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Research involving Lowell Observatory staff 2025
(Articles and chapters)

This is a work ever in progress.

(Pulled from ADS* by sel on 2025-05-18)

*We are grateful for all the effort that went into making The SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) possible. The ADS is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AC86A and can be found at: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/

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Years: 2025 Bottom

    2025

  1. Archer, H., Hunter, D., Elmegreen, B., Hunt, L., O'Brien, R., Brinks, E., Cigan, P., Rubio, M., Windhorst, R., Jansen, R., Mathews, E., 2025, AJ, 169, 301, Stellar Populations and Molecular Gas Composition in the Low-metallicity Environment of WLM
    We investigate the stellar populations and molecular gas properties of a star-forming region within the dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxy WolfLundmarkMellote (WLM). Low-metallicity dIrrs like WLM offer a valuable window into star formation in environments that are unlike those of larger, metal-rich galaxies such as the Milky Way. In these conditions, carbon monoxide (CO), typically used to trace molecular clouds, is more easily photodissociated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, leading to a larger fraction of CO-dark molecular gas, where H2 exists without detectable CO emission, or CO-dark gas in the form of cold H I. Understanding the molecular gas content and the stellar populations in these star-forming regions provides important information about the role of CO-bright and CO-dark gas in forming stars. Using Hubble Space Telescope imaging across five Wide Field Camera 3 UVIS bands and CO observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, we examine stellar populations within and outside CO cores and the photodissociation region. Our findings indicate similar physical characteristics such as age and mass across the different environments. Assuming 2% of molecular gas is converted to stars, we estimate the molecular gas content and determine that CO-dark gas constitutes a large fraction of the molecular reservoir in WLM. These results are consistent with molecular gas estimates using a previous dust-derived CO-to-H2 conversion factor (CO) for WLM. These findings highlight the critical role of CO-dark gas in low-metallicity star formation.
  2. Bernardinelli, P., Bernstein, G., Abbott, T., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Davis, T., De Vicente, J., Desai, S., Diehl, H., Doel, P., Everett, S., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gaztanaga, E., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Herner, K., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Plazas Malagon, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Santiago, B., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Tarle, G., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., DES Collaboration, 2025, AJ, 169, 305, Photometry of Outer Solar System Objects from the Dark Energy Survey. II. A Joint Analysis of Trans-Neptunian Absolute Magnitudes, Colors, Light Curves and Dynamics
    For the 696 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with absolute magnitudes 5.5 < Hr < 8.2 detected in the Dark Energy Survey, we characterize the relationships between their dynamical state and physical propertiesnamely Hr, indicating size; colors, indicating surface composition; and flux variation semiamplitude A, indicating asphericity and surface inhomogeneity. We seek "birth" physical distributions that can recreate these parameters in every dynamical class. We show that the observed colors of these TNOs are consistent with two Gaussian distributions in griz space, "near-infrared bright" (NIRB) and "near-infrared faint" (NIRF), presumably an inner and outer birth population, respectively. We find a model in which both the NIRB and NIRF Hr and A distributions are independent of current dynamical states, supporting their assignment as birth populations. All objects are consistent with a common rolling p(Hr), but NIRF objects are significantly more variable. Cold classicals (CCs) are purely NIRF, while hot classical (HC), scattered, and detached TNOs are consistent with 70% NIRB and the resonance NIRB fractions show significant variation. The NIRB components of the HCs and of some resonances have broader inclination distributions than the NIRFs, i.e. their current dynamics retains information about birth location. We find evidence for radial stratification within the birth NIRB population, in that HC NIRBs are on average redder than detached or scattered NIRBs; a similar effect distinguishes CCs from other NIRFs. We estimate total object counts and masses of each class within our Hr range. These results will strongly constrain models of the outer solar system.
  3. Slyusarev, I., Shevchenko, V., Belskaya, I., Krugly, Y., Chiorny, V., Mikhalchenko, O., Inasaridze, R., Ayvaczian, V., Zhuzhunadze, V., Reva, I., Omarov, C., Kwiatkowski, T., Oszkiewicz, D., Troianskyi, V., Skiff, B., Maryeva, O., Karpov, S., Donchev, Z., 2025, P&SS, 260, 106103, Opposition effect of M-type asteroids
    We present results of the observational program dedicated to search for possible diversity in opposition effect behavior of M-type asteroids. New photometric BVR observations were obtained for 10 asteroids, (325) Heidelberga, (382) Dodona, (558) Carmen, (639) Latona, (758) Mancunia, (789) Lena, (1046) Edwin, (1352) Wawel, (2582) Harimaya-Bashi, and (5615) Iskander. Five of these asteroids have diameters in the range from 5 to 40 km. For all of observed asteroids, we obtained lightcurves and magnitude-phase curves in a wide range of phase angles. We determined values of rotation periods and absolute magnitudes of these asteroids. With our new data, we doubled the number of M-type asteroids with measured opposition effect and for the first time observed opposition effect of M-type asteroids less than 40 km in diameter. We found that three asteroids, (558) Carmen, (789) Lena and (5615) Iskander, exhibit lower values of opposition effect compared to other measured M- and S-type asteroids but the slope of the linear part of the phase curve is typical for moderate-albedo surfaces. A possible explanation of their lower opposition effect is an assumption of a higher metal content on their surfaces as compared to other asteroids.
  4. Yang, Y., Lewis, G., Erkal, D., Li, T., Li, A., Martell, S., Cullinane, L., Limberg, G., Zucker, D., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Pace, A., Da Costa, G., Ji, A., Koposov, S., Kuehn, K., Shipp, N., Pearson, M., Usman, S., S, 2025, ApJ, 984, 189, Flipping of the Tidal Tails of the Ophiuchus Stream due to the Decelerating Galactic Bar
    The Ophiuchus stellar stream presents a puzzle due to its complicated morphology, with a substructure perpendicular to the main track (spur), a broadened tail (fanning), and a shorter than expected angular extent given its old stellar population and short orbital period. The location of the stream approaches the Galactic center, implying a possible connection between its orbit and its unusual morphology. Here we demonstrate that the morphology of Ophiuchus can be attributed to its interaction with the decelerating Galactic bar, which leads to the flipping or transposition of its tidal tails. The short length of the stream is the result of stars stripped in the ancient past still remaining concentrated, and the spur, as well as the fanning, are composed of either leading or trailing tails built up of stars released at different time intervals. Our new spectroscopic data, obtained as part of the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey, and modeling of Ophiuchus indicate that, in the presence of the bar, an initial leading tail can be redistributed to the trailing side and vice versa, and the morphology of a stream can be reshaped. This result confirms that the Galactic bar plays a vital role in reconstructing the orbital behavior of streams passing close to the central region of the Milky Way.
  5. Kao, M., Pineda, J., 2025, MNRAS, 539, 2292, Binarity enhances the occurrence rate of radiation belt emissions in ultracool dwarfs
    Despite a burgeoning set of ultracool dwarf (M7) radio detections, their radio emissions remain enigmatic. Open questions include the plasma source and acceleration mechanisms for the non-auroral 'quiescent' component of these objects' radio emissions, which can trace Jovian synchrotron radiation belt analogues. Ultracool dwarf binary systems can provide test beds for examining the underlying physics for these plasma processes. We extend a recently developed occurrence rate calculation framework to compare the quiescent radio occurrence rate of binary systems to single objects. This generalized and semi-analytical framework can be applied to any set of astrophysical objects conceptualized as unresolved binary systems with approximately steady-state emission or absorption. We combine data available in the literature to create samples of 179 single ultracool dwarfs (82 M dwarfs, 74 L dwarfs, and 23 T/Y dwarfs) and 25 binary ultracool dwarf systems. Using these samples, we show that quiescent radio emissions occur in $47^{+12}_{-12}$$60^{+12}_{-13}$ per cent of binaries where both components are ultracool dwarfs, depending on priors. We also show that binarity enhances the ultracool dwarf quiescent radio occurrence rate relative to their single counterparts. Finally, we discuss potential implications for the underlying drivers of ultracool dwarf quiescent radio emissions, including possible plasma sources.
  6. Hon, M., Rappaport, S., Shporer, A., Vanderburg, A., Collins, K., Watkins, C., Schwarz, R., Barkaoui, K., Yee, S., Winn, J., Polanski, A., Gilbert, E., Ciardi, D., Audenaert, J., Fong, W., Haviland, J., Hesse, K., Muthukrishna, D., Petitpas, G., Hadjiyska Schmelzer, E., Narita, N., Fukui, A., Seager, S., Ricker, G., 2025, ApJL, 984, L3, A Disintegrating Rocky Planet with Prominent Comet-like Tails around a Bright Star
    We report the discovery of BD+05 4868 Ab, a transiting exoplanet orbiting a bright (V = 10.16) K-dwarf (TIC 466376085) with a period of 1.27 days. Observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite reveal variable transit depths and asymmetric transit profiles that are characteristic of comet-like tails formed by dusty effluents emanating from a disintegrating planet. Unique to BD+05 4868 Ab is the presence of prominent dust tails in both the trailing and leading directions that contribute to the extinction of starlight from the host star. By fitting the observed transit profile and analytically modeling the drift of dust grains within both dust tails, we infer large grain sizes (110 m) and a mass-loss rate of 10 M Gyr1, suggestive of a lunar-mass object with a disintegration timescale of only several Myr. The host star is probably older than the Sun and is accompanied by an M-dwarf companion at a projected physical separation of 130 au. The brightness of the host star, combined with the planet's relatively deep transits (0.8%2.0%), presents BD+05 4868 Ab as a prime target for compositional studies of rocky exoplanets and investigations into the nature of catastrophically evaporating planets.
