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DOE OSTI2015

A general reconstruction of the recent expansion history of the universe

Distance measurements are currently the most powerful tool to study the expansion history of the universe without specifying its matter content nor any theory of gravitation. Assuming only an isotropic, homogeneous and flat universe, in this work we introduce a model-independent method to reconstruct directly the deceleration function via a piecewise function. Including a penalty factor, we are able to vary continuously the complexity of the deceleration function from a linear case to an arbitrary (n+1)-knots spline interpolation. We carry out a Monte Carlo (MC) analysis to determine the best penalty factor, evaluating the bias-variance trade-off, given the uncertainties of the SDSS-II and SNLS supernova combined sample (JLA), compilations of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and H(z) data. The bias-variance analysis is done for three fiducial models with different features in the deceleration curve. We perform the MC analysis generating mock catalogs and computing their best-fit. For each fiducial model, we test different reconstructions using, in each case, more than 10{sup 4} catalogs in a total of about 5× 10{sup 5}. This investigation proved to be essential in determining the best reconstruction to study these data. We show that, evaluating a single fiducial model, the conclusions about the bias-variance ratio are misleading. We determine the reconstruction method in which the bias represents at most 10% of the total uncertainty. In all statistical analyses, we fit the coefficients of the deceleration function along with four nuisance parameters of the supernova astrophysical model. For the full sample, we also fit H{sub 0} and the sound horizon r{sub s}(z{sub d}) at the drag redshift. The bias-variance trade-off analysis shows that, apart from the deceleration function, all other estimators are unbiased. Finally, we apply the Ensemble Sampler Markov Chain Monte Carlo (ESMCMC) method to explore the posterior of the deceleration function up to redshift 1.3 (using only JLA) and 2.3 (JLA+BAO+H(z)). We obtain that the standard cosmological model agrees within 3σ level with the reconstructed results in the whole studied redshift intervals. Since our method is calibrated to minimize the bias, the error bars of the reconstructed functions are a good approximation for the total uncertainty.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Background history and cosmic perturbations for a general system of self-conserved dynamical dark energy and matter

We determine the Hubble expansion and the general cosmic perturbation equations for a general system consisting of self-conserved matter, ρ{sub m}, and self-conserved dark energy (DE), ρ{sub D}. While at the background level the two components are non-interacting, they do interact at the perturbations level. We show that the coupled system of matter and DE perturbations can be transformed into a single, third order, matter perturbation equation, which reduces to the (derivative of the) standard one in the case that the DE is just a cosmological constant. As a nontrivial application we analyze a class of dynamical models whose DE density ρ{sub D}(H) consists of a constant term, C{sub 0}, and a series of powers of the Hubble rate. These models were previously analyzed from the point of view of dynamical vacuum models, but here we treat them as self-conserved DE models with a dynamical equation of state. We fit them to the wealth of expansion history and linear structure formation data and compare their fit quality with that of the concordance ΛCDM model. Those with C{sub 0}=0 include the so-called ''entropic-force'' and ''QCD-ghost'' DE models, as well as the pure linear model ρ{sub D}∼H, all of which appear strongly disfavored. The models with C{sub 0}≠0 , in contrast, emerge as promising dynamical DE candidates whose phenomenological performance is highly competitive with the rigid Λ-term inherent to the ΛCDM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Effects of primordial black holes on IGM history

Currently the asteroid mass window (mass ∼ 10$^{17}$- 10$^{21}$ grams) remains unconstrained for Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) to make up all of the dark matter content of the universe. Given these PBHs have very small masses, their Hawking temperature can be up to hundreds of keV. This study investigates the potential impacts of PBH Hawking radiation on the intergalactic medium from z ∼ 800-25, namely studying the ionization history, kinetic gas temperature, and ultimately the 21 cm signature. We find that for masses on the low edge of the asteroid mass window, there are up two orders of magnitude increases in the ionization fraction and kinetic gas temperature by redshift 25, and the 21 cm spin temperature can differ from non-PBH cosmology by factors of a few. This analysis results in maximum differential brightness temperatures of +17 mK for our lightest PBH masses of 2.12 × 10$^{16}$g. We also show maximal 53 mK discrepancies in differential brightness temperatures between our PBH and non-PBH cosmologies for our lightest PBH mass, while our heaviest PBH mass of 1.65 × 10$^{17}$g shows only 0.5 mK variations. We find the Hawking-radiated electrons and positrons are instrumental in driving these IGM modifications. This study shows the necessity for a rigorous treatment of Hawking radiation in PBH cosmological observables from the dark ages through cosmic dawn.

