Search arXivSearch

arXiv subjects

Ariful Hoque

Publications and source records attributed to Ariful Hoque.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Cloud Scale Star Formation and Gas Scaling Relations in the Milky Way

We investigate cloud-scale star formation in the Milky Way using a sample of 45 molecular clouds (sizes of $5-240$ pc) in the inner Galactic plane, spanning heliocentric distances of $1.1-14.4$ kpc. Masses of these clouds are derived from $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO emission, while stellar masses are estimated using the young stellar object (YSO) population. The studied molecular clouds have masses ranging from $\sim10^{3}$ to $2.3\times10^{6}$ $\rm M_\odot$, with star formation efficiencies (SFE) up to 0.33. We find a tight, nearly linear scaling of the star formation rate (SFR) with the cloud mass, indicating that more massive clouds form proportionally more stars. The SFE, however, shows a declining trend with cloud mass. The relation between the star formation rate surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$) and gas surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm gas}$) exhibits substantial cloud-to-cloud scatter, indicating that the canonical Kennicutt--Schmidt law is not strongly recovered at the scale of individual molecular clouds. Incorporating the cloud free-fall time ($\rm t_{ff}$) into the star formation scaling relation highlights its important role in regulating star formation, although the observed relations suggest that the star formation efficiency per free-fall time is not universal. In particular, the SFE decreases with increasing gas mass available per free-fall time. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of recent theoretical models of molecular cloud evolution and star formation.

astro-ph.GA

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey: Properties of Hot Molecular Fragments in the Massive Protocluster IRAS 17233-3606

To investigate the physical mechanisms of fragmentation within the hot molecular core of the massive protocluster IRAS 17233-3606 (G351.78-0.54), we carried out a detailed analysis of continuum and lines, using the ALMA Band 3 data from the ATOMS survey and Band 6 data from the QUARKS survey. The low-resolution 3 mm data reveal a massive hot core MM1 with a mass of ~81.3 Msun, and a prominent ultracompact (UC) HII region MM2, while the high-resolution data resolve MM1 into 11 hot molecular fragments (HMFs). These HMFs exhibit hot (Trot = 100-310 K) CH3CN and CH3OH emission and high column densities (NH2 > 10^23 cm^-2), indicating their potential to form massive stars. Based on outflows, masers, HII regions, and f[CH3CN/CH3O] abundance ratios, the evolutionary sequences of the 11 HMFs are categorized as phases I to IV. The mean minimum-spanning tree (MST) separation (~1.8 x 10^3 au) of the HMFs is nearly half of the thermal Jeans length (~3.3 x 10^3 au). Together with the Q parameter Q = 0.77 and virial parameter alpha_vir = 0.84 of MM1, these results suggest an evolutionary scenario in which fragmentation is initially driven by thermal instability, followed by global gravitational contraction and growth through active accretion. Meanwhile, feedback from the B2-type zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) star and the UC HII region significantly influence the morphology and chemical properties of MM1 and MM2. This heterogeneity highlights the role of diverse physical processes taking place in high-mass protoclusters.

astro-ph.GA

Technology Transfer Readiness, Explainable AI and Financial Innovation Capability Transitions in Expanded BRICS: Benchmarking Against Advanced Innovation Economies

This study examines the dynamics of technology transfer readiness and financial innovation capability transitions across the expanded BRICS economies, benchmarked against advanced innovation systems through explainable AI. Using a composite Innovation Capability Development-Readiness index (ICDI) constructed through principal component analysis, the paper evaluates the structural conditions enabling knowledge diffusion, industrial upgrading, and financial innovation ecosystem development. A Markov transition framework is employed to analyse how countries evolve across readiness tiers over time, capturing both persistence and mobility in innovation capabilities. The results reveal significant asymmetries in transition probabilities between advanced economies and emerging innovation systems, with several BRICS economies demonstrating gradual upgrading trajectories while others remain structurally locked in lower readiness states. These findings highlight the institutional and policy conditions required to strengthen technology transfer ecosystems. Successful countries in these areas attract foreign investment, participate in global value chains, and profit from technology partnerships. The study contributes to the literature on innovation capability formation and industrial transformation by integrating composite readiness measurement with dynamic transition modelling to inform evidence-based innovation policy.