  7. Mazoun, A., Bocquet, S., Mohr, J., Garny, M., Rubira, H., Klein, M., Bleem, L., Grandis, S., Schrabback, T., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Allen, S., Alves, O., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carrasco Kind, M., Carretero, J., Costanzi, M., da Costa, L., Davis, T., Desai, S., De Vicente, J., Diehl, H., Dodelson, S., Doel, P., Everett, S., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gassis, R., Giannini, G., Grun, D., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Lima, M., Mahler, G., Marshall, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Ogando, R., Pereira, M., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Porredon, A., Reichardt, C., Romer, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Schubnell, M., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tamosiunas, A., Tarle, G., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Weaverdyck, N., Weller, J., Wiseman, P., (SPT, DES Collaborations), 2025, PhRvD, 111, 083543, Interacting dark sector within ETHOS: Cosmological constraints from SPT cluster abundance with DES and HST weak lensing data
    We use galaxy cluster abundance measurements from the South Pole Telescope enhanced by multicomponent matched filter confirmation and complemented with mass information obtained using weak-lensing data from Dark Energy Survey Year 3 (DES Y3) and targeted Hubble Space Telescope observations for probing deviations from the cold dark matter paradigm. Concretely, we consider a class of dark sector models featuring interactions between dark matter (DM) and a dark radiation (DR) component within the framework of the effective theory of structure formation (ETHOS). We focus on scenarios that lead to power suppression over a wide range of scales, and thus can be tested with data sensitive to large scales, as realized, for example, for DMDR interactions following from an unbroken non-Abelian SU(N) gauge theory (interaction rate with power-law index n=0 within the ETHOS parametrization). Cluster abundance measurements are mostly sensitive to the amount of DR interacting with DM, parametrized by the ratio of DR temperature to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature, DR=TDR/TCMB. We find an upper limit DR<17% at 95% credibility. When the cluster data are combined with Planck 2018 CMB data along with baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements we find DR<10%, corresponding to a limit on the abundance of interacting DR that is around 3 times tighter than that from CMB + BAO data alone. We also discuss the complementarity of weak lensing informed cluster abundance studies with probes sensitive to smaller scales, explore the impact on our analysis of massive neutrinos, and comment on a slight preference for the presence of a nonzero interacting DR abundance, which enables a physical solution to the S8 tension.
  8. Ferreira, F., Camargo, J., Boufleur, R., Banda-Huarca, M., Pieres, A., Peixoto, V., Assafin, M., Bernardinelli, P., Lin, H., Braga-Ribas, F., Gomes-Junior, A., Vieira-Martins, R., da Costa, L., Abbott, T., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Annis, J., Bacon, D., Brooks, D., Burke, D., Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Desai, S., Doel, P., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Herner, K., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lee, S., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Palmese, A., Malagon, A., Pereira, M., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Servila-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Tucker, D., de Vicente, J., Vikram, V., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., 2025, MNRAS, Year six photometric measurements of known Trans-Neptunian Objects and Centaurs by the Dark Energy Survey
    We identified known Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) and Centaurs in the complete Dark Energy Survey (DES) year six catalog (DES Y6) through the Sky Body Tracker (SkyBoT) tool. We classified our dataset of 144 objects into a widely used 4-class taxonomic system of TNOs. No such previous classification was available in the literature for most of these objects. From absolute magnitudes and average albedos, an estimation of the diameters of all these objects is obtained. Correlations involving colours, orbital parameters, dynamical classes and sizes are also discussed. In particular, our largest reddest object has a diameter of $390^{+68}_{-53}$ km and our largest cold classical, $255^{+19}_{-17}$ km. Also, a weak correlation between colour and inclination is found within the population of resonant TNOs in addition to weak correlations between colour and phase slope in different bands.
  9. Lee, R., Dai, F., Howard, A., Halverson, S., Gomez Barrientos, J., Greklek-McKeon, M., Knutson, H., Fulton, B., Stefansson, G., Lubin, J., Isaacson, H., Brinkman, C., Saunders, N., Hey, D., Huber, D., Weiss, L., Rogers, L., Valencia, D., Plotnykov, M., Paragas, K., Hu, R., Han, T., Petigura, E., Rubenzahl, R., Ciardi, D., Householder, A., Gilbert, G., Ong, J., Zhang, J., Luhn, J., Handley, L., Beard, C., Giacalone, S., Holcomb, R., Van Zandt, J., Baker, A., Brodheim, M., Brown, M., Charbonneau, D., Collins, K., Crossfield, I., Deich, W., Dumusque, X., Gibson, S., Gilbert, E., Hill, G., Holden, B., Jenkins, J., Kaye, S., Laher, R., Lanclos, K., Levine, W., Payne, J., Polanski, A., O'Meara, J., Ricker, G., Rider, K., Robertson, P., Roy, A., Schlieder, J., Schwab, C., Seager, S., Shaum, A., Sirk, M., Striegel, S., Teske, J., Valliant, J., Vanderspek, R., Vasisht, G., Walawender, J., Wang, S., Winn, J., Wishnow, E., Yeh, S., 2025, ApJL, 983, L36, TOI-6324 b: An Earth-mass Ultra-short-period Planet Transiting a Nearby M Dwarf
    We report the confirmation of TOI-6324 b, an Earth-sized (1.059 0.041 R) ultra-short-period (USP) planet orbiting a nearby (20 pc) M dwarf. Using the newly commissioned Keck Planet Finder spectrograph, we have measured the mass of TOI-6324 b 1.17 0.22 M. Because of its extremely short orbit of just 6.7 hr, TOI-6324 b is intensely irradiated by its M dwarf host and is expected to be stripped of any thick H/He envelope. We were able to constrain its interior composition and found an iron-core mass fraction (CMF = 27% 37%) consistent with that of Earth (33%) and other confirmed USPs. TOI-6324 b is the closest to an Earth-sized USP confirmed to date. TOI-6324 b is a promising target for JWST phase-curve and secondary eclipse observations (emission spectroscopy metric = 25), which may reveal its surface mineralogy, daynight temperature contrast, and possible tidal deformation. From seven sectors of TESS data, we report a tentative detection of the optical phase-curve variation with an amplitude of 42 28 ppm.
  10. Lokken, M., van Engelen, A., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Anbajagane, D., Bacon, D., Baxter, E., Blazek, J., Bocquet, S., Bond, J., Brooks, D., Calabrese, E., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Costanzi, M., da Costa, L., Coulton, W., De Vicente, J., Desai, S., Doel, P., Doux, C., Duivenvoorden, A., Dunkley, J., Huang, Z., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gluscevic, V., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Guan, Y., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hlozek, R., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Li, Z., Madhavacheril, M., Marques, G., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Menanteau, F., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Niemack, M., Pandey, S., Pereira, M., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Porredon, A., Rodriguez-Monroy, M., Roodman, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Santiago, B., Schubnell, M., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Sifon, C., Smith, M., Staggs, S., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Weaverdyck, N., Wiseman, P., Wollack, E., 2025, ApJ, 982, 186, Superclustering with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Dark Energy Survey. II. Anisotropic Large-scale Coherence in Hot Gas, Galaxies, and Dark Matter
    Statistics that capture the directional dependence of the baryon distribution in the cosmic web enable unique tests of cosmology and astrophysical feedback. We use constrained oriented stacking of thermal SunyaevZel'dovich (tSZ) maps to measure the anisotropic distribution of hot gas 2.540 Mpc away from galaxy clusters embedded in massive filaments and superclusters. The cluster selection and orientation (at a scale of 15 Mpc) use Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data, while expanded tSZ maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Data Release 6 enable a 3 more significant measurement of the extended gas compared to the technique's proof-of-concept. Decomposing stacks into cosine multipoles of order m, we detect a dipole (m = 1) and quadrupole (m = 2) at 810, as well as evidence for m = 4 signal at up to 6, indicating sensitivity to late-time non-Gaussianity. We compare to Cardinal simulations with spherical gas models pasted onto dark matter halos. The fiducial tSZ data can discriminate between two models that deplete pressure differently in low-mass halos (mimicking astrophysical feedback), preferring higher average pressure in extended structures. However, uncertainty in the amount of cosmic infrared background contamination reduces the constraining power. Additionally, we apply the technique to DES galaxy density and weak lensing to study for the first time their oriented relationships with tSZ. In the tSZ-to-lensing relation, averaged on 7.5 Mpc (transverse) scales, we observe dependence on redshift but not shape or radial distance. Thus, on large scales, the superclustering of gas pressure, galaxies, and total matter is coherent in shape and extent.
  11. Dixon, M., Mould, J., Lidman, C., Taylor, E., Flynn, C., Duffy, A., Galbany, L., Scolnic, D., Davis, T., Moller, A., Kelsey, L., Lee, J., Wiseman, P., Vincenzi, M., Shah, P., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Bacon, D., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Burke, D., Rosell, A., Carollo, D., Carretero, J., Conselice, C., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Diehl, H., Doel, P., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Herner, K., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lima, M., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Menanteau, F., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Nichol, R., Ogando, R., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Malagon, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Sobreira, F., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Tucker, B., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., 2025, MNRAS, 538, 782, Calibrating the absolute magnitude of type Ia supernovae in nearby galaxies using [O II] and implications for H0
    The present state of cosmology is facing a crisis where there is a fundamental disagreement in measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_{0}$), with significant tension between the early and late Universe methods. Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are important to measuring $H_{0}$ through the astronomical distance ladder. However, there remains potential to better standardize SN Ia light curves by using known dependencies on host galaxy properties after the standard light curve width and colour corrections have been applied to the peak SN Ia luminosities. To explore this, we use the 5-yr photometrically identified SNe Ia sample obtained by the Dark Energy Survey, along with host galaxy spectra obtained by the Australian Dark Energy Survey. Using host galaxy spectroscopy, we find a significant trend with the equivalent width (EW) of the [O II] $\lambda \lambda$ 3727, 29 doublet, a proxy for specific star formation rate, and Hubble residuals. We find that the correlation with [O II] EW is a powerful alternative to the commonly used mass step after initial light-curve corrections. Applying this [O II] EW correction to 20 SNe Ia in calibrator galaxies observed with WiFeS, we examined the impact on SN Ia absolute magnitudes and $H_{0}$. Our [O II] EW corrections result in $H_{0}$ values ranging between 73.04 and 73.51 $\mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, Mpc^{-1}}$, with a combined statistical and systematic uncertainty of $\sim 1.31 \, \mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, Mpc^{-1}}$. However, even with this additional correction, the impact of host galaxy properties in standardizing SNe Ia appears limited in reducing the current tension ($\sim 5\sigma$) with the cosmic microwave background result for $H_{0}$.
