Exomoons around free-floating planets (FFPs) can survive their host planet's ejection. Such ejections can increase their orbital eccentricity, providing significant tidal heating in the absence of any stellar energy source. Previous studies suggested that liquid water could exist on such moons under thick CO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_2$</tex-math></inline-formula>-dominated atmospheres, but these models faced challenges with CO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_2$</tex-math></inline-formula> condensation and atmospheric collapse, particularly in the high-pressure regimes that favoured long-term habitability. To address this, we employ a self-consistent model, including radiative transfer and equilibrium chemistry with condensation, to simulate a more stable hydrogen-dominated atmosphere for a range of initial chemical compositions, including C, O, and N. We find that such atmospheres can effectively trap heat via collision-induced absorption of H<inline-formula><tex-math>$_2$</tex-math></inline-formula>, maintaining surface temperatures suitable for liquid water for time-scales of up to 4.3 Gyr, depending on the surface pressure, while not prone to condensation-induced collapse. Wet-dry cycling caused by the strong tides together with the alkalinity of dissolved NH<inline-formula><tex-math>$_3$</tex-math></inline-formula> could create favourable conditions for RNA polymerization and thus support the emergence of life.

We obtain 3D distributions of CO and SiO molecules from high spatial resolution (0.03─0.06 arcsec) Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of SN 1987A at two different epochs. The evolution between these two epochs is consistent with homologous expansion. From these 3D maps, we reconstruct the 3D mass distributions of the ejecta in CO and SiO molecules, which we compare with those obtained by state-of-the-art, long-time hydrodynamical supernova explosion models computed with the PROMETHEUS-HOTB code for 10 different progenitors, including both red and blue supergiants. The models which best match the mass distributions correspond to explosions of binary-merger blue supergiant progenitors; at least two such models approximately reproduce the observed CO morphology. In contrast, the SiO velocity distribution and morphology are not as well reproduced in these models, indicating insufficient mixing of Si into the outer layers already at the progenitor stage. The theoretical models suggest a strong correlation between the centre of mass of the densest carbon- and oxygen-rich ejecta and the direction of the neutron-star kick. If such a correlation also applies to the CO emission in the ejecta of SN 1987A, the kick of the compact remnant is expected to point towards the observer, at an angle of approximately <inline-formula><tex-math>$45^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> to the north.

We use high-resolution UV-to-optical imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to construct spatially resolved spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for seven nearby (z < 0.07) hard (14─195 keV) X-ray-selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGN) with L_bol = 10^43.26─10^45.34 erg s⁻¹. The high spatial resolution of HST, which physically resolves structures on the scale of ∼50 pc at z = 0.05, enables the separation of AGN and host-galaxy emission through morphological decomposition with GALFIT, yielding improved measurements of AGN properties compared to those obtained with lower-resolution Swift UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) data. AGN UV magnitudes derived from HST imaging (e.g., F225W) can differ by more than a magnitude from those from Swift/UVOT UVM2 due to extended nuclear emission. Additionally, the inclusion of high-resolution data at longer wavelengths (e.g., F814W) can significantly affect the resulting SED fit. Comparing fits of accretion disk and extinction models using HST and Swift/UVOT data, we find significant differences in the resulting parameters, with average differences of 2.0 eV in the maximum disk temperature and 2.2 mag in the AGN host-galaxy extinction. These differences ultimately lead to significant changes in bolometric luminosities and X-ray bolometric corrections, with the HST-based fits yielding average increases of ∼0.57 dex and ∼0.66 dex, respectively. This demonstrates host-galaxy contamination in unresolved UV─optical data can strongly bias SED-based estimates of disk temperatures, extinction, bolometric luminosities, and X-ray bolometric corrections in AGN. Large-area, high-resolution imaging surveys from Euclid and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will extend these techniques to much larger AGN samples, enabling uniform, high-precision SED measurements in the near-IR.

To measure precise distances beyond the Magellanic Clouds and determine an accurate value of the Hubble constant, eclipsing binary systems composed of early-type stars can play a crucial role. However, it is fundamental to first obtain a reliable empirical surface brightness─color relation (SBCR) for the hottest possible stars. Based on our previous study of six detached eclipsing binaries composed of O- and B-type stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we calibrated the SBCR using 12 stars with V − K_s < ─0.6 mag. We found a significant difference between O-type and B-type stars in SBCRs, which are clearly separated in mass. The relation based on B-type stars is consistent with the relation for redder stars from the literature. This allowed us to provide a combined relation valid for stars less massive than ∼16 M_⊙in the wide color range −0.9 < V − K_s < 2.1 mag, with σ = 0.025 mag. Such a relation can provide extragalactic distances precise to as high as ∼1.2% given the sufficient quality and number of target objects. The relation for O-type stars (σ = 0.055 mag) remains uncertain due to its strong dependence on the method used to determine reddening and requires further study. However, we tested it on the only known eclipsing system in M33 and obtained distance modulus DM = 24.90 ± 0.17 mag, which perfectly agrees with the published distance to the system.

Changing-look active galactic nuclei (CL-AGNs) exhibit dramatic spectral variability on unexpectedly short timescales, challenging standard accretion flow models. Despite growing samples, the physical drivers of this extreme variability, and the potential link to host-galaxy properties, remain unknown. Regardless of the underlying mechanism, the transition between AGN-dominated and host-dominated spectra offers a unique opportunity to study relations between AGNs and their hosts within the same objects. We present intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of 23 CL-AGNs identified by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V (SDSS-V), obtained with the Very Large Telescope/X-shooter and Gemini-N/GMOS. An analysis of the Mg II λ2798 emission line observed in the spectra demonstrates that the majority of these sources cannot be driven by variable obscuration. Our CL-AGNs roughly follow the M_BH─σ_* and M_BH─M_* relations of inactive galaxies, with a median black hole-to-stellar mass ratio of 0.38 %. We find no evidence that the stellar population properties of our CL-AGNs, including stellar mass, age, young stellar fraction, and star formation rate, differ from those of type 2 AGNs in SDSS. These results suggest that CL-AGNs reside in typical AGN host galaxies and that their extreme variability is likely unrelated to host-galaxy environment, supporting the idea that CL-AGNs are not a distinct population, but rather represent a phase of normal AGN activity. This result, in turn, implies that CL-AGNs can serve as useful probes of the AGN-host connection, providing access to both AGN-dominated and host-dominated spectra of the same systems.

HD 98800 is a nearby hierarchical quadruple system comprising two binaries orbiting each other. Surprisingly, despite its <inline-formula><tex-math>$\sim 10$</tex-math></inline-formula> Myr age and dynamic environment, the Ba-Bb component is surrounded by a compact gas-rich disc in a polar configuration. Previous millimetre continuum observations of this disc found a low millimetre spectral index (<inline-formula><tex-math>$\alpha \sim 2.1$</tex-math></inline-formula> up to 9 mm), potentially arising from large dust grains, optically thick emission, or both. Furthermore, the interpretation was complicated by emission mechanisms other than dust thermal continuum at longer wavelengths. We present new observations of this system with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 6.8 mm and 3 cm, providing crucial additional sampling of the emission at millimetre/centimetre wavelengths. By combining these with ancillary data, we derive a dust spectral index <inline-formula><tex-math>$\alpha _{\rm dust} \lt 3$</tex-math></inline-formula> for wavelengths <inline-formula><tex-math>$\le 1$</tex-math></inline-formula> cm. Our modelling suggests that the emission is optically thick at short millimetre wavelengths (<inline-formula><tex-math>$\lambda \le 3$</tex-math></inline-formula> mm) and it becomes at least partially optically thin for the VLA observations. The shallow spectral index thus indicates the existence of large grains in the disc. We also identify gyro-synchrotron emission from the A and B components at <inline-formula><tex-math>$\lambda \gtrsim$</tex-math></inline-formula>3 cm. The VLA images also reveal an azimuthal asymmetry at 6.8 and 8.8 mm, which is not present in high-resolution ALMA 1.3 mm data. After ruling out geometric and illumination effects, we interpret this asymmetry as a local dust overdensity, possibly induced by a vortex or a relic of the previous passage of the A component.

QCD axions would be copiously produced in the protoneutron star formed in a core-collapse supernova (SN). After escaping, they would convert into gamma rays in the Galactic magnetic field and, as recently shown, in that of the progenitor star itself. Here, we show that Type Ibc SNe—whose progenitors have lost their hydrogen or even helium envelopes—are the optimal targets for this search. The stripped progenitors are much more compact, and they show larger magnetic fields than both red and blue supergiants, the progenitors of Type IIP/L SNe. If the next galactic SN is of Type Ibc, Fermi-LAT or a similar gamma-ray satellite might be able to discover the QCD axion down to masses as small as <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>m</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>a</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>≃</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mn>10</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>eV</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> (Peccei-Quinn scale <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>f</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>a</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>≃</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mn>10</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>11</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>GeV</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>).

The most massive galaxies in the Universe also host the largest supermassive black holes (SMBHs), with masses of <inline-formula><tex-math>$10^9 \: \mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and above. During their hierarchical assembly, these galaxies have experienced only a few major mergers at low redshift, but have accreted many low-mass galaxies across cosmic time, possibly hosting intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs). If some of these IMBHs migrate to the galactic centre, they may form compact sub-systems around the central SMBH. We investigate the evolution of such sub-systems, consisting of 10 <inline-formula><tex-math>$10^5 \: \mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> IMBHs at three different concentrations around a <inline-formula><tex-math>$10^9 \: \mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> SMBH. We evolve these systems both in isolation and in the presence of a companion SMBH, using MSTAR, a regularized integration method including relativistic effects up to post-Newtonian order 3.5PN. Our analysis focuses on gravitational-wave-driven intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (heavy IMRIs) and direct plunges. We show that perturbations from a secondary SMBH enhance the number of IMBH direct plunges by more than a factor of 2, making them the dominant merger channel. These plunges and IMRIs with a central <inline-formula><tex-math>$10^9 \: \mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> SMBH will contribute to SMBH growth but will likely evade detection with future gravitational-wave interferometers and pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). However, for galaxies with lower-mass SMBHs (<inline-formula><tex-math>$M_\bullet \lesssim 10^8 \:\mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$</tex-math></inline-formula>), heavy IMRIs will be detectable with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and can provide direct observational constraints on the existence of IMBHs, while the more numerous plunges will still remain hidden.

Advancing the limits of molecular characterization is essential in astrochemistry to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the formation and evolution of organic matter during the early stages of the Solar system. In this work, we employed a multimodal ionization approach to extend the description of the organic diversity present in residues formed during the VUV (Vacuum Ultra Violet) processing of interstellar ices analogues composed of H₂O-CH₃OH-NH₃ mixtures. The soluble organic fraction was extracted with methanol and analysed with high-resolution FT-ICR (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry), using electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), both in positive and negative modes. About 15 000 distinct molecular formulas were detected, enhancing the characterization of such samples from a factor of three. While ESI offered the most comprehensive molecular coverage, detecting CHO, CHN, and CHNO species, APPI in positive mode revealed additional, previously undetected compounds. These newly observed assignments were mainly heteroatom-poor and unsaturated molecules, including low-oxidized and aromatic CHO structures, as well as CHN molecular formulas consistent with N-heterocyclic features. In contrast, APPI (−) proved to be limited for characterizing these samples. On average, the residue exhibits typical characteristics: H/C = 1.68; O/C = 0.33; N/C = 0.31; m/z 419.76046; formula = C₁₉H₃₁N₅O₅; double bond equivalent (DBE) = 7; and aromaticity equivalent (X_c) = 1.93. Present multimodal ionization approach provides new insights into the chemical diversity of soluble organic matter analogues and highlights the complementary strengths and limitations of each ionization mode, thereby contributing to enhance our understanding of the organic diversity observed in astrophysical environments.

To measure precise distances beyond the Magellanic Clouds and determine an accurate value of the Hubble constant, eclipsing binary systems composed of early-type stars can play a crucial role. However, it is fundamental to first obtain a reliable empirical surface brightness-color relation (SBCR) for the hottest possible stars. Based on our previous study of six detached eclipsing binaries composed of O- and B-type stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we calibrated the SBCR using 12 stars with $V-K_{s} < -0.6$ mag. We found a significant difference between O-type and B-type stars in SBCRs, which are clearly separated in mass. The relation based on B-type stars is consistent with the relation for redder stars from the literature. This allowed us to provide a combined relation valid for stars less massive than $\sim 16\,M_\odot$ in the wide color range $-0.9 < V-K_{s} < 2.1$ mag, with $σ= 0.025$ mag. Such a relation can provide extragalactic distances precise to as high as $\sim$1.2% given the sufficient quality and number of target objects. The relation for O-type stars ($σ= 0.055$ mag) remains uncertain due to its strong dependence on the method used to determine reddening and requires further study. However, we tested it on the only known eclipsing system in M33, and obtained distance modulus DM=$24.90 \pm 0.17 $ mag, which perfectly agrees with the published distance to the system.

We embed the perturbative Fock state of the Yang-Mills BV-multiplet in the vertex operator algebra of the path-integral for the \mathcal{N}=2𝒩=2 supersymmetric world line and evaluate the pull-back of the latter to an integral form on supermoduli space. Choosing a suitable Poincaré dual on the latter, we show that this integral form describes an extension of Yang-Mills theory. Upon projection back to the Fock space, we recover the Yang-Mills action from the world line. This furthermore gives an a priori justification for the construction of Yang-Mills equations of motion as emerging from deformations of the BRST differential.

We investigate electroweak baryogenesis from domain walls with electroweak-symmetric cores moving through the electroweak-broken plasma. In the thick-wall regime, CP-violating semiclassical forces generate chiral asymmetries that source baryon number through transport and weak sphaleron processes. We show that the baryon yield is governed by the hierarchy between the wall width, the CP-violating source width, and the diffusion length, and we identify the corresponding scaling behavior in the relevant parametric limits. A distinctive feature of this mechanism is the interference between the two faces of the domain wall, which leads to qualitatively different behavior for CP-violating sources that are even or odd under wall-orientation reversal. We construct a simplified description that captures these effects and reproduces the predictions of the full transport system in a broad range of parameter space. Applying our framework to a singlet-extended Standard Model, we delineate the region in which electroweak-symmetric domain walls can generate the observed baryon asymmetry.

The impact of open-flavor thresholds on the quarkonium spectrum has been a subject of study since the introduction of the Cornell potential and has been quantified through various phenomenological approaches, most notably the $^3P_0$ model. We revisit this problem using the Born--Oppenheimer effective field theory (BOEFT), an effective field theory systematically derived from QCD by exploiting hierarchies of energy scales and symmetries. Within the BOEFT, open-flavor threshold effects emerge from the mixing between quarkonium and tetraquark static potentials sharing the same Born--Oppenheimer quantum numbers. The shapes of the static potentials are constrained by lattice QCD calculations. Furthermore, we account for the distinctive behavior of the BOEFT tetraquark static potentials at short and large distances: at short distances they are repulsive, reflecting the color-octet configuration of the heavy quark-antiquark pair, while at large distances they asymptotically approach heavy-light meson-antimeson thresholds. To quantify threshold effects on the quarkonium spectrum below threshold, we solve a set of coupled Schrödinger equations dictated by the BOEFT, whose only free parameter, the adjoint meson mass, is fixed to the mass of the $χ_{c1}(3872)$ state. These coupled equations are solved both in the spin-isospin averaged threshold limit and, for the first time, including the spin splittings of the physical thresholds. We validate our results by computing the same threshold effects as self-energy corrections to the quarkonium propagator. We compare our predictions with existing experimental data and previous literature. Finally, we provide a field-theoretical interpretation of the pair-creation constant $γ$ appearing in the $^3P_0$ model.

