bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gynecological symptoms in primary and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome and the effect of the disease on sexuality
Authors: Ozdemir Isik Ozlem , Temiz Karadag Duygu , Tekeoglu Senem , Yazici Ayten , Cefle Ayse
Published: February 2024

Background

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune systemic disease affecting many organs and systems, such as genital system.

Aim

This study aimed to present the gynecological symptoms of patients who were followed up in an outpatient clinic because of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome (sSS) and to show how the disease affected sexuality.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2019 and 2020. The study sample consisted of 60 pSS patients, 42 sSS patients, and 52 healthy control subjects.

Outcomes

All the participants were questioned about sexuality, and completed the 36-item Short Form Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire, and Modified Hill questionnaire.

Results

The patients had a mean age of 55.6 ± 11.85 years in pSS, 59.39 ± 11.18 years in sSS, and 56.1 ± 10.46 years in healthy control subjects. Vaginal and vulvar dryness and dyspareunia were present at a significantly higher rate in SS, especially in pSS, compared with the control subjects. The Health Assessment Questionnaire score was significantly lower in the pSS group than in the sSS group. Arthralgia, myalgia, and fatigue were prominent in all SS patients.

Clinical Implications

Gynecological symptoms, sexual ability, and the effects of the disease on sexuality should be questioned in all SS patients.

Strengths and Limitations

It is very important that we evaluate the gynecological symptoms of both pSS and sSS patients and the effect of the disease on these symptoms. The small number of patients and healthy control subjects is a limitation.

Conclusion

The gynecological and musculoskeletal symptoms negatively affected sexuality in patients with pSS and sSS, and the negative effect of the disease on sexuality was more pronounced in the pSS group.
Katharine Conway’s Ethics of Intimacy
Authors: Conway Alison
Published: February 2024

This essay explores debates among Fabian socialists over the meaning of ‘free love’ taking as its starting point a conflict that arose between Katharine St John Conway and William De Mattos in 1892. Conway’s encounter with De Mattos, it argues, contributed to the development of her understanding of love and its place in Fabian politics. The narratives that Conway wrote in the aftermath of this conflict, including the narrative of her own marriage, attempt to define a feminist ethics of intimacy that manifest socialist principles. The essay claims that Conway expands ideas about love to encompass new ways of thinking about the relationship between individual freedom and communal obligations.
The Dynamic Assimilation Technique measures photosynthetic CO2 response curves with similar fidelity to steady-state approaches in half the time
Authors: Tejera-Nieves Mauricio , Seong Do Young , Reist Lucas , Walker Berkley J
Published: February 2024

The net CO2 assimilation (A) response to intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) is a fundamental measurement in photosynthesis and plant physiology research. The conventional A/Ci protocols rely on steady-state measurements and take 15–40 min per measurement, limiting data resolution or biological replication. Additionally, there are several CO2 protocols employed across the literature, without clear consensus as to the optimal protocol or systematic biases in their estimations. We compared the non-steady-state Dynamic Assimilation Technique (DAT) protocol and the three most used CO2 protocols in steady-state measurements, and tested whether different CO2 protocols lead to systematic differences in estimations of the biochemical limitations to photosynthesis. The DAT protocol reduced the measurement time by almost half without compromising estimation accuracy or precision. The monotonic protocol was the fastest steady-state method. Estimations of biochemical limitations to photosynthesis were very consistent across all CO2 protocols, with slight differences in Rubisco carboxylation limitation. The A/Ci curves were not affected by the direction of the change of CO2 concentration but rather the time spent under triose phosphate utilization (TPU)-limited conditions. Our results suggest that the maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylation (Vcmax), linear electron flow for NADPH supply (J), and TPU measured using different protocols within the literature are comparable, or at least not systematically different based on the measurement protocol used.
Lack of correlation between growth, stress, and virulence phenotypes in strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium DT104, S. 4,12, b:- and S. Liverpool
Authors: Olsen John Elmerdahl , Frees Dorte , Kyvsgaard Niels Christian , Barco Lisa
Published: February 2024

Strains of Salmonella Enteritidis (SEnt, n = 10) and S. Typhimurium (STm, n = 11), representing clones with high impact on human health, and strains of S. 4,12: b:- (S412B n = 11) and S. Liverpool (SLiv, n = 4), representing clones with minor impact on human health were characterized for 16 growth, stress, and virulence phenotypes to investigate whether systematic differences exist in their performance in these phenotypes and whether there was correlation between performance in different phenotypes. The term serotype was not found to be predictive of a certain type of performance in any phenotype, and surprisingly, on average, strains of SEnt and STm were not significantly better in adhering to and invading cultured intestinal cells than the less pathogenic types. Forest analysis identified desiccation tolerance and the ability to grow at 42°C with high salt as the characters that separated serovars with low human health impact (S412B/SLiv) from serovars with high human health impact (SEnt/STm). The study showed that variation in phenotypes was high even within serovars and correlation between phenotypes was low, i.e. the way that a strain performed phenotypically in one of the tested conditions had a low predictive value for the performance of the strain in other conditions.
Evaluating the need for legal guardianship in people with dementia: gaining insight into professionals’ assessment criteria
Authors: Näkki Kaisa , Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen Anna , Ervasti Kaijus , Solje Eino
Published: February 2024

