HAL-OBSPM
Not a member yet
37663 research outputs found
Sort by
Magnetosphere and Plasma Science with the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
No full textInternational audienceThe Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer ( JUICE ) is a European Space Agency mission to explore Jupiter and its three icy Galilean moons: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Numerous JUICE investigations concern the magnetised space environments containing low-density populations of charged particles that surround each of these bodies. In the case of both Jupiter and Ganymede, the magnetic field generated internally produces a surrounding volume of space known as a magnetosphere. All these regions are natural laboratories where we can test and further our understanding of how such systems work, and improved knowledge of the environments around the moons of interest is important for probing sub-surface oceans that may be habitable. Here we review the magnetosphere and plasma science that will be enabled by JUICE from arrival at Jupiter in July 2031. We focus on the specific topics where the mission will push forward the boundaries of our understanding through a combination of the spacecraft trajectory through the system and the measurements that will be made by its suite of scientific instruments. Advances during the initial orbits around Jupiter will include construction of a comprehensive picture of the poorly understood region of Jupiter’s magnetosphere where rigid plasma rotation with the planet breaks down, and new perspectives on how Jupiter’s magnetosphere interacts with both Europa and Callisto. The later orbits around Ganymede will dramatically improve knowledge of this moon’s smaller magnetosphere embedded within the larger magnetosphere of Jupiter. We conclude by outlining the high-level operational strategy that will support this broad science return
JWST observations of exogenic species on Jupiter: HCN, H2O, and CO2
No full textInternational audienceContext. The impact of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) comet on Jupiter in 1994 opened up a new field of study focused on the exogenic species within Jupiter’s atmosphere. Among these species, we find H2O, CO, and HCN. It is thought that these species coexist at the same pressure level (∼3 mbar in 2022) and that the interaction between some of them creates daughter molecules such as CO2. However, understanding their complex meridional distributions is still a matter of debate.Aims. We measured the meridional distribution of H2O, HCN, and CO2 to understand the chemistry and dynamics leading to these distributions.Methods. We used James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) medium-resolution spectroscopy observations from 17∘S to 26∘S, and from 45∘S towards the south pole for CO2, H2O, and HCN. We used a radiative transfer code coupled with an inversion algorithm to retrieve the temperature using the CH4v4 band and the abundance of the species for the different latitudes.Results. We found an increase in H2O in the south polar region, while CO2 is found to be depleted, which points towards an exchange of oxygen between H2O and CO2 happening in the southern auroral region. The HCN abundance decreases towards the pole, and abundance values are similar to the ones obtained with ALMA in 2017. The depletion of HCN may be due to heterogeneous chemistry related to stratospheric polar aerosols.Conclusions. The exogenic molecules analysed seem to be influenced either by polar aerosols produced by ion-neutral chemistry (e.g. HCN) or by particle precipitation occurring in the auroral regions (e.g. H2O and CO2). These measurements provide new insights into chemical evolution at a small spatial scale, revealing previously undetected localized trends
Baryon asymmetry constraints on magnetic field from the Electroweak epoch
No full textInternational audienceDecay of helical (hyper)magnetic fields that may have been present in the Universe during the Electroweak epoch can contribute to generation of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. We revise constraints on the strength and correlation length of such fields from the requirement that their decay does not lead to over-production of the baryon asymmetry. We show that the helical fields with strength down to 1e-5 of the maximal possible strength during the Electroweak epoch should have had their correlation at least ~1e-6 of the Hubble radius during this epoch. For weaker fields this lower bound on the correlation length relaxes proportionally to the square of magnetic field strength. A field with parameters saturating the bound may actually be responsible for the baryon asymmetry observed today. We show that relic of such a field, surviving in the present day Universe in the form of intergalactic magnetic field detectable with Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, may have the strength up to 10-100 pG and can have parameters needed to affect the cosmological recombination and relax the Hubble tension. We also show that there is no constraint on the parameters of helical or non-helical magnetic fields stemming from the requirement that the baryon isocurvature perturbations produced by such fields during the Electroweak epoch are within the observational limits
Study of Ultra-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Source 1LHAASO J0056+6346u and Its Possible Origins