The large N analysis of QCD states that the potential for the η' meson develops cusps at η' = π/N_f, 3π/N_f, ⋯ , with N_f the number of flavors. Furthermore, the recent discussion of generalized anomalies tells us that even for finite N there should be cusps if N and N_f are not coprime, as one can show that the domain wall configuration of η' should support a Chern-Simons theory on it, i.e., domains are not smoothly connected. On the other hand, there is a supporting argument for instanton-like, smooth potentials of η' from the analyses of softly-broken supersymmetric QCD for N_f = N − 1, N, and N + 1. We argue that the analysis of the N_f = N case should be subject to the above anomaly argument, and thus there should be a cusp; while the N_f = N ± 1 cases are consistent, as N_f and N are coprime. We discuss how this cuspy/smooth transition can be understood. For N_f < N, we find that the number of branches of the η' potential is gcd(N, N_f), which is the minimum number allowed by the anomaly. We also discuss the condition for s-confinement in QCD-like theories, and find that in general the anomaly matching of the θ periodicity indicates that s-confinement can only be possible when N_f and N are coprime. The s-confinement in supersymmetric QCD at N_f = N + 1 is a famous example, and the argument generalizes for any number of fermions in the adjoint representation.

We study the approach to equilibrium of bottomonium in the quark-gluon plasma within the open quantum system framework. We perform large-scale simulations of the long-time behavior in three dimensions using the quantum trajectory method to observe the emergence of steady states and determine the timescale of thermalization in position-, angular-momentum-, and color-space. We find that the thermalization timescale increases with decreasing temperature and decreasing coupling to the medium, which is given by transport coefficients of the medium. Additionally, we observe that the steady states exhibit small corrections to the Gibbs state due to medium interactions and show that these corrections diminish for weaker medium coupling and higher temperature. At a temperature of 450 MeV, quarkonium relaxes to a state that is approximately thermal, with the most significant correction being a smaller overlap of the 1S state with respect to the Gibbs state. We compare these findings with the master equation obtained at leading order in the expansion of the binding energy over the temperature, which we find to have a trivial steady state.

The dilaton, a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) of broken scale invariance, is an appealing ultralight dark matter (DM) candidate. Its mass is protected by conformal invariance and it can be searched for in tabletop experiments. However, contrary to standard pNGBs of internal symmetries, the dilaton generically has a large non-derivative self-coupling, leading to radiative contributions to its mass of the order of its decay constant. Hence typical ultralight dilatons should also have sub-eV decay constants, which would incur significant deviations from standard DM behavior at structure formation times, in severe tension with observations. Therefore, a fine-tuning is required to generate a hierarchy between the mass and the decay constant. In this work, we consider whether supersymmetry (SUSY) can be used to protect this hierarchy from quantum corrections. To ensure an ultralight dilaton mass robust against realistic SUSY-breaking contributions, we must consider a novel dilaton stabilization mechanism. The observed DM abundance can be produced by the misalignment mechanism for dilaton masses ranging from 10⁻¹¹ to 1 eV. Unfortunately, irreducible SUSY-breaking corrections due to gravity restrict the couplings between the dilaton and the Standard Model to be extremely small, beyond the reach of any current or proposed experiments. Our work demonstrates that constructing a consistent model of ultralight dilaton DM is quite involved.

Context. The C-MetaLL project has provided homogeneous spectroscopic abundances of 290 Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) for which we have the intensity-averaged magnitudes in multiple optical and NIR bands, periods, pulsation modes, and Gaia parallaxes corrected for individual zero-point (ZP) biases. Aims. Our goal is to derive updated period─Wesenheit─metallicity (PWZ) relations using the largest and most homogeneous metallicity sample ever used for such analyses, covering a range of −1.3 < [Fe/H] < +0.3 dex, and to assess the metallicity dependence of these relations. Methods. We computed several optical and NIR Wesenheit magnitudes adopting both Cardelli et al. (1989, ApJ, 345, 245) and Fitzpatrick (1999, PASP, 111, 63) reddening laws, and transformed Johnson-Cousins Wesenheit magnitudes into their HST equivalents using empirical relations. Using 275 DCEPs with reliable parallaxes, we applied a robust photometric parallax technique, which simultaneously fits all parameters ─ including the global ZP counter-correction to Gaia parallaxes ─ and handles outliers via a Cauchy likelihood to account for the sample's excess variance. Results. We find a stronger metallicity dependence (γ ≍ −0.5 mag/dex in optical, −0.4 mag/dex in NIR) than recent literature reports. Gaia parallax ZP counter-correction (ϵ) varies moderately across bands, with an average value of ∼10 μas, aligning with previous determinations. Applying our PWZ relations to ∼4500 LMC Cepheids yields distances generally consistent within 1σ with geometric estimates. The choice of reddening law has a small impact, while using only fundamental-mode pulsators significantly increases the uncertainties. Including α element corrections increases |γ| and reduces ϵ. However, we find 1σ consistency γ values with the literature, particularly for the Wesenheit magnitude in the HST bands, by restricting the sample to brighter (i.e. closer) objects, or by including only pulsators with −0.7 < [Fe/H] < 0.2 dex. Our results hint at a large γ or a non-linear dependence on metallicity of DCEP luminosities at the metal-poor end, which is difficult to quantify with the precision of parallaxes of the present dataset.

We present an interface between PINEAPPL and MATRIX, which allows fully differential cross sections to be calculated in the form of interpolation grids, accurate at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD and next-to-leading order in electroweak (EW) theory. This interface is the first publicly available tool to calculate interpolation grids at NNLO QCD accuracy for a wide set of processes. Interpolation grids provide the functionality to compute predictions for arbitrary parton distribution functions (PDFs) as well as PDF uncertainties without the need to repeat the actual calculation. Another important application of the these grids is to perform global analyses of PDFs using exact NNLO calculations instead of K-factors, which have several drawbacks. This exact treatment of NNLO corrections is also an important prerequisite for fitting PDFs at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order level with reliable uncertainties. The new version of the MATRIX code interfaced to PINEAPPL, as well as the grids produced for this publication, are available on the MATRIX website and on PloughShare, respectively.

Many advances in astronomy and astrophysics originate from accurate images of the sky emission across multiple wavelengths. This often requires reconstructing spatially and spectrally correlated signals detected from multiple instruments. To facilitate the high-fidelity imaging of these signals, we introduce the universal Bayesian imaging kit (UBIK). Specifically, we present J-UBIK, a flexible and modular implementation leveraging the JAX-accelerated NIFTy.re software as its backend. J-UBIK streamlines the implementation of the key Bayesian inference components, providing for all the necessary steps of Bayesian imaging pipelines. First, it provides adaptable prior models for different sky realizations. Second, it includes likelihood models tailored to specific instruments. So far, the package includes three instruments: Chandra and eROSITA for X-ray observations, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for the near- and mid-infrared. The aim is to expand this set in the future. Third, these models can be integrated with various inference and optimization schemes, such as maximum a posteriori estimation and variational inference. Explicit demos show how to integrate the individual modules into a full analysis pipeline. Overall, J-UBIK enables efficient generation of high-fidelity images via Bayesian pipelines that can be tailored to specific research objectives.

Asymmetry measurements in $e^+e^-\toτ^+τ^-$ constitute a promising avenue to obtain competitive constraints on the $τ$ dipole moments, the anomalous magnetic moment $a_τ$ and the electric dipole moment $d_τ$, especially, once a polarized electron beam becomes available, as possible at a future polarization upgrade of the SuperKEKB collider. While the main challenges concern the measurement of these asymmetries and the calculation of radiative corrections at the relevant level of precision, at subleading orders also electroweak effects and the potential impact of four-fermion operators parameterizing other beyond-the-Standard-Model scenarios besides those described by dipole operators need to be taken into consideration. Here, we show that $Z$-boson contributions arise at the level of $\simeq 3\times 10^{-6}$, while we estimate the largest possible effect from four-fermion operators as $\simeq 10^{-5} C \, v^2/Λ^2$. In addition, we observe that four-fermion-operator insertions at the loop level can probe Wilson coefficients that are otherwise not constrained directly, and that the imaginary part generated by insertions of the dipole operator at loop level opens another potential avenue towards a determination of $a_τ$ without the need for a polarized electron beam. Despite the inherent loop suppression, a measurement of the required normal asymmetry $A_N^\pm$ with a precision of $\lesssim 10^{-5}$ would allow one to probe the Schwinger term, which could define an intermediate goal to be realized in the current setting at Belle II.

We present a scenario for GeV-scale thermal dark matter that can only be tested with accelerator experiments. Dark matter is composed of dark pions arising from a confining strong interaction in the dark sector. The thermal relic density is obtained through the interplay of up-scatterings of dark pions to heavier dark mesons (the dark counterparts of the kaons and $η$), and decays of the unstable dark $η$ to Standard Model particles. This mechanism is analogous to a playground slide, where one climbs up first and then slides down with a release of energy. We illustrate the scenario with a minimal model based on the SU(3)/SO(3) coset, where dark matter is stabilized by a U(1) flavor symmetry. The correct relic density is obtained with dark meson mass splittings of 10% to 50% and a dark-$η$ lifetime shorter than $10^3\,\mathrm{m}/c$. Direct and indirect dark matter searches are mostly ineffective, as a consequence of the charge conjugation symmetry of the stabilizing U(1). The most striking signals arise at the LHC, from the production of dark showers containing long-lived dark $η$'s that decay to visible final states. These signatures crucially depend on the portal interaction connecting the dark sector to the Standard Model. We show that several well-known portals can complete the scenario above the weak scale, and outline the expected signals in each case.

The static energy is an excellent observable for extracting the strong coupling $α_s$ on the lattice. For short distances, the static energy can be calculated both on the lattice using Wilson line correlators, and with perturbation theory up to three loop accuracy with leading ultrasoft log resummation. Comparing the perturbative expression and lattice data allows for precise determination of $α_s$. We present early results for 1-loop lattice perturbation theory improvement of the Wilson loop and show how it improves the $α_s$ extraction. We present a preliminary reanalysis of the TUMQCD (2+1)-flavor QCD data.

We present a cosmological zoom-in simulation targeting the high redshift compact progenitor phase of massive galaxies, with the most massive galaxy reaching a stellar mass of M_⋆ = 8.5 × 10¹⁰ M_⊙ at z = 5. The dynamics of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is modelled from seeding down to their coalescence at sub-parsec scales due to gravitational wave (GW) emission by utilising a new version of the KETJU code, which combines regularised integration of sufficiently massive SMBHs with a dynamical friction subgrid model for lower-mass SMBHs. All nine massive galaxies included in this study go through a gas-dominated phase of early compaction in the redshift range of z ~ 7 - 9, starting at stellar masses of M_⋆ ≳ 10⁸ M_⊙ and ending at a few times M_⋆ ~ 10⁹ M_⊙. The sizes, masses and broad band fluxes of these compact systems are in general agreement with the population of systems observed with JWST known as 'Little Red Dots'. In the compact phase, the stellar and SMBH masses grow rapidly, leading to a sharp decline in the central gas fractions. The outer regions, however, remain relatively gas-rich, leading to subsequent off-centre star formation and size growth. Due to the very high central stellar densities (ρ_⋆ ≳ 10¹³ M_⊙/kpc³), the SMBHs merge rapidly, typically just ~4 - 35 Myr after the SMBH binaries have become bound. Combining KETJU with the phenomenological PhenomD model resolves the complete evolution of the GW emission from SMBH binaries through the Pulsar Timing Array frequency waveband up to the final few orbits that produce GWs observable with the future LISA mission.

Strong gravitational lensing by massive galaxy clusters offers rare opportunities to observe multiple images of distant (z ≳ 2) Type Ia supernovae (SNe) and to resolve the properties of their host galaxies. A recent outstanding example is the Type Ia SN H0pe (z = 1.78), which the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) discovered in NIRCam images, when the galaxy cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0 (G165, z = 0.35) still produced three images of it. In this work, we build a new strong lensing model of G165, first using only the positions of multiple images of background galaxies. We then significantly increase the number of constraints around the position of SN H0pe by modeling the extended surface brightness of the SN host galaxy. Including extended image information reduces the average uncertainty on mass model parameters by more than an order of magnitude. We also study the spatial distribution of dust in the arc to estimate the dust extinction at the position of SN H0pe. We find good statistical agreement of the extinction estimate, at ≲1σ, with three fully independent methods based on spectral energy distribution fitting. Moreover, our extended-image lens model of G165 allows us to map the dust distribution of the host galaxy from the image plane to the source plane. Supernova H0pe exploded in a region with a relatively high extinction (A_V ≍ 0.9 mag) at around ∼1 kpc from its host center. This work shows that extended image modeling in lensing clusters simultaneously reduces the uncertainty on lens model parameters and enables spatially resolved analyses of lensed transients' host galaxies. Such modeling advances are expected to play an important role in future cosmological analyses using strongly lensed SNe.

Context. With over 6000 exoplanets discovered to date, approximately 12 % are classified as hot-Jupiters. Due to their large sizes and short orbital periods (P < 10 day), they are easier to detect and provide crucial insights into planetary formation, atmospheric properties, and orbital dynamics. Among these, ultra-short-period exoplanets (P ≤ 1 d) are particularly interesting, as they are expected to undergo orbital decay driven by strong tidal interactions. Despite theoretical predictions, WASP-12 b and WASP-4 b remain the confirmed hot-Jupiters experiencing measurable orbital decay. Aims. This study presents a homogeneous analysis of WASP-19 b to investigate both its orbital dynamics and atmospheric composition. Leveraging a 15-year dataset, our goal is to assess whether the system exhibits long-term deviations from a constant orbital period and to investigate whether any detected variations are consistent with tidal orbital decay, apsidal precession, or periodic signals indicative of a potential planetary perturber. Additionally, we also construct a photometric transmission spectrum to characterize its atmosphere. Methods. We analyze multi-wavelength light curves, incorporating starspot modeling with PRISM to account for stellar inhomogeneities. To assess orbital evolution, we fit linear, quadratic, and cubic ephemeris models to transit timing residuals with respect to a non-decaying orbit. Results. Our analysis, which includes 27 new transits, reveals no statistically significant periodic signal in the transit timings. Although none of the tested ephemeris models fully reproduce the observed timing scatter, the mid-transit times exhibit systematic deviations from a strictly constant orbital period and are best reproduced by the cubic ephemeris in a relative model-comparison sense, indicating a slow, non-periodic long-term trend over the ~ 15-year baseline. This behavior is more consistent with gradual orbital precession than with monotonic tidal decay, for which a dominant quadratic trend would be expected. Fitting a precession model yields a rate of ω̇_obs = (1.00 ± 0.12) × 10⁻⁴ rad/orbit, corresponding to a planetary Love number k_2p = 0.107 ± 0.08, in agreement with recent independent estimates. The transmission spectrum reveals signatures of Na, K, and H₂O, with no strong evidence of TiO/VO, likely due to the resolution limits of the photometric data. Conclusions. Our results support that apsidal precession could be the dominant process governing the long-term orbital evolution of WASP-19b, possibly sustained by weak eccentricity forcing from the wide companion WASP-19 B. These orbital dynamics can, in turn, impact the atmospheric structure by modulating the irradiation history, potentially altering molecular abundances over time. Our findings highlight the importance of combining TTV analyzes with multi-wavelength atmospheric data, while emphasizing that additional high-quality timing and spectroscopic observations are required to corroborate the fidelity of the proposed orbital model.

