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Lipid rafts are nanoscopic assemblies of sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific membrane proteins. They are believed to underlie the experimentally observed lateral heterogeneity of eukaryotic plasma membranes and implicated in many cellular processes, such as signaling and trafficking. Ternary model membranes consisting of saturated lipids, unsaturated lipids, and cholesterol are common proxies because they exhibit phase coexistence between a liquid-ordered (lo) and liquid-disordered (ld) phase and an associated critical point. However, plasma membranes are also asymmetric in terms of lipid type, lipid abundance, leaflet tension, and corresponding cholesterol distribution, suggesting that rafts cannot be examined separately from questions about elasticity, curvature torques, and internal mechanical stresses. Unfortunately, it is challenging to capture this wide range of physical phenomenology in a single model that can access sufficiently long length- and time scales. Here we extend the highly coarse-grained Cooke model for lipids, which has been extensively characterized on the curvature-elastic front, to also represent raft-like lo/ld mixing thermodynamics. In particular, we capture the shape and tie lines of a coexistence region that narrows upon cholesterol addition, terminates at a critical point, and has coexisting phases that reflect key differences in membrane order and lipid packing. We furthermore examine elasticity and lipid diffusion for both phase separated and pure systems and how they change upon the addition of cholesterol. We anticipate that this model will enable significant insight into lo/ld phase separation and the associated question of lipid rafts for membranes that have compositionally distinct leaflets that are likely under differential stress—like the plasma membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced by Pitzer in 1955, the acentric factor (ω) has been used to evaluate a molecule's deviation from the corresponding state principle. Pitzer devised ω based on a concept called perfect liquid (or centric fluid), a hypothetical species perfectly adhering to this principle. However, its physical significance remains unclear. This work attempts to clarify the centric fluid from an excess entropy perspective. We observe that the excess entropy per particle of centric fluids approximates −kB at their critical points, akin to the communal entropy of an ideal gas in classical cell theory. We devise an excess entropy dissection and apply it to model fluids (square-well, Lennard-Jones, Mie n-6, and the two-body ab initio models) to interpret this similarity. The dissection method identifies both centricity-independent and centricity-dependent entropic features. Regardless of the acentric factor, the attractive interaction contribution to the excess entropy peaks at the density where local density is most enhanced due to the competition between the local attraction and critical fluctuations. However, only in centric fluids does the entropic contribution from the local attractive potential become comparable to that of the hard sphere exclusion, making the centric fluid more structured than acentric ones. These findings elucidate the physical significance of the centric fluid as a system of particles where the repulsive and attractive contributions to the excess entropy become equal at its gas–liquid criticality. We expect these findings to offer a way to find suitable intermolecular potentials and assess the physical adequacy of equations of state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-bond networks in associating fluids can be extremely robust and characterize the topological properties of the liquid phase, as in the case of water, over its whole domain of stability and beyond. Here, we report on molecular dynamics simulations of hydrogen fluoride (HF), one of the strongest hydrogen-bonding molecules. HF has more limited connectivity than water but can still create long, dynamic chains, setting it apart from most other small molecular liquids. Our simulation results provide robust evidence of a second-order percolation transition of HF's hydrogen bond network occurring below the critical point. This behavior is remarkable as it underlines the presence of two different cohesive mechanisms in liquid HF, one at low temperatures characterized by a spanning network of long, entangled hydrogen-bonded polymers, as opposed to short oligomers bound by the dispersion interaction above the percolation threshold. This second-order phase transition underlines the presence of marked structural heterogeneity in the fluid, which we found in the form of two liquid populations with distinct local densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water shows anomalous properties that are enhanced upon supercooling. The unusual behavior is observed in both H2O and D2O, however, with different temperature dependences for the two isotopes. It is often noted that comparing the properties of the isotopes at two different temperatures (i.e., a temperature shift) approximately accounts for many of the observations—with a temperature shift of 7.2 K in the temperature of maximum density being the most well-known example. However, the physical justification for such a shift is unclear. Motivated by recent work demonstrating a "corresponding-states-like" rescaling for water properties in three classical water models that all exhibit a liquid–liquid transition and critical point [Uralcan et al., J. Chem. Phys. 150, 064503 (2019)], the applicability of this approach for reconciling the differences in the temperature- and pressure-dependent thermodynamic properties of H2O and D2O is investigated here. Utilizing previously published data and equations-of-state for H2O and D2O, we show that the available data and models for these isotopes are consistent with such a low temperature correspondence. These observations provide support for the hypothesis that a liquid–liquid critical point, which is predicted to occur at low temperatures and high pressures, is the origin of many of water's anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bulk water density data are studied in a very large temperature–pressure range, from stable liquid to glass in the frame of water polymorphism. Because this thermodynamic variable evidences a crossover T*, above which the hydrogen bond (HB) is unable to arrange tetrahedral networks, the T-dependence of their isobars was considered. Such an analysis also shows pressure, P*, around which their thermal behaviors are completely different: concave below P* (with maxima and minima) and convex above (without extremes). Having ρ's measured values of the bimodal structures of the liquid phase, HDL (ρHDL), made of not-bonded monomers (ρNHB) and partially bonded dimers plus trimers (ρNHB), and LDL tetramers (ρLDL) the isobars of the relative distributions [W(P, T)] of the three species (WLDL, WPHB, and WNHB) have been evaluated. The results were studied by means of a logistic function (LF) that details the evolutions of the relative polpulations of the water LDL and HDL phases by decreasing T (for the isobars, in the range of 0.1–400 MPa). The LFs analysis obtained by proposing a full connection between liquid water from its supercooled metastable phase to the stable up to the boiling temperature identifies the Widom line quite satisfactorily and fully supports the presence of the liquid–liquid critical point in the deep supercooled region, located at about 190 K and in the range 200 > P > 180 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued increases in computational power now make it possible to evaluate the free-energy landscape associated with the first-order liquid–liquid transition in realistic models of water for which an accurate estimate of the liquid–liquid critical point exists, and to explore its change with pressure near the coexistence line. We report the results of 50 μs-long NPT umbrella sampling simulations for two realistic models for water, TIP4P/2005 