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At least 217 records · Page 12

Optimizing Simulation Parameters for Weak Lensing Analyses Involving Non-Gaussian Observables

We performed a series of numerical experiments to quantify the sensitivity of the predictions for weak lensing statistics obtained in ray-tracing dark matter (DM)-only simulations, to two hyper-parameters that influence the accuracy as well as the computational cost of the predictions: the thickness of the lens planes used to build past light cones and the mass resolution of the underlying DM simulation. The statistics considered are the power spectrum (PS) and a series of non-Gaussian observables, including the one-point probability density function, lensing peaks, and Minkowski functionals. Counterintuitively, we find that using thin lens planes (< 60 h {sup −1} Mpc on a 240 h {sup −1} Mpc simulation box) suppresses the PS over a broad range of scales beyond what would be acceptable for a survey comparable to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). A mass resolution of 7.2 × 10{sup 11} h {sup −1} M {sub ⊙} per DM particle (or 256{sup 3} particles in a (240 h {sup −1} Mpc){sup 3} box) is sufficient to extract information using the PS and non-Gaussian statistics from weak lensing data at angular scales down to 1′ with LSST-like levels of shape noise.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Pantheon+ Analysis: Evaluating Peculiar Velocity Corrections in Cosmological Analyses with Nearby Type Ia Supernovae

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

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

COMAP Early Science. V. Constraints and Forecasts at z ~ 3

We present the current state of models for the z ~ 3 carbon monoxide (CO) line intensity signal targeted by the CO Mapping Array Project (COMAP) Pathfinder in the context of its early science results. Our fiducial model, relating dark matter halo properties to CO luminosities, informs parameter priors with empirical models of the galaxy–halo connection and previous CO (1–0) observations. The Pathfinder early science data spanning wavenumbers k = 0.051–0.62 Mpc –1 represent the first direct 3D constraint on the clustering component of the CO (1–0) power spectrum. Our 95% upper limit on the redshift-space clustering amplitude A clust ≲ 70 μK 2 greatly improves on the indirect upper limit of 420 μK 2 reported from the CO Power Spectrum Survey (COPSS) measurement at k ~ 1 Mpc –1 . The COMAP limit excludes a subset of models from previous literature and constrains interpretation of the COPSS results, demonstrating the complementary nature of COMAP and interferometric CO surveys. Using line bias expectations from our priors, we also constrain the squared mean line intensity–bias product, ${\left\langle {Tb}\right\rangle }_{2}$ ≲ 50 μK 2 , and the cosmic molecular gas density, ρ H2 < 2.5 × 10 8 M ⊙ Mpc –3 (95% upper limits). Based on early instrument performance and our current CO signal estimates, we forecast that the 5 yr Pathfinder campaign will detect the CO power spectrum with overall signal-to-noise ratio of 9–17. Between then and now, we also expect to detect the CO–galaxy cross-spectrum using overlapping galaxy survey data, enabling enhanced inferences of cosmic star formation and galaxy evolution history.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Standard Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant Using Gravitational-wave Events from the First Three LIGO/Virgo Observing Runs and the DESI Legacy Survey

We present a new constraint on the Hubble constant H 0 using a sample of well-localized gravitational-wave (GW) events detected during the first three LIGO/Virgo observing runs as dark standard sirens. In the case of dark standard sirens, a unique host galaxy is not identified, and the redshift information comes from the distribution of potential host galaxies. From the third LIGO/Virgo observing run detections, we add the asymmetric-mass binary black hole GW190412 and the high-confidence GW candidates S191204r, S200129m, and S200311bg to the sample of dark standard sirens analyzed in Palmese et al. Our sample contains the top 20% (based on localization) GW events and candidates to date with significant coverage by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Survey. We combine the H 0 posterior for eight dark siren events, finding H 0 = $79.8^{+19.1}_{-12.8}$ km s -1 Mpc -1 (68% highest density interval) for a prior in H 0 uniform between [20, 140] km s -1 Mpc -1 . This result shows that a combination of eight well-localized dark sirens combined with an appropriate galaxy catalog is able to provide an H 0 constraint that is competitive (~20% versus 18% precision) with a single bright standard siren analysis (i.e., assuming the electromagnetic counterpart) using GW170817. When combining the posterior with that from GW170817, we obtain H 0 = $72.77^{+11.0}_{-7.55}$ km s -1 Mpc -1 . This result is broadly consistent with recent H 0 estimates from both the cosmic microwave background and supernovae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Searching for Conformity Across Cosmic Time with Local Group and Local Volume Star Formation Histories

