W. M. Keck Observatory
While astronomical twilight closes the observing window for optical astronomers, the infrared sky remains dark even through sunrise, allowing IR astronomers to observe through twilight. The Slicer Combined with an Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy (SCALES) instrument is a 2-5 micron coronagraphic integral field spectrograph scheduled to arrive at Keck in early 2026. SCALES has the potential to execute exciting science and support the astronomical community and upcoming NASA missions through a dedicated cadenced twilight observing program. We estimate that the current twilight observing program on Keck conducts 18+-1 hours per year of science observations; a facilitized twilight observing program that is prioritized by the observatory could yield 151+-2 hours of science time per year. This work presents the scientific motivation and high-level feasibility of two primary SCALES twilight science cases, monitoring of Solar System objects and a high-contrast imaging search for exoplanets around bright nearby stars, taking lessons from the existing NIRC2 and OSIRIS Twilight Zone program and considering increases in program scope. We also consider technical and operational challenges to overcome before the SCALES instrument begins its twilight observing program.
Stellar multiplicity plays a crucial role in shaping planet formation and dynamical evolution. We present a survey of 54 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) within 300 pc that exhibit significant Hipparcos-Gaia astrometric accelerations. We identified 35 TOIs with stellar companions at projected separations between 0.10.1^{\prime\prime} to 22^{\prime\prime} (or 1020010-200 AU). We also identified 12 TOIs that could host planetary-mass or brown dwarf companions, including 6 that are newly discovered. Furthermore, we perform three-dimensional orbital characterization for 12 binaries hosting confirmed planets or planet candidates, allowing us to constrain the line-of-sight mutual inclination, ΔIlos\Delta I_{\mathrm{los}}, between the planetary and binary orbits. Combining our sample with previous measurements, we apply Bayesian hierarchical analysis to a total of 26 binary systems with S-type transiting planets (r_p<5R_{\oplus}). Specifically, we fit the ΔIlos\Delta I_{\mathrm{los}} distribution with both single (Rayleigh) and mixture models (two-component Rayleigh and Rayleigh-isotropic mixture). We find the mixture models are strongly favored (logZ13.9\log Z\gtrsim13.9, or \approx5σ\sigma), indicating the observed planet-binary ΔIlos\Delta I_{\mathrm{los}} values likely originate from two underlying populations: one nearly aligned (σ1=2.40.9+0.7\sigma_1 = 2^{\circ}.4^{+0.7}_{-0.9}) and one with more scattered mutual inclinations (σ2=23.67.1+8.8\sigma_2 = 23^{\circ}.6^{+8.8}_{-7.1}). Alternatively, the misaligned systems can be equally well described by an isotropic distribution of inclinations. This observed dichotomy likely reflects different dynamical histories. Notably, the misaligned population only emerges in systems with stellar periastron distances >40 AU while systems with close-in or eccentric stellar companions (periastron distances <40 AU) preserve planet-binary alignment.
The Gamow Explorer will use Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) to: 1) probe the high redshift universe (z > 6) when the first stars were born, galaxies formed and Hydrogen was reionized; and 2) enable multi-messenger astrophysics by rapidly identifying Electro-Magnetic (IR/Optical/X-ray) counterparts to Gravitational Wave (GW) events. GRBs have been detected out to z ~ 9 and their afterglows are a bright beacon lasting a few days that can be used to observe the spectral fingerprints of the host galaxy and intergalactic medium to map the period of reionization and early metal enrichment. Gamow Explorer is optimized to quickly identify high-z events to trigger follow-up observations with JWST and large ground-based telescopes. A wide field of view Lobster Eye X-ray Telescope (LEXT) will search for GRBs and locate them with arc-minute precision. When a GRB is detected, the rapidly slewing spacecraft will point the 5 photometric channel Photo-z Infra-Red Telescope (PIRT) to identify high redshift (z > 6) long GRBs within 100s and send an alert within 1000s of the GRB trigger. An L2 orbit provides > 95% observing efficiency with pointing optimized for follow up by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ground observatories. The predicted Gamow Explorer high-z rate is >10 times that of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The instrument and mission capabilities also enable rapid identification of short GRBs and their afterglows associated with GW events. The Gamow Explorer will be proposed to the 2021 NASA MIDEX call and if approved, launched in 2028.
