Chunyang Cao, F. K. Liu, Shuo Li, Xian Chen and Ke Wang
{"title":"A Recent Supermassive Black Hole Binary in the Galactic Center Unveiled by the Hypervelocity Stars","authors":"Chunyang Cao, F. K. Liu, Shuo Li, Xian Chen and Ke Wang","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adbbf2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbbf2","url":null,"abstract":"When a binary of early-type stars from the young stellar populations in the Galactic center (GC) region is scattered to the vicinity of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) Sgr A*, one of the components would be tidally ejected as an early-type hypervelocity star (HVS) and the counterpart would be captured on a tight orbit around Sgr A*. Dozens of B-type HVSs moving faster than the Galactic escape speed have been discovered in the Galactic halo and are produced most likely by the SMBH Sgr A*. However, the velocity distribution and in particular the deficit of the HVSs above 700 km s−1 is seriously inconsistent with the expectations of the present models. Here we show that the high-velocity deficit is due to the deficiency in close interactions of stars with the SMBH Sgr A*, because an orbiting intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) of about 15,000 Solar mass kicked away slowly approaching stars 50–250 million years ago. The SMBH–IMBH binary formed probably after the merger of the Milky Way with the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus dwarf galaxy, and coalesced about 10 million years ago, leading to a gravitational recoil of Sgr A* at a velocity of 0.3–0.5 km s−1 and to a change of the HVS ejection scenarios. The SMBH–IMBH binary scenario predicts the formation of the S-star cluster at the GC with the distribution of the orbital size and stellar ages that are well consistent with the observations.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cross Helicity and the Helium Abundance as an In Situ Metric of Solar Wind Acceleration","authors":"B. L. Alterman and Raffaella D’Amicis","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adb48e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb48e","url":null,"abstract":"The two-state solar wind paradigm is based on observations showing that slow and fast solar wind have distinct properties like helium abundances, kinetic signatures, elemental composition, and charge-state ratios. Nominally, the fast wind originates from solar sources that are continuously magnetically open to the heliosphere like coronal holes while the slow wind is from solar sources that are only intermittently open to the heliosphere like helmet streamers and pseudostreamers. The Alfvénic slow wind is an emerging third class of solar wind that challenges the two-state fast/slow paradigm. It has slow wind speeds but is highly Alfvénic, i.e., has a high correlation between velocity and magnetic field fluctuations along with low compressibility typical of Alfvén waves, which is typically observed in fast wind. Its other properties are also more similar to the fast than slow wind. From 28 yr of Wind observations at 1 au, we derive the solar wind helium abundance (AHe), Alfvénicity (∣σc∣), and solar wind speed (vsw). Characterizing vsw as a function of ∣σc∣ and AHe, we show that the maximum solar wind speed for plasma accelerated in source regions that are intermittently open is faster than the minimum solar wind speed for plasma accelerated in continuously open regions. We infer that the Alfvénic slow wind is likely solar wind originating from open field regions with speeds below the maximum solar wind speed for plasma from intermittently open regions. We then discuss possible implications for solar wind acceleration. Finally, we utilize the combination of helium abundance and normalized cross helicity to present a novel solar wind categorization scheme that illustrates the transition in observations of solar wind at 1 au from magnetically closed to magnetically open sources.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"72 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Riddhi Bandyopadhyay, James R. Beattie and Amitava Bhattacharjee
{"title":"Density Fluctuation–Mach Number Scaling in Compressible, High Plasma Beta Turbulence: In Situ Space Observations and High-Reynolds Number Simulations","authors":"Riddhi Bandyopadhyay, James R. Beattie and Amitava Bhattacharjee","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adbe3b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbe3b","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the nature of compressible fluctuations in a broad range of turbulent plasmas, from the intracluster medium to the solar wind, has been an active field of research in the past decades. Theoretical frameworks for weakly compressible magnetohydrodynamical turbulence in an inhomogeneous background magnetic field predict a linear scaling of the normalized mass density fluctuation (δρ/ρ0), as a function of the turbulent Mach number ( ), . However, so far, the scaling relation has been tested only using moderate to low plasma beta (β ≲ 1) solar wind observational data, where the compressibility is weak δρ/ρ0 ∼ 0.1. Here, we combine NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data in Earth’s magnetosheath, where β ∼ 10 is high, and β ∼ 1/8 highly compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations at unprecedented resolutions. Both show that holds across a broad range of δρ/ρ0, , and β, demonstrating that is a robust compressible turbulence relation, going beyond the asymptotics of the weakly compressible theory. We discuss the findings in the context of understanding the nature of strongly compressible turbulent fluctuations and the driving parameter in astrophysical and space plasmas.