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One of the fundamental questions of cosmology is the origin and mechanism(s) responsible for the reionization of the Universe beyond $z\sim6$. To address this question, many studies over the past decade have focused on local ($z\sim0.3$) galaxies which leak ionizing radiation (Lyman continuum or LyC). However, line-of-sight effects and data quality have prohibited deeper insight into the nature of LyC escape. To circumvent these limitations, we analyze stacks of a consolidated sample of {\it HST}/COS observations of the LyC in 89 galaxies at $z\sim0.3$. From fitting of the continuum, we obtain information about the underlying stellar populations and neutral ISM geometry. We find that most LyC non-detections are not leaking appreciable LyC ($f_{esc}^{\rm LyC}<1$\%) but also that exceptional cases point to spatial variations in the LyC escape fraction $f_{esc}^{\rm LyC}$. Stellar populations younger than 3 Myr lead to an increase in ionizing feedback, which in turn increases the isotropy of LyC escape. Moreover, mechanical feedback from supernovae in 8-10 Myr stellar populations is important for anisotropic gas distributions needed for LyC escape. While mechanical feedback is necessary for any LyC escape, high $f_{esc}^{\rm LyC}$ ($>5$\%) also requires a confluence of young stars and ionizing feedback. A two-stage burst of star formation could facilitate this optimal LyC escape scenario., Comment: Submitted to AAS publications, 42 pages, 25 figures

The increasing complexity of deep learning models and the demand for processing vast amounts of data make the utilization of large-scale distributed systems for efficient training essential. These systems, however, face significant challenges such as communication overhead, hardware limitations, and node failure. This paper investigates various optimization techniques in distributed deep learning, including Elastic Averaging SGD (EASGD) and the second-order method AdaHessian. We propose a dynamic weighting strategy to mitigate the problem of straggler nodes due to failure, enhancing the performance and efficiency of the overall training process. We conduct experiments with different numbers of workers and communication periods to demonstrate improved convergence rates and test performance using our strategy.

Mathematically modelling diffusive and advective transport of particles in heterogeneous layered media is important to many applications in computational, biological and medical physics. While deterministic continuum models of such transport processes are well established, they fail to account for randomness inherent in many problems and are valid only for a large number of particles. To address this, this paper derives a suite of equivalent stochastic (discrete-time discrete-space random walk) models for several standard continuum (partial differential equation) models of diffusion and advection-diffusion across a fully- or semi-permeable interface. Our approach involves discretising the continuum model in space and time to yield a Markov chain, which governs the transition probabilities between spatial lattice sites during each time step. Discretisation in space is carried out using a standard finite volume method while two options are considered for discretisation in time. A simple forward Euler discretisation yields a stochastic model taking the form of a local (nearest-neighbour) random walk with simple analytical expressions for the transition probabilities while an exact exponential discretisation yields a non-local random walk with transition probabilities defined numerically via a matrix exponential. Constraints on the size of the spatial and/or temporal steps are provided for each option to ensure the transition probabilities are non-negative. MATLAB code comparing the stochastic and continuum models is available on GitHub (https://github.com/elliotcarr/Carr2024c) with simulation results demonstrating good agreement for several example problems., Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures

Deep learning is revolutionizing weather forecasting, with new data-driven models achieving accuracy on par with operational physical models for medium-term predictions. However, these models often lack interpretability, making their underlying dynamics difficult to understand and explain. This paper proposes methodologies to estimate the Koopman operator, providing a linear representation of complex nonlinear dynamics to enhance the transparency of data-driven models. Despite its potential, applying the Koopman operator to large-scale problems, such as atmospheric modeling, remains challenging. This study aims to identify the limitations of existing methods, refine these models to overcome various bottlenecks, and introduce novel convolutional neural network architectures that capture simplified dynamics.

Feedback is widely recognized as an essential condition for Lyman continuum (LyC) escape in star-forming galaxies. However, the mechanisms by which galactic outflows clear neutral gas and dust remain unclear. In this paper, we model the Mg II 2796\r{A}, 2804\r{A} absorption + emission lines in 29 galaxies taken from the Low-z LyC Survey (LzLCS) to investigate the impact of (radiation + mechanical) feedback on LyC escape. Using constraints on Mg$^+$ and photoionization models, we map the outflows' neutral hydrogen content and predict $f_{esc}^{LyC}$ with a multiphase wind model. We measure mass, momentum, and energy loading factors for the neutral winds, which carry up to 10% of the momentum and 1% of the energy in SFR-based deposition rates. We use SED template fitting to determine the relative ages of stellar populations, allowing us to identify radiation feedback dominant systems. We then examine feedback related properties (stellar age, loading factors, etc.) under conditions that optimize feedback efficiency, specifically high star formation rate surface density and compact UV half-light radii. Our findings indicate that the strongest leakers are radiation feedback dominant, lack Mg II outflows, but have extended broad components in higher ionization lines like [O III] 5007\r{A}, as observed by Amor\'in et al. (2024). In contrast, galaxies experiencing supernovae feedback typically exhibit weaker $f_{esc}^{LyC}$ and show evidence of outflows in both Mg II and higher ionization lines. We attribute these findings to rapid or "catastrophic" cooling in the radiation-dominant systems, which, given the low metallicities in our sample, are likely experiencing delayed supernovae., Comment: 34 pages, 16 figures, 7 tables

