title:
W1J00 and W2J00: Results of the Observations made with the Six-inch
  Transit Circle 1977-1982 AND Results of Pole-to-Pole Observations made with
  the Six-inch and Seven-inch Transit Circles 1985-1996

abstract:
  The astronomical results contained in this publication represent a
continuation of previous work of the United States Naval Observatory Six-inch
and Seven-inch transit circles. The results are also the last from United
States Naval Observatory transit circles, since those instruments are no longer
in service.
  For the W1J00, we present the results of observations made with the Six-inch
Transit Circle in Washington, D.C., between September 1977 and July 1982. The
catalog, called W1J00, contains mean positions of 7267 stars, all but five are
north of -30 degrees declination, and 4383 observations of solar system
objects. Positions of stars are for mean epoch of observation, on equator and
equinox J2000.0. Positions of solar system objects are apparent places. Error
estimates are about 100 mas per coordinate for the majority of stars.
  For the W2J00, we present the results of observations made with the Six-inch
Transit Circle in Washington, D.C. and the Seven-inch Transit Circle at the
Black Birch station near Blenheim, New Zealand between April 1985 and February
1996. The catalog, called W2J00, contains mean positions of 44,395 globally
distributed stars, 5048 observations of the planets, and 6518 observations of
the brighter minor planets. Positions of stars are for mean epoch of
observation, on equator and equinox J2000.0. Positions of solar system objects
are apparent places. Error estimates are about 75 mas per coordinate for the
majority of stars.


title:
A feasibility study for a persistent homology based k-Nearest Neighbor
  search algorithm in melanoma detection

abstract:
  Persistent Homology is a fairly new branch of Computational Topology which
combines geometry and topology for an effective shape description of use in
Pattern Recognition. In particular it registers through "Betti Numbers" the
presence of holes and their persistence while a parameter ("filtering
function") is varied. In this paper, some recent developments in this field are
integrated in a k-Nearest Neighbor search algorithm suited for an automatic
retrieval of melanocytic lesions. Since long, dermatologists use five
morphological parameters (A = Asymmetry, B = Boundary, C = Color, D = Diameter,
E = Elevation or Evolution) for assessing the malignancy of a lesion. The
algorithm is based on a qualitative assessment of the segmented images by
computing both 1 and 2-dimensional Persistent Betti Numbers functions related
to the ABCDE parameters and to the internal texture of the lesion. The results
of a feasibility test on a set of 107 melanocytic lesions are reported in the
section dedicated to the numerical experiments.


title: Adversarial Feature Learning

abstract:
  The ability of the Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) framework to learn
generative models mapping from simple latent distributions to arbitrarily
complex data distributions has been demonstrated empirically, with compelling
results showing that the latent space of such generators captures semantic
variation in the data distribution. Intuitively, models trained to predict
these semantic latent representations given data may serve as useful feature
representations for auxiliary problems where semantics are relevant. However,
in their existing form, GANs have no means of learning the inverse mapping --
projecting data back into the latent space. We propose Bidirectional Generative
Adversarial Networks (BiGANs) as a means of learning this inverse mapping, and
demonstrate that the resulting learned feature representation is useful for
auxiliary supervised discrimination tasks, competitive with contemporary
approaches to unsupervised and self-supervised feature learning.


title: Quantifying entanglement of maximal dimension in bipartite mixed states

abstract:
  The Schmidt coefficients capture all entanglement properties of a pure
bipartite state and therefore determine its usefulness for quantum information
processing. While the quantification of the corresponding properties in mixed
states is important both from a theoretical and a practical point of view, it
is considerably more difficult, and methods beyond estimates for the
concurrence are elusive. In particular this holds for a quantitative assessment
of the most valuable resource, the maximum possible Schmidt number of an
arbitrary mixed state. We derive a framework for lower bounding the appropriate
measure of entanglement, the so-called G-concurrence, through few local
measurements. Moreover, we show that these bounds have relevant applications
also for multipartite states.


title: Fast approximate furthest neighbors with data-dependent hashing

abstract:
  We present a novel hashing strategy for approximate furthest neighbor search
that selects projection bases using the data distribution. This strategy leads
to an algorithm, which we call DrusillaHash, that is able to outperform
existing approximate furthest neighbor strategies. Our strategy is motivated by
an empirical study of the behavior of the furthest neighbor search problem,
which lends intuition for where our algorithm is most useful. We also present a
variant of the algorithm that gives an absolute approximation guarantee; to our
knowledge, this is the first such approximate furthest neighbor hashing
approach to give such a guarantee. Performance studies indicate that
DrusillaHash can achieve comparable levels of approximation to other algorithms
while giving up to an order of magnitude speedup. An implementation is
available in the mlpack machine learning library (found at
http://www.mlpack.org).


title: Enabling Distributed Optimization in Large-Scale Power Systems

abstract:
  Distributed optimization for solving non-convex Optimal Power Flow (OPF)
problems in power systems has attracted tremendous attention in the last
decade. Most studies are based on the geographical decomposition of IEEE test
systems for verifying the feasibility of the proposed approaches. However, it
is not clear if one can extrapolate from these studies that those approaches
can be applied to very large-scale real-world systems. In this paper, we show,
for the first time, that distributed optimization can be effectively applied to
a large-scale real transmission network, namely, the Polish 2383-bus system for
which no pre-defined partitions exist, by using a recently developed
partitioning technique. More specifically, the problem solved is the AC OPF
problem with geographical decomposition of the network using the Alternating
Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) method in conjunction with the
partitioning technique. Through extensive experimental results and analytical
studies, we show that with the presented partitioning technique the convergence
performance of ADMM can be improved substantially, which enables the
application of distributed approaches on very large-scale systems.


title: Dark fermions from the Standard Model via spin-charge separation

abstract:
  We study a new composite scenario of the lepton sector in the Standard Model
by a de-gauging procedure called spin-charge separation and propose that
leptons are bound states of some neutral fermions and Higgs bosons. Continuing
this procedure we may obtain more fundamental dark fermions. They become the
physical leptons by acquiring both charges and masses from some Higgs fields.


title:
Principal eigenvalues of fully nonlinear integro-differential elliptic
  equations with a drift term

abstract:
  We study existence of principal eigenvalues of fully nonlinear
integro-differential elliptic equations with a drift term via the Krein-Rutman
theorem which based on regularity up to boundary of viscosity solutions. We
also show the simplicity of the eigenfunctions in viscosity sense by a nonlocal
version of ABP estimate.


title:
Nominal values for selected solar and planetary quantities: IAU 2015
  Resolution B3

abstract:
  In this brief communication we provide the rationale for, and the outcome of
the International Astronomical Union (IAU) resolution vote at the XXIX-th
General Assembly in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2015, on recommended nominal
conversion constants for selected solar and planetary properties. The problem
addressed by the resolution is a lack of established conversion constants
between solar and planetary values and SI units: a missing standard has caused
a proliferation of solar values (e.g., solar radius, solar irradiance, solar
luminosity, solar effective temperature and solar mass parameter) in the
literature, with cited solar values typically based on best estimates at the
time of paper writing. As precision of observations increases, a set of
consistent values becomes increasingly important. To address this, an IAU
Working Group on Nominal Units for Stellar and Planetary Astronomy formed in
2011, uniting experts from the solar, stellar, planetary, exoplanetary and
fundamental astronomy, as well as from general standards fields to converge on
optimal values for nominal conversion constants. The effort resulted in the IAU
2015 Resolution B3, passed at the IAU General Assembly by a large majority. The
resolution recommends the use of nominal solar and planetary values, which are
by definition exact and are expressed in SI units. These nominal values should
be understood as conversion factors only, not as the true solar/planetary
properties or current best estimates. Authors and journal editors are urged to
join in using the standard values set forth by this resolution in future work
and publications to help minimize further confusion.


title: Local spin operators for fermion simulations

abstract:
  Digital quantum simulation of fermionic systems is important in the context
of chemistry and physics. Simulating fermionic models on general purpose
quantum computers requires imposing a fermionic algebra on spins. The
previously studied Jordan-Wigner and Bravyi-Kitaev transformations are two
techniques for accomplishing this task. Here we re-examine an auxiliary fermion
construction which maps fermionic operators to local operators on spins. The
local simulation is performed by relaxing the requirement that the number of
spins should match the number of fermionic modes. Instead, auxiliary modes are
introduced to enable non-consecutive fermionic couplings to be simulated with
constant low-rank tensor products on spins. We connect the auxiliary fermion
construction to other topological models and give examples of the construction.


title:
Transport in Out-of-Equilibrium XXZ Chains: Exact Profiles of Charges
  and Currents

abstract:
  We consider the non-equilibrium time evolution of piecewise homogeneous
states in the XXZ spin-1/2 chain, a paradigmatic example of an interacting
integrable model. The initial state can be thought as the result of joining
chains with different global properties. Through dephasing, at late times the
state becomes locally equivalent to a stationary state which explicitly depends
on position and time. We propose a kinetic theory of elementary excitations and
derive a continuity equation which fully characterizes the thermodynamics of
the model. We restrict ourselves to the gapless phase and consider cases where
the chains are prepared: 1) at different temperatures; 2) in the ground state
of two different models; 3) in the "domain wall" state. We find excellent
agreement (any discrepancy is within the numerical error) between theoretical
predictions and numerical simulations of time evolution based on TEBD
algorithms. As a corollary, we unveil an exact expression for the expectation
values of the charge currents in a generic stationary state.

categories: cond-mat.stat-mech math-ph math.MP quant-ph


title:
Critical current density and vortex pinning in tetragonal
  FeS$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$ ($x=0,0.06$)

abstract:
  We report critical current density ($J_c$) in tetragonal FeS single crystals,
similar to iron based superconductors with much higher superconducting critical
temperatures ($T_{c}$'s). The $J_c$ is enhanced 3 times by 6\% Se doping. We
observe scaling of the normalized vortex pinning force as a function of reduced
field at all temperatures. Vortex pinning in FeS and FeS$_{0.94}$Se$_{0.06}$
shows contribution of core-normal surface-like pinning. Reduced temperature
dependence of $J_c$ indicates that dominant interaction of vortex cores and
pinning centers is via scattering of charge carriers with reduced mean free
path ($\delta$$l$), in contrast to K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$ where spatial
variations in $T_{c}$ ($\delta$$T_{c}$) prevails.


