The existence of two distinct and apparently unrelated populations of dusty stellar objects in the Nuclear Stellar Cluster of the Milky Way, namely IRS 13 and the S-cluster, are potentially prone to a general process describing the star formation history in the Galactic center (GC). The former cluster is thought to be entangled in the clockwise and counterclockwise disks, a large-scale stellar distribution revealed by the analysis of stars at different distances from Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole in the GC. Recently, this large-scale distribution was reported to exhibit a multidisk structure with at least four components. Motivated by this finding, we revisit the anisotropic IRS 13 cluster and find strong evidence for a disk-like structure. An examination of about 50 individual stellar orbits reveals a new structure that does not follow any trend known in the literature. Furthermore, we investigate the possibility of an inspiral cluster undergoing star formation processes, as proposed by several authors. Using a simplified N-body simulation to reproduce our observational results, we conclude that, under certain conditions, a massive cluster can migrate from the Circum Nuclear Disk toward the inner parsec. Based on this classification, we revisit the large-scale NACO Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations of IRS 13 and find evidence for a separation of the cluster into a gravitationally stable core remnant and a dissipating part. With the velocity-resolved H30
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The Astrophysical Journal is an open access journal devoted to recent developments, discoveries, and theories in astronomy and astrophysics. Publications in ApJ constitute significant new research that is directly relevant to astrophysical applications, whether based on observational results or on theoretical insights or modeling.
Remembering Judy Pipher (1940–2022)
GOLD OPEN ACCESS FROM 1 JANUARY 2022
Florian Peißker et al 2024 ApJ 970 74
Ravi Kopparapu et al 2024 ApJ 967 119
In this work, we assess the potential detectability of solar panels made of silicon on an Earth-like exoplanet as a potential technosignature. Silicon-based photovoltaic cells have high reflectance in the ultraviolet-to-visible (UV-VIS) and in the near-infrared, within the wavelength range of a space-based flagship mission concept like the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Assuming that only solar energy is used to provide the 2022 human energy needs with a land cover of ∼2.4%, and projecting the future energy demand assuming various growth-rate scenarios, we assess the detectability with an 8 m HWO-like telescope. Assuming the most favorable viewing orientation, and focusing on the strong absorption edge in the UV-VIS (0.34–0.52
Emily M. Silich et al 2024 ApJ 968 74
Galaxy cluster mergers are rich sources of information to test cluster astrophysics and cosmology. However, cluster mergers produce complex projected signals that are difficult to interpret physically from individual observational probes. Multi-probe constraints on the gas and dark matter (DM) cluster components are necessary to infer merger parameters that are otherwise degenerate. We present Improved Constraints on Mergers with SZ, Hydrodynamical simulations, Optical, and X-ray (ICM-SHOX), a systematic framework to jointly infer multiple merger parameters quantitatively via a pipeline that directly compares a novel combination of multi-probe observables to mock observables derived from hydrodynamical simulations. We report a first application of the ICM-SHOX pipeline to MACS J0018.5+1626, wherein we systematically examine simulated snapshots characterized by a wide range of initial parameters to constrain the MACS J0018.5+1626 merger geometry. We constrain the epoch of MACS J0018.5+1626 to the range 0–60 Myr post-pericenter passage, and the viewing angle is inclined ≈27°–40° from the merger axis. We obtain constraints for the impact parameter (≲250 kpc), mass ratio (≈1.5–3.0), and initial relative velocity when the clusters are separated by 3 Mpc (≈1700–3000 km s−1). The primary and secondary clusters initially (at 3 Mpc) have gas distributions that are moderately and strongly disturbed, respectively. We discover a velocity space decoupling of the DM and gas distributions in MACS J0018.5+1626, traced by cluster-member galaxy velocities and the kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect, respectively. Our simulations indicate this decoupling is dependent on the different collisional properties of the two distributions for particular merger epochs, geometries, and viewing angles.
Takatoshi Ko et al 2024 ApJ 969 116
IRAS 00500+6713 is a hypothesized remnant of a Type Iax supernova SN 1181. Multiwavelength observations have revealed its complicated morphology; a dusty infrared ring is sandwiched by the inner and outer X-ray nebulae. We analyze the archival X-ray data taken by XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray Observatory to constrain the angular radius, mass, and metal abundance of the X-ray nebulae, and construct a theoretical model describing the dynamical evolution of IRAS 00500+6713, including the effects of the interaction between the SN ejecta and the intense wind enriched with carbon-burning ashes from the central white dwarf (WD) J005311. We show that the inner X-ray nebula corresponds to the wind termination shock while the outer X-ray nebula to the shocked interface between the SN ejecta and the interstellar matter. The observed X-ray properties can be explained by our model with an ejecta kinetic energy of Eej = (0.77–1.1) × 1048 erg, an ejecta mass of Mej = 0.18–0.53 M⊙, if the currently observed wind from WD J005311 started to blow tw ≳ 810 yr after the explosion, i.e., approximately after 1990 CE. The inferred SN properties are compatible with those of Type Iax SNe and the timing of the wind launch may correspond to the Kelvin–Helmholtz contraction of the oxygen–neon core of WD J005311 that triggered a surface carbon burning. Our analysis supports that IRAS 00500+6713 is the remnant of SN Iax 1181 produced by a double degenerate merger of oxygen–neon and carbon–oxygen WDs, and WD J005311 is the surviving merger product.
