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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Simulation-based cosmological inference with wavelet harmonics, scattering transforms, and moments of weak lensing mass maps. II. cosmological results

Here, we present a simulation-based cosmological analysis using a combination of Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics of the weak lensing mass (convergence) maps from the first three years of the Dark Energy Survey. We implement the following: (1) second and third moments; (2) wavelet phase harmonics; (3) the scattering transform. Our analysis is fully based on simulations, spans a space of seven 𝑤 Cold Dark Matter (𝑤⁢ CDM) cosmological parameters, and forward models the most relevant sources of systematics inherent in the data: masks, noise variations, clustering of the sources, intrinsic alignments, and shear and redshift calibration. We implement a neural network compression of the summary statistics, and we estimate the parameter posteriors using a simulation-based inference approach. Including and combining different non-Gaussian statistics is a powerful tool that strongly improves constraints over Gaussian statistics (in our case, the second moments); in particular, the figure of merit (𝑆 8 , Ω m ) is improved by 70% (Λ ⁢CDM) and 90% (𝑤 ⁢CDM). When all the summary statistics are combined, we achieve a 2% constraint on the amplitude of fluctuations parameter 𝑆 8 ≡ 𝜎 8 ⁢(Ω m /0.3) 0.5 , obtaining 𝑆 8 = 0.794 ±0.017 (Λ⁢ CDM) and 𝑆 8 = 0.817 ±0.021 (𝑤 ⁢CDM), and a ∼10% constraint on Ω m , obtaining Ω m =0.259 ±0.025 (Λ ⁢CDM) and Ω m = 0.273 ±0.029 (𝑤⁢ CDM). In the context of the 𝑤⁢ CDM scenario, these statistics also strengthen the constraints on the parameter 𝑤, obtaining 𝑤 <−0.72. The constraints from different statistics are shown to be internally consistent (with a 𝑝-value>0.1 for all combinations of statistics examined). We compare our results to other weak lensing results from the first three years of the Dark Energy Survey data, finding good consistency; we also compare with results from external datasets, such as planck constraints from the cosmic microwave background, finding statistical agreement, with discrepancies no greater than <2.2⁢𝜎.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

No Quantum Utility from Hadron Masses? No, Quantum Utility from Hadron Masses!

Is there a quantum utility in establishing the masses of hadrons? Here we show that the best response is that of Farrés, Capó, and Davis: perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. This is interesting given the general case that particle physics demands quantum computers. For stable hadrons, classical LQCD has achieved sub-percent precision with no sign problem, and quantum computers offer no advantage. For resonances, the Maiani-Testa theorem is an obstruction that quantum simulation is immune to. For nuclei, Wick contractions and signal-to-noise are genuine classical barriers. Underlying these cases is a unified picture connecting the sign problem to Wigner negativity and T gate cost. This manuscript was drafted from extensive interaction with \textsc{Claude}.

Lamm, Henry [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000330330791)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mass of 101 Sn and Bayesian extrapolations to the proton drip line

The favorable energy configurations of nuclei at magic numbers of 𝑁 neutrons and 𝑍 protons are fundamental for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure. The 𝑍 = 50 (tin) isotopic chain is a frontier for such studies, with particular interest at and around the doubly magic 100 Sn isotope, for which the mass is a topic of debate. Precise mass values for neutron-deficient isotopes provide necessary anchor points for mass models to test extrapolations near the proton drip line, where experimental studies remain out of reach. In this work, we report a Penning trap mass measurement of 101 Sn . The determined mass excess of −59889.89⁢(96) keV for 101 Sn represents a factor-of-300 improvement over the current precision and indicates that 101 Sn is less bound than previously thought. Mass predictions from a recently developed Bayesian model combination framework employing statistical machine learning and nuclear masses computed within seven global models based on nuclear density functional theory agree within 1⁢𝜎 with experimental masses from the 48 ≤ 𝑍 ≤ 52 isotopic chains. The framework's resilience to new mass data gave confidence in the extrapolation of tin masses down to 𝑁 = 46. Our calculations suggest that 96 Sn is a two-proton drip line nucleus and predict a mass excess of −58090⁢(800) keV for 100 Sn , showing a preference within 1⁢𝜎 for the mass of 100 Sn derived from the 𝛽-delayed 𝑄 value measured at GSI.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The mass profiles of dwarf galaxies from Dark Energy Survey lensing

