We study the practical implementation of zero-order-hold (ZOH) transcriptions for spacecraft trajectory optimisation, identifying a set of design principles that render them robust across a broad class of dynamical settings without problem-specific tuning. The contributions are fourfold: (i) a thorough study of the forward--backward shooting construction, denoted $\mathrm{ZOH}_\alpha$; (ii) a redundant four-dimensional throttle parameterization that eliminates the singularity of the control influence matrix along ballistic arcs; (iii) a softmax time-grid encoding that avoids ordering constraints on segment durations while preserving full differentiability; and (iv) the TOPS benchmark (Trajectory Optimisation Problems in Space), a suite of 28 problems spanning four dynamical models, two-body Cartesian, modified equinoctial elements, circular restricted three-body, and solar sailing, designed to be extended over time.

The unexpectedly high abundance of bright, blue, super-early galaxies ($z\gtrsim10$) has challenged most pre-JWST models of early galaxy formation and motivated a wide range of proposed explanations. We systematically investigate whether galaxy clustering can discriminate among representative scenarios that reproduce the observed UV luminosity function. Using the Shin-Uchuu dark-matter-only simulation, we populate $z \approx 11$ halos with galaxies according to solutions based on i) attenuation-free, ii) feedback-free bursts, iii) bursty star formation, and iv) primordial black hole models. For each model, we compute the two-point correlation function and predict the galaxy bias for flux-limited samples at different thresholds in the $-20 < {\rm M_{UV}} < -16$ magnitude range. We find that all models predict similar bias values ($b \approx 7$) for faint galaxies (${\rm M_{UV}}\approx-16$), but diverge at ${\rm M_{UV}}\lesssim-18$, as the underlying halo-mass to ${\rm M_{UV}}$ relations differ significantly. In particular, the primordial black hole scenario predicts an almost luminosity-independent bias, whereas the other models generally predict increasing bias with luminosity, reaching $b \approx 14$ for ${\rm M_{UV}} \approx -19$. Current observational estimates of the bias cannot yet rule out any of the models at a significant statistical confidence. More precise measurements from future JWST programs, together with improved theoretical predictions, will be required to break the present degeneracies. Ideally, constraints from a complete sample of galaxies with ${\rm M_{UV}} < -18$ would probe the knee of the $b({\rm M_{UV}})$ function, taking advantage of the difference in model predictions and strengthening our analysis. Although requiring further refinement, galaxy clustering is confirmed to be a promising probe of the physical origin of the JWST high-redshift luminosity function.

The International Astronomical Union 2015 Resolution B2 (IAU2015GARB2) has resolved the long-standing problem of zero-point constants for the absolute and apparent bolometric magnitude scales and opened a new window in fundamental astrophysics. The empirical zero-point constants of the bolometric corrections, $C_2(\xi)$, and the absolute/apparent magnitudes, $C_\xi/c_\xi$, for the {\it Gaia} passbands were obtained from 88 {\it Gaia} XP spectra, and absolute bolometric/filtered magnitudes. The individual zero-point constants $\langle C_{\rm 2}\rangle$ of the bolometric corrections ($BC_\xi$) for each star revealed weighted averages of $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G)\rangle=0.8677\pm0.0109$ mag, $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G_{\rm BP})\rangle=1.0449\pm0.0116$ mag, and $\langle C_{\rm 2}(G_{\rm RP})\rangle=2.0510\pm0.0087$ mag. Furthermore, $C_{\rm Bol}=71.197425...$ mag and $c_{\rm Bol} =-18.997351...$mag announced by IAU2015GARB2, and using the definition of $C_{\rm 2}=C_{\rm Bol}-C_{\xi}=c_{\rm Bol}-c_{\xi}$, where the subscript $2$ indicate the wavelength ranges of two in which one is for bolometric and the other for one of the three filters, the zero-point constants of magnitudes for {\it Gaia} filters as $C_{\rm G}=70.1525\pm0.0109$ mag and $c_{\rm G}=-19.8651\pm0.0105$ mag, $C_{\rm G_{\rm BP}}=70.1525\pm0.0116$ mag and $c_{\rm G_{\rm BP}}=-20.0423\pm0.0116$ mag, and $C_{\rm G_{\rm RP}}=69.1464\pm0.0087$ mag and $c_{\rm G_{\rm RP}}=-21.0484\pm0.0087$ mag, if $L_{\xi}$ and $f_{\xi}$ are in SI units in case no extinctions. Lastly, spectroscopic $BC$s for {\it Gaia} magnitudes of 88 stars and the spectroscopic $BC-T_{\rm eff}$ relation for each {\it Gaia} filter are presented.

The standard theory of galaxy formation predicts that all galaxies should contain dark matter, yet a handful of recently discovered galaxies appear to lack it, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation. We investigate whether such dark-matter deficient objects can be identified from their baryonic properties alone, analogously to the radial-acceleration relation, which tightly links baryon and dark matter distributions in spiral galaxies. Using a sample of ultra-diffuse and dwarf spheroidal galaxies -- systems whose baryonic properties resemble those of the confirmed dark-matter-deficient galaxies -- we systematically search for a formula to predict baryonic fractions from stellar mass, effective radius, distance to the host, and the host's baryonic mass. We find that baryonic fraction correlates most strongly with the gravitational acceleration expected from baryons alone, $a_\mathrm{bar}$, or equivalently, with mean surface brightness, following an approximately $a_\mathrm{bar}^{-1}$ dependence. This scaling resembles the radial-acceleration relation but differs in functional form and applies to a different galaxy population. Strikingly, the dark-matter-deficient galaxies occupy the extreme end of the correlation. This suggests that they result from standard formation processes operating at unusual intensities rather than from exotic mechanisms. Importantly, the correlation predicts that all ultra-diffuse galaxies brighter than approximately 25 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in the $g$-band should have very low dark matter content, offering a straightforward observational criterion for identifying these rare objects.

Observational abundances of CEMP stars with patterns in between those produced by the rapid and slow nucleosynthesis processes (CEMP-rs stars) are currently invoked as evidence of synthesis via the intermediate process in the early AGB evolutionary phase of metal-poor low mass stars. Nevertheless, discriminating between r+s- and i-process hypotheses requires high-precision abundances obtained through advanced spectral modelling techniques. Theoretical models of the i-process have become more robust, incorporating refined stellar modelling and nuclear reaction physics, providing ranges of probable elemental abundances and isotopic ratios predictions to be confronted with observational determinations. We performed a new analysis of a high resolution and high S/N UVES spectrum of TYC 6044-714-1. We derived accurate effective temperature and highly precise atmospheric parameters, element abundances, and isotopic ratios using state-of-the-art 1D non-LTE and 3D non-LTE spectral line modelling. Using the latest AGB nucleosynthesis models, we assessed the possibility of the i-process to act aside the s-process. We find that TYC~6044-714-1 was likely born as a normal in-situ halo star about 13 Gyr ago, pre-enriched by the r-process through a standard Galactic chemical-evolution pathway. The s+r model provides the best overall reproduction of the observed heavy-element abundance pattern and Ba isotopic ratios, yielding excellent agreement across all three s-process peaks. While i+s+r models with increasing overshooting efficiency improve the fit for specific elements, they do not consistently reproduce the full abundance pattern. The i+s+r models require extreme and physically implausible conditions, and predict s-process Ba fractions inconsistent with those inferred from isotopic ratios of the 4934 Å resonance line. We conclude that the pure s+r scenario is the most plausible explanation.

We present a uniform spectroscopic characterization of 625 F, G, and K stars hosting 859 confirmed exoplanets using high-resolution archival optical spectra from the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES). We use the neural network spectral code uberMS, which combines spectra with broadband photometry to estimate precise and accurate stellar parameters. We determine stellar effective temperatures, surface gravities, radii, luminosities, projected rotational velocities, [Fe/H] abundances, and [$\alpha$/Fe] enrichments for most confirmed planet hosts observed by TRES. This uniform catalog can be used for a broad range of astrophysical studies, particularly to explore links between stellar [$\alpha$/Fe] and a suite of observed exoplanet properties. Combining our metallicity measurements with galactic kinematics, we identify 58 planet hosts that are likely members of the thick disk. We investigate the chemical environments of giant-planet formation by comparing the [$\alpha$/Fe] distributions of giant-planet host stars across different metallicity regimes. We find that subsolar metallicity giant-planet hosts are significantly enhanced in [$\alpha$/Fe] relative to Fe-rich giant-planet hosts and to the average Fe-poor field star, at high statistical significance. This suggests that enhanced $\alpha$-element abundances may partially compensate for low-Fe content and thus enable the formation of giant planets in metal-poor environments. We additionally compare the [$\alpha$/Fe] distributions of single- and multi-planet hosts and find modest evidence that $\alpha$-enhanced stars may preferentially host multi-planet systems. Finally, we recover previously observed trends between stellar metallicity and planetary eccentricity.

We present a framework for inferring the dark matter halo masses of quasars and [O III]-emitting galaxies from JWST/NIRCam Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (WFSS) clustering measurements at z approximately 6. Using the FLAMINGO-10k N-body simulation, we construct mock realizations of quasar and galaxy catalogs that incorporate realistic selection functions, spatial coverage, and sensitivity limits matched to the ASPIRE survey. These mocks enable accurate measurements of the quasar-galaxy cross-correlation and galaxy auto-correlation functions, with covariance matrices derived from 1000 realizations that capture both cosmic variance and bin-to-bin correlations. We employ Bayesian inference to fit the correlation functions and infer the minimum halo masses for quasars and galaxies. Our results demonstrate that Poisson pair-count uncertainties, commonly adopted in high-redshift clustering studies, significantly underestimate the true measurement errors. The dominant missing component is cosmic variance: even the diagonal of the full covariance matrix exceeds the Poisson expectation, with off-diagonal bin-to-bin correlations contributing a smaller additional correction. In particular, 1) the commonly used Poisson error on the correlation functions underestimates the true uncertainty by a factor of approximately 3; 2) the uncertainties on the inferred minimum halo masses are underestimated by a factor of approximately 1.5-3 when adopting Poisson errors instead of the full covariance matrix; 3) the inferred QSO halo mass is robust to whether central and satellite [O III]-emitters share a common mass threshold. Our framework provides a more complete error budget for JWST/WFSS clustering analyses, enabling robust constraints on the host halo masses and duty cycles of high-redshift quasars and emission-line galaxies.

We constrain uncorrelated primordial isocurvature perturbations using a combination of large- and small-scale cosmological probes, with the small-scale data provided by the ultraviolet luminosity function (UVLF) -- a measure of number density of galaxies as a function of UV brightness. We consider several isocurvature modes, including cold dark matter, baryon, neutrino density, neutrino velocity, and dark radiation perturbations. The isocurvature power spectrum is modeled using two independent parameterizations: a broken power law and a running power law, without fixing the spectral index a priori. Our analysis combines large-scale data from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), baryon acoustic oscillations, and Type Ia supernovae with small-scale constraints from UVLF measurements obtained by \textit{HST} and \textit{JWST}. The UVLF probes matter fluctuations over a continuous range of intermediate scales, $k \sim 0.5$--$10~\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ over a wide range of redshift $4\lesssim z \lesssim 13$, providing a direct handle on structure formation in a regime where constraints on the scale dependence of isocurvature perturbations remain comparatively limited. Our result represents the first UVLF-based constraint on model-agnostic isocurvature perturbations carried by various components. We construct $68\%$ and $95\%$ credible envelopes in $k$-space for the allowed isocurvature power and find good agreement between the envelopes for the $95\%$ envelope across a wide range of scales, indicating that our constraints are mostly insensitive to the assumed power-law form.

The cross-correlation between tracers of large-scale structure, such as galaxies or quasars, and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) signal yields a measure of the bias-weighted mean electron pressure, $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$, where $b_\mathrm{h}$ is the halo bias and $P_\mathrm{e}$ is the electron pressure. With a model for the bias, one can derive the thermal history, $\mathrm{d}y/\mathrm{d}z$, where $y$ is the Compton parameter and $z$ is redshift. We explore how these quantities depend on redshift, cosmology, and the physics of galaxy formation using the \flamingo\ suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, which spans a range of cosmological parameters and baryonic feedback implementations in volumes of up to $(2.8\,\text{Gpc})^3$. We find that $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$ depends steeply on $S_8 \equiv \sigma_8\sqrt{\Omega_\mathrm{m}/0.3}$, with an effective scaling $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle \propto S_8^{\epsilon(z)}$, where the exponent $\epsilon(z) \approx 3$ over the redshift range $0.1 \leq z \leq 1$. Compared with existing cross-correlation measurements using tracer samples from SDSS, BOSS, eBOSS, DES, and DESI cross-correlated with tSZ measurements from Planck, we find that models with a low-$S_8$ cosmology and strong feedback are preferred, with a joint fit yielding $S_8 = 0.72^{+0.03}_{-0.03}$ and a normalised group-mass halo baryon fraction $f_b(10^{13}\,M_\odot, z=0.1)/(\Omega_b/\Omega_m) = 0.10^{+0.09}_{-0.05}$ . Contrary to most probes of feedback which sample smaller scales (e.g., X-ray measurements), we show that feedback boosts $\langle b_\mathrm{h} P_\mathrm{e} \rangle$, thus providing a novel test of feedback models. Overall, our results show the thermal history provides a route to jointly constrain cosmological parameters and test models of galaxy formation.

Today, the observable cosmos exhibits a remarkable degree of isotropy and plausibly began in a nearly isotropic initial state. The properties of the Lorentzian Chern-Simons-Kodama (CSK) functional can provide an understanding of this initial state. In gravity with a positive cosmological constant, the Chern-Simons-Kodama (CSK) wavefunctional is an exact, chiral solution of the quantum gravitational constraints. We suggest that the normalizability and other issues with this functional, if interpreted as a proper state of quantum gravity, instead suggest an embedding into a larger quantum gravitational completion, and recast the CSK functional as a gravitational sphaleron with observationally desirable properties. By perturbing around the dominant de Sitter saddle of the wavefunctional with appropriate quantum gravitational boundary conditions, we find that for a closed universe the system is dynamically driven to spatial isotropy, while all anisotropic modes acquire positive quadratic curvature and are Gaussian-suppressed. The decay of this sphaleron therefore proceeds along an isotropic channel, providing an intrinsic quantum-gravitational mechanism for dynamical isotropization. This isotropization effect is robust under the inclusion of a slow-roll inflaton, and no analogous isotropic sphaleron exists for spatially flat or hyperbolic geometries. Taken together, these results recast the Lorentzian CSK functional as a chiral sphaleron that naturally prepares an approximately isotropic de Sitter background for inflation. Beyond this phenomenological study, we further suggest that the CSK functional can be understood as a boundary functional for a class of anomaly-free objects, including a complexified generalization of the Hartle-Hawking state.

As part of the ongoing work of the $R$-Process Alliance (RPA), detailed abundance measurements of 29 heavy elements in three metal-poor stars, 2MASS J14592981$-$3852558, 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459, and 2MASS J15211026$-$0607566, are presented based on an analysis of high-resolution ($R\sim 80,000$), high signal-to-noise ``portrait'' spectra from the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. The selected targets were identified as $r$-process-enhanced metal-poor stars in previous RPA snapshot analyses. They have also been linked to possible chemodynamically tagged groups, indicating that the stars may have formed in dwarf galaxies that were later accreted into the Milky Way halo. These stars have also been tentatively linked to the Thamnos structure. The detailed chemical abundances in this work confirm that 2MASS J14592981$-$3852558 and J15211026$-$0607566 are $r$-II stars, while 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459 is found to lie just below the threshold for $r$-I status. The $r$-II stars show signs of slight enhancement in fission fragments compared to 2MASS J19445483$-$4039459. Based on radioactive age dating with Th, the $r$-process material in the two $r$-II stars is found to be old (with ages $>10$ Gyr); neither star shows signs of an actinide boost. The varying elemental compositions suggest that these stars likely did not originate in the same environment, though each could be consistent with originating in the Thamnos progenitor.

Venus and Earth are similar in bulk properties yet followed dramatically different climatic trajectories. Reconstructing Venus's climate evolution requires understanding how rotation, obliquity, eccentricity, and solar luminosity shaped incident energy and the atmospheric response. Here we present latitude-orbital phase maps of incident solar flux for Venus at the present epoch and at an age of 0.5 Gyr, when the Sun was fainter and Venus may have occupied a different dynamical state. We explore slow- and fast-rotator regimes, moderate obliquity (10deg), and elevated eccentricity (e=0.15-0.30), motivated by dynamical studies of plausible limits. To translate flux maps into climate-relevant quantities, we apply an idealized atmospheric energy-balance framework with global (0-D) and latitude-dependent (1-D) formulations calibrated to modern Venus. This framework defines a radiative relaxation timescale that links forcing variability to thermal response. The resulting diagnostics connect orbital forcing to surface energy balance and assess seasonal and orbital variability relative to Venus's extreme greenhouse state. Our results show that early Venus could experience substantial redistribution of insolation across latitude and orbital phase, but orbit-averaged incident flux varies only modestly across the explored parameter space, leaving atmospheric opacity as the dominant control on surface temperature. Insolation variations therefore act mainly as modulators rather than primary drivers of climate state, with their expression governed by the competition between forcing and radiative adjustment timescales. The insolation maps and response diagnostics provide boundary conditions for future 3-D climate simulations of early Venus, including regimes in which temperate surface conditions may have been sustained.

Lensed supernovae (SNae) are among the most eagerly anticipated transients expected from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Quadruply lensed SNae permit more highly constrained models than "mere" doubles. The quadruply lensed SN 2025wny offers multiple lessons on how one might respond to an alert. The full benefits of such rare events are best achieved with immediate spectroscopic and photometric followup, within hours rather than days. This in turn requires on-the-fly modeling to predict the position(s) and magnitudes of trailing images and to "pre-cover" any leading images that might have been too faint to trigger an alert and that cannot be detected in the triggering exposure. This paper sets out a proposed protocol for exploiting similar alerts. A list of quadruply lensed candidate hosts must first be supplied in advance to one or more brokers, along with on-the-fly software (an example of which is given) to determine whether an SN near an incipient host is strongly lensed, and whether quadruply or doubly. The brokers would then broadcast the positions and time delays (or "pre-lays") that permit "pre-covery'' of leading images, "re-covery'' of trailing images, and possibly, extraction of a rough lightcurve from prior LSST exposures. The scheme is illustrated (and some potential problems identified) using preliminary data for SN 2025wny presented by three independent teams. It employs software based on the geometric Witt-Wynne lens model and Falor's exact, forward, differentiable solution thereof.

An important open question in exoplanet studies is whether planets leave detectable chemical fingerprints on their host stars. While several studies have suggested possible planetary chemical signatures in planet-hosting stars, their origin remains debated because of stellar birth conditions and evolutionary effects. Wide binaries, whose components share a common formation environment, provide an ideal testbed for identifying planetary signatures. Such signatures are often characterized by differential abundance trends with condensation temperature (Tc), which traces the partitioning between gaseous and rocky planetary material. We investigate whether these trends are associated with planetary architectures in wide binaries. We obtained high-resolution NIR spectra of four planet-hosting wide binaries. We measured abundances for both components and analyzed differential abundances in each system. We also compiled literature measurements for planet-hosting and non-hosting wide binaries and compared their Tc trends. WASP-160 A/B and WASP-127/TYC 4916-897-1 exhibit significant abundance trends with Tc, while HD 20782/HD 20781 shows a weaker correlation and K2-54/K2-54 B is consistent with a flat relation. The trends are diverse, including both volatile- and refractory-enhanced patterns in planet-hosting stars. Literature comparisons indicate that extreme Tc slopes may occur more frequently among planet-hosting wide binaries, particularly at large separations, although the statistics remain limited by sample size and definition. Our results indicate that chemical signatures in planet-hosting wide binaries are not universal but vary across systems. While planetary architectures may be associated with some host-star abundance patterns, multiple processes are likely to contribute. Larger samples are essential for disentangling planetary signatures from stellar and binary effects.

We present the Survey Footprint Explorer (v2.5.0), a browser-based interactive tool for visualising and comparing the sky footprints of major astronomical imaging surveys. The tool is implemented entirely in client-side JavaScript and requires no server infrastructure, making it immediately accessible from any modern web browser. Thirteen survey footprints are currently included: Euclid DR1, LSST Wide-Fast-Deep, the Nancy Grace Roman HLWAS and HLTDS (full and deep tiers), DESI Legacy Imaging Survey DR9, the Dark Energy Survey (DES), the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam survey (HSC), the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), the Ultraviolet Near-Infrared Optical Northern Survey (UNIONS), the eROSITA All-Sky Survey (eRASS1), and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Legacy (ACT) survey spanning wavelengths from X-ray to near-infrared and covering footprints from 7.7 deg$^{2}$ to 21,524.4 deg$^{2}$. Survey footprints are encoded as Multi-Order Coverage (MOC) maps and rendered via two complementary views: an interactive globe powered by Aladin Lite v2, and a full-sky equirectangular projection. All MOC intersection calculations, including multi-survey overlap area computation and per-source membership testing, are performed client-side. Users may upload source catalogues in CSV or TSV format and download an augmented version with boolean survey membership columns appended. The link to access the tool is provided at the end of the Summary section.