We study ultralight scalar fields with quadratic couplings to Standard-Model fermions and derive strong constraints from white-dwarf mass-radius data. Such couplings source scalar profiles inside compact stars, shift fermion masses, and can produce a new ground state of matter. We analyze couplings to electrons and to nucleons, incorporating composition and finite-temperature effects in white dwarf structure and equations of state. We identify two robust observables: (i) forbidden gaps-ranges of radii with no stable configurations — and (ii) characteristic shape distortions that drive white dwarf masses toward the Chandrasekhar limit (electron couplings) or shift the maximum mass (nucleon couplings). Confronting these predictions with precise measurements for Sirius B and Procyon B, together with the global white dwarf population, excludes large regions of unexplored parameter space and extends earlier QCD-axion-specific bounds to a broader class of scalar theories. Our stellar constraints rely only on sourcing and do not assume the scalar constitutes dark matter; where mass reductions are small, precision laboratory searches remain competitive. White-dwarf astrophysics thus provides a powerful, largely assumption-minimal probe of ultralight, quadratically coupled scalars.

Water and methanol are key components of interstellar ices and gas in star- and planet-forming regions, but direct observations of water in low-mass protostars are challenging due to atmospheric absorption. We present high-resolution (R = 70,500) mid-infrared spectroscopy of the class I protostar SVS13-A with EXES on board SOFIA at 26 μm, targeting both H₂O and CH₃OH absorption lines. Several lines of each species are detected, tracing warm gas with rotational temperatures of ∼140─170 K. Remarkably, the methanol column density is a factor of ∼4 higher than that of water, well above typical interstellar ice ratios (<10%). Comparison with previous millimeter observations indicates that absorption and emission probe distinct regions, with the mid-IR lines likely tracing cooler gas along the line of sight. The surprising observed CH₃OH/H₂O ratio may reflect selective sublimation due to the distribution of binding energies or ice stratification in the inner envelope. These observations probe the inner regions of the protostar, where planets are expected to form and inherit the chemical composition of their natal environment, providing a direct link between ice sublimation and gas-phase chemistry. Our results represent the first high-spectral-resolution mid-infrared view of both water and methanol toward a low-mass protostar, offering a unique window into the chemical composition of the innermost envelope and planet-forming region and highlighting the diagnostic power of high-resolution mid-infrared spectroscopy to uncover hidden chemical layers and the ice-to-gas transition in embedded protostars.

On 2025 August 18, the LIGO─Virgo─KAGRA collaboration reported a subthreshold gravitational-wave candidate detection consistent with a subsolar-mass neutron star merger, denoted S250818k. An optical transient, AT2025ulz, was discovered within the localization region. AT2025ulz initially appeared to meet the expected behavior of kilonova emission, the telltale signature of a binary neutron star merger. The transient subsequently rebrightened after ∼5 days and was classified as a Type IIb supernova. In this work, we analyze the observations of its host galaxy obtained by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). From the DESI spectrum, we obtain a secure redshift of z = 0.084840 ± 0.000006. If S250818k has an astrophysical origin, this places the transient within 2σ of the gravitational-wave distance and results in an integral overlap between the gravitational-wave alert and the transient location of <inline-formula> <mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>log</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>10</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mi>I</mml:mi><mml:mo>≍</mml:mo><mml:mn>3.9</mml:mn><mml:mo>−</mml:mo><mml:mn>4.2</mml:mn></mml:math> </inline-formula>. Our analysis of the host galaxy's spectral energy distribution reveals a star-forming, dusty galaxy with stellar mass ∼10¹⁰ M_⊙, broadly consistent with the population of both short gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernova host galaxies. We also present our follow-up of DESI-selected candidate host galaxies using the Fraunhofer Telescope at the Wendelstein Observatory, and show the promise of DESI for associating or rejecting candidate electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave alerts. These results emphasize the value of DESI's extensive spectroscopic dataset in rapidly characterizing host galaxies, enabling spectroscopic host subtraction, and guiding targeted follow-up.

Mrk421 displayed its highest flux state ever observed in February of 2010 with very high TeV fluxes and interesting cross-band correlations and a spectral energy distribution (SED) evolution not entirely consistent with the standard single zone leptonic synchrotron self-Compton model. The source was already in a high state in January 2010 and displayed strong variability in the days preceding the highest state. We study the temporal evolution of the spectra in January to extract information about the particle dynamics and the physical properties of the emission region. We build up on the temporal variability and correlations studied in the previous work (MAGIC collaboration - Abe et al. 2025) and attempt to improve the SED model fits with a physics oriented approach. The multi-wavelength data was processed and the SEDs were fit using JetSeT. The SED evolution and cross band correlations were modelled using leptonic log-parabola with a low energy power-law branch (LPPL) and pile-up distributions that are predicted in a stochastic acceleration scenario. A simplified temporal evolution model was developed and fit to the SEDs and the resulting trends and phenomenology were characterised in context of theoretical literature. An expanding emission region model was also tested. We find the spectral variability to be well in agreement with stochastic acceleration. Our analysis suggests that the standard LPPL distribution develops a Maxwellian pile-up component at the transition from acceleration to cooling dominated phase on 3 nights in the dataset, as also hinted by the very-high energy and X-ray light curves. The resulting phenomenology of our sequential snapshot evolution SED model agrees well with theoretical and numerical simulation studies on temporal evolution using the diffusion equation approach.

Deep spectroscopic samples can be used to improve photometric redshift (photo-$z$) estimates and reduce uncertainties on redshift distributions. Such improvements can increase the cosmological constraining power of large imaging-based experiments such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and mitigate what may be a limiting systematic effect. We present results from the ``DESI-Deep pilot'' program, which was designed to assess the capability of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) on the 4m Mayall telescope to measure redshifts of galaxies as faint as expected lensing samples for early LSST data ($m_i \leq 24.5$). We find that DESI is remarkably efficient at this task, with redshift success rates comparable to the results of observations from 10m-class telescopes with only $\sim2\times$ longer integration time (rather than $\sim 8\times$ longer as would be expected from aperture-area scaling), while simultaneously achieving $\sim30$ times larger multiplexing. We also find that the signal-to-noise ratio of the spectra scales as expected for background-limited observations even for the longest exposure times ($\sim 7$ hours) and faintest targets in the program. These results demonstrate that DESI could provide the definitive redshift sample for the early years of LSST with a modest investment of observing time. Based upon the results of this program, we provide updated predictions for the time required to collect benchmark samples for photo-$z$ training and calibration using a variety of spectroscopic facilities. Finally, we describe a potential "DESI-Deep" survey designed to train and calibrate photo-$z$'s for imaging experiments, and provide forecasts of its impact on cosmological inference.

We explore the possibility that neutrinos couple to an interacting sterile sector, providing a novel portal that generalizes the heavy neutral lepton portal to a composite setting. For a low confinement scale, high-energy neutrino beams can disintegrate into collimated sprays of hidden states, referred to as dark jets. This dynamics gives rise to two characteristic signatures in high energy neutrino beams. First, long-lived dark resonances can enhance the neutral-current to charged-current ratio. Second, shorter-lived dark states produced in neutrino neutral currents can produce single or multiple displaced vertices and even emerging jets, depending on the kinematics. These signals probe regions of parameter space beyond existing constraints from meson, electroweak, and Higgs decays, as well as from searches for displaced decays at beam dump experiments. We study these phenomena within broad classes of ultraviolet completions and identify scenarios in which high-energy neutrino beams provide leading sensitivity to neutrino compositeness. Such scenarios generically induce higher-dimensional contact interactions, which we classify and study alongside their complementary experimental signatures. Finally, we outline an experimental program spanning both the intensity and energy frontiers. Near-term neutrino facilities (DUNE, FPF) and running flavor experiments (LHCb, Belle II) can probe neutrino compositeness through neutrino disintegration into dark jets and displaced B-meson decays. Future colliders, particularly the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee), will ultimately provide the strongest sensitivity to the compositeness scale via displaced Z decays.

In the framework of Soft de Sitter Effective Theory (SdSET), the Fokker-Planck equation for the late-time dynamics of the massless minimally coupled scalar field and its extension to the Kramers-Moyal equation are obtained from operator mixing of composite operators of the effective superhorizon field. We construct the formalism for composite-operator renormalisation, mixing and matching in dimensional regularisation, allowing for computations beyond the leading order. The general formalism is illustrated in free SdSET, which already features non-trivial structures including the well-known diffusion coefficient for stochastic inflation. As explicit examples in the interacting theory, we renormalise the one-loop bispectrum and the two-loop one-point function of the composite operator $φ_+^2$, and match them onto their full-theory counterparts. These results allow us to determine the next-to-leading order (two-loop) correction to the diffusion term of the Fokker-Planck equation of stochastic inflation for the first time.

Sub-Neptune exoplanets frequently exhibit muted transmission spectra, with GJ 1214 b being the most prominent example. Following years of intense observing campaigns yielding featureless planetary spectra, recent observations with JWST revealed the first possible atmospheric signatures. We present high-resolution transmission spectroscopy of GJ 1214 b based on eight transits obtained with the CRIRES$^+$ spectrograph in the K band. We used SYSREM to remove telluric and stellar signals and searched for signatures of H2O, CO, CH4, H2S, NH3, and CO2 using the cross-correlation technique. We obtained non-detections for the first five molecules and used injection recovery tests to derive upper limits on the atmosphere. For CO$_2$ we measure a CCF signal at S/N ~ 3.6, with a detailed investigation showing no obvious indication that it is caused by correlated noise. A Welch t-test confirmed the in-trail and out-of-trail distributions to be different at $3.4 σ$ confidence. A Bayesian retrieval framework with free chemistry, resulted in volume mixing ratios corresponding to a metallicity of $[\mathrm{M/H}]=0.48^{+0.89}_{-1.70}$, an opacity deck pressure of $\log_{10}(P_\mathrm{c}) = -3.04^{+2.52}_{-1.53}$ and a planet temperature of $T_\mathrm{iso}=398^{+283}_{-197}$ K, consistent with a value intermediate between the day- and night-side T-p's derived from JWST data. While these values correspond to relatively large signal amplitudes predicted for CO2 features in the mid-infrared, they are compatible with JWST NIRSpec observations within the models' $1.5σ$ uncertainties. Further modelling and additional data are required to confirm the atmospheric signatures and obtain a comprehensive interpretation of low- and high-resolution data. Overall, our results support previous findings that CO2 is likely to be a significant component of the atmosphere of GJ 1214 b.

A Monte Carlo generator of high energy cosmic ray interactions, relying on a very basic and transparent theoretical formalism, in the framework of the Reggeon field theory, is presented. The main motivation for our work is to provide a new cosmic ray interaction model characterized by relatively transparent physics, sufficient parameter freedom, and a high computational efficiency, which can be easily managed by external users, including a retuning of the model parameters. Such a model can be used for studying potential modifications of the interaction treatment, necessary for describing particular sets of data on extensive air showers initiated by high energy cosmic rays, at a microscopic level, thereby keeping a consistency with general restrictions, like the unitarity, energy-momentum and charge conservation, and Lorentz and isospin invariance. Importantly, this should allow one to study a compatibility of such modifications with relevant accelerator data. The model results for particle production and for basic extensive air shower characteristics are presented and discussed.

We present a holographic construction of the QCD axion based on a warped 5D model. A key ingredient of our setup is the introduction of a bulk scalar field $θ$, which is holographically dual to the topological operator of QCD. This makes the relation among the axion, the $η'$, and the anomalies transparent. We identify the bulk modes corresponding to the $η'$ and axion states, and show that an adjustment analogous to that of the usual 4D axion takes place. We identify the origin of the axion quality problem in this framework and show that a large degree of axion compositeness is needed to solve it. We also find that, in the limit of a high quality axion, the physical axion state is predominantly contained in the bulk gauge field.

We present a blind time-delay cosmography measurement of the Hubble constant $H_0$ based on the quadruply imaged quasar SDSSJ1433+6007. Our analysis combines deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, extended time-delay monitoring from the Wendelstein and Maidanak Observatories, and spatially resolved stellar kinematics from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager and Reionization Mapper. We build a robust lens model to reconstruct the mass distribution and high-signal-to-noise kinematic maps to break the mass-sheet degeneracy (MSD), explicitly accounting for the lens galaxy's oblateness, rotation, and anisotropy. Furthermore, we constrain the external convergence ($κ_{\rm ext}$) by characterizing the line-of-sight environment using wide-field photometry from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Survey data release 10. We incorporate these constraints into our joint lensing and dynamical model, running multiple iterations to estimate random and systematic uncertainties. Accounting for maximal flexibility of the mass-sheet transformation, and assuming a flat $Λ$CDM cosmology and an $Ω_{\rm m, 0}$ prior from DESI data release 2, we infer $H_0 = 73.2^{+4.8}_{-4.7}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ (a $6.5\%$ precision), and an internal mass-sheet parameter $λ_{\rm int}=1.12^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$. Notably, $λ_{\rm int}$ is $2σ$ away from unity for this system, highlighting the importance of treating it as a free parameter. Our $H_0$ measurement is consistent with the result from our 2025 milestone paper, and it will be included in our next hierarchical analysis to improve the overall precision. Moving forward, the comprehensive pipeline demonstrated herein establishes a robust framework that can be readily applied to future strongly lensed systems to further refine cosmological constraints.

Stochastic kinetic models are ubiquitous in physics, yet inferring their parameters from experimental data remains challenging. In deterministic models, parameter inference often relies on gradients, as they can be obtained efficiently through automatic differentiation. However, these tools cannot be directly applied to stochastic simulation algorithms (SSA) such as the Gillespie algorithm, since sampling from a discrete set of reactions introduces non-differentiable operations. In this work, we adopt three gradient estimators from machine learning for the Gillespie SSA: the Gumbel-Softmax Straight-Through (GS-ST) estimator, the Score Function estimator, and the Alternative Path estimator. We compare the properties of all estimators in two representative systems exhibiting relaxation or oscillatory dynamics, where the latter requires gradient estimation of time-dependent objective functions. We find that the GS-ST estimator mostly yields well-behaved gradient estimates, but exhibits diverging variance in challenging parameter regimes, resulting in unsuccessful parameter inference. In these cases, the other estimators provide more robust, lower variance gradients. Our results demonstrate that gradient-based parameter inference can be integrated effectively with the Gillespie SSA, with different estimators offering complementary advantages.

We present the discovery of SN 2025mkn, a gravitationally lensed Type II supernova. First detected as a blue transient in ZTF, 0.83$^{\prime\prime}$ from a $z=0.42$ elliptical galaxy, follow-up SNIFS/UH2.2m and LRIS/Keck spectra revealed absorption lines at $z=1.371$. Later JWST NIRCam imaging shows that the bright transient is a close pair of point sources separated by $\sim 0.07^{\prime\prime}$, and a 30 times fainter counterimage opposite the lens, for which NIRSpec reveals strong H$α$ emission also at $z=1.371$. The light curves and spectra are consistent with the Type II supernova source being magnified $\gtrsim 100$ times, with $\sim 250$ required to reconcile its luminosity with that of nearby events such as SN 2023ixf. Lens models are consistent with such high magnifications, and always show that the faint image arrived first (undetected in earlier ZTF imaging), consistent with the later spectral phase of this fainter image. A fourth image is also predicted and possibly detected in the NIRSpec data. Light-curve-based time-delay measurements are not possible due to the first image being the faintest; however, the resolved NIRSpec spectra offer a future opportunity for time-delay cosmography through supernova phase measurements.