and TIP4P/ice, 3–9 K below their critical temperatures. The free energy profile at different pressures clearly shows the presence of two well-defined free energy basins and makes it possible to identify the liquid–liquid spinodal points, the limits of stability that define the (temperature dependent) pressure range within which two distinct free energy basins exist. The results show that for temperatures less than 10 K below the critical temperature, metastable states are possible across a very limited pressure interval, information that is relevant to the interpretation of experiments probing the metastable phase behavior of deeply supercooled water in the so-called no-man's land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage through a critical point of a many-body quantum system leads to abundant nonadiabatic excitations. Here, we explore a regime, in which the critical point is not crossed although the system is passing slowly very close to it. We show that the leading exponent for the excitation probability can then be obtained by standard arguments of the Dykhne formula, but the exponential prefactor is no longer simple and behaves as a power law on the characteristic transition rate. We derive this prefactor for the nonlinear Landau–Zener model by adjusting Dykhne's approach. Then, we introduce an exactly solvable model of the transition near a critical point in the Stark ladder. We derive the number of excitations for it without approximations and find qualitatively similar results for the excitation scaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cis-trans isomerization of amide bonds leads to wide range of structural and functional changes in proteins and can easily be the rate-limiting step in folding. The trans isomer is thermodynamically more stable than the cis, nevertheless the cis form can play a role in biopolymers' function. The molecular system of N-methylacetamide · 2H2O is complex enough to reveal energetics of the cis-trans isomerization at coupled cluster single-double and coupled cluster single–double and perturbative triple [CCSD(T)] levels of theory. The cis-trans isomerization cannot be oversimplified by a rotation along ω, since this rotation is coupled with the N-atom pyramidal inversion, requesting the introduction of a second dihedral angle "α." Full f(ω,α) potential energy surfaces of the different amide protonation states, critical points and isomerization reaction paths were determined, and the barriers of the neutral, O-protonated and N-deprotonated amides were found too high to allow cis-trans interconversion at room temperature: ∼85, ∼140, and ∼110 kJ mol−1, respectively. For the N-protonated amide bond, the cis form (ω = 0°) is a maximum rather than a minimum, and each ω state is accessible for less than ∼10 kJ mol−1. Here we outline a cis-trans isomerization pathway with a previously undescribed low energy transition state, which suggests that the proton is transferred from the more favorable O- to the N-protonation site with the aid of nearby water molecules, allowing the trans → cis transition to occur at an energy cost of ≤11.6 kJ mol−1. Our results help to explain why isomerase enzymes operate via protonated amide bonds and how N-protonation of the peptide bond occurs via O-protonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the thermodynamic behavior of sodium perchlorate solutions in supercooled water through molecular dynamics numerical simulations. These solutions are of special interest because of the recent experimental results that led to hypothesize the presence of liquid water in perchlorate solutions beneath the Martian soil. We model water using the TIP4P/2005 potential. The results we obtain for solutions with concentrations 1.63 and 15.4 wt% are in agreement with those of a system undergoing a liquid–liquid phase transition where the liquid–liquid critical point shifts to slightly higher temperatures and lower pressures. The structure of the system is also analyzed, and we come to the conclusion that, even at the highest concentration considered, water retains its anomalous behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the condensed-phase behavior of chiral molecules is important in biology as well as in a range of technological applications, such as the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study a chiral four-site molecular model that exhibits a second-order symmetry-breaking phase transition from a supercritical racemic liquid into subcritical D-rich and L-rich liquids. We determine the infinite-size critical temperature using the fourth-order Binder cumulant, and we show that the finite-size scaling behavior of the order parameter is compatible with the 3D Ising universality class. We also study the spontaneous D-rich to L-rich transition at a slightly subcritical temperature of T = 0.985Tc, and our findings indicate that the free energy barrier for this transformation increases with system size as N2/3, where N is the number of molecules, consistent with a surface-dominated phenomenon. The critical behavior observed herein suggests a mechanism for chirality selection in which a liquid of chiral molecules spontaneously forms a phase enriched in one of the two enantiomers as the temperature is lowered below the critical point. Furthermore, the increasing free energy barrier with system size indicates that fluctuations between the L-rich and D-rich phases are suppressed as the size of the system increases, trapping it in one of the two enantiomerically enriched phases. Such a process could provide the basis for an alternative explanation for the origin of biological homochirality. We also conjecture the possibility of observing nucleation at subcritical temperatures under the action of a suitable chiral external field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exceptional points (EPs) are critical phase points in non-Hermitian systems, exhibiting fantastic physical phenomena and plenty of applications, such as unidirectional reflectionless and ultrahigh-sensitive detection of perturbations. Here, a non-Hermitian metasurface based on multilayers split-ring resonators (SRRs) is proposed with specific EP effects. By changing the angle of the SRRs and adjusting the geometric parameters of the metasurface, EPs are generated with topologically protected 2π-phase accumulation. A unique EP effect can be achieved in the THz region, and high-performance sensing of environment refractive index can be realized around the EP position. Therefore, this work demonstrates an EP-based sensing enhancement at non-Hermitian systems compared to Hermitian ones and paves the way for the design of high-performance THz sensors based on topological polaritonic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possible existence of a liquid–liquid critical point in deeply supercooled water has been a subject of debate due to the challenges associated with providing definitive experimental evidence. The pioneering work by Mishima and Stanley [Nature 392, 164–168 (1998)] sought to shed light on this problem by studying the melting curves of different ice polymorphs and their metastable continuation in the vicinity of the expected liquid–liquid transition and its associated critical point. Based on the continuous or discontinuous changes in the slope of the melting curves, Mishima [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 334 (2000)] suggested that the liquid–liquid critical point lies between the melting curves of ice III and ice V. We explore this conjecture using molecular dynamics simulations with a machine learning model based on ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations. We study the melting curves of ices III, IV, V, VI, and XIII and find that all of them are supercritical and do not intersect the liquid–liquid transition locus. We also find a pronounced, yet continuous, change in the slope of the melting lines upon crossing of the liquid locus of maximum compressibility. Finally, we analyze the literature in light of our findings and conclude that the