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We comment on the fact that certain mathematical models that have been proposed in the quantum gravity literature, may not be subject to experimental checks, even if they turn out to be mathematically well defined. This means that they would be indistinguishable from other models, with a smaller number of quantum states. These considerations follow from very general properties of quantum measurement theory and classical gravity., Comment: 10 pages. LaTeX2e

A detailed analysis of ground-based CCD UBV photometry and space-based Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) data for the open clusters King 6 and NGC 1605 was performed. Using the pyUPMASK algorithm on Gaia astrometric data to estimate cluster membership probabilities, we have identified 112 stars in King 6 and 160 stars in NGC 1605 as the statistically most likely members of each cluster. We calculated reddening and metallicity separately using UBV two-color diagrams to estimate parameter values via independent methods. The color excess $E(B-V)$ and photometric metallicity [Fe/H] for King 6 are $0.515 \pm 0.030$ mag and $0.02 \pm 0.20$ dex, respectively. For NGC 1605, they are $0.840 \pm 0.054$ mag and $0.01 \pm 0.20$ dex. With reddening and metallicity kept constant, we have estimated the distances and cluster ages by fitting PARSEC isochrones to color-magnitude diagrams based on the Gaia and UBV data. Photometric distances are 723 $\pm$ 34 pc for King 6 and 3054 $\pm$ 243 pc for NGC 1605. The cluster ages are $200 \pm 20$ Myr and $400 \pm 50$ Myr for King 6 and NGC 1605, respectively. Mass function slopes were found to be 1.29 $\pm$ 0.18 and 1.63 $\pm$ 0.36 for King 6 and NGC 1605, respectively. These values are in good agreement with the value of Salpeter (1955). The relaxation times were estimated as 5.8 Myr for King 6 and 60 Myr for NGC 1605. This indicates that both clusters are dynamically relaxed since these times are less than the estimated cluster ages. Galactic orbit analysis shows that both clusters formed outside the solar circle and are members of the young thin-disc population., Comment: 25 pages, including 14 figures and 7 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal

We argue that no theoretical model of quantum gravity in a causal diamond whose boundary has finite maximal area, can be verified with arbitrary precision by experiments done in that diamond. This shows in particular that if our own universe remains in an asymptotically future de Sitter state for a time long enough for our local group of galaxies to collapse into a black hole, then no information processing system with which we can communicate could ever distinguish between many competing models of the AsdS universe. This article is written in an attempt to be accessible to a wide audience, so certain elementary facts about quantum mechanics are reviewed, briefly., Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages, 1 Figure

We review ideas relating the breaking of Supersymmetry in de Sitter (dS) space-time to amplitudes in which gravitinos are reflected from the dS horizon. A self consistent evaluation of such amplitudes leads to the estimate $m_{3/2} = K \Lambda^{1/4}$, with a constant $K$ that is not easily calculable. LHC bounds on superpartner masses, plus the structure of low energy effective field theory then imply that there must be new superfields with standard model quantum numbers in the region below $100$ TeV. Only one class of models, the Pyramid Schemes, has been found, which is compatible with one loop coupling unification. They have a new strongly coupled gauge sector with a confinement scale in the multi TeV region. We outline the general predictions of these models, which include Dirac gauginos and a novel solution of the strong CP problem. The models all appear to have a "little hierarchy problem": the expectation value of the standard model Higgs field, and its mass, must be a factor of $10$ or more smaller than the masses of the second Higgs doublet or standard model superpartners. Since all of these models contain uncertainties from the strong coupling physics, as well as the physics of the dS horizon, it is difficult to determine how serious this fine tuning problem is., Comment: LaTeX, 16 pages, 1 figure

We reformulate Holographic Space-time (HST) Models as Hilbert bundles over the space of time-like geodesics on a background manifold. The background, following Jacobson, is viewed as a hydrodynamic flow, which the quantum model must reproduce. Work of many authors, but particularly the Verlindes, Carlip and Solodukhin, suggest that the relevant quantum model is a sequence of 1+1 dimensional conformal field theories (CFT) on the boundaries of nested causal diamonds. Finiteness of the entropy suggests the CFTs be built from cutoff fermion fields, and the spin/statistics connection, combined with Connes' demonstration that Riemannian geometry is encoded in the Dirac equation, suggests that these fields are labelled by the cutoff eigenspectrum of the Dirac operator on the holoscreen of each diamond. This leads to a natural conjecture for the density matrix of arbitrary diamonds and,in a subclass of space-times, for the time evolution operator between them. We conjecture that the 't Hooft commutation relations on diamond boundaries are related to Schwinger terms in U(1) currents constructed from the fermion fields. We review the notion of "locality as constraints on holographic variables" discovered by Fiol, Fischler and the present author and, in an appendix, explain how it differs from the notion of locality arising from tensor network constructions in AdS/CFT., Comment: 49 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX

This paper presents photometric, astrometric, and kinematic analyses of the open clusters NGC 189, NGC 1758 and NGC 7762 based on CCD UBV photometric and Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) data. According to membership analyses, we identified 32, 57 and 106 most probable member stars with membership probabilities $P\geq 0.5$ in NGC 189, NGC 1758 and NGC 7762, respectively. The color excesses and photometric metallicities of each cluster were determined separately using UBV two-color diagrams. The color excess $E(B-V)$ is $0.590 \pm 0.023$ mag for NGC 189, $0.310 \pm 0.022$ mag for NGC 1758 and $0.640 \pm 0.017$ mag for NGC 7762. The photometric metallicity [Fe/H] is $-0.08 \pm 0.03$ dex for both NGC 189 and NGC 1758, and $-0.12 \pm 0.02$ dex for NGC 7762. Distance moduli and ages of the clusters were obtained by comparing PARSEC isochrones with the color-magnitude diagrams constructed from UBV and Gaia photometric data. During this process, we kept as constant color excess and metallicity for each cluster. The estimated isochrone distance is $1201 \pm 53$ pc for NGC 189, $902 \pm 33$ pc for NGC 1758 and $911 \pm 31$ pc for NGC 7762. These are compatible with the values obtained from trigonometric parallax. Ages of the clusters are $500\pm 50$ Myr, $650\pm 50$ Myr and $2000\pm 200$ Myr for NGC 189, NGC 1758 and NGC 7762, respectively. Galactic orbit integration of the clusters showed that NGC 1758 completely orbits outside the solar circle, while NGC 189 and NGC 7762 enter the solar circle during their orbits., Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures and 6 tables, accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research

The Holographic Space-time (HST) model of inflation has a potential explanation for dark matter as tiny primordial black holes. Motivated by a recent paper of Barrau\cite{barrau} we propose a version of this model where some of the Inflationary Black Holes (IBHs), whose decay gives rise to the Hot Big Bang, carry the smallest value of a discrete symmetry charge. The fraction $f$ of IBHs carrying this charge is difficult to estimate from first principles, but we fix it by requiring that the crossover between radiation and matter domination occurs at the correct temperature $T_{eq} \sim 1 eV = 10^{-28} M_P$. The fraction is small, $f \sim 2\times 10^{-9}$ so we believe this gives an extremely plausible model of dark matter., Comment: 7 pages, 1 Figure

We review and clarify ideas proposed many years ago for understanding cosmology in a holographic framework. The basic strategy is to use Jacobson's\cite{ted95} identification of Einstein's equations with the hydrodynamic equations of the "Area = 4 Entropy" law for causal diamonds, to identify a quantum system whose hydrodynamics match those of a given space-time. This can be done exactly for a system with any positive cosmological constant, which saturates the entropy bound for all times. The quantum system is a sequence of (cut-off) $1+1$ dimensional CFTs, with central charge proportional to the entropy in causal diamonds along an FRW geodesic. This matches with a recent\cite{BZ} proposal that the modular Hamiltonian of any causal diamond for non-negative c.c. is the $L_0$ generator of such a CFT. When an early de Sitter era is followed by slow roll expansion of the horizon, disjoint horizon volumes (which are gauge copies in an eternal dS space, but become physical due to slow roll expansion of the horizon area) manifest as a dilute gas of black holes in a post-inflationary era. Entropy fluctuations of individual black holes manifest as CMB fluctuations, and the tensor/scalar ratio is suppressed by an extra factor of the slow roll parameter $\epsilon$. Black hole evaporation provides the Hot Big Bang and baryogenesis. Black hole mergers can easily provide a source of primordial BH dark matter that dominates radiation at a temperature of $1$ eV, but numerical simulations are required to determine whether the model can explain the actual dark matter in our universe., Comment: LaTeX. 27 pages, 2 figures

We present photometric, astrometric, and kinematic studies of the old open star clusters NGC 1193 and NGC 1798. Both of the clusters are investigated by combining data sets from Gaia EDR3 and CCD UBV observational data. Analysis of the radial distribution of stars through the cluster regions indicates that the cluster limit radii are $r_{\rm lim}=8'$ for both of the clusters. We determine the membership probabilities of stars considering Gaia EDR3 proper motion and trigonometric parallax data, resulting in 361 stars in NGC 1193 and 428 in NGC 1798 being identified as most likely cluster members, having membership probabilities greater than P>0.5. Mean proper motion components are estimated as ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos \delta$, $\mu_{\delta}) = (-0.207(0.009), -0.431(0.008)$) for NGC 1193 and ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos \delta$, $\mu_{\delta})=(0.793(0.006), -0.373(0.005)$) mas/yr for NGC 1798. E(B-V) color excesses were derived for NGC 1193 as $0.150(0.037)$ and for NGC 1798 as 0.505(0.100) mag through the use of two-color diagrams. Photometric metallicities are also determined from two-color diagrams with the results of [Fe/H] = -0.30(0.06) dex for NGC 1193 and [Fe/H]=-0.20(0.07) dex for NGC 1798. The isochrone fitting distance and age of NGC 1193 are 5562(381) pc and 4.6(1) Gyr, respectively. For NGC 1798, these parameters are 4451(728) pc and 1.3(0.2) Gyr. These ages indicate that NGC 1193 and NGC 1798 are old open clusters. The overall present-day mass function slopes for main-sequence stars are found as 1.38(2.16) for NGC 1193 and 1.30(0.21) for NGC 1798, which are in fair agreement with the value of Salpeter (1955). Kinematic and dynamic orbital calculations indicate that NGC 1193 and NGC 1798 belong to the thick-disk and thin-disk populations, respectively. In addition, both of the clusters were born outside the solar circle, and both orbit in the metal-poor region of the Galactic disk., Comment: Comments: 29 pages, including 13 figures and 4 tables, accepted for publication in the Revista Mexicana de Astronom\'ia y Astrof\'isica

