Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Derivation of an optical potential for statically deformed rare-earth nuclei from a global spherical potential

The coupled-channel theory is a natural way of treating nonelastic channels, in particular those arising from collective excitations characterized by nuclear deformations. A proper treatment of such excitations is often essential to the accurate description of experimental nuclear-reaction data and to the prediction of a wide variety of scattering observables. Stimulated by recent work substantiating the near validity of the adiabatic approximation in coupled-channel calculations for scattering on statically deformed nuclei, we explore the possibility of generalizing a global spherical optical model potential (OMP) to make it usable in coupled-channel calculations on this class of nuclei. To do this, we have deformed the Koning-Delaroche global spherical potential for neutrons, coupling a sufficient number of states of the ground state band to ensure convergence. We present an extensive study of the effects of collective couplings and nuclear deformations on integrated cross sections as well as on angular distributions for neutron-induced reactions on statically deformed nuclei in the rare-earth region. We choose isotopes of three rare-earth elements (Gd, Ho, W), which are known to be nearly perfect rotors, to exemplify the results of the proposed method. Predictions from our model for total, elastic and inelastic cross sections, as well as for elasticmore » and inelastic angular distributions, are in reasonable agreement with measured experimental data. In conclusion, these results suggest that the deformed Koning-Delaroche potential provides a useful regional neutron optical potential for the statically deformed rare earth nuclei. « less
Discovery of three strongly lensed quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We present the discovery of 3 quasar lenses in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), selected using two novel photometry-based selection techniques. The J0941+0518 system, with two point sources separated by 5.46" on either side of a galaxy, has source and lens redshifts $z_s = 1.54$ and $z_l = 0.343$. The AO-assisted images of J2211+1929 show two point sources separated by 1.04", corresponding to the same quasar at $z_s = 1.07,$ besides the lens galaxy and Einstein ring. Images of J2257+2349 show two point sources separated by 1.67" on either side of an E/S0 galaxy. The extracted spectra show two images of the same quasar at redshift $z_s = 2.10$. In total, the two selection techniques identified 309 lens candidates, including 47 known lenses, and 6 previously ruled out candidates. 55 of the remaining candidates were observed using NIRC2 and ESI at Keck Observatory, EFOSC2 at the ESO-NTT (La Silla), and SAM and the Goodman spectrograph at SOAR. Of the candidates observed, 3 were confirmed as lenses, 36 were ruled out, and 16 remain inconclusive. Taking into account that we recovered known lenses, this gives us a success rate of at least 50/309 (16%). This initial campaign demonstrates the power of purely photometric selection techniques in finding lensed quasars. Developing and refining these techniques is essential for efficient identification of these rare lenses in ongoing and future photometric surveys.
Coherence of Burst Oscillations and Accretion-Powered Pulsations in the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar XTE J1814–338

X-ray timing of the accretion-powered pulsations during the 2003 outburst of the accreting millisecond pulsar XTE J1814–338 has revealed variation in the pulse time of arrival residuals. These can be interpreted in several ways, including spin-down and wandering of the fuel impact point around the magnetic pole. In this Letter we show that the burst oscillations of this source are coherent with the persistent pulsations, to the level where they track all of the observed fluctuations. Only one burst, which occurs at the lowest accretion rates, shows a significant phase offset. We discuss what might lead to such rigid phase-locking between the modulations in the accretion and thermonuclear burst emission, and consider the implications for spin variation and the burst oscillation mechanism. Wandering of the fuel impact hot spot around a fixed magnetic pole seems the most likely cause for the accretion-powered pulse phase variations. This means that the burst asymmetry is coupled to the hot spot, not the magnetic pole. If premature ignition at this point (due to higher local temperatures) triggers a burning front that stalls before spreading over the entire surface, the resulting localized nuclear hot spot may explain the unusual burst and burst oscillation properties of this source.
Nonradiative limitations to plasmon propagation in chains of metallic nanoparticles

We investigate the collective plasmonic modes in a chain of metallic nanoparticles that are coupled by near-field interactions. The size- and momentum-dependent nonradiative Landau damping and radiative decay rates are calculated analytically within an open quantum system approach. These decay rates determine the excitation propagation along the chain. In particular, the behavior of the radiative decay rate as a function of the plasmon wavelength leads to a transition from an exponential decay of the collective excitation for short distances to an algebraic decay for large distances. Importantly, we show that the exponential decay is of a purely nonradiative origin. Our transparent model enables us to provide analytical expressions for the polarization-dependent plasmon excitation profile along the chain and for the associated propagation length. Our theoretical analysis constitutes an important step in the quest for the optimal conditions for plasmonic propagation in nanoparticle chains.
Localised Systems in Relativistic Quantum Information

