Showing 1–50 of 2,948 results for author: Lu

Discovery of a Luminosity-dependent Continuum Lag in NGC 4151 from Photometric and Spectroscopic Continuum Reverberation Mapping

Authors: Hai-Cheng Feng, Sha-Sha Li, Mouyuan Sun, Ciro Pinto, Shuying Zhou, Yerong Xu, J. M. Bai, Elena Dalla Bontà, ZhongNan Dong, Neeraj Kumari, Jiaqi Lin, H. T. Liu, Kai-Xing Lu, Bin Ma, Ji-Rong Mao, Emanuele Nardini, Enrico Piconcelli, Fabio Pintore, Jian-Guo Wang, Ding-Rong Xiong

Abstract: Accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) powers active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and drives feedback that shapes galaxy evolution. Constraining AGN accretion disk structure is therefore essential for understanding black hole growth and feedback processes. However, direct constraints on disk size remain rare -- particularly from long-term, multi-season spectroscopic reverberation mapping (RM),… ▽ More Accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) powers active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and drives feedback that shapes galaxy evolution. Constraining AGN accretion disk structure is therefore essential for understanding black hole growth and feedback processes. However, direct constraints on disk size remain rare -- particularly from long-term, multi-season spectroscopic reverberation mapping (RM), which is critical for isolating the intrinsic disk response from the broad-line region (BLR). We present results from an intensive multi-wavelength RM campaign of NGC 4151 during its brightest state in nearly two decades. This represents the third high-cadence monitoring over the past decade, capturing accretion states spanning the transitional regime between thin and thick disks, making NGC 4151 the only AGN with continuum RM observations across such a wide range in accretion states. Combining spectroscopy from the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope with coordinated Swift UV/X-ray monitoring, we measure inter-band continuum lags from UV to optical. The wavelength-dependent lags follow a tight $τ\propto λ^{4/3}$ relation, consistent with reprocessing in a thin disk, but exceed theoretical predictions by a factor of 6.6. Our lag spectrum reveals clear excesses near the Balmer and possibly Paschen jumps, confirming diffuse continuum (DC) contamination from the BLR. By comparing the three campaigns, we discover a non-monotonic lag-luminosity trend ($>3σ$), which cannot be explained by DC emission alone. We propose the lags reflect combined disk and BLR contributions, and present the first evidence that the DC component follows an intrinsic Baldwin effect. These results offer new insights into SMBH mass measurements and theoretical models of AGN inner structure. △ Less

Submitted 20 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Double Hot Jupiter Formation through Mirrored ZLK Migration in Binary Star Systems: The Case of WASP-94

Authors: Yurou Liu, Tiger Lu, Malena Rice

Abstract: To date, only a handful of binary star systems are known with at least one confirmed planet orbiting each star. Such systems, however, offer a unique perspective on the stochasticity intrinsic to planet formation and evolution -- particularly in twin binary star systems, which consist of near-equal-mass stars formed contemporaneously in the same birth environment. The WASP-94 system, which include… ▽ More To date, only a handful of binary star systems are known with at least one confirmed planet orbiting each star. Such systems, however, offer a unique perspective on the stochasticity intrinsic to planet formation and evolution -- particularly in twin binary star systems, which consist of near-equal-mass stars formed contemporaneously in the same birth environment. The WASP-94 system, which includes twin F-type stars, is a striking exemplar of such systems, containing two hot Jupiters: WASP-94 Ab is a transiting, spin-orbit misaligned giant planet with a 4-day orbital period, while WASP-94 Bb is non-transiting and has a tighter 2-day orbital period. In this work, we leverage N-body simulations to show that the current double hot Jupiter configuration of the WASP-94 system can be reproduced through mirrored von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai migration. The upcoming Gaia astrometric data releases offer the potential to search for additional twin planetary systems, including double cold Jupiter systems that may serve as the progenitors for WASP-94-like configurations. △ Less

Submitted 19 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted by ApjL

Constraining the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux Combining IceCube's Cascade and Track Samples

Authors: R. Abbasi, M. Ackermann, J. Adams, S. K. Agarwalla, J. A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, J. M. Alameddine, S. Ali, N. M. Amin, K. Andeen, C. Argüelles, Y. Ashida, S. Athanasiadou, S. N. Axani, R. Babu, X. Bai, J. Baines-Holmes, A. Balagopal V., S. W. Barwick, S. Bash, V. Basu, R. Bay, J. J. Beatty, J. Becker Tjus, P. Behrens , et al. (406 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has observed a diffuse flux of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos for more than a decade. A relevant background to the astrophysical flux is prompt atmospheric neutrinos, originating from the decay of charmed mesons produced in cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production rate of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and conseq… ▽ More The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has observed a diffuse flux of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos for more than a decade. A relevant background to the astrophysical flux is prompt atmospheric neutrinos, originating from the decay of charmed mesons produced in cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production rate of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and consequently, the prompt neutrino flux, remains uncertain and has not yet been observed by neutrino detectors. An accurate measurement of this flux would enhance our understanding of fundamental particle physics such as hadronic interactions in high-energy cosmic-ray-induced air showers and the nucleon structure. Furthermore, an experimental characterization of this background flux will improve the precision of astrophysical neutrino flux spectral measurements. In this work, we perform a combined fit of cascade-like and track-like neutrino events in IceCube to constrain the prompt atmospheric neutrino flux. Given that the prompt flux is a sub-dominant contribution, treating systematic uncertainties arising from the potential mis-modeling of the conventional and astrophysical neutrino fluxes is critical for its measurement. Our analysis yields a non-zero best-fit result, which is, however, consistent with the null hypothesis of no prompt flux within one standard deviation. Consequently, we establish an upper bound on the flux at $4\times 10^{-16}$ (GeV m$^2$ s sr)$^{-1}$ at 10 TeV. △ Less

Submitted 19 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

A robust morphological classification method for galaxies using dual-encoding contrastive learning and multi-clustering voting on JWST/NIRCam images

Authors: Xiaolei Yin, Guanwen Fang, Shiying Lu, Zesen Lin, Yao Dai, Chichun Zhou

Abstract: The two-step galaxy morphology classification framework {\tt USmorph} successfully combines unsupervised machine learning (UML) with supervised machine learning (SML) methods. To enhance the UML step, we employed a dual-encoder architecture (ConvNeXt and ViT) to effectively encode images, contrastive learning to accurately extract features, and principal component analysis to efficiently reduce di… ▽ More The two-step galaxy morphology classification framework {\tt USmorph} successfully combines unsupervised machine learning (UML) with supervised machine learning (SML) methods. To enhance the UML step, we employed a dual-encoder architecture (ConvNeXt and ViT) to effectively encode images, contrastive learning to accurately extract features, and principal component analysis to efficiently reduce dimensionality. Based on this improved framework, a sample of 46,176 galaxies at $0<z<4.2$, selected in the COSMOS-Web field, is classified into five types using the JWST near-infrared images: 33\% spherical (SPH), 25\% early-type disk (ETD), 25\% late-type disk (LTD), 7\% irregular (IRR), and 10\% unclassified (UNC) galaxies. We also performed parametric (S{é}rsic index, $n$,and effective radius, $r_{\rm e}$) and nonparametric measurements (Gini coefficient, $G$, the second-order moment of light, $M_{\rm 20}$, concentration, $C$, multiplicity, $Ψ$, and three other parameters from the MID statistics) for massive galaxies ($M_*>10^9 M_\odot$) to verify the validity of our galaxy morphological classification system. The analysis of morphological parameters is consistent with our classification system: SPH and ETD galaxies with higher $n$, $G$, and $C$ tend to be more bulge-dominated and more compact compared with other types of galaxies. This demonstrates the reliability of this classification system, which will be useful for a forthcoming large-sky survey from the Chinese Space Station Telescope. △ Less

Submitted 18 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Published in A&A

Journal ref: A&A(2025),703,A13

The Preliminary Mauve Science Programme: Science themes identified for the first year of operations

Authors: Mauve Science Collaboration, Marcel Agueros, Don Dixon, Chuanfei Dong, Girish M. Duvvuri, Patrick Flanagan, Christopher Johns-Krull, Hongpeng Lu, Hiroyuki Maehara, Kosuke Namekata, Alejandro Nunez, Elena Pancino, Sharmila Rani, Anusha Ravikumar, T. A. A. Sigut, Keivan Stassun, Jamie Stewart, Krisztián Vida, Emma Whelan, Benjamin Wilcock, Sharafina Razin, Arianna Saba, Giovanna Tinetti, Marcell Tessenyi, Jonathan Tennyson

Abstract: Mauve is a low-cost small satellite developed and operated by Blue Skies Space Ltd. The payload features a 13 cm telescope connected with a fibre that feeds into a UV-Vis spectrometer. The detector covers the 200-700 nm range in a single shot, obtaining low resolution spectra at R~20-65. Mauve has launched on 28th November 2025, reaching a 510 km Low-Earth Sun-synchronous orbit. The satellite will… ▽ More Mauve is a low-cost small satellite developed and operated by Blue Skies Space Ltd. The payload features a 13 cm telescope connected with a fibre that feeds into a UV-Vis spectrometer. The detector covers the 200-700 nm range in a single shot, obtaining low resolution spectra at R~20-65. Mauve has launched on 28th November 2025, reaching a 510 km Low-Earth Sun-synchronous orbit. The satellite will enable UV and visible observations of a variety of stellar objects in our Galaxy, filling the gaps in the ultraviolet space-based data. The researchers that have already joined the mission have defined the science themes, observational strategy and targets that Mauve will observe in the first year of operations. To date, 10 science themes have been developed by the Mauve science collaboration for year 1, with observational strategies that include both long duration monitoring and short cadence snapshots. Here, we describe these themes and the science that Mauve will undertake in its first year of operations. △ Less

Submitted 18 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 16 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables

Prompt Searches for Very-High-Energy γ-Ray Counterparts to IceCube Astrophysical Neutrino Alerts

Authors: J. Abhir, A. Biland, K. Brand, T. Bretz, D. Dorner, L. Eisenberger, D. Elsaesser, P. Günther, S. Hasan, D. Hildebrand, K. Mannheim, M. Linhoff, F. Pfeifle, W. Rhode, B. Schleicher, V. Sliusar, M. Vorbrugg, R. Walter, F. Aharonian, F. Ait Benkhali, J. Aschersleben, H. Ashkar, M. Backes, V. Barbosa Martins, R. Batzofin , et al. (809 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The search for sources of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos can be significantly advanced through a multi-messenger approach, which seeks to detect the gamma rays that accompany neutrinos as they are produced at their sources. Multi-messenger observations have so far provided the first evidence for a neutrino source, illustrated by the joint detection of the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in highen… ▽ More The search for sources of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos can be significantly advanced through a multi-messenger approach, which seeks to detect the gamma rays that accompany neutrinos as they are produced at their sources. Multi-messenger observations have so far provided the first evidence for a neutrino source, illustrated by the joint detection of the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in highenergy (HE, E > 1 GeV) and very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays in coincidence with the high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A, identified by IceCube. Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), namely FACT, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, continue to conduct extensive neutrino target-of-opportunity follow-up programs. These programs have two components: followup observations of single astrophysical neutrino candidate events (such as IceCube-170922A), and observation of known gamma-ray sources after the identification of a cluster of neutrino events by IceCube. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of follow-up observations of high-energy neutrino events observed by the four IACTs between September 2017 (after the IceCube-170922A event) and January 2021. Our study found no associations between gamma-ray sources and the observed neutrino events. We provide a detailed overview of each neutrino event and its potential counterparts. Furthermore, a joint analysis of all IACT data is included, yielding combined upper limits on the VHE gamma-ray flux. △ Less

Submitted 18 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: accepted for publication in ApJ

A Machine-Learning Approach for Identifying CME-Associated Stellar Flares in TESS Observations

