title:
Discovery and Observations of ASASSN-13db, an EX Lupi-Type Accretion
  Event on a Low-Mass T Tauri Star

abstract:
  We discuss ASASSN-13db, an EX Lupi-type ("EXor") accretion event on the young
stellar object (YSO) SDSS J051011.01$-$032826.2 (hereafter SDSSJ0510)
discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN). Using
archival photometric data of SDSSJ0510 we construct a pre-outburst spectral
energy distribution (SED) and find that it is consistent with a low-mass class
II YSO near the Orion star forming region ($d \sim 420$ pc). We present
follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations of the source after the
$\Delta V \sim-$5.4 magnitude outburst that began in September 2013 and ended
in early 2014. These data indicate an increase in temperature and luminosity
consistent with an accretion rate of $\sim10^{-7}$ $\rm{M}_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$,
three or more orders of magnitude greater than in quiescence. Spectroscopic
observations show a forest of narrow emission lines dominated by neutral
metallic lines from Fe I and some low-ionization lines. The properties of
ASASSN-13db are similar to those of the EXor prototype EX Lupi during its
strongest observed outburst in late 2008.


title:
Study of TeV variability of Mrk 421 from 3 years of monitoring with the
  Milagro Observatory

abstract:
  The Milagro experiment was a TeV gamma-ray observatory designed to
continuously monitor the overhead sky in the 0.1-100 TeV energy range. It
operated from 2000 and 2008 and was characterized by a large field of view
($\sim$ 2 sr) and a high duty cycle ($\geq$ 90$\%$). Here we report on the
long-term monitoring of the blazar Mrk 421 with Milagro over the period from
September 21, 2005 to March 15, 2008. We present a study of the TeV variability
of the source and provide upper limits for the measured flux for different time
scales, ranging from one week up to one year.


title: A 0.8-2.4 Micron Transmission Spectrum of the Hot Jupiter CoRoT-1b

abstract:
  Hot Jupiters with brightness temperatures > ~2000K can have TiO and VO
molecules as gaseous species in their atmospheres. The TiO and VO molecules can
potentially induce temperature inversions in hot Jupiter atmospheres and also
have an observable signature of large optical to infrared transit depth ratios.
Previous transmission spectra of very hot Jupiters have shown a lack of TiO and
VO, but only in planets that also appear to lack temperature inversions. We
measure the transmission spectrum of CoRoT-1b, a hot Jupiter that was predicted
to have a temperature inversion potentially due to significant TiO and VO in
its atmosphere. We employ the multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) method using the
SpeX and MORIS instruments on the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the
Gaussian Process method to model red noise. By using a simultaneous reference
star on the slit for calibration and a wide slit to minimize slit losses, we
achieve transit depth precision of 0.03% to 0.09%, comparable to the
atmospheric scale height but detect no statistically significant molecular
features. We combine our IRTF data with optical CoRoT transmission measurements
to search for differences in the optical and near infrared absorption that
would arise from TiO/VO. Our IRTF spectrum and the CoRoT photometry disfavor a
TiO/VO-rich spectrum for CoRoT-1b, suggesting that the atmosphere has another
absorber that could create a temperature inversion or that the blackbody-like
emission from the planet is due to a spectroscopically flat cloud, dust or haze
layer that smoothes out molecular features in both CoRoT-1b's emission and
transmission spectra. This system represents the faintest planet hosting star
(K=12.2) with a measured planetary transmission spectrum.


title:
Dark MaGICC: the effect of Dark Energy on galaxy formation. Cosmology
  does matter

abstract:
  We present the Dark MaGICC project, which aims to investigate the effect of
Dark Energy (DE) modeling on galaxy formation via hydrodynamical cosmological
simulations. Dark MaGICC includes four dynamical Dark Energy scenarios with
time varying equations of state, one with a self-interacting Ratra-Peebles
model. In each scenario we simulate three galaxies with high resolution using
smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The baryonic physics model is the same
used in the Making Galaxies in a Cosmological Context (MaGICC) project, and we
varied only the background cosmology. We find that the Dark Energy
parameterization has a surprisingly important impact on galaxy evolution and on
structural properties of galaxies at z=0, in striking contrast with predictions
from pure Nbody simulations. The different background evolutions can (depending
on the behavior of the DE equation of state) either enhance or quench star
formation with respect to a LCDM model, at a level similar to the variation of
the stellar feedback parameterization, with strong effects on the final galaxy
rotation curves. While overall stellar feedback is still the driving force in
shaping galaxies, we show that the effect of the Dark Energy parameterization
plays a larger role than previously thought, especially at lower redshifts. For
this reason, the influence of Dark Energy parametrization on galaxy formation
must be taken into account, especially in the era of precision cosmology.


title:
Standard Model anatomy of WIMP dark matter direct detection I:
  weak-scale matching

abstract:
  We present formalism necessary to determine weak-scale matching coefficients
in the computation of scattering cross sections for putative dark matter
candidates interacting with the Standard Model. Particular attention is paid to
the heavy-particle limit. A consistent renormalization scheme in the presence
of nontrivial residual masses is implemented. Two-loop diagrams appearing in
the matching to gluon operators are evaluated. Details are given for the
computation of matching coefficients in the universal limit of WIMP-nucleon
scattering for pure states of arbitrary quantum numbers, and for
singlet-doublet and doublet-triplet mixed states.


title:
Probing the large and massive CGM of a galaxy at z ~ 0.2 using a pair of
  quasars

abstract:
  We present analysis of two O VI absorbers at redshift z_{abs} = 0.227,
detected in the spectra of two closely spaced QSO sightlines (Q 0107-025 A and
B), observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on board the Hubble
Space Telescope (HST). At the same redshift, presence of a single bright (~ 1.2
L*) galaxy at an impact parameter of ~ 200 kpc (proper) from both the
sightlines was reported by Crighton et al. (2010). Using detailed
photoionization models we show that the high ionization phases of both the O VI
absorbers have similar ionization conditions (e.g. log U ~ -1.1 to -0.9),
chemical enrichment (e.g. log Z ~ -1.4 to -1.0), total hydrogen column density
(e.g. log N_{H} (cm^{-2}) ~ 19.6-19.7) and line of sight thickness (e.g.
l_{los} ~ 600-800 kpc). Therefore we speculate that the O VI absorbers are
tracing different parts of same large scale structure, presumably the
circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the identified galaxy. Using sizes along and
transverse to the line of sight, we estimate the size of the CGM to be R ~ 330
kpc. The baryonic mass associated with this large CGM as traced by O VI
absorption is ~ 1.2x10^{11} M_{sun}. A low ionization phase is detected in one
of the O VI systems with near solar metallicity (log Z = 0.20\pm0.20) and
parsec scale size (l_{los} ~ 6 pc), possibly tracing the neutral phase of a
high velocity cloud (HVC) embedded within the CGM.


title: Holographic Space-time and Black Holes: Mirages As Alternate Reality

abstract:
  We revisit our investigation of the claim of [1] that old black holes contain
a firewall, i.e. an in-falling observer encounters highly excited states at a
time much shorter than the light crossing time of the Schwarzschild radius. We
used the formalism of Holographic Space-time (HST) where there is no dramatic
change in particle physics inside the horizon until a time of order the
Schwarzschild radius. We correct our description of the interior of the black
hole . HST provides a complete description of the quantum mechanics along any
time-like trajectory, even those which fall through the black hole horizon. The
latter are described as alternative factorizations of the description of an
external observer, turning the mirage of the interior provided by that
observer's membrane paradigm on the stretched horizon, into reality.


title: NPOI Measurements of Ten Stellar Oscillators

abstract:
  Using the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer, we measured the angular
diameters of 10 stars that have previously measured solar-like oscillations.
Our sample covered a range of evolutionary stages but focused on evolved
subgiant and giant stars. We combined our angular diameters with Hipparcos
parallaxes to determine the stars' physical radii, and used photometry from the
literature to calculate their bolometric fluxes, luminosities, and effective
temperatures. We then used our results to test the scaling relations used by
asteroseismology groups to calculate radii and found good agreement between the
radii measured here and the radii predicted by stellar oscillation studies. The
precision of the relations is not as well constrained for giant stars as it is
for less evolved stars.


title: Does the Debris Disk around HD 32297 Contain Cometary Grains?

abstract:
  We present an adaptive optics imaging detection of the HD 32297 debris disk
at L' (3.8 \microns) obtained with the LBTI/LMIRcam infrared instrument at the
LBT. The disk is detected at signal-to-noise per resolution element ~ 3-7.5
from ~ 0.3-1.1" (30-120 AU). The disk at L' is bowed, as was seen at shorter
wavelengths. This likely indicates the disk is not perfectly edge-on and
contains highly forward scattering grains. Interior to ~ 50 AU, the surface
brightness at L' rises sharply on both sides of the disk, which was also
previously seen at Ks band. This evidence together points to the disk
containing a second inner component located at $\lesssim$ 50 AU. Comparing the
color of the outer (50 $< r$/AU $< 120$) portion of the disk at L' with
archival HST/NICMOS images of the disk at 1-2 \microns allows us to test the
recently proposed cometary grains model of Donaldson et al. 2013. We find that
the model fails to match the disk's surface brightness and spectrum
simultaneously (reduced chi-square = 17.9). When we modify the density
distribution of the model disk, we obtain a better overall fit (reduced
chi-square = 2.9). The best fit to all of the data is a pure water ice model
(reduced chi-square = 1.06), but additional resolved imaging at 3.1 \microns is
necessary to constrain how much (if any) water ice exists in the disk, which
can then help refine the originally proposed cometary grains model.


title:
Ground-based astrometry with wide field imagers. V. Application to
  near-infrared detectors: HAWK-I@VLT/ESO

abstract:
  High-precision astrometry requires accurate point-spread function modeling
and accurate geometric-distortion corrections. This paper demonstrates that it
is possible to achieve both requirements with data collected at the high acuity
wide-field K-band imager (HAWK-I), a wide-field imager installed at the Nasmyth
focus of UT4/VLT ESO 8m telescope. Our final astrometric precision reaches ~3
mas per coordinate for a well-exposed star in a single image with a systematic
error less than 0.1 mas. We constructed calibrated astro-photometric catalogs
and atlases of seven fields: the Baade's Window, NGC 6656, NGC 6121, NGC 6822,
NGC 6388, NGC 104, and the James Webb Space Telescope calibration field in the
Large Magellanic Cloud. We make these catalogs and images electronically
available to the community. Furthermore, as a demonstration of the efficacy of
our approach, we combined archival material taken with the optical wide-field
imager at the MPI/ESO 2.2m with HAWK-I observations. We showed that we are able
to achieve an excellent separation between cluster members and field objects
for NGC 6656 and NGC 6121 with a time base-line of about 8 years. Using both
HST and HAWK-I data, we also study the radial distribution of the SGB
populations in NGC 6656 and conclude that the radial trend is flat within our
uncertainty. We also provide membership probabilities for most of the stars in
NGC 6656 and NGC 6121 catalogs and estimate membership for the published
variable stars in these two fields.


