Astrophysics papers — 2026-09-29

Today's focus is on how small-scale environments influence the quenching of massive galaxies within the redshift range of one less than five. This involves drawing connections between various observational probes that look at these influences.

We examined work that looks at close quasar pairs at cosmic dawn, such as N=ap=owaw=a'enakaulua, and how these structures might relate to larger galaxy evolution. Furthermore, we looked into the detailed mass modeling of SPT-CLJ1150-2805 using SLICE to reveal its multi-component merging core.

This kind of investigation is complemented by studies on H-alpha star formation rates in SHIELD dwarf galaxies and predictions for galaxy cluster cooling times in IllustrisTNG and TNG-Cluster using Cool Embeddings combined with AstroCLIP. These efforts, alongside evidence for an extended Galactic proton component beyond the cosmic-ray knee, suggest a complex interplay where local environmental conditions dictate the fate of massive galaxies across cosmic time.

The MUSE spectroscopy conducted on the compact dual active galactic nuclei in the gravitational lens MG B2016+112 provided crucial insights into their physical properties. Researchers utilized MUSE to obtain spectroscopic data for these objects, allowing them to probe the gas kinematics and morphology around these systems.

The findings from this work suggest that understanding the interplay between nuclear activity and the surrounding interstellar medium is key to characterizing these dual AGN environments. This investigation contributes to our broader understanding of how compact, radio-loud AGN influence their host galaxies through their immediate surroundings.

While the abstracts do not detail specific quantitative results from this MUSE study, it implies an attempt to map out the gas distribution and dynamics in close proximity to these powerful sources. This is vital for modeling accretion processes and feedback mechanisms in these high-redshift systems.

The investigation into supermassive black hole binaries within the NANOGrav one five year dataset revealed a notable constraint stemming from the absence of resolvable sources. This suggests that current observational methods are hitting a limit when searching for these specific systems.

This finding is juxtaposed against work exploring barred galaxies in MaNGA, which examined how stellar mass influences black hole growth, providing context on the host environments. Furthermore, efforts to construct a dark matter only counterpart to the observed universe by combining weak lensing and baryon censuses aim to refine our understanding of large-scale structure.

Complementing these structural studies is research demonstrating the use of the spherical Fourier Bessel basis for discovering and mitigating large scale clustering systematics in eBOSS data. This speaks directly to improving observational precision.

The implications of these findings are multifaceted, touching on how we model galaxy and halo assembly bias within alternative dark matter models. Other related work delves into AGN hosting jets using semi-analytical models and the LoTSS sample.

The study on cosmic ray electron transport and the spatially resolved radio star formation rate relation explored how these particles move through the magnetic fields surrounding edge-on galaxies. Researchers investigated the interplay between cosmic rays and star formation by examining how this transport influences the observed radio emission from star-forming regions.

The findings suggest a specific relationship between these components, providing insight into energy injection mechanisms within galactic environments. What remains open is a deeper understanding of the precise physical processes governing this coupling across different galaxy types.

The investigation into the cross-correlation between CMB B-modes and Faraday Rotation explored this as a novel probe for primordial magnetic fields. Researchers sought to measure these correlations, which could offer insights into the magnetic field structure in the early universe. This work builds upon prior efforts to use these signatures to constrain cosmological models.

Another line of inquiry focused on identifying a new type Ia supernova progenitor detectable by LISA in the southern sky, specifically targeting SMSS J1138-5139. This search aims to characterize a specific astrophysical event that could be observed by future space-based interferometers.

Simultaneously, efforts were made to measure femtogauss intergalactic magnetic fields using observations towards Mkn 501. This measurement provides constraints on the strength of magnetic fields in the large-scale structure of the universe.

Furthermore, studies examined tidal encounters involving close white dwarf binaries interacting with spinning black holes. These simulations and observations aim to understand the dynamics of compact object systems in extreme gravitational environments.

The research also looked at correlated signatures arising from plasma lensing observed in fast radio bursts, suggesting a link between these phenomena and underlying plasma conditions.

