title:
The Rate of Binary Black Hole Mergers Inferred from Advanced LIGO
  Observations Surrounding GW150914

abstract:
  A transient gravitational-wave signal, GW150914, was identified in the twin
Advanced LIGO detectors on September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC. To assess the
implications of this discovery, the detectors remained in operation with
unchanged configurations over a period of 39 d around the time of the signal.
At the detection statistic threshold corresponding to that observed for
GW150914, our search of the 16 days of simultaneous two-detector observational
data is estimated to have a false alarm rate (FAR) of $< 4.9 \times 10^{-6} \,
\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$, yielding a $p$-value for GW150914 of $< 2 \times 10^{-7}$.
Parameter estimation followup on this trigger identifies its source as a binary
black hole (BBH) merger with component masses $(m_1, m_2) =
\left(36^{+5}_{-4},29^{+4}_{-4}\right) \, M_\odot$ at redshift $z =
0.09^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$ (median and 90\% credible range). Here we report on the
constraints these observations place on the rate of BBH coalescences.
Considering only GW150914, assuming that all BBHs in the Universe have the same
masses and spins as this event, imposing a search FAR threshold of 1 per 100
years, and assuming that the BBH merger rate is constant in the comoving frame,
we infer a 90% credible range of merger rates between $2$--$53 \,
\mathrm{Gpc}^{-3} \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ (comoving frame). Incorporating all search
triggers that pass a much lower threshold while accounting for the uncertainty
in the astrophysical origin of each trigger, we estimate a higher rate, ranging
from $13$--$600 \, \mathrm{Gpc}^{-3} \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ depending on assumptions
about the BBH mass distribution. All together, our various rate estimates fall
in the conservative range $2$--$600 \, \mathrm{Gpc}^{-3} \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$.


title: Observing gravitational-wave transient GW150914 with minimal assumptions

abstract:
  The gravitational-wave signal GW150914 was first identified on Sept 14 2015
by searches for short-duration gravitational-wave transients. These searches
identify time-correlated transients in multiple detectors with minimal
assumptions aboutthe signal morphology, allowing them to be sensitive to
gravitational waves emitted by a wide range of sources including binary
black-hole mergers. Over the observational period from September 12th to
October 20th 2015, these transient searches were sensitive to binary black-hole
mergers similar to GW150914 to an average distance of $\sim 600$ Mpc. In this
paper, we describe the analyses that first detected GW150914 as well as the
parameter estimation and waveform reconstruction techniques that initially
identified GW150914 as the merger of two black holes. We find that the
reconstructed waveform is consistent with the signal from a binary black-hole
merger with a chirp mass of $\sim 30 \, M_\odot$ and a total mass before merger
of $\sim 70 \, M_\odot$ in the detector frame.


title:
Characterization of transient noise in Advanced LIGO relevant to
  gravitational wave signal GW150914

abstract:
  On September 14, 2015, a gravitational wave signal from a coalescing black
hole binary system was observed by the Advanced LIGO detectors. This paper
describes the transient noise backgrounds used to determine the significance of
the event (designated GW150914) and presents the results of investigations into
potential correlated or uncorrelated sources of transient noise in the
detectors around the time of the event. The detectors were operating nominally
at the time of GW150914. We have ruled out environmental influences and
non-Gaussian instrument noise at either LIGO detector as the cause of the
observed gravitational wave signal.

categories: gr-qc astro-ph.HE astro-ph.IM physics.ins-det


title:
Calibration of the Advanced LIGO detectors for the discovery of the
  binary black-hole merger GW150914

abstract:
  In Advanced LIGO, detection and astrophysical source parameter estimation of
the binary black hole merger GW150914 requires a calibrated estimate of the
gravitational-wave strain sensed by the detectors. Producing an estimate from
each detector's differential arm length control loop readout signals requires
applying time domain filters, which are designed from a frequency domain model
of the detector's gravitational-wave response. The gravitational-wave response
model is determined by the detector's opto-mechanical response and the
properties of its feedback control system. The measurements used to validate
the model and characterize its uncertainty are derived primarily from a
dedicated photon radiation pressure actuator, with cross-checks provided by
optical and radio frequency references. We describe how the gravitational-wave
readout signal is calibrated into equivalent gravitational-wave-induced strain
and how the statistical uncertainties and systematic errors are assessed.
Detector data collected over 38 calendar days, from September 12 to October 20,
2015, contain the event GW150914 and approximately 16 of coincident data used
to estimate the event false alarm probability. The calibration uncertainty is
less than 10% in magnitude and 10 degrees in phase across the relevant
frequency band 20 Hz to 1 kHz.


title: Astrophysical Implications of the Binary Black-Hole Merger GW150914

abstract:
  The discovery of the gravitational-wave source GW150914 with the Advanced
LIGO detectors provides the first observational evidence for the existence of
binary black-hole systems that inspiral and merge within the age of the
Universe. Such black-hole mergers have been predicted in two main types of
formation models, involving isolated binaries in galactic fields or dynamical
interactions in young and old dense stellar environments. The measured masses
robustly demonstrate that relatively "heavy" black holes ($\gtrsim 25\,
M_\odot$) can form in nature. This discovery implies relatively weak
massive-star winds and thus the formation of GW150914 in an environment with
metallicity lower than $\sim 1/2$ of the solar value. The rate of binary
black-hole mergers inferred from the observation of GW150914 is consistent with
the higher end of rate predictions ($\gtrsim 1 \, \mathrm{Gpc}^{-3} \,
\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$) from both types of formation models. The low measured
redshift ($z \sim 0.1$) of GW150914 and the low inferred metallicity of the
stellar progenitor imply either binary black-hole formation in a low-mass
galaxy in the local Universe and a prompt merger, or formation at high redshift
with a time delay between formation and merger of several Gyr. This discovery
motivates further studies of binary-black-hole formation astrophysics. It also
has implications for future detections and studies by Advanced LIGO and
Advanced Virgo, and gravitational-wave detectors in space.


title:
GW150914: Implications for the stochastic gravitational wave background
  from binary black holes

abstract:
  The LIGO detection of the gravitational wave transient GW150914, from the
inspiral and merger of two black holes with masses $\gtrsim 30\,
\text{M}_\odot$, suggests a population of binary black holes with relatively
high mass. This observation implies that the stochastic gravitational-wave
background from binary black holes, created from the incoherent superposition
of all the merging binaries in the Universe, could be higher than previously
expected. Using the properties of GW150914, we estimate the energy density of
such a background from binary black holes. In the most sensitive part of the
Advanced LIGO/Virgo band for stochastic backgrounds (near 25 Hz), we predict
$\Omega_\text{GW}(f=25 Hz) = 1.1_{-0.9}^{+2.7} \times 10^{-9}$ with 90\%
confidence. This prediction is robustly demonstrated for a variety of formation
scenarios with different parameters. The differences between models are small
compared to the statistical uncertainty arising from the currently poorly
constrained local coalescence rate. We conclude that this background is
potentially measurable by the Advanced LIGO/Virgo detectors operating at their
projected final sensitivity.


title: Zero Sets of H^p Functions in Convex Domains of Finite Type

abstract:
  We give a condition under which a divisor X in a bounded convex domain of
finite type D in C^n is the zero set of a function in a Hardy space H^p(D) for
some p \textgreater{} 0. This generalizes Varopoulos' result [Zero sets of H^p
functions in several complex variables, Pac. J. Math. (1980)] on zero sets of
H^p-functions in strictly convex domains of C^n .


title:
Central limit theorem and law of the iterated logarithm for the linear
  random walk on the torus

abstract:
  Let $\rho$ be a probability measure on $\mathrm{SL}\_d(\mathbb{Z})$ and
consider the random walk defined by $\rho$ on the torus $\mathbb{T}^d =
\mathbb{R}^d/\mathbb{Z}^d$. Bourgain, Furmann, Lindenstrauss and Mozes proved
that under an assumption on the group generated by the support of $$\rho$$, the
random walk starting at any irrational point equidistributes in the torus. In
this article, we study the central limit theorem and the law of the iterated
logarithm for this walk starting at some point having good diophantine
properties.


title:
A study of large fringe and non-fringe subtrees in conditional
  Galton-Watson trees

abstract:
  We study the conditions for families of subtrees to exist with high
probability (whp) in a Galton-Walton tree of size $n$. We first give a Poisson
approximation of fringe subtree counts, which yields the height of the maximal
complete $r$-ary fringe subtree. Then we determine the maximal $K_n$ such that
every tree of size at most $K_n$ appears as fringe subtree whp. Finally, we
study non-fringe subtree counts and determine the height of the maximal
complete $r$-ary non-fringe subtree.


title:
A nonlinear Kolmogorov equation for stochastic functional delay
  differential equations with jumps

abstract:
  We consider a stochastic functional delay differential equation, namely an
equation whose evolution depends on its past history as well as on its present
state, driven by a pure diffusive component plus a pure jump Poisson
compensated measure. We lift the problem in the infinite dimensional space of
square integrable Lebesgue functions in order to show that its solution is an
$L^2-$valued Markov process whose uniqueness can be shown under standard
assumptions of locally Lipschitzianity and linear growth for the coefficients.
Coupling the aforementioned equation with a standard backward differential
equation, and deriving some ad hoc results concerning the Malliavin derivative
for systems with memory, we are able to derive a non--linear Feynman--Kac
representation theorem under mild assumptions of differentiability.


title: Ferroelectricity in corundum derivatives

abstract:
  The search for new ferroelectric (FE) materials holds promise for broadening
our understanding of FE mechanisms and extending the range of application of FE
materials. Here we investigate a class of ABO3 and A2BB'O6 materials that can
be derived from the X2O3 corundum structure by mixing two or three ordered
cations on the X site. Most such corundum derivatives have a polar structure,
but it is unclear whether the polarization is reversible, which is a
requirement for a FE material. In this paper, we propose a method to study the
FE reversal path of materials in the corundum derivative family. We first
categorize the corundum derivatives into four classes and show that only two of
these allow for the possibility of FE reversal. We then calculate the energy
profile and energy barrier of the FE reversal path using first-principles
density functional methods with a structural constraint. Furthermore, we
identify several empirical measures that can provide a rule of thumb for
estimating the energy barriers. Finally, the conditions under which the
magnetic ordering is compatible with ferroelectricity are determined. These
results lead us to predict several potentially new FE materials.