title: Implementation of the left-right symmetric model in FeynRules

abstract:
  We present an implementation of the manifest left-right symmetric model in
FeynRules. The different aspects of the model are briefly described alongside
the corresponding elements of the model file. The model file is validated and
can be easily translated to matrix element generators such as
MadGraph5_aMC@NLO, CalcHEP, Sherpa, etc. The implementation of the left-right
symmetric model is a useful step for studying new physics signals with the data
generated at the LHC.


title:
Ginzburg-Landau description of twin boundaries in noncentrosymmetric
  superconductors

abstract:
  We study theoretically a model for twin boundaries in superconductors with
Rashba spin-orbit coupling, which can be relevant to both three-dimensional
noncentrosymmetric tetragonal crystals and two-dimensional gated
superconductors such as the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface. In both cases, the
broken inversion symmetry allows for a coexistence of singlet and triplet
pairing. Within the framework of a Ginzburg-Landau theory, we identify two
$\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetries that are broken via two consecutive second order
phase transitions as the temperature is lowered. We show that a time-reversal
symmetry breaking superconducting state nucleates near the twin boundary if
singlet and triplet pairing amplitudes are of comparable magnitude. As a
consequence, the tendency towards ferromagnetic order is locally increased
along with the emergence of spontaneous supercurrents parallel to the twin
boundary. Spin currents, which are present in the form of Andreev bound states,
are found enhanced in the time-reversal broken phases.


title:
Type Ia Supernovae with Bi-Modal Explosions Are Common -- Possible
  Smoking Gun for Direct Collisions of White-Dwarfs

abstract:
  We discover clear doubly-peaked line profiles in 3 out of ~20 type Ia
supernovae (SNe Ia) with high-quality nebular-phase spectra. The profiles are
consistently present in three well-separated Co/Fe emission features. The two
peaks are respectively blue-shifted and red-shifted relative to the host
galaxies and are separated by ~5000 km/s. The doubly-peaked profiles directly
reflect a bi-modal velocity distribution of the radioactive Ni56 in the ejecta
that powers the emission of these SNe. Due to their random orientations, only a
fraction of SNe with intrinsically bi-modal velocity distributions will appear
as doubly-peaked spectra. Therefore SNe with intrinsic bi-modality are likely
common, especially among the SNe in the low-luminosity part on the Philips
relation (\Delta m15(B) >~ 1.3; ~40% of all SNe Ia). Such bi-modality is
naturally expected from direct collisions of white dwarfs (WDs) due to the
detonation of both WDs and is demonstrated in a 3D 0.64 M_Sun-0.64 M_Sun WD
collision simulation. In the future, with a large sample of nebular spectra and
a comprehensive set of numerical simulations, the collision model can be
unambiguously tested as the primary channel for type Ia SNe, and the
distribution of nebular line profiles will either be a smoking gun or rule it
out.


title: Estimation of the TeV gamma-ray duty cycle of Mrk 421 with Milagro

abstract:
  The blazar Markarian 421 (Mrk 421) is one of the brightest sources in the
extragalactic X-ray/TeV sky. It is also one of the fastest varying TeV
$\gamma$-ray sources, showing flaring activity on time scales as short as tens
of minutes. To know the level of activity of this source, Tluczykont et al.
(2007) calculated the fraction of time spent by Mrk 421 in flaring states with
fluxes above 1 Crab at TeV energies (i.e., TeV - duty cycle). Here we present
an alternative approach to calculate the TeV duty cycle of Mrk 421 taking
advantage of the continuous monitoring of the source by the Milagro
observatory. Milagro was a water Cherenkov detector sensitive at energies
between 100 GeV and 100 TeV. We present our estimation of the TeV - duty cycle
and study its robustness.


title: Habitable Zone Dependence on Stellar Parameter Uncertainties

abstract:
  An important property of exoplanetary systems is the extent of the Habitable
Zone (HZ), defined as that region where water can exist in a liquid state on
the surface of a planet with sufficient atmospheric pressure. Both ground and
space-based observations have revealed a plethora of confirmed exoplanets and
exoplanetary candidates, most notably from the Kepler mission using the transit
detection technique. Many of these detected planets lie within the predicted HZ
of their host star. However, as is the case with the derived properties of the
planets themselves, the HZ boundaries depend on how well we understand the host
star. Here we quantify the uncertainties of HZ boundaries on the parameter
uncertainties of the host star. We examine the distribution of stellar
parameter uncertainties from confirmed exoplanet hosts and Kepler candidate
hosts and translate these into HZ boundary uncertainties. We apply this to
several known systems with a HZ planet to determine the uncertainty in their HZ
status.


title:
A featureless transmission spectrum for the Neptune-mass exoplanet GJ
  436b

abstract:
  GJ 436b is a warm-- approximately 800 K--extrasolar planet that periodically
eclipses its low-mass (half the mass of the Sun) host star, and is one of the
few Neptune-mass planets that is amenable to detailed characterization.
Previous observations have indicated that its atmosphere has a methane-to-CO
ratio that is 100,000 times smaller than predicted by models for
hydrogen-dominated atmospheres at these temperatures. A recent study proposed
that this unusual chemistry could be explained if the planet's atmosphere is
significantly enhanced in elements heavier than H and He. In this study we
present complementary observations of GJ 436b's atmosphere obtained during
transit. Our observations indicate that the planet's transmission spectrum is
effectively featureless, ruling out cloud-free, hydrogen-dominated atmosphere
models with an extremely high significance of 48 sigma. The measured spectrum
is consistent with either a high cloud or haze layer located at a pressure of
approximately 1 mbar or with a relatively hydrogen-poor (three percent hydrogen
and helium mass fraction) atmospheric composition.


title:
Pressure Hessian and viscous contributions to velocity gradient
  statistics based on Gaussian random fields

abstract:
  Understanding the non-local pressure contributions and viscous effects on the
small-scale statistics remains one of the central challenges in the study of
homogeneous isotropic turbulence. Here we address this issue by studying the
impact of the pressure Hessian as well as viscous diffusion on the statistics
of the velocity gradient tensor in the framework of an exact statistical
evolution equation. This evolution equation shares similarities with earlier
phenomenological models for the Lagrangian velocity gradient tensor evolution,
yet constitutes the starting point for a systematic study of the unclosed
pressure Hessian and viscous diffusion terms. Based on the assumption of
incompressible Gaussian velocity fields, closed expressions are obtained as the
results of an evaluation of the characteristic functionals. The benefits and
shortcomings of this Gaussian closure are discussed, and a generalization is
proposed based on results from direct numerical simulations. This enhanced
Gaussian closure yields, for example, insights on how the pressure Hessian
prevents the finite-time singularity induced by the local self-amplification
and how its interaction with viscous effects leads to the characteristic strain
skewness phenomenon.


title: Type Ia Supernova Hubble Residuals and Host-Galaxy Properties

abstract:
  Kim et al. (2013) [K13] introduced a new methodology for determining
peak-brightness absolute magnitudes of type Ia supernovae from multi-band light
curves. We examine the relation between their parameterization of light curves
and Hubble residuals, based on photometry synthesized from the Nearby Supernova
Factory spectrophotometric time series, with global host-galaxy properties. The
K13 Hubble residual step with host mass is $0.013\pm 0.031$ mag for a supernova
subsample with data coverage corresponding to the K13 training; at $\ll
1\sigma$, the step is not significant and lower than previous measurements.
Relaxing the data coverage requirement the Hubble residual step with host mass
is $0.045\pm 0.026$ mag for the larger sample; a calculation using the modes of
the distributions, less sensitive to outliers, yields a step of 0.019 mag. The
analysis of this article uses K13 inferred luminosities, as distinguished from
previous works that use magnitude corrections as a function of SALT2 color and
stretch parameters: Steps at $>2\sigma $ significance are found in SALT2 Hubble
residuals in samples split by the values of their K13 $x(1)$ and $x(2)$
light-curve parameters. $x(1)$ affects the light-curve width and color around
peak (similar to the $\Delta m_{15}$ and stretch parameters), and $x(2)$
affects colors, the near-UV light-curve width, and the light-curve decline 20
to 30 days after peak brightness. The novel light-curve analysis, increased
parameter set, and magnitude corrections of K13 may be capturing features of
SN~Ia diversity arising from progenitor stellar evolution.


title:
Algorithm for Solving Intuitionistic Fuzzy Transportation Problem with
  Generalized Trapezoidal Intuitionistic Fuzzy Number via New Ranking Method

abstract:
  In this paper, a new ranking method for generalized trapezoidal
intuitionistic fuzzy number (GTRIFN) is introduced to overcome the limitations
of existing methods. Also we consider transportation problem in intuitionistic
fuzzy environment. In this transportation problem, costs are represented by
GTRIFNs. An algorithm is proposed to evaluate the initial basic feasible and
optimal solution of intuitionistic fuzzy transportation problem. An
illustrative numerical example is solved to demonstrate the efficiency of the
proposed methods.


title:
SNR G349.7+0.2: A gamma-ray source in the far 3 kpc arm of the Galactic
  center

abstract:
  We analyze the HI absorption profile for TeV Supernova Remnant (SNR)
G349.7+0.2 based on updated knowledge of the inner Galaxy's structure. We
significantly revise its kinematic distance from the previous ~ 22 kpc to ~11.5
kpc, indicating it is in the far 3 kpc arm of the Galactic center. We give a
revised age of ~ 1800 year for G349.7+0.2 which has a low explosion energy of ~
2.5 x 10^50 ergs. This removes G349.7+0.2 from the set of brightest SNRs in
radio, X-ray to gamma-ray wavebands and helps understand gamma-ray emission
originating from this remnant better. However, one needs to use caution for old
kinematic distances of Galactic objects (e.g. SNRs, Pulsars and HII regions) in
the range of -12 degree =< l =< 12 degree and having distance estimates of >=
5.5 kpc.


