adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
The Isotropic Center of NGC 5419-A Core in Formation?

With its cored surface brightness profile, the elliptical galaxy NGC 5419 appears as a typical high-mass early-type galaxy (ETG). However, the galaxy hosts two distinct nuclei in its center. We use high-signal MUSE (Multi-unit Spectroscopic Explorer (Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO program 099.B-0193(A).)) spectral observations and novel triaxial dynamical orbit models to reveal a surprisingly isotropic central orbit distribution in NGC 5419. Recent collisionless simulations of merging massive ETGs suggest a two-phase core formation model, in which the low-density stellar core forms rapidly by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) sinking into the center due to dynamical friction. Only afterwards do the SMBHs form a hard binary, and the black hole scouring process slowly changes the central orbit distribution from isotropic to tangential. The observed cored density profile, the double nucleus, and the isotropic center of NGC 5419 together thus point to an intermediate evolutionary state where the first phase of core formation has taken place, yet the scouring process is only beginning. This implies that the double nucleus is an SMBH binary. Our triaxial dynamical models indicate a total mass of the two SMBHs in the center of NGC 5419 of M BH = (1.0 ± 0.08) × 1010 M ⊙. Moreover, we find that NGC 5419's complex kinematically distinct core can be explained by a coherent flip of the direction of orbital rotation of stars on tube orbits at ~3 kpc distance from the galaxy center together with projection effects. This is also in agreement with merger simulations hosting SMBHs in the same mass regime.

Keywords: supermassive black holes; stellar dynamics; early-type galaxies; elliptical galaxies; galaxy structure; galaxy nuclei; galaxy spheroids
Impact of Anomalous Active Regions on the Large-scale Magnetic Field of the Sun

One of the major sources of perturbation in the solar cycle amplitude is believed to be the emergence of anomalous active regions that do not obey Hale's polarity law and Joy's law of tilt angles. Anomalous regions containing high magnetic flux that disproportionately impact the polar field are sometimes referred to as "rogue regions." In this study, utilizing a surface flux transport model, we analyze the large-scale dipole moment buildup due to the emergence of anomalous active regions on the solar surface. Although these active regions comprise a small fraction of the total sunspot number, they can substantially influence the magnetic dipole moment buildup and subsequent solar cycle amplitude. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the impact of "anti-Joy" regions on the solar cycle is similar to those of "anti-Hale" regions. We also find that the emergence time, emergence latitude, relative number, and flux distribution of anomalous regions influence the large-scale magnetic field dynamics in diverse ways. We establish that the results of our numerical study are consistent with the algebraic (analytic) approach to explaining the Sun's dipole moment evolution. Our results are relevant for understanding how anomalous active regions modulate the Sun's large-scale dipole moment buildup and its reversal timing within the framework of the Babcock-Leighton dynamo mechanism-now believed to be the primary source of solar cycle variations.

Keywords: solar active regions; solar activity; sunspot cycle; solar magnetic fields
PHANGS-ALMA Data Processing and Pipeline

We describe the processing of the PHANGS-ALMA survey and present the PHANGS-ALMA pipeline, a public software package that processes calibrated interferometric and total power data into science-ready data products. PHANGS-ALMA is a large, high-resolution survey of CO(2-1) emission from nearby galaxies. The observations combine ALMA's main 12 m array, the 7 m array, and total power observations, and use mosaics of dozens to hundreds of individual pointings. We describe the processing of the u - v data, imaging and deconvolution, linear mosaicking, combining interferometer and total power data, noise estimation, masking, data product creation, and quality assurance. Our pipeline has a general design and can also be applied to Very Large Array and ALMA observations of other spectral lines and continuum emission. We highlight our recipe for deconvolution of complex spectral line observations, which combines multiscale clean, single-scale clean, and automatic mask generation in a way that appears robust and effective. We also emphasize our two-track approach to masking and data product creation. We construct one set of "broadly masked" data products, which have high completeness but significant contamination by noise, and another set of "strictly masked" data products, which have high confidence but exclude faint, low signal-to-noise emission. Our quality assurance tests, supported by simulations, demonstrate that 12 m+7 m deconvolved data recover a total flux that is significantly closer to the total power flux than the 7 m deconvolved data alone. In the appendices, we measure the stability of the ALMA total power calibration in PHANGS-ALMA and test the performance of popular short-spacing correction algorithms.