This thesis collects my own and collaborative work I have been involved with finding localised systems in quantum field theory that are be useful for quantum information. It draws from many well established physical theories such as quantum field theory in curved spacetimes, quantum optics and Gaussian state quantum information. The results are split between three chapters. For the first results, we set-up the basic framework for working with quantum fields confined to cavities. By considering the real Klein-Gordon field, we describe how to model the non-uniform motion of a rigid cavity through spacetime. We employ the use of Bogoliubov transformations to describe the effects of changing acceleration. We investigate how entanglement can be generated within a single cavity and the protocol of quantum teleportation is affected by non-uniform motion. The second set of results investigate how the Dirac field can be confined to a cavity for quantum information purposes. By again considering Bogoliubov transformations, we thoroughly investigate how the entanglement shared between two cavities is affected by non-uniform motion. In particular, we investigate the role of the Dirac fields charge in entanglement effects. We finally analyse a \one-way-trip" of one of the entangled cavities. It is shown that different types of Dirac field states are more robust against motion than others. The final results looks at using our second notion of localisation, Unruh-DeWitt detectors. We investigate how allowing for a \non-point-like" spatial profile of the Unruh-DeWitt detector affects how it interacts with a quantum field around it. By engineering suitable detector-field interactions, we use techniques from symplectic geometry to compute the dynamics of a quantum state beyond commonly used perturbation theory. Further, the use of Unruh-DeWitt detectors in generating entanglement between two distinct cavities will be investigated.
An equivalence between stationary points for rank constraints versus low-rank factorizations

Two common approaches in low-rank optimization problems are either working directly with a rank constraint on the matrix variable, or optimizing over a low-rank factorization so that the rank constraint is implicitly ensured. In this paper, we study the natural connection between the rank-constrained and factorized approaches. We show that all second-order stationary points of the factorized objective function correspond to stationary points of projected gradient descent run on the original problem (where the projection step enforces the rank constraint). This result allows us to unify many existing optimization guarantees that have been proved specifically in either the rank-constrained or the factorized setting, and leads to new results for certain settings of the problem.
Multidimensionally-constrained relativistic mean-field study of spontaneous fission: coupling between shape and pairing degrees of freedom

Background: Studies of fission dynamics, based on nuclear energy density functionals, have shown that the coupling between shape and pairing degrees of freedom has a pronounced effect on the nonperturbative collective inertia and, therefore, on dynamic (least-action) spontaneous fission paths and half-lives. Purpose: The aim is to analyze the effects of particle-number fluctuation degrees of freedom on symmetric and asymmetric spontaneous fission (SF) dynamics, and to compare the findings with the results of recent studies based on the self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) method.
Simulating radiative feedback and star cluster formation in GMCs – I. Dependence on gravitational boundedness

Radiative feedback is an important consequence of cluster formation in Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) in which newly formed clusters heat and ionize their surrounding gas. The process of cluster formation, and the role of radiative feedback, has not been fully explored in different GMC environments. We present a suite of simulations which explore how the initial gravitational boundedness, and radiative feedback, affect cluster formation. We model the early evolution ($<$ 5 Myr) of turbulent, 10$^6$ M$_{\odot}$ clouds with virial parameters ranging from 0.5 to 5. To model cluster formation, we use cluster sink particles, coupled to a raytracing scheme, and a custom subgrid model which populates a cluster via sampling an IMF with an efficiency of 20\% per freefall time. We find that radiative feedback only decreases the cluster particle formation efficiency by a few percent. The initial virial parameter plays a much stronger role in limiting cluster formation, with a spread of cluster formation efficiencies of 37\% to 71\% for the most unbound to the most bound model. The total number of clusters increases while the maximum mass cluster decreases with an increasing initial virial parameter, resulting in steeper mass distributions. The star formation rates in our cluster particles are initially consistent with observations but rise to higher values at late times. This suggests that radiative feedback alone is not responsible for dispersing a GMC over the first 5 Myr of cluster formation.
Many-body processes in black and gray matter-wave solitons

We perform a comparative beyond-mean-field study of black and gray solitonic excitations in a finite ensemble of ultracold bosons confined to a one-dimensional box. An optimized density-engineering potential is developed and employed together with phase imprinting to cleanly initialize gray solitons. By means of ab initio simulations with the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree method for bosons, we demonstrate that quantum fluctuations limit the lifetime of the soliton contrast, which increases with increasing soliton velocity. A natural orbital analysis reveals a two-stage process underlying the decay of the soliton contrast. The broken parity symmetry of gray solitons results in a local asymmetry of the orbital mainly responsible for the decay, which leads to a characteristic asymmetry of remarkably localized two-body correlations. The emergence and decay of these correlations as well as their displacement from the instantaneous soliton position are analyzed in detail. Finally, the role of phase imprinting for the many-body dynamics is illuminated and additional nonlocal correlations in pairs of counterpropagating gray solitons are observed.
Porous media equations with two weights: smoothing and decay properties of energy solutions via Poincar\'e inequalities

