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Understanding the origin of the diffuse flux of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos detected by IceCube has become a challenging issue within present High Energy Astrophysics. In this work, we present a model to explore the potential neutrino emission of starburst galaxies (SBG) by considering three different neutrino production zones that can be associated to a typical single SBG. The first zone is the starburst nucleus, where due to the high rate of supernova explosions, a significant amount of protons can be accelerated to high energies and undergo pp interactions with cold protons of the interstellar medium. The second zone we consider is the corresponding to the starburst wind, which is formed by the hot gas that emerges from the nucleus and interacts with the intergalactic medium generating shocks. Protons accelerated there can undergo pp interactions with the ambient matter. The third neutrino production zone we consider, is an external one, where we account for the possibility that protons escaping from the whole system interact with the cosmic microwave background. Finally, adding the neutrino contributions of the three zones, we calculate the diffuse neutrino flux and the diffuse photon flux by integration on the redshift range appropriate for SBG. We find that the model behaves well applied to nearby galaxies such as M82 and NGC 253. The contributions made to the diffuse neutrino flux are able to explain part of the data provided by IceCube if typical parameters are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High redshift blazars are among the most powerful non-explosive sources in the Universe and play a crucial role in understanding the evolution of relativistic jets. To understand these bright objects, we performed a detailed investigation of the multiwavelength properties of 79 γ-ray blazars with redshifts ranging from z = 2.0 to 2.5, using data from Fermi LAT, Swift XRT / UVOT , and NuSTAR observations. In the γ-ray band, the spectral analysis revealed a wide range of flux and photon indices, from 5.32 × 10−10 to 3.40 × 10−7 photon cm−2 s−1 and from 1.66 to 3.15, respectively, highlighting the diverse nature of these sources. The detailed temporal analysis showed that flaring activities were observed in 31 sources. Sources such as 4C+71.07, PKS 1329-049, and 4C + 01.02, demonstrated significant increase in the γ-ray luminosity and flux variations, reaching peak luminosity exceeding 1050 erg s−1. The temporal analysis extended to X-ray and optical/ultraviolet (UV) bands, showed clear flux changes in some sources in different observations. The time-averaged properties of high redshift blazars were derived through modeling the spectral energy distributions with a one-zone leptonic scenario, assuming the emission region is within the broad-line region (BLR) and the X-ray and γ-ray emissions are due to inverse Compton scattering of synchrotron and BLR-reflected photons. This modeling allowed us to constrain the emitting particle distribution, estimate the magnetic field inside the jet, and evaluate the jet luminosity, which is discussed in comparison with the disc luminosity derived from fitting the excess in the UV band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal shocks are a leading candidate for the dissipation mechanism that powers the prompt γ-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In this scenario a compact central source produces an ultra-relativistic outflow with varying speeds, causing faster parts or shells to collide with slower ones. Each collision produces a pair of shocks – a forward shock (FS) propagating into the slower leading shell and a reverse shock (RS) propagating into the faster trailing shell. The RS's lab-frame speed is always smaller, while the RS is typically stronger than the FS, leading to different conditions in the two shocked regions that both contribute to the observed emission. We show that optically thin synchrotron emission from both (weaker FS + stronger RS) can naturally explain key features of prompt GRB emission such as the pulse shapes, time evolution of the ν F ν peak flux and photon energy, and the spectrum. Particularly, it can account for two features commonly observed in GRB spectra: (i) a sub-dominant low-energy spectral component (often interpreted as 'photospheric'-like), or (ii) a doubly broken power-law spectrum with the low-energy spectral slope approaching the slow-cooling limit. Both features can be obtained while maintaining high-overall radiative efficiency without any fine tuning of the physical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermi -Large Area Telescope (LAT) observations provide continuous and regularly sampled measurements of gamma-ray photon flux for hundreds of blazars. Many of these light curves, spanning almost 15 yr, have been thoroughly examined for periodicity in multiple studies. However, the possibility that blazars may exhibit irregularly repeating flaring patterns in their gamma-ray light curves has not been systematically explored. In this study, we aim to find repeating episodes of flaring activity in the 100 brightest blazars using Fermi-LAT light curves with various integration times. We use a Bayesian Blocks representation to convert the time series into strings of symbols and search for repeating sub-strings using a fuzzy search algorithm. As a result, we identify 27 repeated episodes in the gamma-ray light curves of 10 blazars. We find that the patterns are most likely produced in structured jets composed of a fast spine and a slower sheath. When individual emission features propagate in the spine, they scatter seed photons produced in the non-uniform sheath through the inverse Compton mechanism, resulting in a set of gamma-ray flares with a similar profile every such passage. Additionally, we explore the theoretically predicted possibility that the spine-sheath structure facilitates the production of high-energy neutrinos in blazar jets. Using the catalogue of track-like events detected by the IceCube neutrino telescope, we find evidence supporting this hypothesis at a 2.8σ significance level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N 157B located in the Large Magellanic Cloud is the first pulsar wind nebula detected outside of the Galaxy in γ-rays. In this paper, we analyse the emission above 30 GeV from N 157B using ∼14.3 yr of Fermi -LAT data. The γ-ray spectrum between 30 and 500 GeV is well described by a single power-law function with a photon index of 1.83 ± 0.26, and its integral photon flux is (4.10 ± 0.83) × 10−11 photons cm−2 s−1. We adopt a one-zone leptonic model to investigate whether the multiband non-thermal emission of the target source can be generated by synchrotron radiation and inverse-Compton scattering of the electrons/positrons. Assuming the