arXiv subjects

Haifeng Yang

Publications and source records attributed to Haifeng Yang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Protoplanetary Disk Polarization at Multiple Wavelengths: Are Dust Populations Diverse?

Millimeter and sub-millimeter observations of continuum linear dust polarization provide insight into dust grain growth in protoplanetary disks, which are the progenitors of planetary systems. We present the results of the first survey of dust polarization in protoplanetary disks at 870 $μ$m and 3 mm. We find that protoplanetary disks in the same molecular cloud at similar evolutionary stages can exhibit different correlations between observing wavelength and polarization morphology and fraction. We explore possible origins for these differences in polarization, including differences in dust populations and protostar properties. For RY Tau and MWC 480, which are consistent with scattering at both wavelengths, we present models of the scattering polarization from several dust grain size distributions. These models aim to reproduce two features of the observational results for these disks: (1) both disks have an observable degree of polarization at both wavelengths and (2) the polarization fraction is higher at 3 mm than at 870 $μ$m in the centers of the disks. For both disks, these features can be reproduced by a power-law distribution of spherical dust grains with a maximum radius of 200 $μ$m and high optical depth. In MWC 480, we can also reproduce features (1) and (2) with a model containing large grains ($a_{max}$ = 490 $μ$m ) near the disk midplane and small grains ($a_{max}$ = 140 $μ$m) above and below the midplane.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Turbulent vortex with moderate dust settling probed by scattering-induced polarization in the IRS 48 system

We investigate the crescent-shaped dust trap in the transition disk, Oph IRS 48, using well-resolved (sub)millimeter polarimetric observations at ALMA Band 7 (870 $μ$m). The dust polarization map reveals patterns consistent with dust scattering-induced polarization. There is a relative displacement between the polarized flux and the total flux, which holds the key to understanding the dust scale heights in this system. We model the polarization observations, focusing on the effects of dust scale heights. We find that the interplay between the inclination-induced polarization and the polarization arising from radiation anisotropy in the crescent determines the observed polarization; the anisotropy is controlled by the dust optical depth along the midplane, which is, in turn, determined by the dust scale height in the vertical direction. We find that the dust grains can neither be completely settled nor well mixed with the gas. The completely settled case produces little radial displacement between the total and polarized flux, while the well-mixed case produces an azimuthal pattern in the outer (radial) edge of the crescent that is not observed. Our best model has a gas-to-dust scale height ratio of 2, and can reproduce both the radial displacement and the azimuthal displacement between the total and polarized flux. We infer an effective turbulence $α$ parameter of approximately $0.0001-0.005$. The scattering-induced polarization provides insight into a turbulent vortex with a moderate level of dust settling in the IRS 48 system, which is hard to achieve otherwise.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2023

Aligned Grains and Scattered Light Found in Gaps of Planet-Forming Disk

Polarized (sub)millimeter emission from dust grains in circumstellar disks was initially thought to be due to grains aligned with the magnetic field. However, higher resolution multi-wavelength observations along with improved models found that this polarization is dominated by self-scattering at shorter wavelengths (e.g., 870 $μ$m) and by grains aligned with something other than magnetic fields at longer wavelengths (e.g., 3 mm). Nevertheless, the polarization signal is expected to depend on the underlying substructure, and observations hitherto have been unable to resolve polarization in multiple rings and gaps. HL Tau, a protoplanetary disk located 147.3 $\pm$ 0.5 pc away, is the brightest Class I or Class II disk at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths. Here we show deep, high-resolution 870 $μ$m polarization observations of HL Tau, resolving polarization in both the rings and gaps. We find that the gaps have polarization angles with a significant azimuthal component and a higher polarization fraction than the rings. Our models show that the disk polarization is due to both scattering and emission from aligned effectively prolate grains. The intrinsic polarization of aligned dust grains is likely over 10%, which is much higher than what was expected in low resolution observations (~1%). Asymmetries and dust features are revealed in the polarization observations that are not seen in non-polarimetric observations.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Panchromatic (Sub)millimeter Polarization Observations of HL Tau Unveil Aligned Scattering Grains