title: Bimodules in crossed products and regular inclusions of finite factors

abstract:
  In this paper, we study bimodules over a von Neumann algebra $M$ in two
related contexts. The first is an inclusion $M \subseteq M \rtimes_\alpha G$,
where $G$ is a discrete group acting on a factor $M$ by outer automorphisms.
The second is a regular inclusion $M \subseteq N$ of finite factors. In the
case of crossed products, we characterize the $M$-bimodules $X$ that lie
between $M$ and $M \rtimes_\alpha G$ and are closed in the Bures topology, in
terms of the subsets of $G$. We show that this characterization also holds for
$w^*$-closed bimodules when $G$ has the approximation property ($AP$), a class
of groups that includes all amenable and weakly amenable ones. As an
application, we prove a version of Mercer's extension theorem for certain
$w^*$-continuous isometric maps on $X$. We establish a similar theorem for
bimodules arising from regular inclusions of finite factors, which generalizes
the crossed product situation when $G$ acts on a finite factor. In the final
section we apply these ideas to provide new examples of singly generated finite
factors.


title:
Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys Confirmation of the
  Dark Substructure in A520

abstract:
  We present the results from a weak gravitational lensing study of the merging
cluster A520 based on the analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera
for Surveys (ACS) data. The excellent data quality allows us to reach a mean
number density of source galaxies of ~109 per sq. arcmin, which improves both
resolution and significance of the mass reconstruction compared to a previous
study based on Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images. We take care in
removing instrumental effects such as the trailing of charge due to radiation
damage of the ACS detector and the position-dependent point spread function
(PSF). This new ACS analysis confirms the previous claims that a substantial
amount of dark mass is present between two luminous subclusters. We examine the
distribution of cluster galaxies and observe very little light at this
location. We find that the centroid of the dark peak in the current ACS
analysis is offset to the southwest by ~1 arcmin with respect to the centroid
from the WFPC2 analysis. Interestingly, this new centroid is in better spatial
agreement with the location where the X-ray emission is strongest, and the
mass-to-light ratio estimated with this centroid is much higher 813+-78
M_sun/L_Rsun than the previous value; the aperture mass based on the WFPC2
centroid provides a slightly lower, but consistent mass. Although we cannot
provide a definite explanation for the presence of the dark peak, we discuss a
revised scenario, wherein dark matter with a more conventional range
sigma_DM/m_DM < 1 cm^2/g of self-interacting cross-section can lead to the
detection of this dark substructure. If supported by detailed numerical
simulations, this hypothesis opens up the possibility that the A520 system can
be used to establish a lower limit of the self-interacting cross-section of
dark matter.


title: Back-pressure traffic signal control with unknown routing rates

abstract:
  The control of a network of signalized intersections is considered. Previous
works proposed a feedback control belonging to the family of the so-called
back-pressure controls that ensures provably maximum stability given
pre-specified routing probabilities. However, this optimal back-pressure
controller (BP*) requires routing rates and a measure of the number of vehicles
queuing at a node for each possible routing decision. It is an idealistic
assumption for our application since vehicles (going straight, turning
left/right) are all gathered in the same lane apart from the proximity of the
intersection and cameras can only give estimations of the aggregated queue
length. In this paper, we present a back-pressure traffic signal controller
(BP) that does not require routing rates, it requires only aggregated queue
lengths estimation (without direction information) and loop detectors at the
stop line for each possible direction. A theoretical result on the Lyapunov
drift in heavy load conditions under BP control is provided and tends to
indicate that BP should have good stability properties. Simulations confirm
this and show that BP stabilizes the queuing network in a significant part of
the capacity region.


title:
Survey On The Estimation Of Mutual Information Methods as a Measure of
  Dependency Versus Correlation Analysis

abstract:
  In this survey, we present and compare different approaches to estimate
Mutual Information (MI) from data to analyse general dependencies between
variables of interest in a system. We demonstrate the performance difference of
MI versus correlation analysis, which is only optimal in case of linear
dependencies. First, we use a piece-wise constant Bayesian methodology using a
general Dirichlet prior. In this estimation method, we use a two-stage approach
where we approximate the probability distribution first and then calculate the
marginal and joint entropies. Here, we demonstrate the performance of this
Bayesian approach versus the others for computing the dependency between
different variables. We also compare these with linear correlation analysis.
Finally, we apply MI and correlation analysis to the identification of the bias
in the determination of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) by the satellite based
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the ground based
AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET). Here, we observe that the AOD measurements
by these two instruments might be different for the same location. The reason
of this bias is explored by quantifying the dependencies between the bias and
15 other variables including cloud cover, surface reflectivity and others.


title:
Panoramic Spectroscopy of Galaxies with Star-formation Regions. A Study
  of SBS 1202+583

abstract:
  The methods of panoramic (3D) spectroscopy are used in a detailed study of
galaxies with ongoing star formation chosen from among objects in seven
selected fields of the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS). This article deals with
the irregular galaxy SBS 1202+583, which our classification scheme identifies
as being in a continuous phase of starformation. Observations were made with
the panoramic spectrographs MPFS at the 6-m telescope of the Special
Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and VAGR at
the 2.6-m telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) in Armenia.
The data are used to construct charts of the radiative fluxes in the continuum
and various emission lines. Special attention is devoted to analyzing the
emission in the H{\alpha} hydrogen recombination line and in the forbidden
low-ionization doublets of nitrogen [NII]{\lambda}{\lambda}6548, 6583 and
sulfur [SII]{\lambda}{\lambda} 6716,6731, and the ratios of the intensities of
the forbidden lines to H{\alpha}. The observable characteristics (sizes,
H{\alpha} fluxes, etc.) of nine HII regions are studied. The estimated current
rates of starformation in the individual HII regions based on the H{\alpha}
fluxes lie within the range of 0.3-1.2 Msun/year. The dependence of the ratio
of the intensities of the emission in these two forbidden doublets on the rate
of star formation in the HII regions is found.


title: Spheres, generalised parallelisability and consistent truncations

abstract:
  We show that generalised geometry gives a unified description of maximally
supersymmetric consistent truncations of ten- and eleven-dimensional
supergravity. In all cases the reduction manifold admits a "generalised
parallelisation" with a frame algebra with constant coefficients. The
consistent truncation then arises as a generalised version of a conventional
Scherk-Schwarz reduction with the frame algebra encoding the embedding tensor
of the reduced theory. The key new result is that all round-sphere $S^d$
geometries admit such generalised parallelisations with an $SO(d+1)$ frame
algebra. Thus we show that the remarkable consistent truncations on $S^3$,
$S^4$, $S^5$ and $S^7$ are in fact simply generalised Scherk-Schwarz
reductions. This description leads directly to the standard non-linear
scalar-field ansatze and as an application we give the full scalar-field ansatz
for the type IIB truncation on $S^5$.


title:
Analysis of Anchor-Size Effects on Pinned Scroll Waves and Measurement
  of Filament Rigidity

abstract:
  Inert, spherical heterogeneities can pin three-dimensional scroll waves in
the excitable Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. Three pinning sites cause
initially circular rotation backbones to approach equilateral triangles. The
resulting stationary shapes show convex deviations that increase with
decreasing anchor radii. This dependence is interpreted as a transition between
filament termination at large surfaces and true, local pinning of a continuous
curve. The shapes of the filament segments are described by a hyperbolic cosine
function which is predicted by kinematic theory that considers filament tension
and rigidity. The latter value is measured as (1.0 $\pm$ 0.7)$\times$$10^{-6}$
cm$^4$/s.


title: Kernel Density Estimation with Berkson Error

abstract:
  Given a sample $\{X_i\}_{i=1}^n$ from $f_X$, we construct kernel density
estimators for $f_Y$, the convolution of $f_X$ with a known error density
$f_{\epsilon}$. This problem is known as density estimation with Berkson error
and has applications in epidemiology and astronomy. Little is understood about
bandwidth selection for Berkson density estimation. We compare three approaches
to selecting the bandwidth both asymptotically, using large sample
approximations to the MISE, and at finite samples, using simulations. Our
results highlight the relationship between the structure of the error
$f_{\epsilon}$ and the optimal bandwidth. In particular, the results
demonstrate the importance of smoothing when the error term $f_{\epsilon}$ is
concentrated near 0. We propose a data--driven bandwidth estimator and test its
performance on NO$_2$ exposure data.


title: Error-prone cellular automata as metaphors of immunity as computation

abstract:
  Modeling the immune system so that its essential functionalities stand out
without the need for every molecular or cellular interaction to be taken into
account has been challenging for many decades. Two competing approaches have
been the clonal selection theory and the idiotypic-network theory, each
stemming from a relatively separate set of principles. One recent perspective
holding the promise of unification is that of immunity as computation, that is,
of immunity as the process of computing the state of the body so that
protection can be effected, as well as boosted through learning. Here we
investigate the use of cellular automata (CA) as the core abstraction
supporting this new perspective. Our choice of CA for this role is based on the
potential variety of basins in a CA attractor field. Associating each basin
with a consistent set of body states, and moreover providing for the noisy
evolution of the CA in time so that jumping between basins is possible, have
provided the necessary backdrop. Given a CA rule to be followed by all cells
synchronously, our model is based on a probability with which each cell, at
each time step, independently updates its own state differently than the rule
mandates. Setting up and solving the corresponding Markov chain for its
stationary probabilities have revealed that already in the context of
elementary CA there exist rules that, while allowing transitions between
basins, display remarkable resiliency in terms of basin occupation. For these
rules, the long-run probability that the CA is found in a given basin is
practically the same as in the deterministic case when the initial CA state is
chosen uniformly at random. We argue that, consequently, our single-parameter
CA model may be a suitable abstraction of immunity as computation.


title:
Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse grained model for an athermal
  all-polystyrene nanocomposite system

abstract:
  The structure of a polystyrene matrix filled with tightly cross-linked
polystyrene nanoparticles, forming an athermal nanocomposite system, is
investigated by means of a Monte Carlo sampling formalism. The polymer chains
are represented as random walks and the system is described through a coarse
grained Hamiltonian. This approach is related to self-consistent-field theory
but does not invoke a saddle point approximation and is suitable for treating
large three-dimensional systems. The local structure of the polymer matrix in
the vicinity of the nanoparticles is found to be different in many ways from
that of the corresponding bulk, both at the segment and the chain level. The
local polymer density profile near to the particle displays a maximum and the
bonds develop considerable orientation parallel to the nanoparticle surface.
The depletion layer thickness is also analyzed. The chains orient with their
longest dimension parallel to the surface of the particles. Their intrinsic
shape, as characterized by spans and principal moments of inertia, is found to
be a strong function of position relative to the interface. The dispersion of
many nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix leads to extension of the chains
when their size is similar to the radius of the dispersed particles.


