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We present the ROGER (Reconstructing Orbits of Galaxies in Extreme Regions) code, which uses three different machine learning techniques to classify galaxies in, and around, clusters, according to their projected phase-space position. We use a sample of 34 massive, $M_{200}>10^{15} h^{-1} M_{\odot}$, galaxy clusters in the MultiDark Planck 2 (MDLP2) simulation at redshift zero. We select all galaxies with stellar mass $M_{\star} \ge 10^{8.5} h^{-1}M_{\odot}$, as computed by the semi-analytic model of galaxy formation SAG, that are located in, and in the vicinity of, the clusters and classify them according to their orbits. We train ROGER to retrieve the original classification of the galaxies out of their projected phase-space positions. For each galaxy, ROGER gives as output the probability of being a cluster galaxy, a galaxy that has recently fallen into a cluster, a backsplash galaxy, an infalling galaxy, or an interloper. We discuss the performance of the machine learning methods and potential uses of our code. Among the different methods explored, we find the K-Nearest Neighbours algorithm achieves the best performance., Comment: Acceptep for its publication in the MNRAS Journal. Code available at github repository

We study the effects of the environment on galaxy quenching in the outskirts of clusters at $0.04 < z < 0.08$. We use a subsample of 14 WINGS and OmegaWINGS clusters that are linked to other groups/clusters by filaments and study separately galaxies located in two regions in the outskirts of these clusters according to whether they are located towards the filaments' directions or not. We also use samples of galaxies in clusters and field as comparison. Filamentary structures linking galaxy groups/clusters were identified over the Six Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey Data Release 3. We find a fraction of passive galaxies in the outskirts of clusters intermediate between that of the clusters and the field's. We find evidence of a more effective quenching in the direction of the filaments. We also analyse the abundance of post-starburst galaxies in the outskirts of clusters focusing our study on two extreme sets of galaxies according to their phase-space position: backsplash and true infallers. We find that up to $\sim70\%$ of post-starburst galaxies in the direction of filaments are likely backsplash, while this number drops to $\sim40\%$ in the isotropic infall region. The presence of this small fraction of galaxies in filaments that are falling into clusters for the first time and have been recently quenched, supports a scenario in which a significant number of filament galaxies have been quenched long time ago., Comment: Accepted in MNRAS, 11 pages, 4 figures

In this work we compare three catalogues of cosmological filaments identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by means of different algorithms by Tempel et al., Pereyra et al., and Mart\'inez et al. We analyse how different identification techniques determine differences in the filament statistical properties: length, elongation, redshift distribution, and abundance. We find that the statistical properties of the filaments strongly depend on the identification algorithm. We use a volume limited sample of galaxies to characterise other properties of filaments such as: galaxy overdensity, luminosity function of galaxies, mean galaxy luminosity, filament luminosity, and the overdensity profile of galaxies around filaments. In general, we find that these properties primarily depended on filament length. Shorter filaments have larger overdensities, are more populated by red galaxies, and have better defined galaxy overdensity profiles, than longer filaments. Concluding that galaxies belonging to filaments have characteristic signatures depending on the identification algorithm used., Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Vector-borne epidemics are the result of the combination of different factors such as the crossed contagions between humans and vectors, their demographic distribution and human mobility among others. The current availability of information about the former ingredients demands their incorporation to current mathematical models for vector-borne disease transmission. Here, relying on metapopulation dynamics, we propose a framework whose results are in fair agreement with those obtained from mechanistic simulations. This framework allows us to derive an expression of the epidemic threshold capturing with high accuracy the conditions leading to the onset of epidemics. Driven by these insights, we obtain a prevalence indicator to rank the patches according to the risk of being affected by a vector-borne disease. We illustrate the utility of this epidemic risk indicator by reproducing the spatial distribution Dengue cases reported in the city of Santiago de Cali (Colombia) from 2015 to 2016., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, Supplementary Information

There has been tremendous progress in the performance of optical frequency standards since the first proposals to carry out precision spectroscopy on trapped, single ions in the 1970s. The estimated fractional frequency uncertainty of today's leading optical standards is currently in the $10^{-18}$ range, approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of the best caesium primary frequency standards. This exceptional accuracy and stability is resulting in a growing number of research groups developing optical clocks. While good review papers covering the topic already exist, more practical guidelines are needed as a complement. The purpose of this document is therefore to provide technical guidance for researchers starting in the field of optical clocks. The target audience includes national metrology institutes (NMIs) wanting to set up optical clocks (or subsystems thereof) and PhD students and postdocs entering the field. Another potential audience is academic groups with experience in atomic physics and atom or ion trapping, but with less experience of time and frequency metrology and optical clock requirements. These guidelines have arisen from the scope of the EMPIR project "Optical clocks with $1 \times 10^{-18}$ uncertainty" (OC18). Therefore, the examples are from European laboratories even though similar work is carried out all over the world. The goal of OC18 was to push the development of optical clocks by improving each of the necessary subsystems: ultrastable lasers, neutral-atom and single-ion traps, and interrogation techniques. This document shares the knowledge acquired by the OC18 project consortium and gives practical guidance on each of these aspects., Comment: 130 pages, Table 5.3 corrected in v2

We study the quenching of galaxies in different environments and its evolution in the redshift range $0.43 \leq z \leq 0.89$. For this purpose, we identify galaxies inhabiting filaments, the isotropic infall region of groups, the field, and groups in the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). We classify galaxies as quenched (passive), through their $NUV-r$ versus $r-K$ colours. We study the fraction of quenched galaxies ($F_{r}$) as a function of stellar mass and environment at two redshift intervals. Our results confirm that stellar mass is the dominant factor determining galaxy quenching over the full redshift range explored. We find compelling evidence of evolution in the quenching of intermediate mass galaxies $(9.3 \leq \log(M_{*}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10.5)$ for all environments. For this mass range, $F_{r}$ is largest for galaxies in groups and smallest for galaxies in the field, while galaxies in filaments and in the isotropic infall regions appear to have intermediate values with the exception of the high redshift bin, where the latter show similar fraction of quenched galaxies as in the field. Galaxies in filaments are systematically more quenched than their counterparts infalling from other directions, in agreement to similar results found at low redshift. The least massive galaxies in our samples do not show evidence of internal or environmental quenching., Comment: Accepted in MNRAS, 7 pages, 3 figures

We present a comparative analysis of the properties of passive, star-forming and transition (green valley) galaxies, in four discrete environments: field, groups, the outskirts and the core of X-ray clusters. We construct samples of galaxies from the SDSS in these environments so that they are bound to have similar redshift distributions. The classification of galaxies into the three sequences is based on the UV-optical colour $NUV-r$. We study a number of galaxy properties: stellar mass, morphology, specific star formation rate and the history of star formation. The analysis of green valley galaxies reveals that the physical mechanisms responsible for external quenching become more efficient moving from the field to denser environments. We confirm previous findings that green valley galaxies have intermediate morphologies, moreover, we find that this appears to be independent of the environment. Regarding the stellar mass of green valley galaxies, we find that they tend to be more massive in the field than in denser environments. On average, green valley galaxies account for $\sim 20\%$ of all galaxies in groups and X-ray clusters. We find evidence that the field environment is inefficient in transforming low mass galaxies. Green valley galaxies have average star formation histories intermediate between passive and star forming galaxies, and have a clear and consistent dependence on the environment: both, the quenching time, and the amplitude of the star formation rate, decrease towards higher density environments., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 1 table. MNRAS accepted

Neutral atom systems are an appealing platform for the development and testing of quantum control and measurement techniques. This dissertation presents experimental investigations of control and measurement tools using as a testbed the 16-dimensional hyperfine manifold associated with the electronic ground state of $^{133}$Cs atoms. On the control side, we present an experimental realization of a protocol to implement robust unitary transformations in the presence of static and dynamic perturbations. We also present an experimental realization of inhomogeneous quantum control. Specifically, we demonstrate our ability to perform two different unitary transformations on atoms that see different light shifts from an optical addressing field. On the measurement side, we present experimental realizations of quantum state and process tomography. The state tomography project encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of several measurement strategies and state estimation algorithms. Our experimental results show that in the presence of experimental imperfections, there is a clear tradeoff between accuracy, efficiency and robustness in the reconstruction. The process tomography project involves an experimental demonstration of efficient reconstruction by using a set of intelligent probe states. Experimental results show that we are able to reconstruct unitary maps in Hilbert spaces with dimension ranging from $d = 4$ to $d = 16$. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a unitary process in $d = 16$ is successfully reconstructed in the laboratory., Comment: Ph.D. Dissertation, 129 pages

We perform a comparative analysis of the properties of galaxies infalling into groups classifying them accordingly to whether they are: falling along filamentary structures; or they are falling isotropically. For this purpose, we identify filamentary structures connecting massive groups of galaxies in the SDSS. We perform a comparative analysis of some properties of galaxies in filaments, in the isotropic infall region, in the field, and in groups. We study the luminosity functions (LF) and the dependence of the specific star formation rate (SSFR) on stellar mass, galaxy type, and projected distance to the groups that define the filaments. We find that the LF of galaxies in filaments and in the isotropic infalling region are basically indistinguishable between them, with the possible exception of late-type galaxies. On the other hard, regardless of galaxy type, their LFs are clearly different from that of field or group galaxies. Both of them have characteristic absolute magnitudes and faint end slopes in between the field and group values. More significant differences between galaxies in filaments and in the isotropic infall region are observed when we analyse the SSFR. We find that galaxies in filaments have a systematically higher fraction of galaxies with low SSFR as a function of both, stellar mass and distance to the groups, indicating a stronger quenching of the star formation in the filaments compared to both, the isotropic infalling region, and the field. Our results suggest that some physical mechanisms that determine the differences observed between field galaxies and galaxies in systems, affect galaxies even when they are not yet within the systems., Comment: Accepted in MNRAS, 10 pages, 8 figures

Preference learning (PL) is a core area of machine learning that handles datasets with ordinal relations. As the number of generated data of ordinal nature is increasing, the importance and role of the PL field becomes central within machine learning research and practice. This paper introduces an open source, scalable, efficient and accessible preference learning toolbox that supports the key phases of the data training process incorporating various popular data preprocessing, feature selection and preference learning methods.