We present a radio continuum study of photometrically selected cosmic noon (0.5<z<3) post-starburst galaxies (PSBs) in the UKIDSS Deep Survey (UDS) field to assess if radio-mode Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are linked to the quenching of star formation at cosmic noon. Our cross-matching using the deep Very Large Array (VLA) imaging at 1.4 GHz results in a mean radio detection fraction ($f_{det}$) of only 0.8$\%$ for PSBs above a radio luminosity threshold of $L_{\rm 1.4 GHz} \geq 10^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$, increasing to 5$\pm2\%$ for massive PSBs with stellar masses M$_*>10^{11}$M$_\odot$. Massive PSBs have a comparable detection fraction to that of massive quiescent galaxies ($f_{det}=8\pm1\%$), and both classes have lower fractions than that of massive star-forming galaxies ($f_{det}=13\pm1\%$) in the same field. The radio luminosities of detected PSBs, ${\rm L}_{1.4}\sim 10^{22.8}-10^{24.9}$W/Hz, exceed those from star formation by a median factor of 37 indicative of a possible AGN origin. Their compact morphologies ($\lesssim15$ kpc at $z_{med}=1.5$) suggest low-luminosity AGN with less powerful jets. Stacking the undetected PSBs reveals a weak radio detection ($3.9\sigma$) in the highest mass bin (M$_*>10^{11}$M$_\odot$). In contrast, 1.4 GHz detected quiescent galaxies have radio luminosities reaching radio-loud levels, and a higher prevalence of extended morphologies indicative of large-scale jetted AGN. The AGN contribution is also detected in stacked measurements of quiescent galaxies. Overall, our results support a short radio AGN duty cycle for PSBs, characterized by weak radio jets, suggesting radio-driven maintenance mode feedback may become important at older ages.

In this study, we report partly simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of the bursting, dipping low mass X-ray binary, 4U 1323-62 obtained in 2024. 4U 1323-62 is one of the well-known persistent bursters, with bursts occurring roughly every three hours. It is also one of the few sources for which the orbital period is known, and shows dips in X-rays. In this paper, we report the detection of 12 unique bursts with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR, 6 of them observed jointly. We detected two double burst events, one with the NuSTAR and another one observed with both missions. Based on the long-term behavior of 4U 1323-62, we unveil a cyclic trend in its burst rate, with a period of about 10 years. During our observations we detected 10 X-ray dips with a periodicity of 2.942 hours, in line with previous measurements. We also present the results of the time resolved X-ray spectral analysis of the bursts and show the limits on the cooling of the corona heated by the burst emission. We also found a 0.898 +/- 0.017 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) during the non-bursting and non-dipping times confirming previous detections.

Ross~318 is an M3.5V red dwarf exhibiting significant magnetic activity and a stellar rotation period of $\sim51.5$\,d. In this work we present a systematic re-analysis of radial velocities (RV) from CARMENES and decade-long HIRES observations, integrated with TESS space-based photometry. We identify a terrestrial-mass planet, Ross~318\,b, with an orbital period $P = (39.6299 \pm 0.29)$\,d and a minimum mass $M\sin i = (6.21 \pm 0.62)M_{\oplus}$. The dynamical nature of the signal is confirmed by its temporal coherence over a 15-year baseline and its achromaticity between visible and near-infrared channels. TESS photometry from Sectors 18, 19, 24, and 25 (218.6\,d total baseline, 66\,983 cadences) reveals no transit at $P = 39.63$\,d (FAP $> 10\%$, BLS). An injection-and-recovery test demonstrates that a $2200$\,ppm transit signal corresponding to a $1.74R_{\oplus}$ body would have been detected with Signal-to-Pink-Noise Ratio SPNR $> 12$, ruling out a transiting geometry with high confidence. The orbital inclination is constrained to $i < 88.5^\circ$. With an incident stellar flux $S_{eff} \approx 0.58\,S_\oplus$ and bolometric luminosity $L_* = (0.01478 \pm 0.00122)L_{\odot}$, Ross~318\,b falls within the Conservative Habitable Zone, making it one of the most interesting temperate Super-Earths orbiting an M-dwarf.

51 Pegasi harbors the first confirmed extrasolar planet orbiting a Sun-like star. Decades of continued radial velocity (RV) observations have since uncovered signatures of an additional distant companion in the system from a shallow radial acceleration. We present new constraints on the mass and separation of a potential outer companion based on a synthesis of RVs, absolute astrometry, and new high-contrast imaging. Our analysis combines 31 years of new and previously published RV measurements from the OHP/ELODIE, Lick/Hamilton, Keck/HIRES, and APF/Levy spectrographs; a $\sim$25-year baseline of absolute astrometry from Hipparcos and Gaia; and deep imaging from Keck/NIRC2 and HST/WFPC2. We find evidence for curvature in the RVs, which when combined with non-detections from imaging and astrometry point to a super-Jupiter at $\simeq$15--100 AU or brown dwarf companion at $\approx$20--170 AU. However, the inferred radial acceleration of the host star is driven primarily by the Lick/Hamilton dataset and its slope is consistent with long-term instrument drift, calling into question the nature of the long-period signal. If an outer companion is present, it could explain the origin of the inner hot Jupiter if 51 Peg b arrived at its current location through high-eccentricity migration. On the other hand, if the signal is spurious, the exceptional baseline rules out Jovian planets within $\sim$10 AU and most brown dwarfs within several tens of AU, implying that the system is devoid of massive companions. Continued RV and astrometric monitoring together with high-contrast imaging can be used to distinguish these scenarios.

Modern astrophysical studies rely heavily on complex data analysis pipelines; however, published descriptions often lack the detail required for computational reproducibility. In this work, we present an information-theoretic framework to quantify how effectively a method can be reconstructed from its written description. By treating algorithmic reconstruction as a probability distribution generated by Large Language Models (LLMs), we utilize Shannon entropy and Jensen-Shannon divergence to measure how strongly text constrains the hypothesis space of valid implementations. We demonstrate this approach through a case study of Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) spectral reconstruction from sparse photometry. By prompting frontier LLMs with varying levels of manuscript text (Title, Abstract, and Methods), we find that while increasing text successfully clarifies the overall algorithmic structure, it fails to eliminate variance at the implementation level. This persistent variance establishes an "entropy floor," demonstrating that multiple divergent implementations remain consistent with explicit instructions. To evaluate practical reproducibility, we convert these reconstructed algorithms into executable pipelines. Our results reveal that, while LLMs easily recover core functional methodologies, they systematically fail to infer the tacit expert knowledge required for strict scientific calibration. This pilot study demonstrates that LLMs can be repurposed as a zero-shot diagnostic tool to audit methodological transparency, helping authors identify missing structural constraints and preserve scientific integrity in an era of automated research.

We present a neural-network-based data processing pipeline for Baikal-GVD, designed to improve event reconstruction quality and accelerate neutrino candidates selection. The pipeline comprises three stages: fast suppression of extensive air shower events, suppression of noise optical modules activations, and extraction of high confidence neutrino candidates. All three networks employ a transformer architecture that exploits inter-hit correlations through the attention mechanism. Applied sequentially, the pipeline achieves orders-of-magnitude speedup over the standard reconstruction chain. Moreover, noise suppression neural network surpasses the accuracy of algorithmic noise suppression algorithms and provides estimate for time residuals of the signal hits, which is crucial for identification of track-like hits. We address the domain shift between Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data by incorporating a domain adaptation technique, demonstrating improved agreement between the two domains. The resulting framework enables near-real-time event classification, with direct applications to multi-messenger alert systems and diffuse neutrino flux measurements.

An update of the evidence that radio galaxies and clusters of galaxies are more common than average near the plane of the de Vaucouleurs Local Supercluster shows that in the distance range 100 to 200Mpc objects whose positions are correlated with the plane of the Local Supercluster include galaxies that are exceptionally luminous at two microns, radio galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. There can be little doubt about this property of cosmic structure. I also argue for detection of this correlation for the galaxies at 400Mpc distance that are exceptionally luminous at two microns. It will be interesting to learn whether these results are expected in the standard cosmology.

We present new empirically grounded forecasts for the detectability of the stochastic gravitational-wave background anisotropies assuming a population of stellar-mass compact binary coalescences as its source. We quantified the discovery potential using simulations based on the Euclid Flagship Galaxy Catalogue and LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observational constraints in combination with detailed theoretical modelling. We considered the multi-messenger cross-correlation with galaxies as well as the gravitational wave-only cross-correlation across observation-time bins. For compact binaries up to redshift $z<3$, we found that an angular resolution of $\theta = 4.1$ deg ($\ell \geq 44$) is required for discovery within five years of observation via cross-correlation with a galaxy catalogue that is complete up to limiting magnitude $i < 24.7$ and has redshift uncertainties $\sigma_z = 0.003 (1+z)$. Extending the time range to ten years alleviates that requirement to $\theta = 6.5$ deg ($\ell \geq 28$). We also showed that binning the galaxies in redshift allows us to reconstruct the evolution of the kernel, which can be used to further constrain compact binary population models. Discovery without a multi-messenger tracer has proven significantly more challenging, requiring exclusion of the loudest events, $\theta = 1.8$ deg ($\ell \geq 95$), and a favourable coalescence rate. In light of the plans being carried out in the community for ongoing and upcoming galaxy surveys, this work bodes well for the multi-messenger discovery and exploration of the stochastic gravitational-wave background in the era of next-generation observatories such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer.

The JAGB method has been proposed in recent years as a possible distance indicator for galaxies in the Local Group and beyond. However, the nature of the stars populating the J region, and the conditions required for the direct application of this method, still need to be clarified. We investigate the robustness of the JAGB method through a detailed theoretical analysis of the stars populating the J region of the (J-Ks, J) diagram. The main goal is to identify the properties of the corresponding J luminosity function (JLF) that are minimally affected by the previous evolutionary history of the host galaxy, particularly its metal enrichment history. We use a population synthesis approach based on AGB stellar evolution models coupled consistently with dust formation in the stellar wind. Synthetic stellar distributions in the (J-Ks, J) diagram and the related JLFs are calculated for different assumptions on the metallicity evolution of the interstellar medium, in order to study how the JLF depends on the efficiency of metal enrichment. We find that the JAGB population is dominated by stars formed between about 1 and 6 Gyr ago, while stars formed outside this interval contribute only marginally to the JAGB region. The shape of the JLF strongly depends on the metal enrichment history, and the position of the J-band peak varies by more than 0.3 mag among the different cases explored. Conversely, the mean J-band magnitude, MavJ, is much less sensitive to the previous history of the galaxy and therefore represents a more reliable distance indicator. For all the cases investigated we find MavJ = -6.2 +/- 0.05 mag. We also discuss the uncertainties related to the still poorly constrained mass-loss process experienced by low-mass stars during the red giant branch phase.

M71 is a nearby, metal-rich globular cluster at low Galactic latitude, where field contamination and spatially variable extinction complicate colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and the identification of cluster member variable stars. Our aims are (i) to construct a homogeneous census of variable stars in M71 by refining their periods and classifications and identifying new candidates, and (ii) to derive a decontaminated, differentially dereddened CMD to constrain its physical properties. We obtained Johnson-Kron-Cousins $VI$ time-series CCD photometry and reduced it using difference image analysis. Cluster membership was established from \textit{Gaia}~DR3 proper motions, and a differential-reddening correction was applied across the field of view. The resulting CMD, cleaned of field stars, was compared with tailored isochrones to estimate age ($12.9^{+0.9}_{-0.8}$ Gyr), metallicity ([Fe/H] =$-0.88^{+0.13}_{-0.15}$), mean reddening ($E(B-V)$ = $0.21 \pm 0.02$), and distance modulus ($(m-M)_{0}$ = $13.01 \pm 0.06$). Variable stars were identified using two complementary approaches: a periodogram-free string-length scan refined with phase dispersion minimisation, and a robust inter-site screening based on median statistics combined with a generalised Lomb-Scargle significance criterion. We identified 21 variable stars not previously reported in the Catalog of Variable Stars in Globular Clusters and provided their periods, amplitudes, classifications, membership status, and light curves. This combined strategy yields a consistent picture of M71, expanding its known variable-star population and confirming parameters typical of metal-rich Galactic disk globular clusters.

The Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) is a proposed gravitational-wave project aiming to take full advantage of the Moon's environment to access the deci-Hz band and detect intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) binaries of mass $\sim 10^2-10^6 \, M_{\odot}$ (arXiv:2508.11631). With an observational period of 4 years, LILA can extend its IMBH detection horizon to the very early Universe, directly probing the first population of massive black holes ($z \sim 20-30$). LILA could also detect intermediate-mass-ratio inspiral systems with a total mass of $\sim 10^4 - 10^6 \, M_{\odot}$ and a mass ratio of $\sim 10^{-4} - 10^{-2}$. LILA can discover IMBH binaries months to years before merger with measurable eccentricity residuals retained from their formation, providing crucial early warning for multi-messenger and multi-band follow-up. The high SNR ($\gtrsim 100$) events detectable with LILA would enable strong-field tests of gravity. With these capabilities, LILA will provide important insights into the formation and evolution of massive black holes, as well as the astrophysical environments and evolutionary pathways of black hole binaries. LILA will also complement current LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA detections of pair-instability mass gap events, hierarchical merger candidates, and light IMBH mergers, while expanding the upper envelope of discovered black holes with stellar origin to masses of $\gtrsim 250 \, M_{\odot}$.

We present the optical design of OPTICAM-ARG, a multi-channel instrument for the simultaneous acquisition of images in three spectral bands at the Cassegrain focus of an f/8.5 telescope, covering the 0.35 to 1.00 um wavelength range. The converging beam delivered by the telescope is spectrally separated by two dichroics into three channels, blue, green, and red, each incorporating a dedicated three-lens focal reducer, an interchangeable SDSS filter stage, and an sCMOS detector. The focal reducers establish an effective focal length of approximately 9.1 m, a uniform plate scale of 22.6 arcsec/mm, and a field of view of 8.4 arcmin x 8.4 arcmin per channel, consistent with the typical seeing conditions at the site. Operation of the dichroics in a converging beam introduces off-axis aberrations, which are mitigated through wedge angles applied to their second surface and optimized as part of the global design. Optical performance is assessed through exact ray tracing using RMS spot radii and encircled energy metrics, with EE50 values further expressed in terms of an equivalent FWHM to enable direct comparison with atmospheric seeing and to evaluate sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances.

Most stars host short-period planets that are expected to be engulfed during post-main-sequence expansion. The dissolution of engulfed planets has been proposed as a possible mechanism for producing stars enriched in lithium and refractory elements. We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of a Jupiter-like planet engulfed within a stellar envelope using the Seven-League Hydro code. Unlike previous studies that represent the planet as a point mass or rigid sphere, we adopt a wind-tunnel setup that resolves the planet's gaseous structure. We find that a continuous mass-ablation process operates during planetary engulfment, contrary to the common assumption that destruction occurs at a specific depth due to ram pressure, tidal forces, or thermal evaporation. The ablation rate scales nearly linearly with the wind momentum flux and is largely insensitive to the Mach number, consistent with an analytical model based on Kelvin-Helmholtz instability developing at the planetary surface. We define efficiency coefficients for drag and ablation, finding pressure-drag coefficients of 0.44-0.56 and smaller ablation efficiencies of 0.054-0.11. Applying these coefficients to a numerically integrated inspiral through a stellar profile, we find that continuous ablation could lead to complete dissolution of the planet within the convective envelope, producing observable lithium enrichment at the stellar surface. Our results provide prescriptions for drag and mass loss that enable large parameter-space studies of planetary engulfment and suggest that chemical enrichment may occur over a broader range of stellar parameters than previously thought.

Low-angular-momentum, axisymmetric, inviscid accretion flows onto a black hole have been studied using the vertical equilibrium disc model, considering multiple pseudo-Schwarzschild potentials and two thermodynamic equations of state. A multi-component galactic potential-representing stellar, dark matter, and hot-gas contributions-is incorporated to assess environmental effects on the accretion dynamics. In our earlier work, it is found that the effect of multi-component galactic potential on the accretion flow onto a rotating black hole under similar framework of analysis, significantly varies over different standard disc models, being most pronounced in the vertical equilibrium (VE) disc model. Thus it may be interesting to find whether such variation occur for different choices of pseudo potentials too. To begin with, in this work we consider accretion flow onto a non-rotating blackhole with VE geometry. Through the analysis of transonic behaviour and eigenvalue-based critical point classification, we demonstrate that, for all selected black hole potentials, the galactic potential profoundly influences the locations of critical points, the shock-allowed parameter space, shock-location, shock-driven flow variables, and acoustic surface gravity.

The internal dust attenuation of the Hii region reduces the observed emission-line fluxes. Turbulent density fields within each Hii region change the degree of the line-of-the-sight obscuration of the emission-line fluxes. In this paper, we implement the dust Monte-Carlo radiative transfer in the latest M3D code, creating the emission-line maps attenuated by the internal turbulent dust obscuration with the varying Mach numbers. The internal density and temperature fluctuations of Hii regions make the radiative transfer of hydrogen lines neither Case A nor Case B conditions, resulting in the global H{\alpha} to H\b{eta} ratio of approximately 3.02-3.03, differing from the widely-used value of 2.86. This deviation from Case B is because the temperature of these Hii regions is cooler than 10,000 K. We further derive the internal nebular attenuation curve from the attenuated Hydrogen lines, finding that the clumpy structures within Hii regions do not change the slope of the internal attenuation curve. This is because the heavy dust obscuration of dense clumps is canceled out by the high in-situ production of emission-line intensities.

Identifying universal, topology-independent thresholds in the coronal magnetic fields at onset of solar eruptions is crucial for physics-based prediction of eruptions. To this end, we systematically analyze the evolution of magnetic energy and helicity in twelve high-fidelity 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations where eruptions are triggered by magnetic reconnection. The simulations encompass a comprehensive parameter space, including bipolar and quadrupolar configurations, sheared arcades and pre-existing flux ropes, and various photospheric driving motions. We find that the ratio of current-carrying helicity to total relative helicity $(H_j/H_r)$ exhibits a remarkably consistent threshold of $0.38 \pm 0.04$ at eruption onset across all cases, with a coefficient of variation of only $\sim 10$\%. This threshold specifically characterizes the critical conditions at eruption onset and is largely independent of the subsequent temporal evolution, making it the most robust eruptivity indicator identified. In contrast, other normalized helicity and energy metrics show greater scatter. Crucially, we further find that $H_j/H_r$ does not necessarily achieve its peak at the eruption onset time and its post-eruption evolution diverges based on magnetic topology: it continues to increase in bipolar configurations due to tether-cutting reconnection, which transforms sheared arcade into the erupting current-carrying magnetic flux, but decreases in quadrupolar configurations as breakout reconnection peels off the erupting flux. These results highlight the helicity ratio as a promising and consistent eruptivity indicator and provide new insights into its dynamic evolution due to different reconnections.

Context. Giant Low Surface Brightness galaxies, such as Malin 1, host extended discs exceeding 100 kpc. Their formation and evolution remain debated, with interactions with satellite galaxies and accretion streams proposed as key contributors. Malin 1 hosts satellites and exhibits two giant stellar streams, likely the result of past interactions. Aims. We investigate the orbital dynamics of Malin 1's satellites and their possible connections with observed stellar streams, testing their nature with different formation scenarios. Methods. We constructed gravitational potentials using optical and HI data, including stellar, gaseous, and dark matter components, and explored a wide parameter space while testing NFW and ISO halo profiles. Results. Some scenarios produced bound solutions. The ISO halo model ($M_{\text{Virial}} \approx 2.6 \times 10^{12}~M_{\odot}$) favours bound satellite orbits more than the NFW model ($M_{\text{Virial}} \approx 1.4 \times 10^{12}~M_{\odot}$). Giant stellar streams could be substructures of some satellite galaxies along their leading and trailing trajectories. The most distant Malin 1 satellite could have reached pericenter $\sim 1.6$ Gyr ago, while closer companions interacted as early as $\sim 100$ Myr ago. At the same time, one close companion displays both leading and trailing arms in radial and polar orbits. Furthermore, we also identify some unbound solutions linking satellites with streams. Conclusions. Satellites and stream alignment indicate that past interactions shaped Malin 1's morphology. Our modelling constrains progenitors and orbital histories, providing insights into the dynamical evolution of gLSBGs. Findings are consistent with recent studies using Malin 1 kinematic data.

The well-observed Crab pulsar helps one to uncover the underlying knowledge about pulsar evolution. The routine evolution model simultaneously describes the spin-down caused by the magnetic dipole radiation (MDR) and gravitational wave radiation (GWR), damping of the free-body precession owing to the bulk viscosity, and GWR-induced quenching of the magnetic inclination angle $\chi$. We explore the pulsar evolution based on this routine model supplemented with the effects of shear viscosity, r-mode, electromagnetic torque, and accretion, respectively, with the stellar thermal evolution as an important input. The impact of shear viscosity on radio-pulsar evolution is negligible, as it only slightly increases the magnetic inclination angle and promotes spin-down in magnetars. Under the observational limit for its saturation amplitude, the r-mode also turns out to be completely negligible. Yet, the electromagnetic torque (under certain conditions), along with the accretion based on our three-dimensional fallback disk accretion model, are all shown to suppress the growth of the magnetic inclination angle. When applied to the Crab pulsar, the routine model best reproduces the magnetic inclination angle $\chi$, the spin period $P$, and the spin period derivative $\Dot{P}$ simultaneously, indicating the important role of bulk viscosity. The inclusion of the electromagnetic torque and accretion works even worse, suggesting these two factors perhaps are overestimated for Crab pulsar. Intriguingly, the calculated magnetic inclination angle derivative $\Dot{\chi}$ is $(6.3\times 10^{-3} - 0.3)\, {\rm degree/century}$ with the routine model, also in agreement with the observed tiny $\Dot{\chi} = 0.62\, {\rm degree/century}$.