dark matter theory↗

DOE OSTI2014

A NEW STELLAR CHEMO-KINEMATIC RELATION REVEALS THE MERGER HISTORY OF THE MILKY WAY DISK

The velocity dispersions of stars near the Sun are known to increase with stellar age, but age can be difficult to determine, so a proxy like the abundance of α elements (e.g., Mg) with respect to iron, [α/Fe], is used. Here we report an unexpected behavior found in the velocity dispersion of a sample of giant stars from the Radial Velocity Experiment survey with high-quality chemical and kinematic information, in that it decreases strongly for stars with [Mg/Fe] > 0.4 dex (i.e., those that formed in the first gigayear of the Galaxy's life). These findings can be explained by perturbations from massive mergers in the early universe, which have affected the outer parts of the disk more strongly, and the subsequent radial migration of stars with cooler kinematics from the inner disk. Similar reversed trends in velocity dispersion are also found for different metallicity subpopulations. Our results suggest that the Milky Way disk merger history can be recovered by relating the observed chemo-kinematic relations to the properties of past merger events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: INCREASED STAR FORMATION EFFICIENCIES IN THE EARLY HISTORIES OF DWARF GALAXIES?

On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Wildfire impact on soil microbiome life history traits and roles in ecosystem carbon cycling

Abstract Wildfires, which are increasing in frequency and severity with climate change, reduce soil microbial biomass and alter microbial community composition and function. The soil microbiome plays a vital role in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, but its complexity makes it challenging to predict post-wildfire soil microbial dynamics and resulting impacts on ecosystem biogeochemistry. The application of biogeochemically relevant conceptual trait-based frameworks to the soil microbiome can distill this complexity, enabling enhanced predictability of soil microbiome recovery following wildfire and subsequent impacts to biogeochemical cycles. Conceptual frameworks that have direct links to soil C and N cycling have been developed for the soil microbiome; the Y-A-S framework overviews soil microbiome life history strategies that have tradeoffs with one another and others have proposed frameworks specific to wildfire. Here, we aimed to delineate post-wildfire changes of bacterial traits in western US coniferous forests to inform how severe wildfire influences soil microbiome recovery and resultant biogeochemical cycling. We utilized a comprehensive metagenome-assembled genome catalog from post-wildfire soils representing 1 to 11 years following low- and high-severity burning to identify traits that enable the persistence of microbial taxa in burned soils and influence ecosystem C and N cycling. We found that high-severity wildfire initially selects for fast growers and, up to a decade post-fire, taxa that invest in genes for acquiring diverse resources from the external environment, which in combination could increase soil C losses. This work begins to disentangle how climate change–induced shifts in wildfire behavior might alter microbially mediated soil biogeochemical cycling.

Nelson, Amelia R.↗

DOE OSTI2020

The Milky Way’s bulge star formation history as constrained from its bimodal chemical abundance distribution

ABSTRACT We conduct a quantitative analysis of the star formation history (SFH) of the Milky Way’s (MW) bulge by exploiting the constraining power of its stellar [Fe/H] and [Mg/Fe] distribution functions. Using Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey data, we confirm the previously established bimodal [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] distribution within 3 kpc of the inner Galaxy. To fit the chemical bimodal distribution, we use a simple but flexible star formation framework, which assumes two distinct stages of gas accretion and star formation, and systematically evaluate a wide multidimensional parameter space. We find that the data favour a three-phase SFH that consists of an initial starburst, followed by a rapid star formation quenching episode, and a lengthy, quiescent secular evolution phase. The metal-poor, high-α bulge stars ([Fe/H] < 0.0 and [Mg/Fe] > 0.15) are formed rapidly (<2 Gyr) during the early starburst. The density gap between the high- and low-α sequences is due to the quenching process. The metal-rich, low-α population ([Fe/H] > 0.0 and [Mg/Fe] < 0.15) then accumulates gradually through inefficient star formation during the secular phase. This is qualitatively consistent with the early SFH of the inner disc. Given this scenario, a notable fraction of young stars (age <5 Gyr) is expected to persist in the bulge. Combined with extragalactic observations, these results suggest that a rapid star formation quenching process is responsible for bimodal distributions in both the MW’s stellar populations and in the general galaxy population and thus plays a critical role in galaxy evolution.