Authors: Yu Shi, Hong-Peng Lu, Li-Yun Zhang, Tian-Hao Su, Chao Tan

Abstract: Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are major drivers of stellar space weather and can strongly influence the habitability of exoplanets. However, compared to the frequent occurrence of white-light flares, confirmed stellar CMEs remain extremely rare. Whether such flares are commonly accompanied by CMEs is a key question for solar-stellar comparative studies. Using Sun-as-a-star soft X-ray flare light c… ▽ More Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are major drivers of stellar space weather and can strongly influence the habitability of exoplanets. However, compared to the frequent occurrence of white-light flares, confirmed stellar CMEs remain extremely rare. Whether such flares are commonly accompanied by CMEs is a key question for solar-stellar comparative studies. Using Sun-as-a-star soft X-ray flare light curves observed by the GOES XRS 1--8~Å channel, we compiled a sample of 1,766 M-class and larger solar flares and extracted features with both deep convolutional neural networks and manual methods. Five machine-learning classifiers were trained to distinguish eruptive from confined flares, with the random forest model achieving the best performance (true skill statistic; TSS = 0.31). This TSS value indicates that the model possesses a moderate ability to discriminate between eruptive and confined flares. Normalized white-light and GOES XRS flare light curves show broadly consistent temporal evolution, reflecting their shared energy-release history and supporting a probabilistic transfer of the model to white-light flare data. We applied the best-performing RF model to 41,405 TESS-detected flares on FGKM-type main-sequence stars, predicting that approximately 47% of events show CME-like morphological characteristics, with the model-implied intrinsic association fraction lying in the range 35%--60%. Intriguingly, the CME occurrence rate decreases with increasing flare energy, indicating that the most energetic flares may be more strongly confined by overlying magnetic fields. These results provide new insight into flare-CME connections in diverse stellar environments and have important implications for assessing the impact of stellar eruptive activity on exoplanetary atmospheres. △ Less

Submitted 17 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted by ApJS

Robustness Analysis of USmorph: I. Generalization Efficiency of Unsupervised Strategies and Supervised Learning in Galaxy Morphological Classification

Authors: Shiwei Zhu, Guanwen Fang, Yao Dai, Chichun Zhou, Yirui Zheng, Jie Song, Shiying Lu, Xu Kong

Abstract: We conduct a systematic robustness analysis of the hybrid machine learning framework \texttt{USmorph}, which integrates unsupervised and supervised learning for galaxy morphological classification. Although \texttt{USmorph} has already been applied to nearly 100,000 $I$-band galaxy images in the COSMOS field ($0.2 < z < 1.2$, $I_{\mathrm{mag}} < 25$), the stability of its core modules has not been… ▽ More We conduct a systematic robustness analysis of the hybrid machine learning framework \texttt{USmorph}, which integrates unsupervised and supervised learning for galaxy morphological classification. Although \texttt{USmorph} has already been applied to nearly 100,000 $I$-band galaxy images in the COSMOS field ($0.2 < z < 1.2$, $I_{\mathrm{mag}} < 25$), the stability of its core modules has not been quantitatively assessed. Our tests show that the convolutional autoencoder (CAE) achieves the best performance in preserving structural information when adopting an intermediate network depth, $5\times5$ convolutional kernels, and a 40-dimensional latent representation. The adaptive polar coordinate transform (APCT) effectively enhances rotational invariance and improves the robustness of downstream tasks. In the unsupervised stage, a bagging clustering number of $K=50$ provides the optimal trade-off between classification granularity and labeling efficiency. For supervised learning, we employ GoogLeNet, which exhibits stable performance without overfitting. We validate the reliability of the final classifications through two independent tests: (1) the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) visualization reveals clear clustering boundaries in the low-dimensional space; and (2) the morphological classifications are consistent with theoretical expectations of galaxy evolution, with both true and false positives showing unbiased distributions in the parameter space. These results demonstrate the strong robustness of the \texttt{USmorph} algorithm, providing guidance for its future application to the China Space Station Telescope (CSST) mission. △ Less

Submitted 17 December, 2025; v1 submitted 17 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Published in ApJ

Journal ref: ApJ (2025), 995 168

An updated efficient galaxy morphology classification model based on ConvNeXt encoding with UMAP dimensionality reduction

Authors: Guanwen Fang, Shiwei Zhu, Jun Xu, Shiying Lu, Chichun Zhou, Yao Dai, Zesen Lin, Xu Kong

Abstract: We present an enhanced unsupervised machine learning (UML) module within our previous \texttt{USmorph} classification framework featuring two components: (1) hierarchical feature extraction via a pre-trained ConvNeXt convolutional neural network (CNN) with transfer learning, and (2) nonlinear manifold learning using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) for topology-aware dimensiona… ▽ More We present an enhanced unsupervised machine learning (UML) module within our previous \texttt{USmorph} classification framework featuring two components: (1) hierarchical feature extraction via a pre-trained ConvNeXt convolutional neural network (CNN) with transfer learning, and (2) nonlinear manifold learning using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) for topology-aware dimensionality reduction. This dual-stage design enables efficient knowledge transfer from large-scale visual datasets while preserving morphological pattern geometry through UMAP's neighborhood preservation. We apply the upgraded UML on I-band images of 99,806 COSMOS galaxies at redshift $0.2<z<1.2$ (to ensure rest-frame optical morphology) with $I_{\mathrm{mag}}<25$. The predefined cluster number is optimized to 20 (reduced from 50 in the original framework), achieving significant computational savings. The 20 algorithmically identified clusters are merged into five physical morphology types. About 51\% of galaxies (50,056) were successfully classified. To assess classification effectiveness, we tested morphological parameters for massive galaxies with $M_{*}>10^{9}~M_{\odot}$. Our classification results align well with galaxy evolution theory. This improved algorithm significantly enhances galaxy morphology classification efficiency, making it suitable for large-scale sky surveys such as those planned with the China Space Station Telescope (CSST). △ Less

Submitted 17 December, 2025; v1 submitted 17 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in AJ

Formation of a Magnetic Flux Rope Prior to the Eruption: Insight from a Radiative MHD Simulation of Active Region Emergence

Authors: Can Wang, Takaaki Yokoyama, Feng Chen, Chen Xing, Mingde Ding, Zekun Lu

Abstract: Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are fundamental magnetic structures in solar eruptions, whose formation is generally attributed to (1) the emergence of subsurface flux tubes or (2) flux cancellation driven by photospheric horizontal flows and magnetic reconnection. Both mechanisms can operate simultaneously during active region evolution, making their relative contributions challenging to quantify. Her… ▽ More Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are fundamental magnetic structures in solar eruptions, whose formation is generally attributed to (1) the emergence of subsurface flux tubes or (2) flux cancellation driven by photospheric horizontal flows and magnetic reconnection. Both mechanisms can operate simultaneously during active region evolution, making their relative contributions challenging to quantify. Here, we analyze the formation of a flux rope in a MURaM radiative magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulation, which formed and evolved for approximately three hours before an M-class flare. The formation process is quantified by magnetic helicity flux, which drives the non-potential evolution of magnetic field, with its advection and shear terms on the photosphere corresponding to the emergence and photospheric horizontal flows, respectively. Examining the helicity injected into the flux rope through the photosphere, we find both terms increase significantly as the eruption approaches, with the shear term prevailing overall. Height-dependent analysis of helicity flux, together with magnetic field and velocity distributions, further reveals a gradual transition from the shear to the advection term with an increasing altitude, which is driven by magnetic reconnection above the photosphere. Our results provide quantitative evidence that flux cancellation governs flux rope formation, arising naturally from magnetic field reorganization during active region evolution: as flux emergence transports magnetic flux upward, photospheric shearing motions adjust magnetic field and inject helicity into solar atmosphere, and magnetic reconnection ultimately assembles the main body of flux ropes. △ Less

Submitted 16 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 16 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJL

Multiband gravitational wave observations of eccentric escaping binary black holes from globular clusters

Authors: Yuetong Zhao, Abbas Askar, Youjun Lu, Zhoujian Cao, Mirek Giersz, Grzegorz Wiktorowicz, Arkadiusz Hypki, Lucas Hellstrom, Sohaib Ali, Wei-Tou Ni

Abstract: Stellar-mass binary black holes (sBBHs) formed in globular clusters (GCs) are promising sources for multiband gravitational wave (GW) observations, particularly with low- and middle-frequency detectors. These sBBHs can retain detectable eccentricities when they enter the sensitivity bands of low-frequency GW observatories. We study multiband GW observations of eccentric sBBHs that escape from GC m… ▽ More Stellar-mass binary black holes (sBBHs) formed in globular clusters (GCs) are promising sources for multiband gravitational wave (GW) observations, particularly with low- and middle-frequency detectors. These sBBHs can retain detectable eccentricities when they enter the sensitivity bands of low-frequency GW observatories. We study multiband GW observations of eccentric sBBHs that escape from GC models simulated with the MOCCA code, focusing on how low- and middle-frequency detectors can constrain their eccentricities and other parameters. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we generate ten realizations of cosmic sBBHs by combining the MOCCA sample with a cosmological model for GC formation and evolution. We then assess their detectability and the precision of parameter estimation. Our results show that LISA, Taiji, the LISA-Taiji network (LT), and AMIGO could detect $0.8\pm0.7$, $11.6\pm2.0$, $15.4\pm2.7$, and $7.9\pm1.3$ escaping sBBHs, respectively, over four years, while LT-AMIGO could detect $20.6\pm3.0$ multiband sBBHs in the same period. LT and AMIGO can measure initial eccentricities with relative errors of approximately $10^{-6}-2\times10^{-4}$ and $10^{-3}-0.7$, respectively. Joint LT-AMIGO observations have a similar ability to estimate eccentricities as LT alone. △ Less

Submitted 15 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 19 pages, 3 tables, and 10 figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

Constraint on magnetized black bounce spacetime from HFQPOs data and the selection of resonance models via information criterion

Authors: Shining Yang, Jianbo Lu, Mou Xu, Yu Liu

Abstract: This paper primarily explores the dynamics of charged particle in the magnetized SV spacetime, and constrains the parameters of the SV spacetime along with its surrounding magnetic fields. The constraints are given by using $χ^2$ analysis combined with high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (HFQPO) data observed from three microquasars: GRS 1915+105, XTE 1550-564, and GRO J1655-40. The results… ▽ More This paper primarily explores the dynamics of charged particle in the magnetized SV spacetime, and constrains the parameters of the SV spacetime along with its surrounding magnetic fields. The constraints are given by using $χ^2$ analysis combined with high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (HFQPO) data observed from three microquasars: GRS 1915+105, XTE 1550-564, and GRO J1655-40. The results indicate that the magnetic field significantly influences the position of the innermost stable circular orbit of charged particle and frequency distribution of epicyclic motion, which excites more resonance model variants, enhancing observational effects. Additionally, we employ the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to evaluate resonance model and its various variants. The support for different models from observational data shows significant variation: $E R_8$ as the best model is supported strongly, $ER_3$ model has moderate evidence of support, $ER_6$ and $ER_7$ models are considerably less support, while other resonance models have essentially no support. For models more supported by the observational data, the allowed ranges of the regularization parameter: $0\leq a<0.736$ ($68\%$ confidence level) suggests that HFQPOs data support the magnetized black bounce spacetime as a regular black hole, and the smaller value of the regularization parameter indicates a possibility of the presence of quantum effects. According to the constraint results, we get the best-fit values of magnetic field strength around $10^{-5}\sim 10^{-4}$ GS for electrons and around $10^{-2}\sim 10^{-1}$ GS for protons. Finally, as a comparison, we test the SV spacetime without a magnetic field using microquasar observational data, and the calculated results of AIC show that this case is incompatible with the HFQPOs data, further supporting the existence of a magnetic field in SV spacetime. △ Less

Submitted 14 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 21 pages, 6 figures, 8 tables

NGDEEP: A New Non-Parametric Measure of Local Star-Formation and Attenuation at Cosmic Noon

Authors: Grace M. Forrey, Raymond C. Simons, Jonathan R. Trump, Lu Shen, Anton M. Koekemoer, Micaela B. Bagley, Steven L. Finkelstein, Casey Papovich, Nor Pirzkal

Abstract: We introduce a new non-parametric technique to quantify the spatially-resolved relationship between the local star-formation rate (SFR) and dust attenuation. We then apply it to 14 star-forming galaxies at $1.0<z<2.5$ using JWST/NIRISS slitless spectroscopy from the NGDEEP survey. First, we construct spatially resolved ($\sim$1~kpc per pixel) Balmer decrement ($Hα/Hβ$) maps of these galaxies and d… ▽ More We introduce a new non-parametric technique to quantify the spatially-resolved relationship between the local star-formation rate (SFR) and dust attenuation. We then apply it to 14 star-forming galaxies at $1.0<z<2.5$ using JWST/NIRISS slitless spectroscopy from the NGDEEP survey. First, we construct spatially resolved ($\sim$1~kpc per pixel) Balmer decrement ($Hα/Hβ$) maps of these galaxies and derive their corresponding dust attenuation and intrinsic SFR maps. We then rank-order the map pixels by attenuation and construct a cumulative distribution curve of the total SFR as a function of increasing attenuation. We define $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{10\%}$, $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{50\%}$, and $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{90\%}$ as the dust attenuation levels behind which 10\%, 50\%, and 90\% of the total integrated SFR is screened, respectively. These metrics quantify the probability that a given star-forming region lies behind a given level of attenuation. Across the full sample, 50\% of the local star formation occurs behind an attenuation of 3.41 mag or higher ($\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{50\%}$). This indicates that the bulk of star formation in these galaxies is significantly attenuated by dust. The value of $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{10\%}$ equals 1.45 for the average profile, indicating that even the least attenuated star-forming regions are still highly attenuated. The globally measured attenuation more closely matches $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{10\%}$ than $\mathrm{A}^{\mathrm{SFR}}_{50\%}$. This suggests that the global value is weighted toward the least dust-obscured star-forming regions and significantly underestimates the typical attenuation a star-forming region encounters. Our results demonstrate a new approach for understanding the extremely dusty local conditions of the star-forming interstellar medium in SF galaxies at cosmic noon. △ Less