The historic detection of gravitational waves from the electromagnetically bright binary neutron star merger GW170817 enabled the first standard siren measurement of Hubble's constant ($H_0$). The accuracy and precision of this measurement depends crucially on how well the merger inclination angle is constrained, given its strong covariance with luminosity distance ($D_L$). Modeling the light-curve of the jet's afterglow provides constraints on inclination, but is highly dependent on the similarly uncertain jet opening angle. Past studies have improved on this by invoking high-resolution radio observations, obtained through very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). We present a Bayesian visibility-plane model-fitting framework that provides a more informed and robust measurement of the viewing geometry of GW170817 and of $H_0$, by including all relevant VLBI data, robustly handling systematic uncertainties and rigorously sampling model parameter space. By fitting new hydrodynamical afterglow models with a continuum of jet geometries, we obtain a viewing angle of $18.^{\circ}3-20.^{\circ}3$ (for a fixed cosmology with $D_L=40.7$ Mpc, as used in most previous analyses). We extend our framework to fit for $D_L$ and $H_0$ directly, and marginalize over an ensemble of plausible peculiar velocity corrections to obtain viewing angle $16.^{\circ}8-19.^{\circ}2$, $D_L=44.0\pm1.6$ Mpc and $H_0=65.5\pm4.4$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$. Notably, the peak of our $H_0$ posterior is within $0.5\sigma$ of the early-Universe Planck $H_0$ value, but $1.7\sigma$ from the late-Universe SH0ES measurement. We discuss potential caveats and the implications of this result in the context of the current discrepancy between early and late-Universe measurements of the Hubble constant.

The thermal state of active galactic nucleus (AGN) coronae is commonly characterized by the electron temperature $kT_{\rm e}$, the Thomson optical depth $\tau$, and the geometry of the Comptonizing medium. We compile a literature sample of Seyfert galaxies with broadband X-ray constraints obtained under slab geometry and with directly reported $kT_{\rm e}$ and $\tau$. To interpret these data, we develop a Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculation for bottom-illuminated slab coronae and show that the appropriate effective Compton parameter for slab geometry is $y=(4\theta+16\theta^2)\tau$, where $\theta = kT_{\rm e}/m_{\rm e}c^2$. We find that the cleaned AGN sample lies along a narrow anti-correlated ridge in the $kT_{\rm e}-\tau$ plane, corresponding to a nearly constant $y$ with mean $\langle y \rangle=0.414$ and logarithmic dispersion of only 0.10 dex. Radiative-equilibrium boundaries computed for slab disk-corona systems further show that reproducing this ridge requires a predominantly coronal dissipation fraction $f$. We therefore suggest that luminous AGN slab coronae occupy a stable Comptonization branch broadly governed by slab radiative balance, and that the observed $kT_{\rm e}-\tau$ locus provides a new constraint on how accretion power is partitioned between the disk and the corona.

Gravitational-wave (GW) signals from compact binary coalescences (CBCs) enable independent measurements of the Hubble constant \(H_0\) via the spectral siren method, which critically depends on an accurate model of the source-frame mass distribution. While the primary mass function has been extensively studied, the impact of the secondary mass distribution on cosmological inference has been largely overlooked. Here, we perform a joint inference of population and cosmological parameters using 142 confident CBC detections from GWTC-4.0, adopting a new parametric model that flexibly describes features in both the component-mass spectrum and the pairing function, with particular emphasis on the secondary masses. We find \(H_0 = 71.4^{+13.8}_{-13.4} \;\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}\) (68\% CL) from spectral sirens alone, and \(H_0 = 73.5^{+9.2}_{-7.2} \;\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}\) when combined with the bright siren GW170817. Compared to the standard LVK Fullpop-4.0 analysis, these constraints represent improvements of \(\sim29.8\%\) and \(\sim22.2\%\) in \(H_0\) uncertainty, respectively. The enhanced precision is driven by previously unmodeled features, including peaks near \(18\,M_\odot\) and \(65\,M_\odot\) as well as mass-dependent pairing transitions at \(28\,M_\odot\) and \(52\,M_\odot\). Our results demonstrate that the secondary mass function is also a key ingredient for precision standard siren cosmology.

High spatial resolution observations reveal that some protoplanetary disks host multiple ring-gap pairs at large stellocentric radii, yet their physical origin remains unsettled. We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the V1094 Sco disk using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Band 6 continuum and $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO $J=2-1$ emission, together with a Very Large Telescope/SPHERE near-infrared scattered light image. The continuum image shows four narrow dust ring-gap pairs extending to exceptionally large radii ($r \sim 380$ au), while the CO isotopologues trace a spatially extended gas disk ($r \sim 760$ au) in Keplerian rotation. From the dust ring widths, we place conservative upper limits on the turbulent viscosity parameter, $\alpha \lesssim 10^{-3}$ and potentially $\lesssim 10^{-4}$, implying weak turbulence. The ensemble of gap widths and depths is inconsistent with a simple one-planet-per-gap interpretation. At $r \simeq 100$ au, a double gap and its scattered light counterpart are consistent with multi-gap excitation by a single low-mass companion of $(55 \pm 35)\,M_{\oplus}$. At $r \simeq 170-230$ au, the outer ring system shows regular spacing and no clear scattered light counterpart, indicating mechanisms that operate primarily at the disk midplane. These outer rings are quantitatively compatible with secular gravitational instability. V1094 Sco therefore supports a hybrid pathway in which weak turbulence in an extended disk allows secular gravitational instability to assemble long-lived midplane dust concentrations that can cradle planet formation beyond $\sim 100$ au, alongside planet-driven substructures at intermediate radii.

Light propagating through a perturbed spacetime could imprint the underlying gravitational waveform directly onto electromagnetic observables. In this Letter, we develop a covariant perturbative framework for polarized photon propagation in generic curved spacetimes, and derive a compact expression for the observable polarization-angle (PA) swing during Kerr ringdown, explicitly demonstrating its time-domain locking to the quasi-normal modes. We confirm this behavior using dynamical ray-tracing calculations for a broad class of photon trajectories. Photons grazing the strong-field region exhibit an achromatic, damped PA oscillation that tracks the ringdown, with a phase set by the mode's angular structure. The swing amplitude can reach $\sim 10^{\circ}$ and leaves distinctive signatures in spatially resolved autocorrelations. These results open a new polarimetric window onto black hole mergers and ringdown.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the universe's most energetic phenomena (isotropic luminosity $\sim 10^{51} - 10^{54}$ ergs/s) lasting for a very short duration ($\sim$ milliseconds - a few seconds). Even after an average of one GRB detected per day, their emission mechanism remains contentious. Inferences drawn from the empirical modelling of the GRB spectrum are often inconclusive. Some studies favor the emission from a thermal blast of hot plasma, while others suggest a synchrotron emission originating from a rapid acceleration of particles at the expense of the burst energy. Under these scenarios, the spectral width of the burst ($\mathcal{W}$), which is measured at half maxima, is expected to decrease with time. We show that for the GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B, $\mathcal{W}$ increases with time, raising serious concerns regarding the validity of these emission models. The results instead offer strong evidence that the GRB prompt phase involves the development of multiple emission zones, whose relative contributions change over time.

Galaxy rotation curves provide a direct test of how baryonic matter and dark matter combine to determine the mass profiles of disk galaxies. In ultralight or fuzzy dark matter models, numerical simulations predict a central solitonic core surrounded by an outer halo, but the population-level relation between the core and the host halo remains an important modelling choice. We present a hierarchical Bayesian pipeline for fitting soliton-plus-NFW rotation-curve models to the SPARC database while treating the core-halo scaling exponent as a global free parameter. The model uses a Schive-normalized soliton, a regularized NFW envelope with a smooth transition, halo-mass priors tied to $V_{\rm flat}$, and stellar-to-halo-mass information. We apply the pipeline to 106 SPARC galaxies, including 26 systems with bulges, and sample the resulting 346-dimensional posterior with JAX/NumPyro NUTS. The free-scaling run has zero divergences and $\hat r \simeq 1.000$ for the global parameters. The posterior reaches the upper edge of the standard mass prior and the lower edge of the scaling prior, with $\log_{10}(m_\phi/{\rm eV})=-19.20^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$ and $\alpha=0.014^{+0.023}_{-0.011}$. This boundary behaviour persists after removing UGC06787 and after widening the high-mass stellar-to-halo-mass prior. Within the adopted Schive-normalized model and standard SPARC fuzzy-dark-matter prior range, the selected SPARC sample does not identify an interior population-level soliton component. The main contribution is the hierarchical inference framework and the diagnostic workflow for recognizing boundary solutions in full-sample rotation-curve analyses.

Dense, compact circumstellar media (CSM) are required to power strongly interacting supernovae, yet their physical origin remains uncertain. We present a systematic study of binary stellar evolution models computed with MESA, demonstrating that Case C mass transfer, initiated after core helium ignition, can naturally produces the dense, nearby CSM inferred in interacting events. Across a grid of binary models, we find that donors of 10--20 solar masses in binaries with separations of approximately 1000--2700 solar radius undergo late-stage Roche-lobe overflow within ~10^3 yr prior to core collapse, ejecting ~0.01--0.2 solar masses and forming CSM extending to ~10^16--10^18 cm. Our results suggest that the Case C mass transfer may account for ~13% of all core-collapse supernova (CCSN) progenitors, rather than representing a rare channel. A subset of these Case C binaries produces CSM properties that are quantitatively in agreement with those inferred for interacting supernovae such as SN 2014C. In contrast to earlier binary interactions or single-star mass loss, Case C transfer operates at the right time and scale to shape the immediate pre-supernova environment without requiring ad hoc eruptive mechanisms. Our results identify late-stage binary interaction as a robust and physically motivated channel for producing the dense CSM that powers interacting supernovae.

The first generation of stars, Population III (Pop III), is believed to be massive, with some potentially having masses in the range 140 M$_\odot$ to 270 M$_\odot$ and capable of exploding as a pair-instability supernova (PISN). Such events release large amounts of energy and produce substantial quantities of metals, suggesting that they should leave characteristic signatures in the abundance patterns of extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars observed in the local Universe. No clear imprint of PISNe is seen in the local EMP star population, implying either that these events were rare or that stars forming from PISN-enriched gas had metallicities too high to find them in the EMP population. Previous work explored the latter possibility by investigating the enrichment by PISNe with masses and explosion energies at the upper end of the theoretical range (270 M$_\odot$, $10^{53}$ erg). Here, we complement that work at the opposite extreme: Pop III stars at the lower mass (140 M$_\odot$) and explosion energy ($5\cdot 10^{51}$ erg) limit. Using a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, we self-consistently track the formation of Pop III stars, their radiative and mechanical feedback, and the subsequent formation of second-generation stars in metal-enriched gas. We find that all second-generation stars are exclusively internally enriched by their progenitor within the same halo, thereby imprinting the abundance pattern of a single first-generation star. The median [Fe/H] abundance of second-generation stars is ~ -5.5 which is 2.9 dex smaller than in the high-energy PISN case. Our results demonstrate that if Pop III PISNe were common, we would expect to find stars with the characteristic odd-even abundance pattern produced by PISNe within the observed EMP population. Their absence in observations therefore strongly disfavours PISNe as the dominant channel of early metal enrichment.

Tensions often arise between different datasets in cosmology, and consistency tests can serve as a powerful tool for diagnosing potential issues. The density-shear Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (GI BAO) are the imprint of the BAO feature on the shear field induced by the large-scale tidal field. We highlight that GI BAO can provide a robust consistency check for the density BAO, shear measurement, and alignment model. Failure of this check hints at systematics in any of these parts. As an illustration, we present the first GI BAO measurement on photometric data, using the DES Y3 dataset. We find the GI BAO constraint on the BAO scale dilation parameter $\alpha $ to be $ 0.966 \pm 0.252 $ (1$\sigma$), in good agreement with the density BAO constraint, $ 0.966 \pm 0.037 $, thereby validating the density BAO, shear measurement, and the linear alignment model. Furthermore, we argue that combining the density BAO with the GI BAO yields results that are more resilient to systematic effects. Thanks to the massive data volumes of stage IV surveys, the GI BAO will play an even more prominent role as a consistency check.

We analyzed 11 epochs of archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data to investigate flux density variability of Sgr A* at 340 GHz. In one epoch, the light curve exhibits two short-timescale components with characteristic periods of ~30 min and ~50 min. While the corresponding peaks in the periodogram are highly significant under a white-noise assumption, their significance decreases below 3 \sigma when red-noise variability is taken into account, and we therefore do not regard them as statistically significant periodic detections. Nevertheless, the observed timescales are comparable to the orbital period near the innermost stable circular orbit of Sgr A*, and the light curve shows phase-dependent structure and amplitude evolution consistent with orbital modulation. We find that the variability is well described by a model involving multiple orbiting hotspots with decaying emission. This interpretation suggests that both periodic and non-periodic variability in Sgr A* may arise from a common physical origin in orbiting structures within the accretion flow, providing a unified framework for its millimeter variability.

We present new Doppler images of the K0 subgiant primary component of the RS CVn-type binary UX Arietis (UX Ari), derived from time-series spectra obtained in November--December of 2017 and 2024. Observations demonstrate that some spectral lines of the K0 IV component exhibit rapid changes on timescales of 1-2 hours, which seem not to be resulting from spot activity, meanwhile other spectral lines show no such fast variations. Through an investigation, we find that the Ca I 6439 $\unicode{x212B}$ profile shows variation that follows the rotational modulation of spots. Using this line as a reference, we derive the least-squares deconvolution (LSD) profile from the selected lines of each spectrum so as to generate a more reliable Doppler image, which is consistent with the shape of the corresponding Ca I 6439 $\unicode{x212B}$ line. The Doppler images are separately reconstructed from the Ca I 6439 $\unicode{x212B}$ and the LSD profiles for each dataset, and the surface maps are in good agreement with each other. All of the surface maps show dominant starspot structure at mid-to-high latitudes with appendages extending to the equator, while their locations differ by about 0.5 in the rotational phase between 2017 and 2024. In 2017 November-December, the main starspot group appears to be spatially associated with a large flare event just half a month later. Through the cross-correlation method, we have derived a weak anti-solar differential rotation for the primary component of UX Ari, while its equator belt is well tidally locked.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory are set to transform our understanding of the universe over the next decade. These two observatories have multiple areas of complementarity in their scientific applications, ranging from constraints on cosmological parameters to studies of asteroid occultations. The most opportune area of synergy probably lies in the field of time-domain astronomy. Due to their sensitivity and saturation limits, it will be difficult for the two observatories to conduct joint studies of variable and transient sources in the Milky Way. However, they could offer a fresh and rich perspective on non-thermal extragalactic sources, in particular gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei and jetted tidal disruption events. Among these sources lie the best candidates for multi-messenger research into the origin of TeV-PeV neutrinos and multi-EeV cosmic rays. Thus, combined with multi-wavelength observations by X-ray satellites and wide-field gamma-ray instruments, the synergy between Rubin and the CTAO could provide answers to some of the most important questions in astroparticle physics. This scientific potential comes with a challenge: selecting a few alerts from the ten million issued by Rubin each night to repoint the CTAO telescopes. We use the variability of blazars over timescales ranging from a few days to several years as a case study to demonstrate how to address this challenge using the Fink broker of Rubin.

We introduce a new general-relativistic timing observable that measures the breaking of reflection symmetry in photon arrival times caused by black hole spin. Using backward ray tracing in the Kerr spacetime, we construct time-delay maps across the observer image plane and define a mirror-paired asymmetry based on photons arriving from opposite sides of the projected spin axis. In the Schwarzschild limit ($a=0$), the asymmetry vanishes to numerical precision, providing a stringent validation test of the method. For rotating black holes, Kerr rotation breaks the left-right propagation symmetry of null geodesics, producing systematic differences between prograde and retrograde photon trajectories and resulting in a nonzero mirror-paired timing asymmetry, $A_t$. We find that $A_t$ increases with spin and depends strongly on observer inclination and emission radius, with the largest signals arising from emission close to the black hole and from intermediate to high inclinations. Converting the dimensionless asymmetry into physical units yields timing offsets ranging from seconds to hours for representative supermassive black hole systems. Unlike traditional timing analyses based on spatially integrated signals, the observable introduced here isolates directional information encoded in Kerr photon propagation and provides a physically motivated timing signature of black hole rotation. We discuss the implications of this effect for strong-gravity timing studies and X-ray reverberation mapping.

Accurate and comprehensive H2 pressure-induced broadening data for CO2 infrared lines over a wide temperature range are essential for modeling atmospheric opacity of exoplanets. However, available data are currently limited, some of which are affected by large uncertainties. In this work, H2 induced pressure-broadening and pressure-shift coefficients were determined at room temperature for the entire nu3 band of CO2 in the 4.3 micrometer spectral region using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. In addition, requantized molecular dynamics simulations of the CO2-H2 system were performed using an accurate intermolecular potential. These simulations provide theoretical predictions of H2-broadening coefficients for CO2 lines over a temperature range of 200-1000 K and for rotational quantum number up to J=120. The predicted results show very good agreement with the experimental data, with difference of less than 3%, well below the precision required for exoplanet atmosphere studies. This work provides the first accurate and comprehensive dataset of H2 broadening coefficients for CO2 lines, suitable for modeling of H2-rich exoplanetary atmospheres.

In this work, using the simulator VPLanet, we analyze the spin evolution of some selected exoplanets due to the tidal interaction with their host star. For a rocky planet, two spin conditions are possible, the trapped rotation and the fast rotation, referring to the cases of achieved and non achieved tidal trapping, respectively. We focus on planets whose spin condition is not obvious, because no study is needed for planets which are undoubtedly fast rotators or undoubtedly trapped rotators; moreover, we consider only exoplanets that are interesting from an astrobiological perspective. The current spin conditions of the considered planets are hypothesized, taking into account the age of the host star. Inferences regarding planetary climate and habitability, which is defined by the possibility of stably sustaining the liquid water on the surface, are also discussed. Results of this work show that Kepler62f, Kepler1126c and Kepler1544b are expected to be fast rotators regardless of the orbital eccentricity; the spin condition of Kepler186f, Kepler62e, and Kepler442b cannot be determined without constraints on the eccentricity, which are currently unavailable; Kepler440b is expected to be tidally trapped.

Rubble-pile asteroids can form through the self-gravitational reaccumulation of fragments produced during large-scale collisions. To investigate how differentiated bodies are disrupted and how iron-rich rubble piles may form, we performed smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of impacts between differentiated asteroids with molten or solidified interiors. Our results show that catastrophic disruption produces a sheet-like structure in which core and mantle materials are stretched and subsequently fragment under self-gravity. The resulting fragments exhibit nearly identical iron-rock mass ratios, indicating that catastrophic disruption naturally generates numerous compositionally similar fragments. The largest remnant formed in such events is therefore an iron-rich rubble pile assembled from these mixed fragments, whereas remnants formed through mantle stripping retain a layered structure with an iron core and rocky mantle. We further find that fragment production is sensitive to material strength and the equation of state: mantle strength reduces the number of small fragments, while core strength suppresses catastrophic disruption when the core is solid. These results imply that iron-rich rubble-pile asteroids can form only when the iron core is molten. Our findings provide a unified framework for the formation of metal-rich asteroids such as (16) Psyche and the (22) Kalliope system, and offer predictions for the surface and internal structure that the NASA Psyche mission may test.

A method for real-time solar flare detection and characterization using ground-based Very Low Frequency (VLF, 15-45 kHz) data is presented. The D-region, the ionosphere's lowest region, is monitored by VLF waves propagating in the Earth-Ionosphere waveguide. The D-region electron density increases during sudden surges in X-ray radiation from solar flares. This subsequently enhances HF absorption. By seeking trend changes in VLF phase data, an incremental algorithm finds solar flares. 82.7% of M and X solar flares are detected within one fourth of their rise time. In addition, several VLF transmitters are monitored simultaneously. Combining information from their phase variations leads to an estimation of the Sun's X-ray flux. Last, propagation models such as LMP or LWPC are combined with the VLF measurements to compute D-region electron density profiles. This method and its implementation in a new Python package are a step towards building a more resilient system for flare detection and alerts. Its reliance on ground-based data alone ensures an easy maintenance and a backup in case a satellite failure. It also provides alerts comparable to or faster than those obtained through satellite data, due to shortened data latency.