  12. Golden-Marx, J., Zhang, Y., Ogando, R., Yanny, B., da Silva Pereira, M., Hilton, M., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Bacon, D., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Cheng, T., da Costa, L., De Vicente, J., Desai, S., Doel, P., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lee, S., Mena-Fernandez, J., Menanteau, F., Miquel, R., Mohr, J., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Schubnell, M., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Tarle, G., Vikram, V., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., Wiseman, P., 2025, MNRAS, 538, 622, The hierarchical growth of bright central galaxies and intracluster light as traced by the magnitude gap
    Using a sample of 2800 galaxy clusters identified in the Dark Energy Survey across the redshift range $0.20 \lt z \lt 0.60$, we characterize the hierarchical assembly of bright central galaxies (BCGs) and the surrounding intracluster light (ICL). To quantify hierarchical formation we use the stellar mass-halo mass (SMHM) relation, comparing the halo mass, estimated via the mass-richness relation, to the stellar mass within the BCG + ICL system. Moreover, we incorporate the magnitude gap (M14), the difference in brightness between the BCG (measured within 30 kpc) and fourth brightest cluster member galaxy within 0.5 $R_{200,c}$, as a third parameter in this linear relation. The inclusion of M14, which traces BCG hierarchical growth, increases the slope and decreases the intrinsic scatter, highlighting that it is a latent variable within the BCG + ICL SMHM relation. Moreover, the correlation with M14 decreases at large radii. However, the stellar light within the BCG + ICL transition region (30 -80 kpc) most strongly correlates with halo mass and has a statistically significant correlation with M14. Since the transition region and M14 are independent measurements, the transition region may grow due to the BCG's hierarchical formation. Additionally, as M14 and ICL result from hierarchical growth, we use a stacked sample and find that clusters with large M14 values are characterized by larger ICL and BCG + ICL fractions, which illustrates that the merger processes that build the BCG stellar mass also grow the ICL. Furthermore, this may suggest that M14 combined with the ICL fraction can identify dynamically relaxed clusters.
  13. Lilly, E., Schambeau, C., Thirouin, A., Jevcak, P., Weryk, R., Wainscoat, R., 2025, RNAAS, 9, 67, Observations and Characterization of the New Active Centaur 2023 RS61
    We report the cometary activity of the Centaur 2023 RS61 (RS61) evident in our UT 2025 January 2 observations with the Lowell Discovery Telescope, showing a coma and a 5 9-long tail. The archival observations from the Pan-STARRS1 survey reveal two previously unnoticed activity episodes in 2017 and 2023, suggesting SR61 could be a rare outbursting Centaur similar to 174P/Echeclus. The outburst on UT 2017 October 10 at rH = 13.5 au makes RS61 the second-most distant active Centaur after 95P/Chiron. We estimate a nucleus size between 4.7 km rn 7.0 km, assuming typical Centaur geometric albedos, an upper-limit Af 245 cm and dust production rate kg s1. As RS61 approaches the perihelion in 2028 its activity will likely increase, making this object an exciting observing target.
  14. Bocquet, S., Grandis, S., Krause, E., To, C., Bleem, L., Klein, M., Mohr, J., Schrabback, T., Alarcon, A., Alves, O., Amon, A., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Baxter, E., Bechtol, K., Becker, M., Bernstein, G., Blazek, J., Camacho, H., Campos, A., Carnero Rosell, A., Carrasco Kind, M., Cawthon, R., Chang, C., Chen, R., Choi, A., Cordero, J., Crocce, M., Davis, C., DeRose, J., Diehl, H., Dodelson, S., Doux, C., Drlica-Wagner, A., Eckert, K., Eifler, T., Elsner, F., Elvin-Poole, J., Everett, S., Fang, X., Ferte, A., Fosalba, P., Friedrich, O., Frieman, J., Gatti, M., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Harrison, I., Hartley, W., Herner, K., Huang, H., Huff, E., Huterer, D., Jarvis, M., Kuropatkin, N., Leget, P., Lemos, P., Liddle, A., MacCrann, N., McCullough, J., Muir, J., Myles, J., Navarro-Alsina, A., Pandey, S., Park, Y., Porredon, A., Prat, J., Raveri, M., Rollins, R., Roodman, A., Rosenfeld, R., Rykoff, E., Sanchez, C., Sanchez, J., Secco, L., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Sheldon, E., Shin, T., Troxel, M., Tutusaus, I., Varga, T., Weaverdyck, N., Wechsler, R., Wu, H., Yanny, B., Yin, B., Zhang, Y., Zuntz, J., Abbott, T., Ade, P., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Allen, S., Anderson, A., Ansarinejad, B., Austermann, J., Bayliss, M., Beall, J., Bender, A., Benson, B., Bianchini, F., Brodwin, M., Brooks, D., Bryant, L., Burke, D., Canning, R., Carlstrom, J., Carretero, J., Castander, F., Chang, C., Chaubal, P., Chiang, H., Chou, T., Citron, R., Corbett Moran, C., Costanzi, M., Crawford, T., Crites, A., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Davis, T., de Haan, T., Dobbs, M., Doel, P., Everett, W., Farahi, A., Flaugher, B., Flores, A., Floyd, B., Gallicchio, J., Gaztanaga, E., George, E., Gladders, M., Gupta, N., Gutierrez, G., Halverson, N., Hinton, S., Hlavacek-Larrondo, J., Holder, G., Hollowood, D., Holzapfel, W., Hrubes, J., Huang, N., Hubmayr, J., Irwin, K., James, D., Keruzore, F., Khullar, G., Kim, K., Knox, L., Kraft, R., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, A., Lee, S., Li, D., Lidman, C., Lima, M., Lowitz, A., Mahler, G., Mantz, A., Marshall, J., McDonald, M., McMahon, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Meyer, S., Miquel, R., Montgomery, J., Natoli, T., Nibarger, J., Noble, G., Novosad, V., Ogando, R., Padin, S., Paschos, P., Patil, S., Plazas Malagon, A., Pryke, C., Reichardt, C., Roberson, J., Romer, A., Romero, C., Ruhl, J., Saliwanchik, B., Salvati, L., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Santiago, B., Sarkar, A., Saro, A., Schaffer, K., Sharon, K., Sievers, C., Smecher, G., Smith, M., Somboonpanyakul, T., Sommer, M., Stalder, B., Stark, A., Stephen, J., Strazzullo, V., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., Thomas, D., Tucker, C., Tucker, D., Veach, T., Vieira, J., von der Linden, A., Wang, G., Whitehorn, N., Wu, W., Yefremenko, V., Young, M., Zebrowski, J., Zohren, H., (DES, SPT Collaborations), 2025, PhRvD, 111, 063533, Multiprobe cosmology from the abundance of SPT clusters and DES galaxy clustering and weak lensing
    Cosmic shear, galaxy clustering, and the abundance of massive halos each probe the large-scale structure of the Universe in complementary ways. We present cosmological constraints from the joint analysis of the three probes, building on the latest analyses of the lensing-informed abundance of clusters identified by the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and of the auto- and cross-correlation of galaxy position and weak lensing measurements (32pt) in the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We consider the cosmological correlation between the different tracers and we account for the systematic uncertainties that are shared between the large-scale lensing correlation functions and the small-scale lensing-based cluster mass calibration. Marginalized over the remaining cold dark matter (CDM) parameters (including the sum of neutrino masses) and 52 astrophysical modeling parameters, we measure m=0.3000.017 and 8=0.7970.026. Compared to constraints from Planck primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies, our constraints are only 15% wider with a probability to exceed of 0.22 (1.2) for the two-parameter difference. We further obtain S88(m/0.3)0.5=0.7960.013 which is lower than the Planck measurement at the 1.6 level. The combined SPT cluster, DES 32pt, and Planck datasets mildly prefer a nonzero positive neutrino mass, with a 95% upper limit m<0.25 eV on the sum of neutrino masses. Assuming a wCDM model, we constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter w=-1.15-0.17+0.23 and when combining with Planck primary CMB anisotropies, we recover w=-1.20-0.09+0.15, a 1.7 difference with a cosmological constant. The precision of our results highlights the benefits of multiwavelength multiprobe cosmology and our analysis paves the way for upcoming joint analyses of next-generation datasets.
  15. Brunetto, R., Henault, E., Cryan, S., Pinilla-Alonso, N., Emery, J., Guilbert-Lepoutre, A., Holler, B., McClure, L., Muller, T., Pendleton, Y., de Souza-Feliciano, A., Stansberry, J., Grundy, W., Peixinho, N., Strazzulla, G., Bannister, M., Cruikshank, D., Harvison, B., Licandro, J., Lorenzi, V., de Pra, M., Schambeau, C., 2025, ApJL, 982, L8, Spectral Diversity of DiSCo's TNOs Revealed by JWST: Early Sculpting and Late Irradiation
    The spectral diversity of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) is crucial for understanding the processes that led to the formation and evolution of planetesimals in the outer solar system. Using near-IR (NIR) spectra obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of the DiSCo-TNOs large program, we report the detection of well-clustered subgroups of TNOs. A first subgroup has strong NIR features with contributions from H2O, CO2, CO, CH3OH, and other organic molecules. The 2.27 m band area, commonly attributed to methanol, decreases with increasing eccentricity, which is compatible with a late destruction of CH3OH by cosmic ion irradiation at the edge of the heliosphere. The absence of the strongest CH3OH bands in the JWST spectra is compatible with an irradiation-induced surface stratification, with CH3OH abundance increasing with increasing depth. A second subgroup has much weaker NIR bands, and these cannot be explained by a late irradiation scenario. This group is further divided into two subgroups (cold classical TNOs and objects with low perihelion) that are spectrally very similar except for their CO2 band area. We propose two possible interpretations. In one scenario, the TNO subgroups sampled a similar molecular inventory in the protoplanetary disk, after which early surface processes, such as primordial sublimation or irradiation from the young Sun, sculpted the two groups before planetary migration occurred. In a second scenario, the subgroups formed in different locations of the disk where molecules were available in different abundances. A combination of both scenarios is also possible.
