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GATOS – XI. Excess dust heating in the narrow-line regions of nearby AGN revealed with JWST/MIRI
(Blackwell Publishing, 2026-01-26) Haidar, Houda; Rosario, David J.; García-Bernete, Ismael; Alonso-Herrero, Almudena; Audibert, Anelise; Campbell, Steph; Harrison, Chris; Costa, Tiago; Hermosa Muñoz, Laura; Combes, Françoise; Rigopoulou, Dimitra; Ricci, Claudio; Ramos Almeida, Cristina; Bellocchi, Enrica; Boorman, Peter; Bunker, Andrew; Davies, Richard; Delaney, Daniel; Díaz Santos, Tanio; Esposito, Federico; Fawcett, Victoria; Gandhi, Poshak; García-Burillo, Santiago; González-Martín, Omaira; Hicks, E.K.S.; Hönig, Sebastian F.; Labiano, Alvaro; Levenson, Nancy A.; Lopez-Rodriguez, Enrique; Packham, Chris; Pereira-Santaella, Miguel; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Rodríguez Ardila, Alberto; Schneider, John; Thomas Shimizu, Taro; Stalevski, Marko; Villar Martín, Montserrat; Ward, Martin; Zhang, Lulu; Leeds, Gillian; Donnan, Fergus; European Commission (EC); Comunidad de Madrid; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT); Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); European Research Council (ERC); UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES); Foundation of Rio Grande do Sul State for Research Support (FAPERGS)
We present James Webb Space Telescope/Mid-Infrared Instrument imaging of eight nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the GATOS (Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey) survey to investigate the physical conditions of extended dust in their narrow-line regions (NLRs). In four galaxies (ESO 428–G14, NGC 4388, NGC 3081, and NGC 5728), we detect spatially resolved dust structures extending ∼100–200 pc along the NLR. In these systems, we find a strong link between the morphology of the dust, the radio ejecta, and the coronal [Sivi] emission, implying that dust carries imprints of the processes shaping the NLR. Using spatially resolved spectral energy distributions, we show that dust in the NLR has systematically steeper slopes than star-forming clumps. This dust emits at temperatures in the range $150 \text{-} 220\, \rm K$, at a distance of ∼150 pc from the nucleus. Using simple models, we show that, even under optimistic assumptions of grain size and AGN luminosity, the excess mid-infrared emission cannot be explained by AGN illumination alone. We interpret this excess heating as in situ. We show that shocks with velocities v ∼ 200 - 400 km s in dense gas can close this gap, and in some cases even account for the total observed emission. This, combined with multiple lines of evidence for shocks in these regions, supports a scenario in which shocks not only coexist with dust but may be playing a key role in heating it. Our findings reveal shocks may be an important and previously overlooked driver of extended dust emission in the central hundreds of parsecs in AGN.
Avariational formulation of the adjoint Kutta condition in potential flow
(Elsevier, 2026-06-08) Lozano, Carlos; Ponsin Roca, Jorge; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)
We give a variational formulation of the continuous adjoint Kutta condition for two-dimensional subcritical potential flow, with emphasis on the Kutta condition and the role of the wake. We show that the adjoint Kutta condition can be imposed by a penalty term evaluated at the trailing edge, with the corresponding Lagrange multiplier determined by stationarity of the Lagrangian with respect to circulation, and that a wake treatment is not required. Some of the implications of these results for adjoint consistency are also briefly discussed.
