroclastic material for mission planners.

Keywords: the moon; volcanism; lunar maria; radar astronomy
Bayesian Analysis of Quasi-periodic Pulsations in Stellar Flares

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) are routinely observed in a range of wavelengths during flares, but in most cases the mechanism responsible is unknown. We present a method to detect and characterize QPPs in time series such as light curves for solar or stellar flares based on forward modeling and Bayesian analysis. We include models for QPPs as oscillations with finite lifetimes and nonmonotonic amplitude modulation, such as wave trains formed by dispersive evolution in structured plasmas. By quantitatively comparing different models using Bayes factors, we characterize the QPPs according to five properties: sinusoidal or nonsinusoidal, finite or indefinite duration, symmetric or asymmetric perturbations, monotonic or nonmonotonic amplitude modulation, and constant or varying period of oscillation. We demonstrate our method and show examples of these five characteristics by analyzing QPPs in white-light stellar flares observed by the Kepler space telescope. Different combinations of properties may be able to identify particular physical mechanisms and so improve our understanding of QPPs and allow their use as seismological diagnostics. We propose that three observational classes of QPPs can be distinguished: decaying harmonic oscillations, finite wave trains, and nonsinusoidal pulsations.

Keywords: stellar flares; stellar oscillations; solar oscillations; astronomy data analysis; bayesian statistics
Effect of Electrical Resistivity on the Damping of Slow Sausage Modes

Recent observations of slow surface sausage modes in a photospheric magnetic pore have been shown to be heavily damped. Numerical calculations have shown that electrical resistivity plays a significant role in this damping process. The aim of the present paper is to make an independent analytical derivation that would confirm the importance of electrical resistivity in the damping of these modes. An analytical dispersion relation in the framework of resistive magnetohydrodynamics is derived for sausage modes in a straight cylinder with a circular cross section and a discontinuous boundary. The effect of electrical resistivity on the damping of slow sausage modes in photospheric pore conditions is then studied, by solving the obtained dispersion relation numerically. The obtained results agree with those from the numerical calculations.

Keywords: solar photosphere; solar magnetic fields; solar coronal waves; magnetohydrodynamics
A Combined Ground-based and JWST Atmospheric Retrieval Analysis: Both IGRINS and NIRSpec Agree that the Atmosphere of WASP-77A b Is Metal-poor

Ground-based high-resolution and space-based low-resolution spectroscopy are the two main avenues through which transiting exoplanet atmospheres are studied. Both methods provide unique strengths and shortcomings, and combining the two can be a powerful probe into an exoplanet's atmosphere. Within a joint atmospheric retrieval framework, we combined JWST NIRSpec/G395H secondary eclipse spectra and Gemini South/IGRINS pre- and post-eclipse thermal emission observations of the hot Jupiter WASP-77A b. Our inferences from the IGRINS and NIRSpec data sets are consistent with each other, and combining the two allows us to measure the gas abundances of H2O and CO, as well as the vertical thermal structure, with higher precision than either data set provided individually. We confirm WASP-77A b's subsolar metallicity ([(C+O)/H] = ‑0.61 ${}_{-0.09}^{+0.10})$ and solar C/O ratio (C/O = 0.57 ${}_{-0.06}^{+0.06})$ . The two types of data are complementary, and our abundance inferences are mostly driven by the IGRINS data, while inference of the thermal structure is driven by the NIRSpec data. Our ability to draw inferences from the post-eclipse IGRINS data is highly sensitive to the number of singular values removed in the detrending process, potentially due to high and variable humidity. We also search for signatures for atmospheric dynamics in the IGRINS data and find that propagated ephemeris error can manifest as either an orbital eccentricity or a strong equatorial jet. Neither are detected when using more up-to-date ephemerides. However, we find moderate evidence of thermal inhomogeneity and measure a cooler nightside that presents itself in the later phases after secondary eclipse.