title:
Electron heating via the self-excited plasma series resonance in
  geometrically symmetric multi-frequency capacitive plasmas

abstract:
  The self-excitation of Plasma Series Resonance (PSR) oscillations plays an
important role in the electron heating dynamics in Capacitively Coupled Radio
Frequency (CCRF) plasmas. In a combined approach of PIC/MCC simulations and a
theoretical model based on an equivalent circuit, we investigate the
self-excitation of PSR oscillations and their effect on the electron heating in
geometrically symmetric CCRF plasmas driven by multiple consecutive harmonics.
The discharge symmetry is controlled via the Electrical Asymmetry Effect, i.e.
by varying the total number of harmonics and tuning the phase shifts between
them. It is demonstrated that PSR oscillations will be self-excited under both
symmetric and asymmetric conditions, if (i) the charge-voltage relation of the
plasma sheaths deviates from a simple quadratic behavior and if (ii) the
inductance of the plasma bulk exhibits a temporal modulation. These two effects
have been neglected up to now, but we show that they must be included in the
model in order to properly describe the nonlinear series resonance circuit and
reproduce the self-excitation of PSR oscillations, which are observed in the
electron current density resulting from simulations of geometrically symmetric
CCRF plasmas. Furthermore, the effect of the PSR self-excitation on the
discharge current and the plasma properties, such as the potential profile, is
illustrated by applying Fourier analysis. High frequency oscillations in the
entire spectrum between the applied frequencies and the local electron plasma
frequency are observed. As a consequence, the electron heating is strongly
enhanced by the presence of PSR oscillations.


title:
Estimating the unconfined compressive strength of carbonate rocks using
  gene expression programming

abstract:
  Conventionally, many researchers have used both regression and black box
techniques to estimate the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of different
rocks. The advantage of the regression approach is that it can be used to
render a functional relationship between the predictive rock indices and its
UCS. The advantage of the black box techniques is in rendering more accurate
predictions. Gene expression programming (GEP) is proposed, in this study, as a
robust mathematical alternative for predicting the UCS of carbonate rocks. The
two parameters of total porosity and P-wave speed were selected as predictive
indices. The proposed GEP model had the advantage of the both traditionally
used approaches by proposing a mathematical model, similar to a regression,
while keeping the prediction errors as low as the black box methods. The GEP
outperformed both artificial neural networks and support vector machines in
terms of yielding more accurate estimates of UCS. Both the porosity and the
P-wave velocity were sufficient predictive indices for estimating the UCS of
the carbonate rocks in this study. Nearly, 95% of the observed variation in the
UCS values was explained by these two parameters (i.e., R2 =95%).


title:
A Statistical Framework for Single Subject Design with an Application in
  Post-stroke Rehabilitation

abstract:
  This paper proposes a practical yet novel solution to a longstanding
statistical testing problem regarding single subject design. In particular, we
aim to resolve an important clinical question: does a new patient behave the
same as one from a healthy population? This question cannot be answered using
the traditional single subject design when only test subject information is
used, nor can it be satisfactorily resolved by comparing a single-subject's
data with the mean value of a healthy population without proper assessment of
the impact of between and within subject variability. Here, we use Bayesian
posterior predictive draws based on a training set of healthy subjects to
generate a template null distribution of the statistic of interest to test
whether the test subject belongs to the healthy population. This method also
provides an estimate of the error rate associated with the decision and
provides a confidence interval for the point estimate of interest. Taken
together, this information will enable clinicians to conduct evidence-based
clinical decision making by directly comparing the observed measures with a
precalculated null distribution for such measures. Simulation studies show that
the proposed test performs satisfactorily under controlled conditions.


title: A Colored Khovanov Homotopy Type And Its Tail For B-Adequate Links

abstract:
  We define a Khovanov homotopy type for $sl_2(\mathbb{C})$ colored links and
quantum spin networks and derive some of its basic properties. In the case of
$n$-colored B-adequate links, we show a stabilization of the homotopy types as
the coloring $n\rightarrow\infty$, generalizing the tail behavior of the
colored Jones polynomial. Finally, we also provide an alternative, simpler
stabilization in the case of the colored unknot.


title: A Model for Lightcone Fluctuations due to Stress Tensor Fluctuations

abstract:
  We study a model for quantum lightcone fluctuations in which vacuum
fluctuations of the electric field and of the squared electric field in a
nonlinear dielectric material produce variations in the flight times of probe
pulses. When this material has a non-zero third order polarizability, the
flight time variations arise from squared electric field fluctuations, and are
analogous to effects expected when the stress tensor of a quantized field
drives passive spacetime geometry fluctuations. We also discuss the dependence
of the squared electric field fluctuations upon the geometry of the material,
which in turn determines a sampling function for averaging the squared electric
field along the path of the pulse. This allows us to estimate the probability
of especially large fluctuations, which is a measure of the probability
distribution for quantum stress tensor fluctuations.


title: Enhanced bifunctional oxygen catalysis in strained LaNiO3 perovskites

abstract:
  Strain is known to greatly influence low temperature oxygen electrocatalysis
on noble metal films, leading to significant enhancements in bifunctional
activity essential for fuel cells and metal-air batteries. However, its
catalytic impact on transition metal oxide thin films, such as perovskites, is
not widely understood. Here, we epitaxially strain the conducting perovskite
LaNiO3 to systematically determine its influence on both the oxygen reduction
and oxygen evolution reaction. Uniquely, we found that compressive strain could
significantly enhance both reactions, yielding a bifunctional catalyst that
surpasses the performance of noble metals such as Pt. We attribute the improved
bifunctionality to strain-induced splitting of the eg orbitals, which can
customize orbital asymmetry at the surface. Analogous to strain-induced shifts
in the d-band center of noble metals relative to Fermi level, such splitting
can dramatically affect catalytic activity in this perovskite and other
potentially more active oxides.


title:
Thermal spin injection and interface insensitivity in permalloy/aluminum
  metallic non-local spin valves

abstract:
  We present measurements of thermal and electrical spin injection in nanoscale
metallic non-local spin valve (NLSV) structures. Informed by measurements of
the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of representative films made
using a micromachined Si-N thermal isolation platform, we use simple analytical
and finite element thermal models to determine limits on the thermal gradient
driving thermal spin injection and calculate the spin dependent Seebeck
coefficient to be $-0.5\ \mu\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{K}< S_{s}<-1.3\
\mu\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{K}$. This is comparable in terms of the fraction of the
absolute Seebeck coefficient to previous results, despite dramatically smaller
electrical spin injection signals. Since the small electrical spin signals are
likely caused by interfacial effects, we conclude that thermal spin injection
is less sensitive to the FM/NM interface, and possibly benefits from a layer of
oxidized ferromagnet, which further stimulates interest in thermal spin
injection for applications in sensors and pure spin current sources.


title: Real-Time Hand Tracking Using a Sum of Anisotropic Gaussians Model

abstract:
  Real-time marker-less hand tracking is of increasing importance in
human-computer interaction. Robust and accurate tracking of arbitrary hand
motion is a challenging problem due to the many degrees of freedom, frequent
self-occlusions, fast motions, and uniform skin color. In this paper, we
propose a new approach that tracks the full skeleton motion of the hand from
multiple RGB cameras in real-time. The main contributions include a new
generative tracking method which employs an implicit hand shape representation
based on Sum of Anisotropic Gaussians (SAG), and a pose fitting energy that is
smooth and analytically differentiable making fast gradient based pose
optimization possible. This shape representation, together with a full
perspective projection model, enables more accurate hand modeling than a
related baseline method from literature. Our method achieves better accuracy
than previous methods and runs at 25 fps. We show these improvements both
qualitatively and quantitatively on publicly available datasets.


title: Unified Statistical Theory of Spectral Graph Analysis

abstract:
  The goal of this paper is to show that there exists a simple, yet universal
statistical logic of spectral graph analysis by recasting it into a
nonparametric function estimation problem. The prescribed viewpoint appears to
be good enough to accommodate most of the existing spectral graph techniques as
a consequence of just one single formalism and algorithm.


title:
Mathematical model of galactose regulation and metabolic consumption in
  yeast

abstract:
  The galactose network is a complex system responsible for galactose
metabolism. It has been extensively studied experimentally and mathematically
at the unicellular level to broaden our understanding of its regulatory
mechanisms at higher order species. Although the key molecular players involved
in the metabolic and regulatory processes underlying this system have been
known for decades, their interactions and chemical kinetics remain incompletely
understood. Mathematical models can provide an alternative method to study the
dynamics of this network from a quantitative and a qualitative perspective.
Here, we employ such approaches to unravel the main properties of the galactose
network, including equilibrium binary and temporal responses, as a way to
decipher its adaptation to actively-changing inputs. We combine the two main
components of the network; namely, the genetic branch which allows for bistable
responses, and a metabolic branch, encompassing the relevant metabolic
processes and glucose repressive reactions. We use both computational tools to
estimate model parameters based on published experimental data, as well as
bifurcation analysis to decipher the properties of the system in various
parameter regimes. Our model analysis reveals that the interplay between the
inducer (galactose) and the repressor (glucose) creates the bistability regime
which dictates the temporal responses of the system. Based on the same
bifurcation techniques, we can also explain why the system is robust to genetic
mutations and molecular instabilities. These findings may provide
experimentalists with a theoretical framework upon which they can determine how
the galactose network functions under various conditions.


title: Resolving the problem of definite outcomes of measurements

abstract:
  The entangled "Schrodinger's cat state" of a quantum and its measurement
apparatus is not a paradoxical superposition of states but is instead a
non-paradoxical superposition of nonlocal coherent correlations between states:
An un-decayed nucleus is correlated with a live cat, and a decayed nucleus is
correlated with a dead cat. This elucidation of entanglement is demonstrated by
quantum-theoretical analysis and by experiments performed in 1990 using
entangled photon pairs. Thus the cat state does not predict a dead-and-alive
cat. Instead of indefinite superpositions, it predicts mixtures of definite
eigenvalues even though the subsystems are not actually in the corresponding
eigenstates, a situation that implies a (trivial) revision of the standard
eigenvalue-eigenstate rule. Because the subsystem states are not mixed even
though the subsystem eigenvalues are mixed, this analysis avoids two common
objections to such a resolution, namely improper density operators and basis
ambiguity. Thus, entanglement transfers coherence from the superposed quantum
to correlations between the quantum and its measuring apparatus, permitting
instantaneous collapse without interrupting the global unitary evolution. This
resolves a key part of the measurement problem.


title: Eigenvalue estimates for the Laplacian on a metric tree

abstract:
  We provide explicit upper bounds for the eigenvalues of the Laplacian on a
finite metric tree subject to standard vertex conditions. The results include
estimates depending on the average length of the edges or the diameter. In
particular, we establish a sharp upper bound for the spectral gap, i.e. the
smallest positive eigenvalue, and show that equilateral star graphs are the
unique maximizers of the spectral gap among all trees of a given average
length.