econ.EM

Prediction of bank transaction fraud using TabNet an adaptive deep learning architecture

The development of online banking has brought about an increase in fraudulent operations, which is a major problem for banks. This study delves into the urgent requirement for interpretable, scalable, and top-notch fraud detection systems by using TabNet, an adaptable deep learning framework, on a Kaggle dataset consisting of actual bank transactions in India. Maximizing operational risk management by improving the accuracy of transaction anomaly detection and ensuring regulatory compliance through transparent models is the goal. We utilize a supervised learning pipeline that incorporates the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) to ensure that classes are balanced. Subsequently, we conduct thorough exploratory data analysis (EDA) to identify patterns of fraud, both during specific times and across behaviors. On this dataset, five different deep learning architectures are tested: DNN, GRU, LSTM, CNN1D, and TabNet. Assessment of predictive performance was carried out using a 3-fold cross-validation framework. With a ROC-AUC of 0.9739 and an accuracy of 97.39 %, TabNet considerably outperformed the competition. The method of sparse feature selection used improved interpretability, generalized better on tabular data, and produced fewer false positives and negatives. Critical insights for operational fraud detection systems and a contribution to the broader literature on explainable AI (XAI) in financial decision-making are offered by the findings. Goals 8 and 16 of the Sustainable Development Agenda are supported by this study, which promotes inclusive economic growth and institutional transparency. Supporting strong, policy-compliant, and interpretable decision-support systems, it also offers practical use for real-time implementation in banking infrastructure.

q-fin.GN

Digging into the Massive Protostar S255IR NIRS3: A Study of Nitrogen-Bearing Molecules and Their Prebiotic Chemistry

The study of complex nitrogen (N)-bearing molecules is essential for probing the physical and chemical evolution of star-forming regions. In this paper, we present the identification of rotational emission lines from several complex N-bearing species such as methyl cyanide (CH$_{3}$CN), ethyl cyanide (C$_{2}$H$_{5}$CN), vinyl cyanide (C$_{2}$H$_{3}$CN), cyanamide (NH$_{2}$CN), and formamide (NH$_{2}$CHO) toward the high-mass protostar S255IR NIRS3 using ALMA band 4 observations. In addition, the vibrationally excited transitions of cyanoacetylene (HC$_{3}$N, $\nu_{7}$ = 2) were detected. The column densities and excitation temperatures of these molecules were derived through LTE spectral modelling, yielding excitation temperatures in the range of 175$-$220 K. The high excitation temperatures (175$-$220 K) indicate that the identified N-bearing molecules arise from the warm inner regions ($T \geq 100$ K) of the source. The fractional abundances were further estimated relative to H$_{2}$, CH$_{3}$OH, and CH$_{3}$CN. A Pearson correlation heat map of the abundances reveals a strong positive correlation ($r > 0.7$) among three molecules in the cyanide family, such as CH$_{3}$CN, C$_{2}$H$_{3}$CN, and C$_{2}$H$_{5}$CN, suggesting that these N-bearing molecules may be chemically linked. Comparison with three-phase warm-up chemical models shows that the observed abundances of CH$_{3}$CN, C$_{2}$H$_{5}$CN, C$_{2}$H$_{3}$CN, NH$_{2}$CN, NH$_{2}$CHO, and HC$_{3}$N ($\nu_{7}$ = 2) relative to H$_{2}$ are consistent with model predictions within factors of 1.04, 0.67, 1.28, 0.76, 0.72, and 0.96, respectively. Finally, we discuss the potential formation pathways of the identified N-bearing molecules in the context of gas-grain chemistry within S255IR NIRS3.

astro-ph.GA

Discovery of a Compact Hub-Filament System in G286.21+0.17 with JWST and ALMA: Insights into Protocluster Formation and Competitive Accretion

