title: The electronic thermal conductivity of graphene

abstract:
  Graphene, as a semimetal with the largest known thermal conductivity, is an
ideal system to study the interplay between electronic and lattice
contributions to thermal transport. While the total electrical and thermal
conductivity have been extensively investigated, a detailed first-principles
study of its electronic thermal conductivity is still missing. Here, we first
characterize the electron-phonon intrinsic contribution to the electronic
thermal resistivity of graphene as a function of doping using electronic and
phonon dispersions and electron-phonon couplings calculated from first
principles at the level of density-functional theory and many-body perturbation
theory (GW). Then, we include extrinsic electron-impurity scattering using
low-temperature experimental estimates. Under these conditions, we find that
the in-plane electronic thermal conductivity of doped graphene is ~300 W/mK at
room temperature, independently of doping. This result is much larger than
expected, and comparable to the total thermal conductivity of typical metals,
contributing ~10 % to the total thermal conductivity of bulk graphene. Notably,
in samples whose physical or domain sizes are of the order of few micrometers
or smaller, the relative contribution coming from the electronic thermal
conductivity is more important than in the bulk limit, since lattice thermal
conductivity is much more sensitive to sample or grain size at these scales.
Last, when electron-impurity scattering effects are included, we find that the
electronic thermal conductivity is reduced by 30 to 70 %. We also find that the
Wiedemann-Franz law is broadly satisfied at low and high temperatures, but with
the largest deviations of 20-50 % around room temperature.


title: 94 Ceti: a triple star with a planet and dust disc

abstract:
  94 Ceti is a triple star system with a circumprimary gas giant planet and
far-infrared excess. Such excesses around main sequence stars are likely due to
debris discs, and are considered as signposts of planetary systems and,
therefore, provide important insights into the configuration and evolution of
the planetary system. Consequently, in order to learn more about the 94 Ceti
system, we aim to precisely model the dust emission to fit its observed SED and
to simulate its orbital dynamics. We interpret our APEX bolometric observations
and complement them with archived Spitzer and Herschel bolometric data to
explore the stellar excess and to map out background sources in the fields.
Dynamical simulations and 3D radiative transfer calculations were used to
constrain the debris disc configurations and model the dust emission. The best
fit dust disc model for 94 Ceti implies a circumbinary disc around the
secondary pair, limited by dynamics to radii smaller than 40 AU and with a
grain size power-law distribution of ~a^-3.5. This model exhibits a
dust-to-star luminosity ratio of 4.6+-0.4*10^-6. The system is dynamically
stable and N-body symplectic simulations results are consistent with
semi-analytical equations that describe orbits in binary systems. In the
observations we also find tentative evidence of a circumtertiary ring that
could be edge-on.


title: Clearing an Orthogonal Polygon Using Sliding Robots

abstract:
  In a multi-robot system, a number of autonomous robots would sense,
communicate, and decide to move within a given domain to achieve a common goal.
In this paper, we consider a new variant of the pursuit-evasion problem in
which the robots (pursuers) each move back and forth along an orthogonal line
segment inside a simple orthogonal polygon $P$. A point $p$ can be covered by a
sliding robot that moves along a line segment s, if there exists a point $q\in
s$ such that $\overline{pq}$ is a line segment perpendicular to $s$. In the
pursuit-evasion problem, a polygonal region is given and a robot called a
pursuer tries to find some mobile targets called evaders. The goal of this
problem is to design a motion strategy for the pursuer such that it can detect
all the evaders. We assume that $P$ includes unpredictable, moving evaders that
have unbounded speed. We propose a motion-planning algorithm for a group of
sliding robots, assuming that they move along the pre-located line segments
with a constant speed to detect all the evaders with unbounded speed.


title:
Quantitative characterization of surface topography using spectral
  analysis

abstract:
  Roughness determines many functional properties of surfaces, such as
adhesion, friction, and (thermal and electrical) contact conductance. Recent
analytical models and simulations enable quantitative prediction of these
properties from knowledge of the power spectral density (PSD) of the surface
topography. The utility of the PSD is that it contains statistical information
that is unbiased by the particular scan size and pixel resolution chosen by the
researcher. In this article, we first review the mathematical definition of the
PSD, including the one- and two-dimensional cases, and common variations of
each. We then discuss strategies for reconstructing an accurate PSD of a
surface using topography measurements at different size scales. Finally, we
discuss detecting and mitigating artifacts at the smallest scales, and
computing upper/lower bounds on functional properties obtained from models. We
accompany our discussion with virtual measurements on computer-generated
surfaces. This discussion summarizes how to analyze topography measurements to
reconstruct a reliable PSD. Analytical models demonstrate the potential for
tuning functional properties by rationally tailoring surface topography -
however, this potential can only be achieved through the accurate, quantitative
reconstruction of the power spectral density of real-world surfaces.


title:
Low loss spin wave resonances in organic-based ferrimagnet vanadium
  tetracyanoethylene thin films

abstract:
  We experimentally demonstrate high quality factor spin wave resonances in an
encapsulated thin film of the organic-based ferrimagnet vanadium
tetracyanoethylene (V[TCNE]$_\textit{x~2}$) coated on an a-plane sapphire
substrate by low temperature chemical vapor deposition. The thickness standing
wave modes are observed in a broad frequency range (1 GHz ~ 5 GHz) with high
quality factor exceeding 3,200 in ambient air at room temperature, rivaling
those of inorganic magnetic materials. The exchange constant of
V[TCNE]$_\textit{x~2}$, a crucial material parameter for future study and
device design of the V[TCNE]$_\textit{x~2}$, is extracted from the measurement
with a value of $(4.61\pm 0.35)\times 10^{-16} \mathrm{\: m^{2}}$. Our result
establishes the feasibility of using organic-based materials for building
hybrid magnonic devices and circuits.


title: An atom-by-atom assembler of defect-free arbitrary 2d atomic arrays

abstract:
  Large arrays of individually controlled atoms trapped in optical tweezers are
a very promising platform for quantum engineering applications. However, to
date, only disordered arrays have been demonstrated, due to the
non-deterministic loading of the traps. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of
fully loaded, two-dimensional arrays of up to 50 microtraps each containing a
single atom, and arranged in arbitrary geometries. Starting from initially
larger, half-filled matrices of randomly loaded traps, we obtain user-defined
target arrays at unit filling. This is achieved with a real-time control system
and a moving optical tweezers that performs a sequence of rapid atom moves
depending on the initial distribution of the atoms in the arrays. These results
open exciting prospects for quantum engineering with neutral atoms in tunable
geometries.


title:
Symmetric automorphisms of free groups, BNSR-invariants, and finiteness
  properties

abstract:
  The BNSR-invariants of a group $G$ are a sequence $\Sigma^1(G)\supseteq
\Sigma^2(G) \supseteq \cdots$ of geometric invariants that reveal important
information about finiteness properties of certain subgroups of $G$. We
consider the symmetric automorphism group $\Sigma Aut_n$ and pure symmetric
automorphism group $P\Sigma Aut_n$ of the free group $F_n$, and inspect their
BNSR-invariants. We prove that for $n\ge 2$, all the ``positive'' and
``negative'' character classes of $P\Sigma Aut_n$ lie in $\Sigma^{n-2}(P\Sigma
Aut_n)\setminus \Sigma^{n-1}(P\Sigma Aut_n)$. We use this to prove that for
$n\ge 2$, $\Sigma^{n-2}(\Sigma Aut_n)$ equals the full character sphere $S^0$
of $\Sigma Aut_n$ but $\Sigma^{n-1}(\Sigma Aut_n)$ is empty, so in particular
the commutator subgroup $\Sigma Aut_n'$ is of type $F_{n-2}$ but not $F_{n-1}$.
Our techniques involve applying Morse theory to the complex of symmetric marked
cactus graphs.


title: Cold Matter Assembled Atom-by-Atom

abstract:
  The realization of large-scale fully controllable quantum systems is an
exciting frontier in modern physical science. We use atom-by-atom assembly to
implement a novel platform for the deterministic preparation of regular arrays
of individually controlled cold atoms. In our approach, a measurement and
feedback procedure eliminates the entropy associated with probabilistic trap
occupation and results in defect-free arrays of over 50 atoms in less than 400
ms. The technique is based on fast, real-time control of 100 optical tweezers,
which we use to arrange atoms in desired geometric patterns and to maintain
these configurations by replacing lost atoms with surplus atoms from a
reservoir. This bottom-up approach enables controlled engineering of scalable
many-body systems for quantum information processing, quantum simulations, and
precision measurements.


title: Shared Subspace Models for Multi-Group Covariance Estimation

abstract:
  We develop a model-based method for evaluating heterogeneity among several p
x p covariance matrices in the large p, small n setting. This is done by
assuming a spiked covariance model for each group and sharing information about
the space spanned by the group-level eigenvectors. We use an empirical Bayes
method to identify a low-dimensional subspace which explains variation across
all groups and use an MCMC algorithm to estimate the posterior uncertainty of
eigenvectors and eigenvalues on this subspace. The implementation and utility
of our model is illustrated with analyses of high-dimensional multivariate gene
expression.


title: Rooted forests that avoid sets of permutations

abstract:
  We say that an unordered rooted labeled forest avoids the pattern
$\pi\in\mathcal{S}_n$ if the sequence obtained from the labels along the path
from the root to any vertex does not contain a subsequence that is in the same
relative order as $\pi$. We enumerate several classes of forests that avoid
certain sets of permutations, including the set of unimodal forests, via
bijections with set partitions with certain properties. We also define and
investigate an analog of Wilf-equivalence for forests.


title: Bondi Accretion in Trumpet Geometries

abstract:
  The Bondi solution, which describes the radial inflow of a gas onto a
non-rotating black hole, provides a powerful test for numerical relativistic
codes. However, the Bondi solution is usually derived in Schwarzschild
coordinates, which are not well suited for dynamical spacetime evolutions.
Instead, many current numerical relativistic codes adopt moving-puncture
coordinates, which render black holes in trumpet geometries. Here we transform
the Bondi solution into trumpet coordinates, which result in regular
expressions for the fluid flow extending into the black-hole interior. We also
evolve these solutions numerically and demonstrate their usefulness for testing
and calibrating numerical codes.