Submitted 12 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 12 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables

JWST/NIRSpec Detects Warm CO Emission in the Terrestrial-Planet Zone of HD 131488

Authors: Cicero X. Lu, Isabel Rebollido, Sean Brittain, Tracy Beck, Christine H. Chen, Kadin Worthen, Joan Najita, Chen Xie, Aoife Brennan, Amaya Moro-Martin, John Debes, Kevin France, Luca Matrà, Marshall Perrin, Aki Roberge

Abstract: We have obtained a high-resolution, JWST NIRSpec $2.87$ -- $5.14$ $μ$m spectrum of the debris disk around HD 131488. We discover CO fundamental emission indicating the presence of warm fluorescent gas within $\sim10$ AU of the star. The large discrepancy in CO's vibrational and rotational temperature indicates that CO is out of thermal equilibrium and is excited with UV fluorescence. Our UV fluore… ▽ More We have obtained a high-resolution, JWST NIRSpec $2.87$ -- $5.14$ $μ$m spectrum of the debris disk around HD 131488. We discover CO fundamental emission indicating the presence of warm fluorescent gas within $\sim10$ AU of the star. The large discrepancy in CO's vibrational and rotational temperature indicates that CO is out of thermal equilibrium and is excited with UV fluorescence. Our UV fluorescence model gives a best fit of $1150\,$K with an effective temperature of $450$, $332$, and $125\,$K for the warm CO gas kinetic temperature within $0.5$, $1$, and $10\,$AU to the star and a gas vibrational temperature of $8800\,$K. The newly discovered warm CO gas population likely resides between sub-AU scales and $\sim\,10\,$AU, interior to the cold CO reservoir detected beyond $35\,$AU with HST STIS and ALMA. The discovery of warm, fluorescent gas in a debris disk is the first such detection ever made. The detection of warm CO raises the possibility of unseen molecules (H$_2$O, H$_2$, etc) as collisional partners to excite the warm gas. We estimated a lower mass limit for CO of $1.25\times 10^{-7}\text{M}_{\oplus}$, which is $10^{-5}$ of the cold CO mass detected with ALMA and HST. We demonstrate that UV fluorescence emerges as a promising avenue for detecting tenuous gas at $10^{-7}$ Earth-mass level in debris disks with JWST. △ Less

Submitted 12 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 30 Pages, 15 Figures, 6 Tables; Accepted to ApJ; Data Behind Figure 2 Available on the Journal Publisher Site

Estimating stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances using fully connected residual network

Authors: Shuo Li, Yin-Bi Li, A-Li Luo, Jun-Chao Liang, Hai-Ling Lu, Hugh R. A. Jones

Abstract: Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances are traditionally determined using template matching techniques based on high-resolution spectra. However, these methods are sensitive to noise and unsuitable for ultra-low-resolution data. Given that the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST) will acquire large volumes of ultra-low-resolution spectra, developing effective methods for ultra-l… ▽ More Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances are traditionally determined using template matching techniques based on high-resolution spectra. However, these methods are sensitive to noise and unsuitable for ultra-low-resolution data. Given that the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST) will acquire large volumes of ultra-low-resolution spectra, developing effective methods for ultra-low-resolution spectral analysis is crucial. In this work, we investigated the Fully Connected Residual Network (FCResNet) for simultaneously estimating atmospheric parameters ($T_\text{eff}$, $\log g$, [Fe/H]) and elemental abundances ([C/Fe], [N/Fe], [Mg/Fe]). We trained and evaluated FCResNet using CSST-like spectra (\textit{R} $\sim$ 200) generated by degrading LAMOST spectra (\textit{R} $\sim$ 1,800), with reference labels from APOGEE. FCResNet significantly outperforms traditional machine learning methods (KNN, XGBoost, SVR) and CNN in prediction precision. For spectra with g-band signal-to-noise ratio greater than 20, FCResNet achieves precisions of 78 K, 0.15 dex, 0.08 dex, 0.05 dex, 0.10 dex, and 0.05 dex for $T_\text{eff}$, $\log g$, [Fe/H], [C/Fe], [N/Fe] and [Mg/Fe], respectively, on the test set. FCResNet processes one million spectra in only 42 seconds while maintaining a simple architecture with just 348 KB model size. These results suggest that FCResNet is a practical and promising tool for processing the large volume of ultra-low-resolution spectra that will be obtained by CSST in the future. △ Less

Submitted 11 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Journal ref: Res. Astron. Astrophys. 25 125009 (2025)

Refined M-type Star Catalog from LAMOST DR10: Measurements of Radial Velocities, $T_\text{eff}$, log $g$, [M/H] and [$α$/M]

Authors: Shuo Li, Yin-Bi Li, A-Li Luo, Jun-Chao Liang, You-Fen Wang, Jing Chen, Shuo Zhang, Mao-Sheng Xiang, Hugh R. A. Jones, Zhong-Rui Bai, Xiao-Xiao Ma, Yun-Jin Zhang, Hai-Ling Lu

Abstract: Precise stellar parameters for M-type stars, the Galaxy's most common stellar type, are crucial for numerous studies. In this work, we refined the LAMOST DR10 M-type star catalog through a two-stage process. First, we purified the catalog using techniques including deep learning and color-magnitude diagrams to remove 22,496 non-M spectra, correct 2,078 dwarf/giant classifications, and update 12,90… ▽ More Precise stellar parameters for M-type stars, the Galaxy's most common stellar type, are crucial for numerous studies. In this work, we refined the LAMOST DR10 M-type star catalog through a two-stage process. First, we purified the catalog using techniques including deep learning and color-magnitude diagrams to remove 22,496 non-M spectra, correct 2,078 dwarf/giant classifications, and update 12,900 radial velocities. This resulted in a cleaner catalog containing 870,518 M-type spectra (820,493 dwarfs, 50,025 giants). Second, applying a label transfer strategy using values from APOGEE DR16 for parameter prediction with a ten-fold cross-validated CNN ensemble architecture, we predicted $T_\text{eff}$, $\log g$, [M/H], and [$α$/M] separately for M dwarfs and giants. The average internal errors for M dwarfs/giants are respectively: $T_\text{eff}$ 30/17 K, log $g$ 0.07/0.07 dex, [M/H] 0.07/0.05 dex, and [$α$/M] 0.02/0.02 dex. Comparison with APOGEE demonstrates external precisions of 34/14 K, 0.12/0.07 dex, 0.09/0.04 dex, and 0.03/0.02 dex for M dwarfs/giants, which represents precision improvements of over 20\% for M dwarfs and over 50\% for M giants compared to previous literature results. The catalog is available at https://nadc.china-vo.org/res/r101668/. △ Less

Submitted 11 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Journal ref: ApJS 281 58 (2025)

Probing jet base emission of M87* with the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope observations

Authors: Saurabh, Hendrik Müller, Sebastiano D. von Fellenberg, Paul Tiede, Michael Janssen, Lindy Blackburn, Avery E. Broderick, Erandi Chavez, Boris Georgiev, Thomas P. Krichbaum, Kotaro Moriyama, Dhanya G. Nair, Iniyan Natarajan, Jongho Park, Andrew Thomas West, Maciek Wielgus, Kazunori Akiyama, Ezequiel Albentosa-Ruíz, Antxon Alberdi, Walter Alef, Juan Carlos Algaba, Richard Anantua, Keiichi Asada, Rebecca Azulay, Uwe Bach , et al. (260 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We investigate the presence and spatial characteristics of the jet base emission in M87* at 230 GHz, enabled by the enhanced uv coverage in the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. The addition of the 12-m Kitt Peak Telescope and NOEMA provides two key intermediate-length baselines to SMT and the IRAM 30-m, giving sensitivity to emission structures at scales of $\sim250~μ$as and… ▽ More We investigate the presence and spatial characteristics of the jet base emission in M87* at 230 GHz, enabled by the enhanced uv coverage in the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. The addition of the 12-m Kitt Peak Telescope and NOEMA provides two key intermediate-length baselines to SMT and the IRAM 30-m, giving sensitivity to emission structures at scales of $\sim250~μ$as and $\sim2500~μ$as (0.02 pc and 0.2 pc). Without these baselines, earlier EHT observations lacked the capability to constrain emission on large scales, where a "missing flux" of order $\sim1$ Jy is expected. To probe these scales, we analyzed closure phases, robust against station-based gain errors, and modeled the jet base emission using a simple Gaussian offset from the compact ring emission at separations $>100~μ$as. Our analysis reveals a Gaussian feature centered at ($Δ$RA $\approx320~μ$as, $Δ$Dec $\approx60~μ$as), a projected separation of $\approx5500$ AU, with a flux density of only $\sim60$ mJy, implying that most of the missing flux in previous studies must arise from larger scales. Brighter emission at these scales is ruled out, and the data do not favor more complex models. This component aligns with the inferred direction of the large-scale jet and is consistent with emission from the jet base. While our findings indicate detectable jet base emission at 230 GHz, coverage from only two intermediate baselines limits reconstruction of its morphology. We therefore treat the recovered Gaussian as an upper limit on the jet base flux density. Future EHT observations with expanded intermediate-baseline coverage will be essential to constrain the structure and nature of this component. △ Less

Submitted 1 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 19 pages, 18 figures. Abstract shortened with respect to the manuscript. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting Survey: Data Release 1

Authors: Ji Yang, Qing-Zeng Yan, Yang Su, Shaobo Zhang, Xin Zhou, Yan Sun, Yiping Ao, Xuepeng Chen, Zhiwei Chen, Fujun Du, Min Fang, Yan Gong, Zhibo Jiang, Shengyu Jin, Binggang Ju, Chong Li, Yingjie Li, Yi Liu, Dengrong Lu, Chunsheng Luo, Yuehui Ma, Ruiqing Mao, Jixian Sun, Chen Wang, Hongchi Wang , et al. (10 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the first data release (DR1) of the Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting (MWISP) survey, a mapping in the J=(1-0) transition lines of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O toward the northern Galactic plane during 2011-2022. The MWISP survey was conducted using the PMO 13.7 m telescope at a spatial resolution of approximately 50" and a velocity resolution of 0.16 km/s at 115 GHz. DR1 fully covered 2310 squ… ▽ More We present the first data release (DR1) of the Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting (MWISP) survey, a mapping in the J=(1-0) transition lines of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O toward the northern Galactic plane during 2011-2022. The MWISP survey was conducted using the PMO 13.7 m telescope at a spatial resolution of approximately 50" and a velocity resolution of 0.16 km/s at 115 GHz. DR1 fully covered 2310 square degrees within the Galactic longitude (l) and latitude (b) range of 9.75 deg =< l =< 229.75 deg and |b| =< 5.25 deg. The surveyed area was divided into cell units of 30'x30' for practical purposes and On-The-Fly (OTF) mapping was performed toward each target cell unit. The data were regridded into a regular 3D datacube in l-b-V_LSR with a pixel size of 30" in l-b axes and 0.16 km/s in theV_LSR axis. The median rms noise is 0.47 K, 0.25 K, and 0.25 K for 12CO, 13CO, and C18O, respectively. The equivalent 3 sigma sensitivity in 12CO luminosity is approximately 0.23 K km/s, making MWISP the most sensitive survey of its kind. In this paper, we describe the survey data, including the calibration, data cleaning, data mosaic processes, and the data products. The final mosaicked data cubes contain about 3.33x10^7 spectra (pixels) for each CO isotopologue line. Color composite images, made from the intensities of the isotopologue lines, and some concise descriptions are provided. We constructed a molecular cloud catalog based on the mosaicked 12CO data cube using the clustering algorithm DBSCAN, detecting 103,517 molecular clouds, 10,790 of which exhibit 13CO emission and 304 of which show C18O emission. Based on the histogram of voxel brightness temperature, we estimated a total 12CO flux of 7.69+/-0.38x10^7 K km/s arcmin^2, 82% of which is captured by the DBSCAN algorithm. The data, together with the cloud sample, provide unique information on molecular gas in the northern Milky Way. △ Less