We show that a recent reformulation of hydrodynamic equations for a large class of models consisting of q-dits on a graph with short range interactions is sufficient for understanding chaotic behavior. Any such system consists of large subsystems coupled together by interactions whose relative strength goes to zero with the subsystem size. In the absence of conservation laws other than energy, the Hamiltonians of the subsystems form a complete set of commuting operators. The hydrodynamic variables are the block diagonal matrix elements $\rho(e(X))$ of the density matrix in the joint eigenbasis of the subsystem Hamiltonians, averaged over energy bins. To leading order in the inverse subsystem size, $\rho(e(X); t)$ satisfies a classical stochastic equation, which for certain systems takes the form of a functional Fokker-Planck equation. In such systems the time averaged spectral form factors can be written as a two dimensional Euclidean functional integral, on a space with multiple disconnected boundaries. The failure of factorization in this representation is attributable to the time averaging necessary to apply the hydrodynamic approximation. The bulk Euclidean action is purely topological. We make tentative explorations of the special properties of the system that are required in order to have a representation as a functional integral over metrics., Comment: LaTeX2e , 12 pages, 1 figure

This study calculated astrophysical parameters, as well as kinematic and galactic orbital parameters, of the open clusters NGC 1664 and NGC 6939. The work is based on CCD UBV and Gaia photometric and astrometric data from ground and space-based observations. Considering Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) astrometric data, we determined membership probabilities of stars located in both of the clusters. We used two-color diagrams to determine $E(B-V)$ color excesses for NGC 1664 and NGC 6939 as $0.190 \pm 0.018$ and $0.380 \pm 0.025$ mag, respectively. Photometric metallicities for the two clusters were estimated as [Fe/H] = $-0.10 \pm 0.02$ dex for NGC 1664 and as [Fe/H] = $-0.06 \pm 0.01$ dex for NGC 6939. Using the reddening and metallicity calculated in the study, we obtained distance moduli and ages of the clusters by fitting PARSEC isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams based on the most likely member stars. Isochrone fitting distances are $1289 \pm 47$ pc and $1716 \pm 87$ pc, which coincide with ages of $675 \pm 50$ Myr and $1.5 \pm 0.2$ Gyr for NGC 1664 and NGC 6939, respectively. We also derived the distances to the clusters using Gaia trigonometric parallaxes and compared these estimates with the literature. We concluded that the results are in good agreement with those given by the current study. Present day mass function slopes were calculated as $\Gamma=-1.22\pm0.33$ and $\Gamma=-1.18\pm0.21$ for NGC 1664 and NGC 6939, respectively, which are compatible with the Salpeter (1955) slope. Analyses showed that both of clusters are dynamically relaxed. The kinematic and dynamic orbital parameters of the clusters were calculated, indicating that the birthplaces of the clusters are outside the solar circle., Comment: 44 pages, including 16 figures and 9 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal

The past few decades have seen major developments in the design and operation of cryogenic particle detectors. This technology offers an extremely good energy resolution - comparable to semiconductor detectors - and a wide choice of target materials, making low temperature calorimetric detectors ideal for a variety of particle physics applications. Rare event searches have continued to require ever greater exposures, which has driven them to ever larger cryogenic detectors, with the CUORE experiment being the first to reach a tonne-scale, mK-cooled, experimental mass. CUORE, designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay, has been operational since 2017 at a temperature of about 10 mK. This result has been attained by the use of an unprecedentedly large cryogenic infrastructure called the CUORE cryostat: conceived, designed and commissioned for this purpose. In this article the main characteristics and features of the cryogenic facility developed for the CUORE experiment are highlighted. A brief introduction of the evolution of the field and of the past cryogenic facilities are given. The motivation behind the design and development of the CUORE cryogenic facility is detailed as are the steps taken toward realization, commissioning, and operation of the CUORE cryostat. The major challenges overcome by the collaboration and the solutions implemented throughout the building of the cryogenic facility will be discussed along with the potential improvements for future facilities. The success of CUORE has opened the door to a new generation of large-scale cryogenic facilities in numerous fields of science. Broader implications of the incredible feat achieved by the CUORE collaboration on the future cryogenic facilities in various fields ranging from neutrino and dark matter experiments to quantum computing will be examined., Comment: 45 pages, 14 figures

We present combined photometric and spectroscopic analyses of the southern binary star PU Pup. High-resolution spectra of this system were taken at the University of Canterbury Mt. John Observatory in the years 2008 and again in 2014-15. We find the light contribution of the secondary component to be only $\sim$2\% of the total light of the system in optical wavelengths, resulting in a single-lined spectroscopic binary. Recent TESS data revealed grazing eclipses within the light minima, though the tidal distortion, examined also from HIPPARCOS data, remains the predominating light curve effect. Our model shows PU Pup to have the more massive primary relatively close to filling its Roche lobe. PU Pup is thus approaching the rare `fast phase' of interactive (Case B) evolution. Our adopted absolute parameters are as follows: $M_1$ = 4.10 ($\pm$0.20) M$_{\odot}$, $M_2$ = 0.65 ($\pm$0.05) M$_{\odot}$, $R_{1}$ = 6.60 ($\pm$0.30) R$_{\odot}$, $R_2$ = 0.90 ($\pm$0.10) R$_{\odot}$; $T_{1}$ = 11500 ($\pm$500) K, $T_{2}$ = 5000 ($\pm$350) K; photometric distance = 186 ($\pm$20) pc, age = 170 ($\pm$20) My. The less-massive secondary component is found to be significantly oversized and overluminous compared to standard Main Sequence models. We discuss this discrepancy referring to heating from the reflection effect., Comment: Accepted by Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We analysed the open clusters Czernik 2 and NGC 7654 using CCD UBV photometric and Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) photometric and astrometric data. Structural parameters of the two clusters were derived, including the physical sizes of Czernik 2 being r=5 and NGC 7654 as 8 min. We calculated membership probabilities of stars based on their proper motion components as released in the Gaia EDR3. To identify member stars of the clusters, we used these membership probabilities taking into account location and the impact of binarity on main-sequence stars. We used membership probabilities higher than $P=0.5$ to identify 28 member stars for Czernik 2 and 369 for NGC 7654. We estimated colour-excesses and metallicities separately using two-colour diagrams to derive homogeneously determined parameters. The derived $E(B-V)$ colour excess is 0.46(0.02) mag for Czernik 2 and 0.57(0.04) mag for NGC 7654. Metallicities were obtained for the first time for both clusters, -0.08(0.02) dex for Czernik 2 and -0.05(0.01) dex for NGC 7654. Keeping the reddening and metallicity as constant quantities, we fitted PARSEC models using colour-magnitude diagrams, resulting in estimated distance moduli and ages of the two clusters. We obtained the distance modulus for Czernik 2 as 12.80(0.07) mag and for NGC 7654 as 13.20(0.16) mag, which coincide with ages of 1.2(0.2) Gyr and 120(20) Myr, respectively. The distances to the clusters were calculated using the Gaia EDR3 trigonometric parallaxes and compared with the literature. We found good agreement between the distances obtained in this study and the literature. Present day mass function slopes for both clusters are comparable with the value of Salpeter (1955), being X=-1.37(0.24) for Czernik 2 and X=-1.39(0.19) for NGC 7654., Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures and 9 tables, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science