Polarization is a unique tool to study the properties of dust grains of protoplanetary disks and detail the initial conditions of planet formation. Polarization around HL Tau was previously imaged using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Bands 3 (3.1 mm), 6 (1.3 mm), and 7 (0.87 mm), showing that the polarization orientation changes across wavelength $λ$. The polarization morphology at Band 7 is predominantly parallel to the disk minor axis but appears azimuthally oriented at Band 3, with the morphology at Band 6 in between the two. We present new ~0.2" (29 au) polarization observations at Q-Band (7.0 mm) using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and at Bands 4 (2.1 mm), 5 (1.5 mm), and 7 using ALMA, consolidating HL Tau's position as the protoplanetary disk with the most complete wavelength coverage in dust polarization. The polarization patterns at Bands 4 and 5 continue to follow the morphological transition with wavelength previously identified in Bands 3, 6, and 7. Based on the azimuthal variation, we decompose the polarization into contributions from scattering ($s$) and thermal emission ($t$). We find that $s$ decreases slowly with increasing $λ$, and $t$ increases more rapidly with $λ$ which are expected from optical depth effects of toroidally aligned, scattering prolate grains. The relatively weak $λ$ dependence of $s$ is consistent with large, porous grains. The sparse polarization detections from the Q-band image are also consistent with toroidally aligned prolate grains.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2023

UV-Optical Emission of AB Aur b is Consistent with Scattered Stellar Light

The proposed protoplanet AB Aur b is a spatially concentrated emission source imaged in the mm-wavelength disk gap of the Herbig Ae/Be star AB Aur. Its near-infrared spectrum and absence of strong polarized light have been interpreted as evidence supporting the protoplanet interpretation. However, the complex scattered light structures in the AB Aur disk pose challenges in resolving the emission source and interpreting the true nature of AB Aur b. We present new images of the AB Aur system obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical bands. AB Aur b and the known disk spirals are recovered in the F336W, F410M, and F645N bands. The spectral energy distribution of AB Aur b shows absorption in the Balmer jump, mimicking those of early-type stars. By comparing the colors of AB Aur b to those of the host star, the disk spirals, and predictions from scattered light and self-luminous models, we find that the emission from AB Aur b is inconsistent with planetary photospheric or accretion shock models. Instead, it is consistent with those measured in the circumstellar disks that trace scattered light. We conclude that the UV and visible emission from AB Aur b does not necessitate the presence of a protoplanet. We synthesize observational constraints on AB Aur b and discuss inconsistent interpretations of AB Aur b among different datasets. Considering the significance of the AB Aur b discovery, we advocate for further observational evidence to verify its planetary nature.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2023

Pressure-induced Superconductivity in Zintl Topological Insulator SrIn2As2

The Zintl compound AIn2X2 (A = Ca, Sr, and X = P, As), as a theoretically predicted new non-magnetic topological insulator, requires experiments to understand their electronic structure and topological characteristics. In this paper, we systematically investigate the crystal structures and electronic properties of the Zintl compound SrIn2As2 under both ambient and high-pressure conditions. Based on systematic angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements, we observed the topological surface states on its (001) surface as predicted by calculations, indicating that SrIn2As2 is a strong topological insulator. Interestingly, application of pressure effectively tuned the crystal structure and electronic properties of SrIn2As2. Superconductivity is observed in SrIn2As2 for pressure where the temperature dependence of the resistivity changes from a semiconducting-like behavior to that of a metal. The observation of nontrivial topological states and pressure-induced superconductivity in SrIn2As2 provides crucial insights into the relationship between topology and superconductivity, as well as stimulates further studies of superconductivity in topological materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Eccentric Dust Ring in the IRS 48 Transition Disk

Crescent-shaped structures in transition disks hold the key to studying the putative companions to the central stars. The dust dynamics, especially that of different grain sizes, is important to understanding the role of pressure bumps in planet formation. In this work, we present deep dust continuum observation with high resolution towards the Oph IRS 48 system. For the first time, we are able to significantly trace and detect emission along $95\%$ of the ring crossing the crescent-shaped structure. The ring is highly eccentric with an eccentricity of $0.27$. The flux density contrast between the peak of the flux and its counter part along the ring is $\sim 270$. In addition, we detect a compact emission toward the central star. If the emission is an inner circumstellar disk inside the cavity, it has a radius of at most a couple of astronomical units with a dust mass of $1.5\times 10^{-8}\rm\, M_\odot$, or $0.005\rm\, M_\oplus$. We also discuss the implications of the potential eccentric orbit on the proper motion of the crescent, the putative secondary companion, and the asymmetry in velocity maps.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