R. Brent Tully et al 2023 ApJ 954 169
Theory of the physics of the early hot universe leads to a prediction of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) that has received confirmation from the pairwise separations of galaxies in samples of hundreds of thousands of objects. Evidence is presented here for the discovery of a remarkably strong individual contribution to the BAO signal at z = 0.068, an entity that is given the name Ho'oleilana. The radius of the 3D structure is Mpc. At its core is the Boötes supercluster. The Sloan Great Wall, Center for Astrophysics Great Wall, and Hercules complex all lie within the BAO shell. The interpretation of Ho'oleilana as a BAO structure with our preferred analysis implies a value of the Hubble constant of
Anthony S. Atkinson et al 2024 ApJ 969 147
Considerable interest has centered on Earth-like planets orbiting in the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) of its star. However, the potential habitability of an exoplanet depends upon a number of additional factors, including the presence and strength of any planetary magnetic field and the interaction of this field with that of the host star. Not only must the exoplanet have a strong enough magnetic field to shield against stellar activity, but it must also orbit far enough from the star to avoid direct magnetic connectivity. We characterize stellar activity by the star's Rossby number, Ro, the ratio of stellar rotation rate to convective turnover time. We employ a scaled model of the solar magnetic field to determine the star's Alfvén radius, the distance at which the stellar wind becomes super-Alfvénic. Planets residing within the Alfvén surface may have a direct magnetic connection to the star and therefore not be the most viable candidates for habitability. Here, we determine the Rossby number of a sample of 1053 exoplanet-hosting stars for which the rotation rates have been observed and for which a convective turnover time can be calculated. We find that 84 exoplanets in our sample have orbits which lie inside the CHZ and that also lie outside the star's Alfvén surface: 34 of these have been classified as terran (11) or superterran (23) planets. Applying the Alfvén surface habitability criterion yields a subset of the confirmed exoplanets that may be optimal targets for future observations in the search for signatures of life.
Amir Siraj and Abraham Loeb 2022 ApJ 939 53
The earliest confirmed interstellar object, 'Oumuamua, was discovered in the solar system by Pan-STARRS in 2017, allowing for a calibration of the abundance of interstellar objects of its size ∼100 m. This was followed by the discovery of Borisov, which allowed for a similar calibration of its size ∼0.4–1 km. One would expect a much higher abundance of significantly smaller interstellar objects, with some of them colliding with Earth frequently enough to be noticeable. Based on the CNEOS catalog of bolide events, we identify the ∼0.45 m meteor detected at 2014 January 8 17:05:34 UTC as originating from an unbound hyperbolic orbit. The U.S. Department of Defense has released an official letter stating that "the velocity estimate reported to NASA is sufficiently accurate to indicate an interstellar trajectory," which we rely on here as confirmation of the object's interstellar trajectory. Based on the data provided by CNEOS, we infer that the meteor had an asymptotic speed of v∞ ∼ 42.1 ± 5.5 km s−1 outside of the solar system. Note that v∞ here refers to the velocity of the meteor outside the solar system, not the velocity of the meteor outside the atmosphere. Its origin is approximately toward R.A. 494 ± 4
1 and decl. 11
2 ± 1
8, implying that its initial velocity vector was 58 ± 6 km s−1 away from the velocity of the local standard of rest (LSR).
Farhanul Hasan et al 2024 ApJ 970 177
We present a novel approach for identifying cosmic web filaments within the DisPerSE structure identification framework, using cosmic density field estimates from the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM), inspired by the slime mold organism. We apply our method to the IllustrisTNG (TNG100) cosmological simulations and investigate the impact of filaments on galaxies. The MCPM density field is superior to the Delaunay tessellation field estimator in tracing the true underlying matter distribution and allows filaments to be identified with higher fidelity, finding more low-prominence/diffuse filaments. Using our new filament catalogs, we find that ≳90% of galaxies are located within ∼1.5 Mpc of a filamentary spine, with little change in the median star formation activity with distance to the nearest filament. Instead, we uncover a differential effect of the local filament line density, galaxies is mainly driven by mass, while lower-mass galaxies are significantly affected by the filament line density. Satellites are far more susceptible to filaments than centrals. The local environments of massive halos are not sufficient to account for the effect of filament line density on gas removal and quenching. Our new approach holds great promise for observationally identifying filaments from galaxy surveys such as SDSS and DESI.
