arXiv subjects

M. Smith

Publications and source records attributed to M. Smith.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Selection Function of Clusters in Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Data from Cross-Matching with South Pole Telescope Detections

Galaxy clusters selected based on overdensities of galaxies in photometric surveys provide the largest cluster samples. Yet modeling the selection function of such samples is complicated by non-cluster members projected along the line of sight (projection effects) and the potential detection of unvirialized objects (contamination). We empirically constrain the magnitude of these effects by cross-matching galaxy clusters selected in the Dark Energy survey data with the \rdmpr$\,$ algorithm with significant detections in three South Pole Telescope surveys (SZ, pol-ECS, pol-500d). For matched clusters, we augment the \rdmpr$\,$catalog by the SPT detection significance. For unmatched objects we use the SPT detection threshold as an upper limit on the SZe signature. Using a Bayesian population model applied to the collected multi-wavelength data, we explore various physically motivated models to describe the relationship between observed richness and halo mass. Our analysis reveals the limitations of a simple lognormal scatter model in describing the data. We rule out significant contamination by unvirialized objects at the high-richness end of the sample. While dedicated simulations offer a well-fitting calibration of projection effects, our findings suggest the presence of redshift-dependent trends that these simulations may not have captured. Our findings highlight that modeling the selection function of optically detected clusters remains a complicated challenge, requiring a combination of simulation and data-driven approaches.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

ZTF SN Ia DR2: Environmental dependencies of stretch and luminosity of a volume limited sample of 1,000 Type Ia Supernovae

To get distances, Type Ia Supernovae magnitudes are corrected for their correlation with lightcurve width and colour. Here we investigate how this standardisation is affected by the SN environment, with the aim to reduce scatter and improve standardisation. We first study the SN Ia stretch distribution, as well as its dependence on environment, as characterised by local and global (g-z) colour and stellar mass. We then look at the standardisation parameter $α$, which accounts for the correlation between residuals and stretch, along with its environment dependence and linearity. We finally compute magnitude offsets between SNe in different astrophysical environments after colour and stretch standardisation, aka steps. This analysis is made possible due to the unprecedented statistics of the ZTF SN Ia DR2 volume-limited sample. The stretch distribution exhibits a bimodal behaviour, as previously found in literature. However, we find the distribution means to decrease with host stellar mass at a 9.2$σ$ significance. We demonstrate, at the 13.4$σ$ level, that the stretch-magnitude relation is non-linear, challenging the usual linear stretch-residuals relation. Fitting for a broken-$α$ model, we indeed find two different slopes between stretch regimes ($x_1<-0.48\pm0.08$): $α_{low}=0.27\pm0.01$ and $α_{high}=0.08\pm0.01$, a $Δ_α=-0.19\pm0.01$ difference. As the relative proportion of SNe Ia in the high-/low-stretch modes evolves with redshift and environment, this implies that a linear $α$ also evolves with redshift and environment. Concerning the environmental magnitude offset $γ$, we find it to be greater than 0.12 mag regardless of the considered environmental tracer used (local or global colour and stellar mass), all measured at the $\geq 5σ$ level, increased to $\sim0.17\pm0.01$ mag when accounting for the stretch-non linearity.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Calibrating the Absolute Magnitude of Type Ia Supernovae in Nearby Galaxies using [OII] and Implications for $H_{0}$