We present a joint analysis of high-resolution KK- and LL-band observations of the benchmark hot Jupiter \hdb\ from the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC). One half night of observations were obtained in each bandpass covering similar pre-eclipse phases. The two epochs were then jointly analyzed using our atmospheric retrieval pipeline based on \petit\ to constrain the atmospheric pressure-temperature profile and chemical composition. Consistent with recent results from \textit{JWST} observations at lower spectral resolution, we obtain an oxygen-rich composition for \hdb\ (\rm C/O < 10^{-3} at 95\% confidence) and a lower limit on the volatile metallicity similar to the solar value (\rm [(C+O)/H] > -0.2 at 95\% confidence). Leveraging the large spectral grasp of the multi-band observations, we constrain the H2_2O mixing ratio to \rm \log H_2O_{VMR} > -3.1 at 95\% confidence, and obtain 95\% upper limits on the atmospheric mixing ratios of CO (<10^{-4.8}), CH4_4 (<10^{-4.5}), NH3_3 (<10^{-5.8}), H2_2S (<10^{-3.3}), and HCN (<10^{-5.6}). The limits on CH4_4, NH3_3, and HCN are consistent with recent results from \textit{JWST} transmission spectroscopy, demonstrating the value of multi-band ground-based high resolution spectroscopy for precisely constraining trace species abundances in exoplanet atmospheres. The retrieved low-C/O, moderate-metallicity composition for \hdb\ is consistent with formation scenarios involving late accretion of substantial quantities of oxygen-rich refractory solids and/or ices.
Hundreds of exoplanets between 1-1.8 times the size of the Earth have been discovered on close in orbits. However, these planets show such a diversity in densities that some appear to be made entirely of iron, while others appear to host gaseous envelopes. To test this diversity in composition, we update the masses of 5 rocky exoplanets (HD 93963 A b, Kepler-10 b, Kepler-100 b, Kepler-407 b, and TOI-1444 b) and present the confirmation of a new planet (TOI-1011) using 187 high precision RVs from Gemini/MAROON-X and Keck/KPF. Our updated planet masses suggest compositions closer to that of the Earth than previous literature values for all planets in our sample. In particular, we report that two previously identified ``super-Mercuries'' (Kepler-100 b and HD 93963 A b) have lower masses that suggest less iron-rich compositions. We then compare the ratio of iron to rock-building species to the abundance ratios of those elements in their host stars. These updated planet compositions do not suggest a steep relationship between planet and host star compositions, contradictory to previous results, and suggest that planets and host stars have similar abundance ratios.
We present the end-to-end data reduction pipeline for SCALES (Slicer Combined with Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy), the upcoming thermal-infrared, diffraction-limited imager, and low and medium-resolution integral field spectrograph (IFS) for the Keck II telescope. The pipeline constructs a ramp from a set of reads and performs optimal extraction and chi-square extraction to reconstruct the 3D IFS datacube. To perform spectral extraction, wavelength calibration, and sky subtraction, the pipeline utilizes rectification matrices produced using position-dependent lenslet point spread functions (PSFs) derived from calibration exposures. The extracted 3D data cubes provide intensity values along with their corresponding uncertainties for each spatial and spectral measurement. The SCALES pipeline is under active development, implemented in Python within the Keck data reduction framework, and is openly available on GitHub along with dedicated documentation.
