高能暂现源 · 每日文献综述

Theoretical interpretations of horizon-scale observations often rely on the idealized assumption of an isolated vacuum Kerr geometry. However, astrophysical black holes are expected to be embedded within dense dark matter distributions that can modify the local spacetime geometry. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework to model a rotating compact object surrounded by a bounded dark matter envelope governed by a Modified Chaplygin Gas (MCG) equation of state. To ensure strict adherence to the Einstein Field Equations, we construct a piece-wise, three-region spacetime using a fully coupled Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) integration, allowing the fluid's pressure to taper naturally to zero and dynamically define the outer boundary. Rotation is introduced via a pressure-corrected Kerr-form ansatz where the temporal component is obtained directly from the integrated hydrostatic potential. Using this geometrically rigorous configuration, which explicitly evaluates the exact 4D equatorial metric determinant rather than relying on vacuum approximations, we solve the circular equatorial geodesics and determine the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO). Evaluating the thin accretion disk thermodynamics via the Novikov-Thorne formalism reveals that the deep gravitational potential well of the MCG envelope acts as a strong driver for viscous dissipation, systematically shifting the peak thermal flux, effective temperature, and multi-colour blackbody spectral luminosity to higher energy bands. Furthermore, we identify a clear structural degeneracy: a static or slowly rotating black hole embedded in a dense MCG structure can elevate radiative efficiencies up to $η\approx 6.5\%$. This framework is presented as a structured proposal to quantify environmental systematic uncertainties in standard black hole spin-estimation techniques.

Hawking radiation sets stringent constraints on Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) as a dark matter candidate in the $M\sim 10^{16}$ g regime based on the evaporation products produced by the black hole, motivating the need to rigorously model the photon, electron, and positron emission spectra. This manuscript is the second in a series of two papers (see Vasquez et al. [Phys. Rev. D, 112:063002 (2025)] for the first paper in the series) with the goal of proving the stochastic emission of electrons and positrons, known as the "stochastic charge effect" and first predicted by Page [Phys. Rev. D, 16:2402 (1977)] using semi-classical arguments, arises from quantum electrodynamics (QED) on a Schwarzschild spacetime. We derive the corrections to the $e^\pm$ from the relevant term in the Hamiltonian (the long-range monopole: $H_{\rm int,0L}$) to first order in the fine structure constant ($α$), and show that the semi-classical terms are also present in the QED calculation. We also highlight which terms in our analysis only appear within our quantum mechanical approach and cannot be explained otherwise. We find that due to some cancellation of terms, over the range of $2.2\times 10^{16}$ - $1.7\times 10^{17}$ g, the net correction to the $e^\pm$ emission rate is less than 2%, versus the suppression of up to 5% previously found by semi-classical arguments.

Recently, Comisso and Asenjo proposed a new mechanism for energy extraction based on magnetic reconnection of plasma within the ergosphere. In this paper, we analyze the power and efficiency of energy extraction through magnetic reconnection in a rotating four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity black hole. Firstly, we analyze the background properties of this spacetime and its physical quantities, including the event horizon, the boundary of the ergosphere, and the size of the ergosphere. We analyze the magnetic reconnection in circular orbits and investigate the energy extraction region, as well as the power and efficiency of energy extraction. Our results indicate that energy extraction remains feasible even for a low spin parameter of $0.4$, which is well below the previously reported threshold. We also find that the energy extraction power exceeds that of the Blandford-Znajek mechanism. The Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameters $α$ lower the spin threshold for energy extraction. Similarly, we analyze the energy extraction region in the plunging regime, together with the corresponding power and efficiency. We find that energy extraction is possible even for a low spin parameter as $0.22$. We also observe that the Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameter $α$ further lowers the spin threshold. This behavior is consistent with that observed in the circular orbit case. Finally, we compare the energy extraction power in the plunging and circular orbit regimes and find that the plunging regime yields a higher energy extraction power than the circular orbit case.

We study how three physically motivated dark matter equations of state alter the spacetime geometry of static, spherically symmetric black holes in General Relativity. The models considered are anisotropic perfect fluid dark matter (PFDM), isotropic constant-$ω$ dark matter, and Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) dark matter with a polytropic equation of state (EoS). For each model, we derive the Einstein field equations and solve for the metric function analytically in the PFDM and constant-$ω$ cases, and numerically via the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for BEC dark matter. We then compute the key strong gravity observables: event horizon radius, photon sphere radius, black hole shadow radius, innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), and circular orbital velocity profiles. The shadow radii obtained for each model are compared against the Event Horizon Telescope constraints to place bounds on the dark matter parameters. Physical viability is assessed through the null, weak, dominant, and strong energy conditions, along with causality requirements on the sound speed. Our results show that PFDM produces near Schwarzschild geometry with mild anisotropic corrections, the constant-$ω$ model is strongly restricted by causality to $0 \leq ω\leq 1$, and BEC dark matter generates smooth, bounded deviations governed by the bosonic self-interaction parameter K. Taken together, these findings show that strong gravity observables can serve as practical tools for distinguishing between competing dark matter models through their geometric imprints on black hole space times.

Gravitational instability is a fundamental mechanism driving collapse of interstellar gas, yet in dynamically evolving environments such as galaxy mergers, external tidal fields can significantly alter the conditions for collapse. In this work, we develop an analytical framework to investigate how the tidal field of a companion galaxy modifies the classical Jeans instability by incorporating its anisotropic and time-dependent nature into the dispersion relation. We find that the tidal field introduces a critical angle between the cloud's position vector and the merger axis, $θ_c \approx 54.7^\circ$, separating disruptive and compressive regimes of the radial tidal component. Disruptive tides suppress instability by increasing the characteristic length scale and restricting the range of unstable modes, whereas compressive tides enhance collapse by extending the unstable spectrum and increasing the growth rate of perturbations. The impact of tidal fields depends sensitively on gas density, being significant in diffuse media but negligible in dense molecular environments where the classical Jeans limit is recovered. All tidal effects peak near pericentric passage due to the strong dependence on galaxy separation. Since the free-fall time of diffuse gas is comparable to the duration of the close passage, tidally assisted collapse in the diffuse medium lags pericentre by roughly a free-fall time, whereas dense gas responds essentially instantaneously. These results demonstrate that companion-induced tidal fields play a key role in regulating the scale and efficiency of gravitational instability of diffuse interstellar gas in galaxy mergers. The code underlying this work is publicly available.

Interactions of cosmic rays with the Moon and the Sun produce deficits in their arrival-direction distributions relative to an isotropic flux. Such shadows have been observed previously at energies between $10^{12}\,$eV and $10^{16}\,$eV. We report the first observation of the Moon and Sun shadows at cosmic-ray energies larger than about $10^{16}\,$eV (average energy of $7\times10^{17}\,$eV), using data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory. We employ data from three detector arrays covering $3000\,\text{km}^2$, $27\,\text{km}^2$, and $2\,\text{km}^2$, with spacings of $1500\,\text{m}$, $750\,\text{m}$, and $433\,\text{m}$, respectively. The data amount to over 10.6 million events. The Moon and Sun shadows are detected with a combined significance of approximately $3σ$. These observations confirm the pointing accuracy of the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory using celestial bodies. From the combined Sun and Moon shadows, we infer an overall angular resolution of $(0.59^{+0.15}_{-0.11})^\circ$.

The cosmic web is one of the most complex systems in nature, consisting of galaxies and clusters of galaxies connected by filaments and walls, and separated by large empty regions known as cosmic voids. The most common method for describing the web is the correlation function and its derivative, the structure function and fractal dimension function. In this paper I review the fractal properties of the cosmic web within the concordance ΛCDM framework. I describe how the fractal function is derived from the angular and spatial distributions of galaxies and discuss the relations between these approaches.

We consider a real massless scalar field in punctured Minkowski spacetime, endowed at the removed origin with the stable one-parameter family of Robin boundary conditions $G(0)-βG'(0)=0$, $β\geq0$. We obtain the boundary-induced part of the static ground-state Wightman function in closed form and study the response of a uniformly accelerated Unruh-DeWitt detector. The puncture breaks the boost symmetry underlying the stationary Unruh response, so the boundary-induced pullback is nonstationary in proper time. The corresponding subtracted detector contribution can either enhance or suppress the ordinary Minkowski response and depends on the Robin parameter, the detector gap, and the portion of the trajectory sampled. For the unshifted, radially aligned trajectory studied in detail, we prove that the boundary-induced pullback is absolutely integrable in the two proper-time variables. Consequently, as the smooth interaction is extended over the full detector history, this contribution approaches a finite limit and remains $O(1)$, producing no additional term linear in the interaction duration. The formal Neumann limit is singular: the boundary-induced two-point function grows logarithmically because of an infrared singularity in the $s$-wave sector, and the numerical response exhibits growth consistent with this asymptotic behavior.

