High-precision search for dark photon dark matter with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array
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Xue, Xiao↗
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Connecting Current and Future Dual Active Galactic Nucleus Searches to LISA and Pulsar Timing Array Gravitational-wave Detections
Abstract Dual active galactic nuclei (DAGN) mark the observable stage of massive black hole (MBH) pairing during galaxy mergers and are the progenitors of the MBH binaries that generate low-frequency gravitational waves. Using the large-volume ASTRID cosmological simulation, we construct mock DAGN catalogs tailored to the selection functions of current (COSMOS-Web and DESI) and forthcoming (Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) and Lynx X-ray Observatory (Lynx)) surveys, enabling direct comparisons between simulations and observations. With realistic observational selections, ASTRID reproduces the observed dual fractions, projected separations, and host-galaxy properties across redshifts. We predict a substantial population of small-separation (<5 kpc) duals that remain inaccessible to current surveys, demonstrating that the apparent paucity of subkiloparsec systems in COSMOS-Web is primarily a consequence of observational selection rather than an intrinsic absence. Following each simulated dual to coalescence, we show that DAGN are effective tracers of MBH mergers: ∼30%–70% merge within ≲1 Gyr, and 20%–60% of these mergers produce gravitational-wave signals detectable by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Duals observable with Roman and Lynx are the progenitors of ∼10%–50% of low-redshift LISA sources and contribute ∼30% of the PTA-band stochastic gravitational-wave background. We further identify massive green-valley galaxies hosting moderate-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN), together with massive star-forming galaxies containing bright quasars at z > 1, as the environments most likely to host imminent MBH binaries. These results establish a unified cosmological framework connecting DAGN demographics, MBH binary evolution, and gravitational-wave sources, while identifying high-priority targets for coordinated electromagnetic and multimessenger observations in the coming decade.
Chen, Nianyi [Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik;↗
Current Sheet Alignment in Oblique Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Black Hole Pulsar?
Abstract We study the magnetospheric evolution of a nonaccreting spinning black hole (BH) with an initially inclined split monopole magnetic field by means of 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations. This serves as a model for a neutron star (NS) collapse or a BH–NS merger remnant after the inherited magnetosphere has settled into a split monopole field creating a striped wind. We show that the initially inclined split monopolar current sheet aligns over time with the BH equatorial plane. The inclination angle evolves exponentially toward alignment, with an alignment timescale that is inversely proportional to the square of the BH angular velocity, where higher spin results in faster alignment. Furthermore, magnetic reconnection in the current sheet leads to exponential decay of event-horizon-penetrating magnetic flux with nearly the same timescale for all considered BH spins. In addition, we present relations for the BH mass and spin in terms of the period and alignment timescale of the striped wind. The explored scenario of a rotating, aligning, and reconnecting current sheet can potentially lead to multimessenger electromagnetic counterparts to a gravitational-wave event due to the acceleration of particles powering high-energy radiation, plasmoid mergers resulting in coherent radio signals, and pulsating emission due to the initial misalignment of the BH magnetosphere.
Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
Is the strong field scenario plausible for TeV's halo around pulsars
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Astronomy and Astrophysics↗
Fermi-LAT View on Three Ultra-high-energy 1LHAASO Sources in the 52° < l < 55° Region
Using more than 17 yr of Fermi-LAT data, we performed a detailed investigation of the complex 52° < l < 55° region, which encompasses the three ultra-high-energy sources 1LHAASO J1928+1746u, 1LHAASO J1928+1813u, and 1LHAASO J1929+1846u. This region hosts multiple supernova remnants (SNRs), pulsars, GeV and TeV sources. Our analysis resolves the GeV emission into three pointlike sources (J1925+1729P, J1930+1851P, and J1932+1916P) and two extended sources (J1929+1732E and J1930+1826E), and improves significantly on the description based on the 4FGL-DR4 catalog. Source J1932+1916P is identified as the known gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1932+1916, while J1925+1729P may be a new gamma-ray pulsar candidate distinct from the known gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1925+1720. This warrants future investigation and a search for pulsations. Source J1930+1851P coincides with the TeV source PWN/SNR G54.1+0.3, and its GeV−TeV spectrum is consistent with both leptonic and hadronic interpretations, although a leptonic origin in relation to the known pulsar wind nebula (PWN) is more likely. The GeV−TeV spectrum of J1929+1732E is consistent with a hybrid lepto-hadronic scenario in which the TeV emission traces the PWN powered by the pulsar PSR J1928+1746, while the GeV emission may result from interactions between particles escaped from the parent SNR and illuminating the gas environment. Similarly, J1930+1826E is likely connected to PWN/SNR G54.1+0.3 under a hadronic scenario involving escaped particles in their early propagation stage. Owing to spectral and/or morphological mismatches, the connection of these five GeV sources to the three LHAASO sources is not clear. This warrants deeper observations with HAWC and LHAASO, and a dedicated study of the modeling of the Galactic diffuse emission. Future CTAO observations with higher angular resolution are expected to deliver crucial information for the study of this region.