title: Testing Hydrodynamics Schemes in Galaxy Disc Simulations

abstract:
  We examine how three fundamentally different numerical hydrodynamics codes
follow the evolution of an isothermal galactic disc with an external spiral
potential. We compare an adaptive mesh refinement code (RAMSES), a smoothed
particle hydrodynamics code (sphNG), and a volume-discretised meshless code
(GIZMO). Using standard refinement criteria, we find that RAMSES produces a
disc that is less vertically concentrated and does not reach such high
densities as the sphNG or GIZMO runs. The gas surface density in the spiral
arms increases at a lower rate for the RAMSES simulations compared to the other
codes. There is also a greater degree of substructure in the sphNG and GIZMO
runs and secondary spiral arms are more pronounced. By resolving the Jeans'
length with a greater number of grid cells we achieve more similar results to
the Lagrangian codes used in this study. Other alterations to the refinement
scheme (adding extra levels of refinement and refining based on local density
gradients) are less successful in reducing the disparity between RAMSES and
sphNG/GIZMO. Although more similar, sphNG displays different density
distributions and vertical mass profiles to all modes of GIZMO (including the
smoothed particle hydrodynamics version). This suggests differences also arise
which are not intrinsic to the particular method but rather due to its
implementation. The discrepancies between codes (in particular, the densities
reached in the spiral arms) could potentially result in differences in the
locations and timescales for gravitational collapse, and therefore impact star
formation activity in more complex galaxy disc simulations.


title: Graph isomorphism testing boosted by path coloring

abstract:
  A method for improving the efficiency of graph isomorphism testing is
presented. The method uses the structure of the graph colored by vertex hash
codes as a means of partitioning vertices into equivalence classes, which in
turn reduces the combinatorial burden of isomorphism testing. Unrolling the
graph into a tree at each vertex allows structurally different regular graphs
to be discriminated, a capability that the color refinement algorithm cannot
do.


title: Uncertain programming model for multi-item solid transportation problem

abstract:
  In this paper, an uncertain Multi-objective Multi-item Solid Transportation
Problem (MMSTP) based on uncertainty theory is presented. In the model,
transportation costs, supplies, demands and conveyances parameters are taken to
be uncertain parameters. There are restrictions on some items and conveyances
of the model. Therefore, some particular items cannot be transported by some
exceptional conveyances. Using the advantage of uncertainty theory, the MMSTP
is first converted into an equivalent deterministic MMSTP. By applying convex
combination method and minimizing distance function method, the deterministic
MMSTP is reduced into single objective programming problems. Thus, both single
objective programming problems are solved using Maple 18.02 optimization
toolbox. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the performance of
the models.


title: FormFlavor Manual

abstract:
  This manual describes the usage and structure of FormFlavor, a
Mathematica-based tool for computing a broad list of flavor and CP observables
in general new physics models. Based on the powerful machinery of FeynArts and
FormCalc, FormFlavor calculates the one-loop Wilson coefficients of the
dimension 5 and 6 Standard Model effective Lagrangian entirely from scratch.
These Wilson coefficients are then evolved down to the low scale using one-loop
QCD RGEs, where they are transformed into flavor and CP observables. The last
step is accomplished using a model-independent, largely stand-alone package
called FFObservables that is included with FormFlavor. The SM predictions in
FFObservables include up-to-date references and accurate current predictions.
Using the functions and modular structure provided by FormFlavor, it is
straightforward to add new observables. Currently, FormFlavor is set up to
perform these calculations for the general, non-MFV MSSM, but in principle it
can be generalized to arbitrary FeynArts models. FormFlavor and an up-to-date
manual can be downloaded from: http://formflavor.hepforge.org.


title: Lithium depletion is a strong test of core-envelope recoupling

abstract:
  Rotational mixing is a prime candidate for explaining the gradual depletion
of lithium from the photospheres of cool stars during the main sequence.
However, previous mixing calculations have relied primarily on treatments of
angular momentum transport in stellar interiors incompatible with solar and
stellar data, in the sense that they overestimate internal differential
rotation. Instead, recent studies suggest that stars are strongly
differentially rotating at young ages, but approach solid body rotation during
their lifetimes. We modify our rotating stellar evolution code to include an
additional source of angular momentum transport, a necessary ingredient for
explaining the open cluster rotation pattern, and examine the consequences for
mixing. We confirm that core-envelope recoupling with a $\sim$20 Myr timescale
is required to explain the evolution of the mean solar-mass rotation pattern
along the main sequence, and demonstrate that it also provides a more accurate
description of the Li depletion pattern seen in open clusters. Recoupling
produces a characteristic pattern of efficient mixing at early ages and little
mixing at late ages, thus predicting a flattening of Li depletion at a few Gyr,
in agreement with the observed late-time evolution. Using Li abundances, we
argue that the timescale for core-envelope recoupling during the main sequence
decreases sharply with increasing mass. We discuss implications of this finding
for stellar physics, including the viability of gravity waves and magnetic
fields as agents of angular momentum transport. We also raise the possibility
of intrinsic differences in initial conditions in star clusters, using M67 as
an example.


title: Measuring Turbulence in TW Hya with ALMA: Methods and Limitations

abstract:
  We obtain high spatial and spectral resolution images of the CO J=2-1, CN
N=2-1 and CS J=5-4 emission with ALMA in Cycle~2. The radial distribution of
the turbulent broadening is derived with three approaches: two `direct' and one
modelling. The first requires a single transition and derives \Tex{} directly
from the line profile, yielding a \vturb{}. The second assumes two different
molecules are co-spatial thus their relative linewidths allow for a calculation
of \Tkin{} and \vturb{}. Finally we fit a parametric disk model where physical
properties of the disk are described by power laws, to compare our `direct'
methods with previous values. The two direct methods were limited to the outer
$r > 40$~au disk due to beam smear. The direct method found \vturb{} ranging
from $\approx$~\vel{130} at 40~au, dropping to $\approx$~\vel{50} in the outer
disk, qualitatively recovered with the parametric model fitting. This
corresponds to roughly $0.2 - 0.4~c_s$. CN was found to exhibit strong non-LTE
effects outside $r \approx 140$~au, so \vturb{} was limited to within this
radius. The assumption that CN and CS are co-spatial is consistent with
observed linewidths only within $r \lesssim 100$~au, within which \vturb{} was
found to drop from \vel{100} ($\approx~0.4~c_s$) to nothing at 100~au. The
parametric model yielded a near constant \vel{50} for CS ($0.2 - 0.4~c_s$). We
demonstrate that absolute flux calibration is and will be the limiting factor
in all studies of turbulence using a single molecule. The magnitude of the
dispersion is comparable with or below that predicted by the magneto-rotational
instability theory. A more precise comparison would require to reach an
absolute calibration precision of order 3\%, or to find a suitable combination
of light and heavy molecules which are co-located in the disk.


title:
Radiative feedback and cosmic molecular gas: the role of different
  radiative sources

abstract:
  We present results from multifrequency radiative hydrodynamical chemistry
simulations addressing primordial star formation and related stellar feedback
from various populations of stars, stellar energy distributions (SEDs) and
initial mass functions. Spectra for massive stars, intermediate-mass stars and
regular solar-like stars are adopted over a grid of 150 frequency bins and
consistently coupled with hydrodynamics, heavy-element pollution and
non-equilibrium species calculations. Powerful massive population III stars are
found to be able to largely ionize H and, subsequently, He and He$^+$, causing
an inversion of the equation of state and a boost of the Jeans masses in the
early intergalactic medium. Radiative effects on star formation rates are
between a factor of a few and 1 dex, depending on the SED. Radiative processes
are responsible for gas heating and photoevaporation, although emission from
soft SEDs has minor impacts. These findings have implications for cosmic gas
preheating, primordial direct-collapse black holes, the build-up of "cosmic
fossils" such as low-mass dwarf galaxies, the role of AGNi during reionization,
the early formation of extended disks and angular-momentum catastrophe.


title:
Electric field control of magnon-induced magnetization dynamics in
  multiferroics

abstract:
  We consider theoretically the effect of an inhomogeneous magnetoelectric
coupling on the magnon-induced dynamics of a ferromagnet. The magnon-mediated
magnetoelectric torque affects both the homogeneous magnetization and
magnon-driven domain wall motion. In the domains, we predict a reorientation of
the magnetization, controllable by the applied electric field, which is almost
an order of magnitude larger than that observed in other physical systems via
the same mechanism. The applied electric field can also be used to tune the
domain wall speed and direction of motion in a linear fashion, producing domain
wall velocities several times the zero field velocity. These results show that
multiferroic systems offer a promising arena to achieve low-dissipation
magnetization rotation and domain wall motion by exciting spin-waves.


title:
A Tale of Two Tails: Exploring Stellar Populations in the Tidal Tails of
  NGC 3256

abstract:
  We have developed an observing program using deep, multiband imaging to probe
the chaotic regions of tidal tails in search of an underlying stellar
population, using NGC 3256's 400 Myr twin tidal tails as a case study. These
tails have different colours of $u - g = 1.05 \pm 0.07$ and $r - i = 0.13 \pm
0.07$ for NGC 3256W, and $u - g = 1.26 \pm 0.07$ and $r - i = 0.26 \pm 0.07$
for NGC 3256E, indicating different stellar populations. These colours
correspond to simple stellar population ages of $288^{+11}_{-54}$ Myr and
$841^{+125}_{-157}$ Myr for NGC 3256W and NGC 3256E, respectively, suggesting
NGC 3256W's diffuse light is dominated by stars formed after the interaction,
while light in NGC 3256E is primarily from stars that originated in the host
galaxy. Using a mixed stellar population model, we break our diffuse light into
two populations: one at 10 Gyr, representing stars pulled from the host
galaxies, and a younger component, whose age is determined by fitting the model
to the data. We find similar ages for the young populations of both tails,
($195^{-13}_{+0}$ and $170^{-70}_{+44}$ Myr for NGC 3256W and NGC 3256E,
respectively), but a larger percentage of mass in the 10 Gyr population for NGC
3256E ($98^{+1}_{-3}\%$ vs $90^{+5}_{-6}\%$). Additionally, we detect 31 star
cluster candidates in NGC 3256W and 19 in NGC 2356E, with median ages of 141
Myr and 91 Myr, respectively. NGC 3256E contains several young (< 10 Myr), low
mass objects with strong nebular emission, indicating a small, recent burst of
star formation.


