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Yang Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Yang Huang.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Revisiting the Radial Metallicity Gradient-Age Relation in the Milky Way's Thin and Thick Disks

Galactic disks typically exhibit a negative radial metallicity gradient, indicating faster enrichment in the inner regions. Recent studies report that this gradient becomes flatter with increasing stellar age in the Milky Way's (MW) thin disk, while the thick disk exhibits a mildly positive gradient across all ages. In this work, we revisit the metallicity gradient-age relation (MGAR) in both the thin and thick disks of the MW, using spectroscopic data from LAMOST DR8 and stellar ages calibrated with asteroseismology. Our results show a steadily flattening MGAR in the thin disk and confirm a positive gradient $\sim0.013\,\mathrm{dex\,kpc^{-1}}$ in the thick disk. The flattening in the thin disk may be caused by large-scale radial migration induced by transient spiral arms, or by a time-dependent steepening of the interstellar medium (ISM) metallicity gradient as suggested by recent FIRE2 simulations. The positive gradient in the thick disk may reflect early enrichment of the outer regions by strong feedback or starburst-driven outflows in a turbulent, gas-rich proto-disk. These findings suggest distinct chemodynamical evolution paths for the MW's thin and thick disks and provide valuable constraints for future models of Galactic chemical evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

Complete Characterization on Maximum Pairwise Cross Intersecting Families (I)

The families $\mathcal{A}$ and $\mathcal{B}$ are cross intersecting if $A\cap B\ne \emptyset$ for any $A\in \mathcal{A}$ and $B\in \mathcal{B}$. Let $t\geq 2$ and $k_1\geq k_2\geq \cdots \geq k_t$. We say that $(\mathcal{F}_1, \dots, \mathcal{F}_t)$ is an $(n, k_1, \dots, k_t)$-cross intersecting system if $\mathcal{F}_1 \subseteq{[n]\choose k_1}, \ldots ,\mathcal{F}_t \subseteq{[n]\choose k_t}$ are non-empty pairwise cross intersecting families. Let $M(n,k_1,\ldots ,k_t)$ denote the maximum sum of sizes of families of an $(n,k_1,\ldots ,k_t)$-cross intersecting system. The case $t=2$ was studied by Frankl--Tokushige. Solving a problem of Shi-Frankl-Qian, Huang-Peng-Wang and Zhang-Feng independently determined $M(n, k_1, \dots, k_t)$ for all $n\geq k_1+k_2$.

math.CO↗

Detection of disk-jet co-precession in a tidal disruption event

Theories and simulations predict that intense spacetime curvature near black holes bends the trajectories of light and matter, driving disk and jet precession under relativistic torques. However, direct observational evidence of disk-jet co-precession remains elusive. Here, we report the most compelling case to date: a tidal disruption event (TDE) exhibiting unprecedented 19.6-day quasi-periodic variations in both X-rays and radio, with X-ray amplitudes exceeding an order of magnitude. The nearly synchronized X-ray and radio variations suggest a shared mechanism regulating the emission regions. We demonstrate that a disk-jet Lense-Thirring precession model successfully reproduces these variations while requiring a low-spin black hole. This study uncovers previously uncharted short-term radio variability in TDEs, highlights the transformative potential of high-cadence radio monitoring, and offers profound insights into disk-jet physics.

