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At least 145 records · Page 8

JWST Noise Floor. II. Systematic Error Sources in JWST NIRCam Time Series

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) holds great promise for characterizing atmospheres of transiting exoplanets, potentially providing insights into Earth-sized planets within the habitable zones of M-dwarf host stars if photon-limited performance can be achieved. Here, we discuss the systematic error sources that are expected to be present in grism time-series observations with the NIRCam instrument. We find that pointing jitter and high-gain antenna moves in addition to the detectors’ subpixel crosshatch patterns will produce relatively small variations (less than 6 parts per million, ppm). The time-dependent aperture losses due to thermal instabilities in the optics can also be kept to below 2 ppm. To achieve these low noise values, it is important to employ a sufficiently large (more than 11) extraction aperture. Persistence due to charge-trapping will have a minor (less than 3 ppm) effect on the time series 20 minutes into an exposure and is expected to play a much smaller role than it does for the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 detectors. We expect detector temperature fluctuations to contribute less than 3 ppm. In total, our estimated noise floor from known systematic error sources is only 9 ppm per visit. We urge caution, however, because unknown systematic error sources could be present in flight and will only be measurable on astrophysical sources such as quiescent stars. We find that reciprocity failure may introduce a perennial instrument offset at the 40 ppm level, so corrections may be needed when a multi-instrument multi-observatory spectrum is stitched together over wide wavelength ranges.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Unlocking the Origins of Ultracool Dwarf Radio Emission

Empirical trends in stellar X-ray and radio luminosities suggest that low-mass ultracool dwarfs (UCDs) should not produce significant radio emission. Defying these expectations, strong nonthermal emission has been observed in a few UCDs in the 1–10 GHz range, with a variable component often attributed to global aurorae and a steady component attributed to other processes, such as gyrosynchrotron emission. While both auroral and gyrosynchrotron emission peak near the critical frequency, only the latter radiation is expected to extend into millimeter wavelengths. We present Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) 97.5 GHz and Very Large Array 33 GHz observations of a small survey of 5 UCDs. LP 349-25, LSR J1835+3259, and NLTT 33370 were detected at 97.5 GHz, while LP 423-31 and LP 415-20 resulted in nondetections at 33 GHz. A significant flare was observed in NLTT 33370, which reached a peak flux of 4880 ± 360 μJy, exceeding the quiescent flux by nearly an order of magnitude and lasting 20 s. These ALMA observations show bright 97.5 GHz emission with spectral indices ranging from α = 0.76 to α = −0.29, suggestive of optically thin gyrosynchrotron emission. If such emission traces magnetic reconnection events, then this could have consequences for both UCD magnetic models and the atmospheric stability of planets in orbit around them. Overall, our results provide confirmation that gyrosynchrotron radiation in radio-loud UCDs can remain detectable into the millimeter regime.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Cataclysmic Variables in the Second Year of the Zwicky Transient Facility

Using a filter in the GROWTH Marshal based on color and the amplitude and timescale of variability, we have identified 372 objects as known or candidate cataclysmic variables (CVs) during the second year of the operation of the Zwicky Transient Facility. From the available difference imaging data, we found that 93 are previously confirmed CVs and 279 are strong candidates. Spectra of four of the candidates confirm them as CVs by the presence of Balmer emission lines, while one of the four has prominent He ii lines indicative of containing a magnetic white dwarf. Gaia EDR3 parallaxes are available for 154 of these systems, resulting in distances from 108–2096 pc and absolute magnitudes in the range of 7.5–15.0, with the largest number of candidates between 10.5 and 12.5. The total numbers are 21% higher than from the previous year of the survey with a greater number of distances available but a smaller percentage of systems close to the Galactic plane. Comparison of these findings with a machine-learning method of searching all the light curves reveals large differences in each data set related to the parameters involved in the search process.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A White Dwarf with Transiting Circumstellar Material Far outside the Roche Limit