We present a multi-wavelength study of the massive protocluster G286.21+0.17 (G286) using \emph{JWST} near-infrared imaging and ALMA H$^{13}$CO$^{+}$(1--0) observations. The \emph{JWST} images uncover a compact ($\sim$0.5 pc) hub-filament system (HFS), comprising a dense central hub connected by at least four converging filaments seen in absorption, along with multiple H$_2$ protostellar jets/outflows. The hub hosts dense core G286c1. The H$^{13}$CO$^{+}$ emission confirms this HFS over [$-$19.2, $-$16.4]~km~s$^{-1}$. The \emph{JWST} images further trace prominent photodissociation regions around the H\,{\sc ii}~region~A, powered by a B-type star. The radial distribution of ALMAGAL 1.38 mm core properties reveals steep power-law slopes toward the hub center. Within the inner hub (r < 8'', $\sim0.1$~pc), the core number density follows $\rho~[\rm pc^{-2}] \propto r^{-2.4\pm0.5}$, the surface density scales as $\Sigma~[\rm g~cm^{-2}] \propto r^{-1.0\pm0.2}$, and the enclosed core mass varies as $M_{\rm core}~[M_{\odot}] \propto r^{-1.2\pm0.2}$, while core diameters remain approximately constant ($D_{\rm core}~[\rm AU] \propto r^{-0.1\pm0.1}$). These trends, along with filament mass accretion rates of $7\times10^{-6}$--$1.8\times10^{-4}$~$M_\odot$~yr$^{-1}$, support a competitive accretion scenario in which gravitational focusing enhances core growth toward the hub center. Filament linewidths increase from tail/outer-region to head/hub-region, consistent with gravity-driven turbulence. However, the absence of a preferred alignment between velocity gradients and gravitational force directions may indicate a dynamically evolved system. The HFS likely formed through large-scale gas layer interactions and compression by the adjacent H\,{\sc ii} region. Overall, star formation in G286 appears regulated by filamentary accretion, competitive core growth in the hub, and stellar feedback.

astro-ph.GA

ALMA-QUARKS view of W49N: Multipolar episodic outflow associated with the most energetic Galactic water maser

We present a detailed investigation of a multipolar episodic molecular outflow in the mini-starburst region W49N, which hosts the most luminous water maser in the Galaxy. Using high-resolution ($\sim$0.3 arcsec) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the $\mathrm{^{12}CO}$ emission as part of the ALMA-QUARKS survey, we analyze the morphology and kinematics of the outflow. Our observations reveal four newly identified outflow lobes in addition to the previously known central bipolar jet. These lobes appear more jet-like rather than exhibiting wide opening angles. Based on the $\mathrm{^{12}CO}$ (2-1) and $\mathrm{^{13}CO}$ (2-1) emission, we provide a more reliable estimate of the outflow's physical parameters, confirming it as one of the most energetic outflows in the Galaxy. Notably, these newly discovered lobes exhibit chains of knots, a characteristic signature of episodic ejection. Furthermore, two of the lobes display prominent S-shaped wiggles, suggestive of a precessing jet. The discovery of these features -- commonly observed in outflows from low-mass protostars -- in such an extreme massive star-forming environment provides compelling evidence that some underlying physical mechanisms for launching outflows are conserved across a wide range of stellar masses.

astro-ph.GA

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey: Evidence of an Explosive Molecular Outflow in IRAS 15520--5234

We present a study of the massive protocluster IRAS 15520$-$5234, which displays evidence of an explosive molecular outflow that unleashed a kinetic energy of at least 10$^{48}$ erg. The protocluster contains 16 dense cores detected in the ALMA band 6 continuum emission maps, having masses in the range from 0.2 to 11.0 M$_{\odot}$. Our analysis of CO $(2-1)$ emission reveals 28 well collimated outflow fingers, the majority of which follow a Hubble-Lema\^itre velocity law. The outflow fingers show no preferred orientation in the plane of sky and emerge from a common center of origin. We estimate the total mass, momentum, and kinetic energy of the outflow fingers and find that the values are at least one order of magnitude higher than the typical bipolar outflows associated with massive protostars. The morphology and kinematics of the outflow fingers suggest that the outflow associated with IRAS 15520$-$5234 is explosive in nature. We calculate the dynamical age of the explosive event to be approximately 6550 years. Additionally, we estimate the frequency of such explosive outflows in the Galaxy, which is one event every 83 years. Finally, we speculate that the rearrangement of masses within the massive protocluster and the dynamical interaction among the massive cores may result in the formation of such an energetic event.

