Radio recombination lines (RRLs) at low frequencies (<10 GHz) can provide a multi-phase view of interstellar gas in nearby galaxies, absorption-line-systems, and AGN. Hydrogen RRLs arise in fully ionized gas and carbon RRLs trace elusive cold-HI and CO-dark molecular gas. Low frequency RRLs are typically stimulated by the radio continuum and thus may be observable within or against radio bright sources out to cosmological distances (z 6). Although long sought after, RRLs were only recently detected outside of the local universe (z 1; Emig et al., 2020, 2023). Such detections have been made possible by the advancement of wide-bandwidth spectral-line surveys on next-generation low-frequency telescopes. Precursors and pathfinders to the SKA have opened up this field of research and will make significant advancements over the next years by enabling surveys over large source samples. The SKA will provide access to the crucial frequency ranges where RRL line intensity is brightest. Furthermore, multi-band SKA measurements will fully characterize gas physical conditions. Key extragalactic science of low frequency RRLs will focus on (i) the conversion of baryonic material into stars across cosmic time, (ii) the evolution of the ISM and its physical conditions in galaxies, and (iii) how gas drives and inhibits AGN activity.

Studying the interstellar medium in nearby starbursts is essential for gaining insights into the physical mechanisms driving these extreme objects, which are thought to be analogs of young, primeval, star-forming galaxies. This task is now feasible due to deep spectro-photometric data enabled by rapid advancements in ground- and space-based facilities. To fully leverage this wealth of information, extracting insights from the spectral line properties and the spectral energy distribution (SED) is imperative. This study aims to produce and analyze the physical properties of the first spatially resolved multiwavelength SED of an extragalactic source that covers six decades in frequency (from near-ultraviolet, NUV, to centimeter, cm, wavelengths) at an angular resolution of 3^ which corresponds to a linear scale of ∼51 pc at the distance of NGC,253. We focus on the central molecular zone (CMZ) of this starburst galaxy, which contains giant molecular clouds (GMCs) responsible for half of the galaxy's star formation. We retrieved archival data from near-UV to centimeter wavelengths, covering six decades of spectral range. We computed the SEDs to fit the observations, using the GalaPy code and confronting the results with the CIGALE code for validation. We also employed the starlight code to analyze the stellar optical spectra of the GMCs. Our results reveal significant differences between internal and external GMCs in terms of stellar and dust masses, star formation rates (SFRs), and bolometric luminosities, among others, with internal GMCs doubling maximum values of the external ones in most of the cases. We obtained tight relations between monochromatic stellar tracers and star-forming conditions obtained from panchromatic emission. We find that the best SFR tracers are radio continuum bands at 33 GHz, radio recombination lines (RRLs), and the total infrared (IR) luminosity range (L_ IR; 8--1000μm) as well as the IR emission at 60μm. The emission line diagnostics based on the BPT and WHAN diagrams suggest that the nuclear region of NGC 253 exhibits shock signatures, placing it in the composite zone typically associated with hybrids of active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosting and star-forming regions, while the AGN fraction from panchromatic emission is negligible (≤7.5%). Our findings demonstrate the significant heterogeneity within the CMZ of NGC 253, with central GMCs exhibiting high densities, elevated SFRs, and greater dust masses compared to their external counterparts. We confirm the effectiveness of certain centimeter photometric bands as a reliable method to estimate the global SFR, in accordance with previous studies -- this time on GMC scales.

The study of redshifted spectral lines can provide a measure of the fundamental constants over large look-back times. Current grand unified theories predict an evolution in these constants and astronomical observations offer the only experimental measure of the values of the constants over large timescales. Of particular interest are the dimensionless constants: the fine structure constant (alpha), the proton-electron mass ratio (mu), and the proton g-factor (g(p)), since these do not require a "standard meterstick". Here we present a re-analysis of the 18 cm hydroxyl (OH) lines at z = 0.89, which were recently detected with the MeerKAT telescope, toward the radio source PKS 1830-211. Utilizing the previous constraint of Delta mu/mu=(-1.8 +/- 1.2)x10(-7), we obtain Delta(alpha g(p)(0.27))/(alpha g(p)(0.27)) less than or similar to 5.7 x 10(-5), Delta alpha/alpha less than or similar to 2.3x10(-3), and Delta g(p)/g(p)less than or similar to 7.9x10(-3). These new constraints are consistent with no evolution over a look-back time of 7.3 Gyr and provide another valuable data point in the putative evolution of the constants.