Kilonovae, the ultraviolet/optical/infrared counterparts to binary neutron star mergers, are an exceptionally rare class of transients. Optical follow-up campaigns are plagued by impostors whose early evolution masquerades as the rapid radioactive decay of heavy elements. In this work, we present an analysis of the multi-wavelength dataset of supernova (SN) 2025ulz, a proposed kilonova candidate following the low-significance detection of gravitational waves originating from the potential binary neutron star merger S250818k. Despite an early rapid decline in brightness, our multi-wavelength observations of SN 2025ulz reveal that it is a type IIb supernova. As part of this analysis, we demonstrate the capabilities of a novel quantitative scoring algorithm to determine the likelihood that a transient candidate is a kilonova, based primarily on its 3D location and light curve evolution. We also apply our scoring algorithm to other transient candidates in the localization volume of S250818k and find that, at all times after the discovery of SN 2025ulz, there are 4\geq 4 candidates with a score more promising than SN 2025ulz. During future kilonova searches, this type of scoring algorithm will be useful to rule out contaminating transients in real time, optimizing the use of valuable telescope resources.
One of the main unknowns in galaxy evolution is how gas flows into and out of galaxies in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). Studies observing the CGM in absorption using multiple or extended background objects suggest a high degree of variation on relatively small (1\lesssim 1 kpc) spatial scales. Similarly, high-resolution simulations generally exhibit small-scale substructure in the gas around galaxies. We examine the small-scale structure of the z=1z = 1 CGM using simulations from the FOGGIE (Figuring Out Gas & Galaxies in Enzo) project. We select gaseous substructures ("clumps") by their local overdensity and investigate their physical properties, including temperature, metallicity, and kinematics with respect to the galaxy and the nearby surroundings. FOGGIE resolves clumps down to sphericalized radii R0.25R \sim 0.25 kpc at z=1z = 1. The distribution of clumps peaks at 105\sim 10^5 M\rm M_{\odot} and 10410^{4} K, consistent with relatively condensed, cool gas with a slight preference for inflow-like velocities. Many clumps show internal temperature and density variations, and thus internally varying ionization levels for key diagnostic ions such as HI, MgII, and OVI. The average metallicity in clumps is about a factor 1.5--2×\times lower in metallicity than nearby gas, suggesting that the metals are not well-mixed between structured and diffuse CGM, which may have implications for observational metallicity estimations of dense CGM clouds. We estimate the survivability of CGM clumps and find that structures larger than 0.5 kpc are generally long-lived. Finally, we qualitatively compare the simulated cloud properties to Milky Way high-velocity clouds.
The recently discovered Pa 30 nebula, the putative type Iax supernova remnant associated with the historical supernova of 1181 AD, shows puzzling characteristics that make it unique among known supernova remnants. In particular, Pa 30 exhibits a complex morphology, with a unique radial and filamentary structure, and it hosts a hot stellar remnant at its center, which displays oxygen-dominated, ultra-fast winds. Because of the surviving stellar remnant and the lack of hydrogen and helium in its filaments, it has been suggested that Pa 30 is the product of a failed thermonuclear explosion in a near- or super-Chandrasekhar white dwarf, which created a sub-luminous transient, a rare sub-type of the Ia class of supernovae called type Iax. We here present a detailed study of the 3D structure and velocities of a full radial section of the remnant. The Integral Field Unit (IFU) observations, obtained with the new red channel of the Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectrograph, reveal that the ejecta are consistent with being ballistic, with velocities close to the free-expansion velocity. Additionally, we detect a large cavity inside the supernova remnant and a sharp inner edge to the filamentary structure, which coincides with the outer edge of a bright ring detected in infrared images. Finally, we detect a strong asymmetry in the amount of ejecta along the line of sight, which might hint to an asymmetric explosion. Our analysis provides strong confirmation that the explosion originated from SN 1181.
