Astronomical Informant

2022-06-17 05:36:42 arXiv:The 21cm emission of neutral hydrogen is a potential probe of the matter distribution in the Universe after reionisation. Cosmological surveys of this line intensity will be conducted in the coming years by the SKAO and HIRAX experiments, complementary to upcoming galaxy surveys. We present the first forecasts of the cosmological constraints from the combination of the 21cm power spectrum and bispectrum. Fisher forecasts are computed for the constraining power of these surveys on cosmological parameters, the BAO distance functions and the growth function. We also estimate the constraining power on dynamical dark energy and modified gravity. Finally we investigate the constraints on the 21cm clustering bias, up to second order. We consider the effects on the 21cm correlators of the telescope beam, instrumental noise, foreground avoidance, the Alcock-Paczynski effect and theoretical errors in the modelling of the correlators. Adding Planck priors, and marginalising over nuisance parameters, HIRAX achieves sub-percent precision on the $\Lambda$CDM parameters, with SKAO delivering slightly lower precision. The modified gravity parameter $\gamma$ is constrained at 1\% (HIRAX) and 5\% (SKAO). For the dark energy parameters $w_0,w_a$, HIRAX delivers percent-level precision while SKAO constraints are weaker. HIRAX achieves sub-percent precision on the BAO distance functions $D_A,H$, while SKAO reaches $1-2\%$ for $0.6\lesssim z\lesssim 1$. The growth rate $f$ is constrained at a few-percent level for the whole redshift range of HIRAX and for $0.6\lesssim z\lesssim 1$ by SKAO. The different performances arise mainly since HIRAX is a packed inteferometer that is optimised for BAO measurements, while SKAO is not optimised for interferometer cosmology and operates better in single-dish mode, where the telescope beam limits access to the smaller scales that are covered by an interferometer.

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2022-06-17 04:36:42 arXiv:Circumbinary disc observations and simulations show large, eccentric inner cavities. Recent work has shown that the shape and size of these cavities depend on the aspect ratio and viscosity of the disc, as well as the binary eccentricity and mass ratio. It has been further shown that, for gaps created by planets, the cooling timescale significantly affects the shape and size of the gap. In this study, we consider the effect of different cooling models on the cavity shape in a circumbinary disc. We compare locally isothermal and radiatively cooled disc models to ones with a parametrised cooling timescale ($\beta$-cooling), implemented in 2D numerical simulations for varying binary eccentricities. While the shape of the cavity for radiative and locally isothermal models remains comparable, the inner disc structure changes slightly, leading to a change in the precession rate of the disc. With $\beta$-cooled models, the shape and size of the cavity changes dramatically towards values of $\beta$=1. Based on our findings, we introduce a parametrised $\beta$ model that accounts for the shorter cooling timescale inside the cavity while adequately reproducing the results of the radiative model, and we highlight that accurate treatment of the thermodynamics inside the cavity has a significant impact in modelling circumbinary systems.

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2022-06-17 04:36:41 arXiv:In this investigation, we determined the Concentration (C) and Asymmetry (A) parameters in a sample of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDG) or candidate galaxies. Most of the galaxies in the sample were found to be in a very precise region of the C-A plane, which clearly separates them from other galaxies. In addition, the stellar mass ($M_{star}$) and the star formation rate ($SFR$) in the sample were determined using optical images and GALEX observations. The main results are: the $M_{star}$ and the $SFR$ in the TDG sample do not follow a linear correlation with the $C$ and $A$ respectively, as observed in the rest of galaxies and the $M_{star}$ and the $SFR$ have a linear correlation similar to that followed by galaxies at high redshift. Then, we can conclude that the C-A plane can be a useful method for the morphological identification of candidates for TDG or dwarf objects from very turbulent environments.

