Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IRT Modelling of Dichotomous Items with Linear Factor Analysis

Bearing on linear factor analytical techniques applied to matrices of tetrachoric and Pearson correlations of dichotomous variables, we describe heuristic methods of parameter estimation in the two-parameter normal ogive model and discuss some indices and methods of factor analysis and structural equation modeling which were never investigated systematically for the assessment of unidimensionality in this case. The results of a simulation study indicate that heuristic parameter estimation is surprisingly accurate when distributional assumptions are met, mostly being only slightly inferior to marginal maximum likelihood estimation. Moreover, recovery of unidimensionality appears feasible with residual-based indices and methods but also depends on type of correlation coefficient used. We discuss our findings with regard to their generalizability, their relevance to applied research, and the refinement of parameter estimation techniques in item response theory.
THE PLANETARY SYSTEM TO KIC 11442793: A COMPACT ANALOGUE TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM

We announce the discovery of a planetary system with seven transiting planets around a Kepler target, a current record for transiting systems. Planets b, c, e, and f are reported for the first time in this work. Planets d, g, and h were previously reported in the literature, although here we revise their orbital parameters and validate their planetary nature. Planets h and g are gas giants and show strong dynamical interactions. The orbit of planet g is perturbed in such a way that its orbital period changes by 25.7 hr between two consecutive transits during the length of the observations, which is the largest such perturbation found so far. The rest of the planets also show mutual interactions: planets d, e, and f are super-Earths close to a mean motion resonance chain (2:3:4), and planets b and c, with sizes below 2 Earth radii, are within 0.5% of the 4:5 mean motion resonance. This complex system presents some similarities to our solar system, with small planets in inner orbits and gas giants in outer orbits. It is, however, more compact. The outer planet has an orbital distance around 1 AU, and the relative position of the gas giants is opposite to that of Jupiter and Saturn, which is closer to the expected result of planet formation theories. The dynamical interactions between planets are also much richer.
Extinction and the Dimming of KIC 8462852

To test alternative hypotheses for the behavior of KIC 8462852, we obtained measurements of the star over a wide wavelength range from the UV to the mid-infrared from 2015 October through 2016 December, using Swift, Spitzer and AstroLAB IRIS. The star faded in a manner similar to the long-term fading seen in Kepler data about 1400 days previously. The dimming rate for the entire period reported is 22.1 ± 9.7 mmag yr−1 in the Swift wavebands, with amounts of 21.0 ± 4.5 mmag in the ground-based B measurements, 14.0 ± 4.5 mmag in V, and 13.0 ± 4.5 in R, and a rate of 5.0 ± 1.2 mmag yr−1 averaged over the two warm Spitzer bands. Although the dimming is small, it is seen at ≳3σ by three different observatories operating from the UV to the IR. The presence of long-term secular dimming means that previous spectral energy distribution models of the star based on photometric measurements taken years apart may not be accurate. We find that stellar models with K and best fit the Swift data from UV to optical. These models also show no excess in the near-simultaneous Spitzer photometry at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, although a longer wavelength excess from a substantial debris disk is still possible (e.g., as around Fomalhaut). The wavelength dependence of the fading favors a relatively neutral color (i.e., , but not flat across all the bands) compared with the extinction law for the general interstellar medium ( ), suggesting that the dimming arises from circumstellar material.
Moving‐mesh cosmology: characteristics of galaxies and haloes