University of Washington logoUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Amsterdam logoUniversity of AmsterdamCalifornia Institute of Technology logoCalifornia Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign logoUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of California, Santa Barbara logoUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUCLA logoUCLATel Aviv University logoTel Aviv UniversityUC Berkeley logoUC BerkeleyUniversity College London logoUniversity College LondonUniversity of California, Irvine logoUniversity of California, IrvineUniversity of Copenhagen logoUniversity of CopenhagenPennsylvania State UniversityYale University logoYale UniversityNASA Goddard Space Flight Center logoNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterUniversity of CreteColumbia University logoColumbia UniversityWestern Kentucky UniversityKorea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteSpace Telescope Science Institute logoSpace Telescope Science InstituteYork UniversityUniversity of Southampton logoUniversity of SouthamptonSeoul National University logoSeoul National UniversityUniversity of Arizona logoUniversity of ArizonaAustralian National University logoAustralian National UniversityLeiden University logoLeiden UniversityPrinceton University logoPrinceton UniversityThe Ohio State University logoThe Ohio State UniversityWayne State UniversityCarnegie ObservatoriesUniversity of LeicesterUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity of BathGeorgia State UniversityJet Propulsion LaboratoryInstituto de Astrofísica de CanariasUniversidad de ChileSwinburne University of TechnologyBrigham Young UniversityUniversity of KentuckyThe Johns Hopkins UniversityUniversidad de La LagunaUniversity of California, Santa Cruz logoUniversity of California, Santa CruzWestern Michigan UniversityUniversity of Hawai’iCrimean Astrophysical ObservatoryUniversity of California RiversideKavli Institute for Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of WyomingMax Planck Institute for AstronomyNational Observatory of AthensSRON Netherlands Institute for Space ResearchW. M. Keck ObservatoryCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversityPontificia Universidad Catolica de ChileEureka ScientificMillennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS)Spectral Sciences Inc.Miller Institute for Basic Research in ScienceUniversit`a degli Studi di SienaBloomsburg UniversityLick ObservatoryAshland UniversityUniversit`a della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”Gran Telescopio CANARIAS, S.A.Laborat´orio Nacional de Astrof´ısica, LNA/MCTICINAF Osservatorio Astronomico di PadovaUniversita' di Padova
We present the results of an optical spectroscopic monitoring program targeting NGC 5548 as part of a larger multi-wavelength reverberation mapping campaign. The campaign spanned six months and achieved an almost daily cadence with observations from five ground-based telescopes. The Hβ\beta and He II λ\lambda4686 broad emission-line light curves lag that of the 5100 A˚Å optical continuum by 4.170.36+0.364.17^{+0.36}_{-0.36} days and 0.790.34+0.350.79^{+0.35}_{-0.34} days, respectively. The Hβ\beta lag relative to the 1158 A˚Å ultraviolet continuum light curve measured by the Hubble Space Telescope is roughly \sim50% longer than that measured against the optical continuum, and the lag difference is consistent with the observed lag between the optical and ultraviolet continua. This suggests that the characteristic radius of the broad-line region is \sim50% larger than the value inferred from optical data alone. We also measured velocity-resolved emission-line lags for Hβ\beta and found a complex velocity-lag structure with shorter lags in the line wings, indicative of a broad-line region dominated by Keplerian motion. The responses of both the Hβ\beta and He II λ\lambda4686 emission lines to the driving continuum changed significantly halfway through the campaign, a phenomenon also observed for C IV, Ly α\alpha, He II(+O III]), and Si IV(+O IV]) during the same monitoring period. Finally, given the optical luminosity of NGC 5548 during our campaign, the measured Hβ\beta lag is a factor of five shorter than the expected value implied by the RBLRLAGNR_\mathrm{BLR} - L_\mathrm{AGN} relation based on the past behavior of NGC 5548.
The Gamow Explorer will use Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) to: 1) probe the high redshift universe (z > 6) when the first stars were born, galaxies formed and Hydrogen was reionized; and 2) enable multi-messenger astrophysics by rapidly identifying Electro-Magnetic (IR/Optical/X-ray) counterparts to Gravitational Wave (GW) events. GRBs have been detected out to z ~ 9 and their afterglows are a bright beacon lasting a few days that can be used to observe the spectral fingerprints of the host galaxy and intergalactic medium to map the period of reionization and early metal enrichment. Gamow Explorer is optimized to quickly identify high-z events to trigger follow-up observations with JWST and large ground-based telescopes. A wide field of view Lobster Eye X-ray Telescope (LEXT) will search for GRBs and locate them with arc-minute precision. When a GRB is detected, the rapidly slewing spacecraft will point the 5 photometric channel Photo-z Infra-Red Telescope (PIRT) to identify high redshift (z > 6) long GRBs within 100s and send an alert within 1000s of the GRB trigger. An L2 orbit provides > 95% observing efficiency with pointing optimized for follow up by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ground observatories. The predicted Gamow Explorer high-z rate is >10 times that of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The instrument and mission capabilities also enable rapid identification of short GRBs and their afterglows associated with GW events. The Gamow Explorer will be proposed to the 2021 NASA MIDEX call and if approved, launched in 2028.