We present reddening, photometric metallicity, age and distance estimates for the Frolov 1 and NGC 7510 open clusters based on CCD UBV photometric and Gaia data. Photometric observations were collected using the 1-m telescope of the T\"UB\.ITAK National Observatory. Gaia DR2 proper motion data in the direction of two groupings were used to identify cluster membership. We determined mean proper motion values ($ \mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta, \mu_{\delta}$) = ($-3.02\pm 0.10$, $-1.75 \pm 0.08$) and ($-3.66 \pm 0.07$, $-2.17 \pm 0.06$) mas yr$^{-1}$ for Frolov 1 and NGC 7510, respectively. We used two-colour diagrams to obtain $E(B-V)$ colour excesses for Frolov 1 and NGC 7510 as $0.65\pm0.06$ and $1.05\pm0.05$ mag, respectively. We derived the photometric metallicity of Frolov 1 as [Fe/H] = 0.03$\pm$0.03 dex and adopted a solar metallicity for NGC 7510. Based on these reddening and metallicities we determined the distance moduli and ages of the clusters via fitting PARSEC isochrones to the cluster colour-magnitude diagrams. Isochrone fitting distances for Frolov 1 and NGC 7510 are $2864 \pm 254$ and $2818 \pm 247$ pc, respectively, which correspond to the ages $35\pm 10$ Myr and $18\pm 6$ Myr. We also calculated mean Gaia distances and compared them with those given in the literature and in this study, concluding that our results are in good agreement with previous work. Finally, we calculated the mass function slopes as being $X=-1.21\pm0.18$ for Frolov 1 and $X=-1.42\pm0.27$ for NGC 7510., Comment: 17 pages, including 12 figures and 8 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomische Nachrichten

An update is given on the exoplanet research collaboration between Nielsen (a marketing research company), Brigham Young University, and NZ universities with the National University of Singapore, which has been expanded to include a community college in the US. Key achievements from the past year are outlined, including density estimates for HD 209458 and Kepler 1 from radial velocity and transit fits. A comparison between the WinFitter optimizer and other techniques is outlined, showing that WinFitter estimated statistical errors are essentially in line (bar a scaling proportion) with those estimated via Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques., Comment: Accepted by Southern Stars, the journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ)

We reanalyze and expand upon models proposed in 2015 for linear dilaton black holes, and use them to test several speculative ideas about black hole physics. We examine ideas based on the definition of quantum extremal surfaces in quantum field theory in curved space-time. The low energy effective field theory of our model is the large N CGHS model, which includes the one loop effects that are taken into account in the "island" proposal for understanding the Page curve. Contrary to the results of the island analysis, that solution leads to a singular geometry for the evaporated black hole. If the singularity obeys Cosmic Censorship then Hawking evaporation leaves behind a remnant object with a finite fraction of the black hole entropy. If the singularity becomes naked at some point, boundary conditions on a time-like line emanating from that point can produce a sensible model where we expect a Page curve. We show that the fully UV complete model gives a correct Page curve, as it must since the model is manifestly unitary. Recent result on replicawormholes suggest that the island formula, which appears to involve only one loop computations, in fact encodes non-perturbative contributions to the gravitational path integral. The question of why Euclidean gravity computations can capture information about microscopic states of quantum gravity remains mysterious. In a speculative coda to the paper we suggest that the proper way of understanding the relation between Euclidean gravity path integrals and quantum spectra is via a statistical approach to Jacobson's interpretation of general relativistic field equations as the hydrodynamic equations of the area law for the maximal entropy of causal diamonds., Comment: LaTeX2e. 34 Pages, 4 figures V2: reference added. Fixed typos and improved notation for clarity in the definition of the microscopic Hamiltonian