The study aimed to explore the factors considered by medical doctors and legal experts when evaluating the need for legal guardianship in individuals with dementia, using a qualitative approach. In 2021–2022, medical doctors (N = 30) and legal experts (N = 20) from Finland underwent semi-structured individual interviews, addressing their perceptions of the need for guardianship in the Finnish context. Participants responded to pre-defined open-ended questions regarding how they assess this need and the factors influencing their conclusions. Thematic analysis of the audio-recorded and transcribed interviews revealed three main analytical groups: (i) prerequisites for appointing a guardian; (ii) factors expediting the need for a guardian; and (iii) factors delaying the need for a guardian. There are differences between professional groups in determining the need for guardianship. Some medical doctors may lack awareness of the legal requirements for guardianship or fail to consider them during assessments. To ensure proper assessment based on legal requirements, it is important for medical doctors to be aware of all legislation related to guardianship. Additionally, legal experts should have sufficient knowledge as regards cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms and their impact on mental capacity when assessing the need for guardianship. This research suggests that, in some cases, appointing a guardian is still considered necessary even though lighter support could suffice if available, or when no affairs need management.
In Situ Metallic Coating of Atom Probe Specimen for Enhanced Yield, Performance, and Increased Field-of-View
Authors: Schwarz Tim M , Woods Eric , Singh Mahander P , Chen Xinren , Jung Chanwon , Aota Leonardo S , Jang Kyuseon , Krämer Mathias , Kim Se-Ho , McCarroll Ingrid , Gault Baptiste
Published: February 2024

Atom probe tomography requires needle-shaped specimens with a diameter typically below 100 nm, making them both very fragile and reactive, and defects (notches at grain boundaries or precipitates) are known to affect the yield and data quality. The use of a conformal coating directly on the sharpened specimen has been proposed to increase yield and reduce background. However, to date, these coatings have been applied ex situ and mostly are not uniform. Here, we report on the controlled focused-ion beam in situ deposition of a thin metal film on specimens immediately after specimen preparation. Different metallic targets e.g. Cr were attached to a micromanipulator via a conventional lift-out method and sputtered using Ga or Xe ions. We showcase the many advantages of coating specimens from metallic to nonmetallic materials. We have identified an increase in data quality and yield, an improvement of the mass resolution, as well as an increase in the effective field-of-view. This wider field-of-view enables visualization of the entire original specimen, allowing to detect the complete surface oxide layer around the specimen. The ease of implementation of the approach makes it very attractive for generalizing its use across a very wide range of atom probe analyses.
Hypothermia and the Global War on Terror: 18 Years of Minimal Progress
Authors: Pumiglia Luke , Williams James M , Prey Beau J , Francis Andrew D , Lammers Daniel T , Zhang Bobby Z , Palmerton Hannah M , Pak Grace E , Gurney Jennifer M , Bingham Jason R , McClellan John M
Published: February 2024

Introduction

The association between hypothermia, coagulopathy, and acidosis in trauma is well described. Hypothermia mitigation starts in the prehospital setting; however, it is often a secondary focus after other life-saving interventions. The deployed environment further compounds the problem due to prolonged evacuation times in rotary wing aircraft, resource limitations, and competing priorities. This analysis evaluates hypothermia in combat casualties and the relationship to resuscitation strategy with blood products.

Methods

Using the data from the Department of Defense Joint Trauma Registry from 2003 to 2021, a retrospective analysis was conducted on adult trauma patients. Inclusion criteria was arrival at the first military treatment facility (MTF) hypothermic (<95ºF). Study variables included: mortality, year, demographics, battle vs non-battle injury, mechanism, theater of operation, vitals, and labs. Subgroup analysis was performed on severely injured (15 < ISS < 75) hypothermic trauma patients resuscitated with whole blood (WB) vs only component therapy.

Results

Of the 69,364 patients included, 908 (1.3%) arrived hypothermic; the vast majority of whom (N = 847, 93.3%) arrived mildly hypothermic (90–94.9°F). Overall mortality rate was 14.8%. Rates of hypothermia varied by year from 0.7% in 2003 to 3.9% in 2014 (P <0.005). On subgroup analysis, mortality rates were similar between patients resuscitated with WB vs only component therapy; though base deficit values were higher in the WB cohort (−10 vs −6, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Despite nearly 20 years of combat operations, hypothermia continues to be a challenge in military trauma and is associated with a high mortality rate. Mortality was similar between hypothermic trauma patients resuscitated with WB vs component therapy, despite greater physiologic derangements on arrival in patients who received WB. As the military has the potential to conduct missions in environments where the risk of hypothermia is high, further research into hypothermia mitigation techniques and resuscitation strategies in the deployed setting is warranted.
Between Safed and Vienna: Chajim Bloch’s the Memoires of the Kabbalist Vital
Authors: Huss Boaz
Published: February 2024

