We present limits on the spin-independent interaction cross section of dark matter particles with silicon nuclei, derived from data taken with a cryogenic calorimeter with 0.35 g target mass operated in the CRESST-III experiment. A baseline nuclear recoil energy resolution of $(1.36\pm 0.05)$ eV$_{\text{nr}}$, currently the lowest reported for macroscopic particle detectors, and a corresponding energy threshold of $(10.0\pm 0.2)$ eV$_{\text{nr}}$ have been achieved, improving the sensitivity to light dark matter particles with masses below 160 MeV/c$^2$ by a factor of up to 20 compared to previous results. We characterize the observed low energy excess, and we exclude noise triggers and radioactive contaminations on the crystal surfaces as dominant contributions.

In many astrophysical applications, the cost of solving a chemical network represented by a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) grows significantly with the size of the network and can often represent a significant computational bottleneck, particularly in coupled chemo-dynamical models. Although standard numerical techniques and complex solutions tailored to thermochemistry can somewhat reduce the cost, more recently, machine learning algorithms have begun to attack this challenge via data-driven dimensional reduction techniques. In this work, we present a new class of methods that take advantage of machine learning techniques to reduce complex data sets (autoencoders), the optimization of multiparameter systems (standard backpropagation), and the robustness of well-established ODE solvers to to explicitly incorporate time dependence. This new method allows us to find a compressed and simplified version of a large chemical network in a semiautomated fashion that can be solved with a standard ODE solver, while also enabling interpretability of the compressed, latent network. As a proof of concept, we tested the method on an astrophysically relevant chemical network with 29 species and 224 reactions, obtaining a reduced but representative network with only 5 species and 12 reactions, and an increase in speed by a factor 65.

Context. Disk winds are an important mechanism for accretion and disk evolution around young stars. The accreting intermediate-mass T-Tauri star RY Tau has an active jet and a previously known disk wind. Archival optical and new near-infrared observations of the RY Tau system show two horn-like components stretching out as a cone from RY Tau. Scattered light from the disk around RY Tau is visible in the near-infrared, but not seen at optical wavelengths. In the near-infrared, dark wedges separate the horns from the disk, indicating that we may see the scattered light from a disk wind.
Aims: We aim to test the hypothesis that a dusty disk wind could be responsible for the optical effect in which the disk around RY Tau is hidden in the I band, but visible in the H band. This could be the first detection of a dusty disk wind in scattered light. We also want to constrain the grain size and dust mass in the wind and the wind-launching region.
Methods: We used archived Atacama-Large-Millimetre-Array (ALMA) and Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) I band observations combined with newly acquired SPHERE H band observations and available literature to build a simple geometric model of the RY Tau disk and disk wind. We used Monte Carlo radiative transfer modelling MCMax3D to create comparable synthetic observations that test the effect of a dusty wind on the optical effect in the observations. We constrained the grain size and dust mass needed in the disk wind to reproduce the effect from the observations.
Results: A model geometrically reminiscent of a dusty disk wind with small micron to sub-micron-sized grains elevated above the disk can reproduce the optical effect seen in the observations. The mass in the obscuring component of the wind has been constrained to 1 × 10⁻⁹ M_⊙ ≤ M ≤ 5 × 10⁻⁸ M_⊙, which corresponds to a mass-loss rate in the wind of about ~1 × 10⁻⁸ M_⊙ yr⁻¹.
Conclusions: A simple model of a disk wind with micron to sub-micron-sized grains elevated above the disk is able to prevent stellar radiation to scatter in the disk at optical wavelengths while allowing photons to reach the disk in the near-infrared. Estimates of mass-loss rate correspond to previously presented theoretical models and points towards the idea that a magneto-hydrodynamic-type wind is the more likely scenario.

We critically reconsider the argument based on 't Hooft anomaly matching that aims at proving chiral symmetry breaking in QCD-like theories with $N_c>2$ colors and $N_f$ flavors of vectorlike quarks in the fundamental representation. The main line of reasoning relies on a property of the solutions of the anomaly matching and persistent mass equations called $N_f$-independence. The validity of $N_f$-independence was assumed based on qualitative arguments, but it was never proven rigorously. We provide a detailed proof and clarify under which (dynamical) conditions it holds. Our result is valid for a generic spectrum of massless composite fermions including baryons and exotics. We then present a novel argument that does not require any dynamical assumption and is based on downlifting solutions to smaller values of $N_f$. When applied to QCD ($N_c=3)$, our theorem implies that chiral symmetry must be spontaneously broken for $3\leq N_f<N_f^{CFT}$, where $N_f^{CFT}$ is the lower edge of the conformal window. A second argument is also presented based on continuity, which assumes the absence of phase transitions when the quark masses are sent to infinity. When applied to QCD, this result explains why chiral symmetry is broken for $N_f=2$, despite integer solutions of the equations exist in this case. Explicit examples and a numerical analysis are presented in a companion paper.

Magnetars are isolated young neutron stars characterised by the most intense magnetic fields known in the Universe, which power a wide variety of high-energy emissions from giant flares to fast radio bursts. The origin of their magnetic field is still a challenging question. In situ magnetic field amplification by dynamo action could potentially generate ultra-strong magnetic fields in fast-rotating progenitors. However, it is unclear whether the fraction of progenitors harbouring fast core rotation is sufficient to explain the entire magnetar population. To address this point, we propose a new scenario for magnetar formation involving a slowly rotating progenitor, in which a slow-rotating proto-neutron star is spun up by the supernova fallback. We argue that this can trigger the development of the Tayler-Spruit dynamo while other dynamo processes are disfavoured. Using the findings of previous studies of this dynamo and simulation results characterising the supernova fallback, we derive equations modelling the coupled evolution of the proto-neutron star rotation and magnetic field. Their time integration for different accreted masses is successfully compared with analytical estimates of the amplification timescales and saturation value of the magnetic field. We find that the magnetic field is amplified within 20 − 40 s after the core bounce, and that the radial magnetic field saturates at intensities between ∼10¹³ and 10¹⁵ G, therefore spanning the full range of a magnetar's dipolar magnetic fields. The toroidal magnetic field is predicted to be a factor of 10-100 times stronger, lying between ∼10¹⁵ and 3 × 10¹⁶ G. We also compare the saturation mechanisms proposed respectively by H.C. Spruit and J. Fuller, showing that magnetar-like magnetic fields can be generated for a neutron star spun up to rotation periods of ≲8 ms and ≲28 ms, corresponding to accreted masses of ≳ 4 × 10⁻² M_⊙ and ≳ 1.1 × 10⁻² M_⊙, respectively. Therefore, our results suggest that magnetars can be formed from slow-rotating progenitors for accreted masses compatible with recent supernova simulations and leading to plausible initial rotation periods of the proto-neutron star.

A subfraction of dark matter or new particles trapped inside celestial objects can significantly alter their macroscopic properties. We investigate the new physics imprint on celestial objects by using a generic framework to solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equations for up to two fluids. We test the impact of populations of new particles on celestial objects, including the sensitivity to self-interaction sizes, new particle mass, and net population mass. Applying our setup to neutron stars and boson stars, we find rich phenomenology for a range of these parameters, including the creation of extended atmospheres. These atmospheres are detectable by their impact on the tidal Love number, which can be measured at upcoming gravitational wave experiments such as Advanced LIGO, the Einstein Telescope, and LISA. We release our calculation framework as a publicly available code, allowing the TOV equations to be generically solved for arbitrary new physics models in novel and admixed celestial objects.

Motivated by the discrepancy between Bayesian and frequentist upper limits on the tensor-to-scalar ratio parameter r found by the SPIDER collaboration, we investigate whether a similar trend is also present in the latest Planck and BICEP/Keck Array data. We derive a new upper bound on r using the frequentist profile likelihood method. We vary all the relevant cosmological parameters of the ΛCDM model, as well as the nuisance parameters. Unlike the Bayesian analysis using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), our analysis is independent of the choice of priors. Using Planck Public Release 4, BICEP/Keck Array 2018, Planck cosmic microwave background lensing, and baryon acoustic oscillation data, we find an upper limit of r < 0.037 at 95% Confidence Level (C.L.), similar to the Bayesian MCMC result of r < 0.038 for a flat prior on r and a conditioned Planck lowlEB covariance matrix.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous transients in the universe and are utilized as probes of early stars, gravitational wave counterparts and collisionless shock physics. In spite of studies on polarimetry of GRBs in individual wavelengths that characterized intriguing properties of prompt emission and afterglow, no coordinated multi-wavelength measurements have yet been performed. Here we report the first coordinated simultaneous polarimetry in the optical and radio bands for the afterglow associated with the typical long GRB 191221B. Our observations successfully caught the radio emission, which is not affected by synchrotron self-absorption, and show that the emission is depolarized in the radio band compared with the optical one. Our simultaneous polarization angle measurement and temporal polarization monitoring indicate the existence of cool electrons that increase the estimate of jet kinetic energy by a factor of more than 4 for this GRB afterglow. Further coordinated multi-wavelength polarimetric campaigns would improve our understanding of the total jet energies and magnetic field configurations in the emission regions of various types of GRBs, which are required to comprehend the mass scales of their progenitor systems and the physics of collisionless shocks.

Recent cosmological analyses with large-scale structure and weak lensing measurements, usually referred to as 3$\times$2pt, had to discard a lot of signal-to-noise from small scales due to our inability to precisely model non-linearities and baryonic effects. Galaxy-galaxy lensing, or the position-shear correlation between lens and source galaxies, is one of the three two-point correlation functions that are included in such analyses, usually estimated with the mean tangential shear. However, tangential shear measurements at a given angular scale $\theta$ or physical scale $R$ carry information from all scales below that, forcing the scale cuts applied in real data to be significantly larger than the scale at which theoretical uncertainties become problematic. Recently there have been a few independent efforts that aim to mitigate the non-locality of the galaxy-galaxy lensing signal. Here we perform a comparison of the different methods, including the Y transformation described in Park et al. (2021), the point-mass marginalization methodology presented in MacCrann et al. (2020) and the Annular Differential Surface Density statistic described in Baldauf et al. (2010). We do the comparison at the cosmological constraints level in a noiseless simulated combined galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing analysis. We find that all the estimators perform equivalently using a Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Year 1 like setup. This is because all the estimators project out the mode responsible for the non-local nature of the galaxy-galaxy lensing measurements, which we have identified as $1/R^2$. We finally apply all the estimators to DES Y3 data and confirm that they all give consistent results.

Recently, two new families of non-linear massive electrodynamics have been proposed: Proca-Nuevo and Extended Proca-Nuevo. We explicitly show that both families are irremediably ghostful in two dimensions. Our calculations indicate the need to revisit the classical consistency of (Extended) Proca-Nuevo in higher dimensions before these settings can be regarded as ghostfree.

Gravitational-wave detections are enabling measurements of the rate of coalescences of binaries composed of two compact objects—neutron stars and/or black holes. The coalescence rate of binaries containing neutron stars is further constrained by electromagnetic observations, including Galactic radio binary pulsars and short gamma-ray bursts. Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated models of compact objects merging through a variety of evolutionary channels produce a range of theoretically predicted rates. Rapid improvements in instrument sensitivity, along with plans for new and improved surveys, make this an opportune time to summarise the existing observational and theoretical knowledge of compact-binary coalescence rates.

We consider the full set of master integrals with internal top-and W-propagators contributing to the three-loop Higgs self-energy diagrams of order O (α²α_s). We split the master integrals into a system relevant to the Feynman diagrams proportional to the product of Yukawa couplings y_by_t and the complement. For both systems we define master integrals of uniform weight, such that the associated differential equation is in ε-factorised form. The occurring square roots are rationalised and all master integrals are expressible in multiple polylogarithms.

Detection of a gravitational-wave signal of non-astrophysical origin would be a landmark discovery, potentially providing a significant clue to some of our most basic, big-picture scientific questions about the Universe. In this white paper, we survey the leading early-Universe mechanisms that may produce a detectable signal -- including inflation, phase transitions, topological defects, as well as primordial black holes -- and highlight the connections to fundamental physics. We review the complementarity with collider searches for new physics, and multimessenger probes of the large-scale structure of the Universe.

The simulation of particle physics data is a fundamental but computationally intensive ingredient for physics analysis at the Large Hadron Collider, where observational set-valued data is generated conditional on a set of incoming particles. To accelerate this task, we present a novel generative model based on a graph neural network and slot-attention components, which exceeds the performance of pre-existing baselines.