Conformity denotes the correlation of properties between pairs of galaxies as a function of separation. Correlations between properties such as the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and specific star formation rate (sSFR) have implications for the impact of environment upon galaxy formation and evolution. Conformity between primary galaxies and satellites within the same dark matter halo has been well documented in simulations and observations. However, the existence of conformity at greater distances—known as two-halo conformity—remains uncertain. We investigate whether galaxies in the Local Volume to a distance of 4 Mpc show conformity by examining the SFR, sSFR, stellar mass, and quenched fraction as a function of physical separation. Making use of the star formation histories of these galaxies, we then extend this analysis back in time to offer the first probe of conformity inside our past light cone. At the present day, we find that the stellar mass or sSFR of a galaxy correlates with the median SFR of neighboring galaxies at a separation of 2–3 Mpc. At a lookback time of 1 Gyr, we find a correlation with the quenched fraction of neighboring galaxies, again at a 2–3 Mpc separation. These signals of conformity likely arise from the differences between the recent star formation histories of Local Group dwarf galaxies and those outside the Local Group. As current and future missions including JWST, Rubin, and Roman expand the sample of Local Volume galaxies, tests of conformity using star formation histories will provide an important tool for exploring spatiotemporal correlations between galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The DESI One-Percent Survey: Constructing Galaxy–Halo Connections for ELGs and LRGs Using Auto and Cross Correlations

In the current Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey, emission line galaxies (ELGs) and luminous red galaxies (LRGs) are essential for mapping the dark matter distribution at z ~ 1. We measure the auto and cross correlation functions of ELGs and LRGs at 0.8 < z ≤ 1.0 from the DESI One-Percent survey. Following Gao et al., we construct the galaxy–halo connections for ELGs and LRGs simultaneously. With the stellar–halo mass relation for the whole galaxy population (i.e., normal galaxies), LRGs can be selected directly by stellar mass, while ELGs can also be selected randomly based on the observed number density of each stellar mass, once the probability P sat of a satellite galaxy becoming an ELG is determined. We demonstrate that the observed small scale clustering prefers a halo mass-dependent P sat model rather than a constant. With this model, we can well reproduce the auto correlations of LRGs and the cross correlations between LRGs and ELGs at r p > 0.1 Mpc h –1 . We can also reproduce the auto correlations of ELGs at r p > 0.3 Mpc h –1 (s > 1 Mpc h –1 ) in real (redshift) space. Although our model has only seven parameters, we show that it can be extended to higher redshifts and reproduces the observed auto correlations of ELGs in the whole range of 0.8 < z ≤ 1.6, which enables us to generate a lightcone ELG mock for DESI. With the above model, we further derive halo occupation distributions for ELGs, which can be used to produce ELG mocks in coarse simulations without resolving subhalos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Designing an Optimal Kilonova Search Using DECam for Gravitational-wave Events

We address the problem of optimally identifying all kilonovae detected via gravitational-wave emission in the upcoming LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA observing run, O4, which is expected to be sensitive to a factor of ~7 more binary neutron star (BNS) alerts than previously. Electromagnetic follow-up of all but the brightest of these new events will require >1 m telescopes, for which limited time is available. We present an optimized observing strategy for the DECam during O4. We base our study on simulations of gravitational-wave events expected for O4 and wide-prior kilonova simulations. We derive the detectabilities of events for realistic observing conditions. We optimize our strategy for confirming a kilonova while minimizing telescope time. For a wide range of kilonova parameters, corresponding to a fainter kilonova compared to GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that, with this optimal strategy, the discovery probability for electromagnetic counterparts with the DECam is ~80% at the nominal BNS gravitational-wave detection limit for O4 (190 Mpc), which corresponds to an ~30% improvement compared to the strategy adopted during the previous observing run. For more distant events (~330 Mpc), we reach an ~60% probability of detection, a factor of ~2 increase. For a brighter kilonova model dominated by the blue component that reproduces the observations of GW170817/AT 2017gfo, we find that we can reach ~90% probability of detection out to 330 Mpc, representing an increase of ~20%, while also reducing the total telescope time required to follow up events by ~20%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Impact of Self-shielding Minihalos on the Lyα Forest at High Redshift

