Search

Recent observations of the Galactic component of the high-energy neutrino flux, together with the detection of the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission up to sub-PeV energies, open new possibilities to study the acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. At the same time, both large non-astrophysical backgrounds at TeV energies and scarcity of neutrino events in the sub-PeV band currently limit these analyses. Here we use the sample of cascade events with estimated neutrino energies above 200 TeV, detected by the partially deployed Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector (GVD) in six years of operation, to test the continuation of the Galactic neutrino spectrum to sub-PeV energies. We find that the distribution of the arrival directions of Baikal-GVD cascades above 200 TeV in the sky suggests an excess of neutrinos from low Galactic latitudes. We find the excess above 200 TeV also in the most recent IceCube public data sets, both of cascades and tracks. The significant (3.6 sigma in the combined analysis) flux of Galactic neutrinos above 200 TeV challenges often-used templates for neutrino search based on cosmic-ray simulations., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, revtex 4.2

We demonstrate the possibility of stopping the soliton pulses in optical waveguide with varying and constant parameters exhibiting a Kerr nonlinear response. By using the similarity transformation, we have found the constraint condition for varying waveguide parameters and derive the exact analytical solutions for self-similar bright, kink, dark and rectangular solitary and periodic waves for nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation with variable coefficients. All these generalized wave solutions depend on five arbitrary parameters and two free integration constants. It is found that the velocity of solitons is related to a free parameter $q$, which play an important role in the dynamic behavior of soliton's evolution. The precise expression of soliton's velocity shows that the solitons can be nearly stopped for appropriate values of free parameter $q$. The possibility for stopping of soliton pulses can also be realized when all parameters of nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation are constant. The numerical simulations show that the stopping behavior of solitons and rectangular solitary waves can be achieved for appropriate values of free parameters characterizing these wave solutions., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures

Thanks to their record high refractive index and giant optical anisotropy, van der Waals (vdW) materials have accelerated the development of nanophotonics. However, traditional high refractive index materials, such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), still dominate in the most important visible range. This is due to the current lack of transparent vdW materials across the entire visible spectrum. In this context, we propose that germanium disulfide (GeS2) could offer a significant breakthrough. With its high refractive index, negligible losses, and biaxial optical anisotropy across the whole visible range, GeS2 has the potential to complement TiO2 and close the application gap of vdW materials in the visible spectrum. The addition of GeS2 could have a profound impact on the design of van der Waals nanophotonic circuits for any operation wavelength from ultraviolet to infrared, emphasizing the significance of the potential impact of GeS2 on the field of nanophotonics., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures

Temperature of the hot gas in galaxy clusters is known to be a reliable proxy for the their total gravitating mass, allowing one to use spectroscopic X-ray observations for halo mass function measurements. Data of shallow wide area surveys, however, often precludes direct fitting of the X-ray spectra, given possible biases arising due to unresolved (multitemperature) inner structure of the intracluster medium (ICM), projection effects and necessity of certain model assumptions to be made to allow for robust spectral fitting. We consider using a simple observable value - the average energy of the observed cluster X-ray spectrum - as a model-independent proxy for the ICM temperature, and consequently cluster's mass. We calibrate relation of this proxy to the cluster parameters using mock obsesrvations for a sample of 84 massive galaxy clusters extracted from the Magneticum cosmological hydro simulations. We consider observational parameters corresponding to the all-sky survey observations by SRG/eROSITA. Taking into account contributions of various background and foreground signals, average energy of the simulated X-ray spectra in the $0.4-7.0$ keV band is shown to be a stable indicator of the ICM temperature with $\sim10\%$ scatter and cluster's mass $M_{500}$ with a $\sim 20\%$ scatter. A database containing simulated X-ray images and their spectra (subtracted in several concentric rings) is publicly available., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures

Two-dimensional materials have attracted considerable attention due to their remarkable electronic, mechanical and optical properties, making them prime candidates for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic applications. Despite their widespread use in combination with substrates in practical applications, including the fabrication process and final device assembly, computational studies often neglect the effects of substrate interactions for simplicity. This study presents a novel method for predicting the atomic structure of 2D materials on arbitrary substrates by combining an evolutionary algorithm, a lattice-matching technique, an automated machine learning interatomic potentials training protocol, and the ab initio thermodynamics approach for predicting the possible conditions of experimental synthesis of the predicted 2D structures. Using the Mo-S system on a c-cut sapphire substrate as a case study, we reveal several new stable and metastable structures, including previously known 1H-MoS2 and newly found Pmma Mo3S2, P-1 Mo2S, P21m Mo5S3, and P4mm Mo4S, where the Mo4S structure is specifically stabilized by interaction with the substrate. Electronic band structure calculations of Mo3S2, Mo2S, Mo5S3, and Mo4S showed their metallic behavior, while phonon properties calculations indicated their dynamic stability and substrate-induced modulation of the phonon density of states. Finally, we use the ab initio thermodynamics approach to predict the synthesis conditions of the discovered structures in the parameter space of the commonly used CVD technique. These results provide insights into computational substrate engineering, allowing one to study the substrate effect on the thermodynamic and dynamical stability of 2D materials and to modulate their electronic and phonon properties for their future applications, as well as to provide guide maps for their experimental synthesis.