Keywords: radio interferometry; interstellar medium; co line emission; millimeter astronomy; astronomy data reduction; galaxies; star formation
Similar Signatures of Coplanar Gas Inflow and Disk Warps in Galactic Gas Kinematic Maps

Hydrodynamic simulations suggest that galactic gas disks form when coplanar gas spirals into the inner regions of the disk. We recently presented a simple modified accretion disk model of viscous galactic disks in which star formation is fed by a radial flow of gas. However, little observational evidence has been presented for such inflows, which are expected to be only a few kilometers per second in the central regions of the disk, i.e., within four disk scale lengths, but could reach of order 50-100 km s-1 in the very outer disk. The effects of systematic inflow on the 2D velocity field are examined and it is shown that these are quite similar to those produced by geometric warps of the disks, with twist distortions of both the kinematic major and minor axes. This makes it potentially difficult to distinguish between these in practice. By comparing the handedness of the observed twisting of the kinematic axes and of the spiral arms for a sample of nearby galaxies, we find (assuming that the spiral arms are generally trailing) that the effects of warps are in fact likely to dominate over the effects of radial inflows. However, the common practice of treating these twist distortions of the kinematic major and minor axes as being due only to warps can lead, for galaxies of low-to-intermediate inclinations, to substantial underestimates of any systematic inflow.

Keywords: galaxy kinematics; galaxy accretion disks; galaxy radial velocities
Wavelengths and Energy Levels of Singly Ionized Nickel (Ni II) Measured Using Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

High-resolution spectra of singly ionized nickel (Ni II) have been recorded using Fourier transform spectroscopy in the region 143-5555 nm (1800-70,000 cm-1) with continuous, nickel-helium hollow cathode discharge sources. An extensive analysis of identified Ni II lines resulted in the confirmation and revision of 283 previously reported energy levels, from the ground state up to the 3d 8( M L)6s subconfigurations. Typical energy-level uncertainties are a few thousandths of a cm-1, representing at least an order-of-magnitude reduction in uncertainty with respect to previous measurements. Twenty-five new energy levels have now been established and are reported here for the first time. Eigenvector compositions of the energy levels have been calculated using the orthogonal operator method. In total, 159 even and 149 odd energy levels and 1424 classified line wavelengths of Ni II are reported and will enable more accurate and reliable analyses of Ni II in astrophysical spectra.

Keywords: laboratory astrophysics; atomic spectroscopy; line positions; spectral line identification; spectroscopy; spectral line lists; atomic data benchmarking; stellar atmospheric opacity; stellar spectral lines
Discovery of a New Molecular Bubble-Outflow Structure in the Taurus B18 Cloud

Star formation can produce bubbles and outflows, as a result of stellar feedback. Outflows and bubbles inject momentum and energy into the surrounding interstellar medium, and so are related to the overall energy balance of the molecular cloud. Molecular bubbles can be resolved by higher-resolution radio telescopes to quantify the effect of star formation on molecular clouds. We report here the identification of a new molecular bubble with an outflow, and a Herbig-Haro object, HH 319, located at the bubble center. Multiwavelength data have been utilized to study its spatial structure, energy injection, and dynamical timescale. This bubble has a kinetic energy of 5.8 × 1043 erg within the smallest radius of a bubble in Taurus, 0.077 pc. The bubble formed ~70,000 yr ago. According to the proper-motion velocities of protostars from Gaia EDR3, the T Tauri binary stars (FY Tau and FZ Tau) at the southwest edge of the bubble may have produced the outflow-bubble structure. This is an unusual new structure found in low- and intermediate-mass star formation regions. Only a bubble in Orion A, driven by V380 Ori, has a similar structure. The bubble-outflow structure provides additional observational evidence for the theory of stellar wind from T Tauri stars. It enhances our understanding of how stellar feedback acts on molecular clouds.