title:
Statistical Model of Exotic Rotational Correlations in Emergent
  Space-Time

abstract:
  A Lorentz invariant statistical model is presented for rotational
fluctuations in the local inertial frame that arise from new quantum degrees of
freedom of space-time. The model assumes invariant classical causal structure,
and a Planck information density in invariant proper time determined by the
world line of an observer. It describes macroscopic spacelike correlations that
appear as observable timelike correlations in phase differences of light
propagating on paths that begin and end on the same world line. The model
allows an exact prediction for the autocorrelation of any interferometer time
signal from the shape of the light paths. Specific examples computed for
configurations that approximate realistic experiments show that the model can
be rigorously tested, allowing a direct experimental probe of Planck scale
degrees of freedom.


title:
Magnetic Cycles and Rotation Periods of Late Type Stars from photometric
  time series

abstract:
  We investigate the photometric modulation induced by magnetic activity cycles
and study the relationship between rotation period and activity cycle(s) in
late-type (FGKM) stars. We analyse light-curves spanning up to 9 years of 125
nearby stars provided by the ASAS survey. The sample is mainly conformed by
low-activity main sequence late A to mid M-type stars. A search is performed
for short (days) and long-term (years) periodic variations in the photometry.
We modelled with combinations of sinusoids the light-curves to measure the
properties of these periodic signals. To provide a better statistical
interpretation of our results we complement them with the results from previous
similar works. We have been able to measure long-term photometric cycles of 47
stars. Rotational modulation was also detected and rotational periods measured
in 36 stars. For 28 stars we have simultaneous measurements of both, activity
cycles and rotational periods, being 17 of them M-type stars. From sinusoidal
fits we measured both photometric amplitudes and periods. The measured cycle
periods range from 2 up to 14 yr with photometric amplitudes in the range of
5-20 mmag. We have found that the distribution of cycle lengths for the
different spectral types is similar. On the other hand the distribution of
rotation periods is completely different, trending to longer periods for later
type stars. The amplitudes induced by magnetic cycles and rotation show a clear
correlation. A trend of photometric amplitudes with rotation period is also
outlined in the data. For a given activity index the amplitudes of the
photometric variability induced by activity cycles of main sequence GK stars
are lower than those of early and mid-M dwarfs. Using spectroscopic data we
also provide an update in the empirical relationship between the level of
chromospheric activity as given by log(Rhk) and the rotation periods.


title: Learning a metric for class-conditional KNN

abstract:
  Naive Bayes Nearest Neighbour (NBNN) is a simple and effective framework
which addresses many of the pitfalls of K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN)
classification. It has yielded competitive results on several computer vision
benchmarks. Its central tenet is that during NN search, a query is not compared
to every example in a database, ignoring class information. Instead, NN
searches are performed within each class, generating a score per class. A key
problem with NN techniques, including NBNN, is that they fail when the data
representation does not capture perceptual (e.g.~class-based) similarity. NBNN
circumvents this by using independent engineered descriptors (e.g.~SIFT). To
extend its applicability outside of image-based domains, we propose to learn a
metric which captures perceptual similarity. Similar to how Neighbourhood
Components Analysis optimizes a differentiable form of KNN classification, we
propose "Class Conditional" metric learning (CCML), which optimizes a soft form
of the NBNN selection rule. Typical metric learning algorithms learn either a
global or local metric. However, our proposed method can be adjusted to a
particular level of locality by tuning a single parameter. An empirical
evaluation on classification and retrieval tasks demonstrates that our proposed
method clearly outperforms existing learned distance metrics across a variety
of image and non-image datasets.


title:
Design and expected performance of a novel hybrid detector for
  very-high-energy gamma astrophysics

abstract:
  Current detectors for Very-High-Energy $\gamma$-ray astrophysics are either
pointing instruments with a small field of view (Cherenkov telescopes), or
large field-of-view instruments with relatively large energy thresholds
(extensive air shower detectors). In this article, we propose a new hybrid
extensive air shower detector sensitive in an energy region starting from about
100 GeV. The detector combines a small water-Cherenkov detector, able to
provide a calorimetric measurement of shower particles at ground, with
resistive plate chambers which contribute significantly to the accurate shower
geometry reconstruction. A full simulation of this detector concept shows that
it is able to reach better sensitivity than any previous gamma-ray wide
field-of-view experiment in the sub-TeV energy region. It is expected to detect
with a $5\sigma$ significance a source fainter than the Crab Nebula in one year
at $100\,$GeV and, above $1\,$TeV a source as faint as 10\% of it. As such,
this instrument is suited to detect transient phenomena making it a very
powerful tool to trigger observations of variable sources and to detect
transients coupled to gravitational waves and gamma-ray bursts.


title:
Linear programming and the intersection of free subgroups in free
  products of groups

abstract:
  We study the intersection of finitely generated factor-free subgroups of free
products of groups by utilizing the method of linear programming. For example,
we prove that if $H_1$ is a finitely generated factor-free noncyclic subgroup
of the free product $G_1 * G_2$ of two finite groups $G_1$, $G_2$, then the
WN-coefficient $\sigma(H_1)$ of $H_1$ is rational and can be computed in
exponential time in the size of $H_1$. This coefficient $\sigma(H_1)$ is the
minimal positive real number such that, for every finitely generated
factor-free subgroup $H_2$ of $G_1 * G_2$, it is true that $\bar {\rm r} (H_1,
H_2) \le \sigma(H_1) \bar {\rm r}(H_1) \bar {\rm r}(H_2)$, where $\bar{ {\rm
r}} (H) = \max ( {\rm r} (H)-1,0)$ is the reduced rank of $H$, ${\rm r}(H)$ is
the rank of $H$, and $\bar {\rm r}(H_1, H_2)$ is the reduced rank of the
generalized intersection of $H_1$ and $H_2$. In the case of the free product
$G_1 * G_2$ of two finite groups $G_1$, $G_2$, it is also proved that there
exists a factor-free subgroup $H_2^* = H_2^*(H_1)$ such that $\bar {\rm r}(H_1,
H_2^*) = \sigma(H_1) \bar {\rm r}(H_1) \bar {\rm r}(H_2^*)$, $H_2^*$ has at
most doubly exponential size in the size of $H_1$, and $H_2^*$ can be
constructed in exponential time in the size of $H_1$.


title:
Covariant and single-field effective action with the background-field
  formalism

abstract:
  In the context of scalar quantum field theory we introduce a class of
generically nonlinear quantum-background splits for which the splitting Ward
identity, encoding the single field dependence in the effective action, can be
solved exactly. We show that this can be used to construct an effective action
which is both covariant and dependent on the background and fluctuation fields
only through a single total field in a way independent from the dynamics.
Moreover we discuss the criteria under which the ultraviolet symmetries are
inherited by the quantum effective action. The approach is demonstrated through
some examples, including the $O(N)$ effective field theory, which might be of
interest for the Higgs sector of the Standard Model or its extensions.


title:
Superconducting qubit in a nonstationary transmission line cavity:
  parametric excitation, periodic pumping, and energy dissipation

abstract:
  We consider a superconducting qubit coupled to the nonstationary transmission
line cavity with modulated frequency taking into account energy dissipation.
Previously, it was demonstrated that in the case of a single nonadiabatical
modulation of a cavity frequency there are two channels of a two-level system
excitation which are due to the absorption of Casimir photons and due to the
counterrotating wave processes responsible for the dynamical Lamb effect. We
show that the parametric periodical modulation of the resonator frequency can
increase dramatically the excitation probability. Remarkably, counterrotating
wave processes under such a modulation start to play an important role even in
the resonant regime. Our predictions can be used to control qubit-resonator
quantum states as well as to study experimentally different channels of a
parametric qubit excitation.


title:
Exploring the Political Agenda of the European Parliament Using a
  Dynamic Topic Modeling Approach

abstract:
  This study analyzes the political agenda of the European Parliament (EP)
plenary, how it has evolved over time, and the manner in which Members of the
European Parliament (MEPs) have reacted to external and internal stimuli when
making plenary speeches. To unveil the plenary agenda and detect latent themes
in legislative speeches over time, MEP speech content is analyzed using a new
dynamic topic modeling method based on two layers of Non-negative Matrix
Factorization (NMF). This method is applied to a new corpus of all English
language legislative speeches in the EP plenary from the period 1999-2014. Our
findings suggest that two-layer NMF is a valuable alternative to existing
dynamic topic modeling approaches found in the literature, and can unveil niche
topics and associated vocabularies not captured by existing methods.
Substantively, our findings suggest that the political agenda of the EP evolves
significantly over time and reacts to exogenous events such as EU Treaty
referenda and the emergence of the Euro-crisis. MEP contributions to the
plenary agenda are also found to be impacted upon by voting behaviour and the
committee structure of the Parliament.


title:
A first integral to the partially averaged Newtonian potential of the
  three-body problem

abstract:
  We consider the partial average i.e., the Lagrange average with respect to
{\it just one} of the two mean anomalies, of the Newtonian part of the
perturbing function in the three--body problem Hamiltonian. We prove that such
a partial average exhibits a non--trivial first integral. We show that this
integral is fully responsible of certain cancellations in the averaged
Newtonian potential, including a property noticed by Harrington in the 60s. We
also highlight its joint r\^ole (together with certain symmetries) in the
appearance of the so called "Herman resonance". Finally, we discuss an
application and an open problem.


title: Learning from the News: Predicting Entity Popularity on Twitter

abstract:
  In this work, we tackle the problem of predicting entity popularity on
Twitter based on the news cycle. We apply a supervised learn- ing approach and
extract four types of features: (i) signal, (ii) textual, (iii) sentiment and
(iv) semantic, which we use to predict whether the popularity of a given entity
will be high or low in the following hours. We run several experiments on six
different entities in a dataset of over 150M tweets and 5M news and obtained F1
scores over 0.70. Error analysis indicates that news perform better on
predicting entity popularity on Twitter when they are the primary information
source of the event, in opposition to events such as live TV broadcasts,
political debates or football matches.


title: Ordering Thurston's geometries by maps of non-zero degree

abstract:
  We obtain an ordering of closed aspherical 4-manifolds that carry a
non-hyperbolic Thurston geometry. As application, we derive that the Kodaira
dimension of geometric 4-manifolds is monotone with respect to the existence of
maps of non-zero degree.


title:
Saturation of the f-mode instability in neutron stars: II. Applications
  and results

abstract:
  We present the first results on the saturation of the f-mode instability in
neutron stars, due to nonlinear mode coupling. Emission of gravitational waves
drives the f-mode (fundamental mode) unstable in fast-rotating, newborn neutron
stars. The initial growth phase of the mode is followed by its saturation,
because of energy leaking to other modes of the star. The saturation point
determines the strain of the generated gravitational-wave signal, which can
then be used to extract information about the neutron star equation of state.
The parent (unstable) mode couples via parametric resonances with pairs of
daughter modes, with the triplets' evolution exhibiting a rich variety of
behaviors. We study both supernova- and merger-derived neutron stars, simply
modeled as polytropes in a Newtonian context, and show that the parent may
couple to many different daughter pairs during the star's evolution through the
instability window, with the saturation amplitude changing by orders of
magnitude.