The observed homogeneity and spatial flatness of the Universe suggest that there was a period of accelerated expansion just after the Big Bang, called inflation. In the standard picture, this expansion is driven by the inflaton, a scalar field beyond the standard model of particle physics. If other fields are present during this epoch, they can leave sizable traces on inflationary ob- servables that might be revealed using upcoming experiments. Studying the phenomenological consequences of such fields often requires going beyond perturbation theory due to the nonlinear physics involved in several non-minimal inflationary scenarios.[...]

In this thesis, we construct the soft-collinear Lagrangian for gravity systematically beyond leading power in the power-counting parameter and provide a set of minimal building blocks for the N-jet operators. We find that the effective theory is covariant with respect to an emergent soft background field that is obscured in the full theory. The emission of a soft gluon and graviton from a non-radiative process is investigated and an operatorial version of the soft theorem is obtained.

Living systems on earth are homochiral. This means that for every chiral species they contain, one of the two possible enantiomers is present in much higher fraction than its mirrored counterpart. Homochirality has continuously puzzled scientists ever since the discovery of chirality by Pasteur, because a mechanism for its emergence is not yet solved, nor is the question of whether homochirality is a prerequisite or a consequence of life. In this thesis, we propose two physical scenarios in which homochirality could have emerged prior to or alongside life. We first show that large and complex chiral chemical networks are subject to a symmetry breaking transition from a racemic state to a homochiral one as the number of chiral compounds they contain becomes large. This robust mechanism relies on properties of large random matrices and requires only a few constraints on the chemical network. It is illustrated with a generalization of the famous Frank model which contains a large number of chemical species. We also quantify how abundant chiral molecules are in nature through an analysis of molecular databanks which shows a threshold above which chiral compounds dominate achiral ones. In a second part, we present a scenario based on template-directed ligation of biopolymers such as RNA, which involves the extension of RNA polymers by ligation with other oligomers or monomer compatible with base paring. This process presents autocatalysis and chiral inhibition which are two key ingredients for a symmetry breaking transition leading to a homochiral state. Using detailed stochastic simulations of template-directed ligation of chiral polymeric systems, we thus investigate the propensity of systems inocculated initially with a racemic mixture of RNA monomers to evolve towards a homochiral polymer system in the presence of racemization reactions. Two kinds of reactors and their different conditions are studied in this work: closed out-of-equilibrium reactors with a conserved number of RNA monomers and open reactors in which species are being degraded over time and some are chemostated. In addition, temperature cycles or dry-wet cycles are assumed to be present in both cases. We find that full homochirality is reached for closed systems in presence of racemization reactions due to chiral stalling, which slows ligation when opposite chiralities are paired closed to the ligation site. Remarkably, the homochirality transition helps the system to reach longer average polymer length, which is typically difficult in non-enzymatic polymerization. Open reactor simulations can only reach partial and transient enantiomeric excesses but without the need of racemization reactions. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the amplification process of a small initial enantiomeric excess imbalance generated by a particular physical or chemical phenomenon or simply by statistical fluctuations.

When water interacts with porous rocks, its wetting and surface tension properties create air bubbles in large number. To probe their relevance as a setting for the emergence of life, we microfluidically created foams that were stabilized with lipids. A persistent non-equilibrium setting was provided by a thermal gradient. The foam's large surface area triggers capillary flows and wet-dry reactions that accumulate, aggregate and oligomerize RNA, offering a compelling habitat for RNA-based early life as it offers both wet and dry conditions in direct neighborhood. Lipids were screened to stabilize the foams. The prebiotically more probable myristic acid stabilized foams over many hours. The capillary flow created by the evaporation at the water-air interface provided an attractive force for molecule localization and selection for molecule size. For example, self-binding oligonucleotide sequences accumulated and formed micrometer-sized aggregates which were shuttled between gas bubbles. The wet-dry cycles at the foam bubble interfaces triggered a non-enzymatic RNA oligomerization from 2’,3’-cyclic CMP and GMP which despite the small dry reaction volume was superior to the corresponding dry reaction. The found characteristics make heated foams an interesting, localized setting for early molecular evolution.

The analysis of cosmological galaxy surveys requires realistic simulations for their interpretation. Forward modelling is a powerful method to simulate galaxy clustering without the need for an underlying complex model. This approach requires fast cosmological simulations with a high resolution and large volume, to resolve small dark matter halos associated to single galaxies. In this work, we present fast halo and subhalo clustering simulations based on the Lagrangian perturbation theory code PINOCCHIO, which generates halos and merger trees. The subhalo progenitors are extracted from the merger history and the survival of subhalos is modelled. We introduce a new fitting function for the subhalo merger time, which includes a redshift dependence of the fitting parameters. The spatial distribution of subhalos within their hosts is modelled using a number density profile. We compare our simulations with the halo finder ROCKSTAR applied to the full N-body code GADGET-2. The subhalo velocity function and the correlation function of halos and subhalos are in good agreement. We investigate the effect of the chosen number density profile on the resulting subhalo clustering. Our simulation is approximate yet realistic and significantly faster compared to a full N-body simulation combined with a halo finder. The fast halo and subhalo clustering simulations offer good prospects for galaxy forward models using subhalo abundance matching.

The holographic principle suggests that the Hilbert space of quantum gravity is locally finite-dimensional. Motivated by this point-of-view, and its application to the observable Universe, we introduce a set of numerical and conceptual tools to describe scalar fields with finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, and to study their behaviour in expanding cosmological backgrounds. These tools include accurate approximations to compute the vacuum energy of a field mode k as a function of the dimension dk of the mode Hilbert space, as well as a parametric model for how that dimension varies with |k|. We show that the maximum entropy of our construction momentarily scales like the boundary area of the observable Universe for some values of the parameters of that model. And we find that the maximum entropy generally follows a sub-volume scaling as long as dk decreases with |k|. We also demonstrate that the vacuum energy density of the finite-dimensional field is dynamical and decays between two constant epochs in our fiducial construction. These results rely on a number of non-trivial modelling choices, but our general framework may serve as a starting point for future investigations of the impact of finite-dimensionality of Hilbert space on cosmological physics.

We report three searches for high energy neutrino emission from astrophysical objects using data recorded with IceCube between 2011 and 2020. Improvements over previous work include new neutrino reconstruction and data calibration methods. In one search, the positions of 110 a priori selected gamma-ray sources were analyzed individually for a possible surplus of neutrinos over atmospheric and cosmic background expectations. We found an excess of 79+22−20 neutrinos associated with the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068 at a significance of 4.2σ. The excess, which is spatially consistent with the direction of the strongest clustering of neutrinos in the Northern Sky, is interpreted as direct evidence of TeV neutrino emission from a nearby active galaxy. The inferred flux exceeds the potential TeV gamma-ray flux by at least one order of magnitude.

Nucleotides play a fundamental role in organisms, from adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body‘s main source of energy, to cofactors of enzymatic reactions (e. g. coenzyme A), to nucleoside monophosphates as essential building blocks of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Although nucleotides play such an elemental role, there is no pathway to date for the selective formation of nucleoside 5′-monophosphates. Here, we demonstrate a selective reaction pathway for 5’ mono-phosphorylation for all canonical purine and pyrimidine bases under exceptionally mild prebiotic relevant conditions in water and without using a condensing agent. The pivotal reaction step involves activated imidazolidine-4-thione phosphates. The selective formation of non-cyclic mono-phosphorylated nucleosides represents a novel and unique route to nucleotides and opens exciting perspectives in the study of the origins of life.

In nature, organophosphates provide key functions such as information storage and transport, structural tasks, and energy transfer. Since condensations are unfavourable in water and nucleophilic attack at phosphate is kinetically inhibited, various abiogenesis hypotheses for the formation of organophosphate are discussed. Recently, the application of phosphites as phosphorylation agent showed promising results. However, elevated temperatures and additional reaction steps are required to obtain organophosphates. Here we show that in liquid sulfur dioxide, which acts as solvent and oxidant, efficient organophosphate formation is enabled. Phosphorous acid yields up to 32.6% 5′ nucleoside monophosphate, 3.6% 5′ nucleoside diphosphate, and the formation of nucleoside triphosphates and dinucleotides in a single reaction step at room temperature. In addition to the phosphorylation of organic compounds, we observed diserine formation. Thus, we suggest volcanic environments as reaction sites for biopolymer formation on Early Earth. Because of the simple recyclability of sulfur dioxide, the reaction is also interesting for synthesis chemistry.

We present multiple results on the production of loosely bound molecules in bottomonium annihilations and e⁺e^- collisions at √{s }=10.58 GeV . We perform the first comprehensive test of several models for deuteron production against all the existing data in this energy region. We fit the free parameters of the models to reproduce the observed cross sections, and we predict the deuteron spectrum and production and the cross section for the e⁺e^-→d d ¯+X process both at the ϒ (1 ,2 ,3 S ) resonances and at √{s }=10.58 GeV . The predicted spectra show differences but are all compatible with the uncertainties of the existing data. These differences could be addressed if larger datasets are collected by the Belle II experiment. Fixing the source size parameter to reproduce the deuteron data, we then predict the production rates for H dibaryon and hypertriton in this energy region using a simple coalescence model. Our prediction on the H dibaryon production rate is below the limits set by the direct search at the Belle experiment, but in the range accessible to the Belle II experiment. The systematic effect due to the MC modeling of quarks and gluon fragmentation into baryons is reduced, deriving a new tuning of the PYTHIA 8 Monte Carlo generator using the available measurement of single- and double-particle spectra in ϒ decays.

The Euclid mission - with its spectroscopic galaxy survey covering a sky area over 15 000 deg² in the redshift range 0.9 < z < 1.8 - will provide a sample of tens of thousands of cosmic voids. This paper thoroughly explores for the first time the constraining power of the void size function on the properties of dark energy (DE) from a survey mock catalogue, the official Euclid Flagship simulation. We identified voids in the Flagship light-cone, which closely matches the features of the upcoming Euclid spectroscopic data set. We modelled the void size function considering a state-of-the art methodology: we relied on the volume-conserving (Vdn) model, a modification of the popular Sheth & van de Weygaert model for void number counts, extended by means of a linear function of the large-scale galaxy bias. We found an excellent agreement between model predictions and measured mock void number counts. We computed updated forecasts for the Euclid mission on DE from the void size function and provided reliable void number estimates to serve as a basis for further forecasts of cosmological applications using voids. We analysed two different cosmological models for DE: the first described by a constant DE equation of state parameter, w, and the second by a dynamic equation of state with coefficients w₀ and w_a. We forecast 1σ errors on w lower than 10% and we estimated an expected figure of merit (FoM) for the dynamical DE scenario FoM_{w0, wa} = 17 when considering only the neutrino mass as additional free parameter of the model. The analysis is based on conservative assumptions to ensure full robustness, and is a pathfinder for future enhancements of the technique. Our results showcase the impressive constraining power of the void size function from the Euclid spectroscopic sample, both as a stand-alone probe, and to be combined with other Euclid cosmological probes.

This paper is published on behalf of the Euclid Consortium.

The peak-patch algorithm is used to identify the densest minicluster seeds in the initial axion density field simulated from string decay. The fate of these dense seeds is found by tracking the subsequent gravitational collapse in cosmological N -body simulations. We find that miniclusters at late times are well described by Navarro-Frenk-White profiles, although for around 80% of simulated miniclusters a single power-law density profile of r^-2.9 is an equally good fit due to the unresolved scale radius. Under the assumption that all miniclusters with an unresolved scale radius are described by a power-law plus axion star density profile, we identify a significant number of miniclusters that might be dense enough to give rise to gravitational microlensing if the axion mass is 0.2 meV ≲m_a≲3 meV . Higher resolution simulations resolving the inner structure and axion star formation are necessary to explore this possibility further.

Polarization modulator units (PMUs) represent a critical and powerful component in CMB polarization experiments to suppress the 1/f noise component and mitigate systematic uncertainties induced by detector gain drifts and beam asymmetries. The LiteBIRD mission (expected launch in the late 2020 s) will be equipped with 3 PMUs, one for each of the 3 telescopes, and aims at detecting the primordial gravitational waves with a sensitivity of δ r <0.001 . Each PMU is based on a continuously rotating transmissive half-wave plate held by a superconducting magnetic bearing in the 5 K environment. To achieve and monitor the rotation a number of subsystems is needed: clamp and release system and motor coils for the rotation; optical encoder, capacitive, Hall and temperature sensors to monitor its dynamic stability. In this contribution, we present a preliminary thermal design of the harness configuration for the PMUs of the mid- and high- frequency telescopes. The design is based on both the stringent system constraint for the total thermal budget available for the PMUs (≲ 4 mW at 5 K) and on the requirements for different subsystem: coils currents (up to 10 mA), optical fibers for encoder readout, 25 MHz bias signal for temperature and levitation monitors.

We provide a simple computation in order to estimate the probability of a given hierarchy between two scales. In particular, we work in a model provided with a gauge symmetry, with two scalar doublets. We start from a scale-invariant classical Lagrangian, but by taking into account the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism, we obtain masses for the gauge bosons and the scalars. This approach typically provides a light (L) and a heavy (H) sector related to the two different vacuum expectation values of the two scalars. We compute the size of the hypervolume of the parameter space of the model associated with an interval of mass ratios between these two sectors. We define the probability as proportional to this size and conclude that probabilities of very large hierarchies are not negligible in the type of models studied in this work.

In compact astrophysical objects, the neutrino density can be so high that neutrino-neutrino refraction can lead to fast flavor conversion of the kind ν_eν_¯e↔ν_xν_¯x with x =μ , τ , depending on the neutrino angle distribution. Previously, we have shown that in a homogeneous, axisymmetric two-flavor system, these collective solutions evolve in analogy to a gyroscopic pendulum. In flavor space, its deviation from the weak-interaction direction is quantified by a variable cos ϑ that moves between +1 and cos ϑ_min, the latter following from a linear mode analysis. As a next step, we include collisional damping of flavor coherence, assuming a common damping rate Γ for all modes. Empirically we find that the damped pendular motion reaches an asymptotic level of pair conversion f =A +(1 -A )cos ϑ_min (numerically A ≃0.370 ) that does not depend on details of the angular distribution (except for fixing cos ϑ_min), the initial seed, nor Γ . On the other hand, even a small asymmetry between the neutrino and antineutrino damping rates strongly changes this picture and can even enable flavor instabilities in otherwise stable systems.

In the past decades, numerous experiments have emerged to unveil the nature of dark matter, one of the most discussed open questions in modern particle physics. Among them, the Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers (CRESST) experiment, located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, operates scintillating crystals as cryogenic phonon detectors. In this work, we present first results from the operation of two detector modules which both have 10.46 g LiAlO₂ targets in CRESST-III. The lithium contents in the crystal are Li 6 , with an odd number of protons and neutrons, and Li 7 , with an odd number of protons. By considering both isotopes of lithium and Al 27 , we set the currently strongest cross section upper limits on spin-dependent interaction of dark matter with protons and neutrons for the mass region between 0.25 and 1.5 GeV /c² .

Asymmetric dark matter under certain conditions could form compact star-like objects, which can be searched either through gravitational lensing or by observation of gravitational waves from binaries involving such compact objects. In this paper we analyze possible signatures of such dark stars made of asymmetric dark matter with a portal to the Standard Model. We argue that compact dark stars could capture protons and electrons from the interstellar medium, which then accumulate in the core of the dark star, forming a very hot gas that emits X-rays or $\gamma$-rays. For dark matter parameters compatible with current laboratory constraints, compact dark stars could be sufficiently luminous to be detected at the Earth as point sources in the X-ray or $\gamma$-ray sky.

The recently developed B-Mesogenesis scenario predicts decays of B mesons into a baryon and hypothetical dark antibaryon Ψ. We suggest a method to calculate the amplitude of the simplest exclusive decay mode B⁺ → pΨ. Considering two models of B-Mesogenesis, we obtain the B → p hadronic matrix elements by applying QCD light-cone sum rules with the proton light-cone distribution amplitudes. We estimate the B⁺ → pΨ decay width as a function of the mass and effective coupling of the dark antibaryon.

We investigate the formation and evolution of 'primordial' dusty rings occurring in the inner regions of protoplanetary discs, with the help of long-term, coupled dust-gas, magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The simulations are global and start from the collapse phase of the parent cloud core, while the dead zone is calculated via an adaptive α formulation by taking into account the local ionization balance. The evolution of the dusty component includes its growth and back reaction on to the gas. Previously, using simulations with only a gas component, we showed that dynamical rings form at the inner edge of the dead zone. We find that when dust evolution, as well as magnetic field evolution in the flux-freezing limit are included, the dusty rings formed are more numerous and span a larger radial extent in the inner disc, while the dead zone is more robust and persists for a much longer time. We show that these dynamical rings concentrate enough dust mass to become streaming unstable, which should result in a rapid planetesimal formation even in the embedded phases of the system. The episodic outbursts caused by the magnetorotational instability have a significant impact on the evolution of the rings. The outbursts drain the inner disc of grown dust, however, the period between bursts is sufficiently long for the planetesimal growth via streaming instability. The dust mass contained within the rings is large enough to ultimately produce planetary systems with the core accretion scenario. The low-mass systems rarely undergo outbursts, and, thus, the conditions around such stars can be especially conducive for planet formation.

The Mini-EUSO telescope was launched for the International Space Station on August 22^nd , 2019 to observe from the ISS orbit (∼ 400 km altitude) various phenomena occurring in the Earth's atmosphere through a UV-transparent window located in the Russian Zvezda Module. Mini-EUSO is based on a set of two Fresnel lenses of 25 cm diameter each and a focal plane of 48 × 48 pixels, for a total field of view of 44 ° . Until July 2021, Mini-EUSO performed a total of 41 data acquisition sessions, obtaining UV images of the Earth in the 290 nm - 430 nm band with temporal and spatial resolution on ground of 2.5 μs and 6.3 × 6.3 km², respectively. The data acquisition was performed with a 2.5 μs sampling rate, using a dedicated trigger looking for signals with a typical duration of tens of μs.

In the present paper the analysis of the performance of the 2.5 μs trigger logic is presented, with a focus on the method used for the analysis and the categories of triggered events. The expected functioning of the trigger logic has been confirmed, with the trigger rate on spurious events that remains within the requirements in nominal background conditions. The trigger logic detected several different phenomena, including lightning strikes, elves, ground-based flashers and events with EAS-like characteristics.

We report the detection of the ground state rotational emission of ammonia, ortho-NH₃ (J_K = 1₀ → 0₀) in a gravitationally lensed intrinsically hyperluminous star-bursting galaxy at z = 2.6. The integrated line profile is consistent with other molecular and atomic emission lines which have resolved kinematics well modelled by a 5 kpc-diameter rotating disc. This implies that the gas responsible for NH₃ emission is broadly tracing the global molecular reservoir, but likely distributed in pockets of high density (n ≳ 5 × 10⁴ cm^-3). With a luminosity of 2.8 × 10⁶ L_⊙, the NH₃ emission represents 2.5 × 10^-7 of the total infrared luminosity of the galaxy, comparable to the ratio observed in the Kleinmann-Low nebula in Orion and consistent with sites of massive star formation in the Milky Way. If $L_{\rm NH_3}/L_{\rm IR}$ serves as a proxy for the 'mode' of star formation, this hints that the nature of star formation in extreme starbursts in the early Universe is similar to that of Galactic star-forming regions, with a large fraction of the cold interstellar medium in this state, plausibly driven by a storm of violent disc instabilities in the gas-dominated disc. This supports the 'full of Orions' picture of star formation in the most extreme galaxies seen close to the peak epoch of stellar mass assembly.

Planet formation is a multi-scale process in which the coagulation of $\mathrm{\mu m}$-sized dust grains in protoplanetary disks is strongly influenced by the hydrodynamic processes on scales of astronomical units ($\approx 1.5\times 10^8 \,\mathrm{km}$). Studies are therefore dependent on subgrid models to emulate the micro physics of dust coagulation on top of a large scale hydrodynamic simulation. Numerical simulations which include the relevant physical effects are complex and computationally expensive. Here, we present a fast and accurate learned effective model for dust coagulation, trained on data from high resolution numerical coagulation simulations. Our model captures details of the dust coagulation process that were so far not tractable with other dust coagulation prescriptions with similar computational efficiency.

The last two decades have witnessed the discovery of a myriad of new and unexpected hadrons. The future holds more surprises for us, thanks to new-generation experiments. Understanding the signals and determining the properties of the states requires a parallel theoretical effort. To make full use of available and forthcoming data, a careful amplitude modeling is required, together with a sound treatment of the statistical uncertainties, and a systematic survey of the model dependencies. We review the contributions made by the Joint Physics Analysis Center to the field of hadron spectroscopy.

The origins of the elements and isotopes of cosmic material is a critical aspect of understanding the evolution of the universe. Nucleosynthesis typically requires physical conditions of high temperatures and densities. These are found in the Big Bang, in the interiors of stars, and in explosions with their compressional shocks and high neutrino and neutron fluxes. Many different tools are available to disentangle the composition of cosmic matter, in material of extraterrestrial origins such as cosmic rays, meteorites, stardust grains, lunar and terrestrial sediments, and through astronomical observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. Understanding cosmic abundances and their evolution requires combining such measurements with approaches of astrophysical, nuclear theories and laboratory experiments, and exploiting additional cosmic messengers, such as neutrinos and gravitational waves. Recent years have seen significant progress in almost all these fields; they are presented in this review.

The Sun and the solar system are our reference system for abundances of elements and isotopes. Many direct and indirect methods are employed to establish a refined abundance record from the time when the Sun and the Earth were formed. Indications for nucleosynthesis in the local environment when the Sun was formed are derived from meteoritic material and inclusion of radioactive atoms in deep-sea sediments. Spectroscopy at many wavelengths and the neutrino flux from the hydrogen fusion processes in the Sun have established a refined model of how the nuclear energy production shapes stars. Models are required to explore nuclear fusion of heavier elements. These stellar evolution calculations have been confirmed by observations of nucleosynthesis products in the ejecta of stars and supernovae, as captured by stardust grains and by characteristic lines in spectra seen from these objects. One of the successes has been to directly observe γ rays from radioactive material synthesised in stellar explosions, which fully support the astrophysical models. Another has been the observation of radioactive afterglow and characteristic heavy-element spectrum from a neutron-star merger, confirming the neutron rich environments encountered in such rare explosions. The ejecta material captured by Earth over millions of years in sediments and identified through characteristic radio-isotopes suggests that nearby nucleosynthesis occurred in recent history, with further indications for sites of specific nucleosynthesis. Together with stardust and diffuse γ rays from radioactive ejecta, these help to piece together how cosmic materials are transported in interstellar space and re-cycled into and between generations of stars. Our description of cosmic compositional evolution needs such observational support, as it rests on several assumptions that appear challenged by recent recognition of violent events being common during evolution of a galaxy. This overview presents the flow of cosmic matter and the various sites of nucleosynthesis, as understood from combining many techniques and observations, towards the current knowledge of how the universe is enriched with elements.

The emergence of collective motion among interacting, self-propelled agents is a central paradigm in non-equilibrium physics. Examples of such active matter range from swimming bacteria and cytoskeletal motility assays to synthetic self-propelled colloids and swarming microrobots. Remarkably, the aggregation capabilities of many of these systems rely on a theme as fundamental as it is ubiquitous in nature: communication. Despite its eminent importance, the role of communication in the collective organization of active systems is not yet fully understood. Here we report on the multi-scale self-organization of interacting self-propelled agents that locally process information transmitted by chemical signals. We show that this communication capacity dramatically expands their ability to form complex structures, allowing them to self-organize through a series of collective dynamical states at multiple hierarchical levels. Our findings provide insights into the role of self-sustained signal processing for self-organization in biological systems and open routes to applications using chemically driven colloids or microrobots.

We present the first quantitative spectral analysis of blue supergiant stars in the nearby galaxy NGC 2403. Out of a sample of 47 targets observed with the LRIS spectrograph at the Keck I telescope we have extracted 16 B- and A-type supergiants for which we have data of sufficient quality to carry out a comparison with model spectra of evolved massive stars and infer the stellar parameters. The radial metallicity gradient of NGC 2403 that we derive has a slope of -0.14(±0.05) dex ${r}_{e}^{-1}$ , and is in accordance with the analysis of H II region oxygen abundances. We present evidence that the stellar metallicities that we obtain in extragalactic systems in general agree with the nebular abundances based on the analysis of the auroral lines, over more than 1 order of magnitude in metallicity. Adopting the known relation between stellar parameters and intrinsic luminosity we find a distance modulus μ = 27.38 ± 0.08 mag. While this can be brought into agreement with Cepheid-based determinations, it is 0.14 mag short of the value measured from the tip of the red giant branch. We update the mass-metallicity relation secured from chemical abundance studies of stars in resolved star-forming galaxies.

