Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-24DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02975-7
The LHAASO Collaboration,Zhen Cao,F. Aharonian,Y. X. Bai,Y. W. Bao,D. Bastieri,X. J. Bi,Y. J. Bi,W. Bian,J. Blunier,A. V. Butkevich,C. M. Cai,Y. Y. Cai,W. Y. Cao,Zhe Cao,J. Chang,J. F. Chang,E. S. Chen,G. H. Chen,H. K. Chen,L. F. Chen,Liang Chen,Long Chen,M. J. Chen,M. L. Chen,Q. H. Chen,S. Chen,S. H. Chen,S. Z. Chen,T. L. Chen,X. B. Chen,X. J. Chen,X. P. Chen,Y. Chen,N. Cheng,Q. Y. Cheng,Y. D. Cheng,M. Y. Cui,S. W. Cui,X. H. Cui,Y. D. Cui,B. Z. Dai,H. L. Dai,Z. G. Dai,Danzengluobu,Y. X. Diao,A. J. Dong,X. Q. Dong,K. K. Duan,J. H. Fan,Y. Z. Fan,J. Fang,J. H. Fang,K. Fang,C. F. Feng,H. Feng,L. Feng,S. H. Feng,X. T. Feng,Y. Feng,Y. L. Feng,S. Gabici,B. Gao,Q. Gao,W. Gao,W. K. Gao,M. M. Ge,T. T. Ge,L. S. Geng,G. Giacinti,G. H. Gong,Q. B. Gou,M. H. Gu,F. L. Guo,J. Guo,K. J. Guo,X. L. Guo,Y. Q. Guo,Y. Y. Guo,R. P. Han,O. A. Hannuksela,M. Hasan,H. H. He,H. N. He,J. Y. He,X. Y. He,Y. He,S. Hernández-Cadena,B. W. Hou,C. Hou,X. Hou,H. B. Hu,S. C. Hu,C. Huang,D. H. Huang,J. J. Huang,X. L. Huang,X. T. Huang,X. Y. Huang,Y. Huang,Y. Y. Huang,A. Inventar,X. L. Ji,H. Y. Jia,K. Jia,H. B. Jiang,K. Jiang,X. W. Jiang,Z. J. Jiang,M. Jin,S. Kaci,M. M. Kang,I. Karpikov,D. Khangulyan,D. Kuleshov,K. Kurinov,Cheng Li,Cong Li,D. Li,F. Li,H. B. Li,H. C. Li,Jian Li,Jie Li,K. Li,L. Li,R. L. Li,S. D. Li,T. Y. Li,W. L. Li,X. R. Li,Y. Li,Zhe Li,Zhuo Li,E. W. Liang,Y. F. Liang,S. J. Lin,B. Liu,C. Liu,D. Liu,D. B. Liu,H. Liu,J. Liu,J. L. Liu,J. R. Liu,M. Y. Liu,R. Y. Liu,S. M. Liu,W. Liu,X. Liu,Y. Liu,Y. Liu,Y. N. Liu,Y. Q. Lou,Q. Luo,Y. Luo,H. K. Lv,B. Q. Ma,L. L. Ma,X. H. Ma,I. O. Maliy,J. R. Mao,Z. Min,W. Mitthumsiri,Y. Mizuno,G. B. Mou,A. Neronov,K. C. Y. Ng,M. Y. Ni,L. Nie,L. J. Ou,Z. W. Ou,P. Pattarakijwanich,Z. Y. Pei,D. Y. Peng,J. C. Qi,M. Y. Qi,J. J. Qin,D. Qu,A. Raza,C. Y. Ren,D. Ruffolo,A. Sáiz,D. Savchenko,D. Semikoz,L. Shao,O. Shchegolev,Y. Z. Shen,X. D. Sheng,Z. D. Shi,F. W. Shu,H. C. Song,Y. V. Stenkin,Y. Su,D. X. Sun,H. Sun,J. X. Sun,Q. N. Sun,X. N. Sun,Z. B. Sun,N. H. Tabasam,J. Takata,P. H. T. Tam,H. B. Tan,Q. W. Tang,R. Tang,Z. B. Tang,W. W. Tian,C. N. Tong,L. H. Wan,C. Wang,D. H. Wang,G. W. Wang,H. G. Wang,J. C. Wang,K. Wang,Kai Wang,Kai Wang,L. P. Wang,L. Y. Wang,L. Y. Wang,R. Wang,W. Wang,X. G. Wang,X. J. Wang,X. Y. Wang,Y. Wang,Y. D. Wang,Z. H. Wang,Z. X. Wang,Zheng Wang,D. M. Wei,J. J. Wei,Y. J. Wei,T. Wen,S. S. Weng,C. Y. Wu,H. R. Wu,Q. W. Wu,S. Wu,X. F. Wu,Y. S. Wu,S. Q. Xi,J. Xia,J. J. Xia,G. M. Xiang,D. X. Xiao,G. Xiao,Y. F. Xiao,Y. L. Xin,H. D. Xing,Y. Xing,D. R. Xiong,B. N. Xu,C. Y. Xu,D. L. Xu,R. F. Xu,R. X. Xu,S. S. Xu,W. L. Xu,L. Xue,D. H. Yan,T. Yan,C. W. Yang,C. Y. Yang,F. F. Yang,L. L. Yang,M. J. Yang,R. Z. Yang,W. X. Yang,Z. H. Yang,Z. G. Yao,X. A. Ye,L. Q. Yin,N. Yin,X. H. You,Z. Y. You,Y. H. Yu,Q. Yuan,H. Yue,H. D. Zeng,T. X. Zeng,W. Zeng,X. T. Zeng,M. Zha,B. B. Zhang,B. T. Zhang,C. Zhang,H. Zhang,H. M. Zhang,H. Y. Zhang,J. L. Zhang,J. Y. Zhang,Li Zhang,P. F. Zhang,R. Zhang,S. R. Zhang,S. S. Zhang,S. Y. Zhang,W. Zhang,W. Y. Zhang,X. Zhang,X. P. Zhang,Yi Zhang,Yong Zhang,Z. P. Zhang,J. Zhao,L. Zhao,L. Z. Zhao,S. P. Zhao,X. H. Zhao,Z. H. Zhao,F. Zheng,T. C. Zheng,B. Zhou,H. Zhou,J. N. Zhou,M. Zhou,P. Zhou,R. Zhou,X. X. Zhou,X. X. Zhou,B. Y. Zhu,C. G. Zhu,F. R. Zhu,H. Zhu,K. J. Zhu,Y. C. Zou,X. Zuo
