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DOE OSTI2025

Gravitational waves and galaxies cross-correlations: a forecast on GW biases for future detectors

ABSTRACT Gravitational waves (GWs) have rapidly become important cosmological probes since their first detection in 2015. As the number of detected events continues to rise, upcoming instruments like Einstein Telescope (ET) and Cosmic Explorer (CE) will observe millions of compact binary mergers. These detections, coupled with galaxy surveys by instruments such as the Dark Spectroscopic Energy Instrument (DESI), Euclid, and the Vera Rubin Observatory, will provide unique information on the large-scale structure of the universe by cross-correlating GWs with the distribution of galaxies hosting them. In this paper, we focus on how cross-correlations constrain the clustering bias of GWs emitted by the coalescence of binary black holes (BBHs). This parameter links BBHs to the underlying dark matter distribution, hence informing us how they populate galaxies. Using a multitracer approach, we forecast the precision of these measurements under different survey combinations. Our results indicate that current GW detectors will have limited precision, with measurement errors as high as $\displaystyle \sim 50~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. However, third-generation detectors like ET, when cross-correlated with Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) data, can improve clustering bias measurements to within 2.5 per cent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these cross-correlations can enable a per cent-level measurement of the magnification lensing effect on GWs. Despite this, there is a degeneracy between magnification and evolution biases, which hinders the precision of both. This degeneracy is most effectively addressed by assuming knowledge of one bias or targeting an optimal redshift range of $\displaystyle 1 \lt z \lt 2.5$. Our analysis opens new avenues for studying the distribution of BBHs and testing the nature of gravity through large-scale structure.

Zazzera, Stefano (ORCID:0000000158979221)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: $w$CDM cosmology from simulation-based inference with persistent homology on the sphere

We present cosmological constraints from Dark Energy Survey Year 3 (DES Y3) weak lensing data using persistent homology, a topological data analysis technique that tracks how features like clusters and voids evolve across density thresholds. For the first time, we apply spherical persistent homology to galaxy survey data through the algorithm TopoS2, which is optimized for curved-sky analyses and HEALPix compatibility. Employing a simulation-based inference framework with the Gower Street simulation suite, specifically designed to mimic DES Y3 data properties, we extract topological summary statistics from convergence maps across multiple smoothing scales and redshift bins. After neural network compression of these statistics, we estimate the likelihood function and validate our analysis against baryonic feedback effects, finding minimal biases (under $0.3σ$) in the $Ω_\mathrm{m}-S_8$ plane. Assuming the $w$CDM model, our combined Betti numbers and second moments analysis yields $S_8 = 0.821 \pm 0.018$ and $Ω_\mathrm{m} = 0.304\pm0.037$-constraints 70% tighter than those from cosmic shear two-point statistics in the same parameter plane. Our results demonstrate that topological methods provide a powerful and robust framework for extracting cosmological information, with our spherical methodology readily applicable to upcoming Stage IV wide-field galaxy surveys.

Prat, J. [Nordita; Royal Inst. Tech., Sodertalje; ↗
DOE OSTI2025

The hierarchical growth of bright central galaxies and intracluster light as traced by the magnitude gap

Using a sample of 2800 galaxy clusters identified in the Dark Energy Survey across the redshift range 0.20 < z < 0.60, we characterize the hierarchical assembly of bright central galaxies (BCGs) and the surrounding intracluster light (ICL). To quantify hierarchical formation we use the stellar mass–halo mass (SMHM) relation, comparing the halo mass, estimated via the mass–richness relation, to the stellar mass within the BCG + ICL system. Moreover, we incorporate the magnitude gap (M14), the difference in brightness between the BCG (measured within 30 kpc) and fourth brightest cluster member galaxy within 0.5 $R_{200,c}$, as a third parameter in this linear relation. The inclusion of M14, which traces BCG hierarchical growth, increases the slope and decreases the intrinsic scatter, highlighting that it is a latent variable within the BCG + ICL SMHM relation. Moreover, the correlation with M14 decreases at large radii. However, the stellar light within the BCG + ICL transition region (30 –80 kpc) most strongly correlates with halo mass and has a statistically significant correlation with M14. Since the transition region and M14 are independent measurements, the transition region may grow due to the BCG’s hierarchical formation. Additionally, as M14 and ICL result from hierarchical growth, we use a stacked sample and find that clusters with large M14 values are characterized by larger ICL and BCG + ICL fractions, which illustrates that the merger processes that build the BCG stellar mass also grow the ICL. Furthermore, this may suggest that M14 combined with the ICL fraction can identify dynamically relaxed clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Contemporaneous optical-radio observations of a fast radio burst in a close galaxy pair