We discuss cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation performed with the new moving-mesh code AREPO, which promises higher accuracy compared with the traditional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) technique that has been widely employed for this problem. In this exploratory study, we deliberately limit the complexity of the physical processes followed by the code for ease of comparison with previous calculations, and include only cooling of gas with a primordial composition, heating by a spatially uniform ultraviolet background, and a simple subresolution model for regulating star formation in the dense interstellar medium. We use an identical set of physics in corresponding simulations carried out with the well-tested SPH code GADGET, adopting also the same high-resolution gravity solver. We are thus able to compare both simulation sets on an object-by-object basis, allowing us to cleanly isolate the impact of different hydrodynamical methods on galaxy and halo properties. In accompanying papers, Vogelsberger et al. and Sijacki et al., we focus on an analysis of the global baryonic statistics predicted by the simulation codes, and complementary idealized simulations that highlight the differences between the hydrodynamical schemes. Here we investigate their influence on the baryonic properties of simulated galaxies and their surrounding haloes. We find that AREPO leads to significantly higher star formation rates for galaxies in massive haloes and to more extended gaseous discs in galaxies, which also feature a thinner and smoother morphology than their GADGET counterparts. Consequently, galaxies formed in AREPO have larger sizes and higher specific angular momentum than their SPH correspondents. Interestingly, the more efficient cooling flows in AREPO yield higher densities and lower entropies in halo centres compared to GADGET, whereas the opposite trend is found in halo outskirts. The cooling differences leading to higher star formation rates of massive galaxies in AREPO also slightly increase the baryon content within the virial radius of massive haloes. We show that these differences persist as a function of numerical resolution. While both codes agree to acceptable accuracy on a number of baryonic properties of cosmic structures, our results thus clearly demonstrate that galaxy formation simulations greatly benefit from the use of more accurate hydrodynamical techniques such as AREPO and call into question the reliability of galaxy formation studies in a cosmological context using traditional standard formulations of SPH, such as the one implemented in GADGET. Our new moving-mesh simulations demonstrate that a population of extended gaseous discs of galaxies in large volume cosmological simulations can be formed even without energetic feedback in the form of galactic winds, although such outflows appear required to obtain realistic stellar masses.
Theory and Computation of Electromagnetic Fields

The book is divided in two parts. The first part covers both fundamental theories (such as vector analysis, Maxwell’s equations, boundary condition, and transmission line theory) and advanced topics (such as wave transformation, addition theorems, and fields in layered media) in order to benefit students at all levels. The second part of the book covers the major computational methods for numerical analysis of electromagnetic fields for engineering applications. These methods include the three fundamental approaches for numerical analysis of electromagnetic fields: the finite difference method (the finite difference time-domain method in particular), the finite element method, and the integral equation-based moment method. The second part also examines fast algorithms for solving integral equations and hybrid techniques that combine different numerical methods to seek more efficient solutions of complicated electromagnetic problems.
Realization Theory for Multivariate Gaussian Processes II: State Space Theory Revisited and Dynamical Representations of Finite Dimensional.

Abstract : The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, some of the results of Part I are generalized and clarified, reformulated in a mathematical framework which we now perceive as more natural and conceptually sounder, the basic concept being perpendicularly intersecting subspaces. By relating minimality of stochastic realizations to the factorization of certain Hankel operators, the connections to deterministic realization theory is further clarified. Furthermore, spectral domain criteria for minimality, observability and constructibility are presented. Secondly, stochastic differential equation representations are presented for all state spaces which are finite dimensional. The infinite dimensional case will be the topic of Part III of this sequence of papers. (Author)
Emergence of spacetime in a restricted spin-foam model

The spectral dimension has proven to be a very informative observable to understand the properties of quantum geometries in approaches to quantum gravity. In loop quantum gravity and its spin foam description, it has not been possible so far to calculate the spectral dimension of spacetime. As a first step towards this goal, here we determine the spacetime spectral dimension in the simplified spin foam model restricted to hypercuboids. Using Monte Carlo methods we compute the spectral dimension for state sums over periodic spin foam configurations on infinite lattices. For given periodicity, i.e. number of degrees of freedom, we find a range of scale where an intermediate spectral dimension between 0 and 4 can be found, continuously depending on the parameter of the model. Under an assumption on the statistical behaviour of the Laplacian we can explain these results analytically. This allows us to take the thermodynamic limit of large periodicity and find a phase transition from a regime of effectively 0-dimensional to 4-dimensional spacetime. At the point of phase transition, dynamics of the model are scale invariant which can be seen as restoration of diffeomorphism invariance of flat space. Considering the spectral dimension as an order parameter for renormalization we find a renormalization group flow to this point as well. Being the first instance of an emergence of 4-dimensional spacetime in a spin foam model, the properties responsible for this result seem to be rather generic. We thus expect similar results for more general, less restricted spin foam models.
Power Spectra in V band and Hα of Nine Irregular Galaxies

