adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
The Discovery of a Highly Accreting, Radio-loud Quasar at z = 6.82

Radio sources at the highest redshifts can provide unique information on the first massive galaxies and black holes, the densest primordial environments, and the epoch of reionization. The number of astronomical objects identified at z > 6 has increased dramatically over the last few years, but previously only three radio-loud (R2500 = fν,5 GHz/fν,2500 Å > 10) sources had been reported at z > 6, with the most distant being a quasar at z = 6.18. Here we present the discovery and characterization of PSO J172.3556+18.7734, a radio-loud quasar at z = 6.823. This source has an Mg II-based black hole mass of ∼3 × 108 M⊙ and is one of the fastest accreting quasars, consistent with super-Eddington accretion. The ionized region around the quasar is among the largest measured at these redshifts, implying an active phase longer than the average lifetime of the z ≳ 6 quasar population. From archival data, there is evidence that its 1.4 GHz emission has decreased by a factor of two over the last two decades. The quasar's radio spectrum between 1.4 and 3.0 GHz is steep (α = -1.31). Assuming the measured radio slope and extrapolating to rest-frame 5 GHz, the quasar has a radio-loudness parameter R2500 ∼ 90. A second steep radio source (α = -0.83) of comparable brightness to the quasar is only 23"1 away (∼120 kpc at z = 6.82; projection probability <2%), but shows no optical or near-infrared counterpart. Further follow-up is required to establish whether these two sources are physically associated.

Keywords: radio loud quasars; quasars; active galactic nuclei; extragalactic radio sources; supermassive black holes
Resurfacing: An Approach to Planetary Protection for Geologically Active Ocean Worlds

The putative and potential ocean worlds of our solar system span the asteroid belt to the Kuiper Belt, containing within their icy shells past or present global saltwater oceans. Among these worlds, those bearing signs of present-day geologic activity are key targets in the search for past or extant life in the solar system. As the icy surfaces of these bodies are modified by geologic processes, landforms are erased and replaced through what is called "resurfacing." To avoid contaminating sites for robotic spacecraft exploration, planetary protection requirements obligate missions to these ocean worlds to demonstrate a less than 10-4 probability of introducing a viable terrestrial microorganism into a liquid water body. To constrain the probability of subsurface contamination, we investigate the interaction with geologic resurfacing on an active ocean world. Through the example of Europa, we show how the surface age can be used to constrain the resurfacing rate, a critical parameter to estimate the probability that nonsterile spacecraft material present on the surface is geologically incorporated into the subsurface, and extend this example to mission scenarios at Ganymede and Enceladus. This approach was critical to demonstrating compliance with planetary protection requirements for the Europa Clipper mission, reducing its probability of contamination by two to five orders of magnitude. We also show how a Europa lander mission might be brought close to complying with planetary protection requirements, that a Ganymede impactor could easily comply, and that the situation of Enceladus, while more complex, can greatly benefit from this approach.

Keywords: astrobiology; galilean satellites; ocean planets; planetary surfaces; tectonics; europa; ganymede; saturnian satellites; titan
WOCS 5379: Detailed Analysis of the Evolution of a Post-mass-transfer Blue Straggler

The blue straggler binary WOCS 5379 is a member of the old (6-7 Gyr) open cluster NGC 188. WOCS 5379 comprises a blue straggler star with a white dwarf companion in a 120 day eccentric orbit. Combined with the orbital period, this helium white dwarf is evidence of previous mass transfer by a red giant. Detailed models of the system evolution from a progenitor main-sequence binary, including mass transfer, are made using the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics. Both of the progenitor stars are evolved in the simulation. WOCS 5379 is well reproduced with a primary star of initial mass 1.19 M⊙, whose core becomes the white dwarf. The secondary star initially is 1.01 M⊙. The secondary finished receiving mass from the donor 300 Myr ago, having moved beyond the NGC 188 turnoff as a 1.20 M⊙ blue straggler. The successful model has a mass-transfer efficiency of 22%. This nonconservative mass transfer is key to expanding the orbit fast enough to permit stable mass transfer. Even so, the mass transfer begins with a short unstable phase, during which half of the accreted mass is transferred. With increasing mass, the secondary evolves from a radiative core to a convective core. The final blue straggler interior is remarkably similar to a 2.1 Gyr old 1.21 M⊙ main-sequence star at the same location in the H-R diagram. The white dwarf effective temperature is also reproduced, but the modeled white dwarf mass of 0.33 M⊙ is smaller than the measured mass of 0.42 M⊙.