Abstract Dense gas in minihalos with masses of 10 6 −10 8 M ⊙ can shield themselves from reionization for ∼100 Myr after being exposed to the UV background. These self-shielded systems, often unresolved in cosmological simulations, can introduce strong absorption in quasar spectra. This paper is the first systematic study on the impact of these systems on the Ly α forest. We first derive the H i column density profile of photoevaporating minihalos by conducting 1D radiation–hydrodynamics simulations. We utilize these results to estimate the Ly α opacity from minihalos in a large-scale simulation that cannot resolve self-shielding. When the ionization rate of the background radiation is 0.03 × 10 −12 s −1 , as expected near the end of reionization at z ∼ 5.5, we find that the incidence rate of damped Ly α absorbers increases by a factor of ∼2−4 compared to at z = 4.5. The Ly α flux is, on average, suppressed by ∼3% of its mean due to minihalos. The absorption features enhance the 1D power spectrum up to ∼5% at k ∼ 0.1 h Mpc −1 (or 10 −3 km −1 s), which is comparable to the enhancement caused by inhomogeneous reionization. The flux is particularly suppressed in the vicinity of large halos along the line-of-sight direction at separations of up to 10 h −1 Mpc at r ⊥ ≲ 2 h −1 Mpc. However, these effects become much smaller for higher ionizing rates (≳0.3 × 10 −12 s −1 ) expected in the post-reionization Universe. Our findings highlight the need to consider minihalo absorption when interpreting the Ly α forest at z ≳ 5.5. Moreover, the sensitivity of these quantities to the ionizing background intensity can be exploited to constrain the intensity itself.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Tracing the Evolution of the Cool Gas in CGM and IGM Environments through Mg II Absorption from Redshift z = 0.75 to z = 1.65 Using DESI-Y1 Data

We present a measurement of the mean absorption of cool gas traced by Mg II (λλ2796, 2803) around emission line galaxies (ELGs), spanning spatial scales from 20 kpc to 10 Mpc. The measurement is based on crossmatching the positions ELGs at z = 0.75–1.65 and the metal absorption in the spectra of background quasars with data provided by the Year 1 sample of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. The ELGs are divided into two redshift intervals: 0.75 < z < 1.0 and 1.0 < z < 1.65. We find that the composite quasar spectra constructed by stacking the ELG-QSO pairs evolve with redshift, with z > 1 having a systematically higher signal of Mg II absorption. Within 1 Mpc, the covering fraction of the cool gas at z > 1 is higher than that of z < 1. The enhancement becomes less apparent especially if the projected distance r p > 1 Mpc. ELGs with higher stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) yield higher clustering of Mg ii absorbers at z < 1. For z > 1, the covering fractions with different SFRs show little difference. The higher Mg II absorption at higher redshift supports the observations of higher star formation at cosmic noon. Converting the Mg II absorbers to unsaturated Si II , our estimate indicates that the metal abundance of Si II ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 × 10 −6 from z = 0.9 to 1.3. The growth of low-ionization metal abundance strongly suggests a metal-enriched circumgalactic medium and an increased presence of cool gas in the intergalactic medium toward higher redshifts.

circumgalactic medium↗

Superclustering with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Dark Energy Survey. II. Anisotropic Large-scale Coherence in Hot Gas, Galaxies, and Dark Matter

Statistics that capture the directional dependence of the baryon distribution in the cosmic web enable unique tests of cosmology and astrophysical feedback. We use constrained oriented stacking of thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (tSZ) maps to measure the anisotropic distribution of hot gas 2.5–40 Mpc away from galaxy clusters embedded in massive filaments and superclusters. The cluster selection and orientation (at a scale of ∼15 Mpc) use Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data, while expanded tSZ maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Data Release 6 enable a ∼3× more significant measurement of the extended gas compared to the technique’s proof-of-concept. Decomposing stacks into cosine multipoles of order m , we detect a dipole ( m = 1) and quadrupole ( m = 2) at 8σ–10σ, as well as evidence for m = 4 signal at up to 6σ, indicating sensitivity to late-time non-Gaussianity. We compare to Cardinal simulations with spherical gas models pasted onto dark matter halos. The fiducial tSZ data can discriminate between two models that deplete pressure differently in low-mass halos (mimicking astrophysical feedback), preferring higher average pressure in extended structures. However, uncertainty in the amount of cosmic infrared background contamination reduces the constraining power. Additionally, we apply the technique to DES galaxy density and weak lensing to study for the first time their oriented relationships with tSZ. In the tSZ-to-lensing relation, averaged on 7.5 Mpc (transverse) scales, we observe dependence on redshift but not shape or radial distance. Thus, on large scales, the superclustering of gas pressure, galaxies, and total matter is coherent in shape and extent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Gigaparsec-scale Hydrodynamic Volume Reconstructed with Deep Learning