M. López-Corredoira et al 2024 ApJ 970 63
Recent James Webb Space Telescope data analyses have shown that massive red galaxies existed at redshifts z ≳ 6, a discovery that is difficult to understand in the context of standard cosmology (
Syed Ayaz et al 2024 ApJ 970 140
The utilization of the Cairns distribution serves as a vital tool for characterizing the nonthermal attributes commonly observed in space plasmas. In these intricate plasma environments, extensive measurements have been conducted to monitor the fluctuations inherent in the perturbed electromagnetic (EM) field and the associated Poynting flux, specifically concerning kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs). Traditionally, these fluctuations have been attributed to gyroradius correction terms within the framework of Maxwellian distributed plasmas. However, our study introduces an innovative perspective grounded in kinetic theory coupled with the Cairns distribution, adept at encapsulating the nonthermal nuances characterized by the index parameter
Veronica Allen et al 2024 ApJ 971 187
The earliest stages of low-mass star formation are unclear, with the first hydrostatic core (FHSC) as the transition stage between a prestellar and protostellar core. This work describes the local (∼4000 au) outflow activity associated with candidate FHSC Chamaeleon-MMS1 and its effect on the surrounding material to determine the evolutionary state of this young low-mass source. We observed Chamaeleon-MMS1 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at 220 GHz at high spatial (∼75 au) and spectral resolutions (0.1–0.3 km s−1). A low-energy outflow is detected, consisting of two components, a broad spectral feature (
Meridith Joyce et al 2024 ApJ 971 186
We present a comprehensive characterization of the evolved thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) star R Hydrae (R Hya), building on the techniques applied in Stellar Evolution in Real Time I (Molnár et al.) to T Ursae Minoris. We compute over 3000 theoretical TP-AGB pulse spectra using MESA and the corresponding oscillation spectra with GYRE. We combine these with classical observational constraints and nearly 400 years of measurements of R Hya's period evolution to fit R Hya's evolutionary and asteroseismic features. Two hypotheses for the mode driving R Hya's period are considered. Solutions that identify this as the fundamental mode (FM) as well as the first overtone are consistent with observations. Using a variety of statistical tests, we find that R Hya is most likely driven by the FM and currently occupies the "power-down" phase of an intermediate pulse (TP ∼ 9–16). We predict that its pulsation period will continue to shorten for millennia. Supported by calculations from the Monash stellar evolution code, we find that R Hya has most likely undergone third dredge-up in its most recent pulse. The MESA + GYRE model grid used in this analysis includes exact solutions to the linear, adiabatic equations of stellar oscillation for the first 10 radial-order pressure modes for every time step in every evolutionary track. The grid is fully open source and packaged with a data visualization application. This is the first publicly available grid of TP-AGB models with seismology produced with MESA.
Y. Cendes et al 2024 ApJ 971 185
We present radio observations of 23 optically discovered tidal disruption events (TDEs) on timescales of ∼500–3200 days postdiscovery. We detect nine new TDEs that did not have detectable radio emission at earlier times, indicating a late-time brightening after several hundred (and up to 2300) days; an additional seven TDEs exhibit radio emission whose origin is ambiguous or may be attributed to the host galaxy or an active galactic nucleus. We also report a new rising component in one TDE previously detected in the radio at ∼103 days. While the radio emission in some of the detected TDEs peaked on a timescale ≈2–4 yr, over half of the sample still show rising emission. The range of luminosities for the sample is ∼1037–1039 erg s−1, about 2 orders of magnitude below the radio luminosity of the relativistic TDE Sw J1644+57. Our data set indicates ∼40% of all optical TDEs are detected in radio hundreds to thousands of days after discovery, and that this is probably more common than early radio emission peaking at ∼102 days. Using an equipartition analysis, we find evidence for a delayed launch of the radio-emitting outflows, with delay timescales of ∼500–2000 days, inferred velocities of ≈0.02–0.15c, and kinetic energies of ∼1047–1049 erg. We rule out off-axis relativistic jets as a viable explanation for this population, and conclude delayed outflows are a more likely explanation, possibly from delayed disk formation. We conclude late radio emission marks a fairly ubiquitous but heretofore overlooked phase of TDE evolution.
Kwang-il Seon 2024 ApJ 971 184
Observations of metallic doublet emission lines, particularly Mg ii
Thomas K. Waters et al 2024 ApJ 971 149
We present a stellar dynamical mass measurement of the supermassive black hole in the elliptical (E1) galaxy NGC 3258. Our findings are based on integral field unit spectroscopy from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations in narrow-field mode with adaptive optics and the MUSE wide-field mode, from which we extract kinematic information by fitting the Ca ii and Mg b triplets, respectively. Using axisymmetric, three-integral Schwarzschild orbit library models, we fit the observed line-of-sight velocity distributions to infer the supermassive black hole mass, the H-band mass-to-light ratio, the asymptotic circular velocity, and the dark matter halo scale radius of the galaxy. We report a black hole mass of (2.2 ± 0.2) × 109M⊙ at an assumed distance of 31.9 Mpc. This value is in close agreement with a previous measurement from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO observations. The consistency between these two measurements provides strong support for both the gas dynamical and stellar dynamical methods.