Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rethinking CMB foregrounds: systematic extension of foreground parametrizations

Future high-sensitivity measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and energy spectrum will be limited by our understanding and modeling of foregrounds. Not only does more information need to be gathered and combined, but also novel approaches for the modeling of foregrounds, commensurate with the vast improvements in sensitivity, have to be explored. Here, we study the inevitable effects of spatial averaging on the spectral shapes of typical foreground components, introducing a moment approach, which naturally extends the list of foreground parameters that have to be determined through measurements or constrained by theoretical models. Foregrounds are thought of as a superposition of individual emitting volume elements along the line of sight and across the sky, which then are observed through an instrumental beam. The beam and line of sight averages are inevitable. Instead of assuming a specific model for the distributions of physical parameters, our method identifies natural new spectral shapes for each foreground component that can be used to extract parameter moments (e.g., mean, dispersion, cross-terms, etc.). The method is illustrated for the superposition of power-laws, free-free spectra, gray-body and modified blackbody spectra, but can be applied to more complicated fundamental spectral energy distributions. Here, we focus on intensity signals but the method can be extended to the case of polarized emission. The averaging process automatically produces scale-dependent spectral shapes and the moment method can be used to propagate the required information across scales in power spectrum estimates. The approach is not limited to applications to CMB foregrounds but could also be useful for the modeling of X-ray emission in clusters of galaxies.
Studies on reproduction and genetic parameters of Black Bengal goat (Capra hircus bengalensis) at farmers’ field under different agro-climatic zones of West Bengal

The present investigation was conducted on Black Bengal goat maintained in different agro-climatic clusters of West Bengal. Information from 10,348 kids born from 3,138 Black Bengal does during the period April 2010 to March 2019 reared at farmers' fields, was used to study the effect of non-genetic and genetic factors on reproduction traits. Age at first service (AFS) and age at first kidding (AFK) from 1,175 does; service period (SP) and kidding interval (KI) and litter size (LI) were considered for this study. Agro-climatic clusters, year of kidding and season of kidding were included as non-genetic factors whereas; parity of doe was taken as a genetic factor. The mean AFS and AFK were recorded to be 239.86±0.72 and 400.60±2.33 days respectively. The average SP was reported as 88.32±0.93 days, the average KI was 235.48±0.91 days and overall litter size/ kidding were 1.84±0.01 kids. Effect of cluster, season, parity and year of kidding had a significant effect on the reproduction traits. The heritability figures were 0.177±0.125, 0.147±0.118, 0.043±0.106, 0.176±0.091 and 0.182±0.138 for AFS, AFK, KI, SP and LS respectively. Low genetic and phenotypic correlations between KI and LS were observed. The does reared under the Murshidabad and Jhargram clusters showed better reproductive efficiencies than that of other clusters. Low heritability estimates obtained for all reproductive traits in the current study suggested that emphasis should be geared towards improving management practices to combat kid mortality and reduce the kidding intervals.
Black hole spin constraints on the mass spectrum and number of axionlike fields

Astrophysical observations of spinning BHs, which span $ 5M_\odot\lesssim M_{\rm BH}\lesssim 5\times 10^8 M_\odot$, can be used to exclude the existence of certain massive bosons via the superradiance phenomenon. In this work, we explore for the first time how these measurements can be used to constrain properties of statistical distributions for the masses of multiple bosonic fields. Quite generally, our methodology excludes $N_{\rm ax}\gtrsim 30$ scalar fields with a range of mass distribution widths and central values spanning many orders of magnitude. We demonstrate this for the specific example of axions in string theory and M-theory, where the mass distributions in certain cases take universal forms. We place upper bounds on $N_{\rm ax}$ for certain scenarios of interest realised approximately as mass distributions in M-theory, including the QCD axion, grand unified theories, and fuzzy dark matter.
On Wiener Process Degradation Model for Product Reliability Assessment: A Simulation Study

This paper examines the application of the Wiener process as a degradation model. Its appropriateness as a degradation model is discussed and demonstrated with the aid of Monte Carlo simulations. In particular and for monotonically degrading systems, this paper demonstrates that the irreversible accumulation of damage can be modelled by the Wiener maximum process. First passage times of the Wiener and its maximum process are also revealed to coincide. Practical advantages of assessing system reliability from degradation data are highlighted by applying the Wiener process model to a real gallium arsenide (GaAs) laser data for telecommunication systems. The real data application results demonstrate that degradation analysis allows for conclusions about system reliability to be reached earlier without compromising estimation accuracy—a major practical advantage.
On the road to discovery of relic gravitational waves : The TE and BB correlations in the cosmic microwave background radiation