Fourier transform power spectra of major axis cuts in V and Hα images were made for a sample of nine irregular galaxies. These power spectra reveal structure over a wide range of scales. For six of the galaxies the power spectrum slopes at intermediate scales (10–400 pc) in the V-band images range from -1.3 to -1.5. The similarity of slopes suggests that the same processes are structuring these systems. These slopes are slightly shallower than those observed in other galaxies in H I, molecular emission, dust extinction, and optical light. Three of the galaxies have flat power spectra like sky noise; these three galaxies are relatively indistinct in the direct images. The power spectrum slope for Hα steepens with increasing star formation rate, ranging from a shallow value comparable to the noise at low rates to a steep value with a slope of ∼-1.5 at high rates. This change reflects the increasing areal filling factor of Hα emission with increasing star formation rate and an apparently universal slope inside the Hα regions that is comparable to that for Kolmogorov turbulence. The power spectrum of H I in one galaxy has a steeper power law, with a slope of ∼-2.9. The fact that the power laws of star formation are about the same for dwarf galaxies and giant spiral galaxies suggests the microscopic processes are the same, independent of spiral density waves and galaxy size.
Device-independent randomness generation from several Bell estimators

Device-independent randomness generation and quantum key distribution protocols rely on a fundamental relation between the non-locality of quantum theory and its random character. This relation is usually expressed in terms of a trade-off between the probability of guessing correctly the outcomes of measurements performed on quantum systems and the amount of violation of a given Bell inequality. However, a more accurate assessment of the randomness produced in Bell experiments can be obtained if the value of several Bell expressions is simultaneously taken into account, or if the full set of probabilities characterizing the behavior of the device is considered. We introduce protocols for device-independent randomness generation secure against classical side information, that rely on the estimation of an arbitrary number of Bell expressions or even directly on the experimental frequencies of measurement outcomes. Asymptotically, this results in an optimal generation of randomness from experimental data (as measured by the min-entropy), without having to assume beforehand that the devices violate a specific Bell inequality.
Nucleon form factors and root-mean-square radii on a 
(10.8  fm)4
 lattice at the physical point

We present the nucleon form factors and root-mean-square (RMS) radii measured on a (10.8 fm$)^4$ lattice at the physical point. We compute the form factors at small momentum transfer region in $q^2\le 0.102$ GeV$^2$ with the standard plateau method choosing four source-sink separation times $t_{\rm sep}$ from 0.84 to 1.35 fm to examine the possible excited state contamination. We obtain the electric and magnetic form factors and their RMS radii for not only the isovector channel but also the proton and neutron ones without the disconnected diagram. We also obtain the axial-vector coupling and the axial radius from the axial-vector form factor. We find that these three form factors do not show large $t_{\rm sep}$ dependence in our lattice setup, and those RMS radii are consistent with the experimental values. On the other hand, the induced pseudoscalar and pseudoscalar form factors show the clear effects of the excited state contamination, which affect the generalized Goldberger-Treiman relation.
Properties of trapped electromagnetic modes in coupled waveguides