In 1927, a small book titled Lebenserinnerungen des Kabbalisten Vital (The Memoires of the Kabbalist Vital) was published in Vienna. Its author was Chajim Bloch (1881–1973), a Rabbi, independent scholar, translator, author, and erstwhile forger. The book includes a German rendition of Sefer ha-Hezyonot (The Book of Visions), the memoirs and dream diary of the famous 16th century Kabbalist Hayyim Vital (1542–1620), along with introductions and postscripts written by Bloch himself, as well as by the esotericist and German nationalist Franz Spunda (1890–1963) and the Jewish-Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Stekel (1868–1944). The Memoires of the Kabbalist Vital sheds interesting light on Vienna’s interwar culture and the revival of interest in Kabbalah and Hasidism in the modern period. However, this intriguing book and its colorful author has received very little scholarly attention until now. This article delves into Bloch’s intellectual biography, with a focus on his rendition of The Book of Visions and its paratexts. It also explores some later accounts given by Bloch regarding the publication of the book. The article examines the various interconnected contexts of the translation and publication of the book, revealing interesting connections between Kabbalah, Western esotericism, psychoanalysis, and antisemitism in Vienna in the interwar period.
Whole genome characterization of Trichophyton indotineae isolated in Singapore
Authors: Teo Jeanette W P , Cheng Janet W S , Chew Ka Lip , Lin Raymond T P
Published: February 2024

Complete genome sequences from two Trichophyton indotineae isolates were obtained from a 23-year-old male presenting with tinea cruris after an overseas recreational water exposure and from a 53-year-old female patient with unknown travel history. Analysis of the squalene epoxidase gene and the cyp51 gene family showed an absence of mutations, correlating with phenotypic drug susceptibility. The Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) distance between both isolates was 92. Within the T. indotineae cluster, SNPs ranged from 7 to 182, suggesting a high genetic relatedness with other South Asian isolates. This study suggests that the prevalence of T. indotineae is under-reported and more widespread than previously thought.
The EBLM Project– XI. Mass, radius, and effective temperature measurements for 23 M-dwarf companions to solar-type stars observed with CHEOPS
Authors: Swayne M I , Maxted P F L , Triaud A H M J , Sousa S G , Deline A , Ehrenreich D , Hoyer S , Olofsson G , Boisse I , Duck A , Gill S , Martin D , McCormac J , Persson C M , Santerne A , Sebastian D , Standing M R , Acuña L , Alibert Y , Alonso R , Anglada G , Bárczy T , Barrado Navascues D , Barros S C C , Baumjohann W , Baycroft T A , Beck M , Beck T , Benz W , Billot N , Bonfils X , Borsato L , Bourrier V , Brandeker A , Broeg C , Carmona A , Charnoz S , Collier Cameron A , Cortés-Zuleta P , Csizmadia Sz , Cubillos P E , Davies M B , Deleuil M , Delfosse X , Delrez L , Demangeon O D S , Demory B -O , Dransfield G , Erikson A , Fortier A , Forveille T , Fossati L , Fridlund M , Gandolfi D , Gillon M , Güdel M , Günther M N , Hara N , Hébrard G , Heidari N , Hellier C , Helling Ch , Isaak K G , Kerschbaum F , Kiefer F , Kiss L L , Kunovac V , Lalitha S , Lam K W F , Laskar J , Lecavelier des Etangs A , Lendl M , Magrin D , Marafatto L , Martioli E , Miller N J , Mordasini C , Moutou C , Nascimbeni V , Ottensamer R , Pagano I , Pallé E , Peter G , Piazza D , Piotto G , Pollacco D , Queloz D , Ragazzoni R , Rando N , Rauer H , Ribas I , Santos N C , Scandariato G , Ségransan D , Simon A E , Smith A M S , Southworth R , Stalport M , Szabó Gy M , Thomas N , Udry S , Ulmer B , Van Grootel V , Venturini J , Walton N A , Willett E , Wilson T G
Published: February 2024

Observations of low-mass stars have frequently shown a disagreement between observed stellar radii and radii predicted by theoretical stellar structure models. This ‘radius inflation’ problem could have an impact on both stellar and exoplanetary science. We present the final results of our observation programme with the CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) to obtain high-precision light curves of eclipsing binaries with low-mass stellar companions (EBLMs). Combined with the spectroscopic orbits of the solar-type companions, we can derive the masses, radii, and effective temperatures of 23 M-dwarf stars. We use the pycheops data analysis software to analyse their primary and secondary occultations. For all but one target, we also perform analyses with Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) light curves for comparison. We have assessed the impact of starspot-induced variation on our derived parameters and account for this in our radius and effective temperature uncertainties using simulated light curves. We observe trends in inflation with both metallicity and orbital separation. We also observe a strong trend in the difference between theoretical and observational effective temperatures with metallicity. There is no such trend with orbital separation. These results are not consistent with the idea that the observed inflation in stellar radius combines with lower effective temperature to preserve the luminosity predicted by low-mass stellar models. Our EBLM systems provide high-quality and homogeneous measurements that can be used in further studies of radius inflation.
Effect of magnetically dependent heating on the behaviour of magnetoacoustic waves in coronal plasma with thermal misbalance
Authors: Agapova D V , Belov S A , Zavershinskii D I
Published: February 2024

