Primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) is a fundamental probe of the physics of the early Universe and inflation. Here we present a comprehensive study of the constraints on the local-type PNG parameter, $f_{\rm NL}$, for the spectroscopic galaxy survey of the upcoming Chinese Space-station Survey Telescope (CSST). Utilizing the high-resolution Jiutian N-body simulation suite, we construct realistic mock catalogs for emission line galaxies (ELGs) at three representative redshifts $z=0.3$, 0.6, and 0.9. The expected CSST observational characteristics are also considered, including redshift uncertainties and selection functions based on signal-to-noise ratios of emission lines. We develop a robust analysis framework for the redshift-space galaxy power spectrum and bispectrum that accounts for redshift-space distortions, scale-dependent bias, and nonlinear effects. Through a joint Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis, we find that the power spectrum alone provides competitive constraints, while the inclusion of the bispectrum, specifically targeting the squeezed-limit configurations, improves the $f_{\rm NL}$ constraint precision by approximately 5%-6%. Our joint analysis yields a constraint result of $f_{\rm NL}=-20\pm52$ for the mock data in the 1~($h^{-1}$Gpc)$^3$ comoving volume at the three redshifts, and the constraint accuracy is expected to be improved by several times or even one order of magnitude for the CSST full spectroscopic survey. This work demonstrates the potential of the Stage~IV surveys like CSST to probe inflationary physics, and highlights the importance of higher-order statistics in extracting information from large-scale structure surveys.

Dark matter (DM) subhaloes orbiting inside the Milky Way (MW) are promising targets for DM searches, and reliable predictions for the detectability and spatial distribution of their signals are crucial for probing the nature of DM. Recent work showed that tidal forces from the baryonic components of the MW boost the efficiency of subhalo mass-loss, although the underlying physical processes remain insufficiently understood. This study focuses on clarifying the role of the Galactic disc. By using $N$-body simulations, we examine how the dynamical evolution of subhaloes varies with the inclination angle between their orbits and the Galactic disc. Subhaloes whose orbits are inclined by only a few degrees with respect to the Galactic disc pass through it quickly, which enhances tidal shock heating and leads to a pronounced increase in mass-loss efficiency. In contrast, when a subhalo orbit is exactly coplanar with the Galactic disc, adiabatic shielding suppresses the energy input from tidal shocks, resulting in a lower mass-loss efficiency. Tidal stripping lowers the DM density within subhaloes, thereby attenuating the luminosity of their DM signals. Consequently, we expect that subhaloes located at distances of $\sim 0.3$--$2$\,kpc from the Galactic disc plane emit only weak signals, whereas those remaining embedded in the disc are more promising candidates for indirect DM detection, provided that contamination from baryonic emission sources can be carefully modelled and subtracted. Although their mass-loss histories differ significantly, the structural evolution of subhaloes is still well described by the tidal tracks reported in the literature.

Calibration of the cosmic shear bias is crucial for justifying the cosmological results. However, it is still unclear to what extent calibrations based on simulated galaxy images, as what is commonly done in the weak lensing community, can capture the real shear bias, especially given the complicated instrumental effects. On the other hand, selections of the source galaxies (magnitude cut, redshift binning, etc.) made in real measurement, as well as stochastic but possibly correlated shear biases, may introduce errors to the shear-shear correlations that are hard to calibrate apriori. In our previous few papers, we have shown that the field-distortion signal associated with each galaxy image can be saved in the shear catalog to provide onsite calibrations of shear bias for both galaxy-galaxy lensing and shear-shear correlation. In this paper, we apply this method to the HSCpdr3 shear catalog generated by the Fourier\_Quad shear measurement method. Using our onsite calibration method, we find that the shear biases vary with the selections of photo-z bins, SNR cuts, optical bands, as well as alternative forms of the shear estimators. Nevertheless, after calibrations, the shear-shear correlation functions and cosmological parameter constraints show consistent results in all the cases considered. The fiducial results from the r/i/z bands shear catalog with $\mathrm{SNR}>10$ cut yield: $S_8=0.740^{+0.030}_{-0.030}$ and $Ω_m=0.383^{+0.129}_{-0.132}$

We present a statistical study of stellar and dust disk properties for young stellar objects in the Ophiuchus star-forming region. Building on our previous paper (Shoshi et al. 2025b), which applied two-dimensional super-resolution imaging with PRIISM to ALMA archival Band 6 continuum data and spatially resolved 78 disks, we analyze a sample of 67 systems with robust dust-radius measurements. We combine stellar parameters from the literature, including bolometric temperature $T_{\rm bol}$, stellar mass $M_\ast$, and mass accretion rate $\dot{M}_{\rm acc}$, with disk parameters derived from the super-resolution images, including inclination $i_{\rm disk}$, millimeter luminosity $L_{\rm mm}$, and dust radius $R_{95\%}$. We quantify pairwise correlations and compare their behavior across evolutionary stages (Class I/FS and Class II) and between disks with and without detectable substructures. We identify substructure dependencies in $L_{\rm mm}$ and $R_{95\%}$, indicating that substructures tend to be found preferentially in relatively massive and extended disks. Moreover, we find a tight size-luminosity relation between $R_{95\%}$ and $L_{\rm mm}$. In particular, only Class II disks with substructures exhibit a steeper scaling, $R_{95\%}\propto L_{\rm mm}^{0.8}$, while the other subsamples are broadly consistent with $R_{95\%}\propto L_{\rm mm}^{0.4\text{-}0.5}$. This behavior is qualitatively consistent with disk evolution models in which disks with planet-induced pressure bumps follow a steeper size-luminosity relation than smooth disks. Overall, our results suggest that disk substructures play an important role in shaping the evolution of dust and global disk properties, while providing empirical constraints on accretion, dust trapping, and possible gravitational instability in young disks.

