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Creators/Authors contains: "McCarthy, Fiona"

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  1. We use the full-mission Planck PR4 data to measure the CMB lensing convergence (κ)-thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ, y ) cross-correlation signal, Cℓyκ. This is only the second measurement to date of this signal, following Hill and Spergel [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2014) 030, 10.1088/1475-7516/2014/02/030]. We perform the measurement using foreground-cleaned tSZ maps built from the PR4 frequency maps via a tailored needlet internal linear combination (NILC) code in our companion paper [F. McCarthy and J. C. Hill, companion paper, Phys. Rev. D 109, 023528 (2024)., 10.1103/PhysRevD.109.023528], in combination with the Planck PR4 κ maps and various systematic-mitigated PR3 κ maps. A serious systematic is the residual cosmic infrared background (CIB) signal in the tSZ map, as the high CIB—κ cross-correlation can significantly bias the inferred tSZ—κ cross-correlation. We mitigate this contamination by deprojecting the CIB in our NILC algorithm, using a moment deprojection approach to avoid leakage due to incorrect modeling of the CIB frequency dependence. We validate this method on mm-wave sky simulations. We fit a theoretical halo model to our measurement, finding a best-fit amplitude of A =0.82 ±0.21 (for the highest signal-to-noise PR4 κ map) or A =0.56 ±0.24 (for a PR3 κ map built from a tSZ-deprojected CMB map), indicating that the data are consistent with our fiducial model within ≈1 -2 σ . Although our error bars are similar to those of the previous measurement [J. C. Hill and D. N. Spergel, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2014) 030, 10.1088/1475-7516/2014/02/030], our method is significantly more robust to CIB contamination. Our moment-deprojection approach lays the foundation for future measurements of this signal with higher signal-to-noise κ and y maps from ground-based telescopes, which will precisely probe the astrophysics of the intracluster medium of galaxy groups and clusters in the intermediate-mass (M ∼1013- 1014h-1M⊙), high-z (z ≲1.5 , c.f. z ≲0.8 for the tSZ auto-power signal) regime, as well as CIB-decontaminated measurements of tSZ cross-correlations with other large-scale structure probes. 
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  2. Abstract We present power spectra of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy in temperature and polarization, measured from the Data Release 6 maps made from Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) data. These cover 19,000 deg2of sky in bands centered at 98, 150 and 220 GHz, with white noise levels three times lower thanPlanckin polarization. We find that the ACT angular power spectra estimated over 10,000 deg2, and measured to arcminute scales in TT, TE and EE, are well fit by the sum of CMB and foregrounds, where the CMB spectra are described by the ΛCDM model. Combining ACT with larger-scalePlanckdata, the joint P-ACT dataset provides tight limits on the ingredients, expansion rate, and initial conditions of the universe. We find similar constraining power, and consistent results, from either thePlanckpower spectra or from ACT combined withWMAPdata, as well as from either temperature or polarization in the joint P-ACT dataset. When combined with CMB lensing from ACT andPlanck, and baryon acoustic oscillation data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI DR1), we measure a baryon density of Ωbh2= 0.0226 ± 0.0001, a cold dark matter density of Ωch2= 0.118 ± 0.001, a Hubble constant ofH0= 68.22 ± 0.36 km/s/Mpc, a spectral index ofns= 0.974 ± 0.003, and an amplitude of density fluctuations ofσ8= 0.813 ± 0.005. Including the DESI DR2 data tightens the Hubble constant toH0= 68.43 ± 0.27 km/s/Mpc; ΛCDM parameters agree between the P-ACT and DESI DR2 data at the 1.6σlevel. We find no evidence for excess lensing in the power spectrum, and no departure from spatial flatness. The contribution from Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) anisotropy is detected at high significance; we find evidence for a tilt with suppressed small-scale power compared to our baseline SZ template spectrum, consistent with hydrodynamical simulations with feedback. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 1, 2026
  3. Abstract We present Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization anisotropy at arcminute resolution over three frequency bands centered on 98, 150 and 220 GHz. The maps are based on data collected with the AdvancedACT camera over the period 2017–2022 and cover 19,000 square degrees with a median combined depth of 10 μK arcmin. We describe the instrument, mapmaking and map properties and illustrate them with a number of figures and tables. The ACT DR6 maps and derived products are available on LAMBDA athttps://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/act/actadv_prod_table.html. We also provide an interactive web atlas athttps://phy-act1.princeton.edu/public/snaess/actpol/dr6/atlasand HiPS data sets in Aladin (e.g.https://alasky.cds.unistra.fr/ACT/DR4DR6/color_CMB). 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 1, 2026