The physical properties of galactic molecular outflows are important as they could constrain outflow formation mechanisms. We study the properties of the southwest (SW) outflow streamer including gas kinematics, optical depth, dense gas fraction, and shock strength in the central molecular zone of the starburst galaxy NGC 253. We image the molecular emission at a spatial resolution of $\sim$27 pc based on data from the ALCHEMI program. We trace the kinematics of molecular gas with CO(1-0) line. We constrain the optical depth of CO emission with CO/$^{13}$CO(1-0) ratio, the dense gas fraction with HCN/CO(1-0) ratio, as well as the shock strength with SiO(2-1)/$^{13}$CO(1-0) ratio. The CO/$^{13}$CO(1-0) integrated intensity ratio is $\sim$21 in the SW streamer region, which approximates the C/$^{13}$C isotopic abundance ratio. The higher integrated intensity ratio compared to the disk can be attributed to the optically thinner environment for CO(1-0) emission inside the SW streamer. The HCN/CO(1-0) and SiO(2-1)/$^{13}$CO(1-0) integrated intensity ratios both approach $\sim$0.2 in three giant molecular clouds (GMCs) at the base of the outflow streamers, which implies the higher dense gas fraction and enhanced strength of fast shocks in those GMCs than in the disk. The contours of those two integrated intensity ratios are extended towards the directions of outflow streamers, which connects the enhanced dense gas fraction and shock strength with molecular outflow. Moreover, the molecular gas with enhanced dense gas fraction and shock strength located at the base of the SW streamer shares the same velocity with the outflow. These phenomena suggest that the star formation inside the GMCs can trigger the shocks and further drive the molecular outflow.

Context. Sulphur-bearing species are detected in various environments within Galactic star-forming regions and are particularly abundant in the gas phase of outflow and shocked regions in addition to photo-dissociation regions. Thanks to the powerful capabilities of millimetre interferometers, studying sulphur-bearing species and their region of emission in various extreme extra-galactic environments (e.g. starburst and active galactic nuclei) and at a high-angular resolution and sensitivity is now possible. Aims. In this work, we aim to investigate the nature of the emission from the most common sulphur-bearing species observable at millimetre wavelengths towards the nuclear starburst of the nearby galaxy NGC 253. We intend to understand which type of regions are probed by sulphur-bearing species and which process(es) dominate(s) the release of sulphur into the gas phase. Methods. We used the high-angular resolution (1.6 '' or similar to 27 pc) observations from the ALCHEMI ALMA Large Program to image several sulphur-bearing species towards the central molecular zone (CMZ) of NGC 253. We performed local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE large velocity gradient (LVG) analyses to derive the physical conditions of the gas where the sulphur-bearing species are emitted, and their abundance ratios across the CMZ. Finally, we compared our results with previous ALCHEMI studies and a few selected Galactic environments. Results. To reproduce the observations, we modelled two gas components for most of the sulphur-bearing species investigated in this work. We found that not all sulphur-bearing species trace the same type of gas: strong evidence indicates that H2S and part of the emission of OCS, H2CS, and SO are tracing shocks, whilst part of SO and CS emission rather traces the dense molecular gas. For some species, such as CCS and SO2, we could not firmly conclude on their origin of emission. Conclusions. The present analysis indicates that the emission from most sulphur-bearing species throughout the CMZ is likely dominated by shocks associated with ongoing star formation. In the inner part of the CMZ where the presence of super star clusters was previously indicated, we could not distinguish between shocks or thermal evaporation as the main process releasing the S-bearing species.