ABSTRACT We present the MeerKAT discovery and MeerLICHT contemporaneous optical observations of the fast radio burst (FRB) 20230808F, which was found to have a dispersion measure of $\mathrm{DM}=653.2\pm 0.4\mathrm{\, pc\, cm^{-3}}$. FRB 20230808F has a scattering time-scale $\tau _{s}=3.1\pm 0.1\, \mathrm{ms}$ at 1563.6 MHz, a rotation measure $\mathrm{RM}=169.4\pm 0.2\, \mathrm{rad\, m^{-2}}$, and a radio fluence $F_{\mathrm{radio}}=1.72\pm 0.01\, \mathrm{Jy\, ms}$. We find no optical counterpart in the time immediately after the FRB, nor in the 3 months after the FRB during which we continued to monitor the field of the FRB. We set an optical upper flux limit in MeerLICHT’s q-band of $11.7\, \mathrm{\mu Jy}$ for a 60 s exposure which started ${\sim}3.4$ s after the burst, which corresponds to an optical fluence, $F_{\mathrm{opt}}$, of $0.039\, \mathrm{Jy\, ms}$ on a time-scale of ${\sim}3.4$ s. We obtain an estimate for the $q-$band luminosity limit of $vL_{v}\sim 1.3\times 10^{43}\, \mathrm{erg\, s^{-1}}$. We localize the burst to a close galaxy pair at a redshift of $z_{\mathrm{spec}}=0.3472\pm 0.0002$. Our time delay of ${\sim}3.4$ s between the FRB arrival time and the start of our optical exposure is the shortest ever for an as yet non-repeating FRB, and hence the closest to simultaneous optical follow-up that exists for such an FRB.

Hanmer, K. Y. (ORCID:0000000234757752)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unraveling emission line galaxy conformity at z ∼ 1 with DESI early data

Emission line galaxies (ELGs) are now the preeminent tracers of large-scale structure at z > 0.8 due to their high density and strong emission lines, which enable accurate redshift measurements. However, relatively little is known about ELG evolution and the ELG–halo connection, exposing us to potential modelling systematics in cosmology inference using these sources. In this paper, we use a variety of observations and simulated galaxy models to propose a physical picture of ELGs and improve ELG–halo connection modelling in a halo occupation distribution framework. We investigate Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)-selected ELGs in COSMOS data, and infer that ELGs are rapidly star-forming galaxies with a large fraction exhibiting disturbed morphology, implying that many of them are likely to be merger-driven starbursts. We further postulate that the tidal interactions from mergers lead to correlated star formation in central–satellite ELG pairs, a phenomenon dubbed ‘conformity’. We argue for the need to include conformity in the ELG–halo connection using galaxy models such as IllustrisTNG, and by combining observations such as the DESI ELG autocorrelation, ELG cross-correlation with luminous red galaxies, and ELG–cluster cross-correlation. We also explore the origin of conformity using the UniverseMachine model and elucidate the difference between conformity and the well-known galaxy assembly bias effect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Validation of the ESPRESSO wavelength calibration using iodine absorption cell spectra

ABSTRACT High-quality wavelength calibration is crucial for science cases like radial-velocity studies of exoplanets, the search for a possible variation of fundamental constants, and the redshift drift experiment. However, for state-of-the-art spectrographs, it has become difficult to verify the wavelength calibration on sky because no astrophysical source provides spectra with sufficiently stable or accurate wavelength information. We therefore propose to use iodine absorption cells to validate the wavelength calibration. Observing a bright and featureless star through the iodine cell emulates an astrophysical target with exactly known spectral features that can be analysed like any other science target, allowing to verify the wavelength calibration derived from the internal calibration sources and to identify systematics in the data processing. As demonstration, we temporarily installed an $\mathrm{I_2}$ absorption cell at ESPRESSO. Employing a full forward modelling approach of the $\mathrm{I_2}$ spectrum, including the instrumental line-spread function, we demonstrate wavelength calibration accuracy at the level of a few $\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$. We also show that wavelength measurements do depend on the geometry of the light-injection into the spectrograph fibers. This highlights the importance of probing exactly the same light path as science targets, something not possible with internal calibration sources alone. We also demonstrate excellent radial-velocity stability at the ${{< 20\, \mathrm{cm\,s^{-1}}}}$ level in a full end-to-end fashion, from sky to data product. Our study therefore showcases the great potential of absorption cells for the verification and long-term monitoring of the wavelength calibration as well as the unique insights they can provide.

