Universe, Volume 9, Issue 12 (December 2023) – 35 articles

Finding affine parameters for null geodesics is often of considerable physical importance, especially when studying null geodesics or dealing with conservation laws and/or averaged energy conditions. But explicitly finding null affine parameters is also often quite tedious and can sometimes even be somewhat tricky. Herein we shall demonstrate that the existence of a conformally related spacetime containing a conformal Killing vector, timelike in the domain of outer communication, is quite sufficient to define a preferred set of spatial three-slices—on which a well-defined “affine” three-metric can be introduced to capture the notion of affine null parameter—before explicitly finding the null geodesics. The construction depends on the properties of conformal transformations and on the conserved quantity associated with the conformal Killing vector. Having the affine null parameter in hand before attempting to find the actual null geodesics often quite radically simplifies other parts of the analysis. We emphasize that the successful identification of affine null parameters is a general-purpose tool of wide applicability in both general relativistic and astrophysical settings. Full article

A simple approach to the Hamiltonian theory of radiation phenomena is proposed. It is shown that the so-called “Trautman-Bondi-mass”, known to a rather narrow circle of specialists in general relativity, appears naturally in any special relativistic field theory. The structure of the “radiation data phase space” for the field and its isomorphism with the “Cauchy data phase space” are thoroughly analyzed. Full article

The equations of motion of an isospin-carrying particle in a Yang–Mills and gravitational field were first proposed in 1968 by Kerner, who considered geodesics in a Kaluza–Klein-type framework. Two years later, the flat space Kerner equations were completed by also considering the motion of the isospin by Wong, who used a field-theoretical approach. Their groundbreaking work was then followed by a long series of rediscoveries whose history is reviewed. The concept of isospin charge and the physical meaning of its motion are discussed. Conserved quantities are studied for Wu–Yang monopoles and diatomic molecules by using van Holten’s algorithm. Full article

In this overview, we discuss the (Schwartz) distributional stress–energy quadrupole and show it is a source of gravitational waves. We provide an explicit formula for the metric of linearised gravity in the case of a background Minkowski spacetime. We compare and contrast the two different representations for quadrupoles taken by Dixon and Ellis, present the formula for the dynamics of the quadrupole moments, and determine the number of free components. We review other approaches to the dynamics of quadrupoles, comparing our results. Full article

Astrophysical plasma ejections (jets) are formed and powered by black holes that accrete material from their companion star in binary systems. Black hole X-ray binary systems constitute potential powerful galactic and extragalactic neutrino and gamma-ray sources. After being accelerated to highly relativistic velocities and subjected to various energy-consuming interactions, the lepto-hadronic content of the jets produces secondary particles such as pions and muons that decay to gamma-ray photons and neutrinos heading towards the Earth. In this work, we employ a jet emission model in order to predict the neutrino and gamma-ray integral fluxes emanating from some of the most investigated and prominent stellar black hole X-ray binary systems in the Milky Way, such as GRO J1655-40, Cygnus X-1, SS 433, and GRS 1915+105. For the sake of comparison, we also include an extragalactic system, namely, LMC X-1, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. For the case of gamma-ray emissions, we also include absorption effects due to X-ray emission from the accretion disk and the black hole corona, as well as ultraviolet (UV) emission from the binary system’s companion star. Full article

The concept of torsion in geometry, although known for a long time, has not gained considerable attention from the physics community until relatively recently, due to its diverse and potentially important applications to a plethora of contexts of physical interest. These range from novel materials, such as graphene and graphene-like materials, to advanced theoretical ideas, such as string theory and supersymmetry/supergravity, and applications thereof in terms of understanding the dark sector of our Universe. This work reviews such applications of torsion at different physical scales. Full article

Unimodular gravity (UG) is often deemed comparable to General Relativity (GR) in many respects, despite the theory exhibiting invariance under a more limited set of diffeomorphic transformations. The discussion we propose in this work relies on the criteria for establishing the equivalence between these two formulations, specifically exploring UG’s application to static and spherically symmetric configurations with the energy-momentum tensor originating from either a scalar field or an electromagnetic field. We find that the equivalence between UG and GR might be disrupted when scrutinizing the stability of solutions at a perturbative level. Full article

