Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ARGOS at the LBT

Having completed its commissioning phase, the Advanced Rayleigh guided Ground-layer adaptive Optics System (ARGOS) facility is coming online for scientific observations at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). With six Rayleigh laser guide stars in two constellations and the corresponding wavefront sensing, ARGOS corrects the ground-layer distortions for both LBT 8.4 m eyes with their adaptive secondary mirrors. Under regular observing conditions, this set-up delivers a point spread function (PSF) size reduction by a factor of 2–3 compared to a seeing-limited operation. With the two LUCI infrared imaging and multi-object spectroscopy instruments receiving the corrected images, observations in the near-infrared can be performed at high spatial and spectral resolution. We discuss the final ARGOS technical set-up and the adaptive optics performance. We show that imaging cases with ground-layer adaptive optics (GLAO) are enhancing several scientific programmes, from cluster colour magnitude diagrams and Milky Way embedded star formation, to nuclei of nearby galaxies or extragalactic lensing fields. In the unique combination of ARGOS with the multi-object near-infrared spectroscopy available in LUCI over a 4 × 4 arcmin field of view, the first scientific observations have been performed on local and high-z objects. Those high spatial and spectral resolution observations demonstrate the capabilities now at hand with ARGOS at the LBT.
High-order harmonic generation from field-distorted orbitals

We investigate the effect on high-order harmonic generation of the distortion of molecular orbitals by the driving laser field. Calculations for high-order harmonic generation including orbital distortion are performed for N2. Our results allow us to suggest that field-distortion is the reason why the two-center interference minimum has never been observed experimentally in N2. We propose experimental parameters which should allow an observation of the two-center interference minimum.
Measurement of BAO correlations at $z=2.3$ with SDSS DR12 \lya-Forests

Author(s): Bautista, JE; Busca, NG; Guy, J; Rich, J; Blomqvist, M; Du Mas Des Bourboux, H; Pieri, MM; Font-Ribera, A; Bailey, S; Delubac, T; Kirkby, D; Le Goff, JM; Margala, D; Slosar, A; Vazquez, JA; Brownstein, JR; Dawson, KS; Eisenstein, DJ; Miralda-Escude, J; Noterdaeme, P; Palanque-Delabrouille, N; Pâris, I; Petitjean, P; Ross, NP; Schneider, DP; Weinberg, DH; Yeche, C | Abstract: © ESO 2017. We have used flux-transmission correlations in Lyα forests to measure the imprint of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). The study uses spectra of 157 783 quasars in the redshift range 2:1 ≤ z ≤ 3:5 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 12 (DR12). Besides the statistical improvements on our previous studies using SDSS DR9 and DR11, we have implemented numerous improvements in the analysis procedure, allowing us to construct a physical model of the correlation function and to investigate potential systematic errors in the determination of the BAO peak position. The Hubble distance, DH = c=H(z), relative to the sound horizon is DH(z = 2:33)=rd = 9:07 ± 0:31. The best-determined combination of comoving angular-diameter distance, DM, and the Hubble distance is found to be D0:7 H D0:3 M =rd = 13:94±0:35. This value is 1:028±0:026 times the prediction of the flat-ΛCDM model consistent with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy spectrum. The errors include marginalization over the effects of unidentified high-density absorption systems and fluctuations in ultraviolet ionizing radiation. Independently of the CMB measurements, the combination of our results and other BAO observations determine the open-ΛCDM density parameters to be ΩM = 0:296 ± 0:029, ΩΛ = 0:699 ± 0:100 and Ωk = -0:002 ± 0:119.
Chiral symmetry and bulk{boundary correspondence in periodically driven one-dimensional systems