We present a novel approach to extracting dwarf galaxies from photometric data to measure their average halo mass profile with weak lensing. We characterize their stellar mass and redshift distributions with a spectroscopic calibration sample. By combining the ${\sim} 5000\,\mathrm{deg}^2$ multiband photometry from the Dark Energy Survey and redshifts from the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs Survey with an unsupervised machine learning method, we select a low-mass galaxy sample spanning redshifts $z\lt 0.3$ and divide it into three mass bins. From low to high median mass, the bins contain [146 420, 330 146, 275 028] galaxies and have median stellar masses of $\log _{10}(M_*/\text{M}_\odot)=\left[8.52\substack{+0.57 -0.76},\, 9.02\substack{+0.50 -0.64},\, 9.49\substack{+0.50 -0.58}\right]$ . We measure the stacked excess surface mass density profiles, $\Delta \Sigma (R)$, of these galaxies using galaxy–galaxy lensing with a signal-to-noise ratio of [14, 23, 28]. Through a simulation-based forward-modelling approach, we fit the measurements to constrain the stellar-to-halo mass relation and find the median halo mass of these samples to be $\log _{10}(M_{\rm halo}/\text{M}_\odot)$ = [$10.67\substack{+0.2 -0.4}$, $11.01\substack{+0.14 -0.27}$, $11.40\substack{+0.08 -0.15}$]. The cold dark matter profiles are consistent with NFW (Navarro, Frenk, and White) profiles over scales ${\lesssim} 0.15 \, {h}^{-1}$ Mpc. We find that ${\sim} 20$ per cent of the dwarf galaxy sample are satellites. This is the first measurement of the halo profiles and masses of such a comprehensive, low-mass galaxy sample. The techniques presented here pave the way for extracting and analysing even lower mass dwarf galaxies and for more finely splitting galaxies by their properties with future photometric and spectroscopic survey data.

dark matter↗
DOE OSTI2025

Black hole-neutron star binaries near neutron star disruption limit in the mass regime of event GW230529

In May 2023, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration reported the likely black hole-neutron star (BHNS) merger GW230529_181500. The signal was observed with high significance in only one detector, limiting constraints on the black hole spin and motivating our study of disruption in this mass regime. That event is expected to be the merger of a 2.5–4.5 M ⊙ primary with a secondary compact object of mass between 1.2–2.0 M ⊙ . This makes it the first BHNS merger with a significant potential for the production of electromagnetic (EM) counterparts, and provides further evidence for compact objects existing within the suspected lower mass gap. To produce post-merger EM transients, the component of the black hole spin aligned with the orbital angular momentum must be sufficiently high, allowing the neutron star to be tidally disrupted. The disrupting BHNS binary may then eject a few percent of a solar mass of matter, leading to an observable kilonova driven by radioactive decays in ejecta, and/or a compact-binary gamma-ray burst (cbGRB) resulting from the formation of an accretion disk and relativistic jet. Determining which mergers lead to disruption of the neutron star is necessary to predict the prevalence of EM signals from BHNS mergers, yet most BHNS simulations so far have been performed far from the minimum spin required for tidal disruption. Here, we use the Spectral Einstein Code to explore the behavior of BHNS mergers in a mass range consistent with GW230529_181500 close to that critical spin, and compare our results against the mass remnant model currently used by the LVK Collaboration to predict the probability of tidal disruption. Furthermore, our numerical results reveal the emergence of non-zero accretion disks even below the predicted NS disruption limit, of low mass but capable of powering cbGRBs. Our results also demonstrate that the remnant mass model underpredicts the disk mass for the DD2 equation of state, while they are within expected modeling errors for SFHo. The disruption limit itself, however, is not found to significantly differ from the predictions of the analytical model, unless remnant masses M rem ≲ 0.001 M ⊙ prove interesting observationally. In all of our simulations, any kilonova signal would be dim and most likely dominated by post-merger disk outflows.

