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We introduce a new concept -- termed "planarity" -- which aims to quantify planar structure in galaxy satellite systems without recourse to the number or thickness of planes. We use positions and velocities from the Gaia EDR3 to measure planarity in Milky Way (MW) satellites and the extent to which planes within the MW system are kinematically supported. We show that the position vectors of the MW satellites exhibit strong planarity but the velocity vectors do not, and that kinematic coherence cannot, therefore, be confirmed from current observational data. We then apply our methodology to NewHorizon, a high-resolution cosmological simulation, to compare satellite planarity in MW-like galaxies in a {\Lambda}CDM-based model to that in the MW satellite data. We demonstrate that kinematically supported planes are common in the simulation and that the observed planarity of MW satellites is not in tension with the standard {\Lambda}CDM paradigm.

The Hf-W isotopic system is the reference chronometer for determining the chronology of Earth's accretion and differentiation. However, its results depend strongly on uncertain parameters, including the extent of metal-silicate equilibration and the siderophility of tungsten. Here we show that a multistage core-formation model based on N-body accretion simulations, element mass balance and metal-silicate partitioning, largely eliminates these uncertainties. We modified the original model of Rubie et al. (2015) by including (1) smoothed particle hydrodynamics estimates of the depth of melting caused by giant impacts and (2) the isotopic evolution of 182W. We applied two metal-silicate fractionation mechanisms: one when the metal delivered by the cores of large impactors equilibrates with only a small fraction of the impact-induced magma pond and the other when metal delivered by small impactors emulsifies in global magma oceans before undergoing progressive segregation. The latter is crucial for fitting the W abundance and 182W anomaly of Earth's mantle. In addition, we show, for the first time, that the duration of magma ocean solidification has a major effect on Earth's tungsten isotope anomaly. We re-evaluate the six Grand Tack N-body simulations of Rubie et al. (2015). Only one reproduces epsilon182W=1.9+/-0.1 of Earth's mantle, otherwise accretion is either too fast or too slow. Depending on the characteristics of the giant impacts, results predict that the Moon formed either 143-183 Myr or 53-62 Myr after the start of the solar system. Thus, independent evaluations of the Moon's age provide an additional constraint on the validity of accretion simulations., Comment: In press in EPSL

Full-disk measurements of the solar magnetic field by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) are often used for magnetic field extrapolations, but its limited spatial and spectral resolution can lead to significant errors. We compare HMI data with observations of NOAA 12104 by the Hinode Spectropolarimeter (SP) to derive a scaling curve for the magnetic field strength, $B$. The SP data in the \ion{Fe}{i} lines at 630\,nm were inverted with the SIR code. We find that the Milne-Eddington inversion of HMI underestimates $B$ and the line-of-sight flux, $\Phi$, in all granulation surroundings by an average factor of 4.5 in plage and 9.2 in the quiet Sun in comparison to the SP. The deviation is inversely proportional to the magnetic fill factor, $f$, in the SP results. We derived a correction curve to match the HMI $B$ with the effective flux $B\,f$ in the SP data that scaled HMI $B$ up by 1.3 on average. A comparison of non-force-free field extrapolations over a larger field of view without and with the correction revealed minor changes in connectivity and a proportional scaling of electric currents and Lorentz force ($\propto B \sim 1.3$) and free energy ($\propto B^2\sim 2$). Magnetic field extrapolations of HMI vector data with large areas of plage and quiet Sun will underestimate the photospheric magnetic field strength by a factor of 5--10 and the coronal magnetic flux by at least 2. An HMI inversion including a fill factor would mitigate the problem., Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ

We analyse the large-scale clustering of the Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) and Quasar (QSO) sample from the first data release (DR1) of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). In particular, we constrain the primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) parameter $f_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc}$ via the large-scale scale-dependent bias in the power spectrum using $1,631,716$ LRGs ($0.6 < z < 1.1$) and $1,189,129$ QSOs ($0.8 < z < 3.1$). This new measurement takes advantage of the enormous statistical power at large scales of DESI DR1 data, surpassing the latest data release (DR16) of the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS). For the first time in this kind of analysis, we use a blinding procedure to mitigate the risk of confirmation bias in our results. We improve the model of the radial integral constraint proposing an innovative correction of the window function. We also carefully test the mitigation of the dependence of the target selection on the photometry qualities by incorporating an angular integral constraint contribution to the window function, and validate our methodology with the blinded data. Finally, combining the two samples, we measure $f_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc} = {-3.6}_{-9.1}^{+9.0}$ at $68\%$ confidence, where we assume the universality relation for the LRG sample and a recent merger model for the QSO sample about the response of bias to primordial non-Gaussianity. Adopting the universality relation for the PNG bias in the QSO analysis leads to $f_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc} = 3.5_{-7.4}^{+10.7}$ at $68\%$ confidence. This measurement is the most precise determination of primordial non-Gaussianity using large-scale structure to date, surpassing the latest result from eBOSS by a factor of $2.3$.

In this article, we investigate the cardinality of Grobner basis under various orderings. We identify a family of polynomials F and a criteria for the monomial orderings such that the reduced Grobner basis is double exponential in cardinality. We also show that the said criteria is satisfied by orderings such as lexicographic, degree lexicographic and weighted orderings., Comment: 18 pages,2 figures

Warehouse optimization stands as a critical component for enhancing operational efficiency within the industrial sector. By strategically streamlining warehouse operations, organizations can achieve significant reductions in logistical costs such as the necessary footprint or traveled path, and markedly improve overall workflow efficiency including retrieval times or storage time. Despite the availability of numerous algorithms designed to identify optimal solutions for such optimization challenges, certain scenarios demand computational resources that exceed the capacities of conventional computing systems. In this context, we adapt a formulation of a warehouse optimization problem specifically tailored as a binary optimization problem and implement it in a trapped-ion quantum computer., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

Non-Hermitian quantum systems have attracted significant interest in recent years due to the presence of unique spectral singularities known as exceptional points (EPs), where eigenvalues and eigenvectors coalesce. The drastic changes in these systems around their EPs have led to unique entanglement dynamics, which remained elusive until quite recently. In this work, we theoretically investigate the robustness of tripartite entanglement induced by EPs of the passive PT-symmetric non-Hermitian superconducting qubits, both in stand-alone configurations and hybrid setups with Hermitian qubits. In particular, we consider the qubits with both all-to-all and nearest-neighbour couplings under uniform and non-uniform coupling strengths. Our results reveal that non-Hermitian qubits with all-to-all coupling generate GHZ states, while those with nearest-neighbour interactions produce W states. These entangled states are resilient to non-uniform couplings and off-resonant driving fields. Moreover, the hybrid configurations combining Hermitian and non-Hermitian qubits suggest the importance of EPs for generating and maintaining genuine tripartite entanglement in our system. Additionally, driving the PT-symmetric qubits with a strong Rabi frequency can help sustain tripartite entanglement over time by countering losses, while strong inter-qubit coupling can benefit these entangled states in the low dissipation regime. These findings suggest that exploiting non-Hermitian systems and their associated EPs can create robust entangled states which are useful for both fundamental studies and quantum technologies., Comment: 4 figures