Abnormality detection in the identification of a single-subject which deviates from the majority of the dataset that comes from a control group is a critical problem. A common approach is to assume that the control group can be characterised in terms of standard Normal statistics and the detection of single abnormal subject is in that context. But in many situations the control group can not be described in terms of Normal statistics and the use of standard statistics is inappropriate. This paper presents a Bayesian Inference General Procedures for A Single-Subject Test (BIGPAST), designed to mitigate the effects of skewness under the assumption that the dataset of control group comes from the skewed Student's \( t \) distribution. BIGPAST operates under the null hypothesis that the single-subject follows the same distribution as the control group. We assess BIGPAST's performance against other methods through a series of simulation studies. The results demonstrate that BIGPAST is robust against deviations from normality and outperforms the existing approaches in terms of accuracy. This is because BIGPAST can effectively reduce model misspecification errors under the skewed Student's \( t \) assumption. We apply BIGPAST to a MEG dataset consisting of an individual with mild traumatic brain injury and an age and gender-matched control group, demonstrating its effectiveness in detecting abnormalities in the single-subject., Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures and 10 tables

At the low-redshift end ($z<0.05$) of the Hubble diagram with Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia), the contribution to Hubble residual scatter from peculiar velocities is of similar size to that due to the standardization of the SN Ia light curve. A way to improve the redshift measurement of the SN host galaxy is to utilize the average redshift of the galaxy group, effectively averaging over small-scale/intracluster peculiar velocities. One limiting factor is the fraction of SN host galaxies in galaxy groups, previously found to be 30% using (relatively incomplete) magnitude-limited galaxy catalogs. Here, we do the first analysis of N-body simulations to predict this fraction, finding $\sim$66% should have associated groups and group averaging should improve redshift precision by $\sim$120 km s$^{-1}$. Furthermore, using spectroscopic data from the Anglo-Australian Telescope, we present results from the first pilot program to evaluate whether or not 23 previously unassociated SN Ia hosts belong in groups. We find that 91% of these candidates can be associated with groups, consistent with predictions from simulations given the sample size. Combining with previously assigned SN host galaxies in Pantheon+, we demonstrate improvement in Hubble residual scatter equivalent to 145 km s$^{-1}$, also consistent with simulations. For new and upcoming low-$z$ samples from, for example, the Zwicky Transient Facility and the Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time, a separate follow-up program identifying galaxy groups of SN hosts is a highly cost-effective way to enhance their constraining power., Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. Submitted to ApJ

JWST provides new opportunities to cross-check the HST Cepheid/SNeIa distance ladder, which yields the most precise local measure of H0. We analyze early JWST subsamples (~1/4 of the HST sample) from the SH0ES and CCHP groups, calibrated by a single anchor (N4258). We find HST Cepheid distances agree well (~1 sigma) with all 8 combinations of methods, samples, and telescopes: JWST Cepheids, TRGB, and JAGB by either group, plus HST TRGB and Miras. The comparisons explicitly include the measurement uncertainty of each method in N4258, an oft-neglected but dominant term. Mean differences are ~0.03 mag, far smaller than the 0.18 mag "Hubble tension." Combining all measures produces the strongest constraint yet on the linearity of HST Cepheid distances, 0.994+-0.010, ruling out distance-dependent bias or offset as the source of the tension at ~7 sigma. Yet, measurements of H0 from current JWST subsamples produce large sampling differences whose size and direction we can directly estimate from the full HST set. We show that Delta(H0)~2.5 km/s/Mpc between the CCHP JWST program and the full HST sample is entirely consistent with differences in sample selection. Combining all JWST samples produces a new, distance-limited set of 16 SNeIa at D<25 Mpc and more closely resembles the full sample thanks to "reversion to the mean" of larger samples. Using JWST Cepheids, JAGB, and TRGB, we find 73.4+-2.1, 72.2+-2.2, and 72.1+-2.2 km/s/Mpc, respectively. Explicitly accounting for SNe in common, the combined-sample three-method result from JWST is H0=72.6+-2.0, similar to H0=72.8 expected from HST Cepheids in the same galaxies. The small JWST sample trivially lowers the Hubble tension significance due to small-sample statistics and is not yet competitive with the HST set (42 SNeIa and 4 anchors), which yields 73.2+-0.9. Still, the joint JWST sample provides important crosschecks which the HST data passes., Comment: submitted to ApJ, comments welcome and appreciated

The first infall of the LMC into the Milky Way (MW) represents a large and recent disruption to the MW circumgalactic medium (CGM). In this work, we use idealized, hydrodynamical simulations of a MW-like CGM embedded in a live dark matter halo with an infalling LMC-like satellite initialized with its own CGM to understand how the encounter is shaping the global physical and kinematic properties of the MW CGM. First, we find that the LMC sources order-unity enhancements in MW CGM density, temperature, and pressure from a $\mathcal{M} \approx 2$ shock from the supersonic CGM-CGM collision, extending from the LMC to beyond $\sim R_{\rm 200, MW}$, enhancing column densities, X-ray brightness, the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) distortion, and potentially synchrotron emission from cosmic rays over large angular scales across the Southern Hemisphere. Second, the MW's reflex motion relative to its outer halo produces a dipole in CGM radial velocities, with $v_{\rm R} \pm 30-50$ km/s at $R > 50$ kpc in the Northern/Southern hemispheres respectively, consistent with measurements in the stellar halo. Finally, ram pressure strips most of the LMC CGM gas by the present day, leaving $\sim 10^{8-9} M_{\odot}$ of warm, ionized gas along the past orbit of the LMC moving at high radial and/or tangential velocities $\sim 50-100$ kpc from the MW. Massive satellites like the LMC leave their mark on the CGM structure of their host galaxies, and signatures from this interaction may manifest in key all-sky observables of the CGM of the MW and other massive galaxies., Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 22 pages, 15 Figures. Comments welcomed