{"title":"LHAASO detection of ultrahigh-energy γ-ray emission towards giant molecular clouds","authors":"The LHAASO Collaboration,Zhen Cao,F. Aharonian,Y. X. Bai,Y. W. Bao,D. Bastieri,X. J. Bi,Y. J. Bi,W. Bian,J. Blunier,A. V. Butkevich,C. M. Cai,Y. Y. Cai,W. Y. Cao,Zhe Cao,J. Chang,J. F. Chang,E. S. Chen,G. H. Chen,H. K. Chen,L. F. Chen,Liang Chen,Long Chen,M. J. Chen,M. L. Chen,Q. H. Chen,S. Chen,S. H. Chen,S. Z. Chen,T. L. Chen,X. B. Chen,X. J. Chen,X. P. Chen,Y. Chen,N. Cheng,Q. Y. Cheng,Y. D. Cheng,M. Y. Cui,S. W. Cui,X. H. Cui,Y. D. Cui,B. Z. Dai,H. L. Dai,Z. G. Dai,Danzengluobu,Y. X. Diao,A. J. Dong,X. Q. Dong,K. K. Duan,J. H. Fan,Y. Z. Fan,J. Fang,J. H. Fang,K. Fang,C. F. Feng,H. Feng,L. Feng,S. H. Feng,X. T. Feng,Y. Feng,Y. L. Feng,S. Gabici,B. Gao,Q. Gao,W. Gao,W. K. Gao,M. M. Ge,T. T. Ge,L. S. Geng,G. Giacinti,G. H. Gong,Q. B. Gou,M. H. Gu,F. L. Guo,J. Guo,K. J. Guo,X. L. Guo,Y. Q. Guo,Y. Y. Guo,R. P. Han,O. A. Hannuksela,M. Hasan,H. H. He,H. N. He,J. Y. He,X. Y. He,Y. He,S. Hernández-Cadena,B. W. Hou,C. Hou,X. Hou,H. B. Hu,S. C. Hu,C. Huang,D. H. Huang,J. J. Huang,X. L. Huang,X. T. Huang,X. Y. Huang,Y. Huang,Y. Y. Huang,A. Inventar,X. L. Ji,H. Y. Jia,K. Jia,H. B. Jiang,K. Jiang,X. W. Jiang,Z. J. Jiang,M. Jin,S. Kaci,M. M. Kang,I. Karpikov,D. Khangulyan,D. Kuleshov,K. Kurinov,Cheng Li,Cong Li,D. Li,F. Li,H. B. Li,H. C. Li,Jian Li,Jie Li,K. Li,L. Li,R. L. Li,S. D. Li,T. Y. Li,W. L. Li,X. R. Li,Y. Li,Zhe Li,Zhuo Li,E. W. Liang,Y. F. Liang,S. J. Lin,B. Liu,C. Liu,D. Liu,D. B. Liu,H. Liu,J. Liu,J. L. Liu,J. R. Liu,M. Y. Liu,R. Y. Liu,S. M. Liu,W. Liu,X. Liu,Y. Liu,Y. Liu,Y. N. Liu,Y. Q. Lou,Q. Luo,Y. Luo,H. K. Lv,B. Q. Ma,L. L. Ma,X. H. Ma,I. O. Maliy,J. R. Mao,Z. Min,W. Mitthumsiri,Y. Mizuno,G. B. Mou,A. Neronov,K. C. Y. Ng,M. Y. Ni,L. Nie,L. J. Ou,Z. W. Ou,P. Pattarakijwanich,Z. Y. Pei,D. Y. Peng,J. C. Qi,M. Y. Qi,J. J. Qin,D. Qu,A. Raza,C. Y. Ren,D. Ruffolo,A. Sáiz,D. Savchenko,D. Semikoz,L. Shao,O. Shchegolev,Y. Z. Shen,X. D. Sheng,Z. D. Shi,F. W. Shu,H. C. Song,Y. V. Stenkin,Y. Su,D. X. Sun,H. Sun,J. X. Sun,Q. N. Sun,X. N. Sun,Z. B. Sun,N. H. Tabasam,J. Takata,P. H. T. Tam,H. B. Tan,Q. W. Tang,R. Tang,Z. B. Tang,W. W. Tian,C. N. Tong,L. H. Wan,C. Wang,D. H. Wang,G. W. Wang,H. G. Wang,J. C. Wang,K. Wang,Kai Wang,Kai Wang,L. P. Wang,L. Y. Wang,L. Y. Wang,R. Wang,W. Wang,X. G. Wang,X. J. Wang,X. Y. Wang,Y. Wang,Y. D. Wang,Z. H. Wang,Z. X. Wang,Zheng Wang,D. M. Wei,J. J. Wei,Y. J. Wei,T. Wen,S. S. Weng,C. Y. Wu,H. R. Wu,Q. W. Wu,S. Wu,X. F. Wu,Y. S. Wu,S. Q. Xi,J. Xia,J. J. Xia,G. M. Xiang,D. X. Xiao,G. Xiao,Y. F. Xiao,Y. L. Xin,H. D. Xing,Y. Xing,D. R. Xiong,B. N. Xu,C. Y. Xu,D. L. Xu,R. F. Xu,R. X. Xu,S. S. Xu,W. L. Xu,L. Xue,D. H. Yan,T. Yan,C. W. Yang,C. Y. Yang,F. F. Yang,L. L. Yang,M. J. Yang,R. Z. Yang,W. X. Yang,Z. H. Yang,Z. G. Yao,X. A. Ye,L. Q. Yin,N. Yin,X. H. You,Z. Y. You,Y. H. Yu,Q. Yuan,H. Yue,H. D. Zeng,T. X. Zeng,W. Zeng,X. T. Zeng,M. Zha,B. B. Zhang,B. T. Zhang,C. Zhang,H. Zhang,H. M. Zhang,H. Y. Zhang,J. L. Zhang,J. Y. Zhang,Li Zhang,P. F. Zhang,R. Zhang,S. R. Zhang,S. S. Zhang,S. Y. Zhang,W. Zhang,W. Y. Zhang,X. Zhang,X. P. Zhang,Yi Zhang,Yong Zhang,Z. P. Zhang,J. Zhao,L. Zhao,L. Z. Zhao,S. P. Zhao,X. H. Zhao,Z. H. Zhao,F. Zheng,T. C. Zheng,B. Zhou,H. Zhou,J. N. Zhou,M. Zhou,P. Zhou,R. Zhou,X. X. Zhou,X. X. Zhou,B. Y. Zhu,C. G. Zhu,F. R. Zhu,H. Zhu,K. J. Zhu,Y. C. Zou,X. Zuo","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02975-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02975-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"167 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149049384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-24DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02988-2
Yongda Zhu,Zhiyuan Ji,George D. Becker,Jiani Ding,Eiichi Egami,Xiaohui Fan,Xiangyu Jin,Weizhe Liu,Jianwei Lyu,Zheng Ma,Suprabhas Narisetty,George H. Rieke,Yunjing Wu,Minghao Yue,Junyu Zhang,Marcia J. Rieke