The origin of diffuse neutrinos and $\gamma$-rays is unknown, and galaxy clusters hosting AGN and starburst galaxies are the most probable sources of these cosmic messengers. In this work, we investigate the diffuse $\gamma$-ray and neutrino emission from the Virgo, Perseus, and Coma clusters using a detailed numerical method, combining MHD simulations with Monte Carlo methods. The MHD simulation provides the distributions of temperature, gas, and magnetic field in clusters. The Monte Carlo simulations are used to investigate the cosmic-ray (CR) propagation in ICM and subsequently the secondaries stemming from CRs. Our primary assumption is that CR injection scales with the gas density of clusters, providing a physically motivated approximation. High-density regions in clusters are associated with strong turbulence and prominent shock structures, making them natural sites for efficient CR acceleration. Our predicted $\gamma$-ray flux from the individual clusters lies well below the present LHAASO upper limits. The MAGIC observations of the central source NGC $1275$ of the Perseus cluster are significantly higher than our results. Further, we estimated the cumulative $\gamma$-ray and neutrino fluxes from clusters with masses $\gtrsim 5\times 10^{13}, M_{\odot}$ in the local Universe (within $500$ Mpc). The diffuse $\gamma$-ray flux reported by the Fermi-LAT collaboration is significantly higher than our results. Our predictions are consistent with IceCube's existing upper limits on the unresolved neutrino flux from galaxy clusters ($M > 10^{14}, M_{\odot}$) up to $z = 2$.

We calculate the high-energy gamma-ray and neutrino emissions from galaxy clusters like Perseus that host active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our primary objective is to distinguish the emission from the central source, such as NGC$1275$, from the diffuse emission originating in the outskirts of the Perseus cluster. Due to a unique magnetic-field configuration, CRs with energy $\leq 10^{17}$ eV can be confined within these structures over cosmological time scales, and generate secondary particles, including neutrinos and gamma-rays, through interactions with the background gas and photons. We employ three-dimensional cosmological magnetohydrodynamical simulations of structure formation to model the turbulent intracluster medium (ICM). We propagate CRs in intracluster medium (ICM) and intergalactic medium using multi-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, considering all relevant photohadronic, photonuclear, and hadronuclear interactions. We also include the cosmological evolution of sources like Perseus. By comparing our results with the existing upper limits from IceCube for galaxy clusters and the sensitivity of CTA, we predict that these observatories could potentially establish a new class of astrophysical sources capable of emitting high-energy multi-messenger signals. We also compute the contribution from clusters like Perseus to the diffuse neutrino and gamma-ray background.

Dynamical capture in dense stellar environments is a promising channel for producing eccentric compact binary mergers. Although there have been no confident detections of eccentric mergers to date, a few candidates show indications of non-negligible in-band eccentricity upon re-analysis of the data. By assuming an observed eccentric event originates from a dynamical gravitational wave (GW) capture, we show that it is possible to identify the host environment using the eccentricity and mass posteriors. In particular, the eccentricity posterior can be mapped to posteriors on key capture parameters, such as the relative velocity at infinity and the impact parameter. By comparing these with the expected velocity distributions of different astrophysical environments, we can place constraints on the likely host. Assuming that it originated from a GW capture, we applied this framework to the neutron star-black hole merger GW200105. By comparing with the velocity dispersion distributions of neutron stars in the cores of globular clusters (GCs) and nuclear star clusters (NSCs), we find the probability that GW200105 merged in a GC (NSC) to be 29% (71%). As we anticipate detecting several eccentric mergers in the future, this method can provide a valuable astrophysical diagnostic of their host environments on a single-event basis; this can be straightforwardly generalized to a population of eccentric binaries. The formalism we develop is also applied to GW190521, but is less constraining for that event. Lastly, we infer a GW decay time from capture to merger of 11-156 days for GW200105.

We carry out a search for high energy muon neutrino emission from the galaxy cluster Abell 119, motivated by a recent detection of GeV gamma rays from this cluster using the Fermi-LAT telescope, which hinted at a hadronic origin. For this purpose, we used the 10-year muon track data from 2008-2018, provided by the IceCube Collaboration and implement the unbinned maximum likelihood emission. We do not find any statistically significant excess and the test statistics is consistent with a null result. We then obtain upper limits (at 95\% confidence level) on the differential muon neutrino energy flux from this cluster, whose value is equal to $2.42 \times 10^{-10}~\mathrm{GeV}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}~\mathrm{sr}^{-1}$ at 100 TeV. This limit is about 1.2 times lower than the predicted neutrino flux required to explain the hadronic origin of the galaxy cluster emission, thus marginally ruling it out. Therefore, additional data from future neutrino detectors should be able to definitively rule out a hadronic origin for the observed gamma-ray emission in Abell 119.

High-resolution ground-based solar imaging relies heavily on multi-object multi-frame blind deconvolution to correct for atmospheric turbulence. However, the traditional joint maximum likelihood estimation methods in which object and the atmospheric aberrations are estimated together face some problems. In this paper, we introduce a marginal estimator for the multi-object multi-frame blind deconvolution problem. By employing a framework to marginalize over the observed objects, we develop a reconstruction method that offers several distinct advantages over joint estimation. First, the marginalization provides enhanced regularization that naturally accounts for object uncertainty, successfully preventing the reconstruction algorithm from erroneously assigning noise to high-order aberrations. Second, the marginal estimator yields more contrast control, as it is much less sensitive to the hyperparameters dictating the power spectral density (PSD) of the object. This robustness allows these hyperparameters to be optimized, enabling a ``plug-and-play'' deployment that removes the need for manual tuning. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed method is accessible and simple to implement, requiring only the addition of a log-determinant term to the traditional merit function. With minimal modifications required for existing blind deconvolution pipelines, the estimator has been fully integrated into the open-source torchmfbd package for its use by the solar physics community.

Robust age measurements for isolated neutron stars (NSs) are not easily available. That is why, often the characteristic age $\tau_\mathrm{ch}=P/2\dot P$ is used as a proxy. Here $P$ is the spin period of the NS and $\dot P$ is the time derivative of $P$. Additional assumptions related to the initial properties and spin-down evolution are made to derive $\tau_\mathrm{ch}$. As a result, it is expected that $\tau_\mathrm{ch}$ is an upper limit for the real age $\tau_\mathrm{real}$. Recently, Chrimes et al. presented measurements of kinematic ages $\tau_\mathrm{kin}$ for several magnetars. Surprisingly, for the majority of these sources $\tau_\mathrm{kin}>\tau_\mathrm{ch}$. We present a simple model including a realistic approximation for the magnetic field decay in magnetars and a simple phenomenological description of the field re-emergence after an episode of fallback after the birth of a NS. We demonstrate that this simple model can explain the observed relation $\tau_\mathrm{kin}>\tau_\mathrm{ch}$ for realistic sets of parameters.

Dwarf carbon stars are dominated by members of the Galactic halo and are thus likely carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars. In this work, a sample of 879 bona fide dwarf carbon stars are characterized by their ground-based light curves, and p<15 d modulation is found to be significant in 31 objects (3.5%), consistent with starspots and rotation in tidally-locked, post-common envelope binaries. Among these is an unambiguous halo star that is eclipsing every 1.224 d, and where the 30% eclipse depth rules out a white dwarf occulter. Available Gaia data do not indicate any tertiary in the eclipsing system, but this remains a possibility and follow-up data are necessary to determine the evolutionary history of this first eclipsing binary among carbon-enhanced stars. Four of the variable sources exhibit clear multi-year, quasi-sinusoidal trends indicative of magnetic-activity and starspot cycles in rapidly-rotating, dynamo-rejuvenated stars. These data support a picture where carbon pollution results from wind capture prior to Roche lobe overflow, and the orbital period distribution appears to be moderately shifted to longer periods than carbon-normal, low-mass stars in similar binaries. The band-combined approach adopted in this work may be more sensitive than prior work using single-bandpass light curves, where at most 19 of 34 binary candidates published by Roulston et al. (2021) are independently confirmed here.

We study how constraints on the abundance of ultralight axions (ULAs) from cosmic microwave background (CMB) data depend on their nonlinear modelling. We focus on the axion mass range $10^{-25} \leq m/\rm{eV} \leq 10^{-23}$, where the axion Jeans scale falls in the quasi-linear regime probed by CMB lensing, making constraints highly sensitive to the choice of nonlinear prescription. We show that the inferred constraints depend significantly on the choice of nonlinear model, which must therefore be treated carefully. Performing Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analyses with \Planck\, 2018, ACT DR6 and DESI DR2 BAO data, we find naive nonlinear modelling of non-cold matter can produce an artificial preference for a subdominant ULA dark matter component with mass $m \approx 10^{-24}\,$eV. This arises from a lensing-like enhancement of the CMB power spectrum.

We present a statistical study of 130 solar flares (B to X class) that lack soft X-ray quasi-periodic pulsations and show no kink oscillations of nearby coronal loops visible in SDO/AIA 171~Å~images. The aim is to investigate whether decayless kink oscillations of coronal loops respond to nearby flaring activity. Using the Fractional Anisotropy-based Video Motion Magnification technique, we detected low-amplitude decayless oscillations in all 130 loops before, during, and after each flare, confirming their ubiquitous nature. Oscillation periods are found to range from 122~s to 268~s, and the projected displacement amplitudes are 0.023--0.111~Mm. No amplitude--period correlation is found. For each event, we estimated the amplitude before, during, and after the flare. Across all flare classes, the average amplitude remains unchanged. However, in some specific cases, the oscillation amplitude may exhibit minor changes. For B-, C-, and M-class flares, the fraction of events with an amplitude change exceeding 10% is approximately 23%, 41%, and 36%, respectively. In M-class flares, such minor amplitude increases occur four times more often than decreases; in X-class flares (only six events), decreases dominate by a factor of three. The fraction of events that exhibit an increase in the amplitude of more than 20% appears to be highest when the loop centre is located at a distance of 100--120~Mm from the flare site, reaching 33% (6 out of 18 events). Overall, the amplitude of decayless kink oscillations does not undergo a major change in response to nearby flares, especially for less powerful classes, suggesting that flare-related processes such as blast waves and reconnection inflows have little effect on the energy supply to oscillating loops.

The Hybrid Elevated Radio Observatory for Neutrinos, or HERON, is a newly proposed ultrahigh energy Earth-skimming tau neutrino detector. Ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos which skim the Earth may produce $\tau$-leptons which escape into the atmosphere and initiate up-going extensive air showers. The HERON concept consists of 24 compact phased radio arrays, embedded within a larger sparse array of 360 standalone antennas, distributed along a mountain range and designed to capture the radio emission of these up-going extensive air showers. Due to the high elevation observation sites and the long propagation length of radio, HERON achieves a very large instantaneous effective area towards the horizon, and thus excels at the detection of astrophysical transient events such as gamma-ray bursts. With the excellent pointing resolution offered by the sparse array, HERON would be capable of conducting UHE neutrino astronomy and could be incorporated into the broader network of multi-messenger instruments. Here, we detail the HERON concept and describe the science which can be accomplished with it.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are intense, short-duration radio transients of mysterious origin. They have been detected across a wide range of frequencies from 110 MHz to 8 GHz. Their spectral properties, remaining poorly understood, are essential for understanding the intrinsic radiation mechanism and propagation effects. Here, we report the discovery of a periodic modulation in the central emission frequency of FRB 20240114A, based on more than one thousand bursts collected by an ultra-wideband receiving system. The burst central frequencies reveals a significant modulation with a period of $\sim 112$ days. The statistical significance of this detected periodicity exceeds $6\sigma$ for both the Lomb-Scargle and phase-folding methods. Within a single period, the central emission frequency exhibits a systematic drift from lower to higher values. We evaluate several physical mechanisms for this unique spectral evolution. The free-free absorption together with cyclotron resonant absorption in a binary system or free precession models could potentially explain such behavior. The discovery of this periodic frequency modulation unveils a new layer of complexity in the underlying radiation mechanism and propagation effect of FRBs.

The epoch of reionisation is a key phase in cosmic history, but its detailed evolution remains poorly constrained by current cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations. We investigate whether the kinetic Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect can discriminate among reionisation histories consistent with current large-scale CMB constraints. Using histories derived from Planck data, we compute the corresponding kSZ angular power spectra within an analytical framework, separating late-time and patchy contributions and accounting for uncertainties in both the ionisation history, $x_e(z)$, and astrophysical parameters constrained by the LORELI II simulations. The allowed histories fall into two broad classes, `short' and `long' duration reionisation, yielding distinct kSZ signatures. Uncertainties from $x_e(z)$ and astrophysical parameters produce comparable amounts of dispersion, yet the two classes remain clearly separable, with variations within each class at the $\sim$10\% level. Current kSZ measurements ($\sim$0--3 $\mu$K$^2$) are not yet precise enough to distinguish between these scenarios, although they tend to favor a `short' reionisation. The kSZ effect thus provides a promising probe of reionisation beyond optical depth constraints. In particular, a measurement of the kSZ power spectrum at $\ell \sim 2000$ with $\sim$0.4 $\mu$K$^2$ sensitivity would discriminate between `short' and `long' reionisation scenarios.

We investigate whether atmosphere models traditionally used for massive stars with strong winds can produce synthetic spectra morphologically similar to those of Little Red Dots (LRDs). We compute atmosphere models and synthetic spectra with the code CMFGEN. The models assume a thermalized radiation field at the inner boundary, parameterized by a temperature varying between 5000 and 12000~K. We adopt a typical luminosity of 1e10 Lsun. The models are spherical, assume an expanding atmosphere, and are computed under non-LTE conditions and for several metallicities. The spectral energy distribution (SED) is different from a blackbody, with a blue optical spectrum. Broad hydrogen emission lines are produced, their wings being formed by electron scattering. The SED near the Balmer and Paschen limit is rather continuous. A Balmer break is predicted for the coolest temperature models provided the wind density is reduced. The SED and Balmer decrement of most LRDs is reproduced by the models, provided they are dust-attenuated with Av~1.9-2.7. Assuming the absorbed luminosity is re-radiated in the infrared, the energy output at these wavelengths is consistent with observational constraints. The models predict FeII, oxygen and calcium lines. OI lines at 8446 A and 1.129 um are produced mostly by Lybeta fluorescence. The strength of emission lines from metals depends on input temperature, metallicity, and details of the radiative transfer models. CMFGEN atmosphere models predict a large number of spectral properties observed in many LRDs. They struggle to simultaneously produce a genuine Balmer break and strong emission lines. Whether they are more relevant or not to explain LRDs' spectra compared to alternative models is unclear, leaving open the question of the physical conditions in LRDs.

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) profoundly affect the interstellar medium of their host galaxies through intense radiation fields and powerful winds. Characterising this feedback is essential for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Here we revisit the origin of proximate damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorbers (PDLAs), which trace cold gas within 3000 km/s of the quasar redshift, and interpret their kinematics and physical properties within a unified framework. We searched the SDSS DR16 database for low-ionisation metal absorption-line systems at the quasar redshift (referred to as ProxSys). This approach enables us to identify and classify different types of proximate absorbers, including so-called Ghostly systems, coronagraphic DLAs (DLA-Cor), standard DLAs, and sub-DLAs, based on the presence of strong Lyman-alpha absorption, partial covering signatures, or excited atomic transitions such as SiII*. We find that about 13% of ProxSys belong to the Ghostly or DLA-Cor classes and exhibit strong absorption from excited species. The different classes of ProxSys form a continuous sequence characterised by decreasing SiII*, CIV, and NV absorption strengths and dust content. Their velocity distributions reveal multiple kinematic components. Standard DLAs cluster within 1000km/s of the quasar systemic redshift, consistent with gas in the host galaxy, whereas Ghostly and SiII* bearing systems display broader distributions, including outflows reaching -2000 km/s and a smaller population of inflowing clouds up to +1200 km/s. Median stacked spectra confirm that Ghostly and coronagraphic systems arise in dense, compact gas partially covering the quasar emission regions. These results support a scenario in which cold, dense clouds participate in a dynamic cycle of inflow and outflow in the vicinity of quasars, consistent with chaotic cold accretion.

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) contains cold dense gas at the earliest stage of massive star and cluster formation. In studying the IRDCs, a universal and fundamental task is to resolve their internal hierarchical structures. Various packages and algorithms were developed for this purpose, but with most of them mainly focused on certain individual steps in data processing. In this work, we build a more automatic procedure for multi-band structure measurement HONKAI (Hierarchical cOre ideNtification and Kinematic property AssIgnment), which can resolve the elemental components including cores and clumps, disentangle the velocity components in spectral data, measure their physical properties, and generate a catalogue for all the measured properties. We use {\sc honkai} for a joint study towards three IRDCs observed in 850 $\mu$m dust continuum with James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and the $^{13}CO$ $(1-0)$ data cube with the Purple Mount Observatory 14-m telescope. 193 dense cores in 16 clumps are identified. As major dynamical properties, a large amount of the cores (136 out of 193) are measured to have large virial ratio of $R_{\rm vir}>1$, but their mass-size relation is bellow the threshold for massive star formation. Meanwhile, core mass function (CMF) also exhibits a steeper slope towards high-mass end compared to more evolved core samples. These three properties in accordance suggest that although many IRDC cores are self-gravitating, only a small fraction are seemingly possible to form high-mass stars. In subsequent core evolution, some further mass assembly trend may be involved to facilitate the high-mass star formation.

We report the discovery and characterisation of the multi-planetary system around TOI-4311, a K dwarf kinematically between the Galactic thick disk and Hercules stream. TOI-4311 hosts an ultra-short-period super-Earth (P$\sim$0.99 d, $1.376\substack{+0.077\\-0.080}$ R$_\oplus$) and a longer period sub-Neptune (P$\sim$15 d, $2.47\substack{+0.12\\-0.11}$ R$_\oplus$) that was first detected in the TESS photometry. Using follow-up observations with CHEOPS and HARPS, we refine the planetary radius of both planets, derive the mass of planet b ($4.5\substack{+1.5\\-1.4}$ M$_\oplus$) and confirm the planetary nature of planet c. Intriguingly, a third periodic signal is clearly detected in our HARPS RVs that we cannot link to stellar activity. This signal could be attributed to a third planet (P$\sim$38 d, Msin(i)=$26.4\substack{+6.3\\-6.8}$ M$_\oplus$) in the system, however with the current photometric dataset we do not find a transit. Our dynamical analysis highlights that this potential outer planet would remain stable. Using the precise radius and mass for TOI-4311 b we model its interior structure and find that it is very dense given the host star's galactic kinematics and chemistry. Hence this system could challenge current formation theories and provide insights into planet formation across the galaxy.

Stellar rotation on the main sequence is a complex function of mass and age, displaying multiple regimes whose physical origin remains only partially understood. In particular, the connection between the diversity of observed rotation rates and the internal structure and thermodynamic properties of stellar interiors is still unclear. We investigated how the depth of the convective zones and the degree of plasma coupling, quantified through the plasma coupling parameter, relate to the observed rotation rates of solar-mass stars. We used a grid of $1 \, M_\odot$ MESA stellar models with a wide range of metallicities to identify the best-matching models for 243 main-sequence stars with measured rotation periods. We then examined correlations between their rotation rates and both the structural properties of the convective zones and the corresponding convective plasma coupling parameter. For this sample, rotation rates show only weak correlations with either the convective-zone depth or the plasma coupling parameter when considered independently. However, during the first two-thirds of the main-sequence lifetime, the correlation strengthens when both factors are considered jointly through a combined convective coupling index, indicating a moderate and statistically significant relationship. For older stars, these correlations weaken and lose significance, although the thermodynamic component becomes relatively more influential. These trends suggest that microphysical plasma properties may contribute to the regulation of angular momentum loss and may be connected to the onset of weakened magnetic braking.

We hydrodynamically simulate a core-collapse supernova (CCSN) explosion by launching three pairs of jets in the framework of the jittering-jets explosion mechanism (JJEM), and reproduce a morphology of two opposite circum-jet rings and a bar of dense gas perpendicular to the rings' axis, resembling these morphological features in the CCSN remnant SNR G11.2-0.3. The first pair of wide jets is very energetic; it triggers the explosion and inflates two bubbles that compress the material in an expanding shell. The bubbles also compress material in a plane perpendicular to the jet axis. The second pair of wide jets removes material from this plane, beside along a bar that is on an axis perpendicular to the two pairs' axes. The jets of the third pair, now of narrow jets, penetrate the expanding shell and compress material to their sides to form two opposite rings. These morphological features are qualitatively similar to those observed in the point-symmetric CCSNN remnant G11.2-0.3. As competing theoretical CCSN explosion mechanisms cannot explain point-symmetric CCSN remnants, our study provides support for the claim that the JJEM is the primary explosion mechanism of CCSNe.

We present a novel method for extracting moving objects from TESS data using machine learning. Our approach uses two stacked 3D U-Nets with skip connections, which we call a W-Net, to filter background and identify pixels containing moving objects in TESS image time-series data. By augmenting the training data through rotation of the image cubes, our method is robust to differences in speed and direction of asteroids, requiring no assumptions for either parameter range which are typically required in "shift-and-stack" type algorithms. We also developed a novel method for learned data scaling that we call Adaptive Normalization, which allows the neural network to learn the ideal range and scaling distribution required for optimal data processing. We built a code for creating TESS training data with asteroid masks that served as the foundation of our effort (tess-asteroid-ml), which we publicly released for the benefit of the community. Our method is not limited to TESS, but applicable for implementation in other similar time-domain surveys, making it of particular interest for use with data from upcoming missions such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and NEOSurveyor.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will deliver an unprecedented Type Ia supernova (SN) sample, making photometric calibration systematics a dominant source of uncertainty in dark energy constraints. We perform a comprehensive analysis of calibration systematic effects in LSST, quantifying how uncertainties in the LSST passbands propagate into biases in SN distance moduli and, consequently, the dark energy equation of state parameters. Specifically, we examine how the inferred values and uncertainties of $w_0$ and $w_a$ shift as a function of the amplitude of passband systematics. For linear passband tilts, we find that the best-fit ($w_0$,$w_a$) shifts by $\sim$0.025$\sigma$ and the $w_0-w_a$ contour area increases by $\sim$5% for each 1%/100nm increase in tilt, while for quadratic passband tilts, our results are less conclusive and warrant further exploration. This analysis will help inform the calibration accuracy required for LSST to achieve its goals in constraining dark energy.