Keywords: blue straggler stars; close binary stars; white dwarf stars; open star clusters; binary stars; stellar evolution
An Extension of the Athena++ Code Framework for Radiation-magnetohydrodynamics in General Relativity Using a Finite-solid-angle Discretization

We extend the general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) capabilities of Athena++ to incorporate radiation. The intensity field in each finite-volume cell is discretized in angle, with explicit transport in both space and angle properly accounting for the effects of gravity on null geodesics, and with matter and radiation coupled in a locally implicit fashion. Here we describe the numerical procedure in detail, verifying its correctness with a suite of tests. Motivated in particular by black hole accretion in the high-accretion-rate, thin-disk regime, we demonstrate the application of the method to this problem. With excellent scaling on flagship computing clusters, the port of the algorithm to the GPU-enabled AthenaK code now allows the simulation of many previously intractable radiation-GRMHD systems.

Keywords: radiative magnetohydrodynamics; radiative transfer; general relativity; black holes; computational methods; astronomy software; software documentation
The Environments around W Serpentis Systems: Independent Limits on System Masses and Extended Envelopes

Information extracted from the Gaia Data Release 3 is used to examine the stellar contents within projected separations of 10 pc from eight close binary systems that are either classical W Serpentis systems or related objects. The goal is to search for remnant star clusters or moving groups with proper motions that are similar to those of the binaries. While some of the binary systems have proper motions that are distinct from those of the majority of stars within the search area, there is a tendency for W Ser stars to be accompanied by companions with separations on parsec or larger scales. At least three candidate companions are identified within the search area for each system, although in the majority of cases the numbers are much higher. Evidence is presented that SX Cas is near the center of a diffuse cluster. Color-magnitude diagrams of the groupings associated with the binaries are compared with isochrones, and the majority of the groupings are found to have ages ≥1 Gyr, indicating that they have an intermediate age. The masses of stars at the main-sequence turnoff of the groupings are estimated, and these provide insights into the initial mass of the donor star in each binary system. Images from the WISE All-Sky Survey are also used to search for circumsystem envelopes. Extended thermal emission is found around six systems in W2 (i.e., ~4.5 μm) images.

Keywords: interacting binary stars
The Impact of Angle-dependent Partial Frequency Redistribution on the Scattering Polarization of the Solar Na I D Lines

The long-standing paradox of the linear polarization signal of the Na I D1 line was recently resolved by accounting for the atom's hyperfine structure and the detailed spectral structure of the incident radiation field. That modeling relied on the simplifying angle-averaged (AA) approximation for partial frequency redistribution (PRD) in scattering, which potentially neglects important angle-frequency couplings. This work aims at evaluating the suitability of a PRD-AA modeling for the D1 and D2 lines through comparisons with general angle-dependent (AD) PRD calculations in both the absence and presence of magnetic fields. We solved the radiative transfer problem for polarized radiation in a 1D semiempirical atmospheric model with microturbulent and isotropic magnetic fields, accounting for PRD effects and comparing PRD-AA and PRD-AD modelings. The D1 and D2 lines are modeled separately as a two-level atomic system with hyperfine structure. The numerical results confirm that a spectrally structured radiation field induces linear polarization in the D1 line. However, the PRD-AA approximation greatly impacts the Q/I shape, producing an antisymmetric pattern instead of the more symmetric PRD-AD one while presenting a similar sensitivity to magnetic fields between 10 and 200 G. Under the PRD-AA approximation, the Q/I profile of the D2 line presents an artificial dip in its core, which is not found for the PRD-AD case. We conclude that accounting for PRD-AD effects is essential to suitably model the scattering polarization of the Na I D lines. These results bring us closer to exploiting the full diagnostic potential of these lines for the elusive chromospheric magnetic fields.