astro-ph.GA

ATOMS-QUARKS survey: Inflow and infall in massive protocluster G318.049+00.086: Evidence of competitive accretion

We present a gas kinematic study of the massive protocluster G318.049+00.086. The protocluster is reported to contain 12 prestellar core candidates and 4 protostellar cores. Filamentary structures are identified using the 1.3 mm dust continuum map, with four of them converge into a dense central region, forming a hub-filament system (HFS). High velocity gradients (10 - 20 km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$) derived from PV analysis of H$^{13}$CO$^{+}$ emission along three of those filaments are suggestive of mass inflow onto the central hub. A mass inflow rate higher than $10^{3}$ M$_{\odot}$ Myr$^{-1}$ along the filaments is indicating that the central hub is capable of forming massive star(s). Investigation of H$^{13}$CO$^{+}$ and CCH spectral profiles revealed the majority of the cores having the characteristic blue asymmetric line profiles, typical signature of gravitational collapse. The remaining few cores showed red asymmetric profiles, indicative of gas expansion. Also, the derived mass infall rates for the protostellar cores in hub-region is significantly higher in comparison to those located along the filaments. The mass-radius relationship of the cores revealed that the cores with red profiles reside in the massive star formation regime. However, the global velocity gradient along the filaments suggests that these particular cores are losing material to the hub. Our results are supporting a competitive accretion scenario of massive star formation where gas is expected to be funnelled from less gravitationally dominant cores to the cores located at the gravitationally favorable position.

astro-ph.GA

The ALMA-ATOMS-QUARKS survey: Resolving a chemically rich massive protostellar outflow

We present a comprehensive study on the physical and chemical structures of a chemically rich bipolar outflow in a high-mass star forming region IRAS 16272$-$4837 (SDC335), utilizing high-resolution spectral line data at 1.3 mm and 3 mm dual-bands from the ALMA ATOMS and QUARKS surveys. The high-velocity jet is enveloped by a lower-velocity outflow cavity, containing bright knots that show enhanced molecular intensities and elevated excitation temperatures. Along the outflow, we have identified 35 transitions from 22 molecular species. By analyzing the spatial distribution and kinematics of these molecular lines, we find that the molecular inventory in the outflow is regulated by three processes: (i) direct entrainment from the natal molecular core by the outflow; (ii) shock-induced release of molecules or atoms from dust grains; and (iii) thermal desorption and gas-phase reactions driven by shock heating. These results confirm that outflows are not only dynamical structures but also active chemical factories, where entrainment, shocks, and thermal processing jointly enrich the molecular content. Our findings confirmed that outflow chemistry has multi-origin nature, and provide critical insights into chemical evolution during high-mass star formation.

astro-ph.GA

A misaligned protostellar disk fed by gas streamers in a barred spiral-like massive dense core

High-mass stars, born in massive dense cores (MDCs), profoundly impact the cosmic ecosystem through feedback processes and metal enrichment, yet little is known about how MDCs assemble and transfer mass across scales to form high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs). Using multi-scale (40-2500 au) observations of an MDC hosting an HMYSO, we identify a coherent dynamical structure analogous to barred spiral galaxies: three 20,000 au spiral arms feed a 7,500 au central bar, which channels gas to a 2,000 au pseudodisk. Further accretion proceeds through the inner structures, including a Keplerian disk and an inner disk (100 au), which are thought to be driving a collimated bipolar outflow. This is the first time that these multi-scale structures (spiral arms, bar, streamers, envelope, disk, and outflow) have been simultaneously observed as a physically coherent structure within an MDC. Our discovery suggests that well-organized hierarchical structures play a crucial role during the gas accretion and angular momentum build-up of a massive disk.

astro-ph.GA

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey: III. Clump-to-core fragmentation and search for high-mass starless cores