We present NOEMA3D, a unique high-resolution study of purely molecular gas kinematics at $z \sim 1.1$ to 1.6, providing a dedicated view of cold gas dynamics at the late stages of the peak epoch of cosmic star formation. Using deep ($> 20$ hr on source per target) IRAM-NOEMA CO observations of 10 massive ($10.45 < \log(M^*/M_\odot) < 11.43$)) main-sequence galaxies, complemented by high-resolution JWST imaging, we resolve the molecular gas kinematics and morphology on kiloparsec scales. We find that all galaxies exhibit ordered rotation with moderate intrinsic turbulence (median $σ_0 \sim 32 \pm 10$ km/s, median $V_c/σ_0 \sim 8.6 \pm 2.9$), consistent with dynamically turbulent disks at late cosmic noon. After modeling the axisymmetric rotation with the forward-modeling code DysmalPy, we reveal spatially coherent velocity residuals in all but one more inclined system. The inferred in-plane non circular motions reach amplitudes of $\sim 50$-100 km/s, significantly larger than typically observed in local disk galaxies. Interpreting these non-circular motions as radial flows we find that the velocity residuals spatially coincide with non-axisymmetric structures -- spiral arms and bars -- demonstrating a direct link between galaxy morphology and gas transport at $z \sim 1$-2. In spiral galaxies, the residual velocity patterns are typically dominated by inflows, while barred systems display an apparent inflow-outflow pattern, characteristic of in-plane bar-driven gas motions. We further find that the inferred molecular gas inflow rates are substantial, with a typical net inflow rate of the order of the star formation rate ($\dot M \sim -50 M_\odot$/yr). This implies that spiral arms and bars at cosmic noon are highly efficient at funneling cold gas toward galaxy centers, perhaps driving the buildup of bulges and feeding central star forming regions and supermassive black holes.

We present a spatially resolved study of cold molecular gas and dust in ten main-sequence galaxies at z=1.1-1.6, using observations of CO(4-3), CO(3-2), [C I](1-0), and dust continuum from the NOEMA3D survey. We find a widely presence of spatially extended molecular gas and dust, with sizes comparable to those of the stellar disk, in contrast to those of central-dominated starburst galaxies at similar redshifts. While various molecular gas tracers generally exhibit similar spatial distributions, the CO line (J=3-2 or J=4-3) remain the most effective for mapping molecular gas distribution and kinematics. In addition, the spatially resolved correlations between different molecular gas tracers exhibit about two times larger scatter than their galactic-integrated correlations, indicating that interstellar medium (ISM) conditions already deviate from global averages on scales of 3-6 kpc, likely reflecting the clumpy or inhomogeneous ISM in cosmic noon star-forming galaxies. Within our sample, both the molecular gas fraction and its depletion time are nearly constant across the galactic disks out to 2 Re, supporting a global linear Kennicutt-Schmidt law. The presence of extended molecular gas disks, along with regular stellar structures, small central bulges, and ordered cold gas kinematics, supports the idea that the evolution of main-sequence disk galaxies at cosmic noon is driven by steady gas accretion and transport through prominent spiral arms and/or bars. This process stands in contrast to the merger-driven stochastic gas accretion in compact starbursts.

Robust mass modeling of strong-lensing galaxy clusters is crucial for studying cosmology and galaxy evolution. We present and compare seven mass models of the galaxy cluster MACS J0138−2155, constructed using six independent modeling software programs, including parametric and free-form approaches. By conducting a blind analysis where all the mass-modeling teams constructed their models independently without exchanging results, we quantified uncertainties arising from modeling software and assumptions. MACS J0138−2155 is unique as the only cluster found to strongly lens two supernovae (SNe), Requiem and Encore, from the same host galaxy at a redshift of z = 1.949, providing an excellent probe of cosmology through time delays between their multiple images. Through the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer observations, we assembled high-quality data products, including eight sets of "gold" lensed-image systems consisting of 23 multiple images with secure spectroscopic redshifts. We further identified one "silver" lensed-image system with a likely but nonsecure redshift measurement. By restricting ourselves to high-quality gold images, we obtain overall good consistency in the model predictions of the positions, magnifications, and time delays of the multiple images of SN Encore and SN Requiem ─ especially from the teams whose models fit the observed image positions with χ_im² ≤ 25. We predict the next images of SNe Encore and Requiem to reappear with time delays ≳3000 days and ∼3700 to 4000 days, respectively, based on a fiducial cosmological model with H₀ = 70 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ and Ω_m = 1 − Ω_Λ = 0.3. By considering a range of hypothetical time-delay values with the same Ω_m = 1 − Ω_Λ = 0.3, we obtain relations between H₀ and the time delays of SN Encore and SN Requiem. In particular, for H₀ = 73 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹, the four lowest χ_im² models forecast the next image of SN Requiem to appear approximately April─December 2026; for H₀ = 67 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹, they predict it to appear approximately March─November 2027 (1σ uncertainties). Using the newly measured time delay between the two detected multiple images of SN Encore by Pierel et al. (2026, ApJ, 998, 219) and our mass modeling, we infer <inline-formula> <mml:math> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>H</mml:mi> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>66</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>8.1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>11.2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </inline-formula> km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹, where the uncertainty is dominated by that of the short time delay between the existing pair of images. The long time delays of the next-appearing SN Requiem and SN Encore images provide excellent opportunities to measure H₀ with 2−3% uncertainty. Our mass models form the basis for cosmological inference from this unique lens cluster with two strongly lensed SNe.

Context. The direct empirical determination of the local value of the Hubble constant (H₀) has markedly advanced thanks to improved instrumentation, measurement techniques, and distance estimators. However, combining determinations from different estimators is nontrivial due to their correlated calibrations and different analysis methodologies. Aims. Using covariance weighting and leveraging community expertise, we have constructed a rigorous and transparent "Distance Network" to find a consensus value and uncertainty for the locally measured Hubble constant. Methods. Experts across all relevant distance measurement domains were invited to critically review the available datasets spanning parallaxes, detached eclipsing binaries, masers, Cepheids, the tip of the red giant branch, Miras, carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, Type Ia (SNe Ia) and Type II supernovae, surface brightness fluctuations, the fundamental plane, and Tully─Fisher relations. Before any calculations, the group voted for first-rank indicators to define a "baseline" Distance Network. Other indicators were included to assess the robustness and sensitivity of the results. We provide open-source software and data products to support full transparency and future extensions of this effort. Results. Our key findings are as follows: (1) The local H₀ is robustly determined, with first-rank indicators internally consistent within their uncertainties. (2) A covariance-weighted combination yields a relative uncertainty of 1.1% (baseline) or 0.9% (all estimators). (3) The contribution from SNe Ia is consistent across compilations of optical or NIR magnitudes. (4) Removing either Cepheids or the tip of the red giant branch has a minimal effect on the central value of H₀. (5) Replacing SNe Ia with galaxy-based indicators changes H₀ by less than 0.1 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ while doubling its uncertainty. (6) The baseline result is H₀ = 73.50 ± 0.81 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹, 7.1σ from the early Universe plus ΛCDM result 67.24 ± 0.35 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ and 5.0σ from BBN+BAO within a flat ΛCDM DESI DR2 (68.51 ± 0.58 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹). Conclusions. A networked approach, such as the one presented here, is invaluable for enabling further progress in Hubble constant measurements, as it provides the much needed advances in accuracy and precision without overreliance on any single method, sample, or group.

Flavor instabilities develop in neutrino plasmas through emission of flavomons, the quanta of flavor waves. We derive the flavomon equations of motion in slowly varying environments, notably the matter gradients of supernovae, and use them to construct a flavomon ray tracing framework. Combined with a quasi-linear description of flavomon growth, we thus develop a new approach to the global evolution of flavor instabilities. As a first application, we show that the growth of neutrino-mass-induced instabilities is slowed down, but not suppressed, by the inevitable matter gradients. Local stability analysis alone cannot gauge the impact of inhomogeneities and instead must be coupled to flavomon ray tracing.

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

A flux of ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrinos, produced by astrophysical sources at cosmological distances, is anticipated to exist and reach Earth. In this paper, we investigate the impact on the total flux, energy spectrum, and arrival directions of UHE neutrinos of neutrino-dark matter (DM) scatterings. We study scatterings both in the intergalactic medium and in the Milky Way. We emphasize the complementarity among neutrino detectors at different latitudes, that can probe anisotropies induced by neutrinos scattering with the Milky Way DM halo. We also discuss that, with mild astrophysical assumptions, limits on the DM-ν scattering cross section can be placed even if the neutrino sources are unknown. Finally, we explore all this phenomenology with the recent UHE neutrino event KM3230213A, and place the corresponding limits on the DM-ν scattering cross section.

Core-collapse supernovae (SNe) are sources of gravitational waves (GWs) produced by hydrodynamical instabilities and highly time-dependent anisotropies of the neutrino radiation. In this work, we analyze both contributions to the GW signal for two state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) SN models computed with the Prometheus-Vertex neutrino hydrodynamics code. In contrast to the great majority of models analyzed for GWs so far, our core-collapse simulations were started with <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:mn>12.28</mml:mn><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>M</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mn>18.88</mml:mn><mml:msub><mml:mi>M</mml:mi><mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula>) progenitors, whose final hour (7 min) of convective oxygen shell burning was computed in 3D and featured a vigorous oxygen-neon shell merger. The corresponding large-scale asymmetries in the oxygen layer are conducive to buoyancy-aided, neutrino-driven explosions. The models were continuously evolved in 3D from the precollapse evolution until 5.11 s (1.68 s) after the core bounce. The GW signals result from well-known dynamical phenomena in the SN core such as prompt postshock convection, neutrino-driven convection, the standing accretion shock instability, proto─neutron star oscillations, and anisotropic ejecta expansion. They do not exhibit any new or specific features that can be unambiguously connected to the powerful precollapse activity in the progenitors, but we identify interesting differences compared to results in the literature. We also discuss measurement prospects by interferometers, confirming that GW signals from future Galactic SNe will be detectable with existing and next-generation experiments working in the frequency range <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:mi>f</mml:mi><mml:mo>∼</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mi>─</mml:mi><mml:mn>2000</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>Hz</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>.

The strong forces between nucleons ($N$=$p$, $n$) are fundamental to the visible universe. The interactions between hyperons (baryons with strange quarks) and nucleons are essential for the intrinsic properties of neutron stars. Whereas the interactions between nucleons ($pp$, $pn$, $nn$) have been extensively studied, the interactions between nucleons and hyperons ($NΛ$, $NΣ$, $NΞ$, $NΩ$, ...) are not well understood, due to the small amount of relevant data, limited by the scarcity of suitable hyperon sources. Here we point out and investigate a new high-quality source: hyperons produced in $pp$ collisions, such as $pp\to pK^+Λ$, $pKΣ$, $pKπΣ$, $pKKΞ$, $pKKKΩ$. At a fixed target experiment using proton beam with known momentum and liquid hydrogen target, $pp\to pK^+Λ$ can be produced copiously. By tagging $p$ and $K^+$, the flux and momentum of the $Λ$ can be determined precisely. By placing an additional target around the primary one, these $Λ$-s serve as an ideal source, enabling an unprecedentedly precise study of $Λ$ interactions with a wide range of targets. Similar methods can be used to obtain high-quality sources of other hyperons, such as $Σ$, $Ξ$ and $Ω$. These novel, high-statistics sources of hyperons with precisely known kinematics present new opportunities for applications in particle and nuclear physics, particularly in understanding the hyperon puzzle of neutron stars. We propose a new high-luminosity experiment with two nested concentric targets, optimized for such measurements. This concept can also be incorporated into existing experiments, such as HADES and CBM at FAIR, as well as proposed experiments, such as H-NS and HHaS at HIAF, by adding a second target without significant modification of the current detectors.

Cosmic-ray physics in the GeV-to-TeV energy range has entered a precision era thanks to recent data from space-based experiments. However, the poor knowledge of nuclear reactions, in particular for the production of antimatter and secondary nuclei, limits the information that can be extracted from these data, such as source properties, transport in the Galaxy and indirect searches for particle dark matter. The Cross-Section for Cosmic Rays at CERN workshop series has addressed the challenges encountered in the interpretation of high-precision cosmic-ray data, with the goal of strengthening emergent synergies and taking advantage of the complementarity and know-how in different communities, from theoretical and experimental astroparticle physics to high-energy and nuclear physics. In this paper, we present the outcomes of the third edition of the workshop that took place in 2024. We present the current state of cosmic-ray experiments and their perspectives, and provide a detailed road map to close the most urgent gaps in cross-section data, in order to efficiently progress on many open physics cases, which are motivated in the paper. Finally, with the aim of being as exhaustive as possible, this report touches several other fields ─ such as cosmogenic studies, space radiation protection and hadrontherapy ─ where overlapping and specific new cross-section measurements, as well as nuclear code improvement and benchmarking efforts, are also needed. We also briefly highlight further synergies between astroparticle and high-energy physics on the question of cross-sections.

Luminous quasars at the redshift frontier z > 7 serve as stringent probes of super-massive black hole (SMBH) formation and they are thought to undergo much of their growth obscured by dense gas and dust in their host galaxies. Fully characterizing the symbiotic evolution of SMBHs and hosts requires rest-frame optical observations that span spatial scales from the broad-line region (BLR) to the interstellar and circumgalactic medium (ISM and CGM). The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) now provides the necessary spatially resolved spectroscopy to do so. However, the physical conditions that regulate the interplay between SMBHs and their hosts at the highest redshifts, especially the nature of early feedback phases, remain unclear. We present JWST/NIRSpec integral field unit (IFU) observations of J0313−1806 at z = 7.64, the most distant luminous quasar known. From the rest-frame optical spectrum of the unresolved quasar, we derived a black hole mass of M_BH = (1.63 ± 0.10)×10⁹ M_⊙ based on Hβλ4861 (Hβ) and an Eddington rate of λ = L/L_Edd = 0.80 ± 0.05, consistent with previous Mg IIλ2800-based estimates. J0313─1806 exhibits no detectable [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission on nuclear scales (3σ upper limit equivalent width of [O III] λ5007 < 1.42 Å). Most remarkably, we did detect an ionized gas shell extending out to ∼1.8 kpc traced by Hβ emission that also lacks any significant [O III] λλ4959, 5007, with a 3σ upper limit on the [O III] λ5007 to Hβ flux ratio of log₁₀(F([O III])/F(Hβ)) = −1.15. Through photoionization modeling, we demonstrate that the extended emission is consistent with a thin, clumpy outflowing shell where [O III] is collisionally de-excited by dense gas. We interpret this structure as a fossil remnant of a recent blowout phase, providing evidence for episodic feedback cycles in one of the earliest quasars. These findings suggest that dense ISM phases may play a crucial role in shaping the spectral properties of quasars across cosmic time.