electrons/positrons in the nebula have a broken power-law spectrum with two breaks, the model can reproduce the observed fluxes in the radio, X-ray, and γ-ray bands. This result indicates that the γ-ray emission from N 157B can be explained by the leptonic process of electrons/positrons via inverse-Compton scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the specific profile of the diffuse interstellar band (DIB) 6196 Å in objects belonging to the Sco OB2 association. The investigated feature is the narrowest known strong diffuse band. Reddened Sco OB2 association objects show slightly broadened and split (W-shaped) 6196 DIB profiles. The split cannot be explained by the presence of two (or more) clouds of different radial velocities along the line of sight because it is not observed in the much narrower identified atomic/molecular features. The observed DIB profile may (in some cases) be a composition of the band centre and its head of a still unknown molecule. Our estimation of the rotational temperature of C2 exhibits systematically higher values for objects with the observed split effect (Sco OB2 members). These split profiles are observed in both ζ and σ types of clouds, although in Sco OB2 objects only, suggesting that the phenomenon originates in some specific and currently unclear physical/chemical conditions inside the Sco OB2 association. It could be that a lower amount of small dust particles in Sco OB2 affects the flux of ultraviolet photons, providing a higher rotational temperature of DIB 6196 carriers, which is seen as a profile split. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gamma-ray binary LS I +61°303 has been widely monitored at different wavelengths since its discovery more than 60 yr ago. However, the nature of the compact object and the peculiar behaviour of the system are still largely debated. Aimed at investigating the rapid X-ray variability of LS I  +61°303, we have analysed all the archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer /Proportional Counter Array (RXTE /PCA) data of the source, taken between 1996 and 2011. The timing analysis yields a periodicity of P ∼ 26.6 ± 0.3 d, which is statistically compatible with several periodicities reported in the literature for LS I +61°303. Using this period, we performed a data phase-resolved analysis to produce a set of phase-bin-averaged energy spectra and power density spectra. These power density spectra are dominated by weak red noise below 0.1 Hz, and show no signal above this frequency. The amplitude of the red noise varies mildly with the phase, and shows a maximum that coincides with a dip of the X-ray flux and a softer photon index. Aside from low-frequency noise, this analysis does not provide any statistically significant periodic or quasi-periodic timing feature in the RXTE /PCA data of LS I  +61°303. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present the spatially resolved study of six Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe), namely IC 4593, Hen 2-186, Hen 2-429, NGC 3918, NGC 6543, and NGC 6905, from intermediate-resolution spectra of the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope and the 1.54 m Danish telescope. The physical conditions (electron densities, N e, and temperatures, T e), chemical compositions and dominant excitation mechanisms for the different regions of these objects are derived, in an attempt to go deeper on the knowledge of the low-ionization structures (LISs) hosted by these PNe. We reinforce the previous conclusions that LISs are characterized by lower (or at most equal) N e than their associated rims and shells. As for the T e, we point out a possible different trend between the N and O diagnostics. T e[N  ii ] does not show significant variations throughout the nebular components, whereas T e[O  iii ] appears to be slightly higher for LISs. The much larger uncertainties associated with the T e[O  iii ] of LISs do not allow robust conclusions. Moreover, the chemical abundances show no variation from one to another PN components, not even contrasting LISs with rims and shells, as also found in a number of other works. By discussing the ionization photon flux due to shocks and stellar radiation, we explore the possible mechanisms responsible for the excitation of LISs. We argue that the presence of shocks in LISs is not negligible, although there is a strong dependence on the orientation of the host PNe and LISs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the results from UV-irradiated interstellar ice analogues, we describe a two-step phenomenological theory for enantiomer-selective, asymmetric formation of molecules like amino acid precursors: (1) UV photolysis of interstellar ices to molecular fragments/radicals and formation of racemic population of chiral molecules and (2) asymmetric photolysis of precursors by UV-circularly polarized light (UV-CPL), resulting in preferred growth of one enantiomer. Independent of specifics of step (1), when ice-analogue is irradiated with UV-CPL, enantiomeric excess of amino acids following hydrolysis is limited to |EEice(max)| = |(σ+ − σ−)/(σ+ + σ−)|, 0.5 times the anisotropy factor (g) for amino acid precursors (σ+/− is molecular cross-section for absorption of right/left UV-CPL light in cm2). For amino acids, the calculated EEice(max) ∼ 1 per cent agrees with experiments. Over small duration, EE is given by, |EEice(t)| = | (I+ − I−)(σ+ − σ−)| t/ 4, (I+/− is photon flux of right/left UV-CPL cm−2 s−1) which agrees with the observed dependence of EE on time-integrated flux of UV-CPL light. For ice irradiated with linearly polarized/unpolarized light followed by irradiation of residue with UV-CPL, |EEres(t)| = |tanh[(I+ − I−)(σ+ − σ−) t/ 2]| and can be much larger than EEice(max) for ice alone. When both ice and residue are irradiated with UV-CPL, EE = EEice + EEres and depends on the durations of irradiation for ice and residue. Similar analysis by assuming asymmetric photosynthesis of precursors as the underlying mechanism does not agree with experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here the first study documenting the variability in growth and pigment signature with fluctuating light in a tropical surf-zone (coastal Bay of Bengal) phytoplankton assemblage. In response to an 8.5 times light cut-off for 3 days, 50% of the particulate organic matter (POC)-based growth rate (μ POC d−1) was maintained. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) and light-harvesting pigment (LHP) contents exhibited a reverse trend without increasing POC contents, suggesting that the Chl a -based growth rate can be biased under fluctuating light. Certain commonly occurring diatoms like Skeletonema , Leptocylindrus and Chaetoceros exhibited high light preference, whereas another diatom Thalassiosira proliferated at low light. Phytoplankton pigment signature was also monitored on an hourly basis over a day and the lowest LHP contents were associated with the highest photon flux densities, whereas the highest values were noticed during morning and evening hours. The ratio between photo-protective to LHP remained < 0.5, indicating that LHP contents were always greater than photo-protective pigment values and the cells were not severely light stressed. Iron (Fe) supplementation did not alter POC accumulation; photo-protective to LHP ratios also indicated Fe adequacy in this coastal water and the observed variability in the pigment signature was entirely attributed to variable light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a time variability analysis of broad absorption lines (BAL; spread over the velocity range of 5800–29 000 km s−1) seen in the spectrum of J132216.25 + 052446.3 (z em = 2.04806) at ten different epochs spanning over 19 yr. The strongest absorption component (BAL-A; spread over 5800–9900 km s−1) is made up of several narrow components having velocity separations close to C  iv doublet splitting. The C  iv , N  v , and Si  iv absorption from BAL-A show correlated optical depth variability without major changes in the velocity structure. A very broad and shallow absorption (BAL-C; spread over the velocity range 15 000–29 000 km s−1) emerged during our monitoring period coinciding with a dimming episode of J1322 + 0524. All the identified absorption lines show correlated variability with the equivalent widths increasing with decreasing flux. This together with the C  iv emission line variability is consistent with ionization being the main driver of the correlated variability. The observed UV-continuum variations are weaker than what is required by the photoionization models. This together with a scatter in the C  iv equivalent width at a given continuum flux can be understood if variations of the C  iv ionizing photons are much larger than that of the UV continuum, the variations in the ionizing photon and UV fluxes are not correlated and/or the covering factor of the flow varies continuously. We suggest BAL-A is produced by a stable clumpy outflow located beyond the broad emission line region and BAL-C is a newly formed wind component located near the accretion disc and both respond to changes in the ionizing continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response regulator RpaB plays a central role in transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis-related genes in cyanobacteria. RpaB is phosphorylated by its cognate histidine kinase Hik33 and functions as both an activator and a repressor under low-light conditions, whereas its phosphorylation level and DNA-binding activity promptly decrease upon the upshift of photon flux density, causing changes in the gene expression profile. In this study, we assessed the possibility of redox regulation of the DNA-binding activity of RpaB in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by the addition of inhibitors of photosynthetic electron transport, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl- p -benzoquinone, or the reducing agent dithiothreitol under different photon flux densities. Analysis of the phosphorylation level of RpaB revealed that reduction of QA and increase in the availability of reducing equivalents at the acceptor side of photosystem I (PSI) can independently trigger dephosphorylation. The redox-state-dependent regulation by an unidentified thiol other than Cys59 of RpaB is prerequisite for the phosphorylation-dependent regulation of the DNA-binding activity. Environmental signals, recognized by Hik33, and metabolic signals recognized as the availability of reducing equivalents, must be integrated at the master regulator RpaB, in order to attain the flexible regulation of acclimatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accretion and ejection of matter in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are tightly connected phenomena and represent fundamental mechanisms regulating the growth of the central supermassive black hole and the evolution of the host galaxy. However, the exact physical processes involved are not yet fully understood. We present a high-resolution spectral analysis of a simultaneous XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observation of the narrow line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) AGN 1H 1934-063, during which the X-ray flux dropped by a factor of ∼6 and subsequently recovered within 140 kiloseconds. By means of the time-resolved and flux-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, we discover a potentially variable warm absorber and a relatively stable ultra-fast outflow (UFO, |$v_\mathrm{UFO}\sim -0.075\, c$|⁠) with a mild ionization state (⁠|$\log (\xi /\mathrm{erg\, cm\, s^{-1})}\sim 1.6$|⁠). The detected emission lines (especially a strong and broad feature around 1 keV) are of unknown origin and cannot be explained with emission from plasmas in photo- or collisional-ionization equilibrium. Such emission lines could be well described by a strongly blueshifted (z ∼ −0.3) secondary reflection off the base of the equatorial outflows, which may reveal the link between the reprocessing of the inner accretion flow photons and the ejection. However, this scenario although being very promising is only tentative and will be tested with future observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the accretion flow from a counter-rotating torus orbiting a central Kerr black hole (BH). We characterize the flow properties at the turning point of the accreting matter flow from the orbiting torus, defined by the condition u ϕ = 0 on the flow toroidal velocity. The counter-rotating accretion flow and jet-like flow turning point location along BH rotational axis is given. Some properties of the counter-rotating flow thickness and counter-rotating tori energetics are studied. The maximum amount of matter swallowed by the BH from the counter-rotating tori is determined by the background properties. The fast spinning BH energetics depends mostly on BH spin rather than on the properties of the counter-rotating fluids or the tori masses. The turning point is located in a narrow orbital corona (spherical shell), for photons and matter flow constituents, surrounding the BH stationary limit (outer ergosurface), depending on the BH spin–mass ratio and the fluid initial momentum only. The turning corona for jet-like flow has larger thickness, it is separated from the torus flow turning corona and it is closer to the BH stationary limit. Turning points of matter accreting from torus and from jets are independent explicitly of the details of the accretion and tori model. The turning corona could be observable due to an increase of flow luminosity and temperature. The corona is larger on the BH equatorial plane, where it is the farthest from the central attractor, and narrower