In periodically driven lattice systems, the effective (Floquet) Hamiltonian can be engineered to be topological; then, the principle of bulk-boundary correspondence guarantees the existence of robust edge states. However, such setups can also host edge states not predicted by the Floquet Hamiltonian. The exploration of such edge states and the corresponding unique bulk topological invariants has only recently begun. In this work we calculate these invariants for chiral symmetric periodically driven one-dimensional systems. We find simple closed expressions for these invariants, as winding numbers of blocks of the unitary operator corresponding to a part of the time evolution. This gives a robust way to tune these invariants using sublattice shifts. We illustrate our ideas on the periodically driven Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, which, as we show, can realize a discrete-time quantum walk; this opens a useful connection between periodically driven lattice systems and discrete-time quantum walks. Our work helps interpret the results of recent simulations where a large number of Floquet Majorana fermions in periodically driven superconductors have been found.
THE NOT-SO-MASSIVE BLACK HOLE IN THE MICROQUASAR GRS1915+105

We present a new dynamical study of the black hole X-ray transient GRS1915+105 making use of near-infrared spectroscopy obtained with X-shooter at the Very Large Telescope. We detect a large number of donor star absorption features across a wide range of wavelengths spanning the H and K bands. Our 24 epochs covering a baseline of over 1 yr permit us to determine a new binary ephemeris including a refined orbital period of P = 33.85 ± 0.16 days. The donor star radial velocity curves deliver a significantly improved determination of the donor semi-amplitude which is both accurate (K2 = 126 ± 1 km s−1) and robust against choice of donor star template and spectral features used. We furthermore constrain the donor star's rotational broadening to vsin i = 21 ± 4 km s−1, delivering a binary mass ratio of q = 0.042 ± 0.024. If we combine these new constraints with distance and inclination estimates derived from modeling the radio emission, a black hole mass of MBH = 10.1 ± 0.6 M☉ is inferred, paired with an evolved mass donor of M2 = 0.47 ± 0.27 M☉. Our analysis suggests a more typical black hole mass for GRS1915+105 rather than the unusually high values derived in the pioneering dynamical study by Greiner et al. Our data demonstrate that high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of obscured accreting binaries can deliver dynamical mass determinations with a precision on par with optical studies.
Exact dimerized phase in anisotropic XYZ model for quasi-one-dimensional magnets

We report the exact dimer phase, in which the ground states are described by product of singlet dimer, in the extended XYZ model by direct generalizing the isotropic Majumdar-Ghosh model to the fully anisotropic regime. This model also supports three different ferromagnetic (FM) phases, denoted as $x$-FM, $y$-FM and $z$-FM. The boundaries between the dimer phase and FM phases are infinite-fold degenerate. The breaking of this infinite-fold degeneracy by either translational symmetry or $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry lead to dimer phase and FM phases, respectively. Moreover, the boundaries between the three FM phases are critical with central charge $c=1$. We characterize the properties of these boundaries using entanglement entropy, excitation gap and long-range spin-spin correlations. These results are relevant to a large number of quasi-one-dimensional magnets, in which anisotropy is necessary to isolate a single chain out from the bulk material. We discuss the possible experimental signatures in true materials with magnetic field along different directions, and show that the anisotropy may resolve the long-standing disagreements between theory and experiments.
THE DEEP2 GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY: CLUSTERING DEPENDENCE ON GALAXY STELLAR MASS AND STAR FORMATION RATE AT z ∼ 1

We present DEEP2 galaxy clustering measurements at z ∼ 1 as a function of stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and specific SFR (sSFR). We find a strong positive correlation between stellar mass and clustering amplitude on 1–10 h−1 Mpc scales for blue, star-forming galaxies with 9.5 < log(M*/M☉) < 11 and no dependence for red, quiescent galaxies with 10.5 < log(M*/M☉) < 11.5. Using recently re-calibrated DEEP2 SFRs from restframe B-band magnitude and optical colors, we find that within the blue galaxy population at z ∼ 1 the clustering amplitude increases strongly with increasing SFR and decreasing sSFR. For red galaxies there is no significant correlation between clustering amplitude and either SFR or sSFR. Blue galaxies with high SFR or low sSFR are as clustered on large scales as red galaxies. We find that the clustering trend observed with SFR can be explained mostly, but not entirely, by the correlation between stellar mass and clustering amplitude for blue galaxies. We also show that galaxies above the star-forming “main sequence” are less clustered than galaxies below the main sequence, at a given stellar mass. These results are not consistent with the high-sSFR population being dominated by major mergers. We also measure the clustering amplitude on small scales (⩽0.3 h−1 Mpc) and find an enhanced clustering signal relative to the best-fit large-scale power law for red galaxies with high stellar mass, blue galaxies with high SFR, and both red and blue galaxies with high sSFR. The increased small-scale clustering for galaxies with high sSFRs is likely linked to triggered star formation in interacting galaxies. These measurements provide strong constraints on galaxy evolution and halo occupation distribution models at z ∼ 1.
SALT spectroscopic observations of galaxy clusters detected by ACT and a type II quasar hosted by a brightest cluster galaxy