title: Numerical study of viscous starting flow past a flat plate

abstract:
  Viscous flow past a finite plate which is impulsively started in direction
normal to itself is studied numerically using a high order mixed finite
difference and semi-Lagrangian scheme. The goal is to resolve details of the
vorticity generation at early times, and to determine the effect of viscosity
on flow quantities such as the core trajectory and vorticity, and the shed
circulation. Vorticity contours, streaklines and streamlines are presented for
a range of Reynolds numbers $Re \in [250, 2000]$ and a range of times $t \in[0.
0002, 5]$. At early times, most of the vorticity is attached to the plate. The
paper proposes a definition for the shed circulation at early as well as late
times, and shows that it indeed represents vorticity that separates from the
plate without reattaching. The contribution of viscous diffusion to the
circulation shedding rate is found to be significant, but, interestingly, to
depend only slightly on the value of the Reynolds number. The shed circulation
and the vortex core trajectories follow scaling laws for inviscid self-similar
flow over several decades in time. Scaling laws describing the core vorticity,
core dissipation, boundary layer thickness, drag and lift forces in time and
Reynolds number are also presented. The simulations provide benchmark results
to evaluate, for example, simpler separation models such as point vortex and
vortex sheet models.


title: Inner polar gaseous disks: incidence, ages, possible origin

abstract:
  We review our current knowledge about a particular case of decoupled gas
kinematics -- inner ionized-gas polar disks. Though more difficult to be
noticed, they seem to be more numerous than their large-scale counterparts; our
recent estimates imply about 10 per cent of early-type disk galaxies to be
hosts of inner polar disks. Since in the most cases the kinematics of the inner
polar gaseous disks is decoupled from the kinematics of the outer large-scale
gaseous disks and since they nested around very old stellar nuclei, we
speculate that the inner polar disks may be relics of very early events of
external gas accretion several Gyr ago. Such view is in agreement with our new
paradigm of the disk galaxies evolution.


title:
Linear transformations with characteristic subspaces that are not
  hyperinvariant

abstract:
  If $f$ is an endomorphism of a finite dimensional vector space over a field
$K$ then an invariant subspace $X \subseteq V$ is called hyperinvariant
(respectively, characteristic) if $X$ is invariant under all endomorphisms
(respectively, automorphisms) that commute with $f$. According to Shoda (Math.
Zeit. 31, 611--624, 1930) only if $|K| = 2$ then there exist endomorphisms $f$
with invariant subspaces that are characteristic but not hyperinvariant. In
this paper we obtain a description of the set of all characteristic
non-hyperinvariant subspaces for nilpotent maps $f$ with exactly two unrepeated
elementary divisors.


title: Episodic Accretion in Young Stars

abstract:
  In the last twenty years, the topic of episodic accretion has gained
significant interest in the star formation community. It is now viewed as a
common, though still poorly understood, phenomenon in low-mass star formation.
The FU Orionis objects (FUors) are long-studied examples of this phenomenon.
FUors are believed to undergo accretion outbursts during which the accretion
rate rapidly increases from typically $10^{-7}$ to a few $10^{-4}$ $M_\odot$
yr$^{-1}$, and remains elevated over several decades or more. EXors, a loosely
defined class of pre-main sequence stars, exhibit shorter and repetitive
outbursts, associated with lower accretion rates. The relationship between the
two classes, and their connection to the standard pre-main sequence
evolutionary sequence, is an open question: do they represent two distinct
classes, are they triggered by the same physical mechanism, and do they occur
in the same evolutionary phases? Over the past couple of decades, many
theoretical and numerical models have been developed to explain the origin of
FUor and EXor outbursts. In parallel, such accretion bursts have been detected
at an increasing rate, and as observing techniques improve each individual
outburst is studied in increasing detail. We summarize key observations of
pre-main sequence star outbursts, and review the latest thinking on outburst
triggering mechanisms, the propagation of outbursts from star/disk to disk/jet
systems, the relation between classical EXors and FUors, and newly discovered
outbursting sources -- all of which shed new light on episodic accretion. We
finally highlight some of the most promising directions for this field in the
near- and long-term.


title:
Time dependence in large amplitude oscillatory shear: a rheo-ultrasonic
  study of fatigue dynamics in a colloidal gel

abstract:
  We report on the response of a yield stress material, namely a colloidal gel
made of attractive carbon black particles, submitted to large amplitude
oscillatory shear stress (LAOStress). At a constant stress amplitude well below
its apparent yield stress, the gel displays fatigue and progressively turns
from an elastic solid to a viscous fluid. The time-resolved analysis of the
strain response, of the Fourier spectrum, and of Lissajous plots allows one to
define two different timescales $\tau_w<\tau_f$ associated with the yielding
and fluidization of the gel. Coupling rheology to ultrasonic imaging further
leads to a local picture of the LAOStress response in which the gel first fails
at the walls at $\tau_w$ and then undergoes a slow heterogeneous fluidization
involving solid--fluid coexistence until the whole sample is fluid at $\tau_f$.
Spatial heterogeneities are observed in both the gradient and vorticity
directions and suggest a fragmentation of the initially solidlike gel into
macroscopic domains eroded by the surrounding fluidized suspension.


title: Computational Topology for Approximations of Knots

abstract:
  The preservation of ambient isotopic equivalence under piecewise linear (PL)
approximation for smooth knots are prominent in molecular modeling and
simulation. Sufficient conditions are given regarding: (1) Hausdorff distance,
and (2) a sum of total curvature and derivative. High degree Bezier curves are
often used as smooth representations, where computational efficiency is a
practical concern. Subdivision can produce PL approximations for a given
B\'ezier curve, fulfilling the above two conditions. The primary contributions
are: (i) a priori bounds on the number of subdivision iterations sufficient to
achieve a PL approximation that is ambient isotopic to the original Bezier
curve, and (ii) improved iteration bounds over those previously established.


title:
Spectra for semiclassical operators with periodic bicharacteristics in
  dimension two

abstract:
  We study the distribution of eigenvalues for selfadjoint
$h$--pseudodifferential operators in dimension two, arising as perturbations of
selfadjoint operators with a periodic classical flow. When the strength
$\varepsilon$ of the perturbation is $\ll h$, the spectrum displays a cluster
structure, and assuming that $\varepsilon \gg h^2$ (or sometimes $\gg h^{N_0}$,
for $N_0 >1$ large), we obtain a complete asymptotic description of the
individual eigenvalues inside subclusters, corresponding to the regular values
of the leading symbol of the perturbation, averaged along the flow.


title: Learning Language from a Large (Unannotated) Corpus

abstract:
  A novel approach to the fully automated, unsupervised extraction of
dependency grammars and associated syntax-to-semantic-relationship mappings
from large text corpora is described. The suggested approach builds on the
authors' prior work with the Link Grammar, RelEx and OpenCog systems, as well
as on a number of prior papers and approaches from the statistical language
learning literature. If successful, this approach would enable the mining of
all the information needed to power a natural language comprehension and
generation system, directly from a large, unannotated corpus.


title:
An Iterated Game of Uncoordinated Sharing of Licensed Spectrum Using
  Zero-Determinant Strategies

abstract:
  We consider private commons for secondary sharing of licensed spectrum bands
with no access coordination provided by the primary license holder. In such
environments, heterogeneity in demand patterns of the secondary users can lead
to constant changes in the interference levels, and thus can be a source of
volatility to the utilities of the users. In this paper, we consider secondary
users to be service providers that provide downlink services. We formulate the
spectrum sharing problem as a non-cooperative iterated game of power control
where service providers change their power levels to fix their long-term
average rates at utility-maximizing values. First, we show that in any iterated
2x2 game, the structure of the single-stage game dictates the degree of control
that a service provider can exert on the long-term outcome of the game. Then we
show that if service providers use binary actions either to access or not to
access the channel at any round of the game, then the long-term rate can be
fixed regardless of the strategy of the opponent. We identify these rates and
show that they can be achieved using mixed Markovian strategies that will be
clearly identified in the paper.


title: A dedicated high resolution PET imager for plant sciences

abstract:
  PET provides in vivo molecular and functional imaging capability that is
crucial to studying the interaction of plant with changing environment at the
whole-plant level. We have developed a dedicated plant PET imager that features
high spatial resolution, housed in a fully controlled environment provided by a
plant growth chamber (PGC). The system currently contains two types of detector
modules: 84 microPET R4 block detectors with 2.2 mm crystals to provide a large
detecting area; and 32 Inveon block detectors with 1.5 mm crystals to provide
higher spatial resolution. Outputs of the four microPET block detectors in a
modular housing are concatenated by a custom printed circuit board to match the
output characteristics of an Inveon detector. All the detectors are read out by
QuickSilver electronics. The detector modules are configured to full rings with
a 15 cm diameter trans-axial field of view (FOV) for dynamic tomographic
imaging of small plants. Potentially, the Inveon detectors can be reconfigured
to quarter-rings to get a 25 cm FOV using step-and-shoot motion. The imager
contains 2 linear stages to position detectors at different heights for
multi-bed scanning, and 2 rotation stages to collect coincidence events from
all angles. The PET system has been built and integrated into the PGC. The
system has a typical energy resolution of 15% for Inveon blocks and 24% for R4
blocks; timing resolution of 1.8 ns; and sensitivity of 1.3%,1.4%,3.0% measured
at center of FOV, 5 cm off to R4 half-ring and 5 cm off to Inveon half-ring,
respectively(with a 350-650 KeV energy and 3.1 ns timing window). System
spatial resolution is similar to that of commercial microPET sytems, with 1.25
mm rod sources in the micro-Derenzo phantom resolved using ML-EM algorithm.
Preliminary imaging experiments using different plants labeled with 11C-CO2
produced high-quality dynamic PET images.


title:
Flexible Backhaul Design and Degrees of Freedom for Linear Interference
  Networks

abstract:
  The considered problem is that of maximizing the degrees of freedom (DoF) in
cellular downlink, under a backhaul load constraint that limits the number of
messages that can be delivered from a centralized controller to the base
station transmitters. A linear interference channel model is considered, where
each transmitter is connected to the receiver having the same index as well as
one succeeding receiver. The backhaul load is defined as the sum of all the
messages available at all the transmitters normalized by the number of users.
When the backhaul load is constrained to an integer level B, the asymptotic per
user DoF is shown to equal (4B-1)/(4B), and it is shown that the optimal
assignment of messages to transmitters is asymmetric and satisfies a local
cooperation constraint and that the optimal coding scheme relies only on
zero-forcing transmit beamforming. Finally, an extension of the presented
coding scheme is shown to apply for more general locally connected and
two-dimensional networks.