Robust partially observable Markov decision processes (robust POMDPs) extend classical POMDPs to handle additional uncertainty on the transition and observation probabilities via so-called uncertainty sets. Policies for robust POMDPs must not only be memory-based to account for partial observability but also robust against model uncertainty to account for the worst-case instances from the uncertainty sets. We propose the pessimistic iterative planning (PIP) framework, which finds robust memory-based policies for robust POMDPs. PIP alternates between two main steps: (1) selecting an adversarial (non-robust) POMDP via worst-case probability instances from the uncertainty sets; and (2) computing a finite-state controller (FSC) for this adversarial POMDP. We evaluate the performance of this FSC on the original robust POMDP and use this evaluation in step (1) to select the next adversarial POMDP. Within PIP, we propose the rFSCNet algorithm. In each iteration, rFSCNet finds an FSC through a recurrent neural network trained using supervision policies optimized for the adversarial POMDP. The empirical evaluation in four benchmark environments showcases improved robustness against a baseline method in an ablation study and competitive performance compared to a state-of-the-art robust POMDP solver.

In this work, we introduce a new iterative quantum algorithm, called Iterative Symphonic Tunneling for Satisfiability problems (IST-SAT), which solves quantum spin glass optimization problems using high-frequency oscillating transverse fields. IST-SAT operates as a sequence of iterations, in which bitstrings returned from one iteration are used to set spin-dependent phases in oscillating transverse fields in the next iteration. Over several iterations, the novel mechanism of the algorithm steers the system toward the problem ground state. We benchmark IST-SAT on sets of hard MAX-3-XORSAT problem instances with exact state vector simulation, and report polynomial speedups over trotterized adiabatic quantum computation (TAQC) and the best known semi-greedy classical algorithm. When IST-SAT is seeded with a sufficiently good initial approximation, the algorithm converges to exact solution(s) in a polynomial number of iterations. Our numerical results identify a critial Hamming radius(CHR), or quality of initial approximation, where the time-to-solution crosses from exponential to polynomial scaling in problem size. By combining IST-SAT with future classical or quantum approximation algorithms, larger gains may be achieved. The mechanism we present in this work thus presents a new path toward achieving quantum advantage in optimization.

Contour trees describe the topology of level sets in scalar fields and are widely used in topological data analysis and visualization. A main challenge of utilizing contour trees for large-scale scientific data is their computation at scale using high-performance computing. To address this challenge, recent work has introduced distributed hierarchical contour trees for distributed computation and storage of contour trees. However, effective use of these distributed structures in analysis and visualization requires subsequent computation of geometric properties and branch decomposition to support contour extraction and exploration. In this work, we introduce distributed algorithms for augmentation, hypersweeps, and branch decomposition that enable parallel computation of geometric properties, and support the use of distributed contour trees as query structures for scientific exploration. We evaluate the parallel performance of these algorithms and apply them to identify and extract important contours for scientific visualization.

This work proposes a mathematical framework to increase the robustness to rare events of digital twins modelled with graphical models. We incorporate probabilistic model-checking and linear programming into a dynamic Bayesian network to enable the construction of risk-averse digital twins. By modeling with a random variable the probability of the asset to transition from one state to another, we define a parametric Markov decision process. By solving this Markov decision process, we compute a policy that defines state-dependent optimal actions to take. To account for rare events connected to failures we leverage risk measures associated with the distribution of the random variables describing the transition probabilities. We refine the optimal policy at every time step resulting in a better trade off between operational costs and performances. We showcase the capabilities of the proposed framework with a structural digital twin of an unmanned aerial vehicle and its adaptive mission replanning.

Open generative models are vitally important for the community, allowing for fine-tunes and serving as baselines when presenting new models. However, most current text-to-audio models are private and not accessible for artists and researchers to build upon. Here we describe the architecture and training process of a new open-weights text-to-audio model trained with Creative Commons data. Our evaluation shows that the model's performance is competitive with the state-of-the-art across various metrics. Notably, the reported FDopenl3 results (measuring the realism of the generations) showcase its potential for high-quality stereo sound synthesis at 44.1kHz., Comment: Demo: https://stability-ai.github.io/stable-audio-open-demo/ Weights: https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-audio-open-1.0 Code: https://github.com/Stability-AI/stable-audio-tools. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2404.10301

Sample Return Capsules (SRCs) entering Earth's atmosphere at hypervelocity from interplanetary space are a valuable resource for studying meteor phenomena. The 24 September 2023 arrival of the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) SRC provided an unprecedented chance for geophysical observations of a well-characterized source with known parameters, including timing and trajectory. A collaborative effort involving researchers from 16 institutions executed a carefully planned geophysical observational campaign at strategically chosen locations, deploying over 400 ground-based sensors encompassing infrasound, seismic, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), and GPS technologies. Additionally, balloons equipped with infrasound sensors were launched to capture signals at higher altitudes. This campaign (the largest of its kind so far) yielded a wealth of invaluable data anticipated to fuel scientific inquiry for years to come. The success of the observational campaign is evidenced by the near-universal detection of signals across instruments, both proximal and distal. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the collective scientific effort, field deployment, and preliminary findings. The early findings have the potential to inform future space missions and terrestrial campaigns, contributing to our understanding of meteoroid interactions with planetary atmospheres. Furthermore, the dataset collected during this campaign will improve entry and propagation models as well as augment the study of atmospheric dynamics and shock phenomena generated by meteoroids and similar sources., Comment: 87 pages, 14 figures

The aim of this paper is to study convergence of Bousfield-Kan completions with respect to the 1-excisive approximation of the identity functor and exotic convergence of the Taylor tower of the identity functor, for algebras over operads in spectra centered away from the null object. In Goodwillie's homotopy functor calculus, being centered away from the null object amounts to doing homotopy theory and functor calculus in the retractive setting.