astro-ph.HE↗

The rotation curve of the Milky Way measured by Classical Cepheids from Gaia DR3

We determine the rotation curve (RC) of the Milky Way in the range 6 < R < 18 kpc using a sample of 903 carefully selected classical Cepheids with precise proper motions and high-quality radial velocities from \emph{Gaia} DR3. Their distances can be accurately measured from the well-known Period-Wesenheit relations. The RC is computed from the three-dimensional velocity components of these Cepheids. Generally, the RC shows a slight decline with distance from the Galactic center. On top of this general trend, the newly constructed RC shows a dip around R ~ 10-11 kpc, followed by a bump around R ~ 13-14 kpc. This feature has also been reported in other RC measurements, mostly in RCs traced by young tracers like Cepheids. To better constrain the Milky Way mass, an averaged RC is then constructed by combining measurements from this work and previous efforts. Due to the ambiguous nature of the dip-and-bump feature, this averaged RC is constructed only within the radial range where the RC appears to be less influenced by this feature. By using this averaged RC, we determine the circular velocity at solar position and also build a parameterized mass model of our Milky Way. The result for the circular velocity at the solar position is $V_c(R_0) = 236.8 \pm 0.8\ \mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$, which is in good agreement with previous measurements. The local dark matter density and the enclosed dark matter halo mass within 18 kpc are estimated from the averaged RC under different baryonic models, yielding a series of consistent results: a local density of $0.33-0.40\ \mathrm{GeV\,cm^{-3}}$ and an enclosed mass of $1.19-1.45 \times 10^{11}\ M_\odot$.

astro-ph.GA↗

SpecCLIP: Aligning and Translating Spectroscopic Measurements for Stars

In recent years, large language models (LLMs) have transformed natural language understanding through vast datasets and large-scale parameterization. Inspired by this success, we present SpecCLIP, a foundation model framework that extends LLM-inspired methodologies to stellar spectral analysis. Stellar spectra, akin to structured language, encode rich physical and chemical information about stars. By training foundation models on large-scale spectral datasets, our goal is to learn robust and informative embeddings that support diverse downstream applications. As a proof of concept, SpecCLIP involves pre-training on two spectral types--LAMOST low-resolution and Gaia XP--followed by contrastive alignment using the CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training) framework, adapted to associate spectra from different instruments. This alignment is complemented by auxiliary decoders that preserve spectrum-specific information and enable translation (prediction) between spectral types, with the former achieved by maximizing mutual information between embeddings and input spectra. The result is a cross-spectrum framework enabling intrinsic calibration and flexible applications across instruments. We demonstrate that fine-tuning these models on moderate-sized labeled datasets improves adaptability to tasks such as stellar-parameter estimation and chemical-abundance determination. SpecCLIP also enhances the accuracy and precision of parameter estimates benchmarked against external survey data. Additionally, its similarity search and cross-spectrum prediction capabilities offer potential for anomaly detection. Our results suggest that contrastively trained foundation models enriched with spectrum-aware decoders can advance precision stellar spectroscopy. Our code SpecCLIP is publicly available at https://github.com/Xiaosheng-Zhao/SpecCLIP

astro-ph.IM↗

AstroMMBench: A Benchmark for Evaluating Multimodal Large Language Models Capabilities in Astronomy

Astronomical image interpretation presents a significant challenge for applying multimodal large language models (MLLMs) to specialized scientific tasks. Existing benchmarks focus on general multimodal capabilities but fail to capture the complexity of astronomical data. To bridge this gap, we introduce AstroMMBench, the first comprehensive benchmark designed to evaluate MLLMs in astronomical image understanding. AstroMMBench comprises 621 multiple-choice questions across six astrophysical subfields, curated and reviewed by 15 domain experts for quality and relevance. We conducted an extensive evaluation of 25 diverse MLLMs, including 22 open-source and 3 closed-source models, using AstroMMBench. The results show that Ovis2-34B achieved the highest overall accuracy (70.5%), demonstrating leading capabilities even compared to strong closed-source models. Performance showed variations across the six astrophysical subfields, proving particularly challenging in domains like cosmology and high-energy astrophysics, while models performed relatively better in others, such as instrumentation and solar astrophysics. These findings underscore the vital role of domain-specific benchmarks like AstroMMBench in critically evaluating MLLM performance and guiding their targeted development for scientific applications. AstroMMBench provides a foundational resource and a dynamic tool to catalyze advancements at the intersection of AI and astronomy.