{"title":"Early metal-enriched baryon cycling before the midpoint of cosmic reionization","authors":"Yongda Zhu,Zhiyuan Ji,George D. Becker,Jiani Ding,Eiichi Egami,Xiaohui Fan,Xiangyu Jin,Weizhe Liu,Jianwei Lyu,Zheng Ma,Suprabhas Narisetty,George H. Rieke,Yunjing Wu,Minghao Yue,Junyu Zhang,Marcia J. Rieke","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02988-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02988-2","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Models predict that chemical enrichment and gas redistribution should begin rapidly once star formation starts, but direct constraints at the earliest epochs have been scarce. Here we show that metal-enriched gas in multiple ionic phases was already present around galaxies before the midpoint of cosmic reionization. Using JWST/NIRSpec rest-frame ultraviolet spectroscopy from SPURS, we detect blueshifted metal absorption in three galaxies at 7.2 < z < 9.3. The detected transitions span neutral, low-ionization and high-ionization species, including O I, Si II, C II, Si IV and C IV, with velocity offsets of ∣Δ v ∣ ≈ 50–250 km s −1 relative to nebular systemic redshifts. The ionic coexistence, overlapping velocity structure and equivalent-width ratios are consistent with outflowing or otherwise kinematically disturbed galaxy-associated gas, implying rapid metal enrichment. These results show that key conditions for baryon cycling were established in at least a subset of luminous galaxies within the first several hundred million years of cosmic time, well before the completion of reionization.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"223 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149049433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-22DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02991-7
Eva Villaver, Valentín Martínez Pillet
{"title":"The next generation of astronomy facilities cannot be built with half the sky missing","authors":"Eva Villaver, Valentín Martínez Pillet","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02991-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41550-026-02991-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"10 10","pages":"1412-1413"},"PeriodicalIF":15.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149020992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-18DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02976-6
Damanveer S. Grewal, Zhongtian Zhang, Joanna Drążkowska
{"title":"Planetesimal compositions governed by aerodynamic sorting from the onset of Solar System formation","authors":"Damanveer S. Grewal, Zhongtian Zhang, Joanna Drążkowska","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02976-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02976-6","url":null,"abstract":"Carbonaceous (CC) chondrites from the outer Solar System are mixtures of fine-grained, volatile-rich matrix and thermally sintered, volatile-poor chondrules. Among CC chondrite parent bodies that accreted ~2–4 million years after calcium–aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs), matrix fraction increases with accretion time, consistent with aerodynamic sorting in the protoplanetary disk. Whether this process operated during the earliest planetesimal accretion (<1–2 Ma) remains unknown. Here we use two independent chemical proxies, bulk sulfur content and iron valence state, which track moderately volatile element inventory and the combined abundance of water–ice and pre-accretionary oxidized silicate precursors, respectively, to constrain matrix mass fractions in CC iron meteorite parent bodies—the earliest outer Solar System planetesimals. Both proxies show that CC iron meteorite parent bodies accreted systematically less matrix than CC chondrite parent bodies, corresponding to matrix mass fractions of only 0.08–0.17. These results extend the matrix-accretion time correlation to the Solar System’s earliest epoch, establishing aerodynamic sorting as a fundamental control on planetesimal compositions and requiring that chondrule formation was widespread from the onset of Solar System formation.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"390 2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149010581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-17DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02951-1