The Querying Underlying mechanisms of massive star formation with ALMA-Resolved gas Kinematics and Structures (QUARKS) survey observed 139 infrared-bright (IR-bright) massive protoclusters at 1.3 mm wavelength with ALMA. This study investigates clump-to-core fragmentation and searches for candidate high-mass starless cores within IR-bright clumps using combined ALMA 12-m (C-2) and Atacama Compact Array (ACA) 7-m data, providing $\sim$ 1 arcsec ($\sim\rm0.02~pc$ at 3.7 kpc) resolution and $\sim\rm0.6\,mJy\,beam^{-1}$ continuum sensitivity ($\sim 0.3~M_{\odot}$ at 30 K). We identified 1562 compact cores from 1.3 mm continuum emission using getsf. Observed linear core separations ($\lambda_{\rm obs}$) are significantly less than the thermal Jeans length ($\lambda_{\rm J}$), with the $\lambda_{\rm obs}/\lambda_{\rm J}$ ratios peaking at $\sim0.2$. This indicates that thermal Jeans fragmentation has taken place within the IR-bright protocluster clumps studied here. The observed low ratio of $\lambda_{\rm obs}/\lambda_{\rm J}\ll 1$ could be the result of evolving core separation or hierarchical fragmentation. Based on associated signatures of star formation (e.g., outflows and ionized gas), we classified cores into three categories: 127 starless, 971 warm, and 464 evolved cores. Two starless cores have mass exceeding 16$\,M_{\odot}$, and represent high-mass candidates. The scarcity of such candidates suggests that competitive accretion-type models could be more applicable than turbulent core accretion-type models in high-mass star formation within these IR-bright protocluster clumps.

astro-ph.GA

Unraveling the Feedback-Regulated Star Formation Activities around the Expanding Galactic MIR Bubble [HKS2019] E71

We explore the physical environment of the Galactic mid-infrared (MIR) bubble [HKS2019] E71 (hereafter E71) through a multi-wavelength approach. E71 is located at the edge of a filamentary structure, as traced in Herschel images (250-500 $\mu$m), Herschel column density map, and molecular maps in the velocity range [-20,-14] km/s. It hosts a stellar cluster (radius~1.26 pc, distance~1.81+/-0.15 kpc) associated with radio continuum emission, including a centrally positioned B1.5-type massive star (hereafter 'm2'), along with an enhanced population of evolved low-mass stars and young stellar objects. MIR images and molecular line maps reveal a PDR surrounding 'm2', exhibiting an arc-like structure along the edges of E71. Regularly spaced molecular and dust condensations are identified along this structure. The position-velocity map of 12CO emission suggests an expansion of molecular gas concentrated at the periphery of E71. Near-infrared spectroscopic observations with TANSPEC confirm the presence of the accretion process in a massive young stellar object (MYSO) located near the edge of the bubble. High-resolution uGMRT radio continuum maps uncover substructures in the ionized emission, both toward the MYSO and the center of E71. These findings support that 'm2' has shaped an arc-like morphology through its feedback processes. The pressure exerted by 'm2' and the velocity structure of the 12/13CO(1-0) emission suggest that the stellar feedback has likely driven out molecular material, leading to the formation of the expanding E71 bubble. Our overall investigation infers that the "collect and collapse" process might be a possible mechanism that can describe the ongoing star formation activities around the E71 bubble.

astro-ph.GA

The ALMA-ATOMS Survey: Exploring Protostellar Outflows in HC$_3$N

We present the first systematic study of bipolar outflows using HC$_3$N as a tracer in a sample of 146 massive star-forming regions from ALMA-ATOMS survey. Protostellar outflows arise at the initial stage of star formation as a consequence of active accretion. In general, these outflows play a pivotal role in regulating the star formation processes by injecting energetic material in the parent molecular clouds. In such process, lower velocity components of outflows contain a significant portion of the energy. However, extraction of those component is difficult as the corresponding gas is often mixed with that of the ambient cloud. In our sample, we identified 44 bipolar outflows and one explosive outflow in HC$_3$N (J=11--10). The host clumps of these outflows are found to be at different evolutionary stages, suggesting that outflows in HC$_3$N are detectable in different stages of star formation. Also, the non-correlation of HC$_3$N outflows with clump evolutionary stages suggests that HC$_3$N is an unbiased tracer of outflows. Analyses revealed that HC$_3$N performs slightly better in detecting low-velocity components of outflows than traditionally employed tracers like SiO. The derived outflow parameters (i.e outflow mass, momentum, and energy) show moderate correlations with clump mass and luminosity. Our analysis of outflow opening angles and position-velocity diagrams across the outflow lobes show that, HC$_3$N is not only a good tracer of low-velocity outflows, but can also detect high-velocity collimated outflows. Overall, this study indicates that HC$_3$N can be used as a complementary outflow tracer along with the traditionally known outflow tracers, particularly in the detection of the low-velocity components of outflows.