The existence of trapped modes in coupled electromagnetic waveguides is experimentally investigated for configurations with different degrees of symmetry supporting hybrid modes. The occurrence of confined solutions in such open geometries is proven to be much more general than demonstrated so far, as predicted by Goldstone and Jaffe [J. Goldstone and R. L. Jaffe, Phys. Rev. B 45, 14100 (1992)]. The identification of the observed modes is based on the numerical modeling of the relative vector fields. The experimental results make evident that an increasing aperture of the configuration can improve the confinement of the mode instead of generating additional leakage channels. In particular, long-lived trapped modes can be easily obtained in geometries with a large aperture. Their resonance parameters can compete with those of standard close cavities working at millimeter wavelengths. The role of the symmetry on the properties of these trapped modes is discussed in detail.
The nuclear and extended mid-infrared emission of Seyfert galaxies

We present subarcsecond resolution mid-infrared (MIR) images obtained with 8-10 m-class ground-based telescopes of a complete volume-limited (DL<40 Mpc) sample of 24 Seyfert galaxies selected from the Swift/BAT nine month catalog. We use those MIR images to study the nuclear and circumnuclear emission of the galaxies. Using different methods to classify the MIR morphologies on scales of ~400 pc, we find that the majority of the galaxies (75-83%) are extended or possibly extended and 17-25% are point-like. This extended emission is compact and it has low surface brightness compared with the nuclear emission, and it represents, on average, ~30% of the total MIR emission of the galaxies in the sample. We find that the galaxies whose circumnuclear MIR emission is dominated by star formation show more extended emission (650+-700 pc) than AGN-dominated systems (300+-100 pc). In general, the galaxies with point-like MIR morphologies are face-on or moderately inclined (b/a~0.4-1.0), and we do not find significant differences between the morphologies of Sy1 and Sy2. We used the nuclear and circumnuclear fluxes to investigate their correlation with different AGN and SF activity indicators. We find that the nuclear MIR emission (the inner ~70 pc) is strongly correlated with the X-ray emission (the harder the X-rays the better the correlation) and with the [O IV] lambda 25.89 micron emission line, indicating that it is AGN-dominated. We find the same results, although with more scatter, for the circumnuclear emission, which indicates that the AGN dominates the MIR emission in the inner ~400 pc of the galaxies, with some contribution from star formation.
Building non-commutative spacetimes at the Planck length for Friedmann flat cosmologies

We propose physically motivated spacetime uncertainty relations (STUR) for flat Friedmann–Lemaître cosmologies. We show that the physical features of these STUR crucially depend on whether a particle horizon is present or not. In particular, when this is the case we deduce the existence of a maximal value for the Hubble rate (or equivalently for the matter density), thus providing an indication that quantum effects may rule out a pointlike big bang singularity. Finally, we construct a concrete realization of the corresponding quantum Friedmann spacetime in terms of operators on a Hilbert space.
FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations for hadrontherapy application

Monte Carlo (MC) codes are increasingly spreading in the hadrontherapy community due to their detailed description of radiation transport and interaction with matter. The suitability of a MC code for application to hadrontherapy demands accurate and reliable physical models for the description of the transport and the interaction of all components of the expected radiation field (ions, hadrons, electrons, positrons and photons). This contribution will address the specific case of the general-purpose particle and interaction code FLUKA. In this work, an application of FLUKA will be presented, i.e. establishing CT (computed tomography)-based calculations of physical and RBE (relative biological effectiveness)-weighted dose distributions in scanned carbon ion beam therapy.
Breaking the Ω̃(√n) Barrier: Fast Consensus under a Late Adversary

