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1. Signatures of Tidal Disruption of the Hercules Ultrafaint Dwarf Galaxy*

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad2f27  

   Ou, Xiaowei; Chiti, Anirudh; Shipp, Nora; Simon, Joshua D; Geha, Marla; Frebel, Anna; Mardini, Mohammad K; Erkal, Denis; Necib, Lina (April 2024, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract The Hercules ultrafaint dwarf galaxy (UFD) has long been hypothesized to be tidally disrupting, yet no conclusive evidence has been found for tidal disruption owing partly to difficulties in identifying Hercules member stars. In this work, we present a homogeneous reanalysis of new and existing observations of Hercules, including the detection of a new potential member star located ∼1° (∼1.7 kpc) west of the center of the system. In addition to measuring the line-of-sight velocity gradient, we compare predictions from dynamical models of stream formation to these observations. We report an updated velocity dispersion measurement based on 28 stars, ${1.9}_{-0.6}^{+0.6}$km s⁻¹, which is significantly lower than previous measurements. We find that the line-of-sight velocity gradient is ${1.8}_{-1.8}^{+1.8}$km s⁻¹kpc along the major axis of Hercules, consistent with zero within 1σ. Our dynamical models of stream formation, on the other hand, can reproduce the morphology of the Hercules UFD, specifically the misalignment between the elongation and the orbital motion direction. Additionally, these dynamical models indicate that any radial velocity gradient from tidal disruption would be too small, ${0.00}_{-0.91}^{+0.97}$km s⁻¹kpc, to be detectable with current sample sizes. Combined with our analysis of the tidal radius evolution of the system as a function of its orbital phase, we argue that it is likely that Hercules is indeed currently undergoing tidal disruption in its extended stellar halo with a line-of-sight velocity gradient too small to be detected with current observational data sets. 

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2. Three Quenched, Faint Dwarf Galaxies in the Direction of NGC 300: New Probes of Reionization and Internal Feedback

   https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad927c  

   Sand, David J; Mutlu-Pakdil, Burçin; Jones, Michael G; Karunakaran, Ananthan; Andrews, Jennifer E; Bennet, Paul; Crnojević, Denija; Donatiello, Giuseppe; Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Fielder, Catherine; et al (December 2024, The Astrophysical Journal Letters)

   Abstract We report the discovery of three faint and ultrafaint dwarf galaxies—Sculptor A, Sculptor B, and Sculptor C—in the direction of NGC 300 (D= 2.0 Mpc), a Large Magellanic Cloud–mass galaxy. Deep ground-based imaging with Gemini/GMOS resolves all three dwarf galaxies into stars, each displaying a red giant branch indicative of an old, metal-poor stellar population. No young stars or Higas are apparent, and the lack of a GALEX UV detection suggests that all three systems are quenched. Sculptor C (D= 2.04 ${}_{-0.13}^{+0.10}$Mpc;M_V=  −9.1 ± 0.1 mag orL_V= (3.7 ${}_{-0.3}^{+0.4}$) × 10⁵L_⊙) is consistent with being a satellite of NGC 300. Sculptor A (D= 1.35 ${}_{-0.08}^{+0.22}$Mpc;M_V= −6.9 ± 0.3 mag orL_V= (5 ${}_{-1}^{+1}$) × 10⁴L_⊙) is likely in the foreground of NGC 300 and at the extreme edge of the Local Group, analogous to the recently discovered ultrafaint Tucana B in terms of its physical properties and environment. Sculptor B (D= 2.48 ${}_{-0.24}^{+0.21}$Mpc;M_V= −8.1 ± 0.3 mag orL_V= (1.5 ${}_{-0.4}^{+0.5}$) × 10⁵L_⊙) is likely in the background, but future distance measurements are necessary to solidify this statement. It is also of interest due to its quiescent state and low stellar mass. Both Sculptor A and B are ≳2–4r_virfrom NGC 300 itself. The discovery of three dwarf galaxies in isolated or low-density environments offers an opportunity to study the varying effects of ram-pressure stripping, reionization, and internal feedback in influencing the star formation history of the faintest stellar systems. 

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3. A Search for Faint Resolved Galaxies Beyond the Milky Way in DES Year 6: A New Faint, Diffuse Dwarf Satellite of NGC 55

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad07d0  

   McNanna, M; Bechtol, K; Mau, S; Nadler, E O; Medoff, J; Drlica-Wagner, A; Cerny, W; Crnojević, D; Mutlu-Pakdıl, B; Vivas, A K; et al (January 2024, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We report results from a systematic wide-area search for faint dwarf galaxies at heliocentric distances from 0.3 to 2 Mpc using the full 6 yr of data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Unlike previous searches over the DES data, this search specifically targeted a field population of faint galaxies located beyond the Milky Way virial radius. We derive our detection efficiency for faint, resolved dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume with a set of synthetic galaxies and expect our search to be complete toM_V∼ (−7, −10) mag for galaxies atD= (0.3, 2.0) Mpc. We find no new field dwarfs in the DES footprint, but we report the discovery of one high-significance candidate dwarf galaxy at a distance of ${2.2}_{-0.12}^{+0.05}\mathrm{Mpc}$, a potential satellite of the Local Volume galaxy NGC 55, separated by 47′ (physical separation as small as 30 kpc). We estimate this dwarf galaxy to have an absoluteV-band magnitude of $-{8.0}_{-0.3}^{+0.5}\mathrm{mag}$and an azimuthally averaged physical half-light radius of ${2.2}_{-0.4}^{+0.5}\mathrm{kpc}$, making this one of the lowest surface brightness galaxies ever found with $\mu =32.3\mathrm{mag}{\mathrm{arcsec}}^{-2}$. This is the largest, most diffuse galaxy known at this luminosity, suggesting possible tidal interactions with its host. 

