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New constraint on Europa’s ice shell: Magnetic signature from the ocean
No full textInternational audience15 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Icaru
First results from the PanRadio GRB Collaboration: the 400-day afterglow of GRB~230815A
No full textInternational audienceWe introduce the PanRadio Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) program carried out on the Australia Telescope Compact Array: a systematic, multi-year, radio survey of all southern \textit{Swift} GRB events, comprehensively following the multi-frequency evolution of their afterglows from within an hour to years post-burst. We present the results of the 400-day observing campaign following the afterglow of long-duration (collapsar) GRB~230815A, the first one detected through this program. Typically, GRB~230815A would not otherwise receive traditional radio follow-up, given it has no known redshift and lacks comprehensive multi-wavelength follow-up due to its high line-of-sight extinction with . We found its early X-ray jet break at days post-burst to be at odds with the evolution of the multi-frequency radio light curves that were traced over an unusually long duration of days. The radio light curves approximately evolved (with minor deviations) according to the standard self-similar expansion for a relativistic blast wave in a homogeneous environment prior to jet break, showing no evidence for evolution in the microphysical parameters describing the electron acceleration processes. We reconcile these features by proposing a two-component jet: the early X-ray break originates from a narrow component with a half-opening angle , while the evolution of the radio afterglow stems from a wider component with a half-opening angle . The PanRadio GRB program will establish a sample of comprehensively followed GRBs, where a rigorous inspection of their microphysical and dynamical parameters can be performed, thereby revealing the diversity of features in their outflows and environments
Simultaneous estimation of radiance and its sensitivities to radiative properties in a spherical-heterogeneous atmospheric radiative transfer model by Monte Carlo method: Application to Titan
No full textInternational audienceWe propose a control variates technique to reduce the variance of null-collision Monte Carlo algorithms used for solving the Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) in highly heterogeneous media. The method complements the classical spatially partitioned overestimate approach by additionally recording the minimum absorption coefficient within each voxel during preprocessing. During path tracing, the attenuation due to this minimum absorption is evaluated analytically, while the residual part is handled by path-samplings. This analytical treatment significantly improves convergence particularly in strongly absorbing media such as the planetary atmospheres in infrared absorbing band. The mathematical equivalence between the original and control-variates estimators is demonstrated, and numerical applications for Earth's and Titan's atmospheres confirm the expected variance reduction.</div
POEMMA-Balloon with Radio: A multi-messenger, multi-detector balloon payload
No full textInternational audienceA review of the current status of the field of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) including a summary of remaining open questions was presented in the white paper "Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays: at the Intersection of the Cosmic and Energy Frontiers" (Astropart. Phys. 147 (2023) 102794; arXiv:2205.05845). The authors concluded that two types of next-generation detectors are needed to answer these questions: high-accuracy instruments and detectors that maximize exposure at the highest energies. The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA), a proposed dual-satellite observatory, exemplifies the latter class and is designed to increase statistics of the highest-energy cosmic rays and to detect very-high-energy neutrinos following multi-messenger alerts. POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) implements a compact, balloon-borne version of the POEMMA concept, adapted for a Super-Pressure Balloon flight from Wanaka, New Zealand, with an expected campaign exceeding 20 days. PBR couples a wide field-of-view Schmidt telescope and a hybrid optical focal surface with a dedicated radio instrument to deliver simultaneous, complementary measurements of extensive air showers. The mission will validate the fluorescence detection strategy from space and raise technology readiness for a POEMMA-like space mission by observing UHECR-induced fluorescence light from suborbital altitudes, obtaining the first simultaneous optical Cherenkov and radio observations of high-altitude horizontal air showers above the cosmic-ray knee (E>3PeV), enabling energy-spectrum and composition studies at the PeV scale, and performing follow-ups of multi-messenger alerts to search for very-high-energy neutrinos via upward-going air showers. This paper summarizes the PBR payload and its expected performance
Matching collapse and expansion across Matter Trapping surfaces in inhomogeneous CDM models
No full textInternational audienceIn the present work we examine the MTS, for the restriction to spherical dust plus , proving that it actually is a characteristic surface of the Cauchy problem (generated by its characteristic curves), which opens the possibility for infinite solutions. This translate as the MTS being a boundary between arbitrarily independent solutions, reminiscent of the Birkhoff theorem effects. This property is illustrated with combinations of 3 examples containing MTSs and (CDM, Schwarzschild-de Sitter, Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi-de Sitter: LTBdS -- i.e. the inhomogeneous, spherically symmetric CDM). The LTBdS model presents a static, stable MTS for the first time
Implications of the continuous radio-loudness distribution among AGNs in the local Universe
No full textInternational audienceAims. We investigate the radio loudness () distribution in a large, homogeneous sample of radio galaxies. Methods. The sample is composed of galaxies from the ROGUE I/II catalogue belonging to the SDSS MGS and is divided into optically inactive radio galaxies (OPIRGs), optically active ones (OPARGs) and radio Seyferts. We use optical, mid-infrared and radio data to calculate the AGN bolometric luminosities, accretion rate (), black-hole mass () and . Results. Contrary to some previous studies based on restricted samples, using our complete sample of objects with redshifts , we find no evidence of bimodality in . The highest values are associated with extended radio structures. is anti-correlated with , and spans about 2 dex at fixed . Radio Seyferts, OPARGs and OPIRGs form a sequence of increasing with substantial overlap. Radio Seyferts show no - correlation, whereas OPARGs and OPIRGs show a weak positive trend. From theoretical considerations, the observed two-dex spread in radio luminosity and can be reproduced by a four-fold variation in the dimensionless magnetic flux assuming realistic black-hole spins. Conclusions. The smooth distribution of radio loudness supports a common evolutionary path for all radio sources, with black-hole spin and magnetic field varying continuously. The radio loudness depends on black-hole mass and accretion rate, while moderate variations in may account for the observed scatter in this relation
