The two adjacent hotspot cells centered at 92.5° W (Hotspots 5 and 8) were associated exclusively with a single plate, XE435.

Hotspot preprint: most hotspot cells are fed by more than one plate; two by a single plate (XE435) — part 3

what the source states

The two adjacent cells centered at 92.5° W (Hotspots 5 and 8) "were associated exclusively with a single plate, XE435" (Supplemental Table 1).

what we infer

Useful against the single-bad-plate explanation for most cells, though the two highest-O/E cells after the Pacific ones (5 and 8, O/E 16.6 and 9.9) are single-plate. The paper also concedes (p. 17) that because both methods use the same transient sample, "their agreement alone does not rule out this possibility" of defect-driven hotspots.

limitations

• Plate overlap is defined in projected coordinates, not on the sky
• Per-plate significance tested at unadjusted p<0.05
• Second reader (claude-sonnet-5, 2026-09-10, run 2026-09-10-verify-transients-174405, verify-v5) disputes the stated direction toward TRN-C132: The quote accurately reports that Hotspots 5 and 8 were the two exceptions tied to a single plate (XE435), consistent with Supplemental Table 1 showing one contributing plate for each. However, this passage does not itself assert or establish that the other 14 hotspots showed excess on at least two plates (TRN-C132); it merely identifies the complementary exception cells, so it bears on the topic without directly supporting the claim's specific numerical finding, making 'context' the more accurate direction than 'supports'.