Schmidt, Tobias M. (ORCID:0000000248337273)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Radio AGN selection in LoTSS DR2

ABSTRACT The wide-area component of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) is currently the largest radio survey ever carried out, and a large fraction of the 4.5 million radio sources it contains have been optically identified with galaxies or quasars with spectroscopic or photometric redshifts. Identification of radio-luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN) from this LoTSS source catalogue is not only important from the point of view of understanding the accretion history of the universe, but also enables a wide range of other science. However, at present the vast majority of the optical identifications lack spectroscopic information or well-sampled spectral energy distributions. We show that colour and absolute magnitude information from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) allows for the robust and efficient selection of radio AGN candidates, generating a radio AGN candidate sample of around 600 000 objects with flux density $> 1.1$ mJy, spanning 144-MHz luminosities between $10^{21}$ and $10^{29}$ W Hz$^{-1}$. We use the catalogue to constrain the total sky density of radio-luminous AGN and the evolution of their luminosity function between $z=0$ and $z\approx 1$, and show that the typical mass of their host galaxies, around $10^{11} {\rm M}_\odot$, is essentially independent of radio luminosity above around $L_{144} \approx 10^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$. Combining with Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) data, we show that the core prominences, radio spectral indices and variability of extended sources from the sample are qualitatively consistent with the expectations from unified models. A catalogue of the radio AGN candidates is released with this paper.

Hardcastle, M. J. (ORCID:0000000342231117)↗
DOE OSTI2025

FLAMINGO: combining kinetic SZ effect and galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements to gauge the impact of feedback on large-scale structure

Energetic feedback processes associated with accreting supermassive black holes can expel gas from massive haloes and significantly alter various measures of clustering on $\sim$Mpc scales, potentially biasing the values of cosmological parameters inferred from analyses of large-scale structure (LSS) if not modelled accurately. Here, we use the state-of-the-art FLAMINGO suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations to gauge the impact of feedback on large-scale structure by comparing to Planck + ACT stacking measurements of the kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect of SDSS BOSS galaxies. We make careful like-with-like comparisons to the observations, aided by high precision KiDS and DES galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements of the BOSS galaxies to inform the selection of the simulated galaxies. In qualitative agreement with several recent studies using dark matter only simulations corrected for baryonic effects, we find that the kSZ effect measurements prefer stronger feedback than predicted by simulations which have been calibrated to reproduce the gas fractions of low redshift X-ray-selected groups and clusters. We find that the increased feedback can help to reduce the so-called $S_8$ tension between the observed and CMB-predicted clustering on small scales as probed by cosmic shear (although at the expense of agreement with the X-ray group measurements). However, the increased feedback is only marginally effective at reducing the reported offsets between the predicted and observed clustering as probed by the thermal SZ (tSZ) effect power spectrum and tSZ effect – weak lensing cross-spectrum, both of which are sensitive to higher halo masses than cosmic shear.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

PAC in DESI. I. Galaxy stellar mass function into the 10 6 M ⊙ frontier

The Photometric objects Around Cosmic webs (PAC) method integrates cosmological photometric and spectroscopic surveys, offering valuable insights into galaxy formation. PAC measures the excess surface density of photometric objects, $\bar{n}_2w_{{\rm {p}}}$, with specific physical properties around spectroscopic tracers. In this study, we improve the PAC method to make it more rigorous and eliminate the need for redshift bins. We apply the enhanced PAC method to the DESI Y1 BGS Bright spectroscopic sample and the deep Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) photometric sample, obtaining $\bar{n}_2w_{{\mathrm {p}}}$ measurements across the complete stellar mass range, from $10^{5.3}$ to $10^{11.5}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ for blue galaxies, and from $10^{6.3}$ to $10^{11.9}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ for red galaxies. We combine $\bar{n}_2w_{{\rm {p}}}$ with $w_{{\rm {p}}}$ measurements from the BGS sample, which is not necessarily complete in stellar mass. Assuming that galaxy bias is primarily determined by stellar mass and colour, we derive the galaxy stellar mass functions (GSMFs) down to $10^{5.3}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ for blue galaxies and $10^{6.3}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ for red galaxies, while also setting lower limits for smaller masses. The blue and red GSMFs are well described by single and double Schechter functions, respectively, with low-mass end slopes of $\alpha _{\rm {blue}}=-1.54^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ and $\alpha _{\rm {red}}=-2.50^{+0.08}_{-0.08}$, resulting in the dominance of red galaxies below $10^{7.6}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$. Stage-IV cosmological photometric surveys, capable of reaching 2–3 mag deeper than DECaLS, present an opportunity to explore the entire galaxy population in the local universe with PAC. This advancement allows us to address critical questions regarding the nature of dark matter, the physics of reionization, and the formation of dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparing the DES-SN5YR and Pantheon+ SN cosmology analyses: investigation based on ‘evolving dark energy or supernovae systematics’?