We study Einstein's gravity with negative cosmological constant coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics proposed earlier. The metric and mass functions and corrections to the Reissner--Nordstr\"{o}m solution are obtained. Black hole solutions can have one or two horizons. Thermodynamics and phase transitions of magnetically charged black holes in Anti-de Sitter spacetime are investigated. The first law of black hole thermodynamics is formulated and the generalized Smarr relation is proofed. By calculating the Gibbs free energy and heat capacity we study the black hole stability. Zero-order (reentrant), first-order, and second-order phase transitions are analysed. The Joule--Thomson expansion is considered showing the cooling and heating phase transitions. It was shown that the principles of causality and unitarity are satisfied in the model under consideration., Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures. Corrected typo in published paper (Universe, Vol.9(10), 456 (2023))

Einstein's gravity in AdS space coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics (NED) with two parameters is studied. We investigate magnetically charged black holes. The metric and mass functions and their asymptotic are obtained showing that black holes may have one or two horizons. Thermodynamics in extended phase space was studied and it was proven that the first law of black hole thermodynamics and the generalized Smarr relation hold. The magnetic potential and the vacuum polarization conjugated to coupling (NED parameter), are computed and depicted. We calculate the Gibbs free energy and heat capacity., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Extended version of published paper in MPLA. Added figures 3-5

We study Einstein's gravity coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics with two parameters in Anti-de Sitter spacetime. Magnetically charged black holes in an extended phase space is investigated. We obtain the mass and metric functions, their asymptotic and corrections to the Reissner--Nordstr\"{o}m metric function when the cosmological constant vanishes. The first law of black hole thermodynamics in extended phase space is formulated and the magnetic potential and the thermodynamic conjugate to the coupling are obtained. We proved the generalized Smarr relation. The heat capacity and the Gibbs free energy are computed and phase transitions are studied. It was shown that the electric field of charged objects at the origin and electrostatic self-energy are finite within the nonlinear electrodynamics proposed., Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures

WE analyse the universe inflation when the source of gravity is electromagnetic fields obeying nonlinear electrodynamics with two parameters and without singularities. The cosmology of the universe with stochastic magnetic fields is considered. The condition for the universe inflation is obtained. It is demonstrated that singularities of the energy density and pressure are absent as the scale factor approaches to zero. When the scale factor goes to infinity one has equation of state for ultra-relativistic case. The curvature invariants do not possess singularities. The evolution of universe is described showing that at large time the scale factor corresponds to the radiation era. The duration of universe inflation is analysed. We study the classical stability and causality by computing the speed of the sound. Cosmological parameters such as the spectral index $n_s$, the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and the running of the spectral index $\alpha_s$ are evaluated., Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Corrected typo in equation (34) in published paper Eur.Phys.J.C 84 (2024) 2, 205

This study explores the relationship between R&D intensity, as a measure of innovation, and financial performance among S&P 500 companies over 100 quarters from 1998 to 2023, including multiple crisis periods. It challenges the conventional wisdom that larger companies are more prone to innovate, using a comprehensive dataset across various industries. The analysis reveals diverse associations between innovation and key financial indicators such as firm size, assets, EBITDA, and tangibility. Our findings underscore the importance of innovation in enhancing firm competitiveness and market positioning, highlighting the effectiveness of countercyclical innovation policies. This research contributes to the debate on the role of R&D investments in driving firm value, offering new insights for both academic and policy discussions.