High-significance evidences of the existence of a high-energy diffuse flux of cosmic neutrinos have emerged in the last decade from several observations by the IceCube Collaboration. The ANTARES neutrino telescope took data for 15 years in the Mediterranean Sea, from 2007 to 2022, and collected a high-purity all-flavour neutrino sample. The search for a diffuse cosmic neutrino signal using this dataset is presented in this article. This final analysis did not provide a statistically significant observation of the cosmic diffuse flux. However, this is converted into limits on the properties of the cosmic neutrino spectrum. In particular, given the sensitivity of the ANTARES neutrino telescope between 1 and 50 TeV, constraints on single-power-law hypotheses are derived for the cosmic diffuse flux below 20 TeV, especially for power-law fits of the IceCube data with spectral index softer than 2.8.

Generally, discretization of partial differential equations (PDEs) creates a sequence of linear systems $A_k x_k = b_k, k = 0, 1, 2, ..., N$ with well-known and structured sparsity patterns. Preconditioners are often necessary to achieve fast convergence When solving these linear systems using iterative solvers. We can use preconditioner updates for closely related systems instead of computing a preconditioner for each system from scratch. One such preconditioner update is the sparse approximate map (SAM), which is based on the sparse approximate inverse preconditioner using a least squares approximation. A SAM then acts as a map from one matrix in the sequence to another nearby one for which we have an effective preconditioner. To efficiently compute an effective SAM update (i.e., one that facilitates fast convergence of the iterative solver), we seek to compute an optimal sparsity pattern. In this paper, we examine several sparsity patterns for computing the SAM update to characterize optimal or near-optimal sparsity patterns for linear systems arising from discretized PDEs., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Proceedings in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (PAMM)

The PROSPECT experiment is designed to perform precise searches for antineutrino disappearance at short distances (7 - 9~m) from compact nuclear reactor cores. This Letter reports results from a new neutrino oscillation analysis performed using the complete data sample from the PROSPECT-I detector operated at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in 2018. The analysis uses a multi-period selection of inverse beta decay neutrino interactions with reduced backgrounds and enhanced statistical power to set limits on electron-flavor disappearance caused by mixing with sterile neutrinos with 0.2 - 20 eV$^2$ mass splittings. Inverse beta decay positron energy spectra from six different reactor-detector distance ranges are found to be statistically consistent with one another, as would be expected in the absence of sterile neutrino oscillations. The data excludes at 95% confidence level the existence of sterile neutrinos in regions above 3~eV$^2$ previously unexplored by terrestrial experiments, including all space below 10~eV$^2$ suggested by the recently strengthened Gallium Anomaly. The best-fit point of the Neutrino-4 reactor experiment's claimed observation of short-baseline oscillation is ruled out at more than five standard deviations., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

JWST is uncovering the properties of ever increasing numbers of galaxies at z>6, during the epoch of reionization. Connecting these observed populations to the process of reionization requires understanding how efficiently they produce Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and what fraction (fesc) of these photons escape into the intergalactic medium. By applying the Cox proportional hazards model, a survival analysis technique, to the Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey (LzLCS), we develop new, empirical, multivariate predictions for fesc. The models developed from the LzLCS reproduce the observed fesc for z~3 samples, which suggests that LyC emitters may share similar properties at low and high redshift. Our best-performing models for the z~3 galaxies include information about dust attenuation, ionization, and/or morphology. We then apply these models to z$\gtrsim$6 galaxies. For large photometric samples, we find a median predicted fesc=0.047-0.14. For smaller spectroscopic samples, which may include stronger emission line galaxies, we find that $\geq$33% of the galaxies have fesc >0.2, and we identify several candidate extreme leakers with fesc $\geq$0.5. The current samples show no strong trend between predicted fesc and UV magnitude, but limited spectroscopic information makes this result uncertain. Multivariate predictions can give significantly different results from single variable predictions, and the predicted fesc for high-redshift galaxies can differ significantly depending on whether star formation rate surface density or radius is used as a measure of galaxy morphology. We provide all parameters necessary to predict fesc for additional samples of high-redshift galaxies using these models., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 33 pages, 9 figures, 10 tables, plus appendix

To understand how galaxies reionized the universe, we must determine how the escape fraction of Lyman Continuum (LyC) photons (fesc) depends on galaxy properties. Using the z~0.3 Low-redshift Lyman Continuum Survey (LzLCS), we develop and analyze new multivariate predictors of fesc. These predictions use the Cox proportional hazards model, a survival analysis technique that incorporates both detections and upper limits. Our best model predicts the LzLCS fesc detections with a root-mean-square (RMS) scatter of 0.31 dex, better than single-variable correlations. According to ranking techniques, the most important predictors of fesc are the equivalent width (EW) of Lyman-series absorption lines and the UV dust attenuation, which track line-of-sight absorption due to HI and dust. The HI absorption EW is uniquely crucial for predicting fesc for the strongest LyC emitters, which show properties similar to weaker LyC emitters and whose high fesc may therefore result from favorable orientation. In the absence of HI information, star formation rate surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$) and [O III]/[O II] ratio are the most predictive variables and highlight the connection between feedback and fesc. We generate a model suitable for z>6, which uses only the UV slope, $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$, and [O III]/[O II]. We find that $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ is more important in predicting fesc at higher stellar masses, whereas [O III]/[O II] plays a greater role at lower masses. We also analyze predictions for other parameters, such as the ionizing-to-non ionizing flux ratio and Ly=alpha escape fraction. These multivariate models represent a promising tool for predicting fesc at high redshift., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 34 pages + appendix, 12 figures