GW230529_181500↗
DOE OSTI2026

Weak Lensing Mass Calibration of the ACT DR5 Galaxy Clusters with the DES Year 3 Weak Lensing Data

We use weak gravitational lensing measurements from Year 3 Dark Energy Survey data to calibrate the masses of 443 galaxy clusters selected via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from Atacama Cosmology Telescope Data Release 5 maps of the cosmic microwave background. We incorporate redshift and SZ measurements for individual clusters into a hierarchical model for the stacked lensing signals and perform Bayesian analyses to constrain the hydrostatic mass bias of the clusters. Our treatment of systematic uncertainties includes a prescription for measuring and accounting for the weak lensing boost factor, consideration of a miscentering effect, as well as marginalization over uncertainties in the source galaxy photometric redshift distributions and shear calibration. The resultant constraints on the normalization of the mass-observable relation have a precision of approximately 7%, with the mean WL halo mass of M $_{500c}$ = 5.4 × 10$^{14}$ M $_{⊙}$. We measure the bias between the true cluster mass and the mass estimated from the SZ signal based on an X-ray-calibrated scaling relation assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, to be 1 - b = 0.74$^{+0.06}$ $_{-0.05}$ over the full sample. When splitting the clusters into high (z = 0.43-0.70) and low (z = 0.15-0.43) redshift bins, we measure 1 - b = 0.58$^{+0.06}$ $_{-0.05}$ and 0.81$^{+0.08}$ $_{-0.06}$, respectively. When introducing additional freedom in redshift and mass to the hydrostatic bias model, we find that 1 - b decreases with redshift (with the power law of -1.8$^{+0.5}$ $_{-0.6}$, 99.95% confidence), consistent with findings from other recent studies, while we do not find any significant trend in mass. We also demonstrate that our result is robust against various systematics such as a scale cut, priors on baryonic and miscentering parameters, and degree of scatter in mass-observable relation. The weak-lensing mass calibration presented in this study will be a useful tool for using the ACT clusters as probes of astrophysics, and as a step towards using their abundance as a cosmological probe.

Shin, T. [Carnegie Mellon U.] (ORCID:0000000263895↗
DOE OSTI2025

General search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with compressed mass spectra using proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A general search is presented for supersymmetric particles (sparticles) in scenarios featuring compressed mass spectra using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC. The analyzed data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . A wide range of potential sparticle signatures are targeted, including pair production of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks. The search focuses on events with a high transverse momentum system from initial-state-radiation jets recoiling against a potential sparticle system with significant missing transverse momentum. Events are categorized based on their lepton multiplicity, jet multiplicity, number of 𝑏-tagged jets, and kinematic variables sensitive to the sparticle masses and mass splittings. The sensitivity extends to higher parent sparticle masses than previously probed at the LHC for production of pairs of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks with mass spectra featuring small mass splittings (compressed mass spectra). The observed results demonstrate agreement with the predictions of the background-only model. Lower mass limits are set at 95% confidence level on production of pairs of electroweakinos, sleptons, and top squarks that extend to 325, 275, and 780 GeV, respectively, for the most favorable compressed mass regime cases.