scenario in which the melting curves are supercritical is favored by the most recent computational and experimental evidence. Although the preponderance of evidence is consistent with the existence of a second critical point in water, the behavior of ice polymorph melting lines does not provide strong evidence in support of this viewpoint, according to our calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable evidence supports the existence of many-body localization (MBL) phase transitions, although accurately determining the critical disorder intensity remains challenging due to significant instabilities in system size within the examined parameters. In this study, we employ the global quantum discord (GQD) to investigate MBL phase transitions and identify the critical points of the quantum Ising spin chain subjected to both disordered interacting and disordered external fields. Our analysis of GQD demonstrates its effectiveness in identifying the critical points between the thermal and the MBL phases. We further utilize the temporal evolution of GQD to comprehensively explore the characteristics of MBL phase transitions in the disordered quantum Ising spin chain. Our findings suggest that MBL phase transitions adhere to the same generality category based on the scaling analysis. Additionally, we investigate the effects of these examined parameters on the GQD and its dynamics and use them to estimate the critical points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was conducted to discover a material that can efficiently and effectively store hydrogen at appropriate conditions. Specifically, its focus was on examining the hydrogen storage properties of unaltered single-layer BC 6 Be using density functional theory techniques. The results revealed an intriguing phenomenon: H 2 molecules spontaneously adhere to the BC 6 Be monolayer, exhibiting average adsorption energy spanning between −0.272 and −0.380 eV. Importantly, this adsorption is driven by physisorption, lacking any chemisorption bonding between the H 2 molecule and the BC 6 Be surface, regardless of the interaction site. Noteworthy is the remarkable gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage capacities of the monolayer BC 6 Be, registering at 11.63 wt% and 108.5 g/L, respectively. Comparatively, the desorption temperature (T D) stands notably higher at around 247.15 K when juxtaposed with hydrogen's critical point (33.25 K). AIMD simulations were conducted to substantiate the results, confirming the adsorption of 12H 2 molecules on BC 6 Be and verifying the system's stability. Overall, the findings of this work have shown the potential of the BC 6 Be monolayer as a highly promising material that offers efficient, reversible, and substantial hydrogen storage capabilities within real-world scenarios. • Hydrogen storage properties of pure BC 6 Be monolayer were studied using the DFT method. • The adsorption energy is around - 0.3072 eV. • BC 6 Be monolayer stores 11.63 wt% H 2. • BC 6 Be monolayer exceeds the critical point for hydrogen in the desorption temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, an increasing body of evidence has emerged, supporting the existence of a metastable liquid-liquid critical point in supercooled water whereby two distinct liquid phases of different densities coexist. Analyzing long molecular dynamics simulations performed using deep neural-network force fields trained to accurate quantum mechanical data, we demonstrate that the low-density liquid phase displays a strong propensity toward spontaneous polarization, as witnessed by large and long-lived collective dipole fluctuations. Our findings suggest that the dynamical stability of the low-density phase, and hence the transition from high-density to low-density liquid, is triggered by a collective process involving an accumulation of rotational angular jumps, which could ignite large dipole fluctuations. This dynamical transition involves subtle changes in the electronic polarizability of water molecules which affects their rotational mobility within the two phases. These findings hold the potential for catalyzing activity in the search for dielectric-based probes of the putative second critical point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we report our observation of an extraordinarily rich phase diagram of a LaScO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure. Close to the superconducting transition temperature, the system hosts a superconducting critical point of the Infinite-randomness type characterized by an effective dynamical exponent ν z that diverges logarithmically. At lower temperatures, we find the emergence of a magnetic field-tuned metallic phase that co-exists with a quantum Griffiths phase (QGP). Our study reveals a previously unobserved phenomenon in 2D superconductors—an unanticipated suppression of the QGP below a crossover temperature in this system. This concealment is accompanied by the destruction of the superconducting quantum critical point (QCP) signaled by a power-law divergence (in temperature) of the effective dynamical exponent. These observations are entirely at odds with the predictions of the infinite-randomness scenario and challenge the very concept of a vanishing energy scale associated with a QCP. We develop and discuss possible scenarios like smearing of the phase transition that could plausibly explain our observations. Our findings challenge the notion that QGP is the ultimate ground state in two-dimensional superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a real-space block renormalization group approach to study the critical properties of the random transverse-field Ising spin chain with multispin interactions. First, we recover the known properties of the traditional model with two-spin interactions by applying the renormalization approach for the arbitrary size of the block. For the model with three-spin couplings, we calculate the critical point and demonstrate that the phase transition is controlled by an infinite disorder fixed point. We have determined the typical correlation-length critical exponent, which seems to be different from that of the random transverse Ising chain with nearest-neighbor couplings. Thus, this model represents a new infinite disorder universality class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of constructing n-linear (n ≥ 2) plane vector fields with an isolated critical point and given separatrices of prescribed types is considered. Such constructions are based on the use of vector algebra, the qualitative theory of second-order dynamic systems and classical methods for investigating their critical points. This problem is essentially an inverse problem of the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations, and its solution can be used to synthesize mathematical models of controlled dynamical systems of various physical nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the inhibition effect of gel on coal spontaneous combustion, a chitosan (CS)/polyacrylamide (PAM)/metal ion (Al3+) composite double-network gel was developed in this study. The optimum formula of the composite double-network gel was determined using orthogonal experimentation. The microstructure, water retention, compressibility, and anti-destruction properties of the composite double-network gel were analyzed. The inhibition effect of the composite double-network gel on coal spontaneous combustion was studied via infrared spectroscopy and a synchronous thermal analyzer from the micro and macro perspectives. The results show that the composite double-network gel has a denser interpenetrating double-network structure and a larger void ratio than the ordinary gel. The water retention rate was 55% after standing at 150 °C for 12 h. The deformation memory ratio of the composite double-network gel was 78%, which was 26.8% higher than that of the ordinary gel, and the compressive strength also increased by 59.96%. In addition, the critical temperature point and the maximum thermal weight-loss rate temperature point