This paper describes how the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) is extending open source software components to develop new services. In August 2015, KOA deployed a program interface to discover public data from all instruments equipped with an imaging mode. The interface complies with version 2 of the Simple Imaging Access Protocol (SIAP), under development by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA), which defines a standard mechanism for discovering images through spatial queries. The heart of the KOA service is an R-tree-based, database-indexing mechanism prototyped by the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) and further developed by the Montage Image Mosaic project, designed to provide fast access to large imaging data sets as a first step in creating wide-area image mosaics. The KOA service uses the results of the spatial R-tree search to create an SQLite data database for further relational filtering. The service uses a JSON configuration file to describe the association between instrument parameters and the service query parameters, and to make it applicable beyond the Keck instruments. The R-tree program was itself extended to support temporal (in addition to spatial) indexing, in response to requests from the planetary science community for a search engine to discover observations of Solar System objects. With this 3D-indexing scheme, the service performs very fast time and spatial matches between the target ephemerides, obtained from the JPL SPICE service. Our experiments indicate these matches can be more than 100 times faster than when separating temporal and spatial searches. Images of the tracks of the moving targets, overlaid with the image footprints, are computed with a new command-line visualization tool, mViewer, released with the Montage distribution. The service is currently in test and will be released in Fall 2016.
All cosmological models of structure formation predict the existence of a widespread population of dual supermassive black holes in-spiralling inside their common host galaxy, eventually merging and giving rise to intense gravitational waves. These systems can be identified as dual AGNs at kilo parsec separations, but only very few have been confirmed at z>0.5. The appearance of multiple AGNs at small angular separations can also be due to gravitational lensing of single AGNs, which are themselves very important systems for many astrophysical topics. Here we present a novel technique, dubbed the Gaia Multipeak (GMP) method, to obtain large and reliable samples of dual/lensed AGN candidates with sub-arcsec separations by looking for AGNs showing multiple peaks in the light profiles observed by the Gaia satellite. All the GMP-selected sources with high resolution images (26 from the HST archive and 5 from dedicated adaptive-optics assisted imaging at the Large Binocular Telescope) show multiple components with sub-arcsec separation pointing toward a very high reliability of the method. By sampling separations down to ~2 kpc at z>1, this method allows us to probe the physical processes that drive the inspiralling of a pair of SMBHs inside a single galaxy.
We present five far- and near-ultraviolet spectra of the Type II plateau supernova, SN 2022acko, obtained 5, 6, 7, 19, and 21 days after explosion, all observed with the Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. The first three epochs are earlier than any Type II plateau supernova has been observed in the far-ultraviolet revealing unprecedented characteristics. These three spectra are dominated by strong lines, primarily from metals, which contrasts with the relatively featureless early optical spectra. The flux decreases over the initial time series as the ejecta cools and line-blanketing takes effect. We model this unique dataset with the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiation transport code CMFGEN, finding a good match to the explosion of a low mass red supergiant with energy Ekin = 6 x 10^50 erg. With these models we identify, for the first time, the ions that dominate the early UV spectra. We also present optical photometry and spectroscopy, showing that SN 2022acko has a peak absolute magnitude of V = -15.4 mag and plateau length of ~115d. The spectra closely resemble those of SN 2005cs and SN 2012A. Using the combined optical and UV spectra, we report the fraction of flux redwards of the uvw2, U, B, and V filters on days 5, 7, and 19. We also create a spectral time-series of Type II supernovae in the ultraviolet, demonstrating the rapid decline of UV flux over the first few weeks of evolution. Future observations of Type II supernovae will continue to explore the diversity seen in the limited set of high-quality UV spectra.
