title: A Note on Quartic Equations with only Trivial Solutions

abstract:
  In our notice we propose the classification of some quartic equations with
only trivial solutions by the auxiliary equations. For proving trivial
solutions of the quartic equations we use method infinite descent based on the
number of prime integers of the solution of the auxiliary equation. The quartic
equations with only trivial solutions belong to "higher arithmetic". The main
tools of their investigation are the fundamental theorem of arithmetic,
infinite descent and elliptic curves. In 1969, L.J. Mordell has observed that
the triviality of the solution of $x^4 + y^4 = 2z^2$ implies the triviality of
the solution of $x^4 + 6x^2y^2 + y^4 = z^2$. In his treatise, he did not study
the reason or the mechanics of this relationship nor did he conjecture that
this link extended to other fourth-degree diophantine equations. We have
discovered that the connection identified by Mordell can be described by using
the concept "resolvents". In present notice which carries an expository
character, we show our findings by presenting the reader with a very easy to
follow and transparent example of how the proposed technique works.


title: Fractal geometry of non-uniformly hyperbolic horseshoes

abstract:
  This article is an expanded version of some notes for my talk at the
``Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems Workshop'' (from March 22 to March 25,
2012) held at the Department of Mathematics of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. In the aforementioned talk, it was discussed some recent
results on the fractal geometry of certain objects -- \emph{non-uniformly
hyperbolic horseshoes} -- constructed by Jacob Palis and Jean-Christophe Yoccoz
in their recent \emph{tour-de-force} work around \emph{heteroclinic
bifurcations of surface diffeomorphisms}.
  The goal of the present article is two-fold. The first part will be a modest
survey on the history of the study of homoclinic/heteroclinic bifurcations of
surface diffeomorphisms: starting from the seminal works of Henri Poincar\'e on
Celestial Mechanics, we will recall some landmark results on bifurcations of
homoclinic/heteroclinic tangencies associated to \emph{uniformly hyperbolic
horseshoes}. Our discussions in this (first) part will culminate with a brief
presentation of the scheme of the proof of the main theorems of J. Palis and
J.-C. Yoccoz on this subject. In particular, we will highlight the main
features of the so-called non-uniformly hyperbolic horseshoes, an object at the
heart of the work of J. Palis and J.-C. Yoccoz. Then, the second part will be a
sort of research announcement where we will discuss some results obtained in
collaboration with J. Palis and J.-C. Yoccoz on the (fractal) geometry of
non-uniformly hyperbolic horseshoes.


title: SO(2N) and SU(N) gauge theories

abstract:
  We present our preliminary results of SO(2N) gauge theories, approaching the
large-N limit. SO(2N) theories may help us to understand QCD at finite chemical
potential since there is an orbifold equivalence between SO(2N) and SU(N) gauge
theories at large-N and SO(2N) theories do not have the sign problem present in
QCD. We consider the string tensions, mass spectra, and deconfinement
temperatures in the SO(2N) pure gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions, comparing
them to their corresponding SU(N) theories.


title:
On posterior propriety for the Student-$t$ linear regression model under
  Jeffreys priors

abstract:
  Regression models with fat-tailed error terms are an increasingly popular
choice to obtain more robust inference to the presence of outlying
observations. This article focuses on Bayesian inference for the Student-$t$
linear regression model under objective priors that are based on the Jeffreys
rule. Posterior propriety results presented in Fonseca et al. (2008) are
revisited and corrected. In particular, it is shown that the standard
Jeffreys-rule prior precludes the existence of a proper posterior distribution.


title: String black hole: Can it be a particle accelerator ?

abstract:
  In this paper we have studied the possibility of the center-of-mass energy of
two particles colliding near the horizon of a static charged black hole in
string theory. Various cases corresponding to the electric charge and the
angular momentum of the particles were considered. The studies were done for
the general black hole as well as for the extreme black hole. There were two
scenarios where the center-of-mass energy reach very large values if the
appropriate properties of the particles are chosen.


title:
Neutron-skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb, and symmetry-energy constraints
  from the study of the anti-analog giant dipole resonance

abstract:
  The $^{208}$Pb($p$,$n\gamma\bar p$) $^{207}$Pb reaction at a beam energy of
30 MeV has been used to excite the anti-analog of the giant dipole resonance
(AGDR) and to measure its $\gamma$-decay to the isobaric analog state in
coincidence with proton decay of IAS. The energy of the transition has also
been calculated with the self-consistent relativistic random-phase
approximation (RRPA), and found to be linearly correlated to the predicted
value of the neutron-skin thickness ($\Delta R_{pn}$). By comparing the
theoretical results with the measured transition energy, the value of 0.190
$\pm$ 0.028 fm has been determined for $\Delta R_{pn}$ of $^{208}$Pb, in
agreement with previous experimental results. The AGDR excitation energy has
also been used to calculate the symmetry energy at saturation ($J=32.7 \pm 0.6$
MeV) and the slope of the symmetry energy ($L=49.7 \pm 4.4$ MeV), resulting in
more stringent constraints than most of the previous studies.


title: Thermal spin-transfer torque in magnetic tunnel junctions

abstract:
  The thermal spin-transfer torque (TSTT) is an effect to switch the magnetic
free layer in a magnetic tunnel junction by a temperature gradient only. We
present ab initio calculations of the TSTT. In particular, we discuss the
influence of magnetic layer composition by considering
$\text{Fe}_\text{x}\text{Co}_{\text{1-x}}$ alloys. Further, we compare the TSTT
to the bias voltage driven STT and discuss the requirements for a possible
thermal switching. For example, only for very thin barriers of 3 monolayers MgO
a thermal switching is imaginable. However, even for such a thin barrier the
TSTT is still too small for switching at the moment and further optimization is
needed. In particular, the TSTT strongly depends on the composition of the
ferromagentic layer. In our current study it turns out that at the chosen
thickness of the ferromagnetic layer pure Fe gives the highest thermal
spin-transfer torque.


title:
Accurate classification of 75 counterparts of objects detected in the 54
  month Palermo Swift/BAT hard X-ray catalogue

abstract:
  Through an optical campaign performed at 4 telescopes located in the northern
and the southern hemispheres, we have obtained optical spectroscopy for 75
counterparts of unclassified or poorly studied hard X-ray emitting objects
detected with Swift/BAT and listed in the 54 month Palermo BAT catalogue. All
these objects have also observations taken with Swift/XRT, ROSAT or Chandra
satellites which allowed us to reduce the high energy error box and pinpoint
the most likely optical counterpart/s. We find that 69 sources in our sample
are Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs); of them, 35 are classified as type 1 (with
broad and narrow emission lines), 33 are classified as type 2 (with only narrow
emission lines) and one is an high redshift QSO; the remaining 6 objects are
galactic cataclysmic variables (CVs). Among type 1 AGNs, 32 are objects of
intermediate Seyfert type (1.2-1.9) and one is Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy;
for 29 out of 35 type 1 AGNs, we have been able to estimate the central black
hole mass and the Eddington ratio. Among type 2 AGNs, two display optical
features typical of the LINER class, 3 are classified as transition objects, 1
is a starburst galaxy and 2 are instead X-ray bright, optically normal
galaxies. All galaxies classified in this work are relatively nearby objects
(0.006 - 0.213) except for one at redshift 1.137.


title: On the exit time from a cone for Brownian motion with drift

abstract:
  We investigate the tail distribution of the first exit time of Brownian
motion with drift from a cone and find its exact asymptotics for a large class
of cones. Our results show in particular that its exponential decreasing rate
is a function of the distance between the drift and the cone, whereas the
polynomial part in the asymptotics depends on the position of the drift with
respect to the cone and its polar cone, and reflects the local geometry of the
cone at the point where the drift is orthogonally projected.


title: On spaces of modular forms spanned by eta-quotients

abstract:
  An eta-quotient of level $N$ is a modular form of the shape $f(z) =
\prod_{\delta | N} \eta(\delta z)^{r_{\delta}}$. We study the problem of
determining levels $N$ for which the graded ring of holomorphic modular forms
for $\Gamma_{0}(N)$ is generated by (holomorphic, respectively weakly
holomorphic) eta-quotients of level $N$. In addition, we prove that if $f(z)$
is a holomorphic modular form that is non-vanishing on the upper half plane and
has integer Fourier coefficients at infinity, then $f(z)$ is an integer
multiple of an eta-quotient. Finally, we use our results to determine the
structure of the cuspidal subgroup of $J_{0}(2^{k})(\mathbb{Q})$.


title: The Tensor Track, III

abstract:
  We provide an informal up-to-date review of the tensor track approach to
quantum gravity. In a long introduction we describe in simple terms the
motivations for this approach. Then the many recent advances are summarized,
with emphasis on some points (Gromov-Hausdorff limit, Loop vertex expansion,
Osterwalder-Schrader positivity...) which, while important for the tensor track
program, are not detailed in the usual quantum gravity literature. We list open
questions in the conclusion and provide a rather extended bibliography.


title:
Steering, incompatibility, and Bell inequality violations in a class of
  probabilistic theories

abstract:
  We show that connections between a degree of incompatibility of pairs of
observables and the strength of violations of Bell's inequality found in recent
investigations can be extended to a general class of probabilistic physical
models. It turns out that the property of universal uniform steering is
sufficient for the saturation of a generalised Tsirelson bound, corresponding
to maximal violations of Bell's inequality. It is also found that a limited
form of steering is still available and sufficient for such saturation in some
state spaces where universal uniform steering is not given. The techniques
developed here are applied to the class of regular polygon state spaces, giving
a strengthening of known results. However, we also find indications that the
link between incompatibility and Bell violation may be more complex than
originally envisaged.


title:
Two multilayered plate models with transverse shear warping functions
  issued from three dimensional elasticity equations

abstract:
  A multilayered plate theory which uses transverse shear warping functions
issued from three-dimensional elasticity is presented. Two methods to obtain
these transverse shear warping functions are detailed. The warping functions
are issued from the variations of transverse shear stresses computed at special
location points for a simply supported bending problem. The first method
considers an exact 3D solution of the problem. The second method uses the
solution provided by the model itself: the transverse shear stresses are
computed by the integration of equilibrium equations. Hence, an iterative
process is applied, the model being updated with the new warping functions, and
so on. These two models are compared to other models and to analytical
solutions for the bending of simply supported plates. Four different laminates
and a sandwich are considered, length-to-thickness values varying from 2 to
100. An additional analytical solution that simulates the behavior of laminates
under the plane stress hypothesis - which is retained by all presented models -
shows that the iterative model almost gives the exact solution for all
laminates and all length-to-thickness ratio values.


