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1. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 Gravitational Lensing Map and Cosmological Parameters

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acff5f  

   Madhavacheril, Mathew S; Qu, Frank J; Sherwin, Blake D; MacCrann, Niall; Li, Yaqiong; Abril-Cabezas, Irene; Ade, Peter_A R; Aiola, Simone; Alford, Tommy; Amiri, Mandana; et al (February 2024, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We present cosmological constraints from a gravitational lensing mass map covering 9400 deg²reconstructed from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) from 2017 to 2021. In combination with measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations and big bang nucleosynthesis, we obtain the clustering amplitudeσ₈= 0.819 ± 0.015 at 1.8% precision, $S_8\equiv {\sigma }_8{\left({\mathrm{\Omega }}_{\mathrm{m}}/0.3\right)}^{0.5}=0.840\pm 0.028$, and the Hubble constantH₀= (68.3 ± 1.1) km s⁻¹Mpc⁻¹at 1.6% precision. A joint constraint with Planck CMB lensing yieldsσ₈= 0.812 ± 0.013, $S_8\equiv {\sigma }_8{\left({\mathrm{\Omega }}_{\mathrm{m}}/0.3\right)}^{0.5}=0.831\pm 0.023$, andH₀= (68.1 ± 1.0) km s⁻¹Mpc⁻¹. These measurements agree with ΛCDM extrapolations from the CMB anisotropies measured by Planck. We revisit constraints from the KiDS, DES, and HSC galaxy surveys with a uniform set of assumptions and find thatS₈from all three are lower than that from ACT+Planck lensing by levels ranging from 1.7σto 2.1σ. This motivates further measurements and comparison, not just between the CMB anisotropies and galaxy lensing but also between CMB lensing probingz∼ 0.5–5 on mostly linear scales and galaxy lensing atz∼ 0.5 on smaller scales. We combine with CMB anisotropies to constrain extensions of ΛCDM, limiting neutrino masses to ∑m_ν< 0.13 eV (95% c.l.), for example. We describe the mass map and related data products that will enable a wide array of cross-correlation science. Our results provide independent confirmation that the universe is spatially flat, conforms with general relativity, and is described remarkably well by the ΛCDM model, while paving a promising path for neutrino physics with lensing from upcoming ground-based CMB surveys. 

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2. Constraining Cosmological Parameters Using the Cluster Mass–Richness Relation

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace773  

   Abdullah, Mohamed H.; Wilson, Gillian; Klypin, Anatoly; Ishiyama, Tomoaki (September 2023, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract The cluster mass–richness relation (MRR) is an observationally efficient and potentially powerful cosmological tool for constraining the matter density Ω_mand the amplitude of fluctuationsσ₈using the cluster abundance technique. We derive the MRR relation usingGalWCat19, a publicly available galaxy cluster catalog we created from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-DR13 spectroscopic data set. In the MRR, cluster mass scales with richness as $\log M_{200}=\alpha +\beta \log N_{200}$. We find that the MRR we derive is consistent with both the IllustrisTNG and mini-Uchuu cosmological numerical simulations, with a slope ofβ≈ 1. We use the MRR we derived to estimate cluster masses from theGalWCat19catalog, which we then use to set constraints on Ω_mandσ₈. Utilizing the all-member MRR, we obtain constraints of Ω_m= ${0.31}_{-0.03}^{+0.04}$andσ₈= ${0.82}_{-0.04}^{+0.05}$, and utilizing the red member MRR only, we obtain Ω_m= ${0.31}_{-0.03}^{+0.04}$andσ₈= ${0.81}_{-0.04}^{+0.05}$. Our constraints on Ω_mandσ₈are consistent and very competitive with the Planck 2018 results. 

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3. Stellar Metallicities and Gradients in the Isolated, Quenched Low-mass Galaxy Tucana

