adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the Polarization of the Emission of the Internal Shock in the Jet of Blazars

Recent Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observations of blazars tend to support the shock model for the X-ray emission, but report a low degree of polarization (Π ∼ 10%) in X-rays compared with the previous theoretical expectations in the shock model. In order to reconcile the theoretical expectations with observations, we revisit the polarization of the shock emission by considering different types of directions in the distribution of the shock-generated magnetic fields (sgMFs). Here, ${w}_{\mathrm{sg}}^{{\prime} }\propto {(\sin \theta ^{\prime} )}^{{\zeta }_{\mathrm{sg}}}$ <?MML w sg ' ∝ ( sin θ ' ) ζ sg ?> with $\theta ^{\prime} =0$ <?MML θ ' = 0 ?> along the shock normal direction is used to describe the direction in the distribution of sgMFs in the shock comoving frame. It is found that the polarization in the X-ray and radio emission for a general jet in blazars can be described as ${\rm{\Pi }}\sim 44.5[1-\exp (-{\zeta }_{\mathrm{sg}}/2.6)] \% $ <?MML Π ∼ 44.5 [ 1 ‑ exp ( ‑ ζ sg / 2.6 ) ] % ?> and ${\rm{\Pi }}\sim 20[1-\exp (-{\zeta }_{\mathrm{sg}}/2.4)] \% $ <?MML Π ∼ 20 [ 1 ‑ exp ( ‑ ζ sg / 2.4 ) ] % ?> , respectively. Correspondingly, one can have ζ sg ∼ 1‑1.5 according to IXPE observations. Besides the sgMFs, the magnetic fields generated by the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) (rmMFs) are supposed to be present in the jets. The direction of the rmMFs is mainly distributed along the shock normal in the simulations and thus ${w}_{\mathrm{rm}}^{{\prime} }\propto {(\cos \theta ^{\prime} )}^{{\zeta }_{\mathrm{rm}}}$ <?MML w rm ' ∝ ( cos θ ' ) ζ rm ?> is adopted to describe the direction of the distribution in rmMFs. We find that rmMFs are likely to significantly affect the polarization properties at low-frequency emission, especially when the sgMFs decay rapidly. Based on contemporaneous radio and X-ray observations, we find that the emission of electrons in rmMFs makes a significant contribution to the low-frequency emission and the ordered background magnetic fields can be neglected.

Keywords: blazars; relativistic jets; shocks
The "Super-Active" Accretion Phase of T CrB has Ended

The symbiotic recurrent nova T CrB erupted for the second and last recorded time in 1946. Following the outburst, the accretion rate onto its WD has remained rather low with only occasional and minor flaring episodes, until in late 2014 it entered a "super-active" phase (SAP) that peaked in 2016 April: the flux radiated by Balmer lines increased by two orders of magnitude, accompanied by the appearance of strong He I, He II, and many other emission lines. Following the sharp maximum, the intensity of the emission lines has been steadily decreasing, reaching back to pre-SAP levels by mid-2023. The end of SAP is also confirmed by the drop of B-band brightness to pre-SAP conditions and the simultaneous re-appearance of a large-amplitude flickering. This suggests that the accretion disk has emptied from the extra material that has driven the "super active" state and has completed its transfer onto the WD, setting the stage for a new and probably imminent nova eruption.

Keywords: recurrent novae; symbiotic binary stars; stellar accretion disks
Wave-driven Shocks in Stellar Outbursts: Dynamics, Envelope Heating, and Nascent Blast Waves

We address the shocks from acoustic pulses and wave trains in general one-dimensional flows, with an emphasis on the application to super-Eddington outbursts in massive stars. Using approximate adiabatic invariants, we generalize the classical equal-area technique in its integral and differential forms. We predict shock evolution for the case of an initially sinusoidal but finite wave train, with separate solutions for internal shocks and head or tail shocks, and demonstrate detailed agreement with numerical simulations. Our internal shock solution motivates improved expressions for the shock-heating rate. Our solution for head and tail shocks demonstrates that these preserve dramatically more wave energy to large radii and have a greater potential for the direct ejection of matter. This difference highlights the importance of the waveform for shock dynamics. Our weak-shock analysis predicts when shocks will become strong and provides a basis from which this transition can be addressed. We use it to estimate the mass ejected by sudden sound pulses and weak central explosions.