The next generation of spectroscopic surveys will map the large-scale structure of the Universe at high redshifts (2 ≤ z ≤ 5) using millions of quasar spectra, enabling major advances in constraining both the standard cosmological model and its extensions. Robust cosmological analyses of these data sets require numerical simulations that both cover gigaparsec volumes and resolve features on ∼10 kpc scales and smaller. However, running such large-volume, high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations is computationally prohibitive. We present a generative deep learning model that enhances a low-resolution, gigaparsec-scale (960 h −1 Mpc) hydrodynamic simulation using a smaller (80 h −1 Mpc) high-resolution input hydrodynamic simulation as training data. The resulting enhanced simulation reproduces the line-of-sight power spectrum to within ∼10% and the three-dimensional power spectrum at the ∼20% level at intermediate to small scales (k ≲ 2 h Mpc −1 ). Our method shows strong promise for producing realistic simulations for cosmological analyses with current surveys such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and upcoming next-generation experiments, but further improvements are needed to accurately recover the large-scale modes. We publicly release the enhanced hydrodynamic simulation, along with a halo catalog from a companion N-body dark matter simulation to support the calibration of data analysis pipelines for these large-scale surveys.

Convolutional neural networks↗

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of Three Isolated Faint Dwarf Galaxies beyond the Local Group: Pavo, Corvus A, and Kamino

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of three recently discovered star-forming dwarf galaxies beyond the Local Group: Pavo, Corvus A, and Kamino. The discovery of Kamino is reported here for the first time. They rank among the most isolated faint dwarf galaxies known; hence they provide unique opportunities to study galaxy evolution at the smallest scales, free from the environmental effects of more massive galaxies. Our HST data reach ∼2–4 magnitudes below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) for each dwarf, allowing us to measure their distances, structural properties, and recent star formation histories (SFHs). All three galaxies contain a complex stellar population of young and old stars, and are typical of field galaxies in this mass regime (M V = −10.62 ± 0.08 and $D = 2.16_{-0.07}^{+0.08}$ Mpc for Pavo, M V = −10.91 ± 0.10 and D = 3.34 ± 0.11 Mpc for Corvus A, and M V = −12.02 ± 0.12 and $D = 6.50_{-0.11}^{+0.15}$ Mpc for Kamino). Our HST-derived SFHs reveal differences among the three dwarfs: Pavo and Kamino show relatively steady, continuous star formation, while Corvus A formed ∼60% of its stellar mass by 10 Gyr ago. These results align with theoretical predictions of diverse evolutionary pathways for isolated low-mass galaxies.

Mutlu-Pakdil, Burçin [Dartmouth College, Hanover, ↗

Probing the Environment around GW170817 with DESI: Insights on Galaxy Group Peculiar Velocities for Standard Siren Measurements

We present a new measurement of the Hubble constant, H 0 , following the gravitational-wave event GW170817 and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) observations. A standard siren measurement with a nearby (luminosity distance ∼40 Mpc) event such as GW170817 is typically sensitive to the peculiar motion of the host galaxy owing to local dynamics. Previous measurements from this event have taken advantage of peculiar velocity measurements of nearby galaxies, including a handful of objects in the galaxy group that the host of the event, NGC 4993, has been associated with. Still, the group’s properties and NGC 4993’s membership were debated. We present DESI observations of thousands of galaxies in the vicinity of NGC 4993, resulting in 39 group galaxies and a fivefold increase in galaxies compared to previous observations, with many contributing to a peculiar velocity measurement. Examining the local dynamics, our observations support the presence of a galaxy group of which NGC 4993 is a part with a halo mass of order ∼10 13 M ⊙ . Using peculiar velocity measurements from our fundamental plane galaxy observations, we find $H_0 = 70.9^{+6.4}_{-8.5}$ km s −1 Mpc −1 . In addition, using a peculiar velocity measurement for NGC 4993 from surface brightness fluctuations in Cosmicflows-4, we find $H_0 = 73.4^{+3.3}_{-3.9}$ km s −1 Mpc −1 . We study the impact of different galaxy selection criteria on the determination of the peculiar velocity and, in turn, on the H 0 measurement. Our results demonstrate the value of multiplexed spectroscopic observations for probing the local environments of gravitational-wave events used in standard siren measurements.