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mass-dependent Radial Distribution of Single and Binary Stars in the Pleiades and Their Dynamical Implications","authors":"Rongrong Liu, Zhengyi Shao and Lu Li","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adbe60","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbe60","url":null,"abstract":"The Pleiades is a young open cluster that has not yet dynamically relaxed, making it an ideal target to observe various internal dynamical effects. By employing a well-defined sample of main-sequence (MS) cluster members, including both MS single stars and unresolved MS+MS binaries, we revisited their individual masses and mass functions and quantified the mass dependence of their radial distributions. We found that the mass function of binaries is more top-heavy than that of single stars. Significant mass segregation is observed for both single and binary populations, respectively, with more massive objects concentrated toward the cluster center. Notably, within given mass ranges, binaries are distributed more scattered than single stars, providing direct evidence for more efficient dynamical disruption of binaries in the inner region. The radial distribution of the binary fraction, expressed as the fb–R relation can be characterized by a bimodal shape, with higher fb values in both innermost and outermost regions of the cluster. The lower-mass subsample exhibits a monotonic increase in fb with radius, reflecting the impact of binary disruption. Conversely, for the higher-mass subsample, fb decreases with radius. It can be explained that these massive cluster members, which possess higher binary probabilities, have already undergone significant mass segregation. All these observational evidence and analyses related to the radial mass distribution imply that the Pleiades is currently undergoing a complicated interplay of various internal dynamical effects, of which the modulation between mass segregation and binary disruption is particularly pronounced.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maël Voyer, Quentin Changeat, Pierre-Olivier Lagage, Pascal Tremblin, Rens Waters, Manuel Güdel, Thomas Henning, Olivier Absil, David Barrado, Anthony Boccaletti, Jeroen Bouwman, Alain Coulais, Leen Decin, Adrian M. Glauser, John Pye, Alistair Glasse, René Gastaud, Sarah Kendrew, Polychronis Patapis, Daniel Rouan, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Göran Östlin, Tom P. Ray and Gillian Wright
{"title":"MIRI-LRS Spectrum of a Cold Exoplanet around a White Dwarf: Water, Ammonia, and Methane Measurements","authors":"Maël Voyer, Quentin Changeat, Pierre-Olivier Lagage, Pascal Tremblin, Rens Waters, Manuel Güdel, Thomas Henning, Olivier Absil, David Barrado, Anthony Boccaletti, Jeroen Bouwman, Alain Coulais, Leen Decin, Adrian M. Glauser, John Pye, Alistair Glasse, René Gastaud, Sarah Kendrew, Polychronis Patapis, Daniel Rouan, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Göran Östlin, Tom P. Ray and Gillian Wright","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adbd46","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbd46","url":null,"abstract":"The study of the atmosphere of exoplanets orbiting white dwarfs is a largely unexplored field. With WD 0806-661 b, we present the first deep dive into the atmospheric physics and chemistry of a cold exoplanet around a white dwarf. We observed WD 0806-661 b using JWST’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument Low-Resolution Spectrometer, covering the wavelength range from 5 to 12 μm, and the Imager, providing us with 12.8, 15, 18, and 21 μm photometric measurements. We carried the data reduction of those data sets, tackling second-order effects to ensure a reliable retrieval analysis. Using the TauREx retrieval code, we inferred the pressure–temperature structure, atmospheric chemistry, mass, and radius of the planet. The spectrum of WD 0806-661 b is shaped by molecular absorption of water, ammonia, and methane, consistent with a cold Jupiter atmosphere, allowing us to retrieve their abundances. From the mixing ratio of water, ammonia, and methane we derive C/O = 0.34 ± 0.06, , and N/O = 0.023 ± 0.004 and the ratio of detected metals as a proxy for metallicity. We also derive upper limits for the abundance of CO and CO2 (1.2 × 10−6 and 1.6 × 10−7, respectively), which were not detected by our retrieval models. While our interpretation of WD 0806-661 b’s atmosphere is mostly consistent with our theoretical understanding, some results—such as the lack of evidence for water clouds, an apparent increase in the mixing ratio of ammonia at low pressure, or the retrieved mass at odds with the supposed age—remain surprising and require follow-up observational and theoretical studies to be confirmed.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143695522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sagnick Mukherjee, Everett Schlawin, Taylor J. Bell, Jonathan J. Fortney, Thomas G. Beatty, Thomas P. Greene, Kazumasa Ohno, Matthew M. Murphy, Vivien Parmentier, Michael R. Line, Luis Welbanks, Lindsey S. Wiser and Marcia J. Rieke
