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In this paper, we investigate the conditions under which direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in a laser-irradiated plasma can produce distinct photon emission profiles, focusing on the mechanisms responsible for single-lobed versus double-lobed angular distributions of emitted \(\gamma\)-rays. Through a combination of particle-in-cell simulations, test-electron simulations, and theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that the efficiency of DLA is a key determinant of the resulting emission pattern. Our results show that inefficient DLA, characterized by electrons rapidly gaining and losing energy within a single laser cycle, leads to a double-lobed emission profile heavily influenced by laser fields. In contrast, in the efficient DLA regime, where electrons steadily accumulate energy over multiple cycles, the emission is primarily governed by the quasi-static azimuthal magnetic fields generated by the laser in the plasma, resulting in a well-collimated single-lobed emission profile. Additionally, we identify that reducing the electron density in the target enhances the efficiency of DLA, thereby transforming the emission from a double-lobed to a single-lobed profile. These findings provide valuable insights into the optimization of laser-driven \(\gamma\)-ray sources for applications requiring high-intensity, well-collimated beams.

Distortion risk measures play a critical role in quantifying risks associated with uncertain outcomes. Accurately estimating these risk measures in the context of computationally expensive simulation models that lack analytical tractability is fundamental to effective risk management and decision making. In this paper, we propose an efficient important sampling method for distortion risk measures in such models that reduces the computational cost through machine learning. We demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of the Monte Carlo method in numerical experiments on various distortion risk measures and models.

Backward stimulated Raman scattering is a three-wave coupling instability requiring the matching of an incoming pump light wave to a scattered light wave and electron plasma wave. It can be harmful to laser-driven inertial confinement fusion because of the reflection of a part of incident laser flux and the generation of suprathermal electrons that preheat the fuel. It is believed that by increasing the laser bandwidth one can suppress the excitation of Raman scattering and mitigate its detrimental effects. It is demonstrated in this paper that using a broad bandwidth laser has little effect on stimulated Raman scattering in the kinetic inflation regime where Landau damping dominates, as the additional bandwidth allows the electron plasma wave to match a wider range of laser frequencies. As a result, plasma wave saturation and Raman backscattering levels remain high even when the laser bandwidth is much larger than the effective instability growth rate., Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures. To be submitted to Physical Review E

Light activated local stimulation and sensing of biological cells offers enormous potential for minimally invasive bioelectronic interfaces. Organic semiconductors are a promising material class to achieve this kind of transduction due to their optoelectronic properties and biocompatibility. Here we investigate which material properties are necessary to keep the optical excitation localized. This is critical to single cell transduction with high spatial resolution. As a model system we use organic photocapacitors for cell stimulation made of the small molecule semiconductors H2Pc and PTCDI. We investigate the spatial broadening of the localized optical excitation with photovoltage microscopy measurements. Our experimental data combined with modelling show that resolution losses due to the broadening of the excitation are directly related to the effective diffusion length of charge carriers generated at the heterojunction. With additional transient photovoltage measurements we find that the H2Pc/PTCDI heterojunction offers a small diffusion length of lambda = 1.5 +/- 0.1 um due to the small mobility of charge carriers along the heterojunction. Instead covering the heterojunction with a layer of PEDOT:PSS improves the photocapacitor performance but increases the carrier diffusion length to lambda = 7.0 +/- 0.3 um due to longer lifetime and higher carrier mobility. Furthermore, we introduce electrochemical photocurrent microscopy experiments to demonstrate micrometric resolution with the pn-junction under realistic aqueous operation conditions. This work offers valuable insights into the physical mechanisms governing the excitation and transduction profile and provide design principles for future organic semiconductor junctions, aiming to achieve high efficiency and high spatial resolution.