title: Deformations of shuffles and quasi-shuffles

abstract:
  We investigate deformations of the shuffl e Hopf algebra structure Sh(A)
which can be de fined on the tensor algebra over a commutative algebra A. Such
deformations, leading for example to the quasi-shuffl e algebra QSh(A), can be
interpreted as natural transformations of the functor Sh, regarded as a functor
from commutative nonunital algebras to coalgebras. We prove that the monoid of
natural endomophisms of the functor Sh is isomorphic to the monoid of formal
power series in one variable without constant term under composition, so that
in particular, its natural automorphisms are in bijection with formal
diffeomorphisms of the line. These transformations can be interpreted as
elements of the Hopf algebra of word quasi-symmetric functions WQSym, and in
turn de fine deformations of its structure. This leads to a new embedding of
free quasi-symmetric functions into WQSym, whose relevance is illustrated by a
simple and transparent proof of Goldberg's formula for the coe cients of the
Hausdorff series.


title: Liquid-glass transition in equilibrium

abstract:
  We show in numerical simulations that a system of two coupled replicas of a
binary mixture of hard spheres undergoes a phase transition in equilibrium at a
density slightly smaller than the glass transition density for an unreplicated
system. This result is in agreement with the theories that predict that such a
transition is a precursor of the standard ideal glass transition. The critical
properties are compatible with those of an Ising system. The relations of this
approach to the conventional approach based on configurational entropy are
briefly discussed.


title:
The theory of the double preparation: discerned and indiscerned
  particles

abstract:
  In this paper we propose a deterministic and realistic quantum mechanics
interpretation which may correspond to Louis de Broglie's "double solution
theory". Louis de Broglie considers two solutions to the Schr\"odinger
equation, a singular and physical wave u representing the particle (soliton
wave) and a regular wave representing probability (statistical wave). We return
to the idea of two solutions, but in the form of an interpretation of the wave
function based on two different preparations of the quantum system. We
demonstrate the necessity of this double interpretation when the particles are
subjected to a semi-classical field by studying the convergence of the
Schr\"odinger equation when the Planck constant tends to 0. For this
convergence, we reexamine not only the foundations of quantum mechanics but
also those of classical mechanics, and in particular two important paradox of
classical mechanics: the interpretation of the principle of least action and
the the Gibbs paradox. We find two very different convergences which depend on
the preparation of the quantum particles: particles called indiscerned
(prepared in the same way and whose initial density is regular, such as atomic
beams) and particles called discerned (whose density is singular, such as
coherent states). These results are based on the Minplus analysis, a new branch
of mathematics that we have developed following Maslov, and on the Minplus path
integral which is the analog in classical mechanics of the Feynman path
integral in quantum mechanics. The indiscerned (or discerned) quantum particles
converge to indiscerned (or discerned) classical particles and we deduce that
the de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave is the correct interpretation for the
indiscerned quantum particles (wave statistics) and the Schr\"odinger
interpretation is the correct interpretation for discerned quantum particles
(wave soliton). Finally, we show that this double interpretation can be
extended to the non semi-classical case.

categories: quant-ph math-ph math.MP math.QA physics.class-ph


title:
Supercooled-liquid and plastic-crystalline state in
  succinonitrile-glutaronitrile mixtures

abstract:
  We report a thorough characterization of the glassy phases of mixtures of
succinonitrile and glutaronitrile via dielectric spectroscopy and differential
scanning calorimetry. This system is revealed to be one of the rare examples
where both glassy states of matter, a structurally disordered supercooled
liquid and an orientationally disordered plastic crystal, can be prepared in
the same material. Both disordered states can be easily supercooled, finally
arriving at a structural-glass or a glassy-crystal state. Detailed
investigations using broadband dielectric spectroscopy enable a comparison of
the glassy dynamics in both phases. Just as previously demonstrated for
supercooled-liquid and plastic-crystalline ethanol, our experiments reveal very
similar relaxational behavior and glass temperatures of both disordered states.
Thus the prominent role of orientational degrees of freedom in the glass
transition, suggested on the basis of the findings for ethanol, is fully
corroborated by the present work. Moreover, the fragilities of both phases are
determined and compared for different mixtures. The findings can be well
understood within an energy-landscape based explanation of fragility.


title: $\mathfrak P_0$-spaces

abstract:
  A regular topological space $X$ is defined to be a $\mathfrak P_0$-space if
it has countable Pytkeev network. A network $\mathcal N$ for $X$ is called a
Pytkeev network if for any point $x\in X$, neighborhood $O_x\subset X$ of $x$
and subset $A\subset X$ accumulating at a $x$ there is a set $N\in\mathcal N$
such that $N\subset O_x$ and $N\cap A$ is infinite. The class of $\mathfrak
P_0$-spaces contains all metrizable separable spaces and is (properly)
contained in the Michael's class of $\aleph_0$-spaces. It is closed under many
topological operations: taking subspaces, countable Tychonoff products, small
countable box-products, countable direct limits, hyperspaces of compact
subsets. For an $\aleph_0$-space $X$ and a $\mathfrak P_0$-space $Y$ the
function space $C_k(X,Y)$ endowed with the compact-open topology is a
$\mathfrak P_0$-space. For any sequential $\aleph_0$-space $X$ the free abelian
topological group $A(X)$ and the free locally convex linear topological space
$L(X)$ both are $\mathfrak P_0$-spaces. A sequential space is a $\mathfrak
P_0$-space if and only if it is an $\aleph_0$-space. A topological space is
metrizable and separable if and only if it is a $\mathfrak P_0$-space with
countable fan tightness.


title:
The behavior of the entanglement entropy in interacting quasi-1D systems
  and its consequences for their efficient numerical study

abstract:
  The density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method allows an efficient
computation of the properties of interacting 1D quantum systems.
Two-dimensional (2D) systems, capable of displaying much richer quantum
behavior, generally lie beyond its reach except for very small system sizes.
Many of the physical properties of 2D systems carry into the quasi-1D case, for
which, unfortunately, the standard 2D DMRG algorithm fares little better. By
finding the form of the entanglement entropy in quasi-1D systems, we directly
identify the reason for this failure. Using this understanding, we explain why
a modified algorithm, capable of cleverly exploiting this behavior of the
entanglement entropy, can accurately reach much larger system sizes. We
demonstrate the power of this method by accurately finding quantum critical
points in frustration induced magnetic transitions, which remain inaccessible
using the standard DMRG or the Monte Carlo methods.


title: Generalized north-south dynamics on the space of geodesic currents

abstract:
  We prove uniform north-south dynamics type results for the action of
$\varphi\in Out(F_{N})$ on the space of projectivized geodesic currents
$\mathbb{P}Curr(S)=\mathbb{P}Curr(F_{N})$, where $\varphi$ is induced by a
pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism on a compact surface S with boundary such that
$\pi_{1}(S)=F_{N}$. As an application, we show that for a subgroup $H\le
Out(F_N)$, containing an iwip, either $H$ contains a hyperbolic iwip or $H$ is
contained in the image in $Out(F_N)$ of the mapping class group of a surface
with a single boundary component.


title:
Disjoining Pressure of an Electrolyte Film Confined between
  Semipermeable Membranes

abstract:
  We consider an electrolyte solution confined by semipermeable membranes in
contact with a salt-free solvent. Membranes are uncharged, but since small
counter-ions leak-out into infinite salt-free reservoirs, we observe a
distance-dependent membrane potential, which generates a repulsive
electrostatic disjoining pressure. We obtain the distribution of the potential
and of ions, and derive explicit formulas for the disjoining pressure, which
are validated by computer simulations. We predict a strong short-range
power-law repulsion, and a weaker long-range exponential decay. Our results
also demonstrate that an interaction between membranes does strongly depend on
the screening lengths, valency of an electrolyte solution, and an
inter-membrane film thickness. Finally, our analysis can be directly extended
to the study of more complex situations and some biological problems.


title:
Multi-Wavelength Photometry of the T Tauri Binary V582 Mon (KH 15D): A
  New Epoch of Occultations

abstract:
  We present multi-wavelength (VRIJHK) observations of KH 15D obtained in
2012/13, as well as a master table of standard photometry spanning the years
1967 to 2013. The system is a close, eccentric T Tauri binary embedded in an
inclined precessing circumbinary (CB) ring. The most recent data show the
continued rise of star B with respect to the trailing edge of the occulting
horizon as the system's maximum brightness steadily increases. The wealth of
data in time and wavelength domains allows us to track the long-term CCD color
evolution of KH 15D. We find that the V-I behavior is consistent with direct
and scattered light from the composite color of two stars with slightly
different temperatures. There is no evidence for any reddening or bluing
associated with extinction or scattering by ISM-sized dust grains. Furthermore,
we probe the system's faint phase behavior at near-infrared wavelengths in
order to investigate extinction properties of the ring and signatures of a
possible shepherding planet sometimes invoked to confine the CB ring at ~ 5 AU.
The wavelength independence of eclipse depth at second contact is consistent
with the ring material being fully opaque to 2.2 microns. The color-magnitude
diagrams demonstrate excess flux in J and H at low light levels, which may be
due to the presence of a hot, young Jupiter-mass planet.


title:
Speeding up the first-passage for subdiffusion by introducing a finite
  potential barrier

abstract:
  We show that for a subdiffusive continuous time random walk with scale-free
waiting time distribution the first-passage dynamics on a finite interval can
be optimised by introduction of a piecewise linear potential barrier.
Analytical results for the survival probability and first-passage density based
on the fractional Fokker-Planck equation are shown to agree well with Monte
Carlo simulations results. As an application we discus an improved deign for
efficient translocation of gradient copolymers compared to homopolymer
translocation in a quasi-equilibrium approximation.


title: Symanzik flow on HISQ ensembles

abstract:
  We report on a scale determination with gradient-flow techniques on the $N_f
= 2 + 1 + 1$ HISQ ensembles generated by the MILC collaboration. The lattice
scale $w_0/a$, originally proposed by the BMW collaboration, is computed using
Symanzik flow at four lattice spacings ranging from 0.15 to 0.06 fm. With a
Taylor series ansatz, the results are simultaneously extrapolated to the
continuum and interpolated to physical quark masses. We give a preliminary
determination of the scale $w_0$ in physical units, along with associated
systematic errors, and compare with results from other groups. We also present
a first estimate of autocorrelation lengths as a function of flowtime for these
ensembles.