The magnetic nature of coronal heating has been actively investigated within the framework of theoretical models and statistical analysis of observational data for decades. At present, a rather wide range of possible mechanisms has been proposed in the literature that requires additional verification. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of analysing the magnetic nature of coronal heating by means of magnetoacoustic (MA) waves propagating in coronal structures. To address this issue, we perform the analysis of fast and slow waves using a magnetic slab geometry. Applying the assumption of strong magnetic structuring, we derive the dispersion relation, which allows us to study the properties of MA waves. To analyse the dependence of phase velocity and wave decrement/increment on wavenumber, we numerically solved the obtained equations using the parameters corresponding to ‘warm’ coronal loop. It is shown that oscillations on the fundamental harmonic in a plasma with a weak magnetic field, where the effect of phase velocity dispersion is most pronounced, are best suited for diagnostics of magnetic heating using slow MA waves. In turn, the geometry remains the primary source for fast MA wave dispersion. Magnetic heating can either suppress or increase the damping of fast and slow MA waves. Moreover, the amplification of fast MA waves accompanied by damping of slow MA waves can be achieved. This issue is of interest in the context of the excitation of the decayless kink oscillations in the solar coronal loops.
Localization of gamma-ray bursts using AstroSat Mass Model
Authors: Saraogi Divita , Aditya J Venkata , Bhalerao Varun , Bala Suman , Balasubramanian Arvind , Mate Sujay , Chattopadhyay Tanmoy , Gupta Soumya , Prasad Vipul , Waratkar Gaurav , Navaneeth P K , Gopalakrishnan Rahul , Bhattacharya Dipankar , Dewangan Gulab , Vadawale Santosh
Published: February 2024

The Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) aboard AstroSat has good sensitivity to gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), with close to 600 detections including about 50 discoveries undetected by other missions. However, CZTI was not designed to be a GRB monitor and lacks localization capabilities. We introduce a new method of localizing GRBs using ‘shadows’ cast on the CZTI detector plane due to absorption and scattering by satellite components and instruments. Comparing the observed distribution of counts on the detector plane with simulated distributions with the AstroSat Mass Model, we can localize GRBs in the sky. Our localization uncertainty is defined by a two-component model, with a narrow Gaussian component that has close to 50  per cent probability of containing the source, and the remaining spread over a broader Gaussian component with an 11.3 times higher σ. The width (σ) of the Gaussian components scales inversely with source counts. We test this model by applying the method to GRBs with known positions and find good agreement between the model and observations. This new ability expands the utility of CZTI in the study of GRBs and other rapid high-energy transients.
Devolatilization of extrasolar planetesimals by 60Fe and 26Al heating
Authors: Eatson Joseph W , Lichtenberg Tim , Parker Richard J , Gerya Taras V
Published: February 2024

Whilst the formation of Solar system planets is constrained by meteoritic evidence, the geophysical history of low-mass exoplanets is much less clear. The bulk composition and climate states of rocky exoplanets may vary significantly based on the composition and properties of the planetesimals they form. An important factor influenced by planetesimal composition is water content, where the desiccation of accreting planetesimals impacts the final water content of the resultant planets. While the inner planets of the Solar system are comparatively water-poor, recent observational evidence from exoplanet bulk densities and planetary formation models suggests that rocky exoplanets engulfed by substantial layers of high-pressure ices or massive steam atmospheres could be widespread. Here, we quantify variations in planetesimal desiccation due to potential fractionation of the two short-lived radioisotopes 26Al and 60Fe relevant for internal heating on planetary formation time-scales. We focus on how order of magnitude variations in 60Fe can affect the water content of planetesimals, and how this may alter the formation of extrasolar ocean worlds. We find that heating by 26Al is the dominant cause of planetesimal heating in any Solar system analogue scenario, thus validating previous works focussing only on this radioisotope. However, 60Fe can become the primary heating source in the case of high levels of supernova enrichment in massive star-forming regions. These diverging scenarios can affect the formation pathways, bulk volatile budget, and climate diversity of low-mass exoplanets.
Via Machinae 2.0: Full-sky, model-agnostic search for stellar streams in Gaia DR2
Authors: Shih David , Buckley Matthew R , Necib Lina
Published: February 2024

We present an update to Via Machinae, an automated stellar stream-finding algorithm based on the deep learning anomaly detector ANODE. Via Machinae identifies stellar streams within Gaia, using only angular positions, proper motions, and photometry, without reference to a model of the Milky Way potential for orbit integration or stellar distances. This new version, Via Machinae 2.0, includes many improvements and refinements to nearly every step of the algorithm, that altogether result in more robust and visually distinct stream candidates than our original formulation. In this work, we also provide a quantitative estimate of the false positive rate of Via Machinae 2.0 by applying it to a simulated Gaia-mock catalogue based on galaxia, a smooth model of the Milky Way that does not contain substructure or stellar streams. Finally, we perform the first full-sky search for stellar streams with Via Machinae 2.0, identifying 102 streams at high significance within the Gaia Data Release 2, of which only 10 have been previously identified. While follow-up observations for further confirmation are required, taking into account the false positive rate presented in this work, we expect approximately 90 of these stream candidates to correspond to real stellar structures.
Stellar populations of massive early-type galaxies observed by MUSE
Authors: Parikh Taniya , Saglia Roberto , Thomas Jens , Mehrgan Kianusch , Bender Ralf , Maraston Claudia
Published: February 2024

