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The rotation curves of regularly rotating disc galaxies are a unique probe of the gravitational potential and dark matter distribution. Until recently, matter decomposition of rotation curves at $z>0.5$ was challenging, not only due to the lack of high resolution kinematic data but also of both suitable photometry to accurately trace the stellar surface density and spatially-resolved sub-mm observations to trace the cold gas distribution. In this paper, we analyse three galaxies from the Archival Large Program to Advance Kinematic Analysis (ALPAKA) sample, combining highly resolved cold gas observations from ALMA with rest-frame near-infrared imaging from JWST to investigate their dynamical properties and constrain their dark matter halos. The galaxies, initially classified as regularly rotating discs based on ALMA observations alone, appear in JWST as extended and symmetric stellar discs with spiral arms. Our dynamical models reproduce the rotation of the discs in the outer parts well, but they systematically underpredict the inner rotation velocities, revealing a deficit of central mass relative to the data. This discrepancy indicates either an underestimation of the bulge masses due to variations in the stellar mass-to-light ratio or dust attenuation or the presence of overmassive black holes. Alternatively, it may suggest departures from standard dark-matter halo profiles, including enhanced central concentrations.

The vertical structure of stellar discs provides key constraints on their formation and evolution. Nearby spirals, including the Milky Way, host thin and thick components that may arise either from an early turbulent phase or from the subsequent dynamical heating of an initially thin disc; measuring disc thickness across cosmic time therefore offers a direct test of these scenarios. We present a new methodology to measure the thickness of edge-on galaxies that explicitly accounts for small departures from perfectly edge-on orientations by fitting a full three-dimensional model with forward modelling. This improves on traditional approaches that assume an inclination of $90^\circ$ and can bias thicknesses high. Applying the method to \textit{JWST} imaging of galaxies at $1<z<3$ with stellar masses $\gtrsim 10^9~\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ from four major surveys, we measure a median scale height of $z_0 = 0.25\pm0.14~\mathrm{kpc}$ and a median ratio $h_r/z_0 = 8.4\pm3.7$. These values are consistent with the Milky Way and local thin discs, but imply scale heights $\sim 1.6$ times smaller than those inferred for local galaxies from single-disc fits. This result implies that thin discs are already present at $z\sim3$. We further show that a thick disc contributing 10\% of the thin-disc luminosity would be detectable in the data considered in this work, implying that any thick disc present must be fainter and favouring a scenario in which thick discs build up progressively through dynamical heating.

We present integral field spectroscopy of the interacting galaxy system NGC 2207/IC 2163 obtained with the imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer SITELLE. Approximately 1000 HII region complexes are detected in both galaxies and analyzed using their strong optical emission lines. Their properties were studied via BPT diagrams and their luminosity function. We conducted a detailed study of the distribution of oxygen abundance across the system using a series of strong-line O/H indicators and calibrations. Both galaxies exhibit negative galactocentric abundance gradients with a slope -0.015 dex kpc$^{-1}$. There are marginal signs of discontinuities in the O/H gradients with some indicators while no significant azimuthal variations are seen. A shallower slope in the HII region luminosity function between the arm and inter-arm regions in IC 2163 is observed, supporting previous conclusion that the star formation process in this galaxy eyelids has been altered during the interaction. The kinematics of the ionised gas reveal disturbed velocity fields, AGN-like features in the nucleus of NGC 2207, and elevated velocity dispersion in turbulent or feedback-driven regions. To interpret these findings, we modeled the collision using the numerical algorithm GCD+. The simulation reproduces key features of the system and demonstrates how close passages drive enhanced star formation and localized chemical enrichment. Finally, two dwarf galaxies in the field are found to have very similar systemic velocities as their larger counterparts, and could well play a minor role in the global interaction based on their morphology and position.

We investigate the chemical evolution of a forming molecular cloud behind an interstellar shock wave. We conduct three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the converging flow of atomic gas, including a simple chemical network and tracer particles that move along the local velocity field. Then we perform detailed chemical network calculations along the trajectory of each tracer particle. The diffuse part of forming molecular clouds is CO-poor; i.e., H$_2$ and CO abundances do not correlate. In diffuse regions of $n_\mathrm{H}\lesssim 10^{3}\,\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$, we find that the abundances of hydrocarbons and oxygen-bearing molecules are determined by steady-state chemistry reflecting the local H$_2$ abundance, which is determined by the gas density along the trajectory. In denser regions, the abundances are affected by water ice formation, which changes the elemental abundance of carbon and oxygen (i.e., C/O ratio) in the gas phase. Assuming quasi-steady-state chemistry given the abundances of major molecules (e.g., H$_2$) from the simple network, we derive analytic solutions for molecular abundances, which reproduce the calculation results. We also calculate the molecular column densities based on the spatial distribution of tracer particles and their molecular abundances, and compare them with observations of diffuse molecular clouds. We find that the column densities of CH, CCH, and OH are linearly correlated with those of H$_2$, which supports the empirical relation used in the observations. On the other hand, the column density of HCO$^+$ shows non-linear dependence on the H$_2$ column density, reflecting the difference in HCO$^+$ formation paths in CO-poor and CO-rich regions.

There is growing evidence from gravitational-wave observations that some merging black holes are created from previous mergers. Using the prediction that these hierarchically-merged black holes have dimensionless spin magnitudes of $\chi \approx 0.69$, we identify a subpopulation in the gravitational-wave data consistent with a hierarchical-merger origin in dense star clusters. This subpopulation's primary mass distribution peaks at $16.7^{+3.1}_{-4.6},\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$, which is approximately twice as large as its secondary mass distribution's mode ($8.0^{+29.7}_{-2.3},\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$), and its spin tilt distribution is consistent with isotropy. Our inferred secondary mass distributions imply that isolated binary evolution may still be needed to explain the entirety of the $9\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ peak. Surprisingly, we find that the rate of hierarchical mergers may evolve more steeply with redshift than the rest of the population ($98.5\%$ credibility): the fraction of all binary black holes that are hierarchically formed at $z=0.1$ is $0.05^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$, compared to $0.17^{+0.13}_{-0.12}$ at $z=1$. This provides an explanation for the previously-discovered broadening of the effective spin distribution with redshift. Our results have implications for star cluster formation histories, as they suggest the potential existence of a high-redshift population of massive, compact clusters.

Regardless of their initial spins, the merger of two roughly equal mass black holes (BHs) produces a remnant BH of dimensionless spin $0.69$. Such remnants can merge with other black holes in dense stellar environments and produce hierarchical mergers. Analyzing the latest catalog binary black hole (BBH) mergers from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detectors, we identify a subpopulation with primary spins consistent with such hierarchical mergers. Consistent with astrophysical expectations for mergers of second generation BHs with first generation BHs, we find that this subpopulation has mass ratios below $0.59^{+0.18}_{-0.23}$. We also infer that $19$-$88\%$ of the BBH population below this mass ratio is consistent with belonging to the hierarchically-merged population. Our results offer a natural explanation for the narrowing of the effective inspiral spin distribution with mass ratio observed in other studies.