astro-ph.IM↗

Milky Way Mass Through Escape Velocity Curve from LAMOST K Giants

Escape velocity has long been used to constrain the mass of the Dark Matter (DM) halo in the Milky Way (MW). Here we present a study of the escape velocity curve using a sample of high-velocity K giants with full 6D phase-space information and relatively good quality, selected from LAMOST DR8 and cross-matched with Gaia DR3. To expand the high-velocity stars to larger distances, we used radius-dependent criteria of total velocity, that is, $v_{\rm GC}>300\;\rm{km s^{-1}}$ for the solar neighborhood; $v_{\rm GC}>v_{\rm min}\sim0.6\times v_{\rm esc}(r_{\rm GC})$ for outer region. We also selected halo stars based on $v_ϕ-{\rm [Fe/H]}$ information to ensure that the sample is isotropic. We modeled the velocity distribution with traditional power-law models to determine the escape velocity in each radial bin. For the first time, we have directly measured a relatively continuous escape velocity curve that can extend to Galactocentric radii of $\sim 50$ kpc, finding a decline in agreement with previous studies. The escape velocity at the solar position yielded by our measurements is $523.74^{+12.83}_{-13.47}\;\rm{km s^{-1}}$. Combined with the local circular velocity, we estimated the mass of the MW assuming a Navarro-Frenk-White DM profile, which resulted in a total mass of $M_{200,\;\rm{total}}=0.90_{-0.07}^{+0.06}\times 10^{12}\;M_{\odot}$, with a concentration of $c_{200}=13.47_{-1.70}^{+1.85}$. The small uncertainty implies that including the escape velocities beyond the solar neighborhood can result in a more precise mass estimate. Our derived MW mass is consistent with some recent studies using the escape velocity as well as other tracers, which may support a lower mass of the DM halo than in the past.

astro-ph.GA↗

StarWhisper Telescope: An AI framework for automating end-to-end astronomical observations

The exponential growth of large-scale telescope arrays has boosted time-domain astronomy development but introduced operational bottlenecks, including labor-intensive observation planning, data processing, and real-time decision-making. Here we present the StarWhisper Telescope system, an AI agent framework automating end-to-end astronomical observations for surveys like the Nearby Galaxy Supernovae Survey. By integrating large language models with specialized function calls and modular workflows, StarWhisper Telescope autonomously generates site-specific observation lists, executes real-time image analysis via pipelines, and dynamically triggers follow-up proposals upon transient detection. The system reduces human intervention through automated observation planning, telescope controlling and data processing, while enabling seamless collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers. Deployed across Nearby Galaxy Supernovae Survey's network of 10 amateur telescopes, the StarWhisper Telescope has detected transients with promising response times relative to existing surveys. Furthermore, StarWhisper Telescope's scalable agent architecture provides a blueprint for future facilities like the Global Open Transient Telescope Array, where AI-driven autonomy will be critical for managing 60 telescopes.

astro-ph.IM↗

Dynamics of photons and shadows for black holes haired with parity-odd fields

Strong self-gravitational fields enable the realization of macroscopic odd-parity quantum objects. Using ray-tracing methods, we systematically analyze the dynamics of photons and the shadow features of rotating black holes with parity-odd scalar hair and contrast them with those of Kerr black holes. Our results demonstrate measurable distinctions between scalar-haired black hole shadows and their Kerr counterparts. Notably, even for tiny scalar charge and negligible scalar hair mass contributions, these differences remain quantitatively resolvable. In particular, one of the hairy black hole reported here lies within the Event Horizon Telescope observational uncertainties, probing the scalar masses of $1.02\times10^{-20}$eV with M87*. These findings may provide related theoretical benchmarks for future observational campaigns targeting scalar-field dark matter candidates through black hole shadow imaging.