We report the discovery of a white dwarf exhibiting deep, irregularly shaped transits, indicative of circumstellar planetary debris. Using Zwicky Transient Facility DR2 photometry of ZTF J013906.17+524536.89 and follow-up observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory, we identify multiple transit events that recur every ≈107.2 days, much longer than the 4.5–4.9 hr orbital periods observed in WD 1145+017, the only other white dwarf known with transiting planetary debris. The transits vary in both depth and duration, lasting 15–25 days and reaching 20%–45% dips in flux. Optical spectra reveal strong Balmer lines, identifying the white dwarf as a DA with ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}=10,530\pm 140\,{\rm{K}}$ and $\mathrm{log}(g)=7.86\pm 0.06$. A Ca ii K absorption feature is present in all spectra both in and out of transit. Spectra obtained during one night at roughly 15% transit depth show increased Ca ii K absorption with a model atmospheric fit suggesting [Ca/H] = –4.6 ± 0.3, whereas spectra taken on three nights out of transit have [Ca/H] of –5.5, –5.3, and –4.9 with similar uncertainties. While the Ca ii K line strength varies by only 2σ, we consider a predominantly interstellar origin for Ca absorption unlikely. Here, we suggest a larger column density of circumstellar metallic gas along the line of site or increased accretion of material onto the white dwarf's surface are responsible for the Ca absorption, but further spectroscopic studies are required. In addition, high-speed time series photometry out of transit reveals variability with periods of 900 and 1030 s, consistent with ZZ Ceti pulsations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Spectacular Ultraviolet Flash from the Peculiar Type Ia Supernova 2019yvq

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide essential clues for understanding the progenitor system that gave rise to the terminal thermonuclear explosion. Here, we present exquisite observations of SN 2019yvq, the second observed SN Ia, after iPTF 14atg, to display an early flash of emission in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical. Our analysis finds that SN 2019yvq was unusual, even when ignoring the initial flash, in that it was moderately underluminous for a SN Ia ($M_g \approx -18.5$ mag at peak) yet featured very high absorption velocities ($v \approx 15,0000$ km s -1 for Si II λ6355 at peak). We find that many of the observational features of SN 2019yvq, aside from the flash, can be explained if the explosive yield of radioactive 56 Ni is relatively low (we measure $M_{^{56}\mathrm{Ni}} = 0.31 \pm 0.05\,M_\odot$) and it and other iron-group elements are concentrated in the innermost layers of the ejecta. To explain both the UV/optical flash and peak properties of SN 2019yvq we consider four different models: interaction between the SN ejecta and a nondegenerate companion, extended clumps of 56 Ni in the outer ejecta, a double-detonation explosion, and the violent merger of two white dwarfs. Each of these models has shortcomings when compared to the observations; it is clear additional tuning is required to better match SN 2019yvq. In closing, we predict that the nebular spectra of SN 2019yvq will feature either H or He emission, if the ejecta collided with a companion, strong [Ca II] emission, if it was a double detonation, or narrow [O I] emission, if it was due to a violent merger.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Recurring Planetary Debris Transits and Circumstellar Gas around White Dwarf ZTF J0328–1219

We present follow-up photometry and spectroscopy of ZTF J0328-1219, strengthening its status as a white dwarf exhibiting transiting planetary debris. Using TESS and Zwicky Transient Facility photometry, along with follow-up high-speed photometry from various observatories, we find evidence for two significant periods of variability at 9.937 and 11.2 hr. We interpret these as most likely the orbital periods of different debris clumps. Changes in the detailed dip structures within the light curves are observed on nightly, weekly, and monthly timescales, reminiscent of the dynamic behavior observed in the first white dwarf discovered to harbor a disintegrating asteroid, WD 1145+017. We fit previously published spectroscopy along with broadband photometry to obtain new atmospheric parameters for the white dwarf, with M * = 0.731 ± 0.023 M⊙, T eff = 7630 ± 140 K, and [Ca/He] = - 9.55 ± 0.12. With new high-resolution spectroscopy, we detect prominent and narrow Na D absorption features likely of circumstellar origin, with velocities 21.4 ± 1.0 km s -1 blueshifted relative to atmospheric lines. We attribute the periodically modulated photometric signal to dusty effluents from small orbiting bodies such as asteroids or comets, but we are unable to identify the most likely material that is being sublimated, or otherwise ejected, as the environmental temperatures range from roughly 400 to 700 K.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Impact of Resolution on Double-detonation Models for Type Ia Supernovae