  16. Singh, A., Mohr, J., Davies, C., Bocquet, S., Grandis, S., Klein, M., Marshall, J., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Bacon, D., Bhargava, S., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Costanzi, M., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Desai, S., Diehl, H., Doel, P., Everett, S., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gaztanaga, E., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lima, M., Mena-Fernandez, J., Menanteau, F., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Pieres, A., Romer, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Weaverdyck, N., Wiseman, P., 2025, A&A, 695, A49, Galaxy cluster matter profiles: I. Self-similarity, mass calibration, and observable-mass relation validation employing cluster mass posteriors
    We present a study of the weak lensing inferred matter profiles (R) of 698 South Pole Telescope (SPT) thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZE) selected and MCMF optically confirmed galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.94 that have associated weak gravitational lensing shear profiles from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Rescaling these profiles to account for the mass dependent size and the redshift dependent density produces average rescaled matter profiles (R/R200c)/(critR200c) with a lower dispersion than the unscaled (R) versions, indicating a significant degree of self-similarity. Galaxy clusters from hydrodynamical simulations also exhibit matter profiles that suggest a high degree of self-similarity, with RMS variation among the average rescaled matter profiles with redshift and mass falling by a factor of approximately six and 23, respectively, compared to the unscaled average matter profiles. We employed this regularity in a new Bayesian method for weak lensing mass calibration that employs the so-called cluster mass posterior P(M200|, , z), which describes the individual cluster masses given their tSZE () and optical (, z) observables. This method enables simultaneous constraints on richness -mass and tSZE detection significance -mass relations using average rescaled cluster matter profiles. We validated the method using realistic mock datasets and present observable-mass relation constraints for the SPTDES sample, where we constrained the amplitude, mass trend, redshift trend, and intrinsic scatter. Our observable-mass relation results are in agreement with the mass calibration derived from the recent cosmological analysis of the SPTDES data based on a cluster-by-cluster lensing calibration. Our new mass calibration technique offers a higher efficiency when compared to the single cluster calibration technique. We present new validation tests of the observable-mass relation that indicate the underlying power-law form and scatter are adequate to describe the real cluster sample but that also suggest a redshift variation in the intrinsic scatter of the -mass relation may offer a better description. In addition, the average rescaled matter profiles offer high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) constraints on the shape of real cluster matter profiles, which are in good agreement with available hydrodynamical CDM simulations. This high S/N profile contains information about baryon feedback, the collisional nature of dark matter, and potential deviations from general relativity.
  17. Toy, M., Wiseman, P., Sullivan, M., Scolnic, D., Vincenzi, M., Brout, D., Davis, T., Frohmaier, C., Galbany, L., Lidman, C., Lee, J., Kelsey, L., Kessler, R., Moller, A., Popovic, B., Sanchez, B., Shah, P., Smith, M., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Bacon, D., Brooks, D., Burke, D., Rosell, A., Carretero, J., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Desai, S., Diehl, H., Doel, P., Drlica-Wagner, A., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Malagon, A., Romer, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Cid, D., Schubnell, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., 2025, MNRAS, 538, 181, Reduction of the type Ia supernova host galaxy step in the outer regions of galaxies
    Using 1533 type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from the 5-yr sample of the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we investigate the relationship between the projected galactocentric separation of the SNe and their host galaxies and their light curves and standardization. We show, for the first time, that the difference in SN Ia post-standardization brightnesses between high- and low-mass hosts reduces from $0.078\pm 0.011$ mag in the full sample to $0.036 \pm 0.018$ mag for SNe Ia located in the outer regions of their host galaxies, while increasing to $0.100 \pm 0.014$ mag for SNe in the inner regions. The difference in the size of the mass step between inner and outer regions is $0.064\pm 0.023$ mag. In these inner regions, the step can be reduced (but not removed) using a model where the $R_V$ of dust along the line of sight to the SN changes as a function of galaxy properties. We investigate the remaining difference using the distributions of the SN Ia stretch parameter to test the inferred age of SN progenitors. Comparing red (older) environments only, outer regions have a higher proportion of high-stretch SNe and a more homogeneous stretch distribution. However, this effect cannot explain the reduction in significance of any Hubble residual step in outer regions. We conclude that the standardized distances of SNe Ia located in the outer regions of galaxies are less affected by their global host galaxy properties than those in the inner regions.
  18. Nelsen, M., Ragozzine, D., Proudfoot, B., Giforos, W., Grundy, W., 2025, PSJ, 6, 53, Beyond Point Masses. IV. Trans-Neptunian Object Altjira Is Likely a Hierarchical Triple Discovered through Non-Keplerian Motion
    Dynamically studying trans-Neptunian object (TNO) binaries allows us to measure masses and orbits. Most of the known objects appear to have only two components, except (47171) Lempo, which is the single known hierarchical triple system with three similar-mass components. Though hundreds of TNOs have been imaged with high-resolution telescopes, no other hierarchical triples (or trinaries) have been found among solar system small bodies, even though they are predicted in planetesimal formation models such as gravitational collapse after the streaming instability. By going beyond the point-mass assumption and modeling TNO orbits as non-Keplerian, we open a new window into the shapes and spins of the components, including the possible presence of unresolved "inner" binaries. Here we present evidence for a new hierarchical triple, (148780) Altjira (2001 UQ18), based on non-Keplerian dynamical modeling of the two observed components. We incorporate two recent Hubble Space Telescope observations, leading to a 17 yr observational baseline. We present a new open-source Bayesian point-spread function fitting code called nPSF that provides precise relative astrometry and uncertainties for single images. Our non-Keplerian analysis measures a statistically significant (2.5) nonspherical shape for Altjira. The measured J 2 is best explained as an unresolved inner binary, and an example hierarchical triple model gives the best fit to the observed astrometry. Using an updated non-Keplerian ephemeris (which is significantly different from the Keplerian predictions), we show that the predicted mutual event season for Altjira has already begun, with several excellent opportunities for observations through 2030.
  19. Gatti, M., Campailla, G., Jeffrey, N., Whiteway, L., Porredon, A., Prat, J., Williamson, J., Raveri, M., Jain, B., Ajani, V., Giannini, G., Yamamoto, M., Zhou, C., Blazek, J., Anbajagane, D., Samuroff, S., Kacprzak, T., Alarcon, A., Amon, A., Bechtol, K., Becker, M., Bernstein, G., Campos, A., Chang, C., Chen, R., Choi, A., Davis, C., Derose, J., Diehl, H., Dodelson, S., Doux, C., Eckert, K., Elvin-Poole, J., Everett, S., Ferte, A., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Harrison, I., Hartley, W., Herner, K., Huff, E., Jarvis, M., Kuropatkin, N., Leget, P., MacCrann, N., McCullough, J., Myles, J., Navarro-Alsina, A., Pandey, S., Rollins, R., Roodman, A., Sanchez, C., Secco, L., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Sheldon, E., Shin, T., Troxel, M., Tutusaus, I., Varga, T., Yanny, B., Yin, B., Zhang, Y., Zuntz, J., Abbott, T., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Bacon, D., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., De Vicente, J., Ferrero, I., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gaztanaga, E., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Schubnell, M., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Tarle, G., Weaverdyck, N., Weller, J., Wiseman, P., (Dark Energy Survey), 2025, PhRvD, 111, 063504, Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Simulation-based cosmological inference with wavelet harmonics, scattering transforms, and moments of weak lensing mass maps. II. cosmological results
    We present a simulation-based cosmological analysis using a combination of Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics of the weak lensing mass (convergence) maps from the first three years of the Dark Energy Survey. We implement the following: (1) second and third moments; (2) wavelet phase harmonics; (3) the scattering transform. Our analysis is fully based on simulations, spans a space of seven w Cold Dark Matter (wCDM) cosmological parameters, and forward models the most relevant sources of systematics inherent in the data: masks, noise variations, clustering of the sources, intrinsic alignments, and shear and redshift calibration. We implement a neural network compression of the summary statistics, and we estimate the parameter posteriors using a simulation-based inference approach. Including and combining different non-Gaussian statistics is a powerful tool that strongly improves constraints over Gaussian statistics (in our case, the second moments); in particular, the figure of merit (S8,m) is improved by 70% (CDM) and 90% (wCDM). When all the summary statistics are combined, we achieve a 2% constraint on the amplitude of fluctuations parameter S88(m/0.3)0.5, obtaining S8=0.7940.017 (CDM) and S8=0.8170.021 (wCDM), and a 10% constraint on m, obtaining m=0.2590.025 (CDM) and m=0.2730.029 (wCDM). In the context of the wCDM scenario, these statistics also strengthen the constraints on the parameter w, obtaining w<-0.72. The constraints from different statistics are shown to be internally consistent (with a p-value>0.1 for all combinations of statistics examined). We compare our results to other weak lensing results from the first three years of the Dark Energy Survey data, finding good consistency; we also compare with results from external datasets, such as Planck constraints from the cosmic microwave background, finding statistical agreement, with discrepancies no greater than <2.2.