title: Across neighbourhood search for numerical optimization

abstract:
  Population-based search algorithms (PBSAs), including swarm intelligence
algorithms (SIAs) and evolutionary algorithms (EAs), are competitive
alternatives for solving complex optimization problems and they have been
widely applied to real-world optimization problems in different fields. In this
study, a novel population-based across neighbourhood search (ANS) is proposed
for numerical optimization. ANS is motivated by two straightforward assumptions
and three important issues raised in improving and designing efficient PBSAs.
In ANS, a group of individuals collaboratively search the solution space for an
optimal solution of the optimization problem considered. A collection of
superior solutions found by individuals so far is maintained and updated
dynamically. At each generation, an individual directly searches across the
neighbourhoods of multiple superior solutions with the guidance of a Gaussian
distribution. This search manner is referred to as across neighbourhood search.
The characteristics of ANS are discussed and the concept comparisons with other
PBSAs are given. The principle behind ANS is simple. Moreover, ANS is easy for
implementation and application with three parameters being required to tune.
Extensive experiments on 18 benchmark optimization functions of different types
show that ANS has well balanced exploration and exploitation capabilities and
performs competitively compared with many efficient PBSAs (Related Matlab codes
used in the experiments are available from
http://guohuawunudt.gotoip2.com/publications.html).


title:
Photon echoes retrieved from semiconductor spins: access to basis for
  long-term optical memories

abstract:
  The possibility to store optical information is important for classical and
quantum communication. Atoms or ions as well as color centers in crystals offer
suitable two-level systems for absorbing incoming photons. To obtain a reliable
transfer of coherence, strong enough light-matter interaction is required,
which may enforce use of ensembles of absorbers, but has the disadvantage of
unavoidable inhomogeneities leading to fast dephasing. This obstacle can be
overcome by echo techniques that allow recovery of the information as long as
the coherence is preserved. Albeit semiconductor quantum structures appear
appealing for information storage due to the large oscillator strength of
optical transitions, inhomogeneity typically is even more pronounced for them
and most importantly the optical coherence is limited to nanoseconds or
shorter. Here we show that by transferring the information to electron spins
the storage times for the optical coherence can be extended by orders of
magnitude up to the spin relaxation time. From the spin reservoir it can be
retrieved on purpose by inducing a stimulated photon echo. We demonstrate this
for an n-doped CdTe/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum well for which the storage time thereby
could be increased by more than three orders of magnitude from the
picosecond-range up to tens of nanoseconds.


title: Effects of surface-bulk hybridization in 3D topological `metals'

abstract:
  Identifying the effects of surface-bulk coupling is a key challenge towards
exploiting the topological nature of the surface states in many available
three-dimensional topological `metals'. Here we combine an effective-model
calculation and an ab-initio slab calculation to study the effects of the
lowest order surface-bulk interaction: the hybridization. In the
effective-model study, we discretize an established low-energy effective
four-band model and introduce the hybridization between the surface bands and
bulk bands in the spirit of the Fano model. We find that the hybridization
enhances the energy gap between bulk and Dirac surface states and preserves the
latter's spin texture qualitatively albeit with a reduced spin-polarization
magnitude. Our ab-initio study finds the energy gap between the bulk and
surface states to grow upon an increase in the slab thickness, very much in
qualitative agreement with the effective model study. Comparing the results of
our two approaches, we deduce that the experimentally observed low magnitude of
spin polarization can be attributed to a hybridization-type surface-bulk
interaction. We discuss evidences for such hybridization in existing ARPES
data.


title: The superconformal index and an elliptic algebra of surface defects

abstract:
  In this paper we continue the study of the superconformal index of
four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories of class $\mathcal{S}$ in the
presence of surface defects. Our main result is the construction of an algebra
of difference operators, whose elements are labeled by irreducible
representations of $A_{N-1}$. For the fully antisymmetric tensor
representations these difference operators are the Hamiltonians of the elliptic
Ruijsenaars-Schneider system. The structure constants of the algebra are
elliptic generalizations of the Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. In the
Macdonald limit, we identify the difference operators with local operators in
the two-dimensional TQFT interpretation of the superconformal index. We also
study the dimensional reduction to difference operators acting on the
three-sphere partition function, where they characterize supersymmetric defects
supported on a circle, and show that they are transformed to supersymmetric
Wilson loops under mirror symmetry. Finally, we compare to the difference
operators that create 't Hooft loops in the four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2^*$
theory on a four-sphere by embedding the three-dimensional theory as an
S-duality domain wall.


title: Space use by foragers consuming renewable resources

abstract:
  We study a simple model of a forager as a walk that modifies a relaxing
substrate. Within it simplicity, this provides an insight on a number of
relevant and non-intuitive facts. Even without memory of the good places to
feed and no explicit cost of moving, we observe the emergence of a finite home
range. We characterize the walks and the use of resources in several
statistical ways, involving the behavior of the average used fraction of the
system, the length of the cycles followed by the walkers, and the frequency of
visits to plants. Preliminary results on population effects are explored by
means of a system of two non directly interacting animals. Properties of the
overlap of home ranges show the existence of a set of parameters that provides
the best utilization of the shared resource.


title: Promises, Impositions, and other Directionals

abstract:
  Promises, impositions, proposals, predictions, and suggestions are
categorized as voluntary co-operational methods. The class of voluntary
co-operational methods is included in the class of so-called directionals.
Directionals are mechanisms supporting the mutual coordination of autonomous
agents.
  Notations are provided capable of expressing residual fragments of
directionals. An extensive example, involving promises about the suitability of
programs for tasks imposed on the promisee is presented. The example
illustrates the dynamics of promises and more specifically the corresponding
mechanism of trust updating and credibility updating. Trust levels and
credibility levels then determine the way certain promises and impositions are
handled.
  The ubiquity of promises and impositions is further demonstrated with two
extensive examples involving human behaviour: an artificial example about an
agent planning a purchase, and a realistic example describing technology
mediated interaction concerning the solution of pay station failure related
problems arising for an agent intending to leave the parking area.


title: Square functions and uniform rectifiability

abstract:
  In this paper it is shown that an Ahlfors-David $n$-dimensional measure $\mu$
on $\mathbb{R}^d$ is uniformly $n$-rectifiable if and only if for any ball
$B(x_0,R)$ centered at $\operatorname{supp}(\mu)$, $$ \int_0^R \int_{x\in
B(x_0,R)} \left|\frac{\mu(B(x,r))}{r^n} - \frac{\mu(B(x,2r))}{(2r)^n}
\right|^2\,d\mu(x)\,\frac{dr}r \leq c\, R^n.$$ Other characterizations of
uniform $n$-rectifiability in terms of smoother square functions are also
obtained.


title: A Log Probability Weighted Moment Estimator of Extreme Quantiles

abstract:
  In this paper we consider the semi-parametric estimation of extreme quantiles
of a right heavy-tail model. We propose a new Log Probability Weighted Moment
estimator for extreme quantiles, which is obtained from the estimators of the
shape and scale parameters of the tail. Under a second-order regular variation
condition on the tail, of the underlying distribution function, we deduce the
non degenerate asymptotic behaviour of the estimators under study and present
an asymptotic comparison at their optimal levels. In addition, the performance
of the estimators is illustrated through an application to real data.


title:
Deformations of Axially Symmetric Initial Data and the Mass-Angular
  Momentum Inequality

abstract:
  We show how to reduce the general formulation of the mass-angular momentum
inequality, for axisymmetric initial data of the Einstein equations, to the
known maximal case whenever a geometrically motivated system of equations
admits a solution. This procedure is based on a certain deformation of the
initial data which preserves the relevant geometry, while achieving the maximal
condition and its implied inequality (in a weak sense) for the scalar
curvature; this answers a question posed by R. Schoen. The primary equation
involved, bears a strong resemblance to the Jang-type equations studied in the
context of the positive mass theorem and the Penrose inequality. Each equation
in the system is analyzed in detail individually, and it is shown that
appropriate existence/uniqueness results hold with the solution satisfying
desired asymptotics. Lastly, it is shown that the same reduction argument
applies to the basic inequality yielding a lower bound for the area of black
holes in terms of mass and angular momentum.


title:
A programme to determine the exact interior of any connected digital
  picture

abstract:
  Region filling is one of the most important and fundamental operations in
computer graphics and image processing. Many filling algorithms and their
implementations are based on the Euclidean geometry, which are then translated
into computational models moving carelessly from the continuous to the finite
discrete space of the computer. The consequences of this approach is that most
implementations fail when tested for challenging degenerate and nearly
degenerate regions. We present a correct integer-only procedure that works for
all connected digital pictures. It finds all possible interior points, which
are then displayed and stored in a locating matrix. Namely, we present a
filling and locating procedure that can be used in computer graphics and image
processing applications.


title:
Direct observation of the transition from indirect to direct bandgap in
  atomically thin epitaxial MoSe2

abstract:
  Quantum systems in confined geometries are host to novel physical phenomena.
Examples include quantum Hall systems in semiconductors and Dirac electrons in
graphene. Interest in such systems has also been intensified by the recent
discovery of a large enhancement in photoluminescence quantum efficiency and a
potential route to valleytronics in atomically thin layers of transition metal
dichalcogenides, MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te), which are closely related to
the indirect to direct bandgap transition in monolayers. Here, we report the
first direct observation of the transition from indirect to direct bandgap in
monolayer samples by using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy on
high-quality thin films of MoSe2 with variable thickness, grown by molecular
beam epitaxy. The band structure measured experimentally indicates a stronger
tendency of monolayer MoSe2 towards a direct bandgap, as well as a larger gap
size, than theoretically predicted. Moreover, our finding of a significant
spin-splitting of 180 meV at the valence band maximum of a monolayer MoSe2 film
could expand its possible application to spintronic devices.