Abstract Thermonuclear supernovae are the result of the violent unbinding of a white dwarf (WD), but the precise nature of the explosion mechanism(s) is a matter of active debate. To this end, several specific scenarios have been proposed to explain the observable traits of Type Ia supernovae. A promising pathway is the double-detonation scenario, where a WD accretes a shell of helium-rich material from a companion and a detonation in the resulting helium shell is the primary cause of the explosion. Through a set of two-dimensional grid-based simulations of this scenario we clearly distinguish three phases of evolution: external helium-rich detonation, core compressive heating, and a final core carbon burn. Though final disruption of the whole system is achieved at all resolutions, only models with minimum resolutions of 4 km and better exhibit all three phases. Particularly, core compression detonation is only observed for higher resolutions, producing qualitatively different nucleosynthetic outcomes. We identify the effect of finer spatial resolution on the mixing of hot silicon at the interface between the detonating helium layer and the underlying C/O WD as a primary driver of these dynamic differences.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Progenitors of Superluminous Type Ia Supernovae

Abstract Recent observations of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have discovered a subclass of “super-Chandrasekhar” SNe Ia (SC SNe Ia) whose high luminosities and low ejecta velocities suggest that they originate from the explosions of white dwarfs (WDs) with masses that exceed the Chandrasekhar mass limit. Different models have been proposed to explain the progenitors of these explosions, including a “magnetized WD” model and a “WD merger” model. To test the robustness of these models, we conduct a 1D numerical parameter survey of WD explosions using these models as initial conditions. We follow the explosions using the hydrodynamics code Castro and then use the radiation transport code SuperNu to create light curves and spectra for the models. We find that while both classes of models fall within the range of SC SNe Ia observations on the light-curve width–luminosity relation, only the WD merger models reproduce the observed low ejecta velocities. The light curves of our merger models are more similar photometrically to observations than our magnetized models. Given this, we discuss possible explanations for the brightest SC SNe Ia observations that cannot be reproduced with our WD merger models. This study provides the basis for future SC SNe Ia observations and higher-dimensional numerical models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Fluid Mixing during Phase Separation in Crystallizing White Dwarfs

Abstract Accurate models of cooling white dwarfs must treat the energy released as their cores crystallize. This phase transition slows the cooling by releasing latent heat and also gravitational energy, which results from phase separation: liquid C is released from the solid C/O core, driving an outward carbon flux. The Gaia color–magnitude diagram provides striking confirmation of this theory by revealing a mass-dependent overdensity of white dwarfs, indicating slowed cooling at the expected location. However, the observed overdensity is enhanced relative to the models. Additionally, it is associated with increased magnetism, suggesting a link between crystallization and magnetic field generation. Recent works aimed at explaining an enhanced cooling delay and magnetic field generation employ a uniform mixing prescription that assumes large-scale turbulent motions; we show here that these calculations are not self-consistent. We also show that thermohaline mixing is most likely efficient enough to provide the required chemical redistribution during C/O phase separation, and that the resulting velocities and mixing lengths are much smaller than previous estimates. These reduced fluid motions cannot generate measurable magnetic fields, suggesting any link with crystallization needs to invoke a separate mechanism. Finally, this mixing alters the chemical profiles, which in turn affects the frequencies of the pulsation modes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST). III. The White Dwarf Cooling Sequence