  20. Crossfield, I., Polanski, A., Robertson, P., Murphy, J., Turtelboom, E., Luque, R., Beatty, T., Daylan, T., Isaacson, H., Brande, J., Kreidberg, L., Batalha, N., Huber, D., Rhem, M., Dressing, C., Kane, S., Bossett, M., Gagnebin, A., Kroft, M., Premnath, P., Rogers, C., Collins, K., Latham, D., Watkins, C., Ciardi, D., Howell, S., Savel, A., Berlind, P., Calkins, M., Esquerdo, G., Mink, J., Clark, C., Lund, M., Matson, R., Everett, M., Schlieder, J., Matthews, E., Giacalone, S., Barclay, T., Zambelli, R., Plavchan, P., Ellingson, T., Bowen, M., Srdoc, G., McLeod, K., Schwarz, R., Barkaoui, K., Kamler, J., Murgas, F., Palle, E., Narita, N., Fukui, A., Relles, H., Bieryla, A., Girardin, E., Massey, B., Stockdale, C., Lewin, P., Papini, R., Guerra, P., Conti, D., Yalcinkaya, S., Basturk, O., Mourad, G., 2025, AJ, 169, 89, OrCAS: Origins, Compositions, and Atmospheres of Sub-Neptunes. I. Survey Definition
    Sub-Neptunesvolatile-rich exoplanets smaller than Neptuneare intrinsically the most common type of planet known. However, the formation and nature of these objects, as well as the distinctions between subclasses (if any), remain unclear. Two powerful tools to tease out the secrets of these worlds are measurements of (i) atmospheric composition and structure revealed by transit and/or eclipse spectroscopy, and (ii) mass, radius, and density revealed by transit photometry and Doppler spectroscopy. Here, we present OrCAS, a survey to better elucidate the origins, compositions, and atmospheres of sub-Neptunes. This radial velocity survey uses a repeatable, quantifiable metric to select targets suitable for subsequent transmission spectroscopy and address key science themes about the atmospheric and internal compositions and architectures of these systems. Our survey targets 26 systems with transiting sub-Neptune planet candidates, with the overarching goal of increasing the sample of such planets suitable for subsequent atmospheric characterization. This paper lays out our survey's science goals, defines our target prioritization metric, and performs light-curve fits and statistical validation using existing TESS photometry and ground-based follow-up observations. Our survey serves to continue expanding the sample of small exoplanets with well-measured properties orbiting nearby bright stars, ensuring fruitful studies of these systems for many years to come.
  21. Corbett, T., Doner, A., Horanyi, M., Brandt, P., Grundy, W., Lisse, C., Parker, J., Peltier, L., Poppe, A., Singer, K., Stern, S., Verbiscer, A., 2025, ApJL, 979, L50, Production, Transport, and Destruction of Dust in the Kuiper Belt: The Effects of Refractory and Volatile Grain Compositions
    The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) on board the New Horizons spacecraft measures the spatial and size distributions of dust along its trajectory. Models based on early SDC measurements predicted a peak dust number density at a heliocentric distance of 40 au, followed by a rapid decline. Instead, SDC observed dust fluxes 23 times higher than predicted between 40 and 60 au. One potential explanation for this discrepancy is that SDC may be encountering icy grains with different dynamical behavior than previously modeled silicate grains. Due to ultraviolet photosputtering, waterice grains rapidly erode and migrate outward, significantly contributing to the measured dust number densities only at distances 40 au. We present a model of silicate and ice grain dynamics in the outer solar system, considering gravitational and radiation forces and grain erosion. Using SDC data, we estimate that the mass production rate of ice grains between 0.1 and 10 m in the Kuiper Belt (KB) would need to be 2070 times higher than that of silicate grains. However, KB grains are expected to be refractory/volatile mixtures rather than pure silicate or ice. Thus, we briefly explore simple models of more realistic mixed-grain cases to further gauge the effects of grain composition on the equilibrium dust distribution. Future SDC measurements at greater distances will test the model predictions and further constrain silicate and ice grain production rates in the KB.
  22. Battle, A., Reddy, V., Sanchez, J., Pearson, N., Sharkey, B., Kareta, T., 2025, PSJ, 6, 31, Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body
    Active asteroid (6478) Gault underwent outbursts between late 2018 and early 2019 with tails morphologically similar to the ejecta from Dimorphous following the Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact. Multiple studies investigated the dust properties, confirmed that Gault is an S-type Phocaea-family asteroid, and obtained a 2.5 hr rotation period consistent with being near the critical rotation period for breakup. We present results from near-infrared spectral monitoring of Gault on one night during a period of activity and five nights across 3 yr after activity ceased in order to understand the evolution of surface mineralogy over time. Spectral band parameters show an average Band I center of 0.920 0.005 m, Band II center of 2.04 0.13 m, and band area ratio of 1.33 0.04. These values correspond to an olivinepyroxene ratio of 0.40, 18.7 mol% fayalite, and 17.2 mol% ferrosiliteall of which are consistent with an H chondrite that has low levels of thermal metamorphism. Three meteorite analogs were identified that are H chondrites with petrologic types between H3.4 and H4. The low-level thermal metamorphism interpretation of Gault's surface suggests that it formed from the outermost portion of the progenitor of the Phocaea family, assuming an "onion shell' structure, which was catastrophically disrupted 1.2 Gyr ago. We discuss implications of Gault's surface composition to better understand this H chondrite parent body, with the suggestion that more dynamical and spectral analyses be performed for members of the Phocaea family.
  23. Pinilla-Alonso, N., Brunetto, R., De Pra, M., Holler, B., Henault, E., Feliciano, A., Lorenzi, V., Pendleton, Y., Cruikshank, D., Muller, T., Stansberry, J., Emery, J., Schambeau, C., Licandro, J., Harvison, B., McClure, L., Guilbert-Lepoutre, A., Peixinho, N., Bannister, M., Wong, I., 2025, NatAs, 9, 230, A JWST/DiSCo-TNOs portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects
    The detection of molecules on the coldest and outermost objects in our Solar System has long been limited by the terrestrial atmosphere and sensitivity of the available instrumentation. However, near-infrared observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have provided an unprecedented view of the molecular diversity on the surfaces of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Using the low spectral resolution PRISM mode on the near-infrared spectrograph as part of the Cycle 1 large programme, `Discovering the Surface Composition of trans-Neptunian objects', we report the detection of several molecular ices throughout the TNO population, including H2O, CO2, 13CO2, CO, CH3OH and complex molecules and refractory materials containing aliphatic C-H, CN, O-H and N-H bonds. As a result of the imprint that these molecules leave on the spectra, three main compositional groups consistently emerge from multiple independent cluster analyses. Our results unlock the long-standing question of the interpretation of colour diversity, providing the much-needed compositional information. The marked separation of the three spectral clusters reveals sharp variations in the surface molecular constituents. The C/O and (CH + NH)/(C + O) ratios on the surface of TNOs are the primary indicators of the spectral differences among the three TNO compositional groups observed. We propose that these objects are fossil remnants of icy planetesimals, and that the three compositional groups provide a picture of the ice retention lines in the Solar System that likely occurred in the outer protoplanetary disk, possibly just before a major planetary migration.
  24. Licandro, J., Pinilla-Alonso, N., Holler, B., De Pra, M., Melita, M., de Souza Feliciano, A., Brunetto, R., Guilbert-Lepoutre, A., Henault, E., Lorenzi, V., Stansberry, J., Schambeau, C., Harvison, B., Pendleton, Y., Cruikshank, D., Muller, T., McClure, L., Emery, J., Peixinho, N., Bannister, M., Wong, I., 2025, NatAs, 9, 245, Thermal evolution of trans-Neptunian objects through observations of Centaurs with JWST
    Centaurs are small bodies orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune and behave as an intermediate population between trans-Neptunian-belt objects and Jupiter-family comets. As such, their surface composition and evolutionary processes are key to understanding the Solar System's history. However, the mechanisms driving their transformation and the impact of thermal processing on their surfaces remain open questions. Here we examined the surface properties of five Centaurs using the James Webb Space Telescope near-infrared spectrograph reflectance spectra (0.6-5.3 m). They exhibit considerable diversity in surface composition. Our analysis indicates that Centaurs can be split into two main categories, which is also observed for trans-Neptunian objects: one group has surfaces composed of refractory materials with some water ice, whereas the other is dominated by carbon-based materials. Additionally, two of the five objects have primarily refractory surfaces with minimal volatiles, suggesting a high concentration of primitive, comet-like dust. We suggest that the observed Centaur surfaces reflect their transitional states, as they are shifting from being ice-rich bodies to progressively becoming more dominated by non-volatile materials as they approach the Sun. Such thermal processing may have changed the surface properties of other similar Solar System bodies, like comets, Jupiter trojans and D-type asteroids.
  25. Rommel, F., Fernandez-Valenzuela, E., Proudfoot, B., Ortiz, J., Morgado, B., Sicardy, B., Morales, N., Braga-Ribas, F., Desmars, J., Vieira-Martins, R., Holler, B., Kilic, Y., Grundy, W., Rizos, J., Camargo, J., Benedetti-Rossi, G., Gomes-Junior, A., Assafin, M., Santos-Sanz, P., Kretlow, M., Vara-Lubiano, M., Leiva, R., Ragozzine, D., Duffard, R., Kucakova, H., Hornoch, K., Nikitin, V., Santana-Ros, T., Canales-Moreno, O., Lafuente-Aznar, D., Calavia-Belloc, S., Perello, C., Selva, A., Organero, F., Hernandez, L., Cueva, I., Yuste-Moreno, M., Garcia-Navarro, E., Donate-Lucas, J., Izquierdo-Carrion, L., Iglesias-Marzoa, R., Lacruz, E., Goncalves, R., Staels, B., Goossens, R., Henden, A., Walker, G., Reyes, J., Pastor, S., Kaspi, S., Skrutskie, M., Verbiscer, A., Martinez, P., Andre, P., Maestre, J., Aceituno, F., Bacci, P., Maestripieri, M., Grazia, M., Castro-Tirado, A., Perez-Garcia, I., Fernandez Garcia, E., Fernandez, E., Messner, S., Scarfi, G., Mikuz, H., Prat, J., Martorell, P., Nardiello, D., Nascimbeni, V., Sfair, R., Siqueira, P., Lattari, V., Liberato, L., Pinheiro, T., de Santana, T., Pereira, C., Alava-Amat, M., Ciabattari, F., Gonzalez-Rodriguez, H., Schnabel, C., 2025, PSJ, 6, 48, Stellar Occultation Observations of (38628) Huya and Its Satellite: A Detailed Look into the System
    The physical and orbital parameters of trans-Neptunian objects provide valuable information about the solar system's formation and evolution. In particular, the characterization of binaries provides insights into the formation mechanisms that may be playing a role at such large distances from the Sun. Studies show two distinct populations, and (38628) Huya occupies an intermediate position between the unequal-sized binaries and those with components of roughly equal sizes. In this work, we predicted and observed three stellar occultation events by Huya. Huya and its satellitewere detected during occultations in 2021 March and again in 2023 June. Additionally, an attempt to detect Huya in 2023 February resulted in an additional single-chord detection of the secondary. A spherical body with a minimum diameter of D = 165 km can explain the three single-chord observations and provide a lower limit for the satellite size. The astrometry of Huya's system, as derived from the occultations and supplemented by observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory, provided constraints on the satellite orbit and the mass of the system. Therefore, assuming the secondary is in an equatorial orbit around the primary, the limb fitting was constrained by the satellite orbit position angle. The system density, calculated by summing the most precise measurement of Huya's volume to the spherical satellite average volume, is 1 = 1073 66 kg m3. The density that the object would have assuming a Maclaurin equilibrium shape with a rotational period of 6.725 0.01 hr is 2 = 768 42 kg m3. This difference rules out the Maclaurin equilibrium assumption for the main body shape.