How galaxies regulate nuclear growth through gas accretion by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is one of the most fundamental questions in galaxy evolution. One potential way to regulate nuclear growth is through a galactic wind that removes gas from the nucleus. It is unclear whether galactic winds are powered by jets, mechanical winds, radiation, or via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes. Compact obscured nuclei represent a significant phase of galactic nuclear growth. These galaxies hide growing SMBHs or unusual starbursts in their very opaque, extremely compact ( r < 100 pc) centres. They are found in approximately 30% of the luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxy population. Here, we present high-resolution ALMA observations (∼30 mas, ∼5 pc) of ground-state and vibrationally excited HCN towards ESO 320-G030 (IRAS 11506-3851). ESO 320-G030 is an isolated luminous infrared galaxy known to host a compact obscured nucleus and a kiloparsec-scale molecular wind. Our analysis of these high-resolution observations excludes the possibility of a starburst-driven wind, a mechanically or energy driven active galactic nucleus wind, and exposes a molecular MDH wind. These results imply that the nuclear evolution of galaxies and the growth of SMBHs are similar to the growth of hot cores or protostars where gravitational collapse of the nuclear torus drives a MHD wind. These results mean galaxies are capable, in part, of regulating the evolution of their nuclei without feedback.

Compact obscured nuclei (CONs) are an extremely obscured (N_H2 >10^25 cm^-2) class of galaxy nuclei thought to exist in 20-40 per cent of nearby (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies. While they have been proposed to represent a key phase of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback cycle, the nature of these CONs - what powers them, their dynamics, and their impact on the host galaxy - remains unknown. This work analyses the large-scale optical properties of the local CON, NGC4418 (z=0.00727). We present new, targeted integral field unit observations of the galaxy with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). For the first time, we map the ionised and neutral gas components of the galaxy, along with their dynamical structure, to reveal several previously unknown features of the galaxy. We confirm the presence of a previously postulated blueshifted outflow along the minor axis of NGC4418. We find this outflow to be decelerating and, for the first time, show it to extend bilaterally from the nucleus. We report the discovery of two further outflow structures: a redshifted southern outflow connected to a tail of ionised gas surrounding the galaxy and a blueshifted bubble to the north. In addition to these features, we find the [OIII] emission reveals the presence of knots across the galaxy, which are consistent with regions of the galaxy that have been photoionised by an AGN. Based on the properties of these features, we conclude that the CON in NGC4418 is most likely powered by AGN activity.

Context. Nuclear regions of ultraluminous and luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) are powered by starbursts and/or active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These regions are often obscured by extremely high columns of gas and dust. Molecular lines in the submillimeter windows have the potential to determine the physical conditions of these compact obscured nuclei (CONs). Aims. We aim to reveal the distributions of HCN and HCO + emission in local U/LIRGs and investigate whether and how they are related to galaxy properties. Methods. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we have conducted sensitive observations of the HCN J = 3−2 and HCO + J = 3−2 lines toward 23 U/LIRGs in the local Universe ( z < 0.07) with a spatial resolution of ∼0.3″ (∼50−400 pc). Results. We detected both HCN and HCO + in 21 galaxies, only HCN in one galaxy, and neither in one galaxy. The global HCN/HCO + line ratios, averaged over scales of ∼0.5−4 kpc, range from 0.4 to 2.3, with an unweighted mean of 1.1. These line ratios appear to have no systematic trend with bolometric AGN luminosity or star formation rate. The line ratio varies with position and velocity within each galaxy, with an average interquartile range of 0.38 on a spaxel-by-spaxel basis. In eight out of ten galaxies known to have outflows and/or inflows, we found spatially and kinematically symmetric structures of high line ratios. These structures appear as a collimated bicone in two galaxies and as a thin spherical shell in six galaxies. Conclusions. Non-LTE analysis suggests that the high HCN/HCO + line ratio in outflows is predominantly influenced by the abundance ratio. Chemical model calculations indicate that the enhancement of HCN abundance in outflows is likely due to high-temperature chemistry triggered by shock heating. These results imply that the HCN/HCO + line ratio can aid in identifying the outflow geometry when the shock velocity of the outflows is sufficiently high to heat the gas.