We investigate Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet (EGB) 4D massive gravity coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics (NED) in an Anti-de-Sitter (AdS) background and find an exact magnetically charged black hole solution. The metric function was analyzed for different values of massive gravity parameters. We verified the first law of black hole thermodynamics and the generalized Smarr formula, treating the cosmological constant as thermodynamic pressure. Vacuum polarization is defined as the conjugate to the NED parameter. To analyze the local stability of the black hole, we compute specific heat. We investigated the Van der Waals-like/reentrant phase transition of the black holes and estimated the critical points. We observed small/large black hole (SBH/LBH) and small/intermediate/large black hole (SBH/IBH/LBH) phase transitions. The Joule-Thomson coefficient, inversion, and isenthalpic curves are discussed. Finally, the minimum inversion temperature and the corresponding event horizon radius are obtained using numerical techniques., Comment: 79 pages

We investigate the existence and propagation properties of all possible types of envelope soliton pulses in a birefringent optical fiber wherein the light propagation is governed by two coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations with coherent and incoherent nonlinear couplings. Especially, we study the existence of optical solitons under the influence of group-velocity dispersion and third-order nonlinearity, which have physical relevance in the context of elliptical core optical fiber. The results show that the waveguiding medium supports the existence of a wide variety of propagating envelope solitons, including dipole-bright, bright-dipole, bright-dark, dark-bright, W-shaped-dipole and dipole-W-shaped pulses which exhibit different characteristics. Interestingly, we find that the obtained soliton pairs are allowable in both the normal and anomalous dispersion regimes. A wide class of exact analytic periodic (elliptic) wave solutions are identified. This illustrates the potentially rich set of localized pulses and nonlinear periodic waves in birefringent optical fiber media., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

Einstein's gravity in AdS space coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics is studied. We analyse the metric, mass functions and corrections to the Reissner-Nordstrom solution. Magnetic black holes thermodynamics in extended phase space is investigated. We formulate the first law of black hole thermodynamics showing that the generalized Smarr relation holds. The black hole stability is studied by evaluating the Gibbs free energy and heat capacity. To study the cooling and heating phase transitions of black holes we consider the Joule--Thomson isenthalpic expansion. The Joule--Thomson coefficient and the inversion temperature are calculated., Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures

Nonlinear electrodynamics with two parameters is studied. It is shown that singularities of point-like electric charges are absent and the electromagnetic energy is finite. Corrections to Coulomb's law are found. The finite static electric field energy of a point-like charge is calculated. We demonstrate that the electron mass may have the electromagnetic nature. It was shown that principles of causality and unitarity take place.

We present a novel graph partition algorithm with a theoretical bound for the replication factor of \sqrt(n), which improves known constrained approaches (grid: 2* \sqrt(n)-1, torus: 1.5*\sqrt(n)+1) and provides better performance, Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures

Monolayer Fe$_2$C is expected to possess strong electronic correlations, which can significantly contribute to electronic and magnetic properties. In this work we consider electronic and magnetic properties of MXene Fe$_2$C within the DFT+DMFT approach. We establish the existence of local magnetic moments $\mu=3.2\mu_B$ in this compound, characterized by sufficiently long lifetime of $\tau\sim 350$ fs. We also calculate exchange interaction parameters accounting for electronic correlations using the recently developed approach for paramagnetic phase. We obtain the strongest exchange interaction $11$ meV between next nearest neighboring Fe atoms above (and below) the carbon plane, and the subleading interaction $6$ meV between the next to next nearest neighboring atoms across the carbon plane. The resulting dependence of the Berzinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) and Curie temperatures on magnetic anisotropy is obtained. The BKT temperature for the pristine Fe$_2$C is $T_{\rm BKT}\simeq 290$ K, which makes this compound a good candidate for the two-dimensional ferromagnet with XY anisotropy., Comment: This is the version of the article before peer review or editing, as submitted by authors to 2D Materials. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at the specified DOI 10.1088/2053-1583/ad10bc

Reconstructed tracks of muons produced in neutrino interactions provide the precise probe for the neutrino direction. Therefore, track-like events are a powerful tool to search for neutrino point sources. Recently, Baikal-GVD has demonstrated the first sample of low-energy neutrino candidate events extracted from the data of the season 2019 in a so-called single-cluster analysis - treating each cluster as an independent detector. In this paper, the extension of the track-like event analysis to a wider data set is discussed and the first high-energy track-like events are demonstrated. The status of multi-cluster track reconstruction and that of the event analysis are also discussed., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023)

Baikal-GVD (Gigaton Volume Detector) is a neutrino telescope installed at a depth of 1366 m in Lake Baikal. The expedition of 2023 brought the number of optical modules in the array up to 3492 (including experimental strings). These optical modules detect the Cherenkov radiation from secondary charged particles coming from the neutrino interactions. Neutrinos produce different kinds of topologically distinct light signatures. Charged current muon neutrino interactions create an elongated track in the water. Charged and neutral current interactions of other neutrino flavors yield hadronic and electromagnetic cascades. The background in the neutrino cascade channel arises mainly due to discrete stochastic energy losses produced along atmospheric muon tracks. In this paper, a developed algorithm for the cascade event selection is presented., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023)

Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector is a cubic kilometer scale neutrino telescope under construction in Lake Baikal. As of July 2023, Baikal-GVD consists of 96 fully deployed strings resulting in 3456 optical modules installed. The observation of neutrinos is based on detection of Cherenkov radiation emitted by the products of neutrino interactions. In this contribution, description of the double cascade reconstruction technique as well as evaluation of precision of this algorithm is given., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023)

The deployment of the Baikal-GVD deep underwater neutrino telescope is in progress now. About 3500 deep underwater photodetectors (optical modules) arranged into 12 clusters are operating in Lake Baikal. For increasing the efficiency of cascade-like neutrino event detection, the telescope deployment scheme was slightly changed. Namely, the inter-cluster distance was reduced for the newly deployed clusters and additional string of optical modules are added between the clusters. The first inter-cluster string was installed in 2022 and two such strings were installed in 2023. This paper presents a Monte Carlo estimate of the impact of these configuration changes on the cascade detection efficiency as well as technical implementation and results of in-situ tests of the inter-cluster strings., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023)

Baikal-GVD is a next generation, kilometer-scale neutrino telescope currently under construction in Lake Baikal. GVD consists of multi-megaton subarrays (clusters) and is designed for the detection of astrophysical neutrino fluxes at energies from a few TeV up to 100 PeV. The large detector volume and modular design of Baikal-GVD allows for the measurements of the astrophysical diffuse neutrino flux to be performed already at early phases of the array construction. We present here recent results of the measurements on the diffuse cosmic neutrino flux obtained with the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope using cascade-like events., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023)

The Baikal-GVD is a deep-underwater neutrino telescope being constructed in Lake Baikal. After the winter 2023 deployment campaign the detector consists of 3456 optical modules installed on 96 vertical strings. The status of the detector and progress in data analysis are discussed in present report. The Baikal-GVD data collected in 2018-2022 indicate the presence of cosmic neutrino flux in high-energy cascade events consistent with observations by the IceCube neutrino telescope. Analysis of track-like events results in identification of first high-energy muon neutrino candidates. These and other results from 2018-2022 data samples are reviewed in this report.

We present the results of the two-year (2021-2022) monitoring of absorption and scattering lengths of light with wavelength 400-620 nm within the effective volume of the deep underwater neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD, which were measured by a device Baikal-5D No.2. The Baikal-5D No.2. was installed during the 2021 winter expedition at a depth of 1180 m. The absorption and scattering lengths were measured every week in 9 spectral points. The device Baikal-5D No.2 also has the ability to measure detailed scattering and absorption spectra. The data obtained make it possible to estimate the range of changes in the absorption and scattering lengths over a sufficiently long period of time and to investigate the relationship between the processes of changes in absorption and scattering. An analysis was made of changes in absorption and scattering spectra for the period 2021-2022.

The Baikal-GVD neutrino detector is a deep-underwater neutrino telescope under construction and recently after the winter 2023 deployment it consists of 3456 optical modules attached on 96 vertical strings. This 3-dimensional array of photo-sensors allows to observe ambient light in the vicinity of the Baikal-GVD telescope that is associated mostly with water luminescence. Results on time and space variations of the luminescent activity are reviewed based on data collected in 2018-2022.

The emergence of van der Waals (vdW) materials resulted in the discovery of their giant optical, mechanical, and electronic anisotropic properties, immediately enabling countless novel phenomena and applications. Such success inspired an intensive search for the highest possible anisotropic properties among vdW materials. Furthermore, the identification of the most promising among the huge family of vdW materials is a challenging quest requiring innovative approaches. Here, we suggest an easy-to-use method for such a survey based on the crystallographic geometrical perspective of vdW materials followed by their optical characterization. Using our approach, we found As2S3 as a highly anisotropic vdW material. It demonstrates rare giant in-plane optical anisotropy, high refractive index and transparency in the visible range, overcoming the century-long record set by rutile. Given these benefits, As2S3 opens a pathway towards next-generation nanophotonics as demonstrated by an ultrathin true zero-order quarter-waveplate that combines classical and the Fabry-Perot optical phase accumulations. Hence, our approach provides an effective and easy-to-use method to find vdW materials with the utmost anisotropic properties., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures

We present a new procedure for time calibration of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope. The track reconstruction quality depends on accurate measurements of arrival times of Cherenkov photons. Therefore, it is crucial to achieve a high precision in time calibration. For that purpose, in addition to other calibration methods, we employ a new procedure using atmospheric muons reconstructed in a single-cluster mode. The method is based on iterative determination of effective time offsets for each optical module. This paper focuses on the results of the iterative reconstruction procedure with time offsets from the previous iteration and the verification of the method developed. The theoretical muon calibration precision is estimated to be around 1.5-1.6ns., Comment: 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023)