The importance of alternative methods for measuring the Hubble constant, such as time-delay cosmography, is highlighted by the recent Hubble tension. It is paramount to thoroughly investigate and rule out systematic biases in all measurement methods before we can accept new physics as the source of this tension. In this study, we perform a check for systematic biases in the lens modelling procedure of time-delay cosmography by comparing independent and blind time-delay predictions of the system WGD 2038−4008 from two teams using two different software programs: GLEE and LENSTRONOMY. The predicted time delays from the two teams incorporate the stellar kinematics of the deflector and the external convergence from line-of-sight structures. The un-blinded time-delay predictions from the two teams agree within 1.2σ, implying that once the time delay is measured the inferred Hubble constant will also be mutually consistent. However, there is a ∼4σ discrepancy between the power-law model slope and external shear, which is a significant discrepancy at the level of lens models before the stellar kinematics and the external convergence are incorporated. We identify the difference in the reconstructed point spread function (PSF) to be the source of this discrepancy. When the same reconstructed PSF was used by both teams, we achieved excellent agreement, within ∼0.6σ, indicating that potential systematics stemming from source reconstruction algorithms and investigator choices are well under control. We recommend that future studies supersample the PSF as needed and marginalize over multiple algorithms or realizations for the PSF reconstruction to mitigate the systematics associated with the PSF. A future study will measure the time delays of the system WGD 2038−4008 and infer the Hubble constant based on our mass models.

The measurement of the absolute neutrino mass scale from cosmological large-scale clustering data is one of the key science goals of the Euclid mission. Such a measurement relies on precise modelling of the impact of neutrinos on structure formation, which can be studied with $N$-body simulations. Here we present the results from a major code comparison effort to establish the maturity and reliability of numerical methods for treating massive neutrinos. The comparison includes eleven full $N$-body implementations (not all of them independent), two $N$-body schemes with approximate time integration, and four additional codes that directly predict or emulate the matter power spectrum. Using a common set of initial data we quantify the relative agreement on the nonlinear power spectrum of cold dark matter and baryons and, for the $N$-body codes, also the relative agreement on the bispectrum, halo mass function, and halo bias. We find that the different numerical implementations produce fully consistent results. We can therefore be confident that we can model the impact of massive neutrinos at the sub-percent level in the most common summary statistics. We also provide a code validation pipeline for future reference.

We demonstrate how to use persistent homology for cosmological parameter inference in a tomographic cosmic shear survey. We obtain the first cosmological parameter constraints from persistent homology by applying our method to the first-year data of the Dark Energy Survey. To obtain these constraints, we analyse the topological structure of the matter distribution by extracting persistence diagrams from signal-to-noise maps of aperture masses. This presents a natural extension to the widely used peak count statistics. Extracting the persistence diagrams from the cosmo-SLICS, a suite of N-body simulations with variable cosmological parameters, we interpolate the signal using Gaussian processes and marginalise over the most relevant systematic effects, including intrinsic alignments and baryonic effects. For the structure growth parameter, we find S₈ = 0.747_−0.031^+0.025, which is in full agreement with other late-time probes. We also constrain the intrinsic alignment parameter to A = 1.54 ± 0.52, which constitutes a detection of the intrinsic alignment effect at almost 3σ.

Thermal bombs are a widely used method to artificially trigger explosions of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) to determine their nucleosynthesis or ejecta and remnant properties. Recently, their use in spherically symmetric (1D) hydrodynamic simulations led to the result that ^{56, 57}Ni and ⁴⁴Ti are massively underproduced compared to observational estimates for Supernova 1987A, if the explosions are slow, i.e., if the explosion mechanism of CCSNe releases the explosion energy on long timescales. It was concluded that rapid explosions are required to match observed abundances, i.e., the explosion mechanism must provide the CCSN energy nearly instantaneously on timescales of some ten to order 100 ms. This result, if valid, would disfavor the neutrino-heating mechanism, which releases the CCSN energy on timescales of seconds. Here, we demonstrate by 1D hydrodynamic simulations and nucleosynthetic post-processing that these conclusions are a consequence of disregarding the initial collapse of the stellar core in the thermal-bomb modelling before the bomb releases the explosion energy. We demonstrate that the anti-correlation of ⁵⁶Ni yield and energy-injection timescale vanishes when the initial collapse is included and that it can even be reversed, i.e., more ⁵⁶Ni is made by slower explosions, when the collapse proceeds to small radii similar to those where neutrino heating takes place in CCSNe. We also show that the ⁵⁶Ni production in thermal-bomb explosions is sensitive to the chosen mass cut and that a fixed mass layer or fixed volume for the energy deposition cause only secondary differences. Moreover, we propose a most appropriate setup for thermal bombs.

Dark matter (DM) with self-interactions is a promising solution for the small-scale problems of the standard cosmological model. Here we perform the first cosmological simulation of frequent DM self-interactions, corresponding to small-angle DM scatterings. The focus of our analysis lies in finding and understanding differences to the traditionally assumed rare DM (large-angle) self-scatterings. For this purpose, we compute the distribution of DM densities, the matter power spectrum, the two-point correlation function, and the halo and subhalo mass functions. Furthermore, we investigate the density profiles of the DM haloes and their shapes. We find that overall large-angle and small-angle scatterings behave fairly similarly with a few exceptions. In particular, the number of satellites is considerably suppressed for frequent compared to rare self-interactions with the same cross-section. Overall, we observe that while differences between the two cases may be difficult to establish using a single measure, the degeneracy may be broken through a combination of multiple ones. For instance, the combination of satellite counts with halo density or shape profiles could allow discriminating between rare and frequent self-interactions. As a by-product of our analysis, we provide - for the first time - upper limits on the cross-section for frequent self-interactions.

We present the first systematic follow-up of Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) selected candidates down to signal-to-noise (S/N) of 3 over the 5000 deg$^2$ covered by the Dark Energy Survey. Using the MCMF cluster confirmation algorithm, we identify optical counterparts, determine photometric redshifts and richnesses and assign a parameter, $f_{\rm cont}$, that reflects the probability that each SZE-optical pairing represents a real cluster rather than a random superposition of physically unassociated systems. The new MADPSZ cluster catalogue consists of 1092 MCMF confirmed clusters and has a purity of 85%. We present the properties of subsamples of the MADPSZ catalogue that have purities ranging from 90% to 97.5%, depending on the adopted $f_{\rm cont}$ threshold. $M_{500}$ halo mass estimates, redshifts, richnesses, and optical centers are presented for all MADPSZ clusters. The MADPSZ catalogue adds 828 previously unknown Planck identified clusters over the DES footprint and provides redshifts for an additional 50 previously published Planck selected clusters with S/N>4.5. Using the subsample with spectroscopic redshifts, we demonstrate excellent cluster photo-$z$ performance with an RMS scatter in $\Delta z/(1+z)$ of 0.47%. Our MCMF based analysis allows us to infer the contamination fraction of the initial S/N>3 Planck selected candidate list, which is 50%. We present a method of estimating the completeness of the MADPSZ cluster sample and $f_{\rm cont}$ selected subsamples. In comparison to the previously published Planck cluster catalogues. this new S/N $>$ 3 MCMF confirmed cluster catalogue populates the lower mass regime at all redshifts and includes clusters up to z$\sim$1.3.

Context. The understanding of the accretion process has a central role in the understanding of star and planet formation.
Aims: We aim to test how accretion variability influences previous correlation analyses of the relation between X-ray activity and accretion rates, which is important for understanding the evolution of circumstellar disks and disk photoevaporation.
Methods: We monitored accreting stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster from November 24, 2014, until February 17, 2019, for 42 epochs with the Wendelstein Wide Field Imager in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey u'g'r' filters on the 2 m Fraunhofer Telescope on Mount Wendelstein. Mass accretion rates were determined from the measured ultraviolet excess. The influence of the mass accretion rate variability on the relation between X-ray luminosities and mass accretion rates was analyzed statistically.
Results: We find a typical interquartile range of ∼0.3 dex for the mass accretion rate variability on timescales from weeks to ∼2 yr. The variability has likely no significant influence on a correlation analysis of the X-ray luminosity and the mass accretion rate observed at different times when the sample size is large enough.
Conclusions: The observed anticorrelation between the X-ray luminosity and the mass accretion rate predicted by models of photoevaporation-starved accretion is likely not due to a bias introduced by different observing times.

Full Tables 1-3 and reduced data are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/666/A55

Context. Observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A (Cas A) show significant asymmetries in the reverse shock that cannot be explained by models describing a remnant expanding through a spherically symmetric wind of the progenitor star.
Aims: We investigate whether a past interaction of Cas A with a massive asymmetric shell of the circumstellar medium can account for the observed asymmetries of the reverse shock.
Methods: We performed three-dimensional (3D) (magneto)-hydrodynamic simulations that describe the remnant evolution from the SN explosion to its interaction with a massive circumstellar shell. The initial conditions (soon after the shock breakout at the stellar surface) are provided by a 3D neutrino-driven SN model whose morphology closely resembles Cas A and the SNR simulations cover ≈2000 yr of evolution. We explored the parameter space of the shell, searching for a set of parameters able to produce an inward-moving reverse shock in the western hemisphere of the remnant at the age of ≈350 yr, analogous to that observed in Cas A.
Results: The interaction of the remnant with the shell can produce asymmetries resembling those observed in the reverse shock if the shell was asymmetric with the densest portion in the (blueshifted) nearside to the northwest (NW). According to our favorite model, the shell was thin (thickness σ ≈ 0.02 pc) with a radius r_sh ≈ 1.5 pc from the center of the explosion. The reverse shock shows the following asymmetries at the age of Cas A: (i) it moves inward in the observer frame in the NW region, while it moves outward in most other regions; (ii) the geometric center of the reverse shock is offset to the NW by ≈0.1 pc from the geometric center of the forward shock; and (iii) the reverse shock in the NW region has enhanced nonthermal emission because, there, the ejecta enter the reverse shock with a higher relative velocity (between 4000 and 7000 km s⁻¹) than in other regions (below 2000 km s⁻¹).
Conclusions: The large-scale asymmetries observed in the reverse shock of Cas A can be interpreted as signatures of the interaction of the remnant with an asymmetric dense circumstellar shell that occurred between ≈180 and ≈240 yr after the SN event. We suggest that the shell was, most likely, the result of a massive eruption from the progenitor star that occurred between 10⁴ and 10⁵ yr prior to core-collapse. We estimate a total mass of the shell of the order of 2 M_⊙.

We use the Magneticum suite of state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations to identify cosmic voids based on the watershed technique and investigate their most fundamental properties across different resolutions in mass and scale. This encompasses the distributions of void sizes, shapes, and content, as well as their radial density and velocity profiles traced by the distribution of cold dark matter particles and halos. We also study the impact of various tracer properties, such as their sparsity and mass, and the influence of void merging on these summary statistics. Our results reveal that all of the analyzed void properties are physically related to each other and describe universal characteristics that are largely independent of tracer type and resolution. Most notably, we find that the motion of tracers around void centers is perfectly consistent with linear dynamics, both for individual, as well as stacked voids. Despite the large range of scales accessible in our simulations, we are unable to identify the occurrence of nonlinear dynamics even inside voids of only a few Mpc in size. This suggests voids to be among the most pristine probes of cosmology down to scales that are commonly referred to as highly nonlinear in the field of large-scale structure.

The polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) can be used to search for parity-violating processes like that predicted by a Chern-Simons coupling to a light pseudoscalar field. Such an interaction rotates $E$ modes into $B$ modes in the observed CMB signal by an effect known as cosmic birefringence. Even though isotropic birefringence can be confused with the rotation produced by a miscalibration of the detectors' polarization angles the degeneracy between both effects is broken when Galactic foreground emission is used as a calibrator. In this work, we use realistic simulations of the High-Frequency Instrument of the Planck mission to test the impact that Galactic foreground emission and instrumental systematics have on the recent birefringence measurements obtained through this technique. Our results demonstrate the robustness of the methodology against the miscalibration of polarization angles and other systematic effects, like intensity-to-polarization leakage, beam leakage, or cross-polarization effects. However, our estimator is sensitive to the $EB$ correlation of polarized foreground emission. Here we propose to correct the bias induced by dust $EB$ by modeling the foreground signal with templates produced in Bayesian component-separation analyses that fit parametric models to CMB data. Acknowledging the limitations of currently available dust templates like that of the Commander sky model, high-precision CMB data and a characterization of dust beyond the modified blackbody paradigm are needed to obtain a definitive measurement of cosmic birefringence in the future.

We propose a parametrization of the leading B-meson light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) in heavy-quark effective theory (HQET). In position space, it uses a conformal transformation that yields a systematic Taylor expansion and an integral bound, which enables control of the truncation error. Our parametrization further produces compact analytical expressions for a variety of derived quantities. At a given reference scale, our momentum-space parametrization corresponds to an expansion in associated Laguerre polynomials, which turn into confluent hypergeometric functions ₁F₁ under renormalization-group evolution at one-loop accuracy. Our approach thus allows a straightforward and transparent implementation of a variety of phenomenological constraints, regardless of their origin. Moreover, we can include theoretical information on the Taylor coefficients by using the local operator product expansion. We showcase the versatility of the parametrization in a series of phenomenological pseudo-fits.