{"title":"A JWST Panchromatic Thermal Emission Spectrum of the Warm Neptune Archetype GJ 436b","authors":"Sagnick Mukherjee, Everett Schlawin, Taylor J. Bell, Jonathan J. Fortney, Thomas G. Beatty, Thomas P. Greene, Kazumasa Ohno, Matthew M. Murphy, Vivien Parmentier, Michael R. Line, Luis Welbanks, Lindsey S. Wiser and Marcia J. Rieke","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adba46","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adba46","url":null,"abstract":"GJ 436b is the archetype warm Neptune exoplanet. The planet’s thermal emission spectrum was previously observed via intensive secondary eclipse campaigns with Spitzer. The atmosphere has long been interpreted to be extremely metal-rich, out of chemical equilibrium, and potentially tidally heated. We present the first panchromatic emission spectrum of GJ 436b observed with JWST’s NIRCAM (F322W2 and F444W) and MIRI (LRS) instruments between 2.4 and 11.9 μm. Surprisingly, the JWST spectrum appears significantly fainter around 3.6 μm than that implied by Spitzer photometry. The molecular absorption features in the spectrum are relatively weak, and we only find tentative evidence of CO2 absorption at 2σ. Under the assumption of a dayside blackbody, we find Tday = 662.8 ± 5.0 K, which is similar to the zero Bond albedo equilibrium temperature. We use it to obtain a 3σ upper limit on the Bond albedo of AB ≤ 0.66. To understand the spectrum, we employ 1D radiative–convective models but find that atmospheric constraints depend strongly on model assumptions. If thermochemical equilibrium is assumed, we find a cloudy metal-enriched atmosphere (metallicity ≥300× solar). We employ 1D photochemical modeling to show that the observed spectrum is also consistent with a cloud-free, relatively lower metallicity atmosphere (metallicity ≥80× solar) with a cold internal temperature (Tint ∼ 60 K). These are much lower metallicities and internal temperatures than inferences from Spitzer photometry. The low Tday and nondetection of transmission features at high spectral resolution do suggest a role for cloud opacity, but this is not definitive.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"103 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143695525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jin-Long Xu, Ming Zhu, Nai-Ping Yu, Chuan-Peng Zhang, Xiao-Lan Liu, Mei Ai and Peng Jiang
{"title":"FAST Discovery of a Gas-rich and Ultrafaint Dwarf Galaxy: KK153","authors":"Jin-Long Xu, Ming Zhu, Nai-Ping Yu, Chuan-Peng Zhang, Xiao-Lan Liu, Mei Ai and Peng Jiang","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adbe7e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbe7e","url":null,"abstract":"Based on a high-sensitivity H i survey using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, we identified an isolated H i cloud with a system velocity of ∼127.0 km s−1, which is associated with an optical galaxy KK153 in space. The H i gas of KK153 shows a typical disk-galaxy structure. Using the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation, we obtained that the distance to KK153 is 2.0 Mpc. Adopting this distance, we derived a stellar mass of 4.1 M⊙ and a neutral gas fraction of 0.63, implying that KK153 is a gas-rich ultrafaint dwarf galaxy in the Local Group or its outskirts. KK153 shows a cool (∼200 K) and warm (∼7400 K) two-phase neutral medium. The g − r color distribution of KK153 suggests that new stars are mostly forming in its inner disk. The dynamical mass of KK153 is 6.9 M⊙, which is about 60 times larger than its baryonic matter. Detection of such a low-mass and gas-rich halo poses a challenge to the theory of cosmic reionization.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"9 22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143695523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Akash Gupta, Lars Stixrude and Hilke E. Schlichting
{"title":"The Miscibility of Hydrogen and Water in Planetary Atmospheres and Interiors","authors":"Akash Gupta, Lars Stixrude and Hilke E. Schlichting","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adb631","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb631","url":null,"abstract":"Many planets in the solar system and across the Galaxy have hydrogen-rich atmospheres overlying more heavy element-rich interiors with which they interact for billions of years. Atmosphere–interior interactions are thus crucial to understanding the formation and evolution of these bodies. However, this understanding is still lacking in part because the relevant pressure–temperature conditions are extreme. We conduct molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory to investigate how hydrogen and water interact over a wide range of pressure and temperature, encompassing the interiors of Neptune-sized and smaller planets. We determine the critical curve at which a single homogeneous phase exsolves into two separate hydrogen-rich and water-rich phases, finding good agreement with existing experimental data. We find that the temperature along the critical curve increases with increasing pressure and shows the influence of a change in fluid structure from molecular to atomic near 30 GPa and 3000 K, which may impact magnetic field generation. The internal temperatures of many exoplanets, including TOI-270 d and K2-18 b, may lie entirely above the critical curve: the envelope is expected to consist of a single homogeneous hydrogen–water fluid, which is much less susceptible to atmospheric loss as compared with a pure hydrogen envelope. As planets cool, they cross the critical curve, leading to rainout of water-rich fluid and an increase in internal luminosity. Compositions of the resulting outer, hydrogen-rich and inner, water-rich envelopes depend on age and instellation and are governed by thermodynamics. Rainout of water may be occurring in Uranus and Neptune at present.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143677595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhen Cao, F. Aharonian, Y. X. Bai, Y. W. Bao, D. Bastieri, X. J. Bi, Y. J. Bi, W. Bian, A. V. Bukevich, C. M. Cai, W. Y. Cao, Zhe Cao, J. Chang, J. F. Chang, A. M. Chen, E. S. Chen, H. X. 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, Y. Chen, N. Cheng, Y. D. Cheng, M. C. Chu, 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, 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, C. D. 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, X. L. Guo, Y. Q. Guo, Y. Y. Guo, Y. A. Han, O. A. Hannuksela, M. Hasan, H. H. He, H. N. He, J. Y. He, X. Y. He, Y. He, S. Hern ndez-Cadena, Y. K. Hor, B. W. Hou, C. Hou, X. Hou, H. B. Hu, S. C. Hu, C. Huang, D. H. Hua..