title: Kinematic Downsizing at z~2

abstract:
  We present results from a survey of the internal kinematics of 49
star-forming galaxies at z$\,\sim\,$2 in the CANDELS fields with the
Keck/MOSFIRE spectrograph (SIGMA, Survey in the near-Infrared of Galaxies with
Multiple position Angles). Kinematics (rotation velocity $V_{rot}$ and
integrated gas velocity dispersion $\sigma_g$) are measured from nebular
emission lines which trace the hot ionized gas surrounding star-forming
regions. We find that by z$\,\sim\,$2, massive star-forming galaxies
($\log\,M_*/M_{\odot}\gtrsim10.2$) have assembled primitive disks: their
kinematics are dominated by rotation, they are consistent with a marginally
stable disk model, and they form a Tully-Fisher relation. These massive
galaxies have values of $V_{rot}/\sigma_g$ which are factors of 2-5 lower than
local well-ordered galaxies at similar masses. Such results are consistent with
findings by other studies. We find that low mass galaxies
($\log\,M_*/M_{\odot}\lesssim10.2$) at this epoch are still in the early stages
of disk assembly: their kinematics are often supported by gas velocity
dispersion and they fall from the Tully-Fisher relation to significantly low
values of $V_{rot}$. This "kinematic downsizing" implies that the process(es)
responsible for disrupting disks at z$\,\sim\,$2 have a stronger effect and/or
are more active in low mass systems. In conclusion, we find that the period of
rapid stellar mass growth at z$\,\sim\,$2 is coincident with the nascent
assembly of low mass disks and the assembly and settling of high mass disks.


title:
Well-posedness and Continuity Properties of the Fornberg-Whitham
  Equation in Besov Spaces

abstract:
  In this paper, we prove well-posedness of the Fornberg-Whitham equation in
Besov spaces $B_{2,r}^s$ in both the periodic and non-periodic cases. This will
imply the existence and uniqueness of solutions in the aforementioned spaces
along with the continuity of the data-to-solution map provided that the initial
data belongs to $B_{2,r}^s $. We also establish sharpness of continuity on the
data-to-solution map by showing that it is not uniformly continuous from any
bounded subset of $B_{2,r}^s$ to $C([-T,T]; B^s_{2,r})$. Furthermore, we prove
a Cauchy-Kowalevski type theorem for this equation that establishes the
existence and uniqueness of real analytic solutions and also provide blow-up
criterion for solutions.


title: Frankl's Conjecture for subgroup lattices

abstract:
  We show that the subgroup lattice of any finite group satisfies Frankl's
Union-Closed Conjecture. We show the same for all lattices with a modular
coatom, a family which includes all supersolvable and dually semimodular
lattices. A common technical result used to prove both may be of some
independent interest.


title: Response Theory of the Electron-Phonon Coupling

abstract:
  This article presents a systematic theoretical enquiry concerning the
conceptual foundations and the nature of phonon-mediated electron-electron
interactions. Starting from the fundamental many-body Hamiltonian, we propose a
simple scheme to decouple the electrons and nuclei of a crystalline solid via
effective interactions. These effective interactions, which we express in terms
of linear response functions, are completely symmetric under the exchange of
electrons and nuclei. Correspondingly, we derive concrete formulae for both the
effective electron interaction mediated by phonons and the effective core
interaction mediated by electrons. In particular, we rederive from our
fundamental ansatz the well-known general expressions of the effective
electron-electron interaction in terms of the elastic Green function and the
phonon dispersion relation. We further show that the effective core interaction
coincides in the instantaneous limit with the dynamical matrix as calculated in
electronic structure theory. If combined with the Kubo formalism, our general
formulae lend themselves to the calculation of effective interactions from
first principles. By showing the compatibility of our approach with the
functional integral formalism, this work also paves the way for the derivation
of ab initio initial interactions for functional renormalization group
applications.


title:
Highest Redshift Image of Neutral Hydrogen in Emission: A CHILES
  Detection of a Starbursting Galaxy at z=0.376

abstract:
  Our current understanding of galaxy evolution still has many uncertainties
associated with the details of accretion, processing, and removal of gas across
cosmic time. The next generation of radio telescopes will image the neutral
hydrogen (HI) in galaxies over large volumes at high redshifts, which will
provide key insights into these processes. We are conducting the COSMOS HI
Large Extragalactic Survey (CHILES) with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array,
which is the first survey to simultaneously observe HI from z=0 to z~0.5. Here,
we report the highest redshift HI 21-cm detection in emission to date of the
luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) COSMOS J100054.83+023126.2 at z=0.376 with the
first 178 hours of CHILES data. The total HI mass is
$(2.9\pm1.0)\times10^{10}~M_\odot$, and the spatial distribution is asymmetric
and extends beyond the galaxy. While optically the galaxy looks undisturbed,
the HI distribution suggests an interaction with candidate a candidate
companion. In addition, we present follow-up Large Millimeter Telescope CO
observations that show it is rich in molecular hydrogen, with a range of
possible masses of $(1.8-9.9)\times10^{10}~M_\odot$. This is the first study of
the HI and CO in emission for a single galaxy beyond z~0.2.


title:
Little evidence for entropy and energy excess beyond $r_{500}$ - An end
  to ICM preheating?

abstract:
  Non-gravitational feedback affects the nature of the intra-cluster medium
(ICM). X-ray cooling of the ICM and in situ energy feedback from AGN's and SNe
as well as {\it preheating} of the gas at epochs preceding the formation of
clusters are proposed mechanisms for such feedback. While cooling and AGN
feedbacks are dominant in cluster cores, the signatures of a preheated ICM are
expected to be present even at large radii. To estimate the degree of
preheating, with minimum confusion from AGN feedback/cooling, we study the
excess entropy and non-gravitational energy profiles upto $r_{200}$ for a
sample of 17 galaxy clusters using joint data sets of {\it Planck} SZ pressure
and {\it ROSAT/PSPC} gas density profiles. The canonical value of preheating
entropy floor of $\gtrsim 300$ keV cm$^2$, needed in order to match cluster
scalings, is ruled out at $\approx 3\sigma$. We also show that the feedback
energy of 1 keV/particle is ruled out at 5.2$\sigma$ beyond $r_{500}$. Our
analysis takes both non-thermal pressure and clumping into account which can be
important in outer regions. Our results based on the direct probe of the ICM in
the outermost regions do not support any significant preheating.


title:
Creating topological interfaces and detecting chiral edge modes in a 2D
  optical lattice

abstract:
  We propose and analyze a general scheme to create chiral topological edge
modes within the bulk of two-dimensional engineered quantum systems. Our method
is based on the implementation of topological interfaces, designed within the
bulk of the system, where topologically-protected edge modes localize and
freely propagate in a unidirectional manner. This scheme is illustrated through
an optical-lattice realization of the Haldane model for cold atoms, where an
additional spatially-varying lattice potential induces distinct topological
phases in separated regions of space. We present two realistic experimental
configurations, which lead to linear and radial-symmetric topological
interfaces, which both allows one to significantly reduce the effects of
external confinement on topological edge properties. Furthermore, the
versatility of our method opens the possibility of tuning the position, the
localization length and the chirality of the edge modes, through simple
adjustments of the lattice potentials. In order to demonstrate the unique
detectability offered by engineered interfaces, we numerically investigate the
time-evolution of wave packets, indicating how topological transport
unambiguously manifests itself within the lattice. Finally, we analyze the
effects of disorder on the dynamics of chiral and non-chiral states present in
the system. Interestingly, engineered disorder is shown to provide a powerful
tool for the detection of topological edge modes in cold-atom setups.


title: Giant Pulsar Glitches and the Inertia of Neutron-Star Crusts

abstract:
  Giant pulsar frequency glitches as detected in the emblematic Vela pulsar
have long been thought to be the manifestation of a neutron superfluid
permeating the inner crust of a neutron star. However, this superfluid has been
recently found to be entrained by the crust, and as a consequence it does not
carry enough angular momentum to explain giant glitches. The extent to which
pulsar-timing observations can be reconciled with the standard vortex-mediated
glitch theory is studied considering the current uncertainties on dense-matter
properties. To this end, the crustal moment of inertia of glitching pulsars is
calculated employing a series of different unified dense-matter equations of
state.


title: Higgs doublet decay as the origin of the baryon asymmetry

abstract:
  We consider a question which curiously had not been properly considered so
far: in the standard seesaw model what is the minimum value the mass of a
right-handed (RH) neutrino must have for allowing successful leptogenesis via
CP-violating decays? To answer this question requires to take into account a
number of thermal effects. We show that, for low RH neutrino masses and thanks
to these effects, leptogenesis turns out to proceed efficiently from the decay
of the Standard Model (SM) scalar doublet components into a RH neutrino and a
lepton. Such decays produce the asymmetry at low temperatures, slightly before
sphaleron decoupling. If the RH neutrino has thermalized prior from producing
the asymmetry, this mechanism turns out to lead to the bound $m_N>2$ GeV. If,
instead, the RH neutrinos have not thermalized, leptogenesis from these decays
is enhanced further and can be easily successful, even at lower scales. This
Higgs-decay leptogenesis new mechanism works without requiring an interplay of
flavor effects and/or cancellations of large Yukawa couplings in the neutrino
mass matrix. Last but not least, such a scenario turns out to be testable, from
direct production of the RH neutrino(s).


title:
Megamaser Disks Reveal a Broad Distribution of Black Hole Mass in Spiral
  Galaxies

abstract:
  We use new precision measurements of black hole masses from water megamaser
disks to investigate scaling relations between macroscopic galaxy properties
and supermassive black hole (BH) mass. The megamaser-derived BH masses span
10^6-10^8 M_sun, while all the galaxy properties that we examine (including
stellar mass, central mass density, central velocity dispersion) lie within a
narrow range. Thus, no galaxy property correlates tightly with M_BH in ~L*
spiral galaxies. Of them all, stellar velocity dispersion provides the tightest
relation, but at fixed sigma* the mean megamaser M_BH are offset by -0.6+/-0.1
dex relative to early-type galaxies. Spiral galaxies with non-maser dynamical
BH masses do not show this offset. At low mass, we do not yet know the full
distribution of BH mass at fixed galaxy property; the non-maser dynamical
measurements may miss the low-mass end of the BH distribution due to inability
to resolve the spheres of influence and/or megamasers may preferentially occur
in lower-mass BHs.


title:
Determining the Quantum Numbers of Simplified Models in $t\bar{t}X$
  production at the LHC

abstract:
  Simplified models provide an avenue for characterising and exploring New
Physics for large classes of UV theories. In this article we study the ability
of the LHC to probe the spin and parity quantum numbers of a new light
resonance $X$ which couples predominantly to the third generation quarks in a
variety of simplified models through the $t\bar t X$ channel. After evaluating
the LHC discovery potential for $X$, we suggest several kinematic variables
sensitive to the spin and CP properties of the new resonance. We show how an
analysis exploiting differential distributions in the semi-leptonic channel can
discriminate among various possibilities. We find that the potential to
discriminate a scalar from a pseudoscalar or (axial) vector to be particularly
promising.