Amsellem, A. J. [Carnegie Mellon University, Pitts↗

Updated Void Catalogs of the SDSS DR7 Main Sample

Abstract We produce several public void catalogs using a volume-limited subsample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7). Using new implementations of three different void-finding algorithms, VoidFinder and two ZOBOV-based algorithms (VIDE and REVOLVER), we identify 1163, 531, and 518 cosmic voids with radii >10 h −1 Mpc, respectively, out to a redshift of z = 0.114 assuming a Planck 2018 cosmology, and 1184, 535, and 519 cosmic voids assuming a WMAP5 cosmology. We compute effective radii and centers for all voids and find none with an effective radius >54 h −1 Mpc. The median void effective radius is 15–19 h −1 Mpc for all three algorithms. We extract and discuss several properties of the void populations, including radial density profiles, the volume fraction of the catalog contained within voids, and the fraction of galaxies contained within voids. Using 64 mock galaxy catalogs created from the Horizon Run 4 N -body simulation, we compare simulated and observed void properties and find good agreement between the SDSS DR7 and mock catalog results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

B2 1141 + 37 - A giant radio galaxy with remarkable radio and optical properties

Observations of the giant radio galaxy B2 1141+37, which has a widely separated two-component radio structure and is optically identified with a tight chain of galaxies, are reported. The source was observed at 4900 MHz with the VLA at an effective integration time of 17 min. The map obtained shows two radio lobes with maxima coinciding with those in a previous 1415 MHz map and intensities about 1.5 times smaller than those obtained by extrapolating the spectrum defined by the flux density at 408 and 1415 MHz. Measurements of the redshifts of the two brightest galaxies identified with the radio source with an image intensified dissector scanner result in values of 0.1145 and 0.1155, which imply, with a Hubble constant of 50 km/sec per Mpc, a distance of 687 Mpc to the radio source and a separation of 1.0 Mpc between the lobes making it one of the largest radio sources known.

Ulrich, M. H.↗

X-ray observations of 4U 1626-67 by the monitor counter on the Einstein /HEAO 2/ observatory

The pulsing X-ray source 4U 1626-67 was observed with the Monitor Proportional Counter (MPC) on board the Einstein X-Ray Observatory on three occasions in early 1979. The MPC is a sealed, argon-filled proportional counter with a 1.5 mil beryllium window and is coaligned with the X-ray telescope on board the observatory. The spectral data spanning the energy range from 1.1 to 21 keV are divided into eight logarithmically spaced energy channels which integrate for 2.56 s. The Time Interval Processor (TIP) circuitry of the MPC measures time intervals between events to within 1 microsecond or 1.6%, whichever is larger, for a count rate dependent fraction of all events in all eight energy channels. It is found that in the energy range from 1 to 21 keV, the spectrum and 7.7 s pulse shape of 4U 1626-67 are variable on a time scale of minutes. The pulse shape variations correlate in a complex way with the intensity variations in this source.

Elsner, R. F.↗

The area of isodensity contours in cosmological models and galaxy surveys

The contour crossing statistic, defined as the mean number of times per unit length that a straight line drawn through the field crosses a given contour, is applied to model density fields and to smoothed samples of galaxies. Models in which the matter is in a bubble structure, in a filamentary net, or in clusters can be distinguished from Gaussian density distributions. The shape of the contour crossing curve in the initially Gaussian fields considered remains Gaussian after gravitational evolution and biasing, as long as the smoothing length is longer than the mass correlation length. With a smoothing length of 5/h Mpc, models containing cosmic strings are indistinguishable from Gaussian distributions. Cosmic explosion models are significantly non-Gaussian, having a bubbly structure. Samples from the CfA survey and the Haynes and Giovanelli (1986) survey are more strongly non-Gaussian at a smoothing length of 6/h Mpc than any of the models examined. At a smoothing length of 12/h Mpc, the Haynes and Giovanelli sample appears Gaussian.

Ryden, Barbara S.↗

Mapping the universe

Maps of the galaxy distribution in the nearby universe reveal large coherent structures. The extent of the largest features is limited only by the size of the survey. Voids with a density typically 20 percent of the mean and with diameters of 5000 km/s are present in every survey large enough to contain them. Many galaxies lie in thin sheet-like structures. The largest sheet detected so far is the 'Great Wall' with a minimum extent of 60/h Mpc x 170/h Mpc, where h is the Hubble constant in units of 100 km/s per Mpc. The frequent occurrence of these structures is one of several serious challenges to our current understanding of the origin and evolution of the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe.

Geller, Margaret J.↗