adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Atmospheric Reconnaissance of TRAPPIST-1 b with JWST/NIRISS: Evidence for Strong Stellar Contamination in the Transmission Spectra

TRAPPIST-1 is a nearby system of seven Earth-sized, temperate, rocky exoplanets transiting a Jupiter-sized M8.5V star, ideally suited for in-depth atmospheric studies. Each TRAPPIST-1 planet has been observed in transmission both from space and from the ground, confidently rejecting cloud-free, hydrogen-rich atmospheres. Secondary eclipse observations of TRAPPIST-1 b with JWST/MIRI are consistent with little to no atmosphere given the lack of heat redistribution. Here we present the first transmission spectra of TRAPPIST-1 b obtained with JWST/NIRISS over two visits. The two transmission spectra show moderate to strong evidence of contamination from unocculted stellar heterogeneities, which dominates the signal in both visits. The transmission spectrum of the first visit is consistent with unocculted starspots and the second visit exhibits signatures of unocculted faculae. Fitting the stellar contamination and planetary atmosphere either sequentially or simultaneously, we confirm the absence of cloud-free, hydrogen-rich atmospheres, but cannot assess the presence of secondary atmospheres. We find that the uncertainties associated with the lack of stellar model fidelity are one order of magnitude above the observation precision of 89 ppm (combining the two visits). Without affecting the conclusion regarding the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1 b, this highlights an important caveat for future explorations, which calls for additional observations to characterize stellar heterogeneities empirically and/or theoretical works to improve model fidelity for such cool stars. This need is all the more justified as stellar contamination can affect the search for atmospheres around the outer, cooler TRAPPIST-1 planets for which transmission spectroscopy is currently the most efficient technique.

Keywords: extrasolar rocky planets; exoplanets; m dwarf stars; stellar activity; starspots; stellar faculae; exoplanet atmospheres; transmission spectroscopy
Shadow Geometry of Kerr Naked Singularities

Direct imaging of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at event horizon-scale resolutions, as recently done by the Event Horizon Telescope, allows for testing alternative models to SMBHs such as Kerr naked singularities (KNSs). We demonstrate that the KNS shadow can be closed, open, or vanishing, depending on the spins and observational inclination angles. We study the critical parameters where the KNS shadow opens a gap, a distinctive phenomenon that does not happen with the black hole shadow. We show that the KNS shadow can only be closed for dimensionless spin a ≲ 1.18 and vanishing for a ≳ 1.18 for certain ranges of inclination angles. We further analyze the effective angular momentum of photon orbits to demonstrate the fundamental connections between light geodesics and the KNS shadow geometry. We also perform numerical general relativistic ray-tracing calculations, which reproduce the analytical topological change in the KNS shadow, and illustrate other observational features within the shadow due to the lack of an event horizon. By comparing the geometric features of the KNS shadow with black hole shadow observations, the topological change in the shadow of KNSs can be used to test the cosmic censorship hypothesis and KNSs as alternative models to SMBHs.

Keywords: kerr black holes; naked singularities; general relativity; gravitation; geodesics
OGLE-2017-BLG-1038: A Possible Brown-dwarf Binary Revealed by Spitzer Microlensing Parallax

We report the analysis of microlensing event OGLE-2017-BLG-1038, observed by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment, Korean Microlensing Telescope Network, and Spitzer telescopes. The event is caused by a giant source star in the Galactic Bulge passing over a large resonant binary-lens caustic. The availability of space-based data allows the full set of physical parameters to be calculated. However, there exists an eightfold degeneracy in the parallax measurement. The four best solutions correspond to very-low-mass binaries near ( ${M}_{1}={170}_{-50}^{+40}{M}_{J}$ and ${M}_{2}={110}_{-30}^{+20}{M}_{J}$ ), or well below ( ${M}_{1}={22.5}_{-0.4}^{+0.7}{M}_{J}$ and ${M}_{2}={13.3}_{-0.3}^{+0.4}{M}_{J}$ ) the boundary between stars and brown dwarfs. A conventional analysis, with scaled uncertainties for Spitzer data, implies a very-low-mass brown-dwarf binary lens at a distance of 2 kpc. Compensating for systematic Spitzer errors using a Gaussian process model suggests that a higher mass M-dwarf binary at 6 kpc is equally likely. A Bayesian comparison based on a galactic model favors the larger-mass solutions. We demonstrate how this degeneracy can be resolved within the next 10 years through infrared adaptive-optics imaging with a 40 m class telescope.