Large-area CO surveys are essential for studying molecular cloud dynamics and evolution; however, most have focused on the Galactic plane, leaving high-latitude clouds less explored. We present the PMO Polaris CO Survey (PPCOS), which maps a 100~deg$^2$ region of the Polaris Flare in the $J=1-0$ transitions of $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, and C$^{18}$O using the Delingha 13.7~m telescope. As the first large-area CO survey at high Galactic latitude ($|b| > 20^{\circ}$) with sub-arcminute resolution, PPCOS achieves sensitivities of $\sim$0.46~K for $^{12}$CO and $\sim$0.23~K for $^{13}$CO and C$^{18}$O at a spectral resolution of 0.16~km~s$^{-1}$ and an angular resolution of 50\arcsec. The $^{12}$CO emission reveals seven distinct complexes, where only $\sim$10\% of pixels display multiple velocity components, alongside a global velocity gradient of 0.18~km~s$^{-1}$~pc$^{-1}$. Typical line widths are $1.2 \pm 0.6$~\mbox{km~s$^{-1}$} for $^{12}$CO, while $^{13}$CO components are systematically narrower ($\lesssim 0.7\,ΔV_{\rm ^{12}CO}$). The $^{12}$CO/$^{13}$CO intensity ratios (5--25) indicate widespread $^{12}$CO optical thickness, resembling conditions found in giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Globally, the CO emission divides into two groups: a major group aligned with the velocity gradient and a secondary group elongated perpendicular to it, possibly regulated by large-scale coherent dynamics. We propose a three-layer hierarchy: a dynamically assembling and dispersing periphery traced by $^{12}$CO, a more stable intermediate kernel traced by $^{13}$CO, and gravitationally bound compact cores traced by C$^{18}$O. No young stellar objects are firmly associated with the molecular gas. PPCOS provides an ideal laboratory for studying turbulence, hierarchical structure, and early cloud evolution in a nearby, relatively simple molecular cloud.

The origin of the gap in the observed magnetic field distribution between pulsars and magnetars raises a challenge to understanding these populations within a unified framework. We analytically show that the gap can be naturally explained by the alignment of the magnetic inclination angle between the magnetic and spin axes. Based on coupled evolution of spin-down and magnetic inclination angle in the plasma-filled magnetosphere, the alignment timescale follows $τ_α\propto B^{-2}$. Thus, strongly magnetized neutron stars including high-$B$ pulsars and magnetars align more rapidly than pulsars with $10^{12}\,\mathrm{G}$, reducing their beaming fraction and thereby suppressing their observed numbers. However, magnetars are primarily identified through X-ray activity and are therefore relatively less affected by beaming. Taking into account both beaming fraction and luminosity corrections, we reconstruct the initial magnetic field distribution from the observed distribution. We show that pulsars and magnetars do not dictate intrinsically distinct initial distributions, but can instead be understood within a single continuous initial magnetic field distribution, such as a log-uniform distribution.

Type~IIn supernovae (SNe) are a subclass of core-collapse SNe powered by interaction between the ejecta and the dense circumstellar material. Among them, long-lived Type~IIn events are characterized by luminous, long-duration light curves with high radiative energy. Several cases of long-lived type IIn SNe exhibit substantial dust emission at late times. However, well-observed examples remain limited, and the details of their dust formation mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the Type~IIn SN~2024dy in ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared (NIR) wavelength for $500$ days. SN~2024dy reached a peak magnitude of $M_r=-19.2$~mag with a total radiation energy of $1.9\times10^{50}$~erg. A NIR excess emerged at late phases, and the spectral energy distribution modeling indicates the presence of carbon dust with temperatures of $1300$-$1800$~K and masses of about $10^{-5}\ M_\odot$. The spectra features were typical of long-lived Type~IIn SNe. The late time H$α$ profile exhibits a strong suppression of the red wing, providing evidence for newly formed dust. Our results suggest that the derived dust mass above may be underestimated due to optical depth effects. SN~2024dy provides an important observational case for understanding dust formation in Type~IIn SNe.

