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Determining the mass of neutron stars is crucial for understanding their formation, evolution, and interior structure. Currently, only a few dozen neutron stars have had their masses measured, and most of them belong to binary systems. However, there are a huge number of isolated neutron stars with unknown masses. Microlensing events with neutron stars provide unique opportunities for knowing these compact objects. Astrometric microlensing with a background source lensed by a neutron star might be used to determine the neutron star's mass by measuring the deviation of the motion of the centroid of the images from its unlensed one. We search and predict these recent and future events based on the Australia Telescope National Facility Pulsar Catalog and Gaia DR3. We find 60 candidate astrometric microlensing events caused by neutron stars and the probability distributions of their observables by the Monte Carlo sampling. We also find four candidate “timing microlensing” events with a pulsar lensed by a foreground object that might be detected by timing measurements. While some of these events may be verified by future astrometric missions or pulsar-timing observations, we note that our prediction of these events is significantly restricted by the uncertainties of the available astrometric and timing measurements after assessing and comparing our results with previous works.

A viable strategy for enhancing photovoltaic performance is to comprehend the underlying quantum physical regime of charge transfer in a double quantum dots (DQD) photocell. This work explored the photovoltaic performance dependent spatially correlated fluctuation in a DQD photocell. The effects of spatially correlated fluctuation on charge transfer and output photovoltaic efficiency were explored in a proposed DQD photocell model. The results revealed that the charge transport process and the time to peak photovoltaic efficiency were both significantly delayed by the spatially correlated fluctuation, while the anti-spatially correlated fluctuation reduced the output peak photovoltaic efficiency. Further results revealed that the delayed response could be suppressed by gap difference and tunneling coefficient within two dots. Subsequent investigation demonstrated that the delayed response was caused by the spatial correlation fluctuation slowing the generative process of noise-induced coherence, which had previously been proven to improve the quantum photovoltaic performance in quantum photocells. And the reduced photovoltaic properties were verified by the damaged noise-induced coherence owing to the anti-spatial correlation fluctuation and a hotter thermal ambient environment. The discovery of delayed response generated by the spatially correlated fluctuations will deepen the understanding of quantum features of electron transfer, as well as promises to take our understanding even further concerning quantum techniques for high efficiency DQD solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate multiwavelength Brillouin fiber lasers (MWBFLs) with double-frequency spacing based on a small-core fiber (SCF) and a standard single-mode fiber (SMF), which have core diameters of 5 and 8.8 μm, respectively. Experimental results show that the SCF-based MWBFL exhibits a higher laser output power and a lower pump threshold. The output powers of the SCF-based MWBFL are > 1.4 times those of the SMF-based MWBFL. Moreover, the threshold power required to generate each channel of the SCF-based MWBFL is 59% that of the SMF-based MWBFL. When the same pump power of 180 mW is injected, the number of laser channels generated for the SCF-based MWBFL is 13, which is twice that generated for the SMF-based MWBFL. In addition, the SCF-based MWBFL exhibits good wavelength tunability from 1535 to 1565 nm and temporal stability over an hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare focused ultrasound (FUS) neuromodulation-induced motor responses under two physical mechanisms: mechanical and mechanothermal effects. Mice were divided into two groups. One group was subjected to short-duration FUS stimulation (0.3 s) that induced mechanical effects (mechanical group). The other group underwent long-duration FUS stimulation (15 s) that produced not only mechanical but also thermal effects (mechanothermal group). FUS was targeted at the deep cerebellar nucleus in the cerebellum to induce motor responses, which were evaluated by recording the evoked electromyographic (EMG) signals and tail movements. Brain tissue temperature rise associated with the FUS stimulation was quantified by noninvasive magnetic resonance thermometry in vivo. Temperature rise was negligible for the mechanical group (0.2 °C ± 0.1 °C) but did rise within the range of 0.6 °C ± 0.2 °C−3.3 °C ± 0.9 °C for the mechanothermal group. The elongated FUS beam also induced heating in the dorsal brain (below the top skull) and ventral brain (above the bottom skull) along the beam path for the mechanothermal group. Both mechanical and mechanothermal groups achieved successful FUS neuromodulation. EMG response latencies were within the range of 0.03–0.1 s at different