Ternary or more complex hydrogen-rich hydrides are the main hope of reaching room-temperature superconductivity at high pressures. Their chemical space is vast and its exploration is challenging. Here we report the investigation of the La-Mg-H ternary system using the evolutionary algorithm USPEX at pressures on the range 150-300 GPa. Several ternary superconducting hydrides were found, including thermodynamically stable $P6/mmm$-LaMg$_{3}$H$_{28}$ with $T_{\mathrm{C}}=164$ K at 200 GPa, $P/2m$-LaMgH$_8$, $C2/m$-La$_2$MgH$_{12}$ and $P2/m$-La$_3$MgH$_{16}$. In addition, novel binary hydrides were predicted to be stable at various pressures, such as $Cm$-Mg$_6$H$_{11}$, $P1$-MgH$_{26}$, $Fmm2$-MgH$_{30}$, $P1$-MgH$_{38}$ and $R\overline{3}m$-LaH$_{13}$. We also report several novel low-enthalpy metastable phases, both ternary and binary ones. Finally, we demonstrate important methods of exploring very large chemical spaces and show how they can improve crystal structure prediction.

The Baikal-GVD alert system was launched at the beginning of 2021. There are alerts for muon neutrinos (long upward-going track-like events) and all-flavour neutrinos (high-energy cascades). The system is able to get a preliminary response to external alerts with a temporal delay of about 3-10 minutes. The Baikal-GVD data processing and the results of the follow-up procedure are described. We report on the analysis of the coincidence in time and direction between the Baikal-GVD cascade GVD20211208CA with an estimated energy of 43 TeV and the announced alert IceCube211208A possibly associated with a flaring state of the blazar PKS 0735+178., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

We report on the observation of a rare neutrino event detected by Baikal-GVD in April 2021. The event GVD210418CA is the highest-energy cascade observed by Baikal-GVD so far from the direction below the horizon. The estimated cascade energy is $224\pm75$~TeV. The evaluated signalness parameter of GVD210418CA is 97.1\% using an assumption of the E$^{-2.46}$ spectrum of astrophysical neutrinos. The arrival direction of GVD210418CA is near the position of the well-known radio blazar TXS~0506+056, with the angular distance being within a 90\% directional uncertainty region of the Baikal-GVD measurement. The event was followed by a radio flare observed by the RATAN-600 radio telescope, further strengthening the case for the neutrino-blazar association., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Contribution to the 38th International Cosmic Rays Conference (ICRC2023). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2210.01650

Baikal-GVD has recently published its first measurement of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux, performed using high-energy cascade-like events. We further explore the Baikal-GVD cascade dataset collected in 2018-2022, with the aim to identify possible associations between the Baikal-GVD neutrinos and known astrophysical sources. We leverage the relatively high angular resolution of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope (2-3 deg.), made possible by the use of liquid water as the detection medium, enabling the study of astrophysical point sources even with cascade events. We estimate the telescope's sensitivity in the cascade channel for high-energy astrophysical sources and refine our analysis prescriptions using Monte-Carlo simulations. We primarily focus on cascades with energies exceeding 100 TeV, which we employ to search for correlation with radio-bright blazars. Although the currently limited neutrino sample size provides no statistically significant effects, our analysis suggests a number of possible associations with both extragalactic and Galactic sources. Specifically, we present an analysis of an observed triplet of neutrino candidate events in the Galactic plane, focusing on its potential connection with certain Galactic sources, and discuss the coincidence of cascades with several bright and flaring blazars., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Wave-speed management of soliton pulses in a nonlinear metamaterial exhibiting a rich variety of physical effects that are important in a wide range of practical applications, is studied both theoretically and numerically. Ultrashort electromagnetic pulse transmission in such inhomogeneous system is described by a generalized nonlinear Schreodinger equation with space-modulated higher-order dispersive and nonlinear effects of different nature. We present the discovery of three types of periodic wave solutions that are composed by the product of Jacobi elliptic functions in the presence of all physical processes. Envelope solitons of the dipole, bright and W-shaped types are also identified, thus illustrating the potentially rich set of localized pulses in the system. We develop an effective similarity transformation method to investigate the soliton dynamics in the presence of the inhomogeneities of media. The application of developed method to control the wave speed of the presented solitons is discussed. The results show that the wave speed of dipole, bright and W-shaped solitons can be effectively controlled through spatial modulation of the metamaterial parameters. In particular, the soliton pulses can be decelerated and accelerated by suitable variations of the distributed dispersion parameters., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures