Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Data Research Articles

Modeling ALMA Observations of the Warped Molecular Gas Disk in the Red Nugget Relic Galaxy NGC 384

We present 0.″22 resolution CO(2–1) observations of the circumnuclear gas disk in the local compact galaxy NGC 384 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). While the majority of the disk displays regular rotation with projected velocities rising to 370 km s−1, the inner ∼0.″5 exhibits a kinematic twist. We develop warped disk gas-dynamical models to account for this twist, fit those models to the ALMA data cube, and find a stellar mass-to-light ratio in the H band of M/L H = 1.34 ± 0.01 [1σ statistical] ±0.02 [systematic] M ⊙/L ⊙ and a supermassive black hole (BH) mass (M BH) of M BH =(7.26−0.48+0.43[1σstatistical]−1.00+0.55[systematic])×108M⊙ . In contrast to most previous dynamical M BH measurements in local compact galaxies, which typically found over-massive BHs compared to the local BH mass−bulge luminosity and BH mass−bulge mass relations, NGC 384 lies within the scatter of those scaling relations. NGC 384 and other local compact galaxies are likely relics of z ∼ 2 red nuggets, and over-massive BHs in these relics indicate BH growth may conclude before the host galaxy stars have finished assembly. Our NGC 384 results may challenge this evolutionary picture, suggesting there may be increased scatter in the scaling relations than previously thought. However, this scatter could be inflated by systematic differences between stellar- and gas-dynamical measurement methods, motivating direct comparisons between the methods for NGC 384 and the other compact galaxies in the sample.

Early Signs of Structure in Protostellar Disks

Protostellar disks—rotating disks of gas and dust around pre-fusion ignition young stars—are divided into four main classes: Class 0: the youngest class, still deeply embedded in their parent molecular clouds and accumulating mass, with a lifespan on the order of 100k years. Class I: still embedded in molecular clouds, characterized by strong infrared and radio emissions generated by the heat from the collapsing central protostar, with a typical lifespan of a few hundred thousand years. Class II: more evolved with decreased accretion rates and active planet formation. Lifespan on the order of 2-3 million years. Class III: low accretion rate debris (mostly dust) disks. Remnants of planetary formation process. Typical lifespan of several million years. Focusing on the youngest disks, Classes 0 and I, we are investigating how early structure begins to show in the form of gaps and rings, indicating potential future planet formation. We use high resolution and high sensitivity (sub)millimeter wavelength observations from the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) interferometer. Having identified approximately 10,700 potential Class 0 or I disks in the ALMA archive, we make use of several specialized code packages designed to fit or examine individual disks from their frequency space visibility data rather than from images to build a step-by-step process taking the initial ALMA data and providing the decision-making ability to categorize the disks into four primary categories: Smooth, Structured, Further Investigation, Not Usable. Having used the summer term to build, streamline, and document the needed process, we report building an initial catalog of usable Class 0 and Class I sources that contains 36 individual objects, with 7 categorized as Smooth, 8 as having Structure, and 6 needing Further Investigation.

Circular Polarization of Simulated Images of Black Holes

Models of the resolved Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) sources Sgr A* and M87* are constrained by observations at multiple wavelengths, resolutions, polarizations, and time cadences. In this paper, we compare unresolved circular polarization (CP) measurements to a library of models, where each model is characterized by a distribution of CP over time. In the library, we vary the spin of the black hole, the magnetic field strength at the horizon (i.e., both SANE and magnetically arrested disk or MAD models), the observer inclination, a parameter for the maximum ion–electron temperature ratio assuming a thermal plasma, and the direction of the magnetic field dipole moment. We find that Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of Sgr A* are inconsistent with all edge-on (i = 90°) models. Restricting attention to the MAD models favored by earlier EHT studies of Sgr A*, we find that only models with magnetic dipole moment pointing away from the observer are consistent with ALMA data. We also note that in 26 of the 27 passing MAD models, the accretion flow rotates clockwise on the sky. We provide a table of the means and standard deviations of the CP distributions for all model parameters, along with their trends.