title: Inverse semigroups with idempotent-fixing automorphisms

abstract:
  A celebrated result of J. Thompson says that if a finite group $G$ has a
fixed-point-free automorphism of prime order, then $G$ is nilpotent. The main
purpose of this note is to extend this result to finite inverse semigroups. An
earlier related result of B. H. Neumann says that a uniquely 2-divisible group
with a fixed-point-free automorphism of order 2 is abelian. We similarly extend
this result to uniquely 2-divisible inverse semigroups.


title:
Non perturbative effects of primordial curvature perturbations on the
  apparent value of a cosmological constant

abstract:
  We study effects on the luminosity distance of a local inhomogeneity seeded
by primordial curvature perturbations of the type predicted by the inflationary
scenario and constrained by the cosmic microwave background radiation. We find
that a local underdensity originated from a one, two or three standard
deviations peaks of the primordial curvature perturbations field can induce
corrections to the value of a cosmological constant of the order of
$0.6%,1%,1.5%$ respectively. These effects cannot be neglected in the precision
cosmology era in which we are entering. Our results can be considered an upper
bound for the effect of the monopole component of the local non linear
structure which can arise from primordial curvature perturbations and requires
a fully non perturbative relativistic treatment.


title:
Numerical Solution of Nonlinear Wave-Like Equations by Reduced
  Differential Transform Method

abstract:
  This paper is presented to give numerical solutions of some cases of
nonlinear wave-like equations with variable coefficients by using Reduced
Differential Transform Method (RDTM). RDTM can be applied most of the physical,
engineering, biological and etc. models as an alternative to obtain reliable
and fastest converge, efficient approximations. Hence, our obtained results
showed that RDTM is a very simple method and has a quite accuracy.


title: An attempt to prove an effective Siegel theorem--Part One

abstract:
  We describe a plan how to prove an effective Siegel theorem (about the
exceptional Dirichlet character). We give a brief outline in Section 0. We give
a more detailed plan in Sections 1-5. The missing details (mostly routine
elementary estimations) are in Part Two, which is very long. I am happy to send
the pdf-file of Part Two to anybody who requests it by email.


title:
An incidence conjecture of Bourgain over fields of positive
  characteristic

abstract:
  In this note we generalize a recent theorem of Guth and Katz on incidences
between points and lines in $3$-space from characteristic $0$ to characteristic
$p$, and we explain how some of the special features of algebraic geometry in
characteristic $p$ manifest themselves in problems of incidence geometry.


title:
The Weak Lensing Signal and the Clustering of BOSS Galaxies I:
  Measurements

abstract:
  A joint analysis of the clustering of galaxies and their weak gravitational
lensing signal is well-suited to simultaneously constrain the galaxy-halo
connection as well as the cosmological parameters by breaking the degeneracy
between galaxy bias and the amplitude of clustering signal. In a series of two
papers, we perform such an analysis at the highest redshift ($z\sim0.53$) in
the literature using CMASS galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III Baryon
Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Eleventh Data Release (SDSS-III/BOSS DR11)
catalog spanning 8300~deg$^2$. In this paper, we present details of the
clustering and weak lensing measurements of these galaxies. We define a
subsample of 400,916 CMASS galaxies based on their redshifts and stellar mass
estimates so that the galaxies constitute an approximately volume-limited and
similar population over the redshift range $0.47\le z\le 0.59$. We obtain a
signal-to-noise ratio $S/N\simeq 56$ for the galaxy clustering measurement. We
also explore the redshift and stellar mass dependence of the clustering signal.
For the weak lensing measurement, we use existing deeper imaging data from the
CFHTLS with publicly available shape and photometric redshift catalogs from
CFHTLenS, but only in a 105~deg$^2$ area which overlaps with BOSS. This
restricts the lensing measurement to only 5,084 CMASS galaxies. After careful
systematic tests, we find a highly significant detection of the CMASS weak
lensing signal, with total $S/N\simeq 26$. These measurements form the basis of
the halo occupation distribution and cosmology analysis presented in More et
al. (Paper II).


title: Assessment of the MERS-CoV epidemic situation in the Middle East region

abstract:
  The appearance of a novel coronavirus named Middle East (ME) Respiratory
Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has raised global public health concerns
regarding the current situation and its future evolution. Here we propose an
integrative maximum likelihood analysis of both cluster data in the ME region
and importations in Europe to assess transmission scenario and incidence of
sporadic infections. Our approach is based on a spatial-transmission model
integrating mobility data worldwide and allows for variations in the
zoonotic/environmental transmission and underascertainment. Maximum likelihood
estimates for the ME region indicate the occurrence of a subcritical epidemic
(R=0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30-0.77) associated with a 0.28 (95% CI
0.12-0.85) daily rate of sporadic introductions. Infections in the region
appear to be mainly dominated by zoonotic/environmental transmissions, with
possible underascertainment (95% CI of estimated to observed sporadic cases in
the range 1.03-7.32). No time evolution of the situation emerges. Analyses of
flight passenger data from the region indicate areas at high risk of
importation. While dismissing an immediate threat for global health security,
this analysis provides a baseline scenario for future reference and updates,
suggests reinforced surveillance to limit underascertainment, and calls for
increased alertness in high-risk areas worldwide.


title:
A structural evaluation of the tungsten isotopes via thermal neutron
  capture

abstract:
  Total radiative thermal neutron-capture $\gamma$-ray cross sections for the
$^{182,183,184,186}$W isotopes were measured using guided neutron beams from
the Budapest Research Reactor to induce prompt and delayed $\gamma$ rays from
elemental and isotopically-enriched tungsten targets. These cross sections were
determined from the sum of measured $\gamma$-ray cross sections feeding the
ground state from low-lying levels below a cutoff energy, E$_{\rm crit}$, where
the level scheme is completely known, and continuum $\gamma$ rays from levels
above E$_{\rm crit}$, calculated using the Monte Carlo statistical-decay code
DICEBOX. The new cross sections determined in this work for the tungsten
nuclides are: $\sigma_{0}(^{182}{\rm W}) = 20.5(14)$ b and
$\sigma_{11/2^{+}}(^{183}{\rm W}^{m}, 5.2 {\rm s}) = 0.177(18)$ b;
$\sigma_{0}(^{183}{\rm W}) = 9.37(38)$ b and $\sigma_{5^{-}}(^{184}{\rm W}^{m},
8.33 \mu{\rm s}) = 0.0247(55)$ b; $\sigma_{0}(^{184}{\rm W}) = 1.43(10)$ b and
$\sigma_{11/2^{+}}(^{185}{\rm W}^{m}, 1.67 {\rm min}) = 0.0062(16)$ b; and,
$\sigma_{0}(^{186}{\rm W}) = 33.33(62)$ b and $\sigma_{9/2^{+}}(^{187}{\rm
W}^{m}, 1.38 \mu{\rm s}) = 0.400(16)$ b. These results are consistent with
earlier measurements in the literature. The $^{186}$W cross section was also
independently confirmed from an activation measurement, following the decay of
$^{187}$W, yielding values for $\sigma_{0}(^{186}{\rm W})$ that are consistent
with our prompt $\gamma$-ray measurement. The cross-section measurements were
found to be insensitive to choice of level density or photon strength model,
and only weakly dependent on E$_{\rm crit}$. Total radiative-capture widths
calculated with DICEBOX showed much greater model dependence, however, the
recommended values could be reproduced with selected model choices. The decay
schemes for all tungsten isotopes were improved in these analyses.


title: The Extraordinary Multi-Tailed Main-Belt Comet P/2013 P5

abstract:
  Hubble Space Telescope observations of main-belt comet P/2013 P5 reveal an
extraordinary system of six dust tails that distinguish this object from any
other. Observations two weeks apart show dramatic morphological change in the
tails while providing no evidence for secular fading of the object as a whole.
Each tail is associated with a unique ejection date, revealing continued,
episodic mass loss from the 0.24+/-0.04 km radius nucleus over the last five
months. As an inner-belt asteroid and probable Flora family member, the object
is likely to be highly metamorphosed and unlikely to contain ice. The
protracted period of dust release appears inconsistent with an impact origin,
but may be compatible with a body that is losing mass through a rotational
instability. We suggest that P/2013 P5 has been accelerated to breakup speed by
radiation torques.


title:
Regional properties of global communication as reflected in aggregated
  Twitter data

abstract:
  Twitter is a popular public conversation platform with world-wide audience
and diverse forms of connections between users. In this paper we introduce the
concept of aggregated regional Twitter networks in order to characterize
communication between geopolitical regions. We present the study of a follower
and a mention graph created from an extensive data set collected during the
second half of the year of $2012$. With a k-shell decomposition the global
core-periphery structure is revealed and by means of a modified Regional-SIR
model we also consider basic information spreading properties.


title: The GISMO 2-millimeter Deep Field in GOODS-N

abstract:
  We present deep continuum observations using the GISMO camera at a wavelength
of 2 mm centered on the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) in the GOODS-N field. These are
the first deep field observations ever obtained at this wavelength. The 1 sigma
sensitivity in the innermost approx. 4 arcminutes of the 7 utes map is approx.
135 uJy/beam, a factor of three higher in flux/beam sensitivity than the
deepest available SCUBA 850 um observations, and almost a factor of four higher
in flux / beam sensitivity than the combined MAMBO/AzTEC 1.2 mm observations of
this region. Our source extraction algorithm identifies 12 sources directly,
and another 3 through correlation with known sources at 1.2 mm and 850 um. Five
of the directly detected GISMO sources have counterparts in the MAMBO/AzTEC
catalog, and four of those also have SCUBA counterparts. HDF850.1, one of the
first blank-field detected submillimeter galaxies, is now detected at 2 mm. The
median redshift of all sources with counterparts of known redshifts is med(z) =
2.91 +/- 0.94. Statistically, the detections are most likely real for 5 of the
seven 2 mm sources without shorter wavelength counterparts, while the
probability for none of them being real is negligible.


title:
Spatial properties of $\pi-\pi$ conjugated network in semicrystalline
  polymer thin films studied by intensity x-ray cross-correlation functions

abstract:
  We present results of x-ray study of spatial properties of $\pi-\pi$
conjugated networks in polymer thin films. We applied the x-ray
cross-correlation analysis to x-ray scattering data from blends of
poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and gold nanoparticles. The Fourier spectra of
the intensity cross-correlation functions for different films contain non-zero
components of orders $n=2,4$ and $6$ measuring the degree of structural order
in the system.


title: Approximation pathologies for certain continued fractions

abstract:
  We will provide a family of continued fractions for which there is no
correspondence between dynamic and approximation pairs, leading to an anomaly
in their corresponding Spaces of Jager Pairs.


title:
The limiting process of $N$-particle branching random walk with
  polynomial tails

abstract:
  We consider a system of $N$ particles on the real line that evolves through
iteration of the following steps: 1) every particle splits into two, 2) each
particle jumps according to a prescribed displacement distribution supported on
the positive reals and 3) only the $N$ right-most particles are retained, the
others being removed from the system. This system has been introduced in the
physics literature as an example of a microscopic stochastic model describing
the propagation of a front. Its behavior for large $N$ is now well understood
-- both from a physical and mathematical viewpoint -- in the case where the
displacement distribution admits exponential moments. Here, we consider the
case of displacements with regularly varying tails, where the relevant space
and time scales are markedly different. We characterize the behavior of the
system for two distinct asymptotic regimes. First, we prove convergence in law
of the rescaled positions of the particles on a time scale of order $\log N$
and give a construction of the limit based on the records of a space-time
Poisson point process. Second, we determine the appropriate scaling when we let
first the time horizon, then $N$ go to infinity.


title: Cosmic shear without shape noise

abstract:
  We describe a new method for reducing the shape noise in weak lensing
measurements by an order of magnitude. Our method relies on spectroscopic
measurements of disk galaxy rotation and makes use of the Tully-Fisher relation
in order to control for the intrinsic orientations of galaxy disks. For this
new proposed method, so-called Kinematic Lensing (KL), the shape noise ceases
to be an important source of statistical error. We use the CosmoLike software
package to simulate likelihood analyses for two Kinematic Lensing survey
concepts (roughly similar in scale to Dark Energy Survey Task Force Stage III
and Stage IV missions) and compare their constraining power to a cosmic shear
survey from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). Our forecasts in
seven-dimensional cosmological parameter space include statistical
uncertainties resulting from shape noise, cosmic variance, halo sample
variance, and higher-order moments of the density field. We marginalize over
systematic uncertainties arising from photometric redshift errors and shear
calibration biases considering both optimistic and conservative assumptions
about LSST systematic errors.
  We find that even the KL-Stage III is highly competitive with the optimistic
LSST scenario, while evading the most important sources of theoretical and
observational systematic error inherent in traditional weak lensing techniques.
Furthermore, the KL technique enables a narrow-bin cosmic shear tomography
approach to tightly constrain time-dependent signatures in the dark energy
phenomenon.


title:
On Unconditionally Secure Multiparty Computation for Realizing
  Correlated Equilibria in Games

abstract:
  In game theory, a trusted mediator acting on behalf of the players can enable
the attainment of correlated equilibria, which may provide better payoffs than
those available from the Nash equilibria alone. We explore the approach of
replacing the trusted mediator with an unconditionally secure sampling protocol
that jointly generates the players' actions. We characterize the joint
distributions that can be securely sampled by malicious players via protocols
using error-free communication. This class of distributions depends on whether
players may speak simultaneously ("cheap talk") or must speak in turn ("polite
talk"). In applying sampling protocols toward attaining correlated equilibria
with rational players, we observe that security against malicious parties may
be much stronger than necessary. We propose the concept of secure sampling by
rational players, and show that many more distributions are feasible given
certain utility functions. However, the payoffs attainable via secure sampling
by malicious players are a dominant subset of the rationally attainable
payoffs.


title: All one-loop NMHV gluon amplitudes in N=1 SYM

abstract:
  We compute the next-to-maximally-helicity-violating one-loop n-gluon
amplitudes in N=1 super-Yang-Mills theory. These amplitudes contain three
negative-helicity gluons and an arbitrary number of positive-helicity gluons,
and constitute the first infinite series of amplitudes beyond the simplest,
MHV, amplitudes. We assemble ingredients from the N=4 NMHV tree super-amplitude
into previously unwritten double cuts and use the spinor integration technique
to calculate all bubble coefficients. We also derive the missing box
coefficients from quadruple cuts. Together with the known formula for
three-mass triangles, this completes the set of NMHV one-loop master integral
coefficients in N=1 SYM. To facilitate further use of our results, we provide
their Mathematica implementation.


title:
Prospects for storage and retrieval of a quantum dot single photon in an
  ultracold $^{87}$Rb ensemble

abstract:
  Epitaxially grown quantum dots (QDs) are promising sources of non-classical
states of light such as single photons and entangled photons. However, in order
for them to be used as a resource for long-distance quantum communication,
distributed quantum computation, or linear optics quantum computing, these
photons must be coupled efficiently to long-lived quantum memories as part of a
quantum repeater network. Here, we theoretically examine the prospects for
efficient storage and retrieval of a QD-generated single photon with a 1 ns
lifetime in a multi-level atomic system. We calculate using an experimentally
demonstrated optical depth of 150 that the storage (total) efficiency can
exceed 46% (28%) in a dense, ultracold ensemble of $^{87}$Rb atoms.
Furthermore, we find that the optimal control pulse required for storage and
retrieval can be obtained using a diode laser and an electro-optic modulator
rather than a mode-locked, pulsed laser source. Increasing the optical depth,
for example by using Bose-condensed ensembles or an optical cavity, can
increase the efficiencies to near unity. Aside from enabling a high-speed
quantum network based on QDs, such an efficient optical interface between an
atomic ensemble and a QD can also lead to entanglement between collective
spin-wave excitations of atoms and the spin of an electron or hole confined in
the QD.


title: Superconductivity in rubidium substituted Ba1-xRbxTi2Sb2O

abstract:
  We report on the synthesis and the physical properties of Ba1-xRbxTi2Sb2O (x
< 0.4) by x-ray diffraction, SQUID magnetometery, resistivity and specific heat
measurements. Upon hole doping by substituting Ba with Rb, we find
superconductivity with a maximum Tc = 5.4 K. Simultaneously, the
charge-density-wave (CDW) transition temperature is strongly reduced from T_CDW
55 K in the parent compound BaTi2Sb2O and seems to be suppressed for x > 0.2.
The bulk character of the superconducting state for the optimally doped sample
(x = 0.2) is confirmed by the occurrence of a well developed discontinuity in
the specific heat at Tc, with \DeltaC/Tc = 22 mJ/mol K2, as well as a large
Meissner-shielding fraction of approximately 40 %. The lower and the upper
critical fields of the optimally doped sample (x = 0.2) are estimated to
\mu0Hc1(0) = 3.8 mT and \mu0Hc2(0) = 2.3 T, respectively, indicating that these
compounds are strongly type-II superconductors.


title:
Not all traces on the circle come from functions of least gradient in
  the disk

abstract:
  We provide an example of an $L^1$ function on the circle, which cannot be the
trace of a function of bounded variation of least gradient in the disk. This
shows that in theorems on existence and uniqueness of solutions to the least
gradient problem, proven by Sternberg, Williams and Ziemer and published in
1992-1993, the hypothesis that the boundary data is continuous cannot be
removed.


title:
Continuous Molecular Fields Approach Applied to Structure-Activity
  Modeling

abstract:
  The Method of Continuous Molecular Fields is a universal approach to predict
various properties of chemical compounds, in which molecules are represented by
means of continuous fields (such as electrostatic, steric, electron density
functions, etc). The essence of the proposed approach consists in performing
statistical analysis of functional molecular data by means of joint application
of kernel machine learning methods and special kernels which compare molecules
by computing overlap integrals of their molecular fields. This approach is an
alternative to traditional methods of building 3D structure-activity and
structure-property models based on the use of fixed sets of molecular
descriptors. The methodology of the approach is described in this chapter,
followed by its application to building regression 3D-QSAR models and
conducting virtual screening based on one-class classification models. The main
directions of the further development of this approach are outlined at the end
of the chapter.


title:
Understanding Health and Disease with Multidimensional Single-Cell
  Methods

abstract:
  Current efforts in the biomedical sciences and related interdisciplinary
fields are focused on gaining a molecular understanding of health and disease,
which is a problem of daunting complexity that spans many orders of magnitude
in characteristic length scales, from small molecules that regulate cell
function to cell ensembles that form tissues and organs working together as an
organism. In order to uncover the molecular nature of the emergent properties
of a cell, it is essential to measure multiple cell components simultaneously
in the same cell. In turn, cell heterogeneity requires multiple cells to be
measured in order to understand health and disease in the organism. This review
summarizes current efforts towards a data-driven framework that leverages
single-cell technologies to build robust signatures of healthy and diseased
phenotypes. While some approaches focus on multicolor flow cytometry data and
other methods are designed to analyze high-content image-based screens, we
emphasize the so-called Supercell/SVM paradigm (recently developed by the
authors of this review and collaborators) as a unified framework that captures
mesoscopic-scale emergence to build reliable phenotypes. Beyond their specific
contributions to basic and translational biomedical research, these efforts
illustrate, from a larger perspective, the powerful synergy that might be
achieved from bringing together methods and ideas from statistical physics,
data mining, and mathematics to solve the most pressing problems currently
facing the life sciences.


title: Ideal strength and phonon instability of strained monolayer materials

abstract:
  The ideal strength of monolayer materials possessing semimetallic,
semiconducting, and insulating ground states is computed using density
functional theory. Here we show that, as in graphene, a soft mode occurs at the
K-point in BN, graphane, and MoS$_2$, while not in silicene. The transition is
first-order in all cases except graphene. In BN and graphane the soft mode
corresponds to a Kekul{\'e}-like distortion similar to that of graphene, while
MoS$_2$ has a distinct distortion. The phase transitions for BN, graphane, and
MoS$_2$ are not associated with the opening of a band gap, which indicates that
Fermi surface nesting is not the driving force. We perform an energy
decomposition that demonstrates why the soft modes at the K-point are unique
and how strain drives the phonon instability.


title: A note on J\"orgens-Calabi-Pogorelov theorem

abstract:
  We prove that any entire convex $C^2$-solution to a Hessian type equation
with a subquadratic growth at infinity is an affine function.


