adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Peeking inside the Black Box: Interpreting Deep-learning Models for Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrievals

Deep-learning algorithms are growing in popularity in the field of exoplanetary science due to their ability to model highly nonlinear relations and solve interesting problems in a data-driven manner. Several works have attempted to perform fast retrievals of atmospheric parameters with the use of machine-learning algorithms like deep neural networks (DNNs). Yet, despite their high predictive power, DNNs are also infamous for being "black boxes." It is their apparent lack of explainability that makes the astrophysics community reluctant to adopt them. What are their predictions based on? How confident should we be in them? When are they wrong, and how wrong can they be? In this work, we present a number of general evaluation methodologies that can be applied to any trained model and answer questions like these. In particular, we train three different popular DNN architectures to retrieve atmospheric parameters from exoplanet spectra and show that all three achieve good predictive performance. We then present an extensive analysis of the predictions of DNNs, which can inform us-among other things-of the credibility limits for atmospheric parameters for a given instrument and model. Finally, we perform a perturbation-based sensitivity analysis to identify to which features of the spectrum the outcome of the retrieval is most sensitive. We conclude that, for different molecules, the wavelength ranges to which the DNNs predictions are most sensitive do indeed coincide with their characteristic absorption regions. The methodologies presented in this work help to improve the evaluation of DNNs and to grant interpretability to their predictions.

Keywords: convolutional neural networks; neural networks; exoplanet atmospheric composition; transit instruments; astronomical instrumentation
Orbital Foregrounds for Ultra-short Duration Transients

Reflections from objects in Earth orbit can produce subsecond, star-like optical flashes similar to astrophysical transients. Reflections have historically caused false alarms for transient surveys, but the population has not been systematically studied. We report event rates for these orbital flashes using the Evryscope Fast Transient Engine, a low-latency transient detection pipeline for the Evryscopes. We select single-epoch detections likely caused by Earth satellites and model the event rate as a function of both magnitude and sky position. We measure a rate of ${1800}_{-280}^{+600}$ sky-1 hr-1, peaking at mg = 13.0, for flashes morphologically degenerate with real astrophysical signals in surveys like the Evryscopes. Of these, ${340}_{-85}^{+150}$ sky-1 hr-1 are bright enough to be visible to the naked eye in typical suburban skies with a visual limiting magnitude of V ≈ 4. These measurements place the event rate of orbital flashes orders of magnitude higher than the combined rate of public alerts from all active all-sky fast-timescale transient searches, including neutrino, gravitational-wave, gamma-ray, and radio observatories. Short-timescale orbital flashes form a dominating foreground for untriggered searches for fast transients in low-resolution, wide-angle surveys. However, events like fast radio bursts with arcminute-scale localization have a low probability (∼10-5) of coincidence with an orbital flash, allowing optical surveys to place constraints on their potential optical counterparts in single images. Upcoming satellite internet constellations, like SpaceX Starlink, are unlikely to contribute significantly to the population of orbital flashes in normal operations.

Keywords: sky surveys; transient detection; wide-field telescopes
A Twin-jet Structure Rather than Jet Rotation in the Young Stellar Object OMC 2/FIR 6b

We analyze recent high-quality Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) molecular line mapping observations of the northeast jet of the young stellar object (YSO) OMC 2/FIR 6b (HOPS-60) and find that these ALMA observations are much more likely to indicate a twin-jet structure than jet rotation, as previously hypothesized. The interpretation of the line-of-sight velocity gradient across (perpendicular to its axis) the northeast jet of Fir 6b in terms of jet rotation leads to jet-launching radii of ≃2-3 au. However, the velocities of the jets ≃100-400 km s-1 are much larger than the escape speed from these radii. We argue that the northeast jet of FIR 6b is instead compatible with a twin-jet structure, as observed in some planetary nebulae. Specifically, we find that the main, redshifted jet emanating from the central YSO is composed of two, very closely aligned, narrower jets that were launched by the central YSO at about the same time but at different inclinations with respect to the plain of the sky. This twin-jet structure removes the extreme requirement that jets with velocities similar to the escape velocity from the YSO be launched from very large radii. The YSO FIR 6b and certain planetary nebulae also share the characteristics of unequal structures and intensities of their two opposing bipolar jets. We propose that such opposing lobe asymmetries can result from a substellar binary companion on an eccentric orbit that is inclined to the accretion disk plane.