We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2019hnl. Discovered within ~26 hr of explosion by the ATLAS survey, SN 2019hnl is a typical Type IIP supernova with a peak absolute V band magnitude of -16.7+-0.1 mag, a plateau length of ~107 days, and an early decline rate of 0.0086+-0.0006 mag (50 days)^-1. We use nebular spectroscopy and hydrodynamic modeling with the SNEC, MESA, and STELLA codes to infer that the progenitor of SN 2019hnl was a M_ZAMS ~ 11M_solar red supergiant which produced 0.047+-0.007M_solar of 56Ni in the explosion. As a part of our hydrodynamic modeling, we reduced hydrogen envelope mass by scaling the mass loss within the "Dutch" wind scheme to fit our light curve, showing that the progenitor of a relatively typical Type IIP SN may experience partial stripping during their evolution and establish massive (~0.2M_solar) CSM environments prior to core collapse.
The astronomical community is grappling with the increasing volume and complexity of data produced by modern telescopes, due to difficulties in reducing, accessing, analyzing, and combining archives of data. To address this challenge, we propose the establishment of a coordinating body, an "entity," with the specific mission of enhancing the interoperability, archiving, distribution, and production of both astronomical data and software. This report is the culmination of a workshop held in February 2023 on the Future of Astronomical Data Infrastructure. Attended by 70 scientists and software professionals from ground-based and space-based missions and archives spanning the entire spectrum of astronomical research, the group deliberated on the prevailing state of software and data infrastructure in astronomy, identified pressing issues, and explored potential solutions. In this report, we describe the ecosystem of astronomical data, its existing flaws, and the many gaps, duplication, inconsistencies, barriers to access, drags on productivity, missed opportunities, and risks to the long-term integrity of essential data sets. We also highlight the successes and failures in a set of deep dives into several different illustrative components of the ecosystem, included as an appendix.
The discovery of the Eye of Horus (EoH), a rare double source-plane lens system (zlens=z_{\rm lens}= 0.795; zsrc=z_{\rm src}= 1.302 and 1.988), has also led to the identification of two high-redshift (zphotz_{\rm phot}\sim 0.8) galaxy clusters in the same field based on the subsequent analysis of the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) optical and XMM-Newton X-ray data. The two brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), one of which is the lensing galaxy of the EoH, are separated by only \sim100"" (== 0.75 Mpc < r200r_{200}) on the sky, raising the possibility that these two clusters may be physically associated. Here, we present a follow-up optical spectroscopic survey of this EoH field, obtaining 218 secure redshifts using MMT/Binospec. We have confirmed that there indeed exist two massive (MdynM_{\rm dyn} > 101410^{14} M_\odot) clusters of galaxies at zz == 0.795 (the main cluster) and at z=0.769z=0.769 (the NE cluster). However, these clusters have a velocity offset of \sim4300 km s1^{-1}, suggesting that this two-cluster system is likely a line-of-sight projection rather than a physically-related association (e.g., a cluster merger). In terms of the properties of cluster-member galaxies, these two z0.8z\sim0.8 clusters appear well-developed, each harboring an old (age == 3.6-6.0 Gyr) and massive (MM_\mathrm{*} == 4.2-9.5 ×\times 101110^{11} M_\odot) BCG and exhibiting a well-established red sequence (RS). This study underscores the importance of conducting a spectroscopic follow-up for high-redshift cluster candidates because RS-based cluster selections are susceptible to such a projection effect in general.