Solar cells based on inorganic perovskite CsPbI3 are promising candidates to resolve the challenge of operational stability in the field of perovskite photovoltaics. For stable operation, however, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the extractive and recombinative processes occurring at the interfaces of perovskite and the charge-selective layers. In this study, we focus on the electronic properties of (doped) TiO2 as an electron-selective contact. We show via KPFM that co-doping of TiO2 with Nb(V) and Sn(IV) reduces the materials work function by 270 meV, giving it stronger n-type characteristics compared to Nb(V) mono-doped TiO2. The altered electronic alignment with CsPbI3 translates to enhanced electron extraction, as demonstrated with ssPL, trPL and trSPV in triad. Importantly, we extract crucial parameters, such as the concentration of extracted electrons and the interface hole recombination velocity, from the SPV transients via 2D drift-diffusion simulations. When implementing the co-doped TiO2 into full n-i-p solar cells, the operational stability is enhanced to 32000 h of projected TS80 lifetime. This study provides fundamental understanding of interfacial charge extraction and its correlation with operational stability of perovskite solar cells, which can be transferred to other charge-selective contacts., Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures

In this paper, we investigate the practical relevance of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) with a special focus on the producing industries and relate them to the current state of academic XAI research. Our findings are based on an extensive series of interviews regarding the role and applicability of XAI along the Machine Learning (ML) lifecycle in current industrial practice and its expected relevance in the future. The interviews were conducted among a great variety of roles and key stakeholders from different industry sectors. On top of that, we outline the state of XAI research by providing a concise review of the relevant literature. This enables us to provide an encompassing overview covering the opinions of the surveyed persons as well as the current state of academic research. By comparing our interview results with the current research approaches we reveal several discrepancies. While a multitude of different XAI approaches exists, most of them are centered around the model evaluation phase and data scientists. Their versatile capabilities for other stages are currently either not sufficiently explored or not popular among practitioners. In line with existing work, our findings also confirm that more efforts are needed to enable also non-expert users' interpretation and understanding of opaque AI models with existing methods and frameworks., Comment: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction 2023

Vacuum birefringence produces a differential phase between orthogonally polarized components of a weak electromagnetic probe in the presence of a strong electromagnetic field. Despite representing a hallmark prediction of quantum electrodynamics, vacuum birefringence remains untested in pure light configurations due to the extremely large electromagnetic fields required for a detectable phase difference. Here, we exploit the programmable focal velocity and extended focal range of a flying focus laser pulse to substantially lower the laser power required for detection of vacuum birefringence. In the proposed scheme, a linearly polarized x-ray probe pulse counter-propagates with respect to a flying focus pulse, whose focus moves at the speed of light in the same direction as the x-ray probe. The peak intensity of the flying focus pulse overlaps the probe over millimeter-scale distances and induces a polarization ellipticity on the order of $10^{-10}$, which lies within the detection sensitivity of existing x-ray polarimeters., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures

We study the conditions for coherent radiation of an electron bunch driven by a counterpropagating strong pulsed electromagnetic plane wave. We derive the spectrum of the coherent radiation and show that it is emitted backwards with respect to the laser propagation direction and has a very narrow angular spread. We demonstrate that for a solid density plasma coherent radiation extends to frequencies up to hundreds of keV thereby enhancing the low-frequency part of the spectrum by many orders of magnitude. Our analytical findings are tested with 3D particle-in-cell simulations of an electron bunch passing through a laser pulse, clearly demonstrating how the coherence can essentially modify the observed radiation spectrum.

Charge separation at moving three-phase contact lines is observed in nature as well as technological processes. Despite the growing number of experimental investigations in recent years, the physical mechanism behind the charging remains obscure. Here we identify the origin of charge separation as the dewetting of the bound surface charge within the electric double layer by the receding contact line. This charge depends strongly on the local electric double layer structure close to the contact line, which is affected by the gas-liquid interface and the internal flow of the liquid. We summarize the charge separation mechanism in an analytical model that captures parametric dependencies in agreement with our experiments and numerical simulations. Charge separation increases with increasing contact angle and decreases with increasing dewetting velocity. Our findings reveal the universal mechanism of charge separation at receding contact lines, relevant to many dynamic wetting scenarios, and provide a theoretical foundation for both fundamental questions, like contact angle hysteresis, and practical applications.