We propose an analogue of spin fields for the relativistic RNS-particle in 4 dimensions, in order to describe Ramond-Ramond states as "two-particle" excitations on the world line. On a natural representation space we identify a differential whose cohomology agrees with RR-fields equations. We then discuss the non-linear theory encoded in deformations of the latter by background fields. We also formulate a sigma model for this spin field from which we recover the RNS-formulation by imposing suitable constraints.

Context. Millimeter astronomy provides valuable information on the birthplaces of planetary systems. In order to compare theoretical models with observations, the dust component has to be carefully calculated.
Aims: Here, we aim to study the effects of dust entrainment in photoevaporative winds, and the ejection and drag of dust due to the effects caused by radiation from the central star.
Methods: We improved and extended the existing implementation of a two-population dust and pebble description in the global Bern/Heidelberg planet formation and evolution model. Modern prescriptions for photoevaporative winds were used and we accounted for settling and advection of dust when calculating entrainment rates. In order to prepare for future population studies with varying conditions, we explored a wide range of disk, photoevaporation, and dust parameters.
Results: If dust can grow to pebble sizes, that is, if they are resistant to fragmentation or turbulence is weak, drift dominates and the entrained mass is small but larger than under the assumption of no vertical advection of grains with the gas flow. For the case of fragile dust shattering at velocities of 1m s⁻¹ - as indicated in laboratory experiments -, an order of magnitude more dust is entrained, which becomes the main dust removal process. Radiation pressure effects disperse massive, dusty disks on timescales of a few hundred Myr.
Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of dust entrainment in winds as a solid-mass removal process. Furthermore, this model extension lays the foundations for future statistical studies of the formation of planets in their birth environment.

We report the discovery and characterization of two small transiting planets orbiting the bright M3.0V star TOI-1468 (LSPM J0106+1913), whose transit signals were detected in the photometric time series in three sectors of the TESS mission. We confirm the planetary nature of both of them using precise radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES and MAROON-X spectrographs, and supplement them with ground-based transit photometry. A joint analysis of all these data reveals that the shorter-period planet, TOI-1468 b (P_b = 1.88 d), has a planetary mass of M_b = 3.21 ± 0.24M_⊕ and a radius of R_b = 1.280_−0.039^+0.038 R_⊕, resulting in a density of ρ_b = 8.39_−0.92^+1.05 g cm⁻³, which is consistent with a mostly rocky composition. For the outer planet, TOI-1468 c (P_c = 15.53 d), we derive a mass of M_c = 6.64_−0.68^+0.67 M_⊕,aradius of R_c = 2.06 ± 0.04 R_⊕, and a bulk density of ρ_c = 2.00_−0.19^+0.21 g cm⁻³, which corresponds to a rocky core composition with a H/He gas envelope. These planets are located on opposite sides of the radius valley, making our system an interesting discovery as there are only a handful of other systems with the same properties. This discovery can further help determine a more precise location of the radius valley for small planets around M dwarfs and, therefore, shed more light on planet formation and evolution scenarios.

Radial velocities and photometry are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/666/A155

This work demonstrates that nontopological solitons with large global charges and masses, even above the Planck scale, can form in the early universe and dominate the dark matter abundance. In solitosynthesis, solitons prefer to grow as large as possible under equilibrium dynamics when an initial global charge asymmetry is present. Their abundance is set by when soliton formation via particle fusion freezes out, and their charges are set by the time it takes to accumulate free particles. This work improves the estimation of both quantities, and in particular shows that much larger-charged solitons form than previously thought. The results are estimated analytically and validated numerically by solving the coupled Boltzmann equations. Without solitosynthesis, phase transitions can still form solitons from particles left inside false-vacuum pockets and determine their present-day abundance and properties. Even with zero charge asymmetry, solitons formed in this way can have very large charges on account of statistical fluctuations in the numbers of (anti)particles inside each pocket.

Unveiling the microscopic origins of quantum phases dominated by the interplay of spin and motional degrees of freedom constitutes one of the central challenges in strongly correlated many-body physics. When holes move through an antiferromagnetic spin background, they displace the positions of spins, which in turn induces effective frustration in the magnetic environment. However, a concrete characterization of this effect in a quantum many-body system is still an unsolved problem. Here we introduce a Hamiltonian reconstruction scheme that allows for a precise quantification of hole-motion-induced frustration. In particular, we access non-local correlation functions through projective measurements of the many-body state, from which effective spin-Hamiltonians can be recovered after detaching the magnetic background from dominant charge fluctuations. The scheme is applied to systems of mixed dimensionality, where holes are restricted to move in one dimension (1D), but $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ superexchange is two-dimensional (2D). We demonstrate that hole motion drives the spin background into a highly frustrated spin liquid regime, reminiscent of Anderson's resonating valence bond paradigm in doped cuprates. We exemplify the direct applicability of the reconstruction scheme to ultracold atom experiments by recovering effective spin-Hamiltonians of experimentally obtained 1D Fermi-Hubbard snapshots. Our method can be generalized to fully 2D systems, enabling an unprecedented microscopic perspective on the doped Hubbard model.

The dark matter halo sparsity, i.e. the ratio between spherical halo masses enclosing two different overdensities, provides a non-parametric proxy of the halo mass distribution that has been shown to be a sensitive probe of the cosmological imprint encoded in the mass profile of haloes hosting galaxy clusters. Mass estimations at several overdensities would allow for multiple sparsity measurements, which can potentially retrieve the entirety of the cosmological information imprinted on the halo profile. Here, we investigate the impact of multiple sparsity measurements on the cosmological model parameter inference. For this purpose, we analyse N-body halo catalogues from the Raygal and M2Csims simulations and evaluate the correlations among six different sparsities from spherical overdensity halo masses at Δ = 200, 500, 1000, and 2500 (in units of the critical density). Remarkably, sparsities associated to distinct halo mass shells are not highly correlated. This is not the case for sparsities obtained using halo masses estimated from the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) best-fitting profile, which artificially correlates different sparsities to order one. This implies that there is additional information in the mass profile beyond the NFW parametrization and that it can be exploited with multiple sparsities. In particular, from a likelihood analysis of synthetic average sparsity data, we show that cosmological parameter constraints significantly improve when increasing the number of sparsity combinations, though the constraints saturate beyond four sparsity estimates. We forecast constraints for the CHEX-MATE cluster sample and find that systematic mass bias errors mildly impact the parameter inference, though more studies are needed in this direction.

In this paper we present the complete expressions of the lepton and neutron electric dipole moments (EDMs) in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), up to 1-loop and dimension-6 level and including both renormalization group running contributions and finite corrections. The latter play a fundamental role in the cases of operators that do not renormalize the dipoles, but there are also classes of operators for which they provide an important fraction, 10-20%, of the total 1-loop contribution, if the new physics scale is around Λ =5 TeV. We present the full set of bounds on each individual Wilson coefficient contributing to the EDMs using both the current experimental constraints, as well as those from future experiments, which are expected to improve by at least an order of magnitude.

We present our lens mass model of SMACS J0723.3−7327, the first strong gravitational lens observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We use data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) to build our `pre-JWST' lens model and then refine it with newly available JWST near-infrared imaging in our JWST model. To reproduce the positions of all multiple lensed images with good accuracy, the adopted mass parameterisation consists of one cluster-scale component, accounting mainly for the dark matter distribution, the galaxy cluster members, and an external shear component. The pre-JWST model has, as constraints, 19 multiple images from six background sources, of which four have secure spectroscopic redshift measurements from this work. The JWST model has more than twice the number of constraints: 30 additional multiple images from another 11 lensed sources. Both models can reproduce the multiple image positions very well, with a δ_rms of 0.″39 and 0.″51 for the pre-JWST and JWST models, respectively. The total mass estimates within a radius of 128 kpc (roughly the Einstein radius) are 7.9_−0.2^+0.3 × 10¹³ M_⊙ and 8.7_−0.2^+0.2 × 10¹³ M_⊙ for the pre-JWST and JWST models, respectively. We predict with our mass models the redshifts of the newly detected JWST sources, which is crucial information, especially for systems without spectroscopic measurements, for further studies and follow-up observations. Interestingly, one family detected with JWST is found to be at a very high redshift, z > 7.5 (68% confidence level), and with one image that has a lensing magnification of |μ| = 9.5_−0.8^+0.9, making it an interesting case for future studies. The lens models, including magnification maps and redshifts estimated from the model, are made publicly available, along with the full spectroscopic redshift catalogue from MUSE.

The MUSE redshift catalogue (Table A.1) and lens model files are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/666/L9

Cosmological simulations are an important theoretical pillar for understanding nonlinear structure formation in our Universe and for relating it to observations on large scales. In several papers, we introduce our MillenniumTNG (MTNG) project that provides a comprehensive set of high-resolution, large volume simulations of cosmic structure formation aiming to better understand physical processes on large scales and to help interpreting upcoming large-scale galaxy surveys. We here focus on the full physics box MTNG740 that computes a volume of $(740\,\mathrm{Mpc})^3$ with a baryonic mass resolution of $3.1\times~10^7\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ using \textsc{arepo} with $80.6$~billion cells and the IllustrisTNG galaxy formation model. We verify that the galaxy properties produced by MTNG740 are consistent with the TNG simulations, including more recent observations. We focus on galaxy clusters and analyse cluster scaling relations and radial profiles. We show that both are broadly consistent with various observational constraints. We demonstrate that the SZ-signal on a deep lightcone is consistent with Planck limits. Finally, we compare MTNG740 clusters with galaxy clusters found in Planck and the SDSS-8 RedMaPPer richness catalogue in observational space, finding very good agreement as well. However, {\it simultaneously} matching cluster masses, richness, and Compton-$y$ requires us to assume that the SZ mass estimates for Planck clusters are underestimated by $0.2$~dex on average. Thanks to its unprecedented volume for a high-resolution hydrodynamical calculation, the MTNG740 simulation offers rich possibilities to study baryons in galaxies, galaxy clusters, and in large scale structure, and in particular their impact on upcoming large cosmological surveys.

The cosmological constant and its phenomenology remain among the greatest puzzles in theoretical physics. We review how modifications of Einstein’s general relativity could alleviate the different problems associated with it that result from the interplay of classical gravity and quantum field theory. We introduce a modern and concise language to describe the problems associated with its phenomenology, and inspect no-go theorems and their loopholes to motivate the approaches discussed here. Constrained gravity approaches exploit minimal departures from general relativity; massive gravity introduces mass to the graviton; Horndeski theories lead to the breaking of translational invariance of the vacuum; and models with extra dimensions change the symmetries of the vacuum. We also review screening mechanisms that have to be present in some of these theories if they aim to recover the success of general relativity on small scales as well. Finally, we summarize the statuses of these models in their attempts to solve the different cosmological constant problems while being able to account for current astrophysical and cosmological observations.

We present SKiLLS, a suite of multi-band image simulations for the weak lensing analysis of the complete Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), dubbed KiDS-Legacy analysis. The resulting catalogues enable joint shear and redshift calibration, enhancing the realism and hence accuracy over previous efforts. To create a large volume of simulated galaxies with faithful properties and to a sufficient depth, we integrated cosmological simulations with high-quality imaging observations. We also improved the realism of simulated images by allowing the point spread function (PSF) to differ between CCD images, including stellar density variations and varying noise levels between pointings. Using realistic variable shear fields, we accounted for the impact of blended systems at different redshifts. Although the overall correction is minor, we found a clear redshift-bias correlation in the blending-only variable shear simulations, indicating the non-trivial impact of this higher-order blending effect. We also explored the impact of the PSF modelling errors and found a small yet noticeable effect on the shear bias. Finally, we conducted a series of sensitivity tests, including changing the input galaxy properties. We conclude that our fiducial shape measurement algorithm, lensfit, is robust within the requirements of lensing analyses with KiDS. As for future weak lensing surveys with tighter requirements, we suggest further investments in understanding the impact of blends at different redshifts, improving the PSF modelling algorithm and developing the shape measurement method to be less sensitive to the galaxy properties.