(100), (101), and (111) Au surfaces with chemisorbed oxygen of varying coverages are studied using density and hybrid functional theories and experiments. This clarifies the work function (f), surface structures, stability, and density of states. f of the (100), (101), and (111) Au surfaces calculated using the hybrid functional is 5.06-5.23 eV, and consistent with the reported experimental f of polycrystalline Au films (5.1 +- 0.1 eV). The hybrid functional calculations on f at (100) and (101) AuO surfaces agree with the experimental f. However, in the reported and present experiments, the difference in f between the Au and AuO surfaces (Df) is 0.8-0.9 eV. The reported theoretical Df at (111) surface (3 eV) completely contradicts this value, which has been unresolved. We find that when O atoms are at (111) surface and subsurface, the theoretical Df at (111) agrees with experimental Df (0.8-0.9 eV). This state is considered to correspond to the experiments, because the oxygen-chemisorption is more stable in this state than when O atoms are at (111) surface only. This property is unique to the (111) surface. The prediction of chemisorbed-oxygen-induced disorders that are experimentally observed provides more evidence for the veracity of these calculations., Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures

Recent observations have challenged the long-held opinion that the duration of gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission is determined by the activity epochs of the central engine. Specifically, the observations of GRB 230307A have revealed a different scenario in which the duration of the prompt emission is predominantly governed by the energy dissipation process following a brief initial energy injection from the central engine. In this paper, we explore a mechanism where the energy injection from the central engine initially causes turbulence in a small region and radiates locally. This turbulence then propagates to more distant regions and radiates. Consequently, the emission regions form concentric rings that extend outward. Using an idealized toy model, we show that such a mechanism, initiated by a pulsed energy injection, can produce a prompt emission light curve resembling a single broad pulse exhibiting the typical softer-wider/softer-later feature. Under some parameters, the main characteristics of the GRB 230307A spectra and light curves can be reproduced by the toy model., Comment: submitted to ApJL

The AU Microscopii planetary system is only 24 Myr old, and its geometry may provide clues about the early dynamical history of planetary systems. Here, we present the first measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect for the warm sub-Neptune AU\,Mic\,c, using two transits observed simultaneously with VLT/ESPRESSO, CHEOPS, and NGTS. After correcting for flares and for the magnetic activity of the host star, and accounting for transit-timing variations, we find the sky-projected spin-orbit angle of planet c to be in the range $\lambda_c=67.8_{-49.0}^{+31.7}$ degrees (1-$\sigma$). We examine the possibility that planet c is misaligned with respect to the orbit of the inner planet b ($\lambda_b=-2.96_{-10.30}^{+10.44}$ degrees), and the equatorial plane of the host star, and discuss scenarios that could explain both this and the planet's high density, including secular interactions with other bodies in the system or a giant impact. We note that a significantly misaligned orbit for planet c is in some degree of tension with the dynamical stability of the system, and with the fact that we see both planets in transit, though these arguments alone do not preclude such an orbit. Further observations would be highly desirable to constrain the spin-orbit angle of planet c more precisely., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The peculiarities of phase states of the triplet boson model for orthonickelates are investigated analytically and by means of numerical simulations. The conditions of thermodynamic stability of homogeneous phases are found. It is shown that the description of the phase inhomogeneous state in the mean-field approximation qualitatively agrees with the observed state of the system in numerical simulations by the classical Monte Carlo method

This study explores the use of virtual reality (VR) as an innovative tool to enhance awareness, acceptance, and understanding of accessibility for persons with vision loss (VL). Through a VR-based workshop developed in collaboration with New York City's Department Of Transportation, participants experienced immersive simulations of VL and and related immersive mobility challenges. The methodology included pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, assessing changes in participants' knowledge, confidence, and perception. Participants included urban planners, designers, and architects. Results showed a significant increase in awareness of VL-related challenges that affect design guidelines, as well as improved confidence in addressing such challenges. Participants also expressed strong support for VR as a pedagogical tool, noting its potential for reshaping professional practices, improving capacity building, and enhancing inclusive design. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of VR as an experiential learning platform, fostering empathy and a long-term commitment to integrating VL considerations into urban design. These findings highlight the transformative potential of VR in advancing equity and accessibility in urban environments.

RED-100 is a two-phase emission detector with an active volume containing 126~kg of liquid xenon. The detector was exposed to the antineutrino flux of about $1.4 \cdot 10^{13}~$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 19~m from the 3.1~GW Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) reactor core. The comparison of data from 331~kg$\cdot$days with the reactor on and 106~kg$\cdot$days with the reactor off shows no statistically significant excess and allows to put constraints on coherent elastic interactions of antineutrinos with xenon nuclei.

The X-ray polarization observations made possible with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) offer new ways of probing high-energy emission processes in astrophysical jets from blazars. Here we report on the first X-ray polarization observation of the blazar S4 0954+65 in a high optical and X-ray state. During our multi-wavelength campaign on the source, we detected an optical flare whose peak coincided with the peak of an X-ray flare. This optical-X-ray flare most likely took place in a feature moving along the parsec-scale jet, imaged at 43 GHz by the Very Long Baseline Array. The 43 GHz polarization angle of the moving component underwent a rotation near the time of the flare. In the optical band, prior to the IXPE observation, we measured the polarization angle to be aligned with the jet axis. In contrast, during the optical flare the optical polarization angle was perpendicular to the jet axis; after the flare, it reverted to being parallel to the jet axis. Due to the smooth behavior of the optical polarization angle during the flare, we favor shocks as the main acceleration mechanism. We also infer that the ambient magnetic field lines in the jet were parallel to the jet position angle. The average degree of optical polarization during the IXPE observation was (14.3$\pm$4.1)%. Despite the flare, we only detected an upper limit of 14% (at 3$\sigma$ level) on the X-ray polarization degree; although a reasonable assumption on the X-ray polarization angle results in an upper limit of 8.8% ($3\sigma$). We model the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spectral polarization distribution (SPD) of S4 0954+65 with leptonic (synchrotron self-Compton) and hadronic (proton and pair synchrotron) models. The constraints we obtain with our combined multi-wavelength polarization observations and SED modeling tentatively disfavor hadronic models for the X-ray emission in S4 0954+65., Comment: Submitted to A&A, 16 pages, 5 figures, and 7 tables

Optically-addressable spin qubits form the foundation of a new generation of emerging nanoscale sensors. The engineering of these sensors has mainly focused on solid-state systems such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. However, NVs are restricted in their ability to interface with biomolecules due to their bulky diamond host. Meanwhile, fluorescent proteins have become the gold standard in bioimaging, as they are genetically encodable and easily integrated with biomolecules. While fluorescent proteins have been suggested to possess a metastable triplet state, they have not been investigated as qubit sensors. Here, we realize an optically-addressable spin qubit in the Enhanced Yellow Fluorescent Protein (EYFP) enabled by a novel spin-readout technique. A near-infrared laser pulse allows for triggered readout of the triplet state with up to 44% spin contrast. Using coherent microwave control of the EYFP spin at liquid-nitrogen temperatures, we measure a spin-lattice relaxation time of $(141 \pm 5)$ {\mu}s, a $(16 \pm 2)$ {\mu}s coherence time under Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) decoupling, and a predicted oscillating (AC) magnetic field sensitivity with an upper bound of $183 \, \mathrm{fT}\, \mathrm{mol}^{1/2}\, \mathrm{Hz}^{-1/2}$. We express the qubit in mammalian cells, maintaining contrast and coherent control despite the complex intracellular environment. Finally, we demonstrate optically-detected magnetic resonance at room temperature in aqueous solution with contrast up to 3%, and measure a static (DC) field sensitivity with an upper bound of $93 \, \mathrm{pT}\, \mathrm{mol}^{1/2}\, \mathrm{Hz}^{-1/2}$. Our results establish fluorescent proteins as a powerful new qubit sensor platform and pave the way for applications in the life sciences that are out of reach for solid-state technologies.