We present a measurement of the Lyα intensity mapping power spectrum from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). We measure the cross-power spectrum of the Lyα intensity and Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) in a redshift range of 1.9 ≤ z ≤ 3.5. We calculate the intensity from HETDEX spectra that do not contain any detected LAEs above a signal-to-noise ratio of 5.5. To produce a power spectrum model and its covariance matrix, we simulate the data using lognormal mocks for the LAE catalog and Lyα intensity in redshift space. The simulations include the HETDEX sensitivity, selection function, and mask. The measurements yield the product of the LAE bias, the intensity bias, the mean intensity of undetected sources, and the ratio of the actual and fiducial redshift-space distortion parameters, <inline-formula> <mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>b</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>g</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>b</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>I</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:mi>I</mml:mi><mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mi>F</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>̄</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>RSD</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mi>F</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>̄</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>RSD</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>fid</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup><mml:mspace></mml:mspace><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mspace></mml:mspace></mml:math> </inline-formula>(6.7 ± 3.1), (11.7 ± 1.4), and (8.3 ± 1.5) × 10⁻²² erg s⁻¹ cm⁻² arcsec⁻² Å⁻¹ in three redshift bins centered at <inline-formula> <mml:math><mml:mover><mml:mrow><mml:mi>z</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>̄</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mover><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>2.1</mml:mn></mml:math> </inline-formula>, 2.6, and 3.2, respectively. The results are reasonably consistent with cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that include Lyα radiative transfer. They are, however, significantly smaller than previous results from cross-correlations of quasars with Lyα intensity. These results demonstrate the statistical power of HETDEX for Lyα intensity mapping and pave the way for a more comprehensive analysis. They will also be useful for constraining models of Lyα emission from galaxies used in modern cosmological simulations of galaxy formation and evolution.

Remnant black holes (BHs) of massive stars (``light seeds'') are a potential origin for supermassive black holes (SMBHs). We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations to study the formation and growth of light seeds in star-forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs) with masses $10^5$--$10^9\,M_\odot$, which evolve for $\sim 10$--$30\,\rm Myr$ and form compact star clusters, akin to high-redshift nuclear star clusters. In particular, the simulations resolve very massive stars (VMSs, 100--$300\,M_\odot$), including their radiative and mechanical feedback, and model feedback-regulated accretion onto remnant BHs. We find that, even in compact GMCs capable of forming deep potential wells, the gas reservoir is expelled by sustained stellar feedback and rapidly dispersed after supernova explosions. Remnant BH populations emerge $\sim 3\,\rm Myr$ after the starburst and concentrate at the cluster center (where $ρ_{\rm BH}\sim 10^4$--$10^6\,M_\odot\,{\rm pc}^{-3}$). With our fiducial sub-grid BH accretion/feedback model, in-situ BH accretion is inefficient for forming heavy seeds: some direct-collapse BHs briefly accrete at $\sim$\,(1--10)$\times$ the Eddington rate, but they reach only $\sim 400$--$500\,M_\odot$. A top-heavy initial mass function or natal kicks do not change this conclusion. Runaway accretion is only possible if the sub-grid BH model allows a high fraction of Bondi inflow to reach the BH, in which case a few seeds can grow to $\sim 10^6\,M_\odot$. We also discuss multiple-generation star formation that may be intrinsically correlated with remnant BH accretion.

We study magnetic conversion of ultra-relativistic axion-like particles (ALPs) into photons in compact-star environments, focusing on the hot, transient conditions of core-collapse supernova (SN) remnants and neutron-star mergers (NSMs). We address previously overlooked uncertainties, particularly the suppression caused by ejected matter near the stellar surface, a region crucial to the conversion process. We derive analytical expressions for the transition rate; they reveal the influence of key parameters and their uncertainties. We update constraints using historical gamma-ray data from SN 1987A and find g_aγ < 5 × 10^-12 GeV^-1 for m_a ≲ 10^-9 eV. We also forecast sensitivities for a future Galactic SN and for NSMs, assuming observations with Fermi-LAT or similar gamma-ray instruments. We distinguish ALPs — defined as coupling only to photons and produced via Primakoff scattering — from axions, which also couple to nucleons and emerge through nuclear bremsstrahlung. We omit pionic axion production due to its large uncertainties and inconsistencies, though it could contribute comparably to bremsstrahlung under optimistic assumptions. For the compact sources, we adopt time-averaged one-zone models, guided by numerical simulations, to enable clear and reproducible parametric studies.

Finite Feynman integrals have been advocated as the optimal components for constructing a basis of master integrals in multiloop calculations, due to their improved analytic and numerical properties. In this paper, we show how the Loop-Tree Duality (LTD) is particularly well suited for systematically identifying finite integrals, as it makes the origin of infrared and threshold singularities fully transparent at the integrand level. This clear separation of singular and non-singular contributions enables a more efficient strategy for isolating and promoting finite integrals, thereby streamlining both reduction and numerical evaluation. We present a new strategy based on numerator and raised propagator Ansätze that provides results similar to other methods, although in a clearer and compact way. While this construction and other approaches establish a robust foundation, they often produce integrands that exhibit a rapid growth in the ultraviolet (UV) regime. To mitigate this bad UV behaviour, we introduce a generalized set of integrands fully defined within LTD. This new set is inherently infrared-finite and frequently free of threshold singularities, offering a more versatile framework for high-order calculations.

Non-cold dark matter particles can arise from the evaporation of primordial black holes (PBHs). In this paper, we further investigate how the memory-burden effect, which delays the full evaporation of black holes, affects the Lyman-$α$ bound on such non-cold dark matter (NCDM) particles. We mainly focus on scenarios in which PBHs have fully evaporated by today, undergoing a semi-classical evaporation phase followed by a memory-burden dominated phase. In this framework, PBH evaporation generically leads to two distinct dark-matter populations with different velocity dispersions, which can imprint observable signatures on the matter power spectrum. We compute the resulting NCDM phase-space distribution and its impact on small-scale overdensities using the $\texttt{BlackHawk}$ and $\texttt{CLASS}$ codes. This is then used to reinterpret Lyman-$α$ forest constraints for thermal warm dark matter, deriving both a velocity-dispersion-based and a matter-power-spectrum-based estimate. In particular, we discuss how we obtain constraints on scenarios in which NCDM particles constitute only a fraction of the total relic dark matter. Finally, we discuss the viable parameter space as a function of dark matter masses, PBH initial conditions, and memory-burden parameters. We show that even subdominant NCDM components from PBH evaporation can be constrained, and confirm that NCDM can only account for all of the dark matter in the absence of PBH domination, as in the semi-classical case.

We present ImpCresst, a Geant4-based Monte Carlo tool to simulate backgrounds from natural and cosmogenic radionuclides, and calibration signals in solid-state detectors and their response to it. It is tuned for a fast-evolving and heterogeneous detector environment with a focus on physics at the keV range. This tool was originally developed and validated by the CRESST collaboration; however, its flexibility and configurability make it suitable for other experiments with similar requirements. Key features of ImpCresst include the dynamic geometry implementation directly from CAD files, ROOT-based data persistency of the whole event topology and automatic metadata annotation for data provenance, and interfaces to various particle generators, particularly for radiogenic and cosmogenic radionuclides. It includes also a newly developed particle generator for radioactive bulk and surface contaminations which is completely independent of any user defined confinement volumes. The auxiliary tool CresstDS applies detector-specific energy and time resolution based on a user-provided data set of empirical parameterization. We discuss also how to manage an ImpCresst based workflow in an HPC environment based on Apptainer and nextflow.

Axion models generically suffer from a severe quality problem when coupled to gravity. In this article we provide a very simple model with a high quality axion. The axion is a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of the baryon number symmetry, U(1)_B, of a new composite sector that breaks U(1)_B spontaneously when it confines. A controlled example is a supersymmetric QCD (SQCD) with N_c = N_f. The axion shift symmetry is automatically protected due to the high dimension of the gauge-invariant baryon operator, with the Peccei-Quinn breaking operators arising at dimension N_c + 2. The standard model gauge group is embedded as a subgroup of the flavor symmetry group of SQCD that has an anomaly with U(1)_B, generating the standard coupling with gluons.

Measurements of the shear induced by weak gravitational lensing around galaxy cluster lines of sight are the gold standard for calibrating cluster observable-mass relations, thereby enabling a robust and precise inference of cosmological parameters. The weak-lensing mass bias is the systematic offset between the true halo mass and the mass that is inferred from the lensing data using an imperfect model for the halo mass distribution. We study the impact of cosmology on the lensing mass bias to inform future cosmological analyses of galaxy clusters. We create synthetic lensing shear maps for 115,920 projections of clusters with $M_{200\mathrm c}>1.56\times10^{14}\,h^{-1}M_\odot$ in a suite of Magneticum simulations. The simulation boxes are $896\,h^{-1}$Mpc on a side and are set up with 15 different combinations of the cosmological parameters $Ω_\mathrm{m}$, $Ω_\mathrm{b}$, $σ_8$, and $H_0$. Assuming a Navarro-Frenk-White profile, we extract weak-lensing mass measurements and quantify their bias $b_\mathrm{WL}$ with respect to the true halo mass. To investigate the impact of baryonic effects, we perform the analysis on gravity-only simulations and on their full-physics hydrodynamical counterparts. We confirm that assuming a fixed halo concentration or a fixed concentration-mass relation leads to cosmology-dependent changes of the mass bias. We report changes of up to $∆\ln b_\mathrm{WL}=0.030$ with respect to the bias obtained at the fiducial WMAP7 cosmology. Adopting a model for the concentration that also depends on cosmology absorbs the changes in halo profiles and we recover essentially constant values for the mass bias. Our analysis of hydrodynamical simulations suggests that future, more accurate models will also need to explicitly account for the strength of baryonic effects.

Context. The tidal disruption of planets by their host stars represents a growing area of interest in transient astronomy, offering insights into the final stages of planetary system evolution and the scattering of planets in gas-poor environments. Aims. We aim to model the hydrodynamic evolution and predict the multiwavelength observational signatures of planetary tidal disruption events (TDEs) around a solar-mass host, focusing on Jupiter-like and Neptune-like progenitors and examining how different eccentricities of the planet's pre-disruption orbit shape the morphology and emission of the tidal debris. Methods. We performed 2D hydrodynamic simulations using the FARGO3D code to model the formation and viscous evolution of the resulting debris disk. We employed a viscous α-disk prescription and included a time-dependent energy equation to compute the disk's effective temperature and subsequently derive the bolometric and multiband photometric light curves. Results. Our simulations show that planetary TDEs produce a diverse range of luminous transients. A Jupiter-like planet disrupted from a circular orbit at the Roche limit generates a transient that peaks at L_bol ∼10³⁸ erg s⁻¹ after a ∼12-day rise. In contrast, the same planet on an eccentric orbit (e=0.5) produces a transient of comparable peak luminosity but on a much shorter timescale, peaking in only ∼1 day, which is followed by a highly volatile light curve. We find that the effect of eccentricity is not universal, as it accelerates the event for Jupiter but delays it for Neptune. A robust "bluer-when-brighter" color evolution is a common feature as the disk cools over its multi-year lifetime. Conclusions. The strong dependence of light curve morphology on the initial orbit and progenitor mass makes these events powerful diagnostics. The dichotomous effect of eccentricity indicates that light curves probe both orbital parameters and the planet's internal structure. This framework is crucial for identifying planetary TDEs in time-domain surveys.

We propose a new model to explain the KM3NeT neutrino event through a low reheating scenario with a suppression in the GW spectrum originating from cosmic string networks. To achieve this, we extend the SM gauge sector by an abelian gauge symmetry and a singlet scalar. Once the abelian gauge symmetry spontaneously breaks, the extra gauge boson acquires mass and becomes a suitable Dark Matter (DM) candidate. Due to the kinetic mixing with the hypercharge gauge group, DM can decay into SM particles. To explain the KM3NeT signal, we need 𝒪(100) PeV DM, which can be produced in the correct order of DM density in a low reheating scenario. In this scenario, the overabundance issue of heavy DM can be tackled by diluting its abundance through the continuous injection of entropy when the matter-like inflaton decays into the SM bath. Using the low reheating scenario, we can obtain the correct value of DM density both for freeze-out and freeze-in mechanisms for super-heavy DM. Moreover, we have studied the Gravitational Waves (GWs) produced from cosmic strings, which fall within the detectable range of future proposed GW experiments. Additionally, the dominance of a quadratic inflaton potential before the reheating temperature changes the temperature─scale factor relation, which suppresses the GW spectrum at higher frequencies. Choosing an arbitrarily low reheating temperature provides only a tiny fraction of the DM density due to dilution from entropy injection. This fraction of the vector DM suggests that only the extragalactic contribution is relevant in the KM3NeT event because DM lifetime is shorter than the age of the Universe.

We describe our method for rewriting dimensionally regulated Feynman parameter integrals in the Minkowski regime as a sum of real, positive integrands multiplied by complex prefactors. This representation eliminates the need for a contour deformation, which is one of the main computational bottlenecks in numerical integration. We demonstrate clearly how the method works on two examples, and benchmark the performance against contour deformation as implemented in pySecDec, where we observe performance gains of up to several orders of magnitude. We describe an improvement in the resolution procedure using the Generic Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition algorithm, which generalises our method to any Feynman integral, including those with massive propagators.

This paper offers a historical overview of the origins and enduring significance of gravitational particle creation, a groundbreaking discovery first formulated in Leonard Parker's 1966 doctoral thesis at Harvard University. By tracing the context in which Parker developed this idea and examining its subsequent influence, the paper highlights how the concept of gravitational particle creation advanced the study of quantum field theory in curved spacetime and profoundly shaped modern cosmology, as well as the quantum theory of black holes.

Context. Intermediate-resolution spectral observations are vital tools for characterizing the composition and physical properties of Solar System bodies in detail. At present, the planets and moons of our Solar System remain the only planetary environments for which spatially resolved high-quality spectroscopic data are obtainable. Observations that provide such data can advance knowledge of the Solar System and establish reference points for future exoplanet observations with next-generation telescopes. Aims. We present a library of intermediate-resolution (R ≍ 10000) spectra, with this first paper of the HiDef Neighbors project focusing on Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Titan's atmospheres. We provide homogeneous, high S/N (≍250) data for comparative studies and modeling. While other projects have presented high S/N broad-wavelength data of individual objects, they vary widely in resolution, calibration standards, and observing strategies, limiting their comparability. We used one instrument, consistent calibrations, and a single reduction pipeline, with images obtained near opposition to ensure consistent phase geometry. We also address how the methane distribution differs between gas and ice giants within our data. We provide constraints on the methane distribution, as our dataset allows for direct comparison of the Solar System gas giants and serves as a benchmark for future atmospheric studies. Methods. We obtained spectra using X-shooter in the Integral Field Unit mode, covering a spectral range of 0.3 μm to 2.1 μm. The data were integrated, cleaned of telluric absorption features using MOLECFIT, and refined by removing solar absorption lines and applying Doppler corrections. Results. We present the resulting spectra for the selected Solar System objects and a number of equivalent widths for methane absorptions. These spectra are publicly available and will be a valuable resource for future atmospheric investigations and comparative planetology studies.

Spatially resolved stellar kinematics has become a key ingredient in time-delay cosmography to break the mass-sheet degeneracy in the mass profile and in turn provide a precise constraint on the Hubble constant and other cosmological parameters. In this paper, we present the first measurements of 2D resolved stellar kinematics for the lens galaxy in the quadruply lensed quasar system RXJ1131−1231 using integral field spectroscopy from JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), marking the first such measurement conducted with JWST. In extracting robust kinematic measurements from this first-of-its-kind dataset, we have made methodological improvements both in the data reduction and kinematic extraction. In our kinematic extraction procedure, we performed joint modeling of the lens galaxy, the quasar, and its host galaxy's contributions in the spectra to deblend the lens galaxy component and robustly constrain its stellar kinematics. Our improved methodological frameworks are released as software pipelines for future use: SQUIRREL, for extracting stellar kinematics, and REGALJUMPER, for JWST-NIRSpec data reduction. We incorporated additional artifact cleaning beyond the standard JWST pipeline. We compared our measured stellar kinematics from the JWST NIRSpec with previously obtained ground-based measurements from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager integral field unit and find that the two datasets are statistically consistent at a ∼1.1σ confidence level. Our measured kinematics will be used in a future study to improve the precision of the Hubble constant measurement.