on the BH poles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naphthalene (C10H8) is the simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and an important component in a series of astrochemical reactions involving hydrocarbons. Its molecular charge state affects the stability of its isomeric structures, which is specially relevant in ionized astrophysical environments. We thus perform an extensive computational search for low-energy molecular structures of neutral, singly, and multiply charged naphthalene and its isomers with charge states + q = 0–4 and investigate their geometric properties and bonding situations. We find that isomerization reactions should be frequent for higher charged states and that open chains dominate their low-energy structures. We compute both the scaled-harmonic and anharmonic infrared (IR) spectra of selected low-energy species and provide the calculated scaling factors for the naphthalene neutral, cation, and dication global minima. All simulated spectra reproduce satisfactorily the experimental data and, thus, are adequate for aiding observations. Moreover, the potential presence of these species in the emission spectra of the circumnuclear regions of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), with high energetic X-ray photon fluxes, is explored using the experimental value of the naphthalene photodissociation cross-section, σ ph − d , to determine its half-life, t 1/2, at a photon energy of 2.5 keV in a set of relevant sources. Finally, we show that the computed IR bands of the triply and quadruply charged species are able to reproduce some features of the selected AGN sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic ionized regions with strong continuum emission are often associated with regions of high-mass star formation and low-frequency (<2 GHz) observations of these regions are needed to help build star formation models. The region toward the Vela Supernova Remnant is particularly interesting as it is a complex structure of recent supernova explosions and molecular clouds containing a number of H  ii regions that are not well characterized. We searched publicly available catalogues for H  ii regions, both candidate and identified, which also have low-frequency emission. In the area of ∼400 square degrees toward the Vela Supernova remnant, we found 10 such H  ii regions, some of which have multiple components in catalogues. In this work we use data from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and previously unpublished data from the Murchison Widefield Array and the Australian Telescope Compact Array to analyse these sources. The high-mass star forming region RCW 38, with observations specifically targeted on the source, is used as a pilot study to demonstrate how low-frequency, wide-field continuum observations can identify and study H  ii regions in our Galaxy. For the nine other H  ii regions, we discuss their properties; including information about which clouds are interacting, their ages, whether they are dominated by infrared or optical H α lines, distances, ionizing photon flux, and upper limits on the infrared luminosity. In future work, these nine regions will be analysed in more detail, similar to the result for RCW 38 presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term (2004–2020) studies showed yearly summer/autumn blooms in the NE Black Sea dominated by large (cell volume > 5000 μm3) diatoms (Pseudosolenia calcar-avis and Proboscia alata). This phenomenon is characterized by high (>250 W m−2 photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) insolation, and low phosphorus concentrations (to analytical zero). These diatoms contained >100 chloroplasts per cell, which at low irradiance are evenly distributed throughout the cell. As light increases (to 1000 μmol photons m−2 s−1 PAR), chloroplasts aggregate within 20 min, usually to the center of the cell. In consequence, the light absorption coefficient is decreased by >3 fold. At elevated photon flux density (PFD), P. calcar-avis also shows a "conveyor" of chloroplasts moving from the aggregate to the cell periphery and back. This mechanism enables a continuous fine-tuning of the cells' ability to absorb light, likely also facilitating photo-damage repair. This rapid photoacclimation mechanism allows large diatoms to minimize photodamage at high PFD and acclimate well to low PFD. We hypothesize that competitive success of large diatoms in conditions of high light gradients is aided by this short-term rapid photoacclimation enhancing growth rate while minimizing chloroplast repair costs, aided by the ability of large cells to accumulate nutrients for chloroplast synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discover an unidentified strong emission feature in the X-ray spectrum of EXO 1745−248 obtained by RXTE at 40 hr after the peak of a superburst. The structure was centered at 6.6 keV and significantly broadened with a large equivalent width of 4.3 keV, corresponding to a line photon flux of 4.7 × 10−3 ph cm−2 s−1. The 3–20 keV spectrum was reproduced successfully by a power-law continuum with narrow and broad (2.7 keV in full width at half maximum) Gaussian emission components. Alternatively, the feature can be described by four narrow Gaussians, centered at 5.5 keV, 6.5 keV, 7.5 keV, and 8.6 keV. Considering the strength and shape of the feature, it is unlikely to have originated from reflection of the continuum X-rays by some optically thick material, such as an accretion disk. Moreover, the intensity of the emission structure decreased significantly with an exponential time scale of 1 hr. The feature was not detected in an INTEGRAL observation performed 10 hr before the RXTE observation with a line flux upper limit of 1.5 × 10−3 ph cm−2 s−1. The observed emission structure is consistent with gravitationally redshifted charge exchange emission from Ti, Cr, Fe, and Co. We suggest that the emission results from a charge exchange interaction between a highly metal-enriched fall-back ionized burst wind and an accretion disk, at a distance of ∼60 km from the neutron star. If this interpretation is correct, the results provide new information on nuclear burning processes during thermonuclear X-ray bursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axion-like particles (ALPs) are hypothetical bosons which may couple with photons. Since many ALPs can be emitted from hot and dense astrophysical plasma, nearby supernovae (SNe) are a possible probe into their properties, including the ALP mass m a and the coupling constant g aγ between ALPs and photons. I calculate the ALP emission from a type Ia SN (SN Ia) model with near-Chandrasekhar mass, finding that ALP luminosities from SNe Ia reach ∼1043(g aγ/10−10 GeV−1)2 erg s−1 if m a ≲ 1 MeV. Heavy ALPs emitted from SNe are unstable and decay into photons. I predict the time delay