We use a neural network model and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of HCN and HNC to constrain the physical conditions, most notably the cosmic-ray ionization rate (CRIR, zeta), in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the starburst galaxy NGC 253. Using output from the chemical code UCLCHEM, we train a neural network model to emulate UCLCHEM and derive HCN and HNC molecular abundances from a given set of physical conditions. We combine the neural network with radiative transfer modeling to generate modeled integrated intensities, which we compare to measurements of HCN and HNC from the ALMA Large Program ALCHEMI. Using a Bayesian nested sampling framework, we constrain the CRIR, molecular gas volume and column densities, kinetic temperature, and beam-filling factor across NGC 253's CMZ. The neural network model successfully recovers UCLCHEM molecular abundances with similar to 3% error and, when used with our Bayesian inference algorithm, increases the parameter-inference speed tenfold. We create images of these physical parameters across NGC 253's CMZ at 50 pc resolution and find that the CRIR, in addition to the other gas parameters, is spatially variable with zeta similar to a few x10(-14) s(-1) at r greater than or similar to 100 pc from the nucleus, increasing to zeta > 10(-13) s(-1) at its center. These inferred CRIRs are consistent within 1 dex with theoretical predictions based on nonthermal emission. Additionally, the high CRIRs estimated in NGC 253's CMZ can be explained by the large number of cosmic-ray-producing sources as well as a potential suppression of cosmic-ray diffusion near their injection sites.

The MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS) has observed 391 telescope pointings at L-band (900 - 1670 MHz) at $\delta\lesssim$ $+20\deg$. We present radio continuum images and a catalog of 495,325 (240,321) radio sources detected at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) $>$5 over an area of 2289 deg$^2$ (1132 deg$^2$) at 1006 MHz (1381 MHz). Every MALS pointing contains a central bright radio source ($S_{1\,\mathrm{GHz}} \gtrsim 0.2$ Jy). The median spatial resolution is $12^{\prime\prime}$ ($8^{\prime\prime}$). The median rms noise away from the pointing center is 25 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ (22 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$) and is within $\sim$ 15% of the achievable theoretical sensitivity. The flux density scale ratio and astrometric accuracy deduced from multiply observed sources in MALS are less than 1% (8% scatter) and $1^{\prime\prime}$, respectively. Through comparisons with NVSS and FIRST at 1.4 GHz, we establish the catalog's accuracy in the flux density scale and astrometry to be better than 6% (15% scatter) and $0.8^{\prime\prime}$, respectively. The median flux density offset is higher (9%) for an alternate beam model based on holographic measurements. The MALS radio source counts at 1.4 GHz are in agreement with literature. We estimate spectral indices ($\alpha$) of a subset of 125,621 sources (SNR$>$8), confirm the flattening of spectral indices with decreasing flux density and identify 140 ultra steep-spectrum ($\alpha<-1.3$) sources as prospective high-$z$ radio galaxies ($z>2$). We have identified 1308 variable and 122 transient radio sources comprising primarily of AGN that demonstrate long-term (26 years) variability in their observed flux densities. The MALS catalogs and images are publicly available at https://mals.iucaa.in.

We present a spatially resolved excitation analysis for the central molecular zone (CMZ) of the starburst galaxy NGC 253 using the data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Comprehensive High-resolution Extragalactic Molecular Inventory, whereby we explore parameters distinguishing NGC 253 from the quiescent Milky Way's Galactic center (GC). Non-LTE analyses employing a hierarchical Bayesian framework are applied to Band 3-7 transitions from nine molecular species to delineate the position-position-velocity distributions of column density ( NH2 ), volume density ( nH2 ), and temperature (T kin) at 27 pc resolution. Two distinct components are detected: a low-density component with (nH2,Tkin)similar to(103.3cm-3,85K) and a high-density component with (nH2,Tkin)similar to(104.4cm-3,110K) , separated at nH2 similar to 103.8cm-3 . NGC 253 has similar to 10 times the high-density gas mass and similar to 3 times the dense-gas mass fraction of the GC. These properties are consistent with their HCN/CO ratio but cannot alone explain the factor of similar to 30 difference in their star formation efficiencies (SFEs), contradicting the dense-gas mass to star formation rate scaling law. The nH2 histogram toward NGC 253 exhibits a shallow declining slope up to nH2 similar to 106cm-3 , while that of the GC steeply drops in nH2 greater than or similar to 104.5cm-3 and vanishes at 105 cm-3. Their dense-gas mass fraction ratio becomes consistent with their SFEs when the threshold nH2 for the dense gas is taken at similar to 104.2-4.6 cm-3. The rich abundance of gas above this density range in the NGC 253 CMZ, or its scarcity in the GC, is likely to be the critical difference characterizing the contrasting star formation in the centers of the two galaxies.