We report the first {\lambda}2-mm very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the radio galaxy NGC 1052, conducted with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) using a wide-band recording mode. Leveraging the wide bandwidth covering a velocity range at 2300 km/s, we successfully detect broad (> 700 km/s) multi-component SO J_N = 3_3 - 2_2 absorption against the sub-parsec-scale continuum structure. The absorption profile consists of both redshifted and blueshifted components, including a newly identified blueshifted feature at -412 km/s relative to the systemic velocity. Significant SO absorption is confined to the central components, with no substantial detection toward the outer jet components. This constrains the location of SO gas to a compact region smaller than 0.45 pc in the sub-parsec vicinity of the supermassive black hole (SMBH). Our results support the scenario in which SO molecules are evaporated through shock heating caused by jet-torus interaction. The SO gas clumps are likely driven outward by the jet, with some returning toward the SMBH as inflowing material. Comparison with 321 GHz H2O masers reveals partial similarities in spatial distribution and radial velocity, suggesting that the jet-torus interaction may also trigger the excitation of H2O masers.

Linearly polarized emission is a powerful tracer of magnetic field geometry and particle acceleration in protostellar jets. We present a polarimetric study of the HH objects HH 80 and HH 81 from where non-thermal emission has been confirmed through spectral index measurements at low frequencies. We carried out observations of HH 80 and HH 81 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in 4-6 GHz. Unlike the inner jet knots, no linear polarization is detected towards the knots HH 80 and HH 81. We place a $3\sigma$ upper limit of $30~\mu$Jy on the polarization intensity, corresponding to fractional polarization limits of $\Pi_{\max}\approx0.02$ and $0.01$ for HH 80 and HH 81, respectively. To interpret this non-detection, we assess the conditions for synchrotron polarization and the impact of depolarization mechanisms. The shock cooling parameter $\chi_\mathrm{s}$ is lower in these outermost HH objects than in the inner knots, indicating that the reverse shocks in HH 80-81 are less efficient at accelerating relativistic electrons compared with the inner knots. Moreover, Faraday depolarization appears severe: the dispersion in the estimated rotation measure $\sigma_{\rm RM}\sim400~\mathrm{rad~m^{-2}}$ is comparable to or larger than observed RM values themselves. This is consistent with strong fluctuations and turbulence. Together with beam depolarization, these effects can suppress the observable fractional polarization flux densities below the detectable thresholds. We conclude that reduced acceleration efficiency (when compared to inner knots) and strong depolarization account for the absence of polarized emission towards HH 80 and HH 81.

Red supergiants (RSGs), representing a kind of massive young stellar population, have rarely been used to probe the structure of the Milky Way, mainly due to the long-standing scarcity of Galactic RSG samples. The Gaia BP/RP spectra (hereafter XP), which cover a broad wavelength range, provide a powerful tool for identifying RSGs. In this work, we develop a feedforward neural network classifier that assigns to each XP spectrum a probability of being an RSG, denoted as $\mathrm{P(RSG)}$. We perform ten independent runs with randomly divided training and validation sets, and apply each run to all XP spectra of stars with $G < 12$ mag. By selecting sources with $\mathrm{P(RSG)} \geq 0.9$, ten high-confidence candidate samples are obtained. A star is considered a ture Galactic RSG only if it appears in at least eight of these samples, yielding a final catalog of 2,436 objects. These RSGs show a clear spatial correlation with OB stars and trace the Galactic spiral arms well, confirming the reliability of our classification, and highlighting their potential to serve as powerful tracers of the Milky Way's structure.

We conducted experiments with machine learning techniques to construct dust temperature maps from the CO isotopologue molecular line data in the Orion A molecular cloud. In the classical astrophysical methodology, multi-band continuum data are required to derive the dust temperature. The present study aims to investigate the capability and limitations of machine learning techniques to derive dust temperatures in regions without multi-band dust continuum data. We investigated how the number of pixels used for training influences prediction accuracy, and how the dust temperatures sampled in the training area influence prediction accuracy. We found that $\sim$5\% of the total number of pixels in the observational region is sufficient for training to obtain accurate predictions. Furthermore, a dust temperature sample within the training area should cover the whole temperature range and have a similar sample distribution to that of the entire observing region for an accurate prediction. The $^{12}$CO / $^{13}$CO ratio is often found to be the most important feature in predicting the dust temperature. As the $^{12}$CO / $^{13}$CO ratio is a tracer of PDR, the machine learning technique could connect the dust temperatures to the PDRs. We also found that the condition of thermal gas-dust coupling is not required for accurate prediction of the dust temperature from the molecular line data, and that machine learning is capable of capturing information more than classical astrophysical concepts.

Context. There are only six molecules containing N-O bond that are detected in gaseous phase in interstellar medium. One of those is nitrous oxide (N2O), which was searched for but not found in solid form from as early as Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) mission was launched. The observational capabilities of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) present a possibility to identify solid interstellar N2O. Aims. We aim to identify nitrous oxide in open JWST spectra of interstellar ices towards a sample of Class 0, 0/I and flat protostars using the relevant laboratory mixtures of N2O-bearing interstellar ice analogues. Methods. A set of laboratory infrared transmission spectra was obtained for the following mixtures: N2O:CO2=1:20, N2O:CO=1:20, N2O:N2=1:20, N2O:CO2:CO=1:15:5, N2O:CO2:N2=1:15:13 at 10-23 K. A search for N2O in JWST NIRSpec spectra towards 50 protostars was performed by fitting the 4.44-4.47 um (2250-2235 cm-1) NN-stretch absorption band with new laboratory mixtures of N2O-bearing ices. Results. We claim the first secure identification of N2O in 16 protostars. The fitting results show that N2O is formed predominantly within the apolar layer of the ice mantles, rich in CO, CO2 and N2. The abundance of solid N2O is estimated as 0.2-2.1% relative to solid CO. We present band strengths for N2O in the mixtures corresponding to the apolar layer. Also, an identification of the C-N stretch band at 4.42 um (2260 cm-1) is reported, which we tentatively assign to HNCO, the simplest C-N bond carrier.

We present a multiband (UBVRI) time-series photometric study of RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in the globular cluster Messier 53 (NGC 5024) to refine their pulsation properties and determine a precise cluster distance. The archival photometric data includes images taken over 22 years and 3 months using different optical telescopes, providing an excellent time baseline to investigate light curves of variable stars. Using Lomb-Scargle periodogram, we derived accurate periods for 29 fundamental-mode (RRab) and 35 first-overtone (RRc) RRLs. Template-fitting to phase-folded light curves provided robust mean magnitudes and amplitudes. The refined periods confirm M53 as an Oosterhoff II cluster, with a mean period of 0.649 days for RRab and 0.346 days for RRc, and a high RRc fraction (54.7\%). Most RRLs align with the horizontal branch in the color-magnitude diagram, while a few outliers result from blending effects. Period-amplitude diagrams show RRab stars following the Oosterhoff II locus. We derived I-band period-luminosity and multi-band period-Wesenheit relations, comparing them with theoretical predictions. A weighted mean distance modulus of 16.242 $\pm$ 0.05 mag yields a cluster distance of 17.717 $\pm$ 0.408 kpc, in agreement with recent estimates based on parallaxes from Gaia data.