The post-main sequence (MS) evolution of massive stars encompasses phases in which the stars display high variability. One such class of objects are the blue supergiants which may be in either the pre- or post-red supergiant phase of their evolution. Their variability patterns might provide constraints for a proper classification of the objects. We aim to characterise the observed variability of the B supergiant HD14134 and to investigate the imprint of a time-variable wind on the brightness variation of the star and its impact on the detectability of pulsation signals. Spectroscopic data were collected over a 5-month period and combined with photometry from TESS. Stellar parameters were derived from modelling of the time-averaged spectrum with CMFGEN and the SED and were confirmed with stellar evolution models computed with MESA. The light curves and radial velocity curves of selected lines were analysed to determine pulsation signals. The wind variability and its imprint on the stellar brightness were investigated from an analysis of the Halpha line. Predictions of mode excitations were computed with the GYRE pulsation code and compared to the frequencies determined from the observations. A g-mode with a period of ~19.2 d and its harmonics are consistently detected in all data sets. The spectra unveil strong, non-periodic wind variability and 3 frequency signals were identified as due to this wind variability. The stellar parameters and age derived for HD14134 together with the absence of radial pulsations classify the star as a post-MS object evolving towards the red-supergiant stage, questioning its classification as alpha Cyg variable. The results reinforce that simultaneous long-term spectroscopic and photometric monitoring is indispensable for reliable frequency detections and for disentangling of variabilities imprinted by a time-variable wind from those imposed by pulsations.

We study the directed completion of Lorentzian pre-length spaces, and we show that, under some natural assumptions which cover the case of smooth globally hyperbolic spacetimes, it coincides with the future causal completion of Geroch--Kronheimer--Penrose. Moreover, we provide applications of our findings by characterizing the directed completion of the Kruskal--Szekeres spacetime in terms of its radial null geodesics.

We propose a quantum description of the ultracold Reissner-Nordström de Sitter black hole via a specific flat space limit of the double-scaled SYK model. Fluctuations in this regime reduce to flat JT gravity, which is ill-behaved as a quantum system. We show that including the first subleading correction to the dilaton potential breaks the leading order Hagedorn degeneracy but does not resolve the structural problem. Finally, we leverage the gauged description of the sine dilaton gravity model to propose a novel quantization of the near-horizon dynamics of ultracold black holes. This leads to a new proposal for the partition function where states in the asymptotics of the spectrum are suppressed dynamically, and features of a discretized spacetime arise. We obtain a non-perturbative low temperature behavior of the partition function, which is quite different than the cold and Nariai physics. Our result can be interpreted as a dynamical way to enforce cosmic censorship on the quantum system.

Intracluster medium (ICM) gas motions probe cluster assembly, feedback, and non-thermal pressure support, but recent XRISM observations reveal velocity dispersions and non-thermal pressure fractions systematically lower than simulations predict, with extreme systems such as Abell 2029 falling below nearly all simulated clusters. Using the TNG-Cluster simulations, we show that the non-thermal pressure fraction depends sensitively on cool-core state and formation history, and provide a two-scale fitting function capturing both the inner cool-core suppression and outer rise of the radial profile. By forward-modeling mock XRISM observations and comparing them with both projected and intrinsic three-dimensional quantities, we find that azimuthal variations and projection effects contribute to the deficit in the observed velocity dispersion and non-thermal pressure fraction. This bias increases with radius and partially offsets the intrinsic outward rise in the true three-dimensional non-thermal pressure fraction. However, these effects cannot explain the extremely low values of the non-thermal pressure fraction observed in Abell 2029, which fall below approximately the 0th - 6th percentiles of the simulated cool-core cluster distribution at every measured radius under both the turbulence-only and turbulence-plus-bulk definitions. The remaining tension points to rare dynamical conditions or missing physics affecting the amplitude of gas motions in current ICM models.

In the standard model of cosmology, it is assumed that dark matter is pressureless with equation of state $w=0$ and dark energy has $w=-1$. We test these assumptions jointly using DESI DR2 distance measurements, including the recent Lyman-$α$ full-shape Alcock-Paczynski (AP) information, DES supernovae, and two complementary CMB treatment. When constant $w_{dm}$ and $w_{de}$ are varied together, we find $w_{dm}=0.000968^{+0.000501}_{-0.000496}$ and $w_{de}=-0.9380^{+0.0259}_{-0.0262}$ (68%). With an alternative CMB treatment that marginalizes over the lensing spectrum, the corresponding constraints are $w_{dm}=0.000870^{+0.000408}_{-0.000410}$ and $w_{de}=-0.9353^{+0.0258}_{-0.0254}$. Both standard $Λ$CDM values are disfavored at approximately $2σ$ in the joint extension. Neither parameter departs significantly from its standard value when only that parameter is varied. This behavior arises because late-time distances favor $w_{de}>-1$, while maintaining the early-Universe physical matter density requires a compensating positive $w_{dm}$, which changes the mapping to the matter density today. Allowing dynamical dark energy clarify further on complexity of the situation: phantom crossing for dark energy makes $w_{dm}=0$ consistent with the data, whereas a positive $w_{dm}$ preference persists when crossing is forbidden. Interestingly, the Pad'e-$w$ parameterization that provides a flexible description of a class of quintessence models (with no phantom crossing), along with $w_{dm}$ free, is even mildly favored over the phantom-crossing $w_0w_a$ model according to both the best-fit $χ^2$ and the DIC under both CMB treatments. One can conclude that the apparent preference for phantom crossing may instead reflect deviations in the dark-matter sector rather than dark-energy dynamics alone. [abridged]

Classical Cepheid metallicities trace recent chemical enrichment and help assess systematics in Cepheid-based distance measurements. They are derived mainly from high-resolution optical spectroscopy, which provides the benchmark abundance scale but limits measurements to nearby systems. Extending such studies to more distant Cepheids with extremely large telescopes requires complementary low-resolution near-infrared methods and careful treatment of model--data residuals. We test whether low-resolution SpeX/IRTF Y+J-band spectra can yield metallicities compatible with homogenised optical abundances. We analyse 14 Galactic classical Cepheids with periods of approximately 13--69 d, supplemented by two shorter-period stars from the IRTF Spectral Library. Using Bayesian full-spectrum fitting based on MARCS/TURBOSPECTRUM spectra and a regularised covariance likelihood, we infer [M/H] and compare it with homogenised optical [Fe/H]. For the primary 14-star sample, the inferred metallicities reproduce the optical reference scale with a mean offset of -0.05 dex, a scatter of 0.09 dex, and a robust scatter of 0.12 dex; the median posterior uncertainty is 0.22 dex. Including the two additional stars changes these values only slightly. Compared with a diagonal likelihood, the covariance-aware treatment reduces the mean offset and improves the stability of the uncertainty calibration. Low-resolution Y+J spectra therefore contain usable metallicity information for classical Cepheids when short-range correlated residuals and localised modelling imperfections are treated explicitly. The resulting near-infrared metallicity scale provides a practical foundation for extending Cepheid metallicity work to larger and more distant samples.

We present a unified physical framework for the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR), based on the mass-continuity equations. The FMR is not merely the anti-correlation between star formation rate (SFR) and gas metallicity ($Z_{\rm g}$) at fixed stellar mass ($M_\star$); it is a redshift-invariant surface in the $(M_\star,{\rm SFR},Z_{\rm g})$ space. We construct a minimal cosmological gas flow model, calibrated to reproduce the mass-metallicity relation, star-forming main sequence, and stellar-to-halo mass relation at $z=0-3$, and show that the FMR emerges as a prediction of the calibrated physics. Through controlled experiments that progressively simplify the model, we reveal that in a universe where both the star formation efficiency ($ε$) and mass-loading factor ($η$) are constants, the FMR reduces to a universal scaling between $Z_{\rm g}$ and $M_\star/$SFR, whose shape traces the transition from inflow-driven regime to equilibrium. The specific parameterisation of the observed FMR is not a fundamental symmetry but a contingent consequence of how $ε$ and $η$ depend on stellar mass and redshift. We show that the gaseous FMR (gFMR), defined in the $(M_\star,M_{\rm g},Z_{\rm g})$ space, is more fundamental than the standard FMR: in the inflow-driven limit, $Z_{\rm g}$ is proportional to $M_\star/M_{\rm g}$, and the approach to equilibrium is governed by $M_\star/M_{\rm g}$ and $η$ alone. We derive an analytic solution for an idealised version of the model that provides closed-form expressions relating $Z_{\rm g}$, $M_{\rm g}/M_\star$, and $η$, and show this framework accurately reproduces the cosmological gas flow model. By establishing the physical origin of the FMR and its connection to the more fundamental gFMR, we provide the theoretical foundation to turn metallicity scaling relations into precision probes of the baryon cycle over cosmic history.