Probing the dynamical and kinematical structures of detached shells around AGB stars

Context. The chemical evolution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars is driven by repeated thermal pulses (TPs). The duration of a TP is only a few hundred years, whereas an inter-pulse period lasts 104 − 105 yr. Direct observations of TPs are hence unlikely. However, the detached shells seen in CO line emission that are formed as a result of a TP provide indirect constraints on the changes experienced by the star during the pulse. Aims. We aim to resolve the spatial and kinematic sub-structures in five detached-shell sources to provide detailed constraints for hydrodynamic models that describe the formation and evolution of the shells. Methods. We used observations of the 12CO (1 − 0) emission towards five carbon-AGB stars with ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), including previously published observations of the carbon AGB star U Ant. The data have angular resolutions of 0″​​.3 to 1″ and a velocity resolution of 0.3 km s−1. This enabled us to quantify spatial and kinematic structures in the shells. Combining the ALMA data with single-dish observations of the 12CO (1 − 0) to 12CO (4 − 3) emission towards the sources, we used radiative transfer models to compare the observed structures with previous estimates of the shell masses and temperatures. Results. The observed emission is separated into two distinct components: a more coherent, bright outer shell and a more filamentary, fainter inner shell. The kinematic information shows that the inner sub-shells move at a higher velocity relative to the outer sub-shells. The observed sub-structures reveal a negative velocity gradient outwards across the detached shells, confirming the predictions from hydrodynamical models. However, the models do not predict a double-shell structure, and the CO emission likely only traces the inner and outer edges of the shell, implying a lack of CO in the middle layers of the detached shell. Previous estimates of the masses and temperatures are consistent with originating mainly from the brighter subshell, but the total shell masses are likely lower limits. Also, additional structures in the form of partial shells outside the detached shell around V644 Sco, arcs within the shell of R Scl, and a partially filled shell for DR Ser indicate a more complicated evolution of the shells and mass-loss process throughout the TP cycle than previously assumed. Conclusions. The observed spatial and kinematical splittings of the shells appear consistent with results from the hydrodynamical models, provided the CO emission does not trace the H2 density distribution in the shell but rather traces the edges of the shells. The hydrodynamical models predict very different density profiles depending on the evolution of the shells and the different physical processes involved in the wind-wind interaction (e.g. heating and cooling processes). It is therefore not possible to constrain the total shell mass based on the CO observations alone. Additional features outside and inside the shells complicate the interpretation of the data. Complementary observations of, for example, CI as a dissociation product of CO would be necessary to understand the distribution of CO compared to H2, in addition to new detailed hydrodynamical models of the pre-pulse, pulse, and post-pulse wind. Only a comprehensive combination of observations and models will allow us to constrain the evolution of the shells and the changes in the star during the thermal-pulse cycle.

Gas-dynamical Mass Measurements of the Supermassive Black Holes in the Early-type Galaxies NGC 4786 and NGC 5193 from ALMA and HST Observations* *Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated

We present molecular gas-dynamical mass measurements of the central black holes in the giant elliptical galaxies NGC 4786 and NGC 5193, based on CO (2−1) observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared imaging. The central region in each galaxy contains a circumnuclear disk that exhibits orderly rotation with projected line-of-sight velocities of ∼270 km s−1. We build gas-dynamical models for the rotating disk in each galaxy and fit them directly to the ALMA data cubes. At 0.″31 resolution, the ALMA observations do not fully resolve the black hole sphere of influence (SOI), and neither galaxy exhibits a central rise in rotation speed, indicating that emission from deep within the SOI is not detected. As a result, our models do not tightly constrain the central black hole mass in either galaxy, but they prefer the presence of a central massive object in both galaxies. We measure the black hole mass to be (MBH/108M⊙)=5.0±0.2[1σstatistical]−1.3+1.4[systematic] in NGC 4786 and (MBH/108M⊙)=1.4±0.03[1σstatistical]−0.1+1.5[systematic] in NGC 5193. The largest component of each measurement’s error budget is from the systematic uncertainty associated with the extinction correction in the host galaxy models. This underscores the importance of assessing the impact of dust attenuation on the inferred M BH.