Observations indicate that disc fragmentation due to Gravitational Instability (GI) is the likely origin of massive companions to stars, such as giant planets orbiting M-dwarf stars, Brown Dwarf (BD) companions to FGK stars, and binary stars with separations smaller than 100 au. Additionally, we have recently showed that disc fragmentation in young rapidly evolving binary systems ejects an abundant population of massive Jupiter-mass Free-Floating Planets (FFPs). In this model, a massive disc around an initially single protostar undergoes GI and hatches a number of fragments; the most massive oligarch grows by runaway accretion into the secondary star. As the system rearranges itself from a single to a binary star configuration, a dramatic "pincer movement" by the binary ejects planets through dynamical interactions with the stars. Here we propose that the same scenario applies to an even more abundant population of smaller FFPs discovered by the microlensing surveys. Although disc fragmentation is usually believed to form only massive objects, several pathways for forming small core-dominated planets at separations of tens of au exist. We present results from three complementary simulation approaches, all of which confirm planet ejection efficiency as high as 0.5 for secondaries more massive than $\sim 10$\% of the primary star mass. On the other hand, Jovian mass planets migrate through the region of tens of au too rapidly to eject planets from that region. We discuss implications of this scenario, concluding that microlensing FFPs may be the most convincing evidence yet that disc fragmentation forms planets much less massive than Jupiter.

We present the first comprehensive spectroscopic and deep photometric study of the globular cluster (GC) candidate Patchick 126. The spectroscopic analysis is based on high-resolution near-infrared data obtained with the IGRINS spectrograph, while the photometric analysis relies on HST observations from the Hubble Missing Globular Cluster Survey (MGCS). We derived abundances for $\alpha$-(O, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti), light-(C, N), odd-Z (Na, Al), iron-peak (Fe, Co, Cr, Ni, Mn, V), and s-process elements (Ce) for four red giant stars observed in the H and K bands. Our results yield a mean metallicity of $\langle\mathrm{[Fe/H]}\rangle = -0.30\pm0.03$, with no evidence of intrinsic variation, and an $\alpha$-enhancement of $\langle\mathrm{[\alpha/Fe]}\rangle =+0.19\pm0.02$, consistent with the trends of metal-rich Galactic GCs. We detect an intrinsic C-N anti-correlation, but no Na-O or Al-Mg anti-correlations, in agreement with expectations for low-mass, metal-rich clusters. From the HST photometry, we constructed deep CMDs extending $\sim 2-3$ magnitudes below the MSTO. This depth allowed us to provide the first robust age estimate for the cluster. Applying the methods developed within the CARMA project, we derive an age of $11.9^{+0.3}_{-0.4}$ Gyr. We obtain a photometric metallicity of [Fe/H]$=-0.28$, in agreement with the spectroscopic results. The colour excess we derived, E(B-V) = 1.08, confirms that Patchick 126 is a heavily reddened cluster, located at a heliocentric distance of 7.8 kpc. From the orbital parameters, including energy, vertical angular momentum, circularity, and maximum vertical height, we find that Patchick 126 closely follows a disc-like orbit. Taken together, these results confirm that Patchick 126 is an in situ, low-mass globular cluster of the Milky Way, exhibiting properties that lie at the boundary between old-OCs and GCs.

Context. Understanding the optical properties of astrophysical ices is crucial for modeling dust continuum emission and radiative transfer in cold, dense interstellar environments. Molecular nitrogen (N$_2$), a major nitrogen reservoir in protoplanetary disks, plays a key role in nitrogen chemistry, yet the lack of direct terahertz (THz)–infrared (IR) optical constants for N$_2$ ice introduces uncertainties in radiative transfer models, snowline locations, and disk mass estimates. Aims. We present direct measurements of the optical properties of N$_2$ ice over a broad THz–IR spectral range using terahertz pulsed spectroscopy (TPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and comparison with literature data. Methods. N$_2$ ice was grown at cryogenic temperatures by gas-phase deposition onto a cold silicon window. The THz complex refractive index was directly reconstructed from TPS data, while the IR response was derived from FTIR measurements using Kramers–Kronig relations. The optical response was parameterized with a Lorentz dielectric model and validated by DFT calculations. Results. The complex refractive index of N$_2$ ice is quantified from $\nu = 0.3$–$16$ THz ($\lambda = 1$ mm–$18.75~\mu$m). Resonant absorption peaks at $\nu_\mathrm{L} = 1.47$ and $2.13$ THz with damping constants $\gamma_\mathrm{L} = 0.03$ and $0.22$ THz are attributed to optically active phonons of the $\alpha$-N$_2$ crystal. Conclusions. We provide a complete set of the THz–IR optical constants for \ce{N2} ice by combining TPS and FTIR spectroscopy. Our results have implications for future observational and modeling studies of protoplanetary disk evolution and planet formation.

Recent work revealed the existence of a galaxy "millimetre fundamental plane of black hole accretion", a tight correlation between nuclear $1$mm luminosity, intrinsic $2$ - $10$keV X-ray luminosity and supermassive black hole mass, originally discovered for nearby low- and high-luminosity active galactic nuclei. Here we use mm and X-ray data of $5$ X-ray binaries (XRBs) to demonstrate that these stellar-mass black holes also lie on the mm fundamental plane, as they do at radio wavelengths. One source for which we have multi-epoch observations shows evidence of deviations from the plane after a state change, suggesting that the plane only applies to XRBs in the hard state, as is true again at radio wavelengths. We show that both advection-dominated accretion flows and compact jet models predict the existence of the plane across the entire range of black hole masses, although these models vary in their ability to accurately predict the XRB black hole masses.

Dark galaxies are small, DM-dominated halos whose gas remains in hydrostatic and thermal equilibrium and has never formed stars. They are of particular interest because they represent a strong prediction of the LCDM model. As of today, only a handful of candidates have been observed, the most intriguing of which being Cloud-9. Using several state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations, we aim to predict the abundance of dark galaxies expected within our Local Group (LG), characterise their properties and provide guidance for their potential detection. We analyse LG simulations with constrained initial conditions, run with different codes, implementing different baryonic physics, feedback prescriptions, and employing two distinct values of SF density threshold, n_th=0.13 and 10 cm^-3, to select samples of dark and bright galaxies harboured in haloes of similar mass. We demonstrate that dark galaxies exist in such simulations, though their number is larger in simulations that use a higher, more realistic n_th. These galaxies, whose gas remains diffuse and never forms stars, predominantly inhabit less-concentrated, higher-spin DM halos than their luminous counterparts. Dark galaxies are typically found in low-density regions at the outskirts of the LG, and their evolution across z indicate that both the DM and gas densities in their surroundings were consistently lower than those found around bright galaxies, making them less susceptible to interactions, mergers, or gas inflows. We estimate that up to 8 dark galaxies should be detectable in HI emission within 2.5 Mpc of the LG, with the FAST telescope, accounting for its sky coverage and minimum M_HI and N_HI. Current hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies, combined with upcoming HI surveys, will offer a direct and powerful test of LCDM through their ability to predict and measure properties of dark galaxies within and beyond the LG.

We consider the oxygen abundance distributions for a sample of massive spiral galaxies from the MaNGA survey in which the radial abundance gradient flattens to a constant value outside of the outer break radius, Rb,outer. The outer break radius can be considered as a dividing radius between the galaxy and the circumgalactic medium (CGM). The values of the Rb,outer range from 0.8R_{25} to 1.45R_{25}, where R_{25} is the optical radius of the galaxy. The oxygen abundances in the CGM range from 12+log(O/H)   8.0 to   8.5. The O/H distribution in each of our galaxies also shows the inner break in the radial abundance profile at the radius Rb,inner. The metallicity gradient in the outer part of the galaxy is steeper than in the inner part. The behaviour of the radial abundance distributions in these galaxies can be explained by assuming an interaction with (capture of the gas from) a small companion and adopting the model for the chemical evolution of galaxies with a radial gas flow. The interaction with a companion results in the mixing of gas and a flat metallicity gradient in the CGM. The capture of the gas from a companion increases the radial gas inflow rate and changes the slope of the radial abundance gradient in the outer part of the galaxy.

The earliest stages of disk formation and dust evolution during the protostellar phase remain poorly constrained. Millimeter dust emission and its polarization provide key insights into the physical processes and material distribution at the envelope-disk interface. We present ALMA polarimetric observations at 1.4 mm and 3 mm of two young stellar objects in Taurus, IRAS 04166+2706 (K04166) and IRAS 04169+2702 (K04169), probing scales from 25 au to 3000 au. We model the Stokes I emission to separate disk and envelope contributions and analyze the polarization properties to identify the dominant polarization mechanisms. K04166 shows extended Stokes I and polarized emission tracing a tentative hourglass magnetic field morphology in its envelope. In the inner envelope and disk (< 100 au), the properties of the polarized emission change, suggesting either a toroidal magnetic field or the presence of large grains. In contrast, K04169 exhibits compact Stokes I and polarized emission consistent with self-scattering from the disk. Both disks are extremely compact, but only K04166 retains a substantial envelope. Our multiscale ALMA polarimetric observations reveal a transition from magnetically aligned grains in envelopes to self-scattering in disks within the transition region of 20-50 au. These results provide important clues on dust grain growth and magnetic field morphology at the disk-envelope scales. Despite being embedded in the same filament, the two sources display striking differences, indicating that K04166 is a young embedded object with a substantial envelope threaded by relatively organized magnetic fields. Meanwhile, K04169 is more evolved, likely to be a young T-Tauri star. However, in both disks, the presence of large grains already suggests a scenario of early dust evolution in disks of the Class 0 stage.

Elemental abundances, which are often depleted with respect to the solar values, are important input parameters for kinetic models of interstellar chemistry. In particular, the amount of carbon relative to oxygen is known to have a strong effect on modeled abundances of many species. While previous studies have focused on comparison of modeled and observed abundances to constrain the C/O ratio, the effects of this parameter on the underlying chemistry have not been well-studied. We investigated the role of the C/O ratio on dark cloud chemistry using the NAUTILUS code and machine learning techniques for molecular representation. We find that modeled abundances are quite sensitive to the C/O ratio, especially for carbon-rich species such as carbon chains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). CO and simple ice-phase species are found to be major carbon reservoirs under both oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich conditions. The appearance of C3H4 isomers as significant carbon reservoirs, even under oxygen-rich conditions, indicates the efficiency of gas-phase C3 formation followed by adsorption and grain-surface hydrogenation. Our model is not able to reproduce the observed, gas-phase C/H ratio of TMC-1 CP at the time of best fit with any C/O ratio between 0.1 and 3, suggesting that the modeled freeze-out of carbon-bearing molecules may be too rapid. Future investigations are needed to understand the reactivity of major carbon reservoirs and their conversion to complex organic molecules.

(Abridged) In the low-mass star formation process, theoretical models predict that material from the infalling envelope could be shocked as it encounters the outer regions of the disk. Nevertheless, only a few protostars show evidence of these shocks at the disk-envelope interface, and the main formation path of shocked-related species is still unclear. We present new ALMA observations of IRS 44, a Class I source that has previously been associated with accretion shocks, taken at high angular resolution (0.1"). We target multiple molecular transitions of CO, H2CO, and simple sulfur-bearing species. In continuum emission, the binary nature of IRS 44 is observed for the first time at sub-millimeter wavelengths. Infalling signatures are seen for the CO line and the emission peaks at the edges of the continuum emission around IRS 44 B, the same region where bright SO and SO2 emission is seen. Weak CS and H2CO emission is observed, while OCS, H2S, and H2CS transitions are not detected. IRS 44 B seems to be more embedded than IRS 44 A, indicating a non-coeval formation scenario or the rejuvenation of source B due to late infall. CO emission is tracing the outflow component at large scales, infalling envelope material at intermediate scales, and two infalling streamer candidates are identified at disk scales. Infalling streamers might produce accretion shocks when they encounter the outer regions of the infalling-rotating envelope. These shocks heat the dust and release S-bearing species as well as promoting a lukewarm chemistry in the gas phase. With the majority of carbon locked in CO, there is little free C available to form CS and H2CS in the gas, leaving an oxygen-rich environment. The high column densities of SO and SO2 might be a consequence of two processes: direct thermal desorption from dust grains and gas-phase formation due to the availability of O and S.

We present new and archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of two strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected from the South Pole Telescope survey, SPT0418-47 $(z = 4.225)$ and SPT2147-50 $(z = 3.760)$. We study the [C II], CO(7-6), [C I](2-1), and, in SPT0418-47, $p$-H$_2$O emission, which along with the underlying continuum (rest-frame 160 $\mu$m and 380 $\mu$m) are routinely used as tracers of gas mass and/or star-formation rate (SFR). We perform a pixel-by-pixel analysis of both sources in the image plane to study the resolved Kennicutt-Schmidt relation, finding generally good agreement between the slopes of the SFR versus gas mass surface density using the different tracers. Using lens modeling methods, we find that the dust emission is more compact than the line emission in both sources, with CO(7-6) and [C I](2-1) similar in extent and [C II] the most extended, reminiscent of recent findings of extended [C II] spatial distributions in galaxies at similar cosmic epochs. We develop the [C I](2-1) / CO(7-6) flux density ratio as an observable proxy for gas depletion timescale ($\tau_{\rm dep}$), which can be applied to large samples of DSFGs, in lieu of more detailed inferences of this timescale which require analysis of observations at multiple wavelengths. Furthermore, the extended [C II] emission in both sources, compared to the total continuum and line emission, suggests that [C II], used in recent years as a molecular gas mass and SFR tracer in high-$z$ galaxies, may not always be a suitable tracer of these physical quantities.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to have a source rich data stream containing signals from large numbers of many different types of source. This will include both individually resolvable signals and overlapping stochastic backgrounds, a regime intermediate between current ground-based detectors and pulsar timing arrays. The resolved sources and backgrounds will be fitted together in a high dimensional Global Fit. To extract information about the astrophysical populations to which the sources belong, we need to decode the information in the Global Fit, which requires new methodology that has not been required for the analysis of current gravitational wave detectors. Here, we %start that development, presenting present a hierarchical Bayesian framework to infer the properties of astrophysical populations directly from the output of a LISA Global Fit, consistently accounting for information encoded in both the resolved sources and the unresolved background. Using a simplified model of the Global Fit, we illustrate how the interplay between resolved and unresolved components affects population inference and highlight the impact of data analysis choices, such as the signal-to-noise threshold for resolved sources, on the results. Our approach provides a practical foundation for population inference using LISA data.