We present a non-parametric, model-independent reconstruction of the cosmological background and perturbation dynamics in non-minimally coupled theories of gravity. Within the Effective Field Theory of dark energy framework, we reconstruct the time-dependent cosmological constant, $\Lambda(t)$, and the non-minimal coupling function, $\Omega(t)$, from cosmological data. To ensure stability, we apply a correlated smoothness prior that restricts the reconstruction to the space of sufficiently smooth functions. Using CMB, DESI BAO, Type Ia supernovae, CMB-ISW lensing cross-correlations, and large-scale 3x2pt DES Year 3 data, we find a $2.8\sigma$ hint for a non-minimal coupling. For the dark energy equation of state, our results indicate a preference for the existence of crossing of the phantom divide, $w_{DE}=-1$, at $z<0.8$. The non-minimal coupling effect stabilizes dark energy perturbations, providing a viable physical interpretation of the phantom crossing scenario. Our work paves the way for model-agnostic searches for signatures of modified gravity in cosmological data.

Interplanetary dust in the inner solar system originates from multiple sources, including short-period comets and main-belt asteroids. In this work, we focus specifically on the dynamical evolution of asteroid-derived dust using N-body simulations that incorporates solar gravity, planetary perturbations, radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson drag and solar wind forces. We quantify dust fluxes for Mars, Venus and Mercury across an important mass range, which are essential inputs for ablation process on Mars/Venus and for contributing in the impact process on Mercury. We have also derived impact velocity distributions and compared with existing literature. In addition, we examine how close-encounter velocities depend on the orbital elements linking dust energetics directly to the orbital architecture of the dust population. Our results show that the calibrated asteroidal flux agrees excellently with the scaled Grün model for Mars (0.04 orders of magnitude offset) and Venus (0.09 orders), and with the Müller (2002) model for Mercury (0.04 orders). The velocity distributions reveal a decoupling between flux and impact velocity: low-eccentricity grains dominate the flux, while high-eccentricity grains control the high-velocity tail. These findings have direct implications covering: (i) For atmosphere-less bodies like Mercury, the high-velocity tail affects impact processes and exosphere generation; (ii) For Mars and Venus, the flux-dominated low-velocity population determines meteoroid ablation rates and metal layer formation; (iii) Our calibrated fluxes provide inputs for comparison with future observations from different missions and also, for modeling impact-driven surface modification across the inner solar system.

We present an update to the frequency analysis method for measuring the properties of a galactic bar. The method involves computing the fundamental frequencies of orbits in rotating, N-body-derived potential models, classifying the stars as members of bar supporting orbits, and finding the extent of the apo-centre distribution. In this work, we apply an updated classification criterion designed to isolate the so-called "Warm" inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) orbits. These orbits have been shown to contain the looped x1 orbits, which dominate the "shoulder regions" of the bar and largely contribute to the radial extent. We apply this method to existing Gaia, APOGEE, and OGLE data of more than 200,000 stars to constrain the properties of the Milky Way bar. We find that multiple bar lengths and pattern speeds are consistent with the data to within 5 percent.

The Galactic Centre gamma-ray excess (GCE) - an anomalous ~ 2-5 GeV Fermi-LAT signal around SgrA$^{\star}$ - has remained without a consensus interpretation for more than fifteen years. Dark-matter annihilation and unresolved millisecond-pulsar populations remain the leading candidates, yet neither incorporates the past activity of SgrA$^{\star}$ recorded by the Fermi and eROSITA bubbles (FEB). We propose a unified scenario in which both the GCE and the FEB are fossil imprints of a single past episode of SgrA$^{\star}$ activity: a precessing parabolic Blandford-Znajek jet launched from a tilted, magnetically arrested disc during a ~7.5 Myr active phase ending ~ 2.6 Myr ago. The jet both inflated the kpc-scale FEB and injected hadronic cosmic rays contributing to the GCE flux. The model rests on three independently motivated inputs: the EHT-proposed ~ $35^{\circ}$ tilt of the SgrA$^{\star}$ spin axis from the Galactic rotation axis, Lense-Thirring precession of the disc through ~5 azimuthal cycles during the active phase, and a two-zone cosmic-ray transport prescription through the CMZ and bulge with standard inner-Galaxy diffusion coefficients. Internal consistency is verified by checking that the proton Larmor radius confines cosmic rays to the jet column and that the gamma-ray optical depth toward the Galactic Centre is negligible. Comparison with current GCE observations yields a spin-dependent hadronic contribution: for the EHT-favoured SgrA$^{\star}$ spin a$^{\star}$ = 0.9, we find an irreducible hadronic floor of ~ 3-14% of the observed GCE surface brightness across the inner ten degrees, highlighting a previously unexplored component relevant for comprehensive models of the GCE.

We present a detailed chemical abundance analysis of the eclipsing binary system V505 Per. High resolution spectra were analyzed using the MOOG spectrum analysis code, and we determined abundances not only for iron and lithium but also for Si, Na, Ca, Mn, and Ni, elements that have not previously been analyzed in detail for this system. Abundances were computed across 15 temperature points using model atmospheres, with stellar parameters refined by minimizing abundance trends with excitation potential. We determined effective temperatures of T_eff = 6650 +/- 50 K for the primary and T_eff = 6550 +/- 50 K for the secondary, with iron abundances of [Fe/H] = -0.10 +/- 0.06 and [Fe/H] = -0.19 +/- 0.07, respectively. Most [X/Fe] ratios are consistent with solar values, though manganese is deficient. Our analysis of the effective temperatures shows that both stars lie on the hot edge of the lithium dip, consistent with Koenigsberger et al. (2025), which may help resolve the inconsistency noted of the stars lithium abundance within the dip by Baugh et al. (2013).

Cosmic voids provide a low-density environment where the scalar fifth force predicted by $\fR$ modified gravity (MG) is least screened. We present a semi-analytical calculation of the monopole, dipole, and quadrupole of the void-galaxy cross-correlation function $\xi^{s}(s,\mu)$ in redshift space for the Hu-Sawicki $\fR$ model ($n=1$), combining the scale-dependent growth factor from the scalaron degree of freedom with nonlinear spherical shell dynamics. The framework applies to any metric $\fR$ theory for which $\Geff(k,a)/G$ can be specified in the quasi-static limit. Our key results are: (1)~the monopole deviation from $\lcdm$ grows from $+2.8\%$ for large voids ($r_v = 30\;\Mpc$) to $+29.7\%$ for small voids ($r_v = 11.7\;\Mpc$) at $\fRz = 10^{-5}$ -- a distinctive size-dependent signature of the Compton-scale scalaron response associated with chameleon screening, with $\lambda_C \approx 8\;\Mpc$; (2)~nonlinear evolution amplifies the modified-gravity signal by $\mathcal{A}_0 \approx 4$, bringing it within reach of ongoing and upcoming wide-field spectroscopic surveys, such as DESI, Subaru PFS, Euclid, and the Roman Space Telescope; (3) the gravitational potential contains a finite-range Yukawa component, producing a radially dependent dipole signature that is complementary to the density and velocity multipoles; (4) the signal weakens with redshift as the scalaron Compton wavelength shrinks, but remains potentially detectable at Stage-IV spectroscopic void samples. We show that the void-scale transition in the modified-gravity response, the joint sensitivity to density, velocity, and fifth-force contributions, and the nonlinear amplification around void shells make redshift-space void-galaxy multipoles a powerful semi-analytical probe of f(R) gravity and related inhomogeneous dark energy scenarios.

We studied the properties of star formation and the characteristics of young stars in a quiet region located beyond the outskirts of the prominent star-forming cluster NGC 346 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Utilising observations from the Hubble Space Telescope across the broad V and I bands, as well as the narrow Halpha band, we identified populations with ages of roughly 10, 60, 400 Myr and of 5 Gyr through isochrone comparison. We successfully identified 137 bona fide pre-main sequence (PMS) candidates exhibiting Halpha excess with a significance level of 5 sigma, accompanied by an Halpha line emission equivalent width exceeding 20 Å. Physical parameters for these PMS stars were determined, including mass, age, accretion luminosity, and mass accretion rate. Most PMS stars have an age around 16 Myr and an average mass of 0.80 \pm 0.16 M_sun. The median mass accretion rate for all 137 PMS stars is estimated to be about 8.0 x 10^(-9) M_sun/yr. While this rate is lower than that observed in the NGC 346 cluster itself, it is comparable with those measured for PMS stars in low-density star-forming regions in the SMC, despite the absence of apparent clustering and nebulosity. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that the ratios of accreting and non-accreting PMS stars to non-PMS stars and their mass accretion rate correlate with their distance from a group of hot massive stars in the vicinity. This suggests that the ultraviolet radiation emitted by these massive stars might erode the circumstellar discs of nearby PMS stars. Lastly, the overlap between our studied region and observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals that some of the identified PMS stars display near-infrared excess.

Cosmic bulk flow--the volume-averaged peculiar velocity of matter--serves as a fundamental test of the Cosmological Principle when probed on gigaparsec (Gpc) scales. Historically, however, measurements of cosmic bulk flow have been limited to $R\lesssim 100\ h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$. We present an application of kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) velocity reconstruction to constrain the bulk flow on cosmological scales, over a volume of effective radius $R\sim2000\ h^{-1} {\rm Mpc}$. We use the WISE$\times$SuperCOSMOS and unWISE galaxy catalogs, combined with CMB temperature maps from Planck to reconstruct large-scale velocities in six tomographic bins spanning $0.1\lesssim z \lesssim 1.5$. We place some of the tightest upper limits to date on bulk velocity at $200 \lesssim R\,[h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}]\lesssim 2000$, finding results fully consistent with the $\Lambda$CDM bulk flow expectation. Our unWISE constraints are in strong tension with the CatWISE quasar number-count dipole measurement if that dipole is due to a coherent bulk flow $\sim 370\ {\rm km\,s^{-1}}$ at $R\sim1000\ h^{-1}{\rm Mpc}$. We also derive constraints on the matter power spectrum at low-$k$ ($k\lesssim10^{-3}\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$) with low-$z$ ($z\sim 1$) galaxy samples. Alongside these cosmological constraints, we introduce a novel approach to map the optical depth bias--an inherent astrophysical degeneracy in kSZ velocity reconstruction--across different data combinations. Our work bridges the theoretical gap between bulk flow and kSZ-reconstructed velocities, and expands the horizon of bulk velocity measurements out to Gpc scales.

We present an automatic method based on machine-learning convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to detect Lyman alpha emitters (LAE) hidden in the Data Release 1 spectroscopic dataset of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Those LAEs mostly have incorrect redshift estimations because the current DESI pipeline is not designed to detect and measure the redshifts of galaxies at $z>2$. To uncover those sources, we first visually inspect thousands of DESI spectra and construct a sample, consisting of both LAEs and non-LAEs, for training and testing the CNN-based model to (1) detect LAEs in DESI spectra and (2) determine their Ly$\alpha$ redshifts. The final model yields $95.2\%$ purity and $95.9\%$ completeness for detecting LAEs. We apply this model to approximately $2\times10^{6}$ spectra of sources targeted as emission-line galaxies and detect 19,685 LAEs from $z\sim2$ to $3.5$ within 12 minutes with a single GPU, illustrating the high efficiency of this model for identifying LAEs. The detected LAEs are mostly at the bright end of the luminosity function with Ly$\alpha$ luminosity $L_{\rm Ly\alpha} \gtrsim 10^{43}$ erg/s. The high signal-to-noise composite spectrum of the detected LAEs further shows various spectral features, including P-Cygni profiles of metal lines and MgII emission lines, possible indicators of Lyman continuum escape fraction, revealing the rich astrophysical information in this LAE sample. Finally, this sample can be used to train and validate the pipelines for redshift determination of LAEs for the preparation of the DESI-II survey.

We present results from the Big Mysteries Survey, a large-scale survey conducted through the American Physical Society's Physics Magazine on foundational and controversial topics in contemporary physics. The survey provides a snapshot of physicists' views on issues in cosmology, black-hole physics, quantum mechanics, quantum gravity, and anthropic coincidences. A central finding is that several positions often described publicly as field-wide ``consensus'' views are, in practice, supported by much narrower majorities or by pluralities rather than majorities.

We develop the Bogolyubov coefficient formalism for gravitational production of fermions with time-dependent mixing, which allows us to study a prototype neutrino system. The neutrino masses and mixings depend on the scalar field values, i.e. the Higgs or singlet scalar expectation values. These are time-dependent in the Early Universe and, due to de Sitter fluctuations, can reach very large values during inflation. As a result, gravitational production of all types of neutrinos can be much enhanced. We obtain an upper bound on the abundance of active and sterile neutrinos produced by classical gravity, $Y \lesssim 10^{-11}$.

Hints of cosmic microwave background polarization rotation ($\Delta\vartheta \sim 10^{-3}$ rad) are commonly attributed to late-time dynamics of ultralight axions. We show that such ultralight degrees of freedom are not required. Polarization rotation naturally arises as a geometric interface phase acquired when photons cross interfaces between topologically distinct dark sector vacua. The effect is a discrete phase shift fixed by the normalization of a wall-supported electromagnetic Chern--Simons interaction and protected by an emergent $1$-form symmetry of the low energy effective theory. This mechanism reproduces the familiar adiabatic rotation induced by light axion domain walls, but persists for arbitrarily thin walls where the axion is heavy or absent. In this regime the rotation manifests as a Pancharatnam phase localized at vacuum interfaces, independent of redshift and photon frequency below a natural ultraviolet cutoff. Cosmic birefringence thus emerges as a probe of vacuum structure in the dark sector, rather than of light-field dynamics.

We propose a novel broadband strategy to search for axions by leveraging observables controlled by the axion field squared. We present a practical implementation of this concept for probing the axion--photon coupling. This is done by operating a dc SQUID at the flux sweet spot, where the voltage depends quadratically on the magnetic flux, and using lock-in modulation to evade low-frequency noise. The proposed setup is ultra-broadband, spanning over 15 orders of magnitude in axion mass, with further expansion of the mass range possible. The projected sensitivity is $|g_{a\gamma\gamma}| \gtrsim 10^{-16} \text{ GeV}^{-1}$, orders of magnitude better than current bounds, and largely independent of axion mass. We discuss the sources of systematic background and a nulling technique to reduce them to an acceptable level. We also discuss how our strategy could be adapted to probe the axion-fermion coupling, as well as to detect other dark matter candidates such as dark photons.

Understanding stochastic inflation, and in particular the systematic computation of controlled corrections from first principles, remains an important open problem. In this work, we address this problem from two complementary perspectives. First, we derive the effective field theory governing long-wavelength modes from the reduced density matrix of a coarse-grained description. In this framework, locality in time follows from the thin-shell approximation, while locality in space is recovered dynamically in the super-Hubble regime. The resulting open effective field theory contains both dissipative and diffusive operators, with diffusion dominating as the coarse-graining scale is pushed into the infrared. This construction reproduces the usual Fokker-Planck equation at leading order and allows us to compute its corrections, including subleading contributions to the stochastic dynamics. Second, we study the evolution of the density matrix under changes of the coarse-graining scale. We show that this flow is governed by a Polchinski-type renormalisation group equation formulated directly for the density matrix. Dissipative and diffusive operators are generated dynamically along the flow, and the resulting effective action matches the Schwinger-Keldysh description. We derive a generalised Fokker-Planck equation directly from the renormalisation group flow, systematically incorporating subleading corrections and recovering the results obtained in the open effective field theory approach.

Purpose: Characterize superfluid-superconducting vortex states at arbitrary pressures with $T_{cp}\neq T_{cn}$, assuming both proton and neutron mean-fields are formed by spin-0 Cooper pairs. Method: The existing mean-field theory is extended to account for $T_{cp}\neq T_{cn}$. The pressure dependence of the pairing gap energy $\Delta_{\alpha0}$ is quantitatively established on the basis of the effective chiral field theory. To link $T_{c\alpha}$ with $\Delta_{\alpha0}$, I use the weak-coupling result $T_{c\alpha}\approx0.57\Delta_{\alpha0}$. A quadratic scaled-temperature ($T/T_{cp}$) dependence of the thermodynamic magnetic field is postulated in analogy with pure superconductors. The $T/T_{c\alpha}$-dependence of the gap $\Delta_{\alpha T}$ is inferred from the many-body approximations for the pure neutron matter. Results: An empirical $T/T_{c\alpha}$-dependence for the mean-field is constructed to account for the interplay between the condensation and the magnetic energies. The superfluid entrainment is found to increase the size of the vortex core and to decrease the effective magnetic penetration depth. The size of the neutron vortex core is found to be larger than the magnetic penetration depth in the outer core. Conclusions: The usual approximation of infinitely thin vortex line (the London's approximation) for the neutron vortex is found to be irrelevant in the entire outer core and for the proton vortex is found to be limited to vicinity of the crust-core transition. The developed mean-field theory paves the way to study the vortex microscopic structure, the angular momentum, the magnetization and the vortex-fluxtube interaction energy.

Modern gravitational wave astronomy relies on modeling tasks that often require months of graduate-level effort, including building fast waveform surrogates from expensive numerical relativity simulations, modeling orbital dynamics of black holes, fitting merger remnant properties and constructing template banks. These problems demand extreme precision to support detection and parameter inference, with state-of-the-art models achieving $\lesssim 10^{-4}$ relative error. We study whether state-of-the-art LLM coding agents can perform such end-to-end scientific modeling, where success requires constructing models with stringent accuracy criteria and reasoning about physical systems. We introduce gwBenchmarks, a suite of eight tasks grounded in gravitational wave analytic calculations and numerical simulations collectively representing over $10^8$ core-hours of compute. The tasks span interpolation, regression, and high-dimensional time-series modeling, requiring a combination of numerical methods, machine learning, and physics-informed approaches. In preliminary experiments, agents frequently relied on proxy metrics, partial evaluation, or fabricated results to spuriously complete tasks. We therefore implement an external pre-defined framework to gauge agent progress. Evaluating twelve coding agents, we find no consistent winner. On the easiest task, multiple agents converge to the same cubic spline solution, with one rediscovering a coordinate transformation widely used in the literature. On harder tasks like analytic waveform modeling, all agents fall 1-2 orders of magnitude short of domain requirements and exhibit systematic failures, including metric misuse, constraint violations, and result fabrication. Our code, data, and website are publicly available.

The population of compact binaries encodes information about their astrophysical origins and the expansion of the universe. Hierarchical Bayesian methods infer these properties by combining single-event posteriors. As catalogs grow, however, this approach becomes computationally expensive and is subject to increasing Monte Carlo uncertainty. We introduce Dingo-Pop, a simulation-based framework that infers population posteriors directly from gravitational-wave strain data. The data for each event are embedded into low-dimensional tokens and combined using a transformer trained on simulated catalogs subject to selection effects. This enables (i) population inference without per-event Monte Carlo sampling noise, (ii) amortization across variable catalog sizes using a single network, and (iii) end-to-end inference in about one second. We train a network for catalog sizes of 25 to 1000 events, and obtain well-calibrated posteriors consistent with traditional methods. By avoiding per-event analyses that can take hours to days, Dingo-Pop enables new classes of large-scale injection studies; as an application, we examine how spectral-siren Hubble constant uncertainties change with catalog size.

We compute the graviton absorption and emission rates by hydrogen atoms in line with the results obtained by Weinberg, Gould, Dyson and other authors. The spontaneous emission of gravitons by the hydrogen atoms has a tiny undetectable rate, while the absorption rate of gravitons is much higher and is proportional to the number of hydrogen atoms and to the graviton luminosity. The graviton luminosity of Sun, or a typical star, is induced by the scattering of electrons and protons in a completely ionised hydrogen plasma at the core of the Sun and their energies are in the eV to keV range. We suggest measuring the excess in the ratio of the photon luminosities from interstellar hydrogen atoms that is induced due to the absorption of gravitons. The excess in the ratio of photon luminosities would indicate the presence of gravitons.

Fast surrogate models for expensive simulations are now essential across the sciences, yet they typically operate as black boxes. We present \texttt{GWAgent}, a large language model (LLM)-based workflow that constructs interpretable analytic surrogates directly from simulation data. Surrogate modeling is well suited to agentic workflows because candidate models can be quantitatively validated against ground-truth simulations at each iteration. As a demonstration, we build a surrogate for gravitational waveforms from eccentric binary black hole mergers. We show that providing the agent with a physics-informed domain ansatz substantially improves output model accuracy. The resulting analytic surrogate attains a median Advanced LIGO mismatch of $6.9\times10^{-4}$ together with an $\sim 8.4\times$ speedup in waveform evaluation, surpassing both symbolic regression and conventional machine learning baselines. Beyond producing an accurate model, the workflow identifies compact physical structure from the learned representation. As an astrophysical application, we use \texttt{GWAgent} to analyze the eccentricity of GW200129 and infer $e_{20\mathrm{Hz}}=0.099^{+0.063}_{-0.044}$. These results show that validation-constrained agentic workflows can produce accurate, fast, and interpretable surrogates for scientific simulations and inference.