The PROSPECT-I detector has several features that enable measurement of the direction of a compact neutrino source. In this paper, a detailed report on the directional measurements made on electron antineutrinos emitted from the High Flux Isotope Reactor is presented. With an estimated true neutrino (reactor to detector) direction of $\phi = 40.8\unicode{xB0} \pm 0.7\unicode{xB0}$ and $\theta = 98.6\unicode{xB0} \pm 0.4\unicode{xB0}$, the PROSPECT-I detector is able to reconstruct an average neutrino direction of $\phi = 39.4\unicode{xB0} \pm 2.9\unicode{xB0}$ and $\theta = 97.6\unicode{xB0} \pm 1.6\unicode{xB0}$. This measurement is made with approximately 48000 Inverse Beta Decay signal events and is the most precise directional reconstruction of reactor antineutrinos to date.

The scaling of galaxy properties with halo mass suggests that feedback loops regulate star formation, but there is no consensus yet about how those feedback loops work. To help clarify discussions of galaxy-scale feedback, Paper I presented a very simple model for supernova feedback that it called the minimalist regulator model. This followup paper interprets that model and discusses its implications. The model itself is an accounting system that tracks all of the mass and energy associated with a halo's circumgalactic baryons--the central galaxy's atmosphere. Algebraic solutions for the equilibrium states of that model reveal that star formation in low-mass halos self-regulates primarily by expanding the atmospheres of those halos, ultimately resulting in stellar masses that are insensitive to the mass-loading properties of galactic winds. What matters most is the proportion of supernova energy that couples with circumgalactic gas. However, supernova feedback alone fails to expand galactic atmospheres in higher-mass halos. According to the minimalist regulator model, an atmospheric contraction crisis ensues, which may be what triggers strong black-hole feedback. The model also predicts that circumgalactic medium properties emerging from cosmological simulations should depend largely on the specific energy of the outflows they produce, and we interpret the qualitative properties of several numerical simulations in light of that prediction., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to ApJ

This paper presents a new framework for understanding the relationship between a galaxy and its circumgalactic medium (CGM). It focuses on how imbalances between heating and cooling cause either expansion or contraction of the CGM. It does this by tracking \textit{all} of the mass and energy associated with a halo's baryons, including their gravitational potential energy, even if feedback has pushed some of those baryons beyond the halo's virial radius. We show how a star-forming galaxy's equilibrium state can be algebraically derived within the context of this framework, and we analyze how the equilibrium star formation rate depends on supernova feedback. We consider the consequences of varying the mass loading parameter etaM = Mdot_wind / Mdot_* relating a galaxy's gas mass outflow rate (Mdot_wind) to its star formation rate (Mdot_*) and obtain results that challenge common assumptions. In particular, we find that equilibrium star formation rates in low-mass galaxies are generally insensitive to mass loading, and when mass loading does matter, increasing it actually results in \textit{more} star formation because more supernova energy is needed to resist atmospheric contraction., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJ

Background Speech-based biomarkers have potential as a means for regular, objective assessment of symptom severity, remotely and in-clinic in combination with advanced analytical models. However, the complex nature of speech and the often subtle changes associated with health mean that findings are highly dependent on methodological and cohort choices. These are often not reported adequately in studies investigating speech-based health assessment Objective To develop and apply an exemplar protocol to generate a pilot dataset of healthy speech with detailed metadata for the assessment of factors in the speech recording-analysis pipeline, including device choice, speech elicitation task and non-pathological variability. Methods We developed our collection protocol and choice of exemplar speech features based on a thematic literature review. Our protocol includes the elicitation of three different speech types. With a focus towards remote applications, we also choose to collect speech with three different microphone types. We developed a pipeline to extract a set of 14 exemplar speech features. Results We collected speech from 28 individuals three times in one day, repeated at the same times 8-11 weeks later, and from 25 healthy individuals three times in one week. Participant characteristics collected included sex, age, native language status and voice use habits of the participant. A preliminary set of 14 speech features covering timing, prosody, voice quality, articulation and spectral moment characteristics were extracted that provide a resource of normative values. Conclusions There are multiple methodological factors involved in the collection, processing and analysis of speech recordings. Consistent reporting and greater harmonisation of study protocols are urgently required to aid the translation of speech processing into clinical research and practice., Comment: 29 pages. Pre peer review

We overview the history of primordial black hole (PBH) research from the first papers around 50 years ago to the present epoch. The history may be divided into four periods, the dividing lines being marked by three key developments: inflation on the theoretical front and the detection of microlensing events by the MACHO project and gravitational waves by the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA project on the observation front. However, they are also characterised by somewhat different focuses of research. The period 1967-1980 covered the groundbreaking work on PBH formation and evaporation. The period 1980-1996 mainly focussed on their formation, while the period 1996-2016 consolidated the work on formation but also collated the constraints on the PBH abundance. In the period 2016-2024 there was a shift of emphasis to the search for evidence for PBHs and - while opinions about the strength of the purported evidence vary - this has motivated more careful studies of some aspects of the subject. Certainly the soaring number of papers on PBHs in this last period indicates a growing interest in the topic., Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures. To appear (with updates) in the book "Primordial Black Holes", ed. Chris Byrnes, Gabriele Franciolini, Tomohiro Harada, Paolo Pani, Misao Sasaki; Springer (2024). v2: minor changes