Keywords: binary lens microlensing; gravitational microlensing; satellite microlensing parallax; brown dwarfs; gaussian processes regression
A Severe Challenge to the Modified Newtonian Dynamics Phenomenology in Our Galaxy

Modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) is one of the most popular alternative theories of dark matter to explain the missing mass problem in galaxies. Although it remains controversial regarding MOND as a fundamental theory, MOND phenomenology has been shown to widely apply in different galaxies, which poses challenges to the standard Lambda cold dark matter model. In this article, we derive analytically the galactic rotation curve gradient in the MOND framework and present a rigorous analysis to examine the MOND phenomenology in our Galaxy. By assuming a benchmark baryonic disk density profile and two popular families of MOND interpolating functions, we show for the first time that the recent discovery of the declining Galactic rotation curve in the outer region (R ≈ 17-23 kpc) can almost rule out the MOND phenomenology at more than 5σ. This strongly supports some of the previous studies claiming that MOND is neither a fundamental theory nor a universal description of galactic properties.

Keywords: modified newtonian dynamics; milky way rotation
Equilibrium Tidal Response of Jupiter: Detectability by the Juno Spacecraft

An observation of Jupiter's tidal response is anticipated for the ongoing Juno spacecraft mission. We combine self-consistent, numerical models of Jupiter's equilibrium tidal response with observed Doppler shifts from the Juno gravity science experiment to test the sensitivity of the spacecraft to tides raised by the Galilean satellites and the Sun. The concentric Maclaurin spheroid (CMS) method finds the equilibrium shape and gravity field of a rotating, liquid planet with the tide raised by a satellite, expanded in Love numbers (knm). We present improvements to the CMS theory that eliminate an unphysical center-of-mass offset and study in detail the convergence behavior of the CMS approach. We demonstrate that the dependence of knm with orbital distance is important when considering the combined tidal response for Jupiter. Conversely, the details of the interior structure have a negligible influence on knm for models that match the zonal harmonics J2, J4, and J6, already measured to high precision by Juno. As the mission continues, improved coverage of Jupiter's gravity field at different phases of Io's orbit is expected to yield an observed value for the degree-two Love number (k22) and potentially select higher-degree knm. We present a test of the sensitivity of the Juno Doppler signal to the calculated knm, which suggests the detectability of k33, k42, and k31, in addition to k22. A mismatch of a robust Juno observation with the remarkably small range in calculated Io equilibrium, k22 = 0.58976 ± 0.0001, would indicate a heretofore uncharacterized dynamic contribution to the tides.

Keywords: jupiter; tides; solar system gas giant planets; jovian satellites; planetary interior; tidal distortion
When the Stars Align: A 5σ Concordance of Planetary Nebulae Major Axes in the Center of Our Galaxy

We report observations of a remarkable major axes alignment nearly parallel to the Galactic plane of 5σ significance for a subset of bulge "planetary nebulae" (PNe) that host, or are inferred to host, short-period binaries. Nearly all are bipolar. It is solely this specific PN population that accounts for the much weaker statistical alignments previously reported for the more general bulge PNe. It is clear evidence of a persistent, organized process acting on a measurable parameter at the heart of our galaxy over perhaps cosmologically significant periods of time for this very particular PN sample. Stable magnetic fields are currently the only plausible mechanism that could affect multiple binary star orbits as revealed by the observed major axes orientations of their eventual PNe. Examples are fed into the current bulge PN population at a rate determined by their formation history and mass range of their binary stellar progenitors.

Keywords: emission nebulae; planetary nebulae; planetary nebulae nuclei; binary stars
Blue Marble, Stagnant Lid: Could Dynamic Topography Avert a Waterworld?

