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More than twenty years have elapsed since the discovery of $\chi_{c1}(3872)$ (previously denoted as $X(3872)$), and an impressive amount of theoretical and experimental studies has been devoted to its properties, decays and production mechanisms. Despite the extensive work, a full understanding of the nature of $\chi_{c1}(3872)$ is still missing. In the present study we reconsider a theoretical framework based on the heavy quark large mass limit to analyse the radiative decays of heavy quarkonia, in particular the electric dipole transitions of $\chi_{c1}(2P)$ to S-wave charmonia. The results favourably compare to recent measurements for $\chi_{c1}(3872)$, obtained by the LHCb Collaboration, if this meson is identified with $\chi_{c1}(2P)$., Comment: !0 pages, 2 figures

Developing novel protocols for hydrogen (H) loading is crucial for furthering the investigation of hydrides as potential high-temperature superconductors at lower pressures compared to recent discoveries. Ionic gating-induced protonation (IGP) has emerged as a promising technique for H loading due to its inherent simplicity, but it can be limited in the maximum density of injected H when ionic liquids are used as a gating medium. Additionally, most ionic liquids are limited by high production costs, complex synthesis, and potential toxicity. Here, we demonstrate that large H concentrations can be successfully injected in both palladium (Pd) bulk foils and thin films (up to a stoichiometry PdH$_{0.89}$) by using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) choline chloride-glycerol 1:3 as gate electrolyte and applying gate voltages in excess of the cathodic stability limit. The attained H concentrations are large enough to induce superconductivity in Pd, albeit with an incomplete resistive transition which suggests a strongly inhomogeneous H incorporation in the Pd matrix. This DES-based IGP protocol can be used as a guideline for maximizing H loading in different materials, although specific details of the applied voltage profile might require adjustments based on the material under investigation., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures

This study introduces a novel methodology for voice pathology detection using the publicly available Saarbr\"ucken Voice Database (SVD) database and a robust feature set combining commonly used acoustic handcrafted features with two novel ones: pitch difference (relative variation in fundamental frequency) and a NaN feature (failed fundamental frequency estimation). We evaluate six machine learning (ML) classifiers - support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, naive Bayes, decision tree, random forest, and AdaBoost - using grid search for feasible hyperparameters of selected classifiers and 20480 different feature subsets. Top 1000 classifier-feature subset combinations for each classifier type are validated with repeated stratified cross-validation. To address class imbalance, we apply K-Means SMOTE to augment the training data. Our approach achieves outstanding performance, reaching 85.61%, 84.69% and 85.22% unweighted average recall (UAR) for females, males and combined results respectivelly. We intentionally omit accuracy as it is a highly biased metric for imbalanced data. This advancement demonstrates significant potential for clinical deployment of ML methods, offering a valuable supportive tool for an objective examination of voice pathologies. To enable an easier use of our methodology and to support our claims, we provide a publicly available GitHub repository with DOI 10.5281/zenodo.13771573. Finally, we provide a REFORMS checklist to enhance readability, reproducibility and justification of our approach., Comment: Code repository: https://github.com/aailab-uct/Automated-Robust-and-Reproducible-Voice-Pathology-Detection, Supplementary materials: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14793017

Reactive angular distributions of the benchmark F + H2(vi = 0) -> F H(vf = 3) + H reaction show unusual propensity towards small scattering angles, a subject of a long debate in the literature. We use Regge trajectories to quantify the resonance contributions to state-to-state differential cross sections. Conversion to complex energy poles allows us to attribute the effect almost exclusively to a transition state resonance, long known to exist in the F +H2 system and its isotopic variant F +HD. For our detailed analysis of angular scattering we employ the package DCS Regge, recently developed for the purpose [Comp. Phys. Comm., 2022, 277, 108370.], Comment: Inaccuracies in the version 1. Will be replaced with version 2, with a slightly changed title

Piezoelectricity, the generation of electric charge in response to mechanical stress, is a key property in both natural and synthetic materials. This study significantly boosts the piezoelectric response of chitosan, a biodegradable biopolymer, by integrating chitin/chitosan nanocrystals into natural chitosan-based thin film elastomers. The resulting materials achieve d$_{33}$ values of 15-19 pmV$^{-1}$, a marked improvement over the 5-9 pmV$^{-1}$ observed in pure chitosan films thanks to increased crystallinity from the nanocrystals. We utilize piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) to accurately measure the d$_{33}$ coefficient, employing an engineered extraction method that eliminates the electrostatic contribution, which can overestimate the piezoelectric response. The resulting chitosan elastomers exhibit elastic deformation up to 40\% strain and a Young's modulus of approximately 100 MPa, similar to soft tissues. These properties, along with the fact that the employed materials can be entirely crafted from upcycled biowaste, make these elastomers ideal for prosthetics, wearable devices, energy harvesters, and sustainable transducers. Our findings underscore the potential of chitosan-based piezoelectric materials for advanced applications in biotechnology, soft robotics, and the green Internet of Things.

