adsabs/SciX_UAT_keywords huggingface dataset:
X-Ray Constraint on the Location of the AGN Torus in the Circinus Galaxy

The location of the obscuring "torus" in an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is still an unresolved issue. The line widths of X-ray fluorescence lines originating from the torus, particularly Fe Kα, carry key information on the radii of line-emitting regions. Utilizing XCLUMPY, an X-ray clumpy torus model, we develop a realistic model of emission line profiles from an AGN torus where we take into account line broadening due to the Keplerian motion around the black hole. Then, we apply the updated model to the best available broadband spectra (3-100 keV) of the Circinus galaxy observed with Suzaku, XMM-Newton, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, and Chandra, including 0.62 Ms Chandra/HETG data. We confirm that the torus is Compton-thick (hydrogen column density along the equatorial plane is ${N}_{{\rm{H}}}^{\mathrm{Equ}}={2.16}_{-0.16}^{+0.24}\times {10}^{25}\ {\mathrm{cm}}^{-2}$ ), geometrically thin (torus angular width $\sigma \,={10.3}_{-0.3}^{+0.7}\,{\rm{d}}{\rm{e}}{\rm{g}}$ ), viewed edge-on (inclination $i={78.3}_{-0.9}^{+0.4}\,{\rm{d}}{\rm{e}}{\rm{g}}$ ), and has supersolar abundance ( ${1.52}_{-0.06}^{+0.04}$ times solar). Simultaneously analyzing the Chandra/HETG first-, second-, and third-order spectra with consideration of the spatial extent of the Fe Kα line-emitting region, we constrain the inner radius of the torus to be ${1.9}_{-0.8}^{+3.1}\times {10}^{5}$ times the gravitational radius, or ${1.6}_{-0.9}^{+1.5}\times {10}^{-2}\ \mathrm{pc}$ for a black hole mass of (1.7 ± 0.3) × 106 M⊙. This is about three times smaller than that estimated from the dust sublimation radius, suggesting that the inner side of the dusty region of the torus is composed of dust-free gas.

Keywords: active galactic nuclei; astrophysical black holes; high energy astrophysics; seyfert galaxies; supermassive black holes; x-ray active galactic nuclei
Conclusive Evidence for a Population of Water Worlds around M Dwarfs Remains Elusive

The population of small, close-in exoplanets is bifurcated into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. We calculate physically motivated mass-radius relations for sub-Neptunes, with rocky cores and H/He-dominated atmospheres, accounting for their thermal evolution, irradiation, and mass loss. For planets ≲10 M ⊕, we find that sub-Neptunes retain atmospheric mass fractions that scale with planet mass and show that the resulting mass-radius relations are degenerate with results for "water worlds" consisting of a 1:1 silicate-to-ice composition ratio. We further demonstrate that our derived mass-radius relation is in excellent agreement with the observed exoplanet population orbiting M dwarfs and that planet mass and radii alone are insufficient to determine the composition of some sub-Neptunes. Finally, we highlight that current exoplanet demographics show an increase in the ratio of super-Earths to sub-Neptunes with both stellar mass (and therefore luminosity) and age, which are both indicative of thermally driven atmospheric escape processes. Therefore, such processes should not be ignored when making compositional inferences in the mass-radius diagram.

Keywords: exoplanet atmospheric evolution; exoplanet atmospheric composition
Spectral Modeling Using Radiative Transfer Theory with Packing Density Correction: Demonstration for Saturnian Icy Satellites

We demonstrate the capabilities of the radiative transfer theory with packed media correction (RTT-PM) in analyzing spectral data of planetary surfaces by modeling to first order the shape and band depths of spectra of icy satellites of Saturn acquired by Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). The RTT-PM is an efficient and physically strict numerical method that employs a packing density correction, the static structure factor, to single-scattering properties of particles to simulate the light scattering by densely packed media. Originally created for layers formed by spherical homogeneous particles, the RTT-PM method has been recently updated to treat particles of arbitrary shapes and structures, including aggregates. We apply the RTT-PM method to roughly model Cassini VIMS spectra from Dione, Rhea, and Tethys as layers of spherical particles versus aggregates. The shape and structure of particles strongly affect the modeled spectra; the best model comparisons to the VIMS spectra were obtained when the surface icy particles were assumed to be small aggregates consisting of micron-sized monomers, which may imply rather compact, irregular particles. Our results suggest that presenting the icy regolith as a dense layer of nonspherical particles may noticeably affect the modeling results and bring a better understanding of the satellite surface structure and composition. The RTT-PM demonstrated itself to be a powerful tool for such studies: we computed a reflectance for 22 wavelengths within minutes using a regular desktop computer. The combination of such high efficiency and physical strictness makes the RTT-PM method advantageous for analyzing large spaceborne instrument data sets.