  4. Abstract We use new cosmic microwave background (CMB) primary temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) to test foundational assumptions of the standard cosmological model, ΛCDM, and set constraints on extensions to it. We derive constraints from the ACT DR6 power spectra alone, as well as in combination with legacy data from thePlanckmission. To break geometric degeneracies, we include ACT andPlanckCMB lensing data and baryon acoustic oscillation data from DESI Year-1. To test the dependence of our results on non-ACT data, we also explore combinations replacingPlanckwithWMAPand DESI with BOSS, and further add supernovae measurements from Pantheon+ for models that affect the late-time expansion history. We verify the near-scale-invariance (running of the spectral indexdns/dlnk= 0.0062 ± 0.0052) and adiabaticity of the primordial perturbations. Neutrino properties are consistent with Standard Model predictions: we find no evidence for new light, relativistic species that are free-streaming (Neff= 2.86 ± 0.13, which combined with astrophysical measurements of primordial helium and deuterium abundances becomesNeff= 2.89 ± 0.11), for non-zero neutrino masses (∑mν< 0.089 eV at 95% CL), or for neutrino self-interactions. We also find no evidence for self-interacting dark radiation (Nidr< 0.134), or for early-universe variation of fundamental constants, including the fine-structure constant (αEMEM,0= 1.0043 ± 0.0017) and the electron mass (me/me,0= 1.0063 ± 0.0056). Our data are consistent with standard big bang nucleosynthesis (we findYp= 0.2312 ± 0.0092), theCOBE/FIRAS-inferred CMB temperature (we findTCMB= 2.698 ± 0.016 K), a dark matter component that is collisionless and with only a small fraction allowed as axion-like particles, a cosmological constant (w= -0.986 ± 0.025), and the late-time growth rate predicted by general relativity (γ= 0.663 ± 0.052). We find no statistically significant preference for a departure from the baseline ΛCDM model. In fits to models invoking early dark energy, primordial magnetic fields, or an arbitrary modified recombination history, we findH0= 69.9+0.8-1.5, 69.1 ± 0.5, or 69.6 ± 1.0 km/s/Mpc, respectively; using BOSS instead of DESI BAO data reduces the central values of these constraints by 1–1.5 km/s/Mpc while only slightly increasing the error bars. In general, models introduced to increase the Hubble constant or to decrease the amplitude of density fluctuations inferred from the primary CMB are not favored over ΛCDM by our data. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available November 1, 2026
  5. Ouellette, Francis (Ed.)
    Experimental data about gene functions curated from the primary literature have enormous value for research scientists in understanding biology. Using the Gene Ontology (GO), manual curation by experts has provided an important resource for studying gene function, especially within model organisms. Unprecedented expansion of the scientific literature and validation of the predicted proteins have increased both data value and the challenges of keeping pace. Capturing literature-based functional annotations is limited by the ability of biocurators to handle the massive and rapidly growing scientific literature. Within the community-oriented wiki framework for GO annotation called the Gene Ontology Normal Usage Tracking System (GONUTS), we describe an approach to expand biocuration through crowdsourcing with undergraduates. This multiplies the number of high-quality annotations in international databases, enriches our coverage of the literature on normal gene function, and pushes the field in new directions. From an intercollegiate competition judged by experienced biocurators, Community Assessment of Community Annotation with Ontologies (CACAO), we have contributed nearly 5,000 literature-based annotations. Many of those annotations are to organisms not currently well-represented within GO. Over a 10-year history, our community contributors have spurred changes to the ontology not traditionally covered by professional biocurators. The CACAO principle of relying on community members to participate in and shape the future of biocuration in GO is a powerful and scalable model used to promote the scientific enterprise. It also provides undergraduate students with a unique and enriching introduction to critical reading of primary literature and acquisition of marketable skills. 
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