We develop a potential-independent cosmographic framework, in which cosmographic parameters are promoted to dynamical variables within a closed autonomous system. Although the cosmographic hierarchy is formally infinite, we achieve closure by mapping potential slow-roll parameters onto the kinematic phase space within General Relativity with a minimally coupled scalar field. Within this framework, we perform a stability analysis and show that inflationary (quasi-de Sitter) solutions arise as natural attractors, while stiff-fluid configurations act as repellers without invoking the slow-roll approximation. To describe the transition to standard Big Bang evolution, we extend the system to include a radiation component and a phenomenological decay term. This leads to a generalized, potential-independent description of reheating characterized by an effective equation of state $w_{\rm eff}$. We demonstrate that the radiation-dominated phase is the late-time attractor of the extended system. These results provide a unified kinematical description of the expansion history from inflation through reheating, bridging cosmography and scalar field dynamics.

Dynamic alignment in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is usually interpreted as a cascade-wide tendency of Elsasser increments to become increasingly collinear at smaller scales. We argue instead that the standard measurements mainly detect a conditional survival effect of intense events. In high-resolution Johns Hopkins MHD simulations, the typical folded Elsasser-increment angle remains only modestly below the random-orientation baseline and shows no evidence for a rigid, monotone, volume-filling ordering of the cascade. Much smaller angles appear primarily in the strongest Elsasser-amplitude events, while conditioning on current density leaves the angle close to its unweighted behavior. Shuffled-null tests show that this reduction is caused by a genuine negative covariance between event amplitude and angular misalignment, not by weighting alone. Cross-scale angular correlations are measurable but decaying, indicating partial and non-rigid persistence of the local alignment field. A finite-time state-retention test directly supports the proposed mechanism: high-amplitude large-angle events leave their amplitude--angle sector faster than high-amplitude small-angle events, while incoming transitions continually replenish the large-angle sector. NASA Wind solar-wind observations show the same angle--amplitude hierarchy and negative covariance in Taylor-sampled Elsasser increments. These results indicate that dynamic alignment, as measured by conventional weighted diagnostics, is best understood as selective sampling of longer-lived intense small-angle events, not as a cascade-wide alignment of typical MHD fluctuations.

Large curvature perturbations generated during slow first-order phase transitions are a promising source of primordial black holes. However, recent analyses suggested that the mechanism is ruled out once the density contrast and the formation threshold are evaluated in the same gauge. In this work, we show that this mechanism remains viable: after a supercooled transition, reheating can be sufficiently slow that the Universe enters an early matter-dominated era, during which even small overdensities grow and collapse into primordial black holes. An interesting feature of this scenario is that the black holes are produced with large spins.

Over the past two decades, the rapid surge in data-intensive computational techniques for statistical modeling may have had the effect of diminishing the use of applied mathematics in causal scientific inquiry. In this paper, co-authored by an astrophysicist, a mathematician, and philosophers, we assess the hazards of neglecting the branch of mathematics that constructs models to address causal questions in favor of statistical modeling alone. Causality is relevant in all branches of science and is often elucidated through applied mathematics. Here, we illuminate the idea with examples drawn from space physics and medical sciences. We examine causal questions to demonstrate how applied mathematical and statistical methods may differentiate between two fundamental facets of causality, i.e., mechanistic and difference-making. Understanding such foundational differences in causality may, in some cases, help explain discrepant or erroneous research results. Most importantly, understanding the relationship between causality and analytical approaches used in science has the potential to strengthen the rigor and reliability of scientific inquiry through optimal selection of mathematical and/or statistical methods.

GW240925 and GW250207 are two loud gravitational-wave signals from binary black hole coalescences observed with network signal-to-noise ratios $\sim 32$ and $\sim 69$, respectively, by the LIGO Hanford--LIGO Livingston--Virgo network. Gravitational-wave signals from coalescing binaries have characteristic phase and amplitude evolution predicted by general relativity. These signal waveforms, together with measured instrumental calibration uncertainties, are used to infer source parameters. However, for sufficiently loud detections it is possible to constrain the calibration of the detectors directly using the signals themselves. We present the first informative astrophysical measurements of gravitational-wave detector calibration. For GW240925, we verify the inference of Hanford calibration from the astrophysical signal through cross-checks with known calibration errors obtained from in-situ measurements. At the time of GW250207, the Hanford detector was not fully stabilized, leading to elevated calibration uncertainties; thus, astrophysical calibration is essential to obtain accurate data and to enable source localization. These well-localized, high signal-to-noise observations have the potential to offer precise measurements of source properties, stringent tests of general relativity, and informative dark siren measurements, provided that calibration uncertainties are properly incorporated. As detector sensitivity improves, astrophysical calibration will become an increasingly valuable complement to in-situ calibration measurements. Obtaining accurate calibration will be essential for precision gravitational-wave science.

Advanced adaptive optics (AO) systems can use Fourier-type wavefront sensing to correct optical distortions encountered in ground-based telescopes, AO-assisted retinal imaging, and free-space optical communications (FSOC). Recently, a novel Fourier-type wavefront sensor (WFS) known as the iQuad WFS has been introduced. Its design features a focal plane tessellation with a four-quadrant phase mask (FQPM) that incorporates a $\pm \pi/2$ phase shift between adjacent quadrants. In this work, we establish a comprehensive mathematical framework for the iQuad WFS, including its forward models and linearizations based on the Fréchet derivative. We reveal a connection between the iQuad WFS and the 2d finite Hilbert transform and demonstrate that the linear iQuad WFS operator is self-adjoint - a unique property among Fourier-type WFSs. Additionally, we introduce the double iQuad WFS, a two-path configuration that combines two rotated iQuad WFSs. This design addresses the limitations of the single iQuad WFS by suppressing poorly-seen phase components. Moreover, the double setup simplifies the mathematical modeling. We also highlight iQuad similarities to the widely used pyramid wavefront sensor (PWFS). Finally, we extend the concept of modulation to the iQuad WFS, further enhancing its versatility. The theoretical analysis presented here lays the groundwork for the development of fast and robust model-based wavefront reconstruction algorithms for the iQuad WFS, paving the way for future applications in AO instruments.

We show that the dissipation of small-scale perturbations through diffusion damping after neutrino decoupling lowers the present-day neutrino temperature compared to the expected value of $1.96\,{\text{K}}$. This reduces the relic neutrino abundance by an amount controlled by the integral of the primordial curvature power spectrum $\Delta_{\cal R}^2(k)$. We find that a relic neutrino detection by PTOLEMY can set limits $\Delta_{\cal R}^2(k) \lesssim {\cal O}(0.1)$ on scales $k \lesssim 3 \times 10^5\,{\text{Mpc}^{-1}}$, complementary to limits from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, spectral distortions, pulsar timing arrays, and future dark ages 21-cm observations.

Dynamical systems techniques are a powerful tool to analyse systems of ordinary differential equations, written in an appropriate form. For a given theory of gravity, the cosmological field equations typically lead to a system of ordinary differential equations. Casting these cosmological equations into the form of a dynamical system requires a careful choice of the dynamical variables. Despite this being a critical step, relatively little is said about this process in the literature. We discuss how different variable choices affect the information that can be extracted from the Friedmann equations. We begin by reviewing the standard cosmological model with dark matter, radiation, and dark energy, and include quintessence models. We revisit well-known models with an exponential potential using new variables. This discussion is then extended to models with scalar fields and more intricate coupling terms.

We present the results of a large number of simulation studies regarding the power of various goodness-of-fit as well as non-parametric two-sample tests for multivariate data. In two dimensions this includes both continuous and discrete data, in higher dimensions continuous data only. In general no single method can be relied upon to provide good power, any one method may be quite good for some combination of null hypothesis and alternative and may fail badly for another. Based on the results of these studies we propose a fairly small number of methods chosen such that for any of the case studies included here at least one of the methods has good power. The studies were carried out using the R packages MD2sample and MDgof, available from CRAN.

The OH$^+$ ($X ^3\Sigma^-$) radical cation has been investigated by combining a 4 K 22-pole ion trap apparatus with high-resolution IR and THz radiation sources. Applying different types of action spectroscopic methods, the fundamental vibrational band in the 3 $\mu$m range and the spin manifold of the $N=1 \leftarrow 0$ rotational transition around 1 THz have been extended and refined. Additionally, the spin manifold of the $N=2 \leftarrow 1$ rotational transition, scattered around 2 THz, has been measured for the first time with microwave accuracy. Although all hyperfine components of the pure rotational transitions are affected by considerable Zeeman splittings, a simulation of their contours allowed us to extract the field-free center frequencies with high accuracy. A global fit combining rovibrational and pure rotational transitions from the literature with those newly obtained in this work was performed, leading to improvements in the spectroscopic constants of OH$^+$, particularly those in the ground vibrational state.

Basilisk is an open-source astrodynamics simulation framework widely used for spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) research and development. Despite its flexibility and computational capabilities, configuring Basilisk consistently across heterogeneous development environments presents practical challenges due to dependency management, operating system compatibility, and software configuration requirements. This paper presents a Docker-based containerization workflow for Basilisk that encapsulates the complete build environment, dependencies, and simulation infrastructure within a portable container image. The workflow is demonstrated through a progression of simulation scenarios of increasing complexity, from standalone orbital dynamics scripts to BSKSim-based attitude dynamics and control simulations with Monte Carlo analysis. The BSKSim class hierarchy, dynamics model architecture, flight software implementation, and scenario execution patterns are described in detail. The presented workflow provides a self-contained implementation reference for GN&C engineers and researchers seeking reproducible and portable Basilisk simulation environments. This work expands upon a workshop presentation delivered at the 46th Rocky Mountain AAS GN&C Conference, February 2024, available at this https URL.

Stellar streams from disrupted globular clusters are dynamically cold structures that are sensitive to perturbations from dark matter subhalos, allowing them in principle to trace the dark matter substructure in the Milky Way. We model, within the context of $\Lambda$CDM, the likelihood of dark matter subhalos to produce a significant feature in a GD-1-like stream and analyze the properties of such subhalos. We generate many realizations of the subhalo population within a Milky Way mass host halo using the semi-analytic code SatGen, accounting for effects such as tidal stripping and dynamical friction. The subhalo distributions are combined with a GD-1-like stream model, and the impact of subhalos that pass close to the stream are modeled with Gala. We find that subhalos with masses in the range $2\times 10^6 M_{\odot} - 10^8 M_{\odot}$ at the time of the stream-subhalo encounter, corresponding to masses of about $2 \times 10^7 M_{\odot} - 10^9 M_{\odot}$ at the time of infall, are the likeliest to produce gaps in a GD-1-like stream. We find that gaps occur on average $\sim$3~times per realization of the host system. These gaps have typical widths of $\sim(5 - 27)$~deg and fractional underdensities of $\sim (10 - 30)\%$, with larger gaps being caused by heavier subhalos. The stream-subhalo encounters responsible for these have impact parameters $(0.1 - 1.5)$~kpc and relative velocities $\sim(200 - 410)$~km/s. We also investigate the effects of increasing the host-halo mass on the gap properties and formation rate.

The hierarchical interplay among gravity, magnetic fields, and turbulence in forming massive protostellar clusters remains elusive. We present high-resolution ($\sim$14 arcsec $\simeq$ 0.05 pc) 850 $\mu$m dust polarization and C$^{18}$O line observations of Cepheus A using JCMT SCUBA-2/POL-2 and HARP. Our analysis reveals aligned gravitational (G), magnetic (B), and velocity fields (K), with an energy hierarchy of $E_{\mathrm{G}}$ > $E_{\mathrm{B}}$ > $E_{\mathrm{K}}$. Gravity, as the primary driver, induces gas flows and drags in B-field lines. Magnetic tension, as a secondary force, regulates turbulence, enabling ordered flows with an accretion rate of $\sim$ 2.1 $\pm$ 0.4 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$. This challenges the conventional view of B-fields resisting collapse in the clump/hub scale, instead showing cooperation with gravity. The $\sim$0.6 pc clump-scale B-field (with mean PA $\sim$ 45°) aligns coherently with fields at cloud ($\sim$5 pc), core ($\sim$0.05 pc), and disk ($\sim$2000 AU) scales, offering new insights into the role of magnetic fields in multiscale star formation dynamics.

Removing the shape noise from the observed weak lensing field, i.e., denoising, enhances the potential of WL by accessing information at small scales where the shape noise dominates without denoising. We utilise two machine learning (ML) models for denosing: generative adversarial network (GAN) and diffusion model (DM). We evaluate the performance of denosing with GAN and DM utilising the large suite of mock WL observations, which serve as the training and test data sets. We apply denoising to 1,000 noisy mass maps with GAN and DM models trained with 39,000 mock observations. Both models can fairly well reproduce the true convergence map on large scales. Then, we measure cosmological statistics: power spectrum, bispectrum, one-point probability distribution function, peak and minima counts, and scattering transform coefficients. We find that DM outperforms GAN in almost all considered statistics and recovers the correct statistics down to small scales. For example, the angular power spectrum can be recovered with DM up to multipoles $\ell \lesssim 6000$ while the noise power spectrum dominates from $\ell \simeq 2000$. We also conduct stress tests on the trained model; denoising the maps with different characteristics, e.g., different source redshifts, from the training data. The performance degrades at small scales, but the statistics can still be recovered at large scales. Though the training of DM is more computationally demanding compared with GAN, there are several advantages: numerically stable training, higher performance in the reconstruction of cosmological statistics, and sampling multiple realisations once the model is trained. It has been known that DM can generate higher-quality images in real-world problems than GAN, the superiority has been confirmed as well in the WL denoising problem.

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHB) are expected to produce periodic modulations in active galactic nuclei (AGN) light curves, but distinguishing such signals from stochastic red-noise variability remains a major challenge. We present the first systematic search for statistically significant AGN periodicities using the optical photometry from the Gaia space mission Data Release 3 (DR3), with the goal of identifying SMBHB candidates and establishing a methodological data analysis framework that can be scaled to the forthcoming Data Release 4 (DR4). We analyse Gaia G band light curves of 377,128 sources from the Gaia celestial reference frame (CRF3). Stochastic variability is modelled as a damped random walk Gaussian process, and empirical false alarm probabilities are derived by comparing observed Lomb-Scargle periodogram peaks against 100,000 synthetic red-noise realisations. Candidates from this first stage are then re-evaluated using full Markov chain Monte Carlo inference under both exponential and powered-exponential kernels. We find 13 sources surviving our statistical criterion ($p < \alpha = 10^{-5}$) after both stages of filtering, which is consistent with the expected false-positive rate. All candidates cover fewer than 2.5 cycles of the candidate period and are systematically concentrated in a region of the parameter space indicative of model misspecification. No reliable periodic SMBHB candidates are retained. The ${\sim}950$-day baseline of Gaia DR3 confines all detections to the few-cycle regime where red noise most convincingly mimics periodicity, a limitation that photometric precision alone cannot overcome. The longer baseline of Gaia DR4 will be essential to push beyond this regime. We offer our data analysis software pipeline in open access to the community.

JWST has enabled dozens of high-$z$ quasar host galaxy detections. Many of these observations imply galaxies with black holes that are overmassive compared to their low-$z$ counterparts. However, the bright quasar point source removal can cause significant biases in recovered host magnitudes and stellar mass measurements due to the degeneracy in host galaxy and quasar light. We develop a statistical method to disentangle the quasar host galaxy stellar mass measurements from observational biases during the point source removal assuming the PSF is modelled perfectly. We use the BlueTides simulation to generate mock images and perform point source removal on thousands of simulated high-$z$ quasar host galaxies, constructing corrected host magnitude posteriors. We find that removing a bright quasar in JWST photometry tends to either correctly recover or modestly misestimate host magnitudes, with a maximum magnitude underestimate of 0.2 mag. With our corrected magnitude posteriors, we perform SED fitting on each quasar host galaxy and compare the stellar mass measurement before and after the correction. We find that stellar mass estimates are generally robust, or misestimated by <0.3 dex. We also find that the stellar masses of a subset of hosts (J0844-0132, J0911+0152, and J1146-0005) remain unconstrained, as key photometric bands provide only flux upper limits. Accounting for observational biases does not resolve the apparent mismatch between black hole and host galaxy growth at high-$z$, where some quasars appear to host overmassive black holes while others reside in relatively massive galaxies.

We propose that luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs) signal the delayed conversion of a massive neutron star (NS; M_NS > ~1.8 Msun) into a highly magnetized hybrid star (HS) with B_HS ~10^15 G surface field; a QCD magnetar. This is the partial conversion channel in the Quark-Nona (QN) model where the core of the NS enters a quark phase with spontaneous generation of extreme (i.e., up to > 10^18 G) magnetic field independent of the NS spin. The process ejects ~0.01 Msun of the NS outermost layers at ~0.1c (the QN ejecta) with a photon diffusion timescale of a few days. The powering of the QN ejecta by spin-down of a rapidly rotating HS (inherited from the parent NS) yields the LFBOT. The fragmentation of the QN ejecta allows optical flares to arise from clumps that become optically thin, releasing stored radiation energy (with luminosities comparable to the LFBOT peak) on light-crossing timescales of tens of minutes. X-rays from the relativistic HS spin-down wind escaping through optically thin gaps in the QN ejecta, and radio from QN ejecta-medium interaction arise self-consistently from a single physical engine. This framework reproduces key features of AT2022tsd, AT2020xnd, AT2020mrf, and AT2018cow. The neutron-rich, r-process-producing QN ejecta predicts kilonova-like emission associated with LFBOTs in environments that do not host neutron star mergers.

Gamma-ray bursts observed in high-energies allow the investigation of the emission processes of these still puzzling events. In this study, we perform general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations to investigate GRB 090510, a peculiar short GRB detected by Fermi-LAT. Our primary goal is to model the energetics, jet structure, variability, and opening angle of the burst to understand its underlying physical conditions. We tested the 2D and 3D models and estimated the time scale of variability. The predicted energetics and the jet opening angle reconcile with the observed ones with 1$\sigma$ when considering that the jet opening angles also evolve with redshift. Furthermore, we extend our analysis by incorporating dynamical ejecta into selected models to study its impact on jet collimation at smaller distances. In addition, we investigated a suite of models exhibiting a broad range of observable GRB properties, thereby extending our understanding beyond this specific event.

We investigate the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at high redshift ($z \ge 10$) from a combination of dark matter capture, black-hole mergers, and gas accretion. It has previously been shown that SMBHs can form by $z \approx 10$ via black-hole mergers, Eddington-limited Bondi gas accretion and tidal disruption events with stars within dense nuclear clusters. Here, we examine the degree to which the capture of collisionless dark matter by a growing SMBH may also contribute. We first consider models deduced from cosmological simulations of galaxy formation and central BH formation. We show that in the case that the dense nuclear star cluster forms by cooling and collapse of gas, while the DM remains in a standard NFW profile, the contribution from cold dark matter accretion is insignificant. However, we suggest models for which dark matter clustering can occur (possibly by self interaction). We show that such clustering may affect SMBH growth. In such cases, a small seed stellar-remnant black hole can more easily reach $> 10^7$ M$_{\odot}$ by $z = 10$ in the core of dense nuclear star clusters. This remains true for either cold dark matter or ultralight dark matter with the observationally inferred mass of $\sim 10^{-22}$ eV. We highlight the unique possible evolution of ULDM capture by the growing SMBH due to the fact that the ULDM de Broglie wavelength exceeds the initial nuclear star cluster half-mass radius.

Stellar population properties are crucial for understanding galaxy evolution. Their inference for statistically representative samples requires deep multi-object spectroscopy, typically obtained with fiber-fed spectrographs that integrate only a fraction of galaxy light. The most comprehensive local Universe dataset is the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), whose fibers typically collected ~30% of total flux. Stellar population gradients, ubiquitously present in galaxies, systematically bias SDSS toward central properties, by amounts yet to be quantified. We leverage CALIFA integral-field spectroscopy to simulate fiber-fed observations at redshifts z=0.005-0.4, accounting for seeing effects. We analyze systematic aperture correction trends across galaxy morphologies and derive correction recipes based on: fiber-measured indices, global g-r color, absolute r-band magnitude Mr, and physical half-light radius R50. Corrections for absorption indices typically reach >~15% of their dynamical range at z~0.02, decreasing to ~7% at z~0.1 (median SDSS redshift) and becoming negligible above z~0.2. Spiral galaxies exhibit the largest aperture effects due to their strong internal gradients. Our correction recipes, applied to the SDSS-DR7 dataset, significantly reduce scatter in stellar population diagnostic planes and enhance bimodality in age-sensitive diagrams. Corrections reveal systematic overestimates of old galaxy fractions by up to 10% and an underestimate by >~0.2 mag of the transition luminosity at which old galaxies become dominant. Aperture corrections significantly impact observational tracers of stellar populations from fiber spectroscopy. Absorption indices corrections applied to SDSS-DR7 will provide a robust local benchmark for galaxy evolution studies.