Keywords: saturnian satellites; spectroscopy; radiative transfer simulations
Resolving the Collimation Zone of an Intermediate-mass Protostellar Jet

We report new VLA and e-MERLIN high-resolution and -sensitivity images of the triple radio continuum source in the Serpens star-forming region. These observations allowed us to perform a deep multifrequency, multiepoch study by exploring the innermost regions (≲100 au) of an intermediate-mass young stellar object for the first time, with a physical resolution of ~15 au. The kinematic analysis of knots recently ejected by the protostar indicates that the jet is undergoing episodic variations in velocity. In addition, our multifrequency images reveal striking characteristics, e.g., a highly collimated ionized stream that would be launched at a radial distance of ~0.4 au from the protostar and a narrow (~28 au wide) ionized cavity that would be excited by the interaction of a wide-angle component with the surrounding toroid of infalling material. In light of these results, we propose the scenario in which both a highly collimated jet and a wide-angle wind coexist as the most plausible to explain our observations, either launched by the X-wind or X-plus-disk-wind mechanism.

Keywords: protostars; radio jets; stellar winds; interstellar medium; radio continuum emission
Next-generation Laser Ranging at Lunar Geophysical Network and Commercial Lander Payload Service Sites

Five retroreflector arrays currently on the Moon reflect short laser pulses back to Earth, allowing range to be measured. Each array has multiple small corner cubes. Due to variable lunar optical librations of the direction to Earth, the tilted arrays spread return times of single photons in the returned laser pulse, degrading the synthesized multiphoton normal point range accuracy. The Next Generation Lunar Retroreflectors (NGLRs) and MoonLIGHT reflectors currently being fabricated are larger 10 cm single corner cubes that do not spread the pulse. The Lunar Geophysical Network (LGN) mission will place NGLRs at three separated sites on the lunar nearside. The Commercial Lander Payload Service (CLPS) and early Artemis missions will precede the LGN mission. Solutions that include 6 yr of simulated Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data to two sites in the north and two in the south show improvement in the uncertainties of many science parameters. Lunar solution parameters include displacement Love numbers h 2 and l 2, tidal dissipation at several frequencies, fluid-core/solid-mantle boundary (CMB) dissipation, and moment of inertia combinations (C-A)/B and (B-A)/C, with principal moments of inertia A < B < C. Submeter-accuracy coordinates of the new reflectors will result from the first month of well-distributed data. There are benefits other than lunar science: gravitational physics includes the equivalence principle; Earth science includes terrestrial tidal dissipation and ranging station positions and motions; and astronomical constants with GM(Earth+Moon) for the gravitational constant times the mass of the Earth-Moon system. Improvements are illustrated for h 2, l 2, (C-A)/B, (B-A)/C, equivalence principle, and GM(Earth+Moon).

Keywords: lunar science; the moon; earth-moon system; space vehicle instruments
The Impact of Observing Strategy on Cosmological Constraints with LSST

The generation-defining Vera C. Rubin Observatory will make state-of-the-art measurements of both the static and transient universe through its Legacy Survey for Space and Time (LSST). With such capabilities, it is immensely challenging to optimize the LSST observing strategy across the survey's wide range of science drivers. Many aspects of the LSST observing strategy relevant to the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration, such as survey footprint definition, single-visit exposure time, and the cadence of repeat visits in different filters, are yet to be finalized. Here, we present metrics used to assess the impact of observing strategy on the cosmological probes considered most sensitive to survey design; these are large-scale structure, weak lensing, type Ia supernovae, kilonovae, and strong lens systems (as well as photometric redshifts, which enable many of these probes). We evaluate these metrics for over 100 different simulated potential survey designs. Our results show that multiple observing strategy decisions can profoundly impact cosmological constraints with LSST; these include adjusting the survey footprint, ensuring repeat nightly visits are taken in different filters, and enforcing regular cadence. We provide public code for our metrics, which makes them readily available for evaluating further modifications to the survey design. We conclude with a set of recommendations and highlight observing strategy factors that require further research.