Submitted 10 December, 2025; v1 submitted 9 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJS. MWISP DR1 link: https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.27351

Supermassive Black Holes with High Accretion Rates in Active Galactic Nuclei. XV. Reverberation Mapping of Mg II Emission Lines

Authors: Hua-Rui Bai, Pu Du, Chen Hu, Yong-Jie Chen, Zhu-Heng Yao, Yan-Rong Li, Yi-Xin Fu, Yi-Lin Wang, Yu Zhao, Hao Zhang, Jun-Rong Liu, Sen Yang, Yue-Chang Peng, Feng-Na Fang, Yu-Yang Songsheng, Ming Xiao, Shuo Zhai, Sha-Sha Li, Kai-Xing Lu, Zhi-Xiang Zhang, Dong-Wei Bao, Wei-Jian Guo, Jia-Qi Feng, Yi-Peng Zhao, Jesús Aceituno , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: As the 15th paper in a series reporting on a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign of super-Eddington accreting massive black holes (SEAMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we present the results of measurements of the Mg II lines in 18 SEAMBHs monitored spectroscopically from 2017 to 2024. Among these, the time lags of Mg II have been successfully determined for 8 of the 18 objects, thereb… ▽ More As the 15th paper in a series reporting on a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign of super-Eddington accreting massive black holes (SEAMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we present the results of measurements of the Mg II lines in 18 SEAMBHs monitored spectroscopically from 2017 to 2024. Among these, the time lags of Mg II have been successfully determined for 8 of the 18 objects, thereby expanding the current Mg II RM sample, particularly at higher accretion rates. By incorporating measurements of the line widths, we determine the masses of their central supermassive black holes. Based on these new measurements, we update the relation between the Mg II radius and the monochromatic luminosity at 3000 $\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ ($R_{\rm MgII}-L_{3000}$ relation), yielding a slope of $0.24 \pm 0.03$, which is slightly shallower than, yet still consistent with, previously reported values. Similar to the H$β$ lines, the Mg II time lags in SEAMBHs are shorter than those of AGNs with normal accretion rates at comparable luminosities. The deviation of AGNs from the best-fit $R_{\rm MgII}-L_{3000}$ relation shows a strong correlation with the accretion rate, while no significant correlation is found between the deviation and the flux ratio of UV iron to Mg II. △ Less

Submitted 8 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 40 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

Predictions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Galactic Exoplanet Survey. V. Detection Rates of Multiplanetary Systems in High Magnification Microlensing Events

Authors: Vito Saggese, Étienne Bachelet, Sebastiano Calchi Novati, Valerio Bozza, Giovanni Covone, Farzaneh Zohrabi, Michael D. Albrow, Jay Anderson, Charles Beichman, David P. Bennett, Aparna Bhattacharya, Christopher Brandon, Sean Carey, Jessie Christiansen, Alison Crisp, William DeRocco, B. Scott Gaudi, Jon Hulberg, Macy J. Huston, Stela Ishitani Silva, Eamonn Kerins, Somayeh Khakpash, Katarzyna Kruszyńska, Casey Lam, Jessica R. Lu , et al. (12 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will expand the reach of gravitational microlensing surveys by increasing the number of events monitored and the precision of their light curves. We investigate Roman's ability to detect triple-lens microlensing systems, cases where a foreground star with two bound exoplanets produces detectable anomalies in a microlensing event, using its planned high-cadence… ▽ More The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will expand the reach of gravitational microlensing surveys by increasing the number of events monitored and the precision of their light curves. We investigate Roman's ability to detect triple-lens microlensing systems, cases where a foreground star with two bound exoplanets produces detectable anomalies in a microlensing event, using its planned high-cadence observations toward the Galactic bulge. We simulate a large set of high-magnification microlensing light curves based on Roman's expected survey characteristics. A detection criterion, based on a required $χ^2$ improvement for a two-planet model, is applied to determine whether the second planet can be reliably distinguished from a single-planet (binary-lens) model. Our simulations show that the majority of two-planet microlensing events would be detectable with Roman. Events in which both planets are relatively massive (planet-star mass ratios of order $10^{-3}$), or in which the more massive planet occupies a favorable resonant configuration, produce strong central perturbations, resulting in detection efficiencies of roughly 90\%. By contrast, systems with only low-mass planets ($q \sim 10^{-4}$) or with less favorable alignments generate much weaker signals, which often fall below the detection threshold. In general, the planetary mass ratios and the resulting caustic geometry (e.g., central caustic size in resonant versus wide/close orbits) are the dominant factors governing detectability. Taking into account the expected frequency of planetary systems and the fraction of high-magnification events, we estimate that Roman will detect a high-magnification triple-lens event in approximately 4.5\% of multi-planet microlensing events, corresponding to about 64 events over the course of the full survey. △ Less

Submitted 4 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, Submitted to A&A

287,872 Supermassive Black Holes Masses: Deep Learning Approaching Reverberation Mapping Accuracy

Authors: Yuhao Lu, HengJian SiTu, Jie Li, Yixuan Li, Yang Liu, Wenbin Lin, Yu Wang

Abstract: We present a population-scale catalogue of 287,872 supermassive black hole masses with high accuracy. Using a deep encoder-decoder network trained on optical spectra with reverberation-mapping (RM) based labels of 849 quasars and applied to all SDSS quasars up to $z=4$, our method achieves a root-mean-square error of $0.058$\,dex, a relative uncertainty of $\approx 14\%$, and coefficient of determ… ▽ More We present a population-scale catalogue of 287,872 supermassive black hole masses with high accuracy. Using a deep encoder-decoder network trained on optical spectra with reverberation-mapping (RM) based labels of 849 quasars and applied to all SDSS quasars up to $z=4$, our method achieves a root-mean-square error of $0.058$\,dex, a relative uncertainty of $\approx 14\%$, and coefficient of determination $R^{2}\approx0.91$ with respect to RM-based masses, far surpassing traditional single-line virial estimators. Notably, the high accuracy is maintained for both low ($<10^{7.5}\,M_\odot$) and high ($>10^{9}\,M_\odot$) mass quasars, where empirical relations are unreliable. △ Less

Submitted 4 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Journal of High Energy Astrophysics

Formation of the Dormant Black Holes with Luminous Companions from Binary or Triple Systems

Authors: Zhuowen Li, Xizhen Lu, Guoliang Lü, Chunhua Zhu, Helei Liu, Li Lei, Sufen Guo, Xiaolong He, Nurzada Beissen

Abstract: Recently, a class of dormant black hole binaries with luminous companions (dBH-LC) has been observed, such as $Gaia$ BH1, BH2, and BH3. Unlike previously discovered X-ray BH binaries, this type of dBH-LC has relatively long orbital periods (typically more than several tens to a few hundred days) and shows very weak X-ray emission. Therefore, studying the formation and evolution of the whole dBH-LC… ▽ More Recently, a class of dormant black hole binaries with luminous companions (dBH-LC) has been observed, such as $Gaia$ BH1, BH2, and BH3. Unlike previously discovered X-ray BH binaries, this type of dBH-LC has relatively long orbital periods (typically more than several tens to a few hundred days) and shows very weak X-ray emission. Therefore, studying the formation and evolution of the whole dBH-LC population is also a very interesting problem. Our aim is to study the contribution of massive stars to the dBH-LC population under different evolutionary models (isolated binary evolution (IBE) and hierarchical triple evolution), and different formation channels (such as mass transfer, common envelope evolution). Using the Massive Objects in Binary Stellar Evolution (MOBSE) code, the Triple Stellar Evolution (TSE) code, and the latest initial multiple-star distributions, we model the populations of massive stars. Finally, we calculate the orbital properties, mass distributions, and birthrates of the BH-LC populations formed under these different conditions. In the Milky Way, we calculate that the birthrate of dBH-LC formed through IBE is about 4.35$\times$$10^{-5}$ ${\rm yr}^{-1}$, while the birthrate through triple evolution is about 1.47$\times$$10^{-3}$ ${\rm yr}^{-1}$. This means that the birthrate from triple evolution is one to two orders of magnitude higher than that from IBE. We find that in triple evolution, the main formation channel of dBH-LC is post-merger binaries formed from inner binary mergers triggered by von Zeipel$-$Lidov$-$Kozai oscillations. △ Less

Submitted 4 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 13 pages, 7 figures

Machine Phenomenology: A Simple Equation Classifying Fast Radio Bursts

Authors: Yang Liu, Yuhao Lu, Rahim Moradi, Bo Yang, Bing Zhang, Wenbin Lin, Yu Wang

Abstract: This work shows how human physical reasoning can guide machine-driven symbolic regression toward discovering empirical laws from observations. As an example, we derive a simple equation that classifies fast radio bursts (FRBs) into two distinct Gaussian distributions, indicating the existence of two physical classes. This human-AI workflow integrates feature selection, dimensional analysis, and sy… ▽ More This work shows how human physical reasoning can guide machine-driven symbolic regression toward discovering empirical laws from observations. As an example, we derive a simple equation that classifies fast radio bursts (FRBs) into two distinct Gaussian distributions, indicating the existence of two physical classes. This human-AI workflow integrates feature selection, dimensional analysis, and symbolic regression: deep learning first analyzes CHIME Catalog 1 and identifies six independent parameters that collectively provide a complete description of FRBs; guided by Buckingham-$π$ analysis and correlation analysis, humans then construct dimensionless groups; finally, symbolic regression performed by the machine discovers the governing equation. When applied to the newer CHIME Catalog, the equation produces consistent results, demonstrating that it captures the underlying physics. This framework is applicable to a broad range of scientific domains. △ Less

Submitted 3 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 19 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy

Large Language Models for Limited Noisy Data: A Gravitational Wave Identification Study

Authors: Yixuan Li, Yuhao Lu, Yang Liu, Liang Li, R. Ruffini, Di Li, Rong-Gen Cai, Xiaoyan Zhu, Wenbin Lin, Yu Wang

Abstract: This work investigates whether large language models (LLMs) offer advantages over traditional neural networks for astronomical data processing, in regimes with non-Gaussian, non-stationary noise and limited labeled samples. Gravitational wave observations provide an suitable test case, using only 90 LIGO events, finetuned LLMs achieve 97.4\% accuracy for identifying signals. Further experiments sh… ▽ More This work investigates whether large language models (LLMs) offer advantages over traditional neural networks for astronomical data processing, in regimes with non-Gaussian, non-stationary noise and limited labeled samples. Gravitational wave observations provide an suitable test case, using only 90 LIGO events, finetuned LLMs achieve 97.4\% accuracy for identifying signals. Further experiments show that, in contrast to traditional networks that rely on large simulated datasets, additional simulated samples do not improve LLM performance, while scaling studies reveal predictable gains with increasing model size and dataset size. These results indicate that LLMs can extract discriminative structure directly from observational data and provide an efficient assessment for gravitational wave identification. The same strategy may extend to other astronomical domains with similar noise properties, such as radio or pulsar observations. △ Less

Submitted 3 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures

Modeling Binary Lenses and Sources with the BAGLE Python Package

Authors: T. Dex Bhadra, J. R. Lu, Natasha S. Abrams, Andrew Scharf, Edward Broadberry, Casey Lam, Macy J. Huston

Abstract: Gravitational microlensing is a powerful tool that can be used to find and measure the mass of isolated and dark compact objects. In many microlensing events, the lens, the source, or both may be a binary system. Therefore, in this study we present lensing equations for binary source and lens models in the Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events (BAGLE) Python microlensing package. The n… ▽ More Gravitational microlensing is a powerful tool that can be used to find and measure the mass of isolated and dark compact objects. In many microlensing events, the lens, the source, or both may be a binary system. Therefore, in this study we present lensing equations for binary source and lens models in the Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events (BAGLE) Python microlensing package. The new binary source and lens models in BAGLE account for the complete Keplerian orbit. BAGLE also includes binary models that approximate the orbital motion as linear or accelerating motion of the secondary companion; these are useful when the orbit has a very low eccentricity or the orbital period is much longer than the microlensing timescale. The model parameterizations based on these binary lensing equations will enable joint fitting of photometric and astrometric data sets. Consequently, binary microlensing events with complex astrometric trajectories can be used to break several microlensing degeneracies that plague photometry-only microlensing modeling. These binary models will be used to fit microlensing event data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, and other surveys. △ Less