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad25ed  

   Fu, Sal Wanying; Weisz, Daniel R.; Starkenburg, Else; Martin, Nicolas; Mercado, Francisco J.; Savino, Alessandro; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Côté, Patrick; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Longeard, Nicolas; et al (April 2024, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We measure the metallicities of 374 red giant branch (RGB) stars in the isolated, quenched dwarf galaxy Tucana using Hubble Space Telescope narrowband (F395N) calcium H and K imaging. Our sample is a factor of ∼7 larger than what is available from previous studies. Our main findings are as follows. (i) A global metallicity distribution function (MDF) with $〈\mathrm{[Fe/H]}〉=-{1.55}_{-0.04}^{+0.04}$and ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{[Fe/H]}}={0.54}_{-0.03}^{+0.03}$. (ii) A metallicity gradient of −0.54 ± 0.07 dex $R_e^{-1}$(−2.1 ± 0.3 dex kpc⁻¹) over the extent of our imaging (∼2.5R_e), which is steeper than literature measurements. Our finding is consistent with predicted gradients from the publicly available FIRE-2 simulations, in which bursty star formation creates stellar population gradients and dark matter cores. (iii) Tucana’s bifurcated RGB has distinct metallicities: a blue RGB with $〈\mathrm{[Fe/H]}〉=-{1.78}_{-0.06}^{+0.06}$and ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{[Fe/H]}}={0.44}_{-0.06}^{+0.07}$and a red RGB with $〈\mathrm{[Fe/H]}〉=-{1.08}_{-0.07}^{+0.07}$and ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{[Fe/H]}}={0.42}_{-0.06}^{+0.06}$. (iv) At fixed stellar mass, Tucana is more metal-rich than Milky Way satellites by ∼0.4 dex, but its blue RGB is chemically comparable to the satellites. Tucana’s MDF appears consistent with star-forming isolated dwarfs, though MDFs of the latter are not as well populated. (v) About 2% of Tucana’s stars have [Fe/H] < −3% and 20% have [Fe/H] > −1. We provide a catalog for community spectroscopic follow-up. 

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4. KMT-2023-BLG-1431Lb: A New q < 10 ⁻⁴ Microlensing Planet from a Subtle Signature

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ad48b8  

   Bell, Aislyn; Zhang, Jiyuan; Zang, Weicheng; Jung, Youn Kil; Yee, Jennifer C; Yang, Hongjing; Sumi, Takahiro; Udalski, Andrzej; Albrow, Michael D; Chung, Sun-Ju; et al (May 2024, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific)

   Abstract The current studies of microlensing planets are limited by small number statistics. Follow-up observations of high-magnification microlensing events can efficiently form a statistical planetary sample. Since 2020, the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) and the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global network have been conducting a follow-up program for high-magnification KMTNet events. Here, we report the detection and analysis of a microlensing planetary event, KMT-2023-BLG-1431, for which the subtle (0.05 mag) and short-lived (5 hr) planetary signature was characterized by the follow-up from KMTNet and LCO. A binary-lens single-source (2L1S) analysis reveals a planet/host mass ratio ofq= (0.72 ± 0.07) × 10⁻⁴, and the single-lens binary-source (1L2S) model is excluded by Δχ²= 80. A Bayesian analysis using a Galactic model yields estimates of the host star mass of $M_{\mathrm{host}}={0.57}_{-0.29}^{+0.33}{M}_{\odot }$, the planetary mass of $M_{\mathrm{planet}}={13.5}_{-6.8}^{+8.1}{M}_{\oplus }$, and the lens distance of $D_{\mathrm{L}}={6.9}_{-1.7}^{+0.8}$kpc. The projected planet-host separation of $a_{\perp }={2.3}_{-0.5}^{+0.5}$au or $a_{\perp }={3.2}_{-0.8}^{+0.7}$au, subject to the close/wide degeneracy. We also find that without the follow-up data, the survey-only data cannot break the degeneracy of central/resonant caustics and the degeneracy of 2L1S/1L2S models, showing the importance of follow-up observations for current microlensing surveys. 

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5. TOI-5344 b: A Saturn-like Planet Orbiting a Super-solar Metallicity M0 Dwarf

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad09c2  

   Han, Te; Robertson, Paul; Kanodia, Shubham; Cañas, Caleb; Lin, Andrea S.; Stefánsson, Gumundur; Libby-Roberts, Jessica E.; Larsen, Alexander; Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Mahadevan, Suvrath; et al (December 2023, The Astronomical Journal)

   Abstract We confirm the planetary nature of TOI-5344 b as a transiting giant exoplanet around an M0-dwarf star. TOI-5344 b was discovered with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite photometry and confirmed with ground-based photometry (the Red Buttes Observatory 0.6 m telescope), radial velocity (the Habitable-zone Planet Finder), and speckle imaging (the NN-Explore Exoplanet Stellar Speckle Imager). TOI-5344 b is a Saturn-like giant planet (ρ= 0.80 ${}_{-0.15}^{+0.17}$g cm⁻³) with a planetary radius of 9.7 ± 0.5R_⊕(0.87 ± 0.04R_Jup) and a planetary mass of ${135}_{-18}^{+17}{M}_{\oplus }$(0.42 ${}_{-0.06}^{+0.05}{M}_{\mathrm{Jup}}$). It has an orbital period of ${3.792622}_{-0.000010}^{+0.000010}$days and an orbital eccentricity of ${0.06}_{-0.04}^{+0.07}$. We measure a high metallicity for TOI-5344 of [Fe/H] = 0.48 ± 0.12, where the high metallicity is consistent with expectations from formation through core accretion. We compare the metallicity of the M-dwarf hosts of giant exoplanets to that of M-dwarf hosts of nongiants (≲8R_⊕). While the two populations appear to show different metallicity distributions, quantitative tests are prohibited by various sample caveats. 

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