Using emission-line galaxies (ELGs) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 2, we evaluate a property-dependent correction to imaging systematics. We derive systematic weights following the same linear regression method used for other DESI tracers, but do so separately on ELG subsamples to provide a physically-informed alternative to the fiducial, neural-network-based approach. In doing so, we show that the deeper imaging in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) footprint leads to a higher overall number density but a lack of targets with extreme $g-r$ and $r-z$ colors. ELGs in the DES region also show a distinct redshift distribution when subsampled by position in the $g-r$ vs. $r-z$ plane. To address these effects, we implement a separate treatment of the DES footprint within the DESI catalog production pipeline, which is generally well-motivated and, in some cases, imperative for accurate clustering measurements. With DES treated separately, we find that property-dependent systematic weights further mitigate spurious clustering signal in $\sim$10% of subsamples, while the fiducial scheme remains optimal for the full sample.

We present a pilot study using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory early alerts to verify RR Lyrae candidates in the Pan-STARRS1, the Dark Energy Survey, and the Next-Generation Virgo Cluster Survey RR Lyrae catalogs. RR Lyrae candidates fainter than 16 mag in the $g$-band in these catalogs were crossmatched with the alerts observed in several deep drilling fields and the M49 field. After excluding alerts with a low number of detections, there are 40 alerts associated with the RR Lyrae candidates. The multiband Rubin-LSST light curves extracted from the alerts verify 32 variables as genuine RR Lyrae, although several were not classified as variable stars in the ALeRCE and Lasair community alert brokers. While ALeRCE and Lasair provide $\sim70\%$ and $\sim40\%$ true variable classification, respectively, we find that $20\%$ of the alert sample are non-RR Lyrae variables. The remaining eight candidate variables do not show typical RR Lyrae light curves and include two active galactic nuclei and two eclipsing binaries. Additionally, we have also found a small number of known variable candidates with no alerts, which would suggest that they are either not RR Lyrae variables or the template images are not yet available for their difference image analysis.

Bayesian model selection in cosmology and particle physics is often performed where posterior odds inherit a strong, often unacknowledged dependence on the prior assigned to competing models. Standard responses -- reference priors, hierarchical priors, or appeals to naturalness -- ignore relevant theoretical knowledge or rely on criteria hard to define operationally. We propose the \emph{Coherence Principle}: a reproducible prescription for assigning model priors according to compatibility with the validated structure of an existing theory. This structure, or \emph{grammar}, includes symmetries, conservation laws, locality, Lorentz invariance, and universality patterns. Unmotivated violations of these rules incur a coherence cost, converted into a prior weight through a maximum-entropy exponential form controlled by one calibratable parameter $α$. The resulting prior is distinct from both the Bayesian Occam factor and naturalness: it penalizes not parameter volume or fine tuning, but departures from validated theoretical grammar. We illustrate the principle with examples from cosmology and fundamental physics: neutrino mass mechanisms, dark energy and modified gravity, inflation, beyond-Standard-Model sectors, and hierarchical astrophysical inference. We test it also on four historical cases -- general relativity, Pauli's neutrino, parity violation, and special relativity -- where evidential and theoretical contexts can be reconstructed. These examples show that it favors the historically successful choice when the proper grammar is defined in the correct domain and time. The Coherence Principle makes explicit a common but usually tacit part of physical reasoning: trust in validated structural rules. It turns this judgment into a transparent, testable, and overrulable component of Bayesian inference, leaving empirical likelihoods free to dominate when data are sufficiently constraining.

Radiation-driven winds in B-type stars play a key role in their evolution, yet their hydrodynamical structure remains uncertain, particularly in evolved objects. While the classical fast solution of the modified CAK theory is widely adopted, it does not always reproduce the optical wind diagnostics of B-type giants and supergiants. We investigate the applicability of the classical fast and $δ$-slow hydrodynamical solutions to B-type stellar winds through a homogeneous spectroscopic analysis based on optical diagnostics. We analysed 50 Galactic B-type stars spanning luminosity classes I to V using mid- and high-resolution optical spectra from the IACOB, ESO-UVES, and CASLEO datasets. Synthetic spectra were taken from the ISOSCELES grid, which combines hydrodynamical wind models computed with Hydwind and NLTE radiative transfer with Fastwind. Stellar and wind parameters were derived through a multi-line $χ^2$ fitting procedure using hydrogen, helium, and silicon lines. We find evidence for different preferred hydrodynamical regimes across luminosity classes. Most supergiants ($\sim$96%) and giants ($\sim$88%) are better reproduced by $δ$-slow models, characterised by higher ionisation parameters, slower terminal velocities ($v_\infty \lesssim 300$,km,s$^{-1}$, and denser outflows. In contrast, most dwarfs and subgiants ($\sim$88%) are more consistent with the classical fast solution, showing higher $v_\infty$ and lower $\dot{M}$. These trends suggest a dichotomy between luminosity classes. Our results indicate that the $δ$-slow solution provides a viable framework for modelling the optical spectra of evolved B-type stars, whereas fast solutions remain adequate for less evolved objects. The ISOSCELES grid provides a physically motivated basis for interpreting optical wind diagnostics and motivates future multi-wavelength studies of B-type stellar winds.