The detection of primordial gravitational waves is one of the biggest challenges of the present time. The existing (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) observations are helpful in achieving this goal, and the forthcoming experiments (Planck) are likely to complete this mission. We show that the 5-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe TE data contain a hint of the presence of the gravitational wave contribution. In terms of the parameter R, which gives the ratio of contributions from gravitational waves and density perturbations to the temperature quadrupole, the best-fit model produced R = 0.24. Because of large residual noises, the uncertainty of this determination is still large, and it easily includes the R = 0 hypothesis. However, the uncertainty will be strongly reduced in the forthcoming observations which are more sensitive. We numerically simulated the Planck data and concluded that the relic gravitational waves with R = 0.24 will be present at a better than 3σ level in the TE observational channel, and at a better than 2σ level in the "realistic" BB channel. The balloon-borne and ground-based observations may provide healthy competition for Planck in some parts of the lower-l spectrum.
Comparative Analysis of Laboratory and Radiation Methods of Studies with the Degree of Severity of Patients with COVID-19

The study is devoted to a comparative analysis and retrospective evaluation of laboratory and instrumental data with the severity of lung tissue damage in COVID-19 of patients with COVID-19. An improvement was made in the methodology for interpreting and analyzing dynamic changes associated with COVID-19 on CT images of the lungs. The technique includes the following steps: pre-processing, segmentation with color coding, calculation and evaluation of signs to highlight areas with probable pathology (including combined evaluation of signs). Analysis and interpretation is carried out on the emerging database of patients. At the same time the following indicators are distinguished: the results of the analysis of CT images of the lungs in dynamics; the results of the analysis of clinical and laboratory data (severity course of the disease, temperature, saturation, etc.). The results of laboratory studies are analyzed with an emphasis on the values of the main indicator - interleukin-6. This indicator is a marker of significant and serious changes characterizing the severity of the patient's condition.
X-RAY VARIABILITY AND THE INNER REGION IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We present theoretical models of X-ray variability attributable to orbital signatures from an accretion disk including emission region size, quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), and its quality factor Q, and the emergence of a break frequency in the power spectral density shape. We find a fractional variability amplitude of . We conduct a time series analysis on X-ray light curves (0.3–10 keV) of a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A statistically significant bend frequency is inferred in 9 of 58 light curves (16%) from 3 AGNs for which the break timescale is consistent with the reported BH spin but not with the reported BH mass. Upper limits of 2.85 × 107 M☉ in NGC 4051, 8.02 × 107 M☉ in MRK 766, and 4.68 × 107 M☉ in MCG-6-30-15 are inferred for maximally spinning BHs. For REJ 1034+396 where a QPO at 3733 s was reported, we obtain an emission region size of (6–6.5) M and a BH spin of a ≲ 0.08. The relativistic inner region of a thin disk, dominated by radiation pressure and electron scattering, is likely to host the orbital features as the simulated Q ranges from 6.3 × 10−2 to 4.25 × 106, containing the observed Q. The derived value of Q ∼ 32 for REJ 1034+396 therefore suggests that the AGN hosts a thin disk.
TRIGONOMETRIC PARALLAXES OF MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGIONS. IV. G35.20−0.74 AND G35.20−1.74

We report trigonometric parallaxes for the high-mass star-forming regions G35.20−0.74 and G35.20−1.74, corresponding to distances of 2.19+0.24−0.20 kpc and 3.27+0.56−0.42 kpc, respectively. The distances to both sources are close to their near kinematic distances and place them in the Carina–Sagittarius spiral arm. Combining the distances and proper motions with observed radial velocities gives the locations and full space motions of the star-forming regions. Assuming a standard model of the Galaxy, G35.20−0.74 and G35.20−1.74 have peculiar motions of ≈13 km s−1 and ≈16 km s−1 counter to Galactic rotation and ≈9 km s−1 toward the North Galactic Pole.
21SSD: a public data base of simulated 21-cm signals from the epoch of reionization

The 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) is expected to be detected in the next few years, either with existing instruments or by the upcoming SKA and HERA projects. In this context there is a pressing need for publicly available high-quality templates covering a wide range of possible signals. These are needed both for end-to-end simulations of the up-coming instruments, as well as to develop signal analysis methods. In this work we present such a set of templates, publicly available, for download at this https URL. The database contains 21-cm brightness temperature lightcones at high and low resolution, and several derived statistical quantities for 45 models spanning our choice of 3D parameter space. These data are the result of fully coupled radiative hydrodynamic high resolution ($1024^3$) simulations performed with the LICORICE code. Both X-ray and Lyman line transfer is performed to account for heating and Wouthuysen-Field coupling fluctuations. We also present a first exploitation of the data using the power spectrum and the Pixel Distribution Function (PDF) as functions of redshifts, computed from lightcone data. We analyse how these two quantities behave when varying the model parameters while taking into account the thermal noise expected of a typical SKA survey. Finally, we show that the power spectrum and the PDF have different -- and to some extent complementary -- abilities to distinguish between different models. This opens the door to formulating an optimal sampling of the parameter space, dependant on the chosen diagnostics.
Modeling of reduced effective secondary electron emission yield from a velvet surface