The present state of cosmology is facing a crisis where there is a fundamental disagreement in measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_{0}$), with significant tension between the early and late universe methods. Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are important to measuring $H_{0}$ through the astronomical distance ladder. However, there remains potential to better standardise SN Ia light curves by using known dependencies on host galaxy properties after the standard light curve width and colour corrections have been applied to the peak SN Ia luminosities. To explore this, we use the 5-year photometrically identified SNe Ia sample obtained by the Dark Energy Survey, along with host galaxy spectra obtained by the Australian Dark Energy Survey. Using host galaxy spectroscopy, we find a significant trend with the equivalent width (EW) of the [OII] $λλ$ 3727, 29 doublet, a proxy for specific star formation rate, and Hubble residuals. We find that the correlation with [OII] EW is a powerful alternative to the commonly used mass step after initial light curve corrections. Applying this [OII] EW correction to 20 SNe Ia in calibrator galaxies observed with WiFeS, we examined the impact on SN Ia absolute magnitudes and $H_{0}$. Our [OII] EW corrections result in $H_{0}$ values ranging between 73.04 to 73.51 $\mathrm{km} \mathrm{s}^{-1} \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, with a combined statistical and systematic uncertainty of $\sim$1.31 $\mathrm{km} \mathrm{s}^{-1} \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$. However, even with this additional correction, the impact of host galaxy properties in standardising SNe Ia appears limited in reducing the current tension ($\sim$5$σ$) with the CMB result for $H_{0}$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Constraints on $f(R)$ gravity from tSZE-selected SPT galaxy clusters and weak lensing mass calibration from DES and HST

We present constraints on the $f(R)$ gravity model using a sample of 1,005 galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.25 - 1.78$ that have been selected through the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZE) from South Pole Telescope (SPT) data and subjected to optical and near-infrared confirmation with the Multi-component Matched Filter (MCMF) algorithm. We employ weak gravitational lensing mass calibration from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data for 688 clusters at $z < 0.95$ and from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for 39 clusters with $0.6 < z < 1.7$. Our cluster sample is a powerful probe of $f(R)$ gravity, because this model predicts a scale-dependent enhancement in the growth of structure, which impacts the halo mass function (HMF) at cluster mass scales. To account for these modified gravity effects on the HMF, our analysis employs a semi-analytical approach calibrated with numerical simulations. Combining calibrated cluster counts with primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Planck2018 release, we derive robust constraints on the $f(R)$ parameter $f_{R0}$. Our results, $\log_{10} |f_{R0}| < -5.32$ at the 95 % credible level, are the tightest current constraints on $f(R)$ gravity from cosmological scales. This upper limit rules out $f(R)$-like deviations from general relativity that result in more than a $\sim$20 % enhancement of the cluster population on mass scales $M_\mathrm{200c}>3\times10^{14}M_\odot$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Galaxy cluster matter profiles: I. Self-similarity, mass calibration, and observable-mass relation validation employing cluster mass posteriors

We present a study of the weak lensing inferred matter profiles $ΔΣ(R)$ of 698 South Pole Telescope thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect selected and MCMF optically confirmed galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.25 <z< 0.94$ that have associated weak gravitational lensing shear profiles from the Dark Energy Survey. Rescaling these profiles to account for the mass dependent size and the redshift dependent density produces average rescaled matter profiles $ΔΣ(R/R_\mathrm{200c})/(ρ_\mathrm{crit}R_\mathrm{200c})$ with a lower dispersion than the unscaled $ΔΣ(R)$ versions, indicating a significant degree of self-similarity. Galaxy clusters from hydrodynamical simulations also exhibit matter profiles that suggest a high degree of self-similarity, with RMS variation among the average rescaled matter profiles with redshift and mass falling by a factor of approximately six and 23, respectively, compared to the unscaled average matter profiles. We employed this regularity in a new Bayesian method for weak lensing mass calibration that employs the so-called cluster mass posterior $P(M_\mathrm{200c}|\hatζ, \hatλ, z)$, which describes the individual cluster masses given their tSZE and optical observables. We validated the method using realistic mock datasets and present observable-mass relation constraints for the SPT$\times$DES sample. We present new validation tests of the observable-mass relation that indicate the underlying power-law form and scatter are adequate to describe the real cluster sample but that also suggest a redshift variation in the intrinsic scatter of the $λ$-mass relation may offer a better description. In addition, the average rescaled matter profiles offer high signal-to-noise ratio constraints on the shape of real cluster matter profiles, which are in good agreement with available hydrodynamical $Λ$CDM simulations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

