This is the second paper in the HOWLS (higher-order weak lensing statistics) series exploring the usage of non-Gaussian statistics for cosmology inference within \textit{Euclid}. With respect to our first paper, we develop a full tomographic analysis based on realistic photometric redshifts which allows us to derive Fisher forecasts in the ($\sigma_8$, $w_0$) plane for a \textit{Euclid}-like data release 1 (DR1) setup. We find that the 5 higher-order statistics (HOSs) that satisfy the Gaussian likelihood assumption of the Fisher formalism (1-point probability distribution function, $\ell$1-norm, peak counts, Minkowski functionals, and Betti numbers) each outperform the shear 2-point correlation functions by a factor $2.5$ on the $w_0$ forecasts, with only marginal improvement when used in combination with 2-point estimators, suggesting that every HOS is able to retrieve both the non-Gaussian and Gaussian information of the matter density field. The similar performance of the different estimators\inlinecomment{, with a slight preference for Minkowski functionals and 1-point probability distribution function,} is explained by a homogeneous use of multi-scale and tomographic information, optimized to lower computational costs. These results hold for the $3$ mass mapping techniques of the \textit{Euclid} pipeline: aperture mass, Kaiser--Squires, and Kaiser--Squires plus, and are unaffected by the application of realistic star masks. Finally, we explore the use of HOSs with the Bernardeau--Nishimichi--Taruya (BNT) nulling scheme approach, finding promising results towards applying physical scale cuts to HOSs.

Through a holographic model of QCD, we present a phenomenological approach to study the running of the strong coupling constant $\alpha_s$ in both non-perturbative and perturbative regimes. The renormalization of the metric tensor, driven by the Ricci Flow, and the breaking of conformal and chiral symmetries -- thanks to introducing a double dilaton model and large-$N_c$ corrections -- allow us to relate the existence of an infrared fixed point in the coupling constant with a smooth matching to pQCD well above 2 GeV. This is done through a model with two fit parameters and one matching point. The proposed dilaton model yields linear Regge trajectories and decay constants for scalar, vector, and tensor meson families similar to their experimental counterparts.

The Euclid mission aims to measure the positions, shapes, and redshifts of over a billion galaxies to provide unprecedented constraints on the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Achieving this goal requires a continuous reassessment of the mission's scientific performance, particularly in terms of its ability to constrain cosmological parameters, as our understanding of how to model large-scale structure observables improves. In this study, we present the first scientific forecasts using CLOE (Cosmology Likelihood for Observables in Euclid), a dedicated Euclid cosmological pipeline developed to support this endeavour. Using advanced Bayesian inference techniques applied to synthetic Euclid-like data, we sample the posterior distribution of cosmological and nuisance parameters across a variety of cosmological models and Euclid primary probes: cosmic shear, angular photometric galaxy clustering, galaxy-galaxy lensing, and spectroscopic galaxy clustering. We validate the capability of CLOE to produce reliable cosmological forecasts, showcasing Euclid's potential to achieve a figure of merit for the dark energy parameters $w_0$ and $w_a$ exceeding 400 when combining all primary probes. Furthermore, we illustrate the behaviour of the posterior probability distribution of the parameters of interest given different priors and scale cuts. Finally, we emphasise the importance of addressing computational challenges, proposing further exploration of innovative data science techniques to efficiently navigate the Euclid high-dimensional parameter space in upcoming cosmological data releases.