Recent cosmological analyses measuring distances of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) have all given similar hints at time-evolving dark energy. To examine whether underestimated SN Ia systematics might be driving these results, Efstathiou (2025) compared overlapping SN events between Pantheon+ and DES-SN5YR (20 per cent SNe are in common), and reported evidence for an $\sim$0.04 mag offset between the low- and high-redshift distance measurements of this subsample of events. If this offset is arbitrarily subtracted from the entire DES-SN5YR sample, the preference for evolving dark energy is reduced. In this paper, we show that this offset is mostly due to different corrections for Malmquist bias between the two samples; therefore, an object-to-object comparison can be misleading. Malmquist bias corrections differ between the two analyses for several reasons. First, DES-SN5YR used an improved model of SN Ia luminosity scatter compared to Pantheon+ but the associated scatter-model uncertainties are included in the error budget. Secondly, improvements in host mass estimates in DES-SN5YR also affected SN standardized magnitudes and their bias corrections. Thirdly, and most importantly, the selection functions of the two compilations are significantly different, hence the inferred Malmquist bias corrections. Even if the original scatter model and host properties from Pantheon+ are used instead, the evidence for evolving dark energy from CMB, DESI BAO Year 1 and DES-SN5YR is only reduced from 3.9$\sigma$ to 3.3$\sigma$, consistent with the error budget. Finally, in this investigation, we identify an underestimated systematic uncertainty related to host galaxy property uncertainties, which could increase the final DES-SN5YR error budget by 3 per cent. In conclusion, we confirm the validity of the published DES-SN5YR results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

First constraints from marked angular power spectra with Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey First-Year Data

We present the first application of marked power spectra to weak lensing data, using maps from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Year 1 (HSC-Y1) survey. Marked convergence fields, constructed by weighting the convergence field with non-linear functions of its smoothed version, are designed to encode higher-order information while remaining computationally tractable. Using simulations tailored to the HSC-Y1 data, we test three mark functions that up- or down-weight different density environments. Our results show that combining multiple types of marked auto and cross-spectra improves constraints on the clustering amplitude parameter S8≡σ8Ωm/0.3 by ≈43 per cent compared to standard two-point power spectra. When applied to the HSC-Y1 data, this translates into a constraint on S8=0.807±0.024⁠. We assess the sensitivity of the marked power spectra to systematics, including baryonic effects, intrinsic alignment, photometric redshifts, and multiplicative shear bias. We note that some of the additional information introduced by the marked field originates from scales smaller than the scale cut, and is partly Gaussian in nature. This does not invalidate our systematic tests. These results demonstrate the promise of marked statistics as a practical and powerful tool for extracting non-Gaussian information from weak lensing surveys.

Cowell, Jessica A. [Oxford U.; Tokyo U., IPMU] (OR↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electron temperature relations and the direct N, O, Ne, S, and Ar abundances of 49 959 star-forming galaxies in DESI data release 2