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2022-06-17 04:36:40 arXiv:The neutral atomic gas content of individual galaxies at large cosmological distances has until recently been difficult to measure due to the weakness of the hyperfine HI 21-cm transition. Here we estimate the HI gas mass of a sample of main-sequence star-forming galaxies at $z\sim 6.5 - 7.8$ surveyed for [CII]$-158\mu$m emission as part of the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS), using a recent calibration of the [CII]-to-HI conversion factor. We find that the HI gas mass excess in galaxies increases as a function of redshift, with an average of $M_{\rm HI} / M_\star \approx 10$, corresponding to HI gas mass fractions of $f_{\rm HI} = M_{\rm HI} / (M_\star + M_{\rm HI}) = 90\%$, at $z\approx 7$. Based on the [CII]-$158\mu$m luminosity function (LF) derived from the same sample of galaxies, we further place constraints on the cosmic HI gas mass density in galaxies ($\rho_{\rm HI}$) at this redshift, which we measure to be $\rho_{\rm HI} = 7.1^{+6.4}_{-3.0} \times 10^{6}\,M_{\odot}\,{\rm Mpc^{-3}}$. This estimate is substantially lower by a factor of $\approx 10$ than that inferred from an extrapolation of damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorber (DLA) measurements. We argue that this apparent discrepancy is a consequence of the DLA sightlines predominantly probing the substantial fraction of HI gas in high-$z$ galactic halos, whereas [CII] traces the HI in the ISM associated with star formation. We make predictions for this build-up of neutral gas in galaxies as a function of redshift, showing that at $z\gtrsim 5$ only $\approx 10\%$ of the cosmic HI gas content is confined in galaxies and associated with the star-forming ISM.

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2022-06-17 04:36:39 arXiv:We have investigated the spectral behaviour of II Peg binary system in the ultraviolet band by using International Ultraviolet Explorer observations over fifteen years. The ultraviolet observations show indication of flare activity in the chromosphere and transition region with their enhanced spectral lines. Before and after the flare activity the ultraviolet spectral lines show low, intermediate and high flux. The spectral behaviour is compared with previous studies. We detect prominent flare activity in three years. Before and after this period there is a gradual clear decrease in the level of activity. The reddening of II Peg was estimated from the 2200 Angstrom absorption feature. We determined the mean rate of mass loss and the ultraviolet luminosity. We attributed the spectral variations to a cyclic behaviour of the underlying magnetic dynamo and the prominent activity can be interpreted by the model of two ribbon flare.

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2022-06-17 04:36:38 arXiv:We reconstruct the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) lensing potential on the latest Planck CMB PR4 (NPIPE) maps, which include slightly more data than the 2018 PR3 release, and implement quadratic estimators using more optimal filtering. We increase the reconstruction signal to noise by almost $20\%$, constraining the amplitude of the CMB-marginalized lensing power spectrum in units of the Planck 2018 best-fit to $1.004 \pm 0.024$ ($68\%$ limits), which is the tightest constraint on the CMB lensing power spectrum to date. For a base $\Lambda$CDM cosmology we find $\sigma_8 \Omega_m^{0.25} = 0.599\pm 0.016$ from CMB lensing alone in combination with weak priors and element abundance observations. Combination with baryon acoustic oscillation data gives tight $68\%$ constraints on individual $\Lambda$CDM parameters $\sigma_8 = 0.814\pm 0.016$, $H_0 = 68.1^{+1.0}_{-1.1}$km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$, $\Omega_m = 0.313^{+0.014}_{-0.016}$. Planck polarized maps alone now constrain the lensing power to $7\%$.

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2022-06-17 04:36:34 arXiv:The $C$-metric is a boost-symmetric spacetime solution to the vacuum Einstein field equations which describes black holes that are uniformly accelerated under the tension of a cosmic string. Only recently the thermodynamics of accelerating black holes and their modal stability against neutral scalar perturbations were concisely established. The generalization of accelerating black holes to incorporate an electric charge, namely the charged $C$-metric, possess three distinct families of quasinormal mode frequencies; the complex photon surface quasinormal modes associated with unstable null particles at the equatorial plane of the photon surface, the purely imaginary acceleration modes whose existence solely depends on the acceleration of spacetime and the purely imaginary near-extremal modes which dominate the dynamics of the ringdown at late times when the event and Cauchy horizon approach each other. We extend the quasinormal mode analysis to charged scalar fluctuations and find that the photon surface modes are continuously deformed with respect to their neutral counterpart as the scalar charge is increased. We further find that the acceleration and near-extremal families acquire an oscillation frequency when the scalar charge is introduced. Finally, we study the superradiant amplification of charged scalar monochromatic waves impinging charged accelerating black holes. We find that even though the frequency range of superradiant amplification is lessened due to the acceleration, the amplification factors are considerably elevated with respect to those transpiring in Reissner-Nordstr\"om black holes and are maximized when the scalar charge is significantly large.