title: On Hamiltonians for six-vertex models

abstract:
  In this paper, we explain a connection between a family of free-fermionic
six-vertex models and a discrete time evolution operator on one-dimensional
Fermionic Fock space. The family of ice models generalize those with domain
wall boundary, and we focus on two sets of Boltzmann weights whose partition
functions were previously shown to generalize a generating function identity of
Tokuyama. We produce associated Hamiltonians that recover these Boltzmann
weights, and furthermore calculate the partition functions using commutation
relations and elementary combinatorics. We give an expression for these
partition functions as determinants, akin to the Jacobi-Trudi identity for
Schur polynomials.


title:
Texture Synthesis Using Shallow Convolutional Networks with Random
  Filters

abstract:
  Here we demonstrate that the feature space of random shallow convolutional
neural networks (CNNs) can serve as a surprisingly good model of natural
textures. Patches from the same texture are consistently classified as being
more similar then patches from different textures. Samples synthesized from the
model capture spatial correlations on scales much larger then the receptive
field size, and sometimes even rival or surpass the perceptual quality of state
of the art texture models (but show less variability). The current state of the
art in parametric texture synthesis relies on the multi-layer feature space of
deep CNNs that were trained on natural images. Our finding suggests that such
optimized multi-layer feature spaces are not imperative for texture modeling.
Instead, much simpler shallow and convolutional networks can serve as the basis
for novel texture synthesis algorithms.


title:
Simulating radiative feedback and star cluster formation in GMCs: I.
  Dependence on gravitational boundedness

abstract:
  Radiative feedback is an important consequence of cluster formation in Giant
Molecular Clouds (GMCs) in which newly formed clusters heat and ionize their
surrounding gas. The process of cluster formation, and the role of radiative
feedback, has not been fully explored in different GMC environments. We present
a suite of simulations which explore how the initial gravitational boundedness,
and radiative feedback, affect cluster formation. We model the early evolution
($<$ 5 Myr) of turbulent, 10$^6$ M$_{\odot}$ clouds with virial parameters
ranging from 0.5 to 5. To model cluster formation, we use cluster sink
particles, coupled to a raytracing scheme, and a custom subgrid model which
populates a cluster via sampling an IMF with an efficiency of 20\% per freefall
time. We find that radiative feedback only decreases the cluster particle
formation efficiency by a few percent. The initial virial parameter plays a
much stronger role in limiting cluster formation, with a spread of cluster
formation efficiencies of 37\% to 71\% for the most unbound to the most bound
model. The total number of clusters increases while the maximum mass cluster
decreases with an increasing initial virial parameter, resulting in steeper
mass distributions. The star formation rates in our cluster particles are
initially consistent with observations but rise to higher values at late times.
This suggests that radiative feedback alone is not responsible for dispersing a
GMC over the first 5 Myr of cluster formation.


title:
HATS-25b through HATS-30b: A Half-dozen New Inflated Transiting Hot
  Jupiters from the HATSouth Survey

abstract:
  We report six new inflated hot Jupiters (HATS-25b through HATS-30b)
discovered using the HATSouth global network of automated telescopes. The
planets orbit stars with $V$ magnitudes in the range $\sim 12-14$ and have
masses in the largely populated $0.5M_J-0.7M_J$ region of parameter space but
span a wide variety of radii, from $1.17R_J$ to $1.75 R_J$. HATS-25b, HATS-28b,
HATS-29b and HATS-30b are typical inflated hot Jupiters ($R_p = 1.17-1.26R_J$)
orbiting G-type stars in short period ($P=3.2-4.6$ days) orbits. However,
HATS-26b ($R_p = 1.75R_J$, $P = 3.3024$ days) and HATS-27b ($R_p=1.50R_J$,
$P=4.6370$ days) stand out as highly inflated planets orbiting slightly evolved
F stars just after and in the turn-off points, respectively, which are among
the least dense hot Jupiters, with densities of $0.153$ g cm$^{-3}$ and $0.180$
g cm$^{-3}$, respectively. All the presented exoplanets but HATS-27b are good
targets for future atmospheric characterization studies, while HATS-27b is a
prime target for Rossiter-McLaughlin monitoring in order to determine its
spin-orbit alignment given the brightness ($V = 12.8$) and stellar rotational
velocity ($v \sin i \approx 9.3$ km/s) of the host star. These discoveries
significantly increase the number of inflated hot Jupiters known, contributing
to our understanding of the mechanism(s) responsible for hot Jupiter inflation.


title: New Circumstellar Structure in the T Tauri System

abstract:
  The immediate vicinity of T Tauri was observed with the new high-contrast
imaging instrument SPHERE at the VLT to resolve remaining mysteries of the
system, such as the putative small edge-on disk around T Tauri Sa, and the
assignment of the complex outflow patterns to the individual stars. We used
SPHERE IRDIS narrow-band classical imaging in Pa$\beta$, Br$\gamma$, and the
$\nu$ = 1-0 S(1) line of H$_2$, as well as in the nearby continua to obtain
high spatial resolution and high contrast images over the NIR spectral range.
Line maps were created by subtracting the nearby continuum. We also
re--analyzed coronagraphic data taken with SPHERE's integral field spectrograph
in $J$- and $H$-band with the goal to obtain a precise extinction estimate to T
Tauri Sb, and to verify the recently reported claim of another stellar or
substellar object in the system. A previously unknown coiling structure is
observed southwest of the stars in reflected light, which points to the
vicinity of T Tauri N. We map the circumbinary emission from T Tauri S in $J$-
and $H$-band scattered light for the first time, showing a morphology which
differs significantly from that observed in $K$-band. H$_2$ emission is found
southwest of the stars, near the coiling structure. We also detect the H$_2$
emitting region T Tauri NW. The motion of T Tauri NW with respect to T Tauri N
and S between previous images and our 2014 data, provides strong evidence that
the Southeast-Northwest outflow triggering T Tauri NW is likely to be
associated with T Tauri S. We further present accurate relative photometry of
the stars, confirming that T Tauri Sa is brightening again. Our analysis rules
out the presence of the recently proposed companion to T Tauri N with high
confidence.


title:
Implementing a Reverse Dictionary, based on word definitions, using a
  Node-Graph Architecture

abstract:
  In this paper, we outline an approach to build graph-based reverse
dictionaries using word definitions. A reverse dictionary takes a phrase as an
input and outputs a list of words semantically similar to that phrase. It is a
solution to the Tip-of-the-Tongue problem. We use a distance-based similarity
measure, computed on a graph, to assess the similarity between a word and the
input phrase. We compare the performance of our approach with the Onelook
Reverse Dictionary and a distributional semantics method based on word2vec, and
show that our approach is much better than the distributional semantics method,
and as good as Onelook, on a 3k lexicon. This simple approach sets a new
performance baseline for reverse dictionaries.


title:
Sustained eruptions on Enceladus explained by turbulent dissipation in
  tiger stripes

abstract:
  Spacecraft observations suggest that the plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus
draw water from a subsurface ocean, but the sustainability of conduits linking
ocean and surface is not understood. Observations show sustained (though
tidally modulated) fissure eruptions throughout each orbit, and since the 2005
discovery of the plumes. Peak plume flux lags peak tidal extension by $\sim$1
radian, suggestive of resonance. Here we show that a model of the tiger stripes
as tidally-flexed slots that puncture the ice shell can simultaneously explain
the persistence of the eruptions through the tidal cycle, the phase lag, and
the total power output of the tiger stripe terrain, while suggesting that the
eruptions are maintained over geological timescales. The delay associated with
flushing and refilling of \emph{O}(1) m-wide slots with ocean water causes
erupted flux to lag tidal forcing and helps to buttress slots against closure,
while tidally pumped in-slot flow leads to heating and mechanical disruption
that staves off slot freeze-out. Much narrower and much wider slots cannot be
sustained. In the presence of long-lived slots, the 10$^6$-yr average power
output of the tiger stripes is buffered by a feedback between ice melt-back and
subsidence to \emph{O}(10$^{10}$) W, which is similar to the observed power
output, suggesting long-term stability. Turbulent dissipation makes testable
predictions for the final flybys of Enceladus by the \emph{Cassini} spacecraft.
Our model shows how open connections to an ocean can be reconciled with, and
sustain, long-lived eruptions. Turbulent dissipation in long-lived slots helps
maintain the ocean against freezing, maintains access by future Enceladus
missions to ocean materials, and is plausibly the major energy source for tiger
stripe activity.


title:
Anisotropy-assisted non-scattering coherent absorption of surface
  plasmon-polaritons

abstract:
  The ability to control propagation of electromagnetic guided modes lies at
the heart of integrated nanophotonics. Surface plasmon-polaritons are a class
of guided modes which can be employed in integrated optical systems. Here, we
present a theoretical design of a coherent surface plasmon absorber which can
perfectly harvest energy of coherently incident surface plasmons without
parasitic scattering into free space modes. Excitation of free space modes
which usually accompanies scattering of a surface plasmon by an interface
boundary is avoided due to specially tailored anisotropy of the absorber. The
concept of coherent SPP absorber is analyzed numerically for spatially
non-uniform and finite-size structures. We believe that our results will be
important for the development of integrated nanoplasmonic systems.


title: Modified Energy Functionals and the NLS Approximation

abstract:
  We consider a model equation from [14] that captures important properties of
the water wave equation. We give a new proof of the fact that wave packet
solutions of this equation are approximated by the nonlinear Schrodinger
equation. This proof both simplifies and strengthens the results of [14] so
that the approximation holds for the full interval of existence of the
approximate NLS solution rather than just a subinterval. Furthermore, the proof
avoids the problems associated with inverting the normal form transform in [14]
by working with a modified energy functional motivated by [1] and [8].


title:
General approach to quantum channel impossibility by local operations
  and classical communication

abstract:
  We describe a general approach to proving the impossibility of implementing a
quantum channel by local operations and classical communication (LOCC), even
with an infinite number of rounds, and find that this can often be demonstrated
by solving a set of linear equations. The method also allows one to design an
LOCC protocol to implement the channel whenever such a protocol exists in any
finite number of rounds. Perhaps surprisingly, the computational expense for
analyzing LOCC channels is not much greater than that for LOCC measurements. We
apply the method to several examples, two of which provide numerical evidence
that the set of quantum channels that are not LOCC is not closed and that there
exist channels that can be implemented by LOCC either in one round or in three
rounds that are on the boundary of the set of all LOCC channels.
  Although every LOCC protocol must implement a separable quantum channel, it
is a very difficult task to determine whether or not a given channel is
separable. Fortunately, prior knowledge that the channel is separable is not
required for application of our method.