Keywords: exoplanets; exoplanet astronomy; extrasolar gaseous planets; hot jupiters; exoplanet atmospheres; exoplanet atmospheric composition; spectroscopy; high resolution spectroscopy
Black Hole Ultracompact X-Ray Binaries as Galactic Low-frequency Gravitational Wave Sources: The He Star Channel

Black hole (BH) ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are potential Galactic low-frequency gravitational wave (GW) sources. As an alternative channel, BH UCXBs can evolve from BH+He star binaries. In this work, we perform a detailed stellar evolution model for the formation and evolution of BH UCXBs evolving from the He star channel to diagnose their detectability as low-frequency GW sources. Our calculations found that some nascent BH+He star binaries after the common-envelope (CE) phase could evolve into UCXB-LISA sources with a maximum GW frequency of ~5 mHz, which can be detected in a distance of 10 kpc (or 100 kpc). Once BH+He star systems become UCXBs through mass transfer, they would emit X-ray luminosities of ~1038 erg s-1, making them ideal multimessenger objects. If the initial He-star masses are ≥0.7 M ⊙, those systems are likely to experience two Roche lobe overflows, and the X-ray luminosity can reach a maximum of 3.5 × 1039 erg s-1 in the second mass-transfer stage. The initial He-star masses and initial orbital periods of progenitors of Galactic BH UCXB-LISA sources are in the range of 0.32-2.9 M ⊙ and 0.02-0.19 days, respectively. Nearly all BH+He star binaries in the above parameter space can evolve into GW sources whose chirp masses can be accurately measured. Employing a population synthesis simulation, we predict the birthrate and detection number of Galactic BH UCXB-LISA sources evolving from the He star channel are R = 2.2 × 10-6 yr-1 and 33 for an optimistic CE parameter, respectively.

Keywords: x-ray binary stars; black holes; gravitational wave sources; stellar evolution
Turbulent Acceleration of Interstellar Pickup Ions at the Heliospheric Termination Shock Forms the Global ENA Spectrum

The heliospheric energetic neutral atom spectrum observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) reveals that the heliosheath proton distribution is consistent with a power law. The origin of the spectrum is likely from interstellar pickup ions (PUIs) accelerated at the heliospheric termination shock (HTS). We present an explanation of the proton spectrum origin using a test particle simulation of PUIs accelerated at the HTS. PUIs experience preferential heating by the motional electric field in the shock foot, but do not develop a power-law tail without the presence of turbulence at wavenumbers (k) close to the PUI gyroradius scale (Rg). Voyager 2 observations of the magnetic field downstream of the HTS indicate a moderate amount of turbulence at kRg ≅ 1, ${\left(\delta B/{B}_{0}\right)}^{2}\cong 0.01$, which we find to be sufficient for producing a downstream suprathermal PUI tail but not at intensities observed by IBEX. Within the shock ramp, however, Voyager observed the turbulence power at much smaller scales to be nearly 100 times stronger, suggesting the possibility of strong turbulence at the PUI gyroradius scale. We show that a proton distribution can develop a power law downstream of the HTS consistent with IBEX observations if ${\left(\delta B/{B}_{0}\right)}^{2}\gtrsim 0.1$ at kRg ≅ 1 in the shock foot. Shock drift acceleration of PUIs by the motional electric field is aided by interactions with turbulence upstream of the shock overshoot. Steepening of the IBEX proton spectrum in directions farther from the heliospheric nose suggests the HTS compression ratio and/or turbulence power weakens near the heliotail.

Keywords: heliosheath; pickup ions; solar wind; termination shock; space plasmas; interplanetary turbulence; interplanetary particle acceleration
Yet Another Odd Radio Circle?

The Odd Radio Circles are newly identified diffuse radio sources at ~1 GHz frequency, with edge-brightened nearly circular morphology, which is remarkably similar to supernova remnants although a physical association with previous population of Galactic supernova remnants is challenging due to detections of the Odd Radio Circles at high Galactic latitudes. Here, a serendipitous identification of a new source in a LOFAR 144 MHz image with similar morphology as that of Odd Radio Circles is reported. This is the first reported identification of an Odd Radio Circle at a very low frequency and with the LOFAR.