Context. The Magellanic Clouds, the closest star-forming galaxies to the Milky Way, offer an excellent environment to study high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). While the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) has been thoroughly investigated with over 120 systems identified, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has lacked a complete survey due to its large angular size. Most prior studies targeted central or high-star-formation regions. The SRG/eROSITA all-sky surveys now enable a comprehensive coverage of the LMC, particularly due to its close vicinity to the south ecliptic pole. Aims. This work aims to improve our understanding of the HMXB population in the LMC by building a flux-limited catalogue. This allows us to compare sample properties with those of HMXB populations in other nearby galaxies. Methods. Using detections during the first eROSITA all-sky survey (eRASS1), we cross-matched X-ray positions with optical and infrared catalogues to identify candidate HMXBs. We assigned flags based on multi-wavelength follow-up observations and archival data, using properties of known LMC HMXBs. These flags defined confidence classes for our candidates. Results. We detect sources down to X-ray luminosities of a few 10³⁴ erg s⁻¹, resulting in a catalogue of 53 objects, including 28 confirmed HMXBs and 21 new eROSITA detections. Compared to the SMC, the LMC hosts fewer HMXBs and more systems with supergiant companions. We identify several likely supergiant systems, including a candidate supergiant fast X-ray transient with phase-dependent flares. We also find three Be stars with likely white dwarf companions. Two of the candidate Be/WD binaries show steady luminosities across four eROSITA scans, unlike the post-nova states seen in the majority of previous Be/WD reports. Conclusions. Our catalogue is the first to cover the entire LMC since the ROSAT era, providing a basis for statistical population studies. Using the HMXB population, we estimate the LMC star-formation rate to be (0.22_−0.07^+0.06) M_⊙yr⁻¹, which is in agreement with results using other tracers.

Context. Dense young star clusters (YSCs) are ideal environments for dynamical interactions between stars and stellar compact objects, such as black holes and neutron stars. In such dense environments, stars can undergo close encounters with black holes and fall within their tidal radius, resulting in tidal disruption. These events, known as micro-tidal disruption events (micro-TDEs), are transient phenomena with potential multi-messenger signatures. Aims. We aim to quantify the nature, occurrence, and observational relevance of micro-TDEs across a wide range of cluster masses, densities, and metallicities through an extensive exploration of the parameter space. Methods. We performed a suite of direct N-body simulations using the PETAR code, to which we implemented new prescriptions for modelling micro-TDEs. We constructed a set of realistic YSC models including primordial binaries based on the observed Milky Way population. Our simulations incorporate stellar and binary evolution, supernova kicks, and stellar winds using the BSE code, and they account for the Galactic tidal field via the GALPY library. Results. We identified three primary dynamical channels for micro-TDE production: single star─single black hole encounters, binary-mediated interactions (including supernova-kick triggers), and interactions involving higher-order multiple systems such as hierarchical triples and quadruples as well as chaotic few-body interactions with more than three objects. Multiple encounters are the most efficient production channel and thus dominate the total production rate: ∼250─450 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹. Micro-TDEs from YSCs are expected to be detectable by upcoming surveys, particularly the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, with detection rates potentially up to hundreds per year. The gravitational wave signals expected from the micro-TDE peak in the deci-Hertz band, making them accessible to future instruments such as the Lunar Gravitational Wave Antenna and the Deci-Hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory. Conclusions. Micro-TDEs emerge as promising multi-messenger sources, potentially offering unique insights into star cluster dynamics, stellar collisions, and the population of dormant stellar-mass black holes, through both electromagnetic and gravitational wave observations.

Changing-state active galactic nuclei (CSAGNs) exhibit rapid variability; their mass accretion rates can change by several orders of magnitude in a few years. This provides us with a unique opportunity to study the evolution of the inner accretion flow almost in real time. Here we used over 1000 observations to study the broadband X-ray spectra of a sample of five CSAGNs, spanning three orders of magnitude in Eddington ratio (λ_Edd), using phenomenological models to trace the evolution of key spectral components. We derive several fundamental parameters, such as the photon index, soft excess strength, reflection strength, and luminosities of the soft excess and primary continuum. We find that the soft excess and primary continuum emissions show a very strong positive correlation (p ≪ 10⁻¹⁰), suggesting a common physical origin. The soft excess strength does not show any dependence on the reflection parameter, suggesting that in these objects the soft excess is not dominated by a blurred ionized reflection process. On the other hand, the strength of the soft excess is found to be strongly positively correlated with the Eddington ratio (p ≪ 10⁻¹⁰), and we find that the soft excess vanishes below log λ_Edd ∼ −2.5. Moreover, we find a clear V-shaped relation for Γ − λ_Edd, with a break at log λ_Edd = −2.47 ± 0.09. Our findings indicate a change in the geometry of the inner accretion flow at low Eddington ratios, and that the soft excess is primarily produced via warm Comptonization.

Scatter in distance indicators introduces two conceptually distinct systematic biases when reconstructing peculiar velocity fields from redshifts and distances. The first is distance Malmquist bias (dMB), which affects individual distance estimates and can in principle be approximately corrected. The second is velocity Malmquist bias (vMB), which arises when constructing continuous velocity fields from scattered distance measurements: random scatter places galaxies at noisy spatial positions, introducing spurious velocity gradients that persist even when distances are corrected for dMB. Considering the Tully─Fisher relation as a concrete example, both inverse and forward formulations yield unbiased individual peculiar velocities for galaxies with the same true distance (the forward relation requires a selection-dependent correction), but neither eliminates vMB when galaxies are placed at their inferred distances. We develop a modified Wiener filter that properly encodes correlations between directly observed distance d and true distance r through the conditional probability P(r∣d), accounting for the distribution of true distances sampled by galaxies at observed distance d. Nonetheless, this modified filter yields suppressed amplitude estimates. Since machine learning autoencoders converge to the Wiener filter for Gaussian fields, they are unlikely to significantly improve velocity field estimation. We therefore argue that optimal reconstruction places galaxies at their observed redshifts rather than inferred distances—an approach effective when distance errors exceed σ_v/H₀, a condition satisfied for most galaxies in typical surveys beyond the nearby volume.

Context. Star formation within filaments may arise due to the growth of cores according to linear perturbation theory. This implies a minimum core separation, as shorter modes would not be able to grow. While many observations agree with core separations by theoretical predictions, some observations also show star forming cores which lie closer together than the minimum wavelength given by perturbation theory. Aims. We explore whether non-linear effects during the late stages of core growth can explain the discrepancy between theory and observations. Methods. We perform 3D hydrodynamical simulations with the RAMSES code to follow the evolution of initial perturbations within filaments and compare the measured growth rates to expectations from theoretical models. Results. Non-linear evolution sets in as soon as the core mass reaches a value where the gravitational potential is no longer dominated by the cylindrical potential of the filament but by the spherical potential of the Bonnor-Ebert sphere. Consequently, core collapse is not triggered by the loss of hydrostatic stability of the filament but by the loss of hydrostatic stability of the Bonnor-Ebert sphere. As the core is embedded in the filament, the maximum core mass is given by the pressure within the filament, resulting in a constant line-mass threshold for core collapse. Conclusions. As core collapse is triggered as soon as overdensities reach a certain line-mass, cores which form as large line-mass perturbations during filament formation can go into direct collapse even if their separation is closer than predicted by linear perturbation theory. Therefore, our result can explain the discrepancy between theory and observations.

In galaxy clusters, the hierarchical model of galaxy assembly predicts the formation of stellar substructures and intracluster light (ICL), a diffuse component consisting of stars that are not gravitationally bound to any single galaxy but instead follow the global gravitational potential of the cluster. These features encode the details of the cluster's assembly history. However, observations are challenging due to their faint surface brightness, so independent tracers such as intracluster planetary nebulae and globular clusters (GCs) can provide valuable insight. For this work, we used deep VLT/FORS V- and I-band imaging to study the GC population in the Hydra I galaxy cluster, a rich environment of galaxies that is located at a distance of 45.7 Mpc. Our photometric sample of GC candidates was constructed from the VI colour-magnitude diagram, where point sources with a similar colour as confirmed GCs were selected. Dividing our GC sample in two colour groups, we show a striking difference between the two populations: while red GCs tend to be clustered around Hydra's massive galaxies (mainly NGC 3311 and NGC 3309), blue GCs are more extended and spatially coincide with the peak of the cluster's X-ray emitting gas. The GCs around the central galaxies also have different spatial distributions according to their stellar population properties. Young metal-rich GCs are more extended and may be associated with ram-pressure tails, whereas old metal-poor GCs are more concentrated and could be related to disrupted dwarfs. The red, old, and metal-rich GCs are likely associated with the central massive galaxies. Comparing the GC number density profiles to the surface brightness profile of NGC 3311, we find that the red GCs closely follow the galaxy's light, while the blue population significantly deviates from it and traces the global gravitational potential of the cluster. This result is also evidenced by the specific frequency of blue GCs, which is ∼5 times larger in the ICL-dominated outskirts when compared to the inner parts of the cluster and to the red population. Finally, we introduce a novel method to constrain the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function of the cluster from GC specific frequencies and colour distributions. This method results in a past Schechter slope of <inline-formula> α = −1.81^+0.16_−0.16 <mml:math> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>81</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.16</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.16</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </inline-formula> for the faint end compared to <inline-formula> α = −1.41^+0.08_−0.05 <mml:math> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>.</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>41</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.08</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> </inline-formula> in the present day, which is consistent with measurements at high redshift and with cosmological simulations.

Context. The exoplanet K2-18 b lies near the radius valley that separates super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, marking a key transitional regime in planetary and atmospheric composition. The system offers a valuable opportunity to study how M-dwarf high-energy stellar radiation influences atmospheric stability and the potential for sustaining volatile species, which is especially important in the context of the upcoming ELT and its ANDES spectrograph. Aims. This study characterizes the high-energy environment of K2-18 with X-ray observations from eROSITA, the soft X-ray instrument on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission, Chandra, and XMM-Newton. Methods. We derived a representative 0.2─2 keV X-ray flux with an APEC thermal plasma model fit with the Bayesian X-ray Analysis (BXA). With the observed X-ray flux from the exoplanet host star, we estimated the photoevaporative mass loss of exoplanet K2-18b using the energy-limited model. In addition, we examined the thermal structure of the system based on a hydrodynamic model. Results. In a 100 ks XMM-Newton observation, we identified K2-18 as a very faint X-ray source with F_X = 10⁻¹⁵ erg s⁻¹ cm⁻² and an activity level of (Lx/Lbol) ∼10⁻⁵. A small flare was detected during the observation. The planet is irradiated by an X-ray flux of F_pl,X = 12 ± 3 erg s⁻¹ cm⁻². Conclusions. The X-ray flux measurement of K2-18 gives important limitations for the atmospheric escape and photochemical modeling of its exoplanets. Despite its near orbit around an M-dwarf star, K2-18b's low-activity-level environment suggests that it can retain an atmosphere, supporting recent tentative detections of atmospheres.

The internal mass structure of elliptical galaxies offers critical insights into galaxy formation, yet disentangling stellar mass from dark matter and determining the stellar initial mass function (IMF) remains challenging. We present a detailed analysis of ESO0286-G022 ($z=0.0312$), a rare nearby strong-lens system with a fast-rotating elliptical galaxy, combining high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging with VLT/MUSE integral-field stellar kinematics. We construct axisymmetric and triaxial Schwarzschild orbit-superposition models to reconstruct its intrinsic shape and mass distribution. Despite being a fast rotator, ESO0286 exhibits clear kinematic signatures of intrinsic triaxiality, characterized by rotation along both the major and minor axes, making it only the second such confirmed case. By incorporating the mass enclosed within the Einstein radius from strong lensing as a complementary constraint, we tightly anchor the total mass at large radii. This significantly reduces the uncertainty on the outer mass profile and orbital structure, demonstrating that only models with strong radial anisotropy beyond the IFU field of view are compatible with the data. In the inner regions, we robustly constrain an upper limit for the stellar mass around $r \sim 0.7$ kpc, ruling out an IMF more bottom-heavy than Kroupa, though a gentle gradient toward a slightly heavier central IMF is permitted. This aligns with recent dynamical studies of local massive early-type galaxies but contrasts with heavier IMFs reported for lenses at $z>0.1$. Our work demonstrates the power of combining lensing and dynamical modeling to resolve the detailed inner structure of massive galaxies.

We present a comprehensive study of galaxy intrinsic alignment (IA) as a probe of parity-violating primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG). Within the effective field theory (EFT) framework, we show that the parity-odd IA power spectrum is sensitive to the collapsed limit of the parity-odd primordial trispectrum. For a <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mi>U</mml:mi><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula>-gauge inflationary model, the IA power spectrum is proportional to the power spectrum of the curvature perturbation, <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mi>ζ</mml:mi></mml:msub><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mi>k</mml:mi><mml:mo>)</mml:mo><mml:mo>∝</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mi>k</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mo>-</mml:mo><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:math></inline-formula>. However, the proportionality constants contain not only the PNG amplitude but also undetermined EFT bias parameters. We use <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mi>N</mml:mi></mml:math></inline-formula>-body simulations to determine the bias parameters for dark matter halos. Using these bias parameters, we forecast IA's constraining power, assuming data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. We find that the IA power spectrum can improve the current limits on the amplitude of parity-violating PNG derived from galaxy four-point correlation and cosmic microwave background trispectrum analyses. Moreover, galaxy shapes are complementary to these probes, as they are sensitive to different scales and trispectrum configurations. Beyond galaxy shapes, we develop a new method to generate initial conditions for simulations and forward models from the parity-odd trispectrum with an enhanced collapsed limit.

We targeted with deep NOEMA observations the [CII]158$μ$m emission of three JWST-discovered AGN at z>6. Two of them have the typical features of Little Red Dots (LRDs), while the third one is a blue, extended, Type I AGN. We do not significantly detect [CII] emission or dust continuum in any of the targets, even after stacking. The resulting [CII] luminosity upper limits, $\log (L_{[CII]}/L_{\odot})<7.77-8.1$, lie $\sim2σ$ below the values expected from the [CII]-SFR relation, and we explore different scenarios to explain the lack of [CII]. We obtained upper limits on the gas masses of $\log (M_{gas}/M_{\odot})<9.26-9.59$ corresponding to $\log( M_{dust}/M_{\odot})<5.68-6.55$ assuming a metallicity dependent dust to gas ratio. Using the continuum non-detections (rms $\sim 16-25 ~μJy$) together with JWST/MIRI constraints, we performed a revised SED-fitting decomposition, resulting in stellar masses up to $\sim 2$ dex lower than previously reported, and implying $0.03\lesssim M_{BH}/M_{*}\lesssim0.7$. For the two LRDs, the SED is well reproduced by stellar emission in the rest-frame UV, while the rising rest-frame optical slope, flattening toward the near-infrared, is consistent with emission from a Type I AGN partially obscured along the polar direction with $E(B-V)_{\rm polar}\simeq 1$, in agreement with attenuation derived from the broad lines Balmer decrement. This decomposition demonstrates that a relatively standard AGN configuration can reproduce the SEDs of the two LRDs, without invoking more exotic scenarios. Finally, we investigate the positions of the three sources in the $IRX-β_{UV}$ plane, finding that they lie in a parameter space where galaxies are typically characterized by patchy dust distributions. Our analysis highlights the importance of millimeter constraints to characterize the different physical properties of high-z AGN.