Lian, Jianhui↗

DOE OSTI2020

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Bayesian analysis of the star formation history of low-mass galaxies in the local Universe

ABSTRACT We measure the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of low-mass galaxies with M* < 109 M⊙ from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. The large number of IFU spectra for each galaxy are either combined to reach a high signal to noise ratio or used to investigate spatial variations. We use Bayesian inferences based on full spectrum fitting. Our analysis based on Bayesian evidence ratio indicates a strong preference for a model that allows the presence of an old stellar population, and that an improper model for the SFH can significantly underestimate the old population in these galaxies. The addition of near-infrared photometry to the constraining data can further distinguish between different SFH model families and significantly tighten the constraints on the mass fraction in the old population. On average more than half of the stellar mass in present-day low-mass galaxies formed at least 8 Gyr ago, while about 30 per cent within the past 4 Gyr. Satellite galaxies on average have formed their stellar mass earlier than central galaxies. The radial dependence of the SFH is quite weak. Our results suggest that most of the low-mass galaxies have an early episode of active star formation that produces a large fraction of their present stellar mass.

Zhou, Shuang↗

DOE OSTI2020

Reionization history constraints from neural network based predictions of high-redshift quasar continua

ABSTRACT Observations of the early Universe suggest that reionization was complete by z ∼ 6, however, the exact history of this process is still unknown. One method for measuring the evolution of the neutral fraction throughout this epoch is via observing the Lyα damping wings of high-redshift quasars. In order to constrain the neutral fraction from quasar observations, one needs an accurate model of the quasar spectrum around Lyα, after the spectrum has been processed by its host galaxy but before it is altered by absorption and damping in the intervening intergalactic medium (IGM). In this paper, we present a novel machine learning approach, using artificial neural networks, to reconstruct quasar continua around Lyα. Our Quasar Spectra from Artificial Neural Network based predictive Regression Algorithm(QSANNdRA) improves the error in this reconstruction compared to the state-of-the-art principal component analysis (PCA) based model in the literature by 14.2 per cent on average, and provides an improvement of 6.1 per cent on average when compared to an extension thereof. In comparison with the extended PCA model, QSANNdRA further achieves an improvement of 22.1 per cent and 16.8 per cent when evaluated on low-redshift quasars most similar to the two high-redshift quasars under consideration, ULAS J1120+0641 at z = 7.0851 and ULAS J1342+0928 at z = 7.5413, respectively. Using our more accurate reconstructions of these two z > 7 quasars, we estimate the neutral fraction of the IGM using a homogeneous reionization model and find $\bar{x}_\mathrm{H\, \small{I}} = 0.25^{+0.05}_{-0.05}$ at z = 7.0851 and $\bar{x}_\mathrm{H\, \small{I}} = 0.60^{+0.11}_{-0.11}$ at z = 7.5413. Our results are consistent with the literature and favour a rapid end to reionization.

Ďurovčíková, Dominika↗

DOE OSTI2021

GAMA/DEVILS: constraining the cosmic star formation history from improved measurements of the 0.3–2.2 μm extragalactic background light

We present a revised measurement of the optical extragalactic background light (EBL), based on the contribution of resolved galaxies to the integrated galaxy light (IGL). The cosmic optical background radiation (COB), encodes the light generated by star formation, and provides a wealth of information about the cosmic star formation history (CSFH). We combine wide and deep galaxy number counts from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey (GAMA) and Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS), along with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archive and other deep survey data sets, in nine multiwavelength filters to measure the COB in the range from 0.35 μm to 2.2 μm. We derive the luminosity density in each band independently and show good agreement with recent and complementary estimates of the optical-EBL from very high-energy (VHE) experiments. Our error analysis suggests that the IGL and γ-ray measurements are now fully consistent to within $\sim 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, suggesting little need for any additional source of diffuse light beyond the known galaxy population. We use our revised IGL measurements to constrain the CSFH, and place amplitude constraints on a number of recent estimates. As a consistency check, we can now demonstrate convincingly, that the CSFH, stellar mass growth, and the optical-EBL provide a fully consistent picture of galaxy evolution. Here, we conclude that the peak of star formation rate lies in the range 0.066–0.076 M ⊙ yr -1 Mpc -3 at a lookback time of 9.1 to 10.9 Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Stellar Populations in type Ia supernova host galaxies at intermediate-high redshift: Star formation and metallicity enrichment histories