We present a substantial update to the MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) library, extending the MIST model grids and isochrones down the white dwarf (WD) cooling sequence with realistic physics for WD cooling timescales. This work provides a large grid of MESA models for carbon–oxygen core WDs with hydrogen atmospheres (spectral type DA/DC), descended from full prior stellar evolution calculations. The model tracks, isochrones, and WD cooling timescale contours are available on the MIST project website and at doi:10.5281/zenodo.15242047. Our WD models provide a very large, publicly available grid with detailed physics for WD cooling timescales: realistic interior and envelope compositions, with element diffusion and heavy-element sedimentation, nuclear burning at the base of the WD hydrogen envelope, core crystallization, and C/O phase separation. As a large grid of open-source stellar evolution models, these WD models provide both out-of-the-box model tracks for comparison with observations and a framework for building further WD models to investigate variations in WD physics.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗

22 Ne Phase Separation as a Solution to the Ultramassive White Dwarf Cooling Anomaly

The precise astrometric measurements of the Gaia Data Release 2 have opened the door to detailed tests of the predictions of white dwarf cooling models. Significant discrepancies between theory and observations have been identified, the most striking affecting ultramassive white dwarfs. Cheng et al. found that a small fraction of white dwarfs on the so-called Q branch must experience an extra cooling delay of ~8 Gyr not predicted by current models. 22 Ne phase separation in a crystallizing C/O white dwarf can lead to a distillation process that efficiently transports 22 Ne toward its center, thereby releasing a considerable amount of gravitational energy. Here, using state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulations, we show that this mechanism can largely resolve the ultramassive cooling anomaly if the delayed population consists of white dwarfs with moderately above-average 22 Ne abundances. We also argue that 22 Ne phase separation can account for the smaller cooling delay currently missing for models of white dwarfs with more standard compositions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Rapid Ionization Change in the Nebular-phase Spectra of the Type Ia SN 2011fe

Abstract We present three new spectra of the nearby Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2011fe covering ≈480–850 days after maximum light and show that the ejecta undergoes a rapid ionization shift at ∼500 days after explosion. The prominent Fe iii emission lines at ≈4600 Å are replaced with Fe i +Fe ii blends at ∼4400 Å and ∼5400 Å. The ≈7300 Å feature, which is produced by [Fe ii ]+[Ni ii ] at ≲400 days after explosion, is replaced by broad (≈±15,000 km s −1 ) symmetric [Ca ii ] emission. Models predict this ionization transition occurring ∼100 days later than what is observed, which we attribute to clumping in the ejecta. Finally, we use the nebular-phase spectra to test several proposed progenitor scenarios for SN 2011fe. Nondetections of H and He exclude nearby nondegenerate companions, [O i ] nondetections disfavor the violent merger of two white dwarfs, and the symmetric emission-line profiles favor a symmetric explosion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Discovery and Spectroscopic Characterization of a Distant, Compact Milky Way Satellite in Gemini

We present the discovery of a compact Milky Way satellite in the constellation of Gemini. This system was discovered by cross-matching detections from two independent search algorithms applied to Blanco/DECam data from the third data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE DR3), and confirmed with deeper imaging from Gemini/GMOS-N. Based on these data, we determine that the system is an ultra-faint ($M_V = -2.1^{+0.4}_{-0.6}$), compact ($r_{1/2} = 8.6^{+1.4}_{-1.2}$ pc) system located at a heliocentric distance of $120^{+7}_{-6}$ kpc. These physical properties place the system in the regime of ambiguous, ultra-faint compact Milky Way halo satellites that cannot be confidently classified as dwarf galaxies or star clusters from morphology alone; we therefore name the system DELVE 8/Gemini I. From medium-resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy, we securely identify four members including two blue horizontal branch stars, confirming the system as a bound satellite moving at a mean radial velocity of $v_{\rm hel} = -82.7^{+3.7}_{-3.9} {\rm km\,s}^{-1}$. We also use these spectra to place an upper limit of $\rm [Fe/H] \lesssim -2.5$ on the metallicity of DELVE 8/Gemini I's brightest star, supporting the classification of the system as either an ancient star cluster or ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. The discovery of faint, distant systems similar to DELVE 8/Gemini I is expected to become more common with upcoming surveys.