Stellar population studies of massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) suggest that the stellar initial mass function may not be universal. In particular, the centres of ETGs seem to contain an excess of low-mass dwarf stars compared to our own Galaxy. Through high-resolution data from MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer), we carry out a detailed study of the stellar populations of eight massive ETGs. We use full spectrum fitting to determine ages, element abundances, and initial mass function (IMF) slopes for spatially binned spectra. We measure flat gradients in age and [Mg/Fe] ratio, as well as negative gradients in metallicity and [Na/Fe]. We detect IMF gradients in some galaxies, with the centres hosting bottom-heavy IMFs and mass excess factors between 1.5 and 2.5 compared to a Kroupa IMF. The IMF slope below 0.5 M$_\odot$varies for our galaxy sample between 1 and 2.8, with negative radial gradients, while the IMF slope between 0.5 and 1M$_\odot$ has a steep value of $\sim$3 with mildly positive gradients for most galaxies. For M87, we find excellent agreement with the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M/L) as a function of radius. For the other galaxies, we find systematically higher M/L from stellar populations compared to orbit-based dynamical analysis of the same data. This discrepancy increases with NaI strength, suggesting a combination of calibration issues of this line and correlated uncertainties.
Reassessing the constraints from SH0ES extragalactic Cepheid amplitudes on systematic blending bias
Authors: Sharon Amir , Kushnir Doron , Yuan Wenlong , Macri Lucas , Riess Adam
Published: February 2024

The SH0ES collaboration Hubble constant determination is in a ∼5σ difference with the Planck value, known as the Hubble tension. The accuracy of the Hubble constant measured with extragalactic Cepheids depends on robust stellar-crowding background estimation. Riess et al. (R20) compared the light-curve amplitudes of extragalactic and MW Cepheids to constrain an unaccounted systematic blending bias, $\gamma =-0.029\pm 0.037\, \rm {mag}$, which cannot explain the required, $\gamma =0.24\pm 0.05\, \rm {mag}$, to resolve the Hubble tension. Further checks by Riess et al. demonstrate that a possible blending is not likely related to the size of the crowding correction. We repeat the R20 analysis, with the following main differences: (1) we limit the extragalactic and MW Cepheids comparison to periods $P\lesssim 50\, \rm {d}$, since the number of MW Cepheids with longer periods is minimal; (2) we use publicly available data to recalibrate amplitude ratios of MW Cepheids in standard passbands; (3) we remeasure the amplitudes of Cepheids in NGC 5584 and NGC 4258 in two Hubble Space Telescope filters (F555W and F350LP) to improve the empirical constraint on their amplitude ratio A555/A350. We show that the filter transformations introduce an ${\approx }0.04\, \rm {mag}$ uncertainty in determining γ, not included by R20. While our final estimate, $\gamma =0.013\pm 0.057\, \rm {mag}$, is consistent with the value derived by R20 and is consistent with no bias, the error is somewhat larger, and the best-fitting value is shifted by ${\approx }0.04\, \rm {mag}$ and closer to zero. Future observations, especially with JWST, would allow better calibration of γ.
Long-term orbital evolution of dimorphos boulders and implications on the origin of meteorites
Authors: Fenucci M , Carbognani A
Published: February 2024

By using recent observations of the Dydimos−Dimorphos system from the Hubble Space Telescope, 37 boulders with a size of 4 to 7 m ejected from the system during the impact with the DART spacecraft were identified. In this work, we studied the orbital evolution of a swarm of boulders with a similar size to that of the detected ones. By using recent estimates for the ejection velocity of the boulders, we numerically propagated the dynamics of the swarm for 20 kyr in the future. We found that the ejection velocities and the non-gravitational effects are not strong enough to change the secular evolution significantly. The minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) with the Earth will be reached in about 2.5 kyr, but it will not fall below 0.02 au. On the contrary, the Mars MOID will be very small in four instances, two near 6 kyr and the other two near 15 kyr. Therefore, there may be a chance for them to impact Mars in the future. Given the rarefaction of the Martian atmosphere, we expect the boulders to arrive intact on the ground and excavate a small impact crater. The results presented here provide a further indication that some meteorites found on Earth originated in collisions of ∼100 m near-Earth asteroids with projectiles of ∼1 m in size.
Torque wiggles – a robust feature of the global disc–planet interaction
Authors: Cimerman Nicolas P , Rafikov Roman R , Miranda Ryan
Published: February 2024