Separating the components of redshift due to expansion and peculiar motion in the nearby universe (z < 0.1) is critical for using Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) to measure the Hubble constant (H ₀) and the equation-of-state parameter of dark energy (w). Here, we study the two dominant "motions" contributing to nearby peculiar velocities: large-scale, coherent-flow (CF) motions and small-scale motions due to gravitationally associated galaxies deemed to be in a galaxy group. We use a set of 584 low-z SNe from the Pantheon+ sample, and evaluate the efficacy of corrections to these motions by measuring the improvement of SN distance residuals. We study multiple methods for modeling the large and small-scale motions and show that, while group assignments and CF corrections individually contribute to small improvements in Hubble residual scatter, the greatest improvement comes from the combination of the two (relative standard deviation of the Hubble residuals, Rel. SD, improves from 0.167 to 0.157 mag). We find the optimal flow corrections derived from various local density maps significantly reduce Hubble residuals while raising H ₀ by ~0.4 km s^-1 Mpc^-1 as compared to using CMB redshifts, disfavoring the hypothesis that unrecognized local structure could resolve the Hubble tension. We estimate that the systematic uncertainties in cosmological parameters after optimally correcting redshifts are 0.06-0.11 km s^-1 Mpc^-1 in H ₀ and 0.02-0.03 in w which are smaller than the statistical uncertainties for these measurements: 1.5 km s^-1 Mpc^-1 for H ₀ and 0.04 for w.

Nature uses dynamic, molecular self-assembly to create cellular architectures that adapt to their environment. For example, a guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-driven reaction cycle activates and deactivates tubulin for dynamic assembly into microtubules. Inspired by dynamic self-assembly in biology, recent studies have developed synthetic analogs of assemblies regulated by chemically fueled reaction cycles. A challenge in these studies is to control the interplay between rapid disassembly and kinetic trapping of building blocks known as dynamic instabilities. In this work, we show how molecular design can tune the tendency of molecules to remain trapped in their assembly. We show how that design can alter the dynamic of emerging assemblies. Our work should give design rules for approaching dynamic instabilities in chemically fueled assemblies to create new adaptive nanotechnologies.

Despite the extensive success of quantum field theories (QFTs) in particle and solid state physics there are still unsolved conceptual problems, in particular regarding the underlying mathematical foundations. In recent years, research has focused on special cases like topological QFTs (TFTs) where mathematically rigorous descriptions in the language of category theory have been found. Two of these descriptions, namely those using bordisms and higher categories, are also capable of describing defects including boundaries, interfaces between different TFTs, and point insertions. Translating examples of defect TFTs from a physics description to a rigorous mathematical model is, however, a challenging problem. A multifaceted example is given by the affine Rozansky-Witten model, which from a physics point of view is a topologically twisted supersymmetric 3D N=4 QFT. On the mathematics side, it features a description in terms of a higher category RW which covers many aspects of this model, in particular regarding its defects. For example, previous fundamental analysis of RW has shown that its two-dimensional defects are closely related to the topological Landau-Ginzburg model which forms a well-studied 2D defect TFT described by the bicategory LG. However, many aspects of the tricategory RW have not yet been studied in detail.

The search for exploitable deposits of water and other volatiles at the Moon's poles has intensified considerably in recent years, due to the renewed strong interest in lunar exploration. With the return of humans to the lunar surface on the horizon, the use of locally available resources to support long-term and sustainable exploration programs, encompassing both robotic and crewed elements, has moved into focus of public and private actors alike. Our current knowledge about the distribution and concentration of water and other volatiles in the lunar rocks and regolith is, however, too limited to assess the feasibility and economic viability of resource-extraction efforts. On a more fundamental level, we currently lack sufficiently detailed data to fully understand the origins of lunar water and its migration to the polar regions. In this paper, we present LUVMI-X, a mission concept intended to address the shortage of in situ data on volatiles on the Moon that results from a recently concluded design study. Its central element is a compact rover equipped with complementary instrumentation capable of investigating both the surface and shallow subsurface of illuminated and shadowed areas at the lunar south pole. We describe the rover and instrument design, the mission's operational concept, and a preliminary landing-site analysis. We also discuss how LUVMI-X fits into the diverse landscape of lunar missions under development.

Aims: We show how to increase the accuracy of estimates of the two-point correlation function without sacrificing efficiency.

Methods: We quantify the error of the pair-counts and of the Landy & Szalay estimator by comparing them with exact reference values. The standard method, using random point sets, is compared to geometrically motivated estimators and estimators using quasi-Monte Carlo integration.

Results: In the standard method, the error scales proportionally to 1/√Nr, with Nr being the number of random points. In our improved methods, the error scales almost proportionally to 1/Nq, where Nq is the number of points from a low-discrepancy sequence. We study the run times of the new estimator in comparison to those of the standard estimator, keeping the same level of accuracy. For the considered case, we always see a speedup ranging from 50% up to a factor of several thousand. We also discuss how to apply these improved estimators to incompletely sampled galaxy catalogues.

Self-organization is an ubiquitous and fundamental process that underlies all living systems. In cellular organisms, many vital processes, such as cell division and growth, are spatially and temporally regulated by proteins -- the building blocks of life. To achieve this, proteins self-organize and form spatiotemporal patterns. In general, protein patterns respond to a variety of internal and external stimuli, such as cell shape or inhomogeneities in protein activity. As a result, the dynamics of intracellular pattern formation generally span multiple spatial and temporal scales. This thesis addresses the underlying mechanisms that lead to the formation of heterogeneous patterns. The main themes of this work are organized into three parts, which are summarized below. [...]

How are molecules linked to each other in complex systems? In a proof-of-concept study, we have developed the method mol2net (https://zenodo.org/record/7025094) to generate and analyze the molecular network of complex astrochemical data (from high-resolution Orbitrap MS1 analysis of H2O:CH3OH:NH3 interstellar ice analogs) in a data-driven and unsupervised manner, without any prior knowledge about chemical reactions. The molecular network is clustered according to the initial NH3 content and unlocked HCN, NH3, and H2O as spatially resolved key transformations. In comparison with the PubChem database, four subsets were annotated: (i) saturated C-backbone molecules without N, (ii) saturated N-backbone molecules, (iii) unsaturated C-backbone molecules without N, and (iv) unsaturated N-backbone molecules. These findings were validated with previous results (e.g., identifying the two major graph components as previously described N-poor and N-rich molecular groups) but with additional information about subclustering, key transformations, and molecular structures, and thus, the structural characterization of large complex organic molecules in interstellar ice analogs has been significantly refined.

Cosmic rays are charged particles and atomic nuclei that are created and accelerated primarily by exploding stars throughout our galaxy. Propagating through the interstellar medium and the heliosphere, they assume the characteristic energy spectra that can be observed by space-borne instruments at Earth. Despite the Moon’s lack of an atmosphere and a magnetic field, cosmic rays undergo a series of interactions with the lunar surface that substantially alter the interplanetary radiation field. Most important is the creation of secondary radiation, for example, neutrons, whose spectra contain information about the composition of the lunar surface. Even though cosmic rays and their secondaries have been observed by instruments in orbit around the Moon and on the lunar surface, more detailed investigations are required to fully understand their interaction processes and their implications for future crewed and uncrewed missions to the lunar surface.

For the emergence of life, the abiotic synthesis of RNA from its monomers is a central step. We found that in alkaline, drying conditions in bulk and at heated air-water interfaces, 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotides oligomerised without additional catalyst, forming up to 10-mers within a day. The oligomerisation proceeded at a pH range of 7–12, at temperatures between 40–80 °C and was marginally enhanced by K+ ions. Among the canonical ribonucleotides, cGMP oligomerised most efficiently. Quantification was performed using HPLC coupled to ESI-TOF by fitting the isotope distribution to the mass spectra. Our study suggests a oligomerisation mechanism where cGMP aids the incorporation of the relatively unreactive nucleotides C, A and U. The 2′,3′-cyclic ribonucleotides are byproducts of prebiotic phosphorylation, nucleotide syntheses and RNA hydrolysis, indicating direct recycling pathways. The simple reaction condition offers a plausible entry point for RNA to the evolution of life on early Earth.

In this thesis, we utilize the formalism of open quantum systems, effective field theory methods and quantum field theory at finite temperature to describe the in-medium, out of equilibrium evolution of heavy quarks and their bound states. We calculate the nuclear modification factor and the elliptic flow of the Upsilon 1S, 2S and 3S states and compare against experimental measurements finding good agreement.

We present a new approach to measure the power-law temperature density relationship T=T0(ρ/ρ¯)γ−1 and the UV background photoionization rate ΓHI of the intergalactic medium (IGM) based on the Voigt profile decomposition of the Ly α forest into a set of discrete absorption lines with Doppler parameter b and the neutral hydrogen column density NHI. Previous work demonstrated that the shape of the b−NHI distribution is sensitive to the IGM thermal parameters T0 and γ, whereas our new inference algorithm also takes into account the normalization of the distribution, i.e. the line-density dN/dz, and we demonstrate that precise constraints can also be obtained on ΓHI. We use density-estimation likelihood-free inference (DELFI) to emulate the dependence of the b−NHI distribution on IGM parameters trained on an ensemble of 624 NYX hydrodynamical simulations at z = 0.1, which we combine with a Gaussian process emulator of the normalization. To demonstrate the efficacy of this approach, we generate hundreds of realizations of realistic mock HST/COS data sets, each comprising 34 quasar sightlines, and forward model the noise and resolution to match the real data. We use this large ensemble of mocks to extensively test our inference and empirically demonstrate that our posterior distributions are robust. Our analysis shows that by applying our new approach to existing Ly α forest spectra at z ≃ 0.1, one can measure the thermal and ionization state of the IGM with very high precision (σlogT0∼0.08 dex, σγ ~ 0.06, and σlogΓHI∼0.07 dex).

A multi-TeV muon collider offers a spectacular opportunity in the direct exploration of the energy frontier. Offering a combination of unprecedented energy collisions in a comparatively clean leptonic environment, a high energy muon collider has the unique potential to provide both precision measurements and the highest energy reach in one machine that cannot be paralleled by any currently available technology. The topic generated a lot of excitement in Snowmass meetings and continues to attract a large number of supporters, including many from the early career community. In light of this very strong interest within the US particle physics community, Snowmass Energy, Theory and Accelerator Frontiers created a cross-frontier Muon Collider Forum in November of 2020. The Forum has been meeting on a monthly basis and organized several topical workshops dedicated to physics, accelerator technology, and detector R&D. Findings of the Forum are summarized in this report.

We present an analysis of the kinematics of the Radcliffe Wave, a 2.7 kpc long sinusoidal band of molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood recently detected via 3D dust mapping. With Gaia DR2 astrometry and spectroscopy, we analyze the 3D space velocities of ~1500 young stars along the Radcliffe Wave in action-angle space, using the motion of the wave's newly born stars as a proxy for its gas motion. We find that the vertical angle of young stars-corresponding to their orbital phase perpendicular to the Galactic plane-varies significantly as a function of position along the structure, in a pattern potentially consistent with a wavelike oscillation. This kind of oscillation is not seen in a control sample of older stars from Gaia occupying the same volume, disfavoring formation channels caused by long-lived physical processes. We use a "wavy midplane" model to try to account for the trend in vertical angles seen in young stars, and find that while the best-fit parameters for the wave's spatial period and amplitude are qualitatively consistent with the existing morphology defined by 3D dust, there is no evidence for additional velocity structure. These results support more recent and/or transitory processes in the formation of the Radcliffe Wave, which would primarily affect the motion of the wave's gaseous material. Comparisons of our results with new and upcoming simulations, in conjunction with new stellar radial velocity measurements in Gaia DR3, should allow us to further discriminate between various competing hypotheses.

First-order cosmological phase transitions in the early Universe source sound waves and, subsequently, a background of stochastic gravitational waves. Currently, predictions of these gravitational waves rely heavily on simulations of a Higgs field coupled to the plasma of the early Universe, the former providing the latent heat of the phase transition. Numerically, this is a rather demanding task since several length scales enter the dynamics. From smallest to largest, these are the thickness of the Higgs interface separating the different phases, the shell thickness of the sound waves, and the average bubble size. In this work, we present an approach to perform Higgsless simulations in three dimensions, producing fully nonlinear results, while at the same time removing the hierarchically smallest scale from the lattice. This significantly reduces the complexity of the problem and contributes to making our approach highly efficient. We provide spectra for the produced gravitational waves for various choices of wall velocity and strength of the phase transition, as well as introduce a fitting function for the spectral shape.