Topography on a wet rocky exoplanet could raise land above its sea level. Although land elevation is the product of many complex processes, the large-scale topographic features on any geodynamically active planet are the expression of the convecting mantle beneath the surface. This so-called "dynamic topography" exists regardless of a planet's tectonic regime or volcanism; its amplitude, with a few assumptions, can be estimated via numerical simulations of convection as a function of the mantle Rayleigh number. We develop new scaling relationships for dynamic topography on stagnant lid planets using 2D convection models with temperature-dependent viscosity. These scalings are applied to 1D thermal history models to explore how dynamic topography varies with exoplanetary observables over a wide parameter space. Dynamic topography amplitudes are converted to an ocean basin capacity, the minimum water volume required to flood the entire surface. Basin capacity increases less steeply with planet mass than does the amount of water itself, assuming a water inventory that is a constant planetary mass fraction. We find that dynamically supported topography alone could be sufficient to maintain subaerial land on Earth-size stagnant lid planets with surface water inventories of up to approximately 10-4 times their mass, in the most favorable thermal states. By considering only dynamic topography, which has ~1 km amplitudes on Earth, these results represent a lower limit to the true ocean basin capacity. Our work indicates that deterministic geophysical modeling could inform the variability of land propensity on low-mass planets.

Keywords: exoplanet evolution; exoplanet surface variability; exoplanet surface composition; extrasolar rocky planets; ocean planets; habitable planets
Properties of Forbush Decreases with AMS-02 Daily Proton Flux Data

A Forbush decrease (FD) is a sudden reduction of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) that is usually caused by intense solar wind transients, such as Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) and Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs). Using daily proton fluxes measured by AMS-02 between 2011 May and 2019 October, we identified 142 FD events with an automatic systematic analysis method. The properties of 47 FDs caused by ICMEs and of 54 FDs caused by CIRs were analyzed. We found that the rigidity dependence of the GCR flux decrease is generally better described by an exponential function for both ICME and CIR FDs. We also found that the FD Amplitude of ICME FDs has a moderate correlation with the minimum Dst index and a number of solar wind parameters, such as maximum temperature, pressure, and magnetic field. For CIR FD events, neither FD Amplitude nor Maximum Affected Rigidity had a significant correlation with solar wind parameters.

Keywords: forbush effect; galactic cosmic rays; solar coronal mass ejections; corotating streams; solar activity
What Is the Black Hole Spin in Cyg X-1?

We perform a detailed study of the black hole spin of Cyg X-1, using accurate broadband X-ray data obtained in the soft spectral state by simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations, supplemented at high energies by INTEGRAL data. We use the relativistic disk model kerrbb together with different models of the Comptonization high-energy tail and the relativistically broadened reflection features. Unlike most previous studies, we tie the spin parameters of the disk and relativistic broadening models, thus combining the continuum and reflection methods of spin determination. We also consider a likely increase of the disk color correction due to a partial support of the disk by large-scale magnetic fields. We find that such models yield a spin parameter of ${a}_{* }={0.87}_{-0.03}^{+0.04}$ if the disk inclination is allowed to be free, with $i=39{^\circ }_{-1}^{+1}$ . Assuming i = 27.°5, as determined by optical studies of the binary, worsens the fit but leads to similar values of the spin, ${a}_{* }={0.90}_{-0.01}^{+0.01}$ . In addition, we consider the presence of a warm Comptonization layer on top of the disk, motivated by successful modeling of soft X-ray excesses in other sources with such a model. This dramatically lowers the spin, to a * ≲ 0.1, consistent with the spin measurements from black hole mergers. On the other hand, if the natal spin of Cyg X-1 was low but now a * ≈ 0.9, a period of effective supercritical accretion had to take place in the past. Such accretion could be facilitated by photon advection, as proposed for ultraluminous X-ray sources.

Keywords: x-ray binary stars; x-ray sources; accretion; astrophysical black holes; rotating black holes
The Broad-lined Ic Supernova ZTF18aaqjovh (SN 2018bvw): An Optically Discovered Engine-driven Supernova Candidate with Luminous Radio Emission

We present ZTF18aaqjovh (SN 2018bvw), a high-velocity ("broad-lined") stripped-envelope (Type Ic) supernova (Ic-BL SN) discovered in the Zwicky Transient Facility one-day cadence survey. ZTF18aaqjovh shares a number of features in common with engine-driven explosions: the photospheric velocity and the shape of the optical light curve are very similar to those of the Type Ic-BL SN 1998bw, which was associated with a low-luminosity gamma-ray burst (LLGRB) and had relativistic ejecta. However, the radio luminosity of ZTF18aaqjovh is almost two orders of magnitude fainter than that of SN 1998bw at the same velocity phase, and the shock velocity is at most mildly relativistic (V = 0.06-0.4c). A search of high-energy catalogs reveals no compelling gamma-ray burst (GRB) counterpart to ZTF18aaqjovh, and the limit on the prompt GRB luminosity of ${L}_{\gamma ,\mathrm{iso}}\approx 1.6\times {10}^{48}\,\mathrm{erg}\,{{\rm{s}}}^{-1}$ excludes a classical GRB but not an LLGRB. Altogether, ZTF18aaqjovh represents another transition event between engine-driven SNe associated with GRBs and "ordinary" Ic-BL SNe.

