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1. Deep Einstein@Home All-sky Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves in LIGO O3 Public Data

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acdad4  

   Steltner, B; Papa, M A; Eggenstein, H-B; Prix, R; Bensch, M; Allen, B; Machenschalk, B (July 2023, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We present the results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in the public LIGO O3 data. The search covers signal frequencies 20.0 Hz ≤f≤ 800.0 Hz and a spin-down range down to −2.6 × 10⁻⁹Hz s⁻¹, motivated by detectability studies on synthetic populations of Galactic neutron stars. This search is the most sensitive all-sky search to date in this frequency/spin-down region. The initial search was performed using the first half of the public LIGO O3 data (O3a), utilizing graphical processing units provided in equal parts by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home computing project and by the ATLAS cluster. After a hierarchical follow-up in seven stages, 12 candidates remain. Six are discarded at the eighth stage, by using the remaining O3 LIGO data (O3b). The surviving six can be ascribed to continuous-wave fake signals present in the LIGO data for validation purposes. We recover these fake signals with very high accuracy with our last stage search, which coherently combines all O3 data. Based on our results, we set upper limits on the gravitational-wave amplitudeh₀and translate these into upper limits on the neutron star ellipticity and on ther-mode amplitude. The most stringent upper limits are at 203 Hz, withh₀= 8.1 × 10⁻²⁶at the 90% confidence level. Our results exclude isolated neutron stars rotating faster than 5 ms with ellipticities greater than $5\times {10}^{-8}\left(\frac{d}{100\mathrm{pc}}\right)$within a distancedfrom Earth andr-mode amplitudes $\alpha \ge {10}^{-5}\left(\frac{d}{100\mathrm{pc}}\right)$for neutron stars spinning faster than 150 Hz. 

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2. The NANOGrav 12.5-year Data Set: Search for Non-Einsteinian Polarization Modes in the Gravitational-wave Background

   https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac401c  

   Arzoumanian, Zaven; Baker, Paul T.; Blumer, Harsha; Bécsy, Bence; Brazier, Adam; Brook, Paul R.; Burke-Spolaor, Sarah; Charisi, Maria; Chatterjee, Shami; Chen, Siyuan; et al (December 2021, The Astrophysical Journal Letters)

   Abstract We search NANOGrav’s 12.5 yr data set for evidence of a gravitational-wave background (GWB) with all the spatial correlations allowed by general metric theories of gravity. We find no substantial evidence in favor of the existence of such correlations in our data. We find that scalar-transverse (ST) correlations yield signal-to-noise ratios and Bayes factors that are higher than quadrupolar (tensor-transverse, TT) correlations. Specifically, we find ST correlations with a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.8 that are preferred over TT correlations (Hellings and Downs correlations) with Bayesian odds of about 20:1. However, the significance of ST correlations is reduced dramatically when we include modeling of the solar system ephemeris systematics and/or remove pulsar J0030+0451 entirely from consideration. Even taking the nominal signal-to-noise ratios at face value, analyses of simulated data sets show that such values are not extremely unlikely to be observed in cases where only the usual TT modes are present in the GWB. In the absence of a detection of any polarization mode of gravity, we place upper limits on their amplitudes for a spectral index ofγ= 5 and a reference frequency off_yr= 1 yr⁻¹. Among the upper limits for eight general families of metric theories of gravity, we find the values of $A_{\mathrm{TT}}^{95\%}=(9.7\pm 0.4)\times {10}^{-16}$and $A_{\mathrm{ST}}^{95\%}=(1.4\pm 0.03)\times {10}^{-15}$for the family of metric spacetime theories that contain both TT and ST modes. 

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3. Search for the $$ {B}_s^0 $$ → μ+μ−γ decay

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2024)101  

   Aaij, R; Abdelmotteleb, A_S W; Abellan_Beteta, C; Abudinén, F; Ackernley, T; Adefisoye, A A; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adlarson, P; Agapopoulou, C; et al (July 2024, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> A search for the fully reconstructed$$ {B}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0$→ μ⁺μ⁻γdecay is performed at the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collisions at$$ \sqrt{s} $$ $\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb⁻¹. No significant signal is found and upper limits on the branching fraction in intervals of the dimuon mass are set$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{cc}\mathcal{B}\left({B}_s^0\to {\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\gamma \right)<4.2\times {10}^{-8},& m\left({\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)\in \left[2{m}_{\mu },1.70\right]\textrm{GeV}/{c}^2,\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({B}_s^0\to {\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\gamma \right)<7.7\times {10}^{-8},&\ m\left({\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)\in \left[\textrm{1.70,2.88}\right]\textrm{GeV}/{c}^2,\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({B}_s^0\to {\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\gamma \right)<4.2\times {10}^{-8},& m\left({\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)\in \left[3.92,{m}_{B_s^0}\right]\textrm{GeV}/{c}^2,\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{cc}B\left(B_s^0\to {\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\gamma \right)<4.2\times {10}^{-8},& m\left({\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\right)\in \left(2m_{\mu },1.70\right)\mathrm{GeV}/c^2,\\ B\left(B_s^0\to {\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\gamma \right)<7.7\times {10}^{-8},& m\left({\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\right)\in \left(\mathrm{1.70,\; 2.88}\right)\mathrm{GeV}/c^2,\\ B\left(B_s^0\to {\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\gamma \right)<4.2\times {10}^{-8},& m\left({\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}\right)\in \left(3.92,m_{B_s^0}\right)\mathrm{GeV}/c^2,\end{array}$ at 95% confidence level. Additionally, upper limits are set on the branching fraction in the [2m_μ,1.70] GeV/c²dimuon mass region excluding the contribution from the intermediateϕ(1020) meson, and in the region combining all dimuon-mass intervals. 