We introduce a stochastic generalisation of the classical deterministic Floquet-East model, a discrete circuit with the same kinetic constraint as the East model of glasses. We prove exactly that, in the limit of long time and large size, this model has a large deviation phase transition between active and inactive dynamical phases. We also compute the finite time and size scaling of general space-time fluctuations, which for the case of inactive regions gives rise to dynamical hydrophobicity. We also discuss how, through the Trotter limit, these exact results also hold for the continuous-time East model, thus proving long-standing observations in kinetically constrained models. Our results here illustrate the applicability of exact tensor network methods for solving problems in many-body stochastic systems., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures

We study the constraints on low-energy coefficients of the $\nu$SMEFT generalization of the Standard Model effective theory in the simple case of a $\text{U}(1)^\prime$ enlargement of the Standard Model gauge group. In particular, we analyse the constraints imposed by the requirement that the extended theory remains free of gauge anomalies. We present the cases of explicit realisations, showing the obtained correlations among the coefficients of $d=6$ operators., Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 4 figures. Matches published version

One of the most appreciated features of Fault Trees (FTs) is their simplicity, making them fit into industrial processes. As such processes evolve in time, considering new aspects of large modern systems, modelling techniques based on FTs have adapted to these needs. This paper proposes an extension of FTs to take into account the problem of Predictive Maintenance, one of the challenges of the modern dependability field of study. The paper sketches the Predictive Fault Tree language and proposes some use cases to support their modelling and analysis in concrete industrial settings., Comment: S. Bernardi, T. Zoppi (Editors), Fast Abstracts and Student Forum Proceedings - EDCC 2024 - 19th European Dependable Computing Conference, Leuven, Belgium, 8-11 April 2024

The multi-staged XENON program at INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso aims to detect dark matter with two-phase liquid xenon time projection chambers of increasing size and sensitivity. The XENONnT experiment is the latest detector in the program, planned to be an upgrade of its predecessor XENON1T. It features an active target of 5.9 tonnes of cryogenic liquid xenon (8.5 tonnes total mass in cryostat). The experiment is expected to extend the sensitivity to WIMP dark matter by more than an order of magnitude compared to XENON1T, thanks to the larger active mass and the significantly reduced background, improved by novel systems such as a radon removal plant and a neutron veto. This article describes the XENONnT experiment and its sub-systems in detail and reports on the detector performance during the first science run., Comment: 32 pages, 19 figures

The relation between crystal symmetries, electron correlations, and electronic structure steers the formation of a large array of unconventional phases of matter, including magneto-electric loop currents and chiral magnetism. Detection of such hidden orders is a major goal in condensed matter physics. However, to date, nonstandard forms of magnetism with chiral electronic ordering have been experimentally elusive. Here, we develop a theory for symmetry-broken chiral ground states and propose a methodology based on circularly polarized spin-selective angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy to probe them. We exploit the archetypal quantum material Sr2RuO4 and reveal spectroscopic signatures which, even though subtle, may be reconciled with the formation of spin-orbital chiral currents at the material surface. As we shed light on these chiral regimes, our findings pave the way for a deeper understanding of ordering phenomena and unconventional magnetism.

The Belle Collaboration has recently measured the complete set of angular coefficient functions for the exclusive decays $\bar B \to D^* (D \pi) \ell \bar \nu_\ell$, with $\ell=e,\,\mu$, in four bins of the parameter $w=\displaystyle\frac{m_B^2+m_{D^*}^2-q^2}{2m_B m_{D^*}}$, with $q$ the lepton pair momentum. Under the assumption that physics beyond the Standard Model does not contribute to such modes, the measurements are useful to determine the hadronic form factors describing the $B \to D^*$ matrix elements of the Standard Model weak current, and to improve the determination of $|V_{cb}|$. On the other hand, they can be used to assess the impact of possible new physics contributions. In a bottom-up approach, we extend the Standard Model effective Hamiltonian governing this mode with the inclusion of the full set of Lorentz invariant d=6 operators compatible with the gauge symmetry of the theory. The measured angular coefficient functions can tightly constrain the couplings in the generalized Hamiltonian. We present the first results of this analysis, discussing how improvements can be achieved when more complete data on the angular coefficient functions will be available., Comment: RevTex, 8 pages, 6 figures. Added clarifications and references. Matches the published version