Hadron colliders↗
DOE OSTI2025

EDEN: Exploring Disks Embedded in N-body Simulations of Milky Way–mass Halos from Symphony

We investigate the impact of galactic disks on the tidal stripping of cold dark matter subhalos within Milky Way (MW)-mass halos (M vir ∼ 10 12 M ⊙ ) using a new simulation suite, EDEN. By re-simulating 45 MW-mass zoomed-in halos from the N-body Symphony compilation with embedded disk potentials, which evolve according to star formation histories predicted by the UniverseMachine model, we self-consistently tie disk growth to halo accretion rate and significantly expand the range of disk masses and formation histories studied. We use the particle-tracking-based subhalo finder Symfind to enhance the robustness of subhalo tracking. We find that disks near the median disk-to-halo mass ratio of our sample (M *,Disk /M vir,host = 2%) reduce subhalo peak mass functions within 100 kpc by about 10% for peak masses above 10 8 M ⊙ . Heavier, MW/M31-like disks (M *,Disk /M vir,host ≳ 5%) lead to a reduction of more than 40%. Subhalo abundance suppression is more pronounced near halo centers, with particularly enhanced stripping for subhalos accreted over 8 Gyr ago on orbits with pericenters <100 kpc. Suppression is further amplified when disk mass is increased within fixed halo and disk assembly histories. In all cases, the suppression we measure should be interpreted as stripping below the mass resolution limit rather than complete subhalo disruption. This study reshapes our understanding of the MW’s impact on its satellites, suggesting it strips subhalos more efficiently than typical MW-mass galaxies due to its larger disk-to-halo mass ratio and earlier disk formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparison of atomized mass and crater volume in laser ablation

The extent and dynamics of laser ablation are typically studied using crater imaging or by invoking the relationship between atomic emission and the mass removed. The former is a static view of a dynamic process and requires the accumulation of multiple shots in one location. The latter is complex and not absolute without calibration of the optical system with a standard of spectral radiance. We measure the mass of the atomized plume by laser atomic-absorption spectroscopy at 2 µs without external mass calibration; mass uncertainty in laser-ablation atomic absorption spectroscopy (LA-AAS) results from uncertainties in line area fitting, tabulated oscillator strengths, and partition functions as well as a <10% underrepresentation of the mass due to treating the plasma as a single thermodynamic equilibrium. The LA-AAS-measured mass pertains to the atoms in the probed charge states and does not include condensed or molecular species. The ablation efficiency at 300 mbar of helium varies significantly between the two focusing conditions used. A comparison of crater-derived masses and LA-AAS masses suggests that more defocused ablation may result in significant redeposition of material in the crater, distorting the conclusions from drilling studies and crater imaging. More focused ablation conditions result in crater-derived masses that exceed those measured with LA-AAS and suggest melt expulsion or phase explosion.

Merten, Jonathan [Arkansas State University, Jones↗
DOE OSTI2025

Weak lensing mass-richness relation of redMaPPer clusters in LSST DESC DC2 simulations

Cluster scaling relations are key ingredients in cluster abundance-based cosmological studies. In optical cluster cosmology, where clusters are detected through their richness, cluster-weak gravitational lensing has proven to be a powerful tool to constrain the cluster mass-richness relation. This work is conducted as part of the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC), which aims to analyze the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, starting in 2026. Cluster properties inferred from weak lensing, such as mass, suffer from several sources of bias. In this paper, we aim to test the impact of modeling choices and observational systematics in cluster lensing on the inference of the mass-richness relation. We constrained the mass-richness relation of 3600 clusters detected by the redMaPPer algorithm in the cosmoDC2 extragalactic mock catalog of the LSST DESC DC2 simulation, covering 440 deg 2 , using number count measurements and either stacked weak lensing profiles or mean cluster masses in several intervals of richness (20 ≤ λ ≤ 200) and redshift (0.2 ≤ z ≤ 1). We provide the first constraints on the redMaPPer cluster mass-richness relation detected in cosmoDC2. We find that for an LSST-like source galaxy density, our constraints are robust to changes in the concentration-mass relation, as well as the dark matter density profile modeling choices, when source redshifts and shapes are perfectly known. We find that photometric redshift uncertainties can introduce bias at the 1σ level, which could be mitigated by an overall correction factor fitted jointly with the scaling parameters. We find that including positive shear-richness covariance in the fit shifts the results by up to 0.5σ. Our constraints also offer a fair comparison to a fiducial mass-richness relation, obtained from matching cosmoDC2 halo masses to redMaPPer-detected cluster richness results.