Context. Recent observations found that observed cluster member galaxies are more compact than their counterparts in ΛCDM hydrodynamic simulations, as indicated by the difference in their strong gravitational lensing properties, and they reported that measured and simulated galaxy-galaxy strong lensing events on small scales are discrepant by one order of magnitude. Among the possible explanations for this discrepancy, some studies suggest that simulations with better resolution and implementing different schemes for galaxy formation could produce simulations that are in better agreement with the observations.
Aims: In this work, we aim to assess the impact of numerical resolution and of the implementation of energy input from AGN feedback models on the inner structure of cluster sub-haloes in hydrodynamic simulations.
Methods: We compared several zoom-in re-simulations of a sub-sample of cluster-sized haloes obtained by varying mass resolution and softening the length and AGN energy feedback scheme. We studied the impact of these different setups on the sub-halo (SH) abundances, their radial distribution, their density and mass profiles, and the relation between the maximum circular velocity, which is a proxy for SH compactness
Results: Regardless of the adopted numerical resolution and feedback model, SHs with masses of M_SH ≲ 10¹¹ h⁻¹ M_⊙, the most relevant mass range for galaxy-galaxy strong lensing, have maximum circular velocities ∼30% smaller than those measured from strong lensing observations. We also find that simulations with less effective AGN energy feedback produce massive SHs (M_SH ≳ 10¹¹ h⁻¹ M_⊙) with higher maximum circular velocity and that their V_max − M_SH relation approaches the observed one. However, the stellar-mass number count of these objects exceeds the one found in observations, and we find that the compactness of these simulated SHs is the result of an extremely over-efficient star formation in their cores, also leading to larger than observed SH stellar mass.
Conclusions: Regardless of the resolution and galaxy formation model adopted, simulations are unable to simultaneously reproduce the observed stellar masses and compactness (or maximum circular velocities) of cluster galaxies. Thus, the discrepancy between theory and observations that emerged previous works. It remains an open question as to whether such a discrepancy reflects limitations of the current implementation of galaxy formation models or the ΛCDM paradigm.

The dividing line between galaxies that are quenched by reionization ("relics") and galaxies that survive reionization (i.e. continue forming stars) is commonly discussed in terms of a halo mass threshold. We probe this threshold in a physically more complete and accurate way than has been possible to date, using five extremely high resolution ($M_\mathrm{target}=4M_\odot$) cosmological zoom-in simulations of dwarf galaxies within the halo mass range $1-4\times10^9M_\odot$. The employed LYRA simulation model features resolved interstellar medium physics and individual, resolved supernova explosions. In our results, we discover an interesting intermediate population of dwarf galaxies close to the threshold mass but which are neither full reionization relics nor full reionization survivors. These galaxies initially quench at the time of reionization but merely remain quiescent for ~500Myr. At $z\approx5$ they recommence star formation in a synchronous way, and remain star-forming until the present day. These results demonstrate that the halo mass at $z=0$ is not a good indicator of survival close to the threshold. While the star formation histories we find are diverse, we show that they are directly related to the ability of a given halo to retain and cool gas. Whereas the latter is most strongly dependent on the mass (or virial temperature) of the host halo at the time of reionization, it also depends on its growth history, the UV background (and its decrease at late times) and the amount of metals retained within the halo.

We present MUSE spectroscopy, Megacam imaging, and Chandra X-ray emission for SPT-CL J0307-6225, a z=0.58 major merging galaxy cluster with a large BCG-SZ centroid separation and a highly disturbed X-ray morphology. The galaxy density distribution shows two main overdensities with separations of 0.144 and 0.017 arcmin to their respective BCGs. We characterize the central regions of the two colliding structures, namely 0307-6225N and 0307-6225S, finding velocity derived masses of M_{200, N} = 2.44 ± 1.41 × 10¹⁴ M_⊙ and M_{200, S} = 3.16 ± 1.88 × 10¹⁴ M_⊙, with a line-of-sight velocity difference of |Δv| = 342 km s^-1. The total dynamically derived mass is consistent with the SZ derived mass of 7.63 h$_{70}^{-1}$ ± 1.36 × 10¹⁴ M_⊙. We model the merger using the Monte Carlo Merger Analysis Code, estimating a merging angle of 36$^{+14}_{-12}$ degrees with respect to the plane of the sky. Comparing with simulations of a merging system with a mass ratio of 1:3, we find that the best scenario is that of an ongoing merger that began 0.96$^{+0.31}_{-0.18}$ Gyr ago. We also characterize the galaxy population using Hδ and [OII] λ3727 Å lines. We find that most of the emission-line galaxies belong to 0307-6225S, close to the X-ray peak position, with a third of them corresponding to red-cluster sequence galaxies, and the rest to blue galaxies with velocities consistent with recent periods of accretion. Moreover, we suggest that 0307-6225S suffered a previous merger, evidenced through the two equally bright BCGs at the center with a velocity difference of ~674 km s^-1.

The emergence of functional oligonucleotides on early Earth required a molecular selection mechanism to screen for specific sequences with prebiotic functions. Cyclic processes such as daily temperature oscillations were ubiquitous in this environment and could trigger oligonucleotide phase separation. Here, we propose sequence selection based on phase separation cycles realized through sedimentation in a system subjected to the feeding of oligonucleotides. Using theory and experiments with DNA, we show sequence-specific enrichment in the sedimented dense phase, in particular of short 22-mer DNA sequences. The underlying mechanism selects for complementarity, as it enriches sequences that tightly interact in the condensed phase through base-pairing. Our mechanism also enables initially weakly biased pools to enhance their sequence bias or to replace the most abundant sequences as the cycles progress. Our findings provide an example of a selection mechanism that may have eased screening for the first auto-catalytic self-replicating oligonucleotides.

The Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect is a powerful tool in modern cosmology. With future observations promising ever improving SZ measurements, the relativistic corrections to the SZ signals from galaxy groups and clusters are increasingly relevant. As such, it is important to understand the differences between three temperature measures: (a) the average relativistic SZ (rSZ) temperature, (b) the mass-weighted temperature relevant for the thermal SZ (tSZ) effect, and (c) the X-ray spectroscopic temperature. In this work, we compare these cluster temperatures, as predicted by the BAHAMAS & MACSIS, ILLUSTRISTNG, MAGNETICUM, and THE THREE HUNDRED PROJECT simulations. Despite the wide range of simulation parameters, we find the SZ temperatures are consistent across the simulations. We estimate a $\simeq 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ level correction from rSZ to clusters with Y ≃ 10^-4 Mpc^-2. Our analysis confirms a systematic offset between the three temperature measures; with the rSZ temperature $\simeq 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ larger than the other measures, and diverging further at higher redshifts. We demonstrate that these measures depart from simple self-similar evolution and explore how they vary with the defined radius of haloes. We investigate how different feedback prescriptions and resolutions affect the observed temperatures, and discover the SZ temperatures are rather insensitive to these details. The agreement between simulations indicates an exciting avenue for observational and theoretical exploration, determining the extent of relativistic SZ corrections. We provide multiple simulation-based fits to the scaling relations for use in future SZ modelling.

We study the allowed parameter space of the scalar sector in the superweak extension of the standard model (SM). The allowed region is defined by the following conditions: (i) stability of the vacuum, (ii) perturbativity up to the Planck scale, and (iii) the pole mass of the Higgs boson falling into its experimentally measured range. We employ renormalization group equations and quantum corrections at two-loop accuracy. We study the dependence on the Yukawa couplings of the sterile neutrinos at selected values. We also check the exclusion limit set by the precise measurement of the mass of the W boson. Our method for constraining the parameter space using two-loop predictions can also be applied to simpler models such as the singlet scalar extension of the SM in a straightforward way.

We explore the effective field theory of a vector field X^μ that has a Stückelberg mass. The absence of a gauge symmetry for X^μ implies Lorentz-invariant operators are constructed directly from X^μ. Beyond the kinetic and mass terms, allowed interactions at the renormalizable level include X_μX^μH^†H , (X_μX^μ)², and X_μj^μ, where j^μ is a global current of the SM or of a hidden sector. We show that all of these interactions lead to scattering amplitudes that grow with powers of √{s }/m_X, except for the case of X_μj^μ where j^μ is a nonanomalous global current. The latter is well known when X is identified as a dark photon coupled to the electromagnetic current, often written equivalently as kinetic mixing between X and the photon. The power counting for the energy growth of the scattering amplitudes is facilitated by isolating the longitudinal enhancement. We examine in detail the interaction with an anomalous global vector current X_μj_anom^μ, carefully isolating the finite contribution to the fermion triangle diagram. We calculate the longitudinally-enhanced observables Z →X γ (when m_X<m_Z), f f ¯→X γ , and Z γ →Z γ when X couples to the baryon number current. Introducing a "fake" gauge-invariance by writing X^μ=A^μ-∂^μπ /m_X, the would-be gauge anomaly associated with A_μj_anom^μ is canceled by j_anom^μ∂_μπ /m_X; this is the four-dimensional Green-Schwarz anomaly-cancellation mechanism at work. Our analysis demonstrates there is a much larger set of possible interactions that an EFT with a Stückelberg vector field can have, revealing scattering amplitudes that grow with energy. The growth of these amplitudes can be tamed by a dark Higgs sector, but this requires dark Higgs boson interactions (and reintroduces fine-tuning in the dark Higgs sector) that can be separated from X interactions only in the limit g ≪1 .

The impact of axion-like particles on the light polarization around the horizon of suppermassive black hole (SMBH) is discussed in the light of the latest polarization measurement of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). We investigate different sources of the polarization due to axion interaction with photons and the magnetic field of SMBH. These can modify the linear and circular polarization parameters of the emitted light. We have shown that a significant circular polarization can be produced via the photon scattering from the background magnetic field with axions as off-shell particles. This can further constrain the parameter space of ultralight axion-like particles and their couplings with photons. The future precise measurements of circular polarization can probe the features of ultralight axions in the near vicinity of SMBH.

While primordial black holes (PBHs) with masses M_PBH≳10^-11 M_⊙ cannot comprise the entirety of dark matter, the existence of even a small population of these objects can have profound astrophysical consequences. A subdominant population of PBHs will efficiently accrete dark matter particles before matter-radiation equality, giving rise to high-density dark matter spikes. We consider here the scenario in which dark matter is comprised primarily of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with a small subdominant contribution coming from PBHs, and revisit the constraints on the annihilation of WIMPs in these spikes using observations of the isotropic gamma-ray background (IGRB) and the cosmic microwave background (CMB), for a range of WIMP masses, annihilation channels, cross sections, and PBH mass functions. We find that the constraints derived using the IGRB have been significantly overestimated (in some cases by many orders of magnitude), and that limits obtained using observations of the CMB are typically stronger than, or comparable to, those coming from the IGRB. Importantly, we show that ∼O (M_⊙) PBHs can still contribute significantly to the dark matter density for sufficiently low WIMP masses and p-wave annihilation cross sections.

Context. The Gl 486 system consists of a very nearby, relatively bright, weakly active M3.5 V star at just 8 pc with a warm transiting rocky planet of about 1.3 R_⊕ and 3.0 M_⊕. It is ideal for both transmission and emission spectroscopy and for testing interior models of telluric planets.
Aims: To prepare for future studies, we aim to thoroughly characterise the planetary system with new accurate and precise data collected with state-of-the-art photometers from space and spectrometers and interferometers from the ground.
Methods: We collected light curves of seven new transits observed with the CHEOPS space mission and new radial velocities obtained with MAROON-X at the 8.1 m Gemini North telescope and CARMENES at the 3.5 m Calar Alto telescope, together with previously published spectroscopic and photometric data from the two spectrographs and TESS. We also performed near-infrared interferometric observations with the CHARA Array and new photometric monitoring with a suite of smaller telescopes (AstroLAB, LCOGT, OSN, TJO). This extraordinary and rich data set was the input for our comprehensive analysis.
Results: From interferometry, we measure a limb-darkened disc angular size of the star Gl 486 at θ_LDD = 0.390 ± 0.018 mas. Together with a corrected Gaia EDR3 parallax, we obtain a stellar radius R_* = 0.339 ± 0.015 R_⊕. We also measure a stellar rotation period at P_rot = 49.9 ± 5.5 days, an upper limit to its XUV (5-920 A) flux informed by new Hubble/STIS data, and, for the first time, a variety of element abundances (Fe, Mg, Si, V, Sr, Zr, Rb) and C/O ratio. Moreover, we imposed restrictive constraints on the presence of additional components, either stellar or sub-stellar, in the system. With the input stellar parameters and the radial-velocity and transit data, we determine the radius and mass of the planet Gl 486 b at R_p = 1.343_−0.062^+0.063 R_⊕ and M_p = 3.00_−0.12^+0.13 M_⊕, with relative uncertainties of the planet radius and mass of 4.7% and 4.2%, respectively. From the planet parameters and the stellar element abundances, we infer the most probable models of planet internal structure and composition, which are consistent with a relatively small metallic core with respect to the Earth, a deep silicate mantle, and a thin volatile upper layer. With all these ingredients, we outline prospects for Gl 486 b atmospheric studies, especially with forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) observations.