We study the consensus problem in a synchronous distributed system of $n$ nodes under an adaptive adversary that has a slightly outdated view of the system and can block all incoming and outgoing communication of a constant fraction of the nodes in each round. Motivated by a result of Ben-Or and Bar-Joseph (1998), showing that any consensus algorithm that is resilient against a linear number of crash faults requires $\tilde \Omega(\sqrt{n})$ rounds in an $n$-node network against an adaptive adversary, we consider a late adaptive adversary, who has full knowledge of the network state at the beginning of the previous round and unlimited computational power, but is oblivious to the current state of the nodes. Our main contributions are randomized distributed algorithms that achieve almost-everywhere consensus w.h. p. against a late adaptive adversary who can block up to $\epsilon n$ nodes in each round, for a small constant $\epsilon >0$. Our first protocol achieves binary and plurality consensus, and the second one achieves multi-value consensus. Both of our algorithms succeed in $O(\log n)$ rounds with high probability, thus showing an exponential gap to the aforementioned lower bound for strongly adaptive crash-failure adversaries, which can be strengthened to $\Omega(n)$ when allowing the adversary to block nodes instead of permanently crashing them. In our algorithms each node contacts only an (amortized) constant number of peers in each communication round. We show that our algorithms are optimal up to constant (resp. sub-logarithmic) factors by proving that every almost-everywhere consensus protocol takes $\Omega(\log_d n)$ rounds in the worst case, where $d$ is an upper bound on the number of communication requests initiated per node in each round. We complement our theoretical results with an experimental evaluation of the first protocol revealing a short convergence time.
A Deeper Look at the New Milky Way Satellites: Sagittarius II, Reticulum II, Phoenix II, and Tucana III

We present deep Magellan/Megacam stellar photometry of four recently discovered faint Milky Way satellites: Sagittarius II (Sgr II), Reticulum II (Ret II), Phoenix II (Phe II), and Tucana III (Tuc III). Our photometry reaches ∼2–3 magnitudes deeper than the discovery data, allowing us to revisit the properties of these new objects (e.g., distance, structural properties, luminosity measurements, and signs of tidal disturbance). The satellite color-magnitude diagrams show that they are all old (∼13.5 Gyr) and metal poor ([Fe/H] ≲ −2.2). Sgr II is particularly interesting, as it sits in an intermediate position between the loci of dwarf galaxies and globular clusters in the size–luminosity plane. The ensemble of its structural parameters is more consistent with a globular cluster classification, indicating that Sgr II is the most extended globular cluster in its luminosity range. The other three satellites land directly on the locus defined by Milky Way ultra-faint dwarf galaxies of similar luminosity. Ret II is the most elongated nearby dwarf galaxy currently known for its luminosity range. Our structural parameters for Phe II and Tuc III suggest that they are both dwarf galaxies. Tuc III is known to be associated with a stellar stream, which is clearly visible in our matched-filter stellar density map. The other satellites do not show any clear evidence of tidal stripping in the form of extensions or distortions. Finally, we also use archival H i data to place limits on the gas content of each object.
Poking the Beehive from Space: K2 Rotation Periods for Praesepe

We analyze K2 light curves for 794 low-mass ( 1 ≳ M * ≳ 0.1 M ⊙ ) members of the ≈650 Myr old open cluster Praesepe and measure rotation periods (Prot) for 677 of these stars. We find that half of the rapidly rotating ≳ 0.3 M ⊙ stars are confirmed or candidate binary systems. The remaining ≳ 0.3 M ⊙ fast rotators have not been searched for companions, and are therefore not confirmed single stars. We previously found that nearly all rapidly rotating ≳ 0.3 M ⊙ stars in the Hyades are binaries, but we require deeper binary searches in Praesepe to confirm whether binaries in these two co-eval clusters have different Prot distributions. We also compare the observed Prot distribution in Praesepe to that predicted by models of angular-momentum evolution. We do not observe the clear bimodal Prot distribution predicted by Brown for >0.5 M ⊙ stars at the age of Praesepe, but 0.25−0.5 M ⊙ stars do show stronger bimodality. In addition, we find that >60% of early M dwarfs in Praesepe rotate more slowly than predicted at 650 Myr by Matt et al., which suggests an increase in braking efficiency for these stars relative to solar-type stars and fully convective stars. The incompleteness of surveys for binaries in open clusters likely impacts our comparison with these models since the models only attempt to describe the evolution of isolated single stars.