and the flux of decay photons that reach Earth from a nearby SN Ia, finding that the decay photons may provide a constraint on g aγ which is as stringent as the SN 1987A limit if an SN Ia is located 1 kpc away or closer and next-generation MeV γ-ray satellites observe it ∼1–10 yr after the explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations on the formation and evolution of born-again planetary nebulae (PNe), with particular emphasis to the case of HuBi 1, the inside-out PN. We use the extensively tested guacho code to simulate the formation of HuBi 1 adopting mass-loss and stellar wind terminal velocity estimates obtained from observations presented by our group. We found that, if the inner shell of HuBi 1 was formed by an explosive very late thermal pulse (VLTP) ejecting material with velocities of ∼300 km s−1, the age of this structure is consistent with that of ≃200 yr derived from multi-epoch narrow-band imaging. Our simulations predict that, as a consequence of the dramatic reduction of the stellar wind velocity and photon ionizing flux during the VLTP, the velocity and pressure structure of the outer H-rich nebula are affected creating turbulent ionized structures surrounding the inner shell. These are indeed detected in Gran Telescopio Canarias MEGARA optical observations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the current relatively low ionizing photon flux from the central star of HuBi 1 is not able to completely ionize the inner shell, which favours previous suggestions that its excitation is dominated by shocks. Our simulations suggest that the kinetic energy of the H-poor ejecta of HuBi 1 is at least 30 times that of the clumps and filaments in the evolved born-again PNe A 30 and A 78, making it a truly unique VLTP event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygenic photosynthesis is the most important biochemical process in Earth biosphere and likely very common on other habitable terrestrial planets, given the general availability of its input chemical ingredients and of light as source of energy. It is therefore important to evaluate the effective possibility of oxygenic photosynthesis on planets around stars as a function of their spectral type and the planet–star separation. We aim at estimating the photon flux, the exergy, and the exergetic efficiency of the radiation in the wavelength range useful for the oxygenic photosynthesis as a function of the host star effective temperature and planet–star separation. We compute analytically these quantities and compare our results with the estimates for the small sample of known Earth-like planets. We find that exergy is an increasing function of the star effective temperature, within the range 2600–7200 K. It depends both on the star–planet separation and the star effective temperature. Biospheres on exoplanets around cool stars might be generally light-limited. So far, we have not observed terrestrial planets comparable to Earth in terms of useful photon flux, exergy, and exergetic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating how the cut-off energy E cut varies with X-ray flux and photon index Γ in individual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) opens a new window to probe the yet unclear coronal physics. So far E cut variations have only been detected in several AGNs but different patterns have been reported. Here, we report new detections of E cut variations in two Seyfert galaxies with multiple Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) exposures. While in NGC 3227 E cut monotonically increases with Γ, the E cut–Γ relation exhibits a Λ shape in SWIFT J2127.4+5654 (E cut increasing with Γ at Γ ≲ 2.05, but reversely decreasing at Γ ≳ 2.05), indicating more than a single underlying mechanism is involved. Meanwhile both galaxies show softer spectra while they brighten in X-ray, a common phenomenon in Seyfert galaxies. Plotting all seven AGNs with E cut variations ever reported with NuSTAR observations in the E cut–Γ diagram, we find they could be unified with the Λ pattern. Although the sample is small and SWIFT J2127.4+5654 is the only source with Γ varying across the break point thus the only one exhibiting the complete Λ pattern in a single source, the discoveries shed new light on the coronal physics in AGNs. Possible underlying physical mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the first spatially resolved spectroscopic study for the galaxy PHL 293B using the high-resolution GTC/MEGARA integral field unit (IFU). PHL 293B is a local, extremely metal-poor, high ionization galaxy. This makes PHL 293B an excellent analogue for galaxies in the early Universe. The MEGARA aperture (∼ 12.5 arcsec × 11.3 arcsec) covers the entire PHL 293B main body and its far-reaching ionized gas. We created and discussed maps of all relevant emission lines, line ratios, and physical–chemical properties of the ionized ISM. The narrow emission gas appears to be ionized mainly by massive stars according to the observed diagnostic line ratios, regardless of the position across the MEGARA aperture. We detected low intensity broad emission components and blueshifted absorptions in the Balmer lines (H α,H β) which are located in the brightest zone of the galaxy ISM. A chemically homogeneity, across hundreds of parsecs, is observed in O/H. We take the oxygen abundance 12+log (O/H) = 7.64 ± 0.06 derived from the PHL 293B integrated spectrum as the representative metallicity for the galaxy. Our IFU data reveal for the first time that the nebular He  ii λ4686 emission from PHL 293B is spatially extended and coincident with the ionizing stellar cluster, and allow us to compute its absolute He  ii ionizing photon flux. Wolf-Rayet bumps are not detected excluding therefore Wolf-Rayet stars as the main He  ii excitation source. The origin of the nebular He  ii λ4686 is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a model for dense clumps in photoionized regions in the 'cometary plasmon' regime. We consider that as these plasmons accelerate outwards from the external ionizing photon source (as a result of the back-reaction of the photoevaporated wind from the clumps), they move into regions of decreasing external ionizing photon fluxes (resulting from the geometrical dilution of the ionizing radiation, and possibly also from absorption due to intervening material). We find the presence of two regimes: a 'vanishing plasmon' regime, in which the clump rapidly accelerates, compresses, and becomes fully photoionized without travelling far from the photon source, and an 'expanding plasmon' regime, in which the clump travels over a considerable radial domain, and expands as a result of the lower impinging ionizing photon fluxes (before eventually decreasing in size and becoming fully photoionized). Interestingly, the cometary clumps of the Helix nebula are at the boundary