The astrophysics of Long GRB (LGRB) progenitors as well as possible cosmological evolution in their properties still poses many open questions. Previous studies suggest that the LGRB rate density (LGRB-RD) follows the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) only at high-z and attribute this to the metallicity evolution of progenitor stars. For low z, opinions differ on whether the uptick in the LGRB RD is due to a distinct class of low-luminosity GRBs or perhaps even a different progenitor subclass. To investigate these questions, we utilize data from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and ground-based observatories (redshift). To test the hypothesis that the observations can be mapped (with/without evolution) to the well-established cosmic SFRD, we consider three cases: no evolution, beaming angle evolution, and a simple power-law evolution. The comparison shows that the 'no evolution' case can be ruled out. Our study highlights that the beaming angle evolution or the simple power law evolution are also not sufficient to obtain a good match between the LGRB-RD and SFRD. Rather, the inclusion of multiple evolving properties of LGRBs in combination appears to be required to match the two rate densities in their entirety.

Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are valuable probes of cosmic star formation reaching back into the epoch of reionization, and a large dataset with known redshifts ($z$) is an important ingredient for these studies. Usually, $z$ is measured using spectroscopy or photometry, but $\sim80\%$ of GRBs lack such data. Prompt and afterglow correlations can provide estimates in these cases, though they suffer from systematic uncertainties due to assumed cosmologies and due to detector threshold limits. We use a sample with $z$ estimated via machine learning models, based on prompt and afterglow parameters, without relying on cosmological assumptions. We then use an augmented sample of GRBs with measured and predicted redshifts, forming a larger dataset. We find that the predicted redshifts are a crucial step forward in understanding the evolution of GRB properties. We test three cases: no evolution, an evolution of the beaming factor, and an evolution of all terms captured by an evolution factor $(1+z)^\delta$. We find that these cases can explain the density rate in the redshift range between 1-2, but neither of the cases can explain the derived rate densities at smaller and higher redshifts, which may point towards an evolution term different than a simple power law. Another possibility is that this mismatch is due to the non-homogeneity of the sample, e.g., a non-collapsar origin of some long GRB within the sample.

Previous studies have examined the holographic principle as a means of producing dark energy. Here we propose instead the possibility of holographic dark matter. In this case, dark matter does not arise in the framework of particle physics but is derived from the infrared cutoff set by the horizon scale. Using the Ricci cutoff, and a universe containing only baryons and radiation, we can account for the dark matter and naturally explain the coincidence between baryonic and nonbaryonic contributions to the density. In the presence of a pre-existing vacuum energy density our model reverses the sign of this density, thus accounting for the fact that certain string theories generically predict a negative vacuum energy, but observations require a positive value.

The DESI Collaboration reports a significant preference for a dynamic dark energy model ($w_0w_a$CDM) over the cosmological constant ($\Lambda$CDM) when their data are combined with other frontier cosmological probes. We present a direct Bayesian model comparison using nested sampling to compute the Bayesian evidence, revealing a contrasting conclusion: for the key combination of the DESI DR2 BAO and the Planck CMB data, we find the Bayesian evidence modestly favours $\Lambda$CDM (log-Bayes factor $\ln B = -0.57{\scriptstyle\pm0.26}$), in contrast to the collaboration's 3.1$\sigma$ frequentist significance in favoring $w_0w_a$CDM. Extending this analysis to also combine with the DES-SN5YR supernova catalogue, our Bayesian analysis reaches a significance of $3.07{\scriptstyle\pm0.10}\,\sigma$ in favour of $w_0w_a$CDM. By performing a comprehensive tension analysis, employing five complementary metrics, we pinpoint the origin: a significant ($2.95{\scriptstyle\pm 0.04}\,\sigma$), low-dimensional tension between DESI DR2 and DES-SN5YR that is present only within the $\Lambda$CDM framework. The $w_0w_a$CDM model is preferred precisely because its additional parameters act to resolve this specific dataset conflict. Replacing DES-SN5YR with the recalibrated DES-Dovekie dataset, this tension is reduced and the three-probe Bayesian evidence for $w_0w_a$CDM vanishes ($\ln B = -0.30{\scriptstyle\pm0.19}$). The convergence of our findings with alternative statistical analyses suggests that the preference for dynamic dark energy is primarily driven by the resolution of inter-dataset tensions, warranting a cautious interpretation of its statistical significance.

While the influence of supermassive black hole (SMBH) activity on habitability has garnered attention, the specific effects of active galactic nucleus (AGN) winds, particularly ultrafast outflows (UFOs), on planetary atmospheres remain largely unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between SMBH mass at the galactic center and exoplanetary habitability, given that SMBH masses are empirically confirmed to span approximately 5 orders of magnitude in galaxies. Through simplified models, we account for various results involving the relationships between the distance from the planet to the central SMBH and the mass of the SMBH. Specifically, we show that increased SMBH mass leads to higher atmospheric heating and elevated temperatures, greater molecular thermal velocities, and enhanced mass loss, all of which diminish with distance from the galactic center. Energy-driven winds consistently have a stronger impact than momentum-driven ones. Crucially, ozone depletion is shown to rise with SMBH mass and decrease with distance from the galactic center, with nearly complete ozone loss ($\sim100\%$) occurring across galactic scales for SMBH masses $\geq 10^8 M_\odot$ in the energy-driven case. This study emphasizes that SMBH growth over cosmic time may have produced markedly different impacts on galactic habitability, depending on both the mass of the central black hole (BH) and the location of planetary systems within their host galaxies.

Though the nature of dark matter remains elusive, two models have come to prominence with testable predictions: cold dark matter (CDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM). While CDM remains the widely accepted model, SIDM was introduced to potentially help resolve the discrepancies between the predictions of the CDM model and observational data, in particular the predicted central density profiles. Previous work involving simulations of small numbers of Milky Way-mass galaxies shows that SIDM with a constant cross section of 1 $\rm{cm^2/g}$ delays massive black hole (MBH) mergers as compared to CDM when the host halo has a flattened central density profile. In this work, we use mock gravitational wave observations of MBH mergers to test LISA's capability to indirectly probe dark matter physics. As a proof of concept, we use zoom-in simulations of two galaxy evolutionary histories to show that LISA may be able to distinguish (with a p--value $\leq$ 0.05) between CDM and SIDM with a short-range interaction and a constant cross section of 1 $\rm{cm^2/g}$, provided at least $\sim70$ MBH mergers are observed with signal-to-noise ratios greater than 10. Given our small sample size, this should be regarded as illustrative, rather than definitive. We emphasize that our work does not consider more realistic models with a velocity-dependent cross section, though our exploratory work shows that LISA may provide a pathway to probe dark matter self-interactions, motivating future work with more realistic, currently-favored models and larger simulation suites.

Gravitational lensing observables, including anomalies in image positions, flux ratios, and time delays, serve as usual probes of dark matter (DM) substructure. When dark matter substructure possesses sufficient perturbations, it may lead to the formation of extra images in otherwise canonical doubly or quadruply imaged systems. With the advent of increasingly precise observational instruments, previously undetectable images may become measurable and image number anomalies therefore could be an increasingly viable method. In this paper, we utilize the gravitational lensing phenomenon of image number anomaly to derive constraints on dark matter substructure. We present the extra images induced by distinct forms of DM substructure, specifically primordial black holes (PBHs) and fuzzy dark matter (FDM) and show that higher angular resolution observations increase the probability of detecting additional lensed images. Based on a null detection of image number anomalies in a sample of 3500 lens systems generated from the \textit{Strong Lensing Halo model-based mock catalogs} (SL-Hammocks), we derive upper limits on the abundance of PBHs. At the 95\% confidence level, the PBH abundance is constrained to $\lesssim 0.125\%$, $0.08\%$, and $0.04\%$ for PBH masses in the range $\sim 10^{7}$--$10^{9}~M_{\odot}$, corresponding to angular resolutions of $0.1''$, $0.05''$, and $0.01''$, respectively. Similarly, we exclude particle masses below $0.4$, $0.6$, and $3.5 \times 10^{-22} \ \mathrm{eV}$ for FDM at the same confidence level for the respective resolutions. Furthermore, the abundance of PBHs $\lesssim 0.9\%$ could be constrained at an angular resolution of $0.5''$ for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Observations. Finally, we discuss methodologies for identifying image number anomalies in special cases and demonstrate feasibility using a fitting procedure.

We study the impact of self-interactions on the structure and evolution of scalar field dark matter (SFDM) halos. Using three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson simulations of multiple soliton mergers, we explore both repulsive and attractive regimes across a wide range of scattering lengths. Our results show that repulsive self-interactions lead to more massive and extended cores with lower central densities compared to the free (non-interacting) fuzzy dark matter case, while attractive interactions enhance central densities and can drive cores toward collapse, once a critical mass is exceeded. We confirm that the mass-radius relation of solitonic cores is well described by analytical predictions, even in the presence of self-interactions, and we extend the core-halo mass relation to scenarios beyond fuzzy dark matter. We find that the scaling relations between core mass, size, and total energy are not universal but depend sensitively on the strength and sign of the self-interaction, as well as on the evolutionary stage of the halo. These results demonstrate that self-interactions provide a natural mechanism to regulate core properties, with important implications for the formation of supermassive black holes and for potential astrophysical signatures in galactic cores.

We investigate the Dark Scattering (DS) interacting dark energy scenario, characterised by pure momentum exchange between dark matter and dark energy, combined with a time-dependent equation-of-state for dark energy described by the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrisation. This class of models is weakly constrained by CMB observations and can exhibit distinctive late-time suppression of structure growth. We derive constraints on cosmological, DS, and CPL parameters using three two-point correlation functions from the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 data, combined with baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from DESI, Type Ia supernovae from DES Year 5, and CMB data from Planck. We find the dark-sector interaction parameter $A_\mathrm{ds}$ to be consistent with zero for all data combinations, and that CPL provides a statistically preferred fit over DS for the selected probes. From the full data combination we obtain $w_0=-0.76 \pm 0.06, \, w_a=-0.77^{+0.23}_{-0.20}$ for CPL, and $w_0=-0.79^{+0.05}_{-0.06}, \, w_a=-0.56^{+0.24}_{-0.15}, \, (A_\mathrm{ds}=9.8^{+2.8}_{-9.5} \, \mathrm{bn/GeV})$ for DS. The inclusion of DES photometric information improves the Figure-of-Merit on $(w_0,w_a)$ by $\sim$12% for CPL and $\sim$25% for DS relative to DESI+SN+CMB alone. We find no evidence for an $S_8$ discrepancy between the low-$z$ and high-$z$ measurements in either model. These results provide the most stringent pre-Euclid constraints on DS from a combined photometric and spectroscopic analysis.

We explore the sensitivity of weak lensing surveys to gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) in the nanohertz to microhertz frequency band, bridging the gap between pulsar timing arrays and space-based interferometers. Building on the formalism for GW-induced shear distortions, we develop a signal-to-noise framework that incorporates survey characteristics such as cadence, angular resolution, and depth. We model the effective galaxy population to evaluate the noise power spectral density and derive characteristic strain sensitivity curves. Applying this framework to both LSST-like and idealized survey configurations, we show that current surveys are limited by angular resolution and measurement noise, while an idealized, cosmic-variance-limited survey could in principle probe this frequency range. We emphasize that such sensitivity requires observational capabilities far beyond those of existing or planned facilities, and our results should be interpreted as an ultimate limit on the information accessible through weak lensing measurements.

Type II radio bursts are solar radio emissions generated by electrons accelerated by coronal shocks. These bursts are typically found close to expanding coronal mass ejections (CMEs), making them valuable for studying the properties and dynamics of CME-driven shocks in the solar corona. Here, we aim to determine the regions in the solar corona where shock waves accelerate electrons and determine their characteristic properties. To do this, we combine radio observations of type II solar radio bursts with magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona. We analyse ten type II radio bursts from Solar Cycle 25 exhibiting emissions. The novelty of this study lies in using radio imaging data for all type II bursts to examine the positions of the radio sources. The radio source positions, combined with a geometrical fitting of the CME shock and the MHD simulations, are used to determine essential shock parameters at the acceleration region, such as the Alfvén Mach number $(M_{\rm A}$ and $\theta_{\rm BN}$. The shock parameters are then combined with the properties of the radio emission and the associated eruption in a comprehensive study. We found that for all events, the type II bursts are located near or inside coronal streamers. The estimated shock speeds are high, resulting in the formation of super-critical shocks ($3.8~\leq~M_{\rm A}~\leq~7.7$) at the type II locations. In most events, type II bursts are located at oblique shocks rather than near-perpendicular geometries, suggesting that the shock structure is more complex at local scales than the simple spherical shock models usually applied to CME shocks. Our results suggest that CME-streamer interaction regions are necessary for the generation of type II bursts, as they provide ideal plasma conditions for the formation of super-critical shocks and the subsequent acceleration of electrons.

We investigate the presence and origin of neutral gas outflows and inflows in 13 post-starburst (PSB) and quiescent galaxies at redshifts 1.8 $\leq$ z $\leq$ 4.6, using JWST NIRSpec spectroscopy from the EXCELS survey. NaD absorption profiles reveal that 3 out of 13 exhibit blueshifted absorption indicative of outflows, and a further 2 objects show signs of inflowing gas. Outflow velocities range from $\approx$ 300 - 1200 kms$^{-1}$, and we find gas flows are detected exclusively in objects that quenched $\lt$ 600 Myr ago. This result holds when we include comparable objects from recent literature. We derive mass outflow rates over two orders of magnitude higher than current levels of star formation in our sample, indicating that the winds are unlikely to be driven by supernovae, and likely play a significant role in keeping the galaxies quenched. The majority of the outflow sample have anomalously high energy and momentum outflow rates compared to those predicted for current levels of star formation or AGN activity. We conclude that we are likely observing fossil outflows driven by previous, more luminous AGN activity which has since faded. We then compare with the EAGLE simulation to explore a potential 'outflow cycle', finding that our observations are consistent with a model in which z $\sim$ 3 quiescent galaxies undergo short $\simeq$ 5 Myr periods of AGN activity strong enough to drive outflows, which occur every $\simeq$ 40 Myr on average. This AGN activity drives observable outflows that persist for up to $\simeq$ 10 Myr after the AGN fades, followed by a $\simeq$ 20 Myr lull, and a subsequent short inflow, which eventually re-ignites AGN activity, and the cycle repeats.

Binary black holes (BBHs) exhibiting spin-induced orbital precession offer unique insight into compact-binary formation channels, cosmology, and tests of general relativity. We conduct a dedicated search for precessing BBHs with unequal masses in Advanced LIGO's third observing run (O3) using the harmonic decomposition method of precessing waveforms. We introduce a novel scheme to reduce the number of filters in a harmonic search. With our new approach, our template bank requires $5\times$ fewer filters compared to another proposed precessing search in the same region. We do not find any new significant events. Our new search method achieves up to $\sim 28\%$ improvement in sensitivity and up to $5\times$ lower computational costs compared to existing precessing search pipelines. Our method enables scalable, sensitive searches for precessing BBHs in future gravitational-wave observing runs.

Recent JWST observations have revealed a population of unexpectedly bright sources at ultra-high redshift ($z > 15$), challenging current models of early galaxy formation. One extreme example is 'Capotauro', an F356W-dropout identified in the CEERS survey and initially interpreted as a luminous galaxy at $z\sim30$, but subsequently found to be variable over an $\sim 800$ day baseline. Motivated by this variability, we explore the alternative hypothesis that Capotauro is a pair-instability supernova (PISN) originating from a massive ($250-260\,M_\odot$), metal-free star. Using state-of-the-art PISN light curves, spectral energy distributions, and synthetic spectra, we show that a PISN at $z\simeq 15$ can plausibly reproduce the observed brightness, temporal evolution, photometry, and NIRSpec spectrum. We compare this scenario with alternative interpretations, including a local Y0 brown dwarf, and discuss observational tests to discriminate among them. If confirmed, this event would provide a rare window onto Population III stars, and highlights the importance of transient contamination in ultra-high redshift galaxy samples.

We compile a sample of 83 Little Red Dots (LRDs) with JWST imaging and find that a substantial fraction ($\sim$43%, rising to $\gtrsim$85% for the most luminous LRDs) host one or more spatially offset, UV-bright companions at projected separations of $0.5\rm \, kpc \lesssim d\lesssim 5 \rm \,kpc$, with median of $\langle d \rangle = 1.0\,\mathrm{kpc}$. This fraction is even higher when smaller spatial scales are probed at high S/N ratio: we show that the two most strongly lensed LRDs known to date, A383-LRD and the newly discovered A68-LRD, both have UV-bright companions at separations of only $d\sim0.3$ kpc, below the resolution limit of most unlensed JWST samples. We explore whether these ubiquitous red/blue configurations may be physically linked to the formation of LRDs, in analogy with the "synchronized pair" scenario originally proposed for direct-collapse black hole formation. In this picture, ultraviolet radiation from the companions, which typically have modest stellar masses ($M_\ast \sim 10^{8-9}M_\odot$), suppresses molecular hydrogen cooling in nearby gas, allowing nearly isothermal collapse and the formation of extremely compact objects, such as massive black holes or quasi-stars. Using component-resolved photometry and SED modeling, we infer Lyman-Werner radiation fields of $J_{21,LW} \sim 10^{2.5}$-$10^{5}$ at the locations of the red components, comparable to those required in direct-collapse models, suggesting that the necessary photodissociation conditions are realized in many LRD systems. This framework provides a simple and self-consistent explanation for the extreme compactness and distinctive spectral properties of LRDs, and links long-standing theoretical models for early compact object formation directly to a population now observed with JWST in the early universe.

The dense Galactic Center environment is expected to host compact binary inspirals detectable by future space-borne gravitational wave (GW) observatories (e.g., LISA, TianQin, Taiji) in the millihertz band. Aided by information from these facilities, next-generation ground-based GW detectors (e.g., Cosmic Explorer, Einstein Telescope) can potentially capture gravitational radiation in the hectohertz band from rapidly spinning neutron star (NS) components in such binaries. These Galactic Center systems are thus anticipated to act as dual-line (i.e., low-frequency inspiral and high-frequency spin) GW sources. However, the formation channels of these systems remain largely unexplored. In this \textit{Letter}, we propose that the von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai (ZLK) effect can enhance the formation of dual-line GW sources in hierarchical triples involving the Galactic supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. We show that ZLK-driven oscillations in the eccentricity and inclination of the inner binary can modulate the GW emission from both the binary inspiral and the individual NS spins. This effect boosts the expected dual-line source count by a factor of $\sim 5-10$, from rare to $\mathcal{O}(1)$ in 4 years, making dual-line observations substantially more probable. Our results demonstrate that the ZLK effect may provide an important formation channel for Galactic dual-line GW sources.

We address the challenge, commonly referred to as the cosmological averaging problem, of relating the large-scale evolution of an inhomogeneous universe to that predicted by a homogeneous matter distribution in theories of gravity with nonminimal matter-gravity couplings. To this end, we focus on the class of $f(R,T)$ models given by $f(R,T) = R + F(T)$, where $R$ denotes the Ricci scalar and $T$ the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. This framework provides a simple yet theoretically consistent realization of nonminimal coupled gravity and can be recast as General Relativity minimally coupled to a modified matter Lagrangian. Using global K-monopoles as an illustrative toy model, we show that, when $F$ is a nonlinear function of $T$, the ratio between the spatial average of $F$ and $F$ evaluated at the spatial average of $T$ can deviate significantly from unity and depends on the particle number density. We demonstrate that the common assumption that this ratio is equal to unity generally leads to an inaccurate description of cosmological dynamics. We further show that dust in these theories generally exhibits a non-vanishing proper pressure. Our results highlight the importance of properly accounting for spatial averaging in cosmological models with nonminimal matter-gravity couplings.

The global topology of the Universe can affect long-range gravitational forces via boundary conditions. Detailed studies of non-trivial topologies require simulations that natively adopt such geometries. Cosmological $N$-body simulations typically evolve matter in a periodic cubic box. While numerically convenient, this imposes a non-trivial three-torus topology that affects long-range gravitational forces, potentially biasing large-scale statistics. We introduce a compactified simulation framework that is only periodic along a single axis, characterised by an infinite topology with isotropic boundary conditions towards the perpendicular directions, namely, a $\mathrm{S}^1\times\mathbb{R}^2$ (slab) topology. This new simulation geometry is ideal for simulating systems with cylindrical symmetries such as filaments or certain anisotropic cosmological models. We compactified the comoving space via an inverse stereographic projection along the radial direction of a periodic cylinder. Then, we evolved the particles based on Newtonian dynamics. A smoothly varying spatial and mass resolution with radius suppresses edge artefacts at the free outer boundary. Our implementation in the StePS (STEreographically Projected cosmological Simulations) framework uses a direct force calculation that maps efficiently to GPUs, as well as an Octree force calculation for use on large CPU clusters. The cylindrical domain's topology enables fully self-consistent simulations to be run in the $\mathrm{S}^1\times\mathbb{R}^2$ manifold, while mitigating any periodic-image artefacts with respect to targets whose symmetries are mismatched to a cubic box. The main trade-off is a radially varying resolution with distinct systematics and analysis requirements. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy of the new simulation method via a standard lambda cold dark matter cosmological simulation.