We present Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) follow-up observations of seven massive clusters detected by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) on the celestial equator using the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect. We conducted multi-object spectroscopic observations with the Robert Stobie Spectrograph in order to measure galaxy redshifts in each cluster field, determine the cluster line-of-sight velocity dispersions, and infer the cluster dynamical masses. We find that the clusters, which span the redshift range 0:3 < z < 0:55, range in mass from (5 20) 10 14 M (M200c). Their masses, given their SZ signals, are similar to those of southern hemisphere ACT clusters previously observed using Gemini and the VLT. We note that the brightest cluster galaxy in one of the systems studied, ACT-CL J0320.4+0032 at z = 0:38, hosts a Type II quasar. To our knowledge, this is only the third such system discovered, and therefore may be a rare example of a very massive halo in which quasar-mode feedback is actively taking place.
The H I column density distribution function in faint dwarf galaxies

We present the HI column density distribution function,f(NHI), as measured from dwarf galaxies observed as part of the Faint Irregular Galaxy GMRT (FIGGS) survey. We find that the shape of the dwarf galaxy f(NHI) is significantly different from the f(NHI) for high redshift Damped Lyman − α absorbers (DLAs) or the f(NHI) for a representative sample of z = 0 gas rich galaxies. The dwarf f(NHI) falls much more steeply at high HI column densities as compared to the other determinations. While ∼ 10% of the cross section above NHI = 10 20.3 atoms cm at z = 0 is provided by dwarf galaxies, the fraction falls to . 1% by NHI ∼ 10 atoms cm. In the local universe, the contribution to the high NHI end of the f(NHI) distribution comes predominantly from the inclined disks of large galaxies. Dwarf galaxies, both because of their smaller scale lengths, and their larger intrinsic axial ratios do not produce large HI column densities even when viewed edge-on. If high column density DLAs/GRB hosts correspond to galaxies like the local dwarfs, this would require either that (i) the absorption arises from merging and not isolated systems or (ii) the observed lines of sight are strongly biased towards high column density regions.
TRANSPORT OF COSMIC-RAY PROTONS IN INTERMITTENT HELIOSPHERIC TURBULENCE: MODEL AND SIMULATIONS

The transport of charged energetic particles in the presence of strong intermittent heliospheric turbulence is computationally analyzed based on known properties of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma at 1 astronomical unit. The turbulence is assumed to be static, composite, and quasi-three-dimensional with a varying energy distribution between a one-dimensional Alfvénic (slab) and a structured two-dimensional component. The spatial fluctuations of the turbulent magnetic field are modeled either as homogeneous with a Gaussian probability distribution function (PDF), or as intermittent on large and small scales with a q-Gaussian PDF. Simulations showed that energetic particle diffusion coefficients both parallel and perpendicular to the background magnetic field are significantly affected by intermittency in the turbulence. This effect is especially strong for parallel transport where for large-scale intermittency results show an extended phase of subdiffusive parallel transport during which cross-field transport diffusion dominates. The effects of intermittency are found to depend on particle rigidity and the fraction of slab energy in the turbulence, yielding a perpendicular to parallel mean free path ratio close to 1 for large-scale intermittency. Investigation of higher order transport moments (kurtosis) indicates that non-Gaussian statistical properties of the intermittent turbulent magnetic field are present in the parallel transport, especially for low rigidity particles at all times.
3He-rich Solar Energetic Particles from Sunspot Jets