Dark matter (DM) could be subject to non-gravitational self-interactions which is relevant to resolve potential problems of cold DM on small scales. Their impact on astrophysical objects such as galaxies and galaxy clusters allows for constraining the strength of this scattering and eventually further properties of the cross-section. To model self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), N-body simulations are a crucial tool widely employed by the SIDM community. In this paper, we describe the SIDM implementation in the cosmological hydrodynamical N-body code OpenGadget3 and release it to the public. It is capable of simulating elastic scattering for various differential cross-sections, including strongly anisotropic cross-sections. Beyond single-species models, the code also allows simulating a two-species model with cross-species interactions. In addition to describing the numerical schemes for modelling various flavours of SIDM, we discuss the technical challenges of implementing them. Moreover, we demonstrate through several test problems that OpenGadget3 can accurately simulate DM self-interactions. Furthermore, we assess the performance of the code and provide scaling tests. Lastly, we highlight remaining challenges in the context of SIDM and describe directions for improving the current state of the art.

We propose a mechanism for baryogenesis in which the baryon asymmetry is generated as an \emph{equilibrium response} of weak sphalerons in a region where electroweak sphaleron transitions remain unsuppressed, $h/T\lesssim 1$. A nonzero equilibrium baryon density arises in the presence of an approximately conserved global charge $X$, carried by states with nonzero hypercharge and, after electroweak symmetry breaking, electric charge. Plasma screening enforces gauge-charge neutrality, so an $X$ asymmetry induces compensating gauge-charge densities in the Standard Model plasma, which in turn bias weak sphaleron transitions toward a state with nonvanishing baryon number. The required $X$ asymmetry is generated during a phase transition that changes the strength of electroweak symmetry breaking, but need not coincide with the final electroweak phase transition. In particular, the mechanism can operate during an inverse electroweak phase transition, where baryon number is produced behind the advancing wall, in contrast to conventional electroweak baryogenesis. Because baryon production is decoupled from a direct first-order electroweak phase transition, the scenario can be realized at parametrically higher temperatures than standard electroweak baryogenesis, thereby weakening current experimental constraints. This framework provides a qualitatively distinct route to electroweak baryogenesis, with different parametric dependence, phase-transition dynamics, and phenomenological signatures.

One of the major open puzzles in the Standard Model of particle physics is the strong CP problem: although Quantum Chromodynamics allows a CP-violating topological $θ$-term, experiments constrain its value to be extremely small. The Peccei--Quinn mechanism resolves this problem by promoting the $θ$-angle to a dynamical field-introducing the axion -- whose dynamics relax the effective angle $θ_\text{eff}$ to a CP-conserving minimum. Here, we investigate the resulting axion physics in a Hamiltonian lattice gauge theory (LGT) by coupling a quantized axion field to the massive Schwinger model with a topological $θ$-term. Using infinite matrix product state techniques, we compute the ground-state properties of the resulting theory and demonstrate that the axion dynamically relaxes $θ_\text{eff}$ to the minimum of the vacuum energy. Consequently, the ground-state energy becomes independent of $θ$, demonstrating the axion-mediated solution to the strong CP problem within a fully dynamical LGT. We further analyze CP restoration and extract the axion mass from the topological susceptibility and excitation spectrum. Our results provide a nonperturbative demonstration of axion dynamics in a quantum LGT amenable to investigation on modern quantum hardware.

With more than 6000 exoplanets discovered so far, about 12 percent are hot Jupiters. Their large sizes and short orbital periods make them valuable targets for studying planetary formation, atmospheres, and orbital evolution. We present a homogeneous analysis of the WASP-19 b system using a 15 year dataset to investigate both its orbital dynamics and atmospheric properties. We test whether the transit times show evidence for tidal orbital decay, apsidal precession, or periodic perturbations from an additional body, and we also construct a photometric transmission spectrum. Multi-wavelength light curves are modeled with PRISM to account for starspots, and linear, quadratic, and cubic ephemeris models are fitted to the transit timing residuals. Our dataset includes 27 new transits and reveals no statistically significant periodic signal. Although none of the tested models fully reproduces the timing scatter, the transit times show systematic deviations from a constant period and are best described by the cubic ephemeris, indicating a slow long-term trend over the full baseline. This behavior is more consistent with gradual apsidal precession than with monotonic tidal decay. A precession model yields a rate of 1.00 +/- 0.12 x 10^-4 rad per orbit and a planetary Love number k2p = 0.107 +/- 0.08. The transmission spectrum shows signatures of Na, K, and H2O, with no strong evidence for TiO or VO. These results suggest that apsidal precession may dominate the long-term orbital evolution of WASP-19 b. Continued high-precision timing and spectroscopic observations are needed to further test this scenario.

Dense neutrino plasmas can develop instabilities that drive collisionless flavor exchange, equivalent to the emission of flavomons, the quanta of flavor waves. We treat these waves, for the first time, as independent linear degrees of freedom and develop a quasi-linear theory (QLT), including backreaction on the neutrino distribution and nonresonant neutrino--flavomon interactions, while neglecting wave--wave processes. In a homogeneous, axisymmetric model, the saturated neutrino and flavomon distributions agree closely with periodic-box solutions of the original quantum kinetic equation. These results support the use of QLT, well established in plasma physics, to bypass nonlinear small-scale effects that challenge direct simulations.

We investigate whether the effective theory for isolated, massive, and weakly interacting spin-3/2 particles is compatible with causality and unitarity — i.e., the positivity of scattering amplitudes. We find no solution to positivity constraints, except when gravitons are also present and couple in a (nearly) supersymmetric way. Gravity is thus bootstrapped from S-matrix consistency conditions for the longitudinal and transverse polarizations of massive spin-3/2 states. For two such particles forming a U(1)-charged state, a (gravi)photon gauging the symmetry is also required, with couplings characteristic of supergravity and consistent with both the no-global-symmetry and weak gravity conjectures. We further explore the EFT-hedron associated with the longitudinal polarizations, the Goldstinos, through novel t─u symmetric dispersion relations. We identify the 'extremal' UV models that lie at the corners of the allowed parameter space, recovering familiar models of supersymmetry breaking and uncovering new ones.

We present FlowSN, a statistical framework using simulation-based inference (SBI) with normalising flows to account for selection effects in observational astronomy. Failure to account for selection effects can lead to biased inference on global parameters. An example is Malmquist bias, where detection limits result in a sample skewed towards brighter objects. In Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology, these selection effects can systematically shift the inferred posterior distributions of cosmological parameters, necessitating the development of robust statistical frameworks to account for the biases. SBI enables us to implicitly learn probability distributions that are analytically intractable to calculate. In this work, we introduce a novel approach that employs a normalising flow to learn the non-analytic selected SN likelihood for a given survey from forward simulations, independent of the assumed cosmological model. The resulting likelihood approximation is incorporated into a hierarchical Bayesian framework and posterior sampling is performed using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo to obtain constraints on cosmological parameters conditioned on the observed data. The modular learnt likelihood approximation can be reused without retraining to evaluate different cosmological models, providing a key advantage over other SBI approaches. We demonstrate the performance of this methodology by training and testing the SBI technique using realistic LSST-like SNANA simulations for the first time. Our FlowSN approach yields accurate posterior estimates on cosmological parameters, including the dark energy equation of state $w_0$, that are an order of magnitude less biased than those obtained with conventional techniques and also exhibit improved frequentist calibration.

The first four all-sky surveys with eROSITA the soft X-ray instrument on board the Spektrum─Roentgen─Gamma (SRG) satellite revealed a new X-ray source, eRASSU J012422.9─724248, in the Magellanic Bridge, near the Eastern Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We performed a broad-band timing and spectral analysis using the optical and X-ray data of eRASSU J012422.9─724248. Using the X-ray observations with eROSITA, Swift, NuSTAR and optical data from the optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) and the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), we confirm the nature of eRASSU J012422.9─724248as a Be/X-ray binary (BeXRB) pulsar in the Magellanic Bridge. The position is coincident with that of an early-type star (OGLE ID SMC732.10.7). We detect the spin period at 341.71 s in NuSTAR data and infer a period of 63.65 d from the 15 yr monitoring with OGLE, that we interpret as the orbital period of the system. A tentative CRSF at <inline-formula><tex-math>$\sim$</tex-math></inline-formula>12.3 keV is identified in NuSTAR spectra with <inline-formula><tex-math>$\sim 1.8\sigma$</tex-math></inline-formula>. The source appears to show a persistent X-ray luminosity and an optical magnitude transition on the long timescale. We propose eRASSU J012422.9─724248is a new member of the class of persistent BeXRBs.

Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models feature short-range interactions between dark matter (DM) particles that lead to larger diversity in the inner parts of galactic rotation curves and potentially unique gravitational lensing signatures. Satellite galaxies and dark subhalos provide a valuable testing ground for such models. We develop a simulation framework to explore subhalo evolution and its gravothermal collapse for velocity- and angle-dependent self-interacting cross section in these SIDM models. Our results are essential for testing these models. We perform N-body simulations, treating the host halo analytically and modelling the scattering-induced subhalo-halo interaction process using virtual host particles, a central innovation of our work. We use the Eddington inversion method to accurately model the local velocity distribution in the halo. Our approach is significantly less computationally expensive than simulations with a fully resolved host, while incorporating tidal stripping and tidal heating. We test both isotropic and forward-dominated self-scattering, which represent limiting cases for the angular dependence of the self-interaction cross section. Environmental effects, especially the scattering-induced subhalo-halo interaction, have a strong impact on the subhalo evolution and drive a complex structural evolution. As a result, SIDM subhalos have a larger range of central densities and density profile slopes compared to collisionless DM. Our cost-efficient simulation framework enables modelling of SIDM subhalos in realistic environments. Our results highlight the necessity of accurately modelling the scattering-induced subhalo-halo interaction to predict SIDM subhalo density profiles. For the SIDM models we investigate, the enhanced diversity in the mass profiles of subhalos would leave an observable imprint on strong lensing systems and satellite galaxies.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will open a new observational window in the millihertz gravitational-wave band, enabling the detection of tens of thousands of compact stellar remnant binaries across the Milky Way. Most of LISA's sources will be double white dwarf (WDWD) systems, while neutron star-white dwarf (NSWD) binaries and higher-mass systems will be orders of magnitude rarer but of significant astrophysical interest. Disentangling these populations is challenging due to the strong overlap in their gravitational-wave features. In this work, we investigate the use of machine-learning techniques to classify LISA-detectable binaries based solely on LISA observables. Using mock catalogues of Galactic binaries constructed from population-synthesis studies, we evaluate a range of machine-learning classifiers. We find that ensemble-based methods-particularly gradient-boosting algorithms such as XGBoost-deliver the best performance on our highly imbalanced dataset. WDWD systems are identified with a recall of $\sim 99\%$, reflecting their dominant presence, and high-mass binaries are also classified with high recall ($\ge 85\%$). In contrast, NSWD systems remain the most challenging population to distinguish: their features overlap strongly with those of WDWD binaries, making them particularly prone to misclassification. Despite this, XGBoost correctly identifies 85.6% of NSWD systems in our simulated LISA detections, outperforming simple statistical approaches based on kernel density estimation. We further demonstrate that machine-learning classification can effectively support the interpretation of LISA data, enabling the identification of eccentric binaries and extremely rare subclasses.

Observations of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS have revealed a strong production of gas and dust near perihelion, together with rapid brightening. The outgassing from the nucleus has led to a detectable non-gravitational acceleration. In this work, we combine models of the mass loss rate of water and carbon dioxide to derive the non-gravitational parameters and estimate the mass and size of 3I/ATLAS. In addition, we take into account a conservative constraint on the nucleus size from the active surface area required for sublimation. If the mass loss is dominated by the sublimation of CO$_2$, then the nucleus radius and mass are $R_{\rm 3I}=0.42\,\rm{km}$ and $M_{\rm 3I}=1.6\times10^{11}\,\rm{kg}$, assuming a density of $ρ=0.5\,\rm{g\,cm}^{-3}$ and an asymmetry factor of $ζ=0.5$. This estimate is consistent with the lower bound from the active surface and independently supported by the slight preference of the orbital fit for a $a_{\rm ng}(r)\sim 1/r^2$ scaling of the non-gravitational acceleration. Models that cover the range of reported water production near perihelion give $R_{3I}=0.74-1.15\,\rm{km}$ and $M_{\rm 3I}=8.5-32\times10^{11}\,\rm{kg}$ but require a cometary surface that is in tension with the estimate from the rocket effect. Therefore, our results indicate that a large fraction of water sublimation is occurring in the coma and that CO$_2$ dominates sublimation on the surface. The nucleus radius that we obtain is much smaller than a recent photometric estimate of $R_{\rm 3I}\sim 1.3\,\rm{km}$, which could be resolved if CO$_2$ production is larger than observed or if the density of 3I/ATLAS is significantly lower than assumed. An overall lighter nucleus of 3I/ATLAS might be favored based on its recently claimed origin from a metal-poor environment and the corresponding mass budget of interstellar objects.

Combining deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images and extensive data from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, we present new mass models of the cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, strongly lensing the supernova (SN) Refsdal, fully exploiting the source surface-brightness distribution of the SN host for the first time. In detail, we incorporated 77 000 HST pixels, in addition to the known 106 point-like multiple images, in our modeling. We considered four different models to explore the effect of the relative weighting of the point-like multiple image positions and flux distribution of the SN host on the model optimization. When the SN host's extended image is included, we find that the statistical uncertainties of all 34 free model parameters are reduced by factors ranging from one to two orders of magnitude compared to the statistical uncertainty of the point-like only model, irrespective of the adopted different image weights. We quantified the remarkably increased level of precision with which the cluster's total mass and the predicted time delays of the SN Refsdal multiple image positions can be reconstructed. We also show the delensed image of the SN host, a spiral galaxy at z_SN = 1.49, in multiple HST bands. In all those applications, we obtain a significant reduction of the statistical uncertainty, which is now below the level of even the small systematic uncertainty on the mass model that could be assessed by the different approaches. These results demonstrate that with extended image models of lensing clusters it is possible to measure the cluster's total mass distribution, the values of the cosmological parameters, and the physical properties of high-redshift sources with an unparalleled precision, making the typically not-quantified systematic uncertainties now crucial.

We present the searches conducted with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) in response to S250206dm, a bona fide event with an online false alarm rate of one in 25 yr, detected by the International Gravitational Wave Network. Although the event is significant, the nature of the compact objects involved remains unclear, with at least one likely neutron star. ZTF covered 68% of the last refined Bilby localization region, though we did not identify any likely optical counterpart. We describe the ZTF strategy, potential candidates, and the observations that helped rule out candidates, including sources circulated by other collaborations. Similar to Ahumada et al., we perform a frequentist analysis, using simsurvey, as well as Bayesian analysis, using nimbus, to quantify the efficiency of our searches. We find that, given the nominal up-to-date distance to this event of 373 ± 104 Mpc, our efficiencies are above 10% for KNe brighter than −17.5 absolute magnitude. Assuming the optical counterpart known as kilonova (KN) lies within the ZTF footprint, our limits constrain the brightest end of the KN parameter space. Through dedicated radiative transfer simulations of KNe from binary neutron star (BNS) and black hole─neutron star mergers, we exclude parts of the BNS KN parameter space. Up to 35% of the models with high wind ejecta mass (M_wind ≍ 0.13 M_⊙) are ruled out when viewed face-on (<inline-formula> <mml:math><mml:mi>cos</mml:mi><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>θ</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi>obs</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>1.0</mml:mn></mml:math> </inline-formula>). Finally, we present a joint analysis using the combined coverage from ZTF and the Gravitational Wave Multimessenger Dark Energy Camera Survey. The joint observations cover 73% of the Bilby localization region, and the combined efficiency has a stronger impact on rising and slowly fading models, allowing us to rule out 55% of the high-mass KN models viewed face-on.