ZTF SN Ia DR2: High-velocity components in the Si II $λ$6355

The ZTF SN Ia Data Release 2 provides a perfect opportunity to perform a thorough search for, and subsequent analysis of, high-velocity components in the Si II $λ$6355 feature in the pre-peak regime. The source of such features remains unclear, with potential origins in circumstellar material or density/abundance enhancements intrinsic to the SN ejecta. Therefore, they may provide clues to the elusive progenitor and explosion scenarios of SNe Ia. We employ a MCMC fitting method followed by BIC testing to classify single and double Si II $λ$6355 components in the DR2. The detection efficiency of our classification method is investigated through the fitting of simulated features, allowing us to place cuts upon spectral quality required for reliable classification. These simulations were also used to perform an analysis of the recovered parameter uncertainties and potential biases in the measurements. Within the 329 spectra sample that we investigate, we identify 85 spectra exhibiting Si II $λ$6355 HVFs. We find that HVFs decrease in strength with phase relative to their photospheric counterparts - however, this decrease can occur at different phases for different objects. HVFs with larger velocity separations from the photosphere are seen to fade earlier leaving only the double components with smaller separations as we move towards maximum light. Our findings suggest that around three quarters of SN Ia spectra before -11 d show high-velocity components in the Si II $λ$6355 with this dropping to around one third in the six days before maximum light. We observe no difference between the populations of SNe Ia that do and do not form Si II $λ$6355 HVFs in terms of SALT2 light-curve parameter x1, peak magnitude, decline rate, host mass, or host colour, supporting the idea that these features are ubiquitous across the SN Ia population.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

ZTF SN Ia DR2: Colour standardisation of Type Ia Supernovae and its dependence on environment

As type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology transitions from a statistics-dominated to a systematics-dominated era, it is crucial to understand the remaining unexplained uncertainties that affect their luminosity, such as those stemming from astrophysical biases. SNe Ia are standardisable candles whose absolute magnitude reaches a scatter of 0.15 mag when empirical correlations with their light-curve stretch and colour and with their environment are accounted for. We investigate the dependence of the standardisation process of SNe Ia on the astrophysical environment, focusing on colour standardisation. We used the volume-limited ZTF SN Ia DR2 sample, which offers unprecedented statistics for the low-redshift ($z < 0.06$) range. We first studied the colour distribution, to then select a dustless subsample of objects. We then examined the colour-residual relation and its associated parameter $β$. Finally, we investigated the colour dependence of the environment-dependent magnitude offsets (steps) to separate their intrinsic and extrinsic components. Our sample of nearly 1,000 SNe probes the red tail of the colour distribution up to $c = 0.8$. The dustless sample exhibits a significantly shorter red tail ($4.3σ$) than the whole sample, but the distributions around $c\sim0$ are similar for both samples. This suggests that the reddening above $c\geq0.2$ is dominated by interstellar dust absorption of the host. The colour-residual relation is linear with SN colour. We found indications of a potential evolution of $β$ with the stellar host mass, with $β\sim3.6$ for low-mass galaxies, compared to $β=3.05\pm0.06$ for the full sample. Finally, in contrast to recent claims from the literature, we found no evolution of steps as a function of SN colour. This suggests that dust may not be the dominating mechanism for the dependence on the environment of the magnitude of SNe Ia.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

It's not $σ_8$ : constraining the non-linear matter power spectrum with the Dark Energy Survey Year-5 supernova sample

The weak gravitational lensing magnification of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is sensitive to the matter power spectrum on scales $k>1 h$ Mpc$^{-1}$, making it unwise to interpret SNe Ia lensing in terms of power on linear scales. We compute the probability density function of SNe Ia magnification as a function of standard cosmological parameters, plus an empirical parameter $A_{\rm mod}$ which describes the suppression or enhancement of matter power on non-linear scales compared to a cold dark matter only model. While baryons are expected to enhance power on the scales relevant to SN Ia lensing, other physics such as neutrino masses or non-standard dark matter may suppress power. Using the Dark Energy Survey Year-5 sample, we find $A_{\rm mod} = 0.77^{+0.69}_{-0.40}$ (68\% credible interval around the median). Although the median is consistent with unity there are hints of power suppression, with $A_{\rm mod} < 1.09$ at 68\% credibility.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