title: Perturbations on and off de Sitter brane in anti-de Sitter bulk

abstract:
  Motivated by holographic models of (pseudo)conformal Universe, we carry out
complete analysis of linearized metric perturbations in the time-dependent
two-brane setup of the Lykken-Randall type. We present the equations of motion
for the scalar, vector and tensor perturbations and identify light modes in the
spectrum, which are scalar radion and transverse-traceless graviton. We show
that there are no other modes in the discrete part of the spectrum. We pay
special attention to properties of light modes and show, in particular, that
the radion has red power spectrum at late times, as anticipated on holographic
grounds. Unlike the graviton, the radion survives in the single-brane limit,
when one of the branes is sent to the adS boundary. These properties imply that
potentially observable features characteristic of the 4d (pseudo)conformal
cosmology, such as statistical anisotropy and specific shapes of
non-Gaussianity, are inherent also in holographic conformal models as well as
in brane world inflation.


title:
Ammonia excitation imaging of shocked gas towards the W28 gamma-ray
  source HESS J1801-233

abstract:
  We present 12 mm Mopra observations of the dense (>10^3 cm^-3 ) molecular gas
towards the north-east (NE) of the W28 supernova remnant (SNR). This cloud is
spatially well-matched to the TeV gamma-ray source HESS J1801-233 and is known
to be a SNR-molecular cloud interaction region. Shock-disruption is evident
from broad NH3 (1,1) spectral line-widths in regions towards the W28 SNR, while
strong detections of spatially-extended NH3(3,3), NH3(4,4) and NH3(6,6)
inversion emission towards the cloud strengthen the case for the existence of
high temperatures within the cloud. Velocity dispersion measurements and
NH3(n,n)/(1,1) ratio maps, where n=2, 3, 4 and 6, indicate that the source of
disruption is from the side of the cloud nearest to the W28 SNR, suggesting
that it is the source of cloud-disruption. Towards part of the cloud, the ratio
of ortho to para-NH3 is observed to exceed 2, suggesting gas-phase NH3
enrichment due to NH3 liberation from dust grain mantles. The measured NH3
abundance with respect to H2 is ~(1.2+/-0.5)*10^-9, which is not high, as might
be expected for a hot, dense molecular cloud enriched by sublimated
grain-surface molecules. The results are suggestive of NH3 sublimation and
destruction in this molecular cloud, which is likely to be interacting with the
W28 SNR shock.


title:
Numerical computation of dynamical Schwinger-like pair production in
  graphene

abstract:
  The density of electron-hole pairs produced in a graphene sample immersed in
a homogeneous time-dependent electrical field is evaluated. Because low energy
charge carriers in graphene are described by relativistic quantum mechanics,
the calculation is performed within the strong field quantum electrodynamics
formalism, requiring a solution of the Dirac equation in momentum space. The
latter is solved using a split-operator numerical scheme on parallel computers,
allowing for the investigation of several field configurations. The strength of
the method is illustrated by computing the electron momentum density generated
from a realistic laser pulse model. We observe quantum interference patterns
reminiscent of Landau-Zener-St\"{u}ckelberg interferometry.


title:
Developing and Testing a Bayesian Analysis of Fluorescence Lifetime
  Measurements

abstract:
  FRET measurements can provide dynamic spatial information on length scales
smaller than the diffraction limit of light. Several methods exist to measure
FRET between fluorophores, including Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
(FLIM), which relies on the reduction of fluorescence lifetime when a
fluorophore is undergoing FRET. FLIM measurements take the form of histograms
of photon arrival times, containing contributions from a mixed population of
fluorophores both undergoing and not undergoing FRET, with the measured
distribution being a mixture of exponentials of different lifetimes. Here, we
present an analysis method based on Bayesian inference that rigorously takes
into account several experimental complications. We test the precision and
accuracy of our analysis on controlled experimental data and verify that we can
faithfully extract model parameters, both in the low-photon and low-fraction
regimes.


title:
Computing relative power integral bases in a family of quartic
  extensions of imaginary quadratic fields

abstract:
  Let $M$ be an imaginary quadratic field with the ring of integers
$\mathbb{Z}_{M}$ and let $\xi$ be a root of polynomial $$f\left( x\right)
=x^{4}-2cx^{3}+2x^{2}+2cx+1,$$ where $c\in\mathbb{Z}_{M},$ $c\notin\left\{
0,\pm2\right\}$. We consider an infinite family of octic fields $K_{c}=M\left(
\xi\right)$ with the ring of integers $\mathbb{Z}_{K_{c}}.$ Our goal is to
determine all generators of relative power integral basis of
$\mathcal{O=}\mathbb{Z}_{M}\left[ \xi\right]$ over $\mathbb{Z}_{M}.$ We show
that our problem reduces to solving the system of relative Pellian equations \[
cV^{2}-\left( c+2\right) U^{2}=-2\mu,\ \ cZ^{2}-\left( c-2\right) U^{2}=2\mu,
\] where $\mu$ is an unit in $\mathbb{Z}_{M}$. We solve the system completely
and find that all non-equivalent generators of power integral basis of
$\mathcal{O}$ over $\mathbb{Z}_{M}$ are given by $\alpha=\xi,$ $2\xi-2c\xi
^{2}+\xi^{3}$ for $\left\vert c\right\vert \geq159108$ and $|c|\leq200$.


title: Short Range Correlations and the EMC Effect in Effective Field Theory

abstract:
  We show that the empirical linear relation between the magnitude of the EMC
effect in deep inelastic scattering on nuclei and the short range correlation
scaling factor $a_2$ extracted from high-energy quasi-elastic scattering at
$x\ge 1$ is a natural consequence of scale separation and derive the
relationship using effective field theory. While the scaling factor $a_2$ is a
ratio of nuclear matrix elements that individually depend on the calculational
scheme, we show that the ratio is independent of this choice. We perform
Green's function Monte Carlo calculations with both chiral and Argonne-Urbana
potentials to verify this and determine the scaling factors for light nuclei.
The resulting values for $^3$He and $^4$He are in good agreement with
experimental values. We also present results for $^9$Be and $^{12}$C extracted
from variational Monte Carlo calculations.


title: Dedualizing complexes of bicomodules and MGM duality over coalgebras

abstract:
  This paper is based on the material of Section 4 and Appendix C in
arXiv:1503.05523v6, which was excluded from the subsequent versions of
arXiv:1503.05523. We present the definition of a dedualizing complex of
bicomodules over a pair of cocoherent coassociative coalgebras $\mathcal C$ and
$\mathcal D$. Given such a complex $\mathcal B^\bullet$, we construct an
equivalence between the (bounded or unbounded) conventional, as well as
absolute, derived categories of the abelian categories of left comodules over
$\mathcal C$ and left contramodules over $\mathcal D$. Furthermore, we spell
out the definition of a dedualizing complex of bisemimodules over a pair of
semialgebras, and construct the related equivalence between the conventional or
absolute derived categories of the abelian categories of semimodules and
semicontramodules. Artinian, co-Noetherian, and cocoherent coalgebras are
discussed as a preliminary material.


title:
Enhanced solar evaporation of water from porous media, through capillary
  mediated forces and surface treatment

abstract:
  The relative influence of the capillary, Marangoni, and hydrophobic forces in
mediating the evaporation of water from carbon foam based porous media, in
response to incident solar radiation, are investigated. It is indicated that
inducing hydrophilic interactions on the surface, through nitric acid treatment
of the foams, has a similar effect to reduced pore diameter and the ensuing
capillary forces. The efficiency of water evaporation may be parameterized
through the Capillary number (Ca), with a lower Ca being preferred. The
proposed study is of much relevance to efficient solar energy utilization.


title:
Metric logical categories and conceptual completeness for first order
  continuous logic

abstract:
  We begin the study of categorical logic for continuous model theory. In
particular, we 1. introduce the notions of metric logical categories and
functors as categorical equivalents of a metric theory and interpretations, 2.
prove a continuous version of conceptual completeness showing that $T^\eq$ is
the maximal conservative expansion of $T$, and 3. define the concept of a
metric pre-topos.


title:
SNR 1E 0102.2-7219 as an X-ray Calibration Standard in the 0.5-1.0 keV
  Bandpass and Its Application to the CCD Instruments aboard Chandra, Suzaku,
  Swift and XMM-Newton

abstract:
  We desire a simple comparison of the absolute effective areas of the current
generation of CCD instruments onboard the following observatories: Chandra
ACIS-S3, XMM-Newton (EPIC-MOS and EPIC-pn), Suzaku XIS, and Swift XRT and a
straightforward comparison of the time-dependent response of these instruments
across their respective mission lifetimes. We have been using 1E 0102.2-7219,
the brightest supernova remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud, to evaluate and
modify the response models of these instruments. 1E 0102.2-7219 has strong
lines of O, Ne, and Mg below 1.5 keV and little or no Fe emission to complicate
the spectrum. As part of the activities of the International Astronomical
Consortium for High Energy Calibration (IACHEC), we have developed a standard
spectral model for 1E 0102.2-7219. The model is empirical in that it includes
Gaussians for the identified lines, an absorption component in the Galaxy,
another absorption component in the SMC, and two thermal continuum components.
In our fits, the model is highly constrained in that only the normalizations of
the four brightest lines/line complexes (the O vii He$\alpha$ triplet, O viii
Ly$\alpha$ line, the Ne ix He$\alpha$ triplet, and the Ne x Ly$\alpha$ line)
and an overall normalization are allowed to vary. We have examined these
measured line fluxes as a function of time for each instrument after applying
the most recent calibrations that account for the time-dependent response of
each instrument. We perform our effective area comparison with representative,
early mission data when the radiation damage and contamination layers were at a
minimum. We find that the measured fluxes of these lines generally agree to
within +/-10% for all instruments, with 38 of our 48 fitted normalizations
within +/-10% of the IACHEC model value.