Short-duration gamma-ray burst (sGRB) afterglows that follow BNS-gravitational wave (GW) events are essential for understanding the tension between the observed sGRB rate and BNS merger rate, heightened by the recent conclusion of aLIGO O4 with no new confirmed BNS detections. Using a probabilistic sGRB world model derived from a source BNS merger population, we simulate afterglow emission with AfterglowPy to investigate detection prospects of afterglows in the new era of optical surveys, and probe their multi-messenger implications. The predicted sGRB/BNS association is strongly dependent on sGRB beaming, which may be constrained by orphan afterglows (OA) - that arise from events with no prompt $γ$-ray detection. We conclude that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) may detect an afterglow sample sufficient in constraining sGRB jetting, with an estimated $0.9^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$ on-axis afterglow and $1.3^{+0.9}_{-0.5}$ OA detections per year; while the deep sensitivity of the Roman Space Telescope appears promising for probing the faint end of afterglow events in targeted follow-up strategies. The detection of afterglows in upcoming LIGO runs is possible but challenging, as we predict less than one LSST or Roman discoverable event per year within the projected aLIGO O5 BNS range across all considered jet models and observing scenarios. We update previous sGRB-BNS rate predictions, finding that continued non-detection of a BNS in O5 would require revisiting key assumptions underlying sGRB-BNS models.

We present CMBComp, a compact and accurate compressed cosmic microwave background (CMB) likelihood that captures the dominant geometric information of the full CMB likelihood derived from the combined SPT-3G D1 + ACT DR6 + Planck PR3 primary CMB anisotropy + Planck PR4/NPIPE CMB-lensing dataset, which we collectively refer to as SPA. The compression is fast to evaluate and trivial to implement in standard inference pipelines. We construct and validate it in five model spaces: the spatially flat cosmological-constant model ($Λ$CDM), and its dynamical-dark-energy ($w_0w_a$CDM), massive-neutrino ($νΛ$CDM), non-flat ($oΛ$CDM), and joint massive-neutrino--dynamical-dark-energy ($νw_0 w_a$CDM) extensions. Five compressed likelihoods are introduced, corresponding to two three-parameter compressions for the dark-energy sector (CMB-3 for $Λ$CDM and CMB-3w for $w_0w_a$CDM), two four-parameter compressions for the neutrino sector (CMB-4$ν$ for $νΛ$CDM and CMB-4$ν$w for $νw_0 w_a$CDM), and a four-parameter curvature compression (CMB-4k for $oΛ$CDM). Combining each compressed likelihood with the DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data, we demonstrate that the resulting posteriors agree to high precision with those obtained from the corresponding full-CMB chains. CMBComp is therefore particularly well suited to cosmological inference for models that modify the late-time expansion history, enabling accurate CMB constraints to be incorporated into new analyses with minimal computational overhead and without reliance on a full Boltzmann-solver-based inference pipeline. The compressed likelihood files and example notebooks accompanying CMBComp are made publicly available at https://github.com/Amoghsriv/CMBComp.

Covariance matrices used in astronomical and cosmological parameter inference are often estimated from a finite number of simulations, so covariance uncertainty can affect posterior calibration and parameter constraints. We study covariance regularisation from the perspective of likelihood-based inference with simulation-estimated covariance matrices. First, we analyse scalar covariance scaling under the Gaussian plug-in likelihood and the covariance-marginalised Sellentin--Heavens likelihood. Using an expected negative log-likelihood loss, we show that Hartlap covariance-side scaling is recovered as the optimum under the Gaussian plug-in likelihood, whereas the unscaled sample covariance is optimal under the Sellentin--Heavens likelihood. This shows that scalar covariance corrections are likelihood-dependent and that an additional Hartlap-type global scaling is not favoured once covariance uncertainty is marginalised through the Sellentin--Heavens likelihood. We then introduce a shrinkage formulation in which the sample covariance is regularised towards a spherical target and the shrinkage intensity is treated as an auxiliary inferential quantity. A prior is assigned to the shrinkage intensity, the likelihood induces its posterior distribution, and the final parameter posterior is obtained by marginalising over it. Monte Carlo experiments show that shrinkage substantially improves covariance conditioning, while marginalisation over the shrinkage intensity propagates uncertainty about the amount of regularisation into posterior inference. The proposed approach provides a simple way to combine covariance-marginalised likelihood inference with structural regularisation of noisy simulation-estimated covariance matrices.

Our interpretation of current cosmological observations rests on the assumptions of homogeneity and isotropy, leading to uniform background curvature and expansion characterised by the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetime metric. However, the large-scale structure of the Universe is non-uniform in detail, inducing inhomogeneous curvature and scale factor variations. In this paper, we use numerical cosmological simulations generated in full General Relativity to study the impact of inhomogeneous spacetime on the magnitude fluctuations of distant objects, focusing on their use as a probe of the growth rate of cosmic structure. We quantify the distortions in the magnitude correlation spectrum as a function of angular scale and redshift, and use these distortions to infer the systematic offset in the growth rate measurement. We find that at $z \lesssim 0.2$, the systematic offset in growth rate measurements between the full numerical relativity and FLRW treatments is sub-dominant to the statistical error of current datasets, confirming that FLRW modelling is adequate for current low-redshift peculiar velocity experiments. Future datasets extending to higher redshift may require theoretical models that additionally incorporate the contributions of gravitational lensing and inhomogeneous curvature.