ZTF SN Ia DR2: The diversity and relative rates of the thermonuclear SN population

The Zwicky Transient Facility SN Ia Data Release 2 (ZTF SN Ia DR2) contains more than 3,000 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), providing the largest homogeneous low-redshift sample of SNe Ia. Having at least one spectrum per event, this data collection is ideal for large-scale statistical studies of the photometric, spectroscopic and host-galaxy properties of SNe Ia, particularly of the rarer 'peculiar' sub-classes. In this paper we first present the method we developed to spectroscopically classify the SNe in the sample, and the techniques we used to model their multi-band light curves and explore their photometric properties. We then show a method to distinguish between the peculiar sub-types and the normal SNe Ia. We also explore the properties of their host galaxies and estimate their relative rates, focusing on the peculiar sub-types and their connection to the cosmologically useful SNe Ia. Finally, we discuss the implications of our study with respect to the progenitor systems of the peculiar SN Ia events.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Dark Energy Survey Year 6 Results: Photometric Data Set for Cosmology

We describe the photometric data set assembled from the full six years of observations by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) in support of static-sky cosmology analyses. DES Y6 Gold is a curated data set derived from DES Data Release 2 (DR2) that incorporates improved measurement, photometric calibration, object classification and value added information. Y6 Gold comprises nearly $5000~{\rm deg}^2$ of $grizY$ imaging in the south Galactic cap and includes 669 million objects with a depth of $i_{AB} \sim 23.4$ mag at S/N $\sim 10$ for extended objects and a top-of-the-atmosphere photometric uniformity $< 2~{\rm mmag}$. Y6 Gold augments DES DR2 with simultaneous fits to multi-epoch photometry for more robust galaxy shapes, colors, and photometric redshift estimates. Y6 Gold features improved morphological star-galaxy classification with efficiency $98.6\%$ and contamination $0.8\%$ for galaxies with $17.5 < i_{AB} < 22.5$. Additionally, it includes per-object quality information, and accompanying maps of the footprint coverage, masked regions, imaging depth, survey conditions, and astrophysical foregrounds that are used for cosmology analyses. After quality selections, benchmark samples contain 448 million galaxies and 120 million stars. This paper will be complemented by online data access and documentation.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Comparing the DES-SN5YR and Pantheon+ SN cosmology analyses: Investigation based on "Evolving Dark Energy or Supernovae systematics?"

Recent cosmological analyses measuring distances of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) have all given similar hints at time-evolving dark energy. To examine whether underestimated SN Ia systematics might be driving these results, Efstathiou (2024) compared overlapping SN events between Pantheon+ and DES-SN5YR (20% SNe are in common), and reported evidence for a $\sim$0.04 mag offset between the low and high-redshift distance measurements of this subsample of events. If these offsets are arbitrarily subtracted from the entire DES-SN5YR sample, the preference for evolving dark energy is reduced. In this paper, we reproduce this offset and show that it has two sources. First, 43% of the offset is due to DES-SN5YR improvements in the modelling of supernova intrinsic scatter and host galaxy properties. These are scientifically-motivated modelling updates implemented in DES-SN5YR and their associated uncertainties are captured within the DES-SN5YR systematic error budget. Even if the less accurate scatter model and host properties from Pantheon+ are used instead, the DES-SN5YR evidence for evolving dark energy is only reduced from 3.9$σ$ to 3.3$σ$. Second, 38% of the offset is due to a misleading comparison because different selection functions characterize the DES subsets included in Pantheon+ and DES-SN5YR and therefore individual SN distance measurements are expected to be different because of different bias corrections. In conclusion, we confirm the validity of the published DES-SN5YR results.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Photometry of outer Solar System objects from the Dark Energy Survey II: a joint analysis of trans-Neptunian absolute magnitudes, colors, lightcurves and dynamics