title:
Forward Table-Based Presynaptic Event-Triggered Spike-Timing-Dependent
  Plasticity

abstract:
  Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) incurs both causal and acausal
synaptic weight updates, for negative and positive time differences between
pre-synaptic and post-synaptic spike events. For realizing such updates in
neuromorphic hardware, current implementations either require forward and
reverse lookup access to the synaptic connectivity table, or rely on
memory-intensive architectures such as crossbar arrays. We present a novel
method for realizing both causal and acausal weight updates using only forward
lookup access of the synaptic connectivity table, permitting memory-efficient
implementation. A simplified implementation in FPGA, using a single timer
variable for each neuron, closely approximates exact STDP cumulative weight
updates for neuron refractory periods greater than 10 ms, and reduces to exact
STDP for refractory periods greater than the STDP time window. Compared to
conventional crossbar implementation, the forward table-based implementation
leads to substantial memory savings for sparsely connected networks supporting
scalable neuromorphic systems with fully reconfigurable synaptic connectivity
and plasticity.


title:
Quantum Information Processing in the Radical-Pair Mechanism: Haberkorn
  theory violates the Ozawa entropy bound

abstract:
  Radical-ion-pair reactions, central for understanding the avian magnetic
compass and spin transport in photosynthetic reaction centers, were recently
shown to be a fruitful paradigm of the new synthesis of quantum information
science with biological processes. We show here that the master equation so far
constituting the theoretical foundation of spin chemistry violates fundamental
bounds for the entropy of quantum systems, in particular the Ozawa bound. In
contrast, a recently developed theory based on quantum measurements, quantum
coherence measures, and quantum retrodiction, thus exemplifying the paradigm of
quantum biology, satisfies the Ozawa bound as well as the Lanford-Robinson
bound on information extraction. By considering Groenewold information, the
quantum information extracted during the reaction, we reproduce the known and
unravel other magnetic-field effects not conveyed by reaction yields.


title:
Perturbation theory for spectral gap edges of 2D periodic Schr\"odinger
  operators

abstract:
  We consider a two-dimensional periodic Schr\"odinger operator $H=-\Delta+W$
with $\Gamma$ being the lattice of periods. We investigate the structure of the
edges of open gaps in the spectrum of $H$. We show that under arbitrary small
perturbation $V$ periodic with respect to $N\Gamma$ where $N=N(W)$ is some
integer, all edges of the gaps in the spectrum of $H+V$ which are perturbation
of the gaps of $H$ become non-degenerate, i.e. are attained at finitely many
points by one band function only and have non-degenerate quadratic
minimum/maximum. We also discuss this problem in the discrete setting and show
that changing the lattice of periods may indeed be unavoidable to achieve the
non-degeneracy.


title:
The generalized Poho{z}aev-Schoen identity and some geometric
  applications

abstract:
  In this note we show how a generalized Pohozaev-Schoen identity due to Gover
and Orsted \cite{GO} can be used to obtain some rigidity results for $V$-static
manifolds and generalized solitons. We also obtain an Alexandrov type result
for certain hypersurfaces in Einstein manifolds.


title: Bridge representation and modal-path approximation

abstract:
  The article shows a bridge representation for the joint density of a system
of stochastic processes consisting of a Brownian motion with drift coupled with
a correlated fractional Brownian motion with drift. As a result, a small time
approximation of the joint density is readily obtained by substituting the
conditional expectation under the bridge measure by a single path: the
modal-path from the initial point to the terminal point.


title: Efficient Simulation for Quantum Message Authentication

abstract:
  Quantum message authentication codes are families of keyed encoding and
decoding maps that enable the detection of tampering on encoded quantum data.
Here, we study a new class of simulators for quantum message authentication
schemes, and show how they are applied in the context of two codes: the
Clifford and the trap code. Our results show for the first time that these
codes admit an efficient simulation (assuming that the adversary is efficient).
Such efficient simulation is typically crucial in order to establish a
composable notion of security.


title:
The Observed Diphoton Excess in F-theory Inspired Heterotic
  String-Derived Model

abstract:
  The production and the subsequent decay of the SM singlet via heavy
vector--like colour triplets and electroweak doublets in one--loop diagrams can
shed light on the recent observation of diphoton excess at the LHC. In this
paper, the $E_6$ GUT is considered in the F-theory setting where the $E_6$ is
broken by making use of the spectral cover construction and by turning on the
hypercharge gauge flux. This paper is based on the results presented in
\cite{Athanasopoulos:2014bba, Faraggi:2016xnm, Ashfaque:2016jha} which will be
reviewed briefly. Here, by following the F-theory approach, akin to
\cite{Karozas:2016hcp, Leontaris:2016wsy, Das:2016xuc}, we present a study of
the flipped $SO(10)$ model embedded completely in the $E_{6}$ GUT but with a
different accommodation of the SM representations in the ${\bf{27}}$ of
$E_{6}$.


title:
Design of a Robust Stair Climbing Compliant Modular Robot to Tackle
  Overhang on Stairs

abstract:
  This paper discusses the concept and parameter design of a Robust Stair
Climbing Compliant Modular Robot, capable of tackling stairs with overhangs.
Modifying the geometry of the periphery of the wheels of our robot helps in
tackling overhangs. Along with establishing a concept design, robust design
parameters are set to minimize performance variation. The Grey-based Taguchi
Method is adopted for providing an optimal setting for the design parameters of
the robot. The robot prototype is shown to have successfully scaled stairs of
varying dimensions, with overhang, thus corroborating the analysis performed.


title: A proof of the Thompson Moonshine Conjecture

abstract:
  In this paper we prove the existence of an infinite dimensional graded
super-module for the finite sporadic Thompson group $Th$ whose McKay-Thompson
series are weakly holomorphic modular forms of weight $\frac 12$ satisfying
properties conjectured by Harvey and Rayhaun.


title: Optimal control of photoelectron emission by realistic waveforms

abstract:
  Recent experimental techniques in multicolor waveform synthesis allow the
temporal shaping of strong femtosecond laser pulses with applications in the
control of quantum mechanical processes in atoms, molecules, and
nanostructures. Prediction of the shapes of the optimal waveforms can be done
computationally using quantum optimal control theory (QOCT). In this work we
demonstrate the control of above-threshold photoemission of one-dimensional
hydrogen model with pulses feasible for experimental waveform synthesis.By
mixing different spectral channels and thus lowering the intensity requirements
for individual channels, the resulting optimal pulses can extend the cutoff
energies by at least up to 50\% and bring up the electron yield by several
orders of magnitude. Insights into the electron dynamics for optimized
photoelectron emission are obtained with a semiclassical two-step model.


title:
Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) coupled with Bayesian model
  averaging method for estimating mean and standard deviation

abstract:
  Background: We proposed approximate Bayesian computation with single
distribution selection (ABC-SD) for estimating mean and standard deviation from
other reported summary statistics. The ABC-SD generates pseudo data from a
single parametric distribution thought to be the true distribution of
underlying study data. This single distribution is either an educated guess, or
it is selected via model selection using posterior probability criterion for
testing two or more candidate distributions. Further analysis indicated that
when model selection is used, posterior model probabilities are sensitive to
the prior distribution(s) for parameter(s) and dependable on the type of
reported summary statistics. Method: We propose ABC with Bayesian model
averaging (ABC-BMA) methodology to estimate mean and standard deviation based
on various sets of other summary statistics reported in published studies. We
conduct a Monte Carlo simulation study to compare the new proposed ABC-BMA
method with our previous ABC-SD method. Results: In the estimation of standard
deviation, ABC-BMA has smaller average relative errors (AREs) than that of
ABC-SD for normal, lognormal, beta, and exponential distributions. For Weibull
distribution, ARE of ABC-BMA is larger than that of ABC-SD but <0.05 in small
sample sizes and moves toward zero as sample size increases. When underlying
distribution is highly skewed and available summary statistics are only
quartiles and sample size, ABC-BMA is recommended but it should be used with
caution. Comparison of mean estimation between ABC-BMA and ABC-SD shows similar
patterns of results as for standard deviation estimation. Conclusion: ABC-BMA
is easy to implement and it performs even better than our previous ABC-SD
method for estimation of mean and standard deviation.


title:
Proximal Quasi-Newton Methods for Regularized Convex Optimization with
  Linear and Accelerated Sublinear Convergence Rates

abstract:
  In [19], a general, inexact, efficient proximal quasi-Newton algorithm for
composite optimization problems has been proposed and a sublinear global
convergence rate has been established. In this paper, we analyze the
convergence properties of this method, both in the exact and inexact setting,
in the case when the objective function is strongly convex. We also investigate
a practical variant of this method by establishing a simple stopping criterion
for the subproblem optimization. Furthermore, we consider an accelerated
variant, based on FISTA [1], to the proximal quasi-Newton algorithm. A similar
accelerated method has been considered in [7], where the convergence rate
analysis relies on very strong impractical assumptions. We present a modified
analysis while relaxing these assumptions and perform a practical comparison of
the accelerated proximal quasi- Newton algorithm and the regular one. Our
analysis and computational results show that acceleration may not bring any
benefit in the quasi-Newton setting.


title: Survival in locally and globally changing environments

abstract:
  We consider branching like models in local, global and fixed environments. We
show that survival is more likely in a locally changing environment than in a
fixed environment and that survival in a fixed environment is itself more
likely than in a globally changing environment.


title: Pressure and temperature driven phase transitions in HgTe quantum wells

abstract:
  We present theoretical investigations of pressure and temperature driven
phase transitions in HgTe quantum wells grown on CdTe buffer. Using the 8-band
\textbf{k$\cdot$p} Hamiltonian we calculate evolution of energy band structure
at different quantum well width with hydrostatic pressure up to 20 kBar and
temperature ranging up 300 K. In particular, we show that in addition to
temperature, tuning of hydrostatic pressure allows to drive transitions between
semimetal, band insulator and topological insulator phases. Our realistic band
structure calculations reveal that the band inversion under hydrostatic
pressure and temperature may be accompanied by non-local overlapping between
conduction and valence bands. The pressure and temperature phase diagrams are
presented.


title: Kernel-based methods for bandit convex optimization

abstract:
  We consider the adversarial convex bandit problem and we build the first
$\mathrm{poly}(T)$-time algorithm with $\mathrm{poly}(n) \sqrt{T}$-regret for
this problem. To do so we introduce three new ideas in the derivative-free
optimization literature: (i) kernel methods, (ii) a generalization of Bernoulli
convolutions, and (iii) a new annealing schedule for exponential weights (with
increasing learning rate). The basic version of our algorithm achieves
$\tilde{O}(n^{9.5} \sqrt{T})$-regret, and we show that a simple variant of this
algorithm can be run in $\mathrm{poly}(n \log(T))$-time per step at the cost of
an additional $\mathrm{poly}(n) T^{o(1)}$ factor in the regret. These results
improve upon the $\tilde{O}(n^{11} \sqrt{T})$-regret and
$\exp(\mathrm{poly}(T))$-time result of the first two authors, and the
$\log(T)^{\mathrm{poly}(n)} \sqrt{T}$-regret and
$\log(T)^{\mathrm{poly}(n)}$-time result of Hazan and Li. Furthermore we
conjecture that another variant of the algorithm could achieve
$\tilde{O}(n^{1.5} \sqrt{T})$-regret, and moreover that this regret is
unimprovable (the current best lower bound being $\Omega(n \sqrt{T})$ and it is
achieved with linear functions). For the simpler situation of zeroth order
stochastic convex optimization this corresponds to the conjecture that the
optimal query complexity is of order $n^3 / \epsilon^2$.