Matter density ($ρ$) and radial pressure ($p$) are often used as the matter Lagrangian density ($\mathcal{L}_{m}$) because both are thermodynamically consistent and produce the same Einstein field equation (EFE) in general relativity (GR). New gravity models with explicit links between matter and geometry instead involve second-order derivatives of $\mathcal{L}_{m}$ relative to the metric tensor. So, picking either $p$ or $-ρ$ for $\mathcal{L}_{m}$ gives different effective EFEs. This confusion appears because one usually treats the four-velocity ($u_μ$) and the metric tensor ($g_{μν}$) as independent. Here, we revisit the basics and offer a consistent framework by relaxing that assumption, thereby making the modified gravity theory independent of the choice of $\mathcal{L}_{m}$. Finally, we test this approach on neutron and quark stars (ultraviolet region) and on cosmological situations with radiation-dominated ($p=ρ/3$) equations of state (infrared region), showing how it clarifies the ambiguity in picking $\mathcal{L}_{m}$ for gravity models.

We investigate the cross-correlation of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect with lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) as a probe of the epoch of reionisation. During reionisation, bubbles of ionised electrons form around overdensities, generating temperature perturbations in the CMB via the kSZ effect, which correlate with the projected matter density field probed by CMB lensing. We demonstrate using AMBER simulations that this effect can be probed via cross-correlating the squared kSZ field with the CMB lensing potential, and that the signal is sensitive to the duration and midpoint of reionisation. We forecast that for a Simons Observatory-like experiment with 5$μ$K-arcmin white noise, covering 40% of the sky, the signal could be marginally detected at $S/N$ = 2 to 3. Meanwhile, a futuristic experiment like CMB-HD could provide a measurement of $S/N \sim 50$, yielding informative constraints on reionisation scenarios. We investigate potential challenges in measuring the signal and explore mitigation for each: contamination from extragalactic foregrounds at low redshift, contamination of the kSZ-squared estimator by lensing, and other estimator biases.

Protostellar outflows are thought to be responsible for the low star formation efficiency of protostellar cores. However, whether outflows can disperse a significant fraction of the gas in the core depends on the outflow opening angle. It is established that the outflow opening angle increases during the early stages of the protostellar evolution, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Observations of HOPS 198, a Class 0 protostar in the Orion A molecular cloud, provide insights into this question. HOPS 198 exhibits a strong east-west asymmetry in its outflow and its core. The opening angle of the eastern lobe ($\sim80^{\circ}$) is more than twice wider than that of the western lobe ($\sim30^{\circ}$), while the surface density of the west side of the core is $1.5-2.8$ times higher than the east side. Using an analytical model in which the molecular outflow morphology is shaped by interactions between the wide-angle protostellar wind ($\gtrsim 80^{\circ}$) and surrounding material in the core, we find that the difference in opening angle for the two lobes can be explained by the difference in core density on the two sides. This result supports the hypothesis that the evolution of the outflow opening angle is driven by the evolution in the density of the protostellar core.

The gauge structure of the Weyl Gravitoelectromagnetic (GEM) formalism has been investigated, showing that although the theory admits additional propagating modes, only an effective spin-2 sector contributes to physical observables. Building on this result, the formalism is applied to Bhabha scattering mediated by the tensor field $A_{μν}$, and the Newtonian gravitational potential is derived in the zero-temperature limit. Finite-temperature effects are incorporated through the Thermo Field Dynamics (TFD) formalism. While the Newtonian interaction is recovered at low temperatures, it becomes progressively suppressed in the high-temperature regime, revealing a thermal screening mechanism. The physical origin of this behavior and its possible dependence on the underlying scattering process are briefly discussed.

Granular light bridges in sunspots are a manifestation of magnetoconvection in an approximately vertical magnetic field that is weaker than the field of the umbra. We study the relations between observed properties of granules and magnetic field in five strong granular light bridges located in a complex sunspot. Thermal parameters, magnetic field vector, and line-of-sight velocity were obtained from an inversion of the GREGOR spectropolarimetric scan in the lines Si I 1082.71 nm and Ca I 1083.90 nm. Sizes and lifetimes of granules were measured in a simultaneous sequence of images in the TiO band. The light bridges under study are comprised of granules spanning 0.2"-1.4" with approximately 6-minute lifetimes. The largest granular structures (> 1") are spatially correlated with 1 km/s upflows and weak, inclined magnetic fields (300 G) near the equipartition threshold. Statistical comparisons demonstrate an inverse relationship between magnetic field strength and continuum intensities, line-of-sight velocity dispersion, and effective granular diameters. These relationships vary among individual light bridges, depending on the large-scale magnetic field topology. Large expanding granules similar to the photospheric ones appear in light bridges only when the local magnetic field strength approaches the equipartition value.

We investigate dynamical, time-evolving dark-energy models exhibiting phantom behaviour within Einstein gravity by analysing the evolution of matter perturbations. In particular, we consider five dark-energy parameterisations that predict a slowing down of the current cosmic acceleration. We examine the evolution of the growth index and its first derivative, as well as the combination parameter and the statefinder diagnostics, and compare their behaviour with that of the concordance $Λ$CDM model. For the parameter choices considered, the present-day values of the growth index and its first derivative are found to be compatible with ranges reported in previous phenomenological studies. The combination parameter is also found to differ from its $Λ$CDM value, while the statefinder parameters provide additional means of distinguishing the considered dynamical dark-energy scenarios from the concordance model. Our results illustrate the phenomenological signatures associated with these models and identify observables that may be useful for future observational tests. We stress, however, that the present analysis does not constitute a statistical model comparison or establish an observational preference for any of the considered dynamical dark-energy models over $Λ$CDM.

We present 3D hydrodynamic simulations of a complete silicon shell burning phase until fuel exhaustion at the end of the evolution of a 14$M_\odot$ core-collapse supernova progenitor, using a reduced 25-isotope nuclear network. We investigate how realistic turbulent convection affects this burning phase, which has a more complicated set of nuclear reactions than previous burning phases. We find broad similarities between the 3D simulation and the 1D \textsc{MESA} model. However, due to more realistic feedback from the very stiff convective boundaries in the hydrodynamic simulations, the 3D simulation experiences lower convective boundary mixing (CMB) compared to 1D, and hence entrains less fresh fuel into the silicon shell. This leads to the silicon shell in the 3D model burning for roughly 800\,s shorter. We find that the nuclear burning timescales for the dominant reactions are faster than the mixing timescale, making this entire process a convective-reactive event. The angular-averaged energy generation profile shows a double-peaked structure, where the region between the positive peaks are close to zero, or are negative. We find that throughout the base of this silicon shell, many $(α, p)$ and their inverse reactions are important. The forward and reverse rates are very similar, so slight fluctuations in the temperature cause regions to be either exoergic or endoergic, leading to a complicated energy generation evolution. This study presents an exploration using a single reduced nuclear network, however, due to the sensitivity of this burning phase future studies should investigate the impact of more complete nuclear networks.

Binary star evolution remains inherently uncertain, and several physical processes are not well understood. These open questions in binary physics come in addition to major uncertainties in single-star evolution, such as angular momentum transport and interior mixing. For example, the efficiency of mass transfer (MT) -- which is the fraction of transferred mass that is actually accreted -- is one of the main uncertainties in binary evolution. We present a grid of 1D binary evolution models with identical initial conditions to an earlier grid in which MT was limited by the spin-up of the accretors. Now we employ fully conservative MT, allowing for a one-to-one comparison between the two grids, and covering the full range from highly non-conservative to fully conservative MT. We explore how these two maximally different MT efficiencies change the occurrence and incidence of contact phases, stellar mergers and common envelope phases, and how they affect the present-day population of (post-)mass-transferring binaries. We find that fully conservative MT increases the incidence of contact systems by roughly a factor of 6 (from 11% to 62%), and the stellar merger incidence by more than a factor of 2 (from 16% to 38%). We also find the emergence of double-core CE phases, which are absent for lower MT efficiencies. Comparing two synthetic binary populations built using the two grids with observed Algol and stripped-star binaries reveals that even though conservative MT is favoured to reproduce the observed stripped-star binaries, the observed population of Algol binaries cannot be explained by a single MT efficiency. We conclude that the MT efficiency depends on the configuration of binary systems and cannot be described by a single value. Our work highlights the need for a better understanding of binary MT and indicates that current binary-star models are incomplete.