title:
Anomalies in radiation-collisional kinetics of Rydberg atoms induced by
  the effects of dynamical chaos and the double Stark resonance

abstract:
  Radiative and collisional constants of excited atoms contain the matrix
elements of the dipole transitions and when they are blocked one can expect
occurring a number of interesting phenomena in radiation-collisional kinetics.
In recent astrophysical studies of IR emission spectra it was revealed a gap in
the radiation emitted by Rydberg atoms ($RA$) with values of the principal
quantum number of $n\approx10$. Under the presence of external electric fields
a rearrangement of $RA$ emission spectra is possible to associate with
manifestations of the Stark effect. The threshold for electric field ionization
of $RA$ is $E\approx3\cdot10^{4}$ V/cm for states with $n>10$. This means that
the emission of $RA$ with $n\ge10$ is effectively blocked for such fields. In
the region of lower electric field intensities the double Stark resonance (or
F\"{o}rster resonance) becomes a key player. On this basis it is established
the fact that the static magnetic or electric fields may strongly affect the
radiative constants of optical transitions in the vicinity of the F\"{o}ster
resonance resulting, for instance, in an order of magnitude reduction of the
intensity in some lines. Then, it is shown in this work that in the atmospheres
of celestial objects lifetimes of comparatively long-lived $RA$ states and
intensities of corresponding radiative transitions can be associated with the
effects of dynamic chaos via collisional ionization. The F\"{o}ster resonance
allows us to manipulate the random walk of the Rydberg electron ($RE$) in the
manifold of quantum levels and hence change the excitation energies of $RA$,
which lead to anomalies in the IR spectra.


title: Flow-plate interactions: Well-posedness and long-time behavior

abstract:
  We consider flow-structure interactions modeled by a modified wave equation
coupled at an interface with equations of nonlinear elasticity. Both subsonic
and supersonic flow velocities are treated with Neumann type flow conditions,
and a novel treatment of the so called Kutta-Joukowsky flow conditions are
given in the subsonic case. The goal of the paper is threefold: (i) to provide
an accurate review of recent results on existence, uniqueness, and stability of
weak solutions, (ii) to present a construction of finite dimensional,
attracting sets corresponding to the structural dynamics and discuss
convergence of trajectories, and (iii) to state several open questions
associated with the topic. This second task is based on a decoupling technique
which reduces the analysis of the full flow-structure system to a PDE system
with delay.


title:
Interplay between localized and itinerant magnetism in Co substituted
  FeGa$_3$

abstract:
  The evolution of the electronic structure and magnetic properties with Co
substitution for Fe in the solid solution Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$Ga$_3$ was studied by
means of electrical resistivity, magnetization, ab-initio band structure
calculations, and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation $1/T_1$ of the $^{69,71}$Ga
nuclei. Temperature dependencies of the electrical resistivity reveal that the
evolution from the semiconducting to the metallic state in the
Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$Ga$_3$ system occurs at $0.025<x<0.075$. The $^{69,71}(1/T_1)$
was studied as a function of temperature in a wide temperature range of
$2\!-\!300$ K for the concentrations $x = 0.0,$ $0.5,$ and $1.0$. In the parent
semiconducting compound FeGa$_3$, the temperature dependence of the
$^{69}(1/T_1)$ exhibits a huge maximum at about $T\!\sim\!6$ K indicating the
existence of in-gap states. The opposite binary compound, CoGa$_3$,
demonstrates a metallic Korringa behavior with $1/T_1$ $\propto T$. In
Fe$_{0.5}$Co$_{0.5}$Ga$_3$, the relaxation is strongly enhanced due to spin
fluctuations and follows $1/T_1\propto T^{1/2}$, which is a unique feature of
weakly and nearly antiferromagnetic metals. This itinerant antiferromagnetic
behavior contrasts with both magnetization measurements, showing localized
magnetism with a relatively low effective moment of about 0.7 $\mu_B$/f.u., and
ab initio band structure calculations, where a ferromagnetic state with an
ordered moment of 0.5 $\mu_B$/f.u. is predicted. The results are discussed in
terms of the interplay betwen the localized and itinerant magnetizm including
in-gap states and spin fluctuations.


title:
Phase diagram and exotic spin-spin correlations of anisotropic Ising
  model on the Sierpi\'nski gasket

abstract:
  The anisotropic antiferromagnetic Ising model on the fractal Sierpi\'{n}ski
gasket is intensively studied, and a number of exotic properties are disclosed.
The ground state phase diagram in the plane of magnetic field-interaction of
the system is obtained. The thermodynamic properties of the three plateau
phases are probed by exploring the temperature-dependence of magnetization,
specific heat, susceptibility and spin-spin correlations. No phase transitions
are observed in this model. In the absence of a magnetic field, the unusual
temperature dependence of the spin correlation length is obtained with $0
\leq$J$_b/$J$_a<1$, and an interesting crossover behavior between different
phases at J$_b/$J$_a=1$ is unveiled, whose dynamics can be described by the
J$_b/$J$_a$-dependence of the specific heat, susceptibility and spin
correlation functions. The exotic spin-spin correlation patterns that share the
same special rotational symmetry as that of the Sierpi\'{n}ski gasket are
obtained in both the $1/3$ plateau disordered phase and the $5/9$ plateau
partially ordered ferrimagnetic phase. Moreover, a quantum scheme is formulated
to study the thermodynamics of the fractal Sierpi\'{n}ski gasket with
Heisenberg interactions. We find that the unusual temperature dependence of the
correlation length remains intact in a small quantum fluctuation.


title:
The stellar mass function of star-forming galaxies and the
  mass-dependent SFR function since z=2.23 from HiZELS

abstract:
  We explore a large uniformly selected sample of H${\alpha}$ selected
star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at z=0.40,0.84,1.47,2.23 to unveil the evolution
of the star formation rate (SFR) function and the stellar mass function. We
find strong evolution in the SFR function, with the typical SFR of SFGs
declining exponentially with time in the last 11Gyrs as
SFR$^*$(T[Gyr])=10$^{4.23/T+0.37}$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$, but with no evolution
in the faint-end slope, ${\alpha}\approx$-1.6. The stellar mass function of
SFGs, however, reveals little evolution: ${\alpha} \approx$-1.4,
M$^*$$\approx$10$^{11.2\pm0.2}$ M$_{\odot}$ and just a slight increase of
$\approx$2.3x in ${\Phi}^*$ from z=2.23 to z=0.4. The stellar mass density
within SFGs has been roughly constant since z=2.23 at
$\approx$10$^{7.65\pm0.08}$ M$_{\odot}$Mpc$^{-3}$, comprising $\approx$100% of
the stellar mass density in all galaxies at z=2.23, and declining to
$\approx$20% by z=0.4, driven by the rise of the passive population. We find
that SFGs with M$\approx$10$^{10.0\pm0.2}$ M$_{\odot}$ contribute most to the
SFR density (${\rho}_{\rm SFR}$) per dlog$_{10}$M, and that there is no
significant evolution in the fractional contribution from SFGs of different
masses to ${\rho}_{\rm SFR}$ or ${\rho}_{\rm SFR}$(dlog$_{10}$M)$^{-1}$ since
z=2.23. Instead, we show that the decline of SFR$^*$ and of ${\rho}_{\rm SFR}$
are primarily driven by an exponential decline in SFRs at all masses. Our
results have important implications not only on how SFGs need to be quenched
across cosmic time, but also on the driver(s) of the exponential decline in
SFR$^*$ from $\approx$66 M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ to $\approx$5
M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ since z=2.23.


title:
The Effect of Cosmic Magnetic Fields on the Metagalactic Ionization
  Background inferred from the Lyman-{\alpha} Forest

abstract:
  The sources which reionized the Intergalactic Medium by redshift ~6 are still
unknown. A severe constraint on the ionization process is the low emissivity
required to maintain the ionization in the Lyman-{\alpha} forest.
Simulation-calibrated observations suggest a production rate of at most only a
few photons per baryon. In this work, we present a new solution to this
"photon-starvation" problem using a weak background of cosmic magnetic fields,
which may be present as a consequence of early-Universe physics and subsequent
magneto-hydrodynamical amplification. If present, such magnetic fields can
induce density perturbations which are dominant on scales comparable to those
probed by measurements of hydrogen-absorption lines at redshifts z~2-5. We show
that a sub-nanoGauss magnetic field, coherent on scale ~1 Mpc with an almost
scale-invariant spectrum, is sufficient to produce significant impact on the
effective optical depth, the appearance of the Lyman-{\alpha} forest on quasar
spectra, the pixel-flux statistics and the power spectrum of transmitted flux.
We also show that such magnetic-field signatures are effectively erased when
the metagalactic photoionization rate is increased, hence relaxing the
constraint on the cosmic photon budget available for reionization.


title:
Magnetar powered GRBs: Explaining the extended emission and X-ray
  plateau of short GRB light curves

abstract:
  Extended emission (EE) is a high-energy, early time rebrightening sometimes
seen in the light curves of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We present the first
contiguous fits to the EE tail and the later X-ray plateau, unified within a
single model. Our central engine is a magnetar surrounded by a fall-back
accretion disc, formed by either the merger of two compact objects or the
accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf. During the EE phase, material is
accelerated to super-Keplarian velocities and ejected from the system by the
rapidly rotating ($P \approx 1 - 10$ ms) and very strong ($10^{15}$ G) magnetic
field in a process known as magnetic propellering. The X-ray plateau is
modelled as magnetic dipole spin-down emission. We first explore the range of
GRB phenomena that the propeller could potentially reproduce, using a series of
template light curves to devise a classification scheme based on phenomology.
We then obtain fits to the light curves of 9 GRBs with EE, simultaneously
fitting both the propeller and the magnetic dipole spin-down and finding
typical disc masses of a few $10^{-3}$ $M_{\odot}$ to a few $10^{-2}$
$M_{\odot}$. This is done for ballistic, viscous disc and exponential accretion
rates. We find that the conversion efficiency from kinetic energy to EM
emission for propellered material needs to be $\gtrsim 10\%$ and that the best
fitting results come from an exponential accretion profile.


title:
Chiral magnetic effect of Weyl fermions and its applications to cubic
  noncentrosymmetric metals

abstract:
  When the right and the left handed Weyl points are separated in energy, they
give rise to a non-dissipative charge current along the direction of a uniform
applied magnetic field, even in the absence of an external electric field. This
effect is known as the chiral magnetic effect and is a hallmark of the
underlying chiral anomaly of the Weyl fermions. According to the linearized
continuum theory of Weyl fermions, the induced current is proportional to the
magnetic field strength and the energy separation with a universal coefficient
$e^2/h^2$. By considering a generic tight binding model for the cubic
noncentrosymmetric metals, we show that such a system naturally supports a set
of Weyl points, which are separated in energies. We also show the existence of
the chiral magnetic effect for generic band parameters, and recover the
universal result of the continuum Weyl fermions for a restricted parameter
regime. Therefore, cubic noncentrosymmetric metals can serve as suitable
platforms for realizing Weyl fermions and the exotic chiral elctrodynamic
phenomena, which have promising technological applications.