Context. Determining the evolution of the CNO isotopes in the interstellar medium (ISM) of starburst galaxies can yield important constraints on the ages of super star clusters (SSCs), or on other aspects and factors contributing to their evolution, such as the initial mass function (IMF). Due to the time-dependent nature of the abundances of isotopes within the ISM - as they are supplied from processes such as nucleosynthesis or chemical fractionation -, this provides the opportunity to test whether or not isotope ratios trace the ages of highly star-forming regions, such as SSCs. Aims. The goal of this study is to investigate whether the isotopic variations in SSC regions within NGC 253 are correlated with their different ages as derived from stellar population modelling. Methods. We measured abundance ratios of CO, HCN, and HCO+ isotopologues in six regions containing SSCs within NGC 253 using high-spatial-resolution (1.6 '', similar to 28 pc) data from the ALCHEMI (ALma Comprehensive High-resolution Extragalactic Molecular Inventory) ALMA Large program. We then analysed these ratios using RADEX radiative transfer modelling, with the parameter space sampled using the nested sampling Monte Carlo algorithm MLFriends. These abundance ratios were then compared to ages predicted in each region via the fitting of observed star-formation tracers (such as Br gamma) to Starburst99 starburst stellar population evolution models. Results. We determined the isotopic column density ratios across multiple regions of SSC activity in NGC 253 using non-LTE radiative transfer modelling. We do not find any significant trend with age for the CO and HCN isotopologue ratios on timescales of the ages of the SSC* regions observed. However, HCO+ may show a correlation with age over these timescales in C-12/C-13. Conclusions. The driving factors of these ratios within SSCs could be the IMF or fractionation effects. To further probe these effects in SSCs over time, a larger sample of SSCs must be observed spanning a larger age range.

Abstract One of the most fundamental questions in galaxy evolution is how galaxies regulate nuclear growth and accretion onto supermassive black holes. One potential way to do this is through a galactic wind which removes gas from the nucleus. It is unclear whether galactic winds are powered by jets, mechanical winds, radiation, or via magnetohydrodynamic processes. Compact obscured nuclei (CONs) represent a significant phase of galactic nuclear growth. These galaxies hide growing supermassive black holes or unusual starbursts in their very opaque, extremely compact (r < 100 pc) centres. They are found in approximately 30% of the luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG and ULIRG) population. Here, we present high resolution ALMA observations (~30mas, ~5pc) of ground-state and vibrationally excited HCN towards ESO 320-G030 (IRAS 11506−3851). ESO 320-G030 is an isolated luminous infrared galaxy known to host a compact obscured nucleus and a kiloparsec-scale molecular wind. Our analysis of these high-resolution observations excludes the possibility of a starburst driven wind, a mechanically or energy driven AGN wind, and exposes a molecular magnetohydrodynamic wind. If magnetohydrodynamic winds are intrinsic to CONs, these results imply that nuclear evolution of galaxies and growth of SMBHs is similar to the growth of hot cores or protostars, and that star formation or active galactic nuclei feedback may not be necessary to drive galactic winds.

HNCO and SiO are well known shock tracers and have been observed in nearby galaxies, including the nearby (D=3.5 Mpc) starburst galaxy NGC 253. The simultaneous detection of these two species in regions where the star formation rate is high may be used to study the shock history of the gas. We perform a multi-line molecular study using these two shock tracers (SiO and HNCO) with the aim of characterizing the gas properties. We also explore the possibility of reconstructing the shock history in NGC 253's Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). Six SiO transitions and eleven HNCO transitions were imaged at high resolution 1”.6 (28 pc) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) as part of the ALCHEMI Large Programme. Both non-LTE radiative transfer analysis and chemical modelling were performed in order to characterize the gas properties, and to investigate the chemical origin of the emission. The non-LTE radiative transfer analysis coupled with Bayesian inference shows clear evidence that the gas traced by SiO has different densities and temperatures than that traced by HNCO, with an indication that shocks are needed to produce both species. Chemical modelling further confirms such a scenario and suggests that fast and slow shocks are responsible for SiO and HNCO production, respectively, in most GMCs. We are also able to infer the physical characteristics of the shocks traced by SiO and HNCO for each GMC. Radiative transfer and chemical analysis of the SiO and HNCO in the CMZ of NGC 253 reveal a complex picture whereby most of the GMCs are subjected to shocks. We speculate on the possible shock scenarios responsible for the observed emission and provide potential history and timescales for each shock scenario. Higher spatial resolution observations of these two species are required in order to quantitatively differentiate between scenarios.