The Euclid Wide Survey (EWS) is predicted to find approximately 170 000 galaxy-galaxy strong lenses from its lifetime observation of 14 000 deg^2 of the sky. Detecting this many lenses by visual inspection with professional astronomers and citizen scientists alone is infeasible. Machine learning algorithms, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have been used as an automated method of detecting strong lenses, and have proven fruitful in finding galaxy-galaxy strong lens candidates. We identify the major challenge to be the automatic detection of galaxy-galaxy strong lenses while simultaneously maintaining a low false positive rate. One aim of this research is to have a quantified starting point on the achieved purity and completeness with our current version of CNN-based detection pipelines for the VIS images of EWS. We select all sources with VIS IE < 23 mag from the Euclid Early Release Observation imaging of the Perseus field. We apply a range of CNN architectures to detect strong lenses in these cutouts. All our networks perform extremely well on simulated data sets and their respective validation sets. However, when applied to real Euclid imaging, the highest lens purity is just 11%. Among all our networks, the false positives are typically identifiable by human volunteers as, for example, spiral galaxies, multiple sources, and artefacts, implying that improvements are still possible, perhaps via a second, more interpretable lens selection filtering stage. There is currently no alternative to human classification of CNN-selected lens candidates. Given the expected 10^5 lensing systems in Euclid, this implies 10^6 objects for human classification, which while very large is not in principle intractable and not without precedent., Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, Euclid consortium paper, A&A submitted

The physical size of the sound horizon at recombination is a powerful source of information for early-time measurements of the Hubble constant $H_0$, and many proposed solutions to the Hubble tension therefore involve modifications to this scale. In light of this, there has been growing interest in measuring $H_0$ independently of the sound horizon. We present the first such measurement to use data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), jointly analyzing the full-shape galaxy power spectra of DESI luminous red galaxies, emission line galaxies, quasars, and the bright galaxy sample, in a total of six redshift bins. Information from the sound horizon scale is removed from our constraints via a rescaling procedure at the power spectrum level, with our sound horizon-marginalized measurement being driven instead primarily by the matter-radiation equality scale. This measurement is then combined with additional sound horizon-free information from Planck+ACT CMB lensing, uncalibrated type Ia supernovae, and the DESI Lyman-$\alpha$ forest. We agnostically combine with the DESY5, Pantheon+, and Union3 supernova datasets, with our tightest respective constraints being $H_0=66.7^{+1.7}_{-1.9},~67.9^{+1.9}_{-2.1},$ and $67.8^{+2.0}_{-2.2}$ km s-1 Mpc-1. This corresponds to a sub-3% sound horizon-free constraint of the Hubble constant, and is the most precise measurement of its kind to date. Even without including information from the sound horizon, our measurement is still in 2.2-3.0$\sigma$ tension with SH0ES. Additionally, the consistency between our result and other measurements that do rely on the sound horizon scale provides no evidence for new early-Universe physics (e.g. early dark energy). Future DESI data releases will allow unprecedented measurements of $H_0$ and place strong constraints on models that use beyond-$\Lambda$CDM physics to ameliorate the Hubble tension., Comment: 17+7 pages; 5 figures. Submitted to JCAP

By using eROSITA data in the eFEDS area, we provide a measure of the hot gas fraction vs. halo mass relation over the largest halo mass range, from Milky Way-sized halos to massive clusters, and to the largest radii ever probed so far in local systems. To cope with the incompleteness and selection biases of the X-ray selection, we apply the stacking technique in eROSITA data of a highly complete and tested sample of optically selected groups. The method has been extensively tested on mock observations. In massive clusters, the hot gas alone provides a baryon budget within $R_{200}$ consistent with the cosmic value. At the same time, at the group mass scale, it accounts only for 20-40% of it. The hot gas fraction vs. halo mass relation is well-fitted by a power law, with a consistent shape and a normalization varying at maximum by a factor of 2 from $r_{500}$ to $r_{200}$. Such a relation is consistent with other works in the literature that consider X-ray survey data at the same depth as eFEDS. However, it provides a lower average gas fraction in the group regime than works based on X-ray bright group samples. The comparison of the observed relation with the predictions of several hydrodynamical simulations (BAHAMAS, FLAMINGO, SIMBA, Illustris, IllustrisTNG, MillenniumTNG, and Magneticum) shows that all simulations but Magneticum and SIMBA overpredict the gas fraction, with the largest discrepancy (up to a factor of 3) in the massive group-poor cluster halo mass range. We emphasize the need for mechanisms that can effectively expel gas to larger radii in galaxy groups without excessively quenching star formation in their member galaxies. Current hydrodynamical simulations face a significant challenge in balancing their subgrid physics: none can sufficiently evacuate gas from the halo virial region without negatively impacting the properties of the resident galaxy population., Comment: submitted to A&A, 11 pages, 8 figures. Abstract reduced for ArXiv submission

Hydrodynamical simulation predictions are often compared with observational data without fully accounting for systematics and biases specific to observational techniques. Using the magnetohydrodynamical simulation Magneticum, we generate mock eROSITA eRASS:4 data, combined with GAMA-like spectroscopic surveys and optically selected galaxy catalogs from the same light-cone, to analyze hot gas properties in galaxy groups via a stacking technique. This study aims to (i) incorporate observational systematics into predictions and (ii) evaluate the reliability of stacking techniques for determining average X-ray properties of galaxy groups. Our analysis provides X-ray emission predictions from Magneticum, including contributions from AGN, X-ray binaries (XRBs), and the Intra-Group Medium (IGM) as a function of halo mass, covering Milky Way (MW)-like groups to poor clusters. We find that AGN and XRBs dominate the X-ray surface brightness profiles of low-mass halos. The reliability of stacking techniques is tested by reproducing input X-ray surface brightness and electron density profiles, accounting for completeness and contamination of prior samples, miscentering of optical group centers, uncertainties in X-ray emissivity due to gas temperature and metallicity assumption, and systematics in halo mass proxies. The halo mass proxy emerges as the primary source of systematics, affecting X-ray surface brightness and scaling relations. We show that stacked X-ray luminosity-mass relations are flatter than input relations but consistent with observations. Additionally, the retrieved hot gas fraction-mass relation aligns well with observational data. These results highlight the need to account for systematic errors when comparing stacking techniques to other methods using different prior catalogs or predictions., Comment: Submitted to A&A. 18 pages and 19 figures, Abstract reduced for ArXiv submission