We introduce a rigorous framework for stochastic cell transmission models for general traffic networks. The performance of traffic systems is evaluated based on preference functionals and acceptable designs. The numerical implementation combines simulation, Gaussian process regression, and a stochastic exploration procedure. The approach is illustrated in two case studies.

We study mean-risk optimal portfolio problems where risk is measured by Recovery Average Value at Risk, a prominent example in the class of recovery risk measures. We establish existence results in the situation where the joint distribution of portfolio assets is known as well as in the situation where it is uncertain and only assumed to belong to a set of mixtures of benchmark distributions (mixture uncertainty) or to a cloud around a benchmark distribution (box uncertainty). The comparison with the classical Average Value at Risk shows that portfolio selection under its recovery version enables financial institutions to exert better control on the recovery on liabilities while still allowing for tractable computations.

Based on classical contagion models we introduce an artificial cyber lab: the digital twin of a complex cyber system in which possible cyber resilience measures may be implemented and tested. Using the lab, in numerical case studies, we identify two classes of measures to control systemic cyber risks: security- and topology-based interventions. We discuss the implications of our findings on selected real-world cybersecurity measures currently applied in the insurance and regulation practice or under discussion for future cyber risk control. To this end, we provide a brief overview of the current cybersecurity regulation and emphasize the role of insurance companies as private regulators. Moreover, from an insurance point of view, we provide first attempts to design systemic cyber risk obligations and to measure the systemic risk contribution of individual policyholders.

The paper develops a methodology to enable microscopic models of transportation systems to be accessible for a statistical study of traffic accidents. Our approach is intended to permit an understanding not only of historical losses, but also of incidents that may occur in altered, potential future systems. Through such a counterfactual analysis, it is possible, from an insurance, but also from an engineering perspective, to assess the impact of changes in the design of vehicles and transport systems in terms of their impact on road safety and functionality. Structurally, we characterize the total loss distribution approximatively as a mean-variance mixture. This also yields valuation procedures that can be used instead of Monte Carlo simulation. Specifically, we construct an implementation based on the open-source traffic simulator SUMO and illustrate the potential of the approach in counterfactual case studies.

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of modeling and pricing cyber insurance and includes clear and easily understandable explanations of the underlying mathematical concepts. We distinguish three main types of cyber risks: idiosyncratic, systematic, and systemic cyber risks. While for idiosyncratic and systematic cyber risks, classical actuarial and financial mathematics appear to be well-suited, systemic cyber risks require more sophisticated approaches that capture both network and strategic interactions. In the context of pricing cyber insurance policies, issues of interdependence arise for both systematic and systemic cyber risks; classical actuarial valuation needs to be extended to include more complex methods, such as concepts of risk-neutral valuation and (set-valued) monetary risk measures.

This study introduces a new chemical method for controlling the strain in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite crystals by varying the ratio of Pb(Ac)2 and PbCl2 in the precursor solution. To observe the effect on crystal strain, a combination of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) is used. The PFM images show an increase in the average size of ferroelastic twin domains upon increasing the PbCl2 content, indicating an increase in crystal strain. The XRD spectra support this observation with strong crystal twinning features that appear in the spectra. This behaviour is caused by a strain gradient during the crystallization due to different evaporation rates of methylammonium acetate and methylammonium chloride as revealed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) and grazing incidince x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) measurements. Additional time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) show an increased carrier lifetime in the MAPbI3 films prepared with higher PbCl2 content, suggesting a decreased trap density in films with larger twin domain structures. The results demonstrate the potential of chemical strain engineering as an easy method for controlling strain-related effects in lead halide perovskites.

