Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

Abstract We investigate the potential birthplace of Galactic binary neutron star (BNS) systems through a kinematic analysis. Using high-precision astrometry from Gaia DR3, updated pulsar distances, and Monte Carlo sampling of astrometric errors, we integrate the past trajectories of 11 Galactic BNSs and 167 globular clusters plus 2967 open clusters, to search for past encounters. Our results suggest that BNS origin in globular clusters is unlikely, with low encounter probabilities (e.g., ≲0.5% for NGC 5139) and requiring excessive ejection velocities. Conversely, our analysis indicates that open clusters are a nonnegligible formation channel. Specifically, the double pulsar J0737−3039 shows a 13.9% (5.4%) probability of originating from the young cluster OC 0450 (Theia 58). Based on encounter proximity and time, we argue that Theia 58 is its more plausible birthplace. Our work provides kinematic evidence consistent with an open-cluster origin for a subset of field BNSs.

Auroral arcs in the high latitude are frequently observed during periods of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). However, their generation mechanisms are not yet fully understood, due to the limited availability of simultaneous in-situ and optical auroral observations. In this talk, we present observations of recurrent tailward-propagating auroral arcs in the dawnside during a period of northward IMF. THEMIS satellites located near the dawnside magnetopause in the equatorial plane observed strong fluctuations in magnetic field and plasma parameters with periods of 5–7 minutes, suggesting the presence of surface waves or ULF waves. Subsequently, shorter-period fluctuations of 2-3 minutes were observed for an hour, which may indicate the development of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI). During these intervals, a ground-based all-sky imager detected recurrent auroral arcs detached from the poleward boundary of the auroral oval, with a period of 5–10 minutes, propagating predominantly tailward. DMSP observations revealed multiple auroral arcs on the dawnside, accompanied by electron precipitation associated with paired upward and downward field-aligned currents. Based on these coordinated space- and ground-based observations, we discuss several possible generation mechanisms for the observed auroral arcs, including surface waves, ULF waves, and KHI.

Abstract The Massive and Distant Clusters of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Survey 2 (MaDCoWS2) is a WISE-selected catalog of galaxy clusters at 0.1 &lt; z &lt; 2 covering an effective area of &gt;6000 deg 2 . In this paper, we derive splashback radii for this cluster ensemble from galaxy density profiles and constrain the mass threshold of the survey as a function of redshift. We use MaDCoWS2 cluster candidates at 0.4 ≤ z ≤ 1.65 divided into subsamples with different Poissonian signal-to-noise ratios (S/N P s) and redshifts, cross correlated with galaxies from the CatWISE2020 catalog, to obtain average surface density profiles. We perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis to derive parameter estimates for theoretical models consisting of orbiting and infalling terms. A distinct splashback feature is detected in all subsamples. The measured splashback radii span from <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mn>0.8</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.02</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.02</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> cMpc ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mn>0.6</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.02</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.02</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> pMpc) at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="true">¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.45</mml:mn> </mml:math> to <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mn>1.2</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>7</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> cMpc ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mn>0.5</mml:mn> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.04</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.04</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> pMpc) at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>z</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="true">¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1.54</mml:mn> </mml:math> . We also find that the splashback radii increase with S/N P at fixed redshift. The resultant splashback radii constrain the redshift dependence of the mass of MaDCoWS2 clusters at fixed S/N P . We calculate M 200m from the radii using a relation based on a cosmological simulation. MaDCoWS2 M 200m values derived from the simulation-based relation are lower than the expected values based on weak-lensing observations. More robust mass constraints will come from calibrating splashback radii derived from galaxy density profiles with weak-lensing shear profiles from facilities such as Euclid, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

With gradual stepwise reduction in rigidity of the Earth model, the three fluid Love numbers of the Earth were determined as; (hf, kf , lf ) = (1.935, 0.935, 1.07) for PREM and (hf, kf , lf ) = (1.937, 0.937, 1.07) for ak135-F Earth models. Also analytical evaluation of the Earth’s secular Love number as well as fluid Love number, originally defined by Munk and MacDonald, were made by using updated Earth’s physical property and minor enhancement in the formulation. The permanent tide of the Earth was calculated as follows: the vertical displacement is 0.1924m at the equator and -0.3801m at the pole, while the horizontal displacement is 0.317m at the mid latitude.

Abstract We model the impact of source confusion on photometry and the resulting spectrophotometric redshifts for SPHEREx, a NASA Medium-Class Explorer that is carrying out an all-sky near-infrared spectral survey. Spectral confusion from untargeted background galaxies degrades sensitivity and introduces a spectral bias. Using interpolated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the COSMOS2020 catalog, we construct a Monte Carlo library of confusion spectra that captures the cumulative impact from faint galaxies. By injecting confusion realizations into galaxy SEDs and performing forced photometry at known source positions, we quantify photometric and redshift error and bias. For our current expected selection of sources for the cosmology analysis, we find typical 1 σ confusion levels range from 0.8–3.8 μ Jy across 0.75–5.0 μ m. While negligible at full-sky survey depth, spectral confusion becomes significant in the SPHEREx deep fields, reducing the number of intermediate-precision redshifts and inducing a small systematic overestimation in redshift. In parallel, we also model targeted source blending from beam overlaps, which contributes additional photometric noise without systematic redshift bias, provided that positions are known exactly. Together, confusion and blending vary with the depth of the selected reference sample, revealing a trade-off, where deeper selections reduce confusion but increase blending-induced noise. Our methodology informs optimization of the SPHEREx source selection strategy and future treatments of stellar source blending and confusion.