Overdeck, K. [Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr.;↗

SPISEA: A Python-based Simple Stellar Population Synthesis Code for Star Clusters

We present Stellar Population Interface for Stellar Evolution and Atmospheres (SPISEA), an open-source Python package that simulates simple stellar populations. The strength of SPISEA is its modular interface which offers the user control of 13 input properties including (but not limited to) the initial mass function, stellar multiplicity, extinction law, and the metallicity-dependent stellar evolution and atmosphere model grids used. The user also has control over the initial–final mass relation in order to produce compact stellar remnants (black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs). We demonstrate several outputs produced by the code, including color–magnitude diagrams, HR-diagrams, luminosity functions, and mass functions. SPISEA is object-oriented and extensible, and we welcome contributions from the community. The code and documentation are available on GitHub (https://github.com/astropy/SPISEA) and ReadtheDocs (https://spisea.readthedocs.io/en/latest/), respectively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A New Record Census of Dwarf AGN and a Bimodal $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_{\star}$ Scaling Relation with DESI DR1

Using the first spectroscopic data release from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI DR1), we search for AGN signatures in 1,678,787 low-redshift ($0.001 \le z \le 0.45$) line-emitting galaxies. Based on the [NII]-BPT emission-line ratio diagnostic, we identify AGN in 314,245/1,211,573 (25.9%) high-mass ($\log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) > 9.5$) and 9648/467,214 (2.1%) dwarf ($\log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \le 9.5$) galaxies. Among these AGN, 17,949 are broad-line candidates (BL-AGN) with broad H$α$ emission, enabling black hole (BH) mass estimates using single-epoch virial methods. We find that the AGN fraction in line-emitting galaxies increases monotonically with stellar mass, rising from $\sim$1.4% at the low-mass end to $\sim$93.3% at the high-mass end. Using the large BL-AGN sample, we extend the $M_{\rm BH} - M_{\star}$ scaling relation down to $\log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \approx 7.8$ and $\log (M_{\rm BH}/M_{\odot}) \approx 4.4$. In the context of high-redshift overmassive BHs, our results suggest that galaxies and their central BHs may follow two distinct evolutionary pathways across cosmic time. With this paper, we release the EmFit value-added catalog, containing emission-line flux and width measurements for $\sim$7.4 million galaxies, the largest catalog with emission-line decomposition into narrow, broad, and outflow components to date. This work significantly expands upon the early DESI results and provides a statistical sample for probing the galaxy$-$BH connection in the low-mass galaxy regime.

Pucha, Ragadeepika [Utah U.; Arizona U., Astron. D↗

Refining the Census of the Upper Scorpius Association with Gaia

We have refined the census of stars and brown dwarfs in the Upper Sco association (∼10 Myr, ∼145 pc) by (1) updating the selection of candidate members from our previous survey to include the high-precision astrometry from the second data release of Gaia, (2) obtaining spectra of a few hundred candidate members to measure their spectral types and verify their youth, and (3) assessing the membership (largely with Gaia astrometry) of 2020 stars toward Upper Sco that show evidence of youth in this work and previous studies. We arrive at a catalog of 1761 objects that are adopted as members of Upper Sco. The distribution of spectral types among the adopted members is similar to those in other nearby star-forming regions, indicating a similar initial mass function. In previous studies, we have compiled mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and the Spitzer Space Telescope for members of Upper Sco and used those data to identify the stars that show evidence of circumstellar disks; we present the same analysis for our new catalog of members. As in earlier work, we find that the fraction of members with disks increases with lower stellar masses, ranging from ≲10% for >1 M {sub ⊙} to ∼22% for 0.01–0.3 M {sub ⊙}. Finally, we have estimated the relative ages of Upper Sco and other young associations using their sequences of low-mass stars in M{sub G{sub R{sub P}}} versus G {sub BP} − G {sub RP}. This comparison indicates that Upper Sco is a factor of two younger than the β Pic association (21–24 Myr) according to both nonmagnetic and magnetic evolutionary models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A measurement of the equation of state of carbon envelopes of white dwarfs