galaxy clusters↗
DOE OSTI2024

The atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation from dwarfs to massive galaxies

Galaxy scaling relations provide insights into the processes that drive galaxy evolution. The extension of these scaling relations into the dwarf galaxy regime is of particular interest. This is because dwarf galaxies represent a crucial stage in galaxy evolution, and understanding them could also shed light on their role in reionizing the early Universe. There is currently no consensus on the processes that dominate the evolution of dwarfs. In this work, we constrain the atomic gas sequence (stellar mass versus atomic gas fraction) and mass–metallicity relation (stellar mass versus gas-phase metallicity) from dwarf (⁠10 6.5 M ⊙ ⁠) to massive (⁠10 11.5 M ⊙ ) galaxies in the local Universe. The combined optical and 21-cm spectroscopic observations of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA surveys allow us to constrain both scaling relations simultaneously. We find a slope change of the atomic gas sequence at a stellar mass of ~10 9 M ⊙ ⁠. We also find that the shape and scatter of the atomic gas sequence and mass–metallicity relation are strongly linked for both dwarfs and more massive galaxies. Consequently, the low-mass slope change of the atomic gas sequence is imprinted onto the mass–metallicity relation of dwarf galaxies. The mass scale of the measured slope change is consistent with a predicted escape velocity threshold below which low-mass galaxies experience significant supernova-driven gas loss, as well as with a reduction in cold gas accretion onto more massive galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Constraining the Stellar-to-Halo Mass Relation with Galaxy Clustering and Weak Lensing from DES Year 3 Data

We develop a framework to study the relation between the stellar mass of a galaxy and the total mass of its host dark matter halo using galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing measurements. We model a wide range of scales, roughly from $\sim 100 \; {\rm kpc}$ to $\sim 100 \; {\rm Mpc}$, using a theoretical framework based on the Halo Occupation Distribution and data from Year 3 of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) dataset. The new advances of this work include: 1) the generation and validation of a new stellar mass-selected galaxy sample in the range of $\log M_\star/M_\odot \sim 9.6$ to $\sim 11.5$; 2) the joint-modeling framework of galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing that is able to describe our stellar mass-selected sample deep into the 1-halo regime; and 3) stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR) constraints from this dataset. In general, our SHMR constraints agree well with existing literature with various weak lensing measurements. We constrain the free parameters in the SHMR functional form $\log M_\star (M_h) = \log(εM_1) + f\left[ \log\left( M_h / M_1 \right) \right] - f(0)$, with $f(x) \equiv -\log(10^{αx}+1) + δ[\log(1+\exp(x))]^γ/ [1+\exp(10^{-x})]$, to be $\log M_1 = 11.506^{+0.325}_{-0.404}$, $\log ε= -1.632^{+0.306}_{-0.181}$, $α= -1.638^{+0.108}_{-0.099}$, $γ= 0.596^{+0.251}_{-0.210}$ and $δ= 3.810^{+2.045}_{-1.811}$. The inferred average satellite fraction is within $\sim 5-35\%$ for our fiducial results and we do not see any clear trends with redshift or stellar mass. Furthermore, we find that the inferred average galaxy bias values follow the generally expected trends with stellar mass and redshift. Our study is the first SHMR in DES in this mass range, and we expect the stellar mass sample to be of general interest for other science cases.