Abstract We present results from coordinated multiwavelength observations of the microquasar SS 433, obtained with XRISM, optical telescopes (Seimei, LCO, Tomo-e Gozen, MITSuME), and the kSIRIUS near-infrared camera during 2024 April and 2025 March. The XRISM exposures amounted to ${\sim}200$ ks in 2024 and ~100 ks in 2025, corresponding to different combinations of orbital and precessional phases. With XRISM/Resolve’s high spectral resolution and large effective area, we clearly resolved numerous emission lines even in short time segments, achieving improved accuracy in Doppler-shift measurements relative to earlier observations. The simultaneously obtained X-ray and optical Doppler shifts suggest a possible tendency for the optical emission to lag slightly behind the X-rays. In the Resolve data, the Doppler shifts of the two jet components exhibited apparent asymmetries, with jet speeds fluctuating around ${\sim}0.26 \pm 0.01c$ in 2024 and ${\sim}0.30 \pm 0.01c$ in 2025. The velocity variations indicated modulations on a timescale of ~6.3 d, with a phase offset of about $-90^{\circ }$ relative to the nutation cycle. The observed line widths and flux of the approaching and receding jets appear consistent with the expected geometrical effects, indicating systematically larger line widths in the inner regions of the jets, as proposed by Shidatsu et al. (2025, PASJ, 77, 1313). Optical light curves show flares of ~400 s in 2024 and ~1600 s in 2025, with amplitudes up to ~15% during out-of-eclipse intervals, while the XRISM/Xtend light curves show no significant variability within the overlapping intervals and given the statistical uncertainties. Near-infrared photometry in 2024, obtained during an out-of-eclipse interval at a different epoch from the optical observations, showed no flare-like variability, and the X-ray band also remained constant within uncertainties. These coordinated observations provide a foundation for future XRISM studies aimed at probing the dynamical properties of the relativistic jets in SS 433.

ABSTRACT We present photometric and spectroscopic studies of two core-collapse supernovae (SNe) 2008aq and 2019gaf in the optical wavelengths. Light curve and spectral sequence of both the SNe are similar to those of other Type IIb SNe. The pre-maximum spectrum of SN 2008aq showed prominent H $\alpha$ lines, the He lines started appearing in the near maximum spectrum. The near maximum spectrum of SN 2019gaf shows shallow H $\alpha$ absorption and He lines with almost similar strength. Both the SNe show transition from hydrogen-dominated spectra to helium-dominated spectra within a month after maximum brightness. The velocity evolution of SN 2008aq matches well with those of other well-studied Type IIb SNe, while SN 2019gaf shows higher velocities. Close to maximum light, the H $\alpha$ and He i line velocities of SN 2019gaf are $\sim$ 2000 and $\sim$ 4000 km s$^{-1}$ higher than other well-studied Type IIb SNe. Semi-analytical modelling indicates SN 2019gaf to be a more energetic explosion with a smaller ejecta mass than SN 2008aq. The zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) mass of the progenitor estimated using the nebular spectra of SN 2008aq ranges between 13 and 20 M$_\odot$, while for SN 2019gaf, the inferred ZAMS mass is between 13 and 25 M$_\odot$. The [O i] to [Ca ii] lines flux ratio favours a less massive progenitor star in a binary system for both the SNe.

Abstract Complex organic molecules (COMs) in starless cores provide critical insights into the early stages of star formation and prebiotic chemistry. We present a chemical survey of 16 starless cores (including five prestellar cores) in the Orion A and B molecular clouds, targeting CH 3 OH, N 2 H + , CCS, and c-C 3 HD, using the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) and the Yebes 40 m telescope. CH 3 OH was detected toward all targets, confirming its ubiquity in starless cores, consistent with previous surveys in Taurus and Perseus. ACA imaging shows that CH 3 OH, CCS, and c-C 3 HD generally trace the outer layers of the dense cores outlined by N 2 H + , each exhibiting distinct spatial distributions. Meanwhile, comparison with Yebes data reveals an extended, flattened CH 3 OH component. CCS and c-C 3 HD tend to be detected or nondetected together across cores, while cores near dust-rich regions on a large scale often lack both, suggesting environmental influences linked to the interstellar radiation field. Within individual cores, CCS typically resides in an outer layer relative to c-C 3 HD. Our findings underscore the importance of high-resolution studies for understanding the origins and spatial differentiation of COMs and carbon-chain molecules in cold, quiescent environments.

Abstract In this work, we present analyses of four newly discovered planetary microlensing events from the 2024 KMTNet survey season: KMT-2024-BLG-0176, KMT-2024-BLG-0349, KMT-2024-BLG-1870, and KMT-2024-BLG-2087. In each case, the planetary nature was revealed through distinct types of anomalies in the lensing light curves: a positive bump near the peak for KMT-2024-BLG-0176, an asymmetric peak for KMT-2024-BLG-0349, a short-duration central dip for KMT-2024-BLG-1870, and a caustic-crossing feature for KMT-2024-BLG-2087. Detailed modeling of the light curves confirms that these anomalies are produced by planetary companions with planet-to-host mass ratios in the range of (1.5−17.9) × 10 −3 . Despite the diversity of signal morphologies, all planets detected in these events are giant planets with masses comparable to or exceeding that of Jupiter in the solar system. Each planet orbits a host star less massive than the Sun, emphasizing the strength of microlensing in uncovering planetary systems around low-mass stellar hosts.