Testing and combining transient spectral classification tools on 4MOST-like blended spectra
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 543:1 (2025) 247-272
Abstract:
With the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) expected to provide an influx of transient spectra when it begins observations in early 2026 we consider the potential for real-time classification of these spectra. We investigate three extant spectroscopic transient classifiers: the Deep Automated Supernova and Host classifier (dash), Next Generation SuperFit (ngsf), and SuperNova IDentification (snid), with a focus on comparing the completeness and purity of the transient samples they produce. We manually simulate fibre losses critical for accurately determining host contamination and use the 4MOST Exposure Time Calculator to produce realistic, 4MOST-like, host-galaxy contaminated spectra. We investigate the three classifiers individually and in all possible combinations. We find that a combination of dash and ngsf can produce a supernova (SN) Ia sample with a purity of 99.9 per cent, while successfully classifying 70 per cent of SNe Ia. However, it struggles to classify non-SN Ia transients. We investigate photometric cuts to transient magnitude and the transient’s fraction of total fibre flux, finding that both can be used to improve non-SN Ia transient classification completeness by 8–44 per cent with SNe Ibc benefitting the most and superluminous (SL) SNe the least. Finally, we present an example classification plan for live classification and the predicted purities and completeness across five transient classes: Ia, Ibc, II, SL, and non-SN transients. We find that it is possible to classify 75 per cent of input spectra with 70 per cent purity in all classes except non-SN transients. Precise values can be varied using different classifiers and photometric cuts to suit the needs of a given study.Testing and Combining Transient Spectral Classification Tools on 4MOST-like Blended Spectra
(2025)
Measurements of W + W − production cross-sections in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
Journal of High Energy Physics Springer 2025:8 (2025) 142
Abstract:
Measurements of W+W− → e±νμ∓ν production cross-sections are presented, providing a test of the predictions of perturbative quantum chromodynamics and the electroweak theory. The measurements are based on data from pp collisions at s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1. The number of events due to top-quark pair production, the largest background, is reduced by rejecting events containing jets with b-hadron decays. An improved methodology for estimating the remaining top-quark background enables a precise measurement of W+W− cross-sections with no additional requirements on jets. The fiducial W+W− cross-section is determined in a maximum-likelihood fit with an uncertainty of 3.1%. The measurement is extrapolated to the full phase space, resulting in a total W+W− cross-section of 127 ± 4 pb. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of twelve observables that comprehensively describe the kinematics of W+W− events. The measurements are compared with state-of-the-art theory calculations and excellent agreement with predictions is observed. A charge asymmetry in the lepton rapidity is observed as a function of the dilepton invariant mass, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. A CP-odd observable is measured to be consistent with no CP violation. Limits on Standard Model effective field theory Wilson coefficients in the Warsaw basis are obtained from the differential cross-sections.Search for a new pseudoscalar decaying into a pair of bottom and antibottom quarks in top-associated production in $$\sqrt{s}=13$$ TeV proton–proton collisions with the ATLAS detector
The European Physical Journal C SpringerOpen 85:8 (2025) 886
Abstract:
Abstract A search for a pseudoscalar a produced in association with a top-quark pair, or in association with a single top quark plus a W boson, with the pseudoscalar decaying into b -quarks ( $$a\rightarrow b\bar{b}$$ a → b b ¯ ), is performed using the full Run 2 data sample using a dileptonic decay mode signature. The search covers pseudoscalar boson masses between 12 and 100 GeV and involves both the kinematic regime where the decay products of the pseudoscalar are reconstructed as two standard b -tagged small-radius jets, or merged into a large-radius jet due to its Lorentz boost. No significant excess relative to expectations is observed. Assuming a branching ratio $$\text {BR}(a\rightarrow b\bar{b})=100\% $$ BR ( a → b b ¯ ) = 100 % , the range of pseudoscalar masses between 50 and 80 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for a coupling of the pseudoscalar to the top quark of 0.5, while a coupling of 1.0 is excluded at 95% confidence level for the masses considered, with the coupling defined as the strength modifier of the Standard Model Yukawa coupling.The peculiar hard state behaviour of the black hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8−1613
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 542:3 (2025) 1803-1816