Sibling sub-Neptunes around sibling M dwarfs: TOI-521 and TOI-912
(EDP Sciences, 2026-01-27) Lacedelli, G.; Pallé, E.; Luque, R.; Ikuta, Kai; Tabernero, H. M.; Zapatero Osorio, María Rosa; Almenara, J. M.; Pozuelos, F. J.; Jankowski, Dawid; Narita, N.; Fukui, A.; Nowak, G.; Hirano, T.; Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Tako; Kimura, Tadahiro; Hori, Y.; Collins, K. A.; Howell, Steve B.; Jiang, Chengzi; Murgas Alcaino, F.; Osborn, Hugh P., Hugh; Astudillo Defru, N.; Bonfils, Xavier; Charbonneau, D.; Fausnaugh, M. M.; Geraldía González, Samuel; Goździewski, Krzysztof; Guerra, P.; Hayashi, Yuya; Hodapp, K.; Horne, K.; Isogai, K.; Jafariyazani, M.; Kagetani, T.; Kawai, Y.; Kawauchi, K.; Krishnamurthy, V.; Kotani, T.; Kudo, T.; Kurokawa, Takashi; Kuzuhara, M.; Mori, M.; Nishikawa, Jun; Nugroho, Stevanus Kristianto; Omiya, M.; Schwarz, R. P.; Sefako, Ramotholo; Shporer, A.; Srdoc, G.; Teng, Huan-Yu; Watanabe, N.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); European Research Council (ERC); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT)
Context. Sub-Neptunes are absent in the Solar System, yet they are the most common category of planets found in our Galaxy. This kind of planet challenges the internal structure models, prompts investigations into its formation and evolution, and pushes atmospheric characterisation studies to break the degeneracy in their inner composition.
Aims. We report here the discovery and characterisation of new sub-Neptunes orbiting two similar M dwarfs, TOI-521 (Teff = 3544 ± 100 K, V = 14.7 mag) and TOI-912 (Teff = 3572 ± 100 K, V = 12.7 mag). Each star hosts a transiting planetary candidate identified by TESS and is part of the THIRSTEE follow-up programme, which aims to understand the sub-Neptune population through in-depth and precise characterisation studies on a population level.
Methods. We analysed TESS light curves, ground-based photometry, and high-precision ESPRESSO, HARPS, and IRD radial velocities to confirm the planetary nature of both candidates, infer the precise orbital and physical parameters of the planets, and investigate the presence of additional planets in the systems.
Results. The two stars host nearly identical planets in terms of mass and radius. TOI-521 hosts a transiting sub-Neptune in a 1.5-day orbit with radius and mass of Rb = 1.98 ± 0.14 R⊕ and Mb = 5.3 ± 1.0 M⊕, respectively. Moreover, we identified an additional candidate at 20.3 days, with a minimum mass of Mp sin i = 10.7−2.4+2.5 M⊕, currently not detected as transiting in our photometric dataset. Similarly, the planet orbiting TOI-912 is a 4.7-d sub-Neptune with Rb = 1.93 ± 0.13 R⊕ and Mb = 5.1 ± 0.5 M⊕. Interestingly, TOI-912 b likely possesses an unusually high eccentricity (e = 0.58 ± 0.02) and is probably undergoing strong tidal dissipation. If such eccentricity were confirmed, it would make TOI-912 b one of the most eccentric sub-Neptunes known to date. TOI-521 b and TOI-912 b have very similar densities (~4 g cm−3), and they lie in the degenerate region of the mass-radius diagram where different compositions are plausible, including a volatile-rich composition, or a rocky core surrounded by a H-He envelope. When compared to the other THIRSTEE M-dwarf targets, our sample supports the division of sub-Neptunes into two distinct populations divided by a density gap. Both planets are interesting targets for atmospheric follow-up in the context of understanding the temperature-atmospheric feature trend that starts to emerge thanks to JWST observations.
Lithium and the evolution of intermediate-mass T Tauri and Herbig stars: Rotation, accretion, and planets
(EDP Sciences, 2026-05-19) Mendigutía, I.; Campbell-White, Justyn; Montesinos Comino, B.; Maldonado, J.; Fullana-García, Lucía; Mirouh, G. M.; Meeus, G.; Vioque, M.; Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora; Zapatero Osorio, María Rosa; Villaver, E.; Kahar, Ruhee Siddiqa; European Research Council (ERC); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Junta de Andalucía
Context. Interior models predict that stellar envelopes change from convective to radiative during the pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) evolution of intermediate-mass stars. Although the amount of surface lithium (Li) is a direct probe of mixing in stellar interiors, analyses focused on this type of source are practically absent.
Aims. We contribute to our understanding of the evolution of young intermediate-mass stars by providing a comprehensive analysis of their Li content.
Methods. A sample of 71 intermediate-mass T Tauri (IMTT) and Herbig stars within the mass range 1.5–3.5 M⊙ was carefully selected for the analysis. Metallicities, rotational velocities, and accretion rates were obtained from spectra. The curves of growth for stars hotter than 8000 K were built to infer the Li abundances, which were interpreted considering standard models of stellar interiors and non-standard processes affecting Li depletion.