Heartbeat star systems have been reported to exhibit two distinct different orbital dynamic evolution processes: apsidal precession (e.g., KIC 4544587) and orbital decay (e.g., KIC 3766353). While experiencing similar dynamic tidal interactions, these binary systems display different dynamical behaviors, which is a puzzling phenomenon. In this work, we deduced a theoretical relation between the timescale of stellar pulsation $P_{\mathrm{pul}}$ and orbital periods $P_{\mathrm{orb}}$ of heartbeat stars based on the resonance criteria representing the orbital local low-energy configuration. The theoretical relation shows that when the ratio of $P_{\mathrm{orb}}$ to $P_{\mathrm{pul}}$ is an integer, the specific orbital period is captured in the resonance state, resulting in resonance locking. The resonance criteria are verified by periodograms of the pulsations and orbits of the two systems KIC 4544587 and KIC 3766353 from observations. KIC 4544587 is an apsidal precession heartbeat star with eight observed resonant frequencies available from observations and has an almost integer ratio of $P_{\mathrm{pul}}/P_{\mathrm{orb}}=67.968$. On the contrary, KIC 3766353 is undergoing the process of orbital shrinkage with only three weak pulsation–orbital resonance frequencies available and shows a non-integer ratio of $P_{\mathrm{pul}}/P_{\mathrm{orb}}=83.163$. Given the results, the theoretical relation is a potential proxy to distinguish between apsidal precession and orbital decay binary systems. Furthermore, we predict that the orbital period of KIC 3766353 will be reduced to 2.492 days, at which time it will be transformed into apsidal precession. Full article

The evolution of a de Sitter Universe is the basis for both the accelerated Universe and the late-stationary Universe. So, how do we differentiate between both universes? In this paper, we state that it is not possible to design an experiment using luminous or angular distances to distinguish between the two cases because they are the same during the de Sitter phase. However, this equivalence allows us prediction of the signal of a constant dark energy emission with a signal peak around 29.5 MeV, in which, according to our astrophysical test of survival probability, the radiation must be non-standard photons. Remarkably, experiments by EGRET and COMPTEL have observed an excess of gamma photons in this predicted region, coming from a possible decay process of dark energy emission, which may constitute the smoking gun of a late-stationary Universe with the continuous creation of non-standard radiation, an alternative approach to understanding the current stages of the Universe’s evolution. Full article

The neutrino sector offers one of the most sensitive probes of new physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics (SM). The mechanism of neutrino mass generation is still unknown. The observed suppression of neutrino masses hints at a large scale, conceivably of the order of the scale of a rand unified theory (GUT), which is a unique feature of neutrinos that is not shared by the charged fermions. The origin of neutrino masses and mixing is part of the outstanding puzzle of fermion masses and mixings, which is not explained ab initio in the SM. Flavor model building for both quark and lepton sectors is important in order to gain a better understanding of the origin of the structure of mass hierarchy and flavor mixing, which constitute the dominant fraction of the SM parameters. Recent activities in neutrino flavor model building based on non-Abelian discrete flavor symmetries and modular flavor symmetries have been shown to be a promising direction to explore. The emerging models provide a framework that has a significantly reduced number of undetermined parameters in the flavor sector. In addition, such a framework affords a novel origin of $\mathcal{C}$$\mathcal{P}$ violation from group theory due to the intimate connection between physical $\mathcal{C}$$\mathcal{P}$ transformation and group theoretical properties of non-Abelian discrete groups. Model building based on non-Abelian discrete flavor symmetries and their modular variants enables the particle physics community to interpret the current and anticipated upcoming data from neutrino experiments. Non-Abelian discrete flavor symmetries and their modular variants can result from compactification of a higher-dimensional theory. Pursuit of flavor model building based on such frameworks thus also provides the connection to possible UV completions: in particular, to string theory. We emphasize the importance of constructing models in which the uncertainties of theoretical predictions are smaller than, or at most compatible with, the error bars of measurements in neutrino experiments. While there exist proof-of-principle versions of bottom-up models in which the theoretical uncertainties are under control, it is remarkable that the key ingredients of such constructions were discovered first in top-down model building. We outline how a successful unification of bottom-up and top-down ideas and techniques may guide us towards a new era of precision flavor model building in which future experimental results can give us crucial insights into the UV completion of the SM. Full article