Keywords: cosmology; observational cosmology; optical telescopes; sky surveys
Tracing the Formation History of Giant Planets in Protoplanetary Disks with Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulfur

The composition of giant planets is imprinted by their migration history and the compositional structure of their hosting disks. Studies in recent literature have investigated how the abundances of C and O can constrain the formation pathways of giant planets forming within few tens of au from a star. New ALMA observations, however, suggest planet-forming regions possibly extending to hundreds of au. We explore the implications of these wider formation environments through n-body simulations of growing and migrating giant planets embedded in planetesimal disks, coupled with a compositional model of the protoplanetary disk where volatiles are inherited from the molecular cloud and refractories are calibrated against extrasolar and Solar System data. We find that the C/O ratio provides limited insight on the formation pathways of giant planets that undergo large-scale migration. This limitation can be overcome, however, thanks to nitrogen and sulfur. Jointly using the C/N, N/O, and C/O ratios breaks any degeneracy in the formation and migration tracks of giant planets. The use of elemental ratios normalized to the respective stellar ratios supplies additional information on the nature of giant planets, thanks to the relative volatility of O, C, and N in disks. When the planetary metallicity is dominated by the accretion of solids C/N* > C/O* > N/O* (* denoting this normalized scale), otherwise N/O* > C/O* > C/N*. The S/N ratio provides an additional independent probe into the metallicity of giant planets and their accretion of solids.

Keywords: planet formation; protoplanetary disks; metallicity; chemical abundances; abundance ratios; extrasolar gaseous giant planets
Prediction of the Transit Time of Coronal Mass Ejections with an Ensemble Machine-learning Method

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a kind of violent solar eruptive activity, can exert a significant impact on space weather. When arriving at the Earth, they interact with the geomagnetic field, which can boost the energy supply to the geomagnetic field and may further result in geomagnetic storms, thus having potentially catastrophic effects on human activities. Therefore, accurate forecasting of the transit time of CMEs from the Sun to the Earth is vital for mitigating the relevant losses brought by them. XGBoost, an ensemble model that has better performance in some other fields, is applied to the space weather forecast for the first time. During multiple tests with random data splits, the best mean absolute error (MAE) of ~5.72 hr was obtained, and in this test, 62% of the test CMEs had absolute arrival time error of less than 5.72 hr. The average MAE over all random tests was ~10 hr. It indicates that our method has a better predictive potential and baseline. Moreover, we introduce two effective feature importance ranking methods. One is the information gain method, a built-in method of ensemble models. The other is the permutation method. These two methods combine the learning process of the model and its performance to rank the CME features, respectively. Compared with the direct correlation analysis on the sample data set, they can help select the important features that closely match the model. These two methods can assist researchers to process large sample data sets, which often require feature selection in advance.

Keywords: solar-terrestrial interactions; solar coronal mass ejections
A Comprehensive Perturbative Formalism for Phase Mixing in Perturbed Disks. II. Phase Spirals in an Inhomogeneous Disk Galaxy with a Nonresponsive Dark Matter Halo