Liu, Linjie [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Ku↗
Evidence for a high-energy tail in the gamma-ray spectra of globular clusters
Millisecond pulsars are very likely the main source of gamma-ray emission from globular clusters. However, the relative contributions of two separate emission processes – curvature radiation from millisecond pulsar magnetospheres versus inverse Compton emission from relativistic pairs launched into the globular cluster environment by millisecond pulsars – have long been unclear. To address this, we search for evidence of inverse Compton emission in 8-yr Fermi–LAT data from the directions of 157 Milky Way globular clusters. We find a mildly statistically significant (3.8σ) correlation between the measured globular cluster gamma-ray luminosities and their photon field energy densities. However, this may also be explained by a hidden correlation between the photon field densities and the stellar encounter rates of globular clusters. Analysed in toto, we demonstrate that the gamma-ray emission of globular clusters can be resolved spectrally into two components: (i) an exponentially cut-off power law and (ii) a pure power law. The latter component – which we uncover at a significance of 8.2σ – has a power index of 2.79 ± 0.25. It is most naturally interpreted as inverse Compton emission by cosmic-ray electrons and positrons injected by millisecond pulsars. Here, we find the luminosity of this power-law component is comparable to, or slightly smaller than, the luminosity of the curved component, suggesting the fraction of millisecond pulsar spin-down luminosity into relativistic leptons is similar to the fraction of the spin-down luminosity into prompt magnetospheric radiation.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
X-Ray Spectra and Multiwavelength Machine Learning Classification for Likely Counterparts to Fermi 3FGL Unassociated Sources
We conduct X-ray spectral fits on 184 likely counterparts to Fermi-LAT 3FGL unassociated sources. Characterization and classification of these sources allows for more complete population studies of the high-energy sky. Most of these X-ray spectra are well fit by an absorbed power-law model, as expected for a population dominated by blazars and pulsars. A small subset of seven X-ray sources have spectra unlike the power law expected from a blazar or pulsar and may be linked to coincident stars or background emission. We develop a multiwavelength machine learning classifier to categorize unassociated sources into pulsars and blazars using gamma-ray and X-ray observations. Training a random forest (RF) procedure with known pulsars and blazars, we achieve a cross-validated classification accuracy of 98.6%. Applying the RF routine to the unassociated sources returned 126 likely blazar candidates (defined as P {sub bzr} ≥ 90%) and five likely pulsar candidates (P {sub bzr} ≤ 10%). Our new X-ray spectral analysis does not drastically alter the RF classifications of these sources compared to previous works, but it builds a more robust classification scheme and highlights the importance of X-ray spectral fitting. Our procedure can be further expanded with UV, visual, or radio spectral parameters or by measuring flux variability.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Multiwavelength Observations of 2HWC J1928+177: Dark Accelerator or New TeV Gamma-Ray Binary?