title: Single-electron tunneling in the fractional quantum Hall effect regime

abstract:
  A recent mean-field approach to the fractional quantum Hall effect (QHE) is
reviewed, with a special emphasis on the application to single-electron
tunneling through a quantum dot in a high magnetic field. The theory is based
on the adiabatic principle of Greiter and Wilczek, which maps an incompressible
state in the integer QHE on the fractional QHE. The single-particle
contribution to the addition spectrum is analyzed, for a quantum dot with a
parabolic confining potential. The spectrum is shown to be related to the
Fock-Darwin spectrum in the integer QHE, upon substitution of the electron
charge by the fractional quasiparticle charge. Implications for the periodicity
of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the conductance are discussed.


title:
Impact of Power System Partitioning on the Efficiency of Distributed
  Multi-Step Optimization

abstract:
  Recent studies have shown that multi-step optimization based on Model
Predictive Control (MPC) can effectively coordinate the increasing number of
distributed renewable energy and storage resources in the power system.
However, the computation complexity of MPC is usually high which limits its use
in practical implementation. To improve the efficiency of MPC, in this paper,
we apply a distributed optimization method to MPC. The approach consists of a
partitioning technique based on spectral clustering that determines the best
system partition and an improved Optimality Condition Decomposition method that
solves the optimization problem in a distributed manner. Results of simulations
conducted on the IEEE 14-bus and 118-bus systems show that the distributed MPC
problem can be solved significantly faster by using a good partition of the
system and this partition is applicable to multiple time steps without frequent
changes.


title: Teaching dimension, VC dimension, and critical sets in Latin squares

abstract:
  A critical set in an $n \times n$ Latin square is a minimal set of entries
that uniquely identifies it among all Latin squares of the same size. It is
conjectured by Nelder in 1979, and later independently by Mahmoodian, and Bate
and van Rees that the size of the smallest critical set is $\lfloor
n^2/4\rfloor$. We prove a lower-bound of $n^2/10^4$ for sufficiently large $n$,
and thus confirm the quadratic order predicted by the conjecture. We prove a
lower-bound of $n^2/10^4$ for sufficiently large $n$, and thus confirm the
quadratic order predicted by the conjecture. This improves a recent lower-bound
of $\Omega(n^{3/2})$ due to Cavenagh and Ramadurai.
  From the point of view of computational learning theory, the size of the
smallest critical set corresponds to the minimum teaching dimension of the set
of Latin squares. We study two related notions of dimension from learning
theory. We prove a lower-bound of $n^2-(e+o(1))n^{5/3}$ for both of the
VC-dimension and the recursive teaching dimension.


title: Generalized Pseudolikelihood Methods for Inverse Covariance Estimation

abstract:
  We introduce PseudoNet, a new pseudolikelihood-based estimator of the inverse
covariance matrix, that has a number of useful statistical and computational
properties. We show, through detailed experiments with synthetic and also
real-world finance as well as wind power data, that PseudoNet outperforms
related methods in terms of estimation error and support recovery, making it
well-suited for use in a downstream application, where obtaining low estimation
error can be important. We also show, under regularity conditions, that
PseudoNet is consistent. Our proof assumes the existence of accurate estimates
of the diagonal entries of the underlying inverse covariance matrix; we
additionally provide a two-step method to obtain these estimates, even in a
high-dimensional setting, going beyond the proofs for related methods. Unlike
other pseudolikelihood-based methods, we also show that PseudoNet does not
saturate, i.e., in high dimensions, there is no hard limit on the number of
nonzero entries in the PseudoNet estimate. We present a fast algorithm as well
as screening rules that make computing the PseudoNet estimate over a range of
tuning parameters tractable.


title:
Environment Identification in Flight using Sparse Approximation of Wing
  Strain

abstract:
  This paper addresses the problem of identifying different flow environments
from sparse data collected by wing strain sensors. Insects regularly perform
this feat using a sparse ensemble of noisy strain sensors on their wing. First,
we obtain strain data from numerical simulation of a Manduca sexta hawkmoth
wing undergoing different flow environments. Our data-driven method learns
low-dimensional strain features originating from different aerodynamic
environments using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes in the frequency
domain, and leverages sparse approximation to classify a set of strain
frequency signatures using a dictionary of POD modes. This bio-inspired machine
learning architecture for dictionary learning and sparse classification permits
fewer costly physical strain sensors while being simultaneously robust to
sensor noise. A measurement selection algorithm identifies frequencies that
best discriminate the different aerodynamic environments in low-rank POD
feature space. In this manner, sparse and noisy wing strain data can be
exploited to robustly identify different aerodynamic environments encountered
in flight, providing insight into the stereotyped placement of neurons that act
as strain sensors on a Manduca sexta hawkmoth wing.


title:
The Reflectivity of Mars at 1064 nm: Derivation from Mars Orbiter Laser
  Altimeter Data and Application to Climatology and Meteorology

abstract:
  The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on board Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
made $> 10^{8}$ measurements of the reflectivity of Mars at 1064 nm
($R_{1064}$) by both active sounding and passive radiometry. Past studies of
$R_{1064}$ neglected the effects of atmospheric opacity and viewing geometry on
both active and passive measurements and also identified a potential
calibration issue with passive radiometry. Therefore, as yet, there exists no
acceptable reference $R_{1064}$ to derive a column opacity product for
atmospheric studies and planning future orbital lidar observations. Here, such
a reference $R_{1064}$ is derived by seeking $R^{M,N}_{1064}$: a
Minnaert-corrected normal albedo under clear conditions and assuming minimal
phase angle dependence. Over darker surfaces, $R^{M,N}_{1064}$ and the absolute
level of atmospheric opacity were estimated from active sounding. Over all
surfaces, the opacity derived from active sounding was used to exclude passive
radiometry measurements made under opaque conditions and estimate
$R^{M,N}_{1064}$. These latter estimates then were re-calibrated by comparison
with $R^{M,N}$ derived from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations over
areas of approximately uniform reflectivity. Estimates of $R^{M,N}_{1064}$ from
re-calibrated passive radiometry typically agree with HST observations within
10%. The resulting $R^{M,N}_{1064}$ is then used to derive and quantify the
uncertainties of a column opacity product, which can be applied to
meteorological and climatological studies of Mars, particularly to detect and
measure mesoscale cloud/aerosol structures.


title:
Sampling methods for the quasistationary regime of epidemic processes on
  regular and complex networks

abstract:
  A major hurdle in the simulation of the steady state of epidemic processes is
that the system will unavoidably visit an absorbing, disease-free state at
sufficiently long times due to the finite size of the networks where epidemics
evolves. In the present work, we compare different quasistationary (QS)
simulation methods where the absorbing states are suitably handled and the
thermodynamical limit of the original dynamics can be achieved. We analyze the
standard QS (SQS) method, where the sampling is constrained to active
configurations, the reflecting boundary condition (RBC), where the dynamics
returns to the pre-absorbing configuration, and hub reactivation (HR), where
the most connected vertex of the network is reactivated after a visit to an
absorbing state. We apply the methods to the contact process (CP) and
susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) models on regular and scale free
networks. The investigated methods yield the same epidemic threshold for both
models. For CP, that undergoes a standard collective phase transition, the
methods are equivalent. For SIS, whose phase transition is ruled by the hub
mutual reactivation, the SQS and HR methods are able to capture localized
epidemic phases while RBC is not. We also apply the auto-correlation time as a
tool to characterize the phase transition and observe that this analysis
provides the same finite-size scaling exponents for the critical relaxation
time for the investigated methods. Finally, we verify the equivalence between
RBC method and a weak external field for epidemics on networks.


title:
Nonnegative tensor factorization with frequency modulation cues for
  blind audio source separation

abstract:
  We present Vibrato Nonnegative Tensor Factorization, an algorithm for
single-channel unsupervised audio source separation with an application to
separating instrumental or vocal sources with nonstationary pitch from music
recordings. Our approach extends Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for audio
modeling by including local estimates of frequency modulation as cues in the
separation. This permits the modeling and unsupervised separation of vibrato or
glissando musical sources, which is not possible with the basic matrix
factorization formulation.
  The algorithm factorizes a sparse nonnegative tensor comprising the audio
spectrogram and local frequency-slope-to-frequency ratios, which are estimated
at each time-frequency bin using the Distributed Derivative Method. The use of
local frequency modulations as separation cues is motivated by the principle of
common fate partial grouping from Auditory Scene Analysis, which hypothesizes
that each latent source in a mixture is characterized perceptually by coherent
frequency and amplitude modulations shared by its component partials. We derive
multiplicative factor updates by Minorization-Maximization, which guarantees
convergence to a local optimum by iteration. We then compare our method to the
baseline on two separation tasks: one considers synthetic vibrato notes, while
the other considers vibrato string instrument recordings.


title: A characterization of some projective special linear groups

abstract:
  In this paper, we show that projective special linear groups $S:=L_3(q)$ with
$q$ less than $100$ are uniquely determined by their orders and degree patterns
of their prime graphs. Indeed, we prove that if $G$ is a finite group whose
order and degree pattern of its prime graph is the same as the order and the
degree pattern of $S$, then $G$ is isomorphic to $S$.


title:
Deep HST/STIS Visible-Light Imaging of Debris Systems around Solar
  Analog Hosts

abstract:
  We present new Hubble Space Telescope observations of three a priori known
starlight-scattering circumstellar debris systems (CDSs) viewed at intermediate
inclinations around nearby close-solar analog stars: HD 207129, HD 202628, and
HD 202917. Each of these CDSs possesses ring-like components that are
more-massive analogs of our solar system's Edgeworth- Kuiper belt. These
systems were chosen for follow-up observations to provide higher-fidelity and
better sensitivity imaging for the sparse sample of solar-analog CDSs that
range over two decades in systemic ages with HD 202628 and HD 202917 (both ~
2.3 Gyr) currently the oldest CDSs imaged in visible or near-IR light. These
deep (10 - 14 ksec) observations, with six-roll point-spread-function template
subtracted visible-light coronagraphy using the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph, were designed to better reveal their angularly large, diffuse/low
surface brightness, debris rings, and for all targets probe their exo-ring
environments for starlight-scattering materials that present observational
challenges for current ground-based facilities and instruments.
Contemporaneously also observing with a narrower occulter position, these
observations additionally probe the CDS endo-ring environments seen to be
relatively devoid of scatterers. We discuss the morphological, geometrical, and
photometric properties of these CDSs also in the context of other FGK-star
hosted CDSs we have previously imaged as a homogeneously observed ensemble.
From this combined sample we report a general decay in quiescent disk
F_disk/F_star optical brightness ~ t^-0.8, similar to what is seen in at
thermal IR wavelengths, and CDSs with a significant diversity in scattering
phase asymmetries, and spatial distributions of their starlight-scattering
grains.