Keywords: radio continuum emission; supernova remnants; extragalactic radio sources; sky surveys
M67 Blue Stragglers with High-resolution Infrared Spectroscopy

We report on the first detailed infrared chemical analysis of five binary members (S277, S997, S975, S1031, and S1195) in the open cluster M67 (NGC 2682). These stars are located outside (bluer and/or brighter than) the main-sequence turnoff region in M67. High-resolution (R ~ 45,000) near-infrared spectra were obtained with the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) at the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope, providing full spectral coverage of the H and K bands. The abundances of C, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Fe, and Ni are measured using neutral atomic absorption lines. We detect v sin i ≥ 25 km s-1 in three of our program stars: S1031, S975, and S1195. We find our derived abundances to be in good agreement with turnoff star abundances, similar to published analyses of blue straggler stars in M67 from optical spectra. Detection of a carbon enhancement or depletion resulting from mass transfer is difficult due to the uncertainties in the carbon abundance and the relatively modest changes that may occur through red giant and asymptotic giant branch evolution.

Keywords: blue straggler stars; open star clusters; stellar abundances
Atomic Iron and Nickel in the Coma of C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake): Production Rates, Emission Mechanisms, and Possible Parents

Two papers recently reported the detection of gaseous nickel and iron in the comae of over 20 comets from observations collected over two decades, including interstellar comet 2I/Borisov. To evaluate the state of the laboratory data in support of these identifications, we reanalyzed archived spectra of comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), one of the nearest and brightest comets of the past century, using a combined experimental and computational approach. We developed a new, many-level fluorescence model that indicates that the fluorescence emissions of Fe I and Ni I vary greatly with heliocentric velocity. Combining this model with laboratory spectra of an Fe-Ni plasma, we identified 22 lines of Fe I and 14 lines of Ni I in the spectrum of Hyakutake. Using Haser models, we estimate the nickel and iron production rates as QNi = (2.6-4.1) × 1022 s-1 and QFe = (0.4-2.8) × 1023 s-1. From derived column densities, the Ni/Fe abundance ratio log10[Ni/Fe] = -0.15 ± 0.07 deviates significantly from solar abundance ratios, and it is consistent with the ratios observed in solar system comets. Possible production and emission mechanisms are analyzed in the context of existing laboratory measurements. Based on the observed spatial distributions, excellent fluorescence model agreement, and Ni/Fe ratio, our findings support an origin consisting of a short-lived unknown parent followed by fluorescence emission. Our models suggest that the strong heliocentric velocity dependence of the fluorescence efficiencies can provide a meaningful test of the physical process responsible for the Fe I and Ni I emission.

Keywords: laboratory astrophysics; comets; atomic spectroscopy; spectral line identification
Identification of Methyl Isocyanate and Other Complex Organic Molecules in a Hot Molecular Core, G31.41+0.31

G31.41+0.31 is a well known chemically rich hot molecular core (HMC). Using Band 3 observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), we have analyzed the chemical and physical properties of the source. We have identified methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO), a precursor of prebiotic molecules, toward the source. In addition to this, we have reported the presence of complex organic molecules (COMs) like methanol (CH3OH), methanethiol (CH3SH), and methyl formate (CH3OCHO). Additionally, we have used transitions from molecules like HCN, H13CO+, and SiO to trace the presence of infall and outflow signatures around the star-forming region. For the COMs, we have estimated the column densities and kinetic temperatures, assuming molecular excitation under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. From the estimated kinetic temperatures of certain COMs, we found that multiple temperature components may be present in the HMC environment. Comparing the obtained molecular column densities between the existing observational results around other HMCs, it seems that the COMs are favorably produced in the hot core environment (∼100 K or higher). Though the spectral emissions toward G31.41+0.31 are not fully resolved, we find that CH3NCO and other COMs are possibly formed on grain/ice phase and populate the gas environment similar to other hot cores like Sgr B2, Orion KL, and G10.47+0.03.