We study weighted porous media equations on domains $\Omega\subseteq{\mathbb R}^N$, either with Dirichlet or with Neumann homogeneous boundary conditions when $\Omega\not={\mathbb R}^N$. Existence of weak solutions and uniqueness in a suitable class is studied in detail. Moreover, $L^{q_0}$-$L^\varrho$ smoothing effects ($1\leq q_0<\varrho<\infty$) are discussed for short time, in connection with the validity of a Poincar\'e inequality in appropriate weighted Sobolev spaces, and the long-time asymptotic behaviour is also studied. Particular emphasis is given to the Neumann problem, which is much less studied in the literature, as well as to the case $\Omega={\mathbb R}^N$ when the corresponding weight makes its measure finite, so that solutions converge to their weighted average instead than to zero. Examples are given in terms of wide classes of weights.
DETERMINANTS OF WOMEN’S COUPLE SATISFACTION: COMMUNICATION PATTERNS, AMBIVALENT SEXISM AND SEX ROLES

Couple satisfaction is a subject of interest for everyone that is in a romantic relationship and it deserves a great deal of attention from researchers. This study focused on the relations between communication patterns, benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, sex roles, and couple satisfaction. We gathered data from 121 female participants aged between 19 and 26 years. The instruments used to assess the variables were: Communication Patterns Questionnaire - Short Form, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, Traditional Egalitarian Sex Role Scale, and Relationship Assessment Scale. The results showed that communication patterns are significantly associated with couple satisfaction. Women who preferred the constructive communication pattern had a higher level of couple satisfaction compared with those who preferred the woman demands/man withdraws pattern or the man demands/ woman withdraws pattern. Also, the regression we computed revealed that the model is a significant one and explained a significant proportion of variance in couple satisfaction. This study didn’t reveal any other significant results.
What can(not) be measured with ton-scale dark matter direct detection experiments

Direct searches for dark matter have prompted in recent years a great deal of excitement within the astroparticle physics community, but the compatibility between signal claims and null results of different experiments is far from being a settled issue. In this context, we study here the prospects for constraining the dark matter parameter space with the next generation of ton-scale detectors. Using realistic experimental capabilities for a wide range of targets (including fluorine, sodium, argon, germanium, iodine and xenon), the role of target complementarity is analysed in detail while including the impact of astrophysical uncertainties in a self-consistent manner. We show explicitly that a multi-target signal in future direct detection facilities can determine the sign of the ratio of scalar couplings $f_n/f_p$, but not its scale. This implies that the scalar-proton cross-section is left essentially unconstrained if the assumption $f_p\sim f_n$ is relaxed. Instead, we find that both the axial-proton cross-section and the ratio of axial couplings $a_n/a_p$ can be measured with fair accuracy if multi-ton instruments using sodium and iodine will eventually come online. Moreover, it turns out that future direct detection data can easily discriminate between elastic and inelastic scatterings. Finally, we argue that, with weak assumptions regarding the WIMP couplings and the astrophysics, only the dark matter mass and the inelastic parameter (i.e. mass splitting) may be inferred from the recoil spectra -- specifically, we anticipate an accuracy of tens of GeV (tens of keV) in the measurement of the dark matter mass (inelastic parameter).
ALMA RESULTS OF THE PSEUDODISK, ROTATING DISK, AND JET IN THE CONTINUUM AND HCO+ IN THE PROTOSTELLAR SYSTEM HH 212

HH 212 is a nearby (400 pc) Class 0 protostellar system showing several components that can be compared with theoretical models of core collapse. We have mapped it in the 350 GHz continuum and HCO+ J = 4–3 emission with ALMA at up to ∼0. ″4 resolution. A flattened envelope and a compact disk are seen in the continuum around the central source, as seen before. The HCO+ kinematics shows that the flattened envelope is infalling with small rotation (i.e., spiraling) into the central source, and thus can be identified as a pseudodisk in the models of magnetized core collapse. Also, the HCO+ kinematics shows that the disk is rotating and can be rotationally supported. In addition, to account for the missing HCO+ emission at low-redshifted velocity, an extended infalling envelope is required, with its material flowing roughly parallel to the jet axis toward the pseudodisk. This is expected if it is magnetized with an hourglass B-field morphology. We have modeled the continuum and HCO+ emission of the flattened envelope and disk simultaneously. We find that a jump in density is required across the interface between the pseudodisk and the disk. A jet is seen in HCO+ extending out to ∼500 AU away from the central source, with the peaks upstream of those seen before in SiO. The broad velocity range and high HCO+ abundance indicate that the HCO+ emission traces internal shocks in the jet.
Submillimetre variability of Eta Carinae: cool dust within the outer ejecta