Keywords: stellar jets; stellar winds; star formation
A Stacking Search for Gamma-Ray Emission from Nearby Flare Stars and the Periodic Source TVLM 513-46546

So far, the Sun is the only isolated main-sequence star detected in gamma-rays, particularly during powerful flares. Young ultracool dwarfs are far more active so they are also plausible gamma-ray sources. We performed a spatial stack of 97 of the nearest X-ray and radio flare stars to search for GeV emission using nearly 12 yr of data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The stacked residual maps showed no significant signal. Modeling the upper limits indicates a peak stellar flux at least a factor of 7 below the noise level. We also analyze the phase-folded light curve of the rapidly rotating radio star TVLM 513-46546, report a tentative (TS = 30) pulsed signal, and refine its period. We examine the possibility of a false-positive signal by analyzing nearby Fermi catalog sources and test fields, and by repeating the analysis using different periods. No other periodic signals are found, despite clear detections of the catalog sources, and the TS value for TVLM 513 increases systematically to the optimal period. The putative gamma-ray signal is nearly in phase with the optical peak, and out of phase with the radio pulses by 0.4 ± 0.05 rotations. These results argue for emission from relativistic protons streaming down flux tubes toward the photospheric active regions. The protons colliding with the atmosphere create neutral pions that decay into gamma-ray photons. This would be the first detection of a normal, isolated star in gamma-rays, and the strongest evidence yet for proton acceleration in stellar magnetospheres.

Keywords: stellar flares
Monitoring Of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with VLBA Experiments. XVIII. Kinematics and Inner Jet Evolution of Bright Radio-loud Active Galaxies

We have analyzed the parsec-scale jet kinematics of 447 bright radio-loud active active galactic nuclei (AGN), based on 15 GHz Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data obtained between 1994 August 31 and 2019 August 4. We present new total intensity and linear polarization maps obtained between 2017 January 1 and 2019 August 4 for 143 of these AGN. We tracked 1923 bright features for five or more epochs in 419 jets. The majority (60%) of the well-sampled jet features show either accelerated or nonradial motion. In 47 jets there is at least one nonaccelerating feature with an unusually slow apparent speed. Most of the jets show variations of 10°-50° in their inner jet position angle (PA) over time, although the overall distribution has a continuous tail out to 200°. AGN with spectral energy distributions peaked at lower frequencies tend to have more variable PAs, with BL Lac objects being less variable than quasars. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray-associated AGN also tend to have more variable PAs than the non-LAT AGN in our sample. We attribute these trends to smaller viewing angles for the lower spectral peaked and LAT-associated jets. We identified 13 AGN where multiple features emerge over decade-long periods at systematically increasing or decreasing PAs. Since the ejected features do not fill the entire jet cross section, this behavior is indicative of a precessing flow instability near the jet base. Although some jets show indications of oscillatory PA evolution, we claim no bona fide cases of periodicity since the fitted periods are comparable to the total VLBA time coverage.

Keywords: active galactic nuclei; bl lacertae objects; gamma-ray sources; radio galaxies; radio jets; quasars
Laser Irradiation of Carbonaceous Chondrite Simulants: Space-weathering Implications for C-complex Asteroids