Keywords: astrochemistry; spectral line identification; chemical abundances; massive stars; interstellar medium; astronomy data analysis
Sensitivity of He Flames in X-Ray Bursts to Nuclear Physics

Through the use of axisymmetric 2D hydrodynamic simulations, we further investigate laterally propagating flames in X-ray bursts (XRBs). Our aim is to understand the sensitivity of a propagating helium flame to different nuclear physics. Using the Castro simulation code, we confirm the phenomenon of enhanced energy generation shortly after a flame is established by adding 12C(p, γ)13N(α, p)16O to the network, in agreement with the past literature. This sudden outburst of energy leads to a short accelerating phase, causing a drastic alteration in the overall dynamics of the flame in XRBs. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of different plasma screening routines on the propagation of the XRB flame. We finally examine the performance of simplified spectral deferred correction, a novel approach to hydrodynamics and reaction coupling incorporated in Castro, as an alternative to operator splitting.

Keywords: x-ray bursts; nucleosynthesis; explosive nucleosynthesis; computational methods; hydrodynamics
An Accurate P3M Algorithm for Gravitational Lensing Studies in Simulations

We present a two-dimensional particle-particle-particle-mesh (P3M) algorithm with an optimized Green's function and adaptive softening length for gravitational lensing studies in N-body simulations. The analytical form of the optimized Green's function $\hat{G}({\boldsymbol{k}})$ is given. The softening schemes (S) are studied for both the particle-mesh (PM) and the particle-particle (PP) calculations in order for accurate force calculation and suppression of the particle discreteness effect. Our method is two orders of magnitude more accurate than the simple PM algorithm with the poor man's Green's function (∝ 1/k2) at a scale of a few mesh cells or smaller. The force anisotropy is also much smaller than the conventional PM calculation. We can achieve a force accuracy better than 0.1% at all scales with our algorithm, which makes it an ideal (accurate and fast) algorithm for microlensing studies. When we apply the algorithm to computing weak and strong lensing quantities in N-body simulations, the errors are dominated by the Poisson noise caused by particle discreteness. The Poisson noise can be suppressed by smoothing out the particle distribution, which can be achieved by simply choosing an adaptive softening length in the PP calculation. We have presented a criterion to set the adaptive softening length. Our algorithm is also applicable to cosmological simulations. We provide a PYTHON implementation P3Mlens for this algorithm.

Keywords: gravitational lensing; n-body simulations; algorithms
A Large Magnetic Hump in the VLISM Observed by Voyager 1 in 2020-2022

Voyager 1 has been moving through the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) for approximately one solar cycle, from 122.58 au on 2012/DOY 238 (August 25) to 158.5 au on 2023.0. Previously, an abrupt increase ("jump") in the magnetic field strength B and proton density N by a factor of 1.35 and 1.36, respectively, was observed during an interval of ~8 days in 2020.40. After the jump, B continued to increase to a maximum value ~0.56 nT at ~2021.4 and then declined until B returned to the postjump value of 0.5 nT on 2021.85, 1.45 yr after the jump. The magnetic field strength declined briefly from 0.5 nT on 2021.85 to 0.47 nT on 2021.95 and then increased sporadically to 0.52 nT at 2023.0. Thus, the magnetic field strength remained strong for at least 2.6 yr. The magnetic hump and the density hump were a compression wave propagating through the VLISM. The compression wave was generated by a region with large dynamic pressure in the solar wind that propagated through the inner heliosheath and collided with the heliopause. The magnetic field strength continued to remain strong, with slow variations, until the end of our observations at 2023.0. It is suggested that the magnetic hump evolved from the large dynamic pressure, high speeds, and density observed at 1 au between ~2015 and ~2017.

