Assessment and comparison of rhizosphere communities in cultivated Vaccinium spp. provide a baseline for study of causative agents in decline

It has long been recognized that the community of organisms associated with plant roots is a critical component of the phytobiome and can directly or indirectly contribute to the overall health of the plant. The rhizosphere microbial community is influenced by a number of factors including the soil type, the species of plants growing in those soils, and in the case of cultivated plants, the management practices associated with crop production. Vaccinium species, such as highbush blueberry and American cranberry, are woody perennials that grow in sandy, acidic soils with low to moderate levels of organic matter and a paucity of nutrients. When properly maintained, fields planted with these crops remain productive for many years. In some cases, however, yields and fruit quality decline over time, and it is suspected that degenerating soil health and/or changes in the rhizosphere microbiome are contributing factors. Determining the assemblage of bacterial and fungal microorganisms typically associated with the rhizosphere of these crops is a critical first step toward addressing the complex issue of soil health. We hypothesized that since blueberry and cranberry are in the same genus and grow in similar soils, that their associated rhizosphere microbial communities would be similar to each other. We analyzed the eukaryotic (primarily fungal) and bacterial communities from the rhizosphere of representative blueberry and cranberry plants growing in commercial fields in New Jersey. The data presented herein show that while the bacterial communities between the crops is very similar, the fungal communities associated with each crop are quite different. These results provide a framework for examining microbial components that might contribute to the health of Vaccinium spp. crops in New Jersey and other parts of the northeastern U.S

The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey II: The Discovery and Timing of Ten Pulsars

We present timing solutions for ten pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory program in analysis of drift-scan data. Following discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded phase-connected solutions with high precision measurements of rotational and astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including PSR J0930$-$2301, a pulsar with nulling fraction lower limit of $\sim$30\% and nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR J0557$-$2948 is an isolated, 44 \rm{ms} pulsar that has been partially recycled and is likely a former member of a binary system which was disrupted by a second supernova. The paucity of such so-called `disrupted binary pulsars' (DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a 15 \rm{ms} pulsar in a 44 day orbit with a low mass white dwarf companion. We did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must be older than 1200 Myr.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Early spectral evolution of classical novae: consistent evidence for multiple distinct outflows

The physical mechanism driving mass ejection during a nova eruption is still poorly understood. Possibilities include ejection in a single ballistic event, a common envelope interaction, a continuous wind, or some combination of these processes. Here we present a study of 12 Galactic novae, for which we have pre-maximum high-resolution spectroscopy. All 12 novae show the same spectral evolution. Before optical peak, they show a slow P Cygni component. After peak a fast component quickly arises, while the slow absorption remains superimposed on top of it, implying the presence of at least two physically distinct flows. For novae with high-cadence monitoring, a third, intermediate-velocity component is also observed. These observations are consistent with a scenario where the slow component is associated with the initial ejection of the accreted material and the fast component with a radiation-driven wind from the white dwarf. When these flows interact, the slow flow is swept up by the fast flow, producing the intermediate component. These colliding flows may produce the gamma-ray emission observed in some novae. Our spectra also show that the transient heavy element absorption lines seen in some novae have the same velocity structure and evolution as the other lines in the spectrum, implying an association with the nova ejecta rather than a pre-existing circumbinary reservoir of gas or material ablated from the secondary. While this basic scenario appears to qualitatively reproduce multi-wavelength observations of classical novae, substantial theoretical and observational work is still needed to untangle the rich diversity of nova properties.Comment: 39 pages, 35 figures, submitted to Ap

The Galactic Nova Rate: Estimates from the ASAS-SN and Gaia Surveys

We present the first estimate of the Galactic nova rate based on optical transient surveys covering the entire sky. Using data from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) and \textit{Gaia} -- the only two all-sky surveys to report classical nova candidates -- we find 39 confirmed Galactic novae and 7 additional unconfirmed candidates discovered from 2019--2021, yielding a nova discovery rate of $\approx 14$ yr$^{-1}$. Using accurate Galactic stellar mass models, three-dimensional dust maps, and incorporating realistic nova light curves, we have built a sophisticated Galactic nova model that allows an estimate of the recovery fraction of Galactic novae from these surveys over this time period. The observing capabilities of each survey are distinct: the high cadence of ASAS-SN makes it sensitive to fast novae, while the broad observing filter and high spatial resolution of \textit{Gaia} make it more sensitive to highly reddened novae across the entire Galactic plane and bulge. Despite these differences, we find that ASAS-SN and \textit{Gaia} give consistent Galactic nova rates, with a final joint nova rate of $26 \pm 5$ yr$^{-1}$. This inferred nova rate is substantially lower than found by many other recent studies. Critically assessing the systematic uncertainties in the Galactic nova rate, we argue that the role of faint fast-fading novae has likely been overestimated, but that subtle details in the operation of transient alert pipelines can have large, sometimes unappreciated effects on transient recovery efficiency. Our predicted nova rate can be directly tested with forthcoming red/near-infrared transient surveys in the southern hemisphere.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figure

Catching a nova X-ray/UV flash in the visible? Early spectroscopy of the extremely slow Nova Velorum 2022 (Gaia22alz)

We present early spectral observations of the very slow Galactic nova Gaia22alz, over its gradual rise to peak brightness that lasted 180 days. During the first 50 days, when the nova was only 3--4 magnitudes above its normal brightness, the spectra showed narrow (FWHM $\approx$ 400 km s$^{-1}$) emission lines of H Balmer, He I, He II, and C IV, but no P Cygni absorption. A few weeks later, the high-excitation He II and C IV lines disappeared, and P Cygni profiles of Balmer, He I, and eventually Fe II lines emerged, yielding a spectrum typical of classical novae before peak. We propose that the early spectra of Gaia22alz are produced in the white dwarf's envelope or accretion disk, reprocessing X-ray and ultraviolet emission from the white dwarf after a dramatic increase in the rate of thermonuclear reactions, during a phase known as the ``early X-ray/UV flash''. If true, this would be one of the rare times that the optical signature of the early X-ray/UV flash has been detected. While this phase might last only a few hours in other novae and thus be easily missed, it was possible to detect in Gaia22alz due to its very slow and gradual rise and thanks to the efficiency of new all-sky surveys in detecting transients on their rise. We also consider alternative scenarios that could explain the early spectral features of Gaia22alz and its unusually slow rise.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to MNRA

The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. II. the Discovery and Timing of 10 Pulsars

We present timing solutions for 10 pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory program during an analysis of drift-scan data. Following the discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded phase-connected solutions with high-precision measurements of rotational and astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including PSR J0930-2301, a pulsar with a nulling fraction lower limit of ∼30% and a nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR J0557-2948 is an isolated, 44 ms pulsar that has been partially recycled and is likely a former member of a binary system that was disrupted by a second supernova. The paucity of such so-called \ disrupted binary pulsars\ (DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a 15 ms pulsar in a 44-day orbit with a low-mass white dwarf companion. We did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must be older than 1200 Myr