Keywords: astrophysical fluid dynamics; stellar oscillations; supernova dynamics
On the Fine-tuning and Physical Origin of Line-locked Absorption Systems in Active Galaxies

Line locking (LL) of absorption-line systems is a clear signature of the dynamical importance of radiation-pressure force in driving astrophysical flows, with recent findings suggesting that it may be common in quasars exhibiting multiple intrinsic narrow absorption-line (NAL) systems. In this work, we probe the phase space conducive to LL and follow the detailed kinematics of those systems that may lock at the velocity separation of the C IV λ λ1548.19, 1550.77 doublet. We find that a small volume of the phase-phase admits LL, suggesting a high degree of fine-tuning between the physical properties of locked systems. The stability of LL against quasar luminosity variations is quantified with implications for the long-term variability amplitude of quasars and the velocity-separation statistic between multiple NAL systems. The high occurrence of LL by the C IV doublet implies that the hidden extreme-UV emission from quasars is unlikely to be significantly underestimated by current models. Further, the ratio of the LL velocity to the outflow velocity may serve as a powerful constraint on the composition of the accelerating medium. We conclude that LL poses significant challenges to current theories for the formation of nonintervening NAL systems, and speculate that it may be a manifestation of expanding circumstellar shells around asymptotic giant branch stars in the quasar-host bulge.

Keywords: quasars; active galactic nuclei; galaxy winds; photoionization; quasar absorption line spectroscopy
Interactions between the Jet and Disk Wind in Nearby Radio-intermediate Quasar III Zw 2

Disk winds and jets are ubiquitous in active galactic nuclei (AGN), and how these two components interact remains an open question. We study the radio properties of the radio-intermediate quasar III Zw 2. We detect two jet knots, J1 and J2, on parsec scales that move at a mildly apparent superluminal speed of 1.35c. Two γ-ray flares were detected in III Zw 2 in 2009-2010, corresponding to the primary radio flare in late 2009 and the secondary radio flare in early 2010. The primary 2009 flare was found to be associated with the ejection of J2. The secondary 2010 flare occurred at a distance of ~0.3 pc from the central engine, probably resulting from the collision of the jet with the accretion disk wind. The variability characteristics of III Zw 2 (periodic radio flares, unstable periodicity, multiple quasiperiodic signals and the possible harmonic relations between them) can be explained by the global instabilities of the accretion disk. These instabilities originating from the outer part of the warped disk propagate inward and can lead to modulation of the accretion rate and consequent jet ejection. At the same time, the wobbling of the outer disk may also lead to oscillations of the boundary between the disk wind and the jet tunnel, resulting in changes in the jet-wind collision site. Object III Zw 2 is one of the few cases observed with jet-wind interactions, and the study in this paper is of general interest for gaining insight into the dynamic processes in the nuclear regions of AGN.

Keywords: active galactic nuclei; galaxies; very long baseline interferometry; radio jets
Radio Observations of Four Active Galactic Nuclei Hosting Intermediate-mass Black Hole Candidates: Studying the Outflow Activity and Evolution

Observational searches for intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs; 102-106 M ⊙) include relatively isolated dwarf galaxies. For those that host active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the IMBH nature may be discerned through the accretion-jet activity. We present radio observations of four AGN-hosting dwarf galaxies, which potentially harbor IMBHs. Very large array (VLA) observations indicate steep spectra (indices of -0.63 to -1.05) between 1.4 and 9 GHz. However, a comparison with the 9 GHz in-band spectral index shows a steepening for GH047 and GH158 (implying older/relic emission) and flattening for GH106 and GH163 (implying recent activity). Overlapping emission regions in the VLA 1.4 GHz and our very long baseline array (VLBA) 1.5 GHz observations, and possibly symmetric pc-scale extensions, are consistent with recent activity in the latter two. Using the compact VLBA radio luminosity, X-ray luminosity (probing the accretion activity), and the black hole masses, all AGNs are found to lie on the empirical fundamental plane relation. The four AGNs are radio-quiet with relatively higher Eddington ratios (0.04-0.32) and resemble X-ray binaries during spectral state transitions that entail an outflow ejection. Furthermore, the radio to X-ray luminosity ratio $\mathrm{log}{R}_{{\rm{X}}}$ of -3.9 to -5.6 in these four sources support the scenarios that include corona mass ejection from the accretion disk and wind activity. The growth to kpc-scales likely proceeds along a similar trajectory to young AGNs and peaked spectrum sources. These complex clues can thus aid in the detection and monitoring of IMBHs in the nearby universe.