gr-qc↗

Search for Distant Hypervelocity Star Candidates Using RR Lyrae Stars

Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) are stars with velocities exceeding their local escape velocities. Searching for HVSs and studying their origins can be an important way to study the properties of the Milky Way. In this paper, we utilize precise distances for RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) derived from the period-absolute magnitude-metallicity (PMZ) relation, along with proper motions from Gaia DR3, to conduct a large-volume search for HVSs. Our sample consists of a catalog with 8,172 RRLs with metallicity, distance and radial velocities estimated from SDSS and LAMOST spectroscopic data, and an extended catalog of 135,873 RRLs with metallicity and distance estimated from Gaia photometry. After careful quality cuts, 165 hypervelocity RRL candidates were found. We performed further checks on their light curves, and selected the most reliable 87 hypervelocity RRLs. All of them exceed the Milky Way's escape velocity in the tangential component. Among them, 7 stars have tangential velocity over 800 km s^-1. We identified two spatially distinct distributions of hypervelocity RRLs: one concentrated toward the Galactic Center and another localized around the Magellanic Clouds, suggesting that their origins are likely associated with these regions through the Hills or other mechanisms. Furthermore, we detected a significant number of RRLs associated with dwarf galaxies that exceed the Milky Way's escape velocity, likely ejected from their host systems. Future Gaia releases and spectroscopic follow-up observations will provide further insight into their ejection origin.

astro-ph.GA↗

StableDub: Taming Diffusion Prior for Generalized and Efficient Visual Dubbing

The visual dubbing task aims to generate mouth movements synchronized with the driving audio, which has seen significant progress in recent years. However, two critical deficiencies hinder their wide application: (1) Audio-only driving paradigms inadequately capture speaker-specific lip habits, which fail to generate lip movements similar to the target avatar; (2) Conventional blind-inpainting approaches frequently produce visual artifacts when handling obstructions (e.g., microphones, hands), limiting practical deployment. In this paper, we propose StableDub, a novel and concise framework integrating lip-habit-aware modeling with occlusion-robust synthesis. Specifically, building upon the Stable-Diffusion backbone, we develop a lip-habit-modulated mechanism that jointly models phonemic audio-visual synchronization and speaker-specific orofacial dynamics. To achieve plausible lip geometries and object appearances under occlusion, we introduce the occlusion-aware training strategy by explicitly exposing the occlusion objects to the inpainting process. By incorporating the proposed designs, the model eliminates the necessity for cost-intensive priors in previous methods, thereby exhibiting superior training efficiency on the computationally intensive diffusion-based backbone. To further optimize training efficiency from the perspective of model architecture, we introduce a hybrid Mamba-Transformer architecture, which demonstrates the enhanced applicability in low-resource research scenarios. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that StableDub achieves superior performance in lip habit resemblance and occlusion robustness. Our method also surpasses other methods in audio-lip sync, video quality, and resolution consistency. We expand the applicability of visual dubbing methods from comprehensive aspects, and demo videos can be found at https://stabledub.github.io.

cs.CV↗

Evolution of Stellar Activity and Habitable zone: I. Ultraviolet Emission of Dwarfs in Open Clusters and Field Stars

Near-ultraviolet (NUV) radiation from dwarf stars plays a critical role in shaping the habitability of planetary systems, yet its long-term evolution across different spectral types remains poorly investigated. Based on GALEX NUV observations, we study the evolution of stellar NUV emission for a sample of 386,500 A- to M-type dwarfs spanning ages from 3 Myr to 10 Gyr, drawn from both open clusters and the field. The normalized NUV emission ($f_{\rm NUV}/f_{\rm J}$) is used to trace the evolutionary trends. Our results reveal distinct evolutionary pathways after considering the distance completeness: A and early-F dwarfs show a weak decline in NUV emission during the main-sequence phase; late-F to G dwarfs exhibit a clear decrease, consistent with continuous spin-down driven by magnetic braking; late-K and M-dwarfs undergo a rapid decline in NUV emission when they evolve from young stellar objects to main-sequence stars. Furthermore, we construct the evolutionary tracks of stellar ultraviolet habitable zone (UHZ). By comparing stellar circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) and UHZ, we find that G- and K-type stars offer the most stable overlap between thermal and UV habitability over long-term evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗

Systematic Search for Electromagnetic Counterparts to the Binary Neutron Star Merger Candidate GW231109_235456