For the 696 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with absolute magnitudes $5.5 < H_r < 8.2$ detected in the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we characterize the relationships between their dynamical state and physical properties -- namely $H_r$, indicating size; colors, indicating surface composition; and flux variation semi-amplitude $A$, indicating asphericity and surface inhomogeneity. We seek ``birth'' physical distributions that can recreate these parameters in every dynamical class. We show that the observed colors of these TNOs are consistent with 2 Gaussian distributions in $griz$ space, ``near-IR bright'' (NIRB) and ``near-IR faint'' (NIRF), presumably an inner and outer birth population, respectively. We find a model in which both the NIRB and NIRF $H_r$ and $A$ distributions are independent of current dynamical states, supporting their assignment as birth populations. All objects are consistent with a common rolling $p(H_r)$, but NIRF objects are significantly more variable. Cold classicals (CCs) are purely NIRF, while hot classical (HC), scattered, and detached TNOs are consistent with $\approx70\%$ NIRB, and resonances' NIRB fractions show significant variation. The NIRB component of the HCs and of some resonances have broader inclination distributions than the NIRFs, i.e. their current dynamics retains information about birth location. We find evidence for radial stratification within the birth NIRB population, in that HC NIRBs are on average redder than detached or scattered NIRBs; a similar effect distinguishes CCs from other NIRFs. We estimate total object counts and masses of each class within our $H_r$ range. These results will strongly constrain models of the outer solar system.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

Machine-Learning-Enabled Measurements of Astrophysical (p,n) Reactions with the SECAR Recoil Separator

The synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the $^{58}$Fe(p,n)$^{58}$Co reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66$\pm$0.12 MeV/nucleon $^{58}$Fe beam (corresponding to 3.69$\pm$0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3$\pm$6.3 mb and served as a benchmark for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach marks a significant advancement in experimental nuclear astrophysics, as it paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

ZTF SN Ia DR2: Properties of the low-mass host galaxies of Type Ia supernovae in a volume-limited sample

In this study, we explore the characteristics of `low-mass' ($\log(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 8$) and `intermediate-mass' ($8 \lt \log(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10$) host galaxies of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from the second data release (DR2) of the Zwicky Transient Facility survey and investigate their correlations with different sub-types of SNe Ia. We use the photospheric velocities measured from the Si II $λ$6355 feature, SALT2 light-curve stretch ($x_1$) and host-galaxy properties of SNe Ia to re-investigate the existing relationship between host galaxy mass and Si II $λ$6355 velocities. We also investigate sub-type preferences for host populations and show that while the more energetic and brighter 91T-like SNe Ia tends to populate the younger host populations, 91bg-like SNe Ia populate in the older populations. Our findings suggest High Velocity SNe Ia (HV SNe Ia) not only comes from the older populations but they also come from young populations as well. Therefore, while our findings can partially provide support for HV SNe Ia relating to single degenerate progenitor models, they indicate that HV SNe Ia other than being a different population, might be a continued distribution with different explosion mechanisms. We lastly investigate the specific rate of SNe Ia in the volume-limited SN Ia sample of DR2 and compare with other surveys.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