Results. Li is generally less strongly depleted in intermediate-mass stars than in their lower-mass counterparts, as expected from standard evolution models. However, Li abundances significantly below the cosmic value are observed in 25–30% of intermediate-mass stars. It is also unexpected that the results show no significant difference between the 1.5–2.5 M⊙ and 2.5–3.5 M⊙ subsamples. Evidence is provided showing that disk-locking works in young intermediate-mass stars. This constitutes independent support for the hypothesis that magnetospheric accretion scenario operates in these sources. We found that disk-locking is effective for a timescale that is about twice shorter than for lower-mass stars, before magnetospheres reduce their sizes during the transition from the IMTT to the Herbig regime. This contraction of the magnetosphere can explain the increase in rotation by a factor of about 3 and in accretion by a factor of about 4 that is observed during this transition. We propose a complex scenario linking rotation, accretion, and the surface Li abundance. Finally, we tentatively suggest that the known relation between the presence of planets and Li depletion might also be present in intermediate-mass MS stars and might originate in the pre-MS.
Conclusions. We provide the most complete Li analysis and database focused on IMTT and Herbig stars to date. However, we emphasize the need of additional observations and non-standard models such as those available for their lower-mass analogs.
A transiting rocky super-Earth and a non-transiting sub-Neptune orbiting the M dwarf TOI-771
(EDP Sciences, 2025-06-20) Lacedelli, G.; Pallé, E.; Davis, Yasmin T.; Luque, R. ; Morello, G.; Tabernero, H. M.; Zapatero Osorio, María Rosa; Pozuelos, F. J.; Jankowski, Dawid; Nowak, G.; Murgas Alcaino, F.; Orell-Miquel, Jaume; Akana Murphy, Joseph M.; Barkaoui, K.; Charbonneau, D.; Dransfield, G.; Ducrot, E.; Geraldía González, Samuel; Irwin, J.; Jehin, E.; Osborne, H. L. M.; Pedersen, P. P.; Rackham, B. V. , P. P.; Scott, Madison Grace; Timmermans, M.; Triaud, A.; Van Eylen, V.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); European Research Council (ERC); European Commission (EC); Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC); Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS); National Science Foundation (NSF)
[Context] The origin and evolution of the sub-Neptune population is a highly debated topic in the exoplanet community. With the advent of JWST, atmospheric studies can now put unprecedented constraints on the internal composition of this population. In this context, the THIRSTEE project aims to investigate the population properties of sub-Neptunes with a comprehensive and demographic approach, providing a homogeneous sample of precisely characterised sub-Neptunes across stellar spectral types.
[Aims] We present here the precise characterisation of the planetary system orbiting one of the THIRSTEE M-dwarf targets, TOI-771 (d = 25 pc, V = 14.9 mag), known to host one planet, TOI-771 b, which has been statistically validated using TESS observations.
[Methods] We use TESS, SPECULOOS, TRAPPIST, and M-Earth photometry together with 31 high-precision ESPRESSO radial velocities to derive the orbital parameters and investigate the internal composition of TOI-771 b, as well as exploring the presence of additional companions in the system.
[Results] We derived the precise mass and radius for TOI-771 b, a super-Earth with Rb = 1.36 ± 0.10 R⊕ and Mb = 2.47−0.31+0.32M⊕ orbiting every 2.3 days around its host star. Its composition is consistent with an Earth-like planet, and it adds up to the rocky population of subNeptunes lying below the density gap identified around M dwarfs. With a ∼ 13% precision in mass, a∼ 7% radius precision, and a warm equilibrium temperature of Teq =543K, TOI-771 b is a particularly interesting target for atmospheric characterisation with JWST, and it is indeed one of the targets under consideration for the Rocky World DDT programme. Additionally, we discover the presence of a second, non-transiting planet in the system, TOI-771 c, with a period of 7.61 days and a minimum mass of Mp sin i = 2.87−0.38+0.41M⊕. Even though the inclination is not directly constrained, the planet likely belongs to the temperate sub-Neptune population, with an equilibrium temperature of ∼ 365K.