between these two regimes, and therefore correspond to clumps that travel over a relatively extended radial domain while keeping an approximately constant size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying X-ray binary (XRB) candidates in nearby galaxies requires distinguishing them from possible contaminants including foreground stars and background active galactic nuclei. This work investigates the use of supervised machine learning algorithms to identify high-probability XRB candidates. Using a catalogue of 943 Chandra X-ray sources in the Andromeda galaxy, we trained and tested several classification algorithms using the X-ray properties of 163 sources with previously known types. Amongst the algorithms tested, we find that random forest classifiers give the best performance and work better in a binary classification (XRB/non-XRB) context compared to the use of multiple classes. Evaluating our method by comparing with classifications from visible-light and hard X-ray observations as part of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury, we find compatibility at the 90 per cent level, although we caution that the number of source in common is rather small. The estimated probability that an object is an XRB agrees well between the random forest binary and multiclass approaches and we find that the classifications with the highest confidence are in the XRB class. The most discriminating X-ray bands for classification are the 1.7–2.8, 0.5–1.0, 2.0–4.0, and 2.0–7.0 keV photon flux ratios. Of the 780 unclassified sources in the Andromeda catalogue, we identify 16 new high-probability XRB candidates and tabulate their properties for follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface detector (SD) of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment allows us to detect indirectly photons with energies of the order of 1018 eV and higher, and to separate photons from the cosmic ray background. In this paper, we present the results of a blind search for point sources of ultra-high-energy (UHE) photons in the Northern sky using the TA SD data. The photon-induced extensive air showers are separated from the hadron-induced extensive air shower background by means of a multivariate classifier based upon 16 parameters that characterize the air shower events. No significant evidence for the photon point sources is found. The upper limits are set on the flux of photons from each particular direction in the sky within the TA field of view, according to the experiment's angular resolution for photons. The average 95 per cent confidence level upper-limits for the point-source flux of photons with energies greater than 1018, 1018.5, 1019, 1019.5 and 1020 eV are 0.094, 0.029, 0.010, 0.0073 and 0.0058 km−2yr−1, respectively. For energies higher than 1018.5 eV, the photon point-source limits are set for the first time. Numerical results for each given direction in each energy range are provided as a supplement to this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of flux and index distributions of three blazars [one flat-spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) and two BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs)] by using 16 yr of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) archival data. The three blazars were chosen such that their flux and index distributions have sufficient number of data points (≥90) with relatively less uncertainty |$\left(\overline{\sigma _{\rm err}^{2}}/\sigma ^{2} < 0.2\right)$| in light curves. Anderson–Darling (AD) test and histogram fitting show that flux distribution of FSRQ 3C 273 is lognormal, while its photon index distribution is Gaussian. This result is consistent with linear Gaussian perturbation in the particle acceleration time-scale, which produces lognormal distribution in flux. However, for two BL Lacs, viz. Mrk 501 and Mrk 421, AD test shows that their flux distributions are neither Gaussian nor lognormal, and their index distributions are non-normal. The histogram fitting of Mrk 501 and Mrk 421 suggests that their flux distributions are more likely to be a bimodal, and their index distributions are double Gaussian. Since, Sinha et al. had shown that Gaussian distribution of index produces a lognormal distribution in flux, double Gaussian distribution of index in Mrk 501 and Mrk 421 indicates that their flux distributions are probably double lognormal. Observation of double lognormal flux distribution with double Gaussian distribution in index reaffirms two flux states hypothesis. Further, the difference observed in the flux distribution of FSRQ (3C 273) and BL Lacs (Mrk 501 and Mrk 421) at X-rays suggests that the low-energy emitting electrons have a single lognormal flux distribution, while the high-energy ones have a double lognormal flux distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative and positive correlations between the X-ray photon index and the Eddington-scaled X-ray luminosity were found in the decay phase of X-ray binary outbursts and a sample of active galactic nuclei in former works. We systematically investigate the evolution of the X-ray spectral index, along with the X-ray flux and Eddington ratio, in eight outbursts of four black-hole X-ray binaries, where all selected outbursts have observational data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer in both rise and decay phases. In the initial rise phase, the X-ray spectral index is anticorrelated with the flux and the X-ray spectrum quickly softens when the X-ray flux is approaching the peak value. In the decay phase, the X-ray photon index and the flux follow two different positive correlations and they become anticorrelated again when the X-ray flux is below a critical value, where the anticorrelation part follows the same trend as found in the initial rise phase. Compared with other X-ray binaries, GRO J1655−40 has an evident lower critical Eddington ratio for the anticorrelation and positive transition, which suggests that its black-hole mass and distance are not well constrained, or its intrinsic physics is different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a ~3°.4-wide region of high-energy emission in data from the Fermi LAT satellite. The centroid of the emission is located in the Southern hemisphere sky, a few degrees away from the plane of the Galaxy at the Galactic coordinates l = 350°.6, b=-4°.7. It shows a hard spectrum that is compatible with a simple power law, dN/dE ∝ E-Γ, in the energy range 0.7-500 GeV, with a spectral index Γ = 1.68 ± 0.04stat ± 0.1sys. The integrated source photon flux above 0.7 GeV is (4.71 ± 0.49stat ± 2.13sys) × 10-9 cm-2 s-1. We discuss several hypotheses for the nature of the source, particularly that the emission comes from the shell of an unknown supernova remnant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric turbulence presents a fundamental