An in-depth exploration of LAMOST Unknown spectra based on density clustering

LAMOST (Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope) has completed the observation of nearly 20 million celestial objects, including a class of spectra labeled `Unknown'. Besides low signal-to-noise ratio, these spectra often show some anomalous features that do not work well with current templates. In this paper, a total of 638,000 `Unknown' spectra from LAMOST DR5 are selected, and an unsupervised-based analytical framework of `Unknown' spectra named SA-Frame (Spectra Analysis-Frame) is provided to explore their origins from different perspectives. The SA-Frame is composed of three parts: NAPC-Spec clustering, characterization and origin analysis. First, NAPC-Spec(Nonparametric density clustering algorithm for spectra) characterizes different features in the "unknown" spectrum by adjusting the influence space and divergence distance to minimize the effects of noise and high dimensionality, resulting in 13 types. Second, characteristic extraction and representation of clustering results are carried out based on spectral lines and continuum, where these 13 types are characterized as regular spectra with low S/Ns, splicing problems, suspected galactic emission signals, contamination from city light and un-gregarious type respectively. Third, a preliminary analysis of their origins is made from the characteristics of the observational targets, contamination from the sky, and the working status of the instruments. These results would be valuable for improving the overall data quality of large-scale spectral surveys.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

(Sub)millimeter Dust Polarization of Protoplanetary Disks from Scattering by Large Millimeter-Sized Irregular Grains

The size of dust grains, $a$, is key to the physical and chemical processes in circumstellar disks, but observational constraints of grain size remain challenging. (Sub)millimeter continuum observations often show a percent-level polarization parallel to the disk minor axis, which is generally attributed to scattering by $\sim 100μ$m-sized spherical grains (with a size parameter $x \equiv 2πa / λ< 1$, where $λ$ is the wavelength). Larger spherical grains (with $x$ greater than unity) would produce opposite polarization direction. However, the inferred size is in tension with the opacity index $β$ that points to larger mm/cm-sized grains. We investigate the scattering-produced polarization by large irregular grains with a range of $x$ greater than unity with optical properties obtained from laboratory experiments. Using the radiation transfer code, RADMC-3D, we find that large irregular grains still produce polarization parallel to the disk minor axis. If the original forsterite refractive index in the optical is adopted, then all samples can produce the typically observed level of polarization. Accounting for the more commonly adopted refractive index using the DSHARP dust model, only grains with $x$ of several (corresponding to $\sim$mm-sized grains) can reach the same polarization level. Our results suggest that grains in disks can have sizes in the millimeter regime, which may alleviate the tension between the grain sizes inferred from scattering and other means. Additionally, if large irregular grains are not settled to the midplane, their strong forward scattering can produce asymmetries between the near and far side of an inclined disk, which can be used to infer their presence.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2023

Record-high Mobility and Extreme Magnetoresistance on Kagome-lattice in Compensated Semimetal Ni3In2S2

The kagome-lattice crystal hosts various intriguing properties including the frustrated magnetism, charge order, topological state, superconductivity and correlated phenomena. To achieve high-performance kagome-lattice compounds for electronic and spintronic applications, careful tuning of the band structure would be desired. Here, the electronic structures of kagome-lattice crystal Ni3In2S2 were investigated by transport measurements, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy as well as ab initio calculations. The transport measurements reveal Ni3In2S2 as a compensated semimetal with record-high carrier mobility (~8683 cm2 V-1 S-1 and 7356 cm2 V-1 S-1 for holes and electrons) and extreme magnetoresistance (15518% at 2 K and 13 T) among kagome-lattice materials. These extraordinary properties are well explained by its band structure with indirect gap, small electron/hole pockets and large bandwidth of the 3d electrons of Ni on the kagome lattice. This work demonstrates that the crystal field and doping serve as the key tuning knobs to optimize the transport properties in kagome-lattice crystals. Our work provides material basis and optimization routes for kagome-lattice semimetals as electronics and spintronics applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Data mining techniques on astronomical spectra data. II : Classification Analysis

Classification is valuable and necessary in spectral analysis, especially for data-driven mining. Along with the rapid development of spectral surveys, a variety of classification techniques have been successfully applied to astronomical data processing. However, it is difficult to select an appropriate classification method in practical scenarios due to the different algorithmic ideas and data characteristics. Here, we present the second work in the data mining series - a review of spectral classification techniques. This work also consists of three parts: a systematic overview of current literature, experimental analyses of commonly used classification algorithms and source codes used in this paper. Firstly, we carefully investigate the current classification methods in astronomical literature and organize these methods into ten types based on their algorithmic ideas. For each type of algorithm, the analysis is organized from the following three perspectives. (1) their current applications and usage frequencies in spectral classification are summarized; (2) their basic ideas are introduced and preliminarily analysed; (3) the advantages and caveats of each type of algorithm are discussed. Secondly, the classification performance of different algorithms on the unified data sets is analysed. Experimental data are selected from the LAMOST survey and SDSS survey. Six groups of spectral data sets are designed from data characteristics, data qualities and data volumes to examine the performance of these algorithms. Then the scores of nine basic algorithms are shown and discussed in the experimental analysis. Finally, nine basic algorithms source codes written in python and manuals for usage and improvement are provided.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Data mining techniques on astronomical spectra data. I : Clustering Analysis