We report constraints on a variety of non-standard cosmological models using the full 5-year photometrically-classified type Ia supernova sample from the Dark Energy Survey (DES-SN5YR). Both Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Suspiciousness calculations find no strong evidence for or against any of the non-standard models we explore. When combined with external probes, the AIC and Suspiciousness agree that 11 of the 15 models are moderately preferred over Flat-$\Lambda$CDM suggesting additional flexibility in our cosmological models may be required beyond the cosmological constant. We also provide a detailed discussion of all cosmological assumptions that appear in the DES supernova cosmology analyses, evaluate their impact, and provide guidance on using the DES Hubble diagram to test non-standard models. An approximate cosmological model, used to perform bias corrections to the data holds the biggest potential for harbouring cosmological assumptions. We show that even if the approximate cosmological model is constructed with a matter density shifted by $\Delta\Omega_m\sim0.2$ from the true matter density of a simulated data set the bias that arises is sub-dominant to statistical uncertainties. Nevertheless, we present and validate a methodology to reduce this bias., Comment: Published to MNRAS on 20 August 2024; v2 updates to the accepted version

We present a complete census of candidate nuggets, i.e., dense galaxies likely formed by compaction with intense gas influx, within the volume-limited $z \sim 0$ REsolved Spectroscopy Of a Local VolumE (RESOLVE) survey. These nuggets span all evolutionary stages and 3 orders of magnitude in stellar mass ($M_{*} \sim 10^{8} M_\odot$ to $10^{11} M_\odot$) from the dwarf to the giant regime. We develop selection criteria for our $z\sim0$ nugget candidates based on structure and introduce the use of environmental criteria to eliminate nugget-like objects with suspected non-compaction origins. The resulting $z\sim0$ nuggets follow expectations with respect to structure (i.e., density, size), population frequency, and likely origins. We show that the properties of our nugget census are consistent with permanent quenching above the gas-richness threshold scale (halo mass $M_{halo} \sim 10^{11.4} M_\odot$), cyclic temporary quenching below the threshold scale, and feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) assisting in permanent quenching. As predicted in simulations, most nuggets quench within the halo mass range $M_{halo} \sim 10^{11.45} M_\odot$ to $10^{11.9} M_\odot$. We find $\sim 0.29$ dex scatter around the star-forming main sequence for candidate blue nuggets below the threshold scale, which is consistent with temporary quenching as seen in simulations. A transitional population of green nuggets appears above the threshold scale. AGN also become more common in nuggets above this scale, and we see a likely AGN excess in nuggets vs. comparably selected non-nuggets. Our results provide the first observational confirmation of the mass-dependent, AGN-mediated shift from cyclic quenching to halo quenching in nuggets., Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures

Feedback driven massive outflows play a crucial role in galaxy evolution by regulating star formation and influencing the dynamics of surrounding media. Extracting outflow properties from spectral lines is a notoriously difficult process for a number of reasons, including the possibility that a substantial fraction of the outflow is carried by dense gas in a very narrow range in velocity. This gas can hide in spectra with insufficient resolution. Empirically motivated analysis based on the Apparent Optical Depth method, commonly used in the literature, neglects the contribution of this gas, and may therefore underestimate the true gas column density. More complex semi-analytical line transfer (e.g., SALT) models, on the other hand, allow for the presence of this gas by modeling the radial density and velocity of the outflows as power laws. Here we compare the two approaches to quantify the uncertainties in the inferences of outflow properties based on 1-D "down-the-barrel" using the UV spectra of the CLASSY galaxy sample. We find that empirical modeling may significantly underestimate the column densities relative to SALT analysis, particularly in the optically thick regime. We use simulations to show that the main reason for this discrepancy is the presence of large amount of dense material at low velocities, which can be hidden by the finite spectral resolution of the data. The SALT models in turn could over-estimate the column densities if the assumed power laws of the density profiles strong are not a property of actual outflows., Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

As its next step in space exploration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed plans to establish a permanent human presence on Mars. Habitat outfitting, i.e., the technology to provide the crew with the necessary equipment to perform mission tasks as well as a comfortable, safe, and livable habitable volume, has not been fully explored yet. This study proposes that, rather than shipping prefabricated outfitting elements to Mars, habitat outfitting can be realized by in-situ construction using cyanobacteria and fungi as building agents. A synthetic lichen system, composed of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and filamentous fungi, can be created to produce abundant biominerals (CaCO3) and biopolymers, which will glue Martian regolith into consolidated building blocks. These self-growing building blocks can be assembled into various structures, such as floors, walls, partitions, and furniture.