decreased by 7.01 °C and 39.62 °C, respectively, and the composite double-network gel effectively reduced active functional groups in the treated coal sample, such as hydroxyl and aliphatic hydrocarbons. In this study, a CS/PAM/Al3+ composite double-network gel was produced, which exhibited good gel performance and inhibition effects, with physical effects such as the covering, wetting, and cementation of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconductivity often emerges as a dome around a quantum critical point (QCP) where long-range order is suppressed to zero temperature, mostly in magnetically ordered materials. However, the emergence of superconductivity at charge-order QCPs remains shrouded in mystery, despite its relevance to high-temperature superconductors and other exotic phases of matter. Here, we present resistance measurements proving that a dome of superconductivity surrounds the putative charge-density-wave QCP in pristine samples of titanium diselenide tuned with hydrostatic pressure. In addition, our quantum oscillation measurements combined with electronic structure calculations show that superconductivity sets in precisely when large electron and hole pockets suddenly appear through an abrupt change of the Fermi surface topology, also known as a Lifshitz transition. Combined with the known repulsive interaction, this suggests that unconventional s± superconductivity is mediated by charge-density-wave fluctuations in titanium diselenide. These results highlight the importance of the electronic ground state and charge fluctuations in enabling unconventional superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a notable scarcity of reference data on the thermal conductivity of orthohydrogen in both vapor and liquid phases within the open literature, compared to parahydrogen and normal hydrogen. An improved corresponding states principle (CSP) model is proposed to predict the thermal conductivity of orthohydrogen by employing an optimized shape factor, which is expressed as a correlation with respect to pressure and temperature from the triple point to 300 K and at pressures up to 20 MPa. Critical parameters, ideal state thermal properties, and eccentricity factor are involved in the calculation as input parameters. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed CSP model is verified by using experimental data of parahydrogen and some theoretical data of orthohydrogen. The estimated uncertainty of the model against high-precision experimental data of parahydrogen is within ±2.82 %. When the model is applied to dilute gas orthohydrogen, the predictions exhibit a deviation of less than ±5 % compared to other methods found in the literature. In addition, a correlation for thermal conductivity of parahydrogen, presented as a single function of temperature, is also proposed along the vapor-liquid equilibrium at temperatures from the triple point to the critical point, with an uncertainty of ±3 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages of the CO2-based binary mixture transcritical Rankine cycle come from higher efficiency, lower operating pressure and higher condensing temperature. From the point of view of critical properties as: (1) the fundamental property of fluid mixtures; (2) the decisive parameters of cycle operating pressure and condensation conditions; and (3) the important effects of the screen criterion of working fluids, this work highlighted the composition of mixture and the critical point adjustment on the cycle performance. It is found that for the CO2 mixture, there is an optimal critical temperature increase range, which is 30~50 K higher than the critical temperature of CO2, for the best cycle performance and condensation temperature improvement. Because of the existence of the type I of critical phase behavior, the critical pressure of some CO2 mixtures will be higher than that of pure CO2 in certain composition, but this increase is marginal and will not worsen the cycle performance. When compared with pure CO2, it is the variation of the critical point that brings new characteristics to the CO2 mixture, namely lower saturation pressure and temperature glide, and beneficial for the advantages of mixture working fluid. The results of this work will provide guidance for the design, optimization, and thermophysical properties study of CO2-based mixture working fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: This research aims to offer a deeper understanding of the bonding interactions between M-Se and M-CO and how these interactions change across the group 6 transition metal series: [Se2M3(CO)10]2- (M = Cr, Mo, W). It also seeks to explore the impact of carbonyl groups on M-M interactions within the clusters. Seven criteria, which are based on QTAIM properties, have been considered and compared with the corresponding criteria in other transition metal clusters. The results confirm that no such bond critical points or bond baths occur between transition metals, which instead have 5c–7e bonding interactions delocalized over their five-membered M3(μ-Se)2 ring, as evidenced by the non-negligible nonbonding delocalization indices. The topological properties of three bond clusters, Cr-Se, Mo-Se, and W-Se, resemble those of "intermediate closed shell characters," which combine covalent and electrostatic properties. Source function calculations indicated that the bonded Se atom contributed the most to each Cr-Se and Mo-Se bcp. The OCO atoms and nonbonded Se atoms also contributed to some extent. However, metal atoms act as sinks rather than as sources of electron density. In contrast, the majority of the metal atoms, both bonded and nonbonded, contribute to Cr-W bcps. Analysis of the delocalization indices δ(M...O) in the three clusters indicates that CO significantly contributes to Cr π-back donation in cluster 1. In contrast, no π-back donation occurs from CO to Mo or W in clusters 2 or 3, respectively. Methods: The B3P86 hybrid functional was used for computations in the Gaussian 09 software. The LanL2DZ basis set was employed for Cr, Mo, and W, while the 6-31G (d, p) basis set was used for C, O, and Se atoms. We performed QTAIM analysis using the AIM2000 and Multiwfn packages, incorporating B3P86/WTBS for Cr, Mo, and W atoms. The 6-311++G(3df,3pd) basis set was used for C, O, and Se atoms. Additionally, we utilized the ELF and SF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work [Mirth et al., J. Chem. Phys. 154, 114114 (2021)] has demonstrated that sublevelset persistent homology provides a compact representation of the complex features of an energy landscape in 3 N-dimensions. This includes information about all transition paths between local minima (connected by critical points of index ≥ 1) and allows for differentiation of energy landscapes that may appear similar when considering only the lowest energy pathways (as tracked by other representations, such as disconnectivity graphs, using index 1 critical points). Using the additive nature of the conformational potential energy landscape of n-alkanes, it became apparent that some topological features—such as the number of sublevelset persistence bars—could be proven. This work expands the notion of predictable energy landscape topology to any additive intramolecular energy function on a product space, including the number of sublevelset persistent bars as well as the birth and death times of these topological features. This amounts to a rigorous methodology to predict the relative energies of all topological features of the conformational energy landscape in 3N dimensions (without the need for dimensionality reduction). This approach is demonstrated for branched alkanes of varying complexity and connectivity patterns. More generally, this result explains how the sublevelset persistent homology of an additive energy landscape can be computed from the individual terms comprising that landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two ways to create rigid versions of flexible models are explored. The rigid model can assume the Model's Geometry (MG) as