This paper investigates the potential of Machian Gravity (MG), a five-dimensional theory of gravity, to explain the acceleration law governing rotationally bound systems, in particular spiral galaxies. MG was proposed as a framework capable of accounting for a range of astrophysical and cosmological phenomena – including galactic rotation curves, mass distributions in galaxy clusters, and cosmic expansion – without invoking additional dark components. In this study, we apply the MG acceleration law to a large sample of galaxies drawn from the SPARC database. Through a detailed analysis, we determine the optimal MG parameters for each individual galaxy, successfully fitting their observed rotation curves. Similar to Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), our results indicate the existence of a characteristic acceleration scale associated with galactic dynamics, which regulates rotational behavior in the outer regions. Notably, this acceleration scale varies from galaxy to galaxy, but typically remains of order $10^{-8} {\rm cm/s^2}$.

In the era of Gaia, the accurate determination of stellar ages is transforming Galactic archaeology. We demonstrate the feasibility of inferring stellar ages from Gaia's RVS spectra and the BP/RP (XP) spectrophotometric data, specifically for red giant branch and high-mass red clump stars. We successfully train two machine learning models, dubbed SIDRA: Stellar age Inference Derived from Gaia spectRA to predict the age. The SIDRA-RVS model uses the RVS spectra and SIDRA-XP the stellar parameters obtained from the XP spectra. Both models use BINGO, an APOGEE-derived stellar age as the training data. SIDRA-RVS estimates ages of stars whose age is around $\tau_\mathrm{BINGO}=10$ Gyr with a standard deviation of residuals of $\sim$ 0.12 dex in the unseen test dataset, while SIDRA-XP achieves higher precision with residuals $\sim$ 0.064 dex for stars around $\tau_\mathrm{BINGO}=10$  Gyr. Since SIDRA-XP outperforms SIDRA-RVS, we apply SIDRA-XP to analyse the ages for 2,218,154 stars. This allowed us to map the chronological and chemical properties of Galactic disc stars, reproducing the known distinct features such as the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus merger and a potential gas-rich interaction event linked to the first infall of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. This study demonstrates that machine learning techniques applied to Gaia's spectra can provide valuable individual age information, particularly for giant stars, thereby enhancing our understanding of the Milky Way's formation and evolution.

We present the first joint analysis of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect with galaxy-galaxy lensing (GGL) for CMASS galaxies in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). We show these complementary probes can disentangle baryons from dark matter in the outskirts of galactic halos by alleviating model degeneracies that are present when fitting to kSZ or GGL measurements alone. In our joint kSZ+GGL analysis we show that the baryon density profile is well constrained on scales from 0.3 to 50 Mpc/$h$. With our well constrained profile of the baryon density, we provide direct comparisons to simulations. For our model we find an outer slope of the baryon distribution that is shallower than predicted by some hydrodynamical simulations, consistent with enhanced baryonic feedback. We also show that not including baryons in a model for GGL can bias halo mass estimates low by $\sim 20\%$ compared to a model that includes baryons and is jointly fit to kSZ+GGL measurements. Our modelling code galaxy-galaxy lensing and kSZ (\texttt{glasz}) is publicly available at this https URL .

Galactic disks typically exhibit a negative radial metallicity gradient, indicating faster enrichment in the inner regions. Recent studies report that this gradient becomes flatter with increasing stellar age in the Milky Way's (MW) thin disk, while the thick disk exhibits a mildly positive gradient across all ages. In this work, we revisit the metallicity gradient-age relation (MGAR) in both the thin and thick disks of the MW, using spectroscopic data from LAMOST DR8 and stellar ages calibrated with asteroseismology. Our results show a steadily flattening MGAR in the thin disk and confirm a positive gradient $\sim0.013\,\mathrm{dex\,kpc^{-1}}$ in the thick disk. The flattening in the thin disk may be caused by large-scale radial migration induced by transient spiral arms, or by a time-dependent steepening of the interstellar medium (ISM) metallicity gradient as suggested by recent FIRE2 simulations. The positive gradient in the thick disk may reflect early enrichment of the outer regions by strong feedback or starburst-driven outflows in a turbulent, gas-rich proto-disk. These findings suggest distinct chemodynamical evolution paths for the MW's thin and thick disks and provide valuable constraints for future models of Galactic chemical evolution.

The thermodynamic properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) at the outskirts of galaxy clusters provide valuable insights into the growth of the dark matter halo and the heating of the ICM. Considering the results of the soft X-ray background study of non-cluster Suzaku fields, we revisit 65 Suzaku pointing observations of the Perseus cluster in eight azimuthal directions beyond 1 Mpc (0.8 $r_{500}$). A possible foreground component, whose spectrum is modeled as a 1 keV collisional ionization equilibrium plasma, significantly affects the temperature and density measurements of the ICM in cluster outskirts. The emission measures in the six arms are similar, showing that the radial slopes of temperature and density follow $r^{-0.67\pm0.25}$ and $r^{-2.21\pm 0.06}$, respectively. The radial pressure profile is close to the average profile measured by the Planck satellite. The resulting entropy slope is $\propto r^{0.81\pm 0.25}$, consistent with the theoretical slope of 1.1. The integrated gas fraction, the ratio of the integrated gas mass to the hydrostatic mass, is estimated to be 0.13$\pm$0.01 and 0.18$\pm$0.02 at $r_{500}$ and $r_{200}$, respectively, consistent with the cosmic baryon fraction. These results suggest that the ICM at the cluster outskirts is quite regular and close to hydrostatic equilibrium. The remaining two arms show that the emission measure is higher by a factor of 1.5-2, possibly due to accretion from filaments from the large-scale structure. A sudden drop in the emission measure also occurs in a direction toward one of the filaments.

Ram pressure stripping (RPS) plays a crucial role in shaping galaxy evolution in dense environments, yet its impact on the molecular and dusty phases of the interstellar medium remains poorly understood. We present JWST/NIRCam $3.3\mathrm{\mu m}$ polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission maps for the nine most striking RPS galaxies in the Abell 2744 cluster at redshift $z_{cl}=0.306$, tracing the effects of environmental processes on small dust grains. Exploiting multi-band JWST/NIRCam and HST photometry, we performed a spatially resolved ultraviolet (UV) to mid-infrared (MIR) spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to characterise stellar populations in both galactic disks and clumps detected in the stripped tails. We detected PAH$_{3.3}$ emission in eight of the nine galaxies at $5\sigma$, with morphologies revealing disk truncation and elongation along the RPS direction. In three galaxies, PAH$_{3.3}$ emission is also found in star-forming clumps embedded in the stripped tails up to a distance of $40\mathrm{kpc}$. Star formation rates inferred from PAH$_{3.3}$ emission are in agreement with those derived from SED fitting averaged over the past $100\mathrm{Myr}$ within an intrinsic scatter of $0.4\mathrm{dex}$, but the relation appears to be age-dependent. The spatial correlation between the PAH strength, stellar age, and star formation rate (SFR) is consistent across disks and tails and demonstrates that PAH-carrying molecules can survive and become stripped by ram pressure. Finally, age gradients revealed by the SED fitting provide observational evidence of the fireball model in star-forming, stripped clumps of galaxies at $z \sim 0.3$. This work represents the first detailed study of PAH emission in cluster galaxies, offering new insights into the fate of dust and star formation in extreme environments.