Recent observational data arising from the DESI collaboration has hinted at a possible departure from the standard $Λ$CDM cosmological model, preferring instead the presence of a dynamical dark energy component. Specifically, the associated equation of state of the dark energy features a crossing into the so-called phantom regime, which is challenging to accommodate in canonical single scalar-field scenarios. However, this behavior can be effectively described by an interacting dark sector, where the specific dark energy equation of state remains above the phantom divide whilst the dark matter component deviates from the standard cold dark matter evolution. In this work, we explore this possibility in the context of an axion dark sector, where both the dark energy and dark matter are represented by two interacting axion-like fields. We show that given the required mass hierarchy for these fields to play such roles, their dynamics can be effectively placed in the coupled quintessence framework, where their motion follows from a sourced continuity equation in the fluid description. In this regime, we perform a statistical analysis of this scenario with current data, finding that a sub-Planckian dark energy axion decay constant stays well within the observational bounds without the need to fine-tune the associated field's initial conditions. We also perform a comparison with $Λ$CDM, where we find that the model provides a better fit to the data while staying competitive from a Bayesian perspective.

Static tidal Love numbers of four-dimensional Schwarzschild black holes vanish in general relativity, whereas higher-curvature interactions can generate a nontrivial response. We investigate the parity-even cubic Weyl correction directly in metric variables and derive the electric, static response for every integer multipole $\ell \geq 2$. Organizing the angular reduction through $L=\ell(\ell+1)$, we obtain exact radial actions and show that perturbative order reduction converts the three metric equations into a constrained two-dimensional first-order system. Eliminating one field yields a scalar equation whose homogeneous operator is precisely the general-relativistic static tidal operator. A Frobenius and Green-function analysis gives the gauge-invariant Zerilli--Moncrief running coefficient $β_{\ell}^{\rm ZM}=ε_{\rm e}\,7L^{2}(L-2)^{2}(L-4)(L-6)/12$ and identifies the factor $L-6$ as the reason why the quadrupole is the unique physical electric multipole without logarithmic running. We solve the quadrupole exactly, obtaining the fixed-integer branch ratio $-2400\,ε_{\rm e}$ and explaining why it differs from the analytically continued canonical Love number $k_{2}^{E}=448\,ε_{\rm e}$. For the octupole, we construct the complete horizon-regular global metric solution and exhibit the cancellation of horizon logarithms between the two Green-function channels. Finally, we derive the normalization map to the canonical electric beta functions and the corresponding running of finite-size worldline coefficients. The canonical result agrees with the modified-Teukolsky calculation, while the metric-action approach reveals the radial mechanism behind the exceptional quadrupole and provides the full metric reconstruction.

We investigate quintessential inflation in a nonminimally coupled scalar-tensor theory, parameterizing the post-inflationary radiation abundance independently of the reheating mechanism. The nonadiabatic inflation-kination transition generates a stochastic gravitational-wave background whose contribution to $ΔN_{\textrm{eff}}$ imposes a lower limit on the reheating temperature. Because this temperature dictates the duration of kination and the available scalar-field excursion, it directly constrains the present-day dark-energy equation of state. While a single-exponential coupling achieves the required post-inflationary potential drop, the same constant slope does not provide viable late-time acceleration. A double-exponential deformation resolves this tension by decoupling the average slope governing the total potential drop from the asymptotic slope driving cosmic acceleration. Full numerical solutions confirm this picture, yielding a thawing quintessence regime with $w_{\varphi,0}\simeq (-0.90, -0.95)$ for our benchmarks. Our results demonstrate that future dark-energy measurements can directly probe the post-inflationary reheating history of the Universe.

We revisit the generalized Glauber theorem motivated by recent applications to dark-matter axion searches and graviton production. For Hamiltonian containing up to quadratic terms in annihilation and creation operators coupled to classical sources, the time-evolution operator can be factorized into displacement, squeezing, and rotation operators. We derive the differential equations governing time evolution of their parameters, reducing the quantum dynamics to c-number equations that can be solved analytically or numerically. To compare another form of the time-evolution operator, Dyson series, we demonstrate the essential role of time ordering. This formalism based on generalized Glauber theorem provides a unified description of particle production from classical backgrounds. Axion-photon conversion in microwave haloscopes is recovered as the linear-interaction limit, while squeezed graviton production from black-hole mergers follows naturally from quadratic interactions. Extending the theorem to thermal initial states yields a realistic quantum description of microwave cavities used in axion experiments. We show that higher-order photon statistics exhibit nontrivial behavior, providing a rigorous foundation for Monte Carlo simulations of quantum-enhanced axion searches beyond heuristic noise estimates.

Alfvén waves are thought to play critical roles in solar wind acceleration and plasma heating in the solar corona and inner heliosphere. Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has highlighted the role of large amplitude Spherically Polarized Alfvén Waves (SPAWs), where the locally constant magnetic field magnitude $|\mathbf{B}|$ together with outward propagation explains the observed one sided radial velocity enhancement - the Gosling boost. Starting from the MHD equations, we derive the modified wave pressure and Poynting flux under the SPAW condition, and demonstrate both are governed solely by the transverse magnetic fluctuations. Using PSP data from Encounters 6--25, we define an unperturbed velocity baseline from the lower 10th-percentile running average and statistically characterize the radial evolution of Alfvénic fluctuations. The background solar wind velocity shows clear radial acceleration, while the velocity perturbation amplitude $δv$ decreases with heliocentric distance. This decay is anisotropic between the radial and perpendicular directions, which is a direct consequence of the growing magnetic deflection angle related to the spherical polarization. Our results demonstrate that radial velocity enhancements in the young solar wind arise naturally from SPAWs rather than from localized velocity jets, and provide direct observational evidence for the anisotropic radial evolution of SPAWs in the inner heliosphere.

We present a detailed spectral analysis of an X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) observation of the prototypical Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. XRISM's Resolve microcalorimeter reveals, for the first time, highly ionized outflows in this active galactic nucleus (AGN) through the detection of Fe XXV and Fe XXVI absorption lines in the Fe K band. Modeling the XRISM/Resolve spectrum alongside XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) data allows us to probe the ionization and kinematic structure of the outflows in this AGN. We identify four distinct ionization components, with ionization parameters log $ξ$ ranging from 0.9 to 3.4. Three of these components are further resolved into two velocity sub-components, demonstrating the multiphase structure of the outflows. The measured outflow velocities span 240 to 2730 km/s. We find a trend of increasing column density with ionization parameter ($ξ$), along with a general pattern of increasing outflow velocity with $ξ$. The XRISM/Resolve spectrum provides a far more detailed absorption measure distribution (AMD) than was previously possible, revealing two distinct slopes above and below $\logξ\sim 2.6$. A comparison of the Fe XXV absorption line profile with UV absorption lines (C IV and Ly$α$) observed with the Hubble Space Telescope reveals both overlaps and deviations. The XRISM/Resolve results suggest a multiphase, clumpy outflow in NGC 5548, consistent with a "hybrid wind" scenario in which the observed parameter trends arise from multiple origins and driving mechanisms.

Hypothetical Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) remains strongly constrained but has not been excluded as a possible manifestation of new high-energy physics. In subluminal photon-sector LIV, suppressed Bethe$\unicode{x2013}$Heitler pair production modifies the electromagnetic component of extensive air showers. We present a simulation-based toy analysis of this effect using published Pierre Auger fluorescence-detector distributions of the reconstructed depth of air-shower maximum. The modified distributions of the depth of the shower maximum are folded with the Auger detector-response parametrizations and compared with the data using free composition fractions in each reconstructed-energy bin. Within this approach, the comparison gives a sensitivity to LIV compatible with that expected from ultra-high-energy photon-induced showers. We obtain $M_{\rm LIV}>1.5\times 10^{21}\,\text{GeV}$ ($95\%$ confidence level). This result should not be interpreted as a detector-level experimental limit because the detector response and reconstruction are simplified, and the result remains composition dependent. However, the approach presented here opens the way for constraining LIV in hadronic air showers with more detailed analyses.