ABSTRACT We present a summary of our project that studies galaxies hosting type Ia supernova (SN Ia) at different redshifts. We present Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC) optical spectroscopy of six SN Ia host galaxies at redshift z ∼ 0.4–0.5. They are joined to a set of SN Ia host galaxies at intermediate-high redshift, which include galaxies from surveys SDSS and COSMOS. The final sample, after a selection of galaxy spectra in terms of signal-to-noise and other characteristics, consists of 680 galaxies with redshift in the range 0.04 < z < 1. We perform an inverse stellar population synthesis with the code fado to estimate the star formation and enrichment histories of this set of galaxies, simultaneously obtaining their mean stellar age and metallicity and stellar mass. After analysing the correlations among these characteristics, we look for possible dependencies of the Hubble diagram residuals and supernova features (luminosity, colour and strength parameter) on these stellar parameters. We find that the Hubble residuals show a clear dependence on the stellar metallicity weighted by mass with a slope of −0.061 mag dex−1, when represented in logarithmic scale, log 〈ZM/Z⊙〉. This result supports our previous findings obtained from gas oxygen abundances for local and SDSS-survey galaxies. Comparing with other works from the literature that also use the stellar metallicity, we find a similar value, but with more precision and a better significance (2.08 versus ∼ 1.1), due to the higher number of objects and wider range of redshift of our sample.

Millán-Irigoyen, I. (ORCID:0000000341155140)↗

DOE OSTI2023

MultiCAM: a multivariable framework for connecting the mass accretion history of haloes with their properties

ABSTRACT Models that connect galaxy and halo properties often summarize a halo’s mass accretion history (MAH) with a single value and use this value as the basis for predictions. However, a single-value summary fails to capture the complexity of MAHs and information can be lost in the process. We present MultiCAM, a generalization of traditional abundance matching frameworks, which can simultaneously connect the full MAH of a halo with multiple halo and/or galaxy properties. As a first case study, we apply MultiCAM to the problem of connecting dark matter halo properties to their MAHs in the context of a dark matter-only simulation. While some halo properties, such as concentration, are more strongly correlated to the early-time mass growth of a halo, others, like the virial ratio, have stronger correlations with late-time mass growth. This highlights the necessity of considering the impact of the entire MAH on halo properties. For most of the halo properties we consider, we find that MultiCAM models that use the full MAH achieve higher accuracy than conditional abundance matching models that use a single epoch. We also demonstrate an extension of MultiCAM that captures the covariance between predicted halo properties. This extension provides a baseline model for applications where the covariance between predicted properties is important.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

MaNGA DynPop – II. Global stellar population, gradients, and star-formation histories from integral-field spectroscopy of 10K galaxies: link with galaxy rotation, shape, and total-density gradients

ABSTRACT This is the second paper of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) Dynamics and stellar Population (DynPop) series, which analyses the global stellar population, radial gradients, and non-parametric star-formation history of ∼10K galaxies from the MaNGA Survey final data release 17 and relates them with dynamical properties of galaxies. We confirm the correlation between the stellar population properties and the stellar velocity dispersion σe, but also find that younger galaxies are more metal-poor at fixed σe. Stellar age, metallicity, and mass-to-light ratio (M*/L) all decrease with increasing galaxy rotation, while their radial gradients become more negative (i.e. lower value at the outskirts). The exception is the slow rotators, which also appear to have significantly negative metallicity gradients, confirming the mass–metallicity gradient correlation. Massive disc galaxies in the green valley, on the $(\sigma _{\rm e},\rm age)$ plane, show the most negative age and metallicity gradients, consistent with their old central bulges surrounded by young star-forming discs and metal-poor gas accretion. Galaxies with high σe, steep total mass-density slope, low dark matter fraction, high M*/L, and high metallicity have the highest star-formation rate at earlier times, and are currently quenched. We also discover a population of low-mass star-forming galaxies with low rotation but physically distinct from the massive slow rotators. A catalogue of these stellar population properties is provided publicly.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2025

The Milky Way and M31 orbital history: did the Local Group evolve in isolation?