Slide electrification is a spontaneous charge separation between a surface and a sliding drop. Here, we describe this effect in terms of a voltage generated at the three-phase contact line. This voltage moves charges between capacitors, one formed by the drop and one on the surface. By introducing an adaptation of the voltage upon water contact, we can model drop charge experiments on many surfaces, including more exotic ones with drop-rate dependent charge polarity. Thus, the adaptive two capacitor model enables new insights into the molecular details of the charge separation mechanism., Comment: The experimental results are accurate, but the physical model proposed in the paper does not fully capture the underlying physics behind the data. We are actively working to develop an improved model that better describes the experimental observations

The charge state of dielectric surfaces in aqueous environments is of fundamental and technological importance. Here, we study the influence of dissolved molecular CO$_2$ on the charging of three, chemically different surfaces (SiO$_2$, Polystyrene, Perfluorooctadecyltrichlorosilane). We determine their charge state from electrokinetic experiments. We compare an ideal, CO$_2$-free reference system to a system equilibrated against ambient CO$_2$ conditions. In the reference system, the salt-dependence is weakened for SiO$_2$ and inverted for the organic surfaces. We show that screening and pH-driven charge regulation alone cannot explain the observed effects. As additional cause, we tentatively suggest dielectric regulation of surface charges due to a diffusively adsorbed thin layer of molecular CO$_2$. The formation of such a dynamic layer even at the hydrophilic and partially ionized silica surfaces is supported by a minimal theoretical model and results from molecular simulations., Comment: Extended and thoroughly revised version with newly generated data from MD simulation, improved interpretation, Main text and supplementary materials, 29 Pages, 17 figures, published in JACS

We extend the scope of risk measures for which backtesting models are available by proposing a multinomial backtesting method for general distortion risk measures. The method relies on a stratification and randomization of risk levels. We illustrate the performance of our methods in numerical case studies.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the collection of everyday smart devices which connect to the Cloud, often through Fog nodes, to transmit and receive information. These everyday devices are distinct from traditional computers because they typically have notable constraints on their RAM, flash memory, and computational power. Due to these constraints, we believe that many of the proposed encryption schemes are too heavyweight to be employed in the IoT. In this paper we present a lightweight, flexible encryption scheme that relies on the one-way information loss property of a secure hash function. Our scheme imposes minimal computational and storage requirements, and imposes no non-negligible burdens on the encrypting device, except for the hash itself. We find that the encryption algorithm is particularly lightweight, and holds up strongly in terms of its speed and memory efficiency.

Magneto-hydrodynamics is one of the foremost models in plasma physics with applications in inertial confinement fusion, astrophysics and elsewhere. Advanced numerical methods are needed to get an insight into the complex physical phenomena. The classical Lagrangian methods are typically limited to the low orders of convergence and suffer from violation of the divergence-free condition for magnetic field or conservation of the invariants. This paper is the first part of a new series about high-order non-ideal magneto-hydrodynamics, where a multi-dimensional conservative Lagrangian method based on curvilinear finite elements is presented. The condition on zero divergence of magnetic field and conservation of mass, momentum, magnetic flux and the total energy are satisfied exactly. The curvilinear elements prevent entangling of the computational mesh and its imprinting into the solution. A high-order conservative time integration is applied, where an arbitrary order of convergence is attained for problems of ideal magneto-hydrodynamics. The resistive magnetic field diffusion is solved by an implicit scheme. Description of the method is given and multiple test problems demonstrating properties of the scheme are performed. The construction of the method and possible future directions of development are discussed.

Protection of creditors is a key objective of financial regulation. Where the protection needs are high, i.e., in banking and insurance, regulatory solvency requirements are an instrument to prevent that creditors incur losses on their claims. The current regulatory requirements based on Value at Risk and Average Value at Risk limit the probability of default of financial institutions, but they fail to control the size of recovery on creditors' claims in the case of default. We resolve this failure by developing a novel risk measure, Recovery Value at Risk. Our conceptual approach can flexibly be extended and allows the construction of general recovery risk measures for various risk management purposes. By design, these risk measures control recovery on creditors' claims and integrate the protection needs of creditors into the incentive structure of the management. We provide detailed case studies and applications: We analyze how recovery risk measures react to the joint distributions of assets and liabilities on firms' balance sheets and compare the corresponding capital requirements with the current regulatory benchmarks based on Value at Risk and Average Value at Risk. We discuss how to calibrate recovery risk measures to historic regulatory standards. Finally, we show that recovery risk measures can be applied to performance-based management of business divisions of firms and that they allow for a tractable characterization of optimal tradeoffs between risk and return in the context of investment management.