if the molecule is not interacting with any other molecules or the ensemble averaged geometry (EG) under a particular thermodynamic condition. Although the MG model is more straightforward to create, it leads to relatively poor performance. The EG model behaves similarly to the corresponding flexible model (the FL model) and, in some cases, agrees even better with experiments. While the difference between the EG and the FL models is mostly a result of flexibility, the MG and EG models have different dipole moments as a result of an effective induction in the condensed phase. For the three water models studied, the property that shows the most difference is the temperature dependence of density. The MG version of the water model by adaptive force matching for ice and liquid does not possess a temperature of maximum density, which is attributed to a downshift of the putative liquid–liquid phase transition line, leading to the hypothesized second critical point of liquid water to manifest at negative pressure. A new three-phase coexistence method for determining the melting temperature of ice is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a theoretical framework to calculate depletion potential between colloid particles induced by non-adsorbing ideal polymer chains (s -species) and correlation functions in a coarse-grained one-component system of colloids (c -species). A Padé approximant is used to express the depletion potential as a pair potential with many-body contributions subsumed in it. The depletion potential and correlation functions of c -species are calculated using a self-consistent procedure. Results for several values of size ratio q = σ s σ c (σ s and σ c are, respectively diameters of the polymer chain and a colloid particle) and packing fractions of s - and c -species are reported. The spinodal curve and critical point of demixing transition are determined for several values of q. Calculated values are compared with values found from other theories and simulations. • A self consistent theory is developed to calculate the ideal polymer induced depletion potential and correlation functions. • Results are reported for several particle size ratio, colloidal and polymer packing fractions. • The fluid-fluid phase separation curves and critical points are determined and compared with simulation results. • Three-body potential and third virial coefficient are calculated and got an excellent agreement with the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the process by which performative technologies (PTs), in this case accreditation work in a business school, take form and how humans engage in making up such practices. It studies how academics come to accept and even identify with the quantitative representations of themselves in a translation process. Design/methodology/approach: The research involved a longitudinal, self-ethnographic case study that followed the accreditation process of one Nordic business school from 2015 to 2021. Findings: The findings show how the PT pushed for different engagements in various phases of the translation process. Early in the translation process, the PT promoted engagement because of self-realization and the ability for academics to proactively influence the prospective competitive milieu. However, as academic qualities became fabricated into numbers, the PT was able to request compliance, but also to induce self-reflection and self-discipline by forcing academics to compare themselves to set qualities and measures. Originality/value: The paper advances the field by linking five phases of the translation process, problematization, fabrication, materialization, commensuration and stabilization, to a discussion of why academics come to accept and identify with the quantitative representations of themselves. The results highlight that the materialization phase appears to be the critical point at which calculative practices become persuasive and start influencing academics' thoughts and actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermodynamic extrinsic curvature is a new mathematical tool in thermodynamic geometry. By using the thermodynamic extrinsic curvature, one may obtain a more complete geometric representation of the critical phenomena and thermodynamics. We introduce nonperturbative thermodynamic extrinsic curvature of an ideal two-dimensional gas of anyons. Using extrinsic curvature, we find new fixed points in nonperturbative thermodynamics of the anyon gas that particles behave as semions. Here, we investigate the critical behavior of thermodynamic extrinsic curvature of two-dimensional Kagome Ising model near the critical point β c = (k B T c) − 1 in a constant magnetic field and show that it behaves as | β − β c | α with α = 0 , where α denotes the critical exponent of the specific heat. Then, we consider the three-dimensional spherical model and show that the scaling behavior is | β − β c | α , where α = − 1. Finally, using a general argument, we show that extrinsic curvature K has two different scaling behaviors for positive and negative α. For α > 0 , our results indicate that K ∼ | β − β c | 1 2 (α − 2) . However, for α < 0 , we found a different scaling behavior, where K ∼ | β − β c | α . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of lithium-decorated phosphorene for hydrogen storage is significantly limited due to metal aggregation on substrates. Despite considerable research and effort in the literature to address this issue, no one has succeeded in enhancing the capacity of phosphorene through metal atom decoration. Based on density functional theory (DFT) and AIMD simulations, superalkali NLi 4 -decorated black phosphorene monolayer is developed as a new hydrogen storage solid-state material. Our results show that the NLi 4 -cluster exhibits a significant binding energy of −3.18 eV when attached to one side of the phosphorene on a stable site, indicating a strong affinity between the NLi 4 -cluster and phosphorene surfaces. Moreover, 2(NLi 4)@phosphorene can store up to 30H 2 molecules with a suitable average hydrogen adsorption-energy and a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of 6.8 wt%. Using the van't Hoff equation and increasing the pressure, we find that the desorption temperature is higher than the critical point for hydrogen. AIMD simulations at different temperatures demonstrate the thermal stability of the hydrogenated 2(NLi 4)@phosphorene and the H 2 desorption process. The findings of the present study suggest the potential utilization of the 2(NLi 4)@phosphorene adsorptive material for hydrogen storage applications. [Display omitted] • NLi 4 -decorated black-phosphorene was investigated for reversible H 2 storage using DFT and AIMD simulations. • NLi 4 binds on phosphorene with binding energy of - 3.18 eV at the hollow site. • The wt.%.H 2 adsorption reaches up to 6.8 wt% and meets the US-DOE's standard of 5.5 wt%. • Thermodynamic analysis confirms the efficiency of the H 2 molecules charging/discharging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In women's tennis, fluctuating competitive performance is a prevalent issue, studying it can reveal new ways to monitor and adjust competitive performance. Based on the model of competitive ability, this study examines the fluctuating phenomenon of the competitive performance of Chinese women's singles tennis players. Using questionnaires and interviews to investigate women's singles tennis players who participated in the National competition and the China Tennis Tour. Through empirical study, it was found that in the rising phase, matching sports intelligence with mental state is the primary factor for athletes to achieve an advantage; in the flattening phase, mental state becomes the "amplifier" to break the critical point in the competitive stalemate; in the falling phase, physical ability is the cornerstone for athletes to recover the score when behind the opponent. Therefore, athletes can timely adjust and optimize the key factors that affect competitive performance according to the competition phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We predict giant susceptibility of spin-bifurcating polariton condensates to externally applied permanent magnetic field. In the presence of spin-anisotropic polariton–polariton interactions, the condensate spontaneously takes an elliptically polarized state, whose perturbation dynamics can be interpreted in terms of the presence of strong effective magnetic field significantly surpassing the external one. Surprisingly, this behavior of the addressed strongly out-of-equilibrium system in the vicinity of a critical point exhibits intriguing analogy with the second-order phase transition. The predicted field-enhancement effect can be utilized for creation of topologically nontrivial states of Bogoliubov excitations existing on the top of the polariton condensate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have examined a Friedmann Robertson Walker cosmological model in Hořava‐Lifshitz gravity by using a dynamical system approach. A set of autonomous equations is derived and their solutions are calculated. The critical points from these equations and find the characteristics values with the analysis of the physical interpretation of the phase space for this system are assessed. Three stable critical points are found and the values of the physical parameters and the scale factor's expressions at each critical points are displayed in Tables 1, 2, and 3. A hybrid scale factor to develop the model, which results in a phase transition from deceleration to acceleration is used. The suitable values of the parameters are governed by applying the Monte Chain Monte Carlo method technique to the Hubble 46 and joint Hubble 46 and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations 15 datasets. In contrast to the negative behavior of pressure, the positive behavior of energy density and q=−1$q=-1$ illustrate the Universe's acceleration epoch and the ΛCDM$\Lambda{\rm CDM}$ model is represented by the EoS parameter ω=−1$\omega =-1$. The authors investigated that the energy conditions and their model violates the strong energy condition. Utilizing Om$Om$ diagnostic test, it is found that the model represents phantom behavior. The thermodynamical perspective for the model is also examined. The model accurately explained the Universe's propagation history and fits well with contemporary cosmic data. The authors have examined a Friedmann Robertson Walker cosmological model in Hoˇrava‐Lifshitz gravity by using a dynamical system approach. A set of autonomous equations is derived and their solutions are calculated. The critical points from these equations and find the characteristics values with the analysis of the physical interpretation of the phase space for this system are assessed. Three stable critical points are found and the values of the physical parameters and the scale factor's expressions at each critical points are displayed in Tables 1, 2, and 3. A hybrid scale factor to develop the model, which results in a phase transition from deceleration to acceleration is used. The suitable values of the parameters are governed by applying the Monte Chain Monte Carlo method technique to the Hubble 46 and joint Hubble 46 and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations 15 datasets. In contrast to the negative behavior of pressure, the positive behavior of energy density and q=−1$q=-1$ illustrate the Universe's acceleration epoch and the ΛCDM$\Lambda{\rm CDM}$ model is represented by the EoS parameter ω=−1$\omega =-1$. The authors investigated that the energy conditions and their model violates the strong energy condition. Utilizing Om$Om$ diagnostic test, it is found that the model represents phantom behavior. The thermodynamical perspective for the model is also examined. The model accurately explained the Universe's propagation history and fits well with contemporary cosmic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure has been proposed for calculating the smallest possible thickness of the surface layer in a one-component liquid/saturated vapor system. A model of the layer homogeneous with respect to the pressure tensor has been considered. The smallest thickness of the surface layer and the molar volumes for the surface layer regions adjacent to the liquid and vapor phases have been calculated for liquid argon in the saturation line within a range from the triple point to almost critical temperature. Using published information as an example, it has been shown that the data on the distribution of the substance in the surface layer can be brought to the parameters of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of cellular structure feature on the spherical premixed flame surface faces accuracy challenges. The Schlieren technique was employed to obtain the hydrogen-air premixed spherical flames images in a constant volume vessel at room temperature and atmospheric pressure under an equivalent ratio of 0.8 in this work. A bio-inspired Cellpose 2.0, driven by deep learning, is innovatively introduced to train the cell segmentation model in the combustion field. After labeling and training cells of different shapes and sizes, an efficient and accurate model suitable for cell feature extraction was finally obtained to identify and quantify various cells characteristics, such as number, size, and distribution. Results show that the average precision (AP) during the model online pre-training process reaches 0.625. Meanwhile, the critical flame radius of transition acceleration obtained is 36 mm and the crack length tends to grow linearly after the flame radius exceeds this critical point. Additionally, the average cell area gradually converges to a stable value after the flame radius exceeds the uniform cellularity critical radius. The cell segmentation model obtained in this work can be further used to train different spherical flames under various conditions, helping to develop hydrogen combustion and explosion modelling. [Display omitted] • First application of Cellpose 2.0 in combustion image process yields AP of 0.625 • Quantitative cell information on H 2 -Air flame surfaces achieved with deep learning. • Cells number rapid increase after the flame exceeds critical radius of transition acceleration. • Average cell area gradually converges to a stable value after uniform cellularity critical radius. • Flame propagation exhibits a self-accelerating trend after transition acceleration critical radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive tree species pose a grave global threat to biodiversity, particularly impacting vulnerable grassland ecosystems. This paper presents a novel approach to simulate the invasion of ecosystems by these aggressive species. Our innovative coupled ODE-PDE model offers explicit invasion simulations, a significant leap beyond traditional integro-difference matrix models. With robust theoretical properties, including solution positivity, and drawing upon PDE theory, our model offers deeper insights into invasion behavior. Our model reveals that invasions undergo a prolonged quiescent phase before rapidly transitioning to a consistent rate of advancement after a critical point. This study not only sheds light on invasion dynamics but also charts a course for future exploration and potential model extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the temperature dependences of the dielectric function ε = ε1 + iε2 and critical point (CP) energies of the uniaxial crystal GaSe in the spectral energy region from 0.74 to 6.42 eV and at temperatures from 27 to 300 K using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The fundamental bandgap and strong exciton effect near 2.1 eV are detected only in the c-direction, which is perpendicular to the cleavage plane of the crystal. The temperature dependences of the CP energies were determined by fitting the data to the phenomenological expression that incorporates the Bose–Einstein statistical factor and the temperature coefficient to describe the electron–phonon interaction. To determine the origin of this anisotropy, we perform