Keywords: radiative transfer; solar physics; spectropolarimetry; solar atmosphere
The Nonrelaxation of Magnetic Field Lines in Solar Wind Magnetic Reconnection Exhausts

We present a case study using data from multiple spacecraft and statistics from the ACE spacecraft to investigate the relaxation of reconnected magnetic field lines in solar wind magnetic reconnection exhausts, which constitute one of the two outflow regions resulting from magnetic reconnection, and which are often characterized by a plasma jet, magnetic strength depletion, and density and temperature enhancements. The normal magnetic fractions (∣Bn/B∣) of the reconnection exhausts are used to indicate the degrees of relaxation of the magnetic field lines. 97 out of 98 reconnection exhausts have a relatively small ∣Bn/B∣ (<0.3), while only one exhaust associated with a relatively small interplanetary coronal mass ejection has a large ∣Bn/B∣ of 0.85. This result demonstrates the nonrelaxed nature of reconnected magnetic field lines in solar wind, due to the open boundary condition. As a consequence, the magnetic tension of such nonrelaxed magnetic field lines can accelerate the local plasma to produce the observed jet within the reconnection exhaust. Our results support the understanding that most solar wind reconnection exhausts are probably initiated near the Sun, where the plasma beta is low, and that they are not ongoing when they are observed at 1 au, because of the solar wind expansion from near the Sun to 1 au.

Keywords: interplanetary magnetic fields; solar wind; solar magnetic reconnection
Aura-3D: A Three-dimensional Atmospheric Retrieval Framework for Exoplanet Transmission Spectra

Atmospheric retrievals of exoplanet transmission spectra allow constraints on the composition and structure of the day-night terminator region. Such retrievals in the past have typically assumed one-dimensional (1D) temperature structures which were adequate to explain extant observations. However, the increasing data quality expected from exoplanet spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) motivates considerations of multidimensional atmospheric retrievals. We present AURA-3D, a three-dimensional atmospheric retrieval framework for exoplanet transmission spectra. AURA-3D includes a forward model that enables rapid computation of transmission spectra in 3D geometry for a given atmospheric structure and can, therefore, be used for atmospheric retrievals as well as for computing spectra from general circulation models (GCMs). In order to efficiently explore the space of possible 3D temperature structures in retrievals, we develop a parametric 3D pressure-temperature profile which can accurately represent azimuthally averaged temperature structures of a range of hot Jupiter GCMs. We apply our retrieval framework to simulated JWST observations of hot Jupiter transmission spectra, obtaining accurate estimates of the day-night temperature variation across the terminator as well as the abundances of chemical species. We demonstrate an example of a model hot Jupiter transmission spectrum for which a traditional 1D retrieval of JWST-quality data returns biased abundance estimates, whereas a retrieval including a day-night temperature gradient can accurately retrieve the true abundances. Our forward model also has the capability to include inhomogeneous chemistry as well as variable clouds/hazes. This new retrieval framework opens the field to detailed multidimensional atmospheric characterization using transmission spectra of exoplanets in the JWST era.

Keywords: exoplanet atmospheres; exoplanet atmospheric composition; radiative transfer; transmission spectroscopy
The Core Starbursts of the Galaxy NGC 3628: Radio Very Long Baseline Interferometry and X-Ray Studies

We present radio very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and X-ray studies of the starburst galaxy NGC 3628. The VLBI observation at 1.5 GHz reveals seven compact (0.7-7 pc) radio sources in the central ~250 pc region of NGC 3628. Based on their morphology, high radio-brightness temperatures (105-107 K), and steep radio spectra, none of these seven sources can be associated with active galactic nuclei (AGNs); instead, they can be identified as supernova remnants (SNRs), with three of them appearing consistent with partial shells. Notably, one of them (W2) is likely a nascent radio supernova (SN) and appears to be consistent with the star formation rate of NGC 3628 when assuming a canonical initial mass function. The VLBI observation provides the first precise measurement of the diameter of the radio sources in NGC 3628, which allow us to fit a well-constrained radio surface brightness-diameter (Σ-D) correlation by including the detected SNRs. Furthermore, future VLBI observations can be conducted to measure the expansion velocity of the detected SNRs. In addition to our radio VLBI study, we analyze Chandra and XMM-Newton spectra of NGC 3628. The spectral fitting indicates that the SNR activities could well account for the observed X-ray emissions. Along with the Chandra X-ray image, it further reveals that the X-ray emission is likely maintained by the galactic-scale outflow triggered by SN activities. These results provide strong evidence that SN-triggered activities play a critical role in generating both radio and X-ray emissions in NGC 3628.