Seismic Newtonian noise, arising from fluctuating gravitational forces on detector test masses due to ambient seismic activity, represents a fundamental sensitivity limit for low-frequency gravitational-wave observatories such as the Einstein Telescope. Effective mitigation of Newtonian noise requires detailed knowledge of the statistical correlations between the Newtonian acceleration perturbation at the test mass and the seismic displacement field measured by surrounding sensor arrays. In this work, the gravitoelastic correlation tensors (the cross-correlations between the Newtonian acceleration perturbation and the seismic displacement field) are derived and numerically validated for Rayleigh waves and body waves in half-space and full-space media, considering test masses located above and below ground, with and without a spherical cavity. The analytical solutions provide exact and asymptotic benchmarks for validating a Cartesian numerical integration framework, which reproduces the corresponding gravitoelastic tensors across Rayleigh-wave and body-wave models, establishing a unified tool for Newtonian-noise modeling and sensor-array design in future gravitational-wave detectors.

The CCAT Collaboration's Prime-Cam instrument will soon be deployed to the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) in Chile's Atacama Desert. Featuring prominently in Prime-Cam's calibration and early science observations will be the 350 GHz instrument module, a broadband camera that will field more than 10,000 microwave kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) across three detector arrays. Forecasts show this module will be capable of making the most sensitive to-date measurements of polarized dust emission over a large fraction of the sky at this frequency, enabling new galactic polarization science and improved understanding of cosmological foregrounds. In this work we discuss the design of the 350 GHz instrument module, covering aspects of the optics, readout, and detector arrays. We then report on the results of in-lab testing of the fully-integrated module, achieving stable cryogenic performance with a 100 mK focal plane, high detector yield, and a passband comparable to designed specifications. Upon completion of these tests, this module was shipped to the telescope site in Chile for integration in Prime-Cam.

Mapping anisotropies in the gravitational-wave background (GWB) requires choosing a basis to represent the sky intensity, such as pixel and spherical harmonic bases. Each introduces a truncation---e.g., a number of pixels or a maximum multipole l_max---often set by a naive counting argument that relate the number of measurable modes to the number of independent cross-correlations, N_pair, in a pulsar timing array (PTA). However, such truncations can lead to reconstruction artefacts, as they do not reflect the true information content of the PTA response. Increasing the value of truncation parameters spans the observable space better but reveals poorly constrained modes, making the inverse problem ill-conditioned and requiring regularization. A natural approach is to restrict the reconstruction to a well-measured subspace via principal maps, defined by the dominant eigenmodes of the detector response (or Fisher) matrix. However, these maps are not a fundamental parameterization of the sky, but rather, are derived from an underlying representation---such as a pixelization or a spherical harmonic expansion. While their explicit form depends on basis choice, they can span the \textit{same subspace} when the underlying representation is sufficiently complete. Here, we show that reconstructed anisotropy maps via different bases are equivalent, provided they retain the same information content, i.e., span the same principal subspace. As illustrative cases, we consider a toy model for PTA configuration and several GWB anisotropy shapes: point source, an extended source with deterministic anisotropy, and a statistical isotropic background, along with its summary statistic---the angular power spectrum. Although the reconstructions are equivalent, their computational costs can differ. We conclude with brief comments on the construction of principal maps for ground-based interferometers.

Carbon-chain molecules serve as an important reservoir of reactive organic matter that will eventually be incorporated into protoplanetary disks, planets, and cometary material. Prestellar and starless cores are composed of cold (~ 10 K) and dense (~ 10$^5$ cm$^{-3}$) clumps of gas and dust within molecular clouds, and are nurseries for low-mass stars and planetary systems. Surveys of starless cores have focused on the study of complex organic molecules, COMs, whereas observations of carbon-chains in starless cores are limited. We analyze the carbon-chain inventories of 15 prestellar and starless cores in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Using Yebes 40m single-dish observations, we detect CS, CCS, CCCS, HC$_3$N, DC$_3$N, and HC$_5$N in at least 10/15 cores and HC$_7$N in 4/15 cores. Our study also finds related isotopologues, where $^{13}$CS, C$^{34}$S, C$^{13}$CS, CC$^{34}$S, H$^{13}$CCCN, HC$^{13}$CCN, HCC$^{13}$CN, HC$^{13}$CCCCN, HCC$^{13}$CCCN, HCCC$^{13}$CCN, HCCCCC$^{15}$N, and DCCCCCN are detected. We report detection statistics, compare column density ratios with Taurus, Serpens, and protostar sources, examine DC$_3$N/HC$_3$N deuterium fractionation, and investigate the relative abundances and correlations between cyanopolyyne (HC$_n$N) and sulfur-bearing (C$_n$S) carbon-chains. The diverse suite of species detected reveals the richness of carbon-chain chemistry in Perseus and illustrates how local environmental conditions, such as density, temperature, and proximity to protostellar activity, shape each core's molecular inventory and relative evolutionary phase. Our findings provide a glimpse into the carbon-chain reservoir of starless and prestellar cores in the Perseus, which may ultimately be inherited by emerging protoplanetary disks and later integrated into planetary systems and biologically relevant material.

Near-extremal black holes can amplify higher-derivative corrections to general relativity, making them sharp probes of the perturbative control of gravitational effective field theory. We study this question in quadratic gravity with a dynamical scalar degree of freedom, focusing on dynamical Chern-Simons and scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Using pseudospectral methods, we construct rapidly rotating exterior solutions at fixed surface gravity and fixed horizon angular velocity, and follow this controlled family toward extremality. In dynamical Chern-Simons gravity, the sequence approaches an asymptotically flat extremal exterior whose near-horizon limit agrees with the dynamical-Chern-Simons-deformed near-horizon extremal Kerr geometry and inherits its enhanced $SO(2,1)\times U(1)$ symmetry. In scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity, the same limiting procedure behaves differently: the scalar develops an unavoidable logarithmic singularity at the horizon, the exterior metric develops a small boundary layer near the horizon, and the scalar-Gauss-Bonnet-deformed near-horizon extremal solution is not connected to a regular asymptotically flat exterior. We then use curvature invariants and tidal forces to diagnose the breakdown of the perturbative effective-field-theory expansion. We find that scalar curvature invariants can remain finite at the horizon even when tidal forces measured by infalling observers diverge as inverse powers of the surface gravity. These results separate distinct notions of effective-field-theory breakdown near extremality and provide a perturbative validity estimate that can be compared with current bounds on the dynamical Chern-Simons and scalar-Gauss-Bonnet couplings.

It is often claimed Standard Model CP violation is insufficient for baryogenesis. We present a counterexample using minimal flavor violation (MFV) in which all CP-violating effects arise from the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. Our scenario involves a leptoquark field with MFV-preserving interactions whose decays to Standard Model particles yield the observed baryon asymmetry in the early universe. Unlike previous efforts to realize baryogenesis through the CP violation of the CKM matrix, our scenario does not require any time-variation of model parameters.

We compute the optical appearance of a maximally extended (eternal) Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by a geometrically thin accretion disk. Unlike astrophysical black holes formed by gravitational collapse, the eternal solution contains a white hole (WH) region connected to a past singularity. Following Markov's hypothesis of a limiting density of matter, we replace the past singularity with a spacelike "surface of last scattering" at $r=r_{\rm m}$ and assume that it emits black-body radiation with temperature $T$. Past-directed rays that cross the past horizon terminate on this surface, resulting in a bright spot at the center of the shadow of an eternal black hole. The radial profile of the spot is set by the gravitational frequency shift, with a blueshifted center when the spacelike surface is sufficiently close to the singularity. We use ray tracing to generate an image of the disk and the spot, and we derive a closed-form interferometric signature of the spot. Its visibility is a pure exponential in the baseline length, in contrast to the power-law envelopes of the disk and the photon ring. We constrain the product $r_{\rm m} T$ from the observed 230 GHz fluxes of M87* and Sgr A*. We also consider a Planck-star scenario in which the value of $r_{\rm m}$ is determined on dimensional grounds, and show that it is out of reach of any current or planned facilities. Nevertheless, the darkness of the observed shadows remains a test of whether these black holes are eternal.