ABSTRACT We use new measurements of the M31 proper motion to examine the Milky Way (MW) – M31 orbit and angular momentum. For Local Group (LG) mass consistent with measured values, and assuming the system evolves in isolation, we show a wide range of orbits is possible. We compare to a sample of LG-like systems in the Illustris simulation, and find that ∼13 per cent of these pairs have undergone a pericentric passage. Using the simulated sample, we examine how accurately an isolated, two-body model describes the MW–M31 orbit, and show that ∼10 per cent of the analogues in the simulation are well-modelled by such an orbit. Systems that evolve in isolation by this definition are found to have a lower rate of major mergers, and in particular have no major mergers since $z \approx 0.3$. For all systems, we find an increase in the orbital angular momentum which is fairly independent of the merger rate, and is possibly explained by the influence of tidal torques on the LG. Given the likely quiet recent major merger history of the MW, it is plausible that the isolated two-body model appropriately describes the orbit, though recent evidence for a major merger in M31 may complicate this interpretation.

Hartl, Odelia V. (ORCID:0000000202379726)↗

DOE OSTI2019

The star formation history of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

ABSTRACT We present the star formation history (SFH) of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy based on deep g, r photometry taken with Dark Energy Camera at the Blanco telescope, focusing our analysis on the central region of the galaxy extended up to ∼3 core radii. We have investigated how the SFH changes radially, subdividing the sampled area into four regions, and have detected a clear trend of star formation. All the SFHs show a single episode of star formation, with the innermost region presenting a longer period of star formation of ∼1.5 Gyr and for the outermost region the main period of star formation is confined to ∼0.5 Gyr. We observe a gradient in the mean age which is found to increase going towards the outer regions. These results suggest that Sculptor continued forming stars after the reionization epoch in its central part, while in the peripheral region, the majority of stars probably formed during the reionization epoch and soon after its end. From our analysis, Sculptor cannot be considered strictly as a fossil of the reionization epoch.

Bettinelli, M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

A pilot oral history of plant synthetic biology

The whole field of synthetic biology (SynBio) is only about 20 years old, and plant SynBio is younger still. Nevertheless, within that short time, SynBio in general has drawn more scientific, philosophical, government, and private-sector interest than anything in biology since the recombinant DNA revolution. Plant SynBio, in particular, is now drawing more and more interest in relation to plants’ potential to help solve planetary problems such as carbon capture and storage and replacing fossil fuels and feedstocks. As plant SynBio is so young and so fast-developing, we felt it was too soon to try to analyze its history. Instead, we set out to capture the essence of plant SynBio's origins and early development through interviews with 8 of the field's founders, representing 5 countries and 3 continents. We then distilled these founders’ personal recollections and reflections into this review, centering the narrative on timelines for pivotal events, articles, funding programs, and quoting from interviews. We have archived the interview recordings and documented timeline entries. This work provides a resource for future historical scholarship.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Integration of ultra-low coverage whole-genome sequences for reconstructing the evolutionary history of Galapagos giant tortoises

Genomic data from contemporary and historical samples often need to be coupled for evolutionary reconstructions of multitaxon complexes. However, the genetic data recovered from historical samples may result only in ultra-low coverage whole-genome sequences (ulcWGS; <0.15× depth), leading to inaccurate evolutionary inferences given a preponderance of missing data. Using the Galapagos giant tortoise radiation as a study system (Chelonoidis spp., composed of 13 extant and four extinct lineages), we assembled a novel methodological pipeline that removes potential noise introduced by the missing data and enhances the evolutionary signal from ulcWGS samples. We leveraged existing tools for phylogenomic placement (EPA-ng), population genomic structure (smartsnp) and admixture (Admixfrog, NGSadmix) to demonstrate that the evolutionary history of samples can be uncovered with sequencing depths as low as 0.008–0.139×. Importantly, these approaches do not use genotype imputation of the ulcWGS samples, which would require extensive reference datasets. Our application to two cases of extinct lineages of Galapagos giant tortoises, with and without references from the same lineage, demonstrates the general value of the approach. We confirm where the extinct lineages from San Cristóbal and Santa Fe islands fit into the Galapagos giant tortoise radiation, and that these lineages were evolutionarily distinct entities.

ancient DNA↗

DOE OSTI2016

History-dependent dissipative vortex dynamics in superconducting arrays

In this study, we perform current (I)-voltage (V) measurements on low resistance superconductor-normal-superconductor arrays in finite magnetic fields, focusing on the dilute vortex population regime. We observe significant deviations from predicted behavior, notably the absence of a differential resistance peak near the vortex depinning current, and a broad linear I-V region with an extrapolated I intercept equal to the depinning current. Comparing these results to an overdamped molecular vortex model, we find that this behavior can be explained by the presence of a history-dependent dissipative force. Lastly, this approach has not been considered previously, to our knowledge, yet it is crucial for obtaining a correct description of the vortex dynamics in superconducting arrays.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