2HWC J1928+177 is a Galactic TeV gamma-ray source detected by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory up to ~56 TeV. The HAWC source, later confirmed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System, still remains unidentified as a dark accelerator since there is no apparent supernova remnant or pulsar wind nebula detected in the lower-energy bands. The radio pulsar PSR J1928+1746, coinciding with the HAWC source position, has no X-ray counterpart. In this work, our SED modeling shows that inverse Compton scattering in the putative pulsar wind nebula can account for the TeV emission only if the unseen nebula is extended beyond $r\sim 4^{\prime} $. Alternatively, TeV gamma-rays may be produced by hadronic interactions between relativistic protons from an undetected supernova remnant associated with the radio pulsar and a nearby molecular cloud G52.9+0.1. NuSTAR and Chandra observations detected a variable X-ray point source within the HAWC error circle, potentially associated with a bright infrared (IR) source. The X-ray spectra can be fitted with an absorbed power-law model with N H = (9 ± 3) × 10 22 cm –2 and Γ X = 1.6 ± 0.3 and exhibit long-term X-ray flux variability over the last decade. If the X-ray source, possibly associated with the IR source (likely an O star), is the counterpart of the HAWC source, it may be a new TeV gamma-ray binary powered by collisions between the pulsar wind and stellar wind. Follow-up X-ray observations are warranted to search for diffuse X-ray emission and determine the nature of the HAWC source.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Kicks and induced spins of neutron stars at birth
ABSTRACT Using simulations of non-rotating supernova progenitors, we explore the kicks imparted to and the spins induced in the compact objects birthed in core collapse. We find that the recoil due to neutrino emissions can be a factor affecting core recoil, comparable to and at times larger than the corresponding kick due to matter recoil. This result would necessitate a revision of the general model of the origin of pulsar proper motions. In addition, we find that the sign of the net neutrino momentum can be opposite to the sign of the corresponding matter recoil. As a result, at times the pulsar recoil and ejecta can be in the same direction. Moreover, our results suggest that the duration of the dipole in the neutrino emissions can be shorter than the duration of the radiation of the neutron-star binding energy. This allows a larger dipole asymmetry to arise, but for a shorter time, resulting in kicks in the observed pulsar range. Furthermore, we find that the spin induced by the aspherical accretion of matter can leave the residues of collapse with spin periods comparable to those inferred for radio pulsars and that there seems to be a slight anticorrelation between the direction of the induced spin and the net kick direction. This could explain such a correlation among observed radio pulsars. Finally, we find that the kicks imparted to black holes are due to the neutrino recoil alone, resulting in birth kicks ≤100 km s−1 most of the time.
Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
Sensitive searches for wormholes
A sensitive test for whether a black hole is a wormhole, using astronomical observations, would be to look for perturbations in the orbit of a pulsar around the black hole, caused by a perturbing object on the other side of the wormhole. By observing a pulsar in an orbit like that of S2 around the supermassive black hole at Sgr A* at the center of our Galaxy, the attainable mass limit on the perturber would be approximately 10 4 times better than derived from current observations of S2. For a nominal stellar-mass black hole–pulsar binary, observing for 1 year could set a mass limit on a perturber more than 6 orders of magnitude better than for a pulsar orbiting Sgr A*. Observations of a star in a stellar-mass binary containing a black hole could set limits similar to the case of a pulsar orbiting Sgr A*.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
The cosmic-ray positron excess and its imprint in the Galactic gamma-ray sky
Abstract We study the origin of the positron excess observed in the local cosmic-ray spectrum at high energies, and relate it to the cosmic rays and gamma-ray emission across the entire Galaxy. In particular, we explore the hypothesis of a single, dominant source accountable for primary electron-positron pairs. Since we are agnostic about the physical nature of the underlying source population, we consider four models that are representative of young pulsars, old stars (as a tracer of millisecond pulsars), and annihilating dark matter particles. In the dark matter hypothesis, we consider both a cored and a cuspy model for the halo in the Milky Way. Then, we compare the associated gamma-ray sky maps withFermi-LAT data. We find that the emission arising from pulsar wind nebulae is fairly concentrated near the mid plane, and therefore additional cosmic-ray sources must be invoked to explain the emission at the center of the Galaxy. If the local positron excess were mainly due to millisecond pulsars, inverse Compton scattering by the particles injected would naturally account for a non-negligible fraction of the central gamma-ray emission. The same process would lead to a tension for a standard NFW dark matter profile, exceeding the gamma-ray data by almost a factor of 2 in some regions of the Galaxy. Although the results for an isothermal, cored profile are in agreement with these data, the cross section needed in both cases is around 2 orders of magnitude above the thermal cross-section, disfavouring the dark matter interpretation.
Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
Simulations of axion minihalos
The axion, motivated as a solution to the strong CP problem, is also a viable dark matter candidate. The axion field takes random values in causally disconnected regions if the symmetry breaking that establishes the particle occurs after inflation, leading to white-noise density fluctuations at low wave numbers and forming dense minihalos with sub-planetary masses subsequently. There have been two recent proposals that appear capable of testing this scenario, namely using pulsar timing arrays and studying cosmological microlensing caustics. Motivated by these proposals, we use N-body simulations to study the formation of substructures from white-noise density fluctuations. The density profiles of our relaxed axion minihalos can be described by the Navarro–Frenk–White profile, and the minihalos’ concentration number agrees well with a simple, physically-motivated model. We develop a semi-analytic formula to fit the mass function from our simulation, which agrees broadly at different redshifts and only differs at factor of two level from classic halo mass functions. This analytic mass function allows us to consider uncertainties in the post-inflation axion scenario, as well as extrapolate our high-redshift simulations results to the present. Our work estimates the present-day abundance of axion substructures, as is necessary for predicting their effect on cosmological microlensing caustics and pulsar timing. Our calculations suggest that if pulsar timing and microlensing probes can reach recent sensitivity forecasts, they may be sensitive to the post-inflation axion dark matter scenario, even when accounting for uncertainties pertaining to axion strings. For pulsar timing, the most significant caveat is whether axion minihalos are disrupted by stars, which our estimates show is mildly important at the most relevant masses. In conclusion, as our gravitational simulations are scale invariant, the results can be extended to models where the dark matter is comprised of other axion-like particles and even clusters of primordial black holes.
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
Axion pulsarscope
Electromagnetic fields surrounding pulsars may source coherent ultralight axion signals at the known rotational frequencies of the neutron stars, which can be detected by laboratory experiments (e.g., pulsarscopes). As a promising case study, we model axion emission from the well-studied Crab pulsar, which would yield a prominent signal at 𝑓 ≈ 29.6 Hz regardless of whether the axion contributes to the dark matter abundance. We estimate the relevant sensitivity of future axion dark matter detection experiments such as DMRadio-GUT, Dark SRF, and CASPEr, assuming different magnetosphere models to bracket the uncertainty in astrophysical modeling. For example, depending on final experimental parameters, the Dark SRF experiment could probe axions with any mass 𝑚 𝑎 ≪ 10 −13 eV down to 𝑔 𝑎𝛾𝛾 ∼3 × 10 −13 GeV −1 with one year of data and assuming the vacuum magnetosphere model. These projected sensitivities may be degraded depending on the extent to which the magnetosphere is screened by charge-filled plasma. The promise of pulsar-sourced axions as a clean target for direct detection experiments motivates dedicated simulations of axion production in pulsar magnetospheres.
axions↗
Searching for synchrotron emission from the geminga TeV halo using the planck satellite
Pulsars convert a significant fraction of their total spin-down power into very high-energy electrons, leading to the formation of TeV halos. While these halos are well characterized at TeV energies, it remains unclear whether pulsars also accelerate electrons efficiently at lower energies and how these particles propagate through their surrounding environments. We aim to test whether synchrotron emission from $\sim 50$–$300 \, \textrm{GeV}$ electrons around the Geminga pulsar can be detected in the frequency range observed by the Planck satellite. This would help constrain low-energy particle acceleration and diffusion in the vicinity of pulsars. We model the expected synchrotron emission from Geminga’s TeV halo based on various diffusion and injection spectrum scenarios and compare these predictions to publicly available multi-frequency Planck data. We find no conclusive evidence of spatially extended synchrotron emission associated with Geminga in any of Planck’s frequency bands. Our calculations show that even under favorable diffusion and injection conditions, the predicted synchrotron flux lies well below Planck’s measured background levels.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Incremental Fermi Large Area Telescope Fourth Source Catalog
We present an incremental version (4FGL-DR3, for Data Release 3) of the fourth Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) catalog of γ-ray sources. Based on the first 12 years of science data in the energy range from 50 MeV to 1 TeV, it contains 6658 sources. The analysis improves on that used for the 4FGL catalog over eight years of data: more sources are fit with curved spectra, we introduce a more robust spectral parameterization for pulsars, and we extend the spectral points to 1 TeV. The spectral parameters, spectral energy distributions, and associations are updated for all sources. Light curves are rebuilt for all sources with 1 yr intervals (not 2 month intervals). Among the 5064 original 4FGL sources, 16 were deleted, 112 are formally below the detection threshold over 12 yr (but are kept in the list), while 74 are newly associated, 10 have an improved association, and seven associations were withdrawn. Pulsars are split explicitly between young and millisecond pulsars. Pulsars and binaries newly detected in LAT sources, as well as more than 100 newly classified blazars, are reported. We add three extended sources and 1607 new point sources, mostly just above the detection threshold, among which eight are considered identified, and 699 have a plausible counterpart at other wavelengths. We discuss the degree-scale residuals to the global sky model and clusters of soft unassociated point sources close to the Galactic plane, which are possibly related to limitations of the interstellar emission model and missing extended sources.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