title:
Phase mixing due to the Galactic potential: steps in the position and
  velocity distributions of popped star clusters

abstract:
  As star clusters are expected to form with low star formation efficiencies,
the gas in the cluster is expelled quickly and early in their development: the
star cluster "pops." This leads to an unbound stellar system, evolving in the
Galactic potential. Previous N-body simulations have demonstrated the existence
of a stepped number density distribution of cluster stars after popping, both
in vertical position and vertical velocity, with a passing resemblance to a
Christmas tree. Using numerical and analytical methods, we investigate the
source of this structure, which arises due to the phase mixing of the
out-of-equilibrium stellar system, determined entirely by the background
analytic potential. Considering only the vertical motions, we construct a
theoretical model to describe the time evolution of the phase space
distribution of stars in a Miyamoto-Nagai disk potential and a full Milky-Way
type potential comprising bulge, halo and disk components, which is then
compared with N-body simulations. Using our theoretical model, we investigate
the possible observational signatures and the feasibility of detection.


title: Holography for ${\cal N}=2^*$ on $S^4$

abstract:
  We find the gravity dual of $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ super-Yang-Mills theory on
$S^4$ and use holography to calculate the universal contribution to the
corresponding $S^4$ free energy at large $N$ and large 't Hooft coupling. Our
result matches the expression previously computed using supersymmetric
localization in the field theory. This match represents a non-trivial precision
test of holography in a non-conformal, Euclidean signature setting.


title:
On the origin of the fundamental metallicity relation and the scatter in
  galaxy scaling relations

abstract:
  We present a simple toy model to understand what sets the scatter in star
formation and metallicity of galaxies at fixed mass. The scatter ultimately
arises from the intrinsic scatter in the accretion rate, but may be
substantially reduced depending on the timescale on which the accretion varies
compared to the timescale on which the galaxy loses gas mass. This model
naturally produces an anti-correlation between star formation and metallicity
at a fixed mass, the basis of the fundamental metallicity relation. We show
that observational constraints on the scatter in galaxy scaling relations can
be translated into constraints on the galaxy-to-galaxy variation in the mass
loading factor, and the timescales and magnitude of stochastic accretion onto
star-forming galaxies. We find a remarkably small scatter in the mass loading
factor, < 0.1 dex, and that the scatter in accretion rates is smaller than
expected from N-body simulations.


title:
LHC bounds on Lepton Number Violation mediated by doubly and
  singly-charged scalars

abstract:
  The only possible doubly-charged scalar decays into two Standard Model
particles are into pairs of same-sign charged leptons, H$^{\pm\pm}\rightarrow
{l}^\pm {l}^\pm, {l} = e, \mu, \tau$, or gauge bosons, H$^{\pm\pm}\rightarrow
W^\pm W^\pm$; being necessary the observation of both to assert the violation
of lepton number. However, present ATLAS and CMS limits on doubly-charged
scalar production are obtained under specific assumptions on its branching
fractions into dileptons only. Although they can be extended to include decays
into dibosons and lepton number violating processes. Moreover, the production
rates also depend on the type of electroweak multiplet H$^{\pm\pm}$ belongs to.
We classify the possible alternatives and provide the Feynman rules and codes
for generating the corresponding signals for pair and associated doubly-charged
scalar production, including the leading contribution from the $s$-channel
exchange of electroweak gauge bosons as well as the vector-boson fusion
corrections. Then, using the same analysis criteria as the LHC collaborations
we estimate the limits on the H$^{\pm\pm}$ mass as a function of the
electroweak multiplet it belongs to, and obtain the bounds on the lepton number
violating processes $pp\rightarrow {\rm H}^{\pm\pm}{\rm H}^{\mp\mp} \rightarrow
{\ell}^\pm {\ell}^\pm W^\mp W^\mp$ and $pp\rightarrow {\rm H}^{\pm\pm}{\rm
H}^{\mp} \rightarrow {\ell}^\pm {\ell}^\pm W^\mp Z$, $\ell = e, \mu$, implied
by the ATLAS and CMS doubly-charged scalar searches.


title: Searching for dark matter at LHC with Mono-Higgs production

abstract:
  We consider LHC searches for dark matter in the mono-Higgs channel using the
tools of effective field theory. This channel takes unique advantage of the
presence of $SU(2)_L$ breaking in those operators to avoid the need for any
initial-state radiation, usually necessary to tag the production of invisible
particles. We find that sensitivities to parameters describing dark matter
interactions with standard model particles are comparable to those from monojet
searches for a subset of the usually-considered operators, and we present for
the first time bounds from collider searches on operators which couple DM to
only the Higgs field or its covariant derivatives.


title: The Excited Hexagon Reloaded

abstract:
  This work revisits the computation of six-gluon scattering amplitudes in the
high energy limit of strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. It
is based on previous studies in which we showed that the amplitude simplifies
in the Regge regime and outlined an efficient computational scheme. By
exploiting a symmetry of the underlying equations we are now able to argue that
a term we had seen in preliminary numerical studies must vanish identically.
The derived formula for the Regge limit of the 6-gluon scattering amplitude at
strong coupling differs from the one we had conjectured previously.


title:
Time evolution of pulsar obliquity angle from 3D simulations of
  magnetospheres

abstract:
  The rotational period of isolated pulsars increases over time due to the
extraction of angular momentum by electromagnetic torques. These torques also
change the obliquity angle $\alpha$ between the magnetic and rotational axes.
Although actual pulsar magnetospheres are plasma-filled, the time evolution of
$\alpha$ has mostly been studied for vacuum pulsar magnetospheres. In this
work, we self-consistently account for the plasma effects for the first time by
analysing the results of time-dependent 3D force-free and magnetohydrodynamic
simulations of pulsar magnetospheres. We show that if a neutron star is
spherically symmetric and is embedded with a dipolar magnetic moment, the
pulsar evolves so as to minimise its spin-down luminosity: both vacuum and
plasma-filled pulsars evolve toward the aligned configuration ($\alpha=0$).
However, they approach the alignment in qualitatively different ways. Vacuum
pulsars come into alignment exponentially fast, with $\alpha \propto
\exp(-t/\tau)$ and $\tau \sim$ spindown timescale. In contrast, we find that
plasma-filled pulsars align much more slowly, with $\alpha \propto
(t/\tau)^{-1/2}$. We argue that the slow time evolution of obliquity of
plasma-filled pulsars can potentially resolve several observational puzzles,
including the origin of normal pulsars with periods of $\sim1$ second, the
evidence that oblique pulsars come into alignment over a timescale of $\sim
10^7$ years, and the observed deficit, relative to an isotropic obliquity
distribution, of pulsars showing interpulse emission.


title:
Cosmology with massive neutrinos III: the halo mass function and an
  application to galaxy clusters

abstract:
  We use a suite of N-body simulations that incorporate massive neutrinos as an
extra-set of particles to investigate their effect on the halo mass function.
We show that for cosmologies with massive neutrinos the mass function of dark
matter haloes selected using the spherical overdensity (SO) criterion is well
reproduced by the fitting formula of Tinker et al. (2008) once the cold dark
matter power spectrum is considered instead of the total matter power, as it is
usually done. The differences between the two implementations, i.e. using
$P_{\rm cdm}(k)$ instead of $P_{\rm m}(k)$, are more pronounced for large
values of the neutrino masses and in the high end of the halo mass function: in
particular, the number of massive haloes is higher when $P_{\rm cdm}(k)$ is
considered rather than $P_{\rm m}(k)$. As a quantitative application of our
findings we consider a Planck-like SZ-clusters survey and show that the
differences in predicted number counts can be as large as $30\%$ for $\sum
m_\nu = 0.4$ eV. Finally, we use the Planck-SZ clusters sample, with an
approximate likelihood calculation, to derive Planck-like constraints on
cosmological parameters. We find that, in a massive neutrino cosmology, our
correction to the halo mass function produces a shift in the
$\sigma_8(\Omega_{\rm m}/0.27)^\gamma$ relation which can be quantified as
$\Delta \gamma \sim 0.05$ and $\Delta \gamma \sim 0.14$ assuming one
($N_\nu=1$) or three ($N_\nu=3$) degenerate massive neutrino, respectively. The
shift results in a lower mean value of $\sigma_8$ with $\Delta \sigma_8 = 0.01$
for $N_\nu=1$ and $\Delta \sigma_8 = 0.02$ for $N_\nu=3$, respectively. Such
difference, in a cosmology with massive neutrinos, would increase the tension
between cluster abundance and Planck CMB measurements.


title:
The 2nd Generation z(Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer Part I:
  First-light observation of a highly lensed local-ULIRG analog at high-z

abstract:
  We report first science results from our new spectrometer, the 2nd generation
z(Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS-2), recently commissioned on
the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope (APEX). ZEUS-2 is a submillimeter
grating spectrometer optimized for detecting the faint and broad lines from
distant galaxies that are redshifted into the telluric windows from 200 to 850
microns. It utilizes a focal plane array of transition-edge sensed bolometers,
the first use of these arrays for astrophysical spectroscopy. ZEUS-2 promises
to be an important tool for studying galaxies in the years to come due to its
synergy with ALMA and its capabilities in the short submillimeter windows that
are unique in the post Herschel era. Here we report on our first detection of
the [CII] 158 $\mu m$ line with ZEUS-2. We detect the line at z ~ 1.8 from
H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 with a line flux of $(6.44 \pm 0.42) \times 10^{-18} W
m^{-2}$. Combined with its far-infrared luminosity and a new Herschel-PACS
detection of the [OI] 63 $\mu m $ line we model the line emission as coming
from a photo-dissociation region with far-ultraviolet radiation field, $G
\approx 2 \times 10^{4} G_{0}$, gas density, $n \approx 1 \times 10^{3}
cm^{-3}$ and size between ~ 0.4 and 1 kpc. Based on this model, we conclude
that H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 is a high redshift analogue of a local
ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, i.e. it is likely the site of a compact
starburst due to a major merger. Further identification of these merging
systems is important for constraining galaxy formation and evolution models.


title:
Optimization of quantum state tomography in the presence of experimental
  constraints

abstract:
  In the absence of experimental constraints, optimal measurement schemes for
quantum state tomography are well understood. We consider the scenario where
the experimenter doesn't have arbitrary freedom to construct their measurement
set, and may therefore not be able to implement a known optimal scheme. We
introduce a simple procedure for minimizing the uncertainty in the
reconstructed quantum state for an arbitrary tomographic scheme. We do this by
defining a figure of merit based on the equally-weighted variance of the
measurement statistics. This figure of merit is straightforwardly based on the
singular value decomposition of the measurement matrix, making it well-suited
for optimization.