We perform a frequentist analysis using the standard profile likelihood method for clustering measurements from Data Release 1 of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). While Bayesian inferences for Effective Field Theory models of galaxy clustering can be highly sensitive to the choice of priors for extended cosmological models, frequentist inferences are not susceptible to such effects. We compare Bayesian and frequentist constraints for the parameter set $\{\sigma_8, H_0, \Omega_{\rm{m}}, w_0, w_a\}$ when fitting to the full-shape of the power spectrum multipoles, the post-reconstruction Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements, as well as external datasets from the CMB and type Ia supernovae measurements. Bayesian prior effects are very significant for the $w_0w_a$CDM model; while the $1 \sigma$ frequentist confidence intervals encompass the maximum a posteriori (MAP), the Bayesian credible intervals almost always exclude the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) and the MAP - indicating strong prior volume projection effects - unless supernovae data are included. We observe limited prior effects for the $\Lambda$CDM model, due to the reduced number of parameters. When DESI full-shape and BAO data are jointly fit, we obtain the following $1\sigma$ frequentist confidence intervals for $\Lambda$CDM ($w_0w_a$CDM): $\sigma_8 = 0.867^{+0.048}_{-0.041} , \ H_0 = 68.91^{+0.80}_{-0.79} \ \rm{km \ s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}} , \ \Omega_{\rm{m}} = 0.3038\pm0.0110$ ($\sigma_8 = 0.793^{+0.069}_{-0.048} , \ H_0 = 64.9^{+4.8}_{-2.8} \ \rm{km \ s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}} , \ \Omega_{\rm{m}} = 0.369^{+0.029}_{-0.059}$ , $w_0 = -0.24^{+0.17}_{-0.64}$ , $w_a = -2.5^{+1.9}_{}$), corresponding to 0.7$\sigma$, 0.3$\sigma$, 0.7$\sigma$ (1.9$\sigma$, 3.4$\sigma$, 5.6$\sigma$, 5.5$\sigma$, 5.6$\sigma$) shifts between the MLE relative to the Bayesian posterior mean for $\Lambda$CDM ($w_0w_a$CDM) respectively.

Euclid is expected to establish new state-of-the-art constraints on extensions beyond the standard LCDM cosmological model by measuring the positions and shapes of billions of galaxies. Specifically, its goal is to shed light on the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Achieving this requires developing and validating advanced statistical tools and theoretical prediction software capable of testing extensions of the LCDM model. In this work, we describe how the Euclid likelihood pipeline, Cosmology Likelihood for Observables in Euclid (CLOE), has been extended to accommodate alternative cosmological models and to refine the theoretical modelling of Euclid primary probes. In particular, we detail modifications made to CLOE to incorporate the magnification bias term into the spectroscopic two-point correlation function of galaxy clustering. Additionally, we explain the adaptations made to CLOE's implementation of Euclid primary photometric probes to account for massive neutrinos and modified gravity extensions. Finally, we present the validation of these CLOE modifications through dedicated forecasts on synthetic Euclid-like data by sampling the full posterior distribution and comparing with the results of previous literature. In conclusion, we have identified in this work several functionalities with regards to beyond-LCDM modelling that could be further improved within CLOE, and outline potential research directions to enhance pipeline efficiency and flexibility through novel inference and machine learning techniques.

We present the first cosmological constraints from a joint analysis of galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing using extended SubHalo Abundance Matching (SHAMe). We analyse stellar mass-selected Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxy clustering and Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS-1000) galaxy-galaxy lensing and find constraints on $S_8\equiv\sigma_8\sqrt{\Omega_{\rm m}/0.3}=0.793^{+0.025}_{-0.024}$, in agreement with Planck at 1.7$\sigma$, and consistent with previous results. We are able to constrain all 5 SHAMe parameters, which describe the galaxy-subhalo connection. We validate our methodology by first applying it to simulated catalogues, generated from the TNG300 simulation, which mimic the stellar mass selection of our real data. We show that we are able to recover the input cosmology for both our fiducial and all-scale analyses. Our all-scale analysis extends to scales of galaxy-galaxy lensing below r_\mathrm{p}<1.4\,\mathrm{Mpc}/h, which we exclude in our fiducial analysis to avoid baryonic effects. When including all scales, we find a value of $S_8$, which is 1.26$\sigma$ higher than our fiducial result (against naive expectations where baryonic feedback should lead to small-scale power suppression), and in agreement with Planck at 0.9$\sigma$. We also find a 21% tighter constraint on $S_8$ and a 29% tighter constraint on $\Omega_\mathrm{m}$ compared to our fiducial analysis. This work shows the power and potential of joint small-scale galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing analyses using SHAMe.

The essence of the \textit{memory burden} effect is that a load of information carried by a system stabilizes it. This universal effect is especially prominent in systems with a high capacity of information storage, such as black holes and other objects with maximal microstate degeneracy, the entities universally referred to as \textit{saturons}. The phenomenon has several implications. The memory burden effect suppresses a further decay of a black hole, the latest, after it has emitted about half of its initial mass. As a consequence, the light primordial black holes (PBHs), that previously were assumed to be fully evaporated, are expected to be present as viable dark matter candidates. In the present paper, we deepen the understanding of the memory burden effect. We first identify various memory burden regimes in generic Hamiltonian systems and then establish a precise correspondence in solitons and in black holes. We make transparent, at a microscopic level, the fundamental differences between the stabilization by a quantum memory burden versus the stabilization by a long-range classical hair due to a spin or an electric charge. We identify certain new features of potential observational interest, such as the model-independent spread of the stabilized masses of initially degenerate PBHs.