Solar sources of suprathermal (<1 MeV nucleon−1) 3He-rich solar energetic particles (SEPs) have been commonly associated with jets originating in small, compact active regions at the periphery of near-equatorial coronal holes. Sources of relatively rare, high-energy (>10 MeV nucleon−1) 3He-rich SEPs remain unexplored. Here we present two of the most intense 3He-rich (3He/4He > 1) SEP events of the current solar cycle 24 measured on the Advanced Composition Explorer at energy >10 MeV nucleon−1. Although 3He shows high intensities, Z > 2 ions are below the detection threshold. The events are accompanied by type-III radio bursts, but no type-II emission as typically seen for suprathermal 3He-rich SEPs. The corresponding solar sources were analyzed using high-resolution, extreme-ultraviolet imaging and photospheric magnetic field observations on the Solar Dynamics Observatory. We find the sources of these events associated with jets originating at the boundary of large sunspots with complex βγδ magnetic configuration. Thus, details of the underlying photospheric field apparently are important to produce 3He to high energies in the examined events.
Finite Baryon and Isospin Chemical Potential in AdS/CFT with Flavor

We investigate the thermodynamics of a thermal field theory in presence of both a baryon and an isospin chemical potential. For this we consider a probe of several D7-branes embedded in the AdS-Schwarzschild black hole background. We determine the structure of the phase diagram and calculate the relevant thermodynamical quantities both in the canonical and in the grand canonical ensemble. We discuss how accidental symmetries present reflect themselves in the phase diagram: In the case of two flavors, for small densities, there is a rotational symmetry in the plane spanned by the baryon and isospin density which breaks down at large densities, leaving a 4 symmetry. Finally, we calculate vector mode spectral functions and determine their dependence on either the baryon or the isospin density. For large densities, a new excitation forms with energy below the known supersymmetric spectrum. Increasing the density further, this excitation becomes unstable. We speculate that this instability indicates a new phase of condensed mesons.
DAMPING OF ALFVÉN WAVES BY TURBULENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: FROM COSMIC-RAY STREAMING TO LAUNCHING WINDS

This paper considers turbulent damping of Alfvén waves in magnetized plasmas. We identify two cases of damping, one related to damping of cosmic-ray streaming instability, the other related to damping of Alfvén waves emitted by a macroscopic wave source, e.g., a stellar atmosphere. The physical difference between the two cases is that in the former case the generated waves are emitted with respect to the local direction of the magnetic field, and in the latter, waves are emitted with respect to the mean field. The scaling of damping is different in the two cases. We explore effects of turbulence in the regimes from sub-Alfvénic to super-Alfvénic to obtain analytical expressions for the damping rates and define the ranges of applicability of these expressions. In describing the damping of the streaming instability, we find that for sub-Alfvénic turbulence, the range of cosmic-ray energies influenced by weak turbulence is unproportionally large compared to the range of scales where weak turbulence is present. On the contrary, the range of cosmic-ray energies affected by strong Alfvénic turbulence is rather limited. A number of astrophysical applications of the process ranging from launching of stellar and galactic winds to propagation of cosmic rays in galaxies and clusters of galaxies is considered. In particular, we discuss how to reconcile the process of turbulent damping with the observed isotropy of the Milky Way cosmic rays.
Challenges to Constraining Exoplanet Masses via Transmission Spectroscopy

MassSpec, a method for determining the mass of a transiting exoplanet from its transmission spectrum alone, was proposed by de Wit & Seager. The premise of this method relies on the planet’s surface gravity being extracted from the transmission spectrum via its effect on the atmospheric scale height, which in turn determines the strength of absorption features. Here, we further explore the applicability of MassSpec to low-mass exoplanets—specifically those in the super-Earth size range for which radial velocity determinations of the planetary mass can be extremely challenging and resource intensive. Determining the masses of these planets is of the utmost importance because their nature is otherwise highly unconstrained. Without knowledge of the mass, these planets could be rocky, icy, or gas-dominated. To investigate the effects of planetary mass on transmission spectra, we present simulated observations of super-Earths with atmospheres made up of mixtures of H2O and H2, both with and without clouds. We model their transmission spectra and run simulations of each planet as it would be observed with James Webb Space Telescope using the NIRISS, NIRSpec, and MIRI instruments. We find that significant degeneracies exist between transmission spectra of planets with different masses and compositions, making it impossible to unambiguously determine the planet’s mass in many cases.
EXPLORING THE CHEMICAL LINK BETWEEN LOCAL ELLIPTICALS AND THEIR HIGH-REDSHIFT PROGENITORS