Zacharegkas, G. [Argonne; Chicago U., KICP] (ORCID↗
DOE OSTI2024

The SAGA Survey. IV. The Star Formation Properties of 101 Satellite Systems around Milky Way–mass Galaxies

We present the star-forming properties of 378 satellite galaxies around 101 Milky Way analogs in the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey, focusing on the environmental processes that suppress or quench star formation. In the SAGA stellar mass range of 10 6−10 M ⊙ , we present quenched fractions, star-forming rates, gas-phase metallicities, and gas content. The fraction of SAGA satellites that are quenched increases with decreasing stellar mass and shows significant system-to-system scatter. SAGA satellite quenched fractions are highest in the central 100 kpc of their hosts and decline out to the virial radius. Splitting by specific star formation rate (sSFR), the least star-forming satellite quartile follows the radial trend of the quenched population. The median sSFR of star-forming satellites increases with decreasing stellar mass and is roughly constant with projected radius. Star-forming SAGA satellites are consistent with the star formation rate–stellar mass relationship determined in the Local Volume, while the median gas-phase metallicity is higher and median H i gas mass is lower at all stellar masses. We investigate the dependence of the satellite quenched fraction on host properties. Quenched fractions are higher in systems with larger host halo mass, but this trend is only seen in the inner 100 kpc; we do not see significant trends with host color or star formation rate. Our results suggest that lower-mass satellites and satellites inside 100 kpc are more efficiently quenched in a Milky Way–like environment, with these processes acting sufficiently slowly to preserve a population of star-forming satellites at all stellar masses and projected radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The SAGA Survey. V. Modeling Satellite Systems around Milky Way–Mass Galaxies with Updated UniverseMachine

Abstract Environment plays a critical role in shaping the assembly of low-mass galaxies. Here, we use the U niverse M achine (UM) galaxy–halo connection framework and Data Release 3 of the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey to place dwarf galaxy star formation and quenching into a cosmological context. UM is a data-driven forward model that flexibly parameterizes galaxy star formation rates (SFRs) using only halo mass and assembly history. We add a new quenching model to UM, tailored for galaxies with m ⋆ ≲ 10 9 M ⊙ , and constrain the model down to m ⋆ ≳ 10 7 M ⊙ using new SAGA observations of 101 satellite systems around Milky Way (MW)–mass hosts and a sample of isolated field galaxies in a similar mass range from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The new best-fit model, “UM-SAGA,” reproduces the satellite stellar mass functions, average SFRs, and quenched fractions in SAGA satellites while keeping isolated dwarfs mostly star-forming. The enhanced quenching in satellites relative to isolated field galaxies leads the model to maximally rely on halo assembly to explain the observed environmental quenching. Extrapolating the model down to m ⋆ ∼ 10 6.5 M ⊙ yields a quenched fraction of ≳30% for isolated field galaxies and ≳80% for satellites of MW-mass hosts at this stellar mass. Spectroscopic surveys can soon test this specific prediction to reveal the relative importance of internal feedback, cessation of mass and gas accretion, satellite-specific gas processes, and reionization for the evolution of faint low-mass galaxies.

Wang, Yunchong (ORCID:000000018913626X)↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Multiple Paths to Merger of Unequal-mass Black Hole Binaries in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei

The accretion disks that power active galactic nuclei (AGN) are thought to house populations of stars and compact objects; after forming binaries these compact objects may merge, begetting gravitational waves (GWs) such as those detected by LIGO and VIRGO. We present a comprehensive study of the early evolution of binaries within AGN disks as their orbits are influenced by the surrounding gas, focusing on eccentric and unequal-mass binaries. Nearly equal-mass binaries behave similarly to their equal-mass counterparts: Prograde binaries inspiral, albeit somewhat slowly, and have their eccentricities damped; retrograde binaries inspiral ∼2–3 times faster than their prograde counterparts, and those with near-equal masses are driven quickly toward near-unity eccentricities. However, the primaries in retrograde binaries with mass ratios of m 2 /m 1 ≲ 0.4 experience significantly weaker headwinds and retain substantial accretion disks that help damp binary eccentricities, slowing binary inspirals. Additionally, we find that while accretion drives prograde binaries toward equal masses thanks to the exchange of material between the primary and secondary accretion disks, retrograde binaries are driven slowly toward more extreme mass ratios. Prograde binaries, and generally those with low mass ratios, likely accrete for multiple e-folding timescales before merger. On the other hand, high-mass-ratio retrograde binaries may merge before accreting substantially, potentially approaching merger with detectable eccentricity. Future ground-based GW observatories, with their broader frequency coverage, should be particularly useful for studying these populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Constraints on White Dwarf Hydrogen Layer Masses Using Gravitational Redshifts