The detection of sub-solar mass black holes is a milestone of modern astrophysics as it would open a window either onto new stellar physics or could potentially unveil the nature of Dark Matter as Primordial Black Holes (PBHs). On November 12, 2025, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration reported the compact binary merger candidate S251112cm, a system with no obvious electromagnetic counterpart, consistent with binary black hole merger with a chirp mass in the range $0.1-0.87 \, M_\odot$. The probability that at least one component has mass $<$1 $M_{\odot}$ is $>99\%$. Inspired by this trigger, we tested if a population of PBHs formed at Quantum Chromodynamics epoch with a broad mass function could account for a signal of this type. Our results, corresponding to a predicted event rate of $0.8 \,\text{yr}^{-1}$ as seen by LVK O3b, suggest that the observed merger rate of $0.23^{+0.86}_{-0.218}\,\text{yr}^{-1}\;(95\%\;\text{C.L.})$ if the trigger is confirmed as an astrophysical event would be compatible with such a model. Our predicted detection rate is also in agreement with current LVK expectations for stellar-mass binaries, remaining consistent with a scenario in which a non-negligible fraction of the $3-200 \;M_\odot$ mergers observed by LVK originate from Primordial Black Holes. If confirmed, this detection would place a lower limit to the PBH abundance $f_{PBH}>0.04$ for our adopted model.

Merging galaxy clusters offer a unique probe of dark matter (DM) interactions through the spatial offsets between galaxies, the intracluster medium, and the DM halo. Systems that are binary, near the plane of the sky, and observed shortly after first pericenter provide the cleanest constraints on the DM self-interaction cross-section. The X-SORTER (X-ray Survey Of meRging clusTErs in redMaPPer) program aims to systematically identify such mergers using optical indicators of binarity in the redMaPPer cluster catalog and to follow up promising candidates with X-ray and spectroscopic observations. We select massive clusters where the top redMaPPer brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) probability is below 0.98, the top two BCGs are separated by at least 0.95 arcmin, and the optical richness exceeds lambda = 120. We present XMM and Keck/DEIMOS observations of twelve clusters with no previous XMM-Newton or Chandra archival data meeting these criteria. The X-ray data reveal that most targets are morphologically disturbed, with several clear post-pericenter, dissociative systems exhibiting X-ray peaks between the BCGs. Spectroscopy confirms cluster membership and rules out foreground or background contamination. Together, these results demonstrate that optical BCG properties provide an efficient means of identifying dynamically active clusters, including clean dissociative mergers suitable for detailed, multi-wavelength studies of dark matter and cluster evolution.

Ring galaxies are an uncommon class of galaxies whose morphology is closely related to dynamical processes that govern galaxy evolution. Some ring galaxies, known as "collisional ring galaxies", are thought to form as a consequence of head-on collisions between galaxies, and a number of high-redshift collisional ring galaxies have been discovered and/or studied in the era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In this paper, we present HST/ACS, JWST/NIRCam, and JWST/NIRSpec observations of a candidate ring galaxy at $z_{\rm spec} = 4.0148$, previously identified as a potential gravitational lens. The galaxy exhibits a complex morphology, including three bright clumps along an apparent ring with radius $\approx 0.25$" $\simeq 1.8$ kpc. It has a total SFR $= 140^{+20}_{-30}$ ${\rm M}_{\rm \odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and $\log(M_\ast/{\rm M}_\odot) = 10.41^{+0.11}_{-0.13}$, making it similar to other high-redshift collisional ring galaxies. Although we argue strongly in favor of the collisional ring explanation, we cannot entirely rule out a galaxy-galaxy strong lensing explanation for the system's morphology, in which a foreground galaxy at $z \simeq 1.7$ lenses a galaxy at $z \simeq 4.0$ into an Einstein ring-like configuration; to confirm the nature of this source, we require kinematic information via high spectral resolution observations. We suggest that current and future gravitational lens surveys should consider high-redshift ring galaxies as possible but significant contaminants.

We present gas-phase radial metallicity profiles for 20 main-sequence galaxies at $4<z<6$, primarily based on JWST NIRSpec IFU observations obtained as part of the JWST-ALPINE-CRISTAL programme. Our study aims to connect the metallicity gradients of these galaxies with their kinematic properties from [CII]158$\mu$m ALMA observations. We mapped the radial profiles of oxygen abundance using the strong-line method leveraging the rich set of rest-frame optical emission lines. Linear fits to the annular-binned radial profiles show that, on average, the metallicity gradients are slightly positive with a median of $+0.039 \pm 0.010{\rm dexkpc^{-1}}$. There are no substantial systematic offsets in gradients when using different line diagnostics. However, only three galaxies show a gradient $>0.05{\rm dexkpc^{-1}}$ at $1\sigma$, and none have a significant negative gradient. We investigated the correlation between the metallicity gradients and the intrinsic gas velocity dispersion $\sigma_0$ as well as the $V_{\rm rot}/\sigma_0$ ratio of the disks. Combining our sample with mass-matched literature samples at $3<z<7$, we found a negative shallow correlation between $V_{\rm rot}/\sigma_0$ and the metallicity gradients, but no strong relationships with $\sigma_0$. As $V_{\rm rot}/\sigma_0$ increases towards later cosmic times, the observed negative trend with $V_{\rm rot}/\sigma_0$ is consistent with the overall cosmic evolution of metallicity gradients from high to low redshifts. This suggests that disk maturity plays a crucial role in shaping the radial metallicity gradients. [Abridged abstract]

Extended low surface brightness emission has been identified in a number of protoplanetary disks, in tension with predictions of radial drift theory. We aim to investigate the nature and origin of faint, extended dust emission in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks, which we define as the "Halo", using multiwavelength (sub)millimeter continuum observations of three systems: Elias 2-24, IM Lup, and DM Tau. We utilized Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of our targets to perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting with four dust compositions and derived radial profiles of their dust properties. The halos identified in our sources account for 20 - 30% of the total flux density at (sub)millimeter wavelengths. In Elias 2-24, IM Lup, and DM Tau, we infer maximum grain sizes of 2 cm, $<$ 4 mm, and $<$ 9 mm, with the data best reproduced by porous amorphous carbon, compact amorphous carbon, and compact organic carbon compositions, respectively. Their total dust masses are $125^{+34}_{-23}$, $301^{+139}_{-101}$, and $829^{+761}_{-378}$ M$_{\oplus}$, with corresponding halo masses of $33^{+12}_{-6}$, $103^{+25}_{-17}$, and $316^{+202}_{-117}$ M$_{\oplus}$. The halos of IM Lup and DM Tau are dust rich with gas-to-dust mass ratios of 64 and 18, respectively. In all three disks, the dust drift and growth timescales are shorter than the disk ages, implying that the smooth outer disks should not exist. The halos in our sources hold relevant fractions of the total dust reservoir, demonstrating that they play an important role in alleviating the mass-budget problem. While the persistence of halos in IM Lup and DM Tau could be explained by late infall, the presence of centimeter-sized grains in Elias 2-24's halo suggests that unresolved dust traps also play a role.

We report the discovery of four extremely faint ($m_{\mathrm{F444W}}\gtrsim29$) red point sources in recent ultra-deep JWST/NIRCam images of the strong lensing galaxy cluster Abell S1063. All four sources sit in lensed arcs, on the symmetry points very close to the critical curves for their host-galaxies' redshifts ($z\sim1-4$). Remarkably, these point sources appear in most arcs that are sufficiently faint close to the critical curve's position ($<21\,\mathrm{nJy}\,\mathrm{arcsec}^{-2}$ in F115W). This suggests that -- unlike previous caustic-crossing events or lensed stars -- thanks to the unprecedented depth of the GLIMPSE observations paired with the extreme lensing magnification (up to $\mu\sim10^4$) we might be resolving the lower-mass ($M\sim1-11\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$) red stellar population. Concretely, we detect three likely extremely magnified asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars ($T_{\mathrm{eff}}\sim3200-3750$ K), and one yellow super-giant star ($T_{\mathrm{eff}}\sim6750$ K) -- possibly a yellow hyper-giant or a Cepheid. In addition to offering the first glimpse at low-mass extremely magnified stars, these detections open a possible window into stellar populations, evolution, and chemical enrichment at high redshifts, and could pave the way for using lensed stars such as these as standard candles to populate the distance ladder at cosmological redshifts.

The Lighthouse pulsar (PSR J1101$-$6101) sports a bright X-ray trail and filament. The synchrotron emission from both structures is expected to be polarized, with electric vector position angle (EVPA) perpendicular to the magnetic field direction and polarization degree (PD) indicating the local degree of magnetic turbulence. We present a 1 megasecond Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observation of the Lighthouse complex. At the 99% confidence level, we detect the filament polarization with PD $55 \pm 18\%$ and EVPA indicating a magnetic field parallel to the filament axis. The large PD implies a turbulent magnetic field weaker than the background field, in conflict with some existing models. We also detect polarization from the pulsar and trail. The trail's X-ray polarization is nearly orthogonal to the radio polarization, suggesting spatial separation between the X-ray- and radio-emitting leptons. The pulsar polarization is well-fit by the rotating vector model.

The advent of multi-messenger astronomy has provided abundant information for understanding the acceleration and particle-production mechanisms of cosmic rays. In this work, we present a unified study of cosmic gamma-ray and neutrino spectra within the Gluon Condensation (GC) model. Derived from Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the GC model predicts that, in high-energy hadronic processes, gluons may condense near a critical momentum, leading to a dramatic enhancement in secondary-pion production and imprinting a characteristic broken power-law feature on the gamma-ray spectrum. Within this framework, we first derive the neutrino spectrum corresponding to the GC scenario and then investigate three astrophysical sources with both gamma-ray observations and neutrino candidate signals: the active galactic nuclei TXS 0506+056 and NGC 1068, and the supernova remnant G54.1+0.3. Using the GC model, we fit the observed gamma-ray spectra of these sources and predict their corresponding neutrino spectra. Our results show that the gamma-ray spectra of TXS 0506+056 and NGC 1068 are well described by the GC model, and that the predicted neutrino spectra are consistent with IceCube observations within uncertainties; in particular, clear relations are found between their relative magnitudes. For SNR G54.1+0.3, however, the GC-predicted neutrino spectrum exhibits continuous hardening after the break, deviating from the typical power-law behavior expected for cosmic-ray secondaries and thus disfavoring a common GC origin. This study represents the first systematic attempt to correlate gamma-ray and neutrino spectra within the GC framework, offering a new perspective on multi-messenger emission from high-energy astrophysical sources.

Although well studied, our understanding of the mass ejection mechanisms of cataclysmic variables remains incomplete. Recent work suggests that binary interaction plays an important role in driving and shaping this mass ejection and may affect the long-term evolution of the system. In this paper, we perform a three-dimensional moving-mesh hydrodynamic simulation of a cataclysmic variable system to study the effect of binary interaction on mass ejection. We find that once the flow crosses the ${\rm L}_1$ Lagrange point, the material is ejected roughly isotropically. This can be seen in a roughly spherical distribution of the ejecta at large radii. We also show that the ${\rm L}_2$ Lagrange point is not important in the ejection of mass, contrary to the assumption in some previous work in this area. Finally, we find that the specific angular momentum of the ejected material is larger than its initial specific angular momentum. This enhanced angular momentum ejection likely affects the long-term evolution of the binary system.

Jet-cloud interactions are a key manifestation of Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) feedback on nuclear scales, distinct from the large-scale radio-mode feedback that suppresses gas cooling in galaxy halos. On these smaller scales, radio jets can inject energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM), shaping the physical and kinematic properties of the nuclear and circumnuclear regions of galaxies. Using JWST MIRI/MRS observations of seven nearby radio-loud AGN (3C293, 3C305, Centaurus A, Cygnus A, IC5063, NGC1052, and M87), we investigate jet-driven turbulence in both the warm molecular and ionized gas phases. By combining spatially resolved H$_2$/PAH flux ratios with diagnostic line ratios of the ionized gas, we constrain the dominant H$_2$ excitation processes and assess the impact of radio jet--ISM interactions on the multiphase gas. We find that radio jets drive enhanced turbulence in both molecular and ionized (traced by [FeII], [NeII] and [NeIII] lines) gas, not only along but also perpendicular to the jet axis, indicating that jet--ISM interactions extend beyond the collimated jet channel and affect the nuclear environment. Strong correlations between the H$_2$/PAH ratio, the H$_2$ excitation temperature, and shock-sensitive ionized-gas tracers indicate that jet-driven shocks dominate the excitation of the H$_2$ rotational lines in most sources. These results indicate that radio jets are a key driver of multiphase ISM kinematics and excitation in nearby radio-loud galaxies.

In the last year, several pieces of evidence have pointed to a possible deviation from the standard cosmological model, $\Lambda$CDM. The recent work by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) collaboration reports a preference in the ballpark of $3\sigma$ in favor of dynamical dark energy against the standard cosmological model. For that, it used its final analyses of Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations and type Ia Supernovae, both sensitive to the expansion history of the Universe, in combination with the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) from Planck. This adds to the growing debate about the nature of dark energy. Published as a Perspective in Nature Astronomy in August 2025.

This chapter reviews how machine learning (ML) can be used to extract astrophysical and cosmological information from redshifted 21 cm observations of the cosmic dawn and the Epoch of Reionization, with an emphasis on SKA-Low science. We first summarize the basic physics of the global signal and spatial fluctuations, highlighting why the signal is intrinsically non-Gaussian and highly sensitive to poorly constrained properties of early galaxies and radiation backgrounds. We then discuss the main analysis bottlenecks that dominate current and future observations: bright foreground contamination, radio-frequency interference, ionospheric distortions, calibration errors, and the computational burden of repeated forward modeling in high-dimensional parameter spaces. Building on this context, we organize the ML literature by its role in the pipeline: observation-domain methods that operate on contaminated measurements and image products, theory-domain methods that accelerate or compress forward modeling, and inference-domain methods that map complex observables to astrophysical and cosmological constraints. The central message is that ML is most useful in 21 cm cosmology when it preserves physically relevant structure and propagates uncertainty explicitly, rather than acting as an opaque replacement for the underlying forward model.

On May 29, 2023, the LIGO Livingston observatory detected the gravitational-wave signal GW230529_181500 from the merger of a neutron star with a lower mass-gap compact object. Its long inspiral signal provides a unique opportunity to test general relativity (GR) in a parameter space previously unexplored by strong-field tests. In this work, we performed parameterized inspiral tests of GR with GW230529_181500. Specifically, we search for deviations in the frequency-domain GW phase by allowing for agnostic corrections to the post-Newtonian coefficients. We performed tests with the Flexible Theory Independent and Test Infrastructure For General Relativity frameworks using several quasicircular waveform models that capture different physical effects (higher modes, spins, tides). We find that the signal is consistent with GR for all deviation parameters. Assuming the primary object is a black hole, we obtain particularly tight constraints on the dipole radiation at $-1$PN order of $|\delta\hat{\varphi}_{-2}| \lesssim 8 \times 10^{-5}$, which is a factor $\sim17$ times more stringent than previous bounds from the neutron star--black hole merger GW200115_042309, as well as on the 0.5PN and 1PN deviation parameters. We discuss some challenges that arise when analyzing this signal, namely biases due to correlations with tidal effects and the degeneracy between the 0PN deviation parameter and the chirp mass. To illustrate the importance of GW230529_181500 for tests of GR, we mapped the agnostic $-1$PN results to a class of Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (ESGB) theories of gravity. We also conducted an analysis probing the specific phase deviation expected in ESGB theory and obtain an upper bound on the Gauss-Bonnet coupling of $\ell_{\rm GB} \lesssim 0.51~\rm{M}_\odot$ ($\sqrt{\alpha_{\rm GB}} \lesssim 0.28$ km), which is better than any previously reported constraint.

The quantum expectation value and the stationary noise spectral density for a Fabry-P'erot gravitational-wave detector with a DC readout scheme are discussed in detail only through the quantum electrodynamics of lasers and the Heisenberg equations of mirrors' motion. We demonstrate that the initial conditions of the mirrors' motion concentrate around the fundamental frequency of the pendulum and are not related to the frequency range of our interest. Although, in the ideal case, there is consensus that the shot-noise contribution from the laser to the high-frequency range of the signal-referred noise spectral density decreases as the injected laser power increases, our derived noise spectral density shows that the shot-noise contribution does not decrease. This is due to leakage of classical radiation pressure forces from the carrier field to the output port, and the carrier field is used as the reference in the DC readout scheme. Since classical radiation pressure acts as a constant force, it shifts the pendulum's equilibrium point of the mirrors' motion. To recover the ideal case, we must consider adjusting the interferometer's tuning point to place the mirrors at their equilibrium positions. We investigate the case where the equilibrium tuning is incomplete and show that the behavior of the above shot noise is due to this incompleteness. We also discuss the maximum deviation of the mirror displacements from the equilibrium point during incomplete tuning to recover a near-ideal case.

While the majority of gravitational wave (GW) events observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors are consistent with mergers of binary black holes (BBHs) on quasi-circular orbits, some events are also consistent with non-zero orbital eccentricity, indicating that the binaries could have formed via dynamical interactions. Moreover, there may be GW events which show support for spin-precession, eccentricity, or both. In this work, we study the interplay of spins and eccentricity on the parameter estimation of GW signals from BBH mergers. We inject eccentric signals with no spins, aligned spins, and precessing spins using hybrids, TEOBResumS-DALI, and new Numerical Relativity (NR) simulations, respectively, and study the biases in the posteriors of source parameters when these signals are recovered with a quasi-circular precessing-spin waveform model, as opposed to an aligned-spin eccentric waveform model. We find significant biases in the source parameters, such as chirp mass and spin-precession ($\chi_p$), when signals from highly-eccentric BBHs are recovered with a quasi-circular waveform model. Moreover, we find that for signals with both eccentricity and spin-precession effects, Bayes factor calculations confirm that an eccentric, aligned-spin model is preferred over a quasi-circular precessing-spin model. Our study highlights the complex nature of GW signals from eccentric, precessing-spin binaries and the need for readily usable inspiral-merger-ringdown eccentric, spin-precessing waveform models for unbiased parameter estimation.

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) embed the partial differential equations (PDEs) governing the system under study directly into the training of Neural Networks, ensuring solutions that respect physical laws. While effective for single-system problems, standard PINNs scale poorly to datasets containing many realizations of the same underlying physics with varying parameters. To address this limitation, we present a complementary approach by including auxiliary physically-redundant information in loss (APRIL), i.e. augment the standard supervised output-target loss with auxiliary terms which exploit exact physical redundancy relations among outputs. We mathematically demonstrate that these terms preserve the true physical minimum while reshaping the loss landscape, improving convergence toward physically consistent solutions. As a proof-of-concept, we benchmark APRIL on a fully-connected neural network for gravitational wave (GW) parameter estimation (PE). We use simulated, noise-free compact binary coalescence (CBC) signals, focusing on inspiral-frequency waveforms to recover the chirp mass $\mathcal{M}$, the total mass $M_\mathrm{tot}$, and symmetric mass ratio $\eta$ of the binary. In this controlled setting, we show that APRIL achieves up to an order-of-magnitude improvement in test accuracy, especially for parameters that are otherwise difficult to learn. This method provides physically consistent learning for large multi-system datasets and is well suited for future GW analyses involving realistic noise and broader parameter ranges.

We study the order-by-order expansion of the energy per particle of asymmetric nuclear matter up to twice saturation density in chiral effective field theory (EFT) within a Bayesian framework. For this, we develop a two-dimensional Gaussian process (2D GP) that is trained using many-body perturbation theory results based on chiral two- and three-nucleon interactions from leading to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (N$^3$LO). This allows for an efficient evaluation of the equation of state (EOS) and thermodynamic derivatives with EFT truncation uncertainties. After benchmarking our 2D GP against Bayesian uncertainties for pure neutron matter and symmetric matter, we study the energy per particle, pressure, and chemical potentials of neutron star matter in $\beta$-equilibrium including EFT uncertainties. We investigate the phase diagram of neutron-rich matter from neutron- to proton-drip and to the uniform phase, including surface and Coulomb corrections. Based on this, we construct EOSs for the inner crust of neutron stars that are consistent with the chiral EFT results for uniform matter at N$^3$LO.

We investigate proper infall times in the Schwarzschild and Kerr spacetimes from a covariant perspective, focusing on the role of black--hole rotation in the focusing properties of timelike geodesic this http URL perform a geometrically consistent comparison between rotating and non--rotating black holes, we analyse infall trajectories between surfaces of equal circumferential radius in the equatorial plane. Using equatorial timelike geodesics in the test--particle limit, we compute and compare the corresponding proper infall times for different values of the specific energy $E$, specific angular momentum $L$, and black--hole spin parameter $a$. Within the equal circumferential-radius prescription adopted here, we show that Kerr angular momentum $a$ can produce longer or shorter integrated proper infall times relative to the Schwarzschild case, depending on the orbital configuration and energy regime considered. We then interpret these results within the covariant $1+3$ formalism of general relativity, in terms of the expansion, shear, and Raychaudhuri evolution of timelike congruences. Our analysis shows that the Kerr--Schwarzschild differences in proper infall times are encoded in the corresponding Raychaudhuri time integrand, which reflects a competition between the radial evolution of the expansion and the nonlinear focusing contribution driven by expansion and shear. Black--hole rotation modifies both effects in a systematic way, leading to distinct behaviours for prograde and retrograde infall configurations.