Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE FINE-SCALE STRUCTURE OF THE NEUTRAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN NEARBY GALAXIES

We present an analysis of the properties of H i holes detected in 20 galaxies that are part of “The H i Nearby Galaxy Survey. ” We detected more than 1000 holes in total in the sampled galaxies. Where they can be measured, their sizes range from about 100 pc (our resolution limit) to about 2 kpc, their expansion velocities range from 4 to 36 km s-1, and their ages are estimated to range between 3 and 150 Myr. The holes are found throughout the disks of the galaxies, out to the edge of the H i disk; 23% of the holes fall outside R25. We find that shear limits the age of holes in spirals (shear is less important in dwarf galaxies) which explains why H i holes in dwarfs are rounder, on average than in spirals. Shear, which is particularly strong in the inner part of spiral galaxies, also explains why we find that holes outside R25 are larger and older. We derive the scale height of the H i disk as a function of galactocentric radius and find that the disk flares up in all galaxies. We proceed to derive the surface and volume porosity (Q2D and Q3D) and find that this correlates with the type of the host galaxy: later Hubble types tend to be more porous. The size distribution of the holes in our sample follows a power law with a slope of aν ∼ −2.9. Assuming that the holes are the result of massive star formation (SF), we derive values for the supernova rate and star formation rate (SFR) which scales with the SFR derived based on other tracers. If we extrapolate the observed number of holes to include those that fall below our resolution limit, down to holes created by a single supernova, we find that our results are compatible with the hypothesis that H i holes result from SF.
Measuring baryon acoustic oscillations from the clustering of voids

We investigate the necessary methodology to optimally measure the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) signal, from voids based on galaxy redshift catalogues. To this end, we study the dependency of the BAO signal on the population of voids classified by their sizes. We find for the first time the characteristic features of the correlation function of voids including the first robust detection of BAOs in mock galaxy catalogues. These show an anti-correlation around the scale corresponding to the smallest size of voids in the sample (the void exclusion effect), and dips at both sides of the BAO peak, which can be used to determine the significance of the BAO signal without any priori model. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that there is a scale dependent bias for different populations of voids depending on the radius, with the peculiar property that the void population with the largest BAO significance corresponds to tracers with approximately zero bias on the largest scales. We further investigate the methodology on an additional set of 1,000 realistic mock galaxy catalogues reproducing the SDSS-III/BOSS CMASS DR11 data, to control the impact of sky mask and radial selection function. Our solution is based on generating voids from randoms including the same survey geometry and completeness, and a post-processing cleaning procedure in the holes and at the boundaries of the survey. The methodology and optimal selection of void populations validated in this work have been used to perform the first BAO detection from voids in observations, presented in a companion paper.
DISCOVERY OF A LARGE-SCALE GALAXY FILAMENT NEAR A CANDIDATE INTERGALACTIC X-RAY ABSORPTION SYSTEM

We present an analysis of the large-scale galaxy distribution around two possible warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) absorption systems reported along the Markarian 421 sight line. Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we find a prominent galaxy filament at the redshift of the z = 0.027 X-ray absorption line system. The filament exhibits a width of 3.2 Mpc and a length of at least 20 Mpc, comparable to the size of WHIM filaments seen in cosmological simulations. No individual galaxies fall within 350 projected kpc so it is unlikely that the absorption is associated with gas in a galaxy halo or outflow. Another, lower-significance X-ray absorption system was reported in the same Chandra spectrum at z = 0.011, but the large-scale structure in its vicinity is far weaker and may be a spurious alignment. By searching for similar galaxy structures in 140 random smoothed SDSS fields, we estimate an ∼5%–10% probability of the z = 0.027 absorber-filament alignment occurring by chance. If these two systems are indeed physically associated, this would represent the first known coincidence between a large-scale galaxy structure and a blind X-ray WHIM detection.
Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry of a single electron spin in a noisy environment

We demonstrate quantum coherent control of a single electron spin in a NV center in diamond using the Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry at room temperature. Interference pattern is observed oscillating as a function of microwave frequency. The decays in the visibility of the interference are well explained by numerical simulation which includes the thermal fluctuations of the nuclear bath which shows that Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg interferometry can be used for probing electron spin decoherence processes.
DISK-LOSS AND DISK-RENEWAL PHASES IN CLASSICAL Be STARS. I. ANALYSIS OF LONG-TERM SPECTROPOLARIMETRIC DATA