Luminous quasars at the redshift frontier z>7 serve as stringent probes of super-massive black hole formation and they are thought to undergo much of their growth obscured by dense gas and dust in their host galaxies. Fully characterizing the symbiotic evolution of SMBHs and hosts requires rest-frame optical observations that span spatial scales from the broad-line region to the ISM and CGM. JWST now provides the necessary spatially resolved spectroscopy to do so. But the physical conditions that regulate the interplay between SMBHs and their hosts at the highest redshifts, especially the nature of early feedback phases, remain unclear. We present JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations of J0313$-$1806 at z=7.64, the most distant luminous quasar known. From the restframe optical spectrum of the unresolved quasar, we derive a black hole mass of $M_\mathrm{BH}=(1.63 \pm 0.10)\times10^9 M_\odot$ based on H$\beta$ and an Eddington rate of $\lambda=L/L_\mathrm{Edd}=0.80\pm 0.05$, consistent with previous MgII-based estimates. J0313-1806 exhibits no detectable [O III] emission on nuclear scales. Most remarkably, we detect an ionized gas shell extending out to $\sim 1.8$ kpc traced by H$\beta$ emission that also lacks any significant [O III], with a $3\sigma$ upper limit on the [O III]$ \lambda$5007 to H$\beta$ flux ratio of $\log_{10} \left( F(\mathrm{[OIII]})/F(\mathrm{H}\beta)\right)=-1.15$. Through photoionization modelling, we demonstrate that the extended emission is consistent with a thin, clumpy outflowing shell where [OIII] is collisionally de-excited by dense gas. We interpret this structure as a fossil remnant of a recent blowout phase, providing evidence for episodic feedback cycles in one of the earliest quasars. These findings suggest that dense ISM phases may play a crucial role in shaping the spectral properties of quasars accross cosmic time.

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) hosting water megamaser disks enable exceptionally precise geometric determinations of black hole mass, distance, inclination, and dynamical center. In anticipation of upcoming space-based very long baseline interferometry (SVLBI) missions, megamaser disk AGN offer a uniquely valuable probe of strong-gravity regimes through black hole shadow (BHS) imaging beyond SgrA* and M87*. In this work, we (1) map the predicted BHS diameters of twenty-one of the most precisely characterized megamaser disk AGN to submillimeter-millimeter (submm-mm) interferometric baseline requirements, (2) estimate their respective AGN-core flux densities at submm-mm wavelengths, accounting for thermal-dust contamination, extended-jet emission, and intrinsic variability, and (3) determine the astrometric precision required to detect spin-dependent positional offsets between the BHS and the megamaser disk dynamical center. NGC4258 stands out as the only megamaser disk AGN detectable on Earth-L2 baselines in the submm-mm regime, while other megamaser disk AGN in the sample would require baselines approaching Earth-L4/L5 distances; moreover, only a handful exhibit flux densities above $\sim$10mJy. Our results further indicate a submillimeter excess in NGC4258, suggesting that the accretion disk remains thin down to a transitional radius of $\lesssim 100$Schwarzschild radii, within which the flow becomes advection dominated. For a maximally spinning supermassive black hole in NGC4258, we show that the astrometric precision of the BHS centroid necessary to detect the BHS-dynamical center offset could, in principle, be achieved with Earth-Moon baselines; however, it would also demand astrometric precision of the water maser dynamical center roughly fifty times better than what is currently attainable.

Context. Cosmic rays and magnetic fields play an important role for the formation and evolution of galaxies. Radio continuum observations allows us to study them in the haloes of edge-on galaxies. Aims. We explore the frequency dependence of the radio scale height which depends on cosmic ray transport and electron cooling. We test the influence of fundamental galaxy properties, such as star-formation rate (SFR), mass and size. Methods. We used radio continuum data of 16 edge-on galaxies from the Continuum HAloes in Nearby Galaxies – an EVLA Survey (CHANG-ES). We included maps from the LOw Frequency ARray at 144 MHz and from the Jansky Very Large Array at 3 GHz with 7" angular resolution. We extracted vertical intensity profiles within the effective radio radius and fitted beam-convolved double-exponential models to separate thin and thick discs. For the thick radio discs, we computed mean spectral indices and scale-height ratios between 144 MHz and 3 GHz. Results. We find a mean scale-height ratio of 1.26 \pm 0.16. This is much lower than what we would expect for either cosmic ray diffusion or advection if synchrotron and inverse Compton losses dominate for the electrons. There is a moderate positive correlation between the ratio and spectral index of the thick disc: galaxies with high ratios have flat radio spectra. The ratio does not depend on any other galaxy parameter. The radio spectrum of the thick disc, as indicated by the radio spectral index, steepens with total mass (strong correlation) and flattens with SFR-to-mass surface density (moderate correlation). Conclusions. Galaxies with galactic winds have flat radio continuum spectra and large scale heights at low frequencies. This shows effective transport of cosmic rays in such systems.

We consider neutrinos scattering off Milky Way dark matter and the impact of this scattering on supernovae neutrinos. This can take the form of attenuation on the initial flux of neutrinos and a time-delayed flux of scattered neutrinos. Considering dark matter masses above 100 MeV and past Milky Way supernovae, we find this time-delayed flux is nearly constant in time. We call this flux the Dark Matter Diffused Supernova Neutrino Background (DMDSNB), and use Super-K limits on the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB) flux to set limits on the dark matter-neutrino scattering cross section. We find $\sigma_{\rm DM-\nu}/m_{\rm DM} \lesssim 2.4 \times 10^{-24} \mathrm{cm^2}$/GeV for $m_{\rm DM} \gtrsim 1$ GeV, which is the strongest bound to date on dark matter-neutrino scatterings at MeV energies, and stronger than bounds set from SN1987A neutrino attenuation by an order of magnitude. We end by discussing how the DMDSNB could be distinguished from the DSNB.

Stage-IV dark energy wide-field surveys, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), will observe an unprecedented number density of galaxies. As a result, the majority of imaged galaxies will visually overlap, a phenomenon known as blending. Blending is expected to be a leading source of systematic error in astronomical measurements. To mitigate this systematic, we propose a new probabilistic method for detecting, deblending, and measuring the properties of galaxies, called the Bayesian Light Source Separator (BLISS). Given an astronomical survey image, BLISS uses convolutional neural networks to produce a probabilistic astronomical catalog by approximating the posterior distribution over the number of light sources, their centroids' locations, and their types (galaxy vs. star). BLISS additionally includes a denoising autoencoder to reconstruct unblended galaxy profiles. As a first step towards demonstrating the feasibility of BLISS for cosmological applications, we apply our method to simulated single-band images whose properties are representative of year-10 LSST coadds. First, we study each BLISS component independently and examine its probabilistic output as a function of SNR and degree of blending. Then, by propagating the probabilistic detections from BLISS to its deblender, we produce per-object flux posteriors. Using these posteriors yields a substantial improvement in aperture flux residuals relative to deterministic detections alone, particularly for highly blended and faint objects. These results highlight the potential of BLISS as a scalable, uncertainty-aware tool for mitigating blending-induced systematics in next-generation cosmological surveys.