title: Rigid ideals

abstract:
  An ideal $I$ on a cardinal $\kappa$ is called \emph{rigid} if all
automorphisms of $P(\kappa)/I$ are trivial. An ideal is called
\emph{$\mu$-minimal} if whenever $G\subseteq P(\kappa)/I$ is generic and $X\in
P(\mu)^{V[G]}\setminus V$, it follows that $V[X]=V[G]$. We prove that the
existence of a rigid saturated $\mu$-minimal ideal on $\mu^+$, where $\mu$ is a
regular cardinal, is consistent relative to the existence of large cardinals.
The existence of such an ideal implies that GCH fails. However, we show that
the existence of a rigid saturated ideal on $\mu^+$, where $\mu$ is an
\emph{uncountable} regular cardinal, is consistent with GCH relative to the
existence of an almost-huge cardinal. Addressing the case $\mu=\omega$, we show
that the existence of a rigid \emph{presaturated} ideal on $\omega_1$ is
consistent with CH relative to the existence of an almost-huge cardinal. The
existence of a \emph{precipitous} rigid ideal on $\mu^+$ where $\mu$ is an
uncountable regular cardinal is equiconsistent with the existence of a
measurable cardinal.


title: Finite groups of the same type as Suzuki groups

abstract:
  For a finite group $G$ and a positive integer $n$, let $G(n)$ be the set of
all elements in $G$ such that $x^{n}=1$. The groups $G$ and $H$ are said to be
of the same (order) type if $G(n)=H(n)$, for all $n$. The main aim of this
paper is to show that if $G$ is a finite group of the same type as Suzuki
groups $Sz(q)$, where $q=2^{2m+1}\geq 8$, then $G$ is isomorphic to $Sz(q)$.
This addresses the well-known J. G. Thompson's problem (1987) for simple
groups.


title: ReconMap: An interactive visualisation of human metabolism

abstract:
  A genome-scale reconstruction of human metabolism, Recon 2, is available but
no interface exists to interactively visualise its content integrated with
omics data and simulation results. We manually drew a comprehensive map,
ReconMap 2.0, that is consistent with the content of Recon 2. We present it
within a web interface that allows content query, visualization of custom
datasets and submission of feedback to manual curators. ReconMap can be
accessed via http://vmh.uni.lu, with network export in a Systems Biology
Graphical Notation compliant format. A Constraint-Based Reconstruction and
Analysis (COBRA) Toolbox extension to interact with ReconMap is available via
https://github.com/opencobra/cobratoolbox.


title:
The Detailed Science Case for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer: the
  Composition and Dynamics of the Faint Universe

abstract:
  MSE is an 11.25m aperture observatory with a 1.5 square degree field of view
that will be fully dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy. More than 3200
fibres will feed spectrographs operating at low (R ~ 2000 - 3500) and moderate
(R ~ 6000) spectral resolution, and approximately 1000 fibers will feed
spectrographs operating at high (R ~ 40000) resolution. MSE is designed to
enable transformational science in areas as diverse as tomographic mapping of
the interstellar and intergalactic media; the in-situ chemical tagging of thick
disk and halo stars; connecting galaxies to their large scale structure;
measuring the mass functions of cold dark matter sub-halos in galaxy and
cluster-scale hosts; reverberation mapping of supermassive black holes in
quasars; next generation cosmological surveys using redshift space distortions
and peculiar velocities. MSE is an essential follow-up facility to current and
next generations of multi-wavelength imaging surveys, including LSST, Gaia,
Euclid, WFIRST, PLATO, and the SKA, and is designed to complement and go beyond
the science goals of other planned and current spectroscopic capabilities like
VISTA/4MOST, WHT/WEAVE, AAT/HERMES and Subaru/PFS. It is an ideal feeder
facility for E-ELT, TMT and GMT, and provides the missing link between wide
field imaging and small field precision astronomy. MSE is optimized for high
throughput, high signal-to-noise observations of the faintest sources in the
Universe with high quality calibration and stability being ensured through the
dedicated operational mode of the observatory. (abridged)


title:
Meridian Surfaces with Constant Mean Curvature in Pseudo-Euclidean
  4-space with Neutral Metric

abstract:
  In the present paper we consider a special class of Lorentz surfaces in the
four-dimensional pseudo-Euclidean space with neutral metric which are
one-parameter systems of meridians of rotational hypersurfaces with timelike or
spacelike axis and call them meridian surfaces. We give the complete
classification of minimal and quasi-minimal meridian surfaces. We also classify
the meridian surfaces with non-zero constant mean curvature.


title: Foliations with all non-closed leaves on non-compact surfaces

abstract:
  Let $X$ be a connected non-compact $2$-dimensional manifold possibly with
boundary and $\Delta$ be a foliation on $X$ such that each leaf
$\omega\in\Delta$ is homeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}$ and has a trivially foliated
neighborhood. Such foliations on the plane were studied by W. Kaplan who also
gave their topological classification. He proved that the plane splits into a
family of open strips foliated by parallel lines and glued along some boundary
intervals. However W. Kaplan's construction depends on a choice of those
intervals, and a foliation is described in a non-unique way. We propose a
canonical cutting by open strips which gives a uniqueness of classifying
invariant. We also describe topological types of closures of those strips under
additional assumptions on $\Delta$.


title: The Exception that Improves the Rule

abstract:
  The database community has developed numerous tools and techniques for data
curation and exploration, from declarative languages, to specialized techniques
for data repair, and more. Yet, there is currently no consensus on how to best
expose these powerful tools to an analyst in a simple, intuitive, and above
all, flexible way. Thus, analysts continue to rely on tools such as
spreadsheets, imperative languages, and notebook style programming environments
like Jupyter for data curation. In this work, we explore the integration of
spreadsheets, notebooks, and relational databases. We focus on a key advantage
that both spreadsheets and imperative notebook environments have over classical
relational databases: ease of exception. By relying on set-at-a-time
operations, relational databases sacrifice the ability to easily define
singleton operations, exceptions to a normal data processing workflow that
affect query processing for a fixed set of explicitly targeted records. In
comparison, a spreadsheet user can easily change the formula for just one cell,
while a notebook user can add an imperative operation to her notebook that
alters an output 'view'. We believe that enabling such idiosyncratic manual
transformations in a classical relational database is critical for curation, as
curation operations that are easy to declare for individual values can often be
extremely challenging to generalize. We explore the challenges of enabling
singletons in relational databases, propose a hybrid spreadsheet/relational
notebook environment for data curation, and present our vision of Vizier, a
system that exposes data curation through such an interface.


title:
Meridian Surfaces with Parallel Normalized Mean Curvature Vector Field
  in Pseudo-Euclidean 4-space with Neutral Metric

abstract:
  We construct a special class of Lorentz surfaces in the pseudo-Euclidean
4-space with neutral metric which are one-parameter systems of meridians of
rotational hypersurfaces with timelike or spacelike axis and call them meridian
surfaces. We give the complete classification of the meridian surfaces with
parallel mean curvature vector field. We also classify the meridian surfaces
with parallel normalized mean curvature vector. We show that in the family of
the meridian surfaces there exist Lorentz surfaces which have parallel
normalized mean curvature vector field but not parallel mean curvature vector.


title: Stochastic Lag Time in Nucleated Linear Self-Assembly

abstract:
  Protein aggregation is of great importance in biology, e.g., in amyloid
fibrillation. The aggregation processes that occur at the cellular scale must
be highly stochastic in nature because of the statistical number fluctuations
that arise on account of the small system size at the cellular scale. We study
the nucleated reversible self-assembly of monomeric building blocks into
polymer-like aggregates using the method of kinetic Monte Carlo. Kinetic Monte
Carlo, being inherently stochastic, allows us to study the impact of
fluctuations on the polymerisation reactions. One of the most important
characteristic features in this kind of problem is the existence of a lag phase
before self-assembly takes off, which is what we focus attention on. We study
the associated lag time as a function of the system size and kinetic pathway.
We find that the leading order stochastic contribution to the lag time before
polymerisation commences is inversely proportional to the system volume for
large-enough system size for all nine reaction pathways tested. Finite-size
corrections to this do depend on the kinetic pathway.


title: On quantitative structure of small Ree groups

abstract:
  The main aim of this article is to study quantitative structure of small Ree
Groups $^{2}G_{2}(q)$. Here, we prove that small Ree groups are uniquely
determined by their orders and the set of the number of elements of the same
order. As a consequence, we give a positive answer to J. G. Thompson's problem
for simple groups $^{2}G_{2}(q)$.


title: Purcell effect at metal-insulator transitions

abstract:
  We investigate the spontaneous emission rate of a two-level quantum emitter
next to a composite medium made of randomly distributed metallic inclusions
embedded in a dielectric host matrix. In the near-field, the Purcell factor can
be enhanced by two-orders of magnitude relative to the case of an homogeneous
metallic medium, and reaches its maximum precisely at the insulator-metal
transition. By unveiling the role of the decay pathways on the emitter's
lifetime, we demonstrate that, close to the percolation threshold, the
radiation emission process is dictated by electromagnetic absorption in the
heterogeneous medium. We show that our findings are robust against change in
material properties, shape of inclusions, and apply for different effective
medium theories as well as for a wide range of transition frequencies.


title: Uncertainty Principles for Kac Algebras

abstract:
  In this paper, we introduce the notation of bi-shift of biprojections in
subfactor theory to unimodular Kac algebras. We characterize the minimizers of
Hirschman-Beckner uncertainty principle and Donoho-Stark uncertainty principle
for unimodular Kac algebras with biprojections and prove Hardy's uncertainty
principle in terms of minimizers.


title: Rotation in the Pleiades with K2: I. Data and First Results

abstract:
  Young (125 Myr), populous ($>$1000 members), and relatively nearby, the
Pleiades has provided an anchor for stellar angular momentum models for both
younger and older stars. We used K2 to explore the distribution of rotation
periods in the Pleiades. With more than 500 new periods for Pleiades members,
we are vastly expanding the number of Pleiads with periods, particularly at the
low mass end. About 92\% of the members in our sample have at least one
measured spot-modulated rotation period. For the $\sim$8\% of the members
without periods, non-astrophysical effects often dominate (saturation, etc.),
such that periodic signals might have been detectable, all other things being
equal. We now have an unusually complete view of the rotation distribution in
the Pleiades. The relationship between $P$ and $(V-K_{\rm s})_0$ follows the
overall trends found in other Pleiades studies. There is a slowly rotating
sequence for $1.1\lesssim(V-K_{\rm s})_0\lesssim 3.7$, and a primarily rapidly
rotating population for $(V-K_{\rm s})_0\gtrsim 5.0$. There is a region in
which there seems to be a disorganized relationship between $P$ and $(V-K_{\rm
s})_0$ for $3.7 \lesssim(V-K_{\rm s})_0\lesssim 5.0$. Paper II continues the
discussion, focusing on multi-period structures, and Paper III speculates about
the origin and evolution of the period distribution in the Pleiades.