The XRISM Resolve X-ray spectrometer makes it possible to gain detailed insights into the gas motions of the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters. Current simulation studies focus mainly on statistical comparisons, making the comparison to the currently still small number of clusters difficult due to unknown selection effects. This study aims to bridge this gap, using simulated counterparts of Coma, Virgo, and Perseus from the SLOW constrained simulations. These clusters show excellent agreement in their properties and dynamical state with observations, thus providing an ideal testbed to understand the processes shaping the properties of the ICM. We find that the simulations match the order of the amount of turbulence for the three considered clusters, Coma being the most active, followed by Perseus, while Virgo is very relaxed. Typical turbulent velocities are a few hundred km s⁻¹, very close to observed values. The resulting turbulent pressure support is ≍1% for Virgo, ≍6% for Perseus, and ≍8% for Coma within the central 1%─2% of R₂₀₀. Compared to previous simulations and observations, measured velocities and turbulent pressure support are on average lower, in line with XRISM findings, thus indicating the importance of selection effects.

Context. Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are among the most important distance calibrators thanks to the correlation between their period and luminosity (PL relation), and play a crucial role in the calibration as the first rung of the extragalactic distance ladder. Given their typical age, they also constitute an optimal tracer of the young population in the Galactic disc. Aims. We aim to increase the number of available DCEPs with high-resolution spectroscopic metallicities, study the galactocentric radial gradients of several chemical elements, and analyse the spatial distribution of the Galactic young population of stars in the Milky Way disc. Methods. We performed a complete spectroscopical analysis of 136 spectra obtained from three different high-resolution spectrographs, for a total of 60 DCEPs. More than half have pulsational periods longer than 15 days, up to 70 days, doubling the number of stars in our sample with P > 15d. We derived radial velocities, atmospheric parameters, and chemical abundances for up to 33 different species. Results. We present an updated list of trusted spectroscopic lines for the detection and estimation of chemical abundances. We used this new set to revisit the abundances already published in the context of the C-MetaLL (Cepheids-Metallicity in the Leavitt Law) survey and increase the number of available chemical species. For the first time (to our knowledge), we present the estimation of abundances for Cepheids for dysprosium (Dy, Z = 66), as well as a systematic estimation of erbium (Er, ZZ = 68), lutetium (Lu, Z = 71), and thorium (Th, Z = 90) abundances. Conclusions. We calculated a galactic radial gradient for [Fe/H] with a slope of −0.064 ± 0.002 dex kpc⁻¹, in good agreement with recent literature estimation. The other elements also exhibit a clear negative radial trend, with this effect diminishing and eventually disappearing for heavier neutron-capture elements. Depending on the proposed spiral arms model present in several literature sources, our most external stars agree on tracing either the Perseus, the Norma-Outer, or both the Outer and the association Outer-Scutum-Centaurus arms.

Winds launched at the scale of the accretion disc or dusty torus in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are thought to drive energy-conserving outflows that shape galaxy evolution. The key signature of such outflows, the presence of a hot (<inline-formula><tex-math>$T \gtrsim 10^9 \, \rm K$</tex-math></inline-formula>), shocked wind component, is hard to detect directly. Observations of AGN outflows typically probe a separate outflow phase: cool/warm gas with <inline-formula><tex-math>$T \lesssim 10^5 \, \rm K$</tex-math></inline-formula>. Here, we show that the density of cool outflowing gas scales with AGN luminosity, serving as an indirect diagnostic of the elusive hot, shocked wind. We use hydrodynamic simulations with the moving-mesh code AREPO to target the interaction between a small-scale AGN wind of speed <inline-formula><tex-math>${\approx} 10^4 \, \rm km \, s^{-1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and galactic discs containing an idealized, clumpy interstellar medium (ISM). Through a new refinement scheme targeting rapidly-cooling, fast-moving gas, our simulations reach a resolution of <inline-formula><tex-math>${\lesssim} 0.1 \, \rm pc$</tex-math></inline-formula> in the cool, outflowing phase. We extract an ensemble of cool clouds from the AGN-driven outflows produced in our simulations, finding that their densities increase systematically with AGN wind power and AGN luminosity. Moreover, the mass distribution and internal properties of these cloudlets appear to be insensitive to the initial properties of the ISM, and shaped mainly by the dynamics of radiative, turbulent mixing layers. The increase in cool outflow density with kinetic wind power and AGN luminosity has profound implications for observational estimates of outflow rates and their scaling with AGN luminosity. Depending on the available outflow and density tracers, observationally-derived outflow rates may be overestimated by orders of magnitude.

Mock galaxy catalogues are often constructed from dark-matter-only simulations based on the galaxy─halo connection. Although modern mocks can reproduce galaxy clustering to some extent, the absence of baryons affects the spatial and kinematic distributions of galaxies in ways that remain insufficiently quantified. We compare the positions and velocities of satellite galaxies in the MTNG hydrodynamic simulation ─ a state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamic run ─ with those in its dark-matter-only counterpart, assessing how baryonic effects influence galaxy clustering and contrasting them with the impact of galaxy selection, i.e. the dependence of clustering on sample definition. We introduce a new method to track subhaloes using the merger trees of the simulations, which enables us to match systems even when their positions at z = 0 differ. We then compute positional and velocity offsets as functions of halo mass and distance from the halo centre, and use these to construct a subhalo catalogue from the dark-matter-only simulation that reproduces the galaxy distribution in the hydrodynamic run. Satellites in the hydrodynamic simulation lie 3─4% closer to halo centres than in the dark-matter-only case, with an offset that is nearly constant with halo mass and increases towards smaller radii. Satellite velocities are also systematically higher in the dark-matter-only run, with differences that grow towards lower halo masses and radii. At scales of 0.1 h⁻¹ Mpc, these spatial and kinematic differences produce 10─20% variations in clustering amplitude ─ corresponding to 1─3σ assuming DESI-like errors ─ though the impact decreases at larger scales. We repeat the analysis in zoom-in simulations with varied physical models and find consistent trends. These baryonic effects are relevant for cosmological and lensing analyses and should be accounted for when building high-fidelity mocks. However, they remain smaller than the differences introduced by galaxy selection, which thus represents the dominant source of uncertainty when constructing mocks based on observable quantities.

We study Higgs-boson production in association with a top-quark pair ($t\bar{t}H$) at hadron colliders and present the first matching of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to parton showers using the MiNNLOPS method. For the two-loop amplitude, we employ two established approximations, based on the soft Higgs-boson and high-energy limits, respectively. For the first time, we also construct the latter in full colour and propose a pointwise combination of the two approximations across phase space. By assigning a conservative uncertainty estimate, which remains well below the perturbative uncertainties, we ensure robust and reliable differential predictions, explicitly validated at the one-loop level. Apart from the two-loop amplitude, all remaining ingredients of the MiNNLOPS calculation are included exactly. After thorough validation, we present a series of phenomenological results illustrating the impact of NNLO corrections and parton-shower effects. We consider fiducial predictions for the Higgs-boson decay into photons and include off-shell top-quark decays with tree-level spin correlations in both the dilepton and semileptonic channels. Our $t\bar{t}H$ MiNNLOPS generator is publicly available within the POWHEG framework.

The basic observables in cosmology are known as in-in correlators. Recent calculations have revealed that in-in correlators in four dimensional de Sitter space exhibit hidden simplicity stemming from a close relation to scattering amplitudes in flat space. In this paper we explain how to make this property manifest by dressing flat space Feynman diagrams with certain auxiliary propagators. These dressing rules are derived for conformally coupled and massless scalar theories and we show that they reproduce the same infrared divergences predicted by the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism.

We aim to clarify the experimentally observed near-degeneracy and decay patterns of the isospin, $I=1$, hidden-bottom tetraquarks $Z_b(10610)$ and $Z_b(10650)$ with quantum numbers $J^{P}=1^{+}$.We refer to them as $Z_b$ and $Z_b^{'}$, respectively. In particular, we find first evidence that the suppression of the decay of $Z_b^{'}$ to $B\bar{B^*}$ can be understood in the context of the Born-Oppenheimer Effective Field Theory (BOEFT). BOEFT enables writing both $Z_b$ and $Z_b^{'}$ as superpositions of $Z_1$ and $Z_2$ tetraquark configurations. This decomposition naturally relates the decay patterns of $Z_b$ and $Z_b^{'}$ to the degeneracy of the light degrees of freedom associated with $Z_1$ and $Z_2$ tetraquarks, {\it i.e.,} $1^{--}$and $0^{-+}$ adjoint mesons, respectively. By calculating the adjoint meson correlators within the framework of lattice QCD, we get good indications that these adjoint mesons are degenerate.

We explore the possibility that the underlying flavour structure of the Standard Model could be determined by mass chains on a fractal geometry. We consider, as an example, the theory space on a Sierpinski-like geometry. The fermion mass chains on a Sierpinski-like geometry with three decorations (iterations) lead to three zero modes, which can be identified with the three generations of the Standard Model. This framework also reproduces the measured charged and neutral lepton masses and mixing angles with very few parameters. We also briefly discuss the possible extension to the quark sector.

Context. The age of the Local Bubble (LB) constrains the timescale on which the interstellar medium in the solar neighborhood evolves. Previous estimates placed the age of the LB at ≳ 14 Myr, and attributed its expansion to ∼ 15−20 supernovae (SNe), yet a companion paper suggests this age may be overestimated. Aims. We place new constraints on the age of the LB and reevaluate the question of whether its expansion triggered or suppressed local star formation. Methods. We reconstructed the LB's geometry and momentum using publicly available 3D dust maps and compared them to the high-quality sample of simulated SN remnants in the SISSI project. Independent constraints on the star formation history and SN rate were obtained from a Gaia DR3-based census of nearby star clusters. Results. We find that ∼ 7−59 SNe over ∼ 5.8 Myr to ∼ 2.8 Myr, respectively, are required to explain both the LB's momentum and size and confirm that such a high SN rate can be sustained by local star clusters. Conclusions. Our analysis yields a substantially smaller LB age than previous estimates, requiring a correspondingly larger number of SNe, driving its expansion. We show that this result is in tension with the conclusion that the LB is powered solely by SNe from the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, which ceased star formation around the time the LB formed. If our estimates are correct, it follows that the majority of star formation in the solar neighborhood happened before the formation of the LB and was not triggered by its expansion. Instead, the SNe that powered the LB appear to overall have quenched the ongoing star formation process. This does not rule out that star formation in the clouds, located near its current edge, could have been affected by the LB expansion.

We systematically extend the framework of galaxy bias renormalization to two-loop order. For the minimal complete basis of 29 deterministic bias operators up to fifth order in the density field and at leading order in gradient expansion we explicitly work out one- and two-loop renormalization. The latter is provided in terms of double-hard limits of bias kernels, which we find to depend on only one function of the ratio of the loop momenta. After including stochasticity in terms of composite operator renormalization, we apply the framework to the two-loop power spectrum of biased tracers and provide a simple result suitable for numerical evaluation. In addition, we work out one- and two-loop renormalization group equations (RGE) for deterministic bias coefficients related to bias operators constructed from a smoothed density field, generalizing previous works. We identify a linear combination of bias operators with enhanced UV sensitivity, related to a positive eigenvalue of the RGE. Finally, we present an analogy with the RGE as used in quantum field theory, suggesting that a resummation of large logarithms as employed in the latter may also yield useful applications in the study of large-scale galaxy bias.

In standard (symmetry-breaking) first-order phase transitions, the frictional pressure on expanding bubble walls can be dominated by transition radiation — the emission of a gauge boson with phase-dependent masses as particles present in the thermal plasma pass through bubble walls. This process is enhanced in the soft limit, and is known to produce a significant frictional effect that is proportional to the Lorentz factor γ of the bubble wall, thereby prohibiting runaway behavior. We calculate the analogous pressure for phase transitions with symmetry restoration. In such transitions, we show that the pressure due to this process can be negative, producing the opposite effect. However, when the Lorentz factor of the wall gets very large, the result approaches the same scaling as the standard scenarios. Therefore, phase transitions with symmetry restoration can feature an intermediate negative friction regime even in the presence of significant interactions with the plasma, and the bubble wall terminal Lorentz factor can be significantly larger (by more than an order of magnitude) than in the corresponding symmetry-breaking scenarios. This can carry important implications for various phenomenological applications, from gravitational waves to physics beyond-the-Standard-Model.

We present a new class of evolution equations that govern the high-energy behavior of power-suppressed scattering amplitudes. The equations can be viewed as a renormalization group flow with respect to the relevant effective field theory cutoff. A distinct feature of the method is in the use of a multidimensional cutoff to separate the relevant scales in problems characterized by a complex factorization structure. By adjusting the renormalization group variables to the geometry of the effective theory modes, our method naturally extends to a broad spectrum of physical problems that include massive, massless, small, and wide-angle scattering. We present applications to the benchmark processes of electron-positron forward annihilation and light-quark-mediated Higgs boson production and decays.

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) experiment has recently released its first measurement results based on 59.1 days of data, achieving unprecedented precision in measuring the lepton mixing angle <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mi>θ</mml:mi><mml:mn>12</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula>. This significant improvement places stringent constraints on certain neutrino mass models and flavor mixing patterns. In this work, we examine the impact of the latest JUNO results on the two trimaximal (i.e., TM1 and TM2) mixing patterns. They are two well-motivated variants of the tribimaximal mixing pattern and predict specific correlations between <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mi>θ</mml:mi><mml:mn>12</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:msub><mml:mi>θ</mml:mi><mml:mn>13</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula>. After taking into account the first JUNO results, the TM1 mixing pattern sits on the edge of the experimentally allowed <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mi>σ</mml:mi></mml:math></inline-formula> region, while the TM2 mixing pattern lies outside the <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mn>3</mml:mn><mml:mi>σ</mml:mi></mml:math></inline-formula> region. To reconcile these TM mixing patterns with the latest experimental data, we further investigate the renormalization group (RG) running effects on them in the both Majorana and Dirac neutrino cases. Our analytical and numerical results show that RG corrections can bring the two TM mixing patterns into excellent agreement with the latest JUNO data if neutrino masses are quasidegenerate. However, the Majorana case faces severe constraints from neutrinoless double beta decay limits, and particularly, the TM2 mixing pattern with Majorana neutrinos has been essentially ruled out. In the Dirac case, the TM1 mixing pattern is fully consistent with current data including beta decay results, whereas the TM2 pattern is strongly constrained by the KATRIN limit and even could be largely ruled out if the KATRIN experiment reaches its final sensitivity without any discovery. Future high-precision measurements of lepton mixing parameters and absolute neutrino masses in both oscillation and nonoscillation experiments will provide decisive tests of these mixing patterns.

We investigate the conditions under which the perturbative treatment of the backreaction of spin-2 particles on the dynamics of an axion-SU(2) gauge field system breaks down during cosmic inflation. This condition is based on the ratio of the energy density of spin-2 particles from the SU(2) gauge field to that of the background field. The perturbative treatment breaks down when this ratio exceeds unity. We show that this occurs within a parameter space nearly identical to the strong backreaction regime identified in previous studies. However, in some cases, the ratio exceeds unity even before the system enters the strong backreaction regime. Our results suggest that attempts to study the strong backreaction regime using perturbation theory are necessarily limited. Reliable calculations require non-perturbative treatments, such as three-dimensional lattice simulations.