Surfaces of carbonaceous asteroids (C-complex) have shown diverse, contrasting spectral variations, which may be related to space weathering. We performed laser irradiation experiments on CI and CM simulant material under vacuum to mimic the spectral alteration induced by micrometeorite impacts. We used in situ ultraviolet-visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to analyze spectral alterations in response to pulsed laser irradiation, as well as scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to search for microstructural and compositional changes. Laser irradiation causes an increase in spectral slope (reddening) and a decrease in the albedo (darkening), and these changes are stronger in the ultraviolet-visible region. These spectral changes are likely driven by the excess iron found in the altered surface region although other factors, such as the observed structural changes, may also contribute. Additionally, while the 0.27 μm band appears relatively stable under laser irradiation, a broad feature at 0.6 μm rapidly disappears with laser irradiation, suggesting that space weathering may inhibit the detection of any feature in this spectral region, including the 0.7 μm band, which has typically been used an indicator of hydration. Comparing our laboratory results with optical spectrophotometry observations of C-complex asteroids, we find that the majority of objects are spectrally red and possess colors that are similar to our irradiated material rather than our fresh samples. Furthermore, we also find that "younger" and "older" C-complex families have similar colors, suggesting that the space-weathering process is near equal or faster than the time it takes to refresh the surfaces of these airless bodies.

Keywords: asteroids; spectroscopy; laboratory astrophysics; space weather; carbonaceous chondrites; photoelectron spectroscopy; ultraviolet spectroscopy; infrared spectroscopy
Implications of High Polarization Degree for the Surface State of Ryugu

The asteroid exploration project "Hayabusa2" has successfully returned samples from the asteroid (162173) Ryugu. In this study, we measured the linear polarization degrees of Ryugu using four ground-based telescopes from 2020 September 27 to December 25, covering a wide-phase angle (Sun-target-observer's angle) range from 28° to 104°. We found that the polarization degree of Ryugu reached 53% around a phase angle of 100°, the highest value among all asteroids and comets thus far reported. The high polarization degree of Ryugu can be attributed to the scattering properties of its surface layers, in particular the relatively small contribution of multiply scattered light. Our polarimetric results indicate that Ryugu's surface is covered with large grains. On the basis of a comparison with polarimetric measurements of pulverized meteorites, we can infer the presence of submillimeter-sized grains on the surface layer of Ryugu. We also conjecture that this size boundary represents the grains that compose the aggregate. It is likely that a very brittle structure has been lost in the recovered samples, although they may hold a record of its evolution. Our data will be invaluable for future experiments aimed at reproducing the surface structure of Ryugu.

Keywords: near-earth objects; asteroids
Intermediate Gas Phases within Turbulent Radiative Mixing Layers

Turbulent radiative mixing layers (TRMLs) occur ubiquitously in astrophysical environments; e.g., TRMLs are prevalent within galactic outflows at the intersections between hot supernovae ejecta and cold molecular clouds. A velocity shear between the rapidly outflowing hot gas and cold clouds drives the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability producing TRMLs, with radiative cooling dominating the heat transfer between the gas phases. Using hydrodynamic simulations, we have modeled TRMLs for a range of overdensities (100, 1000, 3000) applied to cold phase temperatures of 400, 103, and 104 K. The production of an intermediate gas phase at the interface between the hot and cold phases is consistently observed at ∼104 K for molecular clouds, in agreement with larger-scale wind-tunnel simulations.

Keywords: circumgalactic medium; galactic winds; hydrodynamical simulations
Cosmological Constraints on Ωm and σ8 from Cluster Abundances Using the GalWCat19 Optical-spectroscopic SDSS Catalog