Keywords: intermediate-mass black holes; dwarf galaxies; radio sources; very long baseline interferometry; accretion
Unstable Phenomena in Stable Magnetospheres: Searching for Radio Flares from Magnetic OBA Stars Using VCSS

Although the majority of hot magnetic stars have extremely stable, ~kilogauss strength surface magnetic fields with simple topologies, a subset undergoes small-scale explosions due to centrifugal breakout. The resulting small-scale flares are typically below the sensitivity of current magnetospheric diagnostics and do not generate detectable transient signatures. However, a recently reported radio flare from the hot magnetic star CU Vir suggests that some of the most energetic events do reach detectable levels. Motivated by this, we searched for transient radio sources in the first two epochs of the VLITE Commensal Sky Survey at the positions of 761 hot magnetic stars. We report three detections. A false-association analysis shows a less-than-1% probability that the sources are imaging artifacts. We then examine the stellar parameters of the three stars to understand if they are likely to produce flares. We conclude that while at this stage, we cannot make a definitive association of the detections with the stars, the current data are consistent with the hypothesis that the flares originate in the stellar magnetospheres.

Keywords: early-type stars; magnetic stars; magnetospheric radio emissions; radio transient sources; transient detection
Detection of a Supervirial Hot Component in the Milky Way Circumgalactic Medium Along Multiple Sight Lines by Using the Stacking Technique

The study of the elusive hot component (T ≳ 107 K) of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) is a novel topic for understanding Galactic formation and evolution. In this work, we use the stacking technique through 46 lines of sight with Chandra ACIS-S HETG totaling over 10 Ms of exposure time and nine lines of sight with ACIS-S LETG observations totaling over 1 Ms of exposure time, to study in absorption the presence of highly ionized metals arising from the supervirial temperature phase of the CGM. Focusing in the spectral range 4-8 Å, we were able to confirm the presence of this hot phase with high significance. We detected transitions of Si XIV K α (with a total significance of 6.0σ) and, for the first time, S XVI K α (total significance of 4.8σ) in the rest frame of our own galaxy. For S XVI K α we found a column density of ${1.50}_{-0.38}^{+0.44}\times {10}^{16\,}{\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}$ . For Si XIV K α we measured a column density of 0.87 ± 0.16 × 1016 cm-2. The lines of sight used in this work are spread across the sky, probing widely separated regions of the CGM. Therefore, our results indicate that this newly discovered hot medium extends throughout the halo and is not related only to the Galactic bubbles. The hot gas location, distribution, and covering factor, however, remain unknown. This component might contribute significantly to the missing baryons and metals in the Milky Way.

Keywords: circumgalactic medium; quasar absorption line spectroscopy; milky way galaxy; galaxy evolution; milky way evolution; x-ray astronomy; milky way formation; milky way galaxy physics; hot ionized medium; interstellar absorption
Detecting Black Hole Occultations by Stars with Space Interferometric Telescopes

We show that the occultation of Sagittarius A* by stars can be detected with space-based or space-ground very-long-baseline interferometers, with an expected event rate that is high due to relativistic precession. We compute the tell-tale signal of an occultation event and describe methods to flag nonoccultation events that can masquerade as the signal.