Adelle J. Goodwin, Andrew Mummery
{"title":"A universal critical accretion rate for black hole jet formation","authors":"Adelle J. Goodwin, Andrew Mummery","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02951-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02951-1","url":null,"abstract":"It has long been suspected that black hole accretion–outflow coupling is invariant from stellar to supermassive scales. Stellar-mass black hole accretion flows are known to launch jets and outflows as they transition through critical accretion-rate thresholds, with values well constrained observationally owing to their short evolutionary timescales. In contrast, accretion flows in typical supermassive black hole (SMBH) systems (those in active galactic nuclei) evolve over thousands of years, making the critical transitions at which jets are launched impossible to constrain in individual systems. Tidal disruption events (TDEs) provide the unique opportunity to witness the birth and evolution of an accretion flow onto an SMBH, which evolves on timescales of years. Here we show that TDEs launch outflows during a super-Eddington accretion phase and a second, physically distinct outflow at a critical accretion rate of Lcrit ≈ 0.02 LEdd, the same as the critical accretion rate for state transitions observed in accreting stellar-mass black holes. This work naturally explains the mechanism, observed properties, and detection rate for prompt and delayed outflows observed in TDEs. More broadly, we demonstrate that SMBHs exhibit the same accretion–outflow coupling as stellar-mass black holes and that the critical low accretion-rate threshold for jet formation in black holes is scale invariant. The agreement in this critical accretion rate across such vastly different mass scales strongly indicates that a single, scale-invariant physical process governs jet launching in all black holes. This work additionally provides a framework that allows for strong future predictions of which black holes will launch jets, and when.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149010583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-17DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02981-9
Fanyi Meng, Chao-Wei Tsai, Jingwen Wu, Sihan Jiao, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Zhi-Yu Zhang, Amélie Saintonge, Hui Li, Zongnan Li, Jie Wang, Lile Wang, Haitao Xu, Yanbin Yang, Kai Zhang, Rouyu Li, Di Li
{"title":"Supernova origin of galactic turbulence revealed by superbubbles","authors":"Fanyi Meng, Chao-Wei Tsai, Jingwen Wu, Sihan Jiao, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Zhi-Yu Zhang, Amélie Saintonge, Hui Li, Zongnan Li, Jie Wang, Lile Wang, Haitao Xu, Yanbin Yang, Kai Zhang, Rouyu Li, Di Li","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02981-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02981-9","url":null,"abstract":"Supernovae are among the leading candidates for powering galactic-scale turbulence. Supernovae drive expanding shells of neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) known as superbubbles. Due to the lack of a sensitive, dynamically complete, galaxy-wide census, superbubbles have not been demonstrated to dominate the galactic-scale turbulent energy budget. Here we present a combined Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope and Jansky Very Large Array H I survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the nearest giant spiral. We identify 118 superbubbles across the entire disk of M31 with dynamical ages up to 40 Myr, consistent with the expected duration of supernova activity in a star cluster. Inferred from these superbubbles, the kinetic-energy-injection rates (1049–1051.5 erg kpc−3 Myr−1) from supernovae closely match the turbulence dissipation rates derived independently from the same data, in both magnitude and spatial distribution. These results demonstrate that clustered supernova feedback is sufficient to sustain galactic-scale turbulence, which shapes disk structure and influences galaxy evolution.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149010582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-16DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02987-3