We present MARVEL ( this https URL ), a locally deployable, open-source framework for domain-aware question answering and assisted scientific research. It is designed to address the increasing demands of a digital assistant for scientific groups that can read highly technical data, cite precisely, and operate within authenticated networks. MARVEL combines a fast path for straightforward queries with a more deliberate DeepSearch mode that integrates retrieval-augmented generation and Monte Carlo Tree Search. It explores complementary subqueries, allocates more compute to promising branches, and maintains a global evidence ledger that preserves sources during drafting. We applied this framework in the context of gravitational-wave research related to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. Answers are grounded in a curated semantic index of research literature, doctoral theses, LIGO documents, and long-running detector electronic logbooks, with targeted web searches when appropriate. Because direct benchmarking against commercial LLMs cannot be performed on private data, we evaluated MARVEL on two publicly available surrogate datasets that capture comparable semantic and technical characteristics. On these benchmarks, MARVEL matches a GPT-4o mini baseline on literature-centric queries and substantially outperforms it on detector-operations content, where domain retrieval and guided reasoning are decisive. By making the complete framework and evaluation datasets openly available, we aim to provide a reproducible foundation for developing domain-specific scientific assistants.

Thermal electron measurements in space plasmas typically suffer at low energies from spacecraft emissions of photo- and secondary electrons and from charging of the spacecraft body. We examine these effects by use of numerical simulations in the context of electron measurements acquired by the Electron Analyser System (SWA-EAS) on board the Solar Orbiter mission. We employed the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software to model the interaction of the Solar Orbiter spacecraft with solar wind plasma and we implemented a virtual detector to simulate the measured electron energy spectra as observed in situ by the SWA-EAS experiment. Numerical simulations were set according to the measured plasma conditions at 0.3 AU. We derived the simulated electron energy spectra as detected by the virtual SWA-EAS experiment for different electron populations and compared these with both the initial plasma conditions and the corresponding real SWA-EAS data samples. We found qualitative agreement between the simulated and real data observed in situ by the SWA-EAS detector. Contrary to other space missions, the contamination by cold electrons emitted from the spacecraft is seen well above the spacecraft potential energy threshold. A detailed analysis of the simulated electron energy spectra demonstrates that contamination above the threshold is a result of cold electron fluxes emitted from distant spacecraft surfaces. The relative position of the break in the simulated spectrum with respect to the spacecraft potential slightly deviates from that in the real observations. This may indicate that the real potential of the SWA-EAS detector with respect to ambient plasma differs from the spacecraft potential value measured on board. The overall contamination is shown to be composed of emissions from a number of different sources and their relative contribution varies with the ambient plasma conditions.

Optical polarimetry provides information on the geometry of the emitting region, the magnetic field configuration and the properties of dust in astrophysical sources. Current state-of-the-art instruments typically have a small field of view (FoV), which poses a challenge for conducting wide surveys. We propose the construction of the Large Array Survey Telescope Polarization Node (LAST-P), a wide-field array of optical polarimeters. LAST-P is designed for high-cadence ($\lesssim 1$ day) polarization monitoring of numerous astrophysical transients, such as the early phases of gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and novae. Furthermore, LAST-P will facilitate the creation of extensive polarization catalogs for X-ray binaries and white dwarfs, alongside a large FoV study of the interstellar medium. In survey mode, LAST-P will cover a FoV of 88.8 deg$^2$. With a 15 x 1-minute exposure, the instrument will be capable of measuring polarization of sources as faint as Gaia Bp-magnitude $\sim$20.9. The precision on the linear polarization degree (PD) will reach 0.7\%, 1.5\%, and 3.5\% for sources with magnitudes 17, 18, and 19, respectively, for a seeing of 2.7 arcsec, air mass of about 1 for observations in dark locations. We propose three distinct non-simultaneous survey strategies, among them an active galactic nuclei (AGN) strategy for long-term monitoring of $\sim$200 AGN with $<$1-day cadence. In this paper, we present the predicted sensitivity of the instrument and outline the various science cases it is designed to explore.

We identify a polarization rotation systematic in the far field beams of refractive cosmic microwave background (CMB) telescopes caused by differential transmission in anti-reflection (AR) coatings of optical elements. This systematic was identified following the development of a hybrid physical optics method that incorporates full-wave electromagnetic simulations of AR coatings to model the full polarization response of refractive systems. Applying this method to a two-lens CMB telescope with non-ideal AR coating, we show that polarization-dependent transmission can produce a rotation of the far-field polarization angle that varies across the focal plane with a typical amplitude of 0.05-0.5 degrees. If ignored in analysis, this effect can produce temperature to polarization leakage and Stokes Q/U mixing.

Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) is increasingly promoted as a key element of modern spectrum policy, driven by the rising demand from commercial wireless systems and advances in spectrum access technologies. Passive radio sciences, including radio astronomy, Earth remote sensing, and meteorology, operate under fundamentally different constraints. They rely on exceptionally low interference spectrum and are highly vulnerable to even brief radio frequency interference. We examine whether DSS can benefit passive services or whether it introduces new failure modes and enforcement challenges. We propose just-in-time quiet zones (JITQZ) as a mechanism for protecting high value observations and assess hybrid frameworks that preserve static protection for core passive bands while allowing constrained dynamic access in adjacent frequencies. We analyze the roles of propagation uncertainty, electromagnetic compatibility constraints, and limited spectrum awareness. Using a game theoretic framework, we show why non-cooperative sharing fails, identify conditions for sustained cooperation, and examine incentive mechanisms including pseudonymetry-enabled attribution that promote compliance. We conclude that DSS can support passive radio sciences only as a high-reliability, safety-critical system. Static allocations remain essential, and dynamic access is viable only with conservative safeguards and enforceable accountability.

Microwave cavities operated in the presence of a background magnetic field provide a promising avenue for detecting high-frequency gravitational waves (HFGWs). We demonstrate for the first time that the distinct antenna patterns of multiple electromagnetic modes within a single cavity enable localization and reconstruction of key properties of an incoming HFGW signal, including its polarization ratio and frequency drift rate. Using a 9-cell cavity commonly employed in particle accelerators as a representative example, we analyze the time-domain response of 18 nearly degenerate modes, which can be sequentially excited by a frequency-drifting signal. The sensitivity is further enhanced by the number of available modes, in close analogy to the scaling achieved by a network of independent detectors, enabling sensitivity to astrophysically plausible binary sources.

This study evaluates the capability of future multi-band observations of gravitational waves emitted from binary black hole coalescences, utilizing joint third-generation ground-based (CE, ET) and space-based (LISA, Taiji, TianQin) detector networks, to constrain parity and Lorentz symmetry violations in the gravitational sector. We model these effects through a parameterized waveform framework that incorporates a set of parameters that quantify potential deviations from general relativity. The frequency-dependence of their effects is described by power-law indices $\beta$ (i.e., $\beta_{\bar \nu}$, $\beta_{\bar \mu}$, $\beta_{\nu}$, and $\beta_{\mu}$). By analyzing events such as a high-signal noise ratio (SNR) "golden event" like GW250114 and a massive binary system like GW231123 (total mass $190-265 M_\odot$) using two networks of ground- and space-based detectors, we demonstrate that multi-band observations can significantly improve the current constraints on Lorentz and parity violations by several order of magnitude, for both high-frequency ($\beta > 0$) and low-frequency ($\beta < 0$) modifications. Our Bayesian analysis reveals that while the exceptional SNR of the GW250114-like event yields superior constraints for high-frequency modifications ($\beta > 0$), the massive nature of GW231123 provides more stringent limits for low-frequency effects ($\beta < 0$). This work highlights the critical value of future multi-band gravitational wave astronomy for conducting precision tests of general relativity across diverse binary populations.