Submitted 2 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 23 pages, 19 figures, 5 Tables, Submitted to AAS Journals

The BAGLE Python Package for Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events

Authors: J. R. Lu, M. Medford, C. Y. Lam, T. D. Bhadra, M. J. Huston, N. S. Abrams, E. Broadberry, J. Chen, S. K. Terry, N. Arredondo, A. Scharf

Abstract: We present the open-source Python package, BAGLE (Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events), which enables modeling and joint fitting of photometric and astrometric data sets. We describe the model parameterizations and present the equations for microlensing events containing either a point-source, point-lens or a finite-source, point-lens geometry both with and without microlensing paral… ▽ More We present the open-source Python package, BAGLE (Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events), which enables modeling and joint fitting of photometric and astrometric data sets. We describe the model parameterizations and present the equations for microlensing events containing either a point-source, point-lens or a finite-source, point-lens geometry both with and without microlensing parallax due to the motion of the Earth or a satellite around the Sun. Conversions between different coordinate reference frames are also derived. We compare our model light curves to those from other papers and microlens modeling software, finding good agreement, although with some differences in finite-source models at a ~1% level detectable with upcoming observations from space-based facilities. We also use BAGLE to demonstrate the impact of changing lens mass, lens distance, and blended source flux fraction on photometric lightcurves and astrometric trajectories in preparation for upcoming Gaia data releases and the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS). In particular, we show that Roman GBTDS will detect significant microlensing parallax signals for events that are 2x shorter in duration than from ground-based surveys. Additionally, long-duration events with durations of $\t_{E,\odot} >$ 100 days will yield microlensing parallax uncertainties of $σ_{π_E} <$ 0.01 with Roman, enabling confident identification of isolated stellar-mass black holes that can be modeled both astrometrically and photometrically with BAGLE for precise mass determinations. BAGLE is an open-source code and community development is encouraged. △ Less

Submitted 2 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: submitted

The Astrometric Resoeccentric Degeneracy: Eccentric Single Planets Mimic 2:1 Resonant Planet Pairs in Astrometry

Authors: Daniel A. Yahalomi, Tiger Lu, Philip J. Armitage, Megan Bedell, Andrew R. Casey, Adrian M. Price-Whelan, Malena Rice

Abstract: Detections of long-period giant exoplanets will expand dramatically with Gaia Data Release 4 (DR4), but interpreting these signals will require care. We derive the astrometric resoeccentric degeneracy: an astrometric analogue of the well-known radial velocity degeneracy in which a single eccentric planet can mimic two circular planets near a 2:1 period ratio. To first order in eccentricity, the sk… ▽ More Detections of long-period giant exoplanets will expand dramatically with Gaia Data Release 4 (DR4), but interpreting these signals will require care. We derive the astrometric resoeccentric degeneracy: an astrometric analogue of the well-known radial velocity degeneracy in which a single eccentric planet can mimic two circular planets near a 2:1 period ratio. To first order in eccentricity, the sky-projected motion of a single eccentric orbit decomposes into a fundamental mode and first harmonic with an amplitude proportional to that eccentricity. A pair of coplanar, circular planets in a 2:1 orbital resonance produces the same harmonic structure: the outer planet sets the fundamental mode, while the inner planet supplies an apparent first harmonic. We present a mapping between the harmonic amplitudes and effective eccentricity ($e_\mathrm{eff}$) of a single planet that mimics a 2:1 configuration, demonstrating that $e_\mathrm{eff} = \, 2^{1/3}(M_{p,2}/M_{p,1})$, the masses of the inner and outer planets, respectively. Using simulated Gaia data we show that (1) coplanar 2:1 systems are statistically indistinguishable from a single eccentric planet and (2) mutual inclination can break this degeneracy. This bias favors detecting mutually inclined systems, often fingerprints of a dynamically hot history -- traces for processes such as planet-planet scattering or secular chaos. Determining the planetary architectures in which this degeneracy holds will be essential for measuring cool-giant occurrence rates with Gaia and for inferring their dynamical evolution histories. △ Less

Submitted 1 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 12 pages, 2 figures, submitted to AAS journals, comments welcome!

Weak, extended water vapor emission in the Horsehead nebula

Authors: Dariusz C. Lis, Vincent Maillard, Emeric Bron, Franck Le Petit, Javier R. Goicoechea, Ducheng Lu, David Teyssier

Abstract: We analyzed archival Herschel observations of water vapor emission toward the Horsehead photon dominated region (PDR), along with supporting ground-based and airborne observations of CO isotopologues and fine structure lines of ionized and atomic carbon to determine the distribution and abundance of water vapor in this low-UV illumination PDR. Water emission in the Horsehead nebula is very weak an… ▽ More We analyzed archival Herschel observations of water vapor emission toward the Horsehead photon dominated region (PDR), along with supporting ground-based and airborne observations of CO isotopologues and fine structure lines of ionized and atomic carbon to determine the distribution and abundance of water vapor in this low-UV illumination PDR. Water emission in the Horsehead nebula is very weak and, surprisingly, extends outward beyond other PDR tracers such as $^{12}$CO or [CI] 609 $μ$m, reaching as far out as [CII] 158 $μ$m. We model the observations using a newly developed PDR wrapper that takes into account the geometry of this region. PDR modeling of the molecular and atomic lines studied here provides strong constraints on the thermal pressure, but not on the UV illumination. Maximum model line intensities %typically agree to within ~40\% with the observations. and spatial profiles are well reproduced, except for CO isotopologues, where the increase on the illuminated side of the PDR is steeper than observed. Water vapor abundance in the model reaches $3.6 \times 10^{-7}$ at $A_V \sim 3$ mag. However, the ground state $o$-H$_2$O 557 GHz line is systematically overestimated by the models by at least a factor of 7 for any values of the model parameters. This line has a very high optical depth and the emergent line intensity is sensitive to radiative transfer effects such as line scattering by water molecules in a low-density halo surrounding the dense PDR and the assumed microturbulent line width. A more accurate model of the water surface chemistry is required. △ Less

Submitted 1 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Analytical Emulator for the Baryon EoM inside the Fuzzy Dark Matter Soliton from Machine Learning

Authors: Ke Wang, Jianbo Lu, Man Ho Chan

Abstract: An empirical baryon density profile can be included in the Schrödinger-Poisson (SP) equations to influence the fuzzy dark matter (FDM) soliton formation. However, to probe the effects of baryon on the other dynamical evolutions of the FDM soliton, its equation of motion (EoM) inside the corresponding FDM soliton is needed. In this paper, given an empirical baryon density profile, we first provide… ▽ More An empirical baryon density profile can be included in the Schrödinger-Poisson (SP) equations to influence the fuzzy dark matter (FDM) soliton formation. However, to probe the effects of baryon on the other dynamical evolutions of the FDM soliton, its equation of motion (EoM) inside the corresponding FDM soliton is needed. In this paper, given an empirical baryon density profile, we first provide the cylinderical symmetric FDM soliton solution about the FDM density and the total potential of FDM and baryon. Then, we build an analytical baryon EoM from the obtained FDM density and total potential by machine learning. Finally, we check that this baryon EoM works as well as an empirical baryon density profile for the FDM soliton formation, with the fractional errors $\lesssim0.04$. It should also work well for some other simple FDM soliton evolutions. △ Less

Submitted 1 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 7 pages, 6 figures

The ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). XIII. Core Mass Function, Lifetime, and Growth of Prestellar Cores

Authors: Kaho Morii, Patricio Sanhueza, Qizhou Zhang, Giovanni Sabatini, Shanghuo Li, Fabien Louvet, Henrik Beuther, Fernando A. Olguin, Shuting Lin, Daniel Tafoya, Takeshi Sakai, Xing Lu, Fumitaka Nakamura

Abstract: The core mass function (CMF) of prestellar cores is essential for understanding the initial conditions of star and cluster formation. However, the universality of the CMF and its relationship to the initial mass function (IMF) remain unclear. We study the CMF in the earliest stage of high-mass star formation using 461 prestellar core candidates and 254 protostellar cores as a part of the ALMA Surv… ▽ More The core mass function (CMF) of prestellar cores is essential for understanding the initial conditions of star and cluster formation. However, the universality of the CMF and its relationship to the initial mass function (IMF) remain unclear. We study the CMF in the earliest stage of high-mass star formation using 461 prestellar core candidates and 254 protostellar cores as a part of the ALMA Survey of 70 μm Dark High-mass Clumps in Early Stages (ASHES). We find that prestellar core candidates tend to have lower masses than protostellar cores. We also find that the lifetime of prestellar cores is several times longer than the freefall time, although it approaches the freefall time as the core mass increases. The CMF, including both protostellar and prestellar cores, has a power-law slope of $-2.05\pm0.04$, shallower than Salpeter's IMF slope of -2.35. Conversely, the CMF of gravitationally bound, prestellar cores has a steeper slope ($-2.32\pm0.30$), indistinguishable from Salpeter's slope. This finding is consistent with observations in both low-mass star-forming regions and high-mass protoclusters, implying a universal core formation mechanism. The protostellar CMF with a larger maximum core mass can be reproduced by the prestellar CMF when an external gas infall is considered. The inferred mass infall rate is higher than the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion rate and follows a shallower mass dependence (smaller power-law index), more consistent with the tidal-lobe accretion. This may contribute to the evolution of CMFs seen in later stages. △ Less

Submitted 28 November, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Accepted for Publication in ApJ., 18 pages, 10 figures

The Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments (SCOPE) mission

Authors: Jun Lin, Jing Feng, Zhenhua Ge, Jiang Tian, Yuhao Chen, Xin Cheng, Hui Tian, Jiansen He, Alexei Pevtsov, Haisheng Ji, Shangbin Yang, Parida Hashim, Bin Zhou, Yiteng Zhang, Shenyi Zhang, Xi Lu, Yuan Yuan, Liu Liu, Haoyu Wang, Hu Jiang, Lei Deng, Xingjian Shi, Lin Ma, Jingxing Wang, Shanjie Huang , et al. (9 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments (SCOPE) mission will send a spacecraft into the solar atmosphere at a low altitude of just 5 R_sun from the solar center. It aims to elucidate the mechanisms behind solar eruptions and coronal heating, and to directly measure the coronal magnetic field. The mission will perform in situ measurements of the current sheet between coronal mass eje… ▽ More The Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments (SCOPE) mission will send a spacecraft into the solar atmosphere at a low altitude of just 5 R_sun from the solar center. It aims to elucidate the mechanisms behind solar eruptions and coronal heating, and to directly measure the coronal magnetic field. The mission will perform in situ measurements of the current sheet between coronal mass ejections and their associated solar flares, and energetic particles produced by either reconnection or fast-mode shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. This will help to resolve the nature of reconnections in current sheets, and energetic particle acceleration regions. To investigate coronal heating, the mission will observe nano-flares on scales smaller than 70 km in the solar corona and regions smaller than 40 km in the photosphere, where magnetohydrodynamic waves originate. To study solar wind acceleration mechanisms, the mission will also track the process of ion charge-state freezing in the solar wind. A key achievement will be the observation of the coronal magnetic field at unprecedented proximity to the solar photosphere. The polar regions will also be observed at close range, and the inner edge of the solar system dust disk may be identified for the first time. This work presents the detailed background, science, and mission concept of SCOPE and discusses how we aim to address the questions mentioned above. △ Less

Submitted 27 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 27 pages, 15 figures

Journal ref: Astronomical Techniques and Instruments, 2(3), 2025

QCD axions and domain walls in dense matter under compact stellar conditions

Authors: Zhen-Yan Lu, Shu-Peng Wang, Qi Lu, Bo-Nan Zhang, Marco Ruggieri

Abstract: In compact stellar environments, the stability of dense QCD matter requires the simultaneous fulfillment of charge neutrality and beta equilibrium. In this work, we study how temperature and finite chemical potential affect QCD topology and axion properties within this medium, analyzing both cases with and without the charge neutrality condition. Our results show that the topological susceptibilit… ▽ More In compact stellar environments, the stability of dense QCD matter requires the simultaneous fulfillment of charge neutrality and beta equilibrium. In this work, we study how temperature and finite chemical potential affect QCD topology and axion properties within this medium, analyzing both cases with and without the charge neutrality condition. Our results show that the topological susceptibility and axion properties are highly sensitive to the critical behavior of the chiral phase transition in both cases. In particular, the axion mass is strongly suppressed near the transition, while the axion self-coupling constant develops a pronounced peak whose magnitude depends on the temperature and density of the medium. Remarkably, around the critical point at $T\simeq70$ MeV and $μ\simeq346$ MeV, the self-coupling constant is enhanced by more than a factor of seven compared to its vacuum value, a feature that to the best of our knowledge has not been reported in previous studies. Such a strong amplification at the phase boundary indicates that axion-mediated interactions could play an important role in shaping the structure and stability of compact stars, with potential implications for their evolution and observable astrophysical signatures. △ Less