Classical Be stars are known to occasionally transition from having a gaseous circumstellar disk (“Be phase”) to a state in which all observational evidence for the presence of these disks disappears (“normal B-star phase”). We present one of the most comprehensive spectropolarimetric views to date of such a transition for two Be stars, π Aquarii and 60 Cygni.The disk-loss episode of 60 Cyg was characterized by a generally monotonic decrease in emission strength over a timescale of ∼1000 days from the maximum V-band polarization to the minimum Hα equivalent width, consistent with the viscous timescale of the disk, assuming α∼0.14. π Aqr's disk loss was episodic in nature and occurred over a timescale of ∼2440 days. An observed time lag between the behavior of the polarization and Hα in both stars indicates the disk clearing proceeded in an “inside-out” manner. We determine the position angle of the intrinsic polarization to be 166. °7 ± 0. °1 for π Aqr and 107. °7 ± 0. °4 for 60 Cyg, and model the wavelength dependence of the observed polarization during the quiescent diskless phase of each star to determine the interstellar polarization along the line of sight. Minor outbursts observed during the quiescent phase of each star shared similar lifetimes as those previously reported for μ Cen, suggesting that the outbursts represent the injection and subsequent viscous dissipation of individual blobs of material into the inner circumstellar environments of these stars. We also observe deviations from the mean intrinsic polarization position angle during polarization outbursts in each star, indicating deviations from axisymmetry. We propose that these deviations might be indicative of the injection (and subsequent circularization) of new blobs into the inner disk, either in the plane of the bulk of the disk material or in a slightly inclined (non-coplanar) orbit.
MASSIVE STAR-FORMING HOST GALAXIES OF QUASARS ON SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY STRIPE 82

The stellar properties of about 800 galaxies hosting optically luminous, unobscured quasars at z < 0.6 are analyzed. Deep co-added Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images of the quasars on Stripe 82 are decomposed into nucleus and host galaxy using point spread function and Sérsic models. The systematic errors in the measured galaxy absolute magnitudes and colors are estimated to be less than 0.5 mag and 0.1 mag, respectively, with simulated quasar images. The effect of quasar light scattered by the interstellar medium is also carefully addressed. The measured quasar-to-galaxy ratio in total flux decreases toward longer wavelengths, from ∼8 in the u band to ∼1 in the i and z bands. We find that the SDSS quasars are hosted exclusively by massive galaxies (stellar mass Mstar > 1010 M☉), which is consistent with previous results for less luminous narrow-line (obscured) active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The quasar hosts are very blue and almost absent on the red sequence, showing stark contrast to the color–magnitude distribution of normal galaxies. The fact that more powerful AGNs reside in galaxies with higher star-formation efficiency may indicate that negative AGN feedback, if it exists, is not concurrent with the most luminous phase of AGNs. We also find positive correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes (SMBHs; MBH) and host stellar mass, but the MBH–Mstar relation is offset toward large MBH or small Mstar compared to the local relation. While this could indicate that SMBHs grow earlier than do their host galaxies, such an argument is not conclusive, as the effect may be dominated by observational biases.
NGC 2419 does not challenge MOND, Part 2

I argue that, despite repeated claims of Ibata et al., the globular cluster NGC 2419 does not pose a problem for modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). I present a new polytropic model with a running polytropic index. This model provides an improved representation of the radial distribution of surface brightness while maintaining a reasonable fit to the velocity dispersion profile. Although it may be argued that the differences with these observations remain large compared to the reported random errors, there are several undetectable systematic effects which render a formal likelihood analysis irrelevant. I comment generally upon these effects and upon the intrinsic limitations of pressure-supported objects as tests of gravity.
EUV SPECTRAL LINE FORMATION AND THE TEMPERATURE STRUCTURE OF ACTIVE REGION FAN LOOPS: OBSERVATIONS WITH HINODE/EIS AND SDO/AIA

With the aim of studying active region fan loops using observations from the Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), we investigate a number of inconsistencies in modeling the absolute intensities of Fe viii and Si vii lines, and address why spectroheliograms formed from these lines look very similar despite the fact that ionization equilibrium calculations suggest that they have significantly different formation temperatures: log(Te/K) = 5.6 and 5.8, respectively. It is important to resolve these issues because confidence has been undermined in their use for differential emission measure (DEM) analysis, and Fe viii is the main contributor to the AIA 131 Å channel at low temperatures. Furthermore, the strong Fe viii 185.213 Å and Si vii 275.368 Å lines are the best EIS lines to use for velocity studies in the transition region, and for assigning the correct temperature to velocity measurements in the fans. We find that the Fe viii 185.213 Å line is particularly sensitive to the slope of the DEM, leading to disproportionate changes in its effective formation temperature. If the DEM has a steep gradient in the log(Te/K) = 5.6–5.8 temperature range, or is strongly peaked, Fe viii 185.213 Å and Si vii 275.368 Å will be formed at the same temperature. We show that this effect explains the similarity of these images in the fans. Furthermore, we show that the most recent ionization balance compilations resolve the discrepancies in absolute intensities. With these difficulties overcome, we combine EIS and AIA data to determine the temperature structure of a number of fan loops and find that they have peak temperatures of 0.8–1.2 MK. The EIS data indicate that the temperature distribution has a finite (but narrow) width < = 5.5 which, in one detailed case, is found to broaden substantially toward the loop base. AIA and EIS yield similar results on the temperature, emission measure magnitude, and thermal distribution in the fans, though sometimes the AIA data suggest a relatively larger thermal width. The result is that both the Fe viii 185.213 Å and Si vii 275.368 Å lines are formed at log(Te/K)∼ 5.9 in the fans, and the AIA 131 Å response also shifts to this temperature.
Scattering of infrared light by dielectric core-shell particles