Understanding the nature of high-z dusty galaxies requires a comprehensive view of their ISM and molecular complexity. However, the molecular ISM at high-z is commonly studied using only a few species beyond CO, limiting our understanding. In this paper, we present the results of deep 3 mm spectral line surveys using the NOEMA targeting two lensed dusty galaxies: APM 08279+5255 (APM), a quasar at redshift z=3.911, and NCv1.143 (NC), a z=3.565 starburst galaxy. The spectral line surveys cover rest-frame frequencies from about 330-550 GHz. We report the detection of 38 and 25 emission lines in APM and NC, respectively. The spectra reveal the chemical richness and the complexity of the physical properties of the ISM. By comparing the spectra of the two sources and combining the gas excitation analysis, we find that the physical properties and the chemical imprints of the ISM are different between them: the molecular gas is more excited in APM, exhibiting higher molecular-gas temperatures and densities compared to NC; the chemical abundances in APM are akin to the values of local AGN, showing boosted relative abundances of the dense gas tracers that might be related to high-temperature chemistry and/or XDRs, while NC more closely resembles local starburst galaxies. The most significant differences are found in H2O, where the 448GHz H2O line is significantly brighter in APM, likely linked to the intense far-infrared radiation from the dust powered by AGN. Our astrochemical model suggests that at such high column densities, FUV radiation is less important in regulating the ISM, while CRs (X-rays/shocks) are the key players in shaping the abundance of the molecules and the initial conditions of star formation. Such deep spectral line surveys open a new window to study the physical and chemical properties of the ISM and the radiation field of galaxies in the early Universe. (abridged)

We report the detection of stimulated hydrogen radio recombination line (RRL) emission from ionized gas in a z = 0.89 galaxy using 580–1670 MHz observations from the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey. The RRL emission originates in a galaxy that intercepts and strongly lenses the radio blazar PKS 1830−211 ( z = 2.5). This is the second detection of RRLs outside of the local Universe and the first clearly associated with hydrogen. We detect effective H144 α (and H163 α ) transitions at observed frequencies of 1156 (798) MHz by stacking 17 (27) RRLs with 21 σ (14 σ ) significance. The RRL emission contains two main velocity components and is coincident in velocity with H i 21 cm and OH 18 cm absorption. We use the RRL spectral line energy distribution and a Bayesian analysis to constrain the density ( n e ) and the volume-averaged path length ( ℓ ) of the ionized gas. We determine log ( n e ) = 2.0 − 0.7 + 1.0 cm −3 and log ( ℓ ) = − 0.7 − 1.1 + 1.1 pc toward the northeast (NE) lensed image, likely tracing the diffuse thermal phase of the ionized ISM in a thin disk. Toward the southwest (SW) lensed image, we determine log ( n e ) = 3.2 − 1.0 + 0.4 cm −3 and log ( ℓ ) = − 2.7 − 0.2 + 1.8 pc, tracing gas that is more reminiscent of H scii regions. We estimate a star formation (surface density) rate of Σ SFR ∼ 0.6 M ⊙ yr −1 kpc −2 or SFR ∼ 50 M ⊙ yr −1 , consistent with a star-forming main-sequence galaxy of M ⋆ ∼ 10 11 M ⊙ . The discovery presented here opens up the possibility of studying ionized gas at high redshifts using RRL observations from current and future (e.g., SKA and ngVLA) radio facilities.