JOYS+: Mid-infrared detection of gas-phase SO2 emission in a low-mass protostar

Context. Thanks to the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), our ability to observe the star formation process in the infrared has greatly improved. Due to its unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution and sensitivity in the mid-infrared, JWST/MIRI can see through highly extincted protostellar envelopes and probe the warm inner regions. An abundant molecule in these warm inner regions is SO2, which is a common tracer of both outflow and accretion shocks as well as hot core chemistry. Aims. This paper presents the first mid-infrared detection of gaseous SO2 emission in an embedded low-mass protostellar system rich in complex molecules and aims to determine the physical origin of the SO2 emission. Methods. JWST/MIRI observations taken with the Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) of the low-mass protostellar binary NGC 1333 IRAS 2A in the JWST Observations of Young protoStars (JOYS+) program are presented. The observations reveal emission from the SO2 v3 asymmetric stretching mode at 7.35 µm. Using simple slab models and assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), we derived the rotational temperature and total number of SO2 molecules. We then compared the results to those derived from high-angular-resolution SO2 data on the same scales (~50–100 au) obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Results. The SO2 emission from the v3 band is predominantly located on ~50–100 au scales around the mid-infrared continuum peak of the main component of the binary, IRAS 2A1. A rotational temperature of 92 ± 8 K is derived from the v3 lines. This is in good agreement with the rotational temperature derived from pure rotational lines in the vibrational ground state (i.e., v = 0) with ALMA (104 ± 5 K), which are extended over similar scales. However, the emission of the v3 lines in the MIRI-MRS spectrum is not in LTE given that the total number of molecules predicted by a LTE model is found to be a factor of 2 × 104 higher than what is derived for the v = 0 state from the ALMA data. This difference can be explained by a vibrational temperature that is ~100 K higher than the derived rotational temperature of the v = 0 state: Tvib ~ 200 K versus Trot = 104 ± 5 K. The brightness temperature derived from the continuum around the v3 band (~7.35 µm) of SO2 is ~180 K, which confirms that the v3 = 1 level is not collisionally populated but rather infrared-pumped by scattered radiation. This is also consistent with the non-detection of the v2 bending mode at 18–20 µm. The similar rotational temperature derived from the MIRI-MRS and ALMA data implies that they are in fact tracing the same molecular gas. The inferred abundance of SO2 , determined using the LTE fit to the lines of the vibrational ground state in the ALMA data, is 1.0 ± 0.3 × 10−8 with respect to H2, which is on the lower side compared to interstellar and cometary ices (10−8−10−7). Conclusions. Given the rotational temperature, the extent of the emission (~100 au in radius), and the narrow line widths in the ALMA data (~3.5 km s−1), the SO2 in IRAS 2A likely originates from ice sublimation in the central hot core around the protostar rather than from an accretion shock at the disk–envelope boundary. Furthermore, this paper shows the importance of radiative pumping and of combining JWST observations with those from millimeter interferometers such as ALMA to probe the physics on disk scales and to infer molecular abundances.

IRAS4A1: Multiwavelength continuum analysis of a very flared Class 0 disk

Context. Understanding the formation of substructures in protoplanetary disks is vital for gaining insights into dust growth and the process of planet formation. Studying these substructures in highly embedded Class 0 objects using the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA), however, poses significant challenges. Nonetheless, it is imperative to do so to unravel the mechanisms and timing behind the formation of these substructures. Aims. In this study, we present high-resolution ALMA data at Bands 6 and 4 of the NGC 1333 IRAS4A Class 0 protobinary system. This system consists of two components, A1 and A2, which are separated by 1.8″ and located in the Perseus molecular cloud at a distance of ~293 pc. Methods. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the dust properties and formation of substructures in the early stages, we conducted a multiwavelength analysis of IRAS4A1. Additionally, we sought to address whether the lack of observed substructures in very young disks could be attributed to factors such as high degrees of disk flaring and large scale heights. To explore this phenomenon, we employed radiative transfer models using RADMC-3D. We employed different approaches and compared the model outcomes with our observational data. This comparison allowed us to gain insights into the challenges in detecting substructures in nascent disks and shed light on the potential influence of the dust scale height on observations of protoplanetary disks. Results. The continuum data revealed the presence of two disks-envelopes around A1 and A2, along with structure connecting the two sources. Furthermore, spectral index measurements indicate lower optical depth within the A2 disk compared to the A1 disk. Our multiwavelength analysis of A1 discovered characteristics such as high dust surface density, substantial dust mass within the disk, and elevated dust temperatures. These findings suggest the presence of large dust grains compared to the ones in the interstellar medium (ISM), greater than 100 microns in size within the region. By employing RADMC-3D, we confirmed that increasing the scale height creates the appearance of an asymmetry in protoplanetary disks. Our findings indicate that a scale height of at least 0.3 (H/R) is necessary to produce this observed asymmetry. Furthermore, while there’s no direct detection of any substructure, our models indicate that some substructure, such as a small gap, must be present. However, reproducing the intensity profile along the major and minor axes necessitates considering other processes that may be occurring within the IRAS4A1 disk. Conclusions. The result implies that disk substructures may be masked or obscured by a large scale height in combination with a high degree of flaring in Class 0 disks.