We present the largest direct-method abundance catalogue of galaxies to date, containing measurements of 49 959 star-forming galaxies at z<0.96 from DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) data release 2. By directly measuring electron temperatures across multiple ionization zones, we provide constraints on a number of electron temperature relations. Using the temperature measurements, we derive reliable abundances for N, O, Ne, S, and Ar, and measure the evolution of abundances and abundance ratios of as a function of metallicity and other galaxy properties. Our measurements include direct oxygen abundances for 49 507 galaxies, leading to the discovery of the two most metal-poor galaxies in the nearby Universe, with oxygen abundances of 12+log⁡(O/H)=6.77−0.03+0.03 dex (1.2 per cent Z⊙⁠) and 12+log⁡(O/H)=6.81−0.04+0.04 dex (1.3 per cent Z⊙⁠). We identify a rare outlier population of 24 galaxies with high-N/O ratios at low metallicity, reminiscent of galaxy abundances observed in the early Universe. We find the Ne/O ratio is constant at low metallicity but increases gradually at 12+log(O/H)>8.105±0.004 dex. We show that the S/O and Ar/O abundance ratios are strongly correlated, consistent with the expected additional Type Ia enrichment channel for S and Ar. In this work, we present an initial survey of the key properties of the sample, with this data set serving as a foundation for extensive future work on galaxy abundances at low redshift.

Scholte, D. [Edinburgh U., Inst. Astron.] (ORCID:0↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mass dependence of halo baryon fractions from the kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect

ABSTRACT We detect the kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich imprint of peculiar motions of galaxy groups and clusters, using the photometric Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Surveys together with cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). We develop a comprehensive forward model based on the AbacusSummit cosmological simulations: Mock galaxy group catalogues and synthetic kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich (kSZ) maps are generated, together with a reconstructed peculiar velocity field that allows for photo-z errors, redshift-space distortions, and survey masks. We investigate possible contamination from the cosmic infrared background (CIB), finding that CIB effects are subdominant to the kSZ signal in the relevant ACT frequency channel. We then predict the kSZ signal expected when stacking CMB temperature maps around groups, taking account of their estimated radial velocities. Comparing the model with observations, we are able to constrain the total baryon fraction within haloes, as well as their internal gas profiles. We find evidence for mass dependence of the halo baryon fraction within the virial radius. The gas fraction in massive groups is consistent with the universal baryon fraction, but low-mass groups ($10^{12.5} \lesssim M\, /\, h^{-1}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot \lesssim 10^{14}$) are depleted to $0.38 \pm 0.11$ times the universal baryon fraction. We find this low virial baryon fraction to be consistent with an extended gas profile, for which the total baryon content reaches the universal value well beyond the virial radius. This conclusion is consistent with previous analyses using X-ray, kSZ, and weak lensing, and plausibly reflects energetic feedback processes from the galaxies in these haloes.

Roper, Finn A [Institute for Astronomy, University↗
DOE OSTI2026

Early results in the search for extreme coronal line emitters with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Here, we present the results of our search through the early data release (EDR) of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) for extreme coronal line emitters (ECLEs) – a rare classification of galaxies displaying strong, high-ionization iron coronal emission lines within their spectra. With the requirement of a strong X-ray continuum to generate the coronal emission, ECLEs have been linked to both active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and tidal disruption events (TDEs). We focus our search on identifying TDE-linked ECLEs. We identify three such objects within the EDR sample, highlighting DESI’s effectiveness for discovering new nuclear transients, and determine a galaxy-normalized TDE-linked ECLE rate of RG=5 −3+5×10−6 galaxy−1 yr−1 at a median redshift of z=0.2 – broadly consistent with previous work. Additionally, we identify more than 200 AGNs displaying coronal emission lines, which serve as the primary astrophysical contaminants in searches for TDE-related events. We also include an outline of the custom python code developed for this search.

Clark, Peter [Southampton U.; Portsmouth U., ICG] ↗
DOE OSTI2024

The XRISM first-light observation: Velocity structure and thermal properties of the supernova remnant N 132D

Abstract We present an initial analysis of the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) first-light observation of the supernova remnant (SNR) N 132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The Resolve microcalorimeter has obtained the first high-resolution spectrum in the 1.6–10 keV band, which contains K-shell emission lines of Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe. We find that the Si and S lines are relatively narrow, with a broadening represented by a Gaussian-like velocity dispersion of $\sigma _v \sim 450$ km s$^{-1}$. However, the Fe He$\alpha$ lines are substantially broadened with $\sigma _v \sim 1670$ km s$^{-1}$. This broadening can be explained by a combination of the thermal Doppler effect due to the high ion temperature and the kinematic Doppler effect due to the SNR expansion. Assuming that the Fe He$\alpha$ emission originates predominantly from the supernova ejecta, we estimate the reverse shock velocity at the time when the bulk of the Fe ejecta were shock heated to be $-1000 \lesssim V_{\rm rs}$ (km s$^{-1}$) $\lesssim 3300$ (in the observer frame). We also find that Fe Ly$\alpha$ emission is redshifted with a bulk velocity of $\sim 890$ km s$^{-1}$, substantially larger than the radial velocity of the local interstellar medium surrounding N 132D. These results demonstrate that high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy is capable of providing constraints on the evolutionary stage, geometry, and velocity distribution of SNRs.