challenge to Fourier phase recovery in optical interferometry. Typical reconstruction algorithms employ Bayesian inference techniques which rely on prior knowledge of the scene under observation. In contrast, redundant spacing calibration (RSC) algorithms employ redundancy in the baselines of the interferometric array to directly expose the contribution of turbulence, thereby enabling phase recovery for targets of arbitrary and unknown complexity. Traditionally RSC algorithms have been applied directly to single-exposure measurements, which are reliable only at high photon flux in general. In scenarios of low photon flux, such as those arising in the observation of dim objects in space, one must instead rely on time-averaged, atmosphere-invariant quantities such as the bispectrum. In this paper, we develop a novel RSC-based algorithm for prior-less phase recovery in which we generalize the bispectrum to higher order atmosphere-invariants (nspectra) for improved sensitivity. We provide a strategy for selection of a high-signal-to-noise ratio set of n-spectra using the graph-theoretic notion of the minimum cycle basis. We also discuss a key property of this set (wrap-invariance), which then enables reliable application of standard linear estimation techniques to recover the Fourier phases from the 2p-wrapped n-spectra phases. For validation, we analyse the expected shot-noise-limited performance of our algorithm for both pairwise and Fizeau interferometric architectures, and corroborate this analysis with simulation results showing performance near an atmosphere-oracle Cramer-Rao bound. Lastly, we apply techniques from the field of compressed sensing to perform image reconstruction from the estimated complex visibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric turbulence presents a fundamental challenge to Fourier phase recovery in optical interferometry. Typical reconstruction algorithms employ Bayesian inference techniques which rely on prior knowledge of the scene under observation. In contrast, redundant spacing calibration (RSC) algorithms employ redundancy in the baselines of the interferometric array to directly expose the contribution of turbulence, thereby enabling phase recovery for targets of arbitrary and unknown complexity. Traditionally RSC algorithms have been applied directly to single-exposure measurements, which are reliable only at high photon flux in general. In scenarios of low photon flux, such as those arising in the observation of dim objects in space, one must instead rely on time-averaged, atmosphere-invariant quantities such as the bispectrum. In this paper, we develop a novel RSC-based algorithm for prior-less phase recovery in which we generalize the bispectrum to higher order atmosphere-invariants (nspectra) for improved sensitivity. We provide a strategy for selection of a high-signal-to-noise ratio set of n-spectra using the graph-theoretic notion of the minimum cycle basis. We also discuss a key property of this set (wrap-invariance), which then enables reliable application of standard linear estimation techniques to recover the Fourier phases from the 2π-wrapped n-spectra phases. For validation, we analyse the expected shot-noise-limited performance of our algorithm for both pairwise and Fizeau interferometric architectures, and corroborate this analysis with simulation results showing performance near an atmosphere-oracle Cramer-Rao bound. Lastly, we apply techniques from the field of compressed sensing to perform image reconstruction from the estimated complex visibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use high-spectral resolution (R > 8000) data covering 3800–13 000 Å to study the physical conditions of the broad-line region (BLR) of nine nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies. Up to six broad H i lines are present in each spectrum. A comparison – for the first time using simultaneous optical to near-infrared observations – to photoionization calculations with our devised simple scheme yields the extinction to the BLR at the same time as determining the density and photon flux, and hence distance from the nucleus, of the emitting gas. This points to a typical density for the H i emitting gas of 1011 cm−3 and shows that a significant amount of this gas lies at regions near the dust sublimation radius, consistent with theoretical predictions. We also confirm that in many objects, the line ratios are far from case B, the best-fitting intrinsic broad-line Hα/H β ratios being in the range 2.5–6.6 as derived with our photoionization modelling scheme. The extinction to the BLR, based on independent estimates from H i and He ii lines, is AV ≤ 3 for Seyfert 1–1.5s, while Seyfert 1.8–1.9s have AV in the range 4–8. A comparison of the extinction towards the BLR and narrow-line region (NLR) indicates that the structure obscuring the BLR exists on scales smaller than the NLR. This could be the dusty torus, but dusty nuclear spirals or filaments could also be responsible. The ratios between the X-ray absorbing column NH and the extinction to the BLR are consistent with the Galactic gas-to-dust ratio if NH variations are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution is driven by natural selection, favouring individuals adapted in morphology and physiology to the environmental conditions at their growing site. Here, we studied environmentally induced and (epi-)genetically based components of divergence of photosynthesis in response to irradiance and temperature and cellular characteristics reflecting water availability in two reciprocally non-monophyletic, parapatric and interfertile, but morphologically and ecologically strongly divergent species in their natural habitat and in a common garden. Heliosperma pusillum occurs in alpine wet rocky habitats, whereas H. veselskyi is restricted to montane shady habitats with dry soils below overhanging rocks. Microclimatic divergence of natural habitats was evident in photosynthetically active photon flux density and leaf temperature. Photosynthetic light response was in agreement with differences in irradiance climate, suggesting that different photosynthetic parameters are favoured at particular growing sites. Photosynthesis was adapted to lower daily minimum temperatures at the alpine site, but did not differ at high temperatures. In the common garden, both species adjusted their functional traits in response to the shift in environmental conditions. The different light response of photosynthesis suggests an (epi-)genetically based component affecting photosynthetic parameters. Early-stage speciation between H. pusillum and H. veselskyi is probably environmentally induced, as the close connection between trait values and microclimatic conditions suggests that functional differentiation is adaptive. This is in line with the independent evolution of similar phenotypes