We develop a linear perturbative formalism to compute the response of an inhomogeneous stellar disk embedded in a nonresponsive dark matter (DM) halo to various perturbations like bars, spiral arms, and encounters with satellite galaxies. Without self-gravity to reinforce it, the response of a Fourier mode phase mixes away due to an intrinsic spread in the vertical (Ω z ), radial (Ω r ), and azimuthal (Ω ϕ ) frequencies, triggering local phase-space spirals. The detailed galactic potential dictates the shape of phase spirals: phase mixing occurs more slowly and thus phase spirals are more loosely wound in the outer disk and in the presence of an ambient DM halo. Collisional diffusion due to scattering of stars by structures like giant molecular clouds causes superexponential damping of the phase spiral amplitude. The z-v z phase spiral is one-armed (two-armed) for vertically antisymmetric (symmetric) bending (breathing) modes. Only transient perturbations with timescales (τ P) comparable to the vertical oscillation period (τ z ~ 1/Ω z ) can trigger vertical phase spirals. Each (n, l, m) mode of the response to impulsive (τ P < τ = 1/(nΩ z + lΩ r + mΩ ϕ )) perturbations is power-law (~τ P/τ) suppressed, but that to adiabatic (τ P > τ) perturbations is exponentially weak ( $\sim \exp \left[-{\left({\tau }_{{\rm{P}}}/\tau \right)}^{\alpha }\right]$ ) except for resonant (τ → ∞ ) modes. Slower (τ P > τ z ) perturbations, e.g., distant encounters with satellite galaxies, induce stronger bending modes. Sagittarius (Sgr) dominates the solar neighborhood response of the Milky Way (MW) disk to satellite encounters. Thus, if the Gaia phase spiral was triggered by a MW satellite, Sgr is the leading contender. However, the survival of the phase spiral against collisional damping necessitates an impact ~0.6-0.7 Gyr ago.

Keywords: perturbation methods; gravitational interaction; galaxy disks; galaxy kinematics; galaxy interactions; galaxy dynamics; galaxy stellar disks; milky way dynamics; milky way disk; milky way dark matter halo; orbital resonances
xGASS: H I Fueling of Star Formation in Disk-dominated Galaxies

We introduce a method to estimate the H I mass within the optical radius of disk galaxies from integrated H I spectra, with an uncertainty of 0.09 dex. We use these estimates to study how inner H I fuels star formation in late-type disk galaxies. We find that star formation rate (SFR) at a given stellar mass (M*) is well correlated with the inner H I surface density ( ${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{\rm{H}}{\rm{I}},\mathrm{in}}$ ) and inner H I mass-to-stellar mass ratio. For the massive (M* > 1010M⊙) disk galaxies, higher SFR at a given stellar mass is also related to higher efficiency of converting inner H I to molecular gas, but no such correlation is found for the total H I mass. The highest ${{\rm{\Sigma }}}_{{\rm{H}}{\rm{I}},\mathrm{in}}$ and the fastest depletion of the total neutral gas within the optical disks are found in the most compact and star-forming disk galaxies at a given stellar mass. These results highlight the important role of inner H I as an intermediate step of fueling star formation in disk galaxies.

Keywords: late-type galaxies; interstellar atomic gas; galaxy evolution
A Deep-learning Approach for Live Anomaly Detection of Extragalactic Transients

There is a shortage of multiwavelength and spectroscopic follow-up capabilities given the number of transient and variable astrophysical events discovered through wide-field optical surveys such as the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its associated Legacy Survey of Space and Time. From the haystack of potential science targets, astronomers must allocate scarce resources to study a selection of needles in real time. Here we present a variational recurrent autoencoder neural network to encode simulated Rubin Observatory extragalactic transient events using 1% of the PLAsTiCC data set to train the autoencoder. Our unsupervised method uniquely works with unlabeled, real-time, multivariate, and aperiodic data. We rank 1,129,184 events based on an anomaly score estimated using an isolation forest. We find that our pipeline successfully ranks rarer classes of transients as more anomalous. Using simple cuts in anomaly score and uncertainty, we identify a pure (≈95% pure) sample of rare transients (i.e., transients other than Type Ia, Type II, and Type Ibc supernovae), including superluminous and pair-instability supernovae. Finally, our algorithm is able to identify these transients as anomalous well before peak, enabling real-time follow-up studies in the era of the Rubin Observatory.

Keywords: supernovae; time series analysis; astrostatistics techniques; surveys
The Dynamic Formation of Pseudostreamers