Relativistic electrons generated by the interaction of petawatt-class short laser pulses with solid targets can be used to generate bright X-rays via bremsstrahlung. The efficiency of laser energy transfer into these electrons depends on multiple parameters including the focused intensity and pre-plasma level. This paper reports experimental results from the interaction of a high intensity petawatt-class glass laser pulses with solid targets at a maximum intensity of $10^{19}$ W/cm$^2$. In-situ measurements of specularly reflected light are used to provide an upper bound of laser absorption and to characterize focused laser intensity, the pre-plasma level and the generation mechanism of second harmonic light. The measured spectrum of electrons and bremsstrahlung radiation provide information about the efficiency of laser energy transfer.

Uncertainty requires suitable techniques for risk assessment. Combining stochastic approximation and stochastic average approximation, we propose an efficient algorithm to compute the worst case average value at risk in the face of tail uncertainty. Dependence is modelled by the distorted mix method that flexibly assigns different copulas to different regions of multivariate distributions. We illustrate the application of our approach in the context of financial markets and cyber risk.

We study the ex-ante minimization of market inefficiency, defined in terms of minimum deviation of market prices from fundamental values, from a centralized planner's perspective. Prices are pressured from exogenous trading actions of leverage targeting banks, which rebalance their portfolios in response to asset shocks. We characterize market inefficiency in terms of two key drivers, the banks' systemic significance and the statistical moments of asset shocks, and develop an explicit expression for the matrix of asset holdings which minimizes such inefficiency. Our analysis shows that to reduce inefficiencies, portfolio holdings should deviate more from a full diversification strategy if there is little heterogeneity in banks' systemic significance.

Demographic projections of future mortality rates involve a high level of uncertainty and require stochastic mortality models. The current paper investigates forward mortality models driven by a (possibly infinite dimensional) Wiener process and a compensated Poisson random measure. A major innovation of the paper is the introduction of a family of processes called forward mortality improvements which provide a flexible tool for a simple construction of stochastic forward mortality models. In practice, the notion of mortality improvements are a convenient device for the quantification of changes in mortality rates over time that enables, for example, the detection of cohort effects. We show that the forward mortality rates satisfy Heath-Jarrow-Morton-type consistency conditions which translate to the forward mortality improvements. While the consistency conditions of the forward mortality rates are analogous to the classical conditions in the context of bond markets, the conditions of the forward mortality improvements possess a different structure: forward mortality models include a cohort parameter besides the time horizon; these two dimensions are coupled in the dynamics of consistent models of forwards mortality improvements. In order to obtain a unified framework, we transform the systems of It\^o-processes which describe the forward mortality rates and improvements: in contrast to term-structure models, the corresponding stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) describe the random dynamics of two-dimensional surfaces rather than curves., Comment: 28 pages

Radiation friction can have a substantial impact on electron dynamics in a transparent target exposed to a strong laser pulse. In particular, by modifying quiver electron motion, it can strongly enhance the longitudinal charge separation field, thus stimulating ion acceleration. We present a model and simulation results for such a radiation induced ion acceleration and study the scalings of the maximal attainable and average ion energies with respect to the laser and target parameters. We also compare the performance of this mechanism to the conventional ones.

We show that a commonly accepted transparency threshold for a thin foil in a strong circularly polarized normally incident laser pulse needs a refinement. We present a new analytical model, which correctly accounts for laser absorption. The refined threshold is determined not solely by the laser amplitude, but other parameters are equally or even more important. Our predictions are in a perfect agreement with PIC simulations. The refined criterion is crucial for configuring laser plasma experiments in the high field domain. Besides, an opaque foil steepens the pulse front, this can be important for numerous applications.