We present the first model of the Milky Way's detectable compact object--luminous star binary population from disrupted dense star clusters. We bridge large-scale cosmological star cluster formation with high-resolution dynamical evolution of compact object binaries by mapping the predicted star clusters from the EMP-Pathfinder simulations to $N$-body Cluster Monte Carlo models. We predict that approximately $3\times10^5$ white dwarfs (WDs), $1.5\times10^5$ black holes (BHs), and $1\times10^3$ neutron stars (NSs) in binaries with luminous companions are released to the Galaxy from now-disrupted dense star clusters throughout the history of the Milky Way. Synthetic observations modeled with the gaiamock pipeline reveal that the modeled Gaia DR3 yields are sparse ($\approx 2$ WDs, 0 NS, 0 BHs at 90% credibility), with the majority lying beyond the detection horizon. Gaia DR4 is expected to increase the observational yield of these systems only marginally, as the benefits of an expanded search volume are largely offset by the diminished astrometric and photometric precision of more distant sources ($\approx 14$ WDs, 0 NS, 0 BHs). While the underlying BH binary population is similar to that of WDs, they are detected far less frequently; they tend to pair with lower-mass, dimmer companions and have less temporal coverage of their long orbital periods. For NSs, we suggest that the observed over-representation of metal-poor, halo systems is inconsistent with an origin in disrupted dense star clusters. Instead, the observed Gaia NS population could reflect the accretion history of metal-poor, dwarf galaxies into the Milky Way, isolated binary star evolution, or supernova physics.

Many exoplanets have been observed with radius sizes between that of Earth and that of Neptune and are thus classified into two groups: super-earths (SEs) and mini-neptunes (MNs). There are no SEs and MNs in the Solar System, and the mechanisms responsible for their formation and evolution are debated. We investigate the relationships between the orbital period and eccentricity of SEs and MNs using both ensemble analyses and individual measurements. We found that MNs follow an anti-correlation between orbital period and eccentricity, but SEs follow a different relation, possibly in the opposite direction. These trends imply that MNs and SEs are dynamically distinct populations. We suggest that SEs have been more strongly influenced by violent processes such as gravitational scattering and giant impacts, whereas MNs predominantly experienced quiescent secular evolution.

The gravitational potential of a galaxy encodes its mass distribution, formation history, and dark matter halo structure. Accurate potential models are therefore critical for interpreting stellar kinematics, orbital dynamics, and the influence of satellite systems like the Large Magellanic Cloud. Analytic potential models offer interpretability and efficiency but struggle to capture complex, non-axisymmetric structure and time-dependent perturbations. Neural network-based methods can capture this complexity but offer little interpretability. We introduce a physics-informed neural network (PINN) framework that combines data-driven learning with embedded physical constraints, available as the open-source package GalactoPINNS. Trained on acceleration measurements, the framework captures complex, small-scale features while preserving global physical consistency. We test on systems of increasing complexity, from controlled analytic halos to cosmological simulations of Milky Way-like galaxies, achieving sub-percent acceleration errors with orbit reconstruction that consistently outperforms analytic baselines. Additionally, we implement a Bayesian neural network to provide spatially calibrated uncertainty estimates, and a time-dependent extension to capture smooth temporal evolution. By treating an analytic model as a structured prior and learning corrections on top of it, the method retains physical interpretability while gaining the flexibility to represent realistic galactic potentials, making it well suited for Milky Way modeling and dynamical inference in the era of current and upcoming large-scale surveys.

Recombinations during the Epoch of Reionization are intrinsically inhomogeneous, with different regions of the intergalactic medium contributing unevenly depending on their density, temperature, ionization state, and spatial patchiness. We combine the high- and medium-resolution 95.5 cMpc Thesan-1 andh Thesan-2 runs with the significantly larger 500 cMpc Lumina simulation to measure clumping factors and recombination rates consistently across different resolutions and box sizes. We consider the standard ionized hydrogen clumping factor, $C_{\rm HII} \equiv \langle n_{\rm HII}^2\rangle/\langle n_{\rm HII}\rangle^2$, and a recombination-weighted clumping factor, $C_{\rm rec}$. Despite differences in resolution, volume, and reionization history, the simulations show an approximately universal clumping evolution at the 10-20% level when parametrized by the global ionized fraction $x_{\rm HII}$ rather than by redshift. Across all simulations, $C_{\rm rec}$ remains systematically below $C_{\rm HII}$, with the discrepancy increasing toward lower redshift as photoheating suppresses recombinations. In \lumina, the density-only prescription overpredicts the instantaneous recombination rate by factors of 1.29 at $z\approx8$ and 1.84 at $z\approx5$, and the cumulative recombination count by a factor of 1.45 by $z\approx5$. Mapping the recombination budget in the joint overdensity-temperature plane reveals that the dominant recombination ridges closely follow simple analytic thermal equilibrium bands. Finally, we introduce a phase-space recombination integral and define a phase-space clumping factor, $C_{\rm ps}(Δ,T)$, which isolates the intrinsic recombination enhancement associated with ionization structure and thermal state at fixed overdensity and temperature.