Stark broadening parameters, line widths and shifts, for 15 N VI multiplets are calculated using semiclassical perturbation theory for temperatures from 50,000 K to 2,000,000 K, and perturber density of 10${}^{16}$ cm${}^{-3}$. As perturbers have been taken electrons, protons and He III ions (alpha particles), which are of interest particularly for white dwarfs. Moreover, B III, B IV, B V and B VI ions have been taken as well, due to their significance for proton-boron fusion investigations. An example of the importance of Stark broadening in comparison with thermal Doppler broadening in atmospheres of spectral class DO white dwarfs is also presented. The obtained results are of interest particularly for white dwarf atmospheres modelling and analysis and synthesis of their spectra as well as for laser driven plasma in proton-boron fusion investigations. Full article

This article investigates the radial and non-radial geodesic structures of the generalized K-essence Vaidya spacetime. Within the framework of K-essence geometry, it is important to note that the metric does not possess conformal equivalence to the conventional gravitational metric. This study employs a non-canonical action of the Dirac–Born–Infeld kind. In this work, we categorize the generalized K-essence Vaidya mass function into two distinct forms. Both the forms of the mass functions have been extensively utilized to analyze the radial and non-radial time-like or null geodesics in great detail inside the comoving plane. Indications of the existence of wormholes can be noted during the extreme phases of spacetime, particularly in relation to black holes and white holes, which resemble the Einstein–Rosen bridge. In addition, we have also detected a distinctive indication of the quantum tunneling phenomenon around the singularity ($r\to 0$). Furthermore, we have found that for certain types of solutions, there exist circular orbits through the event horizon as well as quasicircular orbits. Also, we have noted that there is no central singularity in our spacetime where both r and t tend towards zero. The existence of a central singularity is essential for any generalized Vaidya spacetime. This indicates that spacetime can be geodesically complete, which correlates with the findings of Kerr’s recent work (2023). Full article

Kaluza–Klein theory attempts a unification of gravity and electromagnetism through the hypothesis that spacetime has five dimensions, of which only four are observed. The original model gives rise to the standard Einstein–Maxwell theory after dimensional reduction. However, in five dimensions, the Einstein–Hilbert action is not unique, and one can add to it a Gauss–Bonnet term, giving rise to nonlinear corrections in the dimensionally reduced action. We consider such a model, which reduces to Einstein gravity nonminimally coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics. The black hole solutions of the four-dimensional model modify the Reissner–Nordström solutions of general relativity. We show that in the modified solutions, the gravitational field presents the standard singularity at $r=0$, while the electric field can be regular everywhere if the magnetic charge vanishes. Full article

Grassmann variables are used to formally transform a system with constraints into an unconstrained system. As a result, the Schrödinger equation arises instead of the Wheeler–DeWitt one. The Schrödinger equation describes a system’s evolution, but a definition of the scalar product is needed to calculate the mean values of the operators. We suggest an explicit formula for the scalar product related to the Klein–Gordon scalar product. The calculation of the mean values is compared with an etalon method in which a redundant degree of freedom is excluded. Nevertheless, we note that a complete correspondence with the etalon picture is not found. Apparently, the picture with Grassmann variables requires a further understanding of the underlying Hilbert space. Full article

The origin of the spins of stellar-mass black holes is still controversial, and angular momentum transport inside massive stars is one of the main sources of uncertainty. Here, we apply hierarchical Bayesian inference to derive constraints on spin models from the 59 most confident binary black hole merger events in the third gravitational-wave transient catalogue (GWTC-3). We consider up to five parameters: chirp mass, mass ratio, redshift, effective spin, and precessing spin. For the model selection, we use a set of binary population synthesis simulations spanning drastically different assumptions for black hole spins and natal kicks. In particular, our spin models range from the maximal to minimal efficiency of angular momentum transport in stars. We find that if we include the precessing spin parameter into our analysis, models predicting only vanishingly small spins are in tension with GWTC-3 data. On the other hand, models in which most spins are vanishingly small but that also include a subpopulation of tidally spun-up black holes are a good match to the data. Our results show that the precessing spin parameter has a crucial impact on model selection. Full article