Binary interaction in massive stars is expected to produce a large population of intermediate-mass ($2$-$8$ M$_\odot$) envelope-stripped stars, yet such objects have remained elusive in the Milky Way. We report the identification of an unambiguous Galactic example in a short-period ($P=5.94$ d), double-lined spectroscopic binary, discovered in the SDSS-V Milky Way Mapper survey. The system consists of a rapidly rotating O-type star and a hotter, lower-mass companion, which shows He II and N IV emission lines with large radial velocity variations, revealing its binary nature. Combined orbital constraints and joint spectroscopic and photometric modelling show that the companion is a hot ($T_\ast \approx 60$ kK), helium-rich star with a mass of $3.2$-$5.8$ M$_\odot$, placing it squarely in the intermediate-mass regime and below values typically inferred for classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. The system's short period, negligible eccentricity, and rapidly rotating O-star point to a post-interaction configuration following efficient mass transfer and spin-up of the accretor. Comparison with binary evolution models suggests that the stripped star is observed in a brief inflated phase following mass transfer, which increases its optical flux contribution and facilitates its detection. The inferred mass-loss rate $\log \dot{M} = -6.3 \pm 0.1$ is in line with mass-loss rates observed for classical WR stars in the Milky Way and exceeds those measured for intermediate-mass stripped stars in the Magellanic Clouds, with the caveat that our target selection is biased towards systems with stronger emission features. As an unambiguous and well-characterised intermediate-mass stripped star, this system provides a key benchmark for models of binary evolution at solar metallicity, stripped-envelope supernova progenitors, and the formation of compact-object binaries.

We revisit a minimal scenario for spontaneous leptogenesis where the asymmetry generation is driven by a heavy axion-like field evolving via standard misalignment. We focus on the simplest framework in which lepton number violation originates from the dimension-five Weinberg operator and contributions from standard thermal leptogenesis become negligible. The asymmetry is computed by solving a set of transport equations, which incorporate fully flavor-dependent interaction rates for the Weinberg operator that are presented here for the first time. We also derive a simple algebraic master formula for the generated $B\!-\!L$ asymmetry, valid for arbitrary axion velocities and classically shift-symmetric couplings to the Standard Model, that reproduces the $B\!-\!L$-production dynamics of the full set of transport equations in controlled parameter regions. Along the way, we quantify the importance of low-scale neutrino masses and the two mass orderings on the final prediction for the generated asymmetry. Finally, we assess the cosmological viability of different axion couplings by accounting for entropy dilution from late-time axion decays and imposing constraints from baryonic isocurvature perturbations. We demonstrate that explaining the baryon asymmetry via standard Majoron misalignment is under severe tension due to dilution from late-time decays. In contrast, axions coupled to strong or weak sphalerons can successfully produce the observed asymmetry for decay constants near the energy scale of grand unification and axion oscillation temperatures $T_{\text{osc}} \gtrsim 10^{11\cdots12}$ GeV, provided a cosmological history featuring high-scale inflation and efficient reheating.

We study static extremal black holes in Einstein gravity coupled to a dilaton and two Maxwell fields with independent dilaton couplings $a$ and $b$. When $b=-1/a$ in four dimensions, a time-symmetric initial-value construction allows us to determine the masses and interaction energies of multi-black-hole configurations. On this special locus, the long-range force between any two extremal black holes vanishes. For arbitrary $a$ and $b$, a constant dilaton-shift symmetry, together with homogeneity and the extremality condition, yields a first-order ordinary differential equation that determines the extremal mass as a function of the two electric charges. This equation allows us to analyze the force between non-identical extremal black holes without having to know the explicit black-hole geometry. In all analytically controlled regimes that we examine, the locus $b=-1/a$ separates attractive behavior for $b>-1/a$ from repulsive behavior for $b<-1/a$. We extend the analysis to arbitrary spacetime dimensions, where the corresponding force-cancellation condition is $ab=-2(d-2)/(d-1)$. Finally, we test this sign pattern using the exact $A_2$, $B_2$ and $G_2$ Toda black holes. In the $G_2$ case, a potentially problematic branch is excluded because it contains naked singularities outside the horizon, suggesting an intriguing connection between regularity and the sign of long-range forces.

Ly$α$ damping wing measurements of galaxies at $7\leq z\leq14$ with the JWST provide a powerful probe of the Epoch of Reionization. We combine the large-scale cosmological hydrodynamical NINJA simulations with an idealized ionized-bubble model at z=8 and 10 to quantify the contributions of the intergalactic medium (IGM), circumgalactic medium (CGM), and interstellar medium (ISM) to the observed Ly$α$ damping wing. We generate mock Ly$α$ absorption spectra, and consider three idealized scenarios: (i) galaxies embedded in a uniformly ionized IGM, (ii) galaxies surrounded by HII regions with radii of 0-400 pkpc, and (iii) the same models including Ly$α$ absorption from partially ionized gas within the virial radius. We explore IGM neutral fractions ($x_{\rm HI}$) of 0.1, 0.8, and 1.0, and compare the distribution of inferred HI column densities (NHI) with observations to constrain the sizes of HII regions and $x_{\rm HI}$ of the IGM and gas in and around galaxies. Galaxies are surrounded by over-dense gas extending to $\sim$60-100 pkpc, with its extent increasing with halo mass and showing little evolution between z=8 and 10. The inferred NHI also increases with halo and stellar mass. While the observed incidence of damped Ly$α$ absorption and the median NHI can be reproduced by different combinations of $x_{\rm HI}$ of the IGM and HII region size, models with a uniformly ionized IGM or HII regions larger than $\sim50$ pkpc fail to reproduce the strongest absorbers (NHI>$10^{22}cm^{-2}$). Including partially ionized gas within the virial radius substantially increases the incidence of these absorbers, although the predicted values remain below the observations, suggesting an additional contribution from unresolved gas in stellar birth clouds. The strongest damped Ly$α$ absorbers therefore provide a unique probe of the ionization state of the ISM, CGM, and IGM.

Recent JWST observations of ``Little Red Dots'' (LRDs) reveal broad and prominent Balmer emission lines. We present a theoretical framework for intrinsic emission line formation and broadening within static, optically thick, scattering-dominated gas envelopes with thermal populations. Using random-walk and diffusion approximations, we derive analytical line profiles for lines forming intrinsically within the scattering medium. We demonstrate that a geometrically thin planar photosphere produces a shallow line profile characterized by a logarithmic plateau and a $v^{-1}$ wing. A radially extended photosphere yields a broken power-law spectrum transitioning from $v^{-α}$ to $v^{-(α+1)}$, with $0 < α< 1$. This is in contrast to a scattering medium external to the line-forming region, which produces an exponential line profile. We show that this broken power-law model can fit the $\mathrm{H}α$ line profiles observed in LRDs. Higher quality spectra may be able to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic models for the line broadening in LRDs. In our LTE models, the high contrast between the $\mathrm{H}α$ and continuum flux cannot be explained. Quantitative comparison to LRD spectra requires expanding our models to non-LTE situations.

Large-volume neutrino telescopes offer a unique opportunity to search for decaying dark matter through events containing a pair of energetic, highly non-collimated muon tracks emerging from a common vertex. Such events would have negligible Standard Model backgrounds and would constitute a striking signature of new physics. Conventional dark matter annihilation or decay, however, is too strongly constrained to produce an observable rate of such events. We therefore consider scenarios in which an excited dark matter state is extremely long-lived in vacuum but decays much more rapidly in the presence of ordinary matter. We present two realizations of this mechanism. In the first, a long-range scalar field sourced by ordinary matter modifies the dark-sector mass spectrum, kinematically opening the decay $χ_2 \rightarrow χ_1 Z'$ near the Earth while leaving it forbidden in vacuum. In the second, the scalar background induces kinetic mixing between a heavy $Z'$ and the photon, greatly enhancing the three-body decay $χ_2\toχ_1μ^+μ^-$ in matter-rich environments. We calculate the resulting distributions of muon energies and opening angles and show that viable regions of parameter space can yield observable event rates in IceCube, KM3NeT, and other large-volume neutrino telescopes while remaining consistent with existing constraints. We also briefly consider the sensitivity of IceCube to multi-muon events produced by the decays of cosmologically long-lived charged particles with masses $\gtrsim 1$ TeV.