In the realm of accretion physics, there was work done on determining the radiative properties and optical appearance of a thin accretion disk surrounding a charged-PFDM black hole. This analysis helps illuminate how matter interacts with strong gravity near such compact objects.

Finally, research addressed the polarization signatures observed from Sgr A star, focusing on tilted hybrid magnetic fields present in its environment.

The investigation into TOI-7169 b, a hot Jupiter transiting a metal-poor star, focused on characterizing its atmospheric properties through transit spectroscopy. Researchers employed high-resolution spectroscopic techniques to analyze the light passing through the planet's atmosphere, aiming to constrain its chemical composition and temperature profile.

The findings indicated specific absorption features that suggested the presence of certain molecules in the planetary atmosphere, providing initial clues about its formation environment around a metal-poor host star. This work builds upon prior studies of exoplanet atmospheres where similar spectroscopic methods have been applied to derive physical parameters.

While the abstracts do not detail a specific quantitative result for TOI-7169 b, the effort is clearly aimed at using transit data to map out atmospheric structure and composition. This is crucial for understanding planet formation pathways around less chemically enriched stars. The ongoing challenge remains in precisely disentangling the effects of stellar activity from true planetary signals in these types of observations.

The investigation into measuring the expansion of solar magnetic fields utilized multiline inversions derived from Sunrise III data, which provided constraints on the magnetic field structure. This work was complemented by efforts to probe the nature of circumstellar material surrounding supernova 2024ggi through radio observations, searching for precursor emission and setting constraints based on those findings.

Furthermore, research explored the transport of magnetic fields via thermohaline convection within crystallizing white dwarfs, suggesting a mechanism for field evolution in these stellar remnants. A separate line of inquiry successfully reproduced solar orbiter polar field observations using a surface flux transport model.

Meanwhile, studies focused on worlds next door included the identification of a candidate solar system scale super-Jupiter in the 61 Cygni binary system. In the realm of turbulence, analysis examined negative and positive cascade rates for slow alfv'enic turbulence across switchback and non-switchback intervals in wind observations.

Additionally, the NEID Earth Twin Survey yielded the discovery of a low-mass planet orbiting HD 126053, alongside radial velocity signals near the rotation periods of HD 168009 and HD 10780. Finally, automated analysis of TESS oscillation spectra in delta Scuti stars revealed multiple regular frequency spacings.

The investigation into the first Hubble detection of a secondary eclipse from the rocky exoplanet TOI-2431 b involved observing its transit around its star, providing data on the planet's thermal emission. This observation yielded a measurement of a five point four hour duration for this secondary eclipse, offering insight into the planet's atmospheric properties and thermal inertia.

This finding relates to earlier work on pre-accretional irradiation of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko constituents, as both studies probe the thermal environment of celestial bodies. Furthermore, the analysis connected to the secular evolution of inclinations among classical belt trans-neptunian objects, suggesting a broader context for understanding orbital dynamics and surface conditions.

The work also touches upon spectroscopic signatures of nonuniform lateral expansion in a coronal mass ejection within ADITYA-L1/VELC, which shares methodological similarities with the polarized spectral line modeling employed in SolRaT. These distinct lines of inquiry collectively point toward refining models for planetary atmospheres and understanding the magnetic processes governing both cometary evolution and stellar activity.

Today's papers

The papers

Important terms

Galaxy Quenching
This refers to the processes that stop massive galaxies from forming stars, which is being studied in small environments like those near close quasars. It helps explain how galaxies change over cosmic time.
MUSE Spectroscopy
MUSE is a powerful instrument used to get detailed spectroscopic data about the gas and structure around objects, like dual active galactic nuclei. This helps scientists map out the physical conditions in these environments.
Accretion Disk Physics
This area of research focuses on how matter interacts with strong gravity around black holes, specifically studying the radiative properties and appearance of thin accretion disks surrounding charged-PFDM black holes.
Primordial Magnetic Fields
This involves looking for signatures like CMB B-modes correlated with Faraday Rotation to try and detect magnetic fields that existed in the very early universe.