The solar wind, classified by its bulk speed and the Alfv\'enic nature of its fluctuations, generates the heliosphere. The elusive physical processes responsible for the generation of the different types of the wind are a topic of active debate. Recent observations revealed intermittent jets with kinetic energy in the picoflare range, emerging from dark areas of a polar coronal hole threaded by open magnetic field lines. These could substantially contribute to the solar wind. However, their ubiquity and direct links to the solar wind have not been established. Here we report a unique set of remote-sensing and in-situ observations from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, that establish a unified picture of the fast and Alfv\'enic slow wind, connected to the similar widespread picoflare jet activity in two coronal holes. Radial expansion of coronal holes ultimately regulates the speed of the emerging wind., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Online animations available at https://owncloud.gwdg.de/index.php/s/ytjcW4Um1I6W2oZ

How Supernova Remnant (SNR) shocks impact nearby molecular clouds is still poorly observationally constrained. It is unclear if SNRs can positively or negatively affect clouds star formation potential. We have studied the dense gas morphology and kinematics toward the Infrared Dark Cloud (IRDC) G034.77-00.55, shock-interacting with the SNR W44, to identify evidence of early stage star formation induced by the shock. We have used high-angular resolution N2H+(1-0) images across G034.77-00.55, obtained with ALMA. N2H+ is a well known tracer of dense and cold material, optimal to identify gas with the highest potential to harbour star formation. The N2H+ emission is distributed into two elongated structures, one toward the dense ridge at the edge of the source and one toward the inner cloud. Both elongations are spatially associated with well-defined mass-surface density features. The velocities of the gas in the two structures i.e., 38-41 km s-1 and 41-43 km s-1 are consistent with the lowest velocities of the J- and C-type parts of the SNR-driven shock, respectively. A third velocity component is present at 43-45.5 km s-1. The dense gas shows a fragmented morphology with core-like fragments of scales consistent with the Jeans lengths, masses $\sim$1-20 M$_{\odot}$, densities (n(H$_2$)$\geq$10$^5$ cm$^{-3}$) sufficient to host star formation in free-fall time scales (few 10$^4$ yr) and with virial parameters that hint toward possible collapse. The W44 driven shock may have swept up the encountered material which is now seen as a dense ridge, almost detached from the main cloud, and an elongation within the inner cloud, well constrained in both N2H+ emission and mass surface density. This shock compressed material may have then fragmented into cores that are either in a starless or pre-stellar stage. Additional observations are needed to confirm this scenario and the nature of the cores., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The origin(s) of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), mysterious radio bursts coming from extragalactic distances, remains unknown. Multi-wavelength observations are arguably the only way to answer this question unambiguously. We attempt to detect hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray counterparts to one of the most active FRB sources, FRB20121102, as well as improve understanding of burst properties in radio through a long-term monitoring campaign using the Nan\c{c}ay Radio Telescope (NRT). Multi-wavelength campaigns involving the International Gamma-ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) satellite, the Nan\c{c}ay Radio Observatory, the optical telescopes at the Observatoire de Haute Provence as well as Arecibo were conducted between 2017 and 2019. In 2017, the telescopes were scheduled to observe simultaneously between Sept 24-29. We specifically used the Fast Response Enhanced CCDs for the optical observations to ensure a high time resolution. In 2019, we changed the strategy to instead conduct ToO observations on INTEGRAL and other available facilities upon positive detection triggers from the NRT. In the 2017 campaign, FRB20121102 was not in its burst activity window. We obtain a 5-sigma optical flux limit of 12 mJy ms using the GASP and a 3-sigma limit from OHP T120cm R-band image of R=22.2 mag of any potential persistent emission not associated to radio bursts. In the 2019 campaign, we have simultaneous INTEGRAL data with 11 radio bursts from the NRT and Arecibo. We obtain a 5-sigma upper limit of 2.7e-7 erg/cm2 in the 25-400 keV energy range for contemporary radio and high energy bursts, and a 5-sigma upper limit of 3.8e-11 erg/cm2 for permanent emission in the 25-100 keV energy range. In addition, we report on the regular observations from NRT between 2016-2020, which accounts for 119 additional radio bursts from FRB20121102. We present an updated fit of the periodic active window of 154+/-2 days., Comment: Submitted to A&A

Point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy at low temperatures and high magnetic fields has been performed on a noncentrosymmetric La$_3$Se$_4$ superconductor with a critical temperature $T_c$ = 8 K. Two superconducting energy gaps $\Delta_1$ and $\Delta_2$ with $2\Delta_{1}/k_{B} T_{c}$ ~ 5.8 and $2\Delta_{2}/k_{B} T_{c}$ ~ 2.3, are directly observed in some of the spectra. The temperature and magnetic field effects help to resolve a two-gap structure even on the most frequent spectra where at low temperatures only a single gap is apparent, reflected in a pair of maxima around the zero bias. Two-gap superconductivity consistently with the point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy is also supported by the heat capacity and the Hall probe magnetization measurements., Comment: 13 pages including Supplemental Material. 6 figures in the article and 3 figures in the Supplemental Material

It has recently been shown that Terahertz sensors can effectively detect the spin resonances of Dirac fermions in graphene. The associated photovoltaic measurement technique allows for the investigation of the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in graphene as well as its topological properties from microwave to Terahertz frequencies. In this work, using graphene/MoS2-based Field-Effect Transistors, we observed a magnetic resonance photovoltage signal in the Gigahertz range that is independent of the gate bias. The dispersion of the associated spin-flip transitions remains intriguingly unaffected by the MoS2 layer. In parallel, the spin-related signal consistently appears as a drop in photovoltage, regardless of the signal's polarity or origin, whether it arises from plasma wave rectification or thermoelectric effects. This behavior is interpreted as a decrease in the system's spin polarization due to spin-dependent recombination or scattering of photocarriers. Understanding the various photovoltaic signals in highly sensitive Gigahertz/Terahertz sensors paves the way for exploring spin-dependent mechanisms in two-dimensional quantum materials, influenced by proximity effects such as spin-orbit coupling, topology, and magnetism., Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures in the main text and 6 in the supplementary materials

Autonomous driving needs good roads, but 85% of Brazilian roads have damages that deep learning models may not regard as most semantic segmentation datasets for autonomous driving are high-resolution images of well-maintained urban roads. A representative dataset for emerging countries consists of low-resolution images of poorly maintained roads and includes labels of damage classes; in this scenario, three challenges arise: objects with few pixels, objects with undefined shapes, and highly underrepresented classes. To tackle these challenges, this work proposes the Performance Increment Strategy for Semantic Segmentation (PISSS) as a methodology of 14 training experiments to boost performance. With PISSS, we reached state-of-the-art results of 79.8 and 68.8 mIoU on the Road Traversing Knowledge (RTK) and Technik Autonomer Systeme 500 (TAS500) test sets, respectively. Furthermore, we also offer an analysis of DeepLabV3+ pitfalls for small object segmentation.