Keywords: supernova remnants; radio sources; very long baseline interferometry; starburst galaxies; x-ray sources
The Stellar Mass-Black Hole Mass Relation at z 2 down to {{M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}∼ {10}(7} {M) _{⊙ } Determined by HETDEX

We investigate the stellar mass-black hole mass ( ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }\mbox{--}{{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ ) relation with type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) down to ${{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}={10}^{7\,}{M}_{\odot }$ , corresponding to a ≃ -21 absolute magnitude in rest-frame ultraviolet, at z = 2-2.5. Exploiting the deep and large-area spectroscopic survey of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), we identify 66 type 1 AGNs with ${{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ ranging from 107-1010 M ⊙ that are measured with single-epoch virial method using C IV emission lines detected in the HETDEX spectra. ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }$ of the host galaxies are estimated from optical to near-infrared photometric data taken with Spitzer, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and ground-based 4-8 m class telescopes by CIGALE spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We further assess the validity of SED fitting in two cases by host-nuclear decomposition performed through surface brightness profile fitting on spatially resolved host galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope/NIRCam CEERS data. We obtain the ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }\mbox{--}{{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ relation covering the unexplored low-mass ranges of ${{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}\,\sim \,{10}^{7}\mbox{--}{10}^{8}\,{M}_{\odot }$ , and conduct forward modeling to fully account for the selection biases and observational uncertainties. The intrinsic ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }\mbox{--}{{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ relation at z ~ 2 has a moderate positive offset of 0.52 ± 0.14 dex from the local relation, suggestive of more efficient black hole growth at higher redshift even in the low-mass regime of ${{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}\,\sim \,{10}^{7}\mbox{--}{10}^{8}\,{M}_{\odot }$ . Our ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }\mbox{--}{{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ relation is inconsistent with the ${{ \mathcal M }}_{\mathrm{BH}}$ suppression at the low- ${{ \mathcal M }}_{* }$ regime predicted by recent hydrodynamic simulations at a 98% confidence level, suggesting that feedback in the low-mass systems may be weaker than those produced in hydrodynamic simulations.

Keywords: galaxy evolution; agn host galaxies; active galactic nuclei; supermassive black holes
Roaring Storms in the Planetary-mass Companion VHS 1256-1257 b: Hubble Space Telescope Multiepoch Monitoring Reveals Vigorous Evolution in an Ultracool Atmosphere

The photometric and spectral variability of brown dwarfs probes heterogeneous temperature and cloud distributions and traces the atmospheric circulation patterns. We present a new 42 hr Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 G141 spectral time series of VHS 1256-1257 b, a late L-type planetary-mass companion that has been shown to have one of the highest variability amplitudes among substellar objects. The light curve is rapidly evolving and best fit by a combination of three sine waves with different periods and a linear trend. The amplitudes of the sine waves and the linear slope vary with the wavelength, and the corresponding spectral variability patterns match the predictions by models invoking either heterogeneous clouds or thermal profile anomalies. Combining these observations with previous HST monitoring data, we find that the peak-to-valley flux difference is 33% ± 2% with an even higher amplitude reaching 38% in the J band, the highest amplitude ever observed in a substellar object. The observed light curve can be explained by maps that are composed of zonal waves, spots, or a mixture of the two. Distinguishing the origin of rapid light curve evolution requires additional long-term monitoring. Our findings underscore the essential role of atmospheric dynamics in shaping brown-dwarf atmospheres and highlight VHS 1256-1257 b as one of the most favorable targets for studying the atmospheres, clouds, and atmospheric circulation of planets and brown dwarfs.