Tidal orbital decay plays a vital role in the evolution of hot Jupiter systems. As of now, this has only been observationally confirmed for the WASP-12 system. There are a few other candidates, including WASP-4 b, but no conclusive result could be obtained for these systems as of yet. In this study, we present an analysis of new TESS data of WASP-4 b together with archival data, taking the light–time effect (LTE) induced by the second planetary companion into account as well. We make use of three different Markov chain Monte Carlo models: a circular orbit with a constant orbital period, a circular orbit with a decaying orbit, and an elliptical orbit with apsidal precession. This analysis is repeated for four cases. The first case features no LTE correction, with the remaining three cases featuring three different timing correction approaches because of the large uncertainties of the ephemeris of planet c. Comparison of these models yields no conclusive answer to the cause of WASP-4 b’s apparent transit timing variations. A broad range of values of the orbital decay and apsidal precession parameters are possible, depending on the LTE correction. However, the LTE caused by planet c can explain on its own—in full—the observed transit timing variations of planet b, with no orbital decay or apsidal precession being required at all. This work highlights the importance of continued photometric and spectroscopic monitoring of hot Jupiters. Full article

We present photodynamical models of four eclipsing binary systems that show strong evidence of being members of higher-order multiple systems via their strong eclipse timing variations and/or via the presence of extra eclipse events. Three of these systems are from the main Kepler mission, and the other is from the K2 mission. We provide some ground-based radial velocities measurements for the three Kepler systems and make use of recent light curves from the TESS mission. Our sample consists of two 2 + 1 systems and two 2 + 2 systems. The first 2 + 1 system, KIC 7668648, consists of an eclipsing binary ($P_{\mathrm{bin}}$ = 27.8 days) with late-type stars ($M_1=0.8403\pm 0.0090$$M_{\odot }$, $R_1=1.0066\pm 0.0036R_{\odot }$ and $M_2=0.8000\pm 0.0085M_{\odot }$, $R_2=0.8779\pm 0.0032R_{\odot }$) with a low-mass star ($M_3=0.2750\pm 0.0029M_{\odot }$, $R_3=0.2874\pm 0.0010R_{\odot }$) on a roughly coplanar outer orbit ($P_3=208$ days). There are several eclipse events involving the third star that allow for the precise determination of the system parameters. The second 2 + 1 system, KIC 10319590, consists of a binary ($P_{\mathrm{bin}}=21.3$ days) with late-type stars ($M_1=1.108\pm 0.043M_{\odot }$, $R_1=1.590\pm 0.019R_{\odot }$ and $M_2=0.743\pm 0.023M_{\odot }$, $R_2=0.7180\pm 0.0086R_{\odot }$) that stopped eclipsing about a third of the way into the nominal Kepler mission. We show here that the third star in this system is a Sun-like star ($M_3=1.049\pm 0.038M_{\odot }$, $R_3=1.39\pm 0.11R_{\odot }$) on an inclined outer orbit ($P_3=456$ days). In this case, there are no extra eclipse events. We present the first comprehensive solution for KIC 5255552 and demonstrate that it is a 2 + 2 system consisting of an eclipsing binary ($P_{\mathrm{bin},1}=32.5$ days) with late-type stars ($M_1=0.950\pm 0.018M_{\odot }$, $R_1=0.9284\pm 0.0063R_{\odot }$ and $M_2=0.745\pm 0.014M_{\odot }$, $R_2=0.6891\pm 0.0051R_{\odot }$) paired with a non-eclipsing binary ($P_{\mathrm{bin},2}=33.7$ days) with somewhat lower-mass stars ($M_3=0.483\pm 0.010M_{\odot }$, $R_3=0.4640\pm 0.0036R_{\odot }$ and $M_4=0.507\pm 0.010M_{\odot }$, $R_4=0.4749\pm 0.0031R_{\odot }$). The two binaries, which have nearly coplanar orbits, orbit their common barycenter on a roughly aligned outer orbit ($P_{\mathrm{out}}=878$ days). There are extra eclipse events involving the component stars of the non-eclipsing binary, which leads to relatively small uncertainties in the system parameters. The second 2 + 2 system, EPIC 220204960, consists of a pair of eclipsing binaries ($P_{\mathrm{bin},2}=13.3$ days, $P_{\mathrm{bin},2}=14.4$ days) that both consist of two low-mass stars ($M_1=0.54M_{\odot }$, $R_1=0.46R_{\odot }$, $M_2=0.46M_{\odot }$, $R_2=0.37R_{\odot }$ and $M_3=0.38M_{\odot }$, $R_3=0.40R_{\odot }$, $M_4=0.38M_{\odot }$, $R_4=0.37R_{\odot }$) that orbit their common barycenter on a poorly determined outer orbit. Because of the relatively short time span of the observations (≈80 days for the photometry and ≈70 days for the radial velocity measurements), the masses and radii of the four stars in EPIC 220204960 can only be determined with accuracies of ≈10% and ≈5%, respectively. We show that the most likely period of the outer orbit is 957 days, with a $1\sigma$ range of 595 to 1674 days. We can only place weak constraints on the mutual inclinations of the orbital planes, and additional radial velocity measurements and/or additional eclipse observations would allow for much tighter constraints on the properties of the outer orbit. Full article