The observed pattern of linear polarization of the cosmic microwave background photons is a sensitive probe of physics violating parity symmetry under inversion of spatial coordinates. A new parity-violating interaction might have rotated the plane of linear polarization by an angle β as the cosmic microwave background photons have been traveling for more than 13 billion years. This effect is known as "cosmic birefringence." In this paper, we present new measurements of cosmic birefringence from a joint analysis of polarization data from two space missions, P l a n c k and WMAP. This dataset covers a wide range of frequencies from 23 to 353 GHz. We measure β =0.342 °_-0.091^{° +0.094 °} [68% confidence level (CL)] for nearly full-sky data, which excludes β =0 at 99.987% CL. This corresponds to the statistical significance of 3.6 σ . There is no evidence for frequency dependence of β . We find a similar result, albeit with a larger uncertainty, when removing the Galactic plane from the analysis.

The flux of high energy neutrinos and photons produced in a blazar could get attenuated when they propagate through the dark matter spike around the central black hole and the halo of the host galaxy. Using the observation by IceCube of a few high-energy neutrino events from TXS 0506+056, and their coincident gamma ray events, we obtain new constraints on the dark matter-neutrino and dark matter-photon scattering cross sections. Our constraints are orders of magnitude more stringent than those derived from considering the attenuation through the intergalactic medium and the Milky Way dark matter halo. When the cross-section increases with energy, our constraints are also stronger than those derived from the CMB and large-scale structure.

Shape measurements of galaxies and galaxy clusters are widespread in the analysis of cosmological simulations. But the limitations of those measurements have been poorly investigated. In this paper, we explain why the quality of the shape measurement does not only depend on the numerical resolution, but also on the density gradient. In particular, this can limit the quality of measurements in the central regions of haloes. We propose a criterion to estimate the sensitivity of the measured shapes based on the density gradient of the halo and apply it to cosmological simulations of collisionless and self-interacting dark matter. By this, we demonstrate where reliable measurements of the halo shape are possible and how cored density profiles limit their applicability.

We study the effect of magnification in the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 analysis of galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing, using two different lens samples: a sample of Luminous red galaxies, redMaGiC, and a sample with a redshift-dependent magnitude limit, MagLim. We account for the effect of magnification on both the flux and size selection of galaxies, accounting for systematic effects using the Balrog image simulations. We estimate the impact of magnification on the galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing cosmology analysis, finding it to be a significant systematic for the MagLim sample. We show cosmological constraints from the galaxy clustering auto-correlation and galaxy-galaxy lensing signal with different magnifications priors, finding broad consistency in cosmological parameters in $\Lambda$CDM and $w$CDM. However, when magnification bias amplitude is allowed to be free, we find the two-point correlations functions prefer a different amplitude to the fiducial input derived from the image simulations. We validate the magnification analysis by comparing the cross-clustering between lens bins with the prediction from the baseline analysis, which uses only the auto-correlation of the lens bins, indicating systematics other than magnification may be the cause of the discrepancy. We show adding the cross-clustering between lens redshift bins to the fit significantly improves the constraints on lens magnification parameters and allows uninformative priors to be used on magnification coefficients, without any loss of constraining power or prior volume concerns.

Puffy disc is a numerical model, expected to capture the properties of the accretion flow in X-ray black hole binaries in the luminous, mildly sub-Eddington state. We fit the kerrbb and kynbb spectral models in XSPEC to synthetic spectra of puffy accretion discs, obtained in general relativistic radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations, to see if they correctly recover the black hole spin and mass accretion rate assumed in the numerical simulation. We conclude that neither of the two models is capable of correctly interpreting the puffy disc parameters, which highlights a necessity to develop new, more accurate, spectral models for the luminous regime of accretion in X-ray black hole binaries. We propose that such spectral models should be based on the results of numerical simulations of accretion.

We provide improved Standard Model theory predictions for the exclusive rare semimuonic processes B → K^(*)μ⁺μ⁻ and B_s → ϕμ⁺μ⁻. Our results are based on a novel parametrization of the non-local form factors, which manifestly respects a recently developed dispersive bound. We critically compare our predictions to those obtained in the framework of QCD factorization. Our predictions provide, for the first time, parametric estimates of the systematic uncertainties due to non-local contributions. Comparing our predictions within the Standard Model to available experimental data, we find a large tension for B → Kμ⁺μ⁻. A simple model-independent analysis of potential effects beyond the Standard Model yields results compatible with other approaches, albeit with larger uncertainties for the B → K^*μ⁺μ⁻ and B_s → ϕμ⁺μ⁻ decays. Our approach yields systematically improvable predictions, and we look forward to its application in further analyses beyond the Standard Model.

In this work we report the realization of the first low-threshold cryogenic detector that uses diamond as absorber for astroparticle physics applications. We tested two 0.175 g CVD diamond samples, each instrumented with a W-TES. The sensors showed transitions at about 25 mK. We present the performance of the diamond detectors and we highlight the best performing one, where we obtained an energy threshold as low as 16.8 eV. This promising result lays the foundation for the use of diamond for different fields of applications where low threshold and excellent energy resolution are required, as i.e. light dark matter searches and BSM physics with coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering.

In the context of false vacuum decay at zero temperature, it is well known that bubbles expand with uniform acceleration in the rest frame of nucleation. We show that this uniformly accelerating expansion suffers from an instability. This can be observed as a tachyonic mode in the spectrum of fluctuations for the energy functional in the reference frame in which the uniformly accelerating bubble wall appears static. In such a frame, arbitrary small perturbations cause an amplifying departure from the static wall solution. This implies that the nucleated bubble is not a critical point of the energy functional in the rest frame of nucleation but becomes one in the accelerating frame. The aforementioned instability for vacuum bubbles can be related to the well-known instability for the nucleated critical static bubbles during finite-temperature phase transitions in the rest frame of the plasma. It is proposed that zero-temperature vacuum decays as seen from accelerating frames have a dual description in terms of finite-temperature phase transitions.

Nuclear weak decays provide important probes to fundamental symmetries in nature. A precise description of these processes in atomic nuclei requires comprehensive knowledge on both the strong and weak interactions in the nuclear medium and on the dynamics of quantum many-body systems. In particular, an observation of the hypothetical double beta decay without emission of neutrinos (0 νββ) would unambiguously demonstrate the Majorana nature of neutrinos and the existence of the lepton-number-violation process. It would also provide unique information on the ordering and absolute scale of neutrino masses. The next-generation tonne-scale experiments with sensitivity up to 10²⁸ years after a few years of running will probably provide a definite answer to these fundamental questions based on our current knowledge on the nuclear matrix element (NME), the precise determination of which is a challenge to nuclear theory. Beyond-mean-field approaches have been frequently adapted for the study of nuclear structure and decay throughout the nuclear chart for several decades. In this review, we summarize the status of beyond-mean-field calculations of the NMEs of 0 νββ decay assuming the standard mechanism of an exchange of light Majorana neutrinos. The challenges and prospects in the extension and application of beyond-mean-field approaches for 0 νββ decay are discussed.

We study the evolution of dust in a cosmological volume using a hydrodynamical simulation in which the dust production is coupled with the MUPPI (MUlti Phase Particle Integrator) sub-resolution model of star formation and feedback. As for the latter, we keep as reference the model setup calibrated previously to match the general properties of Milky Way-like galaxies in zoom-in simulations. However, we suggest that an increase of the star formation efficiency with the local dust-to-gas ratio would better reproduce the observed evolution of the cosmic star formation density. Moreover, the paucity of quenched galaxies at low redshift demands a stronger role of active galactic nucleus feedback. We tune the parameters ruling direct dust production from evolved stars and accretion in the interstellar medium to get scaling relations involving dust, stellar mass and metallicity in good agreement with observations. In low-mass galaxies, the accretion process is inefficient. As a consequence, they remain poorer in silicate and small grains than higher mass ones. We reproduce reasonably well the few available data on the radial distribution of dust outside the galactic region, supporting the assumption that the dust and gas dynamics are well coupled at galactic scales.

To use strong gravitational lenses as an astrophysical or cosmological probe, models of their mass distributions are often needed. We present a new, time-efficient automation code for uniform modeling of strongly lensed quasars with GLEE, a lens modeling software, for high-resolution multi-band data. By using the observed positions of the lensed quasars and the spatially extended surface brightness distribution of the lensed quasar host galaxy, we obtain a model of the mass distribution of the lens galaxy. We apply this uniform modeling pipeline to a sample of nine strongly lensed quasars with HST WFC 3 images. The models show in most cases well reconstructed light components and a good alignment between mass and light centroids. We find that the automated modeling code significantly reduces the user input time during the modeling process. The preparation time of required input files is reduced significantly. This automated modeling pipeline can efficiently produce uniform models of extensive lens system samples which can be used for further cosmological analysis. A blind test through a comparison with the results of an independent automated modeling pipeline based on the modeling software Lenstronomy reveals important lessons. Quantities such as Einstein radius, astrometry, mass flattening and position angle are generally robustly determined. Other quantities depend crucially on the quality of the data and the accuracy of the PSF reconstruction. Better data and/or more detailed analysis will be necessary to elevate our automated models to cosmography grade. Nevertheless, our pipeline enables the quick selection of lenses for follow-up monitoring and further modeling, significantly speeding up the construction of cosmography-grade models. This is an important step forward to take advantage of the orders of magnitude increase in the number of lenses expected in the coming decade.

We present a photometric analysis of star and star cluster (SC) formation in a high-resolution simulation of a dwarf galaxy starburst that allows the formation of individual stars to be followed. Previous work demonstrated that the properties of the SCs formed in the simulation are in good agreement with observations. In this paper, we create mock spectral energy distributions and broad-band photometric images using the radiative transfer code SKIRT 9. We test several observational star formation rate (SFR) tracers and find that 24 $\mu$m, total infrared and Hα trace the underlying SFR during the (post)starburst phase, while UV tracers yield a more accurate picture of star formation during quiescent phases prior to and after the merger. We then place the simulated galaxy at distances of 10 and 50 Mpc and use aperture photometry at Hubble Space Telescope resolution to analyse the simulated SC population. During the starburst phase, a hierarchically forming set of SCs leads inaccurate source separation because of crowding. This results in estimated SC mass function slopes that are up to ~0.3 shallower than the true slope of ~-1.9 to -2 found for the bound clusters identified from the particle data in the simulation. The masses of the largest clusters are overestimated by a factor of up to 2.9 due to unresolved clusters within the apertures. The aperture-based analysis also produces a relation between cluster formation efficiency and SFR surface density that is slightly flatter than that recovered from bound clusters. The differences are strongest in quiescent SF environments.

We present extended Lyα emission out to 800 kpc of 1034 [O III]-selected galaxies at redshifts 1.9 < z < 2.35 using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment. The locations and redshifts of the galaxies are taken from the 3D-HST survey. The median-stacked surface brightness profile of the Lyα emission of the [O III]-selected galaxies agrees well with that of 968 bright Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at r > 40 kpc from the galaxy centers. The surface brightness in the inner parts (r < 10 kpc) around the [O III]-selected galaxies, however, is 10 times fainter than that of the LAEs. Our results are consistent with the notion that photons dominating the outer regions of the Lyα halos are not produced in the central galaxies but originate outside of them.

We present [C II] synthetic observations of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of a dwarf galaxy merger. The merging process varies the star formation rate (SFR) by more than three orders of magnitude. Several star clusters are formed, the feedback of which disperses and unbinds the dense gas through expanding H II regions and supernova (SN) explosions. For galaxies with properties similar to the modeled ones, we find that the [C II] emission remains optically thin throughout the merging process. We identify the warm neutral medium ( $3\lt \mathrm{log}{T}_{\mathrm{gas}}\lt 4$ with χ _HI > 2χ _H2) to be the primary source of [C II] emission (~58% contribution), although at stages when the H II regions are young and dense (during star cluster formation or SNe in the form of ionized bubbles), they can contribute ≳50% to the total [C II] emission. We find that the [C II]/far-IR (FIR) ratio decreases owing to thermal saturation of the [C II] emission caused by strong far-UV radiation fields emitted by the massive star clusters, leading to a [C II] deficit medium. We investigate the [C II]-SFR relation and find an approximately linear correlation that agrees well with observations, particularly those from the Dwarf Galaxy Survey. Our simulation reproduces the observed trends of [C II]/FIR versus Σ_SFR and Σ_FIR, and it agrees well with the Kennicutt relation of SFR-FIR luminosity. We propose that local peaks of [C II] in resolved observations may provide evidence for ongoing massive cluster formation.