Gravitational coupling between planets and protoplanetary discs is responsible for many important phenomena such as planet migration and gap formation. The key quantitative characteristic of this coupling is the excitation torque density – the torque (per unit radius) imparted on the disc by planetary gravity. Recent global simulations and linear calculations found an intricate pattern of low-amplitude, quasi-periodic oscillations in the global radial distribution of torque density in the outer disc, which we call torque wiggles. Here, we show that torque wiggles are a robust outcome of global disc–planet interaction and exist despite the variation of disc parameters and thermodynamic assumptions (including β-cooling). They result from coupling of the planetary potential to the planet-driven density wave freely propagating in the disc. We developed analytical theory of this phenomenon based on approximate self-similarity of the planet-driven density waves in the outer disc. We used it, together with linear calculations and simulations, to show that (a) the radial periodicity of the wiggles is determined by the global shape of the planet-driven density wave (its wrapping in the disc) and (b) the sharp features in the torque density distribution result from constructive interference of different azimuthal (Fourier) torque contributions at radii where the planetary wake crosses the star–planet line. In the linear regime, the torque wiggles represent a weak effect, affecting the total (integrated) torque by only a few per cent. However, their significance increases in the non-linear regime, when a gap (or a cavity) forms around the perturber’s orbit.
Hierarchical reconstruction of the cosmic web, the H-Spine method
Authors: Aragon-Calvo M A
Published: February 2024

The cosmic web consists of a nested hierarchy of structures: voids, walls, filaments, and clusters. These structures interconnect and can encompass one another, collectively shaping an intricate network. Here we introduce the Hierarchical Spine (H-Spine) method, a framework designed to hierarchically identify and characterize voids, walls, and filaments. Inspired by the geometrical and dynamical constraints imposed by anisotropic gravitational collapse, the H-Spine method captures the geometry and interconnectivity between cosmic structures as well as their nesting relations, offering a more complete description of the cosmic web compared to single-scale or multiscale approaches. To illustrate the method’s utility, we present the distribution of densities and sizes of voids, walls, and filaments identified in a three-level hierarchical space. This analysis demonstrates how each level within the hierarchy unveils distinctive densities and scales inherent to cosmic web elements.
ALPACA: a new semi-analytical model for metal absorption lines emerging from clumpy galactic environments
Authors: Li Zhihui , Gronke Max , Steidel Charles C
Published: February 2024

We present a new semi-analytical formalism for modelling metal absorption lines that emerge from a clumpy galactic environment, ALPACA. We predict the “down-the-barrel” (DTB) metal absorption line profiles and the equivalent width (EW) of absorption at different impact parameters (b) as a function of the clump properties, including clump kinematics, clump volume filling factor, clump number density profile, and clump ion column densities. With ALPACA, we jointly model the stacked DTB C ii λ1334 spectrum of a sample of z ∼ 3 Lyman break galaxies and the EW versus b profile of a sample of z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxy–galaxy pairs. ALPACA successfully reproduced two data sets simultaneously, and the best fit prefers a low clump volume filling factor (∼3 × 10−3). The radial velocities of the clumps are a superposition of a rapidly accelerated outflow with a maximum velocity of $\sim 400 \, {\mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}}$ and a velocity dispersion of $\sigma \sim 120 \, {\mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}}$. The joint modelling reveals a physical scenario where the absorption observed at a particular velocity is contributed by the clumps distributed over a fairly broad range of radii. We also find that the commonly adopted Sobolev approximation is at best only applicable within a narrow range of radii where the clumps are undergoing rapid acceleration in a non-volume-filling clumpy medium. Lastly, we find that the clump radial velocity profile may not be fully constrained by the joint modelling and spatially resolved Ly α emission modelling may help break the degeneracy.
Multimass modelling of milky way globular clusters – II. Present-day black hole populations
Authors: Dickson N , Smith P J , Hénault-Brunet V , Gieles M , Baumgardt H
Published: February 2024

Populations of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) in globular clusters (GCs) influence their dynamical evolution and have important implications on one of the main formation channels for gravitational wave sources. Inferring the size of these populations remains difficult, however. In this work, multimass models of 34 Milky Way GCs, first presented in Dickson et al., are used to explore the present-day BH populations. Direct constraints on both the total and visible mass components provided by several observables allow these models to accurately determine the distribution of the dark mass (including BHs) within clusters, as we demonstrate in a proof-of-concept fitting of the models to mock observations extracted from Monte Carlo cluster models. New constraints on the BH population retained to the present-day in each cluster are inferred from our models. We find that BH mass fractions ranging from 0 to 1 per cent of the total mass are typically required to explain the observations, except for ω Cen, for which we infer a mass fraction above 5 per cent, in agreement with previous works. Relationships between the dark remnant populations and other cluster parameters are examined, demonstrating a clear anticorrelation between the amount of BHs and mass segregation between visible stars, as well as a correlation between remnant mass fractions and the dynamical age of clusters. Our inferred BH populations are in good agreement overall with other recent studies using different methodologies, but with notable discrepancies for individual clusters.
FAUST XII. Accretion streamers and jets in the VLA 1623–2417 protocluster
Authors: Codella C , Podio L , De Simone M , Ceccarelli C , Ohashi S , Chandler C J , Sakai N , Pineda J E , Segura-Cox D M , Bianchi E , Cuello N , López-Sepulcre A , Fedele D , Caselli P , Charnley S , Johnstone D , Zhang Z E , Maureira M J , Zhang Y , Sabatini G , Svoboda B , Jiménez-Serra I , Loinard L , Mercimek S , Murillo N , Yamamoto S
Published: February 2024