We test the consistency of the cosmic distance-redshift relation inferred from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Type Ia supernovae within the framework of flat $Λ$CDM. DESI recovers the CMB-constrained parameter combination $(r_d h)(Ω_m/0.3)^{0.4}$ with sub-percent precision, demonstrating excellent agreement between BAO measurements at $z \sim 1$ and the acoustic scale at recombination. Imposing the CMB constraint yields an estimate of $Ω_m$ that is slightly lower than, but only in mild tension with, the Planck value. The high-redshift DES supernova sample is well described by the standard cosmological model, whereas the current low-redshift anchor sample exhibits a systematic offset of $\sim 0.05$ mag that drives much of the apparent preference for evolving dark energy. Preliminary data from the Dark Energy Bedrock All-Sky Supernova Program (DEBASS) do not show this offset, suggesting that unresolved low-redshift systematics may account for the discrepancy. These results suggest that a single flat $Λ$CDM model accurately describes the distance-redshift relation from the local Universe to recombination, placing increasingly stringent constraints on new-physics explanations of the Hubble tension.

The three-dimensional shapes of clusters are important for understanding the astrophysics of the clusters and as a probe in cosmological studies. We estimate the most probable three-dimensional shape of galaxy clusters in the first eROSITA All-sky survey eRASS1 using stereology. Our sample is the largest well-defined sample of clusters, and the most probable shape estimated using our method can be used as a prior for cluster shape models in cosmological, cluster, and weak lensing studies. The first all-sky survey with SRG/ eROSITA resulted in a sample of approximately 12,000 optically confirmed galaxy groups and clusters. We used a well-defined subsample of 3254 clusters from the eRASS1 survey and estimated the most probable shape of the clusters by constraining the probability density function (PDF) of the ellipticity of the clusters. We simulated the projected appearance of clusters with a distribution of three-dimensional shapes (prolate and oblate) and obtained the distribution of their ellipticity. This distribution was then compared with the measured distribution of ellipticities from the eRASS1 cluster sample to infer the three-dimensional shapes consistent with the data. We used Monte Carlo methods to estimate the most probable axial ratios l, w, where l $\equiv$ L/T ,w $\equiv$ W/T , and L, W, T are major, intermediate, and minor axes of the cluster. We did not require any additional probe (optical, SZ, etc.) to constrain the probable shape of the clusters. We describe the ellipticity PDF of the eRASS1 clusters with a normal distribution mean ($μ$) = 0.79 and a standard deviation ($σ$) = 0.25. The most probable shape of the clusters in our eRASS1 subsample is estimated to be (l, w) = (1.51 $\pm$ 0.27, 1.17 $\pm$ 0.27), with prolate shapes being preferred over oblate shapes.

We report revised mass and radius measurements for GJ 367 b, an ultra-short-period (7.7 hr) sub-Earth in a multi-planet system orbiting a nearby (~9 pc) M dwarf host. Previous mass and radius measurements have suggested GJ 367 b has an anomalously high bulk density, close to that of solid iron. The existence of such an iron-rich planet is in tension with established planet formation scenarios. We utilized newly available TESS short-cadence photometry to constrain the radius of GJ 367 b to 0.736 +/- 0.035 R_Earth. We consider observational and modeling effects such as photometric dilution, stellar activity, and tidal distortion to account for possible inaccuracies in the star and planet radius measurements. From our radial velocity (RV) analysis using VLT/ESPRESSO data covering nearly the full orbit in a single night, we find a mass of 0.503 +/- 0.078 M_Earth, corresponding to a bulk density of 6.9 +1.6/-1.4 g cm-1. We present a new tidal distortion and interior composition modeling framework to assess the iron mass fraction of GJ 367 b. Considering several different interior composition assumptions and radial aspect ratios, we find an iron fraction of ~50-70%, which is broadly consistent with that of Mercury and not as iron rich as previously suggested.

We present JWST/NIRCam observations of the extremely long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 250702B taken at ~ 95 days post-GRB (observer frame). The observations of the host galaxy reveal a single galaxy with a prominent dust lane observed nearly edge-on. Prospector modeling of the host galaxy photometry finds a high stellar mass (log(M_*/M_Sun) = 11.0 +0.2/-0.3) and large dust column (A_V = 2.8 +/- 0.3 mag), in agreement with previous results. If GRB 250702B is a collapsar-driven GRB, the host galaxy is the brightest (in rest-frame r and rest-frame H) and most massive compared to GRB hosts at similar redshifts. The transient localization is near the dust lane, and while we find no evidence for transient emission in F277W, F356W, and F444W, forced photometry in F150W and F200W reveals possible ~ 3 sigma detections of the transient at m_{F150W} ~ 27.9 AB mag and m_{F200W} ~ 27.4 AB mag. If these are secure detections, they are indicative of a late-time light curve flattening. This behavior is consistent with that of jetted tidal disruption events (TDEs); however, it is also consistent with a supernova plus GRB afterglow model. Alternatively, if these are upper limits, they are consistent with, but do not further constrain, the extrapolated power-law decline of the afterglow. The ambiguity of the possible detection of the transient in F150W and F200W highlights the need for late-time template observations with JWST/NIRCam.