Keywords: brown dwarfs; l dwarfs; atmospheric variability; planetary atmospheres; spectroscopy; time series analysis; atmospheric circulation; atmospheric clouds
A Planar Five-body Problem in a Framework of Heterogeneous and Mass Variation Effects

The aim of the present paper is to study the effects of heterogeneous oblate spheroid and variable mass on the motion of the fifth infinitesimal body in the frame of the circular restricted five-body problem, with the imposition that the three primaries are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle and the fourth primary is placed at the center of the equilateral triangle. By using Jeans law and Meshcherskii space transformation, we evaluate the equations of motion and find a quasiJacobian integral. We determine the locations of equilibrium points, the regions of motion, and the attracting domain of in-plane motion. Furthermore, the effects of heterogeneous oblate spheroid and variable mass have been examined with the help of Poincaré surfaces of section. We studied the linear stability of equilibrium points and found that all of them are unstable.

Keywords: celestial mechanics
Geologic Context of the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site from High-resolution Topography and Imaging

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a surface sample from Hokioi crater (55.8° N, 42.3° E; diameter ~20 m) on the asteroid Bennu in 2020 October. We explore the geology of the sample collection site, known as Nightingale, by using digital terrain models, relative albedo maps, and images collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Hokioi crater sits at the northwest edge of an older, larger (120 m diameter) crater between two north-south ridges respectively located at roughly 0° and 90° longitude, between which unconsolidated material generally migrates from the geopotential high at the north (+Z) pole to the geopotential low at the equator. The impact that formed Hokioi crater exposed relatively unweathered, fine-grained dark material that we observe within and ejected beyond the crater. The regional slope and steep crater walls to the north of the Nightingale site have enabled a mix of the dark debris and brighter material (which may include carbonates and/or exogenic basalts) surrounding Hokioi crater to migrate onto the crater floor, where the sample was collected; some of this material may be old ejecta excavated from up to 10 m depth when the 120 m diameter crater formed. We therefore expect the OSIRIS-REx sample to include materials of varying brightnesses, compositions, and exposure ages, derived primarily from the 0°-90° longitude quadrant and from as deep as 10 m. The sample may also include material derived from the impactor that formed Hokioi crater. We expect it to have low cohesion (≪0.6 Pa) and a friction angle between 32° and 39°.

Keywords: asteroids; asteroid surfaces
Organic Hazes as a Source of Life's Building Blocks to Warm Little Ponds on the Hadean Earth

Over 4 billion years ago, Earth is thought to have been a hazy world akin to Saturn's moon Titan. The organic hazes in the atmosphere at this time could have contained a vast inventory of life's building blocks and thus may have seeded warm little ponds for life. In this work, we produce organic hazes in the lab in atmospheres with high (5%) and low (0.5%) CH4 abundances and analyze the solid particles for nucleobases, amino acids, and a few other organics using GC/MS/MS to obtain their concentrations. We also analyze heated (200°C) samples from the high methane organic haze experiment to simulate these particles sitting on an uninhabitable surface. Finally, we use our experimental results and estimates of atmospheric haze production as inputs for a comprehensive numerical pond model to calculate the concentrations of nucleobases from organic hazes in these environments. We find that organic hazes typically provide up to 0.2–6.5 μM concentrations of nucleobases to warm little ponds for potentially habitable Hadean conditions. However, without seepage, uracil and thymine can reach ∼100 μM concentrations, which is the present lower experimental limit to react these species to form nucleotides. Heating samples leads to partial or complete decay of biomolecules, suggesting that biomolecule stockpiling on the hot surface is unlikely. The ideal conditions for the delivery of life's building blocks from organic hazes would be when the Hadean atmosphere is rich in methane, but not so rich as to create an uninhabitable surface.

Keywords: earth (planet); astrobiology; pre-biotic astrochemistry; earth atmosphere; land-atmosphere interactions; experimental techniques; theoretical models