title: Recurrent Memory Array Structures

abstract:
  The following report introduces ideas augmenting standard Long Short Term
Memory (LSTM) architecture with multiple memory cells per hidden unit in order
to improve its generalization capabilities. It considers both deterministic and
stochastic variants of memory operation. It is shown that the nondeterministic
Array-LSTM approach improves state-of-the-art performance on character level
text prediction achieving 1.402 BPC on enwik8 dataset. Furthermore, this report
estabilishes baseline neural-based results of 1.12 BPC and 1.19 BPC for enwik9
and enwik10 datasets respectively.


title:
A Note on Real-World and Risk-Neutral Dynamics for Heath-Jarrow-Morton
  Frameworks

abstract:
  As a consequence of the financial crises, risk management became more
important and real-world dynamics of interest-rate models moved into the focus
of interest. Since risk-neutral dynamics are classically important to compute
prices of financial derivatives, it is interesting when real-world dynamics can
be related to risk-neutral dynamics via an equivalent change of measures. In
this article we give deterministic conditions in a general Heath-Jarrow-Morton
framework driven by a Hilbert space valued Brownian motion and a Poisson random
measure. Our conditions are of Lipschitz type and therefore easy to verify.


title: On lifting of biadjoints and lax algebras

abstract:
  By the biadjoint triangle theorem, given a pseudomonad $\mathcal{T} $ on a
$2$-category $\mathfrak{B} $, if a right biadjoint $\mathfrak{A}\to\mathfrak{B}
$ has a lifting to the pseudoalgebras
$\mathfrak{A}\to\mathsf{Ps}\textrm{-}\mathcal{T}\textrm{-}\mathsf{Alg} $ then
this lifting is also right biadjoint provided that $\mathfrak{A} $ has
codescent objects. In this paper, we give general results on lifting of
biadjoints. As a consequence, we get a \textit{biadjoint triangle theorem}
which, in particular, allows us to study triangles involving the $2$-category
of lax algebras, proving analogues of the result described above. More
precisely, we prove that, denoting by $\ell
:\mathsf{Lax}\textrm{-}\mathcal{T}\textrm{-}\mathsf{Alg}
\to\mathsf{Lax}\textrm{-}\mathcal{T}\textrm{-}\mathsf{Alg}_\ell $ the
inclusion, if $R: \mathfrak{A}\to\mathfrak{B} $ is right biadjoint and has a
lifting $J: \mathfrak{A} \to
\mathsf{Lax}\textrm{-}\mathcal{T}\textrm{-}\mathsf{Alg} $, then $\ell\circ J$
is right biadjoint as well provided that $\mathfrak{A} $ has some needed
weighted bicolimits. In order to prove such theorem, we study the descent
objects and the lax descent objects. At the last section, we study direct
consequences of our theorems in the context of the $2$-monadic approach to
coherence. In particular, we give the construction of the left $2$-adjoint to
the inclusion of the strict algebras into the lax algebras.


title:
Probing the Hotspot Interaction Length in NbN Nanowire Superconducting
  Single-Photon Detectors

abstract:
  We measure the maximal distance at which two absorbed photons can jointly
trigger a detection event in NbN nanowire superconducting single photon
detector (SSPD) microbridges by comparing the one-photon and two-photon
efficiency of bridges of different overall lengths, from 0 to 400 nm. We find a
length of $23 \pm 2$ nm. This value is in good agreement with to size of the
quasiparticle cloud at the time of the detection event.


title: Gauge Theories and Fiber Bundles: Definitions, Pictures, and Results

abstract:
  A pedagogical but concise overview of fiber bundles and their connections is
provided, in the context of gauge theories in physics. The emphasis is on
defining and visualizing concepts and relationships between them, as well as
listing common confusions, alternative notations and jargon, and relevant facts
and theorems. Special attention is given to detailed figures and geometric
viewpoints, some of which would seem to be novel to the literature. Topics are
avoided which are well covered in textbooks, such as historical motivations,
proofs and derivations, and tools for practical calculations. The present paper
is best read in conjunction with the similar paper on Riemannian geometry cited
herein.


title: Effects of Proxima Centauri on Planet Formation in Alpha Centauri

abstract:
  Proxima Centauri is an M dwarf approximately 15,000 AU from the Alpha
Centauri binary, comoving and likely in a loosely bound orbit. Dynamic
simulations show this configuration can form from a more tightly bound triple
system. As our nearest neighbors, these stars command great interest as
potential planet hosts, and the dynamics of the stars govern the formation of
any planets within the system. Here we present a scenario for the evolution of
Alpha Centauri A and B and Proxima Centauri as a triple system. Based on N-body
simulations, we determine this pathway to formation is plausible, and we
quantify the implications for planet formation in the Alpha Centauri binary. We
expect this formation scenario may have truncated the circumstellar disk
slightly more than a system that formed in the current configuration, but that
it most likely does not prevent terrestrial planet formation. We simulate
planet formation in this system and find that in most scenarios, two or more
terrestrial planets can be expected around either Alpha Centauri A or B,
orbiting in a region out to approximately 2 AU, assuming planetesimals and
planetary embryos are able to first form in the system. Additionally,
terrestrial planet formation and stability in Proxima Centauri's habitable zone
is also plausible. However, an absence of planets around these stars may be
indicative of highly disruptive stellar dynamics in the past.


title:
Model Predictions of the Results of Interferometric Observations for
  Stars under Conditions of Strong Gravitational Scattering by Black Holes and
  Wormholes

abstract:
  The characteristic and distinctive features of the visibility amplitude of
interferometric observations for compact objects like stars in the immediate
vicinity of the central black hole in our Galaxy are considered. These features
are associated with the specifics of strong gravitational scattering of point
sources by black holes, wormholes, or black_white holes. The revealed features
will help to determine the most important topological characteristics of the
central object in our Galaxy: whether this object possesses the properties of
only a black hole or also has characteristics unique to wormholes or
black_white holes. These studies can be used to interpret the results of
optical, infrared, and radio interferometric observations.


title:
Inexact Block Coordinate Descent Methods For Symmetric Nonnegative
  Matrix Factorization

abstract:
  Symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization (SNMF) is equivalent to computing
a symmetric nonnegative low rank approximation of a data similarity matrix. It
inherits the good data interpretability of the well-known nonnegative matrix
factorization technique and have better ability of clustering nonlinearly
separable data. In this paper, we focus on the algorithmic aspect of the SNMF
problem and propose simple inexact block coordinate decent methods to address
the problem, leading to both serial and parallel algorithms. The proposed
algorithms have guaranteed stationary convergence and can efficiently handle
large-scale and/or sparse SNMF problems. Extensive simulations verify the
effectiveness of the proposed algorithms compared to recent state-of-the-art
algorithms.


title:
Quark-Photon-Quark Correlation and Transverse Target Single Spin
  Asymmetry in Inclusive DIS

abstract:
  We calculate the q q correlation function associated to transverse target
lepton-nucleon inclusive deep-inelastic scattering by direct evaluation of the
corresponding matrix element. We use the electromagnetic impact parameter
potential for a transversely polarized nucleon to define the q q correlation
function for each avor in terms of the field components of that avor. The
results are compared with the two existing models for the q q correlator. Using
the calculated q q correlation function, we estimated the transverse target SSA
in IDIS process.


title: A note on secondary K-theory II

abstract:
  This note is the sequel to [A note on secondary K-theory. Algebra and Number
Theory 10 (2016), no. 4, 887-906]. Making use of the recent theory of
noncommutative motives, we prove that the canonical map from the derived Brauer
group to the secondary Grothendieck ring has the following injectivity
properties: in the case of a regular integral quasi-compact quasi-separated
scheme, it is injective; in the case of an integral normal Noetherian scheme
with a single isolated singularity, it distinguishes any two derived Brauer
classes whose difference is of infinite order. As an application, we show that
the canonical map is injective in the case of affine cones over smooth
projective plane complex curves of degree greater than or equal to four as well
as in the case of Mumford's (celebrated) singular surface.


title: Bayesian evidence for the prevalence of waterworlds

abstract:
  Should we expect most habitable planets to share the Earth's marbled
appearance? For a planetary surface to boast extensive areas of both land and
water, a delicate balance must be struck between the volume of water it retains
and the capacity of its perturbations. These two quantities may show
substantial variability across the full spectrum of water-bearing worlds. This
would suggest that, barring strong feedback effects, most surfaces are heavily
dominated by either water or land. Why is the Earth so finely poised? To
address this question we construct a simple model for the selection bias that
would arise within an ensemble of surface conditions. Based on the Earth's
ocean coverage of 71%, we find substantial evidence (Bayes factor K ~ 6)
supporting the hypothesis that anthropic selection effects are at work.
Furthermore, due to the Earth's proximity to the waterworld limit, this model
predicts that most habitable planets are dominated by oceans spanning over 90%
of their surface area (95% credible interval). This scenario, in which the
Earth has a much greater land area than most habitable planets, is consistent
with results from numerical simulations and could help explain the apparently
low-mass transition in the mass-radius relation.


title: Distributional Tail Estimation Through Its Characteristic Function

abstract:
  There is given a method for estimation of a probability distribution tail in
terms of characteristic function. Key words: characteristic function; tail of a
distribution.


title: On a Kind of Nonlinear Diophantine Equation

abstract:
  In this paper we show a way to generalize the linear Diophantine equation
a1x1+a2x2+...+anxn=d . We deal with the nonlinear Diophantine equation det|A
X|=+-d , which generalizes the linear one, and we give a necessary and
sufficient condition for its solvabiliy. We show how the linear equation can be
considered as a particular case of the nonlinear equation.