first-principles calculations using the mBJ method for bandgap correction. The results clearly demonstrate that the anisotropic dielectric characteristics can be directly attributed to the inherent anisotropy of p orbitals. More specifically, this prominent excitonic feature and fundamental bandgap are derived from the band-to-band transition between s and pz orbitals at the Γ-point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Pickering emulsions have attracted increasing attention from multiple fields, including food, cosmetics, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and agriculture. Their stability relies on the presence of colloidal particles instead of surfactant at the droplet interface, providing steric stabilization. Here, we demonstrate the microscopic attachment and detachment of particles with tunable contact angle at the interface underlying the Pickering emulsion stability. We vary the interfacial tension continuously by varying the temperature offset of a phase-separated binary liquid from its critical point, and employ confocal microscopy to directly observe the particles at the interface to determine their coverage and contact angle as a function of the varying interfacial tension. When the interfacial tension decreases upon approaching the binary liquid's critical point, the contact angle and detachment energy (ΔE) drop, and the particles move out of the interface. Microscopic imaging suggests necking and capillary interactions lead to clustering of the particles, before they eventually desorb from the interface. Macroscopic measurements show that concomitantly, coalescence takes place, and the emulsion loses its stability. These results reveal the interplay of interfacial energies, contact angle and surface coverage that underlies the Pickering emulsion stability, opening up ways to manipulate and design the stability through the microscopic behavior of the adsorbed particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is necessary to predict the critical transition of lake ecosystems due to their abrupt, non-linear effects on social-economic systems. Given the promising application of paleolimnological archives to tracking the historical changes of lake ecosystems, it is speculated that they can also record the lake's critical transition. We studied Lake Dali-Nor in the arid region of Inner Mongolia because of the profound shrinking the lake experienced between the 1300 s and the 1600 s. We reconstructed the succession of bacterial communities from a 140-cm-long sediment core at 4-cm intervals and detected the critical transition. Our results showed that the historical trajectory of bacterial communities from the 1200 s to the 2010s was divided into two alternative states: state1 from 1200 to 1300 s and state2 from 1400 to 2010s. Furthermore, in the late 1300 s, the appearance of a tipping point and critical slowing down implied the existence of a critical transition. By using a multi-decadal time series from the sedimentary core, with general Lotka-Volterra model simulations, local stability analysis found that bacterial communities were the most unstable as they approached the critical transition, suggesting that the collapse of stability triggers the community shift from an equilibrium state to another state. Furthermore, the most unstable community harbored the strongest antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, which may imply the detrimental role of interaction strength on community stability. Collectively, our study showed that sediment DNA can be used to detect the critical transition of lake ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presented work, we propose a systematic investigation of the electronic and optical properties of MnGa2Se4 by combining the spectroscopic ellipsometry carried out at room temperature in the spectral range of 1–4 eV and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Ellipsometric measurements were collected at an incidence angle between 60° and 75° with a 5° step. The optical direct gap energies of MnGa2Se4 were estimated from the linear extrapolation of the absorption coefficients that were verified by band structure calculation. DFT calculation of the imaginary part ɛ shows that first critical point occurs at 2.46 eV and represents the direct optical transition at Γ point. The total magnetic moment of compound is 3.38 mB. The major contribution in total magnetic moment is due to 3d state of Mn atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the interaction between dark matter and curvature-driven dark energy within viable f (R) gravity models, employing the phase-space analysis approach of linear stability theory. By incorporating an interacting term, denoted as Q = α H ρ ~ m (κ 2 3 H 2 ρ curv + 1) , into the continuity equations of both sectors, we examine dynamics of two f (R) gravity models that adhere to local gravity constraints and fulfill cosmological viability criteria. In de Sitter phase, our investigation reveals modifications of critical points compared to the conventional form, attributed to the introduced interaction. Through a comprehensive phase-space analysis, we illustrate the trajectories near critical points and outline the constraints on the phase space based on cosmological and cosmographic parameters. Furthermore, we can also observe stable behavior of this interacting system during the de Sitter phase of the Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An equation of state that predicts the critical thermodynamic behavior of n-butane is formulated. This equation takes into account the global behavior that includes the singular thermodynamic behavior asymptotically close to the critical point and the crossover to the regular thermodynamic behavior far away from the critical point. The formulated equation is based on the transformation of a truncated classical Landau expansion and represents the thermodynamic properties of n-butane in a wide range of temperatures and densities around the critical point. A comparison of the pressure P–ρ–T data measured by Beattie and co-workers and those calculated with the crossover EOS is made. Finally, the specific heat at constant volume, Cv, for n-butane along the critical density within a restricted temperature interval around the critical point is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2014 phreatic eruption of Mt. Ontake was preceded by increased volcano-tectonic (VT) seismicity, but all other types of precursors were obscure. A subsurface process leading to eruption with few precursors has yet to be identified. This study performed numerical simulations to reproduce the precursory time sequence of the eruption. High-temperature water from a cooling magma reservoir was injected into a modeled porous medium filled with cold water. This resulted in an immediate pressure increase and a delayed temperature increase in the shallow parts. The pressure increased immediately because the injected fluid pushed the existing fluid away from the porous medium. A sharp boundary between low (initial)- and high (injected)-temperature regions, known as a thermal front, developed and migrated upward slowly, leading to a delayed temperature increase. The lag time between the pressure and temperature changes is likely responsible for the precursory VT seismicity. If the injected water temperature was less than the critical point, the water was liquid throughout the model region until the thermal front reached a shallow part, where the pressure was low enough for the heated water to vaporize. This vaporization was sudden and large, likely leading to a large eruption with few precursors, similar to the time sequence in 2014. If the injected water temperature was higher, the water volume increased gradually from liquid to supercritical and then to the gas state. This scenario likely led to a small eruption with numerous precursors, similar to the previous eruption of Mt. Ontake that occurred in 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient or partial synchronization can be used to do