Clustering is an effective tool for astronomical spectral analysis, to mine clustering patterns among data. With the implementation of large sky surveys, many clustering methods have been applied to tackle spectroscopic and photometric data effectively and automatically. Meanwhile, the performance of clustering methods under different data characteristics varies greatly. With the aim of summarizing astronomical spectral clustering algorithms and laying the foundation for further research, this work gives a review of clustering methods applied to astronomical spectra data in three parts. First, many clustering methods for astronomical spectra are investigated and analysed theoretically, looking at algorithmic ideas, applications, and features. Secondly, experiments are carried out on unified datasets constructed using three criteria (spectra data type, spectra quality, and data volume) to compare the performance of typical algorithms; spectra data are selected from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Finally, source codes of the comparison clustering algorithms and manuals for usage and improvement are provided on GitHub.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Electronic Origin of Half-metal to Semiconductor Transition and Colossal Magnetoresistance in Spinel HgCr2Se4

Half-metals are ferromagnets hosting spin-polarized conducting carriers and crucial for spintronics applications. The chromium spinel HgCr2Se4 represents a unique type of half-metal, which features a half-metal to semiconductor transition (HMST) and exhibits colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) across the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic (FM-PM) transition. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we find that the Fermi surface of n-type HgCr2Se4 (n-HgCr2Se4) consists of a single electron pocket which moves above the Fermi level (EF) upon the FM-PM transition, leading to the HMST. Such a Lifshitz transition manifests a giant band splitting which originates from the exchange interaction unveiled with a specific chemical nonstoichiometry. The exchange band splitting and the chemical nonstoichiometry are two key ingredients to the HMST and CMR, consistent with our ab-initio calculation. Our findings provide spectroscopic evidences of the electronic origin of the anomalous properties of HgCr2Se4, which address the unique phase transition in half-metals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Diagnosing FUor-like Sources: The Parameter Space of Viscously Heated Disks in the Optical and Near-IR

FU Ori type objects (FUors) are decades-long outbursts of accretion onto young stars that are strong enough to viscously heat disks so that the disk outshines the central star. We construct models for FUor objects by calculating emission components from a steady-state viscous accretion disk, a passively-heated dusty disk, magnetospheric accretion columns, and the stellar photosphere. We explore the parameter space of the accretion rate and stellar mass to investigate implications on the optical and near-infrared spectral energy distribution and spectral lines. The models are validated by fitting to multi-wavelength photometry of three confirmed FUor objects, FU Ori, V883 Ori and HBC 722 and then comparing the predicted spectrum to observed optical and infrared spectra. The brightness ratio between the viscous disk and the stellar photosphere, $η$, provides an important guide for identifying viscous accretion disks, with $η=1$ ("transition line") and $η=5$ ("sufficient dominance line") marking turning points in diagnostics, evaluated here in the near-infrared. These turning points indicate the emergence and complete development of FUor-characteristic strong CO absorption, weak metallic absorption, the triangular spectral continuum shape in the $H$-band, and location in color-magnitude diagrams. Lower stellar mass $M_*$ and higher accretion rate $\dot{M}$ lead to larger $η$; for $M_*=0.3~{\rm M_\odot}$, $η=1$ corresponds to $\dot{M}=2\times10^{-7}~{\rm M_\odot}/$yr and $η=5$ to $\dot{M}=6\times10^{-7}~{\rm M_\odot}/$yr. The sufficient dominance line also coincides with the expected accretion rate where accreting material directly reaches the star. We discuss implications of the models on extinction diagnostics, FUor brightening timescales, viscous disks during initial protostellar growth, and eruptive young stellar objects (YSO) associated with FUors.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Probing Magnetic Fields in Protoplanetary Disk Atmospheres through Polarized Optical/IR Light Scattered by Aligned Grains