We study the scattering of infrared light by small dielectric core-shell particles taking a sapphire sphere with a CaO core as an example. The extinction efficiency of such a particle shows two intense series of resonances attached, respectively, to in-phase and out-of-phase multipolar polarization-induced surface charges build-up, respectively, at the core-shell and the shell-vacuum interface. Both series, the character of the former may be labelled bonding and the character of the latter antibonding, give rise to anomalous scattering. For a given particle radius and filling factor the Poynting vector field shows therefore around two wave numbers the complex topology of this type of light scattering. Inside the particle the topology depends on the character of the resonance. The dissipation of energy inside the particle also reflects the core-shell structure. It depends on the resonance and shows strong spatial variations.
Main-sequence and sub-giant stars in the globular cluster NGC 6397: The complex evolution of the lithium abundance

Abstract Thanks to the high multiplex and efficiency of Giraffe at the VLT we have been able for the first time to observe the Li I doublet in the Main Sequence stars of a globular cluster. At the same time we observed Li in a sample of Sub-Giant stars of the same B-V colour. Our final sample is composed of 84 SG stars and 79 MS stars. In spite of the fact that SG and MS span the same temperature range we find that the equivalent widths of the Li I doublet in SG stars are systematically larger than those in MS stars, suggesting a higher Li content among SG stars. This is confirmed by our quantitative analysis carried out making use of 1D hydrostatic plane-parallel models and 3D hydrodynamical simulations of the stellar atmospheres. We derived the effective temperatures of stars in our the sample from Hα fitting. Theoretical profiles were computed using 3D hydrodynamical simulations and 1D ATLAS models. Therefore, we are able to determined 1D and 3D-based effective temperatures. We then infer Li abundances taking into account non-local thermodynamical equilibrium effects when using both 1D and 3D models. We find that SG stars have a mean Li abundance higher by 0.1 dex than MS stars. This result is obtained using both 1D and 3D models. We also detect a positive slope of Li abundance with effective temperature, the higher the temperature the higher the Li abundance, both for SG and MS stars, although the slope is slightly steeper for MS stars. These results provide an unambiguous evidence that the Li abundance changes with evolutionary status. The physical mechanisms responsible for this behaviour are not yet clear, and none of the existing models seems to describe accurately these observations. Based on these conclusions, we believe that the cosmological lithium problem still remains an open question.
Road Curbs Extraction from Mobile Laser Scanning Point Clouds with Multidimensional Rotation‐Invariant Version of the Local Binary Pattern Features

Road curb is one of the important components of road information, and its high‐precision information is significant for the development of autonomous driving, intelligent transportation and smart cities. A mobile laser scanning (MLS) system can acquire high‐precision and high‐density road three‐dimensional (3D) point clouds data, which has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost and non‐contact. However, how to extract accurate road information from the massive and disordered point clouds is one of the current research priorities and difficulties. This paper presents a new method to extract the road curbs from the MLS point clouds. The proposed method mainly includes three steps: pre‐processing, road curbs extraction and vectorisation. Pre‐processing obtains the ground, including road subsection and ground identification. Road curbs are first quantitatively represented by the rotation‐invariant version of the local binary pattern (LBPROT) values in three dimensions, including spatial elevation mode, spatial dispersion mode and spatial shape mode, and then they are extracted by a multidimensional LBPROT features semantic recognition model. Vectorised road curb polylines are connected by accurate road curbs points, which are obtained through simplification and denoising. The proposed method was tested on two large‐scale datasets collected from arterial roads and expressways, respectively. The precision of the results was > 95%, recall was > 90% and the F1 score was > 0.93. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively extract road curbs in different environments and has robust adaptability.
Gate bias stress in pentacene field-effect-transistors: Charge trapping in the dielectric or semiconductor