The formalism of Holographic Space-time (HST) is a translation of the principles of Lorentzian geometry into the language of quantum information. Intervals along time-like trajectories, and their associated causal diamonds, completely characterize a Lorentzian geometry. The Bekenstein-Hawking-Gibbons-'t Hooft-Jacobson-Fischler-Susskind-Bousso Covariant Entropy Principle, equates the logarithm of the dimension of the Hilbert space associated with a diamond to one quarter of the area of the diamond's holographic screen, measured in Planck units. The most convincing argument for this principle is Jacobson's derivation of Einstein's equations as the hydrodynamic expression of this entropy law. In that context, the null energy condition (NEC) is seen to be the analog of the local law of entropy increase. The quantum version of Einstein's relativity principle is a set of constraints on the mutual quantum information shared by causal diamonds along different time-like trajectories. The implementation of this constraint for trajectories in relative motion is the greatest unsolved problem in HST. The other key feature of HST is its claim that, for non-negative cosmological constant or causal diamonds much smaller than the asymptotic radius of curvature for negative c.c., the degrees of freedom localized in the bulk of a diamond are constrained states of variables defined on the holographic screen. This principle gives a simple explanation of otherwise puzzling features of BH entropy formulae, and resolves the firewall problem for black holes in Minkowski space. It motivates a covariant version of the CKN\cite{ckn} bound on the regime of validity of quantum field theory (QFT) and a detailed picture of the way in which QFT emerges as an approximation to the exact theory., Comment: LaTeX2e 16 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Frontiers in Physics Research Topic, Qubits and Spacetime. Revised version has new figures, more explanation of HST formalism and Jacobson's derivation of Einstein equations, and added references

We investigate modifications of quantum mechanics (QM) that replace the unitary group in a finite dimensional Hilbert space with a finite group and determine the minimal sequence of subgroups necessary to approximate QM arbitrarily closely for general choices of Hamiltonian. This mathematical study reveals novel insights about 't Hooft's Ontological Quantum Mechanics, and the derivation of statistical mechanics from quantum mechanics. We show that Kornyak's proposal to understand QM as classical dynamics on a Hilbert space of one dimension higher than that describing the universe, supplemented by a choice of the value of a naturally conserved quantum operator in that classical evolution can probably be a model of the world we observe., Comment: LaTeX2e, 20 pages. Version two replaces Z_p with a general finite abelian group and corrects numerous typos. Some rewording of arguments in various places

We recapitulate multiple arguments that Eternal Inflation, and the String Landscape are actually part of the Swampland: ideas in Effective Quantum Field Theory that do not have a counterpart in genuine models of Quantum Gravity., Comment: LaTeX3e, 50 pages, 3 figures, v2 typos corrected, references added

A brief review is given of a university outreach programme by a commercial organisation, which uses the Kepler exoplanet data. Key insights derived from this research are presented, along with discussion of the benefi ts and challenges of such a collaboration between industry and academia. It is hoped that this account will be an inspiring example for others to emulate.

This paper employs a simple model, considering just geometry and linear or quadratic limb darkening, to fit Kepler transit data via a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology for Kepler-1b, 5b, 8b, 12b, 77b, 428b, 491b, 699b, 706b, and 730b. Additional fits were made of the systems using the more sophisticated modeller Winfitter, which gives results in general agreement with the simpler model. Analysis of data with longer integration times showed biasing of the derived parameters, as expected from the literature,} leading to larger estimates for radii and reducing estimates of the system inclination.

We argue that the infall time to the singularity in the interior of a black hole, is always related to a classical thermalization time. This indicates that singularities are related to the equilibration of infalling objects with the microstates of the black hole, but only in the sense of classical equilibration. When the singularity is reached, the quantum state of the black hole, initially a tensor product of the state of the infalling object and that of the black hole, is not yet a "generic" state in the enlarged Hilbert space, so its complexity is not maximal. We relate these observations to the phenomenon of mirages in the membrane paradigm description of the black hole horizon and to the shrinking of the area of causal diamonds inside the black hole. The observations are universal and we argue that they give a clue to the nature of the underlying quantum theory of black holes in all types of asymptotic space-times., Comment: LaTeX 12 pages

We report on a search for double beta decay of $^{130}$Te to the first $0^{+}$ excited state of $^{130}$Xe using a 9.8 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{130}$Te collected with the CUORE-0 experiment. In this work we exploit different topologies of coincident events to search for both the neutrinoless and two-neutrino double-decay modes. We find no evidence for either mode and place lower bounds on the half-lives: $\tau^{0\nu}_{0^+}>7.9\cdot 10^{23}$ yr and $\tau^{2\nu}_{0^+}>2.4\cdot 10^{23}$ yr. Combining our results with those obtained by the CUORICINO experiment, we achieve the most stringent constraints available for these processes: $\tau^{0\nu}_{0^+}>1.4\cdot 10^{24}$ yr and $\tau^{2\nu}_{0^+}>2.5\cdot 10^{23}$ yr., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables

This essay outlines the Holographic Space-time (HST) theory of cosmology and its relation to conventional theories of inflation. The predictions of the theory are compatible with observations, and one must hope for data on primordial gravitational waves or non-Gaussian fluctuations to distinguish it from conventional models. The model predicts an early era of structure formation, prior to the Big Bang. Understanding the fate of those structures requires complicated simulations that have not yet been done. The result of those calculations might falsify the model, or might provide a very economical framework for explaining dark matter and the generation of the baryon asymmetry., Comment: LaTeX2e, 13 Pages, Winner of 5th Prize in the Gravitation Research Essay Contest 2018

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-number--violating process: $^{130}$Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO$_2$ exposure of 86.3 kg$\cdot$yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of (7.7 $\pm$ 0.5) keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of (0.014 $\pm$ 0.002) counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr), we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. The median statistical sensitivity of this search is $7.0\times10^{24}$ yr. Including systematic uncertainties, we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of $T^{0\nu}_{1/2}$($^{130}$Te) > $1.3\times 10^{25}$ yr (90% C.L.). Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find $T^{0\nu}_{1/2}$($^{130}$Te) > $1.5\times 10^{25}$ yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find $m_{\beta\beta}<(110 - 520)$ meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed., Comment: Published in PRL, reference and DOI added

We argue that localized excitations in Minkowski space must be thought of as constrained states of holographic degrees of freedom. The Minkowski "vacuum" is in fact a density matrix of infinite entropy. The argument assumes that Minkowski space can be viewed as a limit of a space-time with non-vanishing cosmological constant, either positive or negative., Comment: 13 Pages, LaTeX2e

