Cosmology

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ABSTRACT We study the gravitational dynamics of quasi-hierarchical triple systems, where the outer orbital period is significantly longer than the inner one, but the outer orbit is extremely eccentric, rendering the time at pericentre comparable to the inner period. Such systems are not amenable to the standard techniques of perturbation theory and orbit-averaging. Modelling the evolution of these triples as a sequence of impulses at the outer pericentre, we show, by comparing with direct three-body integrations, that such triples lend themselves to a description as an analytical map between subsequent outer pericentre passages. This map exhibits secular oscillations, going beyond the von Zeipel–Lidov–Kozai mechanism. We show that the time to coalescence due to gravitational waves in such systems is modified. We then study the long-term evolution under this map, which lead to a random-walk-like behaviour of the inner eccentricity. While this behaviour is probably absent from isolated triples, it could exist in triples where the outer orbit is weakly coupled to a system with which it can exchange angular momentum, and we describe some properties of this random walk.

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Abstract:

Abstract Pair instability should prevent the direct formation of black holes above about 50  M ⊙ , creating a ‘pair-instability’ mass gap. Yet gravitational-wave observations have detected black holes in this mass range. These systems can be explained with uncertainties in massive-star evolution, or hierarchical mergers in stellar clusters, which are expected to produce large spins with isotropic orientations. Here we present evidence for the pair-instability mass gap in the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA fourth transient catalogue, with a lower edge at $$44.{3}_{-3.5}^{+5.9}\,{M}_{\odot }$$ 44 . 3 − 3.5 + 5.9 M ⊙ . We also obtain a measurement of the 12 C(α, γ) 16 O reaction rate, yielding an S -factor of $$26{8}_{-116}^{+195}\,{\rm{keV\; b}}$$ 26 8 − 116 + 195 keV b , a parameter critical for modelling helium burning and stellar evolution. The data reveal two populations: a low-spin group with no black holes above the gap, and a high-spin, isotropic group that extends across the full mass range and occupies the gap, consistent with hierarchical mergers. These findings are consistent with pair instability playing a role in shaping the black hole mass spectrum, point to a connection between gravitational-wave astronomy and nuclear astrophysics, and highlight dense stellar clusters as key environments in the growth of black holes.

Abstract:

Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) standardisation parameters exhibit evidence for systematic variation across the host galaxy star-formation rate–stellar mass (SFR−M⋆) plane, motivating the incorporation of galaxy SFR information in cosmological inference. SFRs are commonly estimated via spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting with far-infrared (FIR) measurements to account for dust-obscured star formation. Such FIR coverage will, however, be limited for upcoming time-domain surveys such as the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), necessitating the use of alternative SFR tracers. Here, we reconstruct the SFR–M⋆ plane using 1.4 GHz diagnostics, to test the consistency of host classifications against FIR-constrained SED-based estimates. Within this plane, SN Ia host galaxies are divided into three regions: Region 1 (low-mass), Region 2 (high-mass star-forming) and Region 3 (high-mass passive). We find that ∼84 per cent of SN hosts retain identical region assignments when using radio versus FIR-constrained SED-derived SFRs. Measuring SN Ia nuisance parameters (α, β, M) within each subregion, we find consistent values between the two SFR–M⋆ plane reconstructions, indicating limited sensitivity to SFR estimator choice, with the largest deviations in Region 3 at ∼1.1σ. Across the three 1.4 GHz SFR–M⋆ subregions, we confirm the region-dependent variation in SN Ia standardisation parameters–particularly β–reported in our earlier SED-based analysis. With near-complete radio coverage of the LSST footprint anticipated from current and forthcoming radio continuum surveys (e.g., Square Kilometre Array), radio SFR calibrations will become an increasingly useful and scalable approach to host galaxy classification, supporting the construction of robust SN Ia subsamples for precision cosmology.