  26. Henault, E., Brunetto, R., Pinilla-Alonso, N., Baklouti, D., Djouadi, Z., Guilbert-Lepoutre, A., Muller, T., Cryan, S., de Souza-Feliciano, A., Holler, B., de Pra, M., Emery, J., McClure, L., Schambeau, C., Pendleton, Y., Harvison, B., Licandro, J., Lorenzi, V., Cruikshank, D., Peixinho, N., Bannister, M., Stansberry, J., 2025, A&A, 694, A126, Irradiation origin and stability of CO on trans-Neptunian objects: Laboratory constraints and observational evidence from JWST/DiSCo-TNOs
    Context. The James Webb Space Telescope large program DiSCo-TNOs has recently shown that CO2 ice is ubiquitous on 54 mediumsize trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). TNO surfaces are found to define three main spectral and thus compositional groups that are likely linked to their position before planetary migration. CO ice is observed on the spectral type that is richest in CO2 and on the type that is richer in CH3OH and organics. Considerations on the thermal evolution of TNOs predicted the depletion of hypervolatiles such as CO from their surface layers, however. Aims. We investigate a potential irradiation origin of CO as well as its stability by studying the distribution of CO in two TNO compositional types and compared it with irradiation experiments. Methods. We studied the 4.68 m band of CO and the 2.70 m band of CO2 to probe the relation between the two molecules in 33 TNOs. We performed ion irradiation experiments on CO2 and CH3OH ices at 45 and 60 K with 30 keV H+ . We compared the laboratory spectra to TNO observations by focusing on the band areas and positions. Results. We find that the two types of surfaces in which CO is detected are very distinct in terms of their relative abundances and chemical environment. CO that is observed on surfaces that are rich in CO2 are consistent with being produced by CO2 irradiation, specifically, at 45 K. On objects that are rich in CH3OH and complex organics, CO is more likely formed by irradiation of CH3OH. As the CO band areas are only partly related with temperature, the chemical environment plays a major role in the CO retention. Conclusions. We find that the CO that is observed on TNO surfaces is compatible with being a secondary molecule that is entirely formed by late irradiation processes. Its abundance and stability is mostly controlled by the matrix from which it formed.
  27. Thomas, L., Hebrard, G., Kellermann, H., Korth, J., Heidari, N., Forveille, T., Sousa, S., Scholler, L., Riffeser, A., Gossl, C., Serrano Bell, J., Kiefer, F., Hara, N., Grupp, F., Ehrhardt, J., Murgas, F., Collins, K., Bieryla, A., Parviainen, H., Belinski, A., Esparza-Borges, E., Ciardi, D., Clark, C., Fukui, A., Gilbert, E., Hopp, U., Ikuta, K., Jenkins, J., Latham, D., Narita, N., Nielsen, L., Quinn, S., Palle, E., Pippert, J., Polanski, A., Ries, C., Schmidt, M., Schwarz, R., Seager, S., Strakhov, I., Striegel, S., van Eyken, J., Watanabe, N., Watkins, C., Winn, J., Ziegler, C., Zoller, R., 2025, A&A, 694, A143, TOI-5108 b and TOI 5786 b: Two transiting sub-Saturns detected and characterized with TESS, MaHPS, and SOPHIE
    We report the discovery and characterization of two sub-Saturns from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using high- resolution spectroscopic observations from the MaHPS spectrograph at the Wendelstein Observatory and the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Haute-Provence Observatory. Combining photometry from TESS, KeplerCam, LCOGT, and MuSCAT2, along with the radial velocity measurements from MaHPS and SOPHIE, we measured precise radii and masses for both planets. TOI-5108 b is a sub-Saturn, with a radius of 6.6 0.1 R and a mass of 32 5 M. TOI-5786 b is similar to Saturn, with a radius of 8.54 0.13 R and a mass of 73 9 M. The host star for TOI-5108 b is a moderately bright (Vmag 9.75) G-type star. TOI-5786 is a slightly dimmer (Vmag 10.2) F-type star. Both planets are close to their host stars, with periods of 6.75 days and 12.78 days, respectively. This puts TOI-5108 b just within the bounds of the Neptune desert, while TOI-5786 b is right above the upper edge. We estimated hydrogen-helium (H/He) envelope mass fractions of 38% for TOI-5108 b and 74% for TOI-5786 b. However, when using a model for the interior structure that includes tidal effects, the envelope fraction of TOI-5108 b could be much lower (~20%), depending on the obliquity. We estimated mass-loss rates between 1.0 x 109 g/s and 9.8 x 109 g/s for TOI-5108 b and between 3.6 x 108 g/s and 3.5 x 109 g/s for TOI-5786 b. Given their masses, both planets could be stable against photoevaporation. Furthermore, at these mass-loss rates, there is likely no detectable signal in the metastable helium triplet with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We also detected a transit signal for a second planet candidate in the TESS data of TOI-5786, with a period of 6.998 days and a radius of 3.83 0.16 R. Using our RV data and photodynamical modeling, we were able to provide a 3- upper limit of 26.5 M for the mass of the potential inner companion to TOI-5786 b.
  28. Burdanov, A., de Wit, J., Broz, M., Muller, T., Hoffmann, T., Ferrais, M., Micheli, M., Jehin, E., Parrott, D., Hasler, S., Binzel, R., Ducrot, E., Kreidberg, L., Gillon, M., Greene, T., Grundy, W., Kareta, T., Lagage, P., Moskovitz, N., Thirouin, A., Thomas, C., Zieba, S., 2025, Natur, 638, 74, JWST sighting of decametre main-belt asteroids and view on meteorite sources
    Asteroid discoveries are essential for planetary-defence efforts aiming to prevent impacts with Earth1, including the more frequent2 megaton explosions from decametre impactors3, 4, 56. Although large asteroids (100 kilometres) have remained in the main belt since their formation7, small asteroids are commonly transported to the near-Earth object (NEO) population8,9. However, owing to the lack of direct observational constraints, their sizefrequency distribution (SFD)which informs our understanding of the NEOs and the delivery of meteorite samples to Earthvaries substantially among models10, 11, 12, 1314. Here we report 138 detections of some of the smallest asteroids (10 metres) ever observed in the main belt, which were enabled by JWST's infrared capabilities covering the emission peaks of the asteroids15 and synthetic tracking techniques16, 1718. Despite small orbital arcs, we constrain the distances and phase angles of the objects using known asteroids as proxies, allowing us to derive sizes through radiometric techniques. Their SFD shows a break at about 100 metres (debiased cumulative slopes of q = 2.66 0.60 and 0.97 0.14 for diameters smaller and larger than roughly 100 metres, respectively), suggestive of a population driven by collisional cascade. These asteroids were sampled from several asteroid familiesmost probably Nysa, Polana and Massaliaaccording to the geometry of pointings considered here. Through further long-stare infrared observations, JWST is poised to serendipitously detect thousands of decametre-scale asteroids across the sky, examining individual asteroid families19 and the source regions of meteorites13,14 'in situ'.
  29. Camilleri, R., Davis, T., Hinton, S., Armstrong, P., Brout, D., Galbany, L., Glazebrook, K., Lee, J., Lidman, C., Moller, A., Nichol, R., Sako, M., Scolnic, D., Shah, P., Smith, M., Sullivan, M., Sanchez, B., Vincenzi, M., Wiseman, P., Allam, S., Abbott, T., Aguena, M., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Asorey, J., Avila, S., Bacon, D., Bechtol, K., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Buckley-Geer, E., Burke, D., Rosell, A., Carollo, D., Carretero, J., Castander, F., Conselice, C., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Desai, S., Diehl, H., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruendl, R., Herner, K., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., Huterer, D., James, D., Kent, S., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Lewis, G., Lima, M., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Ogando, R., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Romer, A., Roodman, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Schubnell, M., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Suchyta, E., Suntzeff, N., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., Tucker, B., Walker, A., Weaverdyck, N., DES Collaboration, 2025, MNRAS, 537, 1818, The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: an updated measurement of the Hubble constant using the inverse distance ladder
    We measure the current expansion rate of the Universe, Hubble's constant $H_0$, by calibrating the absolute magnitudes of supernovae to distances measured by baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). This 'inverse distance ladder' technique provides an alternative to calibrating supernovae using nearby absolute distance measurements, replacing the calibration with a high-redshift anchor. We use the recent release of 1829 supernovae from the Dark Energy Survey spanning $0.01\lt z\lt 1.13$ anchored to the recent baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) spanning $0.30 \lt z_{\mathrm{eff}}\lt 2.33$. To trace cosmology to $z=0$, we use the third-, fourth-, and fifth-order cosmographic models, which, by design, are agnostic about the energy content and expansion history of the universe. With the inclusion of the higher redshift DESI-BAO data, the third-order model is a poor fit to both data sets, with the fourth-order model being preferred by the Akaike Information Criterion. Using the fourth-order cosmographic model, we find $H_0=67.19^{+0.66}_{-0.64}\mathrm{~km} \mathrm{~s}^{-1} \mathrm{~Mpc}^{-1}$, in agreement with the value found by Planck without the need to assume Flat-$\Lambda$CDM. However, the best-fitting expansion history differs from that of Planck, providing continued motivation to investigate these tensions.