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4. Measurements of the branching fractions of $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0 $$, $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0\eta $$, and $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\eta}^{\prime } $$ and asymmetry parameter of $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0 $$

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2024)045  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Althubiti, N; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Aushev, T; et al (October 2024, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> We present a study of$$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^0$,$$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0\eta $$ ${\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0\eta$, and$$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\eta}^{\prime } $$ ${\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\eta }^{\prime }$decays using the Belle and Belle II data samples, which have integrated luminosities of 980 fb⁻¹and 426 fb⁻¹, respectively. We measure the following relative branching fractions$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0\right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.48\pm 0.02\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.03\left(\textrm{syst}\right),\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0\eta \right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.11\pm 0.01\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.01\left(\textrm{syst}\right),\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\eta}^{\prime}\right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.08\pm 0.02\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.01\left(\textrm{syst}\right)\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^0\right)/B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}\right)=0.48\pm 0.02\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.03\left(\text{syst}\right),\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0\eta \right)/B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}\right)=0.11\pm 0.01\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.01\left(\text{syst}\right),\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\eta }^{\prime }\right)/B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}\right)=0.08\pm 0.02\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.01\left(\text{syst}\right)\end{array}$ for the first time, where the uncertainties are statistical (stat) and systematic (syst). By multiplying by the branching fraction of the normalization mode,$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right) $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}\right)$, we obtain the following absolute branching fraction results$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0\right)=\left(6.9\pm 0.3\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.5\left(\textrm{syst}\right)\pm 1.3\left(\operatorname{norm}\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0\eta \right)=\left(1.6\pm 0.2\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.2\left(\textrm{syst}\right)\pm 0.3\left(\operatorname{norm}\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\varXi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\eta}^{\prime}\right)=\left(1.2\pm 0.3\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.1\left(\textrm{syst}\right)\pm 0.2\left(\operatorname{norm}\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^0\right)=\left(6.9\pm 0.3\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.5\left(\text{syst}\right)\pm 1.3\left(norm\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0\eta \right)=\left(1.6\pm 0.2\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.2\left(\text{syst}\right)\pm 0.3\left(norm\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\eta }^{\prime }\right)=\left(1.2\pm 0.3\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.1\left(\text{syst}\right)\pm 0.2\left(norm\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\end{array}$ where the third uncertainties are from$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right) $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}\right)$. The asymmetry parameter for$$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^0$is measured to be$$ \alpha \left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^0{\pi}^0\right)=-0.90\pm 0.15\left(\textrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.23\left(\textrm{syst}\right) $$ $\alpha \left({\Xi }_c^0\to {\Xi }^0{\pi }^0\right)=-0.90\pm 0.15\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.23\left(\text{syst}\right)$. 

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5. Lifetimes of excited states in $$^{16}$$C as a benchmark for ab initio developments

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-024-01396-2  

   Mathy, M; Petri, M; Roth, R; Wagner, L; Heil, S; Ayangeakaa, A D; Bottoni, S; Carpenter, M P; Crawford, H L; Fallon, P; et al (September 2024, The European Physical Journal A)

   Abstract Lifetimes of higher-lying states ($$2_2^+$$ $2_2^{+}$and$$4_1^+$$ $4_1^{+}$) in$$^{16}$$ $_{}^{16}$C have been measured, employing the Gammasphere and Microball detector arrays, as key observables to test and refine ab initio calculations based on interactions developed within chiral Effective Field Theory. The presented experimental constraints to these lifetimes of$$\tau ({2_2^+}) = [\,244, 446]\,~\textrm{fs}$$ $\tau \left(2_2^{+}\right)=[244,446]\text{fs}$and$$\tau ({4_1^+}) = [\,1.8, 4]\,~\textrm{ps}$$ $\tau \left(4_1^{+}\right)=[1.8,4]\text{ps}$, combined with previous results on the lifetime of the$$2_1^+$$ $2_1^{+}$state of$$^{16}$$ $_{}^{16}$C, provide a rather complete set of key observables to benchmark the theoretical developments. We present No-Core Shell-Model calculations using state-of-the-art chiral 2- (NN) and 3-nucleon (3N) interactions at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order for both the NN and the 3N contributions and a generalized natural-orbital basis (instead of the conventional harmonic-oscillator single-particle basis) which reproduce, for the first time, the experimental findings remarkably well. The level of agreement of the new calculations as compared to the CD-Bonn meson-exchange NN interaction is notable and presents a critical benchmark for theory. 

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