We present Keck/MOSFIRE K-band spectroscopy of the first mass-selected sample of galaxies at z ∼ 2.3. Targets are selected from the 3D-Hubble Space Telescope Treasury survey. The six detected galaxies have a mean [N ii]λ6584/Hα ratio of 0.27 ± 0.01, with a small standard deviation of 0.05. This mean value is similar to that of UV-selected galaxies of the same mass. The mean gas-phase oxygen abundance inferred from the [N ii]/Hα ratios depends on the calibration method, and ranges from 12+log(O/H)gas = 8.57 for the Pettini & Pagel calibration to 12+log(O/H)gas = 8.87 for the Maiolino et al. calibration. Measurements of the stellar oxygen abundance in nearby quiescent galaxies with the same number density indicate 12+log(O/H)stars = 8.95, similar to the gas-phase abundances of the z ∼ 2.3 galaxies if the Maiolino et al. calibration is used. This suggests that these high-redshift star forming galaxies may be progenitors of today's massive early-type galaxies. The main uncertainties are the absolute calibration of the gas-phase oxygen abundance and the incompleteness of the z ∼ 2.3 sample: the galaxies with detected Hα tend to be larger and have higher star formation rates than the galaxies without detected Hα, and we may still be missing the most dust-obscured progenitors.
Tangles of superpositions and the convex-roof extension

We discuss aspects of the convex-roof extension of multipartite entanglement measures, that is, $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ invariant tangles. We highlight two key concepts that contain valuable information about the tangle of a density matrix: the zero polytope is a convex set of density matrices with vanishing tangle whereas the convex characteristic curve readily provides a nontrivial lower bound for the convex roof and serves as a tool for constructing the convex roof outside the zero polytope. Both concepts are derived from the tangle for superpositions of the eigenstates of the density matrix. We illustrate their application by considering examples of density matrices for two-qubit and three-qubit states of rank 2, thereby pointing out both the power and the limitations of the concepts.
Revealing the Cosmic Web-dependent Halo Bias

Halo bias is the one of the key ingredients of the halo models. It was shown at a given redshift to be only dependent, to the first order, on the halo mass. In this study, four types of cosmic web environments—clusters, filaments, sheets, and voids—are defined within a state-of-the-art high-resolution N-body simulation. Within these environments, we use both halo-dark matter cross correlation and halo-halo autocorrelation functions to probe the clustering properties of halos. The nature of the halo bias differs strongly between the four different cosmic web environments described here. With respect to the overall population, halos in clusters have significantly lower biases in the mass range. In other environments, however, halos show extremely enhanced biases up to a factor 10 in voids for halos of mass . Such a strong cosmic web environment dependence in the halo bias may play an important role in future cosmological and galaxy formation studies. Within this cosmic web framework, the age dependency of halo bias is found to be only significant in clusters and filaments for relatively small halos .
LIGHT CURVE SOLUTIONS OF 12 ECCENTRIC KEPLER BINARIES AND ANALYSIS OF THEIR OUT-OF-ECLIPSE VARIABILITY

The eccentricity, periastron angle, orbital inclination, mass ratio, stellar temperatures, and relative stellar radii of 12 eclipsing eccentric binaries were determined on the basis of Kepler data. The analysis of their out-of-eclipse variability led to the following results: (i) KIC 10490980 exhibits rotational (spot-type) variability. (ii) Four new heartbeat stars were found: KIC 9344623 and KIC 10296163, which have wide tidally induced light humps, and KIC 9119405 and KIC 9673173, which have narrow “W-shape” features. (iii) KIC 4932691 shows oscillations with approximately the 18th harmonic of the orbital period. We established that the eccentric Kepler binaries fall below the envelope days on the period–eccentricity diagram and that there is a surprising lack of eccentric binaries with periods of 25–35 days.