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2022-06-17 04:36:33 arXiv:We have investigated the protostellar disk around a Class 0/I protostar, L1527 IRS, using multi-wavelength observations of the dust continuum emission at $\lambda=0.87$, 2.1, 3.3, and 6.8 mm obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). Our observations achieved a spatial resolution of $3-13$ au and revealed an edge-on disk structure with a size of $\sim80-100$ au. The emission at 0.87 and 2.1 mm is found to be optically thick within a projected disk radius of $ r_{\rm proj}\lesssim50$ au. The emission at 3.3 and 6.8 mm shows that the power-law index of the dust opacity ($\beta$) is $\beta\sim1.7$ around $ r_{\rm proj}\sim 50$ au, suggesting that grain growth has not yet begun. The dust temperature ($T_{\rm dust}$) shows a steep decrease with $T_{\rm dust}\propto r_{\rm proj}^{-2}$ outside of the VLA clumps previously identified at $r_{\rm proj}\sim20$ au. Furthermore, the disk is gravitationally unstable at $r_{\rm proj}\sim20$ au, as indicated by a Toomre {\it Q} parameter value of $Q\lesssim1.0$. These results suggest that the VLA clumps are formed via gravitational instability, which creates a shadow on the outside of the substructure, resulting in the sudden drop in temperature. The derived dust masses for the VLA clumps are $\gtrsim0.1$ $M_{\rm J}$. Thus, we suggest that Class 0/I disks can be massive enough to be gravitationally unstable, which might be the origin of gas-giant planets in a 20 au radius. Furthermore, the protostellar disks can be cold due to shadowing.

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2022-06-17 04:36:32 arXiv:For revealing the first step of the plant formation, it is important to understand how and when dust grains become larger in a disk around a protostar. To investigate the grain growth, we analyze dust continuum emission toward a disk around the Class I protostar, L1489 IRS at 0.9 and 1.3 mm wavelengths obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The dust continuum emission extends to a disk radius ($r$) of $r\sim300$ au, and the spectral index ($\alpha$) is derived to be $\alpha\sim3.6$ at a radius of $r\sim100-300$ au, as similar to the interstellar dust. Therefore, the grain growth does not occur significantly in the outer disk ($r\sim100-300$ au). Furthermore, we tentatively identify a ring-like substructure at $r\sim90$ au even though the spatial resolution and sensitivity are not enough to determine this structure. If this is the real ring structure, the ring position and small dust in the disk outer part are consistent with the idea of the growth front. These results suggest that the L1489 protostellar disk may be the beginning of the planet formation.

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2022-06-17 04:36:31 arXiv:We explore the effect of AGN activity on the star formation history of galaxies by analysing the stellar population properties of ten pairs of nearby twin galaxies -- selected as being visually similar except for the presence of an AGN. The selection of such twin samples represents a method to study AGN feedback, as recently proposed by del Moral Castro et al. We use integral field unit (IFU) data from CALIFA, stacked within three fixed apertures. AGN galaxies in a twin pair suggest more evolved stellar populations than their non-AGN counterpart 90% of the time, regardless of aperture size. A comparison with a large sample from SDSS confirms that most twins are representative of the general population, but in each twin the differences between twin members is significant. A set of targeted line strengths reveal the AGN member of a twin pair is older and more metal rich than the non-AGN galaxy, suggesting AGN galaxies in our sample may either have an earlier formation time or follow a different star formation and chemical enrichment history. These results are discussed within two simple, contrasting hypotheses for the role played by AGN in galaxy evolution, which can be tested in the future at a greater detail with the use of larger data sets.

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