Keywords: black holes; galactic center
Long-period Pulsars as Possible Outcomes of Supernova Fallback Accretion

For about half a century, the radio pulsar population was observed to spin in the ~0.002-12 s range, with different pulsar classes having a spin-period evolution that differs substantially depending on their magnetic fields or past accretion history. The recent detection of several slowly rotating pulsars has reopened the long-standing question of the exact physics, and observational biases, driving the upper bound of the period range of the pulsar population. In this work, we perform a parameter study of the spin-period evolution of pulsars interacting with supernova fallback matter and specifically look at the fallback accretion disk scenario. Depending on the initial conditions at formation, this evolution can differ substantially from the typical dipolar spin-down, resulting in pulsars that show spin periods longer than their coeval peers. By using general assumptions for the pulsar spin period and magnetic field at birth, initial fallback accretion rates, and including magnetic field decay, we find that very long spin periods (≳100 s) can be reached in the presence of strong, magnetar-like magnetic fields (≳1014 G) and moderate initial fallback accretion rates (~1022-1027 g s-1). In addition, we study the cases of two recently discovered periodic radio sources, the pulsar PSR J0901-4046 (P = 75.9 s) and the radio transient GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3 (P = 1091 s), in light of our model. We conclude that the supernova fallback scenario could represent a viable channel to produce a population of long-period isolated pulsars that only recent observation campaigns are starting to unveil.

Keywords: pulsars; neutron stars
Evidence for Black Holes in Green Peas from WISE Colors and Variability

We explore the presence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs)/black holes in Green Pea galaxies (GPs), motivated by the presence of high-ionization emission lines such as He II and [Ne III] in their optical spectra. In order to identify AGN candidates, we used mid-infrared (MIR) photometric observations from the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission for a sample of 1004 GPs. Considering only >5σ detections with no contamination from neighboring sources in AllWISE, we select 31 GPs out of 134 as candidate AGNs based on a stringent three-band WISE color diagnostic. Using multi-epoch photometry in W1 and W2 bands based on time-resolved unWISE coadd images, we find two sources exhibiting variability in both the WISE bands among 112 GPs with W1 ≤16 mag and no contamination from neighboring sources in unWISE. These two variable sources were selected as AGNs by the WISE three-band color diagnostic as well. Compared to variable AGN fractions observed among low-mass galaxy samples in previous studies, we find a higher fraction (~1.8%) of MIR variable sources among GPs, which demonstrates the uniqueness and importance of studying these extreme objects. Through this work, we demonstrate that MIR diagnostics are promising tools to select AGNs that may be missed by other selection techniques (including optical emission-line ratios and X-ray emission) in star formation-dominated, low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies.

Keywords: emission line galaxies; galaxies; starburst galaxies; agn host galaxies; black holes
The Radial Evolution of Magnetic Clouds From Helios to Ulysses

The evolution of a magnetic cloud (MC) from the inner heliosphere to the outer heliosphere has been investigated for decades. Although many studies have reported on the evolution of MCs, there is no relevant statistical study about the continuous parametric evolution of the flux rope model of the Gold-Hoyle solution for MCs from near the Sun to 5.4 au. Based on the velocity-modified uniform-twist force-free flux rope model, in this study we explore the evolution with heliodistance for some parameters from 139 MCs observed by the Helios, Wind, and Ulysses spacecraft. We find a negative/positive correlation between the central axial field strength/the radius of the cross section and the heliodistance. The angle between the axis of the MC and the Sun-spacecraft line (Θ), the expansion velocity (v e ), and the poloidal velocity (v p ) did not show any evident tendency to increase or decrease with the heliodistance. In addition, the number of turns of the magnetic field lines per unit length winding around the magnetic flux rope, τ, shows a weak decrease with heliodistance. Also, there is an evident negative correlation between τ and the radius of the flux rope, R. The axial magnetic flux (F z ) and the magnetic helicity (H m ) show a tendency to decrease within 1 au, after which they remain almost unchanged until 5.5 au. Furthermore, we do not find any evident difference in the parametric properties of MCs on and outside the ecliptic.