Compact Obscured Nuclei (CONs) account for a significant fraction of the population of luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs). These galaxy nuclei are compact, with radii of 10-100~pc, with large optical depths at submm and far-infrared wavelengths, and characterized by vibrationally excited HCN emission. It is not known what powers the large luminosities of the CON host galaxies because of the extreme optical depths towards their nuclei. CONs represent an extreme phase of nuclear growth, hiding either a rapidly accreting supermassive black hole or an abnormal mode of star formation. Here we apply principal component analysis (PCA) tomography to high-resolution (0.06$^{\prime\prime}$) ALMA observations at frequencies 245 to 265~GHz of the nearby CON (59~Mpc) IC~860. PCA is a technique to unveil correlation in the data parameter space, and we apply it to explore the morphological and chemical properties of species in our dataset. The leading principal components reveal morphological features in molecular emission that suggest a rotating, infalling disk or envelope, and an outflow analogous to those seen in Galactic protostars. One particular molecule of astrochemical interest is methanimine (CH$_2$NH), a precursor to glycine, three transitions of which have been detected towards IC 860. We estimate the average CH$_2$NH column density towards the nucleus of IC~860 to be $\sim10^{17}$cm$^{-2}$, with an abundance exceeding $10^{-8}$ relative to molecular hydrogen, using the rotation diagram method and non-LTE radiative transfer models. This CH$_2$NH abundance is consistent with those found in hot cores of molecular clouds in the Milky Way. Our analysis suggests that CONs are an important stage of chemical evolution in galaxies, that are chemically and morphologically similar to Milky Way hot cores.

The BL Lac PKS 1413+135 was observed by the Large Survey Project"MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey"(MALS) in the L-band, at 1139 MHz and 1293-1379 MHz, targeting the HI and OH lines in absorption at z = 0.24671. The radio continuum is thought to come from a background object at redshift lower than 0.5, as suggested by the absence of gravitational images. The HI absorption line is detected at high signal-to-noise, with a narrow central component, and a red wing, confirming previous results. The OH 1720 MHz line is clearly detected in (maser) emission, peaking at a velocity shifted by -10 to -15 km/s with respect to the HI peak. The 1612 MHz line is lost due to radio interferences. The OH 1667 MHz main line is tentatively detected in absorption, but not the 1665 MHz one. Over 30 years, a high variability is observed in optical depths, due to the rapid changes of the line of sight, caused by the superluminal motions of the radio knots. The HI line has varied by 20 per cent in depth, while the OH-1720 MHz depth has varied by a factor 4. The position of the central velocity and the widths also varied. The absorbing galaxy is an early-type spiral (maybe S0) seen edge-on, with a prominent dust lane, covering the whole disk. Given the measured mass concentration, and the radio continuum size at centimeter wavelengths (100 mas corresponding to 400 pc at z = 0.25), the width of absorption lines from the nuclear regions are expected up to 250 km/S. The narrowness of the observed lines (<15 km/s) suggest that the absorption comes from an outer gas ring, as frequently observed in S0 galaxies. The millimetric lines are even narrower (<1 km/s), which corresponds to the continuum size restricted to the core. The core source is covered by individual 1 pc molecular clouds, of column density a few 10^22 cm-2, which is compatible with the gas screen detected in X-rays.

The number counts of homogeneous samples of radio sources are a tried and true method of probing the large scale structure of the Universe, as most radio sources outside the galactic plane are at cosmological distances. As such they are expected to trace the cosmic radio dipole, an anisotropy analogous to the dipole seen in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Results have shown that although the cosmic radio dipole matches the direction of the CMB dipole, it has a significantly larger amplitude. This result challenges our assumption of the Universe being isotropic, which can have large repercussions for the current cosmological paradigm. Though significant measurements have been made, sensitivity to the radio dipole is generally hampered by systematic effects that can cause large biases in the measurement. Here we assess these systematics with data from the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS). We present the analysis of ten MALS pointings, focusing on systematic effects that could lead to an inhomogeneous catalogue. We describe the calibration and creation of full band continuum images and catalogues, producing a combined catalogue containing 16,313 sources and covering 37.5 square degrees of sky down to a sensitivity of 10 $\mu$Jy/beam. We measure the completeness, purity, and flux recovery statistics for these catalogues using simulated data. We investigate different source populations in the catalogues by looking at flux densities and spectral indices, and how they might influence source counts. Using the noise characteristics of the pointings, we find global measures that can be used to correct for the incompleteness of the catalogue, producing corrected number counts down to 100 - 200 $\mu$Jy. We show that we can homogenise the catalogues and properly account for systematic effects. We determine that we can measure the dipole to $3\sigma$ significance with 100 MALS pointings.