title:
CHIRON TOOLS: Integrated Target Submission, Scheduling and Observing
  Systems for a High Resolution Fiber Fed Spectrograph

abstract:
  The CHIRON spectrometer is a new high-resolution, fiber-fed instrument on the
1.5 meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-America Observatory (CTIO). To
optimize use of the instrument and limited human resources, we have designed an
integrated set of web applications allowing target submission, observing script
planning, nightly script execution and logging, and access to reduced data by
multiple users. The unified and easy to use interface has dramatically reduced
the time needed to submit and schedule observations and improved the efficiency
and accuracy of nightly operations. We present our experience to help
astronomers and project managers who need to plan for the scope of effort
required to commission a queue-scheduled facility instrument.


title: The role of the Galactic bar in the chemical evolution of the Milky Way

abstract:
  In the absence of an interaction, central bars might be the most effective
mechanism for radial motions of gas in barred spiral galaxies, which represent
two-thirds of disc galaxies. The dynamical effects induced by bars in the first
few kpc of discs might play an important role in the disc profiles in this
region. In this work, a chemical evolution model with radial gas flows is
proposed in order to mimic the effects of the Milky Way bar in the bulge and
inner disc. The model is an update of a chemical evolution model with the
inclusion of radial gas flows in the disc and bulge. The exchange of gas
between the cylindrical concentric regions that form the Galaxy is modelled
considering the flows of gas from and to the adjacent cylindrical regions. The
most recent data for the bulge metallicity distribution are reproduced by means
of a single and longer bulge collapse time-scale (2 Gyr) than other chemical
evolution models predict. The model is able to reproduce the peak in the
present star formation rate at 4 kpc and the formation of the molecular gas
ring. The model with a bar predicts a flattening of the oxygen radial gradient
of the disc. Additionally, models with radial gas flows predict a higher star
formation rate during the formation of the bulge. This is in agreement with the
most recent observations of the star formation rate at the centre of massive
barred spiral galaxies.


title:
Optical and X-ray emission from stable millisecond magnetars formed from
  the merger of binary neutron stars

abstract:
  The coalescence of binary neutron stars (NSs) may in some cases produce a
stable massive NS remnant rather than a black hole. Due to the substantial
angular momentum from the binary, such a remnant is born rapidly rotating and
likely acquires a strong magnetic field (a `millisecond magnetar'). Magnetic
spin-down deposits a large fraction of the rotational energy from the magnetar
behind the small quantity of mass ejected during the merger. This has the
potential for creating a bright transient that could be useful for determining
whether a NS or black hole was formed in the merger. We investigate the
expected signature of such an event, including for the first time the important
impact of electron/positron pairs injected by the millisecond magnetar into the
surrounding nebula. These pairs cool via synchrotron and inverse Compton
emission, producing a pair cascade and hard X-ray spectrum. A fraction of these
X-rays are absorbed by the ejecta walls and re-emitted as thermal radiation,
leading to an optical/UV transient peaking at a luminosity of ~1e43-1e44 erg/s
on a timescale of several hours to days. This is dimmer than predicted by
simpler analytic models because the large optical depth of electron/positron
pairs across the nebula suppresses the efficiency with which the magnetar spin
down luminosity is thermalized. Nevertheless, the optical/UV emission is more
than two orders of magnitude brighter than a radioactively powered `kilonova.'
In some cases nebular X-rays are sufficiently luminous to re-ionize the ejecta,
in which case non-thermal X-rays escape the ejecta unattenuated with a similar
peak luminosity and timescale as the optical radiation. We discuss the
implications of our results for the temporally extended X-ray emission that is
observed to follow some short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), including the kilonova
candidates GRB 080503 and GRB 130603B.


title: Are There Hidden Scalars in LHC Higgs Results?

abstract:
  The Higgs boson recently discovered at the Large Hadron Collider has shown to
have couplings to the remaining particles well within what is predicted by the
Standard Model. The search for other new heavy scalar states has so far
revealed to be fruitless, imposing constraints on the existence of new scalar
particles. However, it is still possible that any existing heavy scalars would
preferentially decay to final states involving the light Higgs boson thus
evading the current LHC bounds on heavy scalar states. Moreover, decays of the
heavy scalars could increase the number of light Higgs bosons being produced.
Since the number of light Higgs bosons decaying to Standard Model particles is
within the predicted range, this could mean that part of the light Higgs bosons
could have their origin in heavy scalar decays. This situation would occur if
the light Higgs couplings to Standard Model particles were reduced by a
concomitant amount. Using a very simple extension of the SM - the two-Higgs
double model - we show that in fact we could already be observing the effect of
the heavy scalar states even if all results related to the Higgs are in
excellent agreement with the Standard Model predictions.


title: (Non)-Integrability of Geodesics in D-brane Backgrounds

abstract:
  Motivated by the search for new backgrounds with integrable string theories,
we classify the D-brane geometries leading to integrable geodesics. Our
analysis demonstrates that the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for massless geodesics
can only separate in elliptic or spherical coordinates, and all known
integrable backgrounds are covered by this separation. In particular, we
identify the standard parameterization of AdS_p X S^q with elliptic coordinates
on a flat base. We also find new geometries admitting separation of the
Hamilton-Jacobi equation in the elliptic coordinates. Since separability of
this equation is a necessary condition for integrability of strings, our
analysis gives severe restrictions on the potential candidates for integrable
string theories.


title: Plan beta: Core or Cusp?

abstract:
  The inner profile of Dark Matter (DM) halos remains one of the central
problems in small-scale cosmology. At present, the problem can not be resolved
in dwarf spheroidal galaxies due to a degeneracy between the DM profile and the
velocity anisotropy beta of the stellar population. We discuss a method which
can break the degeneracy by exploiting 3D positions and 1D line-of-sight (LOS)
velocities. With the full 3D spatial information, we can determine precisely
what fraction of each stars LOS motion is in the radial and tangential
direction. This enables us to infer the anisotropy parameter beta directly from
the data. The method is particularly effective if the galaxy is highly
anisotropic. Finally, we argue that such a test could be applied to Sagittarius
and potentially other dwarfs with RR Lyrae providing the necessary depth
information.


title: A simple proof of Zeeman's theorem

abstract:
  It is discussed that Zeeman's theorem can be directly obtained from
Liouville's theorem if we assume sufficient differentiability.


title:
Husserl, Cantor & Hilbert: La Grande Crise des Fondements Mathematiques
  du XIXeme Siecle

abstract:
  Three thinkers of the 19th century revolutionized the science of logic,
mathematics, and philosophy. Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), mathematician and a
disciple of Karl Weierstrass, made an immense contribution to the theory of
human thought. The paper offers a complex analysis of Husserl's mathematical
writings covering calculus of variations, differential geometry, and theory of
numbers which laid the ground for his later phenomenological breakthrough.
Georg Cantor (1845-1818), the creator of set theory, was a mathematician who
changed the mathematical thinking per se. By analyzing the philosophy of set
theory this paper shows how was it possible (by introducing into mathematics
what philosophers call 'the subject'). Set theory happened to be the most
radical answer to the crisis of foundations. David Hilbert (1862-1943), facing
the same foundational crisis, came up with his axiomatic method, indeed a
minimalist program whose roots can be traced back to Descartes and Cauchy.
Bringing together these three key authors, the paper is the first attempt to
analyze how the united efforts of philosophy and mathematics helped to dissolve
the epistemological crisis of the 19th century.
  Keywords: Set theory, number, axiomatization, geometry, function, infinity.


title:
Certifying the dimension of classical and quantum systems in a
  prepare-and-measure scenario with independent devices

abstract:
  We consider the problem of testing the dimension of uncharacterised classical
and quantum systems in a prepare-and-measure setup. Here we assume the
preparation and measurement devices to be independent, thereby making the
problem non-convex. We present a simple method for generating nonlinear
dimension witnesses for systems of arbitrary dimension. The simplest of our
witnesses is highly robust to technical imperfections, and can certify the use
of qubits in the presence of arbitrary noise and arbitrarily low detection
efficiency. Finally, we show that this witness can be used to certify the
presence of randomness, suggesting applications in quantum information
processing.


title:
Resolving the fine-scale structure in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard
  convection

abstract:
  We present high-resolution direct numerical simulation studies of turbulent
Rayleigh-Benard convection in a closed cylindrical cell with an aspect ratio of
one. The focus of our analysis is on the finest scales of convective
turbulence, in particular the statistics of the kinetic energy and thermal
dissipation rates in the bulk and the whole cell. The fluctuations of the
energy dissipation field can directly be translated into a fluctuating local
dissipation scale which is found to develop ever finer fluctuations with
increasing Rayleigh number. The range of these scales as well as the
probability of high-amplitude dissipation events decreases with increasing
Prandtl number. In addition, we examine the joint statistics of the two
dissipation fields and the consequences of high-amplitude events. We also have
investigated the convergence properties of our spectral element method and have
found that both dissipation fields are very sensitive to insufficient
resolution. We demonstrate that global transport properties, such as the
Nusselt number, and the energy balances are partly insensitive to insufficient
resolution and yield correct results even when the dissipation fields are
under-resolved. Our present numerical framework is also compared with
high-resolution simulations which use a finite difference method. For most of
the compared quantities the agreement is found to be satisfactory.


title: Large x physics: recent results and future plans

abstract:
  The valence region is exceedingly important in hadron physics since this
region not only defines a hadron but also is an excellent discriminator of
nucleon structure models. Present uncertainties in light quark distribution
functions at high x could also impact high energy physics. Here we will
describe a new generation of experiments at Jefferson Lab that is aimed at the
high x region of the nucleon. It is noted that the proposed Electron Ion
Collider could explore the high x regime.


title: Complexity of Oscillatory Integration for Univariate Sobolev Spaces

abstract:
  We analyze univariate oscillatory integrals for the standard Sobolev spaces
$H^s$ of periodic and non-periodic functions with an arbitrary integer $s\ge1$.
We find matching lower and upper bounds on the minimal worst case error of
algorithms that use $n$ function or derivative values. We also find sharp
bounds on the information complexity which is the minimal $n$ for which the
absolute or normalized error is at most $\varepsilon$. We show surprising
relations between the information complexity and the oscillatory weight. We
also briefly consider the case of $s=\infty$.


title:
Low Ionization Emission Lines in Quasars: Clues from OI 8446 and the
  CaII Triplet

abstract:
  The formation of low emission lines in quasars and active galactic nuclei is
still an open issue. Aided by the organizing power of the 4D eigenvector 1
scheme, we review basic developments since the 1980s, devoting special
attention to the CaII IR triplet and the OI 8446 emission lines. Coverage of
these lines is cumbersome since they are shifted in an inconvenient IR domain
already at modest redshifts (~ 0.2). Their detection is also difficult since
they are faint and often buried in the Ca II absorption of the host galaxy. We
discuss how these lines can provide unambiguous constraints on the physical
conditions of the broad line emitting regions of quasars when detected in
emission, and summarise preliminary results for a sample of luminous,
intermediate redshift quasars.