Magnetars form a special class of neutron stars possessing superstrong magnetic fields and demonstrating power flares triggered by these fields. Observations of such flares reveal the presence of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) at certain frequencies; they are thought to be excited in the flares. QPOs carry potentially important information on magnetar structure, magnetic field, and mechanisms of magnetar activity. We calculate frequencies of torsional (magneto-elastic) oscillations of the magnetar crust treating the magnetic field effects in the first order of perturbation theory. The theory predicts the splitting of non-magnetic oscillation frequencies into Zeeman components. Zeeman splitting of the torsional oscillation spectrum of magnetars was suggested, clearly described and estimated by Shaisultanov and Eichler (2009), but their work has not been given considerable attention. To extend it, we suggest the technique of calculating oscillation frequencies, including Zeeman splitting at not too strong magnetic fields for arbitrary magnetic field configuration. Zeeman splitting enriches the oscillation spectrum and simplifies the theoretical interpretation of observations. We calculate several low-frequency oscillations of magnetars with a pure dipole magnetic field in the crust. The results qualitatively agree with the low-frequency QPOs detected in the hyperflare of SGR 1806–20 and in the giant flare of SGR 1900+14. Full article

We prove that the simplest gravitational symmetry-reduced models describing cosmology and black hole mechanics are invariant under the Schrödinger group. We consider the flat FRW cosmology filled with a massless scalar field and the Schwarzschild black hole mechanics and construct their conserved charges using the Eisenhart–Duval (ED) lift method in order to show that they form a Schrödinger algebra. Our method illustrates how the ED lift and the more standard approach analyzing the geometry of the field space are complementary in revealing different sets of symmetries of these systems. We further identify an infinite-dimensional symmetry for those two models, generated by conserved charges organized in two copies of a $\mathfrak{Witt}$ algebra. These extended charge algebras provide a new algebraic characterization of these homogeneous gravitational sectors. They guide the path to their quantization and open the road to non-linear extensions of quantum cosmology and quantum black hole models in terms of hydrodynamic equations in field space. Full article

When high-energy particles originating from space penetrate the atmosphere, they may interact with atoms and molecules, initiating air showers composed of secondary and tertiary particles propagating towards the ground. They can cause ionization of the atmosphere and contribute to the radiation dose at low altitudes. This work uses the GEANT-4-based Atmospheric Radiation Interaction Simulator (AtRIS) toolkit to compute these quantities in the Earth’s atmosphere. We take advantage of the unique Planet Specification File (PSF) of the Atmospheric Radiation Interaction Simulator (AtRIS) to investigate the effect of the state of the atmosphere on the resulting induced ionization and absorbed dose rates from the top of the atmosphere (at 100 km) down to the surface. The atmospheric profiles (density, pressure, temperature, and composition) are computed with the NRLMSISE-00 model at various latitudes and for every month of 2014, corresponding to the last maximum of solar activity. The resulting ionization and dose rates present different profiles that vary with latitude in the atmosphere, with the relative difference between equatorial and high latitude ionization rates reaching 68% in the Pfotzer maximum. We obtain differences of up to 59% between the equator and high latitudes observed at commercial flight altitudes for the radiation dose. Both ionization and absorbed dose rates also feature anti-phased seasonal variations in the two hemispheres throughout 2014. Based on these results, we computed global maps of the ionization and dose rates at fixed altitudes in the atmosphere by using precomputed maps of the effective vertical cutoff rigidities and the results of three AtRIS simulations to consider the effect of latitude. While sharing the same general structure as maps created with a single profile, these new maps also show a clear asymmetry in the ionization and absorbed dose rates in the polar regions. Full article