In this letter, we present a systematic search for the electromagnetic counterparts of binary neutron star (BNS) merger candidate GW231109_235456 by examining all transients reported within the 90% probability region and detected within four days of the merger. While non-detection in $γ$-ray, we identify two optical candidates, each associated with and residing in a host galaxy, which locate within 330 Mpc from earth; notably, one of them, AT2023xqy, is located at a distance of $178.6$ Mpc, in good agreement with the estimated distance of the GW candidate ($\sim165^{+70}_{-69}~\mathrm{Mpc}$). Near the trigger time of GW231109_235456 (MJD 60257.996), AT2023xqy showed evidence of a $\sim$15-day rise, first detected at $3σ$ significance on MJD 60259.097 and confirmed above $5σ$ on MJD 60262.088. This was followed by a rapid $\sim$5-day decline and a plateau lasting at least 50 days, with the subsequent decay unobserved due to a data gap. The spatiotemporal coincidences indicate that AT2023xqy could be a candidate for the EM counterpart of BNS merger candidate GW231109_235456, though its lightcurve is difficult to reconcile with a standard kilonova. We examine two possible scenarios to explain the origin of AT2023xqy, a BNS merger-irrelevant scenario involving a peculiar supernova or a BNS merger-relevant scenario involving a magnetar-powered kilonova under extreme conditions. Follow-up radio observations are strongly encouraged, as they may provide critical insights into the nature of AT2023xqy.

astro-ph.HE↗

The influence of cosmological constant on light deflection in rotating spacetimes via the generalized Gibbons-Werner method

Recently, we proposed a generalized Gibbons-Werner (GW) method for analyzing particle trajectories in rotating spacetimes, regardless of their asymptotic behavior [Huang \textit{et al.}, \href{https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1475-7516/2024/01/013}{J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 01(2024), 013}]. Using this method, we examine the impact of the cosmological constant ($Λ$) on the light deflection in rotating spacetimes within the framework of Kerr-de Sitter (KdS) geometry. Although Sultana previously calculated the deflection angle of light in KdS spacetime, our study advances this research in three aspects: (i) Orbit solution -- the light trajectory is derived by directly solving the original equation of motion (EOM) without intermediate processes. (ii) Positions of the source and observer -- the finite distances of the source and observer from the lens are explicitly considered, avoiding approximations. (iii) Staticity of the source and observer -- the Randers optical space is employed to resolve the staticity constraint. Through these refined considerations, we obtain a novel expression for the deflection angle of light in KdS spacetime, accurate to second-order in $Λ$, as well as in the mass (M) and spin parameter (a) of the central body. Furthermore, we discuss the discrepancies between our results and previous expressions. Finally, we evaluate the observational implications of our corrections relative to Sultana's work in the lensing systems of the Sun and Sgr A*, and show that they may become observable with forthcoming high-precision astronomical measurements.

gr-qc↗

Decoding the Stability of Transition-Metal Alloys with Theory-infused Deep Learning

We introduce an interpretable deep learning framework that predicts the cohesive energy of transition-metal alloys (TMAs) by embedding cohesion theory within graph neural networks (GNNs). Beyond accurate prediction of cohesive energy, a key indicator of thermodynamic stability, the model offers mechanistic insights by disentangling energy contributions into physically meaningful components. These data-driven interpretations reveal periodic trends and stability principles governing transition metals. We apply the model to single-atom alloys (SAAs) to assess their thermodynamic resilience against two destabilizing processes: agglomeration (adatom clustering) and segregation (migration into the subsurface). Our analysis shows that these phenomena are governed by distinct physical factors-agglomeration is primarily influenced by localized d-orbital coupling, while segregation is dictated by delocalized effects such as wavefunction renormalization. This model thus serves as an explainable AI tool for understanding and guiding the design of stable TMAs, with implications for catalysis and materials discovery.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Experimental realization of dice-lattice flat band at the Fermi level in layered electride YCl