We present a short overview of the so-called flavour anomalies, discussing their significance and the connections with QCD issues discussed at the HADRON 2023 conference., Comment: LaTeX, 6 pages + references, 3 figures. Plenary talk at HADRON 2023, Genova 5-9 June 2023. To appear in the proceedings

Our present understanding of elementary particle interactions is the synergic result of developments of theoretical ideas and of experimental advances that lead to the theory known as the Standard Model of particle physics. Despite the uncountable experimental confirmations, we believe that it is not yet the ultimate theory, for a number of reasons that I will briefly recall in this lecture. My main focus will be on the role that Flavour Physics has played in development of the theory in its present formulation, as well as on the opportunities that this sector offers to discover physics beyond the Standard Model., Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Invited lecture at the International School of Subnuclear Physics, 59th Course: "Searching the unexpected: Energy, Luminosity, Precision, Small Signals", Erice, June 15-22, 2023

We study the nonequilibrium dynamics of the Floquet quantum East model (a Trotterized version of the kinetically constrained quantum East spin chain) at its "deterministic point", where evolution is defined in terms of CNOT permutation gates. We solve exactly the thermalization dynamics for a broad class of initial product states by means of "space evolution". We prove: (i) the entanglement of a block of spins grows at most at one-half the maximal speed allowed by locality (i.e., half the speed of dual-unitary circuits); (ii) if the block of spins is initially prepared in a classical configuration, speed of entanglement is a quarter of the maximum; (iii) thermalization to the infinite temperature state is reached exactly in a time that scales with the size of the block., Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures

In an infinite dimensional separable Hilbert space $X$, we study the realizations of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck evolution operators $\pst$ in the spaces $L^p(X,\g_t)$, $\{\g_t\}_{t\in\R}$ being the unique evolution system of measures for $\pst$ in $\R$. We prove hyperconctractivity results, relying on suitable Log-Sobolev estimates. Among the examples we consider the transition evolution operator of a non autonomous stochastic parabolic PDE.

The Dalitz decays of the positive parity $D_{sJ}^{(*)}$ charmed mesons, $D_{sJ}^{(*)} \to D_s^{(*)} \ell^+ \ell^-$ with $J=0,1,2$ and $\ell=e, \mu$, are important processes to investigate the nature of the $D_{sJ}^{(*)}$ states. We analyze the full set of decays, considering the four lightest $D_{sJ}^{(*)}$ mesons as belonging to the heavy quark spin doublets $\displaystyle s_\ell^P=\frac{1}{2}^+$ and $\displaystyle \frac{3}{2}^+$, with $s_\ell^P$ the spin-parity of the light degrees of freedom in mesons. The description implies relations among the observables in various modes. We study the decay distributions in the dilepton invariant mass squared and the distributions in the angle between the charged lepton momentum and the momentum of the produced meson, which are expressed in terms of universal form factors and of effective strong couplings. Such measurements are feasible at the present facilities., Comment: LaTeX, 23 pages, 6 figures. Version to appear on PRD

This document presents the initial scientific case for upgrading the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab (JLab) to 22 GeV. It is the result of a community effort, incorporating insights from a series of workshops conducted between March 2022 and April 2023. With a track record of over 25 years in delivering the world's most intense and precise multi-GeV electron beams, CEBAF's potential for a higher energy upgrade presents a unique opportunity for an innovative nuclear physics program, which seamlessly integrates a rich historical background with a promising future. The proposed physics program encompass a diverse range of investigations centered around the nonperturbative dynamics inherent in hadron structure and the exploration of strongly interacting systems. It builds upon the exceptional capabilities of CEBAF in high-luminosity operations, the availability of existing or planned Hall equipment, and recent advancements in accelerator technology. The proposed program cover various scientific topics, including Hadron Spectroscopy, Partonic Structure and Spin, Hadronization and Transverse Momentum, Spatial Structure, Mechanical Properties, Form Factors and Emergent Hadron Mass, Hadron-Quark Transition, and Nuclear Dynamics at Extreme Conditions, as well as QCD Confinement and Fundamental Symmetries. Each topic highlights the key measurements achievable at a 22 GeV CEBAF accelerator. Furthermore, this document outlines the significant physics outcomes and unique aspects of these programs that distinguish them from other existing or planned facilities. In summary, this document provides an exciting rationale for the energy upgrade of CEBAF to 22 GeV, outlining the transformative scientific potential that lies within reach, and the remarkable opportunities it offers for advancing our understanding of hadron physics and related fundamental phenomena., Comment: Updates to the list of authors; Preprint number changed from theory to experiment; Updates to sections 4 and 6, including additional figures