ALMA Gas-dynamical Mass Measurement of the Supermassive Black Hole in the Red Nugget Relic Galaxy PGC 11179

We present 0.″22-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO(2−1) emission from the circumnuclear gas disk in the red nugget relic galaxy PGC 11179. The disk shows regular rotation, with projected velocities near the center of 400 km s−1. We assume the CO emission originates from a dynamically cold, thin disk and fit gas-dynamical models directly to the ALMA data. In addition, we explore systematic uncertainties by testing the impacts of various model assumptions on our results. The supermassive black hole (BH) mass (M BH) is measured to be M BH = (1.91 ± 0.04 [1σ statistical] [systematic]) × 109 M ⊙, and the H-band stellar mass-to-light ratio M/L H = 1.620 ± 0.004 [1σ statistical] [systematic] M ⊙/L ⊙. This M BH is consistent with the BH mass−stellar velocity dispersion relation but over-massive compared to the BH mass−bulge luminosity relation by a factor of 3.7. PGC 11179 is part of a sample of local compact early-type galaxies that are plausible relics of z ∼ 2 red nuggets, and its behavior relative to the scaling relations echoes that of three relic galaxy BHs previously measured with stellar dynamics. These over-massive BHs could suggest that BHs gain most of their mass before their host galaxies do. However, our results could also be explained by greater intrinsic scatter at the high-mass end of the scaling relations, or by systematic differences in gas- and stellar-dynamical methods. Additional M BH measurements in the sample, including independent cross-checks between molecular gas- and stellar-dynamical methods, will advance our understanding of the co-evolution of BHs and their host galaxies.

Star formation in the centre of NGC 1808 as observed by ALMA

ABSTRACT We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of 85.69- and 99.02-GHz continuum emission and H42α and H40α lines emission from the central 1 kpc of NGC 1808. These forms of emission are tracers of photoionizing stars but unaffected by dust obscuration that we use to test the applicability of other commonly star formation metrics. An analysis of the spectral energy distributions shows that free–free emission contributes about 60–90 per cent of the continuum emission in the 85–100-GHz frequency range, dependent on the region. The star formation rate (SFR) derived from the ALMA free–free emission is 3.1 ± 0.3 M⊙ yr−1. This is comparable to the SFRs measured from the infrared emission, mainly because most of the bolometric energy from the heavily obscured region is emitted as infrared emission. The radio 1.5-GHz emission yields an SFR 25 per cent lower than the ALMA value, probably because of the diffusion of the electrons producing the synchrotron emission beyond the star-forming regions. The SFRs measured from the extinction-corrected H α line emission are about 40–65 per cent of the SFR derived from the ALMA data, likely because this metric was not calibrated for high-extinction regions. Some SFRs based on extinction-corrected ultraviolet emission are similar to those from ALMA and infrared data, but given that the ultraviolet terms in the extinction correction equations are very small, these metrics seem inappropriate to apply to this dusty starburst.