Prompt Searches for Very-high-energy γ-Ray Counterparts to IceCube Astrophysical Neutrino Alerts
No full textInternational audienceThe search for sources of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos can be significantly advanced through a multimessenger approach, which seeks to detect the γ-rays that accompany neutrinos as they are produced at their sources. Multimessenger observations have so far provided the first evidence for a neutrino source, illustrated by the joint detection of the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in high-energy (E > 1 GeV) and very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) γ-rays in coincidence with the high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A, identified by IceCube. Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), namely FACT, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, continue to conduct extensive neutrino target-of-opportunity follow-up programs. These programs have two components: follow-up observations of single astrophysical neutrino candidate events (such as IceCube-170922A), and observation of known γ-ray sources after the identification of a cluster of neutrino events by IceCube. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of follow-up observations of high-energy neutrino events observed by the four IACTs between 2017 September (after the IceCube-170922A event) and 2021 January. Our study found no associations between γ-ray sources and the observed neutrino events. We provide a detailed overview of each neutrino event and its potential counterparts. Furthermore, a joint analysis of all IACT data is included, yielding combined upper limits on the VHE γ-ray flux
Cosmological and High Energy Physics implications from gravitational-wave background searches in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's O1-O4a runs
No full textInternational audienceWe search for gravitational-wave background signals produced by various early Universe processes in the Advanced LIGO O4a dataset, combined with the data from the earlier O1, O2, and O3 (LIGO-Virgo) runs. The absence of detectable signals enables powerful constraints on fundamental physics. We derive gravitational-wave background energy density upper limits from the O1-O4a data to constrain parameters associated with various possible processes in the early Universe: first-order phase transitions, cosmic strings, domain walls, stiff equation of state, axion inflation, second-order scalar perturbations, primordial black hole binaries, and parity violation. In our analyses, the presence of an astrophysical background produced by compact (black hole and neutron star) binary coalescences throughout the Universe is also considered. We address the implications for various cosmological and high energy physics models based on the obtained parameter constraints. We conclude that LIGO-Virgo data already yield significant constraints on numerous early Universe scenarios
Directional Search for Persistent Gravitational Waves: Results from the First Part of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's Fourth Observing Run
No full textInternational audienceThe angular distribution of gravitational-wave power from persistent sources may exhibit anisotropies arising from the large-scale structure of the Universe. This motivates directional searches for astrophysical and cosmological gravitational-wave backgrounds, as well as continuous-wave emitters. We present results of such a search using data from the first observing run through the first portion of the fourth observing run of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaborations. We apply gravitational-wave radiometer techniques to generate skymaps and search for both narrowband and broadband persistent gravitational-wave sources. Additionally, we use spherical harmonic decomposition to probe spatially extended sources. No evidence of persistent gravitational-wave signals is found, and we set the most stringent constraints to date on such emissions. For narrowband point sources, our sensitivity estimate to effective strain amplitude lies in the range across all sky and frequency range Hz. For targeted sources -- Scorpius X-1, SN 1987A, the Galactic Center, Terzan 5, and NGC 6397 -- we constrain the strain amplitude with best limits ranging from to . For persistent broadband sources, we constrain the gravitational-wave flux F_{α, \hat{n}}^{95\%, \mathrm{UL}}(25\, \mathrm{Hz}) < (0.008 - 5.5) \times 10^{-8}\, \mathrm{erg\, cm^{-2}\, s^{-1}\, Hz^{-1}}, depending on the sky direction and spectral index . Finally, for extended sources, we place upper limits on the strain angular power spectrum C_\ell^{1/2} < (0.63 - 17) \times 10^{-10} \,\mathrm{sr}^{-1}
SVOM discovery of a strong X-ray outburst of the blazar 1ES~1959+650 and multi-wavelength follow-up with the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory
No full textInternational audienceOn December 6, 2024, 1ES 1959+650, one of the X-ray brightest blazars known, underwent a high-amplitude X-ray outburst detected by SVOM, the first such discovery with this mission. The source was subsequently monitored with SVOM and Swift from December 2024 to March 2025. We report the detection and multi-wavelength follow-up of this event, and describe the temporal and spectral evolution observed during the campaign. Data from SVOM/MXT, SVOM/ECLAIRs, and Swift/XRT were analyzed with log-parabola models to track flux and spectral variability. The source was detected in a bright state over the 0.3-50 keV range. During the three months of monitoring, the X-ray flux varied significantly, showing episodes of spectral hardening at high flux levels. The spectral curvature evolved more irregularly and did not show a clear trend with flux. A shift of the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) synchrotron peak to higher energies is seen when the flux increases. This constitutes the first blazar outburst discovered in X-rays by SVOM. The coordinated follow-up with Swift provided continuous coverage of the flare and highlights the strong complementarity of the two missions for time-domain studies of blazars. The flare shows no clear signatures of either Fermi I or Fermi II acceleration, suggesting a mixed Fermi I/II scenario