We derive cosmological constraints on the matter density, ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}$ , and the amplitude of fluctuations, ${\sigma }_{8}$ , using ${\mathtt{GalWCat}}{\mathtt{19}}$ , a catalog of 1800 galaxy clusters we identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-DR13 spectroscopic data set using our GalWeight technique to determine cluster membership. By analyzing a subsample of 756 clusters in a redshift range of 0.045 ≤ z ≤ 0.125 and virial masses of M ≥ 0.8 × 1014 ${h}^{-1}\ {M}_{\odot }$ with mean redshift of z = 0.085, we obtain ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}={0.310}_{-0.027}^{+0.023}\pm 0.041$ (systematic) and ${\sigma }_{8}={0.810}_{-0.036}^{+0.031}\pm 0.035$ (systematic), with a cluster normalization relation of ${\sigma }_{8}=0.43{{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}^{-0.55}$ . There are several unique aspects to our approach: we use the largest spectroscopic data set currently available, and we assign membership using the GalWeight technique, which we have shown to be very effective at simultaneously maximizing the number of bona fide cluster members while minimizing the number of contaminating interlopers. Moreover, rather than employing scaling relations, we calculate cluster masses individually using the virial mass estimator. Since ${\mathtt{GalWCat}}{\mathtt{19}}$ is a low-redshift cluster catalog we do not need to make any assumptions about evolution either in cosmological parameters or in the properties of the clusters themselves. Our constraints on ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}$ and ${\sigma }_{8}$ are consistent and very competitive with those obtained from non-cluster abundance cosmological probes such as cosmic microwave background, baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO), and supernovae. The joint analysis of our cluster data with Planck18+BAO+Pantheon gives ${{\rm{\Omega }}}_{m}={0.315}_{-0.011}^{+0.013}$ and ${\sigma }_{8}={0.810}_{-0.010}^{+0.011}$ .

Keywords: cosmological parameters; galaxy clusters; cosmological models; galaxy cluster counts; large-scale structure of the universe
A Near-infrared Chemical Inventory of the Atmosphere of 55 Cancri e

We present high-resolution near-infrared spectra taken during eight transits of 55 Cancri e, a nearby low-density super-Earth with a short orbital period (<18 hr). While this exoplanet's bulk density indicates a possible atmosphere, one has not been detected definitively. Our analysis relies on the Doppler cross-correlation technique, which takes advantage of the high spectral resolution and broad wavelength coverage of our data, to search for the thousands of absorption features from hydrogen-, carbon-, and nitrogen-rich molecular species in the planetary atmosphere. Although we are unable to detect an atmosphere around 55 Cancri e, we do place strong constraints on the levels of HCN, NH3, and C2H2 that may be present. In particular, at a mean molecular weight of 5 amu, we can rule out the presence of HCN in the atmosphere down to a volume mixing ratio (VMR) of 0.02%, NH3 down to a VMR of 0.08%, and C2H2 down to a VMR of 1.0%. If the mean molecular weight is relaxed to 2 amu, we can rule out the presence of HCN, NH3, and C2H2 down to VMRs of 0.001%, 0.0025%, and 0.08%, respectively. Our results reduce the parameter space of possible atmospheres consistent with the analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 observations by Tsiaras et al. and indicate that if 55 Cancri e harbors an atmosphere, it must have a high mean molecular weight or clouds.

Keywords: exoplanet atmospheres; exoplanet atmospheric composition; high resolution spectroscopy; transmission spectroscopy; near infrared astronomy; exoplanets; super earths
Yellow Post-asymptotic-giant-branch Stars as Standard Candles. I. Calibration of the Luminosity Function in Galactic Globular Clusters

We use the results of a survey for low-surface-gravity stars in Galactic (and LMC) globular clusters to show that "yellow" post-asymptotic-branch (yPAGB) stars are likely to be excellent extragalactic standard candles, capable of producing distances to early-type galaxies that are accurate to a couple of percent. We show that the mean bolometric magnitude of the 10 yPAGB stars in globular clusters is <M bol> = -3.38 ± 0.03, a value that is ~0.2 mag brighter than that predicted from the latest post-horizontal-branch evolutionary tracks. More importantly, we show that the observed dispersion in the distribution is only 0.10 mag, i.e., better than the scatter for individual Cepheids. We describe the physics that can produce such a small dispersion and show that, if one restricts surveys to the color range 0.0 ≲ (B - V)0 ≲ 0.5, then samples of nonvariable yPAGB stars can be identified quite easily with a minimum of contamination. The extremely bright absolute V magnitudes of these stars (<M V > = -3.37) make them, by far, the visually brightest objects in old stellar populations and ideal Population II standard candles for measurements out to ~10 Mpc with current instrumentation. A Hubble Space Telescope survey in the halos of galaxies in the M81 and Sculptor groups could therefore serve as an effective cross-check on both the Cepheid and tip-of-the-red-giant-branch distance scales.