The hydrogen envelope is the outermost layer of a DA white dwarf; it makes up the entirety of the stellar photosphere, and yet its typical extent is difficult to model theoretically and remains poorly observationally constrained. As a result, hydrogen envelope mass is a substantial source of systematic uncertainty in the physical properties of white dwarfs, including overall masses and cooling ages. In this work, we fit a Gaussian mixture model to gravitational redshifts from high-resolution spectroscopy, paired with radius measurements from Gaia BP/RP spectra, to measure the mass–radius relation for a sample of 468 white dwarfs. Our results are in excellent agreement with the predicted mass–radius relations of state-of-the-art evolutionary models, including those from the MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) library. We find that mass–radius relations such as those from MIST that assume a thick and mass-dependent hydrogen envelope are preferred by the observed probability density function over models that assume a hydrogen envelope of constant mass. Proper treatment of the evolution of white dwarf progenitors is thus important for accurately modeling the mass–radius relation. Our results indicate that gravitational redshift measurements of large samples of white dwarfs in wide binaries are promising probes of the hydrogen envelope masses of DA white dwarfs.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mass calibration of DES Year-3 clusters via SPT-3G CMB cluster lensing

We measure the stacked lensing signal in the direction of galaxy clusters in the DarkEnergy Survey Year 3 (DES Y3) redMaPPer sample, using cosmic microwave background (CMB)temperature data from SPT-3G, the third-generation CMB camera on the South PoleTelescope (SPT). Here, we estimate the lensing signal using temperature maps constructed fromthe initial 2 years of data from the SPT-3G 'Main' survey, covering 1500 deg$^{2}$ of the Southernsky. We then use this lensing signal as a proxy for the mean cluster mass of the DES sample. Thethermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) signal, which can contaminate the lensing signal if notaddressed, is isolated and removed from the data before obtaining the mass measurement. In thiswork, we employ three versions of the redMaPPer catalogue: a Flux-Limited sample containing 8865clusters, a Volume-Limited sample with 5391 clusters, and a Volume&Redshift-Limited sample with4450 clusters. For the three samples, we detect the CMB lensing signal at a significance of12.4σ, 10.5σ and 10.2σ and find the mean cluster masses to be M$_{200m}$ = 1.66±0.13 [stat.]± 0.03 [sys.], 1.97±0.18 [stat.]± 0.05 [sys.],and 2.11±0.20 [stat.]± 0.05 [sys.]×10$^{14}$ M$_{⊙}$, respectively. Thisis a factor of ∼ 2 improvement relative to the precision of measurements with previousgenerations of SPT surveys and the most constraining cluster mass measurements using CMB clusterlensing to date. Overall, we find no significant tensions between our results and masses given byredMaPPer mass-richness scaling relations of previous works, which were calibrated using CMBcluster lensing, optical weak lensing, and velocity dispersion measurements from variouscombinations of DES, SDSS and Planck data. We then divide our sample into 3 redshift and 3richness bins, finding no significant discrepancies with optical weak-lensing calibrated masses inthese bins. We forecast a 5.7% constraint on the mean cluster mass of the DES Y3 sample withthe complete SPT-3G surveys when using both temperature and polarization data and including anadditional ∼ 1400 deg$^{2}$ of observations from the 'Extended' SPT-3G survey.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