We present the design of a continuous-wave, highly sensitive optical spectrometer for millimeter-wave frequencies between 50 and 1000 GHz. The spectrometer uses photomixing of near-infrared light to generate radiation in a wide frequency range, and the absorbed optical power is determined directly through measurements of the sample temperature. This enables relative sensitivities of up to $10^6$ for the sample absorption coefficient below liquid-helium temperatures, suitable for measurements on highly reflective samples. The instrument is also compatible with high magnetic fields. In order to validate its performance, we measure the ferromagnetic resonance in the Mott insulator YTiO$_3$, the electron spin resonance in a standard free-radical reference compound, and the antiferromagnetic resonance in a van der Waals magnetic material., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

Advancing towards high automation and autonomous operations is crucial for the future of inland waterway transport (IWT) systems. These systems necessitate robust and precise onboard sensory technologies that can perceive the environment under all weather conditions, including static features for local positioning techniques such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Traditional marine RADAR, mandatory on vessels and operating in the 9300-9500 MHz frequency band, can cover ranges from 15 to 1200 meters but are inadequate for detecting closer objects, making them unsuitable for automated docking maneuvers, lock entry, or bridge undercrossings. This necessitates the development of reliable close-range sensor technology that functions effectively in all weather conditions. In present research works on vessel automation, LiDAR sensors, operating in the nearinfrared range, are used predominantly to detect the immediate surroundings of vessels but suffer significant degradation in poor visibility. Conversely, automotive RADAR sensors, utilizing the 76-81 GHz frequency band, can detect objects from a few centimeters to up to 200 meters, even in adverse conditions. These sensors are commonly used in advanced autonomous road traffic systems and are evaluated in this study for their suitability in inland navigation and maneuvering. This paper discusses a distributed sensor network of four compact automotive frequencymodulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radars mounted on a cabin boat as a test platform. Initial field experiments demonstrate the RADAR network's ability to perceive closerange static environmental features around the boat in inland waters. The paper also provides a comparative analysis of the environmental detection capabilities of automotive RADAR and LiDAR sensors., Comment: 9 pages, 11 figues, conference, included in conference proceedings of DGON POSNAV 2024

The mean free path of ionizing photons for neutral hydrogen ($\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$) is a crucial quantity in modelling the ionization state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and the extragalactic ultraviolet background (EUVB), and is widely used in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and reionization. We construct the largest quasar spectrum dataset to date -- 12,595 $\mathrm{S/N}>3$ spectra -- using the Y1 observation of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to make the most precise model-independent measurement of the mean free path at $3.2\leq z\leq 4.6$. By stacking the spectra in 17 redshift bins and modelling the Lyman continuum profile, we get a redshift evolution $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}\propto(1+z)^{-4.27}$ at $2\leq z\leq 5$, which is much shallower than previous estimates. We then explore the sources of systematic bias, including the choice of intrinsic quasar continuum, the consideration of Lyman series opacity and Lyman limit opacity evolution and the definition of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$. Combining our results with estimates of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ at higher redshifts, we conclude at high confidence that the evolution in $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ steepens at $z \approx 5$. We interpret this inflection as the transition from the end of HI reionization to a fully ionized plasma which characterizes the intergalactic medium of the past $\sim10$ billion years., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, submitted to ApJL. Comments are welcome!

The process $e^+e^-\to K^0_S K^0_S \psi(3686)$ is studied by analyzing $e^+e^-$ collision data samples collected at eight center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.682 to 4.951 GeV with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $4.1~{\rm fb}^{-1}$. Observation of the $e^+e^-\to K^0_S K^0_S \psi(3686)$ process is found for the first time with a statistical significance of $6.3\sigma$, and the cross sections at each center-of-mass energy are measured. The ratio of cross sections of $e^+e^-\to K_S^0 K_S^0 \psi(3686)$ relative to $e^+e^-\to K^+ K^- \psi(3686)$ is determined to be $\frac{\sigma(e^+e^-\to K_S^0 K_S^0 \psi(3686))}{\sigma(e^+e^-\to K^+ K^- \psi(3686))}=0.45 \pm 0.25$, which is consistent with the prediction based on isospin symmetry. The uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. Additionally, the $K_S^0\psi(3686)$ invariant mass distribution is found to be consistent with three-body phase space. The significance of a contribution beyond three-body phase space is only $0.8\sigma$.

Frequently, when dealing with many machine learning models, optimization problems appear to be challenging due to a limited understanding of the constructions and characterizations of the objective functions in these problems. Therefore, major complications arise when dealing with first-order algorithms, in which gradient computations are challenging or even impossible in various scenarios. For this reason, we resort to derivative-free methods (zeroth-order methods). This paper is devoted to an approach to minimizing quasi-convex functions using a recently proposed comparison oracle only. This oracle compares function values at two points and tells which is larger, thus by the proposed approach, the comparisons are all we need to solve the optimization problem under consideration. The proposed algorithm to solve the considered problem is based on the technique of comparison-based gradient direction estimation and the comparison-based approximation normalized gradient descent. The normalized gradient descent algorithm is an adaptation of gradient descent, which updates according to the direction of the gradients, rather than the gradients themselves. We proved the convergence rate of the proposed algorithm when the objective function is smooth and strictly quasi-convex in $\mathbb{R}^n$, this algorithm needs $\mathcal{O}\left( \left(n D^2/\varepsilon^2 \right) \log\left(n D / \varepsilon\right)\right)$ comparison queries to find an $\varepsilon$-approximate of the optimal solution, where $D$ is an upper bound of the distance between all generated iteration points and an optimal solution.

In this paper, we propose some accelerated methods for solving optimization problems under the condition of relatively smooth and relatively Lipschitz continuous functions with an inexact oracle. We consider the problem of minimizing the convex differentiable and relatively smooth function concerning a reference convex function. The first proposed method is based on a similar triangles method with an inexact oracle, which uses a special triangular scaling property for the used Bregman divergence. The other proposed methods are non-adaptive and adaptive (tuning to the relative smoothness parameter) accelerated Bregman proximal gradient methods with an inexact oracle. These methods are universal in the sense that they are applicable not only to relatively smooth but also to relatively Lipschitz continuous optimization problems. We also introduced an adaptive intermediate Bregman method which interpolates between slower but more robust algorithms non-accelerated and faster, but less robust accelerated algorithms. We conclude the paper with the results of numerical experiments demonstrating the advantages of the proposed algorithms for the Poisson inverse problem.