astro-ph.GA

JWST-ALMA Study of a Hub-Filament System in the Nascent Phase

Star clusters, including high-mass stars, form within hub-filament systems (HFSs). Observations of HFSs that remain unaffected by feedback from embedded stars are rare yet crucial for understanding the mass inflow process in high-mass star formation. Using the JWST NIRCAM images, Dewangan et al. 2024, reported that the high-mass protostar G11P1 is embedded in a candidate HFS (G11P1-HFS; $<0.6$ pc). Utilizing ALMA N$_{2}$H$^{+}$(1-0) data, we confirm the presence of G11P1-HFS and study the dense gas kinematics. We analyzed the position-position-velocity (PPV) map and estimated on-sky velocity gradient ($V_g$) and gravity ($\mathcal{F}_{g}$) vectors. The spatial distribution of gas velocity and H$_2$ column density was examined. The steep $V_g$ of 5 km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$ and $-$7 km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$ toward either side of G11P1-hub, and the decreasing $V_g$ toward the hub, identify G11P1-HFS as a small-scale HFS in its nascent phase. $V_g$ and $\mathcal{F}_{g}$ align along the filaments, indicating gravity-driven flows. This work highlights the wiggled, funnel-shaped morphology of a HFS in PPV space, suggesting the importance of subfilaments or transverse gas flows in mass transportation to the hub.

astro-ph.GA

Influence of mid-infrared Galactic bubble on surroundings: A case study on IRAS 16489-4431

We studied the influence of a massive star on a mid-infrared bubble and its surrounding gas in the IRAS\,16489-4431 star-forming region using multi-wavelength data. The {\it Spitzer} mid-infrared band images revealed the shocked nature of the bubble. Analyses showed that the bubble is developed by a massive star owing to its strong radiation pressure. Evidence of collected material along the edge of the bubble was noted by the cold gas tracer line observed using Atacama Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The presence of dense dust cores with bi-polar outflows and young stellar objects toward the collected material is suggestive of active star formation possibly influenced by the expansion of the radiation driven bubble.

astro-ph.GA

Large HI optical depth and Redshifted 21-cm signal from cosmic dawn

The HI 21-cm optical depth ($\tau_b$) can be considerably large as the kinetic and spin temperature of the inter-galactic medium (IGM) is expected to be very low during cosmic dawn. It will be particularly higher at regions with HI over-density. We revisit the validity of the widely used linearized equation for estimating the HI 21-cm differential brightness temperature ($T_b$) which assumes $\tau_b << 1$ and approximates $[1-\exp({-\tau_b})]$ as $\tau_b$. We consider two scenarios, one without any additional cooling mechanism or radio background (referred as the standard scenario) and the other (referred as the excess-cooling} scenario) assumes the EDGES-like absorption profile and an excess cooling mechanism. We find that given a measured global absorption signal, consistent with the standard (excess-cooling) scenario, the linearized equation overestimates the spin temperature by $\sim 5\%(10\%)$. Further, using numerical simulations, we study the impact that the large optical depth has on various signal statistics. We observe that the variance, skewness and kurtosis, calculated at simulation resolution ($\sim 0.5 h^{-1} \, {\rm Mpc}$), are over-predicted up to $\sim 30\%$, $30\%$ and $15\%$ respectively for the standard and up to $\sim 90\%$, $50\%$ and $50\%$ respectively for the excess-cooling scenario. Moreover, we find that the probability distribution function of $T_b$ is squeezed and becomes more Gaussian in shape if no approximation is made. The spherically averaged HI power spectrum is overpredicted by up to $\sim 25 \%$ and $80\%$ at all scales for the standard and excess-cooling scenarios respectively.

astro-ph.CO