We study the leading adiabatic response of magnetic GHS black holes in massless Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory to a prescribed exterior modulus varying slowly in advanced time. In ingoing Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates with the exact areal radius, we derive the time-dependent spherical equations and expand about a slowly evolving instantaneous static GHS representative, keeping its horizon distinct from the exact dynamical marginal horizon. The magnetic GHS family realizes the canonical-slice and Fredholm framework developed in the companion paper. Its integrability yields in closed form the canonical tangent, the finite-rank source profile, a horizon-regular solution of the auxiliary inhomogeneous equation, and a globally regular generator of the sliced-operator kernel. For the leading Robin functional arising in the massless large-radius overlap, we evaluate the Fredholm denominator analytically and prove that it is strictly positive on the charged non-extremal branch. This remains true where the conventional normalization of the kernel generator degenerates, showing that these loci are normalization singularities rather than degeneracies of the kernel mode. Within the controlled large-radius overlap regime, this positivity proves existence and uniqueness of the completed leading-order quasi-static near-zone problem. We then solve the forced radial equation explicitly. The scalar lag is the sum of a universal forced profile and a sliced homogeneous mode whose amplitude is fixed by the exterior matching datum. The mass lag follows algebraically from the radial constraint, and the lapse lag from a single elementary quadrature. The exact marginal horizon is recovered from the lag-corrected solution. The result gives the complete leading quasi-static near-zone response, exact in its radial dependence, for every admissible exterior datum within the specified massless overlap model.

In the last few decades, singularity-free black holes (BHs) obtained in the framework of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) have gained attention in the literature. These compact objects replace the classical singularity with a transition hypersurface called the bounce radius and stand out as potential scenarios for exploring the imprints of LQG in BH physics. Although scalar perturbations in the vicinity of LQG-based BHs are currently being studied, the absorption spectrum has not yet been analyzed in detail. In this work, we present an in-depth investigation of the absorption properties of massless test scalar fields by a charged LQG BH, aiming to better understand the role played by the quantum and charge parameters of the BH spacetime. Using a numerical approach, we compute the absorption cross section (ACS) of the massless scalar wave for arbitrary values of the frequency of the incident wave. We find that the behavior of the ACS as we increase the quantum parameter indicates that the peaks and troughs of the total ACS exhibit opposite behaviors, i.e., the curve related to the highest peak corresponds to the deepest troughs. Moreover, we show that the ACS decreases as we consider higher values of the BH charge-to-mass ratio. This is in stark contrast to the behavior of the absorption spectrum as we vary the quantum parameter. We also draw comparisons with the Reissner-Nordstrom (RN) BH, exploring the situations where LQG and RN BHs can have the same absorption properties. Furthermore, we find excellent agreement between our numerical results and the well-known classical and semiclassical approximations for the total ACS in their corresponding limits. For completeness, we also investigate the greybody factors. Our results can be viewed as a first step toward a better understanding of the absorption properties of LQG-inspired BHs.

3-forms are interesting fields to study in the cosmological context for numerous reasons, such as being candidates for explaining inflation and dark energy. The background evolution of a 3-form field is similar to but distinguishable from a scalar field in an expanding universe, and its tensorial structure allows for unique couplings that cannot be experienced by canonical scalars. In this work, we explore the possibility that 3-form dark energy can explain cosmic birefringence. We consider two EFT-inspired couplings between the 3-form and the photon, and compute the birefringence angle $β$. We find that a dimension-6 gauge-invariant operator necessitates an extremely large coupling to explain $β\sim0.3^\circ$, the value suggested by observations of recent cosmic microwave background radiation. Conversely, a dimension-4 operator can accommodate $β\sim0.3^\circ$ at the expense exciting the longitudinal mode of the photon. Interestingly, demanding a self-consistent decoupling limit implies the photon mass lies within a few orders of magnitude of $H_0$. We also derive `universal' profiles for $β(z)$, finding the $β$ from the dimension-4 operator is insensitive to the form of the 3-form potential but is sensitive to the initial conditions. Contrarily, the dimension-6 operator is highly sensitive to the form of the potential. We finally compare the universal profiles to that of axion-like particle (ALP) dark energy and an ultralight massive 3-form, the latter obtained from numerically integrated cosmological histories consistent with $Λ$CDM up to low redshift. Our results show that birefringence from 3-form dark energy can both mimic that from an ALP or be distinguishable, depending on the field configuration in the early universe.

We construct an effective Tolman Oppenheimer Volkoff system for cold carbon white dwarfs using the areal radius form of a polymer metric sector motivated by loop quantum gravity. The two asymptotic mass parameters of the geometry are retained in the stellar prescription through $M_B\rightarrow m(R)$ and $M_W=ηm(R)$, while the polymer amplitude is controlled by $A_λ$. The matter sector is kept fixed and is described by the Chandrasekhar equation of state and by the same carbon model with the Coulomb lattice correction. The resulting equations recover the general relativistic TOV system and the symmetric polymer limit. For the undeformed sequences we obtain $M_{\max}=1.4166\,M_\odot$ for the Chandrasekhar model and $M_{\max}=1.3850\,M_\odot$ when the lattice correction is included. Turning on $A_λ$ shifts the massive part of the equilibrium sequence upward without stiffening the equation of state, reaching $M_{\max}=1.7125\,M_\odot$ and $1.6907\,M_\odot$ at $A_λ=100$ for the two matter models. These configurations remain within the matter domain imposed by the inverse beta decay boundary used in the scan. The asymmetric ratio $η=M_W/M_B$ changes the metric function near the polymer transition region, but its effect on white dwarf observables is small: across the selected configurations, $M_{\max}$ changes by less than $0.1\%$ and the corresponding radius by less than $0.33\%$. The calculation therefore identifies $A_λ$ as the parameter controlling the super Chandrasekhar displacement of the mass radius relation, while $η$ acts mainly as a geometric asymmetry parameter in the low compactness regime probed by white dwarfs.

The BV & BW Draconis system is a unique coplanar system of two eclipsing contact binaries. The main objective of this study is to develop a model based on new observations. The only model of the system was obtained 40 years ago. New photometric and spectroscopic data have been collected. Brightness measurements were performed using the differential aperture photometry method, while radial velocity measurements were performed using the cross-correlation method. The resulting curves were analyzed using the Wilson-Devinney method. The resulting model is similar to the one obtained previously; however, the masses of the four components are higher, and the differences are outside the margin of error. In the case of BW Dra, the photometric data indicate the presence of a spot on the star's surface. Based on our spectroscopic and photometric data, the latest measurements of eclipse times have been obtained. These results, together with other new measurements, confirm previous findings: both pairs exhibit eclipse time variability. In the case of BV Dra, the parabolic and sinusoidal trends were confirmed and refined. For the second pair, BW Dra, a change in behavior was observed that may be related to a change in period.

For decades, the origin of helium enrichment in O-type stars has remained an open question. In this study, we investigate the correlation between surface helium abundance and orbital parameters for a sample of 45 O-type SB1 systems --including Cyg X-1. We find seven He-rich systems, all of which are concentrated at short orbital periods (P$\lesssim 15$ days) and are classified as runaways. In addition, four of them present relatively high eccentricities, while the other three have ellipsoidal variations. We argue that these properties are the result of binary interaction. These findings provide strong observational evidence that binary interaction is the dominant origin of helium enrichment in O-type stars. This result has important implications for the treatment of chemical mixing and surface abundances in massive-star evolutionary models, and establishes helium enrichment as a promising observational tracer for identifying post-interaction binary systems.

We use all-configuration VLA data at 3.3 cm with a physical resolution of ~2000 AU to infer the embedded zero-age massive stellar population of the W49A protocluster, as traced by its compact, ultracompact (UC), and hypercompact (HC) H II regions. Our method consists of visual source identification, the derivation of stellar ionizing-photon rates from the observed emission measure, and the further derivation of spectral types and stellar masses using state-of-the-art stellar calibrations. Considering the 101 robust detections, maximum-likelihood estimation fitting of the high-mass end (M > 11 M_\odot) of the sample yields power-law slopes Gamma >= 2.56 for the logarithmic representation of the stellar initial mass function (IMF): dN/d(log M) proportional to M^{-Gamma}. The result is robust considering different assumptions for the ionizing stellar systems. The slopes remain at Gamma >= 1.85 after correction for optical depth effects at 3.3 cm. Therefore, the inferred distribution of stellar masses presents a clear deficit in the high-mass end as compared to the standard stellar IMF (Gamma = 1.35). We propose that this is due to a shorter lifetime of the radio-detected H II regions produced by higher-mass stars, but evolutionary effects in the mass distribution of star formation within embedded protoclusters cannot be discarded.