Keywords: stellar wind bubbles; stellar winds; molecular clouds; t tauri stars; stellar feedback
Effect of Spherical Polarization on the Magnetic Spectrum of the Solar Wind

Magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind are often observed to maintain constant magnitude of the magnetic field in a manner consistent with spherically polarized large-amplitude Alfvén waves. We investigate the effect of spherical polarization on the magnetic spectral index through a statistical survey of magnetic fluctuations observed by Parker Solar Probe between 20 R ⊙ and 200 R ⊙. We find that deviations from spherical polarization, i.e., changes in ∣ B ∣ (compressive fluctuations) and one-dimensional discontinuities, have a dramatic effect on the scaling behavior of the turbulent fluctuations. We show that shallow k -3/2 spectra are only observed for three-dimensional structures of constant magnetic field strength, which we identify as large-amplitude Alfvén waves. The presence of compressive fluctuations coincides with a steepening of the spectrum up to k -5/3. Steeper power-law scalings approaching k -2 are observed when the fluctuations are dominated by discontinuities. Near-Sun fluctuations are found to be the most spherically polarized, suggesting that this spherical state is fundamental to the generation of the solar wind. With increasing distance from the Sun, fluctuations are found to become less three-dimensional and more compressive, which may indicate the breakdown of the Alfvénic equilibrium state.

Keywords: space plasmas; alfven waves; solar physics; interplanetary turbulence; solar wind
Assessing the C/O Ratio Formation Diagnostic: A Potential Trend with Companion Mass

The carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio in an exoplanet atmosphere has been suggested as a potential diagnostic of planet formation. Now that a number of exoplanets have measured C/O ratios, it is possible to examine this diagnostic at a population level. Here, we present an analysis of currently measured C/O ratios of directly imaged and transit/eclipse planets. First, we derive atmospheric parameters for the substellar companion HD 284149 AB b using data taken with the OSIRIS integral field spectrograph at the W.M. Keck Observatory and report two non-detections from our ongoing imaging spectroscopy survey with Keck/OSIRIS. We find an effective temperature of T eff = 2502 K, with a range of 2291-2624 K, $\mathrm{log}g\,=\,4.52$ , with a range of 4.38-4.91, and [M/H] = 0.37, with a range of 0.10-0.55. We derive a C/O of ${0.59}_{-0.30}^{+0.15}$ for HD 284149 AB b. We add this measurement to the list of C/O ratios for directly imaged planets and compare them with those from a sample of transit/eclipse planets. We also derive the first dynamical mass estimate for HD 284149 AB b, finding a mass of ~28 M Jup. There is a trend in C/O ratio with companion mass (M Jup), with a break seen around 4 M Jup. We run a Kolmogorov-Smirnov and an Anderson-Darling test on planets above and below this mass boundary, and find that they are two distinct populations. This could be additional evidence of two distinct populations possibly having two different formation pathways, with companion mass as an indicator of most likely formation scenario.

Keywords: exoplanet atmospheres; direct imaging; exoplanet formation; exoplanet atmospheric composition
Precise Transit and Radial-velocity Characterization of a Resonant Pair: The Warm Jupiter TOI-216c and Eccentric Warm Neptune TOI-216b