title:
The ionizing photon production efficiency of compact z~0.3 Lyman
  continuum leakers and comparison with high redshift galaxies

abstract:
  We have recently discovered five Lyman continuum leaking galaxies at z~0.3,
selected for their compactness, intense star-formation, and high [OIII]/[OII]
ratio (Izotov et al. 2016ab). Here we derive their ionizing photon production
efficiency, a fundamental quantity for inferring the number of photons
available to reionize the Universe, for the first time for galaxies with
confirmed strong Lyman continuum escape (fesc~6-13%). We find an ionizing
photon production per unit UV luminosity, which is a factor 2-6 times higher
than the canonical value when reported to their observed UV luminosity. After
correction for extinction this value is close to the canonical value. The
properties of our five Lyman continuum leakers are found to be very similar to
those of the confirmed z=3.218 leaker Ion2 from de Barros et al. (2016) and
very similar to those of typical star-forming galaxies at z>~6. Our results
suggest that UV bright galaxies at high-z such as Lyman break galaxies can be
Lyman continuum leakers and that their contribution to cosmic reionization may
be underestimated.


title:
Reliable and efficient solution of genome-scale models of Metabolism and
  macromolecular Expression

abstract:
  Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) is currently the only
methodology that permits integrated modeling of Metabolism and macromolecular
Expression (ME) at genome-scale. Linear optimization computes steady-state flux
solutions to ME models, but flux values are spread over many orders of
magnitude. Standard double-precision solvers may return inaccurate solutions or
report that no solution exists. Exact simplex solvers are extremely slow and
hence not practical for ME models that currently have 70,000 constraints and
variables and will grow larger. We have developed a quadruple-precision version
of our linear and nonlinear optimizer MINOS, and a solution procedure (DQQ)
involving Double and Quad MINOS that achieves efficiency and reliability for ME
models. DQQ enables extensive use of large, multiscale, linear and nonlinear
models in systems biology and many other applications.


title: Rotation in the Pleiades with K2: II. Multi-Period Stars

abstract:
  We use K2 to continue the exploration of the distribution of rotation periods
in Pleiades that we began in Paper I. We have discovered complicated
multi-period behavior in Pleiades stars using these K2 data, and we have
grouped them into categories, which are the focal part of this paper. About 24%
of the sample has multiple, real frequencies in the periodogram, sometimes
manifesting as obvious beating in the light curves. Those having complex and/or
structured periodogram peaks, unresolved multiple periods, and resolved close
multiple periods are likely due to spot/spot group evolution and/or latitudinal
differential rotation; these largely compose the slowly rotating sequence in
$P$ vs.~$(V-K_{\rm s})_0$ identified in Paper I. The fast sequence in $P$
vs.~$(V-K_{\rm s})_0$ is dominated by single-period stars; these are likely to
be rotating as solid bodies. Paper III continues the discussion, speculating
about the origin and evolution of the period distribution in the Pleiades.


title:
Extending the memory times of trapped-ion qubits with error correction
  and global entangling operations

abstract:
  The technical demands to perform quantum error correction are considerable.
The task requires the preparation of a many-body entangled state, together with
the ability to make parity measurements over subsets of the physical qubits of
the system to detect errors. Here we propose two trapped-ion experiments to
realise error-correcting codes of variable size to protect a single encoded
qubit from dephasing errors. Novel to our schemes is the use of a global
entangling phase gate, which could be implemented in both Penning traps and
Paul traps. We make use of this entangling operation to significantly reduce
the experimental complexity of state preparation and syndrome measurements. We
also show, in our second scheme, that storage times can be increased further by
repeatedly teleporting the logical information between two codes supported by
the same ion Coulomb crystal to learn information about the locations of
errors. We estimate that a logical qubit encoded in such a crystal will
maintain high coherence for times more than an order of magnitude longer than
each physical qubit would.


title:
Rotation in the Pleiades With K2: III. Speculations on Origins and
  Evolution

abstract:
  We use high quality K2 light curves for hundreds of stars in the Pleiades to
understand better the angular momentum evolution and magnetic dynamos of young,
low mass stars. The K2 light curves provide not only rotational periods but
also detailed information from the shape of the phased light curve not
available in previous studies. A slowly rotating sequence begins at $(V-K_{\rm
s})_0\sim$1.1 (spectral type F5) and ends at $(V-K_{\rm s})_0\sim$ 3.7
(spectral type K8), with periods rising from $\sim$2 to $\sim$11 days in that
interval. Fifty-two percent of the Pleiades members in that color interval have
periods within 30\% of a curve defining the slow sequence; the slowly rotating
fraction decreases significantly redward of $(V-K_{\rm s})_0$=2.6. Nearly all
of the slow-sequence stars show light curves that evolve significantly on
timescales less than the K2 campaign duration. The majority of the FGK Pleiades
members identified as photometric binaries are relatively rapidly rotating,
perhaps because binarity inhibits star-disk angular momentum loss mechanisms
during pre-main sequence evolution. The fully convective, late M dwarf Pleiades
members (5.0 $<(V-K_{\rm s})_0<$ 6.0) nearly always show stable light curves,
with little spot evolution or evidence of differential rotation. During PMS
evolution from $\sim$3 Myr (NGC2264 age) to $\sim$125 Myr (Pleiades age), stars
of 0.3 $M_{\odot}$ shed about half their angular momentum, with the fractional
change in period between 3 and 125 Myr being nearly independent of mass for
fully convective stars. Our data also suggest that very low mass binaries form
with rotation periods more similar to each other and faster than would be true
if drawn at random from the parent population of single stars.


title: How to avoid ethically relevant Machine Consciousness

abstract:
  This paper discusses the root cause of systems perceiving the self experience
and how to exploit adaptive and learning features without introducing ethically
problematic system properties.


title: The emergence of quantum capacitance in epitaxial graphene

abstract:
  We found an intrinsic redistribution of charge arises between epitaxial
graphene, which has intrinsically n-type doping, and an undoped substrate. In
particular, we studied in detail epitaxial graphene layers thermally elaborated
on C-terminated $4H$-$SiC$ ($4H$-$SiC$ ($000{\bar{1}}$)). We have investigated
the charge distribution in graphene-substrate systems using Raman spectroscopy.
The influence of the substrate plasmons on the longitudinal optical phonons of
the $SiC$ substrates has been detected. The associated charge redistribution
reveals the formation of a capacitance between the graphene and the substrate.
Thus, we give for the first time direct evidence that the excess negative
charge in epitaxial monolayer graphene could be self-compensated by the $SiC$
substrate without initial doping. This induced a previously unseen
redistribution of the charge-carrier density at the substrate-graphene
interface. There a quantum capacitor appears, without resorting to any
intentional external doping, as is fundamentally required for epitaxial
graphene. Although we have determined the electric field existing inside the
capacitor and revealed the presence of a minigap ($\approx 4.3meV$) for
epitaxial graphene on $4H$-$SiC$ face terminated carbon, it remains small in
comparison to that obtained for graphene on face terminated $Si$. The
fundamental electronic properties found here in graphene on $SiC$ substrates
may be important for developing the next generation of quantum technologies and
electronic/plasmonic devices.


title: A concise overview of the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer

abstract:
  This short document is intended as a companion and introduction to the
Detailed Science Case (DSC) for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer. It
provides a concise summary of the essential characteristics of MSE from the
perspective of the international astronomical community. MSE is a wide field
telescope (1.5 square degree field of view) with an aperture of 11.25m. It is
dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy at several different spectral
resolutions in the range R ~ 2500 - 40000 over a broad wavelength range (0.36 -
1.8{\mu}m). MSE will enable transformational science in areas as diverse as
exoplanetary host characterization; stellar monitoring campaigns; tomographic
mapping of the interstellar and intergalactic media; the in-situ chemical
tagging of the distant Galaxy; connecting galaxies to the large scale structure
of the Universe; measuring the mass functions of cold dark matter sub-halos in
galaxy and cluster-scale hosts; reverberation mapping of supermassive black
holes in quasars. MSE is the largest ground based optical and near infrared
telescope in its class, and it will occupy a unique and critical role in the
emerging network of astronomical facilities active in the 2020s. MSE is an
essential follow-up facility to current and next generations of
multi-wavelength imaging surveys, including LSST, Gaia, Euclid, eROSITA, SKA,
and WFIRST, and is an ideal feeder facility for E-ELT, TMT and GMT.


title: Hierarchical Question-Image Co-Attention for Visual Question Answering

abstract:
  A number of recent works have proposed attention models for Visual Question
Answering (VQA) that generate spatial maps highlighting image regions relevant
to answering the question. In this paper, we argue that in addition to modeling
"where to look" or visual attention, it is equally important to model "what
words to listen to" or question attention. We present a novel co-attention
model for VQA that jointly reasons about image and question attention. In
addition, our model reasons about the question (and consequently the image via
the co-attention mechanism) in a hierarchical fashion via a novel 1-dimensional
convolution neural networks (CNN). Our model improves the state-of-the-art on
the VQA dataset from 60.3% to 60.5%, and from 61.6% to 63.3% on the COCO-QA
dataset. By using ResNet, the performance is further improved to 62.1% for VQA
and 65.4% for COCO-QA.


title:
Acceleration of an iterative method for the evaluation of high-frequency
  multiple scattering effects

abstract:
  High frequency integral equation methodologies display the capability of
reproducing single-scattering returns in frequency-independent computational
times and employ a Neumann series formulation to handle multiple-scattering
effects. This requires the solution of an enormously large number of
single-scattering problems to attain a reasonable numerical accuracy in
geometrically challenging configurations. Here we propose a novel and effective
Krylov subspace method suitable for the use of high frequency integral equation
techniques and significantly accelerates the convergence of Neumann series. We
additionally complement this strategy utilizing a preconditioner based upon
Kirchhoff approximations that provides a further reduction in the overall
computational cost.