title: Higher signature Delaunay decompositions

abstract:
  A Delaunay decomposition is a cell decomposition in R^d for which each cell
is inscribed in a Euclidean ball which is empty of all other vertices. This
article introduces a generalization of the Delaunay decomposition in which the
Euclidean balls in the empty ball condition are replaced by other families of
regions bounded by certain quadratic hypersurfaces. This generalized notion is
adaptable to geometric contexts in which the natural space from which the point
set is sampled is not Euclidean, but rather some other flat semi-Riemannian
geometry, possibly with degenerate directions. We prove the existence and
uniqueness of the decomposition and discuss some of its basic properties. In
the case of dimension d = 2, we study the extent to which some of the
well-known optimality properties of the Euclidean Delaunay triangulation
generalize to the higher signature setting. In particular, we describe a higher
signature generalization of a well-known description of Delaunay decompositions
in terms of the intersection angles between the circumscribed circles.


title:
Secondary electron interference from trigonal warping in clean carbon
  nanotubes

abstract:
  We investigate Fabry-Perot interference in an ultraclean carbon nanotube
resonator. The conductance shows a clear superstructure superimposed onto
conventional Fabry-Perot oscillations. A sliding average over the fast
oscillations reveals a characteristic slow modulation of the conductance as a
function of the gate voltage. We identify the origin of this secondary
interference in intervalley and intravalley backscattering processes which
involve wave vectors of different magnitude, reflecting the trigonal warping of
the Dirac cones. As a consequence, the analysis of the secondary interference
pattern allows us to estimate the chiral angle of the carbon nanotube.


title: On the geometric theory of local MV-algebras

abstract:
  We investigate the geometric theory of local MV-algebras and its quotients
axiomatizing the local MV-algebras in a given proper variety of MV-algebras. We
show that, whilst the theory of local MV-algebras is not of presheaf type, each
of these quotients is a theory of presheaf type which is Morita-equivalent to
an expansion of the theory of lattice-ordered abelian groups. Di
Nola-Lettieri's equivalence is recovered from the Morita-equivalence for the
quotient axiomatizing the local MV-algebras in Chang's variety, that is, the
perfect MV-algebras. We establish along the way a number of results of
independent interest, including a constructive treatment of the radical for
MV-algebras in a fixed proper variety of MV-algebras and a representation
theorem for the finitely presentable algebras in such a variety as finite
products of local MV-algebras.


title: Swift follow-up of the Gravitational Wave source GW150914

abstract:
  The Advanced LIGO observatory recently reported the first direct detection of
gravitational waves (GW) which triggered ALIGO on 2015 September 14. We report
on observations taken with the Swift satellite two days after the trigger. No
new X-ray, optical, UV or hard X-ray sources were detected in our observations,
which were focussed on nearby galaxies in the GW error region and covered 4.7
square degrees (~2% of the probability in the rapidly-available GW error
region; 0.3% of the probability from the final GW error region, which was
produced several months after the trigger). We describe the rapid Swift
response and automated analysis of the X-ray telescope and UV/Optical Telescope
data, and note the importance to electromagnetic follow up of early
notification of the progenitor details inferred from GW analysis.


title: Chameleonic Theories: A Short Review

abstract:
  In the chameleon mechanism, a field (typically scalar) has a mass that
depends on the matter density of the environment: the larger is the matter
density, the larger is the mass of the chameleon. We briefly review some
aspects of chameleonic theories. In particular, in a typical class of these
theories, we discuss the lagrangian, the role of conformal transformations, the
equation of motion and the thin-shell effect. We also discuss $f(R)$ theories
and chameleonic quantum gravity.


title:
Correlation functions with fusion-channel multiplicity in W3 Toda field
  theory

abstract:
  Current studies of WN Toda field theory focus on correlation functions such
that the WN highest-weight representations in the fusion channels are
multiplicity-free. In this work, we study W3 Toda 4-point functions with
multiplicity in the fusion channel. The conformal blocks of these 4-point
functions involve matrix elements of a fully-degenerate primary field with a
highest-weight in the adjoint representation of sl3, and a semi-degenerate
primary field with a highest-weight in the fundamental representation of sl3.
We show that, when the fusion rules are obeyed, the matrix elements of the
fully-degenerate adjoint field, between two arbitrary descendant states, can be
computed explicitly, on equal footing with the matrix elements of the
semi-degenerate fundamental field. Using null-state conditions, we obtain a
fourth-order Fuchsian differential equation for the conformal blocks. Using
Okubo theory, we show that, due to the presence of multiplicities, this
differential equation belongs to a class of Fuchsian equations that is
different from those that have appeared so far in WN theories. We solve this
equation, compute its monodromy group, and construct the monodromy-invariant
correlation functions.


title: Un effet de moir\'e sur les espaces sym\'etriques de type non-compact

abstract:
  We prove that if $X$ is a symmetric space of the noncompact type, just as
adding Helgason waves which propagate in all direction yields an elementary
spherical function for $X$, a Helgason wave can be produced by adding
elementary spherical functions whose centers cluster along a horocycle in $X$.


title:
Probing ultrafast spin dynamics in the antiferromagnetic multiferroic
  HoMnO$_3$ through a magnon resonance

abstract:
  We demonstrate a new approach for directly measuring the ultrafast energy
transfer between elec- trons and magnons, enabling us to track spin dynamics in
an antiferromagnet (AFM). In multiferroic HoMnO3, optical photoexcitation
creates hot electrons, after which changes in the spin order are probed with a
THz pulse tuned to a magnon resonance. This reveals a photoinduced
transparency, which builds up over several picoseconds as the spins heat up due
to energy transfer from hot elec- trons via phonons. This spin-lattice
thermalization time is ?10 times faster than that of typical ferromagnetic (FM)
manganites. We qualitatively explain the fundamental differences in
spin-lattice thermalization between FM and AFM systems and apply a Boltzmann
equation model for treating AFMs. Our work gives new insight into spin-lattice
thermalization in AFMs and demonstrates a new approach for directly monitoring
the ultrafast dynamics of spin order in these systems.


title: Leptogenesis and residual CP symmetry

abstract:
  We discuss flavour dependent leptogenesis in the framework of lepton flavour
models based on discrete flavour and CP symmetries applied to the type-I seesaw
model. Working in the flavour basis, we analyse the case of two general
residual CP symmetries in the neutrino sector, which corresponds to all
possible semi-direct models based on a preserved $Z_2$ in the neutrino sector,
together with a CP symmetry, which constrains the PMNS matrix up to a single
free parameter which may be fixed by the reactor angle. We systematically study
and classify this case for all possible residual CP symmetries, and show that
the $R$-matrix is tightly constrained up to a single free parameter, with only
certain forms being consistent with successful leptogenesis, leading to
possible connections between leptogenesis and PMNS parameters. The formalism is
completely general in the sense that the two residual CP symmetries could
result from any high energy discrete flavour theory which respects any CP
symmetry. As a simple example, we apply the formalism to a high energy $S_4$
flavour symmetry with a generalized CP symmetry, broken to two residual CP
symmetries in the neutrino sector, recovering familiar results for PMNS
predictions, together with new results for flavour dependent leptogenesis.


title:
Adic reduction to the diagonal and a relation between cofiniteness and
  derived completion

abstract:
  We prove two results about the derived functor of $a$-adic completion: (1)
Let $K$ be a commutative noetherian ring, let $A$ be a flat noetherian
$K$-algebra which is $a$-adically complete with respect to some ideal
$a\subseteq A$, such that $A/a$ is essentially of finite type over $K$, and let
$M,N$ be finitely generated $A$-modules. Then adic reduction to the diagonal
holds: $A\otimes^{L}_{ A\hat{\otimes}_{K} A } ( M\hat{\otimes}^{L}_{K} N )
\cong M \otimes^{L}_A N$. A similar result is given in the case where $M,N$ are
not necessarily finitely generated. (2) Let $A$ be a commutative ring, let
$a\subseteq A$ be a weakly proregular ideal, let $M$ be an $A$-module, and
assume that the $a$-adic completion of $A$ is noetherian (if $A$ is noetherian,
all these conditions are always satisfied). Then $\mbox{Ext}^i_A(A/a,M)$ is
finitely generated for all $i\ge 0$ if and only if the derived $a$-adic
completion $\L\hat{\Lambda}_{a}(M)$ has finitely generated cohomologies over
$\hat{A}$. The first result is a far reaching generalization of a result of
Serre, who proved this in case $K$ is a field or a discrete valuation ring and
$A = K[[x_1,\dots,x_n]]$.


title: The local renormalization of super-Yang-Mills theories

abstract:
  We show how to consistently renormalize $\mathcal{N} = 1$ and $\mathcal{N} =
2$ super-Yang-Mills theories in flat space with a local (i.e.
space-time-dependent) renormalization scale in a holomorphic scheme. The action
gets enhanced by a term proportional to derivatives of the holomorphic
coupling. In the $\mathcal{N} = 2$ case, this new action is exact at all orders
in perturbation theory.


title:
Coupled Wavepackets for Non-Adiabatic Molecular Dynamics: A
  Generalization of Gaussian Wavepacket Dynamics to Multiple Potential Energy
  Surfaces

abstract:
  Accurate simulation of the non-adiabatic dynamics of molecules in excited
electronic states is key to understanding molecular photo-physical processes.
Here we present a novel method, based on a semiclassical approximation, that is
as efficient as the commonly used mean field Ehrenfest or ad hoc Surface
Hopping methods and properly accounts for interference and decoherence effects.
This novel method is an extension of Hellers Thawed Gaussian wavepacket
dynamics that includes coupling between potential energy surfaces. The accuracy
of the method can be systematically improved.


title:
Drell-Yan Constraints on New Electroweak States: LHC as a $p p \to l^+
  l^-$ Precision Machine

abstract:
  The Standard Model extensions with vector-like states which have either zero
hypercharge or zero weak isospin are rather poorly constrained by the
electroweak precision measurements. Such new states would however modify the
running of the gauge couplings at high energies. As a result, the Drell-Yan
process $p p \to l^+ l^-$ at the LHC places useful constraints on these models.
The relevant observables include both the di-lepton invariant mass distribution
$M_{l l}$ and the forward-backward asymmetry $A_{FB}$. We find that the LHC Run
1 data and the initial data from Run 2 surpass the sensitivity of LEP and
already put meaningful constraints on the existence of such particles, which
will become progressively stronger with more data.