We report a study of the CUORE sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay. We used a Bayesian analysis based on a toy Monte Carlo (MC) approach to extract the exclusion sensitivity to the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay half-life ($T_{1/2}^{0\nu}$) at $90\%$ credibility interval (CI) -- i.e. the interval containing the true value of $T_{1/2}^{0\nu}$ with $90\%$ probability -- and the $3 \sigma$ discovery sensitivity. We consider various background levels and energy resolutions, and describe the influence of the data division in subsets with different background levels. If the background level and the energy resolution meet the expectation, CUORE will reach a $90\%$ CI exclusion sensitivity of $2\cdot10^{25}$ yr with $3$ months, and $9\cdot10^{25}$ yr with $5$ years of live time. Under the same conditions, the discovery sensitivity after $3$ months and $5$ years will be $7\cdot10^{24}$ yr and $4\cdot10^{25}$ yr, respectively., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with an array of 988 TeO2 bolometers operating at temperatures around 10 mK. The experiment is currently being commissioned in Hall A of Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The goal of CUORE is to reach a 90\% C.L. exclusion sensitivity on the \tect decay half-life of 9$\times$10$^{25}$ years after 5\,years of data taking. The main issue to be addressed to accomplish this aim is the rate of background events in the region of interest, which must not be higher than 10$^{-2}$\,counts/keV/kg/y. We developed a detailed Monte Carlo simulation, based on results from a campaign of material screening, radioassays, and bolometric measurements, to evaluate the expected background. This was used over the years to guide the construction strategies of the experiment and we use it here to project a background model for CUORE. In this paper we report the results of our study and our expectations for the background rate in the energy region where the peak signature of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te is expected., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, matches published version

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a 1-ton scale bolometric experiment devoted to the search of the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0{\nu}\b{eta}\b{eta}) in 130Te. The CUORE detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals operated at 10 mK. CUORE-0 is the CUORE demonstrator: it has been built to test the performance of the upcoming CUORE experiment and represents the largest 130Te bolometric setup ever operated. CUORE-0 has been running at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy) from 2013 to 2015. The final CUORE-0 analysis on 0{\nu}\b{eta}\b{eta} and the corresponding detector performance are presented. The present status of the CUORE experiment, now in its final construction and commissioning phase, are discussed. The results from assembly of the detector and the commissioning of the cryostat are reported., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, ICNFP2016 Proceeding

We report on the measurement of the two-neutrino double beta decay half-life of $^{130}$Te with the CUORE-0 detector. From an exposure of 33.4 kg$\cdot$y of TeO$_2$, the half-life is determined to be $T_{1/2}^{2\nu}$ = [8.2 $\pm$ 0.2 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.6 (syst.)] $\times$ 10$^{20}$y. This result is obtained after a detailed reconstruction of the sources responsible for the CUORE-0 counting rate, with a specific study of those contributing to the $^{130}$Te neutrinoless double beta decay region of interest., Comment: Corrected typo in section 9: 3.43E5 Bq/kg should have read 3.43E-5 Bq/kg

We present a search for low energy antineutrino events coincident with the gravitational wave events GW150914 and GW151226, and the candidate event LVT151012 using KamLAND, a kiloton-scale antineutrino detector. We find no inverse beta-decay neutrino events within $\pm 500$ seconds of either gravitational wave signal. This non-detection is used to constrain the electron antineutrino fluence and the luminosity of the astrophysical sources., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, as published in ApJL. Updated to replace power law spectrum with Fermi Dirac spectrum

The CUORE experiment will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{130}$Te with an array of 988 TeO$_2$ bolometers arranged in 19 towers. CUORE-0, the first tower assembled according to the CUORE procedures, was built and commissioned at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, and took data from March 2013 to March 2015. In this paper we describe the design, construction and operation of the CUORE-0 experiment, with an emphasis on the improvements made over a predecessor experiment, Cuoricino. In particular, we demonstrate with CUORE-0 data that the design goals of CUORE are within reach., Comment: 39 pages, 26 figures

We describe in detail the methods used to obtain the lower bound on the lifetime of neutrinoless double-beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay in $^{130}$Te and the associated limit on the effective Majorana mass of the neutrino using the CUORE-0 detector. CUORE-0 is a bolometric detector array located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso that was designed to validate the background reduction techniques developed for CUORE, a next-generation experiment scheduled to come online in 2016. CUORE-0 is also a competitive $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay search in its own right and functions as a platform to further develop the analysis tools and procedures to be used in CUORE. These include data collection, event selection and processing, as well as an evaluation of signal efficiency. In particular, we describe the amplitude evaluation, thermal gain stabilization, energy calibration methods, and the analysis event selection used to create our final $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay search spectrum. We define our high level analysis procedures, with emphasis on the new insights gained and challenges encountered. We outline in detail our fitting methods near the hypothesized $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay peak and catalog the main sources of systematic uncertainty. Finally, we derive the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay half-life limits previously reported for CUORE-0, $T^{0\nu}_{1/2}>2.7\times10^{24}$ yr, and in combination with the Cuoricino limit, $T^{0\nu}_{1/2}>4.0\times10^{24}$ yr., Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures. (Version 3 reflects only minor changes to the text. Few additional details, no major content changes.)