The ALMA Interferometric Pipeline Heuristics

We describe the calibration and imaging heuristics developed and deployed in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) interferometric data processing pipeline, as of ALMA Cycle 9 operations. The pipeline software framework is written in Python, with each data reduction stage layered on top of tasks and toolkit functions provided by the Common Astronomy Software Applications package. This framework supports a variety of tasks for observatory operations, including science data quality assurance, observing mode commissioning, and user reprocessing. It supports ALMA and Very Large Array interferometric data along with ALMA and NRO 45 m single dish data, via different stages and heuristics. In addition to producing calibration tables, calibrated measurement sets, and cleaned images, the pipeline creates a WebLog which serves as the primary interface for verifying the quality assurance of the data by the observatory and for examining the contents of the data by the user. Following the adoption of the pipeline by ALMA Operations in 2014, the heuristics have been refined through annual prioritized development cycles, culminating in a new pipeline release aligned with the start of each ALMA Cycle of observations. Initial development focused on basic calibration and flagging heuristics (Cycles 2–3), followed by imaging heuristics (Cycles 4–5). Further refinement of the flagging and imaging heuristics, including the introduction of parallel processing, proceeded for Cycles 6–7. In the 2020 release, the algorithm to identify channels to use for continuum subtraction and imaging was substantially improved by the addition of a moment difference analysis. A spectral renormalization stage was added for the 2021 release (Cycle 8) to correct high spectral resolution visibility data acquired on targets exhibiting strong celestial line emission in their autocorrelation spectra. The calibration heuristics used in the low signal-to-noise regime were improved for the 2022 release (Cycle 9). In the two most recent Cycles, 97% of ALMA data sets were calibrated and imaged with the pipeline, ensuring long-term automated reproducibility of results. We conclude with a brief description of plans for future additions, including a self-calibration stage, support for multi-configuration imaging, and complete calibration and imaging of full polarization data.

Differences in physical properties of coronal bright points and their ALMA counterparts within and outside coronal holes

Aims. This study investigates and compares the physical properties, such as intensity and area, of coronal bright points (CBPs) inside and outside of coronal holes (CHs) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations. Methods. The CBPs were analysed using the single-dish ALMA Band 6 observations, combined with extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) 193 Å filtergrams obtained by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), both on board SDO. The CH boundaries were extracted from the SDO/AIA images using the Collection of Analysis Tools for Coronal Holes (CATCH) and CBPs were identified in the SDO/AIA, SDO/HMI, and ALMA data. Measurements of brightness and areas in both ALMA and SDO/AIA images were conducted for CBPs within CH boundaries and quiet Sun regions outside CHs. Two equal size CBP samples, one inside and one outside CHs, were randomly chosen and a statistical analysis was conducted. The statistical analysis was repeated 200 times using a bootstrap technique to eliminate the results based on pure coincidence. Results. The boundaries of five selected CHs were extracted using CATCH and their physical properties were obtained. Statistical analysis of the measured physical CBP properties using two different methods resulted in a lower average intensity in the SDO/AIA data, or brightness temperature in the ALMA data, for CBPs within the boundaries of all five CHs. Depending on the CBP sample size, the difference in intensity for the SDO/AIA data, and brightness temperature for the ALMA data, between the CBPs inside and outside CHs ranged from between 2σ and 4.5σ, showing a statistically significant difference between those two CBP groups. We also obtained CBP areas, where CBPs within the CH boundaries showed lower values for the measured areas, with the observed difference between the CBPs inside and outside CHs between 1σ and 2σ for the SDO/AIA data, and up to 3.5σ for the ALMA data, indicating that CBP areas are also significantly different for the two CBP groups. We also found that, in comparison to the SDO/AIA data, the measured CBP properties in the ALMA data show a small brightness temperature difference and a higher area difference between the CBPs within and outside of CHs, possibly because of the modest spatial resolution of the ALMA images. Conclusions. Given the measured properties of the CBPs, we conclude that the CBPs inside CHs tend to be less bright on average, but also smaller in comparison to those outside of CHs. This conclusion might point to the specific physical conditions and properties of the local CH region around a CBP limiting the maximum achievable intensity (temperature) and size of a CBP. The need for the interferometric ALMA data is also emphasised to get more precise physical CBP property measurements at chromospheric heights.

Discovery of a Dusty, Chemically Mature Companion to a z ∼ 4 Starburst Galaxy in JWST ERS Data