title: Gravitational Effects in Quantum Mechanics

abstract:
  To date, both quantum theory, and Einstein's theory of general relativity
have passed every experimental test in their respective regimes. Nevertheless,
almost since their inception, there has been debate surrounding whether they
should be unified and by now there exists strong theoretical arguments pointing
to the necessity of quantising the gravitational field. In recent years, a
number of experiments have been proposed which, if successful, should give
insight into features at the Planck scale. Here we review some of the
motivations, from the perspective of semi-classical arguments, to expect new
physical effects at the overlap of quantum theory and general relativity. We
conclude with a short introduction to some of the proposals being made to
facilitate empirical verification.


title:
Collision-induced magnetic reconnection and a unified interpretation of
  polarization properties of GRBs and blazars

abstract:
  The jet composition and energy dissipation mechanism of Gamma-ray bursts
(GRBs) and Blazars are fundamental questions which remain not fully understood.
One plausible model is to interpret the $\gamma$-ray emission of GRBs and
optical emission of blazars as synchrotron radiation of electrons accelerated
from the collision-induced magnetic dissipation regions in
Poynting-flux-dominated jets. The polarization observation is an important and
independent information to test this model. Based on our recent 3D relativistic
MHD simulations of collision-induced magnetic dissipation of magnetically
dominated blobs, here we perform calculations of the polarization properties of
the emission in the dissipation region and apply the results to model the
polarization observational data of GRB prompt emission and blazar optical
emission. We show that the same numerical model with different input parameters
can reproduce well the observational data of both GRBs and blazars, especially
the $90^{\circ}$ polarization angle (PA) change in GRB 100826A and the
$180^{\circ}$ PA swing in Blazar 3C279. This supports a unified model for GRB
and blazar jets, suggesting that collision-induced magnetic reconnection is a
common physical mechanism to power the relativistic jet emission from events
with very different black hole masses.


title:
On neutron stars in f(R) theories: small radii, large masses and large
  energy emitted in a merger

abstract:
  In the context of f(R) gravity theories, we show that the apparent mass of a
neutron star as seen from an observer at infinity is numerically calculable but
requires careful matching, first at the star's edge, between interior and
exterior solutions, none of them being totally Schwarzschild-like but
presenting instead small oscillations of the curvature scalar R; and second at
large radii, where the Newtonian potential is used to identify the mass of the
neutron star. We find that for the same equation of state, this mass definition
is always larger than its general relativistic counterpart. We exemplify this
with quadratic $R^2$ and Hu-Sawicki-like modifications of the standard General
Relativity action. Therefore, the finding of two-solar mass neutron stars
basically imposes no constraint on stable f(R) theories. However, star radii
are in general smaller than in General Relativity, which can give an
observational handle on such classes of models at the astrophysical level. Both
larger masses and smaller matter radii are due to much of the apparent
effective energy residing in the outer metric for scalar-tensor theories.
Finally, because the f(R) neutron star masses can be much larger than General
Relativity counterparts, the total energy available for radiating gravitational
waves could be of order several solar masses, and thus a merger of these stars
constitutes an interesting wave source.


title: Parallel Shortest-Paths Using Radius Stepping

abstract:
  The single-source shortest path problem (SSSP) with nonnegative edge weights
is a notoriously difficult problem to solve efficiently in parallel---it is one
of the graph problems said to suffer from the transitive-closure bottleneck. In
practice, the $\Delta$-stepping algorithm of Meyer and Sanders (J. Algorithms,
2003) often works efficiently but has no known theoretical bounds on general
graphs. The algorithm takes a sequence of steps, each increasing the radius by
a user-specified value $\Delta$. Each step settles the vertices in its annulus
but can take $\Theta(n)$ substeps, each requiring $\Theta(m)$ work ($n$
vertices and $m$ edges).
  In this paper, we describe Radius-Stepping, an algorithm with the best-known
tradeoff between work and depth bounds for SSSP with nearly-linear
($\otilde(m)$) work. The algorithm is a $\Delta$-stepping-like algorithm but
uses a variable instead of fixed-size increase in radii, allowing us to prove a
bound on the number of steps. In particular, by using what we define as a
vertex $k$-radius, each step takes at most $k+2$ substeps. Furthermore, we
define a $(k, \rho)$-graph property and show that if an undirected graph has
this property, then the number of steps can be bounded by $O(\frac{n}{\rho}
\log \rho L)$, for a total of $O(\frac{kn}{\rho} \log \rho L)$ substeps, each
parallel. We describe how to preprocess a graph to have this property.
Altogether, Radius-Stepping takes $O((m+n\log n)\log \frac{n}{\rho})$ work and
$O(\frac{n}{\rho}\log n \log (\rho{}L))$ depth per source after preprocessing.
The preprocessing step can be done in $O(m\log n + n\rho^2)$ work and
$O(\rho^2)$ depth or in $O(m\log n + n\rho^2\log n)$ work and $O(\rho\log
\rho)$ depth, and adds no more than $O(n\rho)$ edges.


title:
Observation of Spatiotemporal Chaos Induced by a Cavity Soliton in a
  Fiber Ring Resonator

abstract:
  We report on the experimental observation of temporal cavity soliton
destabilization via spatiotemporal chaos in a coherently-driven optical fiber
ring resonator. Numerical simulations and theoretical analyses are in good
agreement with experimental observations.


title: Testing Gravity with Gravitational Wave Source Counts

abstract:
  We show that the gravitational wave source counts distribution can test how
gravitational radiation propagates on cosmological scales. This test does not
require obtaining redshifts for the sources. If the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR,
$\rho$) from a gravitational wave source is proportional to the strain then it
falls as $R^{-1}$, thus we expect the source counts to follow $dN/d\rho \propto
\rho^{-4}$. However, if gravitational waves decay as they propagate or
propagate into other dimensions, then there can be deviations from this generic
prediction. We consider the possibility that the strain falls as $R^{-\gamma}$,
where $\gamma=1$ recovers the expected predictions in a Euclidean
uniformly-filled universe, and forecast the sensitivity of future observations
to deviations from standard General Relativity. We first consider the case of
few objects, 7 sources, with a signal-to-noise from 8 to 24, and impose a lower
limit on $\gamma$, finding $\gamma>0.33$ at $95\%$ confidence level. The
distribution of our simulated sample is very consistent with the distribution
of the trigger events reported by Advanced LIGO. Future measurements will
improve these constraints: with 100 events, we estimate that $\gamma$ can be
measured with an uncertainty of $15\%$. We generalize the formalism to account
for a range of chirp masses and the possibility that the signal falls as
$\exp(-R/R_0)/R^\gamma$.


title: CLE percolations

abstract:
  Conformal loop ensembles are random collections of loops in a simply
connected domain, whose laws are characterized by a natural conformal
invariance property. The set of points not surrounded by any CLE loop is a
natural random and conformally invariant analog of the Sierpinski gasket or
carpet.
  In the present paper, we derive a direct relationship between each CLE
consisting of simple disjoint loops (CLE($\kappa$) with $\kappa$ between 8/3
and 4) and the corresponding CLE($\kappa'$) where $\kappa':=16/\kappa$, a CLE
consisting of non-disjoint loops. This is the continuum analog of the
Edwards-Sokal coupling (between the q-state Potts model and the associated FK
random cluster model) and its generalization to non-integer q.
  Like its discrete analog, our continuum correspondence has two directions.
First, we show that one can construct (variants of) CLE($\kappa$) as follows:
sample a CLE($\kappa'$), then use a biased coin to independently color each
loop one of two colors, and then consider the outer boundaries of the clusters
of loops of a given color. Second, we show how to interpret CLE($\kappa'$)
loops as interfaces of a continuum analog of critical percolation within a
CLE($\kappa)$ carpet. This is the first description of continuous percolation
interfaces in fractal domains.
  These constructions provide new interpretations of the relationship between
CLEs and the Gaussian free field. Along the way, we obtain results about
generalized SLE$(\kappa;\rho)$ curves, and define a continuous family of
natural CLE variants called boundary conformal loop ensembles (BCLEs) that
share some (but not all) of the conformal symmetries that characterize CLEs,
and that should be scaling limits of critical models with special boundary
conditions. We extend the CLE correspondence to a BCLE correspondence that
makes sense for all $\kappa$ between 2 and 4.


title: Accountability in Dynamic Networks

abstract:
  We take a game theoretical approach to determine necessary and sufficient
conditions under which we can persuade rational agents to exchange messages in
pairwise exchanges over links of a dynamic network, by holding them accountable
for deviations with punishments. We make three contributions: (1) we provide a
new game theoretical model of repeated interactions in dynamic networks, where
agents have incomplete information of the topology, (2) we define a new
solution concept for this model, and (3) we identify necessary and sufficient
conditions for enforcing accountability, i.e., for persuading agents to
exchange messages in the aforementioned model.
  Our results are of technical interest but also of practical relevance. We
show that we cannot enforce accountability if the dynamic network does not
allow for \emph{timely punishments}. In practice, this means for instance that
we cannot enforce accountability in some networks formed in file-sharing
applications such as Bittorrent\,\cite{Cohen:03}. We also show that for
applications such as secret exchange, where the benefits of the exchanges
significantly surpass the communication costs, timely punishments are enough to
enforce accountability. However, we cannot in general enforce accountability if
agents do not possess enough information about the network topology.
Nevertheless, we can enforce accountability in a wide variety of networks that
satisfy 1-connectivity\,\cite{Kuhn:10} with minimal knowledge about the network
topology, including overlays for gossip dissemination such as
\cite{Li:06,Li:08}.


title:
Providing Dynamic TXOP for QoS Support of Video Transmission in IEEE
  802.11e WLANs

abstract:
  The IEEE 802.11e standard introduced by IEEE 802.11 Task Group E (TGe)
enhances the Quality of Service (QoS) by means of HCF Controlled Channel Access
(HCCA). The scheduler of HCCA allocates Transmission Opportunities (TXOPs) to
QoS-enabled Station (QSTA) based on their TS Specifications (TSPECs) negotiated
at the traffic setup time so that it is only efficient for Constant Bit Rate
(CBR) applications. However, Variable Bit Rate (VBR) traffics are not
efficiently supported as they exhibit nondeterministic profile during the time.
In this paper, we present a dynamic TXOP assignment Scheduling Algorithm for
supporting the video traffics transmission over IEEE 802.11e wireless networks.
This algorithm uses a piggybacked information about the size of the subsequent
video frames of the uplink traffic to assist the Hybrid Coordinator accurately
assign the TXOP according to the fast changes in the VBR profile. The proposed
scheduling algorithm has been evaluated using simulation with different
variability level video streams. The simulation results show that the proposed
algorithm reduces the delay experienced by VBR traffic streams comparable to
HCCA scheduler due to the accurate assignment of the TXOP which preserve the
channel time for transmission.