One of main sources of uncertainty in modern cosmology is the present rate of the universe’s expansion, H₀, called the Hubble constant. Once again, different observational techniques bring about different results, causing new “Hubble tension”. In the present work, we review the historical roots of the Hubble constant from the beginning of the twentieth century, when modern cosmology originated, to the present. We develop the arguments that gave rise to the importance of measuring the expansion of the Universe and its discovery, and we describe the different pioneering works attempting to measure it. There has been a long dispute on this matter, even in the present epoch, which is marked by high-tech instrumentation and, therefore, in smaller uncertainties in the relevant parameters. It is, again, currently necessary to conduct a careful and critical revision of the different methods before one invokes new physics to solve the so-called Hubble tension. Full article

Elastic media with defects are considered manifold with nontrivial Riemann–Cartan geometry in the geometric theory of defects. We obtain the solution of three-dimensional Euclidean general relativity equations with an arbitrary number of linear parallel sources. It describes elastic media with parallel combined wedge and screw dislocations. Full article

We review combinatorial quantum gravity, an approach that combines Einstein’s idea of dynamical geometry with Wheeler’s “it from bit” hypothesis in a model of dynamical graphs governed by the coarse Ollivier–Ricci curvature. This drives a continuous phase transition from a random to a geometric phase due to a condensation of loops on the graph. In the 2D case, the geometric phase describes negative-curvature surfaces with two inversely related scales: an ultraviolet (UV) Planck length and an infrared (IR) radius of curvature. Below the Planck scale, the random bit character survives; chunks of random bits of the Planck size describe matter particles of excitation energy given by their excess curvature. Between the Planck length and the curvature radius, the surface is smooth, with spectral and Hausdorff dimension 2. At scales larger than the curvature radius, particles see the surface as an effective Lorentzian de Sitter surface, the spectral dimension becomes 3, and the effective slow dynamics of particles, as seen by co-moving observers, emerges as quantum mechanics in Euclidean 3D space. Since the 3D distances are inherited from the underlying 2D de Sitter surface, we obtain curved trajectories around massive particles also in 3D, representing the large-scale gravity interactions. We thus propose that this 2D model describes a generic holographic screen relevant for real quantum gravity. Full article

The EBLM project aims to characterise very-low-mass stars that are companions to solar-type stars in eclipsing binaries. We describe the history and motivation for this project, the methodology we use to obtain the precise mass, radius, and effective temperature estimates for very-low-mass M dwarfs, and review the results of the EBLM study and those from related projects. We show that radius inflation in fully convective stars is a more subtle effect than what was previously thought based on less precise measurements, i.e., the mass–radius–effective temperature relations we observe for fully convective stars in single-line eclipsing binaries show reasonable agreement with the theoretical models, particularly if we account for the M-dwarf metallicity, as inferred from the analysis of the primary star spectrum. Full article

We numerically study the evolution of the extrinsic energy density in the context of an inflationary regime at the background level in a five-dimensional model using a Bayesian analysis from a dynamic nested sampler (DYNESTY) code. By means of the Nash–Greene embedding theorem, we show that the corresponding model provides an effective potential driven by the influence of extrinsic geometry. We obtain a quintessential inflation that defines a model with a potential $V\left(\varphi \right)=e^{-{\alpha }_1\varphi }(1-{\alpha }_2{\varphi }^2)$, where ${\alpha }_1$ and ${\alpha }_2$ are dimensionless parameters. Using some known phenomenological parameterizations, such as Chevallier–Polarski–Linder (CPL) and Barboza–Alcaniz (BA) parameterizations, we show that the model reflects a slow-varying inflation preferring a thawing behavior, suggesting an optimistic scenario for further research on the unification of inflation with late cosmic acceleration. Full article

In the spacetime of a linearly accelerating Kinnersley black hole, the Lorentz-breaking theory is used to modify the dynamical equations of Dirac particles by selecting gamma matrices and aether-like field vectors in the curved spacetime of this black hole. Using the WKB approximation and black hole quantum tunneling radiation theory, we investigate the characteristics of quantum tunneling radiation in this black hole.By solving the modified spinor field equations, we obtain expressions for the corrected quantum tunneling rate, Hawking temperature, and surface gravitation of the black hole. By studying the particle radial component of the general momentum in this curved spacetime, a new expression for the modified distribution of positive and negative energy levels of Dirac particles, as well as their maximum value of crossing energy level, is obtained. In order to further elucidate the physical significance of the research methodology employed in the article and a series of conclusions obtained, a detailed discussion of the corresponding results is provided in the later sections of this paper. Full article