Complex structures on a material surface can significantly reduce total secondary electron emission from that surface. A velvet is a surface that consists of an array of vertically standing whiskers. The reduction occurs due to the capture of low-energy, true secondary electrons emitted at the bottom of the structure and on the sides of the velvet whiskers. We performed numerical simulations and developed an approximate analytical model that calculates the net secondary electron emission yield from a velvet surface as a function of the velvet whisker length and packing density, and the angle of incidence of primary electrons. We found that to suppress secondary electrons, the following condition on dimensionless parameters must be met: (π/2)DA tan θ≫1, where θ is the angle of incidence of the primary electron from the normal, D is the fraction of surface area taken up by the velvet whisker bases, and A is the aspect ratio, A ≡ h/r, the ratio of height to radius of the velvet whiskers. We find that velvets.
Computationally supported neutron scattering study of natural shungite, anthraxolite, and synthetic carbon black

A set of sp2 amorphous carbons involving natural mineral shungite carbon and antraxolite as well as two synthetic carbon blacks were investigated by using neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering at low temperature. NDP revealed nanographite-like structure of all the samples, stacks of which are formed by basic structure units representing framed graphene molecules of ~2.5 nm in lateral dimension. INS study showed the presence of hydrogen atoms in the BSU framing area as well as of adsorbed water in the samples pores. Simulated INS spectra of adsorbed water showed its mono-layer disposition within the pores of the studied amorphics. Due to BSUs radical character, their INS spectra were simulated in the framework of both spin-nondependent (DFT) and spin-dependent (UHF) molecular dynamics. The obtained results allowed suggesting a specific INS classification of sp2 amorphous carbons with respect to their hydrogeneousness based on H-standard INS spectra, on the one side, and riding-stimulated spectrum of heavy atoms, on the other.
Proton shape fluctuations and its relation to DIS

We review the recent progress in extracting the proton fluctuating substructure by studying exclusive processes at HERA, and the applications of these developments in the interpretation of the LHC heavy ion data. The possibilities to extract the proton geometry directly from the LHC high-multiplicity proton-nucleus and proton-proton collision data is also discussed.
Gesture Analysis for Physics Education Researchers.

Systematic observations of student gestures can not only fill in gaps in students’ verbal expressions, but can also offer valuable information about student ideas, including their source, their novelty to the speaker, and their construction in real time. This paper provides a review of the research in gesture analysis that is most relevant to physics education researchers and illustrates gesture analysis for the purpose of better understanding student thinking about physics.
SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF STAR FORMATION IN THE EXTREME OUTER DISK OF M83 (NGC5236)

Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) observations of two fields in the extended UV disk (XUV-disk) of M83 have been recently obtained, ∼3 RHII away from the center of the galaxy (RHII = 6.6 kpc). Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV images have shown the two fields to host in situ recent star formation. The IRAC images are used in conjunction with GALEX data and new H i imaging from The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) to constrain stellar masses and ages of the UV clumps in the fields, and to relate the local recent star formation to the reservoir of available gas. Multi-wavelength photometry in the UV and mid-IR (MIR) bands of 136 UV clumps (spatial resolution >220 pc) identified in the two target fields, together with model fitting of the stellar UV–MIR spectral energy distributions (SEDs), suggests that the clumps cover a range of ages between a few Myr and >1 Gyr with a median value around ⩽100 Myr, and have masses in the range 103–3 × 106 M☉, with a peak . The range of observed ages, for which only a small fraction of the mass in stars appears to have formed in the past ∼10 Myr, agrees with the dearth of Hα emission observed in these outer fields. At the location of our IRAC fields, the H i map shows localized enhancement and clumping of atomic gas. A comparison of the observed star formation with the gas reservoir shows that the UV clumps follow the Schmidt–Kennicutt scaling law of star formation, and that star formation is occurring in regions with gas densities at approximately (within a factor of a few) the critical density value derived according to the Toomre Q gravitational stability criterion. The significant 8 μm excess in several of the clumps (16% of the total by number accounting for ∼67% of the 8 μm flux) provides evidence for the existence of dust in these remote fields, in agreement with results for other galaxies. Furthermore, we observe a relatively small excess of emission at 4.5 μm in the clumps (14% ± 6% by flux), which suggests contribution from hot small grains (∼1000 K), as already observed in other galaxies. From our data, the outer regions of the M83 galaxy disk show evidence of a time-extended star-formation history over ≲1 Gyr, and of a moderately chemically-evolved interstellar medium, in agreement with recent findings on the metallicity of the outer H ii regions of M83.
Highlights from the ARGO-YBJ experiment