title:
The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array Dish I: Beam Pattern
  Measurements and Science Implications

abstract:
  The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) is a radio interferometer
aiming to detect the power spectrum of 21 cm fluctuations from neutral hydrogen
from the Epoch of Reionization (EOR). Drawing on lessons from the Murchison
Widefield Array (MWA) and the Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of
Reionization (PAPER), HERA is a hexagonal array of large (14 m diameter) dishes
with suspended dipole feeds. Not only does the dish determine overall
sensitivity, it affects the observed frequency structure of foregrounds in the
interferometer. This is the first of a series of four papers characterizing the
frequency and angular response of the dish with simulations and measurements.
We focus in this paper on the angular response (i.e., power pattern), which
sets the relative weighting between sky regions of high and low delay, and
thus, apparent source frequency structure. We measure the angular response at
137 MHz using the ORBCOMM beam mapping system of Neben et al. We measure a
collecting area of 93 m^2 in the optimal dish/feed configuration, implying
HERA-320 should detect the EOR power spectrum at z~9 with a signal-to-noise
ratio of 12.7 using a foreground avoidance approach with a single season of
observations, and 74.3 using a foreground subtraction approach. Lastly we study
the impact of these beam measurements on the distribution of foregrounds in
Fourier space.


title:
Electromagnetic Counterparts of Gravitational Wave Sources : Mergers of
  Compact Objects

abstract:
  Mergers of compact objects are considered prime sources of gravitational
waves (GW) and will soon be targets of GW observatories such as the
Advanced-LIGO, VIRGO etc. Finding electromagnetic counterparts of these GW
sources will be important to understand their nature. We discuss possible
electromagnetic signatures of the mergers. We show that the BH-BH mergers could
have luminosities which exceed Eddington luminosity from unity to several
orders of magnitude depending on the masses of the merging BHs. As a result
these mergers could be explosive, release up to $10^{51}$ erg of energy and
shine as radio transients. At any given time we expect about a few such
transients in the sky at GHz frequencies which could be detected out to about
300 Mpc. It has also been argued that these radio transients would look alike
radio supernovae with comparable detection rates. Multi-band follow up could,
however, distinguish between the mergers and supernovae.


title: Naturalness of the relaxion mechanism

abstract:
  The relaxion mechanism is a novel solution to the hierarchy problem. In this
first statistical analysis of the relaxion mechanism, we quantify the relative
plausibility of a QCD and a non-QCD relaxion model versus the Standard Model
with Bayesian statistics, which includes an automatic penalty for fine-tuning.
We find that in light of the hierarchy between the weak and Planck scales,
relaxion models are favoured by colossal Bayes-factors. Constraints upon \eg
the vacuum energy during relaxation, however, shrink the Bayes-factors such
that relaxion models are only slightly favoured. Including the bounds on
$\left|\theta_\text{QCD}\right|$ shatters the plausibility of the QCD relaxion
model as it typically yields $\left|\theta_\text{QCD}\right| \gg 0$. Finally,
we augment our models with scalar-field inflation and consider measurements of
inflationary observables from BICEP/Planck. We find that, all told, the
Standard Model is favoured by huge Bayes-factors as the relaxion models require
fine-tuning such that the Hubble parameter is less than the height of the
periodic barriers. Thus, whilst we confirm that relaxion models could solve the
hierarchy problem, we find that their unconventional cosmology demolishes their
plausibility.


title: AdS nonlinear instability: moving beyond spherical symmetry

abstract:
  Anti-de Sitter (AdS) is conjectured to be nonlinear unstable to a weakly
turbulent mechanism that develops a cascade towards high frequencies, leading
to black hole formation [1,2]. We give evidence that the gravitational sector
of perturbations behaves differently from the scalar one studied in [2]. In
contrast with [2], we find that not all gravitational normal modes of AdS can
be nonlinearly extended into periodic horizonless smooth solutions of the
Einstein equation. In particular, we show that even seeds with a single normal
mode can develop secular resonances, unlike the spherically symmetric scalar
field collapse studied in [2]. Moreover, if the seed has two normal modes, more
than one resonance can be generated at third order, unlike the spherical
collapse of [2]. We also show that weak turbulent perturbative theory predicts
the existence of direct and inverse cascades, with the former dominating the
latter for equal energy two-mode seeds.


title: On recent SFR calibrations and the constant SFR approximation

abstract:
  Star Formation Rate (SFR) inferences are based in the so-called constant SFR
approximation, where synthesis models are require to provide a calibration; we
aims to study the key points of such approximation to produce accurate SFR
inferences. We use the intrinsic algebra used in synthesis models, and we
explore how SFR can be inferred from the integrated light without any
assumption about the underling Star Formation history (SFH). We show that the
constant SFR approximation is actually a simplified expression of more deeper
characteristics of synthesis models: It is a characterization of the evolution
of single stellar populations (SSPs), acting the SSPs as sensitivity curve over
different measures of the SFH can be obtained. As results, we find that (1) the
best age to calibrate SFR indices is the age of the observed system (i.e. about
13Gyr for z=0 systems); (2) constant SFR and steady-state luminosities are not
requirements to calibrate the SFR; (3) it is not possible to define a SFR
single time scale over which the recent SFH is averaged, and we suggest to use
typical SFR indices (ionizing flux, UV fluxes) together with no typical ones
(optical/IR fluxes) to correct the SFR from the contribution of the old
component of the SFH, we show how to use galaxy colors to quote age ranges
where the recent component of the SFH is stronger/softer than the older
component.
  Particular values of SFR calibrations are (almost) not affect by this work,
but the meaning of what is obtained by SFR inferences does. In our framework,
results as the correlation of SFR time scales with galaxy colors, or the
sensitivity of different SFR indices to sort and long scale variations in the
SFH, fit naturally. In addition, the present framework provides a theoretical
guide-line to optimize the available information from data/numerical
experiments to improve the accuracy of SFR inferences.


title: Measuring second Chern number from non-adiabatic effects

abstract:
  The geometry and topology of quantum systems have deep connections to quantum
dynamics. In this paper, I show how to measure the non-Abelian Berry curvature
and its related topological invariant, the second Chern number, using dynamical
techniques. The second Chern number is the defining topological characteristic
of the four-dimensional generalization of the quantum Hall effect and has
relevance in systems from three-dimensional topological insulators to
Yang-Mills field theory. I illustrate its measurement using the simple example
of a spin-3/2 particle in an electric quadrupole field. I show how one can
dynamically measure diagonal components of the Berry curvature in an
over-complete basis of the degenerate ground state space and use this to
extract the full non-Abelian Berry curvature. I also show that one can
accomplish the same ideas by stochastically averaging over random initial
states in the degenerate ground state manifold. Finally I show how this system
can be manufactured and the topological invariant measured in a variety of
realistic systems, from superconducting qubits to trapped ions and cold atoms.


title: Hairy Black Holes in AdS$_5\times S^5$

abstract:
  We use numerical methods to exhaustively study a novel family of hairy black
hole solutions in AdS$_5$. These solutions can be uplifted to solutions of type
IIB supergravity with AdS$_5\times S^5$ asymptotics and are thus expected to
play an important role in our understanding of AdS/CFT. We find an intricate
phase diagram, with the aforementioned family of hairy black hole solutions
branching from the Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole at the onset of the
superradiance instability. We analyse black holes with spherical and planar
horizon topology and explain how they connect in the phase diagram. Finally, we
detail their global and local thermodynamic stability across several ensembles.


title:
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Velocity
  Shifts of Quasar Emission Lines

abstract:
  Quasar emission lines are often shifted from the systemic velocity due to
various dynamical and radiative processes in the line-emitting region. The
level of these velocity shifts depends both on the line species and on quasar
properties. We study velocity shifts for the line peaks of various narrow and
broad quasar emission lines relative to systemic using a sample of 849 quasars
from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping (SDSS-RM) project. The
coadded (from 32 epochs) spectra of individual quasars have sufficient
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to measure stellar absorption lines to provide
reliable systemic velocity estimates, as well as weak narrow emission lines.
The sample also covers a large dynamic range in quasar luminosity (~2 dex),
allowing us to explore potential luminosity dependence of the velocity shifts.
We derive average line peak velocity shifts as a function of quasar luminosity
for different lines, and quantify their intrinsic scatter. We further quantify
how well the peak velocity can be measured for various lines as a function of
continuum SNR, and demonstrate there is no systematic bias in the line peak
measurements when the spectral quality is degraded to as low as SNR~3 per SDSS
pixel. Based on the observed line shifts, we provide empirical guidelines on
redshift estimation from [OII]3728, [OIII]5008, [NeV]3426, MgII, CIII],
HeII1640, broad Hbeta, CIV, and SiIV, which are calibrated to provide unbiased
systemic redshifts in the mean, but with increasing intrinsic uncertainties of
46, 56, 119, 205, 233, 242, 400, 415, and 477 km/s, in addition to the
measurement uncertainties. These more realistic redshift uncertainties are
generally much larger than the formal uncertainties reported by the redshift
pipelines for spectroscopic quasar surveys, and demonstrate the infeasibility
of measuring quasar redshifts to better than ~200 km/s with only broad lines.


title: Dynamical Constraints on the Core Mass of Hot Jupiter HAT-P-13b

abstract:
  HAT-P-13b is a Jupiter-mass transiting exoplanet that has settled onto a
stable, short-period, and mildly eccentric orbit as a consequence of the action
of tidal dissipation and perturbations from a second, highly eccentric, outer
companion. Due to the special orbital configuration of the HAT-P-13 system, the
magnitude of HAT-P-13b's eccentricity ($e_b$) is in part dictated by its Love
number ($k_{2_b}$), which is in turn a proxy for the degree of central mass
concentration in its interior. Thus, the measurement of $e_b$ constrains
$k_{2_b}$ and allows us to place otherwise elusive constraints on the mass of
HAT-P-13b's core ($M_{\rm{core,b}}$). In this study we derive new constraints
on the value of $e_b$ by observing two secondary eclipses of HAT-P-13b with the
Infrared Array Camera on board the $\textit{Spitzer Space Telescope}$. We fit
the measured secondary eclipse times simultaneously with radial velocity
measurements and find that $e_b = 0.00700 \pm 0.00100$. We then use
octupole-order secular perturbation theory to find the corresponding $k_{2_b} =
0.31^{+0.08}_{-0.05}$. Applying structural evolution models, we then find, with
68\% confidence, that $M_{\rm{core,b}}$ is less than 25 Earth masses
($M_{\oplus}$). The most likely value of $M_{\rm{core,b}} = 11 M_{\oplus}$,
which is similar to the core mass theoretically required for runaway gas
accretion. This is the tightest constraint to date on the core mass of a hot
Jupiter. Additionally, we find that the measured secondary eclipse depths,
which are in the 3.6 $\mu$m and 4.5 $\mu$m bands, best match atmospheric model
predictions with a dayside temperature inversion and relatively efficient
day-night circulation.