intensity levels for the mechanical group. The mechanothermal effect of FUS could induce both short-latency EMG (0.2–1.4 s) and long-latency EMG (8.7–13.0 s) under the same intensity levels as the mechanical group. The different temporal dynamics of evoked EMG suggested that FUS-induced mechanical and mechanothermal effects could evoke different responses in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the evolution in equilibrium of the fluctuations for the conserved quantities of a chain of anharmonic oscillators in the hyperbolic space-time scaling limit. Boundary conditions are determined by applying a constant tension at one side, while the position of the other side is kept fixed. The Hamiltonian dynamics is perturbed by random terms conservative of such quantities. We prove that these fluctuations evolve macroscopically following the linearized Euler equations with the corresponding boundary conditions. Furthermore, we prove that such linearized evolution holds in some time scales larger than the hyperbolic one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a second-order helium-cooled superconducting quantum interference device gradiometer as the detector, ultra-low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ULF-NMR) signals of protons are recorded in an urban environment without magnetic shielding. The homogeneity and stability of the measurement field are investigated. NMR signals of protons are studied at night and during working hours. The Larmor frequency variation caused by the fluctuation of the external magnetic field during daytime reaches around 5 Hz when performing multiple measurements for about 10 min, which seriously affects the results of averaging. In order to improve the performance of the averaged data, we suggest the use of a data processor, i.e. the so-called time-domain frequency correction (TFC). For a 50-times averaged signal spectrum, the signal-to-noise ratio is enhanced from 30 to 120 when applying TFC while preserving the NMR spectrum linewidth. The TFC is also applied successfully to the measurement data of the hetero-nuclear J-coupling in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the thermoelectric performance of Cu2GeSe3, a series of Te-alloyed samples Cu2Ge(Se1−xTex)3 are synthesized and investigated in this work. It is found that the lattice thermal conductivity is reduced drastically for x = 0.1 sample, which may be attributed to the point defects introduced by alloying. However, for samples with x ≥ 0.2, the lattice thermal conductivity increases with increasing x, which is related to a less distorted structure. The structure evolution, together with the change in carrier concentration, also leads to a systemically change in electrical properties. Finally, a zT of 0.55@750 K is obtained for the sample with x = 0.3, about 62% higher than that for the pristine sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis of Nd-filled and Fe substituted p-type NdxFe3.2Co0.8Sb12 (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9) skutterudites by the solid-state reaction method. The influences of Nd filler on the electrical and thermal transport properties are investigated in a temperature range from room temperature to 850 K. A lowest lattice thermal conductivity of is obtained in Nd0.8Fe3.2Co0.8Sb12 at 673 K, which results from the localized vibration modes of fillers and the increase of grains boundaries. Meanwhile, the maximum power factor is for the Nd0.9Fe3.2Co0.8Sb12 sample at 668 K. Overall, the highest dimensionless figure of merit zT = 0.87 is achieved at 714 K for Nd0.9Fe3.2Co0.8Sb12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetry in dislocation density and strain relaxation has a significant impact on device performance since it leads to anisotropic electron transport in metamorphic materials. So it is preferred to obtain metamorphic materials with symmetric properties. In this paper, we grew metamorphic In0.27Ga0.73As epilayers with symmetric low threading dislocation density and symmetric strain relaxation in two 〈110〉 directions using InAlGaAs buffer layers on 7° misoriented GaAs (001) substrates. To understand the control mechanism of symmetric properties of In0.27Ga0.73As layers by the substrate miscut angles, In0.27Ga0.73As grown on 2° and 15° misoriented substrates were also characterized as reference by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution triple axis x-ray diffraction. The phase separation and interaction of 60° misfit dislocations were found to be the reasons for asymmetry properties of In0.27Ga0.73As grown on 2° and 15° substrates, respectively. Photoluminescence results proved that the In0.27Ga0.73As with symmetric properties has better optical properties than the In0.27Ga0.73As with asymmetric properties at room temperature. These results imply that high quality metamorphic In0.27Ga0.73As can be achieved with controllable isotropic electron transport property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The range accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) ghost imaging is derived. Based on the derived range accuracy equation, the relationship between the slicing number and the range accuracy is analyzed and an optimum slicing number (OSN) is determined. According to the OSN, an improved 3D ghost imaging algorithm is proposed to increase the range accuracy. Experimental results indicate that the slicing number can affect the range accuracy significantly and the highest range accuracy can be achieved if the 3D ghost imaging system works with OSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the link efficiency and decrease the payloads in space explorations, a novel simultaneous communication and ranging method based on x-ray communication (XCOM) is proposed in this paper. A delicate signal symbol structure is utilized to achieve simultaneous data transmission and range measurement. With the designed symbol structure, the ranging information is imbedded into the communication signal and transmitted with it simultaneously. The range measurement is realized by the two-way transmission of the range information. To illustrate the proposed method, firstly, the principle of the method is introduced and the signal processing procedure is presented. Then, the performance of the proposed method is analyzed theoretically in various aspects, including the acquisition probability, the bit error rate, the ranging jitter, etc. Besides, numerical experiments are conducted to verify the proposed method and evaluate the system performance. The simulation results show that the proposed method is feasible and that the system performance is influenced by the parameters concerning the signal symbol structure. Compared with the previous methods, the proposed method improves the link efficiency and is beneficial for system miniaturization and integration, which could provide a potential option for future deep space explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The log–polar transform (LPT) is introduced into the star identification because of its rotation invariance. An improved autonomous star identification algorithm is proposed in this paper to avoid the circular shift of the feature vector and to reduce the time consumed in the star identification algorithm using LPT. In the proposed algorithm, the star pattern of the same navigation star remains unchanged when the stellar image is rotated, which makes it able to reduce the star identification time. The logarithmic values of the plane distances between the navigation and its neighbor stars are adopted to structure the feature vector of the navigation star, which enhances the robustness of star identification. In addition, some efforts are made to make it able to find the identification result with fewer comparisons, instead of searching the whole feature database. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively accelerate the star identification. Moreover, the recognition rate and robustness by the proposed algorithm are better than those by the LPT algorithm and the modified grid algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Range measurement has found multiple applications in deep space missions. With more and further deep space exploration activities happening now and in the future, the requirement for range measurement has risen. In view of the future ranging requirement, a novel x-ray polarized ranging method based on the circular polarization modulation is proposed, termed as x-ray circularly polarized ranging (XCPolR). XCPolR utilizes the circular polarization modulation to process x-ray signals and the ranging information is conveyed by the circular polarization states. As the circular polarization states present good stability in space propagation and x-ray detectors have light weight and low power consumption, XCPolR shows great potential in the long-distance range measurement and provides an option for future deep space ranging. In this paper, we present a detailed illustration of XCPolR. Firstly, the structure of the polarized ranging system is described and the signal models in the ranging process are established mathematically. Then, the main factors that affect the ranging accuracy, including the Doppler effect, the differential demodulation, and the correlation error, are analyzed theoretically. Finally, numerical simulation is carried out to evaluate the performance of XCPolR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the proof-of-principle demonstration of optical parametric amplification to efficiently amplify chirped laser pulses in 1992, optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) became the most promising method for the amplification of broadband optical pulses. In the meantime, we are witnessing an exciting progress in the development of powerful and ultrashort pulse laser systems that employ chirped pulse parametric amplifiers. The output power and pulse duration of these systems have ranged from a few gigawatts to hundreds of terawatts with a potential of tens of petawatts power level. Meanwhile, the output pulse duration based on optical parametric amplification has entered the range of few-optical-cycle field. In this paper, we overview the basic principles, trends in development, and current state of the ultrashort and laser systems based on OPCPA, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]