title:
Spatiotemporal velocity-velocity correlation function in fully developed
  turbulence

abstract:
  Turbulence is an ubiquitous phenomenon in natural and industrial flows. Since
the celebrated work of Kolmogorov in 1941, understanding the statistical
properties of fully developed turbulence has remained a major quest. In
particular, deriving the properties of turbulent flows from a mesoscopic
description, that is from Navier-Stokes equation, has eluded most theoretical
attempts. Here, we provide a theoretical prediction for the {\it space and
time} dependent velocity-velocity correlation function of homogeneous and
isotropic turbulence from the field theory associated to Navier-Stokes equation
with stochastic forcing. This prediction is the analytical fixed-point solution
of Non-Perturbative Renormalisation Group flow equations, which are exact in a
certain large wave-number limit. This solution is compared to two-point
two-times correlation functions computed in direct numerical simulations. We
obtain a remarkable agreement both in the inertial and in the dissipative
ranges.


title:
Pseudo-spectral construction of non-uniform black string solutions in
  five and six spacetime dimensions

abstract:
  In this paper, we describe in detail a scheme for the construction of highly
accurate numerical solutions to Einstein's field equations in five and six
spacetime dimensions corresponding to non-uniform black strings. The scheme
consists of a sophistically adapted multi-domain pseudo-spectral method which
incorporates a detailed understanding of the solution's behavior at the domain
boundaries and at critical points. In particular, the five-dimensional case is
exceedingly demanding as logarithmic terms appear which need to be treated with
special care. The scheme resolves these issues and permits the investigation of
unprecedentedly strong deformations of the black string horizon. As a
consequence, we are able to study in detail the critical regime in phase
diagrams displaying characteristic thermodynamic quantities such as mass and
entropy. Our results show typical spiral curves in such diagrams which provides
a strong support of previous numerical works.


title:
Size matters: abundance matching, galaxy sizes, and the Tully-Fisher
  relation in EAGLE

abstract:
  The Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) links the stellar mass of a disk galaxy,
$M_{\rm str}$, to its rotation speed: it is well approximated by a power law,
shows little scatter, and evolves weakly with redshift. The relation has been
interpreted as reflecting the mass-velocity scaling ($M\propto V^3$) of dark
matter halos, but this interpretation has been called into question by
abundance-matching (AM) models, which predict the galaxy-halo mass relation to
be non-monotonic and rapidy evolving. We study the TFR of luminous spirals and
its relation to AM using the EAGLE set of $\Lambda$CDM cosmological
simulations. Matching both relations requires disk sizes to satisfy constraints
given by the concentration of halos and their response to galaxy assembly.
EAGLE galaxies approximately match these constraints and show a tight
mass-velocity scaling that compares favourably with the observed TFR. The TFR
is degenerate to changes in galaxy formation efficiency and the mass-size
relation; simulations that fail to match the galaxy stellar mass function may
fit the observed TFR if galaxies follow a different mass-size relation. The
small scatter in the simulated TFR results because, at fixed halo mass, galaxy
mass and rotation speed correlate strongly, scattering galaxies along the main
relation. EAGLE galaxies evolve with lookback time following approximately the
prescriptions of AM models and the observed mass-size relation of bright
spirals, leading to a weak TFR evolution consistent with observation out to
$z=1$. $\Lambda$CDM models that match both the abundance and size of galaxies
as a function of stellar mass have no difficulty reproducing the observed TFR
and its evolution.


title: Persistent Magnetism in Silver-doped BaFe2As2 Crystals

abstract:
  We investigate the thermodynamic and transport properties of
silver-substituted BaFe2As2 (122) crystals, up to ~4.5%. Similar to other
transition-metal substitutions in 122, Ag diminishes the antiferromagnetic (TN)
and structural (TS) transition temperatures, but unlike other electron-doped
122s, TN and TS coincide without splitting. Although magnetism drops
precipitously to TN = 84 K at doping x = 0.029, it only weakly changes above
this x, settling at TN = 80 K at x = 0.045. Compared to this persistent
magnetism in Ag-122, doping other group 11 elements of either Cu or Au in 122
diminished TN and induced superconductivity near TC = 2 K at x = 0.044 or
0.031, respectively. Ag-122 crystals show reflective surfaces with surprising
thicker cross sections for x >= 0.019, the appearance that is in contrast to
the typical thin stacked layered feature seen in all other flux-grown x122 and
lower Ag-122. This physical trait may be a manifest of intrinsic weak changes
in c-lattice and TN. Our theoretical calculations suggest that Ag doping
produces strong electronic scattering and yet a relatively small disruption of
the magnetic state, both of which preclude superconductivity in this system.


title:
A platform for analysis of nanoscale liquids with an integrated sensor
  array based on 2-d material

abstract:
  Analysis of nanoscale liquids, including wetting and flow phenomena, is a
scientific challenge with far reaching implications for industrial
technologies. We report the conception, development, and application of an
integrated platform for the experimental characterization of liquids at the
nanometer scale. The platform combines the sensing functionalities of an
integrated, two-dimensional electronic device array with in situ application of
highly sensitive optical micro-spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We
demonstrate the performance capabilities of the platform with an embodiment
based on an array of integrated, optically transparent graphene sensors. The
application of electronic and optical sensing in the platform allows for
differentiating between liquids electronically, for determining a liquid's
molecular fingerprint, and for monitoring surface wetting dynamics in real
time. In order to explore the platform's sensitivity limits, we record
topographies and optical spectra of individual, spatially isolated sessile oil
emulsion droplets having volumes of less than ten attoliters. The results
demonstrate that integrated measurement functionalities based on
two-dimensional materials have the potential to push lab-on-chip based analysis
from the microscale to the nanoscale.


title: Coulomb time delays in high harmonic generation

abstract:
  Measuring the time it takes to remove an electron from an atom or molecule
during photoionization using newly developed attosecond spectroscopies has been
a focus of many recent experiments. However, the outcome of such measurement
depends on measurement protocols and specific observables available in each
particular experiment. One of such protocols relies on high harmonic
generation. First, we derive rigorous and general expressions for ionization
and recombination times in high harmonic generation experiments. We show that
these times are different from, but related to ionization times measured in
photo-electron spectroscopy, i.e. using attosecond streak camera, RABBITT and
atto-clock methods. Second, we use the Analytical R-Matrix theory (ARM) to
calculate these times and compare them with experimental values.


title:
Quantum Coarse-Graining: An Information-Theoretic Approach to
  Thermodynamics

abstract:
  We investigate fundamental connections between thermodynamics and quantum
information theory. First, we show that the operational framework of thermal
operations is nonequivalent to the framework of Gibbs-preserving maps, and we
comment on this gap. We then introduce a fully information-theoretic framework
generalizing the above by making further abstraction of physical quantities
such as energy. It is technically convenient to work with and reproduces known
results for finite-size quantum thermodynamics. With our framework we may
determine the minimal work cost of implementing any logical process. In the
case of information processing on memory registers with a degenerate
Hamiltonian, the answer is given by the max-entropy, a measure of information
known from quantum information theory. In the general case, we obtain a new
information measure, the "coherent relative entropy", which generalizes both
the conditional entropy and the relative entropy. It satisfies a collection of
properties which justifies its interpretation as an entropy measure and which
connects it to known quantities. We then present how, from our framework,
macroscopic thermodynamics emerges by typicality, after singling out an
appropriate class of thermodynamic states possessing some suitable
reversibility property. A natural thermodynamic potential emerges, dictating
possible state transformations, and whose differential describes the physics of
the system. The textbook thermodynamics of a gas is recovered as well as the
form of the second law relating thermodynamic entropy and heat exchange.
Finally, noting that quantum states are relative to the observer, we see that
the procedure above gives rise to a natural form of coarse-graining in quantum
mechanics: Each observer can consistently apply the formalism of quantum
information according to their own fundamental unit of information.


title:
Systholic Boolean Orthonormalizer Network in Wavelet Domain for SAR
  Image Despeckling

abstract:
  We describe a novel method for removing speckle (in wavelet domain) of
unknown variance from SAR images. The me-thod is based on the following
procedure: We apply 1) Bidimentional Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT-2D) to the
speckled image, 2) scaling and rounding to the coefficients of the highest
subbands (to obtain integer and positive coefficients), 3) bit-slicing to the
new highest subbands (to obtain bit-planes), 4) then we apply the Systholic
Boolean Orthonormalizer Network (SBON) to the input bit-plane set and we obtain
two orthonormal output bit-plane sets (in a Boolean sense), we project a set on
the other one, by means of an AND operation, and then, 5) we apply
re-assembling, and, 6) re-sca-ling. Finally, 7) we apply Inverse DWT-2D and
reconstruct a SAR image from the modified wavelet coefficients. Despeckling
results compare favorably to the most of methods in use at the moment.


title:
Quantum Enhanced Correlation Matrix Memories via States
  Orthogonalisation

abstract:
  This paper introduces a Quantum Correlation Matrix Memory (QCMM) and Enhanced
QCMM (EQCMM), which are useful to work with quantum memories. A version of
classical Gram-Schmidt orthogonalisation process in Dirac notation (called
Quantum Orthogonalisation Process: QOP) is presented to convert a
non-orthonormal quantum basis, i.e., a set of non-orthonormal quantum vectors
(called qudits) to an orthonormal quantum basis, i.e., a set of orthonormal
quantum qudits. This work shows that it is possible to improve the performance
of QCMM thanks QOP algorithm. Besides, the EQCMM algorithm has a lot of
additional fields of applica-tions, e.g.: Steganography, as a replacement
Hopfield Net-works, Bi-level image processing, etc. Finally, it is important to
mention that the EQCMM is an extremely easy to implement in any firmware.


title:
Predicting Quiescence: The Dependence of Specific Star Formation Rate on
  Galaxy Size and Central Density at 0.5<z<2.5

abstract:
  In this paper, we investigate the relationship between star formation and
structure, using a mass-complete sample of 27,893 galaxies at $0.5<z<2.5$
selected from 3D-HST. We confirm that star-forming galaxies are larger than
quiescent galaxies at fixed stellar mass (M$_{\star}$). However, in contrast
with some simulations, there is only a weak relation between star formation
rate (SFR) and size within the star-forming population: when dividing into
quartiles based on residual offsets in SFR, we find that the sizes of
star-forming galaxies in the lowest quartile are 0.27$\pm$0.06 dex smaller than
the highest quartile. We show that 50% of star formation in galaxies at fixed
M$_{\star}$ takes place within a narrow range of sizes (0.26 dex). Taken
together, these results suggest that there is an abrupt cessation of star
formation after galaxies attain particular structural properties. Confirming
earlier results, we find that central stellar density within a 1 kpc fixed
physical radius is the key parameter connecting galaxy morphology and star
formation histories: galaxies with high central densities are red and have
increasingly lower SFR/M$_{\star}$, whereas galaxies with low central densities
are blue and have a roughly constant (higher) SFR/M$_{\star}$ at a given
redshift. We find remarkably little scatter in the average trends and a strong
evolution of $>$0.5 dex in the central density threshold correlated with
quiescence from $z\sim0.7-2.0$. Neither a compact size nor high-$n$ are
sufficient to assess the likelihood of quiescence for the average galaxy;
rather, the combination of these two parameters together with M$_{\star}$
results in a unique quenching threshold in central density/velocity.