Submitted 26 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 9 pages, 7 figures

Probing the Nature of High-Redshift Long GRB 250114A and Its Magnetar Central Engine

Authors: Wen-Yuan Yu, Hou-Jun Lü, Xiao Tian, Liang-Jun Chen, En-Wei Liang

Abstract: GRB 250114A is a long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) which triggered the Swift/BAT with a spectroscopic high-redshift at $z = 4.732$. The light curve of the prompt emission is composed of three distinct emission episodes, which are separated by quiescent gaps ranging from tens to hundreds of seconds. While the X-ray light curve exhibits the canonical X-ray emission which is composed of several pow… ▽ More GRB 250114A is a long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) which triggered the Swift/BAT with a spectroscopic high-redshift at $z = 4.732$. The light curve of the prompt emission is composed of three distinct emission episodes, which are separated by quiescent gaps ranging from tens to hundreds of seconds. While the X-ray light curve exhibits the canonical X-ray emission which is composed of several power-law segments superposition of a giant X-ray flare. More interestingly, there is still significant X-ray emission during the quiescent time in the prompt emission, suggesting a continuously active central engine whose power fluctuates across the $γ$-ray detectability threshold. In this paper, we propose a magnetar as the central engine of GRB 250114A by fitting the X-ray light curve, and infer a magnetic field strength $B_{\rm p}=13.24^{+1.73}_{-5.84} \, \times10^{15}\ \mathrm{G}$ and an initial spin period $P_{0}=14.31^{+0.93}_{-3.16} \, \mathrm{ms}$ of magnetar, with a jet correction, fall within a reasonable range. Furthermore, we also compare the prompt emission, X-ray afterglow, $E_{\mathrm p}$-$E_{γ,\mathrm{iso}}$, and $\varepsilon-$distribution of GBR 250114A with those of other high-$z$ sample-GRBs, and find no significant statistical differences between them. △ Less

Submitted 26 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 16 pages, 7 figures, and 3 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

The diverse morphology of gravitational wave signals from merging neutron-star white-dwarf binaries

Authors: Shenghua Yu, Youjun Lu, C. Simon Jeffery, Zhanwen Han, DongDong Liu, Jie Yang, Xilong Fan, Bo Peng, Jianbin Li

Abstract: In sufficiently compact neutron star-white dwarf (NSWD) binary systems, orbital decay means the white dwarf eventually fills its shrinking Roche lobe, initiating a phase of mass transfer. The exchange of angular momentum-both internal and external-plays a critical role in determining the binary's evolutionary outcome. For neutron stars with relatively low magnetic fields and spin frequencies, whet… ▽ More In sufficiently compact neutron star-white dwarf (NSWD) binary systems, orbital decay means the white dwarf eventually fills its shrinking Roche lobe, initiating a phase of mass transfer. The exchange of angular momentum-both internal and external-plays a critical role in determining the binary's evolutionary outcome. For neutron stars with relatively low magnetic fields and spin frequencies, whether the orbital separation continues to shrink depends on the interplay between gravitational wave (GW) radiation and mass transfer dynamics. We compute the orbital evolution of NSWD binaries across a broad parameter space, incorporating four key variables. Our results reveal distinct boundaries in the NS-WD mass-mass diagram: binaries with white dwarf masses above these thresholds undergo rapid orbital decay and direct coalescence. The dependence of these boundaries on system parameters indicates that Roche-lobe-filling NSWD binaries can follow multiple evolutionary pathways -- a phenomenon we refer to as branched or polymorphic evolution. NSWD binary systems emit strong and diverse GW signals, many of which would be detectable by space-based GW observatories. The morphology of the evolving GW waveform provides a direct diagnostic for the NSWD binary configuration, including any contribution from an accretion disk. Our models can provide critical waveform templates for identifying merging binary signals in real-time GW data. △ Less

Submitted 25 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 13 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Tails of Gravity: Persistence of Star Formation in the CMZ Environment

Authors: Linjing Feng, Sihan Jiao, Fengwei Xu, Hauyu Baobab Liu, Xing Lu, Neal J. Evans II, Elisabeth A. C. Mills, Attila Kovács, Qizhou Zhang, Yuxin Lin, Jingwen Wu, Chao-Wei Tsai, Di Li, Zhi-Yu Zhang, Zhiqiang Yan, Hao Ruan, Fangyuan Deng, Yuanzhen Xiong, Ruofei Zhang

Abstract: We characterize star-forming gas in six molecular clouds (Sgr B1-off, Sgr B2, Sgr C, the 20 km s$^{-1}$ and 50 km s$^{-1}$ molecular clouds, and the Brick) in the Galactic central molecular zone (CMZ), and compare their star-forming activities with those in molecular clouds outside the CMZ. Using multi-band continuum observations taken from ${\it Planck}$, ${\it Herschel}$, JCMT/SCUBA-2, and CSO/S… ▽ More We characterize star-forming gas in six molecular clouds (Sgr B1-off, Sgr B2, Sgr C, the 20 km s$^{-1}$ and 50 km s$^{-1}$ molecular clouds, and the Brick) in the Galactic central molecular zone (CMZ), and compare their star-forming activities with those in molecular clouds outside the CMZ. Using multi-band continuum observations taken from ${\it Planck}$, ${\it Herschel}$, JCMT/SCUBA-2, and CSO/SHARC2, we derived 8.5" resolution column density maps for the CMZ clouds and evaluated the column density probability distribution functions (N-PDFs). With the archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3 mm dust continuum data, we further evaluated the mass of the most massive cores ($M_{\rm core}^{\rm ma x}$). We find that the N-PDFs of four of the selected CMZ clouds are well described by a piecewise log-normal + power-law function, while the N-PDFs of the remaining two can be approximated by log-normal functions. In the first four targets, the masses in the power-law component ($M_{\rm gas}^{\rm bound}$), $M_{\rm core}^{\rm max}$, and star formation rate (SFR) are correlated. These correlations are very similar to those derived from low-mass clouds in the Solar neighborhood and massive star-forming regions on the Galactic disk. These findings lead to our key hypotheses: (1) In the extreme environment of the CMZ, the power-law component in the N-PDF also represents self-gravitationally bound gas structures, and (2) evolution and star-forming activities of self-gravitationally bound gas structures may be self-regulated, insensitive to the exterior environment on $\gtrsim$5-10 pc scales. △ Less

Submitted 30 November, 2025; v1 submitted 25 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 25 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

Search for planetary-mass ultra-compact binaries using data from the first part of the LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA fourth observing run

Authors: The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, the KAGRA Collaboration, A. G. Abac, I. Abouelfettouh, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adamcewicz, S. Adhicary, D. Adhikari, N. Adhikari, R. X. Adhikari, V. K. Adkins, S. Afroz, A. Agapito, D. Agarwal, M. Agathos, N. Aggarwal, S. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, I. -L. Ahrend, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, T. Akutsu , et al. (1743 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present a search for gravitational waves from inspiraling, planetary-mass ultra-compact binaries using data from the first part of the fourth observing run of LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA. Finding no evidence of such systems, we determine the maximum distance reach for such objects and their merger rate densities, independently of how they could have formed. Then, we identify classes of primordial bla… ▽ More We present a search for gravitational waves from inspiraling, planetary-mass ultra-compact binaries using data from the first part of the fourth observing run of LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA. Finding no evidence of such systems, we determine the maximum distance reach for such objects and their merger rate densities, independently of how they could have formed. Then, we identify classes of primordial black-hole mass distributions for which these rate limits can be translated into relevant constraints on the mass distribution of primordial black holes, assuming that they compose all of dark matter, in the mass range $[10^{-6},10^{-3}]M_\odot$. Our constraints are consistent with existing microlensing results in the planetary-mass range, and provide a complementary probe to sub-solar mass objects. △ Less

Submitted 5 December, 2025; v1 submitted 24 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 6 pages (main) + 7 pages (appendix) + refs; 8 figures

Report number: P2500248

Limits on GeV-scale WIMP Annihilation in Dwarf Spheroidals with IceCube DeepCore

Authors: R. Abbasi, M. Ackermann, J. Adams, S. K. Agarwalla, J. A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, J. M. Alameddine, S. Ali, N. M. Amin, K. Andeen, C. Argüelles, Y. Ashida, S. Athanasiadou, S. N. Axani, R. Babu, X. Bai, J. Baines-Holmes, A. Balagopal V., S. W. Barwick, S. Bash, V. Basu, R. Bay, J. J. Beatty, J. Becker Tjus, P. Behrens , et al. (406 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Dark matter is approximately five times more abundant than baryonic matter in the universe, but its physical nature continues to elude physicists. One potential candidate for dark matter is a weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP), which is predicted by various extensions to the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. After becoming gravitationally bound in cosmic structures, WIMPs can self-a… ▽ More Dark matter is approximately five times more abundant than baryonic matter in the universe, but its physical nature continues to elude physicists. One potential candidate for dark matter is a weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP), which is predicted by various extensions to the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. After becoming gravitationally bound in cosmic structures, WIMPs can self-annihilate and produce SM particles including neutrinos, which are observable by detectors like IceCube. We present a search for neutrinos from low-mass $(\leq 300 \, \mathrm{GeV})$ WIMP annihilation in dwarf spheroidal galaxies with over seven years of IceCube livetime. We find no statistically significant evidence of neutrinos produced by WIMP annihilation, and therefore set upper limits on the velocity-averaged annihilation cross section $\left<σv\right>$. Our strongest upper limits at the 90\% confidence level are $\mathcal{O}\!\left(10^{-22} \, \mathrm{{cm}^{3} \, s^{-1}}\right)$ for WIMP annihilation directly into neutrino-antineutrino pairs. For our least sensitive channel, the corresponding limits are $\mathcal{O}\!\left(10^{-20} \, \mathrm{{cm}^{3} \, s^{-1}}\right)$, which is an improvement of over two orders of magnitude over previous IceCube limits from dwarf galaxies at the upper end of our mass range. △ Less

Submitted 24 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 22 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to PRD. Comments welcome!

ACES: The Magnetic Field in Large Filaments in the Galactic Center

Authors: Dylan M. Paré, Zi-Xuan Feng, Yue Hu, Maya A. Petkova, Jack Sullivan, Robin G. Tress, Cara Battersby, Janik Karoly, Alex Lazarian, Dani Lipman, Xing Pan, Marco Donati, Mattia C. Sormani, John Bally, Ashley T. Barnes, Natalie O. Butterfield, Laura Colzi, Christoph Federrath, Pablo Garcia, Adam Ginsburg, Savannah R. Gramze, Anika Schmiedeke, Christian Henkel, Jonathan D. Henshaw, Paul T. Ho , et al. (11 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Galactic Center (GC) is an extreme region of the Milky Way that is host to a complex set of thermal and non-thermal structures. In particular, the GC contains high-density gas and dust that is collectively referred to as the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). In this work, we study a subset of HNCO filaments identified in band 3 ALMA observations of the GC obtained by the ALMA CMZ Exploration Surve… ▽ More The Galactic Center (GC) is an extreme region of the Milky Way that is host to a complex set of thermal and non-thermal structures. In particular, the GC contains high-density gas and dust that is collectively referred to as the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). In this work, we study a subset of HNCO filaments identified in band 3 ALMA observations of the GC obtained by the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey (ACES) that are comparable to high density filaments identified in the Galactic Disk. We compare the orientation of the magnetic field derived from 214 um SOFIA and 850 um JCMT observations with the filament orientation to determine which mechanisms dominate the formation of these filaments. We observe a large range of magnetic orientations in our observed filaments indicating the complex environments the filaments are located in. We also compare the observational results to synthetic data sets created using an MHD model of the GC. Our analysis reveals that the dominant mechanisms local to the HNCO filaments vary throughout the GC with some filaments being dominated by supersonic turbulence and others by subsonic turbulence. The comparison to synthetic observations indicates that the observed filaments are in magnetically dominated environments that could be supporting these filaments against collapse. Our results on the CMZ filaments are also compared to results obtained on similar filaments located in the Galactic Disk, and we find that the filaments studied here are possible CMZ analogs to the dense filamentary "bones" observed previously in the Galactic Disk. △ Less

Submitted 9 December, 2025; v1 submitted 22 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ 24 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables

Performance Simulations for Kola: Achieving High-Resolution, Visible-Light AO Correction Over a 1 Arcminute Field