All cosmological models of galaxy formation must navigate the trade-off between physical accuracy and computational efficiency. Hydrodynamical simulations provide spatially resolved predictions for the co-evolution of dark matter, gas, stars, and black holes, but rely on phenomenological subgrid models for small-scale processes (e.g., star formation). Semi-analytic models (SAMs), by contrast, gain efficiency through simplified, analytic treatments of the same processes, at the cost of reduced predictive scope. In this work, we leverage the strengths of the Santa Cruz SAM and the IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulation to develop the TNG SAM. Calibrated to reproduce baryon cycling in stellar feedback-dominated TNG galaxies ($\sim 10^{10}M_\odot < M_{200} < 10^{12}M_\odot$), the TNG SAM introduces several key updates to the Santa Cruz framework regarding: 1) halo gas (re-)accretion efficiency, 2) a cooling model that moves beyond the traditional cold/hot mode dichotomy, 3) explicit treatment of both galactic- and halo-scale outflows, 4) star formation efficiency, and 5) the circulation of metals between galaxies and their surroundings. These changes enable the TNG SAM to reproduce TNG's flow of gas and metals from the scale of the galaxy to the halo, as well as global galaxy (e.g., stellar mass) and halo (e.g. hot halo gas mass) properties within $\lesssim 30\%$ accuracy out to $z=6$. This work demonstrates that, with appropriate calibration, SAMs can capture the complex physics of galaxy formation modeled in hydrodynamical simulations while providing a flexible framework for studying galaxy evolution across the large cosmological volumes targeted by future observational surveys.

Modern simulations of stellar dynamics in globular clusters peg a dominant role for stellar-mass black holes, but direct evidence for black holes in clusters remains limited. We present the discovery of an astrometric stellar-mass black hole--main sequence star binary in $ω$ Centauri, the most massive Galactic globular cluster, using Hubble Space Telescope data from the oMEGACat project and additional JWST data that span a total of 23 years. The luminous companion to the black hole is a main-sequence turnoff star, and has a period of $94^{+63}_{-42}$ years, a semi-major axis of $31^{+15}_{-12}$ AU, and an eccentricity of $e=0.72^{+0.08}_{-0.13}$. Since we observe the binary during periastron, the mass of the black hole is well-constrained even though we only observe a partial orbit: the inferred black hole mass is $4.46^{+1.22}_{-1.01}$ M$_\odot$. We call this black hole oMEGACat BH-2. This is the first astrometric discovery of a stellar-mass black hole in a globular cluster, and is the longest period black hole binary system yet discovered. The low mass of this black hole is perhaps surprising given the low metallicity of the cluster, and shows that at least some low-mass black holes form at metallicity $Z<10^{-3}$. We find that the binary is almost certainly dynamically formed and is soft, with an expected binary disruption timescale of $\sim$800 Myr. While the total number of black hole binaries in $ω$ Centauri is uncertain, we show that existing surveys only cover a small area of parameter space, and that the presence of additional detectable black hole binaries is likely.

Little Red Dots (LRDs) appear extremely compact at rest-frame optical wavelengths, yet many show extended rest-frame UV morphology revealing more complex internal structure. We present a combined analysis of VLT/MUSE rest-frame UV integral-field spectroscopy and continuum-subtracted [O III], H$β$, and H$α$+[N II] emission-line maps from JWST/NIRCam imaging at sub-kpc resolution for LRD-204851 at $z=5.482$ in GOODS-S. We find that LRD-204851 hosts a remarkably thin, bipolar, elongated structure passing through the optical continuum centroid and extending several kpc on either side, traced by both the UV continuum and the rest-frame optical emission lines, with a bright [O III] clump-like structure $\sim$2 kpc to the south-east of the centroid. The MUSE observations reveal a double-peaked Ly$α$ profile, with a broad and bright near-systemic red peak and a relatively faint peak blueshifted by $\sim$430 km s$^{-1}$, accompanied by a tentative N V $λ1238$ detection at similar velocity. In narrow-band imaging extracted from the MUSE IFU cube, both the blue Ly$α$ peak and the tentative N V emission lean toward this same south-eastern direction. Independently, radiative-transfer modeling of the integrated Ly$α$ profile favors a biconical low-column-density cavity in a dense, slowly expanding neutral envelope, in support of the bipolar geometry traced by the line maps. Together, these results suggest that the elongated emission of LRD-204851 is connected to radiation and/or gas flow from its central engine through a low-column-density channel with a small opening angle that may trace either a slow outflow or a quasi-static ionization cone. LRD-204851 is one of the first LRDs where the central engine's impact on its host galaxy is potentially directly observable on kpc scales.

There are many different theoretical explanations for the formation of high-density Mercury-like planets, but concrete evidence for any of these formation mechanisms remains elusive. A popular explanation for dense planets is the collisional hypothesis, which states that iron-rich planets can be formed as the products of high-energy, mantle-stripping impacts. Planetesimal collision simulations predict that higher-velocity collisions can form higher-density planets. Motivated by the characteristics of the high-density, short-period (P=0.3d) GJ 367b, we study the results of previously-published smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations on exoplanet collisions, combining these with models describing the likely collision velocities of these objects, to investigate the relationship between the core mass fractions (CMFs) of exoplanets, their masses, and their orbital periods. We predict that collisionally-produced super-Mercuries should be more common (and more dense) at low masses and short orbital periods. This correlation may enable us to pinpoint the formation mechanism of super-Mercuries as the population of observed targets grows. Afterwards, we connect our hypothesis to the observed Mercury-like population of high-density exoplanets, and find that GJ\,367\,b is the best exoplanetary candidate for collisional formation.