M dwarfs are common host stars to exoplanets but often lack atmospheric abundance measurements. Late-M dwarfs are also good analogs to the youngest substellar companions, which share similar Teff23002800 KT_{\rm eff}\sim2300-2800~K. We present atmospheric analyses for the M7.5 companion HIP 55507 B and its K6V primary star with Keck/KPIC high-resolution (R35,000R\sim35,000) KK band spectroscopy. First, by including KPIC relative radial velocities between the primary and secondary in the orbit fit, we improve the dynamical mass precision by 60% and find MB=88.03.2+3.4M_B=88.0_{-3.2}^{+3.4} MJupM_{\rm Jup}, putting HIP 55507 B above the stellar-substellar boundary. We also find that HIP 55507 B orbits its K6V primary star with a=383+4a=38^{+4}_{-3} AU and e=0.40±0.04e=0.40\pm0.04. From atmospheric retrievals of HIP 55507 B, we measure [C/H]=0.24±0.13\rm [C/H]=0.24\pm0.13, $\rm [O/H]=0.15\pm0.13,and, and \rm C/O=0.67\pm0.04$. Moreover, we strongly detect 13CO\rm ^{13}CO (7.8σ7.8\sigma significance) and tentatively detect H218O\rm H_2^{18}O (3.7σ3.7\sigma significance) in companion's atmosphere, and measure $\rm ^{12}CO/^{13}CO=98_{-22}^{+28}and and \rm H_2^{16}O/H_2^{18}O=240_{-80}^{+145}$ after accounting for systematic errors. From a simplified retrieval analysis of HIP 55507 A, we measure 12CO/13CO=7916+21\rm ^{12}CO/^{13}CO=79_{-16}^{+21} and $\rm C^{16}O/C^{18}O=288_{-70}^{+125}$ for the primary star. These results demonstrate that HIP 55507 A and B have consistent 12C/13C\rm ^{12} C/^{13}C and 16O/18O\rm ^{16}O/^{18}O to the <1\sigma level, as expected for a chemically homogeneous binary system. Given the similar flux ratios and separations between HIP 55507 AB and systems with young, substellar companions, our results open the door to systematically measuring 13CO\rm ^{13}CO and H218O\rm H_2^{18}O abundances in the atmospheres of substellar or even planetary-mass companions with similar spectral types.
We present initial results from the \textit{COS and Gemini Mapping the Circumgalactic Medium} (\mbox{CGMCGM} \equiv CGM2^{2}) survey. The CGM2^{2} survey consists of 1689 galaxies, all with high-quality Gemini GMOS spectra, within 1 Mpc of twenty-two z1z \lesssim 1 quasars, all with S/N\sim10 {\emph{HST/COS}} G130M++G160M spectra. For 572 of these galaxies having stellar masses 10^{7} M_{\odot} < M_{\star} < 10^{11} M_{\odot} and $z \lesssim 0.5$, we show that the \ion{H}{1} covering fraction above a threshold of \NHI>10^{14} cm2^{-2} is 0.5\gtrsim 0.5 within 1.5 virial radii ($R_{\rm vir} \sim R_{200m}$). We examine the \ion{H}{1} kinematics and find that the majority of absorption lies within ±\pm 250 km s1^{-1} of the galaxy systemic velocity. We examine \ion{H}{1} covering fractions over a range of impact parameters to infer a characteristic size of the CGM, RCGM14R^{14}_{\rm CGM}, as a function of galaxy mass. RCGM14R^{14}_{\rm CGM} is the impact parameter at which the probability of observing an absorber with \NHI > 1014^{14} cm2^{-2} is > 50\%. In this framework, the radial extent of the CGM of $M_{\star} > 10^{9.9} M_{\odot}galaxiesis galaxies is R^{14}_{\rm CGM} = 346^{+57}_{-53}$ kpc or RCGM141.2RvirR^{14}_{\rm CGM} \simeq 1.2R_{\rm vir}. Intermediate-mass galaxies with 10^{9.2} < M_{\star}/M_{\odot} < 10^{9.9} have an extent of $R^{14}_{\rm CGM} = 353^{+64}_{-50}kpcor kpc or R^{14}_{\rm CGM} \simeq 2.4R_{\rm vir}$. Low-mass galaxies, M_{\star} < 10^{9.2} M_{\odot}, show a smaller physical scale RCGM14=17765+70R^{14}_{\rm CGM} = 177_{-65}^{+70} kpc and extend to $R^{14}_{\rm CGM} \simeq 1.6R_{\rm vir}.Ouranalysissuggeststhatusing. Our analysis suggests that using R_{\rm vir}$ as a proxy for the characteristic radius of the CGM likely underestimates its extent.
There are no more papers matching your filters at the moment.