  30. Simon, A., Kaplan, H., Reuter, D., Montanaro, M., Grundy, W., Lunsford, A., Weigle, G., Binzel, R., Emery, J., Sunshine, J., Howett, C., Levison, H., Marchi, S., Noll, K., Spencer, J., 2025, PSJ, 6, 7, Lucy L'Ralph In-flight Calibration and Results at (152830) Dinkinesh
    The L'Ralph instrument is a key component of NASA's Lucy mission, intended to provide spectral image data of multiple Jupiter Trojans. The instrument operates from 0.35 to 4 m using two focal plane assemblies: a 350950 nm multispectral imager, Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC), and a 0.974 m imaging spectrometer, Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA). Instrument calibration was established through ground testing before launch and has been monitored during cruise utilizing internal calibration sources and stellar targets. In-flight data have shown that the instrument thermal performance is exceeding expectations, allowing for early updates to LEISA radiometric and pointing calibrations. MVIC radiometric performance remains stable more than 3 yr since launch. The serendipitous identification of a new flyby target, (152830) Dinkinesh, allowed testing of instrument performance and interleaved LEISA and MVIC acquisitions on an asteroid target. Both MVIC and LEISA obtained data of Dinkinesh and its moon, Selam, demonstrating that they show good spectral agreement with an S- or Sq-type asteroid, along with evidence of a 3 m absorption feature.
  31. Kareta, T., Fuentes-Munoz, O., Moskovitz, N., Farnocchia, D., Sharkey, B., 2025, ApJL, 979, L8, On the Lunar Origin of Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 PT5
    The near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 2024 PT5 is on an Earth-like orbit that remained in Earth's immediate vicinity for several months at the end of 2024. PT5's orbit is challenging to populate with asteroids originating from the main belt and is more commonly associated with rocket bodies mistakenly identified as natural objects or with debris ejected from impacts on the Moon. We obtained visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra of PT5 with the Lowell Discovery Telescope and NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on 2024 August 16. The combined reflectance spectrum matches lunar samples but does not match any known asteroid typesit is pyroxene-rich, while asteroids of comparable spectral redness are olivine-rich. Moreover, the amount of solar radiation pressure observed on the PT5 trajectory is orders of magnitude lower than what would be expected for an artificial object. We therefore conclude that 2024 PT5 is ejecta from an impact on the Moon, thus making PT5 the second NEA suggested to be sourced from the surface of the Moon. While one object might be an outlier, two suggest that there is an underlying population to be characterized. Long-term predictions of the position of 2024 PT5 are challenging due to the slow Earth encounters characteristic of objects in these orbits. A population of near-Earth objects that are sourced by the Moon would be important to characterize for understanding how impacts work on our nearest neighbor and for identifying the source regions of asteroids and meteorites from this understudied population of objects on very Earth-like orbits.
  32. Tang, S., Johns-Krull, C., Prato, L., Stahl, A., 2025, ApJ, 978, 119, Erratum: "Measuring the Spot Variability of T Tauri Stars Using Near-infrared Atomic Fe and Molecular OH Lines" (2024, ApJ, 973, 124)
    No abstract found.
  33. Esteves, J., Pereira, M., Soares-Santos, M., Annis, J., Welch, B., Wu, H., Palmese, A., Farahi, A., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Lin, H., Garcia-Bellido, J., Aguena, M., Alves, O., Bacon, D., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Costanzi, M., da Costa, L., De Vicente, J., Doel, P., Everett, S., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lidman, C., Lima, M., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Ogando, R., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Romer, A., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Santiago, B., Schubnell, M., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Weaverdyck, N., Wiseman, P., Yamamoto, M., DES Collaboration, 2025, MNRAS, 536, 931, Copacabana: a probabilistic membership assignment method for galaxy clusters
    Cosmological analyses using galaxy clusters in optical/near-infrared photometric surveys require robust characterization of their galaxy content. Precisely determining which galaxies belong to a cluster is crucial. In this paper, we present the COlor Probabilistic Assignment of Clusters And BAyesiaN Analysis (Copacabana) algorithm. Copacabana computes membership probabilities for all galaxies within an aperture centred on the cluster using photometric redshifts, colours, and projected radial probability density functions. We use simulations to validate Copacabana and we show that it achieves up to 89 per cent membership accuracy with a mild dependence on photometric redshift uncertainties and choice of aperture size. We find that the precision of the photometric redshifts has the largest impact on the determination of the membership probabilities followed by the choice of the cluster aperture size. We also quantify how much these uncertainties in the membership probabilities affect the stellar mass-cluster mass scaling relation, a relation that directly impacts cosmology. Using the sum of the stellar masses weighted by membership probabilities ($\rm \mu _{\star }$) as the observable, we find that Copacabana can reach an accuracy of 0.06 dex in the measurement of the scaling relation at low redshift for a Legacy Survey of Space and Time type survey. These results indicate the potential of Copacabana and $\rm \mu _{\star }$ to be used in cosmological analyses of optically selected clusters in the future.
  34. Chandler, C., Sedaghat, N., Oldroyd, W., Frissell, M., Trujillo, C., Burris, W., Hsieh, H., Kueny, J., Farrell, K., Borisov, G., DeSpain, J., Bernardinelli, P., Kurlander, J., Magbanua, M., Sheppard, S., Mazzucato, M., Bosch, M., Shaw-Diaz, T., Gonano, V., Lamperti, A., da Silva Campos, J., Goodwin, B., Terentev, I., Dukes, C., 2025, RNAAS, 9, 3, AI-enhanced Citizen Science Discovers Cometary Activity on Near-Earth Object (523822) 2012 DG61
    We report the discovery of cometary activity in the form of a pronounced tail emanating from Near-Earth Object (523822) 2012 DG61, identified in UT 2024 April 18 Dark Energy Camera images by our AI assistant TailNet. TailNet is an AI designed to filter out images unlikely to show activity for volunteers of our NASA Partner "Active Asteroids" Citizen Science campaign, from which our AI is trained. Subsequently, our archival investigation revealed 2012 DG61 is recurrently active after we found it displaying a pronounced tail in a UT 2018 April 16 Steward Observatory Bart Bok 2.3 m telescope image and UT 2018 May 14 observations by G. Borisov with the 0.3 m telescope at MARGO Observatory. Our dynamical integrations reveal that 2012 DG61, an Apollo dynamical class member, is likely in 2:1 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter. We encourage additional observations to help characterize the activity morphology of this near-Earth comet.
  35. Jenniskens, P., Johannink, C., Moskovitz, N., Howell, A., 2025, eMetN, 10, 20, Short note on what appears to have been a 2024 outburst of epsilon-Ursae-Minorids (IAU#1044)
    A meteor outburst with a radiant in Ursa Minor was detected by low-light level video cameras of the Global Meteor Network and by Belarusian and Ukranian meteor camera networks on September 2325, 2024. Here, we report on the results from the CAMS network and discuss the possible association with the epsilon-Ursae-Minorids outburst observed in 2019. If this is the same stream, a return of the shower is expected in 2025, and again in 2030/2031.
  36. Awad, P., Li, T., Erkal, D., Peletier, R., Bunte, K., Koposov, S., Li, A., Balbinot, E., Smith, R., Canducci, M., Tino, P., Senkevich, A., Cullinane, L., Da Costa, G., Ji, A., Kuehn, K., Lewis, G., Pace, A., Zucker, D., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Limberg, G., Martell, S., McKenzie, M., Yang, Y., Usman, S., 2025, A&A, 693, A69, S5: New insights from deep spectroscopic observations of the tidal tails of the globular clusters NGC 1261 and NGC 1904
    As globular clusters (GCs) orbit the Milky Way, their stars are tidally stripped and form tidal tails that follow the orbit of the cluster around the Galaxy. The morphology of these tails is complex and shows correlations with the phase of orbit and the orbital angular velocity, especially for GCs on eccentric orbits. Here we focus on two GCs, NGC 1261 and NGC 1904, that were potentially accreted alongside Gaia-Enceladus and that have shown signatures of having, in addition to tidal tails, structures formed by distributions of extra-tidal stars that are misaligned with the general direction of the clusters' respective orbits. To provide an explanation for the formation of these structures, we made use of spectroscopic measurements from the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5) as well as proper motion measurements from Gaia's third data release (DR3), and applied a Bayesian mixture modelling approach to isolate high-probability member stars. We recovered extra-tidal features surrounding each cluster matching findings from previous work. We then conducted N-body simulations and compared the expected spatial distribution and variation in the dynamical parameters along the orbit with those of our potential member sample. Furthermore, we used Dark Energy Camera (DECam) photometry to inspect the distribution of the member stars in the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD). We find that potential members agree reasonably with the N-body simulations, and that the majority follow a simple stellar population distribution in the CMD, which is characteristic of GCs. We link the extra-tidal features with their orbital properties and find that the presence of the tails agrees well with the theory of stellar stream formation through tidal disruption. In the case of NGC 1904, we clearly detect the tidal debris escaping the inner and outer Lagrange points, which are expected to be prominent when at or close to the apocentre of its orbit. Our analysis allows for further exploration of other GCs in the Milky Way that exhibit similar extra-tidal features.