title: On the $L^2$-Dolbeault cohomology of annuli

abstract:
  For certain annuli in $\mathbb{C}^n$, $n\geq 2$, with non-smooth holes, we
show that the $\bar{\partial}$-operator from $L^2$ functions to $L^2$
$(0,1)$-forms has closed range. The holes admitted include products of
pseudoconvex domains and certain intersections of smoothly bounded pseudoconvex
domains. As a consequence, we obtain estimates in the Sobolev space $W^1$ for
the $\bar{\partial}$-equation on the non-smooth domains which are the holes of
these annuli.


title:
Global in Time Existence of Self-Interacting Scalar Field in De Sitter
  Spacetimes

abstract:
  We prove the existence of a global in time solution of the semilinear
Klein-Gordon equation in the de Sitter space-time.


title:
Analytic treatment of complete geodesics in a static cylindrically
  symmetric conformal spacetime

abstract:
  We consider the motion of test particles and light rays in a static
cylindrically symmetric conformal spacetime given by Said et al [1]. We derive
the equations of motion and present their analytical solutions in terms of the
Weierstrass {\wp} function and the Kleinian {\sigma} function. Using parametric
diagrams and effective potentials we analyze the possible orbits and
characterize them in terms of the energy and the angular momentum of the test
particles. Finally we show some examples of orbits.


title: Isotropic matroids III: Connectivity

abstract:
  The isotropic matroid $M[IAS(G)]$ of a graph $G$ is a binary matroid, which
is equivalent to the isotropic system introduced by Bouchet. In this paper we
discuss four notions of connectivity related to isotropic matroids and
isotropic systems. We show that the isotropic system connectivity defined by
Bouchet is equivalent to vertical connectivity of $M[IAS(G)]$, and if $G$ has
at least four vertices, then $M[IAS(G)]$ is vertically 5-connected if and only
if $G$ is prime (in the sense of Cunningham's split decomposition). We also
show that $M[IAS(G)]$ is $3$-connected if and only if $G$ is connected and has
neither a pendant vertex nor a pair of twin vertices. Our most interesting
theorem is that if $G$ has $n\geq7$ vertices then $M[IAS(G)]$ is not vertically
$n$-connected. This abstract-seeming result is equivalent to the more concrete
assertion that $G$ is locally equivalent to a graph with a vertex of degree
$<\frac{n-1}{2}$.


title:
Exact diagonalization study of double quantum dots in parallel geometry
  in zero-bandwidth limit

abstract:
  Exact eigenstates of the parallel coupled double quantum dots attached to the
non-interacting leads taken in zero-bandwidth limit are analytically obtained
in each particle and spin sector. The ground state of the half-filled system is
identified from a four dimensional subspace of the twenty dimensional Hilbert
space for different values of tunable parameters of the system viz. the energy
levels of the quantum dots, the interdot tunneling matrix-element, the ondot
and interdot Coulomb interactions and quantities like spin-spin correlation
between the dots, occupancies of the dots are calculated. In the parameter
space of the interdot tunneling matrix-element and ondot Coulomb interaction,
the dots exhibit both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic correlation. There is
a critical dependency of the interdot tunneling matrix-element on the ondot
Coulomb interaction which leads to transition from the ferromagnetic
correlation to the antiferromagnetic correlation as the interdot tunneling
matrix-element is increased. The ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic
correlations also exist in the absence of interdot tunneling matrix-element
through indirect exchange via the leads. The interdot Coulomb interaction is
found to affect this dependency considerably.


title: Hearing the signals of dark sectors with gravitational wave detectors

abstract:
  Motivated by aLIGO's recent discovery of gravitational waves we discuss
signatures of new physics that could be seen at ground and space-based
interferometers. We show that a first order phase transition in a dark sector
would lead to a detectable gravitational wave signal at future experiments, if
the phase transition has occurred at temperatures few orders of magnitude
higher than the electroweak scale. The source of gravitational waves in this
case is associated with the dynamics of expanding and colliding bubbles in the
early universe. At the same time we point out that topological defects, such as
dark sector domain walls, may generate a detectable signal already at aLIGO.
Both -- bubble and domain wall -- scenarios are sourced by semi-classical
configurations of a dark new physics sector. In the first case the
gravitational wave signal originates from bubble wall collisions and subsequent
turbulence in hot plasma in the early universe, while the second case
corresponds to domain walls passing through the interferometer at present and
is not related to gravitational waves. We find that aLIGO at its current
sensitivity can detect smoking-gun signatures from domain wall interactions,
while future proposed experiments including the fifth phase of aLIGO at design
sensitivity can probe dark sector phase transitions.

categories: hep-ph astro-ph.CO astro-ph.HE gr-qc hep-th


title: Mesoscopic electron focusing in topological insulators

abstract:
  The particle wave duality sets a fundamental correspondence between optics
and quantum mechanics. Within this framework, the propagation of quasiparticles
can give rise to superposition phenomena which, like for electromagnetic waves,
can be described by the Huygens principle. However, the utilization of this
principle by means of propagation and manipulation of quantum information is
limited by the required coherence in time and space. Here we show that in
topological insulators, which in their pristine form are characterized by
opposite propagation directions for the two quasiparticles spin channels,
mesoscopic focusing of coherent charge density oscillations can be obtained at
large nested segments of constant energy contours by magnetic surface doping.
Our findings provide evidence of strongly anisotropic Dirac fermion-mediated
interactions. Even more remarkably, the validity of our findings goes beyond
topological insulators but applies for systems with spin orbit lifted
degeneracy in general. It demonstrates how spin information can be transmitted
over long distances, allowing the design of experiments and devices based on
coherent quantum effects in this fascinating class of materials.


title:
Wavelet-Based Semantic Features for Hyperspectral Signature
  Discrimination

abstract:
  Hyperspectral signature classification is a quantitative analysis approach
for hyperspectral imagery which performs detection and classification of the
constituent materials at the pixel level in the scene. The classification
procedure can be operated directly on hyperspectral data or performed by using
some features extracted from the corresponding hyperspectral signatures
containing information like the signature's energy or shape. In this paper, we
describe a technique that applies non-homogeneous hidden Markov chain (NHMC)
models to hyperspectral signature classification. The basic idea is to use
statistical models (such as NHMC) to characterize wavelet coefficients which
capture the spectrum semantics (i.e., structural information) at multiple
levels. Experimental results show that the approach based on NHMC models can
outperform existing approaches relevant in classification tasks.


title: On the structure of graphs with given odd girth and large minimum degree

abstract:
  We study minimum degree conditions for which a graph with given odd girth has
a simple structure. For example, the classical work of Andr\'asfai, Erd\H os,
and S\'os implies that every $n$-vertex graph with odd girth $2k+1$ and minimum
degree bigger than $\frac{2}{2k+1}n$ must be bipartite. We consider graphs with
a weaker condition on the minimum degree. Generalizing results of H\"aggkvist
and of H\"aggkvist and Jin for the cases $k=2$ and $3$, we show that every
$n$-vertex graph with odd girth $2k+1$ and minimum degree bigger than
$\frac{3}{4k}n$ is homomorphic to the cycle of length $2k+1$. This is best
possible in the sense that there are graphs with minimum degree $\frac{3}{4k}n$
and odd girth $2k+1$ which are not homomorphic to the cycle of length $2k+1$.
Similar results were obtained by Brandt and Ribe-Baumann.


title: The Makeenko-Migdal equation for Yang-Mills theory on compact surfaces

abstract:
  We prove the Makeenko-Migdal equation for two-dimensional Euclidean
Yang-Mills theory on an arbitrary compact surface, possibly with boundary. In
particular, we show that two of the proofs given by the first, third, and
fourth authors for the plane case extend essentially without change to compact
surfaces.


title: How to group wireless nodes together?

abstract:
  This report presents a survey on how to group together in a static way planar
nodes, that may belong to a wireless network (ad hoc or cellular). The aim is
to identify appropriate methods that could also be applied for Point Processes.
Specifically matching pairs and algorithms are initially discussed. Next,
specifically for Point Processes, the Nearest Neighbour and Lilypond models are
presented. Properties and results for the two models are stated. Original
bounds are given for the value of the so-called generation number, which is
related to the size of the nearest neighbour cluster. Finally, a variation of
the nearest neighbour grouping is proposed and an original metric is
introduced, named here the ancestor number. This is used to facilitate the
analysis of the distribution of cluster size. Based on this certain related
bounds are derived. The report and the analysis included show clearly the
difficulty of working in point processes with static clusters of size greater
than two, when these are defined by proximity criteria.


title:
Correspondence behavior of classical and quantum dissipative directed
  transport via thermal noise

abstract:
  We systematically study several classical-quantum correspondence properties
of the dissipative modified kicked rotator, a paradigmatic ratchet model. We
explore the behavior of the asymptotic currents for finite $\hbar_{\rm eff}$
values in a wide range of the parameter space. We find that the correspondence
between the classical currents with thermal noise providing uctuations of size
$\hbar_{\rm eff}$ and the quantum ones without it, is very good in general with
the exception of specific regions. We systematically consider the spectra of
the corresponding classical Perron-Frobenius operators and quantum
superoperators. By means of an average distance between the classical and
quantum sets of eigenvalues we find that the correspondence is unexpectedly
quite uniform. This apparent contradiction is solved with the help of the
Weyl-Wigner distributions of the equilibrium eigenvectors, which reveal the key
role of quantum effects by showing surviving coherences in the asymptotic
states.


title: Single-Ion Atomic Clock with $3\times10^{-18}$ Systematic Uncertainty

abstract:
  We experimentally investigate an optical frequency standard based on the
$^2S_{1/2} (F=0)\to {}^2F_{7/2} (F=3)$ electric octupole (\textit{E}3)
transition of a single trapped $^{171}$Yb$^+$ ion. For the spectroscopy of this
strongly forbidden transition, we utilize a Ramsey-type excitation scheme that
provides immunity to probe-induced frequency shifts. The cancellation of these
shifts is controlled by interleaved single-pulse Rabi spectroscopy which
reduces the related relative frequency uncertainty to $1.1\times 10^{-18}$. To
determine the frequency shift due to thermal radiation emitted by the ion's
environment, we measure the static scalar differential polarizability of the
\textit{E}3 transition as $0.888(16)\times 10^{-40}$ J m$^2$/V$^2$ and a
dynamic correction $\eta(300~\text{K})=-0.0015(7)$. This reduces the
uncertainty due to thermal radiation to $1.8\times 10^{-18}$. The residual
motion of the ion yields the largest contribution $(2.1\times 10^{-18})$ to the
total systematic relative uncertainty of the clock of $3.2\times 10^{-18}$.