individual objects↗
DOE OSTI2025

XRISM/Resolve view of Abell 2319: Turbulence, sloshing, and ICM dynamics

Here, we present results from XRISM/Resolve observations of the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 2319, focusing on its kinematic properties. The intracluster medium (ICM) exhibits temperatures of approximately 8 keV across the core, with a prominent cold front and a high-temperature region (⁠~11 keV) in the north-west. The average gas velocity in the 3' x 4' region around the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) covered by two Resolve pointings is consistent with that of the BCG to within 40 km s -1 ⁠ and we found modest average velocity dispersion of 230–250 km s -1 ⁠. On the other hand, spatially resolved spectroscopy reveals interesting variations. A blueshift of up to ~230 km s -1 ⁠ is observed around the east edge of the cold front, where the gas with the lowest specific entropy is found. The region further south inside the cold front shows only a small velocity difference from the BCG; however, its velocity dispersion is enhanced to ~400 km s -1 ⁠, implying the development of turbulence. These characteristics indicate that we are observing sloshing motion with some inclination angle following BCG and that gas phases with different specific entropy participate in sloshing with their own velocities, as expected from simulations. No significant evidence for a high-redshift ICM component associated with the subcluster Abell 2319B was found in the region covered by the current Resolve pointings. These results highlight the importance of sloshing and turbulence in shaping the internal structure of Abell 2319. Further deep observations are necessary to better understand the mixing and turbulent processes within the cluster.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improving galaxy cluster selection with the outskirt stellar mass of galaxies

The number density and redshift evolution of optically selected galaxy clusters offer an independent measurement of the amplitude of matter fluctuations, 𝑆 8 . However, recent results have shown that clusters chosen by the redMaPPer algorithm show richness-dependent biases that affect the weak lensing signals and number densities of clusters, increasing uncertainty in the cluster mass calibration and reducing their constraining power. Here, in this work, we evaluate an alternative cluster proxy, outskirt stellar mass, 𝑀 out , defined as the total stellar mass within a [50, 100] kpc envelope centered on a massive galaxy. This proxy exhibits scatter comparable to redMaPPer richness, 𝜆, but is less likely to be subject to projection effects. We compare the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 redMaPPer cluster catalog with a 𝑀 out selected cluster sample from the Hyper-Suprime Camera survey. We use weak lensing measurements to quantify and compare the scatter of 𝑀 out and 𝜆 with halo mass. Our results show 𝑀 out has a scatter consistent with 𝜆, with a similar halo mass dependence, and that both proxies contain unique information about the underlying halo mass. We find 𝜆-selected samples introduce features into the measured Δ⁢Σ signal that are not well fit by a log-normal scatter only model, absent in 𝑀 out selected samples. Our findings suggest that 𝑀 out offers an alternative for cluster selection with more easily calibrated selection biases, at least at the generally lower richnesses probed here. Combining both proxies may yield a mass proxy with a lower scatter and more tractable selection biases, enabling the use of lower mass clusters in cosmology. Finally, we find the scatter and slope in the 𝜆 −𝑀 out scaling relation to be 0.49 ±0.02 and 0.38 ±0.09.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Massive black holes seeded by dark matter: Implications for little red dots and gravitational wave signatures

Observations of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at high redshifts challenge standard seeding scenarios. We examine a dissipative self-interacting dark matter (dSIDM) model in which gravothermal collapse leads to the formation of massive BH seeds ab initio. We utilize a semianalytical framework to predict properties of the dSIDM-seeded SMBH population. Billion solar mass quasars are reproduced along with low-mass faint active galactic nuclei (known as little red dots) with SMBH-to-galaxy stellar mass ratios consistent with recent James Webb Space Telescope observations. To match the abundance of the observed bright quasars, a subpercent-level duty cycle is suggested, implying a large population of dormant SMBHs. The gravitational wave (GW) signals from mergers of these massive SMBHs can be detected by LISA while remaining within the NANOGrav constraints on the GW background. These results provide testable signatures of DM-driven SMBH formation, offering a pathway to probe hidden-sector physics through SMBH and GW observables.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