Gate bias stress instability in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is a major conceptual and device issue. This effect manifests itself by an undesirable shift of the transfer characteristics and is associated with long term charge trapping. We study the role of the dielectric and the semiconductor separately by producing OFETs with the same semiconductor (pentacene) combined with different dielectrics (SiO2 and Cytop). We show that it is possible to fabricate devices which are immune to gate bias stress. For other material combinations, charge trapping occurs in the semiconductor alone or in the dielectric.
Pseudotopological quasilocal energy of torsion gravity

Torsion gravity is a natural extension to Einstein gravity in the presence of the fermion matter sources. In this paper we adopt Wald's covariant method of Noether charge to construct the quasi-local energy of the Einstein-Cartan-fermion system, and find that its explicit expression is formally independent of the coupling constant between torsion and axial current. This seemingly topological nature is unexpected and is reminiscent of similar nature of quantum Hall effect and topological insulator. However, the coupling dependence does enter when evaluating it on-shell, and thus the topological nature is pseudo. Based on the expression of the quasi-local energy, we evaluate it for a particular solution on the entanglement wedge and find the agreement with the holographic relative entropy obtained before. This shows that the equivalence of these two quantities in the Einstein-Cartan-fermion system. Moreover, the quasi-local energy in this case is not always positive definite so that it provides an example of swampland in torsion gravity. Based on the covariant Noether charge, we also derive the nonzero fermion effect on Komar angular momentum. The implication of our results to the tests of torsion gravity in the future gravitational wave astronomy is also discussed.
Dynamical stability of entanglement between spin ensembles

We study the dynamical stability of entanglement between two spin ensembles in the presence of decoherence. For a comparative study, we consider two cases: a single spin ensemble, and two ensembles linearly coupled to a bath, respectively. In both circumstances, we assume the validity of the Markovian approximation for the bath. We examine the robustness of the state by examining the growth of the linear entropy which gives a measure of the purity of the system. We find out macroscopic entangled states of two spin ensembles can stably exist in a common bath. This result may be very useful to generate and detect macroscopic entanglement in a common noisy environment and even a stable macroscopic quantum memory.
Dual transcriptome of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans interplay in biofilms

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the interactions between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans during cariogenic biofilm formation. Methods The S. mutans and C. albicans duo-species biofilms were formed in 1% sucrose to mimic the high caries risk challenges. The biofilm structure was assessed using two-photon laser confocal microscopy. The transcriptome of 48h-biofilms was assessed by RNA-Seq. The expression of S. mutans and C. albicans virulence genes was examined via real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results The morphogenesis of C. albicans-S. mutans duo-species biofilms was significantly altered when comparing to S. mutans or C. albicans single-species biofilm. Duo-species biofilms exhibited unique expression profile with a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including a higher expression of S. mutans atpD (acid-adaptive), C. albicans CHT2 (fungal cell wall chitin remodeling), and C. albicans SOD3 (cytotoxic oxygen radical destroying) (p < 0.05). KEGG pathway analyses further revealed that the majority of the up-regulated DEGs are related to microbial metabolism. Furthermore, the expressions of S. mutans and C. albicans key virulence genes (gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, ECE1, HWP1, ERG4, CHT2) were associated with sugar availability-related and time-related dynamics. Conclusion Cross-kingdom interactions impact S. mutans-C. albicans biofilm formations and dynamic expressions of virulence genes.
ESCAPE OF COSMIC-RAY ELECTRONS FROM SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

We investigate the escape of cosmic ray (CR) electrons from a supernova remnant (SNR) to the interstellar space. We show that CR electrons escape in order from high to low energy with a similar spectrum to CR nuclei, while the escape starts later than the beginning of the Sedov phase at an SNR age of 1−7×10 3 yrs and the maximum energy of runaway CR electrons is below the knee about 0.3− 50 TeV because unlike CR nuclei, CR electrons lose their energy due to synchrotron radiation. Highest energy CR electrons will be directly probed by AMS-02, CALET, CTA and LHAASO experiments, or have been already detected by H.E. S.S. as the spectral cutoff. Furthermore, we also calculate the spatial distribution of runaway CR electrons and their radiation spectra around SNRs. Contrary to common belief, maximum-energy photons of synchrotron radiation around 1 keV are emitted by runaway CR electrons inside the SNR. Inverse Compton scattering by runaway CR electrons can dominate the gamma-ray emission from runaway CR nuclei via pion decay, and both are detectable by CTA and LHAASO as clues to the CR origin and the amplification of magnetic fluctuations around the SNR. We also discuss middle-aged and/or old SNRs as unidentified very-high-energy gamma-ray sources. Subject headings: acceleration of particles — cosmic rays — gamma rays: ISM — ISM: supernova remnants — shock waves — radiation mechanisms: non-thermal