Modelling the broadband emission of jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN) constitutes one of the main research topics of extragalactic astrophysics in the multi-wavelength and multi-messenger domain. We present agnpy, an open-source python package modelling the radiative processes of relativistic particles accelerated in the jets of active galactic nuclei. The package includes classes describing the galaxy components responsible for line and thermal emission and calculates the absorption due to $\gamma\gamma$ pair production on several photon fields. agnpy aims at extending the effort of modelling and interpreting the emission of extragalactic sources to a wide number of astrophysicists. We present the package content and illustrate a few examples of applications of its functionalities. We validate the software by comparing its results against the literature and against other open-source software. We illustrate the utility of agnpy in addressing the most common questions encountered while modelling the emission of jetted active galaxies. When comparing its results against the literature and other modelling tools adopting the same physical assumptions, we achieve an agreement within $10-30\%$. agnpy represents one of the first systematic and validated collection of established radiative processes for jetted active galaxies in an open-source python package. We hope it will stand also among the first endeavours providing reproducible and transparent astrophysical software not only for data reduction and analysis, but also for modelling and interpretation.

We present reconstructed convergence maps, \textit{mass maps}, from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) third year (Y3) weak gravitational lensing data set. The mass maps are weighted projections of the density field (primarily dark matter) in the foreground of the observed galaxies. We use four reconstruction methods, each is a \textit{maximum a posteriori} estimate with a different model for the prior probability of the map: Kaiser-Squires, null B-mode prior, Gaussian prior, and a sparsity prior. All methods are implemented on the celestial sphere to accommodate the large sky coverage of the DES Y3 data. We compare the methods using realistic $\Lambda$CDM simulations with mock data that are closely matched to the DES Y3 data. We quantify the performance of the methods at the map level and then apply the reconstruction methods to the DES Y3 data, performing tests for systematic error effects. The maps are compared with optical foreground cosmic-web structures and are used to evaluate the lensing signal from cosmic-void profiles. The recovered dark matter map covers the largest sky fraction of any galaxy weak lensing map to date.

We study a mechanism that generates the baryon asymmetry of the Universe during a tachyonic electroweak phase transition. We utilize as sole source of CP violation an operator that was recently obtained from the Standard Model by integrating out the quarks.

The intrinsic alignment (IA) of galaxies is a major astrophysical contaminant to weak gravitational lensing measurements, and the study of its dependence on galaxy properties helps provide meaningful physical priors that aid cosmological analyses. This work studied for the first time the dependence of IA on galaxy structural parameters. We measured the IA of bright galaxies, selected on apparent r-band magnitude r<20, in the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS). Machine-learning-based photometric redshift estimates are available for this galaxy sample that helped us obtain a clean measurement of its IA signal. We supplemented this sample with a catalogue of structural parameters from Sersic profile fits to the surface-brightness profiles of the galaxies. We split the sample on galaxy intrinsic colour, luminosity, and Sersic index, and we fitted the non-linear linear alignment model to galaxy position-shape projected correlation function measurements on large scales. We observe a power-law luminosity dependence of the large-scale IA amplitude, $A_{IA}$, for both the red and high-Sersic-index (n_s&gt;2.5) samples, and find no significant difference between the two. We measure an $\sim1.5\sigma$ lower $A_{IA}$ for red galaxies that also have a Sersic index of n_s&lt;4 compared to the expected amplitude predicted using the sample's luminosity. We also probe the IA of red galaxies as a function of galaxy scale by varying the radial weight employed in the shape measurement. On large scales (above 6 Mpc/$h$), we do not detect a significant difference in the alignment. On smaller scales, we observe that IA increase with galaxy scale, with outer galaxy regions showing stronger alignments than inner regions. Finally, for intrinsically blue galaxies, we find $A_{IA}=-0.67\pm1.00$, which is consistent with previous works, and we find IA to be consistent with zero for the low-Sersic-index (n_s&lt;2.5) sample.