title:
Evolution of Intrinsic Scatter in the SFR-Stellar Mass Correlation at
  0.5<z<3

abstract:
  We present estimates of intrinsic scatter in the Star Formation Rate (SFR) -
Stellar Mass (M*) correlation in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 3.0 and in the
mass range 10^7 < M* < 10^11 Msun. We utilize photometry in the Hubble
Ultradeep Field (HUDF12), Ultraviolet Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF) campaigns and
CANDELS/GOODS-S. We estimate SFR, M* from broadband Spectral Energy
Distributions (SEDs) and the best available redshifts. The maximum depth of the
HUDF photometry (F160W 29.9 AB, 5 sigma depth) probes the SFR-M* correlation
down to M* ~ 10 ^7 Msun, a factor of 10-100X lower in M* than previous studies,
and comparable to dwarf galaxies in the local universe. We find the slope of
the SFR-M* relationship to be near unity at all redshifts and the normalization
to decrease with cosmic time. We find a moderate increase in intrinsic scatter
with cosmic time from 0.2 to 0.4 dex across the epoch of peak cosmic star
formation. None of our redshift bins show a statistically significant increase
in intrinsic scatter at low mass. However, it remains possible that intrinsic
scatter increases at low mass on timescales shorter than ~ 100 Myr. Our results
are consistent with a picture of gradual and self-similar assembly of galaxies
across more than three orders of magnitude in stellar mass from as low as 10^7
Msun.


title: A direct approach to the S-functional calculus for closed operators

abstract:
  The $S$-functional calculus for slice hyperholomorphic functions generalizes
the Riesz-Dunford-functional calculus for holomorphic functions to quaternionic
linear operators and to $n$-tuples of noncommuting operators. For an unbounded
closed operator, it is defined, as in the classical case, using an appropriate
transformation and the $S$-functional calculus for bounded operators. This is
however only possible if the $S$-resolvent set of the operator contains a real
point.
  In this paper, we define the $S$-functional calculus directly via a Cauchy
integral, which allows us to consider also operators whose resolvent sets do
not contain real points. We show that the product rule and the spectral mapping
theorem also hold true with this definition and that the $S$-functional
calculus is compatible with polynomials, although polynomials are not included
in the set of admissible functions if the operator is unbounded.
  We also prove that the $S$-functional calculus is able to create spectral
projections. In order to do this, we remove another assumption usually made: we
do not assume that admissible functions are defined on slice domains. Instead,
we also consider functions that are defined on not necessarily connected sets.
This leads to an unexpected phenomenon: the $S$-functional calculi for left and
right slice hyperholomorphic functions become inconsistent and give different
operators for functions that are both left and right slice hyperholomorphic. We
show that any such function is the sum of a locally constant and an intrinsic
function. For intrinsic functions both functional calculi agree, but for
locally constant functions they must give different operators unless any
spectral projection commutes with arbitrary scalars.


title: Radio Planetary Nebulae in the Small Magellanic Cloud

abstract:
  We present ten new radio continuum (RC) detections at catalogued planetary
nebula (PN) positions in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC): SMPS6, LIN 41, LIN
142, SMP S13, SMP S14, SMP S16, J18, SMP S18, SMP S19 and SMP S22.
Additionally, six SMC radio PNe previously detected, LIN 45, SMP S11, SMPS17,
LIN321, LIN339 and SMPS24 are also investigated (re-observed) here making up a
population of 16 radio detections of catalogued PNe in the SMC. These 16 radio
detections represent ~15 % of the total catalogued PN population in the SMC. We
show that six of these objects have characteristics that suggest that they are
PN mimics: LIN 41, LIN 45, SMP S11, LIN 142, LIN 321 and LIN 339. We also
present our results for the surface brightness - PN radius relation
({\Sigma}-D) of the SMC radio PN population. These are consistent with previous
SMC and LMC PN measurements of the ({\Sigma}-D) relation.


title:
Pinning, Flux Diodes, and Ratchets for Vortices Interacting with
  Conformal Pinning Arrays

abstract:
  A conformal pinning array can be created by conformally transforming a
uniform triangular pinning lattice to produces a new structure in which the
six-fold ordering of the original lattice is conserved but where there is a
spatial gradient in the density of pinning sites. Here we examine several
aspects of vortices interacting with conformal pinning arrays and how they can
be used to create a flux flow diode effect for driving vortices in different
directions across the arrays. Under the application of an ac drive, a
pronounced vortex ratchet effect occurs where the vortices flow in the easy
direction of the array asymmetry. When the ac drive is applied perpendicular to
the asymmetry direction of the array, it is possible to realize a transverse
vortex ratchet effect where there is a generation of a dc flow of vortices
perpendicular to the ac drive due to the creation of a noise correlation
ratchet by the plastic motion of the vortices. We also examine vortex transport
simulations in experiments and compare the pinning effectiveness of conformal
arrays to uniform triangular pinning arrays. We find that a triangular array
generally pins the vortices more effectively at the first matching field and
below, while the conformal array is more effective at higher fields where
interstitial vortex flow occurs.


title:
Isochronal annealing effects on local structure, crystalline fraction,
  and undamaged region size of radiation damage in Ga-stabilized $\delta$-Pu

abstract:
  The effects on the local structure due to self-irradiation damage of Ga
stabilized $\delta$-Pu stored at cryogenic temperatures have been examined
using extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments. Extensive
damage, seen as a loss of local order, was evident after 72 days of storage
below 15 K. The effect was observed from both the Pu and Ga sites, although
less pronounced around Ga. Isochronal annealing was performed on this sample to
study the annealing processes that occur between cryogenic and room temperature
storage conditions, where damage is mostly reversed. Damage fractions at
various points along the annealing curve have been determined using an
amplitude-ratio method, standard EXAFS fitting, and a spherical crystallite
model, and provide information complementary to previous electrical
resistivity- and susceptibility-based isochronal annealing studies. The use of
a spherical crystallite model accounts for the changes in EXAFS spectra using
just two parameters, namely, the crystalline fraction and the particle radius.
Together, these results are discussed in terms of changes to the local
structure around Ga and Pu throughout the annealing process and highlight the
unusual role of Ga in the behavior of the lowest temperature anneals.


title:
Doping evolution of the superconducting gap structure in the underdoped
  iron arsenide Ba1-xKxFe2As2 revealed by thermal conductivity

abstract:
  The thermal conductivity kappa of the iron-arsenide superconductor
Ba1-xKxFe2As2 was measured for heat currents parallel and perpendicular to the
tetragonal c axis at temperatures down to 50 mK and in magnetic fields up to 15
T. Measurements were performed on samples with compositions ranging from
optimal doping (x = 0.34; Tc = 39 K) down to dopings deep into the region where
antiferromagnetic order coexists with superconductivity (x = 0.16; Tc = 7 K).
In zero field, there is no residual linear term in kappa(T) as T goes to 0 at
any doping, whether for in-plane or inter-plane transport. This shows that
there are no nodes in the superconducting gap. However, as x decreases into the
range of coexistence with antiferromagnetism, the residual linear term grows
more and more rapidly with applied magnetic field. This shows that the
superconducting energy gap develops minima at certain locations on the Fermi
surface and these minima deepen with decreasing x. We propose that the minima
in the gap structure arise when the Fermi surface of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 is
reconstructed by the antiferromagnetic order.


title:
Randomization-Based Causal Inference from Unbalanced 2^2 Split-Plot
  Designs

abstract:
  Given two 2-level factors of interest, a 2^2 split-plot design} (a) takes
each of the $2^2=4$ possible factorial combinations as a treatment, (b)
identifies one factor as `whole-plot,' (c) divides the experimental units into
blocks, and (d) assigns the treatments in such a way that all units within the
same block receive the same level of the whole-plot factor.
  Assuming the potential outcomes framework, we propose in this paper a
randomization-based estimation procedure for causal inference from 2^2 designs
that are not necessarily balanced. Sampling variances of the point estimates
are derived in closed form as linear combinations of the between- and
within-block covariances of the potential outcomes. Results are compared to
those under complete randomization as measures of design efficiency. Interval
estimates are constructed based on conservative estimates of the sampling
variances, and the frequency coverage properties evaluated via simulation.
Asymptotic connections of the proposed approach to the model-based
super-population inference are also established. Superiority over existing
model-based alternatives is reported under a variety of settings for both
binary and continuous outcomes.


title: Quantum supergravity, supergravity anomalies and string phenomenology

abstract:
  I discuss the role of quantum effects in the phenomenology of effective
supergravity theories from compactification of the weakly coupled heterotic
string. An accurate incorporation of these effects requires a regularization
procedure that respects local supersymmetry and BRST invariance and that
retains information associated with the cut-off scale, which has physical
meaning in an effective theory. I briefly outline the Pauli-Villars
regularization procedure, describe some applications, and comment on what
remains to be done to fully define the effective quantum field theory.


title:
Variability in Active Galactic Nuclei from Propagating Turbulent
  Relativistic Jets

abstract:
  We use the Athena hydrodynamics code to model propagating two-dimensional
relativistic jets as approximations to the growth of radio-loud active galactic
nuclei for various input jet velocities and jet-to-ambient matter density
ratios. Using results from these simulations we estimate the changing
synchrotron emission by summing the fluxes from a vertical strip of zones
behind the reconfinement shock, which is nearly stationary, and from which a
substantial portion of the flux variability should arise. We explore a wide
range of time scales by considering two light curves from each simulation; one
uses a relativistic turbulence code with bulk velocities taken from our
simulations as input, while the other uses the bulk velocity data to compute
fluctuations caused by variations in the Doppler boosting due to changes in the
direction and the speed of the flow through all zones in the strip. We then
calculate power spectral densities (PSDs) from the light curves for both
turbulent and bulk velocity origins for variability. The range of the power-law
slopes of the PSDs for the turbulence induced variations is -1.8 to -2.3, while
for the bulk velocity produced variations this range is -2.1 to -2.9; these are
in agreement with most observations. When superimposed, these power spectra
span a very large range in frequency (about five decades), with the turbulent
fluctuations yielding most of the shorter timescale variations and the bulk
flow changes dominating the longer periods.