  37. Hsieh, H., Noonan, J., Kelley, M., Bodewits, D., Pittichova, J., Thirouin, A., Micheli, M., Knight, M., Bannister, M., Chandler, C., Holt, C., Hopkins, M., Kim, Y., Moskovitz, N., Oldroyd, W., Patterson, J., Sheppard, S., Tan, N., Trujillo, C., Ye, Q., 2025, PSJ, 6, 3, The Volatile Composition and Activity Evolution of Main-belt Comet 358P/PANSTARRS
    We report the detection of water vapor associated with main-belt comet 358P/PANSTARRS on UT 2024 January 89 using the NIRSPEC instrument on board JWST. We derive a water production rate of molecules s1, marking only the second direct detection of sublimation products of any kind from a main-belt comet, after 238P/Read. Similar to 238P, we find a remarkable absence of hypervolatile species, finding molecules s1, corresponding to %. Upper limits on CH3OH and CO emission are also estimated. Photometry from ground-based observations shows that the dust coma brightened and faded slowly over 250 days in 20232024, consistent with photometric behavior observed in 20122013, but also indicates a 2.5 decline in the dust production rate between these two periods. Dynamical dust modeling shows that the coma's morphology as imaged by JWST's NIRCam instrument on 2023 November 22 can be reproduced by asymmetric dust emission from a nucleus with a midrange obliquity ( 80) with a steady-state mass-loss rate of 0.8 kg s1. Finally, we find similar Af -to-gas ratios of for 358P and for 238P, suggesting that Af could serve as an effective proxy for estimating water production rates in other active main-belt comets. The confirmation of water vapor outgassing in both main-belt comets observed by JWST to date reinforces the use of recurrent activity near perihelion as an indicator of sublimation-driven activity in active asteroids.
  38. Faga, L., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Camacho, H., Rosenfeld, R., Lima, M., Doux, C., Fang, X., Prat, J., Porredon, A., Aguena, M., Alarcon, A., Allam, S., Alves, O., Amon, A., Avila, S., Bacon, D., Bechtol, K., Becker, M., Bernstein, G., Blazek, J., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Buckley-Geer, E., Campos, A., Carnero Rosell, A., Carrasco Kind, M., Carretero, J., Castander, F., Cawthon, R., Chang, C., Chen, R., Choi, A., Cordero, J., Crocce, M., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., DeRose, J., Diehl, H., Dodelson, S., Drlica-Wagner, A., Elvin-Poole, J., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Ferte, A., Flaugher, B., Fosalba, P., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Harrison, I., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., Huterer, D., James, D., Jarvis, M., Jeltema, T., Kuehn, K., Lahav, O., Lee, S., Lidman, C., MacCrann, N., Marshall, J., McCullough, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Navarro-Alsina, A., Palmese, A., Pandey, S., Paterno, M., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Raveri, M., Rodriguez-Monroy, M., Rollins, R., Ross, A., Rykoff, E., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, C., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Schubnell, M., Secco, L., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Sheldon, E., Shin, T., Smith, M., Soares-Santos, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., Thomas, D., Troxel, M., Tucker, B., Tutusaus, I., Weaverdyck, N., Wiseman, P., Yanny, B., Yin, B., DES Collaboration, 2025, MNRAS, 536, 1586, Dark energy survey year 3 results: cosmology from galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing in harmonic space
    We present the joint tomographic analysis of galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering in harmonic space (HS), using galaxy catalogues from the first three years of observations by the Dark Energy Survey (DES Y3). We utilize the REDMAGIC and MAGLIM catalogues as lens galaxies and the METACALIBRATION catalogue as source galaxies. The measurements of angular power spectra are performed using the pseudo-$C_\ell$ method, and our theoretical modelling follows the fiducial analyses performed by DES Y3 in configuration space, accounting for galaxy bias, intrinsic alignments, magnification bias, shear magnification bias and photometric redshift uncertainties. We explore different approaches for scale cuts based on non-linear galaxy bias and baryonic effects contamination. Our fiducial covariance matrix is computed analytically, accounting for mask geometry in the Gaussian term, and including non-Gaussian contributions and super-sample covariance terms. To validate our HS pipelines and covariance matrix, we used a suite of 1800 log-normal simulations. We also perform a series of stress tests to gauge the robustness of our HS analysis. In the $\Lambda$CDM model, the clustering amplitude $S_8 =\sigma _8(\Omega _m/0.3)^{0.5}$ is constrained to $S_8 = 0.704\pm 0.029$ and $S_8 = 0.753\pm 0.024$ (68 per cent C.L.) for the REDMAGIC and MAGLIM catalogues, respectively. For the wCDM, the dark energy equation of state is constrained to $w = -1.28 \pm 0.29$ and $w = -1.26^{+0.34}_{-0.27}$, for REDMAGIC and MAGLIM catalogues, respectively. These results are compatible with the corresponding DES Y3 results in configuration space and pave the way for HS analyses using the DES Y6 data.
  39. Chen, R., Scolnic, D., Vincenzi, M., Rykoff, E., Myles, J., Kessler, R., Popovic, B., Sako, M., Smith, M., Armstrong, P., Brout, D., Davis, T., Galbany, L., Lee, J., Lidman, C., Moller, A., Sanchez, B., Sullivan, M., Qu, H., Wiseman, P., Abbott, T., Aguena, M., Allam, S., Alves, O., Andrade-Oliveira, F., Annis, J., Bacon, D., Brooks, D., Carnero Rosell, A., Carretero, J., Choi, A., Conselice, C., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Diehl, H., Doel, P., Everett, S., Ferrero, I., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gatti, M., Gaztanaga, E., Giannini, G., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Herner, K., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., Huterer, D., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lewis, G., Lima, M., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Menanteau, F., Miquel, R., Ogando, R., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Roodman, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sanchez Cid, D., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Tucker, D., Vikram, V., Weaverdyck, N., Weller, J., DES Collaboration, 2025, MNRAS, 536, 1948, Evaluating cosmological biases using photometric redshifts for Type Ia Supernova cosmology with the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program
    Cosmological analyses with Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) have traditionally been reliant on spectroscopy for both classifying the type of supernova and obtaining reliable redshifts to measure the distance-redshift relation. While obtaining a host-galaxy spectroscopic redshift for most SNe is feasible for small-area transient surveys, it will be too resource intensive for upcoming large-area surveys such as the Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which will observe on the order of millions of SNe. Here, we use data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to address this problem with photometric redshifts (photo-z) inferred directly from the SN light curve in combination with Gaussian and full $p(z)$ priors from host-galaxy photo-z estimates. Using the DES 5-yr photometrically classified SN sample, we consider several photo-z algorithms as host-galaxy photo-z priors, including the Self-Organizing Map redshifts (SOMPZ), Bayesian Photometric Redshifts (BPZ), and Directional-Neighbourhood Fitting (DNF) redshift estimates employed in the DES 3 2 point analyses. With detailed catalogue-level simulations of the DES 5-yr sample, we find that the simulated w can be recovered within $\pm 0.02$ when using SN+SOMPZ or DNF prior photo-z, smaller than the average statistical uncertainty for these samples of 0.03. With data, we obtain biases in w consistent with simulations within ${\sim} 1\sigma$ for three of the five photo-z variants. We further evaluate how photo-z systematics interplay with photometric classification and find classification introduces a subdominant systematic component. This work lays the foundation for next-generation fully photometric SNe Ia cosmological analyses.
  40. Kutra, T., Prato, L., Tofflemire, B., Akeson, R., Schaefer, G., Tang, S., Segura-Cox, D., Johns-Krull, C., Kraus, A., Andrews, S., Jensen, E., 2025, AJ, 169, 20, Sites of Planet Formation in Binary Systems. II. Double the Disks in DF Tau
    This article presents the latest results of our Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) program to study circumstellar disk characteristics as a function of orbital and stellar properties in a sample of young binary star systems known to host at least one disk. Optical and infrared observations of the eccentric, 48 yr period binary DF Tau indicated the presence of only one disk around the brighter component. However, our 1.3 mm ALMA thermal continuum maps show two nearly equal-brightness components in this system. We present these observations within the context of updated stellar and orbital properties, which indicate that the inner disk of the secondary is absent. Because the two stars likely formed together, with the same composition, in the same environment, and at the same time, we expect their disks to be co-eval. However the absence of an inner disk around the secondary suggests uneven dissipation. We consider several processes that have the potential to accelerate inner disk evolution. Rapid inner disk dissipation has important implications for planet formation, particularly in the terrestrial-planet-forming region.
  41. Shah, P., Davis, T., Vincenzi, M., Armstrong, P., Brout, D., Camilleri, R., Galbany, L., Garcia-Bellido, J., Gill, M., Lahav, O., Lee, J., Lidman, C., Moller, A., Sako, M., Sanchez, B., Sullivan, M., Whiteway, L., Wiseman, P., Allam, S., Aguena, M., Bocquet, S., Brooks, D., Burke, D., Carnero Rosell, A., da Costa, L., Pereira, M., Desai, S., Dodelson, S., Doel, P., Ferrero, I., Flaugher, B., Frieman, J., Gaztanaga, E., Gruen, D., Gruendl, R., Gutierrez, G., Herner, K., Hinton, S., Hollowood, D., Honscheid, K., James, D., Kuehn, K., Lee, S., Marshall, J., Mena-Fernandez, J., Miquel, R., Myles, J., Palmese, A., Pieres, A., Plazas Malagon, A., Roodman, A., Samuroff, S., Sanchez, E., Sevilla-Noarbe, I., Smith, M., Suchyta, E., Swanson, M., Tarle, G., To, C., Vikram, V., Weaverdyck, N., 2025, MNRAS, 536, 946, Constraints on compact objects from the Dark Energy Survey 5-yr supernova sample
    Gravitational lensing magnification of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) allows information to be obtained about the distribution of matter on small scales. In this paper, we derive limits on the fraction $\alpha$ of the total matter density in compact objects (which comprise stars, stellar remnants, small stellar groupings, and primordial black holes) of mass M > 0.03 ${\rm M}_{\odot }$ over cosmological distances. Using 1532 SNe Ia from the Dark Energy Survey Year 5 sample (DES-SN5YR) combined with a Bayesian prior for the absolute magnitude M, we obtain < 0.12 at the 95 per cent confidence level after marginalization over cosmological parameters, lensing due to large-scale structure, and intrinsic non-Gaussianity. Similar results are obtained using priors from the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations, and galaxy weak lensing, indicating our results do not depend on the background cosmology. We argue our constraints are likely to be conservative (in the sense of the values we quote being higher than the truth), but discuss scenarios in which they could be weakened by systematics of the order of $\Delta \alpha \sim 0.04$.

    42. 41 publications and 119 citations in 2025.

41 publications and 119 citations total.

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