{"title":"Little red whats?","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02987-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41550-026-02987-3","url":null,"abstract":"The discovery of little red dots with JWST has prompted manifold investigations into their observational properties and physical nature. This Focus issue consolidates our knowledge of these distant objects at a time when firm conclusions are beginning to be drawn.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"10 9","pages":"1243-1243"},"PeriodicalIF":15.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-02987-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-16DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02966-8
Hannah Übler
{"title":"Massive black holes in the first billion years with JWST","authors":"Hannah Übler","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02966-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41550-026-02966-8","url":null,"abstract":"The James Webb Space Telescope has unlocked uncharted territory for the study of early black holes, enabling the detection of fainter and smaller black holes at larger cosmological distances than previously possible. Compared with nearby massive black holes, they are characterized by several unexpected attributes, such as their multiwavelength properties or their relation to their host galaxies. These observational findings challenge our understanding of the past evolution of present-day supermassive black holes, and provide anchor points to constrain theoretical models of black hole formation and growth. This Review summarizes our current understanding of the observed properties of recently discovered, active black holes in the early Universe, and discusses the status of mass measurements and the relation to their hosts, as well as open questions and future prospects. JWST is revealing distant, faint black holes in the early Universe with surprising properties and host-galaxy relationships. These discoveries challenge existing models of supermassive black hole growth and highlight key questions for future research.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"10 9","pages":"1273-1282"},"PeriodicalIF":15.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature AstronomyPub Date : 2026-09-11DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02930-6
Craig J. Copi, Deyan P. Mihaylov, Anna Negro, Amirhossein Samandar, Glenn D. Starkman, Yashar Akrami, George Alestas, Stefano Anselmi, Javier Carrón Duque, Fernando Cornet-Gomez, Linn Htat Lu, Andrew H. Jaffe, Arthur Kosowsky, Mikel Martin Barandiaran, Thiago S. Pereira, Catherine Petretti, Andrius Tamosiunas
{"title":"The topology of the Universe","authors":"Craig J. Copi, Deyan P. Mihaylov, Anna Negro, Amirhossein Samandar, Glenn D. Starkman, Yashar Akrami, George Alestas, Stefano Anselmi, Javier Carrón Duque, Fernando Cornet-Gomez, Linn Htat Lu, Andrew H. Jaffe, Arthur Kosowsky, Mikel Martin Barandiaran, Thiago S. Pereira, Catherine Petretti, Andrius Tamosiunas","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02930-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41550-026-02930-6","url":null,"abstract":"Is the Universe infinite in all directions? The only way to know is to look. A non-trivial cosmic topology would imprint subtle signatures on the cosmic microwave background and on the three-dimensional distribution of