We propose a new method for fitting the full-shape of the Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$) forest three-dimensional (3D) correlation function in order to measure the Alcock-Paczynski (AP) effect. Our method preserves the robustness of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) analyses, while also providing extra cosmological information from a broader range of scales. We compute idealized forecasts for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) using the Ly$\alpha$ auto-correlation and its cross-correlation with quasars, and show how this type of analysis improves cosmological constraints. The DESI Ly$\alpha$ BAO analysis is expected to measure $H(z_\mathrm{eff})r_\mathrm{d}$ and $D_\mathrm{M}(z_\mathrm{eff})/r_\mathrm{d}$ with a precision of $\sim0.9\%$ each, where $H$ is the Hubble parameter, $r_\mathrm{d}$ is the comoving BAO scale, $D_\mathrm{M}$ is the comoving angular diameter distance and the effective redshift of the measurement is $z_\mathrm{eff}\simeq2.3$. By fitting the AP parameter from the full shape of the two correlations, we show that we can obtain a precision of $\sim0.5-0.6\%$ on each of $H(z_\mathrm{eff})r_\mathrm{d}$ and $D_\mathrm{M}(z_\mathrm{eff})/r_\mathrm{d}$. Furthermore, we show that a joint full-shape analysis of the Ly$\alpha$ auto-correlation and its cross-correlation with quasars can measure the linear growth rate times the amplitude of matter fluctuations in spheres of $8\;h^{-1}$Mpc, $f\sigma_8(z_\mathrm{eff})$. Such an analysis could provide the first ever measurement of $f\sigma_8(z_\mathrm{eff})$ at redshift $z_\mathrm{eff}>2$. By combining this with the quasar auto-correlation in a joint analysis of the three high-redshift two-point correlation functions, we show that DESI could be able to measure $f\sigma_8(z_\mathrm{eff}\simeq2.3)$ with a precision of $5-12\%$, depending on the smallest scale fitted.

We present constraints on the $f(R)$ gravity model using a sample of 1,005 galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.25 - 1.78$ that have been selected through the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZE) from South Pole Telescope (SPT) data and subjected to optical and near-infrared confirmation with the Multi-component Matched Filter (MCMF) algorithm. We employ weak gravitational lensing mass calibration from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data for 688 clusters at z &lt; 0.95 and from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for 39 clusters with 0.6 &lt; z &lt; 1.7. Our cluster sample is a powerful probe of $f(R)$ gravity, because this model predicts a scale-dependent enhancement in the growth of structure, which impacts the halo mass function (HMF) at cluster mass scales. To account for these modified gravity effects on the HMF, our analysis employs a semi-analytical approach calibrated with numerical simulations. Combining calibrated cluster counts with primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Planck2018 release, we derive robust constraints on the $f(R)$ parameter $f_{R0}$. Our results, \log_{10} |f_{R0}| &lt; -5.32 at the 95 % credible level, are the tightest current constraints on $f(R)$ gravity from cosmological scales. This upper limit rules out $f(R)$-like deviations from general relativity that result in more than a $\sim$20 % enhancement of the cluster population on mass scales M_\mathrm{200c}&gt;3\times10^{14}M_\odot.