We study the inclusive $H_b \to X_s \gamma$ decay with $H_b$ a beauty baryon, in particular $\Lambda_b$, employing an expansion in the heavy quark mass at $\mathit{O}(m_b^{-3})$ at leading order in $\alpha_s$, keeping the dependence on the hadron spin. For a polarized baryon we compute the distribution $\displaystyle\frac{d^2\Gamma}{dy \, d \cos \theta_P}$, with $y=2E_\gamma/m_b$, $E_\gamma$ the photon energy and $\theta_P$ the angle between the baryon spin vector and the photon momentum in the $H_b$ rest-frame. We discuss the correlation between the baryon and photon polarization, and show that effects of physics beyond the Standard Model can modify the photon polarization asymmetry. We also discuss a method to treat the singular terms in the photon energy spectrum obtained by the OPE., Comment: Latex 23 pages, 3 figures. Matches the published version

We study the dynamics of a classical circuit corresponding to a discrete-time kinetically constrained East model. We show that this classical "Floquet-East" model displays pre-transition behaviour which is a dynamical equivalent of the hydrophobic effect in water. For the deterministic version of the model we prove exactly: (i) a change in scaling with size in the probability of inactive space-time regions (akin to the "energy-entropy" crossover of the solvation free energy in water), (ii) a first-order phase transition in the dynamical large deviations, (iii) the existence of the optimal geometry for local phase separation to accommodate space-time solutes, and (iv) a dynamical analog of "hydrophobic collapse"., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures; v4 final version, as appears in Phys. Rev. E

Layered material heterostructures (LMHs) can be used to fabricate electroluminescent devices operating in the visible spectral region. A major advantage of LMH-light emitting diodes (LEDs) is that electroluminescence (EL) emission can be tuned across that of different exciton complexes (e.g. biexcitons, trions, quintons) by controlling the charge density. However, these devices have an EL quantum efficiency as low as$\sim$10$^{-4}$\%. Here, we show that the superacid bis-(triuoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) treatment of monolayer WS$_2$-LEDs boosts EL quantum efficiency by over one order of magnitude at room temperature. Non-treated devices emit light mainly from negatively charged excitons, while the emission in treated ones predominantly involves radiative recombination of neutral excitons. This paves the way to tunable and efficient LMH-LEDs

Motivated by the improved results from the HPQCD lattice collaboration on the hadronic matrix elements entering $\Delta M_{s,d}$ in $B_{s,d}^0-\bar B_{s,d}^0$ mixings and the increase of the experimental branching ratio for $B_s\to\mu^+\mu^-$, we update our 2016 analysis of various flavour observables in four 331 models, M1, M3, M13 and M16 based on the gauge group $SU(3)_C\times SU(3)_L\times U(1)_X$. These four models, which are distinguished by the quantum numbers, are selected among 24 331 models through their consistency with the electroweak precision tests and simultaneously by the relation $C_9^\text{NP}=-b\, C_{10}^\text{NP}$ with $b\ge 2$, which after new result on $B_s\to\mu^+\mu^-$ from CMS is favoured over the popular relation $C_9^\text{NP}=- C_{10}^\text{NP}$ predicted by several leptoquark models. In this context we investigate in particular the dependence of various observables on $|V_{cb}|$, varying it in the broad range $[0.0386,\,0.043]$, that encompasses both its inclusive and exclusive determinations. Imposing the experimental constraints from $\varepsilon_K$, $\Delta M_s$, $\Delta M_d$ and the mixing induced CP asymmetries $S_{\psi K_S}$ and $S_{\psi K_S}$, we investigate for which values of $|V_{cb}|$ the four models can be made compatible with these data and what is the impact on $B$ and $K$ branching ratios. In particular we analyse NP contributions to the Wilson coefficients $C_9$ and $C_{10}$ and the decays $B_{s,d}\to\mu^+\mu^-$, $K^+\rightarrow\pi^+\nu\bar\nu$ and $K_L\rightarrow\pi^0\nu\bar\nu$. This allows us to illustrate how the value of $|V_{cb}|$ determined together with other parameters of these models is infected by NP contributions and compare it with the one obtained recently under the assumption of the absence of NP in $\varepsilon_K$, $\Delta M_s$, $\Delta M_d$ and $ S_{\psi K_S}$., Comment: 21 pages, 15 Figures v2: a few comments added, conclusion unchanged, version published in JHEP

We prove smoothing properties along suitable directions of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck evolution operator, namely the evolution operator associated to non autonomous Ornstein-Uhlenbeck equations. Moreover we use such smoothing estimates to prove Schauder type theorems, again along suitable directions, for the mild solutions of a class of evolution equations.