Authors: Brianna Peck, Jessica R. Lu, Lianqi Wang, Brooke DiGia, Richard Dekany, Antonin H. Bouchez, Peter Wizinowich, Maxwell A. Millar-Blanchaer, Mark Chun, Philip Hinz, Charles-Antoine Claveau

Abstract: We present performance simulations for a proposed visible-light, multi-conjugate adaptive optics system for the 10-meter W. M. Keck I telescope that aims to deliver near diffraction-limited angular resolution at optical wavelengths. Our proposed architecture, the Keck Optical Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System (KOLA), combines multiple laser guide stars (LGS) and deformable mirrors to enable… ▽ More We present performance simulations for a proposed visible-light, multi-conjugate adaptive optics system for the 10-meter W. M. Keck I telescope that aims to deliver near diffraction-limited angular resolution at optical wavelengths. Our proposed architecture, the Keck Optical Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System (KOLA), combines multiple laser guide stars (LGS) and deformable mirrors to enable wide-field correction across a 60 arcsecond field of view. Simulations were conducted using the open-source Multi-Threaded Adaptive Optics Simulator (MAOS), which we validated against on-sky data for the current Keck I adaptive optics system. We evaluated KOLA performance across a range of design parameters and report key point spread function metrics, including Strehl ratio, full width at half maximum, and encircled energy radius. Example science-driven requirements include resolving black hole spheres of influence, probing crowded stellar fields, and imaging protoplanetary disks. Trade studies on actuator count and laser guide star configuration help inform future design decisions. We present a nominal KOLA design (10 LGS, 3 tip-tilt natural guide stars (TTNGS), and 3600 actuators on the adaptive secondary mirror). Performance simulations show a 15 mas angular resolution with a Strehl ratio of 34% at 652 nm on-axis. More work is needed to explore alternative LGS/TTNGS asterisms, optimize conjugation heights for high-altitude deformable mirrors, and test performance under poorer seeing conditions. △ Less

Submitted 21 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 9 figures

Which active galaxies might be neutrino emitters?

Authors: Shuying Zhou, Mouyuan Sun, Guobin Mou, Da-bin Lin, Tong Liu, Ming-Xuan Lu, Yongquan Xue

Abstract: The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has identified several individual neutrino emitters associated with supermassive black hole accretion phenomena, including blazars, tidal disruption events, and, unexpectedly, Seyfert galaxies. A key open question is which types of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are most likely to be neutrino emitters. Here we show that high-confidence extragalactic neutrino emitter… ▽ More The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has identified several individual neutrino emitters associated with supermassive black hole accretion phenomena, including blazars, tidal disruption events, and, unexpectedly, Seyfert galaxies. A key open question is which types of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are most likely to be neutrino emitters. Here we show that high-confidence extragalactic neutrino emitters tend not only to have higher hard X-ray fluxes but also to be more variable in mid-infrared (MIR) than other AGNs in the \textit{Swift} BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. MIR variations effectively trace long-term fluctuations in AGN accretion disks and/or jets. In addition to the role of X-ray flux emphasized in previous studies, we speculate that long-term central engine fluctuations may also be critical for neutrino production. This hypothesis may inform IceCube neutrino-electromagnetic counterpart association studies and provide new insights into cosmic ray acceleration sites. First, the observed neutrinos are unlikely to originate from AGN host galaxies or from interactions between large-scale (dozens of parsecs) winds/outflows and the surrounding interstellar medium. Second, if neutrinos are produced in the X-ray corona, the corona should exhibit strong magnetic turbulence dissipation or magnetic reconnection whose rate changes substantially on timescales of years. Third, the relativistic jets of blazar neutrino emitters may be intrinsically unstable over years. Finally, if neutrinos are related to interactions between small-scale winds/outflows and torus clouds, such winds/outflows must be highly episodic. △ Less

Submitted 20 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. accepted to ApJ. Comments welcome

A Core-Collapse Supernova Neutrino Parameterization with Enhanced Physical Interpretability

Authors: Haihao Shi, Zhenyang Huang, Junda Zhou, Guoliang Lü, Xuefei Chen

Abstract: We introduce a novel parameterization of supernova neutrino energy spectra with a clear physical motivation. Its central parameter, $τ(t)$, quantifies the characteristic thermal-diffusion area during the explosion. When applied to the historic SN1987A data, this parameterization yields statistically significant fits and provides robust constraints on the unobserved low-energy portion of the spectr… ▽ More We introduce a novel parameterization of supernova neutrino energy spectra with a clear physical motivation. Its central parameter, $τ(t)$, quantifies the characteristic thermal-diffusion area during the explosion. When applied to the historic SN1987A data, this parameterization yields statistically significant fits and provides robust constraints on the unobserved low-energy portion of the spectrum. Beyond this specific application, we demonstrate the model's power on a suite of 3D core-collapse supernova simulations, finding that the temporal evolution of $τ(t)$ distinctly separates successful from failed explosions. Furthermore, we constrain the progenitor mass of SN 1987A to approximately 19 solar masses by applying Smoothed Isotonic Regression, while noting the sensitivity of this estimate to observational uncertainties. Moreover, in these simulations, $τ(t)$ and the gravitational-wave strain amplitude display a strong, synergistic co-evolution, directly linking the engine's energetic evolution to its geometric asymmetry. This implies that the thermodynamic state of the explosion is imprinted not only on the escaping neutrino flux, but also recorded in the shape of the energy spectrum. Our framework therefore offers a valuable tool for decoding the detailed core dynamics and multi-messenger processes of future galactic supernovae. △ Less

Submitted 20 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 48 pages, 31 figures, It has been accepted by APJS

A first look at a complete view of spatially resolved star formation at 1<z<1.8 with JWST NGDEEP+FRESCO slitless spectroscopy

Authors: Jasleen Matharu, Lu Shen, Irene Shivaei, Pascal A. Oesch, Casey Papovich, Gabriel Brammer, Naveen A. Reddy, Yingjie Cheng, Pieter van Dokkum, Steven L. Finkelstein, Nimish P. Hathi, Jeyhan S. Kartaltepe, Anton M. Koekemoer, Jorryt Matthee, Nor Pirzkal, Stephen M. Wilkins, Michael A. Wozniak, Mengyuan Xiao

Abstract: [abridged] The previously inaccessible star formation tracer Pa$α$ can now be spatially resolved by JWST NIRCam slitless spectroscopy in distant galaxies up to cosmic noon. In the first study of its kind, we combine JWST NGDEEP NIRISS and FRESCO NIRCam slitless spectroscopy to provide the first direct comparison of spatially resolved dust-obscured (traced by Pa$α$) versus unobscured (traced by H… ▽ More [abridged] The previously inaccessible star formation tracer Pa$α$ can now be spatially resolved by JWST NIRCam slitless spectroscopy in distant galaxies up to cosmic noon. In the first study of its kind, we combine JWST NGDEEP NIRISS and FRESCO NIRCam slitless spectroscopy to provide the first direct comparison of spatially resolved dust-obscured (traced by Pa$α$) versus unobscured (traced by H$α$) star formation across the main sequence. We stack Pa$α$ and H$α$ emission-line maps, along with stellar continuum images at both wavelengths of 31 galaxies at 1<z<1.8 in three bins of stellar mass. Surface brightness profiles are measured and equivalent width (EW) profiles computed. Increasing Pa$α$ and H$α$ EW profiles with galactocentric radius across all stellar masses probed provide direct evidence for the inside-out growth of galaxies both via dust-obscured and unobscured star formation for the first time. For galaxies on the main sequence, a weakly positive ($0.1\pm0.1$) Pa$α$/H$α$ line profile as a function of radius is found at $8.8\leqslant\mathrm{log}(M_{*}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot})<9.9$ with a negative ($-0.4\pm0.1$) Pa$α$/H$α$ line profile found at $9.9\leqslant\mathrm{log}(M_{*}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot})<11.0$. Low mass galaxies ($7.7\leqslant\mathrm{log}(M_{*}/\mathrm{M}_{\odot})<8.8$) with high sSFRs are found to have a negative ($-0.5\pm0.1$) Pa$α$/H$α$ line profile gradient. Our results demonstrate that while inside-out growth via star formation is ubiquitous across the main sequence just after cosmic noon, centrally concentrated dust attenuation is not. Along with other recent work in the literature, our findings motivate future studies of resolved SFR profiles in large samples of individual cosmic noon galaxies across the main sequence, to understand the intrinsic scatter in spatially resolved star formation. △ Less

Submitted 19 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 7 pages, 7 figures, to be submitted to A&A

A Method for Gamma-Ray Energy Spectrum Inversion and Correction

Authors: Zhi-Qiang Ding, Xin-Qiao Li, Da-Li Zhang, Zheng-Hua An, Zhen-Xia Zhang, Roberto Battiston, Roberto Iuppa, Zhuo Li, Yan-Qiu Zhang, Yan Huang, Chao Zheng, Yan-Bing Xu, Xiao-Yun Zhao, Lu Wang, Ping Wang, Hong Lu

Abstract: Accurate spectral analysis of high-energy astrophysical sources often relies on comparing observed data to incident spectral models convolved with the instrument response. However, for Gamma-Ray Bursts and other high-energy transient events observed at high count rates, significant distortions (e.g., pile-up, dead time, and large signal trailing) are introduced, complicating this analysis. We pres… ▽ More Accurate spectral analysis of high-energy astrophysical sources often relies on comparing observed data to incident spectral models convolved with the instrument response. However, for Gamma-Ray Bursts and other high-energy transient events observed at high count rates, significant distortions (e.g., pile-up, dead time, and large signal trailing) are introduced, complicating this analysis. We present a method framework to address the model dependence problem, especially to solve the problem of energy spectrum distortion caused by instrument signal pile-up due to high counting rate and high-rate effects, applicable to X-ray, gamma-ray, and particle detectors. Our approach combines physics-based Monte Carlo (MC) simulations with a model-independent spectral inversion technique. The MC simulations quantify instrumental effects and enable correction of the distorted spectrum. Subsequently, the inversion step reconstructs the incident spectrum using an inverse response matrix approach, conceptually equivalent to deconvolving the detector response. The inversion employs a Convolutional Neural Network, selected for its numerical stability and effective handling of complex detector responses. Validation using simulations across diverse input spectra demonstrates high fidelity. Specifically, for 27 different parameter sets of the brightest gamma-ray bursts, goodness-of-fit tests confirm the reconstructed spectra are in excellent statistical agreement with the input spectra, and residuals are typically within $\pm 2σ$. This method enables precise analysis of intense transients and other high-flux events, overcoming limitations imposed by instrumental effects in traditional analyses. △ Less

Submitted 19 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: The Astrophysical Journal has accepted

Implications of the Two-Component Dark Energy Model for Hubble Tension

Authors: Lu Chen, Peiyuan Xu, Guohao Li, Yang Han

Abstract: Dark energy plays a crucial role in the evolution of cosmic expansion. In most studies, dark energy is considered a single dynamic component. In fact, multi-component dark energy models may theoretically explain the accelerated expansion of the universe as well. In our previous research, we constructed the $w_{\rm{n}}$CDM ($n=2, 3, 5$) models and conducted numerical research, finding strong observ… ▽ More Dark energy plays a crucial role in the evolution of cosmic expansion. In most studies, dark energy is considered a single dynamic component. In fact, multi-component dark energy models may theoretically explain the accelerated expansion of the universe as well. In our previous research, we constructed the $w_{\rm{n}}$CDM ($n=2, 3, 5$) models and conducted numerical research, finding strong observational support when the value of n is small. Based on our results, both the $χ^2$ and Akaike information criterion (AIC) favor the $w_{\rm{2}}$CDM model more than the $w_0w_{\rm{a}}$CDM model. However, previous studies were limited to two equal-component dark energy models, failing to consider the component proportions as variables. Therefore, we will further explore the $w_{\rm{2}}$CDM model. To simplify the model, we fix $w = -1$ in one component and set the other component to $w_{\rm{de2}}$, varying the proportions of both components in the population. Under different $w_{\rm{de2}}$, we obtain the one-dimensional distribution of ${H}_{0}$ with respect to $f_{\rm{de2}}$. Further fitting reveals the evolution of ${H}_{0}$ under varying $w_{\rm{de2}}$ and $f_{\rm{de2}}$. We also perform the same operation on $χ^2$. To evaluate the error of fitting, we introduce two indicators, $\text{R}^{2}_{\text{adj}}$ and MAPE, to quantify the fitting ability of our models. We find that when $w_{\rm{de2}}$ is less than -1, ${H}_{0}$ increases with the decrease of $w_{\rm{de2}}$ and the increase of $f_{\rm{de2}}$, effectively alleviating ${H}_{0}$ tension. For $χ^2$, it still prefers the $Λ$CDM model, and the $w_{\rm{2}}$CDM model will decrease significantly when it approaches the $Λ$CDM model. The excellent performance of $\text{R}^{2}_{\text{adj}}$ and MAPE further proves that our model has an outstanding fitting effect and extremely high reliability. △ Less