We present the first formulation of the recently proposed $f(R,\mathcal{L}_m,T)$ theory of gravity within the Palatini formalism, a well-known alternative variational approach where the metric and connection are treated as independent variables. By applying this formalism, we derive a new set of field equations that exhibit, as expected, distinct properties compared to their metric formalism counterparts. We particularly present the Newtonian limit of this formalism, as well as the resulting Friedmann-like equations. We highlight that potential observational signatures may distinguish between the metric and Palatini frameworks. Our results open new pathways for exploring the phenomenology of modified gravity theories and their testability with observational data., Comment: 6 pages

A study of $\it{\Lambda}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}$ and $\it{\Xi}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}$ decays to $\it{\Lambda} h^{+} h^{\prime -}$ $(h^{(\prime)}=\pi, K)$ is performed using $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment during LHC Runs 1$-$2, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9~\rm{fb}^{-1}$. The branching fractions for these decays are measured using the $\it{\Lambda}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}\to\it{\Lambda}_{\it{c}}^+(\to\it{\Lambda}\pi^+)\pi^-$ decay as control channel. The decays $\it{\Lambda}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}\to\it{\Lambda}\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\it{\Xi}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}\to\it{\Lambda}K^-\pi^+$ are observed for the first time. For decay modes with sufficient signal yields, $CP$ asymmetries are measured in the full and localized regions of the final-state phase space. Evidence is found for $CP$ violation in the $\it{\Lambda}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0}\to\it{\Lambda}K^+K^-$ decay, interpreted as originating primarily from an asymmetric $\it{\Lambda}_{\it{b}}^\rm{0} \to \it{N}^{*+} \it{K}^-$ decay amplitude. The measured $CP$ asymmetries for the other decays are compatible with zero., Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2024-043.html (LHCb public pages)

We compute observables of the critical 3d Ising model to high precision by applying the numerical conformal bootstrap to mixed correlators of the leading scalar operators $\sigma$ and $\epsilon$, and the stress tensor $T_{\mu\nu}$. We obtain new precise determinations of scaling dimensions $(\Delta_\sigma, \Delta_\epsilon) = (0.518148806(24), 1.41262528(29))$ as well as OPE coefficients involving $\sigma$, $\epsilon$, and $T_{\mu\nu}$. We also describe several improvements made along the way to algorithms and software tools for the numerical bootstrap., Comment: 52 pages, 10 figures, 9 tables

We report on a blinded search for dark matter with single- and few-electron signals in the first science run of XENONnT relying on a novel detector response framework that is physics-model-dependent. We derive 90\% confidence upper limits for dark matter-electron interactions. Heavy and light mediator cases are considered for the standard halo model and dark matter up-scattered in the Sun. We set stringent new limits on dark matter-electron scattering via a heavy mediator with a mass within 10-20\,MeV/$c^2$ and electron absorption of axion-like particles and dark photons for $m_\chi$ below 0.186\,keV/$c^2$., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

Many operations related optimization problems involve repeatedly solving similar mixed integer linear programming (MILP) instances with the same constraint matrix but differing objective coefficients and right-hand-side values. The goal of this paper is to generate good cutting-planes for such instances using historical data. Gomory mixed integer cuts (GMIC) for a general MILP can be parameterized by a vector of weights to aggregate the constraints into a single equality constraint, where each such equality constraint in turn yields a unique GMIC. In this paper, we prove that for a family of MILP instances, where the right-hand-side of the instances belongs to a lattice, the GMIC closure for every instance in this infinite family can be obtained using the same finite list of aggregation weights. This result motivates us to build a simple heuristic to efficiently select aggregations for generating GMICs from historical data of similar instances with varying right-hand-sides and objective function coefficients. For testing our method, we generated families of instances by perturbing the right-hand-side and objective functions of MIPLIB 2017 instances. The proposed heuristic can significantly accelerate the performance of Gurobi for many benchmark instances, even when taking into account the time required to predict aggregation multipliers and compute the cut coefficients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in the literature of data-driven cutting plane generation that is able to significantly accelerate the performance of a commercial state-of-the-art MILP solver, using default solver settings, on large-scale benchmark instances.

The interplay between atomic gas, the star-formation history of a galaxy and its environment are intrinsically linked, and we need to decouple these dependencies to understand their role in galaxy formation and evolution. In this paper, we analyse the star formation histories (SFHs) of 187 galaxies from the MIGHTEE-HI Survey Early Science Release data, focusing on the relationships between HI properties and star formation. A strong correlation emerges between a galaxy's HI-to-stellar mass ratio and the time of formation, alongside an inverse correlation between stellar mass and time of formation, regardless of the inferred SFH. Additionally, galaxies with lower stellar masses and higher HI-to-stellar mass ratios exhibit longer gas depletion times compared to more massive galaxies, which appear to have depleted their gas and formed stars more efficiently. This suggests that smaller, gas-rich galaxies have higher depletion times due to shallower potential wells and less efficient star formation. Furthermore, we explore the connection between spin-filament alignment and HI content. We find no significant correlation between peak star formation activity and proximity to filaments. However, we do find that the two galaxies in our sample within 1 Mpc of a filament have very low gas-depletion timescales and have their spin axis misaligned with the filament, suggestive of a link between the galaxy properties and proximity to a filament., Comment: submitted to MNRAS; 14 pages, 14 figures

TOI-396 is an F6V star ($V\approx6.4$) orbited by three transiting planets. The orbital periods of the two innermost planets are close to the 5:3 commensurability ($P_b \sim3.6$ d and $P_c \sim6.0$ d). To measure the masses of the three planets, refine their radii, and investigate whether planets b and c are in MMR, we carried out HARPS RV observations and retrieved photometric data from TESS. We extracted the RVs via a skew-normal fit onto the HARPS CCFs and performed an MCMC joint analysis of the Doppler measurements and transit photometry, while employing the breakpoint method to remove stellar activity from the RV time series. We also performed a thorough TTV dynamical analysis of the system. Our analysis confirms that the three planets have similar sizes: $R_b=2.004_{-0.047}^{+0.045}R_{\oplus}$; $R_c=1.979_{-0.051}^{+0.054}R_{\oplus}$; $R_d=2.001_{-0.064}^{+0.063}R_{\oplus}$. For the first time, we determine RV masses for TOI-396b and d: $M_b=3.55_{-0.96}^{+0.94}M_{\oplus}$ ($\rho_b=2.44_{-0.68}^{+0.69}$ g cm$^{-3}$) and $M_d=7.1\pm1.6M_{\oplus}$ ($\rho_d=4.9_{-1.1}^{+1.2}$ g cm$^{-3}$). Our results suggest a quite unusual system architecture, with the outermost planet being the densest. The Doppler reflex motion induced by TOI-396c remains undetected in our RV time series, likely due to the proximity of $P_c$ to the star's rotation period ($P_{\mathrm{rot}}=6.7\pm1.3$ d). We also discovered that TOI-396b and c display significant TTVs. While the TTV dynamical analysis returns a formally precise mass for TOI-396c ($M_{c,\mathrm{dyn}}=2.24^{+0.13}_{-0.67}M_{\oplus}$), the result might not be accurate owing to the poor sampling of the TTV phase. We also conclude that TOI-396b and c are close to-, but out of- the 5:3 MMR. Our numerical simulation suggests TTV semi-amplitudes of up to 5 hours over a temporal baseline of $\sim$5.2 years., Comment: 24 pages (6 in the Appendix), 15 Figures (2 in the Appendix), 10 Tables (5 in the Appendix). Accepted for publication in A&A

This paper presents the results of a joint radio and gamma-ray timing campaign on the nine millisecond pulsars (MSPs) discovered as part of the L-band targeted survey of Fermi-LAT sources performed in the context of the Transients and Pulsars with MeerKAT (TRAPUM) Large Survey Project. Out of these pulsars, eight are members of binary systems; of these eight, two exhibit extended eclipses of the radio emission. Using an initial radio timing solution, pulsations were found in the gamma rays for six of the targets. For these sources, a joint timing analysis of radio times of arrival and gamma-ray photons was performed, using a newly developed code that optimises the parameters through a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique. This approach has allowed us to precisely measure both the short- and long-term timing parameters. This study includes a proper motion measurement for four pulsars, which a gamma ray-only analysis would not have been sensitive to, despite the 15-year span of Fermi data., Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures

Evidence has emerged for a stochastic signal correlated among 67 pulsars within the 15-year pulsar-timing data set compiled by the NANOGrav collaboration. Similar signals have been found in data from the European, Indian, Parkes, and Chinese PTAs. This signal has been interpreted as indicative of the presence of a nanohertz stochastic gravitational wave background. To explore the internal consistency of this result we investigate how the recovered signal strength changes as we remove the pulsars one by one from the data set. We calculate the signal strength using the (noise-marginalized) optimal statistic, a frequentist metric designed to measure correlated excess power in the residuals of the arrival times of the radio pulses. We identify several features emerging from this analysis that were initially unexpected. The significance of these features, however, can only be assessed by comparing the real data to synthetic data sets. After conducting identical analyses on simulated data sets, we do not find anything inconsistent with the presence of a stochastic gravitational wave background in the NANOGrav 15-year data. The methodologies developed here can offer additional tools for application to future, more sensitive data sets. While this analysis provides an internal consistency check of the NANOGrav results, it does not eliminate the necessity for additional investigations that could identify potential systematics or uncover unmodeled physical phenomena in the data., Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables

The uncertainty of the nature of the normal state and superconducting condensate of unconventional superconductors continues to stimulate considerable speculation about the mechanism of superconductivity in these materials. Of particular interest are the type of symmetry of the order parameter and the basic electronic characteristics of the superconducting and normal states. We report the derivation of temperature dependences of the superconducting condensate plasma frequency, superfluid density, and London penetration depth by measuring terahertz spectra of conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ thin films with different Ni concentrations. A comprehensive analysis of the experimental data was performed in the framework of the simple three-band Eliashberg model under the assumption that the superconducting coupling mechanism is mediated by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations. The results of independent experiments support the choice of model parameters. Based on calculations of the temperature dependences of superconducting gaps, we may conclude that the obtained results are compatible with the scenario, in which Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ is a multiband superconductor with s$_\pm $-wave pairing symmetry., Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2006.00522

BabyIAXO is the intermediate stage of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO) to be hosted at DESY. Its primary goal is the detection of solar axions following the axion helioscope technique. Axions are converted into photons in a large magnet that is pointing to the sun. The resulting X-rays are focused by appropriate X-ray optics and detected by sensitive low-background detectors placed at the focal spot. The aim of this article is to provide an accurate quantitative description of the different components (such as the magnet, optics, and X-ray detectors) involved in the detection of axions. Our efforts have focused on developing robust and integrated software tools to model these helioscope components, enabling future assessments of modifications or upgrades to any part of the IAXO axion helioscope and evaluating the potential impact on the experiment's sensitivity. In this manuscript, we demonstrate the application of these tools by presenting a precise signal calculation and response analysis of BabyIAXO's sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling. Though focusing on the Primakoff solar flux component, our virtual helioscope model can be used to test different production mechanisms, allowing for direct comparisons within a unified framework., Comment: 36 pages, 18 figures, 4 tables, Submitted to JHEP

In this Technical Design Report (TDR) we describe the SABRE South detector to be built at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL). The SABRE South detector is designed to test the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal of an annually modulating rate consistent with dark matter by using the same target material. SABRE South uses seven ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystals (with a total target mass of either 35 kg or 50 kg), hermetically sealed in copper enclosures that are suspended within a liquid scintillator active veto. High quantum efficiency and low background Hamamatsu R11065 photomultiplier tubes are directly coupled to both ends of the crystal, and enclosed with the crystal in an oxygen free high thermal conductivity copper enclosure. The active veto system consists of 11.6 kL of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) doped with a mixture of fluorophores and contained in a steel vessel, which is instrumented with at least 18 Hamamatsu R5912 photomultipliers. The active veto tags key radiogenic backgrounds intrinsic to the crystals, such as ${^{40}}$K, and is expected to suppress the total background by 27% in the 1-6 keV region of interest. In addition to the liquid scintillator veto, a muon veto is positioned above the detector shielding. This muon veto consists of eight EJ-200 scintillator modules, with Hamamatsu R13089 photomultipliers coupled to both ends. With an expected total background of 0.72 cpd/kg/keV, SABRE South can test the DAMA/LIBRA signal with 5$\sigma$ discovery or 3$\sigma$ exclusion after two years of data taking.

The resource overhead required to achieve net computational benefits from quantum error correction (QEC) limits its utility while current systems remain constrained in size, despite exceptional progress in experimental demonstrations. In this paper, we demonstrate that the strategic application of QEC primitives without logical encoding can yield significant advantages on superconducting processors--relative to any alternative error-reduction strategy--while only requiring modest overhead. We first present a novel protocol for implementing long-range CNOT gates that relies on a unitarily-prepared Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state as well as a unitary disentangling step; the protocol natively introduces an error-detection process using the disentangled qubits as flags. We demonstrate that it achieves state-of-the-art gate fidelities of over 85% across up to 40 lattice sites, significantly and consistently outperforming the best alternative measurement-based protocol without introducing any additional ancilla qubits. We then apply sparse stabilizer measurements to generate large GHZ states by detecting bit-flip and amplitude-damping errors. Employing this technique in combination with deterministic error suppression, we generate a 75-qubit GHZ state exhibiting genuine multipartite entanglement, the largest reported to date. The generation requires no more than 9 ancilla qubits and the fraction of samples discarded due to errors grows no higher than 78%, far lower than previous discard fractions required for tests using comparable numbers of fully encoded qubits. This work in total represents compelling evidence that adopting QEC primitives on current-generation devices can deliver substantial net benefits., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures (main text) + 9 pages, 10 figures (supplementary)

On May 24th, 2023, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), joined by the Advanced Virgo and KAGRA detectors, began the fourth observing run for a two-year-long dedicated search for gravitational waves. The LIGO Hanford and Livingston detectors have achieved an unprecedented sensitivity to gravitational waves, with an angle-averaged median range to binary neutron star mergers of 152 Mpc and 160 Mpc, and duty cycles of 65.0% and 71.2%, respectively, with a coincident duty cycle of 52.6%. The maximum range achieved by the LIGO Hanford detector is 165 Mpc and the LIGO Livingston detector 177 Mpc, both achieved during the second part of the fourth observing run. For the fourth run, the quantum-limited sensitivity of the detectors was increased significantly due to the higher intracavity power from laser system upgrades and replacement of core optics, and from the addition of a 300 m filter cavity to provide the squeezed light with a frequency-dependent squeezing angle, part of the A+ upgrade program. Altogether, the A+ upgrades led to reduced detector-wide losses for the squeezed vacuum states of light which, alongside the filter cavity, enabled broadband quantum noise reduction of up to 5.2 dB at the Hanford observatory and 6.1 dB at the Livingston observatory. Improvements to sensors and actuators as well as significant controls commissioning increased low frequency sensitivity. This paper details these instrumental upgrades, analyzes the noise sources that limit detector sensitivity, and describes the commissioning challenges of the fourth observing run., Comment: 26 pages, 18 figures