Flat electronic bands, where interactions among electrons overwhelm their kinetic energies, hold the promise for exotic correlation physics. The dice lattice has long been theorized as a host of flat bands with intriguing band topology. However, to date, no material has ever been found to host the characteristic flat bands of a dice lattice. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we discover a dice-lattice flat band at $E_F$ in the van der Waals (vdW) electride [YCl]$^{2+}$: 2e-. In this system, excess valence electrons from Y deconfine from the cation framework to form an interstitial anionic electron lattice that constitutes the dice lattice. Our ARPES measurements unambiguously identify two sets of dice-lattice bands in YCl, including a nearly dispersionless band at the Fermi level. The flat bands and other dispersive bands observed in ARPES find excellent agreement with first-principles calculations, and theoretical analysis reveals that the near-$E_F$ electronic structure is well captured by a simple dice-lattice model. Our findings thus end the long quest of a real dice flat band material and establish vdW electride YCl as a prototype of dice metals. Our results further demonstrate the anionic electron lattice as a novel scheme for realizing lattice geometries and electronic structures rare to find in conventional crystalline systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Revisiting the Proper Motions of M31 and M33 Using Massive Supergiant Stars with Gaia DR3

The proper motions (PMs) of M31 and M33 are key to understanding the Local Group's dynamical evolution. However, measurement discrepancies between Gaia blue and red samples, regarding whether the transverse velocity is remarkable, introduce significant ambiguity. In this work, we remeasure the systemic PMs of M31 and M33 using massive supergiant stars from Gaia Data Release 3. Clean disk tracers are selected via color-color diagrams, with foreground contaminants removed through kinematic and astrometric cuts. We identify the discrepancy in M31's blue and red samples as arising from systematic differences between Gaia's 5-parameter (5p) and 6-parameter (6p) astrometric solutions. The 6p solution, applied to sources lacking accurate color information, relies on a pseudo-color approximation, leading to lower precision and larger uncertainties. Two key limitations of the 6p solution are: 1) degraded astrometric accuracy for very red sources (GBP - GRP > 2.6); 2) significant PM zero-point offsets. In our sample, red sources are dominated by the 6p solution, while blue sources include a substantial fraction of 5p sources; this mismatch drives the observed discrepancy. By excluding extreme red sources and calibrating PM zero-points separately for 5p and 6p sources using background quasars, we reduce the discrepancy, bringing blue and red measurements into agreement within 1 sigma. We ultimately report the most robust Gaia-based PMs using high-quality 5p sources. For M31, we obtain (μ_α*, μ_δ)_M31 = (45.9 +/- 8.1, -20.5 +/- 6.6) μas/yr, consistent with, but more precise than, the HST result. For M33, we find (μ_α*, μ_δ)_M33 = (45.3 +/- 9.7, 26.3 +/- 7.3) μas/yr, agreeing with VLBA measurement within 1.5 sigma. These results support a first infall scenario for M33.

astro-ph.GA↗

The Milky Way is a less massive galaxy--new estimates of the Milky Way's local and global stellar masses

Stellar mass is the most fundamental property of a galaxy. While it has been robustly measured for millions of external galaxies, it remains poorly constrained for the Milky Way because of the strong selection effect from our inside perspective. In this work, we reconstruct the intrinsic vertical mass density profile in the solar neighborhood and the radial mass density profile across the entire Galaxy using data from the Gaia and APOGEE surveys, following careful correction for the selection function. The local density profile exhibits strong north-south asymmetry in the geometric thick disk regime and increases steeply toward the disk mid-plane, favoring an exponential model over the sech$^2$ model. Integrating the local vertical density profile yields a surface stellar mass density of 31.563$\pm$2.813(syst.)$\pm$0.024(stoch.)~${\rm M_{\odot}pc^{-2}}$, of which 25.074 and 6.489~${\rm M_{\odot}pc^{-2}}$ correspond to living stars and stellar remnants, respectively. The radial surface mass density profile {of the Milky Way} shares the same flat inner component as observed in the brightness profile. With this mass density profile {and local mass density from Gaia}, we derive a new estimate of the total stellar mass of the Milky Way of 2.607$\pm$0.353(syst.)$\pm$0.085(stoch.)${\rm \times10^{10}M_{\odot}}$, a factor of two lower than the previous results. This discrepancy arises primarily from the inner disk profile, which was previously unavailable and extrapolated from the outer disk profile. The lower stellar mass estimate of the Milky Way significantly reduces its rarity in terms of supermassive black hole mass among external galaxies and implies a larger dark matter-to-baryon mass ratio in the inner Galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