A search for double-beta decays of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba has been performed with the first phase data set of the KamLAND-Zen experiment. The 0+1, 2+1 and 2+2 transitions of 0{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} decay were evaluated in an exposure of 89.5kg-yr of 136Xe, while the same transitions of 2{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} decay were evaluated in an exposure of 61.8kg-yr. No excess over background was found for all decay modes. The lower half-life limits of the 2+1 state transitions of 0{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} and 2{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} decay were improved to T(0{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 2+) > 2.6\times10^25 yr and T(2{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 2+) > 4.6\times10^23 yr (90% C.L.), respectively. We report on the first experimental lower half-life limits for the transitions to the 0+1 state of 136Xe for 0{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} and 2{\nu}\{beta}\{beta} decay. They are T (0{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 0+) > 2.4\times10^25 yr and T(2{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 0+) > 8.3\times10^23 yr (90% C.L.). The transitions to the 2+2 states are also evaluated for the first time to be T(0{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 2+) > 2.6\times10^25 yr and T(2{\nu}, 0+ \rightarrow 2+) > 9.0\times10^23 yr (90% C.L.). These results are compared to recent theoretical predictions., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. Published in Nuclear Physics A

We construct Holographic Space-time models that reproduce the dynamics of $1 + 1$ dimensional string theory. The necessity for a dilaton field in the $1 + 1$ effective Lagrangian for classical geometry, the appearance of fermions, and even the form of the universal potential in the canonical $1$ matrix model, follow from general HST considerations. We note that 't Hooft's ansatz for the leading contribution to the black hole S-matrix, accounts for the entire S-matrix in these models in the limit that the string scale coincides with the Planck scale, up to transformations between near horizon and asymptotic coordinates. These $1 + 1$ dimensional models are describable as decoupling limits of the near horizon geometry of higher dimensional extremal black holes or black branes, and this suggests that deformations of the simplest model are equally physical. After proposing a notion of "relevant deformations", we describe deformations, which contain excitations corresponding to linear dilaton black holes, some of which can be considered as UV completions of the CGHS model. We study the question of whether the AMPS paradox can be formulated in those models. It cannot, because the classical in-fall time to the singularity of linear dilaton black holes, is independent of the black hole mass. This result is reproduced by our HST models. We argue that it is related to the absence of quasi-normal modes of these black hole solutions, which is itself related to the fact that the horizon has zero area. This is compatible with the resolution of the AMPS paradox proposed in previous work with Fischler, according to which the compatibility conditions of HST identify the long non-singular sojourn of observers behind the horizon, with the dynamics of equilibration on the horizon as seen by a detector which has not yet fallen through the horizon., Comment: 24 Pages, LaTeX2e, v.3: Typos corrected, important references added

In the late stages of nuclear burning for massive stars ($M>8~M_{\sun}$), the production of neutrino-antineutrino pairs through various processes becomes the dominant stellar cooling mechanism. As the star evolves, the energy of these neutrinos increases and in the days preceding the supernova a significant fraction of emitted electron anti-neutrinos exceeds the energy threshold for inverse beta decay on free hydrogen. This is the golden channel for liquid scintillator detectors because the coincidence signature allows for significant reductions in background signals. We find that the kiloton-scale liquid scintillator detector KamLAND can detect these pre-supernova neutrinos from a star with a mass of $25~M_{\sun}$ at a distance less than 690~pc with 3$\sigma$ significance before the supernova. This limit is dependent on the neutrino mass ordering and background levels. KamLAND takes data continuously and can provide a supernova alert to the community., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 1 table

I explain, in non-technical terms, the basic ideas of Holographic Space-time (HST) models of quantum gravity (QG). The key feature is that the degrees of freedom (DOF) of QG, localized in a finite causal diamond are restrictions of an algebra of asymptotic currents, describing flows of quantum numbers out to null infinity in Minkowski space, with zero energy density on the sphere at infinity. Finite energy density states are constrained states of these DOF and the resulting relation between asymptotic energy and the number of constraints, explains the relation between black hole entropy and energy, as well as the critical energy/impact parameter regime in which particle scattering leads to black hole formation. The results of a general class of models, implementing these principles, are described, and applied to understand the firewall paradox, and to construct a finite model of the early universe, which implements inflation with only the minimal fine tuning needed to obtain a universe containing localized excitations more complex than large black holes.

We report the results of a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in a 9.8~kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{130}$Te using a bolometric detector array, CUORE-0. The characteristic detector energy resolution and background level in the region of interest are $5.1\pm 0.3{\rm~keV}$ FWHM and $0.058 \pm 0.004\,(\mathrm{stat.})\pm 0.002\,(\mathrm{syst.})$~counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr), respectively. The median 90%~C.L. lower-limit sensitivity of the experiment is $2.9\times 10^{24}~{\rm yr}$ and surpasses the sensitivity of previous searches. We find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{130}$Te and place a Bayesian lower bound on the decay half-life, $T^{0\nu}_{1/2}>$~$ 2.7\times 10^{24}~{\rm yr}$ at 90%~C.L. Combining CUORE-0 data with the 19.75~kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{130}$Te from the Cuoricino experiment we obtain $T^{0\nu}_{1/2} > 4.0\times 10^{24}~\mathrm{yr}$ at 90%~C.L.~(Bayesian), the most stringent limit to date on this half-life. Using a range of nuclear matrix element estimates we interpret this as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, $m_{\beta\beta}< 270$ -- $760~\mathrm{meV}$., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, updated version as published in PRL

I summarize Density Functional Theory (DFT) in a language familiar to quantum field theorists, and introduce several apparently novel ideas for constructing {\it systematic} approximations for the density functional. I also note that, at least within the large $K$ approximation ($K$ is the number of electron spin components), it is easier to compute the quantum effective action of the Coulomb photon field, which is related to the density functional by algebraic manipulations in momentum space., Comment: 15 Pages, LaTeX2e