Deuterium fractionation is a well-established evolutionary tracer in low-mass star formation, but its applicability to the high-mass regime remains an open question. The abundances and ratios of deuterated species have often been proposed as reliable evolutionary indicators for different stages of the high-mass star formation. We investigate the role of N$_2$H$^+$ and key deuterated molecules as tracers of the different stages of the high-mass star formation, and test whether their abundance ratios can serve as reliable evolutionary indicators. We conducted APEX observations of o-H$_2$D$^+$ (1$_{10}$-1$_{11}$), N$_2$H$^+$ (4-3), and N$_2$d$^+$ (3-2) in 40 high-mass clumps at different evolutionary stages, selected from the ATLASGAL survey. Molecular column densities ($N$) and abundances ($X$), were derived through spectral line modelling, both under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE conditions. The $N$(o-H$_2$D$^+$) show the smallest deviation from LTE results when derived under non-LTE assumptions. In contrast, N$_2$D$^+$ shows the largest discrepancy between the $N$ derived from LTE and non-LTE. In all the cases discussed, we found that $X$(o-H$_2$D$^+$) decreases more significantly with time than in the case of $X$(N$_2$D$^+$); whereas $X$(N$_2$H$^+$) increases slightly. Therefore, the validity of the recently proposed $X$(o-H$_2$D$^+$)/$X$(N$_2$D$^+$) ratio as a reliable evolutionary indicator was not observed for this sample. While the deuteration fraction derived from N$_2$D$^+$ and N$_2$H$^+$ clearly decreases with clump evolution, the interpretation of this trend is complex, given the different distribution of the two tracers. Our results suggest that a careful consideration of the observational biases and beam-dilution effects are crucial for an accurate interpretation of the evolution of the deuteration process during the high-mass star formation process., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

We analyze 99 photometrically selected Little Red Dots (LRDs) at z ~ 4-8 in the GOODS fields, leveraging ultra-deep JADES NIRCam short-wavelength (SW) data. We examine the morphology of 30 LRDs; the remaining 69 are predominantly compact, i.e. are strongly dominated by sources < 400 pc in diameter and lack extended components even in stacked SW band images. Among the LRDs selected for morphological analysis, 50% show at least two distinct, associated sources or galaxy components, while the others appear as single sources with highly asymmetric structures. We find median stellar masses of log10(M*/Msun) = 9.07(-0.08)(+0.11) for pure stellar models with Av ~ 1.16(+0.11)(-0.21) mag, and log10(M*/Msun) = 9.67(+0.17)(-0.27) for models including AGNs, where Av ~ 2.74(+0.55)(-0.71) mag, consistent with recent results showing LRDs tend to have high stellar masses and dust content when fitted with AGN models. NIRSpec spectra are available for 15 sources, 6 of which fall within the morphological analysis sample and show multiple components. Among these 15, broad H-alpha emission is detected in 40%, with full-width half-maximum (FWHM) ranging from 1200 to 2900 km/s. One source exhibits broad H-beta emission with FWHM = 2000 +/- 500 km/s. Analysis of line ratios probing the interstellar medium (ISM) reveals a composite nature, indicating AGN activity combined with stellar processes. These findings suggest LRDs have a mixed nature, with AGN signatures in some cases linked to disturbed morphologies observed at rest-frame UV wavelengths., Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to ApJ. Comments are welcome!

Cooperative Distributed Model Predictive Control (DiMPC) architecture employs local MPC controllers to control different subsystems, exchanging information with each other through an iterative procedure to enhance overall control performance compared to the decentralized architecture. However, this method can result in high communication between the controllers and computational costs. In this work, the amount of information exchanged and the computational costs of DiMPC are reduced significantly by developing novel iteration-free solution algorithms based on multiparametric (mp) programming. These algorithms replace the iterative procedure with simultaneous solutions of explicit mpDiMPC control law functions. The reduced communication among local controllers decreases system latency, which is crucial for real-time control applications. The effectiveness of the proposed iteration-free mpDiMPC algorithms is demonstrated through comprehensive numerical simulations involving groups of coupled linear subsystems, which are interconnected through their inputs and a cooperative plant-wide cost function.

Massive stars lead the ionization and mechanical feedback within young star-forming regions. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is an ideal galaxy for studying individual massive stars and quantifying their feedback contribution to the environment. We analyze eight exemplary targets in LMC N11 B from the Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) program, using novel spectra from HST (COS and STIS) in the UV, and from VLT (X-shooter) in the optical. We model the spectra of early to late O-type stars by using state-of-the-art PoWR atmosphere models. We determine the stellar and wind parameters (e.g., $T_\star$, $\log g$, $L_{\star}$, $\dot{M}$, $v_\infty$) of the analyzed objects, chemical abundances (C, N, O), ionizing and mechanical feedback ($Q_\mathrm{H}$, $Q_\mathrm{He{\small{I}}}$, $Q_\mathrm{He{\small{II}}}$, $L_\mathrm{mec}$) and X-rays. We report ages of $2-4.5$ Myr and masses of $30-60$ $M_\odot$ for the analyzed stars in N11 B, consistent with a scenario of sequential star formation. We note that the observed wind-momentum luminosity relation is consistent with theoretical predictions. We detect nitrogen enrichment in most of the stars, up to a factor of seven. However, we do not find a correlation between nitrogen enrichment and projected rotational velocity. Finally, based on their spectral type, we estimate the total ionizing photons injected from the O-type stars in N11 B into its environment. We report $\log$ ($\sum$ $Q_\mathrm{H}$)$=50.5$ ph s$^{-1}$, $\log$ ($\sum$ $Q_\mathrm{He{\small{I}}}$)$=49.6$ ph s$^{-1}$ and $\log$ ($\sum$ $Q_\mathrm{He{\small{II}}}$)$=44.4$ ph s$^{-1}$, consistent with the total ionizing budget in N11., Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We report measurements of the absolute branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D_s^{\pm} X)$, $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D^0/\bar{D}^0 X)$, and $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D^{\pm} X)$, where the latter is measured for the first time. The results are based on a 121.4\,fb$^{-1}$ data sample collected at the $\Upsilon(10860)$ resonance by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider. We reconstruct one $B_s^0$ meson in $e^+e^- \to \Upsilon(10860) \to B_s^{*} \bar{B}_s^{*}$ events and measure yields of $D_s^+$, $D^0$, and $D^+$ mesons in the rest of the event. We obtain $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D_s^{\pm} X) = (68.6 \pm 7.2 \pm 4.0)\%$, $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D^0/\bar{D}^0 X) = (21.5 \pm 6.1 \pm 1.8)\%$, and $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D^{\pm} X) = (12.6 \pm 4.6 \pm 1.3)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Averaging with previous Belle measurements gives $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D_s^{\pm} X) = (63.4 \pm 4.5 \pm 2.2)\%$ and $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to D^0/\bar{D}^0 X) = (23.9 \pm 4.1 \pm 1.8)\%$. For the $B_s^0$ production fraction at the $\Upsilon(10860)$, we find $f_s = (21.4^{+1.5}_{-1.7})\%$., Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, submitted to JHEP