Magnetic fields play essential roles in protoplanetary disks. Magnetic fields in the disk atmosphere are of particular interest, as they are connected to the wind-launching mechanism. In this work, we study the polarization of the light scattered off of magnetically aligned grains in the disk atmosphere, focusing on the deviation of the polarization orientation from the canonical azimuthal direction, which may be detectable in near-IR polarimetry with instruments such as VLT/SPHERE. We show with a simple disk model that the polarization can even be oriented along the radial (rather than azimuthal) direction, especially in highly inclined disks with toroidally dominated magnetic fields. This polarization reversal is caused by the anisotropy in the polarizibility of aligned grains and is thus a telltale sign of such grains. We show that the near-IR light is scattered mostly by $μ$m-sized grains or smaller at the $τ=1$ surface and such grains can be magnetically aligned if they contain superparamagnetic inclusions. For comparison with observations, we generate synthetic maps of the ratios of $U_ϕ/I$ and $Q_ϕ/I$, which can be used to infer the existence of (magnetically) aligned grains through a negative $Q_ϕ$ (polarization reversal) and/or a significant level of $U_ϕ/I$. We show that two features observed in the existing data, an asymmetric distribution of $U_ϕ$ with respect to the disk minor axis and a spatial distribution of $U_ϕ$ that is predominantly positive or negative, are incompatible with scattering by spherical grains in an axisymmetric disk. They provide indirect evidences for scattering by aligned non-spherical grains.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

Approaching a Minimal Topological Electronic Structure in Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulator MnBi2Te4 via Surface Modification

The topological electronic structure plays a central role in the non-trivial physical properties in topological quantum materials. A minimal, hydrogen-atom-like topological electronic structure is desired for researches. In this work, we demonstrate an effort towards the realization of such a system in the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4, by manipulating the topological surface state (TSS) via surface modification. Using high resolution laser- and synchrotron-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we found the TSS in MnBi2Te4 is heavily hybridized with a trivial Rashba-type surface state (RSS), which could be efficiently removed by the in situ surface potassium (K) dosing. By employing multiple experimental methods to characterize K dosed surface, we attribute such a modification to the electrochemical reactions of K clusters on the surface. Our work not only gives a clear band assignment in MnBi2Te4, but also provides possible new routes in accentuating the topological behavior in the magnetic topological quantum materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Thermal Emission and Scattering by Aligned Grains: Plane-Parallel Model and Application to Multiwavelength Polarization of the HL Tau Disk

Telescopes are now able to resolve dust polarization across circumstellar disks at multiple wavelengths, allowing the study of the polarization spectrum. Most disks show clear evidence of dust scattering through their unidirectional polarization pattern typically at the shorter wavelength of $\sim 870 μ$m. However, certain disks show an elliptical pattern at $\sim 3$mm, which is likely due to aligned grains. With HL Tau, its polarization pattern at $\sim 1.3$mm shows a transition between the two patterns making it the first example to reveal such transition. We use the T-matrix method to model elongated dust grains and properly treat scattering of aligned non-spherical grains with a plane-parallel slab model. We demonstrate that a change in optical depth can naturally explain the polarization transition of HL Tau. At low optical depths, the thermal polarization dominates, while at high optical depths, dichroic extinction effectively takes out the thermal polarization and scattering polarization dominates. Motivated by results from the plane-parallel slab, we develop a simple technique to disentangle thermal polarization of the aligned grains $T_{0}$ and polarization due to scattering $S$ using the azimuthal variation of the polarization fraction. We find that, with increasing wavelength, the fractional polarization spectrum of the scattering component $S$ decreases, while the thermal component $T_{0}$ increases, which is expected since the optical depth decreases. We find several other sources similar to HL Tau that can be explained by azimuthally aligned scattering prolate grains when including optical depth effects. In addition, we explore how spirally aligned grains with scattering can appear in polarization images.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Polarization from Aligned Dust Grains in the $β$ Pic Debris Disk

We present 870 $μ$m ALMA polarization observations of thermal dust emission from the iconic, edge-on debris disk $β$ Pic. While the spatially resolved map does not exhibit detectable polarized dust emission, we detect polarization at the $\sim$3$σ$ level when averaging the emission across the entire disk. The corresponding polarization fraction is $P_\textrm{frac}$ = $0.51 \pm 0.19$%. The polarization position angle $χ$ is aligned with the minor axis of the disk, as expected from models of dust grains aligned via radiative alignment torques (RAT) with respect to a toroidal magnetic field ($B$-RAT) or with respect to the anisotropy in the radiation field ($k$-RAT). When averaging the polarized emission across the outer versus inner thirds of the disk, we find that the polarization arises primarily from the SW third. We perform synthetic observations assuming grain alignment via both $k$-RAT and $B$-RAT. Both models produce polarization fractions close to our observed value when the emission is averaged across the entire disk. When we average the models in the inner versus outer thirds of the disk, we find that $k$-RAT is the likely mechanism producing the polarized emission in $β$ Pic. A comparison of timescales relevant to grain alignment also yields the same conclusion. For dust grains with realistic aspect ratios (i.e., $s > 1.1$), our models imply low grain-alignment efficiencies.

astro-ph.SR↗