The classical Ising chain is the paradigm for the non-existence of phase transitions in 1D systems and was solved by Ernst Ising one hundred years ago. More recently, a decorated two leg Ising ladder has received interest for the curious thermodynamics that resemble a phase transition; a sharp peak in the specific heat at low, but finite temperature. We use this model to reveal a bifurcation in the correlation lengths due to a crossing of the sub-leading eigenvalues of the transfer matrix, which results in two distinct length scales necessary to describe to the decay of correlations. We discuss this phenomenon in the context of the geometric frustration in the model. We also provide additional results to aid in the understanding of the curious thermodynamics of the model through a study of the magnetic susceptibilities., Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures. Further references added, misprints corrected, additional points added to conclusions, some ambiguities clarified

Chemical cartography of the Galactic disk provides insights to its structure and assembly history over cosmic time. In this work, we use chemical cartography to explore chemical gradients and azimuthal substructure in the Milky Way disk with giant stars from APOGEE DR17. We confirm the existence of a radial metallicity gradient in the disk of $\Delta$[Fe/H]/$\Delta$R $\sim -0.066 \pm 0.0004$ dex/kpc and a vertical metallicity gradient of $\Delta$[Fe/H]/$\Delta$Z $\sim -0.164 \pm 0.001$ dex/kpc. We find azimuthal variations ($\pm0.1$ dex) on top of the radial metallicity gradient that have been previously established with other surveys. The APOGEE giants show strong correlations with stellar age and the intensity of azimuthal variations in iron; older stellar populations show the largest deviations from the radial metallicity gradient. Beyond iron, we show that other elements (e.g., Mg, O) display azimuthal variations at the $\pm0.05$ dex-level across the Galactic disk. We illustrate that moving into the orbit-space could help constrain the mechanisms producing these azimuthal metallicity variations. These results suggest that the spiral arms of the Galaxy are not solely responsible for azimuthal metallicity variations and other Galactic processes are at play., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures

High Q phase gradient metasurfaces are becoming promising elements for revolutionizing light manipulation but near-field coupling typically forces a trade-off between quality factor and resolution. Here, we show a strategy for not just reducing but eliminating coupling-based nonlocal effects in wave shaping metasurfaces composed of meta-pixels with arbitrarily high Q arranged with sub-diffraction spatial resolution. By working at a zero-coupling regime introduced by the interference between enhanced longitudinal and transverse electric fields, the tradeoff between Q and resolution no longer exists. Exploiting for wave shaping the ability to fully suppress coupling between high Q meta-atoms, we numerically show structurally uniform devices that produce beam-splitting to angles of $\pm53^o$ and beam-steering to an angle of $33^o$ with diffraction efficiencies over 90% via refractive index bias of just $2\times10^{-6}$ and $7\times10^{-6}$, respectively. These are made possible by the meta-structure supporting local dipole resonances with Qs of 2.8 million and 0.87 million respectively, arranged with a dense pixel pitch of ${\lambda}/1.6$. Extending the approach to structures with ${\lambda}/2.2$ resolution we also unlock full-field beam steering via index biasing of just $1\times10^{-4}$. The signature of a zero-coupling regime is discovered in the form of a sign flip in the angular dispersion with resonant wavelength in experiment which validates our scheme. Aside from triangulating a perfect decoupling configuration, one of our fabricated nanofin-isolated metasurfaces with Q-factor >870 has a resonant wavelength that stays within the half linewidth for incident angles of $-20^o$ to $20^o$. Our platform provides a route for densely arrayed high Q metasurfaces with independently addressable constituent meta-atoms, paving the way for highly efficient nonlinear and dynamic wavefront shaping., Comment: 25 pages,11 figures

Position calibration in the deep sea is typically done by means of acoustic multilateration using three or more acoustic emitters installed at known positions. Rather than using hydrophones as receivers that are exposed to the ambient pressure, the sound signals can be coupled to piezo ceramics glued to the inside of existing containers for electronics or measuring instruments of a deep sea infrastructure. The ANTARES neutrino telescope operated from 2006 until 2022 in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth exceeding 2000m. It comprised nearly 900 glass spheres with 432mm diameter and 15mm thickness, equipped with photomultiplier tubes to detect Cherenkov light from tracks of charged elementary particles. In an experimental setup within ANTARES, piezo sensors have been glued to the inside of such - otherwise empty - glass spheres. These sensors recorded signals from acoustic emitters with frequencies from 46545 to 60235Hz. Two waves propagating through the glass sphere are found as a result of the excitation by the waves in the water. These can be qualitatively associated with symmetric and asymmetric Lamb-like waves of zeroth order: a fast (early) one with $v_e \approx 5$mm/$\mu$s and a slow (late) one with $v_\ell \approx 2$mm/$\mu$s. Taking these findings into account improves the accuracy of the position calibration. The results can be transferred to the KM3NeT neutrino telescope, currently under construction at multiple sites in the Mediterranean Sea, for which the concept of piezo sensors glued to the inside of glass spheres has been adapted for monitoring the positions of the photomultiplier tubes., Comment: submitted to "Experimental Astronomy"

Skeleton-based motion visualization is a rising field in computer vision, especially in the case of virtual reality (VR). With further advancements in human-pose estimation and skeleton extracting sensors, more and more applications that utilize skeleton data have come about. These skeletons may appear to be anonymous but they contain embedded personally identifiable information (PII). In this paper we present a new anonymization technique that is based on motion retargeting, utilizing adversary classifiers to further remove PII embedded in the skeleton. Motion retargeting is effective in anonymization as it transfers the movement of the user onto the a dummy skeleton. In doing so, any PII linked to the skeleton will be based on the dummy skeleton instead of the user we are protecting. We propose a Privacy-centric Deep Motion Retargeting model (PMR) which aims to further clear the retargeted skeleton of PII through adversarial learning. In our experiments, PMR achieves motion retargeting utility performance on par with state of the art models while also reducing the performance of privacy attacks.