We search for electron anti-neutrinos ($\overline{\nu}_e$) from long and short-duration gamma-ray bursts~(GRBs) using data taken by the KamLAND detector from August 2002 to June 2013. No statistically significant excess over the background level is found. We place the tightest upper limits on $\overline{\nu}_e$ fluence from GRBs below 7 MeV and place first constraints on the relation between $\overline{\nu}_e$ luminosity and effective temperature., Comment: 16 pages and 5 figures

CUORE is a 741 kg array of TeO2 bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. The detector is being constructed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, where it will start taking data in 2015. If the target background of 0.01 counts/keV/kg/y will be reached, in five years of data taking CUORE will have a 1 sigma half life sensitivity of 10E26 y. CUORE-0 is a smaller experiment constructed to test and demonstrate the performances expected for CUORE. The detector is a single tower of 52 CUORE-like bolometers that started taking data in spring 2013. The status and perspectives of CUORE will be discussed, and the first CUORE-0 data will be presented., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be published in the proceedings of ICHEP 2014, 37th International Conference on High Energy Physics, Valencia (Spain) 2-9 July 2014

With 741 kg of TeO2 crystals and an excellent energy resolution of 5 keV (0.2%) at the region of interest, the CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment aims at searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with unprecedented sensitivity. Expected to start data taking in 2015, CUORE is currently in an advanced construction phase at LNGS. CUORE projected neutrinoless double beta decay half-life sensitivity is 1.6E26 y at 1 sigma (9.5E25 y at the 90% confidence level), in five years of live time, corresponding to an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass in the range 40-100 meV (50-130 meV). Further background rejection with auxiliary bolometric detectors could improve CUORE sensitivity and competitiveness of bolometric detectors towards a full analysis of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. CUORE-0 was built to test and demonstrate the performance of the upcoming CUORE experiment. It consists of a single CUORE tower (52 TeO2 bolometers of 750 g each, arranged in a 13 floor structure) constructed strictly following CUORE recipes both for materials and assembly procedures. An experiment its own, CUORE-0 is expected to reach a sensitivity to the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of 130Te around 3E24 y in one year of live time. We present an update of the data, corresponding to an exposure of 18.1 kg y. An analysis of the background indicates that the CUORE performance goal is satisfied while the sensitivity goal is within reach., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of NEUTRINO 2014, 26th International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics, 2-7 June 2014, held at Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Background: The rate \lambda_pp\mu\ characterizes the formation of pp\mu\ molecules in collisions of muonic p\mu\ atoms with hydrogen. In measurements of the basic weak muon capture reaction on the proton to determine the pseudoscalar coupling g_P, capture occurs from both atomic and molecular states. Thus knowledge of \lambda_pp\mu\ is required for a correct interpretation of these experiments. Purpose: Recently the MuCap experiment has measured the capture rate \Lambda_S from the singlet p\mu\ atom, employing a low density active target to suppress pp\mu\ formation (PRL 110, 12504 (2013)). Nevertheless, given the unprecedented precision of this experiment, the existing experimental knowledge in \lambda_pp\mu\ had to be improved. Method: The MuCap experiment derived the weak capture rate from the muon disappearance rate in ultra-pure hydrogen. By doping the hydrogen with 20 ppm of argon, a competing process to pp\mu\ formation was introduced, which allowed the extraction of \lambda_pp\mu\ from the observed time distribution of decay electrons. Results: The pp\mu\ formation rate was measured as \lambda_pp\mu = (2.01 +- 0.06(stat) +- 0.03(sys)) 10^6 s^-1. This result updates the \lambda_pp\mu\ value used in the above mentioned MuCap publication. Conclusions: The 2.5x higher precision compared to earlier experiments and the fact that the measurement was performed at nearly identical conditions to the main data taking, reduces the uncertainty induced by \lambda_pp\mu\ to a minor contribution to the overall uncertainty of \Lambda_S and g_P, as determined in MuCap. Our final value for \lambda_pp\mu\ shifts \Lambda_S and g_P by less than one tenth of their respective uncertainties compared to our results published earlier., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is an experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) in $^{130}$Te and other rare processes. CUORE is a cryogenic detector composed of 988 TeO$_2$ bolometers for a total mass of about 741 kg. The detector is being constructed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, where it will start taking data in 2015. If the target background of 0.01 counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$y) will be reached, in five years of data taking CUORE will have an half life sensitivity around $1\times 10^{26}$ y at 90\% C.L. As a first step towards CUORE a smaller experiment CUORE-0, constructed to test and demonstrate the performances expected for CUORE, has been assembled and is running. The detector is a single tower of 52 CUORE-like bolometers that started taking data in spring 2013. The status and perspectives of CUORE will be discussed, and the first CUORE-0 data will be presented., Comment: Proceedings of a talk given at the International Conference of New Frontiers in Physics, ICNFP 2014; submitted at EPJ Web of Conferences

The CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment will search for neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{130}$Te. With 741 kg of TeO$_2$ crystals and an excellent energy resolution of 5 keV (0.2%) at the region of interest, CUORE will be one of the most competitive neutrinoless double beta decay experiments on the horizon. With five years of live time, CUORE projected neutrinoless double beta decay half-life sensitivity is $1.6\times 10^{26}$ y at $1\sigma$ ($9.5\times10^{25}$ y at the 90% confidence level), which corresponds to an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass in the range 40--100 meV (50--130 meV). Further background rejection with auxiliary light detector can significantly improve the search sensitivity and competitiveness of bolometric detectors to fully explore the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy with $^{130}$Te and possibly other double beta decay candidate nuclei., Comment: Submitted to the Proceedings of TAUP 2013 Conference