computations, although a fully synchronized network is sometimes related to the onset of epileptic seizures. Here, we propose a homeostatic mechanism that is capable of maintaining a neuronal network at the edge of a synchronization transition, thereby avoiding the harmful consequences of a fully synchronized network. We model neurons by maps since they are dynamically richer than integrate-and-fire models and more computationally efficient than conductance-based approaches. We first describe the synchronization phase transition of a dense network of neurons with different tonic spiking frequencies coupled by gap junctions. We show that at the transition critical point, inputs optimally reverberate through the network activity through transient synchronization. Then, we introduce a local homeostatic dynamic in the synaptic coupling and show that it produces a robust self-organization toward the edge of this phase transition. We discuss the potential biological consequences of this self-organization process, such as its relation to the Brain Criticality hypothesis, its input processing capacity, and how its malfunction could lead to pathological synchronization and the onset of seizure-like activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the butterfly effect and pole-skipping phenomenon for the 1RCBH model which enjoys a critical point in its phase diagram. Using the holographic idea, we compute the butterfly velocity and interestingly find that this velocity can probe the critical behavior of this model. We calculate the dynamical exponent of this quantity near the critical point and find a perfect agreement with the value of the other quantity's dynamical exponent near this critical point. We also find that at special points, namely the (ω ⋆ = i λ L , k ⋆ = i λ L / v B) , where λ L and v B are Lyapunov exponent and butterfly velocity respectively, the phenomenon of pole-skipping appears which is a sign of a multivalued retarded Green's function. Furthermore, we observe that v B 2 ≥ c s 2 at each point of parameter space of the 1RCBH model where c s is the speed of sound wave propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the presented work, we propose a systematic investigation of the electronic and optical properties of MnGa2Se4 by combining the spectroscopic ellipsometry carried out at room temperature in the spectral range of 1–4 eV and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Ellipsometric measurements were collected at an incidence angle between 60° and 75° with a 5° step. The optical direct gap energies of MnGa2Se4 were estimated from the linear extrapolation of the absorption coefficients that were verified by band structure calculation. DFT calculation of the imaginary part ɛ shows that first critical point occurs at 2.46 eV and represents the direct optical transition at Γ point. The total magnetic moment of compound is 3.38 mB. The major contribution in total magnetic moment is due to 3d state of Mn atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-order phase transition between the liquid and gaseous phases ends at a critical point. Critical opalescence occurs at this singularity. Discovered in 1822, it is known to be driven by diverging fluctuations in the density. During the past two decades, boundaries between the gas-like and liquid-like regimes have been theoretically proposed and experimentally explored. Here, we show that fast cooling of near-critical sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), in presence of Earth's gravity, favors dark opalescence, where visible photons are not merely scattered, but also absorbed. When the isochore fluid is quenched across the critical point, its optical transmittance drops by more than three orders of magnitude in the whole visible range, a feature which does not occur during slow cooling. We show that transmittance shows a dip at 2eV near the critical point, and the system can host excitons with binding energies ranging from 0.5 to 4 eV. The spinodal decomposition of the liquid-gas mixture, by inducing a periodical modulation of the fluid density, can provide a scenario to explain the emergence of this platform for coupling between light and matter. The possible formation of excitons and polaritons points to the irruption of quantum effects in a quintessentially classical context. The first-order phase boundary between the liquid and gaseous phases ends at a critical point where the fluid, kept at thermodynamic equilibrium, displays a turbidity known as 'critical opalescence'. The authors quench a fluid across its critical point, find blackness instead of turbidity, and argue that, out of equilibrium, photons can be absorbed, not merely scattered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-order phase transition between the liquid and gaseous phases ends at a critical point. Critical opalescence occurs at this singularity. Discovered in 1822, it is known to be driven by diverging fluctuations in the density. During the past two decades, boundaries between the gas-like and liquid-like regimes have been theoretically proposed and experimentally explored. Here, we show that fast cooling of near-critical sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), in presence of Earth's gravity, favors dark opalescence, where visible photons are not merely scattered, but also absorbed. When the isochore fluid is quenched across the critical point, its optical transmittance drops by more than three orders of magnitude in the whole visible range, a feature which does not occur during slow cooling. We show that transmittance shows a dip at 2eV near the critical point, and the system can host excitons with binding energies ranging from 0.5 to 4 eV. The spinodal decomposition of the liquid-gas mixture, by inducing a periodical modulation of the fluid density, can provide a scenario to explain the emergence of this platform for coupling between light and matter. The possible formation of excitons and polaritons points to the irruption of quantum effects in a quintessentially classical context. The first-order phase boundary between the liquid and gaseous phases ends at a critical point where the fluid, kept at thermodynamic equilibrium, displays a turbidity known as 'critical opalescence'. The authors quench a fluid across its critical point, find blackness instead of turbidity, and argue that, out of equilibrium, photons can be absorbed, not merely scattered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different mechanisms driving a linear temperature dependence of the resistivity ρ ~ T at van Hove singularities (VHSs) or metal-insulator transitions when doping a Mott insulator are being debated intensively with competing theoretical proposals. We experimentally investigate this using the exceptional tunability of twisted bilayer (TB) WSe2 by tracking the parameter regions where linear-in-T resistivity is found in dependency of displacement fields, filling, and magnetic fields. We find that even when the VHSs are tuned rather far away from the half-filling point and the Mott insulating transition is absent, the T-linear resistivity persists at the VHSs. When doping away from the VHSs, the T-linear behavior quickly transitions into a Fermi liquid behavior with a T² relation. No apparent dependency of the linear-in-T resistivity, besides a rather strong change of prefactor, is found when applying displacement fields as long as the filling is tuned to the VHSs, including D ~ 0.28 V/nm where a high-order VHS is expected. Intriguingly, such non-Fermi liquid linear-in-T resistivity persists even when magnetic fields break the spin-degeneracy of the VHSs at which point two linear in T regions emerge, for each of the split VHSs separately. This points to a mechanism of enhanced scattering at generic VHSs rather than only at high-order VHSs or by a quantum critical point during a Mott transition. Our findings provide insights into the many-body consequences arising out of VHSs, especially the non-Fermi liquid behavior found in moiré materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]