matter, breaking statistical isotropy and, potentially, homogeneity at the largest scales. If the topology scale is small enough, these signatures would be observable. Over the past three decades, successive space missions, most notably the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and Planck, have enabled sophisticated searches for these signatures, using methods ranging from looking for matched circle-pairs to full Bayesian likelihood analysis based on topology-dependent covariance matrices. Although these searches have yielded no definitive evidence for non-trivial topology, current constraints exclude only some topologies, parameter ranges and observer positions. Recent advances show that detectable signals may persist even when the topology scale exceeds the size of the visible Universe. Planned cosmic microwave background experiments, including LiteBIRD and Taurus, and high-precision galaxy and line-intensity-mapping surveys, could expand the detectable parameter space by exploiting polarization data, and by exploring topology-induced correlations at all accessible redshifts. Whether cosmic topology is observable remains uncertain, but current and future data offer an unprecedented opportunity to probe the global structure of the Universe. Is the Universe infinite in all directions? The only way to know is to look. This Review presents the status of investigations into the topology of the Universe, and looks ahead to upcoming opportunities.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"10 10","pages":"1437-1447"},"PeriodicalIF":15.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148932703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The magnetar fraction in core-collapse supernovae","authors":"Celsa Pardo-Araujo, Nanda Rea, Michele Ronchi, Vanessa Graber","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02915-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41550-026-02915-5","url":null,"abstract":"Magnetars are extreme neutron stars powered by ultra-strong magnetic fields (≳1014 G), and they are compelling engines for some of the most powerful extragalactic transients, such as superluminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and fast radio bursts. Yet their formation rate relative to ordinary neutron stars remains uncertain, which often prevents direct comparisons with the rates of these transients. Furthermore, magnetars have recently been shown to be evolutionarily related to other neutron star classes, an essential component in estimating the exact magnetar fraction within the neutron star population. In the observed young (<2 kyr) Galactic neutron star population, only 9 of 23 detected sources (40%) are classical rotation-powered pulsars. The remaining 60% are magnetars or central compact objects. Here we study the magnetar birth fraction in core-collapse supernovae using a population synthesis of isolated neutron star classes in our Galaxy, including dynamical evolution, spin-down and magneto-thermal evolution. By assuming a bimodal initial magnetic field distribution, magnetars peak at B0 ≈ 1–2.5 × 1014 G and represent on average ~50% of the isolated neutron star population. We conclude that reproducing the observed population requires a core-collapse supernova rate larger than 2 per century and a larger magnetar fraction than previously inferred. Using simulations of the neutron star population, this study finds that Galactic supernova rates are higher than expected and that magnetars may represent nearly half of all neutron stars, making them capable of powering some of the Universe’s most energetic events.","PeriodicalId":18778,"journal":{"name":"Nature Astronomy","volume":"10 10","pages":"1540-1551"},"PeriodicalIF":15.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148933928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}