title:
Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies - I. Bulge luminosities
  from dedicated near-infrared data

abstract:
  In an effort to secure, refine and supplement the relation between central
Supermassive Black Hole masses (Mbh), and the bulge luminosities of their host
galaxies, (Lbul), we obtained deep, high spatial resolution K-band images of 35
nearby galaxies with securely measured Mbh, using the wide-field WIRCam imager
at the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope (CFHT). A dedicated data reduction and
sky subtraction strategy was adopted to estimate the brightness and structure
of the sky, a critical step when tracing the light distribution of extended
objects in the near-infrared. From the final image product, bulge and total
magnitudes were extracted via two-dimensional profile fitting. As a first order
approximation, all galaxies were modeled using a simple Sersic-bulge +
exponential-disk decomposition. However, we found that such models did not
adequately describe the structure that we observe in a large fraction of our
sample galaxies which often include cores, bars, nuclei, inner disks, spiral
arms, rings and envelopes. In such cases, we adopted profile modifications
and/or more complex models with additional components. The derived bulge
magnitudes are very sensitive to the details and number of components used in
the models, although total magnitudes remain almost unaffected. Usually, but
not always, the luminosities and sizes of the bulges are overestimated when a
simple bulge+disk decomposition is adopted in lieu of a more complex model.
Furthermore we found that some spheroids are not well fit when the ellipticity
of the Sersic model is held fixed. This paper presents the details of the image
processing and analysis, while in a companion paper we discuss how
model-induced biases and systematics in bulge magnitudes impact the Mbh-Lbul
relation.


title:
Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies - II. The correlation
  with near-infrared luminosity revisited

abstract:
  We present an investigation of the scaling relations between Supermassive
Black Hole (SMBH) masses (Mbh), and their host galaxies' K-band bulge (Lbul)
and total (Ltot) luminosities. The wide-field WIRCam imager at the
Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope (CFHT) was used to obtain the deepest and
highest resolution near infrared images available for a sample of 35 galaxies
with securely measured Mbh, selected irrespective of Hubble type. For each
galaxy, we derive bulge and total magnitudes using a two-dimensional image
decomposition code that allows us to account, if necessary, for large- and
small-scale disks, cores, bars, nuclei, rings, envelopes and spiral arms. We
find that the present-day Mbh-Lbul and Mbh-Ltot relations have consistent
intrinsic scatter, suggesting that Mbh correlates equally well with bulge and
total luminosity of the host. Our analysis provides only mild evidence of a
decreased scatter if the fit is restricted to elliptical galaxies. The
log-slopes of the Mbh-Lbul and Mbh-Ltot relations are 0.75+/-0.10 and
0.92+/-0.14, respectively. However, while the slope of the Mbh-Lbul relation
depends on the detail of the image decomposition, the characterization of
Mbh-Ltot does not. Given the difficulties and ambiguities of decomposing galaxy
images into separate components, our results indicate that Ltot is more
suitable as a tracer of SMBH mass than Lbul, and that the Mbh-Ltot relation
should be used when studying the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies.


title:
Analyzing wireless communication network vulnerability with homological
  invariants

abstract:
  This article explains how sheaves and homology theory can be applied to
simplicial complex models of wireless communication networks to study their
vulnerability to jamming. It develops two classes of invariants (one local and
one global) for studying which nodes and links present more of a liability to
the network's performance when under attack.


title:
General quantum error-correcting code with entanglement based on
  codeword stabilized quantum code

abstract:
  In this paper, we introduce a unified framework to construct
entanglement-assisted quantum error-correcting codes, including additive and
nonadditive codes, based on the codeword stabilized framework on subsystems.
The codeword stabilized (CWS) framework is a scheme to construct quantum
error-correcting codes (QECCs) including both additive and nonadditive codes,
and gives a method to construct a QECC from a classical error-correcting code
in standard form. Entangled pairs of qubits (ebits) can be used to improve
capacity of quantum error correction. In addition, it gives a method to
overcome the dual-containing constraint. Operator quantum error correction
(OQEC) gives a general framework to construct quantum error-correcting codes.
We construct OQEC codes with ebits based on the CWS framework. This new scheme,
entanglement-assisted operator codeword stabilized (EAOCWS) quantum codes, is
the most general framework we know of to construct both additive and
nonadditive codes from classical error-correcting codes. We describe the
formalism of our scheme, demonstrate the construction with examples, and give
several EAOCWS codes.


title:
Interactive proofs for BQP via self-tested graph states (extended
  abstract)

abstract:
  Using the measurement-based quantum computation model, we construct
interactive proofs with non-communicating quantum provers and a classical
verifier. Our construction gives interactive proofs for all languages in BQP
with a polynomial number of quantum provers, each of which, in the honest case,
performs only a single measurement. Our techniques use self-tested graph states
which allow us to test the provers for honesty, establishing that they hold
onto a particular graph state and measure it in specified bases. In this
extended abstract we give an overview of the construction and proofs.


title: Nash equilibrium for coupling of CO2 allowances and electricity markets

abstract:
  In this note, we present an existence result of a Nash equilibrium between
electricity producers selling their production on an electricity market and
buying CO2 emission allowances on an auction carbon market. The producers'
strategies integrate the coupling of the two markets via the cost functions of
the electricity production. We set out a clear Nash equilibrium that can be
used to compute equilibrium prices on both markets as well as the related
electricity produced and CO2 emissions covered.


title:
Asymptotic State Discrimination and a Strict Hierarchy in
  Distinguishability Norms

abstract:
  In this paper, we consider the problem of discriminating quantum states by
local operations and classical communication (LOCC) when an arbitrarily small
amount of error is permitted. This paradigm is known as asymptotic state
discrimination, and we derive necessary conditions for when two multipartite
states of any size can be discriminated perfectly by asymptotic LOCC. We use
this new criterion to prove a gap in the LOCC and separable distinguishability
norms. We then turn to the operational advantage of using two-way classical
communication over one-way communication in LOCC processing. With a simple
two-qubit product state ensemble, we demonstrate a strict majorization of the
two-way LOCC norm over the one-way norm.


title:
First-principles evidence of Mn moment canting in hole-doped
  Ba$_{1-2x}$K$_{2x}$Mn$_{2}$As$_{2}$

abstract:
  The compound BaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ is the proptotypical example of the 122
family of high-$T_{c}$ Fe-based superconductors that crystallize in the
ThCr$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ structure. Isostructural compounds can be formed by
replacing Fe with another transition metal; using Mn produces the material
BaMn$_{2}$As$_{2}$, which unlike its Fe-based cousin has an insulating ground
state with a large magnetic moment of $3.9 \mu_{B}$ and G-type
antiferromagnetic order. Despite its lack of superconductivity, the material is
interesting in its own right. Recent experimental studies have shown that
hole-doping the compound by substituting K for Ba leads to metallic behavior
and a spontaneous, weak, in-plane magnetization, which was attributed to the
holes fully polarizing independent of the Mn moments, producing half-metallic
behavior. However the observed in-plane magnetization can also be understood as
a small canting of the Mn moments. Using density functional theory, we
demonstrate that a Mn moment canting occurs upon hole-doping the compound. We
argue that this is due to the competition between the super- and double
exchange interactions, which we support using a simple tight-binding model of
the superexchange-double exchange interaction and the Andersen Force Theorem.
Our calculations also rule out an in-plane polarization of As holes as an
explanation for the in-plane magnetization.


title: A tracial Nullstellensatz

abstract:
  The main result of this note is a tracial Nullstellensatz for free
noncommutative polynomials evaluated at tuples of matrices of all sizes:
Suppose f_1,...,f_r,f are free polynomials, and tr(f) vanishes whenever all
tr(f_j) vanish. Then either 1 or f is a linear combination of the f_j modulo
sums of commutators.


title:
Category-Theoretic Quantitative Compositional Distributional Models of
  Natural Language Semantics

abstract:
  This thesis is about the problem of compositionality in distributional
semantics. Distributional semantics presupposes that the meanings of words are
a function of their occurrences in textual contexts. It models words as
distributions over these contexts and represents them as vectors in high
dimensional spaces. The problem of compositionality for such models concerns
itself with how to produce representations for larger units of text by
composing the representations of smaller units of text.
  This thesis focuses on a particular approach to this compositionality
problem, namely using the categorical framework developed by Coecke, Sadrzadeh,
and Clark, which combines syntactic analysis formalisms with distributional
semantic representations of meaning to produce syntactically motivated
composition operations. This thesis shows how this approach can be
theoretically extended and practically implemented to produce concrete
compositional distributional models of natural language semantics. It
furthermore demonstrates that such models can perform on par with, or better
than, other competing approaches in the field of natural language processing.
  There are three principal contributions to computational linguistics in this
thesis. The first is to extend the DisCoCat framework on the syntactic front
and semantic front, incorporating a number of syntactic analysis formalisms and
providing learning procedures allowing for the generation of concrete
compositional distributional models. The second contribution is to evaluate the
models developed from the procedures presented here, showing that they
outperform other compositional distributional models present in the literature.
The third contribution is to show how using category theory to solve linguistic
problems forms a sound basis for research, illustrated by examples of work on
this topic, that also suggest directions for future research.


title:
The effects of irradiation on the cloud evolution in active galactic
  nuclei

abstract:
  We report on the first phase of our study of cloud irradiation. We study
irradiation by means of numerical, two-dimensional time-dependent
radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of a cloud irradiated by a strong radiation.
We adopt a very simple treatment of the opacity, neglect photoionization and
gravity, and instead focus on assessing the role of the type and magnitude of
the opacity on the cloud evolution. Our main result is that even relatively
dense clouds that are radiatively heated (i.e., with significant absorption
opacity) do not move as a whole instead they undergo a very rapid and major
evolution in its shape, size and physical properties. In particular, the cloud
and its remnants become optical thin within less than one sound crossing time
and before they can travel over a significant distance (a distance of a few
radii of the initial cloud). We also found that a cloud can be accelerated as a
whole under quite extreme conditions, e.g., the opacity must be dominated by
scattering. However, the acceleration due to the radiation force is relatively
small and unless the cloud is optically thin the cloud quickly changes its size
and shape. We discuss implications for the modelling and interpetation broad
line regions of active galactic nuclei.