We report the discovery of two companion sources to a strongly lensed galaxy SPT0418-47 (“ring”) at redshift 4.225, targeted by the JWST Early Release Science program. We confirm that these sources are at a similar redshift to the ring based on Hα detected in the NIRSpec spectrum and [C ii] λ158 μm line from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Using multiple spectral lines detected in JWST/NIRSpec, the rest-frame optical to infrared images from NIRCam and MIRI and far-infrared dust continuum detected by ALMA, we argue that the newly discovered sources are actually lensed images of the same companion galaxy SPT0418-SE, hereafter referred to “SE,” located within 5 kpc in the source plane of the ring. The star formation rate derived using [C ii] and the dust continuum puts a lower limit of 17 M ☉ yr−1, while the SFRHα is estimated to be >2 times lower, thereby confirming that SE is a dust-obscured star-forming galaxy. Analysis using optical strong line diagnostics suggests that SE has near-solar elemental abundance, while the ring appears to have supersolar metallicity O/H and N/O. We attempt to reconcile the high metallicity in this system by invoking early onset of star formation with continuous high star-forming efficiency or by suggesting that optical strong line diagnostics need revision at high redshift. We suggest that SPT0418-47 resides in a massive dark-matter halo with yet-to-be-discovered neighbors. This work highlights the importance of joint analysis of JWST and ALMA data for a deep and complete picture of the early universe.

Spatio-temporal comparisons of the hydrogen-alpha line width and ALMA 3 mm brightness temperature in the weak solar network

Comparisons between the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) 3 mm emission and a range of optical and UV solar observations have found the strongest correspondence between the width of the hydrogen alpha line at 656.3 nm and the 3 mm brightness temperature. Previous studies on the oscillatory power of p-modes using ALMA Band 3 and Band 6 data in the 3–5 min period bandpass have found a confusing mix of results, with many reporting a complete lack of the p-mode enhancement typically found in other chromospheric observables. We study these issues using an extensive, publicly available coordinated data set targeting a region of weak network flux near disk center at time SOL 2017-03-17T15:42-16:45. We focus on the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectropolarimeter (IBIS) H-alpha and ALMA 3 mm data series. We confirm the strong correlation between the H-alpha line width and the 3 mm brightness temperature, but find a bimodal relation between the two diagnostics, with a shallower slope of 7.4e-5 Å/K in cooler regions and steeper slope of 1.2e-4 Å/K in hotter regions. The origin of the bimodal distribution is unknown, but does hold for the duration of the observations. Both slopes are steeper than a previously reported value, but this is likely due to systematic differences in the analysis. We then calculate the oscillatory power in the H-alpha and 3 mm data. The IBIS data clearly show the p-mode oscillations in spatially averaged power spectra while the ALMA data do not. However, when we remove IBIS data at times corresponding to the ALMA calibration windows, the spatially averaged power spectra for the two data series are nearly identical, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.9895. Further, the power in the two bands remains strongly correlated when the spatial information is retained but the power is integrated over different temporal frequency bands. We therefore argue that the lack of observed p-modes in the ALMA data may be predominantly due to spectral windowing induced by the timing and duration of the calibration observations. Finally, we find that spatial maps of oscillatory power at 3 mm display the pattern of magnetic shadows and halos typically displayed by other chromospheric diagnostics.

Increasing Mass-to-flux Ratio from the Dense Core to the Protostellar Envelope around the Class 0 Protostar HH 211

To study the transportation of magnetic flux from large to small scales in protostellar sources, we analyzed the Nobeyama 45 m N2H+ (1–0), JCMT 850 μm polarization, and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) C18O (2–1) and 1.3 and 0.8 mm (polarized) continuum data of the Class 0 protostar HH 211. The magnetic field strength in the dense core on a 0.1 pc scale was estimated with the single-dish line and polarization data using the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, and that in the protostellar envelope on a 600 au scale was estimated from the force balance between the gravity and magnetic field tension by analyzing the gas kinematics and magnetic field structures with the ALMA data. Our analysis suggests that from 0.1 pc–600 au scales, the magnetic field strength increases from 40–107 μG to 0.3–1.2 mG with a scaling relation between the magnetic field strength and density of B ∝ ρ 0.36±0.08, and the mass-to-flux ratio increases from 1.2–3.7 to 9.1–32.3. The increase in the mass-to-flux ratio could suggest that the magnetic field is partially decoupled from the neutral matter between 0.1 pc and 600 au scales, and hint at efficient ambipolar diffusion in the infalling protostellar envelope in HH 211, which is the dominant nonideal magnetohydrodynamic effect considering the density on these scales. Thus, our results could support the scenario of efficient ambipolar diffusion enabling the formation of the 20 au Keplerian disk in HH 211.