White dwarfs represent the final state of evolution for most stars. Certain classes of white dwarfs pulsate, leading to observable brightness variations, and analysis of these variations with theoretical stellar models probes their internal structure. Modelling of these pulsating stars provides stringent tests of white dwarf models and a detailed picture of the outcome of the late stages of stellar evolution. However, the high-energy-density states that exist in white dwarfs are extremely difficult to reach and to measure in the laboratory, so theoretical predictions are largely untested at these conditions. In this paper we report measurements of the relationship between pressure and density along the principal shock Hugoniot (equations describing the state of the sample material before and after the passage of the shock derived from conservation laws) of hydrocarbon to within five per cent. The observed maximum compressibility is consistent with theoretical models that include detailed electronic structure. This is relevant for the equation of state of matter at pressures ranging from 100 million to 450 million atmospheres, where the understanding of white dwarf physics is sensitive to the equation of state and where models differ considerably. The measurements test these equation-of-state relations that are used in the modelling of white dwarfs and inertial confinement fusion experiments, and we predict an increase in compressibility due to ionization of the inner-core orbitals of carbon. We also find that a detailed treatment of the electronic structure and the electron degeneracy pressure is required to capture the measured shape of the pressure–density evolution for hydrocarbon before peak compression. Our results illuminate the equation of state of the white dwarf envelope (the region surrounding the stellar core that contains partially ionized and partially degenerate non-ideal plasmas), which is a weak link in the constitutive physics informing the structure and evolution of white dwarf stars.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evidence from Disrupted Halo Dwarfs that r-process Enrichment via Neutron Star Mergers is Delayed by ≳500 Myr

The astrophysical origins of r-process elements remain elusive. Neutron star mergers (NSMs) and special classes of core-collapse supernovae (rCCSNe) are leading candidates. Due to these channels' distinct characteristic timescales (rCCSNe: prompt, NSMs: delayed), measuring r-process enrichment in galaxies of similar mass but differing star formation durations might prove informative. Two recently discovered disrupted dwarfs in the Milky Way's stellar halo, Kraken and Gaia-Sausage Enceladus (GSE), afford precisely this opportunity: Both have M * ≈ 10 8 M ⊙ but differing star formation durations of ≈2 Gyr and ≈3.6 Gyr. Here we present R ≈ 50,000 Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy for 31 stars from these systems, detecting the r-process element Eu in all stars. Stars from both systems have similar [Mg/H] ≈ -1, but Kraken has a median [Eu/Mg] ≈ -0.1 while GSE has an elevated [Eu/Mg] ≈ 0.2. With simple models, we argue NSM enrichment must be delayed by 500–1000 Myr to produce this difference. rCCSNe must also contribute, especially at early epochs, otherwise stars formed during the delay period would be Eu free. In this picture, rCCSNe account for ≈50% of the Eu in Kraken, ≈25% in GSE, and ≈15% in dwarfs with extended star formation durations like Sagittarius. The inferred delay time for NSM enrichment is 10×–100× longer than merger delay times from stellar population synthesis—this is not necessarily surprising because the enrichment delay includes time taken for NSM ejecta to be incorporated into subsequent generations of stars. For example, this may be due to natal kicks that result in r-enriched material deposited far from star-forming gas, which then takes ≈10 8 –10 9 yr to cool in these galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