title: Phases of Cannibal Dark Matter

abstract:
  A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number
changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of
the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature
decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the
possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent
cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two
annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the
hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark
matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector is cannibalizing. During
the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total
number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark
matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the
production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct
phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation
rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable
distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.


title:
Modeling the large-scale redshift-space 3-point correlation function of
  galaxies

abstract:
  We present a configuration-space model of the large-scale galaxy 3-point
correlation function (3PCF) based on leading-order perturbation theory and
including redshift space distortions (RSD). This model should be useful in
extracting distance-scale information from the 3PCF via the Baryon Acoustic
Oscillation (BAO) method. We include the first redshift-space treatment of
biasing by the baryon-dark matter relative velocity. Overall, on large scales
the effect of RSD is primarily a renormalization of the 3PCF that is roughly
independent of both physical scale and triangle opening angle; for our adopted
$\Omega_{\rm m}$ and bias values, the rescaling is a factor of $\sim 1.8$. We
also present an efficient scheme for computing 3PCF predictions from our model,
important for allowing fast exploration of the space of cosmological parameters
in future analyses.


title: Co-Decaying Dark Matter

abstract:
  We propose a new mechanism for thermal dark matter freezeout, termed
Co-Decaying Dark Matter. Multi-component dark sectors with degenerate particles
and out-of-equilibrium decays can co-decay to obtain the observed relic
density. The dark matter density is exponentially depleted through the decay of
nearly degenerate particles, rather than from Boltzmann suppression. The relic
abundance is set by the dark matter annihilation cross-section, which is
predicted to be boosted, and the decay rate of the dark sector particles. The
mechanism is viable in a broad range of dark matter parameter space, with a
robust prediction of an enhanced indirect detection signal. Finally, we present
a simple model that realizes co-decaying dark matter.


title: The two-jet rate in e^+e^- at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic order

abstract:
  We present the first next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic resummation for the
two-jet rate in $e^+e^-$ annihilation in the Durham and Cambridge algorithms.
The results are obtained by extending the ARES method to observables involving
any global, recursively infrared and collinear safe jet algorithm in e^+e^-
collisions. As opposed to other methods, this approach does not require a
factorization theorem for the observables. We present predictions matched to
next-to-next-to-leading order, and a comparison to LEP data.


title:
Illuminating gas in-/outflows in the MUSE deepest fields: discovery of
  Ly-alpha nebulae around forming galaxies at z~3.3

abstract:
  We report on the discovery of extended Ly-alpha nebulae at z~3.3 in the
Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF, ~ 40 kpc X 80 kpc) and behind the Hubble
Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACSJ0416 (~ 40kpc), spatially associated with
groups of star-forming galaxies. VLT/MUSE integral field spectroscopy reveals a
complex structure with a spatially-varying double peaked Ly-alpha emission.
Overall, the spectral profiles of the two Ly-alpha nebulae are remarkably
similar, both showing a prominent blue emission, more intense and slightly
broader than the red peak. From the first nebula, located in the HUDF, no X-ray
emission has been detected, disfavoring the possible presence of AGNs.
Spectroscopic redshifts have been derived for 11 galaxies within two arcsec
from the nebula and spanning the redshift range 1.037<z<5.97. The second
nebula, behind MACSJ0416, shows three aligned star-forming galaxies plausibly
associated to the emitting gas. In both systems, the associated galaxies reveal
possible intense rest-frame-optical nebular emissions lines
[OIII]4959-5007+Hbeta with equivalent widths as high as 1500A rest-frame and
star formation rates ranging from a few to tens of solar masses per year. A
possible scenario is that of a group of young, star-forming galaxies sources of
escaping ionising radiation that induce Ly-alpha fluorescence, therefore
revealing the kinematics of the surrounding gas. Also Ly-alpha powered by
star-formation and/or cooling radiation may resemble the double peaked spectral
properties and the morphology observed here. If the intense blue emission is
associated with inflowing gas, then we may be witnessing an early phase of
galaxy or a proto-cluster (or group) formation.


title: Challenges in Connecting Modified Gravity Theory and Observations

abstract:
  Cosmic acceleration may be due to modifications of cosmic gravity and to test
this we need robust connections between theory and observations. However, in a
model independent approach like effective field theory or a broad class like
Horndeski gravity, several free functions of time enter the theory. We show
that simple parametrizations of these functions are unlikely to be successful;
in particular the approximation $\alpha_i(t)\propto\Omega_{\rm de}(t)$
drastically misestimates the observables. This holds even in simple modified
gravity theories like $f(R)$. Indeed, oversimplified approximations to the
property functions $\alpha_i(t)$ can even miss the signature of modified
gravity. We also consider the question of consistency relations and the role of
tensor (gravitational wave) perturbations.


title: V346 Normae: First post-outburst observations of an FU Orionis star

abstract:
  During their formation phase stars gain most of their mass in violent
episodic accretion events, such as observed in FU Orionis (FUor) and EXor
stars. V346 Normae is a well-studied FUor that underwent a strong outburst
beginning in $\sim1980$. Here, we report photometric and spectroscopic
observations which show that the visual/near-infrared brightness has decreased
dramatically between the 1990s and 2010 (${\Delta}R\approx10.9^{\rm m}$,
${\Delta}J\approx7.8^{\rm m}$, ${\Delta}K\approx5.8^{\rm m}$). The spectral
properties of this fading event cannot be explained with variable extinction
alone, but indicate a drop in accretion rate by 2-3 orders of magnitude,
marking the first time that a member of the FUor class has been observed to
switch to a very low accretion phase. Remarkably, in the last few years
(2011-2015) V346 Nor has brightened again at all near-infrared wavelengths,
indicating the onset of a new outburst event. The observed behaviour might be
consistent with the clustered luminosity bursts that have been predicted by
recent gravitational instability and fragmentation models for the early stages
of protostellar evolution. Given V346 Nor's unique characteristics (concerning
outburst duration, repetition frequency, and spectroscopic diagnostics), our
results also highlight the need for revisiting the FUor/EXor classification
scheme.


title: Dipper disks not inclined towards edge-on orbits

abstract:
  The so-called "dipper" stars host circumstellar disks and have optical and
infrared light curves that exhibit quasi-periodic or aperiodic dimming events
consistent with extinction by transiting dusty structures orbiting in the inner
disk. Most of the proposed mechanisms explaining the dips---i.e., occulting
disk warps, vortices, and forming planetesimals---assume nearly edge-on viewing
geometries. However, our analysis of the three known dippers with publicly
available resolved sub-mm data reveals disks with a range of inclinations, most
notably the face-on transition disk J1604-2130 (EPIC 204638512). This suggests
that nearly edge-on viewing geometries are not a defining characteristic of the
dippers and that additional models should be explored. If confirmed by further
observations of more dippers, this would point to inner disk processes that
regularly produce dusty structures far above the outer disk midplane in regions
relevant to planet formation.


title: The Effect of Pair-Instability Mass Loss on Black Hole Mergers

abstract:
  Mergers of two stellar origin black holes are a prime source of gravitational
waves and are under intensive investigations. One crucial ingredient in their
modeling has so far been neglected. Pair-instability pulsation supernovae with
associated severe mass loss may suppress formation of massive black holes,
decreasing black hole merger rates for the highest black hole masses.
  The mass loss associated with pair-instability pulsation supernovae limits
the Population I/II stellar-origin black hole mass to 50 Msun, in tension with
earlier predictions that the maximum black hole mass could be as high as 100
Msun.
  Suppression of double black hole merger rates by pair-instability pulsation
supernovae is negligible for our evolutionary channel. Our standard
evolutionary model with inclusion of pair-instability pulsation supernovae and
with pair-instability supernovae is fully consistent with the LIGO detections
of black hole mergers: GW150914, GW151226 and LVT151012. The LIGO observations
seem to exclude high (>400 km/s) BH natal kicks. We predict the detection of
several up to 60 BH-BH mergers with total mass 10--150 Msun (most likely range:
20--80 Msun) in the forthcoming 60 effective days of LIGO O2 observations.


title: An Unstable Truth: How Massive Stars get their Mass

abstract:
  The pressure exerted by massive stars' radiation fields is an important
mechanism regulating their formation. Detailed simulation of massive star
formation therefore requires an accurate treatment of radiation. However, all
published simulations have either used a diffusion approximation of limited
validity; have only been able to simulate a single star fixed in space, thereby
suppressing potentially-important instabilities; or did not provide adequate
resolution at locations where instabilities may develop. To remedy this we have
developed a new, highly accurate radiation algorithm that properly treats the
absorption of the direct radiation field from stars and the re-emission and
processing by interstellar dust. We use our new tool to perform
three-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of the collapse of massive
pre-stellar cores with laminar and turbulent initial conditions and properly
resolve regions where we expect instabilities to grow. We find that mass is
channeled to the stellar system via gravitational and Rayleigh-Taylor (RT)
instabilities, in agreement with previous results using stars capable of
moving, but in disagreement with methods where the star is held fixed or with
simulations that do not adequately resolve the development of RT instabilities.
For laminar initial conditions, proper treatment of the direct radiation field
produces later onset of instability, but does not suppress it entirely provided
the edges of radiation-dominated bubbles are adequately resolved. Instabilities
arise immediately for turbulent pre-stellar cores because the initial
turbulence seeds the instabilities. Our results suggest that RT features are
significant and should be present around accreting massive stars throughout
their formation.


title:
Entropy theorems in classical mechanics, general relativity, and the
  gravitational two-body problem

abstract:
  In classical Hamiltonian theories, entropy may be understood either as a
statistical property of canonical systems, or as a mechanical property, that
is, as a monotonic function of the phase space along trajectories. In classical
mechanics, there are theorems which have been proposed for proving the
non-existence of entropy in the latter sense. We explicate, clarify and extend
the proofs of these theorems to some standard matter (scalar and
electromagnetic) field theories in curved spacetime, and then we show why these
proofs fail in general relativity; due to properties of the gravitational
Hamiltonian and phase space measures, the second law of thermodynamics holds.
As a concrete application, we focus on the consequences of these results for
the gravitational two-body problem, and in particular, we prove the
non-compactness of the phase space of perturbed Schwarzschild-Droste
spacetimes. We thus identify the lack of recurring orbits in phase space as a
distinct sign of dissipation and hence entropy production.