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4. The Pan-STARRS1 z > 5.6 Quasar Survey. III. The z ≈ 6 Quasar Luminosity Function

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aca7ca  

   Schindler, Jan-Torge; Bañados, Eduardo; Connor, Thomas; Decarli, Roberto; Fan, Xiaohui; Farina, Emanuele Paolo; Mazzucchelli, Chiara; Nanni, Riccardo; Rix, Hans-Walter; Stern, Daniel; et al (January 2023, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We present thez≈ 6 type-1 quasar luminosity function (QLF), based on the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) quasar survey. The PS1 sample includes 125 quasars atz≈ 5.7–6.2, with −28 ≲M₁₄₅₀≲ −25. With the addition of 48 fainter quasars from the SHELLQs survey, we evaluate thez≈ 6 QLF over −28 ≲M₁₄₅₀≲ −22. Adopting a double power law with an exponential evolution of the quasar density (Φ(z) ∝ 10^k(z−6);k= −0.7), we use a maximum likelihood method to model our data. We find a break magnitude of $M^{*}=-{26.38}_{-0.60}^{+0.79}\mathrm{mag}$, a faint-end slope of $\alpha =-{1.70}_{-0.19}^{+0.29}$, and a steep bright-end slope of $\beta =-{3.84}_{-1.21}^{+0.63}$. Based on our new QLF model, we determine the quasar comoving spatial density atz≈ 6 to be $n(M_{1450}<-26)={1.16}_{-0.12}^{+0.13}{\mathrm{cGpc}}^{-3}$. In comparison with the literature, we find the quasar density to evolve with a constant value ofk≈ −0.7, fromz≈ 7 toz≈ 4. Additionally, we derive an ionizing emissivity of ${ϵ}_{912}(z=6)={7.23}_{-1.02}^{+1.65}\times {10}^{22}\mathrm{erg}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}{\mathrm{Hz}}^{-1}{\mathrm{cMpc}}^{-3}$, based on the QLF measurement. Given standard assumptions, and the recent measurement of the mean free path by Becker et al. atz≈ 6, we calculate an Hiphotoionizing rate of Γ_{H I}(z= 6) ≈ 6 × 10⁻¹⁶s⁻¹, strongly disfavoring a dominant role of quasars in hydrogen reionization. 

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5. Observations of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays $$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$, $$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+} $$, and $$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+} $$ at Belle and Belle II

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2025)061  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Akopov, N; Alhakami, M; Aloisio, A; Althubiti, N; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Aushev, T; et al (March 2025, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> Using data samples of 983.0 fb⁻¹and 427.9 fb⁻¹accumulated with the Belle and Belle II detectors operating at the KEKB and SuperKEKB asymmetric-energye⁺e⁻colliders, singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0$,$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}$, and$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}$are observed for the first time. The ratios of branching fractions of$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0$,$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}$, and$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}$relative to that of$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$are measured to be$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(2.47\pm 0.16\pm 0.07\right)\%,\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(1.56\pm 0.14\pm 0.09\right)\%,\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(4.13\pm 0.26\pm 0.22\right)\%.\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}\frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(2.47\pm 0.16\pm 0.07\right)\%,\\ \frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(1.56\pm 0.14\pm 0.09\right)\%,\\ \frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(4.13\pm 0.26\pm 0.22\right)\%.\end{array}$ Multiplying these values by the branching fraction of the normalization channel,$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(2.9\pm 1.3\right)\% $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(2.9\pm 1.3\right)\%$, the absolute branching fractions are determined to be$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)=\left(7.16\pm 0.46\pm 0.20\pm 3.21\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(4.52\pm 0.41\pm 0.26\pm 2.03\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(1.20\pm 0.08\pm 0.07\pm 0.54\right)\times {10}^{-3}.\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)=\left(7.16\pm 0.46\pm 0.20\pm 3.21\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(4.52\pm 0.41\pm 0.26\pm 2.03\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(1.20\pm 0.08\pm 0.07\pm 0.54\right)\times {10}^{-3}.\end{array}$ The first and second uncertainties above are statistical and systematic, respectively, while the third ones arise from the uncertainty in$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right) $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)$. 

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