Keywords: post-asymptotic giant branch; asymptotic giant branch; globular star clusters; galaxy distances
Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program). IV. Program Overview and First Results on the Polarization Fraction

We present the first data release of the Survey on extragALactic magnetiSm with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program) with a set of 14 nearby (<20 Mpc) galaxies with resolved imaging polarimetric observations using HAWC+ from 53 to 214 μm at a resolution of 5″-18″ (90 pc-1 kpc). We introduce the definitions of and background on extragalactic magnetism and present the scientific motivation and sample selection of the program. Here we focus on the general trends in the emissive polarization fraction. Far-infrared polarimetric observations trace the thermal polarized emission of magnetically aligned dust grains across the galaxy disks with polarization fractions of P = 0%-15% in the cold, T d = [19, 48] K, and dense, ${\mathrm{log}}_{10}({N}_{{\rm{H}}{\rm\small{I}}+{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}[{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}])=[19.96,22.91]$ , interstellar medium. The spiral galaxies show a median <P 154 μm> = 3.3% ± 0.9% across the disks. We report the first polarized spectrum of starburst galaxies showing a minimum within 89-154 μm. The falling 53-154 μm polarized spectrum may be due to a decrease in the dust grain alignment efficiency produced by variations in dust temperatures along the line of sight in the galactic outflow. We find that the starburst galaxies and the star-forming regions within normal galaxies have the lowest polarization fractions. We find that 50% (seven out of 14) of the galaxies require a broken power law in the P - ${N}_{{\rm{H}}{\rm\small{I}}+{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}$ and P - T d relations with three different trends. Group 1 has a relative increase of anisotropic random B-fields produced by compression or shear of B-fields in the galactic outflows, starburst rings, and inner bars of galaxies, and groups 2 and 3 have a relative increase of isotropic random B-fields driven by star-forming regions in the spiral arms and/or an increase of dust grain alignment efficiency caused by shock-driven regions or evolutionary stages of a galaxy. *SALSA provides a software repository at https://github.com/galmagfields/hawc and publicly available data at http://galmagfields.com/.

Keywords: polarimetry; far infrared astronomy; starburst galaxies; active galactic nuclei; spiral galaxies; interstellar medium; interstellar dust; extragalactic magnetic fields; star formation
Impacts of Organic Ice Condensation on the Optical Properties of Haze on Pluto

The flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015 July revealed an unexpected cold atmosphere of Pluto and confirmed the existence of its atmospheric haze. The observed and simulated vertical profiles of chemical species and microphysical processes suggest that the haze particles in Pluto's middle and lower atmosphere may contain organic ice condensation. Such organic ice components can potentially affect Pluto's haze chemistry and optical properties, as well as its energy budget. This study investigates the influence of the ice components on the scattering properties of Pluto's haze by comparing New Horizons observations and simulated particle scattering properties. Comprehensive tests are performed for various haze particle parameters, including their size, chemical component, ice content, and morphology. Scattering properties of these ice-bearing haze particles are calculated by a discrete dipole approximation method and compared to multispectral observations obtained by four New Horizons instruments in spectral regions ranging from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared. The results indicate that the inclusion of the organic ice component leads to higher ratios of backscattering in the visible to extinction in the ultraviolet and provides better agreement with observations compared to monodispersed homogeneous aggregates. But it alone is not sufficient to explain the observed forward scattering values in the visible and near-infrared. Therefore, other scattering sources and/or mechanisms are still required to explain the full set of scattering observations. Further observations, as well as laboratory measurements and numerical tests, are anticipated to improve our understanding of the morphology and ice content of Pluto's haze.

Keywords: atmospheric composition; planetary atmospheres; pluto