title:
Maximum Throughput of a Cooperative Energy Harvesting Cognitive Radio
  User

abstract:
  In this paper, we investigate the maximum throughput of a saturated
rechargeable secondary user (SU) sharing the spectrum with a primary user (PU).
The SU harvests energy packets (tokens) from the environment with a certain
harvesting rate. All transmitters are assumed to have data buffers to store the
incoming data packets. In addition to its own traffic buffer, the SU has a
buffer for storing the admitted primary packets for relaying; and a buffer for
storing the energy tokens harvested from the environment. We propose a new
cooperative cognitive relaying protocol that allows the SU to relay a fraction
of the undelivered primary packets. We consider an interference channel model
(or a multipacket reception (MPR) channel model), where concurrent
transmissions can survive from interference with certain probability
characterized by the complement of channel outages. The proposed protocol
exploits the primary queue burstiness and receivers' MPR capability. In
addition, it efficiently expends the secondary energy tokens under the
objective of secondary throughput maximization. Our numerical results show the
benefits of cooperation, receivers' MPR capability, and secondary energy queue
arrival rate on the system performance from a network layer standpoint.


title: Metaplectic formulation of the Wigner transform and applications

abstract:
  We show that the cross Wigner function can be written in the form $W(\psi,
\phi)= \hat S (\psi \otimes \overline{\hat\phi})$ where ${\hat\phi}$ is the
Fourier transform of $\phi$ and $\hat S$ is a metaplectic operator that
projects onto a linear symplectomorphism $S$ consisting of a rotation along an
ellipse in phase space (or in the time-frequency space). This formulation can
be extended to generic Weyl symbols and yields an interesting fractional
generalization of the Weyl-Wigner formalism. It also provides a suitable
approach to study the Bopp phase space representation of quantum mechanics,
familiar from deformation quantization. Using the "metaplectic formulation" of
the Wigner transform we construct a complete set of intertwiners relating the
Weyl and the Bopp pseudo-differential operators. This is an important result
that allows us to prove the spectral and dynamical equivalence of the
Schr\"odinger and the Bopp representations of quantum mechanics.


title: Photometric Metallicities in Bootes I

abstract:
  We present new Stromgren and Washington data sets for the Bootes I dwarf
galaxy, and combine them with the available SDSS photometry. The goal of this
project is to refine a ground-based, practical, accurate method to determine
age and metallicity for individual stars in Bootes I that can be selected in an
unbiased imaging survey, without having to take spectra. We produce photometric
metallicities from Stromgren and Washington photometry, for stellar systems
with a range of $-1.0>[Fe/H]>-3.5$. To avoid the decrease in sensitivity of the
Stromgren metallicity index on the lower red-giant branch, we replace the
Stromgren v-filter with the broader Washington C-filter; we find that $CT_1by$
is the most successful filter combination, for individual stars with
$[Fe/H]<-2.0$, to maintain ~0.2 dex $[Fe/H]$-resolution over the whole
red-giant branch. We demonstrate that we can break the isochrones'
age-metallicity degeneracy with these filters, using stars with log g=2.5-3.0,
which have less than a 2% change in their $(C-T_1)$-colour due to age, over a
range of 11-14 Gyr.


title: Binary Classifier Calibration: Non-parametric approach

abstract:
  Accurate calibration of probabilistic predictive models learned is critical
for many practical prediction and decision-making tasks. There are two main
categories of methods for building calibrated classifiers. One approach is to
develop methods for learning probabilistic models that are well-calibrated, ab
initio. The other approach is to use some post-processing methods for
transforming the output of a classifier to be well calibrated, as for example
histogram binning, Platt scaling, and isotonic regression. One advantage of the
post-processing approach is that it can be applied to any existing
probabilistic classification model that was constructed using any
machine-learning method.
  In this paper, we first introduce two measures for evaluating how well a
classifier is calibrated. We prove three theorems showing that using a simple
histogram binning post-processing method, it is possible to make a classifier
be well calibrated while retaining its discrimination capability. Also, by
casting the histogram binning method as a density-based non-parametric binary
classifier, we can extend it using two simple non-parametric density estimation
methods. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed calibration methods on
synthetic and real datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed
methods either outperform or are comparable to existing calibration methods.


title: Nonlocal Quantum Effects in Cosmology

abstract:
  Since it is commonly believed that the observed large-scale structure of the
Universe is an imprint of quantum fluctuations existing at the very early stage
of its evolution, it is reasonable to pose the question: Do the effects of
quantum nonlocality, which are well established now by the laboratory studies,
manifest themselves also in the early Universe? We try to answer this question
by utilizing the results of a few experiments, namely, with the superconducting
multi-Josephson-junction loops and the ultracold gases in periodic potentials.
Employing a close analogy between the above-mentioned setups and the simplest
one-dimensional Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological model, we show that the
specific nonlocal correlations revealed in the laboratory studies might be of
considerable importance also in treating the strongly-nonequilibrium phase
transitions of Higgs fields in the early Universe. Particularly, they should
substantially reduce the number of topological defects (e.g., domain walls)
expected due to independent establishment of the new phases in the remote
spatial regions. This gives us a hint for resolving a long-standing problem of
the excessive concentration of topological defects, inconsistent with
observational constraints. The same effect may be also relevant to the recent
problem of the anomalous behavior of cosmic microwave background fluctuations
at large angular scales.


title:
Formation of quantum spin Hall state on Si surface and energy gap
  scaling with strength of spin orbit coupling

abstract:
  For potential applications in spintronics and quantum computing, it is
desirable to place a quantum spin Hall insulator [i.e., a 2D topological
insulator (TI)] on a substrate while maintaining a large energy gap. Here, we
demonstrate a unique approach to create the large-gap 2D TI state on a
semiconductor surface, based on first-principles calculations and effective
Hamiltonian analysis. We show that when heavy elements with strong spin orbit
coupling (SOC) such as Bi and Pb atoms are deposited on a patterned H-Si(111)
surface into a hexagonal lattice, they exhibit a 2D TI state with a large
energy gap of over 0.5 eV. The TI state arises from an intriguing substrate
orbital filtering effect that selects a suitable orbital composition around the
Fermi level, so that the system can be matched onto a four-band effective model
Hamiltonian. Furthermore, it is found that within this model, the SOC gap does
not increase monotonically with the increasing strength of SOC. These
interesting results may shed new light in future design and fabrication of
large-gap topological quantum states.


title: Universal coordinates for Schwarzschild black holes

abstract:
  A variety of historical coordinates in which the Schwarzschild metric is
regular over the whole of the extended spacetime are compared and the
hypersurfaces of constant coordinate are graphically presented. While the
Kruscal form (one of the later forms) is probably the simplest, each of the
others has some interesting features.


title: On extremals of the entropy production by "Langevin-Kramers" dynamics

abstract:
  We refer as "Langevin-Kramers" dynamics to a class of stochastic differential
systems exhibiting a degenerate "metriplectic" structure. This means that the
drift field can be decomposed into a symplectic and a gradient-like component
with respect to a pseudo-metric tensor associated to random fluctuations
affecting increments of only a sub-set of the degrees of freedom. Systems in
this class are often encountered in applications as elementary models of
Hamiltonian dynamics in an heat bath eventually relaxing to a Boltzmann steady
state.
  Entropy production control in Langevin-Kramers models differs from the now
well-understood case of Langevin-Smoluchowski dynamics for two reasons. First,
the definition of entropy production stemming from fluctuation theorems
specifies a cost functional which does not act coercively on all degrees of
freedom of control protocols. Second, the presence of a symplectic structure
imposes a non-local constraint on the class of admissible controls. Using
Pontryagin control theory and restricting the attention to additive noise, we
show that smooth protocols attaining extremal values of the entropy production
appear generically in continuous parametric families as a consequence of a
trade-off between smoothness of the admissible protocols and non-coercivity of
the cost functional. Uniqueness is, however, always recovered in the
over-damped limit as extremal equations reduce at leading order to the
Monge-Amp\`ere-Kantorovich optimal mass transport equations.


title:
Combinatorial aspects of the conserved quantities of the tropical
  periodic Toda lattice

abstract:
  The tropical periodic Toda lattice (trop p-Toda) is a dynamical system
attracting attentions in the area of the interplay of integrable systems and
tropical geometry. We show that the Young diagrams associated with trop p-Toda
given by two very different definitions are identical. The first definition is
given by a Lax representation of the discrete periodic Toda lattice, and the
second one is associated with a generalization of the
Kerov-Kirillov-Reshetikhin bijection in the combinatorics of the Bethe ansatz.
By means of this identification, it is shown for the first time that the Young
diagrams given by the latter definition are preserved under time evolution.
This result is regarded as an important first step in clarifying the iso-level
set structure of this dynamical system in general cases, i.e. not restricted to
generic cases.


title:
Damping of Terahertz Plasmons in Graphene Coupled with Surface Plasmons
  in Heavily-Doped Substrate

abstract:
  Coupling of plasmons in graphene at terahert (THz) frequencies with surface
plasmons in a heavily-doped substrate is studied theoretically. We reveal that
a huge scattering rate may completely damp out the plasmons, so that proper
choices of material and geometrical parameters are essential to suppress the
coupling effect and to obtain the minimum damping rate in graphene. Even with
the doping concentration 10^{19} - 10^{20} cm^{-3} and the thickness of the
dielectric layer between graphene and the substrate 100 nm, which are typical
values in real graphene samples with a heavily-doped substrate, the increase in
the damping rate is not negligible in comparison with the
acoustic-phonon-limited damping rate. Dependence of the damping rate on
wavenumber, thicknesses of graphene-to-substrate and gate-to-graphene
separation, substrate doping concentration, and dielectric constants of
surrounding materials are investigated. It is shown that the damping rate can
be much reduced by the gate screening, which suppresses the field spread of the
graphene plasmons into the substrate.


title:
Quantification and prediction of extreme events in a one-dimensional
  nonlinear dispersive wave model

abstract:
  The aim of this work is the quantification and prediction of rare events
characterized by extreme intensity in nonlinear waves with broad spectra. We
consider a one-dimensional non- linear model with deep-water waves dispersion
relation, the Majda-McLaughlin-Tabak (MMT) model, in a dynamical regime that is
characterized by broadband spectrum and strong non- linear energy transfers
during the development of intermittent events with finite-lifetime. To
understand the energy transfers that occur during the development of an extreme
event we perform a spatially localized analysis of the energy distribution
along different wavenumbers by means of the Gabor transform. A stochastic
analysis of the Gabor coefficients reveals i) the low-dimensionality of the
intermittent structures, ii) the interplay between non-Gaussian statis- tical
properties and nonlinear energy transfers between modes, as well as iii) the
critical scales (or critical Gabor coefficients) where a critical amount of
energy can trigger the formation of an extreme event. We analyze the unstable
character of these special localized modes directly through the system equation
and show that these intermittent events are due to the interplay of the system
nonlinearity, the wave dispersion, and the wave dissipation which mimics wave
breaking. These localized instabilities are triggered by random localizations
of energy in space, created by the dispersive propagation of low-amplitude
waves with random phase. Based on these properties, we design low-dimensional
functionals of these Gabor coefficients that allow for the prediction of the
extreme event well before the nonlinear interactions begin to occur.