We study the reflected entropy and the Markov gap for modes of a free bosonic field shared by inertial observers (Alice, Charlie) and a uniformly accelerated one (Bob), for a bipartite Bell state and the tripartite Werner (W) and Greenberger--Horne--Zeilinger (GHZ) states. The bosonic Bogoliubov transformation spans an infinite-dimensional Fock space with an unbounded squeezing parameter unlike the fermionic case. By identifying a conserved charge, we block-diagonalize the reduced density matrices into exact two-dimensional sectors, yielding closed or semi-analytic forms for all three states. Although bosonic entanglement is known to vanish asymptotically, the Alice--Bob reflected entropy instead saturates at a nonzero floor, retaining the surviving classical correlation, and converges to the value Alice shares with Bob's causally disconnected partner. Crucially, only the inter-wedge reflected entropy diverges, linearly in the squeezing parameter---the sharp distinction from the fermionic case, where it stays bounded---while the Markov gaps saturate. The construction transfers verbatim to a Schwarzschild black hole, where the saturation values become mass-independent constants.

Chemically peculiar A-type stars of the $λ$ Boo class are characterised by depletions of refractory elements and normal volatile species. Their formation channel(s) have not yet been fully established, but they provide insight into star-disc-planet interactions during star formation, star-planet interactions in later system evolution, or interactions between stars and the interstellar medium. We report the first detection of the $λ$ Boo phenomenon in a massive early B-type star, HD 37356, a member of Ori OB1c. We analysed a high-quality spectrum using a hybrid non-LTE model-atmosphere technique. We determined atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances using neural networks to emulate synthetic spectra, coupled with a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. We also derived the fundamental parameters of the star using Gaia data and stellar evolution models. HD 37356 closely resembles the Morgan-Keenan standard $γ$ Peg, closely agreeing in spectral signatures except for the lines of refractory elements, which are systematically weaker. The quantitative analysis yields similar stellar parameters. The abundances of volatile elements are compatible with cosmic standard abundances, while refractory species are depleted by 0.25 to 0.45dex. In particular, the lower iron abundance explains the different pulsational behaviour of HD 37356 compared to $γ$ Peg. Of the different formation channels for $λ$ Boo stars, only the accretion of gas depleted in refractory elements from the circumstellar disc during star formation appears to be feasible in this case. This scenario requires HD 37356 to be a true slow rotator in order to prevent the abundance pattern from being erased by internal mixing processes such as meridional circulation.

We study a static, circularly symmetric deformation of the non-rotating BTZ black hole obtained by inserting a smooth transition function into the \emph{inverse} radial metric component, $g^{rr}=S_δ(r)F(r)$ with $S_δ=\tanh[(r-r_h)/δ]$, leaving $g_{tt}=-F$ untouched. This was motivated by the proposal that such a construction realizes a Lorentzian-to-Riemannian signature change at the horizon; we show that it does not. In coordinates $r-r_h=q^2$ with an advanced time, the metric extends real-analytically across $r=r_h$, and the extension is Lorentzian: $q=0$ is a regular null hypersurface, a degenerate Killing horizon with vanishing surface gravity, beyond which lies a second, isometric copy of the exterior. The areal radius has a minimum there, so the geometry is a black bounce; the would-be Riemannian branch is a separate geometry the Lorentzian sector never reaches. We give the effective source in closed form, an invariant account of the energy conditions, and identify the near-throat geometry as AdS$_2\times S^1$. The scalar effective potential is proven strictly positive for every mode, and the throat circle is a minimal surface whose length gives an entropy $πr_h/2G$, reproduced independently by the Wald--Noether charge and by a Cardy estimate from the computed Brown--York mass -- concordant results for which no first law is available since $κ=0$. The throat carries an Aretakis-type instability, with a conserved leading transverse derivative and a linearly growing subleading one. We also record a negative result: smoothing $g_{tt}$ instead, as in the Lorentzian-Euclidean Schwarzschild proposal, is singular at the horizon for any finite smoothing width. We state explicitly what the construction does not establish.

We study how holographic phase transitions imprint their scaling laws on the local Kasner geometry inside Einstein-scalar black holes. At fixed double-trace coupling, we derive the near-critical scaling of the deviation of the first-epoch Kasner exponent from the Schwarzschild value: $p_t^{(1)}+\frac{1}{3} \propto O^2 \propto (T_c-T)^{1/r}$, where $O$ denotes the boundary condensate and $r$ labels ordinary criticality ($r=1$), tricriticality ($r=2$), and higher multicriticality ($r\geq3$). A super-exponential scalar potential generates a sequence of Kasner epochs separated by scalar-field bounces. We further find that any later epoch that can be tracked continuously across the transition inherits the same temperature exponent, while its coefficient depends on the epoch. Numerical solutions confirm these predictions for the ordinary and tricritical cases. Finally, we show analytically that the leading irrelevant exponent of the infrared fixed point governs the low-temperature Kasner scaling, and verify the resulting scaling numerically for the first Kasner exponent.

$Context$. Recent studies have linked star formation in the solar neighbourhood to the expansion of the Local Bubble. The Per-Tau Shell (PTS), a vast 3D dust structure hosting the Perseus and Taurus clouds on its surface, is a candidate for such triggered formation. $Aims$. We aim to reconstruct the star formation history of the Perseus molecular cloud and investigate its potential link to the historical expansion of the PTS. $Methods$. We performed a 6D phase-space analysis of 406 young stellar objects (YSOs) of Perseus. Our approach integrates Gaia DR3 kinematics with Bayesian age inference and a heteroscedastic likelihood framework to resolve radial gradients in YSO ages and intrinsic tangential velocity dispersions relative to the PTS centre. We constructed a unified catalogue by integrating existing infrared-based classifications to examine the projected spatial segregation of different evolutionary stages and compared stellar 3D kinematics with $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO gas velocity fields to assess kinematic coherence. $Results$. The YSOs exhibit coherent outward motions relative to the centre of the PTS, a negative age-distance gradient with younger populations at larger radii, and a radial decline in tangential velocity dispersions. Younger YSO classes also show a stronger directional concentration towards the PTS centre. Both the coherent proper motions and the line-of-sight velocity gradients of these YSOs align with the gas velocity field, indicating large-scale kinematic coherence. $Conclusions$. The Perseus YSOs exhibit concordant kinematic and temporal signatures consistent with an expansion-driven origin. These results provide robust evidence for a layered, inside-out pattern of star formation, suggesting that the historical expansion of the PTS triggered a sequential progression of star birth and effectively shaped the star formation history of the Perseus complex.

The leading adiabatic response of a static black hole to a slowly evolving asymptotic modulus separates into a geometric problem and a functional-analytic one: the former identifies the tangent direction on the manifold of static solutions actually followed by the black hole, and the latter determines whether the resulting deformation admits a unique solution. We show that both can be characterized by explicit scalar criteria. Differentiating a smooth family of static solutions defines an intrinsic covector on its tangent space. When the family is parameterized by the asymptotic modulus and the static horizon-mass parameter, the kernel of this covector identifies a canonical tangent direction that coincides with the one selected by a slowly varying exterior modulus. Promoting the static family to a slowly evolving instantaneous representative does not solve the exact field equations; the resulting discrepancy defines a lag field governed, after elimination of the metric perturbations, by a single reduced radial operator. A representation convention separates the exact dynamical horizon from that of the instantaneous representative. A local slice then removes the remaining tangential ambiguity and induces a finite-rank perturbation of the reduced operator. The Fredholm index is preserved, and, whenever the finite-rank update is nontrivial, the canonical tangent zero mode is displaced from the kernel of the reduced operator. Under the transversality and Fredholm hypotheses, existence and uniqueness of the completed leading-order adiabatic boundary-value problem reduce to a single scalar matching condition on the resulting kernel generator. The construction depends only on a smooth non-extremal static solution manifold and the Fredholm properties of the reduced operator. A companion paper specializes the framework to the magnetic GHS family.

We have performed Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of 198.0-407.5 GHz broadband spectra of 10 Class II protoplanetary disks in the Taurus-Auriga region. The 337 GHz flux densities ($F_{\rm 337 GHz}$) of these objects are in the range of 8.2-34 mJy. The median and standard deviation of the 198-358 GHz spectral indices ($α_{198-358}$) of these 10 Class II disks are 1.9 and 0.3, respectively. Compared to the recent, similar SMA survey on another 47 Class II disks that are brighter at (sub)millimeter bands ($F_{\rm 337 GHz}\sim$20-730 mJy), there is no evidence that these newly observed 10 fainter Class II disks have systematically different $α_{198-358}$ values. At $>$230 GHz frequencies, the optical depths of these 10 fainter Class II disks may be as high as those of the brighter sources, which may be $\gtrsim$5. In addition, the low ($<$2.0) values of $α_{198-358}$ in some faint objects may be explained by the effect of dust self-scattering, with maximum dust grain size ($a_{\rm max}$) $\sim$ 100 $μ$m, or by contamination by free-free emission.