Submitted 18 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 11 pages, 7 figures

Probing the influence of the protocluster environment on galaxy morphology at z = 2.23

Authors: Emmet Golden-Marx, Zheng Cai, Dongdong Shi, Xin Wang, Brian C. Lemaux, Benedetta Vulcani, Boris Haussler, Pablo Renard, Lu Shen, Finn Giddings

Abstract: As galaxies evolve in dense cluster and protocluster environments, they interact and quench their star formation, which gradually transforms the galaxy population from star-forming galaxies to quiescent galaxies. This transformation is identifiable by observing galaxy colors and can be seen in the morphological transformation of late-type galaxies into early-type galaxies, which creates the morpho… ▽ More As galaxies evolve in dense cluster and protocluster environments, they interact and quench their star formation, which gradually transforms the galaxy population from star-forming galaxies to quiescent galaxies. This transformation is identifiable by observing galaxy colors and can be seen in the morphological transformation of late-type galaxies into early-type galaxies, which creates the morphology-density relation seen when comparing populations in clusters to co-eval field galaxies. However, high-z (z > 2) galaxy morphology studies are hindered by the high angular resolution necessary to characterize morphology. We present a study of HST WFC3 F160W observations of protoclusters from the MAMMOTH survey (BOSS1244 and BOSS1542) at z ~ 2.23 with populations of previously identified HAEs. By measuring the Sersic index of 151 HAEs, we look for the early morphological transformation of star-forming galaxies in these well-studied, large, non-virialized protoclusters, which we believe are precursors of present-day clusters. We find the morphology of the populations of star-forming protocluster galaxies does not differ from the co-eval field. However, we identify a population of clumpy, potentially merging galaxies, which could lead to an increase in the population of early-type galaxies in these structures. Additionally, in BOSS1244, which has two previously identified massive quiescent galaxies including a BCG, we find an abundance of early-type galaxies near both the BCG and two co-eval high-z quasars. Although we find a strong similarity between the morphology of field and protocluster galaxies, the population of early-type star-forming galaxies surrounding the spectroscopically confirmed quiescent BCG in BOSS1244, something not seen in BOSS1542, may point to differences in the evolutionary state of these co-eval protoclusters and be a sign of an early forming cluster core in BOSS1244. △ Less

Submitted 18 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: Accepted to A&A on 11/11/2025. 20 pages. 14 figures, 2 tables

Formation of Close Binaries through Massive Black Hole Perturbations and Chaotic Tides

Authors: Howard Hao-Tse Huang, Wenbin Lu

Abstract: Hills breakup of binary systems allows massive black holes (MBH) to produce hyper-velocity stars (HVSs) and tightly bound stars. The long timescale of orbital relaxation means that binaries must spend numerous orbits around the MBH before they are tidally broken apart. Repeated MBH tidal perturbations over multiple pericenter passages can perturb the binary inner orbit to high eccentricities, lead… ▽ More Hills breakup of binary systems allows massive black holes (MBH) to produce hyper-velocity stars (HVSs) and tightly bound stars. The long timescale of orbital relaxation means that binaries must spend numerous orbits around the MBH before they are tidally broken apart. Repeated MBH tidal perturbations over multiple pericenter passages can perturb the binary inner orbit to high eccentricities, leading to strong tidal interactions between the stars. In this work, we develop a physical model of the MBH-binary system, taking into account outer orbital relaxation, MBH tidal perturbations, and tidal interactions between the binaries in the form of dynamical tides. We show that when the inner orbit reaches high eccentricities such that the pericenter radius is only a few times stellar radii ($R_*$), the stellar oscillation modes can grow chaotically and rapidly harden the binaries to semi-major axes $a_b\lesssim 10\,R_*$. We find that a significant fraction (up to 50\%) of initially wide binaries that are in the empty loss-cone regime ($a_b\sim 1.0\,{\rm AU}$) do not undergo Hills breakup as wide binaries, but instead experience chaotic growth of tides and become close binaries. These tidally hardened binaries provide a new channel for the production of the fastest HVSs, and are connected to other nuclear transients such as repeating partial tidal disruption events and quasi-periodic eruptions. △ Less

Submitted 14 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 22 pages, 16 figures, 1 table; to be submitted to The Open Journal of Astrophysics

Practical Author Name Disambiguation under Metadata Constraints: A Contrastive Learning Approach for Astronomy Literature

Authors: Vicente Amado Olivo, Wolfgang Kerzendorf, Bangjing Lu, Joshua V. Shields, Andreas Flörs, Nutan Chen

Abstract: The ability to distinctly and properly collate an individual researcher's publications is crucial for ensuring appropriate recognition, guiding the allocation of research funding and informing hiring decisions. However, accurately grouping and linking a researcher's entire body of work with their individual identity is challenging because of widespread name ambiguity across the growing literature.… ▽ More The ability to distinctly and properly collate an individual researcher's publications is crucial for ensuring appropriate recognition, guiding the allocation of research funding and informing hiring decisions. However, accurately grouping and linking a researcher's entire body of work with their individual identity is challenging because of widespread name ambiguity across the growing literature. Algorithmic author name disambiguation provides a scalable approach to disambiguating author identities, yet existing methods have limitations. Many modern author name disambiguation methods rely on comprehensive metadata features such as venue or affiliation. Despite advancements in digitally indexing publications, metadata is often unavailable or inconsistent in large digital libraries(e.g. NASA/ADS). We introduce the Neural Author Name Disambiguator, a method that disambiguates author identities in large digital libraries despite limited metadata availability. We formulate the disambiguation task as a similarity learning problem by employing a Siamese neural network to disambiguate author names across publications relying solely on widely available publication metadata-author names, titles and abstracts. We construct the Large-Scale Physics ORCiD Linked dataset to evaluate the Neural Author Name Disambiguator by cross-matching NASA/ADS publications ORCiD. By leveraging foundation models to embed metadata into features, our model achieves up to 94% accuracy in pairwise disambiguation and over 95% F1 in clustering publications into their researcher identities. We release the testing dataset as a benchmark for physics and astronomy, providing realistic evaluation conditions for future disambiguation methods. The Neural Author Name Disambiguator algorithm demonstrates effective disambiguation with minimal metadata, offering a scalable solution for name ambiguity in large digital libraries. △ Less

Submitted 13 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

A new multiprobe analysis of modified gravity and evolving dark energy

Authors: Zhiyu Lu, Théo Simon

Abstract: We study the $(w_0, \, w_a)$ parametrization of the dark energy (DE) equation of state, with and without the effective field theory of dark energy (EFTofDE) framework to describe the DE perturbations, parametrized here by the braiding parameter $α_B$ and the running of the Planck mass $α_M$. We combine the EFTofLSS full-shape analysis of the power spectrum and bispectrum of BOSS data with the tomo… ▽ More We study the $(w_0, \, w_a)$ parametrization of the dark energy (DE) equation of state, with and without the effective field theory of dark energy (EFTofDE) framework to describe the DE perturbations, parametrized here by the braiding parameter $α_B$ and the running of the Planck mass $α_M$. We combine the EFTofLSS full-shape analysis of the power spectrum and bispectrum of BOSS data with the tomographic angular power spectra $C_\ell^{gg}$, $C_\ell^{κg}$, $C_\ell^{Tg}$ and $C_\ell^{Tκ}$, where $g$, $κ$ and $T$ stand for the DESI luminous red galaxy map, Planck PR4 lensing map and Planck PR4 temperature map, respectively. To analyze these angular power spectra, we go beyond the Limber approximation, allowing us to include large-scales data in $C_\ell^{gg}$. The combination of all these probes with Planck PR4, DESI DR2 BAO and DES Y5 improves the constraint on the 2D posterior distribution of $\{w_0, \, w_a\}$ by $\sim 50 \%$ and increases the preference for evolving dark energy over $Λ$ from $3.8 σ$ to $4.6 σ$. When we remove BAO and supernovae data, we obtain a hint for evolving dark energy at $2.3 σ$. Regarding the EFTofDE parameters, we improve the constraints on $α_B$ and $α_M$ by $\sim 40 \%$ and $50 \%$ respectively, finding results compatible with general relativity at $\sim 2 σ$. We show that these constraints do not depend on the choice of the BAO and supernovae likelihoods. △ Less

Submitted 17 November, 2025; v1 submitted 13 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 14+10 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables

Galaxy clusters from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys -- III. Star-forming fraction of brightest cluster galaxies

Authors: Shufei Liu, Hu Zou, Jinfu Gou, Weijian Guo, Niu Li, Wenxiong Li, Gaurav Singh, Haoming Song, Jipeng Sui, Xi Tan, Yunao Xiao, Jingyi Zhang, Lu Feng

Abstract: This study investigates the evolution of the star-forming fraction ($F_{\mathrm{sf}}$) of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) at $z<0.8$, using the galaxy clusters identified from the Legacy Imaging Surveys from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Star-forming galaxies are identified using the $g-z$ color, and $F_{\mathrm{sf}}$ is measured as a function of redshift, cluster halo mass, a… ▽ More This study investigates the evolution of the star-forming fraction ($F_{\mathrm{sf}}$) of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) at $z<0.8$, using the galaxy clusters identified from the Legacy Imaging Surveys from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Star-forming galaxies are identified using the $g-z$ color, and $F_{\mathrm{sf}}$ is measured as a function of redshift, cluster halo mass, and galaxy stellar mass. Field galaxies are used as a comparison sample to reduce selection effects. For BCGs, $F_{\mathrm{sf}}$ increases with redshift, showing a slow rise below $z \sim 0.4 - 0.5$ and a more rapid increase above this range. In contrast, $F_{\mathrm{sf}}$ decreases with increasing cluster halo mass and BCG stellar mass. At the low stellar mass end, BCGs exhibit higher star-forming fractions than field galaxies, suggesting enhanced star formation likely fueled by cold gas accretion from the intracluster medium. Also, star-forming BCGs tend to show larger projected offsets from the optical cluster density peak than quenching BCGs, indicating ongoing assembly. The analysis of the specific star formation rate (sSFR) further indicates a transition in the dominant mechanism driving star formation in BCGs: cooling flows are likely responsible at low redshift, while gas-rich mergers play a greater role at higher redshift. The shift in dominance occurs around $z \sim 0.5$, aligning with the steep rise in $F_{\mathrm{sf}}$ of BCG. △ Less

Submitted 2 December, 2025; v1 submitted 12 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Journal ref: 2025MNRAS.544.3350L

Warped Disk Galaxies: Statistical Properties from DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR8

Authors: Yiheng Wang, Han Qu, Jiafeng Lu, Huiyuan Wang, Enci Wang, Xi Kang

Abstract: Warped structures are often observed in disk galaxies, yet their physical origin is still under investigation. We present a systematic study of warped edge-on disk galaxies based on imaging data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR8, with the expectation that this large sample size, enabled by wide-area surveys, will offer new perspectives on the formation of disk warps. Using a deep learning a… ▽ More Warped structures are often observed in disk galaxies, yet their physical origin is still under investigation. We present a systematic study of warped edge-on disk galaxies based on imaging data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR8, with the expectation that this large sample size, enabled by wide-area surveys, will offer new perspectives on the formation of disk warps. Using a deep learning approach, we trained an EfficientNet-B3 convolutional neural network to classify the morphology of edge-on-disk galaxies into warped and non-warped categories. Our model was trained on a curated and visually verified set of labeled galaxy images and applied to a large dataset of over 595,651 edge-on disk galaxies selected from the Galaxy Zoo DESI catalog. Our results provide the largest warp catalog to date, consisting of 23996 warped edge-on disk galaxies, and reveal statistical trends between warp occurrence and galaxy properties. Compared to their non-warped counterparts, these warped disk galaxies tend to have bluer colors, lower stellar masses, higher gas fractions and star-formation rates, smaller Sérsic indices and larger disk sizes. In addition, warped disk galaxies show higher projected number densities of neighboring galaxies than their non-warped counterparts, particularly within \( R_{\mathrm{proj}} \lesssim 50~\mathrm{kpc} \), where the local number density is roughly twice as high. △ Less

Submitted 12 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 16 pages, 11 figures, submitted. Comments are welcome