title:
Novel high pressure structures and superconductivity of niobium
  disulfide

abstract:
  We have investigated the pressure-induced phase transition and
superconducting properties of niobium disulfide (NbS$_2$) based on the density
functional theory. The structures of NbS$_2$ at pressures from 0 to 200 GPa
were predicted using the multi-algorithm collaborative (MAC) structure
prediction technique. The previously known 1$T$-, 2$H$-, and 3$R$-NbS$_2$ were
successfully reproduced. In addition, many metastable structures which are
potential to be synthesized were also discovered. Based on the enthalpy
calculations, we found that at 26 GPa NbS$_2$ transits from the
double-hexagonal (2$H$) structure to the tetragonal $I4/mmm$ structure with a
$10.6\%$ volume reduction. The calculated elastic constants and phonon
dispersion curves of $I4/mmm$-NbS$_2$ confirm its mechanical and dynamical
stability at high pressure. More interestingly, the coordination number of Nb
in $I4/mmm$ structure is eight which is larger than that in the traditional
metal dichalcogenides, indicating a new type of bondings of Nb and S atoms. In
the new Nb-S bondings, one Nb atom and neighboring eight S atoms form a
[NbS$_8$] hexahedron unit. Furthermore, $I4/mmm$-NbS$_2$ exhibits a higher
superconducting critical temperature than 2$H$-NbS$_2$, as is resulted from the
stronger electron-phonon coupling coefficients


title: Predictions from High Scale Mixing Unification Hypothesis

abstract:
  We investigate the renormalization group evolution of masses and mixing
angles of Majorana neutrinos under the `High Scale Mixing Unification'
hypothesis. Assuming the unification of quark-lepton mixing angles at a high
scale, we show that all the experimentally observed neutrino oscillation
parameters can be obtained, within 3-$\sigma$ range, through the running of
corresponding renormalization group equations provided neutrinos have same CP
parity and are quasi-degenerate. One of the novel results of our analysis is
that $\theta_{23}$ turns out to be non-maximal and lies in the second octant.
Furthermore, we derive new constraints on the allowed parameter space for the
unification scale, SUSY breaking scale and $\tan \beta$, for which the `High
Scale Mixing Unification' hypothesis works.


title: Characterization of the Spin-1/2 Linear-Chain Ferromagnet CuAs$_2$O$_4$

abstract:
  The magnetic and lattice properties of the $S$=1/2 quantum-spin-chain
ferromagnet, CuAs$_2$O$_4$, mineral name trippkeite, were investigated. The
crystal structure of CuAs$_2$O$_4$ is characterized by the presence of
corrugated CuO$_2$ ribbon chains. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility,
heat capacity, electron paramagnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy were
performed. Our experiments conclusively show that a ferromagnetic transition
occurs at $\sim$7.4 K. $\textit{Ab initio}$ DFT calculations reveal dominant
ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor and weaker antiferromagnetic next-
nearest-neighbor spin exchange interactions along the ribbon chains. The ratio
of $J_{\rm nn}$/$J_{\rm nnn}$ is near -4, placing CuAs$_2$O$_4$ in close
proximity to a quantum critical point in the $J_{\rm nn}$ - $J_{\rm nnn}$ phase
diagram. TMRG simulations used to analyze the magnetic susceptibility confirm
this ratio. Single-crystal magnetization measurements indicate that a magnetic
anisotropy forces the Cu$^{2+}$ spins to lie in an easy plane perpendicular to
the $c$-axis. An analysis of the field and temperature dependent magnetization
by modified Arrott plots reveals a 3d-XY critical behavior. Lattice
perturbations induced by quasi-hydrostatic pressure and temperature were mapped
via magnetization and Raman spectroscopy.


title: Mean curvature flow in submanifolds

abstract:
  We obtain explicit solutions of the mean curvature flow in some submanifolds
of the Euclidean space. We give particularly an explicit solution of the flow
of a hypersurface in the Lagrangian self-expander $L$ which is constructed in
the article of Joyce, Lee and Tsui and show that it converge to a minimal one.


title: Observation of $D^0-\bar{D}^0$ Mixing in $e^+e^-$ Collisions

abstract:
  We observe $D^0-\bar{D}^0$ mixing in the decay $D^0\rightarrow K^+\pi^-$
using a data sample of integrated luminosity 976 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the
Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ asymmetric-energy collider. We measure the
mixing parameters ${x'}^2 = (0.09\pm0.22)\times 10^{-3}$ and $y' =
(4.6\pm3.4)\times 10^{-3}$ and the ratio of doubly Cabibbo-suppressed to
Cabibbo-favored decay rates $R_D = (3.53\pm0.13)\times 10^{-3}$, where the
uncertainties are statistical and systematic combined. Our measurement excludes
the no-mixing hypothesis at the 5.1 standard deviation level.


title: The growth of torus link groups

abstract:
  Let $G$ be a finitely generated group with a finite generating set $S$. For
$g\in G$, let $l_S(g)$ be the length of the shortest word over $S$ representing
$g$. The growth series of $G$ with respect to $S$ is the series $A(t) =
\sum_{n=0}^\infty a_n t^n$, where $a_n$ is the number of elements of $G$ with
$l_S(g)=n$. If $A(t)$ can be expressed as a rational function of $t$, then $G$
is said to have a rational growth function.
  We calculate explicitly the rational growth functions of $(p,q)$-torus link
groups for any $p, q > 1.$ As an application, we show that their growth rates
are Perron numbers.


title:
Far-field super-resolution imaging with a planar hyperbolic metamaterial
  lens beyond the Fabry-Perot resonance condition

abstract:
  We demonstrate achieving the far-field super-resolution imaging can be
realized by using a planar hyperbolic metamaterial lens (PHML), beyond the
Fabry-Perot resonance condition. Although the thickness of the PHML is much
larger than wavelength, the PHML not only can transmit radiative waves and
evanescent waves with high transmission, but also can collect all the waves in
the image region with the amplitudes of them being the same order of magnitude.
We present a design for a PHML to realize the far-field super-resolution
imaging, with the distance between the sources and the images 10 times larger
than wavelength. We show the superresolution of our PHML is robust against
losses, and the PHML can be fabricated by periodic stacking of metal and
dielectric layers.


title:
Evidence for a constant IMF in early-type galaxies based on their X-ray
  binary populations

abstract:
  A number of recent studies have proposed that the stellar initial mass
function (IMF) of early type galaxies varies systematically as a function of
galaxy mass, with higher mass galaxies having bottom heavy IMFs. These bottom
heavy IMFs have more low-mass stars relative to the number of high mass stars,
and therefore naturally result in proportionally fewer neutron stars and black
holes. In this paper, we specifically predict the variation in the number of
black holes and neutron stars based on the power-law IMF variation required to
reproduce the observed mass-to-light ratio trends with galaxy mass. We then
test whether such variations are observed by studying the field low-mass X-ray
binary populations (LMXBs) of nearby early-type galaxies. In these binaries, a
neutron star or black hole accretes matter from a low-mass donor star. Their
number is therefore expected to scale with the number of black holes and
neutron stars present in a galaxy. We find that the number of LMXBs per K-band
light is similar among the galaxies in our sample. These data therefore
demonstrate the uniformity of the slope of the IMF from massive stars down to
those now dominating the K-band light, and are consistent with an invariant
IMF. Our results are inconsistent with an IMF which varies from a
Kroupa/Chabrier like IMF for low mass galaxies to a steep power-law IMF (with
slope $x$=2.8) for high mass galaxies. We discuss how these observations
constrain the possible forms of the IMF variations and how future Chandra
observations can enable sharper tests of the IMF.


title: Phase-resolved X-ray spectra of magnetars and the coronal outflow model

abstract:
  We test a model recently proposed for the persistent hard X-ray emission from
magnetars. In the model, hard X-rays are produced by a decelerating
electron-positron flow in the closed magnetosphere. The flow decelerates as it
radiates its energy away via resonant scattering of soft X-rays, then it
reaches the top of the magnetic loop and annihilates there. We test the model
against observations of three magnetars: 4U 0142+61, 1RXS J1708-4009, and 1E
1841-045. We find that the model successfully fits the observed phase-resolved
spectra. We derive constraints on the angle between the rotational and magnetic
axes of the neutron star, the object inclination to the line of sight, and the
size of the active twisted region filled with the plasma flow. Using the fit of
the hard X-ray component of the magnetar spectrum, we revisit the remaining
soft X-ray component. We find that it can be explained by a modified
two-temperature blackbody model. The hotter blackbody is consistent with a hot
spot covering 1-10% of the neutron star surface. Such a hot spot is expected at
the base of the magnetospheric e+- outflow, as some particles created in the
e+- discharge flow back and bombard the stellar surface.


title:
USRP Implementation of Max-Min SNR Signal Energy based Spectrum Sensing
  Algorithms for Cognitive Radio Networks

abstract:
  This paper presents the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP)
experimental results of the Max-Min signal to noise ratio (SNR) Signal Energy
based Spectrum Sensing Algorithms for Cognitive Radio Networks which is
recently proposed in \cite{BogaMaxMinSNRJournal2013}. Extensive experiments are
performed for different set of parameters. In particular, the effects of SNR,
number of samples and roll-off factor on the detection performances of the
latter algorithms are examined briefly. We have observed that the experimental
results fit well with those of the theory. We also confirm that these
algorithms are indeed robust against carrier frequency offset, symbol timing
offset and noise variance uncertainty.


title: Multiple optimality properties of the Shewhart test

abstract:
  For the problem of sequential detection of changes, we adopt the probability
maximizing approach in place of the classical minimization of the average
detection delay, and propose modified versions of the Shiryaev, Lorden and
Pollak performance measures. For these alternative formulations, we demonstrate
that the optimum sequential detection scheme is the simple Shewhart rule.
Interestingly, we can also solve problems which under the classical setup have
been open for many years, as optimum change detection with time varying
observations or with multiple post-change probability measures. For the last
case, we also offer the exact solution for Lorden's original setup when the
average false alarm period is within certain limits.