Deep solar ALMA neural network estimator for image refinement and estimates of small-scale dynamics

Context. The solar atmosphere is highly dynamic, and observing the small-scale features is valuable for interpretations of the underlying physical processes. The contrasts and magnitude of the observable signatures of small-scale features degrade as angular resolution decreases. Aims. The estimates of the degradation associated with the observational angular resolution allows a more accurate analysis of the data. Methods. High-cadence time-series of synthetic observable maps at λ = 1.25 mm were produced from three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic Bifrost simulations of the solar atmosphere and degraded to the angular resolution corresponding to observational data with the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA). The deep solar ALMA neural network estimator (Deep-SANNE) is an artificial neural network trained to improve the resolution and contrast of solar observations. This is done by recognizing dynamic patterns in both the spatial and temporal domains of small-scale features at an angular resolution corresponding to observational data and correlated them to highly resolved nondegraded data from the magnetohydrodynamic simulations. A second simulation, previously never seen by Deep-SANNE, was used to validate the performance. Results. Deep-SANNE provides maps of the estimated degradation of the brightness temperature across the field of view, which can be used to filter for locations that most probably show a high accuracy and as correction factors in order to construct refined images that show higher contrast and more accurate brightness temperatures than at the observational resolution. Deep-SANNE reveals more small-scale features in the data and achieves a good performance in estimating the excess temperature of brightening events with an average of 94.0% relative to the highly resolved data, compared to 43.7% at the observational resolution. By using the additional information of the temporal domain, Deep-SANNE can restore high contrasts better than a standard two-dimensional deconvolver technique. In addition, Deep-SANNE is applied on observational solar ALMA data, for which it also reveals eventual artifacts that were introduced during the image reconstruction process, in addition to improving the contrast. It is important to account for eventual artifacts in the analysis. Conclusions. The Deep-SANNE estimates and refined images are useful for an analysis of small-scale and dynamic features. They can identify locations in the data with high accuracy for an in-depth analysis and allow a more meaningful interpretation of solar observations.

ALMA Observations of the HD 110058 Debris Disk

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the young, gas-rich debris disk around HD 110058 at 0.″3–0.″6 resolution. The disk is detected in the 0.85 and 1.3 mm continuum, as well as the J = 2–1 and J = 3–2 transitions of 12CO and 13CO. The observations resolve the dust and gas distributions and reveal that this is the smallest debris disk around stars of similar luminosity observed by ALMA. The new ALMA data confirm the disk is very close to edge-on, as shown previously in scattered-light images. We use radiative transfer modeling to constrain the physical properties of dust and gas disks. The dust density peaks at around 31 au and has a smooth outer edge that extends out to ∼70 au. Interestingly, the dust emission is marginally resolved along the minor axis, which indicates that it is vertically thick if truly close to edge-on with an aspect ratio between 0.13 and 0.28. We also find that the CO gas distribution is more compact than the dust (similar to the disk around 49 Ceti), which could be due to a low viscosity and a higher gas release rate at small radii. Using simulations of the gas evolution taking into account the CO photodissociation, shielding, and viscous evolution, we find that HD 110058's CO gas mass and distribution are consistent with a secondary origin scenario. Finally, we find that the gas densities may be high enough to cause the outward drift of small dust grains in the disk.

Does the Lockstep Growth between Black Holes and Bulges Create Their Mass Relation?

Recent studies have revealed a strong relation between the sample-averaged black hole (BH) accretion rate (BHAR) and star formation rate (SFR) among bulge-dominated galaxies—i.e., “lockstep” BH–bulge growth—in the distant universe. This relation might be closely connected to the BH–bulge mass correlation observed in the local universe. To further understand BH–bulge coevolution, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(2–1) or CO(3–2) observations of seven star-forming bulge-dominated galaxies at z = 0.5–2.5. Using the ALMA data, we detect significant (>3σ) CO emission from four objects. For our sample of seven galaxies, we measure (or constrain with upper limits) their CO line fluxes and estimate their molecular gas masses (M gas). We also estimate their stellar masses (M star) and SFRs, by modeling their spectral energy distributions. Using these physical properties, we derive the gas depletion timescales (τ dep ≡ M gas/SFR) and compare them with the bulge/BH growth timescales (τ grow ≡ M star/SFR ∼ M BH/BHAR). Our sample generally has τ dep shorter than τ grow by a median factor of ≳4, indicating that the cold gas will be depleted before significant bulge/BH growth takes place. This result suggests that BH–bulge lockstep growth is mainly responsible for maintaining the mass relation, not creating it. We note that our sample is small and limited to z < 2.5; JWST and ALMA will be able to probe to higher redshifts in the near future.