TOI-216 hosts a pair of warm, large exoplanets discovered by the TESS mission. These planets were found to be in or near the 2:1 resonance, and both of them exhibit transit timing variations (TTVs). Precise characterization of the planets' masses and radii, orbital properties, and resonant behavior can test theories for the origins of planets orbiting close to their stars. Previous characterization of the system using the first six sectors of TESS data suffered from a degeneracy between planet mass and orbital eccentricity. Radial-velocity measurements using HARPS, FEROS, and the Planet Finder Spectrograph break that degeneracy, and an expanded TTV baseline from TESS and an ongoing ground-based transit observing campaign increase the precision of the mass and eccentricity measurements. We determine that TOI-216c is a warm Jupiter, TOI-216b is an eccentric warm Neptune, and that they librate in 2:1 resonance with a moderate libration amplitude of ${60}_{-2}^{+2}$ deg, a small but significant free eccentricity of ${0.0222}_{-0.0003}^{+0.0005}$ for TOI-216b, and a small but significant mutual inclination of 1°2-3°9 (95% confidence interval). The libration amplitude, free eccentricity, and mutual inclination imply a disturbance of TOI-216b before or after resonance capture, perhaps by an undetected third planet.

Keywords: exoplanet astronomy; exoplanet dynamics; transit timing variation method; radial velocity
Resolving 3D Disk Orientation Using High-resolution Images: New Constraints on Circumgalactic Gas Inflows

We constrain gas inflow speeds in star-forming galaxies with color gradients consistent with inside-out disk growth. Our method combines new measurements of disk orientation with previously described circumgalactic absorption in background quasar spectra. Two quantities, a position angle and an axis ratio, describe the projected shape of each galactic disk on the sky, leaving an ambiguity about which side of the minor axis is tipped toward the observer. This degeneracy regarding the 3D orientation of disks has compromised previous efforts to measure gas inflow speeds. We present Hubble Space Telescope and Keck/LGSAO imaging that resolves the spiral structure in five galaxies at redshift z ≈ 0.2. We determine the sign of the disk inclination for four galaxies, under the assumption that spiral arms trail the rotation. We project models for both radial infall in the disk plane and circular orbits onto each quasar sightline. We compare the resulting line-of-sight velocities to the observed velocity range of Mg II absorption in spectra of background quasars, which intersect the disk plane at radii between 69 and 115 kpc. For two sightlines, we constrain the maximum radial inflow speeds as 30-40 km s-1. We also rule out a velocity component from radial inflow in one sightline, suggesting that the structures feeding gas to these growing disks do not have unity covering factor. We recommend appropriate selection criteria for building larger samples of galaxy-quasar pairs that produce orientations sensitive to constraining inflow properties.

Keywords: quasar absorption line spectroscopy; laser guide stars; extragalactic astronomy; circumgalactic medium; galaxy evolution; galaxy formation
Compaction of Porous H2O Ice via Energetic Electrons

Here we have investigated the degree to which energetic electrons cause structural changes in microporous H2O ice using infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy as analytical tools. In these studies, we found that energetic electrons destroy both the dangling bond (DB) absorption bands, indicative of internal surface area, and the internal porosity of our samples. In addition, we find it takes about a factor of 3 higher fluence to decrease the internal pore volume by 63.2% than it does the internal surface area, which is likely because the surface area decreases by both destruction of the internal pores and also by smaller pores coalescing into large ones. Extrapolating our results to the interstellar medium (ISM), we estimate that the time needed for these processes to occur is significantly shorter than the expected lifetime of a molecular cloud, leading us to speculate that future detections of the DB absorption bands or other indicators of porosity in the ISM will be relatively rare.

Keywords: astrochemistry; interstellar medium; cosmic rays; solid matter physics; surface ices; laboratory astrophysics; spectroscopy
A Stationary Drake Equation Distribution as a Balance of Birth-death Processes

Previous critiques of the Drake Equation have highlighted its deterministic nature, implying that the number of civilizations is the same at all times. Here, I build upon earlier work and present a stochastic formulation. The birth of civilizations within the galaxy is modeled as following a uniform rate (Poisson) stochastic process, with a mean rate of λC. Each then experiences a constant hazard rate of collapse, which defines an exponential distribution with rate parameter λL. Thus, the galaxy is viewed as a frothing landscape of civilization birth and collapse. Under these assumptions, I show that N in the Drake Equation must follow another Poisson distribution, with a mean rate (λC/λL). This is used to demonstrate why the Copernican Principle does not allow one to infer N, as well evaluating the algebraic probability of being alone in the galaxy.