title:
The Quantum Socket: Three-Dimensional Wiring for Extensible Quantum
  Computing

abstract:
  Quantum computing architectures are on the verge of scalability, a key
requirement for the implementation of a universal quantum computer. The next
stage in this quest is the realization of quantum error correction codes, which
will mitigate the impact of faulty quantum information on a quantum computer.
Architectures with ten or more quantum bits (qubits) have been realized using
trapped ions and superconducting circuits. While these implementations are
potentially scalable, true scalability will require systems engineering to
combine quantum and classical hardware. One technology demanding imminent
efforts is the realization of a suitable wiring method for the control and
measurement of a large number of qubits. In this work, we introduce an
interconnect solution for solid-state qubits: The quantum socket. The quantum
socket fully exploits the third dimension to connect classical electronics to
qubits with higher density and better performance than two-dimensional methods
based on wire bonding. The quantum socket is based on spring-mounted micro
wires the three-dimensional wires that push directly on a micro-fabricated
chip, making electrical contact. A small wire cross section (~1 mmm), nearly
non-magnetic components, and functionality at low temperatures make the quantum
socket ideal to operate solid-state qubits. The wires have a coaxial geometry
and operate over a frequency range from DC to 8 GHz, with a contact resistance
of ~150 mohm, an impedance mismatch of ~10 ohm, and minimal crosstalk. As a
proof of principle, we fabricated and used a quantum socket to measure
superconducting resonators at a temperature of ~10 mK.


title:
Magnus-Induced Dynamics of Driven Skyrmions on a Quasi-One-Dimensional
  Periodic Substrate

abstract:
  We numerically examine driven skyrmions interacting with a periodic quasi-one
dimensional substrate where the driving force is applied either parallel or
perpendicular to the substrate periodicity direction. For perpendicular
driving, the particles in a purely overdamped system simply slide along the
substrate minima; however, for skyrmions where the Magnus force is relevant, we
find that a rich variety of dynamics can arise. In the single skyrmion limit,
the skyrmion motion is locked along the driving or longitudinal direction for
low drives, while at higher drives a transition occurs to a state in which the
skyrmion moves both transverse and longitudinal to the driving direction.
Within the longitudinally locked phase we find a pronounced speed up effect
that occurs when the Magnus force aligns with the external driving force, while
at the transition to transverse and longitudinal motion, the skyrmion velocity
drops, producing negative differential conductivity. For collectively
interacting skyrmion assemblies, the speed up effect is still present and we
observe a number of distinct dynamical phases, including a sliding smectic
phase, a disordered or moving liquid phase, a moving hexatic phase, and a
moving crystal phase. The transitions between the dynamic phases produce
distinct features in the structure of the skyrmion lattice and in the
velocity-force curves. We map these different phases as a function of the ratio
of the Magnus term to the dissipative term, the substrate strength, the
commensurability ratio, and the magnitude of the driving force.


title: Selective gas capture via kinetic trapping

abstract:
  Conventional approaches to the capture of CO_2 by metal-organic frameworks
focus on equilibrium conditions, and frameworks that contain little CO_2 in
equilibrium are often rejected as carbon-capture materials. Here we use a
statistical mechanical model, parameterized by quantum mechanical data, to
suggest that metal-organic frameworks can be used to separate CO_2 from a
typical flue gas mixture when used under {\em nonequilibrium} conditions. The
origin of this selectivity is an emergent gas-separation mechanism that results
from the acquisition by different gas types of different mobilities within a
crowded framework. The resulting distribution of gas types within the framework
is in general spatially and dynamically heterogeneous. Our results suggest that
relaxing the requirement of equilibrium can substantially increase the
parameter space of conditions and materials for which selective gas capture can
be effected.


title: How many-body correlations and $\alpha$-clustering shape $^6$He

abstract:
  The Borromean $^6$He nucleus is an exotic system characterized by two `halo'
neutrons orbiting around a compact $^4$He (or $\alpha$) core, in which the
binary subsystems are unbound. The simultaneous reproduction of its small
binding energy and extended matter and point-proton radii has been a challenge
for {\em ab initio} theoretical calculations based on traditional bound-state
methods. Using soft nucleon-nucleon interactions based on chiral effective
field theory potentials, we show that supplementing the model space with
$^4$He+$n$+$n$ cluster degrees of freedom largely solves this issue. We analyze
the role played by the $\alpha$-clustering and many-body correlations, and
study the dependence of the energy spectrum on the resolution scale of the
interaction.


title: Sign Changes of Coefficients and Sums of Coefficients of L-Functions

abstract:
  We extend the axiomatization for detecting and quantifying sign changes of
Meher and Murty to sequences of complex numbers. We further generalize this
result when the sequence is comprised of the coefficients of an $L$-function.
As immediate applications, we prove that there are sign changes in intervals
within sequences of coefficients of GL(2) holomorphic cusp forms, GL(2) Maass
forms, and GL(3) Maass forms. Building on previous works by the authors, we
prove that there are sign changes in intervals within sequences of partial sums
of coefficients of GL(2) holomorphic cusp forms and Maass forms.


title:
Quantifying the probable approximation error of probabilistic inference
  programs

abstract:
  This paper introduces a new technique for quantifying the approximation error
of a broad class of probabilistic inference programs, including ones based on
both variational and Monte Carlo approaches. The key idea is to derive a
subjective bound on the symmetrized KL divergence between the distribution
achieved by an approximate inference program and its true target distribution.
The bound's validity (and subjectivity) rests on the accuracy of two auxiliary
probabilistic programs: (i) a "reference" inference program that defines a gold
standard of accuracy and (ii) a "meta-inference" program that answers the
question "what internal random choices did the original approximate inference
program probably make given that it produced a particular result?" The paper
includes empirical results on inference problems drawn from linear regression,
Dirichlet process mixture modeling, HMMs, and Bayesian networks. The
experiments show that the technique is robust to the quality of the reference
inference program and that it can detect implementation bugs that are not
apparent from predictive performance.


title: Volume renormalization for singular Yamabe metrics

abstract:
  This paper carries out a renormalization of the volume of the
Loewner-Nirenberg singular Yamabe metric in a given conformal class on a
compact manifold-with-boundary. This generalizes the usual volume
renormalization for Poincare-Einstein metrics. The coefficient of the log term
in the volume expansion defines a conformally invariant energy generalizing the
Willmore energy of a surface whose variational derivative with respect to
variations of the boundary hypersurface is a multiple of the obstruction to
smoothness of the singular Yamabe metric itself. The existence of such an
energy answers a question raised by Gover and Waldron.


title: Quantum-limited estimation of continuous spontaneous localization

abstract:
  We apply the formalism of quantum estimation theory to extract information
about potential collapse mechanisms of the continuous spontaneous localisation
(CSL) form. In order to estimate the strength with which the field responsible
for the CSL mechanism couples to massive systems, we consider the
optomechanical interaction between a mechanical resonator and a cavity field.
Our estimation strategy passes through the probing of either the state of the
oscillator or that of the electromagnetic field that drives its motion. In
particular, we concentrate on all-optical measurements, such as homodyne and
heterodyne measurements. We also compare the performances of such strategies
with those of a spin-assisted optomechanical system, where the estimation of
the CSL parameter is performed through time-gated spin-like measurements.


title: A fully nonlinear Sobolev trace inequality

abstract:
  The $k$-Hessian operator $\sigma_k$ is the $k$-th elementary symmetric
function of the eigenvalues of the Hessian. It is known that the $k$-Hessian
equation $\sigma_k(D^2u)=f$ with Dirichlet boundary condition $u=0$ is
variational; indeed, this problem can be studied by means of the $k$-Hessian
energy $-\int u\sigma_k(D^2u)$. We construct a natural boundary functional
which, when added to the $k$-Hessian energy, yields as its critical points
solutions of $k$-Hessian equations with general non-vanishing boundary data. As
a consequence, we prove a sharp Sobolev trace inequality for $k$-admissible
functions $u$ which estimates the $k$-Hessian energy in terms of the boundary
values of $u$.


title: Top-philic Scalar Dark Matter with a Vector-like Fermionic Top Partner

abstract:
  We consider a simple extension of the Standard Model with a scalar top-philic
Dark Matter (DM) $S$ coupling, apart from the Higgs portal, exclusively to the
right-handed top quark $t_R$ and a colored vector-like top partner $T$ with a
Yukawa coupling $y_{ST}$ which we call the topVL portal. When the Higgs portal
is closed and $y_{ST}$ is perturbative $ (\lesssim 1)$, $TS\to (W^+b, gt)$,
$SS\to t\bar{t}$ and $T\bar{T}\to (q\bar{q},gg)$ provide the dominant
(co)annihilation contributions to obtain $\Omega_{\rm DM} h^2\simeq 0.12$ in
light, medium and heavy DM mass range, respectively. However, large
$y_{ST}\sim\mathcal{O}(10)$ can make $SS\to gg$ dominate via the loop-induced
coupling $C_{SSgg}$ in the $m_S<m_t$ region. In this model it is the $C_{SSgg}$
coupling that generates DM-nucleon scattering in the direct detection, which
can be large and simply determined by $\Omega_{\rm DM} h^2\simeq 0.12$ when
$SS\to gg$ dominates the DM annihilation. The current LUX results can exclude
the $SS\to gg$ dominating scenario and XENON-1T experiment may further test
$y_{ST}\gtrsim 1$, and $0.5\lesssim y_{ST}\lesssim 1$ may be covered in the
future LUX-ZP experiment. The current indirect detection results from Fermi
gamma-ray observations can also exclude the $SS\to gg$ dominating scenario and
are sensitive to the heavy DM mass region, of which the improved sensitivity by
one order will push DM mass to be above 400, 600, 1000 GeV for $y_{ST}=0.3,
0.5, 1.0$, respectively. $T\bar{T}$ pair produced at the hadron collider will
decay $100\%$ into $t\bar{t}+E^{miss}_T$ signal when kinematically open. The
latest ATLAS 13 TeV 13.2 $\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$ data can excluded $m_T$ between 300
(650) and 1150 (1100) GeV for $m_S$ =40 (400) GeV and the exclusion region can
reach up to $m_S\sim 500$ GeV.


title:
The instantaneous local transition of a stable equilibrium to a chaotic
  attractor in piecewise-smooth systems of differential equations

abstract:
  An attractor of a piecewise-smooth continuous system of differential
equations can bifurcate from a stable equilibrium to a more complicated
invariant set when it collides with a switching manifold under parameter
variation. Here numerical evidence is provided to show that this invariant set
can be chaotic. The transition occurs locally (in a neighbourhood of a point)
and instantaneously (for a single critical parameter value). This phenomenon is
illustrated for the normal form of a boundary equilibrium bifurcation in three
dimensions using parameter values adapted from of a piecewise-linear model of a
chaotic electrical circuit. The variation of a secondary parameter reveals a
period-doubling cascade to chaos with windows of periodicity. The dynamics is
well approximated by a one-dimensional unimodal map which explains this
bifurcation structure. The robustness of the attractor is also investigated by
studying the influence of nonlinear terms.