The ARGO-YBJ experiment at YangBaJing in Tibet (4300 m a.s.l.) has been taking data with its full layout since October 2007. Here we present a few significant results obtained in gamma-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray physics. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of gamma-ray emission from point-like sources (Crab Nebula, MRK 421), on the preliminary limit on the antiproton/proton flux ratio, on the large-scale cosmic-ray anisotropy and on the proton–air cross-section. The performance of the detector is also discussed, and the perspectives of the experiment are outlined.
Casimir effect for Elko fields

The Casimir effect for mass dimension one fermion fields (sometimes called Elko) in (3 + 1) dimensions is obtained using Dirichlet boundary conditions. It is shown that the existence of a repulsive force is four times greater than the case of the scalar field. The precise reason for such differences are highlighted and interpreted, as well as the right parallel of the Casimir effect due to scalar and fermionic fields.
Variational formulation of the electromagnetic radiation-reaction problem

A fundamental issue in classical electrodynamics is represented by the search of the exact equation of motion for a classical charged particle under the action of its electromagnetic (EM) self-field - the so-called radiation-reaction equation of motion (RR equation). In the past, several attempts have been made assuming that the particle electric charge is localized point-wise (point-charge). These involve the search of possible so-called "regularization" approaches able to deal with the intrinsic divergences characterizing point-particle descriptions in classical electrodynamics. In this paper we intend to propose a new solution to this problem based on the adoption of a variational approach and the treatment of finite-size spherical-shell charges. The approach is based on three key elements: 1) the adoption of the relativistic synchronous Hamilton variational principle recently pointed out (Tessarotto et al, 2006); 2) the variational treatment of the EM self-field, for finite-size charges, taking into account the exact particle dynamics; 3) the adoption of the axioms of classical mechanics and electrodynamics. The new RR equation proposed in this paper, departing significantly from previous approaches, exhibits several interesting properties. In particular: a) unlike the LAD (Lorentz-Abraham-Dirac) equation, it recovers a second-order ordinary differential equation which is fully consistent with the law of inertia, Newton principle of determinacy and Einstein causality principle and b) unlike the LL (Landau-Lifschitz) equation, it holds also in the case of sudden forces. In addition, it is found that the new equation recovers the customary LAD equation in a suitable asymptotic approximation.
SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF THE DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY d0994+71 AS A MEMBER OF THE M81 GROUP OF GALAXIES

We use Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy to measure the first velocity and metallicity of a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy beyond the Local Group using resolved stars. Our target, d0944+71, is a faint dSph found in the halo of the massive spiral galaxy M81 by Chiboucas et al. We coadd the spectra of 27 individual stars and measure a heliocentric radial velocity of −38 ± 10 km s−1. This velocity is consistent with d0944+71 being gravitationally bound to M81. We coadd the spectra of the 23 stars that are consistent with being red giant branch stars and measure an overall metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.3 ± 0.3 based on the calcium triplet lines. This metallicity is consistent with d0944+71 following the metallicity−luminosity relation for Local Group dSphs. We investigate several potential sources of observational bias but find that our sample of targeted stars is representative of the metallicity distribution function of d0944+71 and any stellar contamination due to seeing effects is negligible. The low ellipticity of the galaxy and its position in the metallicity−luminosity relation suggest that d0944+71 has not been affected by strong tidal stripping.
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRST GIANT DOUBLE RADIO RELIC IN A GALAXY CLUSTER FOUND IN THE PLANCK SUNYAEV–ZEL'DOVICH CLUSTER SURVEY: PLCK G287.0+32.9

We report the discovery of large-scale diffuse non-thermal radio emission in PLCK G287.0+32.9, an exceptionally hot (T ∼ 13 keV), massive, and luminous galaxy cluster, strongly detected by the Planck satellite in a recent, all-sky blind search for new clusters through Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect. Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope 150 MHz and Very Large Array 1.4 GHz radio data reveal a pair of giant (>1 Mpc) “arc”-shaped peripheral radio relics (signatures of shock waves) of unprecedented scale (linear separation ∼4.4 Mpc at redshift 0.39), located at distances from the cluster center that are about 0.7 and 1.3 of the cluster's virial radius, respectfully. Another possible giant relic and a radio halo is detected closer to the cluster center. These relic sources are unique “signposts” of extremely energetic mergers and shocks (both ongoing and past) that are assembling and heating up this very massive galaxy cluster. They are also a probe of the filamentary cosmic-web structure beyond the cluster virial radius. Optical imaging with the IUCAA 2 m telescope and XMM-Newton X-ray data confirm a very rich galaxy cluster with a morphologically disturbed core region, suggesting a dynamically perturbed merging system.