Prospects and challenges of numerical modeling of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) offers new diagnostic possibilities that complement other commonly used diagnostics for the study of the Sun. In particular, ALMA’s ability to serve as an essentially linear thermometer of the chromospheric gas at unprecedented spatial resolution at millimeter wavelengths and future polarization measurements has great diagnostic potential. Solar ALMA observations are therefore expected to contribute significantly to answering long-standing questions about the structure, dynamics, and energy balance of the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. In this regard, current and future ALMA data are also important for constraining and further developing numerical models of the solar atmosphere, which in turn are often vital for the interpretation of observations. The latter is particularly important given the Sun’s highly intermittent and dynamic nature that involves a plethora of processes occurring over extended ranges in spatial and temporal scales. Realistic forward modeling of the Sun therefore requires time-dependent three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamics that account for non-equilibrium effects and, typically as a separate step, detailed radiative transfer calculations, resulting in synthetic observables that can be compared to observations. Such artificial observations sometimes also account for instrumental and seeing effects, which, in addition to aiding the interpretation of observations, provide instructive tools for designing and optimizing ALMA’s solar observing modes. In the other direction, ALMA data in combination with other simultaneous observations enable the reconstruction of the solar atmospheric structure via data inversion techniques. This article highlights central aspects of the impact of ALMA for numerical modeling of the Sun and their potential and challenges, together with selected examples.

3D detection and characterization of ALMA sources through deep learning

ABSTRACT We present a deep learning (DL) pipeline developed for the detection and characterization of astronomical sources within simulated Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data cubes. The pipeline is composed of six DL models: a convolutional autoencoder for source detection within the spatial domain of the integrated data cubes, a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) for denoising and peak detection within the frequency domain, and four residual neural networks (ResNets) for source characterization. The combination of spatial and frequency information improves completeness while decreasing spurious signal detection. To train and test the pipeline, we developed a simulation algorithm able to generate realistic ALMA observations, i.e. both sky model and dirty cubes. The algorithm simulates always a central source surrounded by fainter ones scattered within the cube. Some sources were spatially superimposed in order to test the pipeline deblending capabilities. The detection performances of the pipeline were compared to those of other methods and significant improvements in performances were achieved. Source morphologies are detected with subpixel accuracies obtaining mean residual errors of 10−3 pixel (0.1 mas) and 10−1 mJy beam−1 on positions and flux estimations, respectively. Projection angles and flux densities are also recovered within 10 per cent of the true values for 80 and 73 per cent of all sources in the test set, respectively. While our pipeline is fine-tuned for ALMA data, the technique is applicable to other interferometric observatories, as SKA, LOFAR, VLBI, and VLTI.

Millimeter Dust Emission and Planetary Dynamics in the HD 106906 System

Debris disks are dusty, optically thin structures around main-sequence stars. HD 106906AB is a short-period stellar binary, host to a wide-separation planet, HD 106906b, and a debris disk. Only a few known systems include a debris disk and a directly imaged planet, and HD 106906 is the only one in which the planet is exterior to the disk. The debris disk is edge-on and highly asymmetric in scattered light. Here we resolve the disk structure at a resolution of 0.″38 (39 au) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at a wavelength of 1.3 mm. We model the disk with both a narrow and broad ring of material, and find that a radially broad, axisymmetric disk between radii of ∼50–100 au is able to capture the structure of the observations without evidence of any asymmetry or eccentricity, other than a tentative stellocentric offset. We place stringent upper limits on both the gas and dust contents of a putative circumplanetary disk. We interpret the ALMA data in concert with scattered-light observations of the inner ring and astrometric constraints on the planet’s orbit, and find that the observations are consistent with a large-separation, low-eccentricity orbit for the planet. A dynamical analysis indicates that the central binary can efficiently stabilize planetesimal orbits interior to ∼100 au, which somewhat relaxes the constraints on the eccentricity and semimajor axis. The observational constraints are consistent with in-situ formation via gravitational instability but cannot rule out a scattering event as the origin for HD 106906b’s current orbit.