Keywords: interstellar magnetic fields
Properties of the Magellanic Corona

We characterize the Magellanic Corona, the warm gaseous halo around the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The Corona is a key ingredient in the formation of the Magellanic Stream and has recently been observed in high-ion absorption around the LMC. In this work, we present a suite of high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations to constrain its total mass and temperature prior to the infall of the Magellanic Clouds to our Galaxy. We find that the LMC is able to host a stable Corona before and during its approach to the MW through to the present day. With a Magellanic Corona of >2 × 109 M ⊙ at 3 × 105 K, our simulations can reproduce the observed total mass of the neutral and ionized components of the Trailing Stream, the size of the LMC disk, the ionization fractions along the Stream, the morphology of the neutral gas, and the on-sky extent of the ionized gas. The Corona plays an integral role in the survival, morphology, and composition of the Magellanic Clouds and the Trailing Stream.

Keywords: galaxy physics; galactic and extragalactic astronomy; galaxy dynamics; magellanic clouds; magellanic stream
Rapid Dimming Followed by a State Transition: A Study of the Highly Variable Nuclear Transient AT 2019avd over 1000+ Days

The tidal disruption of a star around a supermassive black hole (SMBH) offers a unique opportunity to study accretion onto an SMBH on a human timescale. We present results from our 1000+ days monitoring campaign of AT 2019avd, a nuclear transient with tidal-disruption-event-like properties, with NICER, Swift, and Chandra. Our primary finding is that approximately 225 days following the peak of the X-ray emission, there is a rapid drop in luminosity exceeding 2 orders of magnitude. This X-ray dropoff is accompanied by X-ray spectral hardening, followed by a plateau phase of 740 days. During this phase, the spectral index decreases from 6.2 ± 1.1 to 2.3 ± 0.4, while the disk temperature remains constant. Additionally, we detect pronounced X-ray variability, with an average fractional rms amplitude of 47%, manifesting over timescales of a few dozen minutes. We propose that this phenomenon may be attributed to intervening clumpy outflows. The overall properties of AT 2019avd suggest that the accretion disk evolves from a super-Eddington to a sub-Eddington luminosity state, possibly associated with a compact jet. This evolution follows a pattern in the hardness–intensity diagram similar to that observed in stellar-mass BHs, supporting the mass invariance of accretion–ejection processes around BHs.

Keywords: high energy astrophysics; black holes; accretion
The TESS-Keck Survey. II. An Ultra-short-period Rocky Planet and Its Siblings Transiting the Galactic Thick-disk Star TOI-561

We report the discovery of TOI-561, a multiplanet system in the galactic thick disk that contains a rocky, ultra-short-period planet. This bright (V = 10.2) star hosts three small transiting planets identified in photometry from the NASA TESS mission: TOI-561 b (TOI-561.02, P = 0.44 days, Rp = 1.45 ± 0.11 R⊕), c (TOI-561.01, P = 10.8 days, Rp = 2.90 ± 0.13 R⊕), and d (TOI-561.03, P = 16.3 days, Rp = 2.32 ± 0.16 R⊕). The star is chemically ([Fe/H] = -0.41 ± 0.05, [α/Fe] = +0.23 ± 0.05) and kinematically consistent with the galactic thick-disk population, making TOI-561 one of the oldest (10 ± 3 Gyr) and most metal-poor planetary systems discovered yet. We dynamically confirm planets b and c with radial velocities from the W. M. Keck Observatory High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. Planet b has a mass and density of 3.2 ± 0.8 M⊕ and ${5.5}_{-1.6}^{+2.0}$ g cm-3, consistent with a rocky composition. Its lower-than-average density is consistent with an iron-poor composition, although an Earth-like iron-to-silicates ratio is not ruled out. Planet c is 7.0 ± 2.3 M⊕ and 1.6 ± 0.6 g cm-3, consistent with an interior rocky core overlaid with a low-mass volatile envelope. Several attributes of the photometry for planet d (which we did not detect dynamically) complicate the analysis, but we vet the planet with high-contrast imaging, ground-based photometric follow-up, and radial velocities. TOI-561 b is the first rocky world around a galactic thick-disk star confirmed with radial velocities and one of the best rocky planets for thermal emission studies.

Keywords: exoplanets; exoplanet astronomy; exoplanet systems; exoplanet detection methods; exoplanet structure; exoplanet formation; exoplanet evolution