Streamers and pseudostreamers structure the corona at the largest scales, as seen in both eclipse and coronagraph white-light images. Their inverted-goblet appearance encloses broad coronal loops at the Sun and tapers to a narrow radial stalk away from the star. The streamer associated with the global solar dipole magnetic field is long-lived, predominantly contains a single arcade of nested loops within it, and separates opposite-polarity interplanetary magnetic fields with the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) anchored at its apex. Pseudostreamers, on the other hand, are transient, enclose double arcades of nested loops, and separate like-polarity fields with a dense plasma sheet. We use numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate, for the first time, the formation of pseudostreamers in response to photospheric magnetic-field evolution. Convective transport of a minority-polarity flux concentration, initially positioned under one side of a streamer, through the streamer boundary into the adjacent preexisting coronal hole forms the pseudostreamer. Interchange magnetic reconnection at the overlying coronal null point(s) governs the development of the pseudostreamer above—and of a new satellite coronal hole behind—the moving minority polarity. The reconnection dynamics liberate coronal-loop plasma that can escape into the heliosphere along so-called separatrix-web ("S-Web") arcs, which reach far from the HCS and the solar equatorial plane, and can explain the origin of high-latitude slow solar wind. We describe the implications of our results for in situ and remote-sensing observations of the corona and heliosphere as obtained, most recently, by Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.

Keywords: solar physics; solar magnetic reconnection; solar wind
Multiple Outflows around a Single Protostar IRAS 15398‑3359

We present the results of our mosaic observations of a single Class 0 protostar IRAS 15398‑3359 with the Atacama Compact Array in the CO J = 2–1 line. The new observations covering a square region reveal elongated redshifted and blueshifted components, which are located at distances of ∼30″–75″ on the northern and southern sides of the protostar, respectively, in addition to the previously observed primary and secondary outflows. These elongated components exhibit Hubble-law-like velocity structures, i.e., an increase of velocity with increasing distance from the protostar, suggesting that they comprise the third outflow associated with the protostar. Besides, a new redshifted component is detected at radii of ∼40″–75″ on the northwestern side of the protostar. This redshifted component also exhibits a Hubble-law-like velocity profile, which could be a counterpart of the secondary outflow mostly detected at blueshifted velocities in a previous study. The three outflows are all misaligned by ∼20°–90°, and the dynamical timescale of the primary outflow is shorter than those of the other outflows, approximately by an order of magnitude. These facts hint that the outflow launch direction has significantly changed with time. The outflow direction may change if the rotational axis and the magnetic field are misaligned or if the dense core is turbulent. We favor the second scenario as the origin of the multiple outflows in IRAS 15398‑3359, based on a comparison between the observational results and numerical simulations.

Keywords: protostars; young stellar objects; star formation; stellar winds; millimeter astronomy; submillimeter astronomy; radio astronomy; stellar accretion disks
Chandra Study of the Proper Motion of HST-1 in the Jet of M87

The radio galaxy M87 is well known for its jet, which features a series of bright knots observable from radio to X-ray wavelengths. We analyze the X-ray image and flux variability of the knot HST-1 in the jet. Our analysis includes all 112 available Chandra ACIS-S observations from 2000 to 2021, with a total exposure time of ∼884 ks. We use deconvolved images to study the brightness profile of the X-ray jet and measure the relative separation between the core and HST-1. From 2003 to 2005 (which coincides with a bright flare from HST-1), we find a correlation between the flux of HST-1 and its offset from the core. In subsequent data, we find a steady increase in this offset, which implies a bulk superluminal motion for HST-1 of 6.6 ± 0.9 c (2.0 ± 0.3 pc yr‑1), in keeping with prior results. We discuss models for the flux–offset correlation that feature either two or four emission regions separated by tens of parsecs. We attribute these results to moving shocks in the jet, which allow us to measure the internal structure of the jet.

Keywords: x-ray astronomy; active galaxies; relativistic jets; shocks
The Roman Space Telescope Relative Calibration System and the Dark Energy Figure of Merit

One of the Roman Space Telescopes principal science objectives is to measure dark energy's equation-of-state using a strategic combination of imaging and spectroscopic surveys at high galactic latitude. Type Ia Supernovae survey requirements demand 0.3% photometric accuracy and calibration of key systematic effects. One of these is count rate dependent nonlinearity (CRNL) that if uncorrected affects the accuracy of SNe Ia distance measurements. Romans Relative Calibration System (RCS) enables on-orbit measurement and tracking of CRNL, through a direct illumination mode and a simultaneous lamp plus scene mode. We present results on the impact of CRNL calibration on the dark energy figure of merit (FoM), for a specific reduction of RCS capabilities. We examined many combinations of illumination and passbands, finding that only six meet the requirements. No RCS at all results in a factor of 5 degradation in the FoM.

Keywords: calibration; cosmology; type ia supernovae