Early JWST spectra revealed galaxies with a strong nitrogen excess challenging galactic chemical evolution models. Using public JWST surveys, we construct a sample of 76 N/O-enhanced galaxies (NOEGs) at 4 $<z<$ 8.5, the largest at high redshift to date. The NOEG fraction rises from $\sim$3% to $\sim$18% between $z\sim$ 4 and 7 - well above the $\sim$2% measured locally - potentially driven by burstier, cluster-dominated star formation. Stacked spectra of the most nitrogen-rich galaxies show signatures of low-metallicity Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, a likely source of primary nitrogen within the first few Myr of a starburst, with UV and optical continua dominated by young stellar emission and Balmer jumps evident in some cases. Many NOEGs also exhibit ionised outflows: 40% show secondary [O III] and H$α$ components, while stacked spectra of the remainder reveal a broadened, offset H$α$ without forbidden-line counterparts, suggesting dust-attenuated or faded outflows. The continuum in the latter shows a weak Balmer break, indicating these galaxies are past their most recent burst. This suggests that outflows dilute gas metallicity after the first few Myr of the initial enrichment and enable renewed N/O enhancement driven by low-metallicity Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. We conclude that NOEGs are caught briefly after a recent starburst: either within $\sim$10 Myr, when WR winds drive nitrogen enrichment, or after 30-40 Myr, when AGB winds take over - following an outflow driven by radiative or supernova feedback, consistent with recent chemical evolution models.

Low-frequency radio polarimetric observations provide a powerful probe of magnetic fields in astrophysical sources and the intervening medium, as well as magnetospheric emission from compact objects such as pulsars, magnetically active stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary aurorae. With baselines of up to 2000 km, LOFAR offers a unique opportunity to study the low-frequency polarised Universe at sub-arcsecond resolution. However, polarimetric studies with LOFAR have so far been limited to angular resolutions of about 6 arcsec, resulting in stronger beam depolarisation. Here we present a calibration strategy that enables full-resolution polarimetric imaging with the LOFAR pan-European array. Our method applies full-Jones corrections to the international stations using an in-field unpolarised calibrator. In addition, when a sufficiently bright polarised source is present in the field, multi-epoch observations can be aligned in Faraday depth using a visibility-based correction that accounts for polarisation angle and rotation measure offsets. This approach enables deeper combined imaging and deconvolution. We apply this strategy to the LOFAR ELAIS-N1 field, combining four 8 h observations for a total integration time of 32 h. At 0.3 arcsec resolution, we detect two previously known polarised sources identified in lower-resolution studies, resolve additional polarised components, and localise emission regions with sub-arcsecond precision. We also identify a new polarised source and detect circularly polarised emission from the binary M-dwarf system CR Draconis, measuring its proper motion across epochs. These results demonstrate that sub-arcsecond polarimetry at metre wavelengths is now feasible with LOFAR, opening new science opportunities in the LOFAR2.0 era.

Via is a forthcoming all-sky spectroscopic survey that will achieve 100 m s$^{-1}$ radial velocity stability for millions of faint ($G \lesssim 21$) stars while reaching LSST's single-visit depth ($r \approx 24$) for transient spectroscopy, opening new regimes in near-field cosmology and time-domain astrophysics. Via will deploy identical fiber-fed, multi-object spectrographs on the 6.5m MMT and Magellan/Clay telescopes for a five-year, dual-hemisphere survey of $>2{,}000{,}000$ stars beginning in 2027 - timed to complement LSST. Each instrument has 576 robotically positioned fibers over a $1^\circ$ field of view, feeding two spectrographs: Viaspec ($R \approx 15{,}000$; 505-595 nm; 540 fibers) and Boombox ($R \approx 1{,}000$; 360-1010 nm; 36 fibers). Four key goals drive the survey: (1) a comprehensive survey of velocity perturbations in cold stellar streams, sensitive to $M \lesssim 10^7$ subhalos below the threshold of galaxy formation, a stringent test of the particle nature of dark matter; (2) a chemodynamical census of Milky Way satellite galaxies to understand the formation of the faintest galaxies; (3) the first 3D tomographic maps of cold gas in the circumgalactic medium via NaI absorption; and (4) the rapid characterization of thousands of transients to the single-epoch survey depth of LSST. Ancillary science - including the Ly$α$ forest at $z \approx 3$-$4$, polluted white dwarfs, exoplanet host characterization, fast radio burst host galaxies, and extragalactic dwarf galaxies - will leverage spare fibers in every pointing. The Via Project is a collaboration between the Center for Astrophysics $|$ Harvard & Smithsonian, Carnegie Observatories, Stanford University, and Yale University.