No full textInternational audienceWe report a dedicated study of the newly discovered extended UHE -ray source 1LHAASO J0056+6346u. Analyzing 979 days of LHAASO-WCDA data and 1389 days of LHAASO-KM2A data, we observed a significant excess of -ray events with both WCDA and KM2A. Assuming a point power-law source with a fixed spectral index, the significance maps reveal excesses of , , and in the energy ranges of 1--25 TeV, 25--100 TeV, and TeV, respectively. We use a 3D likelihood algorithm to derive the morphological and spectral parameters, and the source is detected with significances of by WCDA and by KM2A. The best-fit positions derived from WCDA and KM2A data are (R.A. = , Decl. = ) and (R.A. = , Decl. = ), respectively. The angular size () of 1LHAASO J0056+6346u is at 1--25 TeV and at TeV. The differential flux of this UHE -ray source can be described by an exponential cutoff power-law function: . To explore potential sources of -ray emission, we investigated the gas distribution around 1LHAASO J0056+6346u. 1LHAASO J0056+6346u is likely to be a TeV PWN powered by an unknown pulsar, which would naturally explain both its spatial and spectral properties. Another explanation is that this UHE -ray source might be associated with gas content illuminated by a nearby CR accelerator, possibly the SNR candidate G124.0+1.4
Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1) Ultracool dwarfs in the Euclid Deep Field North
No full textInternational audienceUltracool dwarfs (UCDs) encompass the lowest mass stars and brown dwarfs, defining the stellar substellar boundary. They have significant potential for advancing the understanding of substellar physics; however, these objects are challenging to detect due to their low luminosity. The wide coverage and deep sensitivity of the Euclid survey will increase the number of confirmed and well characterised UCDs by several orders of magnitude. In this study, we take advantage of the Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1) and in particular we look in detail at the known and new UCDs in the Euclid Deep Field North (22.9 deg2 down to JE = 24.5 mag), to understand the advantages of using the slitless Euclid spectroscopy. We compile a comparison sample of known UCDs and use their spectra to demonstrate the capability of Euclid to derive spectral types using a template matching method. This method is then applied to the spectra of the newly identified candidates. We confirm that 33 of these candidates are new UCDs, with spectral types ranging from M7 to T1 and JE = 17 to 21 mag. We look at their locus in colour colour diagrams and compare them with the expected colours of QSOs. A machine readable catalogue is provided for further study, containing both the comparison sample and the newly identified UCDs, along with their spectral classifications where the Q1 spectra quality allows for confident determinatio
Transferred plasma catheter for endotherapeutic applications: a parametric study of guided streamers dynamics
No full textInternational audienceNon-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are increasingly used in biomedical applications due to their low temperatures and ability to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), making them suitable for sensitive environments like medical therapies. The transferred plasma catheter (TPC), a variant of APPJ, shows promise for endoscopic applications but requires precise control of plasma dynamics in confined spaces to ensure safety and efficacy. Despite extensive studies on guided streamers in traditional APPJs, there is limited understanding of streamer behavior in TPC configurations, particularly in challenging scenarios involving grounded metallic surfaces. This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of guided streamers generated by TPCs under varying gap distances to establish a robust framework for safe and effective plasma delivery in endoscopic settings. Combining electrical and optical diagnostics, the study characterizes streamer propagation, electric field profiles, and plasma-induced currents in a helium-driven TPC delivering cold plasma to a grounded metal target across gaps of 2 to 18 mm. Results show that streamers maintain charge stability and effectively interact with the target for gap distances below 12 mm, producing significant therapeutic currents. Beyond this threshold, propagation deteriorates due to recombination and reduced electric field intensity. For shorter gaps, counterpropagating waves and secondary streamer interactions are observed, while larger gaps lead to charge dissipation and reduced efficacy. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing gap distances for plasma-assisted endoscopic procedures and demonstrate the TPC's robustness in adverse conditions
Backlighting extended gas halos around luminous red galaxies: kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from DESI Y1 x ACT