Keywords: core-collapse supernovae; type ic supernovae; supernovae; hypernovae; radio transient sources; transient sources; high energy astrophysics; time domain astronomy; sky surveys
The Inner Accretion Flow in the Resurgent Seyfert-1.2 AGN Mrk 817

Accretion disks and coronae around massive black holes have been studied extensively, and they are known to be coupled. Over a period of 30 yr, however, the X-ray (coronal) flux of Mrk 817 increased by a factor of 40 while its UV (disk) flux remained relatively steady. Recent high-cadence monitoring finds that the X-ray and UV continua in Mrk 817 are also decoupled on timescales of weeks and months. These findings could require mechanical beaming of the innermost accretion flow, and/or an absorber that shields the disk and/or broad line region (BLR) from the X-ray corona. Herein, we report on a 135 ks observation of Mrk 817 obtained with NuSTAR, complemented by simultaneous X-ray coverage via the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The X-ray data strongly prefer a standard relativistic disk reflection model over plausible alternatives. Comparable fits with related models constrain the spin to lie in the range of 0.5 ≤ a ≤ 1, and the viewing angle to lie between 10° ≤ θ ≤ 22° (including 1σ statistical errors and small systematic errors related to differences between the models). The spectra also reveal strong evidence of moderately ionized absorption, similar to but likely less extreme than obscuring events in NGC 5548 and NGC 3783. Archival Swift data suggest that the absorption may be variable. Particularly if the column density of this absorber is higher along the plane of the disk, it may intermittently mask or prevent coupling between the central engine, disk, and BLR in Mrk 817.

Keywords: active galaxies
Simulating Reflected Light Coronagraphy of Earth-like Exoplanets with a Large IR/O/UV Space Telescope: Impact and Calibration of Smooth Exozodiacal Dust

Observing Earth-like exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zone of Sun-like stars and studying their atmospheres in reflected starlight requires contrasts of ~1e-10 in the visible. At such high contrast, starlight reflected by exozodiacal dust is expected to be a significant source of contamination. Here, we present high-fidelity simulations of coronagraphic observations of a synthetic solar system located at a distance of 10 pc and observed with a 12 m and an 8 m circumscribed aperture diameter space telescope operating at 500 nm wavelength. We explore different techniques to subtract the exozodi and stellar speckles from the simulated images in the face-on, the 30 deg inclined, and the 60 deg inclined case and quantify the remaining systematic noise as a function of the exozodiacal dust level of the system. We find that in the face-on case, the exozodi can be subtracted down to the photon noise limit for exozodi levels up to ~1000 zodi using a simple toy model for the exozodiacal disk, whereas in the 60 deg inclined case this only works up to ~50 zodi. We also investigate the impact of larger wave front errors and larger system distance, finding that while the former has no significant impact, the latter has a strong (negative) impact. Ultimately, we derive a penalty factor as a function of the exozodi level and system inclination that should be considered in exoplanet yield studies as a realistic estimate for the excess systematic noise from the exozodi.

Keywords: exoplanet detection methods; exoplanet astronomy; direct imaging; exozodiacal dust; coronagraphic imaging; high contrast techniques; space telescopes
Thin-shell Tidal Dynamics of Ocean Worlds

Several solar system moons harbor subsurface water oceans; extreme internal heating or solar irradiation can form magma oceans in terrestrial bodies. Tidal forces drive ocean currents, producing tidal heating that affects the thermal-orbital evolution of these worlds. If the outermost layers (ocean and overlying shell) are thin, tidal dynamics can be described using thin-shell theory. Previous work assumed that the ocean and shell's thickness and density are uniform. We present a formulation of thin-shell dynamics that relaxes these assumptions and apply it to several cases of interest. The tidal response of unstratified oceans of constant thickness is given by surface gravity and Rossby waves, which can resonate with the tidal force. The oceans of the outer solar system are too thick for gravity wave resonances, but high-amplitude Rossby waves can be excited in moons with high orbital obliquity. We find that meridional ocean thickness variations hinder the excitation of Rossby waves, decreasing tidal dissipation and increasing the inclination damping timescale, which allows us to reconcile the present inclination of the Moon with the existence of a past long-lived magma ocean and to explain the inclination of Titan and Callisto without invoking a recent excitation. Stratified oceans can support internal gravity waves. We show that dissipation due to internal waves can exceed that resulting from surface gravity waves. For Enceladus, it can be close to the moon's thermal output, even if the ocean is weakly stratified. Shear due to internal waves can result in Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and induce ocean mixing.