On large scales, the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest provides insights into the expansion history of the Universe, while on small scales, it imposes strict constraints on the growth history, the nature of dark matter, and the sum of neutrino masses. This work introduces ForestFlow, a novel framework that bridges the gap between large- and small-scale analyses, which have traditionally relied on distinct modeling approaches. Using conditional normalizing flows, ForestFlow predicts the two Lyman-$\alpha$ linear biases ($b_\delta$ and $b_\eta$) and six parameters describing small-scale deviations of the three-dimensional flux power spectrum ($P_\mathrm{3D}$) from linear theory as a function of cosmology and intergalactic medium physics. These are then combined with a Boltzmann solver to make consistent predictions, from arbitrarily large scales down to the nonlinear regime, for $P_\mathrm{3D}$ and any other statistics derived from it. Trained on a suite of 30 fixed-and-paired cosmological hydrodynamical simulations spanning redshifts from $z=2$ to 4.5, ForestFlow achieves 3 and 1.5\% precision in describing $P_\mathrm{3D}$ and the one-dimensional flux power spectrum ($P_\mathrm{1D}$) from linear scales to $k=5\,\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ and $k_\parallel=4\,\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, respectively. Thanks to its conditional parameterization, ForestFlow shows similar performance for ionization histories and two $\Lambda$CDM model extensions $\unicode{x2013}$ massive neutrinos and curvature $\unicode{x2013}$ even though none of these are included in the training set. This framework will enable full-scale cosmological analyses of Lyman-$\alpha$ forest measurements from the DESI survey.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons scatter off the free-electron gas in galaxies and clusters, allowing us to use the CMB as a backlight to probe the gas in and around low-redshift galaxies. The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, sourced by hot electrons in high-density environments, measures the thermal pressure of the target objects, shedding light on halo thermodynamics and galaxy formation and providing a path toward understanding the baryon distribution around cosmic structures. We use a combination of high-resolution CMB maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and photometric luminous red galaxy (LRG) catalogues from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to measure the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal in four redshift bins from $z=0.4$ to $z=1.2$, with a combined detection significance of 19$\sigma$ when stacking on the fiducial CMB Compton-$y$ map. We discuss possible sources of contamination, finding that residual dust emission associated with the target galaxies is important and limits current analyses. We discuss several mitigation strategies and quantify the residual modelling uncertainty. This work complements closely-related measurements of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and weak lensing of the same galaxies.

We measure the weak-lensing masses and galaxy distributions of four massive galaxy clusters observed during the Science Verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey. This pathfinder study is meant to 1) validate the DECam imager for the task of measuring weak-lensing shapes, and 2) utilize DECam's large field of view to map out the clusters and their environments over 90 arcmin. We conduct a series of rigorous tests on astrometry, photometry, image quality, PSF modeling, and shear measurement accuracy to single out flaws in the data and also to identify the optimal data processing steps and parameters. We find Science Verification data from DECam to be suitable for the lensing analysis described in this paper. The PSF is generally well-behaved, but the modeling is rendered difficult by a flux-dependent PSF width and ellipticity. We employ photometric redshifts to distinguish between foreground and background galaxies, and a red-sequence cluster finder to provide cluster richness estimates and cluster-galaxy distributions. By fitting NFW profiles to the clusters in this study, we determine weak-lensing masses that are in agreement with previous work. For Abell 3261, we provide the first estimates of redshift, weak-lensing mass, and richness. In addition, the cluster-galaxy distributions indicate the presence of filamentary structures attached to 1E 0657-56 and RXC J2248.7-4431, stretching out as far as 1 degree (approximately 20 Mpc), showcasing the potential of DECam and DES for detailed studies of degree-scale features on the sky.

The Crab supernova remnant has been observed regularly with the stereoscopic system of 5 imaging air Cherenkov telescopes that was part of the High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy (HEGRA) experiment. In total, close to 400 hours of useful data have been collected from 1997 until 2002. The spectrum extends up to energies of 80 TeV and is well matched by model calculations in the framework of inverse Compton scattering of various seed photons in the nebula including for the first time a recently detected compact emission region at mm-wavelengths. The observed indications for a gradual steepening of the energy spectrum in data is expected in the inverse Compton emission this http URL average magnetic field in the emitting volume is determined to be $(161.6\pm0.8mathrm{stat}\pm18_\mathrm{sys}) \mu$G. The presence of protons in the nebula is not required to explain the observed flux and upper limits on the injected power of protons are calculated being as low as 20 % of the total spin down luminosity for bulk Lorentz factors of the wind in the range of $10^4-10^6$.The position and size of the emission region have been studied over a wide range of energies. The position is shifted by 13\arcsec to the west of the pulsar with a systematic uncertainty of 25\arcsec. No significant shift in the position with energy is observed. The size of the emission region is constrained to be less than 2\arcmin at energies between 1 and 10 TeV. Above 30 TeV the size is constrained to be less than 3\this http URL indications for pulsed emission has been found and upper limits in differential bins of energy have been calculated reaching typically 1-3 % of the unpulsed component.

Subtleties arising in the non-relativistic limit of relativistic branes are resolved, and a reparametrization-invariant and kappa-symmetric non-relativistic super p-brane action is obtained as a limit of the action for a relativistic super p-brane in a Minkowski vacuum. We give explicit results for the D0-brane, which provides a realization of the super-Bargmann algebra, the IIA superstring and the 11-dimensional supermembrane.