Keywords: search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Jupiter in the Ultraviolet: Acetylene and Ethane Abundances in the Stratosphere of Jupiter from Cassini Observations between 0.15 and 0.19 μm

At wavelengths between 0.15 and 0.19 μm, the far-ultraviolet spectrum of Jupiter is dominated by the scattered solar spectrum, attenuated by molecular absorptions primarily by acetylene and ethane, and to a lesser extent ammonia and phosphine. We describe the development of our radiative transfer code that enables the retrieval of abundances of these molecular species from ultraviolet reflectance spectra. As a proof-of-concept we present an analysis of Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) observations of the disk of Jupiter during the 2000/2001 flyby. The ultraviolet-retrieved acetylene abundances in the upper stratosphere are lower than those predicted by models based solely on infrared thermal emission from the mid-stratosphere observed by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), requiring an adjustment to the vertical profiles above 1 mbar. We produce a vertical acetylene abundance profile that is compatible with both CIRS and UVIS, with reduced abundances at pressures <1 mbar: the 0.1 mbar abundances are 1.21 ± 0.07 ppm for acetylene and 20.8 ± 5.1 ppm for ethane. Finally, we perform a sensitivity study for the JUICE ultraviolet spectrograph, which has extended wavelength coverage out to 0.21 μm, enabling the retrieval of ammonia and phosphine abundances, in addition to acetylene and ethane.

Keywords: jupiter; ultraviolet astronomy; planetary atmospheres; solar system gas giant planets; solar system planets; spectroscopy
Gravitational Microlensing Events from the First Year of the Northern Galactic Plane Survey by the Zwicky Transient Facility

The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) is currently surveying the entire northern sky, including dense Galactic plane fields. Here, we present preliminary results of the search for gravitational microlensing events in the ZTF data collected from the beginning of the survey (March 20, 2018) through June 30, 2019.

Keywords: gravitational microlensing
The Behavior of HgMn Stars in the Far UV-Paper 9: HD 21933

The analysis of 18 high resolution spectra of the chemically peculiar star HR 1079 recorded by the International Ultraviolet Explorer reveals large amplitude variations of the far ultraviolet flux (about 80% flux decrease at minimum compared to maximum) over the various observations with IUE. These variations could reflect the presence of spots over the surface of HD 21933. The TESS lightcurve of HD 21933 has a complex structure which resembles a double sine structure. The time intervals separating successive minima are not constant but range from 1.16 to 1.32 ± 0.03 days.

Keywords: chemically peculiar stars
The Red Supergiant Content of M31 and M33

We identify red supergiants (RSGs) in our spiral neighbors M31 and M33 using near-IR (NIR) photometry complete to a luminosity limit of $\mathrm{log}L/{L}_{\odot }=4.0$ . Our archival survey data cover 5 deg2 of M31, and 3 deg2 for M33, and are likely spatially complete for these massive stars. Gaia is used to remove foreground stars, after which the RSGs can be separated from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the color-magnitude diagram. The photometry is used to derive effective temperatures and bolometric luminosities via MARCS stellar atmosphere models. The resulting H-R diagrams show superb agreement with the evolutionary tracks of the Geneva evolutionary group. Our census includes 6400 RSGs in M31 and 2850 RSGs in M33 within their Holmberg radii; by contrast, only a few hundred RSGs are known so far in the Milky Way. Our catalog serves as the basis for a study of the RSG binary frequency being published separately, as well as future studies relating to the evolution of massive stars. Here we use the matches between the NIR-selected RSGs and their optical counterparts to show that the apparent similarity in the reddening of OB stars in M31 and M33 is the result of Malmquist bias; the average extinction in M31 is likely higher than that of M33. As expected, the distribution of RSGs follows that of the spiral arms, while the much older AGB population is more uniformly spread across each galaxy's disk.

Keywords: massive stars; red supergiant stars; stellar evolution; andromeda galaxy; triangulum galaxy