under similar ecological conditions in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct models of static, spherically symmetric shells supported by the radiation flux of a luminous neutron star in the Schwarzschild metric. The atmospheres are disconnected from the star and levitate above its surface. Gas pressure and density inversion appear in the inner region of these atmospheres, which is a purely relativistic phenomenon. We account for the scattering opacity dependence on temperature green by using the Klein-Nishina formula. The relativistic M1 closure scheme for the radiation tensor provides a general relativity-consistent treatment of the photon flux and radiation tensor anisotropy. In this way, we are able to address atmospheres of both large and moderate/low optical depths with the same set of equations. We discuss properties of the levitating atmospheres and find that they may indeed be optically thick, with the distance between star surface and the photosphere expanding as luminosity increases. These results may be relevant for the photosphereric radius expansion X-ray bursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close-in hot Jupiters are exposed to a tremendous photon flux that ionizes the neutral escaping material from the planet leaving an observable imprint that makes them an interesting laboratory for testing theoretical models. In this work, we present 3D hydrodynamic simulations with radiation transfer calculations of a close-in exoplanet in a blow-off state. We calculate the Ly α absorption and compare it with observations of HD 209458b and previous simplified model results. Our results show that the hydrodynamic interaction together with a proper calculation of the photoionization process are able to reproduce the main features of the observed Ly α absorption, in particular at the blue-shifted wings of the line. We found that the ionizing stellar flux produce an almost linear effect on the amount of absorption in the wake. Varying the planetary mass-loss rate and the radiation flux, we were able to reproduce the 10 per cent absorption observed at −100 km s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present long-term monitoring of MCG-6-30-15 in X-rays, optical and near-IR wavelengths, collected over 5 yr of monitoring. We determine the power spectrum density of all the observed bands and show that after taking into account the host contamination similar power is observed in the optical and near-IR bands. There is evidence for a correlation between the light curves of the X-ray photon flux and the optical B band, but it is not possible to determine a lag with certainty, with the most likely value being around 0 d. Strong correlation is seen between the optical and near-IR bands. Cross-correlation analysis shows some complex probability distributions and lags that range from 10 to 20d, with the near-IR following the optical variations. Filtering the light curves in frequency space shows that the strongest correlations are those corresponding to the shortest time-scales. We discuss the nature of the X-ray variability and conclude that this is intrinsic and cannot be accounted for by absorption episodes due to material intervening in the line of sight. It is also found that the lags agree with the relation τ α λ4/3, as expected for an optically thick geometrically thin accretion disc, although for a larger disc than that predicted by the estimated black hole mass and accretion rate in MCG-6-30-15. The cross-correlation analysis suggests that the torus is located at ~20 light-days from the central source and at most at ~50 light-days from the central region. This implies an active galactic nucleus bolometric luminosity of ~3 × 1043 erg s-1 cm-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the variability behaviour of the broad Hβ emission-line to driving continuum variations in the best-studied AGN NGC 5548. For a particular choice of broad emission-line region (BLR) geometry, Hβ surface emissivity based on photoionization models, and using a scaled version of the 13-yr optical continuum light-curve as a proxy for the driving ionizing continuum, we explore several key factors that determine the broad emission-line luminosity L, characteristic size RRW, and variability amplitude (i.e. responsivity) η, as well as the interplay between them. For fixed boundary models which extend as far as the hot dust the predicted delays for Hβ are on average too long. However, the predicted variability amplitude of Hβ provides a remarkably good match to observations except during low-continuum states. We suggest that the continuum flux variations which drive the redistribution in Hβ surface emissivity F(r) do not on their own lead to large enough changes in RRW or ηeff. We thus investigate dust-bounded BLRs for which the location of the effective outer boundary is modulated by the continuum level and the dust-sublimation and dust-condensation time-scales. We find that in order to match the observed variability amplitude of broad Hβ in NGC 5548 a rather static outer boundary is preferred. Intriguingly, we show that the most effective way of reducing the Hβ delay, while preserving its responsivity and equivalent width, is to invoke a smaller value in the incident ionizing photon flux ΦH for a given ionizing source–cloud radial distance r, than is normally inferred from the observed UV continuum flux and typical models of the continuum spectral energy distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understory plants in tropical forests often experience a low-light environment combined with high CO2 concentration. We hypothesized that the high CO2 concentration may compensate for leaf carbon loss caused by the low light, through increasing light-use efficiency of both steady-state and dynamic photosynthetic properties. To test the hypothesis, we examined CO2 gas exchange in response to an artificial lightfleck in Dipterocarpus sublamellatus Foxw. seedlings under contrasting CO2 conditions: 350 and 700 μmol CO2 mol−1 air in a tropical rain forest, Pasoh, Malaysia. Total photosynthetic carbon gain from the lightfleck was about double when subjected to the high CO2 when compared with the low CO2 concentration. The increase of light-use efficiency in dynamic photosynthesis contributed 7% of the increased carbon gain, most of which was due to reduction of photosynthetic induction to light increase under the high CO2. The light compensation point of photosynthesis decreased by 58% and the apparent quantum yield increased by 26% at the high CO2 compared with those at the low CO2. The study suggests that high CO2 increases photosynthetic light-use efficiency under both steady-state and fluctuating light conditions, which should be considered in assessing the leaf carbon gain of understory plants in low-light environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]