The ALMA interferometer has played a key role in revealing a new component of the Sun-like star forming process: the molecular streamers, i.e. structures up to thousands of au long funnelling material non-axisymmetrically to discs. In the context of the FAUST ALMA LP, the archetypical VLA1623-2417 protostellar cluster has been imaged at 1.3 mm in the SO(56–45), SO(66–55), and SiO(5–4) line emission at the spatial resolution of 50 au. We detect extended SO emission, peaking towards the A and B protostars. Emission blue-shifted down to 6.6 km s−1 reveals for the first time a long (∼ 2000 au) accelerating streamer plausibly feeding the VLA1623 B protostar. Using SO, we derive for the first time an estimate of the excitation temperature of an accreting streamer: 33 ± 9 K. The SO column density is ∼ 1014 cm−2, and the SO/H2 abundance ratio is ∼ 10−8. The total mass of the streamer is 3 × 10−3M⊙, while its accretion rate is 3–5 × 10−7M⊙ yr−1. This is close to the mass accretion rate of VLA1623 B, in the 0.6–3 × 10−7M⊙ yr−1 range, showing the importance of the streamer in contributing to the mass of protostellar discs. The highest blue- and red-shifted SO velocities behave as the SiO(5–4) emission, the latter species detected for the first time in VLA1623-2417: the emission is compact (100–200 au), and associated only with the B protostar. The SO excitation temperature is ∼ 100 K, supporting the occurrence of shocks associated with the jet, traced by SiO.
The role of radiation pressure in lithium deficit for stars in the stage of late accretion: failure of lithium test for young stellar clusters
Authors: Shestakova Lyubov I , Serebryanskiy Aleksander
Published: February 2024

We study the behaviour of lithium atoms in the radiation field of main-sequence (MS) stars. The radiation pressure on atoms in the resonant lines of the ${\rm Li\, {\small I}}$ 6708 Å doublet exceeds the gravity at Teff > 3000 K. The lifetime of ${\rm Li}$ atoms before their ionization is sufficient to achieve the escape velocity. Free ${\rm Li}$ atoms cannot approach the pre-main sequence (PMS) and MS stars if the surrounding gas is sufficiently transparent. Accretion of small bodies (SBs) can partially restore the lithium abundance when SB directly falls on to the star in elongated orbits. In the case of accretion from discs consisting of SB fragments, when the parent bodies move in quasi-circular orbits, the boundary of the SB sublimation region plays a decisive role. Near hot stars, the free ${\rm Li}$ atom is rapidly ionized and participates in accretion on to the star in the form of ions, contributing to an increase in the ${\rm Li}$ abundance. Low-mass stars with low temperatures cannot hold lithium atoms. Near stars with Planck energy distribution in the radiation field, lithium deficiency occurs if 3000 K < Teff < 3400 K. New stars with [Fe/H]  = 0.0 may indicate a lithium deficiency at Teff < 5000 K. Failure of the lithium test to estimate the age of a stellar cluster may indicate a significant contribution of accretion in the form of debris discs consisting of SBs.
Microlensing black hole shadows
Authors: Verma Himanshu , Silk Joseph
Published: February 2024

A detailed analysis is presented of gravitational microlensing by intervening compact objects of the black hole shadows imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). We show how the centre, size, and shape of the shadow depend on the Einstein angle relative to the true/unlensed shadow size, and how the location of the lens affects the shift, size, and asymmetry of the black hole shadow due to microlensing. Assuming a supermassive black hole (SMBH) casts a circular-shaped true shadow, microlensing can create an asymmetry of up to approximately 8 per cent, which is twice the asymmetry caused by the SMBH’s spin and its tilt relative to us. Furthermore, the size can be enhanced by ∼50 per cent of the true shadow. Currently, the terrestrial baselines of EHT lack the resolution to detect microlensing signatures in the shadows. However, future expansions of EHT, including space-based baselines at the Moon and L2, could potentially enable the detection of microlensing events. For Sgr A*, an event rate of 0.0014 per year makes the microlensing phenomena difficult to observe even with space-based baselines for the stellar population in the stellar bulge and stellar disc for lens masses ∼M⊙. None the less, the presence of a cluster of 20 000 stellar-mass black holes in the central parsec of the Milky Way, expected to arise from dynamical friction acting on infalling stellar clusters, significantly boosts the event rate. Hence, continuously monitoring the shadow of Sgr A* could offer novel insights into the compact object population surrounding the Galactic Centre.
Families of eccentric resonant orbits in galaxy discs: backbones for bars and spirals
Authors: Struck Curtis
Published: February 2024