Keywords: ocean tides; natural satellites (solar system); earth-moon system; io; enceladus
Galactic O-type Stars in LAMOST Data

This paper reports 209 O-type stars found with LAMOST. All 135 new O-type stars discovered so far with LAMOST are given. Among them, 94 stars are first presented in this sample. There are 1 Iafpe star, 5 Onfp stars, 12 Oe stars, 1 Ofc stars, 3 ON stars, 16 double-lined spectroscopic binaries, and 33 single-lined spectroscopic binaries. All O-type stars are determined based on LAMOST low-resolution spectra (R ∼ 1800), with their LAMOST median-resolution spectra (R ∼ 7500) as supplements.

Keywords: o stars; oe stars; oef stars; of stars; o dwarf stars; o giant stars; o subgiant stars; o supergiant stars; spectroscopy; spectroscopic binary stars
MCG+07-20-052: Interacting Dwarf Pair in a Group Environment

We present an observational study of the interacting pair of dwarf galaxies, MCG+07-20-052, in the vicinity of Milky Way mass spiral galaxy NGC 2998. MCG+07-20-052 is located at a sky-projected distance of 105 kpc from NGC 2998 and the two have a relative line-of-sight velocity of 60 km s-1. We observed tidal tail-like extensions on both members (D1 and D2) of the interacting pair MCG+07-20-052. The interacting dwarf galaxies, D1 and D2, have B-band absolute magnitudes of -17.17 and -17.14 mag, respectively, and D2 is significantly bluer than D1. We obtained H I 21 cm line data of the NGC 2998 system using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope to get a more detailed view of the neutral hydrogen (H I) emission in the interacting dwarf galaxies and in the galaxy members of the NGC 2998 group. Evidence of a merger between the dwarf galaxies in the MCG+07-20-052 is also present in the H I kinematics and morphology where we find that H I is mostly concentrated around D2, which also shows a higher level of star-forming activity and a bluer g-r color index compared to D1. In addition, we detect extended tenuous H I emission around another member galaxy, NGC 3006, located close to the MCG+07-20-052 pair at a sky-projected distance of 41 kpc. We compare here our results from the MCG+07-20-052 pair NGC 2998 system with other known Large Magellanic Cloud/Small Magellanic Cloud/Milky Way-type systems and discuss the possible origin of the dwarf-dwarf interaction.

Keywords: draco dwarf galaxy; interacting galaxies; star formation; h i line emission
On the Formation of an Eccentric Nuclear Disk following the Gravitational Recoil Kick of a Supermassive Black Hole

The anisotropic emission of gravitational waves during the merger of two supermassive black holes can result in a recoil kick of the merged remnant. We show here that eccentric nuclear disks-stellar disks of eccentric, apse-aligned orbits-can directly form as a result. An initially circular disk of stars will align orthogonal to the black hole kick direction with a distinctive "tick-mark" eccentricity distribution and a spiral pattern in mean anomaly.

Keywords: n-body problem; galaxy nuclei; astrodynamics; gravitational waves
USNO Bright Star Catalog, Version 1

The USNO Bright Star Catalog (UBSC) is a new astrometric catalog of the 1423 brightest stars covering the entire sky, which is published online. It is nearly complete to V = 3 mag except for three stellar systems. A combined astrometric solution of the Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometry Data and two dedicated ground-based campaigns in 2013-2020 is the basis for this catalog. The astrometric parameters for each star include position coordinates, parallax, and proper motion components, and their covariances on the Hipparcos mean epoch 1991.25. 64% of the catalog are flagged as known or suspected double or binary stars. UBSC lists 68 stars missing in Gaia EDR3 and another 114 stars without Gaia parallaxes or proper motions. The formal precision achieved for proper motions is comparable to that of Gaia.

Keywords: astrometry; catalogs; proper motions; trigonometric parallax; astrometric binary stars