Motivated by the increased interest in pulsed-power magneto-inertial fusion devices in recent years, we present a method for implementing an arbitrarily shaped embedded boundary on a Cartesian mesh while solving the equations of compressible resistive magnetohydrodynamics. The method is built around a finite volume formulation of the equations in which a Riemann solver is used to compute fluxes on the faces between grid cells, and a face-centered constrained transport formulation of the induction equation. The small time step problem associated with the cut cells is avoided by always computing fluxes on the faces and edges of the Cartesian mesh. We extend the method to model a moving interface between two materials with different properties using a ghost-fluid approach, and show some preliminary results including shock-wave-driven and magnetically-driven dynamical compressions of magnetohydrostatic equilibria. We present a thorough verification of the method and show that it converges at second order in the absence of discontinuities, and at first order with a discontinuity in material properties.

We conduct the first-ever Pulsar Polarization Array (PPA) analysis to detect the ultralight Axion-Like Dark Matter (ALDM) using the polarization data of 22 millisecond pulsars from the third data release of Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. As one of the major dark matter candidates, the ultralight ALDM exhibits a pronounced wave nature on astronomical scales and offers a promising solution to small-scale structure issues within local galaxies. While the linearly polarized pulsar light travels through the ALDM galactic halo, its position angle (PA) can be subject to an oscillation induced by the ALDM Chern-Simons coupling with electromagnetic field. The PPA is thus especially suited for detecting the ultralight ALDM by correlating polarization data across the arrayed pulsars. To accomplish this task, we develop an advanced Bayesian analysis framework that allows us to construct pulsar PA residual time series, model noise contributions properly and search for pulsar cross-correlations. We find that for an ALDM density of $\rho_0=0.4\,\textrm{GeV}/\textrm{cm}^3$, the Parkes PPA offers the best global limits on the ALDM Chern-Simons coupling, namely $\lesssim 10^{-13.5}-10^{-12.2}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$, for the mass range of $10^{-22} - 10^{-21}~{\rm eV}$. The crucial role of pulsar cross-correlation in recognizing the nature of the derived limits is also highlighted.

We present a novel approach for assessing the muon content of air showers with large zenith angles on a combined analysis of their radio emission and particle footprint. We use the radiation energy reconstructed by the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) as an energy estimator and determine the muon number independently with the water-Cherenkov detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, deployed on a 1500 m grid. We focus our analysis on air showers with primary energy above 4 EeV to ensure full detection efficiency. Over approximately ten years of accumulated data, we identify a set of 40 high-quality events that are used in the analysis. The estimated muon contents in data are compatible with those for iron primaries as predicted by current-generation hadronic interaction models. This result can be interpreted as a deficit of muons in simulations as a lighter mass composition has been established from Xmax measurements. This muon deficit was already observed in previous analyses of the Auger Collaboration and is confirmed using hybrid events that include radio measurements for the first time.

Multiwavelength analyses of astrophysical transients are essential for understanding the physics of these events. To make such analyses more efficient and effective, we present the Open mulTiwavelength Transient Event Repository (OTTER), a publicly available catalog of published transient event metadata and photometry. Unlike previous efforts, our data schema is optimized for the storage of multiwavelength photometric datasets spanning the entire electromagnetic spectrum from multiple published sources. Open source software, including an application programming interface (API) and web application, are available for viewing, accessing, and analyzing the dataset. For the initial release of OTTER, we present the largest ever photometric archive of tidal disruption event (TDE) candidates, including $\gtrsim 118,000$ observations of 240 TDE candidates spanning from radio to X-ray wavelengths. We demonstrate the power of this infrastructure through four example analyses of the TDE population. We plan to maintain this dataset as more TDE candidates are proposed in the future and encourage other users to contribute by uploading newly published data via our web application. The infrastructure was built with the goal of archiving additional transient data (supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, fast blue optical transients, fast radio bursts, etc.) in the future. The web application is available at this https URL and the API documentation is available at this https URL .

The timing (cross-)calibration of astronomical instruments is often done by comparing pulsar times-of-arrival (TOAs) to a reference timing model. In high-energy astronomy, the choice of solar system ephemerides and source positions used to barycenter the photon arrival times has a significant impact on the procedure, requiring a full reprocessing of the data each time a new convention is used. Our method, developed as part of the activities of the International Astronomical Consortium for High Energy Calibration (IACHEC), adapts an existing pulsar solution to arbitrary JPL ephemerides and source positions by simulating geocentric TOAs and refitting timing models (implemented with PINT). We validate the procedure and apply it to thousands of observations of the Crab pulsar from 15 missions spanning 1996–2025, demonstrating inter-ephemeris TOA consistency at the $\lesssim5 \mu$s level, using the DE200/FK5-based Jodrell Bank Monthly Ephemeris as a common reference. We release the TOAExtractor open-source tool and a TOA database to support future calibration and scientific studies. Instrument timing performance is broadly consistent with mission specifications; the X-ray-to-radio phase offset varies with energy and time at a level that is marginally consistent with the uncertainties of the radio ephemeris, motivating coordinated multiwavelength follow-up.

We present a precise measurement of the westward, rigidity-dependent shift of the Moon's shadow using three and a half years of cosmic-ray data collected by the Kilometer Square Array (KM2A) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). These measurements enable us to calibrate the detector energy response in the range 20-260 TeV, with results showing excellent agreement with the response derived from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of the KM2A detector. We also measure a best-fit parameter $\epsilon = 0.015 \pm 0.08$, corresponding to a 95% confidence interval of [-14%, +17%] for the energy-scale estimation. This result establishes the exceptional accuracy of the KM2A-MC in simulating the detector's response within this energy range.

Stellar photospheric heterogeneities (e.g., starspots, faculae) distort the stellar spectrum in transit and imprint wavelength-dependent biases on the planet-to-star radius ratio (Transit Light Source Effect, TLSE). The Rackham-TLSE (R-TLSE) prescription applies a disc-averaged correction based solely on filling factor and spectral contrast, but transmission spectroscopy also depends on limb darkening, active-region distribution, and transit geometry. We include these in a pixel-resolved framework, ECLIPSE-Xlambda, and run idealised noise-free model-model comparisons to R-TLSE. For LHS 1140 b, K2-18 b, and WASP-69 b, disc-averaged corrections differ from the pixel model by up to about 400 ppm in the optical for active hosts and non-equatorial transits, but stay below about 10 ppm in the near-infrared where limb darkening is weak. We then apply both approaches to the JWST/NIRISS SOSS spectrum of LHS 1140 b. With limb darkening set to zero, ECLIPSE-Xlambda recovers stellar-contamination parameters matching the reference R-TLSE solution, confirming consistency in the disc-averaged limit. With wavelength-dependent limb darkening, reproducing the short-wavelength slope via stellar contamination alone requires hot faculae (delta Tfac about 600 K; ffac about 0.35), equivalent to a circular facular region of radius about 0.6 Rstar (about 60% of the stellar radius) on the disc; such an extended unocculted region is physically unlikely even for an active M dwarf. Purely stellar contamination would therefore require extreme faculae, whereas a genuine atmospheric contribution complementing a more modest facular signal is more plausible. These results delineate the validity regime of R-TLSE and underscore the need for geometry-aware stellar-heterogeneity models including limb darkening in high-precision transmission spectroscopy.