{"title":"Broadband γ-Ray Spectrum of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A","authors":"Zhen Cao, F. Aharonian, Y. X. Bai, Y. W. Bao, D. Bastieri, X. J. Bi, Y. J. Bi, W. Bian, A. V. Bukevich, C. M. Cai, W. Y. Cao, Zhe Cao, J. Chang, J. F. Chang, A. M. Chen, E. S. Chen, H. X. 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, Y. Chen, N. Cheng, Y. D. Cheng, M. C. Chu, 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, 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, C. D. 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, X. L. Guo, Y. Q. Guo, Y. Y. Guo, Y. A. Han, O. A. Hannuksela, M. Hasan, H. H. He, H. N. He, J. Y. He, X. Y. He, Y. He, S. Hern ndez-Cadena, Y. K. Hor, B. W. Hou, C. Hou, X. Hou, H. B. Hu, S. C. Hu, C. Huang, D. H. Hua..","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adb97c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb97c","url":null,"abstract":"The core-collapse supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is one of the brightest galactic radio sources with an angular radius of . Although no extension of this source has been detected in the γ-ray band, using more than 1000 days of LHAASO data above ∼0.8 TeV, we find that its spectrum is significantly softer than those obtained with Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), and its flux near ∼1 TeV is about 2 times higher. In combination with analyses of more than 16 yr of Fermi-LAT data covering 0.1 GeV–1 TeV, we find that the spectrum above 30 GeV deviates significantly from a single power law and is best described by a smoothly broken power law with a spectral index of 1.90 ± 0.15stat (3.41 ± 0.19stat) below (above) a break energy of 0.63 ± 0.21stat TeV. Given differences in the angular resolution of LHAASO-WCDA and IACTs, TeV γ-ray emission detected with LHAASO may have a significant contribution from regions surrounding the SNR illuminated by particles accelerated earlier, which, however, are treated as background by IACTs. Detailed modeling can be used to constrain the acceleration processes of TeV particles in the early stage of SNR evolution.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143666017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yanqin Wu, Sam Hadden, Janosz Dewberry, Kareem El-Badry and Christopher D. Matzner
{"title":"Eccentricities of Close Stellar Binaries","authors":"Yanqin Wu, Sam Hadden, Janosz Dewberry, Kareem El-Badry and Christopher D. Matzner","doi":"10.3847/2041-8213/adb751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb751","url":null,"abstract":"Orbits of stellar binaries are in general eccentric. These eccentricities encode information about their early lives. Here, we use thousands of main-sequence binaries from the Gaia DR3 catalog to reveal that binaries inward of a few astronomical units exhibit a simple Rayleigh distribution with a mode of σe ≃ 0.3. We find the same distribution for binaries from M to A spectral types, and from tens of days to thousands of days (possibly extending to tens of astronomical units). This observed distribution is most likely primordial and its invariance suggests a single universal process. One possibility is eccentricity excitation by circumbinary disks. Another, as is suggested by the Rayleigh form, is weak scattering and ejection of brown-dwarf objects. We explore this latter scenario and find that the binary eccentricities reach an equipartition value of . So to explain the observed mode, the brown dwarfs will have to be of order one-tenth the stellar masses, and be at least as abundant in the Galaxy as in the close binaries. The veracity of both proposals remains to be tested.","PeriodicalId":501814,"journal":{"name":"The Astrophysical Journal Letters","volume":"1086 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143666016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}