No full textInternational audienceThe gas density profile around galaxies, shaped by feedback and affecting the galaxy lensing signal, is imprinted on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (kSZ). We precisely measure this effect () via velocity stacking with spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies (LRG) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Y1 survey, which overlap with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 temperature maps over . We explore the kSZ dependence with various galaxy parameters. We find no significant trend with redshift, but clear trends with stellar mass and absolute magnitude in , , and bands. We highlight new challenges when comparing data and hydrodynamical simulations. Our simple and most conservative analysis suggests that the gas is more extended than the dark matter (99.5% confidence, i.e. PTE = 0.005). It also hints at a preference for galaxy formation models with more feedback (Illustris , PTE = 0.37) rather than less (Illustris TNG , PTE = 0.045), though with less statistical significance. In all cases, a free multiplicative amplitude was fit to the simulated profiles, and further modeling work is required to firm up these conclusions. We find consistency between kSZ profiles around spectroscopic and photometric LRG, with comparable statistical power, thus increasing our confidence in the photometric analysis. Additionally, we present the first kSZ measurement around DESI Y1 bright galaxy sample (BGS) and emission-line galaxies (ELG), whose features match qualitative expectations. Finally, we forecast for future stacked kSZ measurements using data from ACT, DESI Y3, and Rubin Observatory. These measurements will serve as an input for galaxy formation models and baryonic uncertainties in galaxy lensing
Euclid Quick Data Release (Q1). LEMON -- Lens Modelling with Neural networks. Automated and fast modelling of Euclid gravitational lenses with a singular isothermal ellipsoid mass profile
No full textInternational audienceThe Euclid mission aims to survey around 14000 deg^2 of extragalactic sky, providing around 10^5 gravitational lens images. Modelling of gravitational lenses is fundamental to estimate the total mass of the lens galaxy, along with its dark matter content. Traditional modelling of gravitational lenses is computationally intensive and requires manual input. In this paper, we use a Bayesian neural network, LEns MOdelling with Neural networks (LEMON), for modelling Euclid gravitational lenses with a singular isothermal ellipsoid mass profile. Our method estimates key lens mass profile parameters, such as the Einstein radius, while also predicting the light parameters of foreground galaxies and their uncertainties. We validate LEMON's performance on both mock Euclid data sets, real Euclidised lenses observed with Hubble Space Telescope (hereafter HST), and real Euclid lenses found in the Perseus ERO field, demonstrating the ability of LEMON to predict parameters of both simulated and real lenses. Results show promising accuracy and reliability in predicting the Einstein radius, axis ratio, position angle, effective radius, Sérsic index, and lens magnitude for simulated lens galaxies. The application to real data, including the latest Quick Release 1 strong lens candidates, provides encouraging results, particularly for the Einstein radius. We also verified that LEMON has the potential to accelerate traditional modelling methods, by giving to the classical optimiser the LEMON predictions as starting points, resulting in a speed-up of up to 26 times the original time needed to model a sample of gravitational lenses, a result that would be impossible with randomly initialised guesses. This work represents a significant step towards efficient, automated gravitational lens modelling, which is crucial for handling the large data volumes expected from Euclid
The H.E.S.S. extragalactic sky survey with the first decade of observations
No full textInternational audienceThe results of the first extragalactic gamma-ray survey by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) are presented. The survey comprises 2720 hours of very high-energy gamma-ray observations of the extragalactic sky, recorded with H.E.S.S. from 2004 up to the end of 2012. These data have been re-analysed using a common consistent set of up-to-date data calibration and analysis tools. From this analysis, a list of 23 detected objects, predominantly blazars, was obtained. This catalogue was assessed in terms of the source class populations that it contains. The level of source parameter bias for the blazar sources, probed by this observational dataset, was evaluated using Monte-Carlo simulations. Spectral results obtained with the H.E.S.S. data were compared with the Fermi-LAT catalogues to present the full gamma-ray picture of the detected objects. Lastly, this unique dataset was used to assess the contribution of BL Lacertae objects and flat-spectrum radio quasars to the extragalactic gamma-ray background light at several hundreds of gigaelectronvolts. These results are accompanied by the release of the high-level data to the astrophysical community
Roadmap on carbon molecular nanostructures in space
No full textInternational audienceIn this roadmap article, we consider the main challenges and recent breakthroughs in understanding the role of carbon molecular nanostructures in space and propose future avenues of research. The focus lies on small carbon-containing molecules up to fullerenes, extending to even larger, more complex organic species. The roadmap contains forty contributions from scientists with leading expertize in observational astronomy, laboratory astrophysics/chemistry, astrobiology, theoretical chemistry, synthetic chemistry, molecular reaction dynamics, material science, spectroscopy, graph theory, and data science. The concerted interdisciplinary combination of the state-of-the-art of these astronomical, laboratory, and theoretical studies opens up new ways to advance the fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of cosmic carbon molecular nanostructures and touches on their wider relevance and impact in nanotechnology and catalysis