The invisible black widow PSR J1720−0534: implications for the electron density towards the North Polar Spur
Radio emission from pulsars can be used to map out their distances through dispersion measure (DM), which quantifies the amount of radio pulse dispersion. However, this method relies on accurately modelling the free electron density in the line of sight. Here, we present a detailed study of the multiwavelength emission from PSR J1720−0534, a black widow compact binary millisecond pulsar discovered in 2021, which the latest electron density model of the Galaxy places at only 191 pc. We obtained and analysed deep multiwavelength observations in the γ-ray ( Fermi -Large Area Telescope, 2008–2022), optical (Las Cumbres Observatory, 2.7 h), near-infrared (Nordic Optical Telescope, 3.5 h), and X-ray ( Swift -X-Ray Telescope, 10 ks) bands. We found no significant detection of γ-ray, optical, near-infrared, or X-ray counterparts around the radio-timing position of PSR J1720−0534, which we thus nickname ‘the invisible black widow’. Employing the most constraining near-infrared limit ( J > 23.4 mag), we established a lower limit on the source distance, d > 1.1 kpc, assuming conservative properties for the black widow companion star. This distance lower limit differs drastically (by a factor of more than 5) from the Yao et al. DM distance estimate. We attribute this difference to the inclusion in the Yao et al. model of a large and dense component towards the North Polar Spur. Considering our results and recent parallax distances to other pulsars in this direction, we argue that such a local and large component in the electron density model of the Galaxy is unnecessary.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Astrophysical observations of a dark matter-Baryon fifth force
We consider the effects of an attractive, long-range Yukawa interaction between baryons and dark matter (DM), focusing in particular on temperature and pulsar timing observations of neutron stars (NSs). We show that such a fifth force, with strength modestly stronger than gravity at ranges greater than tens of kilometers (corresponding to mediator masses less than 10 -11 eV), can dramatically enhance dark matter kinetic heating, capture, and pulsar timing Doppler shifts relative to gravity plus short range interactions alone. Using the coldest observed NS and pulsar timing array (PTA) data, we derive limits on fifth force strength over a DM mass range spanning light dark matter up to order solar mass composite DM objects. We also consider an indirect limit by combining bullet cluster limits on the DM self-interaction with weak equivalence principle test limits on baryonic self-interactions. Furthermore, we find the combined indirect limits are moderately stronger than kinetic heating and PTA limits, except when considering a DM subcomponent.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Search for continuous gravitational wave signals from luminous dark photon superradiance clouds with LVK O3 observations
Superradiance clouds of kinetically mixed dark photons around spinning black holes can produce observable multimessenger electromagnetic and gravitational wave signals. The cloud generates electric fields of up to a teravolt-per-meter, which leads to a cascade production of charged particles, yielding a turbulent quasiequilibrium plasma around the black hole, and resulting in electromagnetic fluxes ranging from supernova to pulsar-like luminosities. For stellar mass black holes, such systems resemble millisecond pulsars and are expected to emit pulsating radio waves and continuous gravitational waves (CWs) within the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) sensitivity band. We select 44 sources with approximately coincident frequencies or positive frequency drifts from existing pulsar catalogs as potential candidates of long-lasting superradiance clouds around old Galactic black holes. For a subset of 34 sources that are well measured and have not been previously targeted, we perform the first search for CW emission in LVK data from the third observing run. We find no evidence of a CW signal and place 95% confidence level upper limits on the emitted strain amplitude. We interpret these results, together with limits from previous searches, in terms of the underlying dark photon theory by performing an analysis of the expected signals from superradiance clouds from Galactic black holes. Finally, we find that, even for moderately spinning black holes, the absence of an observed CW signal disfavors a discrete set of dark photon masses between about 10 −13 and 10 −12 eV/c 2 and kinetic mixing couplings in the range of 10 −9 –10 −7 , subject to assumptions about the properties of the black hole population and the cloud’s electromagnetic emission.
astronomical black holes↗