It is widely believed that resonant orbits play an important role in formation and evolution of bars and large-scale spirals in galaxy discs. These resonant orbits have been studied in a number of specific potentials, often with an imposed bar component. In this paper, I show that families of resonant (e.g. two-dimensional x1) orbits of differing eccentricities can be excited at a common pattern speed, in a variety of axisymmetric potentials. These families only exist over finite ranges of frequency in most of these potentials. Populations of such resonant eccentric orbits (REOs) can provide the backbone of both bars and spirals. At each frequency in the allowed range, there is a maximum eccentricity, beyond which the REOs generically become quasi-stable (or ‘sticky’), then unstable (or chaotic), as the eccentricity increases, at values that depend on the potential and the orbit frequency. Sticky and chaotic orbits have been extensively studied recently with invariant/unstable manifolds in a variety of phase planes; however, it is found that studying them as a function of eccentricity and pattern speed provides a particularly useful framework for classifying them and their stability transitions. The characteristics of these orbit families depend on the galaxy potential and the pattern speed, and as backbones of bars and spirals can help understand a number of observed or predicted regularities. These include: the size and speed of bars in different potentials, the range of pattern speeds and wind-up rates in spirals within galaxy discs, and constraints wave growth.
Effective yields as tracers of feedback effects on metallicity scaling relations in the EAGLE cosmological simulations
Authors: Zerbo M C , De Rossi M E , Lara-López M A , Cora S A , Zenocratti L J
Published: February 2024

Effective yields, yeff, are defined by fundamental galaxy properties (i.e. stellar mass M⋆, gas mass Mgas, and gas-phase metallicity). For a closed-box model, yeff is constant and equivalent to the mass in metals returned to the gas per unit mass locked in long-lived stars. Deviations from such behaviour have been often considered observational signatures of past feedback events. By analysing eagle simulations with different feedback models, we evaluate the impact of supernovae (SNe) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback on yeff at redshift z = 0. When removing supermassive black holes (BHs) and, hence, AGN effects, in simulations, galaxies are located around a plane in the M⋆–Mgas–O/H parameter space (being O/H a proxy for gas metallicity, as usual), with such a plane roughly describing a surface of constant yeff. As the ratio between BH mass and M⋆ increases, galaxies deviate from that plane towards lower yeff as a consequence of AGN feedback. For galaxies not strongly affected by AGN feedback, a stronger SN feedback efficiency generates deviations towards lower yeff, while galaxies move towards the opposite side of the plane (i.e. towards higher values of yeff) as SN feedback becomes weaker. Star-forming galaxies observed in the Local Universe are located around a similar 3D plane. Our results suggest that the features of the scatter around the observed plane are related to the different feedback histories of galaxies, which might be traced by yeff.
The 21-cm bispectrum from neutral hydrogen islands at z < 6
Authors: Raste Janakee , Kulkarni Girish , Watkinson Catherine A , Keating Laura C , Haehnelt Martin G
Published: February 2024

Spatial variations in the Lyman-α forest opacity at z < 6 seem to require a late end to cosmic reionization. In this picture, the Universe contains neutral hydrogen ‘islands’ of up to 100 cMpc/h in extent down to redshifts as low as z ∼ 5.3. This delayed end to reionization also seems to be corroborated by various other observables. An implication of this scenario is that the power spectrum of the cosmological 21-cm signal at z < 6 is enhanced relative to conventional reionization models by orders of magnitude. However, these neutral hydrogen islands are also predicted to be at the locations of the deepest voids in the cosmological large-scale structure. As a result, the distribution of the 21-cm signal from them is highly non-Gaussian. We derive the 21-cm bispectrum signal from these regions using high-dynamic-range radiative transfer simulations of reionization. We find that relative to conventional models in which reionization is complete at z > 6, our model has a significantly larger value of the 21-cm bispectrum. The neutral islands also imprint a feature in the isosceles bispectrum at a characteristic scale of ∼1 cMpc−1. We also study the 21-cm bispectrum for general triangle configuration by defining a triangle index. It should be possible to detect the 21-cm bispectrum signal at ν ≳ 200 MHz using SKA1-LOW for 1080 h of observation, assuming optimistic foreground removal.
The invisible black widow PSR J1720−0534: implications for the electron density towards the North Polar Spur
Authors: Koljonen K I I , Lindseth S S , Linares M , Harding A K , Turchetta M
Published: February 2024

Radio emission from pulsars can be used to map out their distances through dispersion measure (DM), which quantifies the amount of radio pulse dispersion. However, this method relies on accurately modelling the free electron density in the line of sight. Here, we present a detailed study of the multiwavelength emission from PSR J1720−0534, a black widow compact binary millisecond pulsar discovered in 2021, which the latest electron density model of the Galaxy places at only 191 pc. We obtained and analysed deep multiwavelength observations in the γ-ray (Fermi-Large Area Telescope, 2008–2022), optical (Las Cumbres Observatory, 2.7 h), near-infrared (Nordic Optical Telescope, 3.5 h), and X-ray (Swift-X-Ray Telescope, 10 ks) bands. We found no significant detection of γ-ray, optical, near-infrared, or X-ray counterparts around the radio-timing position of PSR J1720−0534, which we thus nickname ‘the invisible black widow’. Employing the most constraining near-infrared limit (J > 23.4 mag), we established a lower limit on the source distance, d > 1.1 kpc, assuming conservative properties for the black widow companion star. This distance lower limit differs drastically (by a factor of more than 5) from the Yao et al. DM distance estimate. We attribute this difference to the inclusion in the Yao et al. model of a large and dense component towards the North Polar Spur. Considering our results and recent parallax distances to other pulsars in this direction, we argue that such a local and large component in the electron density model of the Galaxy is unnecessary.