title: Puiseux Parametric Equations via the Amoeba of the Discriminant

abstract:
  Given an algebraic variety we get Puiseux type parametrizations on suitable
Reinhardt domains. These domains are defined using the amoeba of hypersurfaces
containing the discriminant locus of a finite projection of the variety.


title: Constrained Local UniversE Simulations: A Local Group Factory

abstract:
  Near field cosmology is practiced by studying the Local Group (LG) and its
neighbourhood. The present paper describes a framework for simulating the near
field on the computer. Assuming the LCDM model as a prior and applying the
Bayesian tools of the Wiener filter (WF) and constrained realizations of
Gaussian fields to the Cosmicflows-2 (CF2) survey of peculiar velocities,
constrained simulations of our cosmic environment are performed. The aim of
these simulations is to reproduce the LG and its local environment. Our main
result is that the LG is likely a robust outcome of the LCDM scenario when
subjected to the constraint derived from CF2 data, emerging in an environment
akin to the observed one. Three levels of criteria are used to define the
simulated LGs. At the base level, pairs of halos must obey specific isolation,
mass and separation criteria. At the second level the orbital angular momentum
and energy are constrained and on the third one the phase of the orbit is
constrained. Out of the 300 constrained simulations 146 LGs obey the first set
of criteria, 51 the second and 6 the third. The robustness of our LG factory
enables the construction of a large ensemble of simulated LGs. Suitable
candidates for high resolution hydrodynamical simulations of the LG can be
drawn from this ensemble, which can be used to perform comprehensive studies of
the formation of the LG


title: Fermi GBM Observations of LIGO Gravitational Wave event GW150914

abstract:
  With an instantaneous view of 70% of the sky, the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst
Monitor (GBM) is an excellent partner in the search for electromagnetic
counterparts to gravitational wave (GW) events. GBM observations at the time of
the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) event GW150914
reveal the presence of a weak transient above 50 keV, 0.4~s after the GW event,
with a false alarm probability of 0.0022 (2.9$\sigma$). This weak transient
lasting 1 s was not detected by any other instrument and does not appear
connected with other previously known astrophysical, solar, terrestrial, or
magnetospheric activity. Its localization is ill-constrained but consistent
with the direction of GW150914. The duration and spectrum of the transient
event are consistent with a weak short Gamma-Ray Burst arriving at a large
angle to the direction in which Fermi was pointing, where the GBM detector
response is not optimal. If the GBM transient is associated with GW150914, this
electromagnetic signal from a stellar mass black hole binary merger is
unexpected. We calculate a luminosity in hard X-ray emission between 1~keV and
10~MeV of $1.8^{+1.5}_{-1.0} \times 10^{49}$~erg~s$^{-1}$. Future joint
observations of GW events by LIGO/Virgo and Fermi GBM could reveal whether the
weak transient reported here is a plausible counterpart to GW150914 or a chance
coincidence, and will further probe the connection between compact binary
mergers and short Gamma-Ray Bursts.


title:
Energy density distribution of shaped waves inside scattering media
  mapped onto a complete set of diffusion modes

abstract:
  We show that the spatial distribution of the energy density of optimally
shaped waves inside a scattering medium can be described by considering only a
few of the lowest eigenfunctions of the diffusion equation. Taking into account
only the fundamental eigenfunction, the total internal energy inside the sample
is underestimated by only 2%. The spatial distribution of the shaped energy
density is very similar to the fundamental eigenfunction, up to a cosine
distance of about 0.01. We obtained the energy density inside a quasi-1D
disordered waveguide by numerical calculation of the joined scattering matrix.
Computing the transmission-averaged energy density over all transmission
channels yields the ensemble averaged energy density of shaped waves. From the
averaged energy density obtained, we reconstruct its spatial distribution using
the eigenfunctions of the diffusion equation. The results from our study have
exciting applications in controlled biomedical imaging, efficient light
harvesting in solar cells, enhanced energy conversion in solid-state lighting,
and low threshold random lasers.


title: The RHIC Cold QCD Plan for 2017 to 2023: A Portal to the EIC

abstract:
  The exploration of the fundamental structure of strongly interacting matter
has always thrived on the complementarity of lepton scattering and purely
hadronic probes. As the community eagerly anticipates a future electron ion
collider (EIC) in the U.S., an outstanding scientific opportunity remains to
complete "must-do" measurements in p+p and p+A physics in the years preceding
the EIC. As we describe in this document, these measurements will be essential
to fully realize the scientific promise of the EIC by provid-ing a
comprehensive set of measurements in hadronic collisions that, when combined
with data from the EIC, will establish the validity and limits of factorization
and universality. The outlined program will on the one hand lay the groundwork
for the EIC, both scientifically and in terms of refining the experimental
requirements for the physics program at the EIC, and thus be the natural next
step on the path towards an electron-ion collider. On the other hand, while
much of the physics in this program is unique to proton-proton and
proton-nucleus collisions and offers discovery potential on its own, when
combined with data from the EIC it will provide a broad foundation to a deeper
understanding of fundamental QCD.


title: Infinitesimally homogeneous manifolds with prescribed structure groups

abstract:
  We explore the class of triples (M, nabla, P) where M is a manifold, nabla is
an affine connection in M and P is a G-structure in M. Inside this class there
are infinitesimally homogeneous manifolds, characterized by having G-constant
curvature, torsion and inner torsion. For each matrix Lie group G subgroup of
GL(Rn) there is a class of infinitesimally homogeneous manifolds with structure
group G. In this paper we characterize the classes of infinitesimally
homogeneous manifolds for some specific values of the structure group G
including: identity group, finite groups, diagonal group, special linear group,
orthogonal group and unitary group.


title: Modeling Human Ad Hoc Coordination

abstract:
  Whether in groups of humans or groups of computer agents, collaboration is
most effective between individuals who have the ability to coordinate on a
joint strategy for collective action. However, in general a rational actor will
only intend to coordinate if that actor believes the other group members have
the same intention. This circular dependence makes rational coordination
difficult in uncertain environments if communication between actors is
unreliable and no prior agreements have been made. An important normative
question with regard to coordination in these ad hoc settings is therefore how
one can come to believe that other actors will coordinate, and with regard to
systems involving humans, an important empirical question is how humans arrive
at these expectations. We introduce an exact algorithm for computing the
infinitely recursive hierarchy of graded beliefs required for rational
coordination in uncertain environments, and we introduce a novel mechanism for
multiagent coordination that uses it. Our algorithm is valid in any environment
with a finite state space, and extensions to certain countably infinite state
spaces are likely possible. We test our mechanism for multiagent coordination
as a model for human decisions in a simple coordination game using existing
experimental data. We then explore via simulations whether modeling humans in
this way may improve human-agent collaboration.


title: Giant eruptions of very massive stars

abstract:
  Giant eruptions or supernova-impostor events are far more mysterious than
true supernovae. An extreme example can release as much radiative energy as a
SN, ejecting several M_sun of material. These events involve continuous
radiation-driven outflows rather than blast waves. They constitute one of the
main unsolved problems in stellar astrophysics, but have received surprisingly
little theoretical effort. Here I note some aspects that are not yet familiar
to most astronomers.


title:
Modelling the level of adoption of analytical tools; An implementation
  of multi-criteria evidential reasoning

abstract:
  In the future, competitive advantages will be given to organisations that can
extract valuable information from massive data and make better decisions. In
most cases, this data comes from multiple sources. Therefore, the challenge is
to aggregate them into a common framework in order to make them meaningful and
useful. This paper will first review the most important multi-criteria decision
analysis methods (MCDA) existing in current literature. We will offer a novel,
practical and consistent methodology based on a type of MCDA, to aggregate data
from two different sources into a common framework. Two datasets that are
different in nature but related to the same topic are aggregated to a common
scale by implementing a set of transformation rules. This allows us to generate
appropriate evidence for assessing and finally prioritising the level of
adoption of analytical tools in four types of companies. A numerical example is
provided to clarify the form for implementing this methodology. A six-step
process is offered as a guideline to assist engineers, researchers or
practitioners interested in replicating this methodology in any situation where
there is a need to aggregate and transform multiple source data.


title:
Lateral critical Casimir force in two-dimensional inhomogeneous Ising
  strip. Exact results

abstract:
  We consider two-dimensional Ising strip bounded by two planar, inhomogeneous
walls. The inhomogeneity of each wall is modeled by a magnetic field acting on
surface spins. It is equal to $+h_1$ except for a group of $N_1$ sites where it
is equal to $-h_1$. The inhomogeneities of the upper and lower wall are shifted
with respect to each other by a lateral distance $L$. Using exact
diagonalization of the transfer matrix, we study both the lateral and normal
critical Casimir forces as well as magnetization profiles for a wide range of
temperatures and system parameters. The lateral critical Casimir force tends to
reduce the shift between the inhomogeneities, and the excess normal force is
attractive. Upon increasing the shift $L$ we observe, depending on the
temperature, three different scenarios of breaking of the capillary bridge of
negative magnetization connecting the inhomogeneities of the walls across the
strip. As long as there exists a capillary bridge in the system, the magnitude
of the excess total critical Casimir force is almost constant, with its
direction depending on $L$. By investigating the bridge morphologies we have
found a relation between the point at which the bridge breaks and the
inflection point of the force. We provide a simple argument that some of the
properties reported here should also hold for a whole range of different models
of the strip with the same type of inhomogeneity.


title: The Optical-Infrared Extinction Curve and its Variation in the Milky Way

abstract:
  The dust extinction curve is a critical component of many observational
programs and an important diagnostic of the physics of the interstellar medium.
Here we present new measurements of the dust extinction curve and its variation
towards tens of thousands of stars, a hundred-fold larger sample than in
existing detailed studies. We use data from the APOGEE spectroscopic survey in
combination with ten-band photometry from Pan-STARRS1, 2MASS, and WISE. We find
that the extinction curve in the optical through infrared is well characterized
by a one-parameter family of curves described by R(V). The extinction curve is
more uniform than suggested in past works, with sigma(R(V)) = 0.18, and with
less than one percent of sight lines having R(V) > 4. Our data and analysis
have revealed two new aspects of Galactic extinction: first, we find
significant, wide-area variations in R(V) throughout the Galactic plane. These
variations are on scales much larger than individual molecular clouds,
indicating that R(V) variations must trace much more than just grain growth in
dense molecular environments. Indeed, we find no correlation between R(V) and
dust column density up to E(B-V) ~ 2. Second, we discover a strong relationship
between R(V) and the far-infrared dust emissivity.