Previous submillimetre (submm) observations detected 0.7 M⊙ of cool dust emission around the luminous blue variable (LBV) star η Carinae. These observations were hindered by the low declination of η Carinae and contamination from free–free emission originating from the stellar wind. Here, we present deep submm observations with LABOCA at 870 μm, taken shortly after a maximum in the 5.5-year radio cycle. We find a significant difference in the submm flux measured here compared with the previous measurement: the first indication of variability at submm wavelengths. A comparison of the submm structures with ionized emission features suggests the 870 μm is dominated by emission from the ionized wind and not thermal emission from dust. We estimate of dust surrounding η Carinae. The spatial distribution of the submm emission limits the mass loss to within the last thousand years, and is associated with mass ejected during the great eruptions and the pre-outburst LBV wind phase; we estimate that η Carinae has ejected >40 M⊙ of gas within this time-scale.
THE COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION OF DEBRIS DISKS

We explore the collisional decay of disk mass and infrared emission in debris disks. With models, we show that the rate of the decay varies throughout the evolution of the disks, increasing its rate up to a certain point, which is followed by a leveling off to a slower value. The total disk mass falls off ∝t−0.35 at its fastest point (where t is time) for our reference model, while the dust mass and its proxy—the infrared excess emission—fades significantly faster (∝t−0.8). These later level off to a decay rate of Mtot(t)∝t−0.08 and Mdust(t) or Lir(t)∝t−0.6. This is slower than the ∝t−1 decay given for all three system parameters by traditional analytic models. We also compile an extensive catalog of Spitzer and Herschel 24, 70, and 100 μm observations. Assuming a log-normal distribution of initial disk masses, we generate model population decay curves for the fraction of stars harboring debris disks detected at 24 μm. We also model the distribution of measured excesses at the far-IR wavelengths (70–100 μm) at certain age regimes. We show general agreement at 24 μm between the decay of our numerical collisional population synthesis model and observations up to a Gyr. We associate offsets above a Gyr to stochastic events in a few select systems. We cannot fit the decay in the far-infrared convincingly with grain strength properties appropriate for silicates, but those of water ice give fits more consistent with the observations (other relatively weak grain materials would presumably also be successful). The oldest disks have a higher incidence of large excesses than predicted by the model; again, a plausible explanation is very late phases of high dynamical activity around a small number of stars. Finally, we constrain the variables of our numerical model by comparing the evolutionary trends generated from the exploration of the full parameter space to observations. Amongst other results, we show that erosive collisions are dominant in setting the timescale of the evolution and that planetesimals on the order of 100 km in diameter are necessary in the cascades for our population synthesis models to reproduce the observations.
Workshop on Interactive Adaptive Learning

Active learning (AL) techniques hardly cope with complex annotations tasks, where, for example, annotations might express relationships across data modalities. As a use case, we consider the task of automatically detecting and reporting multimodal, polarized web content (PWC). Samples of this content type emerge dynamically, covering a broad spectrum of topics. Thus, training machine learning systems for detecting PWC is challenging, particularly if it needs to be done with minimum annotation cost. In this article, we propose the concept of multimodal AL for complex annotations in the context of PWC detection and formulate the resulting challenges as questions for future research.
Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation, Motion and Protein Patterns on Hyaluronic Acid and Polydimethylsiloxane Depend on Surface Stiffness

The surface stiffness of the microenvironment is a mechanical signal regulating biofilm growth without the risks associated with the use of bioactive agents. However, the mechanisms determining the expansion or prevention of biofilm growth on soft and stiff substrates are largely unknown. To answer this question, we used PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane, 9–574 kPa) and HA (hyaluronic acid gels, 44 Pa–2 kPa) differing in their hydration. We showed that the softest HA inhibited Escherichia coli biofilm growth, while the stiffest PDMS activated it. The bacterial mechanical environment significantly regulated the MscS mechanosensitive channel in higher abundance on the least colonized HA-44Pa, while Type-1 pili (FimA) showed regulation in higher abundance on the most colonized PDMS-9kPa. Type-1 pili regulated the free motion (the capacity of bacteria to move far from their initial position) necessary for biofilm growth independent of the substrate surface stiffness. In contrast, the total length travelled by the bacteria (diffusion coefficient) varied positively with the surface stiffness but not with the biofilm growth. The softest, hydrated HA, the least colonized surface, revealed the least diffusive and the least free-moving bacteria. Finally, this shows that customizing the surface elasticity and hydration, together, is an efficient means of affecting the bacteria’s mobility and attachment to the surface and thus designing biomedical surfaces to prevent biofilm growth.