title: Low-Rank Modeling and Its Applications in Image Analysis

abstract:
  Low-rank modeling generally refers to a class of methods that solve problems
by representing variables of interest as low-rank matrices. It has achieved
great success in various fields including computer vision, data mining, signal
processing and bioinformatics. Recently, much progress has been made in
theories, algorithms and applications of low-rank modeling, such as exact
low-rank matrix recovery via convex programming and matrix completion applied
to collaborative filtering. These advances have brought more and more
attentions to this topic. In this paper, we review the recent advance of
low-rank modeling, the state-of-the-art algorithms, and related applications in
image analysis. We first give an overview to the concept of low-rank modeling
and challenging problems in this area. Then, we summarize the models and
algorithms for low-rank matrix recovery and illustrate their advantages and
limitations with numerical experiments. Next, we introduce a few applications
of low-rank modeling in the context of image analysis. Finally, we conclude
this paper with some discussions.


title:
Effect of ISI Mitigation on Modulation Techniques in Communication via
  Diffusion

abstract:
  Communication via diffusion (CvD) is an effective and energy efficient method
for transmitting information in nanonetworks. In this work, we focus on a
diffusion-based communication system where the reception process is an
absorption via receptors. Whenever a molecule hits to the receiver it is
removed from the environment. This kind of reception process is called first
passage process and it is more complicated compared to diffusion process only.
In 3-D environments, obtaining analytical solution for hitting time
distribution for realistic cases is complicated, hence we develop an end-to-end
simulator for he diffusion-based communication system that sends consecutive
symbols.
  In CvD, each symbol is modulated and demodulated in a time slot called symbol
duration, however the long tail distribution of hitting time is the main
challenge that affects the symbol detection error. The molecules arriving in
the following slots become an interference source when detection takes place.
End-to-end simulator enables us to analyze the effect of inter symbol
interference (ISI) without making any assumptions on the ISI. We propose an ISI
cancellation technique that utilizes decision feedback for compensating the
effect of previously demodulated symbol. Three different modulation types are
considered with pulse, square, and cosine carrier waves. In case of constraints
on transmitter or receiver node it may not be possible to use pulse as a
carrier, and peak-to-average messenger molecule metric is defined for this
purpose. Results show that, the proposed ISI mitigation technique improves the
symbol detection performance and the amplitude-based modulations are improved
more than frequency-based modulations.


title:
Landau-Stark states and edge-induced Bloch oscillations in topological
  lattices

abstract:
  We consider dynamics of a charged particle in a finite along the $x$
direction square lattice in the presence of normal to the lattice plane
magnetic field and in-plane electric field aligned with the $y$ axis. For
vanishing magnetic field this dynamics would be common Bloch oscillations where
the particle oscillates in the $y$ direction with amplitude inverse
proportional to the electric field. We show that a non-zero magnetic field
crucially modifies this dynamics. Namely, the new Bloch oscillations consist of
time intervals where the particle moves with constant velocity in the $x$
direction intermitted by intervals where it is accelerated or decelerated along
the lattice edges. The analysis is done in terms of the Landau-Stark states
which are eigenstates of a quantum particle in a two-dimensional lattice
subject to (real or synthetic) electric and magnetic fields.


title: Light scalar from deformations of the Klebanov-Strassler background

abstract:
  We study deformations of the Klebanov-Strassler background parametrized by
the size of a dim-6 VEV. In the UV, these solutions describe the usual duality
cascade of Klebanov-Strassler; however below the scale rho* set by the dim-6
VEV they exhibit hyperscaling violation over a range of the radial coordinate.
Focusing on the spectrum of scalar glueballs, we find a parametrically light
state, the mass of which is suppressed by rho*, becoming massless in the limit
of rho* -> infinity. Along the way, we clarify the choice of IR and UV boundary
conditions for the fluctuations in the bulk, and find agreement with previous
calculations for the spectrum of Klebanov-Strassler.


title: Infinite Mixed Membership Matrix Factorization

abstract:
  Rating and recommendation systems have become a popular application area for
applying a suite of machine learning techniques. Current approaches rely
primarily on probabilistic interpretations and extensions of matrix
factorization, which factorizes a user-item ratings matrix into latent user and
item vectors. Most of these methods fail to model significant variations in
item ratings from otherwise similar users, a phenomenon known as the "Napoleon
Dynamite" effect. Recent efforts have addressed this problem by adding a
contextual bias term to the rating, which captures the mood under which a user
rates an item or the context in which an item is rated by a user. In this work,
we extend this model in a nonparametric sense by learning the optimal number of
moods or contexts from the data, and derive Gibbs sampling inference procedures
for our model. We evaluate our approach on the MovieLens 1M dataset, and show
significant improvements over the optimal parametric baseline, more than twice
the improvements previously encountered for this task. We also extract and
evaluate a DBLP dataset, wherein we predict the number of papers co-authored by
two authors, and present improvements over the parametric baseline on this
alternative domain as well.


title:
Suppression of antiferromagnetic order and hybridization gap by
  electron- and hole-doping in the Kondo semiconductor CeOs$_{2}$Al$_{10}$

abstract:
  The Kondo semiconductor CeOs$_{2}$Al$_{10}$ exhibits an antiferromagnetic
(AFM) order at $T_\mathrm{N}= 28.5$ K, whose temperature is unexpectedly high
for the small ordered moment of $0.3$ $\mu_\mathrm{B}/$Ce. We have studied the
effects of electron- and hole-doping on the hybridization gap and AFM order by
measuring the magnetization $M$, magnetic susceptibility $\chi$, electrical
resistivity $\rho$, and specific heat $C$ on single crystals of
Ce(Os$_{1-x}$Ir$_{x}$)$_{2}$Al$_{10}$($x \le 0.15$) and
Ce(Os$_{1-y}$Re$_{y}$)$_{2}$Al$_{10}$($y \le 0.1$). The results of $M (B)$
indicates that the AFM ordered moment $\mu_\mathrm{AF}$ changes the direction
from the $c$-axis for $x = 0$ to the $a$-axis for $x = 0.03$. With increasing
$x$ up to 0.15, $T_\mathrm{N}$ gradually decreases although the $4f$ electron
state becomes localized and the magnitude of $\mu_\mathrm{AF}$ is increased to
$1$ $\mu_\mathrm{B}/$Ce. With increasing $y$, the $4f$ electron state is more
delocalized and the AFM order disappears at a small doping level $y = 0.05$. In
both electron- and hole-doped systems, the suppression of $T_\mathrm{N}$ is
well correlated with the increase of the Sommerfeld coefficient $\gamma$ in
$C(T)$. Furthermore, the simultaneous suppression of $T_\mathrm{N}$ and the
semiconducting gap in $\rho (T)$ at $T > T_\mathrm{N}$ indicates that the
presence of the hybridization gap is indispensable for the unusual AFM order in
CeOs$_{2}$Al$_{10}$.


title: Thermal and Thermoelectric Properties of Graphene

abstract:
  The subject of thermal transport at the mesoscopic scale and in
low-dimensional systems is interesting for both fundamental research and
practical applications. As the first example of truly two-dimensional
materials, graphene has exceptionally high thermal conductivity, and thus
provides an ideal platform for the research. Here we review recent studies on
thermal and thermoelectric properties of graphene, with an emphasis on
experimental progresses. A general physical picture based on the Landauer
transport formalism is introduced to understand underlying mechanisms. We show
that the superior thermal conductivity of graphene is contributed not only by
large ballistic thermal conductance but also by very long phonon mean free path
(MFP). The long phonon MFP, explained by the low-dimensional nature and high
sample purity of graphene, results in important isotope effects and size
effects on thermal conduction. In terms of various scattering mechanisms in
graphene, several approaches are suggested to control thermal conductivity.
Among them, introducing rough boundaries and weakly-coupled interfaces are
promising ways to suppress thermal conduction effectively. We also discuss the
Seebeck effect of graphene. Graphene itself might not be a good thermoelectric
material. However, the concepts developed by graphene research might be applied
to improve thermoelectric performance of other materials.


title: Wormholes and Entanglement

abstract:
  Maldacena and Susskind have proposed a correspondence between wormholes and
entanglement, dubbed ER=EPR. We study this in the context of 3d topological
quantum field theory, where we show that the formation of a wormhole is the
same process as creating a particle-antiparticle pair. A key feature of the
ER=EPR proposal is that certain apparently entangled degrees of freedom turn
out to be the same. We name this phenomenon "fake entanglement", and show how
it arises in our topological quantum field theory model.


title:
Coherent manipulation of four-level double lambda-like atomic system by
  a train of ultra-short few-cycle-optical pulses

abstract:
  We have demonstrated that near complete coherence can be achieved in a four
level double lambda-like systems using a train of ultra-short optical pulses.
The effect of the Doppler broadening has been analyzed and a scheme has been
proposed for establishing high and uniform coherence across different velocity
groups in the atomic ensemble. We have also presented a novel scheme of
excitation using chirped pulses and shown that in addition to generating
coherence in the system it is possible to alter the translational states of the
atoms.


title: VLASSICK: The VLA Sky Survey in the Central Kiloparsec

abstract:
  At a distance of 8 kpc, the center of our Galaxy is the nearest galactic
nucleus, and has been the subject of numerous key projects undertaken by great
observatories such as Chandra, Spitzer, and Herschel. However, there are still
no surveys of molecular gas properties in the Galactic center with less than
30" (1 pc) resolution. There is also no sensitive polarization survey of this
region, despite numerous nonthermal magnetic features apparently unique to the
central 300 parsecs. In this paper, we outline the potential the VLASS has to
fill this gap. We assess multiple considerations in observing the Galactic
center, and recommend a C-band survey with 10 micro-Jy continuum RMS and
sensitive to molecular gas with densities greater than 10^4 cm^{-3}, covering
17 square degrees in both DnC and CnB configurations ( resolution ~5"),
totaling 750 hours of observing time. Ultimately, we wish to note that the
upgraded VLA is not just optimized for fast continuum surveys, but has a
powerful correlator capable of simultaneously observing continuum emission and
dozens of molecular and recombination lines. This is an enormous strength that
should be fully exploited and highlighted by the VLASS, and which is ideally
suited for surveying the center of our Galaxy.


title:
Complex 2D Matrix Model and Its Application to Nc-dependence of Hadron
  Structures

abstract:
  We study the internal structure of resonance states in a complex 2D matrix
model. We show that the geometry with "exceptional points" in the
complex-parameter space can be useful to discuss parameter dependence of the
structures within real-parameter subspace. By applying the model to hadron
physics, we consider the Nc-dependence of hadron structures from the geometry
on the complex-Nc plane.