Keywords: heliosphere; solar coronal mass ejections
Gaussian Process Modeling Blazar Multiwavelength Variability: Indirectly Resolving Jet Structure

Blazar jet structure can be indirectly resolved by analyzing the multiwavelength variability. In this work, we analyze the long-term variability of blazars in radio, optical, and X-ray energies with the Gaussian process (GP) method. The multiwavelength variability can be successfully characterized by the damped-random walk model. The nonthermal optical characteristic timescales of 38 blazars are statistically consistent with the γ-ray characteristic timescales of 22 blazars. For three individual sources (3C 273, PKS 1510-089, and BL Lac), the nonthermal optical, X-ray, and γ-ray characteristic timescales are also consistent within the measured 95% errors, but the radio timescale of 3C 273 is too large to be constrained by the decade-long light curve. The synchrotron and inverse-Compton emissions have the same power spectral density, suggesting that the long-term jet variability is irrelevant to the emission mechanism. In the plot of the rest-frame timescale versus black hole mass, the optical-γ-ray timescales of the jet variability occupy almost the same space with the timescales of accretion disk emission from normal quasars, which may imply that the long-term variabilities of the jet and accretion disk are driven by the same physical process. It is suggested that the nonthermal optical-X-ray and γ-ray emissions are produced in the same region, while the radio core, which can be resolved by very long baseline interferometry, locates at a far more distant region from the black hole. Our study suggests a new methodology for comparing thermal and nonthermal emissions, which is achieved by using the standard GP method.

Keywords: blazars; jets; light curves; time series analysis
Binding Energies of N-bearing Species on Interstellar Water Ice Mantles by Quantum Chemical Calculations

Of the about 300 gas-phase molecular species so far detected in the interstellar medium (ISM), mostly via observations of their rotational lines, around 40% contain nitrogen (N) atoms. Likewise, of the less than a dozen interstellar molecules, firmly or likely detected in the solid-state water-dominated icy matrix by means of infrared observations, two bear N. A crucial parameter that regulates whether a species is in the gas or adsorbed on the icy phase is their binding energy (BE) toward the icy grain. Therefore, an accurate quantification of the BE is of paramount importance to properly model the ISM chemistry through numerical models. However, very few BEs are available in the literature, either determined experimentally or theoretically. In the present study, we calculate the BEs of 21 among the most abundant interstellar N-bearing species. We adopted two structural water ice models, representing a crystalline and an amorphous surface, using a reliable cost-effective procedure based on the density functional theory. While on the crystalline surface model only one BE per species is obtained due to the high symmetry of the unit cell, on the amorphous model from 5 to 10 BEs are obtained, due to its richer surface morphological variety. Most of our computed BEs agree with available experimental and other computational values. Finally, we discuss how the newly computed BEs can help estimate which N-bearing species can be frozen at the water snow line and, therefore, incorporated in water-rich ice planetesimals.

Keywords: surface ices; interstellar dust; interstellar molecules; dense interstellar clouds; interstellar medium; solid matter physics; interstellar dust processes; computational methods
The Unusual M-dwarf Warm Jupiter TOI-1899 b: Refinement of Orbital and Planetary Parameters

TOI-1899 b is a rare exoplanet, a temperate warm Jupiter orbiting an M dwarf, first discovered by Cañas et al. (2020) from a TESS single-transit event. Using new radial velocities (RVs) from the precision RV spectrographs HPF and NEID, along with additional TESS photometry and ground-based transit follow-up, we are able to derive a much more precise orbital period of $P={29.090312}_{-0.000035}^{+0.000036}$ days, along with a radius of R p = 0.99 ± 0.03 R J. We have also improved the constraints on planet mass, M p = 0.67 ± 0.04 M J, and eccentricity, which is consistent with a circular orbit at 2σ ( $e={0.044}_{-0.027}^{+0.029}$ ). TOI-1899 b occupies a unique region of parameter space as the coolest known (T eq ≈ 380 K) Jovian-sized transiting planet around an M dwarf; we show that it has great potential to provide clues regarding the formation and migration mechanisms of these rare gas giants through transmission spectroscopy with JWST, as well as studies of tidal evolution.

Keywords: radial velocity; transit photometry; extrasolar gaseous planets