We study a two-player game played on undirected graphs called Trail Trap, which is a variant of a game known as Partizan Edge Geography. One player starts by choosing any edge and moving a token from one endpoint to the other; the other player then chooses a different edge and does the same. Alternating turns, each player moves their token along an unused edge from its current vertex to an adjacent vertex, until one player cannot move and loses. We present an algorithm to determine which player has a winning strategy when the graph is a tree, and partially characterize the trees on which a given player wins. Additionally, we show that Trail Trap is NP-hard, even for connected bipartite planar graphs with maximum degree $4$ as well as for disconnected graphs. We determine which player has a winning strategy for certain subclasses of complete bipartite graphs and grid graphs, and we propose several open problems for further study., Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 1 table

We use Riemann problem for soliton gas as a benchmark for a detailed numerical validation of the spectral kinetic theory for the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and the focusing nonlinear Schr\"odinger (fNLS) equations. We construct weak solutions to the kinetic equation for soliton gas describing collision of two dense "polychromatic" soliton gases composed of a finite number of "monochromatic" components, each consisting of solitons with nearly identical spectral parameters of the scattering operator in the Lax pair. The interaction between the gas components plays the key role in the emergent, large-scale hydrodynamic evolution. We then use the solutions of the spectral kinetic equation to evaluate macroscopic physical observables in KdV and fNLS soliton gases and compare them with the respective ensemble averages extracted from the "exact" soliton gas numerical solutions of the KdV and fNLS equations. To numerically synthesise dense polychromatic soliton gases we develop a new method which combines recent advances in the spectral theory of the so-called soliton condensates and the effective algorithms for the numerical realisation of $n$-soliton solutions with large $n$., Comment: 43 pages, 18 figures

We review the experimental constraints on the parameter $\alpha$ associated with the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) and the parameter $\beta$ associated with the Generalized Event Horizon (GEH). The Compton-Schwarzschild correspondence implies a relationship between $\alpha$ and $\beta$, with both parameters being of order 1. This presents a problem for our previous `$M+1/M$' model since the extra gravitational force at sub-Planckian masses contravenes observations. Various resolutions of this problem are discussed., Comment: 3 figures

Recent work of three of the authors showed that the operator which maps the local density of states of a one-dimensional untwisted bilayer material to the local density of states of the same bilayer material at non-zero twist, known as the twist operator, can be learned by a neural network. In this work, we first provide a mathematical formulation of that work, making the relevant models and operator learning problem precise. We then prove that the operator learning problem is well-posed for a family of one-dimensional models. To do this, we first prove existence and regularity of the twist operator by solving an inverse problem. We then invoke the universal approximation theorem for operators to prove existence of a neural network capable of approximating the twist operator., Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures

X-ray grating interferometry allows for the simultaneous acquisition of attenuation, differential-phase contrast, and dark-field images, resulting from X-ray attenuation, refraction, and small-angle scattering, respectively. The modulated phase grating (MPG) interferometer is a recently developed grating interferometry system capable of generating a directly resolvable interference pattern using a relatively large period grating envelope function that is sampled at a pitch that allows for X-ray spatial coherence using a microfocus X-ray source or by use of a source G0 grating that follows the Lau condition. We present the theory of the MPG interferometry system for a 2-dimensional staggered grating, derived using Fourier optics, and we compare the theoretical predictions with experiments we have performed with a microfocus X-ray system at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU. The theoretical and experimental fringe visibility is evaluated as a function of grating-to-detector distance. Quantitative experiments are performed with porous carbon and alumina samples, and qualitative analysis of attenuation and dark-field images of a dried anchovy are shown., Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures. This is a pre-print

We provide two candidates for symplectic Weiss calculus based on two different, but closely related, collections of groups. In the case of the non-compact symplectic groups, i.e., automorphism groups of vector spaces with symplectic forms, we show that the calculus deformation retracts onto unitary calculus as a corollary of the fact that Weiss calculus only depends on the homotopy type of the groupoid core of the diagram category. In the case of the compact symplectic groups, i.e., automorphism groups of quaternion vector spaces, we provide a comparison with the other known versions of Weiss calculus analogous to the comparisons of calculi of the second named author, and classify certain stably trivial quaternion vector bundles over finite cell complexes in a range, using elementary results on convergence of Weiss calculi., Comment: 30 pages

Audio-based generative models for music have seen great strides recently, but so far have not managed to produce full-length music tracks with coherent musical structure from text prompts. We show that by training a generative model on long temporal contexts it is possible to produce long-form music of up to 4m45s. Our model consists of a diffusion-transformer operating on a highly downsampled continuous latent representation (latent rate of 21.5Hz). It obtains state-of-the-art generations according to metrics on audio quality and prompt alignment, and subjective tests reveal that it produces full-length music with coherent structure.

Goldilocks quantum cellular automata (QCA) have been simulated on quantum hardware and produce emergent small-world correlation networks. In Goldilocks QCA, a single-qubit unitary is applied to each qubit in a one-dimensional chain subject to a balance constraint: a qubit is updated if its neighbors are in opposite basis states. Here, we prove that a subclass of Goldilocks QCA -- including the one implemented experimentally -- map onto free fermions and therefore can be classically simulated efficiently. We support this claim with two independent proofs, one involving a Jordan--Wigner transformation and one mapping the integrable six-vertex model to QCA. We compute local conserved quantities of these QCA and predict experimentally measurable expectation values. These calculations can be applied to test large digital quantum computers against known solutions. In contrast, typical Goldilocks QCA have equilibration properties and quasienergy-level statistics that suggest nonintegrability. Still, the latter QCA conserve one quantity useful for error mitigation. Our work provides a parametric quantum circuit with tunable integrability properties with which to test quantum hardware., Comment: 7 pages (3 figures) + appendices (8 pages)