ZTF SN Ia DR2: Study of Type Ia Supernova lightcurve fits

Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology relies on the estimation of lightcurve parameters to derive precision distances that leads to the estimation of cosmological parameters. The empirical SALT2 lightcurve modeling that relies on only two parameters, a stretch x1, and a color c, has been used by the community for almost two decades. In this paper we study the ability of the SALT2 model to fit the nearly 3000 cosmology-grade SN Ia lightcurves from the second release of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) cosmology science working group. While the ZTF data was not used to train SALT2, the algorithm is modeling the ZTF SN Ia optical lightcurves remarkably well, except for lightcurve points prior to -10 d from maximum, where the training critically lacks statistics. We find that the lightcurve fitting is robust against the considered choice of phase-range, but we show the [-10; +40] d range to be optimal in terms of statistics and accuracy. We do not detect any significant features in the lightcurve fit residuals that could be connected to the host environment. Potential systematic population differences related to the SN Ia host properties might thus not be accountable for by the addition of extra lightcurve parameters. However, a small but significant inconsistency between residuals of blue- and red-SN Ia strongly suggests the existence of a phase-dependent color term, with potential implications for the use of SNe Ia in precision cosmology. We thus encourage modellers to explore this avenue and we emphasize the importance that SN Ia cosmology must include a SALT2 retraining to accurately model the lightcurves and avoid biasing the derivation of cosmological parameters.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Constraints on compact objects from the Dark Energy Survey five-year supernova sample

Gravitational lensing magnification of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) allows information to be obtained about the distribution of matter on small scales. In this paper, we derive limits on the fraction $α$ of the total matter density in compact objects (which comprise stars, stellar remnants, small stellar groupings and primordial black holes) of mass $M > 0.03 M_{\odot}$ over cosmological distances. Using 1,532 SNe Ia from the Dark Energy Survey Year 5 sample (DES-SN5YR) combined with a Bayesian prior for the absolute magnitude $M$, we obtain $α< 0.12$ at the 95\% confidence level after marginalisation over cosmological parameters, lensing due to large-scale structure, and intrinsic non-Gaussianity. Similar results are obtained using priors from the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations and galaxy weak lensing, indicating our results do not depend on the background cosmology. We argue our constraints are likely to be conservative (in the sense of the values we quote being higher than the truth), but discuss scenarios in which they could be weakened by systematics of the order of $Δα\sim 0.04$

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

ZTF SN Ia DR2: An environmental study of Type Ia supernovae using host galaxy image decomposition

The second data release of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility has provided a homogeneous sample of 3628 SNe Ia with photometric and spectral information. This unprecedented sample size enables us to better explore our currently tentative understanding of the dependence of host environment on SN Ia properties. In this paper, we make use of two-dimensional image decomposition to model the host galaxies of SNe Ia. We model elliptical galaxies as well as disk/spiral galaxies with or without central bulges and bars. This allows for the categorisation of SN Ia based on their morphological host environment, as well as the extraction of intrinsic galaxy properties corrected for both cosmological and atmospheric effects. We find that although this image decomposition technique leads to a significant bias towards elliptical galaxies in our final sample of galaxies, the overall results are robust. By successfully modelling 728 host galaxies, we find that the photometric properties of SNe Ia found in disks and in elliptical galaxies, correlate fundamentally differently with their host environment. We identified strong linear relations between light-curve stretch and our model-derived galaxy colour for both the elliptical (16.8$σ$) and disk (5.1$σ$) subpopulations of SNe Ia. Lower stretch SNe Ia are found in redder environments, which we identify as an age/metallicity effect. Within the subpopulation of SNe Ia found in disk containing galaxies, we find a significant linear trend (6.1$σ$) between light-curve stretch and model-derived local $r$-band surface brightness, which we link to the age/metallicity gradients found in disk galaxies. SN Ia colour shows little correlation with host environment as seen in the literature. We identify a possible dust effect in our model-derived surface brightness (3.3$σ$), for SNe Ia in disk galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

A theory of Stimulated and Spontaneous Axion Scattering

We present a theory for nonlinear, resonant excitation of dynamical axions by counter-propagating electromagnetic waves in materials that break both $\mathcal{P}$ and $\mathcal{T}$ symmetries. We show that dynamical axions can mediate an exponential growth in the amplitude of the lower frequency (Stokes) beam. We also discuss spontaneous generation of a counter-propagating Stokes mode, enabled by resonant amplification of quantum and thermal fluctuations in the presence of a single pump laser. Remarkably, the amplification can be orders of magnitude larger than that obtained via stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering processes, and can be modulated with the application of external magnetic fields, making stimulated axion scattering promising for optoelectronics applications.

cond-mat.str-el↗