categories: gr-qc cond-mat.stat-mech hep-th math-ph math.MP


title:
E$_{8(8)}$ Exceptional Field Theory: Geometry, Fermions and
  Supersymmetry

abstract:
  We present the supersymmetric extension of the recently constructed
E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional field theory -- the manifestly U-duality covariant
formulation of the untruncated ten- and eleven-dimensional supergravities. This
theory is formulated on a (3+248) dimensional spacetime (modulo section
constraint) in which the extended coordinates transform in the adjoint
representation of E$_{8(8)}$. All bosonic fields are E$_{8(8)}$ tensors and
transform under internal generalized diffeomorphisms. The fermions are tensors
under the generalized Lorentz group SO(1,2)$\times$SO(16), where SO(16) is the
maximal compact subgroup of E$_{8(8)}$. Vanishing generalized torsion
determines the corresponding spin connections to the extent they are required
to formulate the field equations and supersymmetry transformation laws. We
determine the supersymmetry transformations for all bosonic and fermionic
fields such that they consistently close into generalized diffeomorphisms. In
particular, the covariantly constrained gauge vectors of E$_{8(8)}$ exceptional
field theory combine with the standard supergravity fields into a single
supermultiplet. We give the complete extended Lagrangian and show its
invariance under supersymmetry. Upon solution of the section constraint the
theory reduces to full D=11 or type IIB supergravity.


title: Shaving off Black Hole Soft Hair

abstract:
  A recent, intriguing paper by Hawking, Perry and Strominger suggests that
soft photons and gravitons can be regarded as black hole hair and may be
relevant to the black hole information paradox. In this note we make use of
factorization theorems for infrared divergences of the S-matrix to argue that
by appropriately dressing in and out hard states, the soft-quanta-dependent
part of the S-matrix becomes essentially trivial. The information paradox can
be fully formulated in terms of dressed hard states, which do not depend on
soft quanta.


title:
Forward di-jet production in p+Pb collisions in the small-x improved TMD
  factorization framework

abstract:
  We study the production of forward di-jets in proton-lead and proton-proton
collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. Such configurations, with both jets
produced in the forward direction, impose a dilute-dense asymmetry which allows
to probe the gluon density of the lead or proton target at small longitudinal
momentum fractions. Even though the jet momenta are always much bigger than the
saturation scale of the target, $Q_s$, the transverse momentum imbalance of the
di-jet system may be either also much larger than $Q_s$, or of the order $Q_s$,
implying that the small-$x$ QCD dynamics involved is either linear or
non-linear, respectively. The small-$x$ improved TMD factorization framework
deals with both situation in the same formalism. In the latter case, which
corresponds to nearly back-to-back jets, we find that saturation effects induce
a significant suppression of the forward di-jet azimuthal correlations in
proton-lead versus proton-proton collisions.


title: Information Content of Gravitational Radiation and the Vacuum

abstract:
  Known entropy bounds, and the Generalized Second Law, were recently shown to
imply bounds on the information arriving at future null infinity. We complete
this derivation by including the contribution from gravitons. We test the
bounds in classical settings with gravity and no matter. In Minkowski space,
the bounds vanish on any subregion of the future boundary, independently of
coordinate choices. More generally, the bounds vanish in regions where no
gravitational radiation arrives. In regions that do contain Bondi news, the
bounds are compatible with the presence of information, including the
information stored in gravitational memory. All of our results are consistent
with the equivalence principle, which states that empty Riemann-flat spacetime
regions contain no classical information. We also discuss the possibility that
Minkowski space has an infinite vacuum degeneracy labeled by a choice of Bondi
coordinates (a classical parameter, if physical). We argue that this degeneracy
cannot have any observational consequences if the equivalence principle holds.
Our bounds are consistent with this conclusion.


title: AdS/dCFT one-point functions of the SU(3) sector

abstract:
  We propose a closed formula for the tree-level one-point functions of
non-protected operators belonging to an SU(3) sub-sector of the defect CFT dual
to the D3-D5 probe brane system with background gauge field flux, k, valid for
k=2. The formula passes a number of non-trivial analytical and numerical tests.
Our proposal is based on expressing the one-point functions as an overlap
between a Bethe eigenstate of the SU(3) spin chain and a certain matrix product
state, deriving various factorization properties of the Gaudin norm and
performing explicit computations for shorter spin chains. As its SU(2)
counterpart, the one-point function formula for the SU(3) sub-sector is of
determinant type. We discuss the the differences with the SU(2) case and the
challenges in extending the present formula beyond k=2.


title: An Iron K Component to the Ultrafast Outflow in NGC 1313 X-1

abstract:
  We present the detection of an absorpton feature at $E=8.77^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$
keV in the combined X-ray spectrum of the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 1313
X-1 observed with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR, significant at the 3$\sigma$ level. If
associated with blueshifted ionized iron, the implied outflow velocity is
~0.2$c$ for Fe XXVI, or ~0.25$c$ for Fe XXV. These velocities are similar to
the ultrafast outflow seen in absorption recently discovered in this source at
lower energies by XMM-Newton, and we therefore conclude that this is an iron
component to the same outflow. Photoionization modeling marginally prefers the
Fe XXV solution, but in either case the outflow properties appear to be
extreme, potentially supporting a super-Eddington hypothesis for NGC 1313 X-1.


title:
The Excitation of the Global Symmetry-Breaking Vacuum in Composite Higgs
  Models

abstract:
  We consider scenarios of Higgs compositeness where the Higgs doublet arises
as a pseudo-Nambu Goldstone boson. Our focus is the physical scalar ("radial")
excitation associated with the global symmetry breaking vacuum, which we call
the "global Higgs". For the minimal case of a $SO(5)/SO(4)$ coset, the
couplings of the global Higgs to Standard Model (SM) particles are fully
determined by group theoretical factors and two decay constants. The global
Higgs also couples to the composite resonances of the theory, inducing an
interaction with the SM gauge bosons at one-loop. We thoroughly analyze
representative fermionic sectors, considering a global Higgs both in the $\bf
5$ and $\bf 14$ representations of $SO(5)$ and taking into account the
renormalization group evolution of couplings in the composite sector. We derive
the one-loop effective couplings and all decays of the global Higgs, showing
that its decay width over mass can range from $ O (10^{-3})$ to $ O(1)$.
Because of the multiplicity of the resonances, the coupling of the global Higgs
to gluons is sizeable, potentially opening a new window into composite models
at the LHC.


title:
Conductivity contrast and tunneling charge transport in the vortex-like
  ferroelectric domain patterns of multiferroic hexagonal YMnO3

abstract:
  We deduce the intrinsic conductivity properties of the ferroelectric domain
walls around the topologically protected domain vortex cores in multiferroic
YMnO3. This is achieved by performing a careful equivalent-circuit analysis of
dielectric spectra measured in single-crystalline samples with different vortex
densities. The conductivity contrast between the bulk domains and the less
conducting domain boundaries is revealed to reach up to a factor 500 at room
temperature, depending on sample preparation. Tunneling of localized defect
charge carriers is the dominant charge-transport process in the domain walls
that are depleted of mo-bile charge carriers. This work demonstrates that via
equivalent-circuit analysis, dielectric spectroscopy can provide valuable
information on the intrinsic charge-transport properties of ferroelectric
domain walls, which is of high relevance for the design of new
domain-wall-based microelectronic devices.


title:
The stellar mass-halo mass relation of isolated field dwarfs: a critical
  test of $\Lambda$CDM at the edge of galaxy formation

abstract:
  We fit the rotation curves of isolated dwarf galaxies to directly measure the
stellar mass-halo mass relation ($M_*-M_{200}$) over the mass range $5 \times
10^5 < M_{*}/{\rm M}_\odot < 10^{8}$. By accounting for cusp-core
transformations due to stellar feedback, we find a monotonic relation with
little scatter. Such monotonicity implies that abundance matching should yield
a similar $M_*-M_{200}$ if the cosmological model is correct. Using the 'field
galaxy' stellar mass function from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the
halo mass function from the $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter Bolshoi simulation, we
find remarkable agreement between the two. This holds down to $M_{200} \sim 5
\times 10^9$M$_\odot$, and to $M_{200} \sim 5 \times 10^8$M$_\odot$ if we
assume a power law extrapolation of the SDSS stellar mass function below $M_*
\sim 10^7$M$_\odot$.
  However, if instead of SDSS we use the stellar mass function of nearby galaxy
groups, then the agreement is poor. This occurs because the group stellar mass
function is shallower than that of the field below $M_* \sim 10^9$M$_\odot$,
recovering the familiar 'missing satellites' and 'too big to fail' problems.
Our result demonstrates that both problems are confined to group environments
and must, therefore, owe to 'galaxy formation physics' rather than exotic
cosmology.
  Finally, we repeat our analysis for a $\Lambda$ Warm Dark Matter cosmology,
finding that it fails at 68% confidence for a thermal relic mass of $m_{\rm
WDM} < 1.25$keV, and $m_{\rm WDM} < 2$keV if we use the power law extrapolation
of SDSS. We conclude by making a number of predictions for future surveys based
on these results.


title: Joint Source-Relay Design for Full--Duplex MIMO AF Relay Systems

abstract:
  The performance of full-duplex (FD) relay systems can be greatly impacted by
the self-interference (SI) at relays. By exploiting multi-antenna in FD relay
systems, the spectral efficiency of FD relay systems can be enhanced through
spatial SI mitigation. This paper studies joint source transmit beamforming and
relay processing to achieve rate maximization for FD MIMO amplify-and-forward
(AF) relay systems with consideration of relay processing delay. The problem is
difficult to solve due mainly to the SI constraint induced by the relay
processing delay. In this paper, we first present a sufficient condition under
which the relay amplification matrix has rank one structure. Then, for the case
of rank one amplification matrix, the rate maximization problem is equivalently
simplified into an unconstrained problem which can be locally solved using
gradient ascent method. Next, we propose a penalty-based algorithmic framework,
called P-BSUM, for a class of constrained optimization problems which have
difficult equality constraints in addition to some convex constraints. By
rewriting the rate maximization problem with a set of auxiliary variables, we
apply the P-BSUM algorithm to the rate maximization problem in the general
case. Finally, numerical results validate the efficiency of the proposed
algorithms and show that the joint source-relay design approach under the rank
one assumption could be strictly suboptimal as compared to the P-BSUM-based
joint source-relay design approach.