We deduce a non-linear commutator higher-spin (HS) symmetry algebra which encodes unitary irreducible representations of the AdS group—subject to a Young tableaux $Y(s_1,\dots ,s_k)$ with $k\ge 2$ rows—in a d-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. Auxiliary representations for a deformed non-linear HS symmetry algebra in terms of a generalized Verma module, as applied to additively convert a subsystem of second-class constraints in the HS symmetry algebra into one with first-class constraints, are found explicitly in the case of a $k=2$ Young tableaux. An oscillator realization over the Heisenberg algebra for the Verma module is constructed. The results generalize the method of constructing auxiliary representations for the symplectic $sp\left(2k\right)$ algebra used for mixed-symmetry HS fields in flat spaces [Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. Nucl. Phys. B 2012, 862, 270–326]. Polynomial deformations of the $su(1,1)$ algebra related to the Bethe ansatz are studied as a byproduct. A nilpotent BRST operator for a non-linear HS symmetry algebra of the converted constraints for $Y(s_1,s_2)$ is found, with non-vanishing terms (resolving the Jacobi identities) of the third order in powers of ghost coordinates. A gauge-invariant unconstrained reducible Lagrangian formulation for a free bosonic HS field of generalized spin $(s_1,s_2)$ is deduced. Following the results of [Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. Phys. Lett. B 2021, 820, 136470.; Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. arXiv 2022, arXiv:2212.07097], we develop a BRST approach to constructing general off-shell local cubic interaction vertices for irreducible massive higher-spin fields (being candidates for massive particles in the Dark Matter problem). A new reducible gauge-invariant Lagrangian formulation for an antisymmetric massive tensor field of spin $(1,1)$ is obtained. Full article

The He–McKellar–Wilkens (HMW) effect in noncommutative space has been explored through two distinct methodologies. One approach treats the neutral particle, which harbors a permanent electric dipole moment, as an unstructured entity, while the other approach considers the neutral particle as a composite system consisting of a pair of oppositely charged particles. To preserve gauge symmetry, we apply the Seiberg–Witten map. Surprisingly, both of these approaches converge on the same result. They independently confirm that, up to the first order of the noncommutative parameter (NCP), no corrections are observed in the phase of the HMW effect. Remarkably, these two approaches, although founded on fundamentally different mechanisms, yield identical conclusions. Full article

Mrk 783 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy that possesses a relatively large two-sided radio emission extending up to 14 kpc from the active nucleus possibly connected with a large-scale ionized gas emission. We obtained a deep [O iii] image that revealed an extended system of emission knots and diffuse ionized gas surrounding the main galaxy. The highly-excited gas is related not only to the radio structure, but also to tidal features illuminated by the active nucleus radiation up to the projected distance of 41 kpc as it follows from the emission lines’ intensities and kinematics derived from the long-slit spectroscopic data. Moreover, the part of the disk of the companion galaxy SDSS J130257.20+162537.1, located at ∼99 kpc projected distances to the north of Mrk 783, also falls in the AGN ionizing cone. It is possiblethat Mrk 783 can be considered as ‘Hanny’s Voorwerp precursor’, i.e., a galaxy that demonstrates signs of sequential switching from radio-loud to radio-quiet nuclear activity, in the moment before its ionization luminosity falls. Full article

The investigation of emission line regions within active galaxies (AGNs) has a rich and extensive history, now extending to the use of AGNs and quasars as “standardizable” cosmological indicators, shedding light on the evolution of our universe. As we enter the era of advanced observatories, such as the successful launch of the JWST and the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the landscape of AGN exploration across cosmic epochs is poised for exciting advancements. In this work, we delve into recent developments in AGN variability research, anticipating the substantial influx of data facilitated by LSST. The article highlights recent strides made by the AGN Polish Consortium in their contributions to LSST. The piece emphasizes the role of quasars in cosmology, dissecting the intricacies of their calibration as standard candles. The primary focus centers on the relationship between the broad-line region size and luminosity, showcasing recent breakthroughs that enhance our comprehension of this correlation. These breakthroughs encompass a range of perspectives, including spectroscopic analyses, photoionization modeling, and collaborative investigations with other cosmological tools. The study further touches on select studies, underlining how the synergy of theoretical insights and advancements in observational capabilities has yielded deeper insights into these captivating cosmic entities. Full article