cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making Planet Nine: Pebble Accretion at 250--750 AU in a Gravitationally Unstable Ring

We investigate the formation of icy super-Earth mass planets within a gravitationally unstable ring of solids orbiting at 250-750 AU around a 1 solar mass star. Coagulation calculations demonstrate that a system of a few large oligarchs and a swarm of pebbles generates a super-Earth within 100-200 Myr at 250 AU and within 1-2 Gyr at 750 AU. Systems with more than ten oligarchs fail to yield super-Earths over the age of the solar system. As these systems evolve, destructive collisions produce detectable debris disks with luminosities of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-3}$ relative to the central star.
UV Excess Galaxies: Wolf-Rayet Galaxies

We discuss V- and R-band photometry for 67% of the recent SA 57 ultraviolet-selected galaxy sample of M. Sullivan and collaborators. In a sample of 176 UV-selected galaxies, Sullivan et al. find that 24% have (UV-B) colors too blue for consistency with starburst spectral synthesis models. We propose that these extreme blue, UV excess galaxies are Wolf-Rayet (W-R) galaxies, starburst galaxies with strong UV emission from W-R stars. We measure a median (V-R) = 0.38 ± 0.06 for the UV-selected sample, bluer than a sample optically selected at R but consistent with starburst and W-R galaxy colors. We demonstrate that redshifted W-R emission lines can double or triple the flux through the UV bandpass at high redshifts. Thus, the (UV-B) color of a W-R galaxy can be up to 1.3 mag bluer at high redshift, and the expected selection function is skewed to larger redshifts. The redshift distribution of the extreme blue, UV excess galaxies matches the selection function we predict from the properties of W-R galaxies.
Proxy tasks and subjective measures can be misleading in evaluating explainable AI systems

Explainable artificially intelligent (XAI) systems form part of sociotechnical systems, e.g., human+AI teams tasked with making decisions. Yet, current XAI systems are rarely evaluated by measuring the performance of human+AI teams on actual decision-making tasks. We conducted two online experiments and one in-person think-aloud study to evaluate two currently common techniques for evaluating XAI systems: (1) using proxy, artificial tasks such as how well humans predict the AI's decision from the given explanations, and (2) using subjective measures of trust and preference as predictors of actual performance. The results of our experiments demonstrate that evaluations with proxy tasks did not predict the results of the evaluations with the actual decision-making tasks. Further, the subjective measures on evaluations with actual decision-making tasks did not predict the objective performance on those same tasks. Our results suggest that by employing misleading evaluation methods, our field may be inadvertently slowing its progress toward developing human+AI teams that can reliably perform better than humans or AIs alone.
Network discovery by generalized random walks

We investigate network exploration by random walks defined via stationary and adaptive transition probabilities on large graphs. We derive an exact formula valid for arbitrary graphs and arbitrary walks with stationary transition probabilities (STP), for the average number of discovered edges as a function of time. We show that for STP walks site and edge exploration obey the same scaling ~nλ as a function of time n. Therefore, edge exploration on graphs with many loops is always lagging compared to site exploration, the revealed graph being sparse until almost all nodes have been discovered. We then introduce the edge explorer model (EEM), which presents a novel class of adaptive walks, that perform faithful network discovery even on dense networks.
Dilatation versus self‐intersection number for point‐pushing pseudo‐Anosov homeomorphisms

Alling curve on a based surface S determines a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism P( ) of S via the process of \point-pushing along ." We consider the relationship between the self-intersection number i( ) of and the dilatation of P( ); our main result is that (i( ) + 1) 1=5 9 i( ) . We also bound the least dilatation of any pseudo-Anosov in the point-pushing subgroup of a closed surface and prove that this number tends to innity with genus. Lastly, we investigate the minimal entropy of any pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism obtained by pushing along a curve with selfintersection number k and show that, for a closed surface, this number grows like log(k).
Topspin Networks in Loop Quantum Gravity

We discuss the extension of loop quantum gravity to topspin networks, a proposal which allows topological information to be encoded in spin networks. We will show that this requires minimal changes to the phase space, C*-algebra and Hilbert space of cylindrical functions. We will also discuss the area and Hamiltonian operators, and show how they depend on the topology. This extends the idea of ?background independence? in loop quantum gravity to include topology as well as geometry. It is hoped this work will confirm the usefulness of the topspin network formalism and open up several new avenues for research into quantum gravity.
CONSTRAINING LOW-FREQUENCY ALFVÉNIC TURBULENCE IN THE SOLAR WIND USING DENSITY-FLUCTUATION MEASUREMENTS

One proposed mechanism for heating the solar wind, from close to the Sun to beyond approx10 AU, invokes low-frequency, oblique, Alfven-wave turbulence. Because small-scale oblique Alfven waves (kinetic Alfven waves, KAWs) are compressive, the measured density fluctuations in the solar wind place an upper limit on the amplitude of KAWs and hence an upper limit on the rate at which the solar wind can be heated by low-frequency, Alfvenic turbulence. We evaluate this upper limit for both coronal holes at 5 R{sub sun} and the near-Earth solar wind. At both locations, the upper limit we find is consistent with models in which the solar wind is heated by low-frequency Alfvenic turbulence. At 1 AU, the upper limit on the turbulent heating rate derived from the measured density fluctuations is within a factor of 2 of the measured solar-wind heating rate. Thus, if low-frequency Alfvenic turbulence is the primary mechanism for heating the near-Earth solar wind, KAWs must be one of the dominant sources of solar-wind density fluctuations at frequencies approx1 Hz. We also present a simple argument for why density-fluctuation measurements do appear to rule out models in which coronal holes are heated by non-turbulent high-frequency waves ('sweeping'), but aremore » compatible with heating by low-frequency Alfvenic turbulence.« less
Cosmic Reionization on Computers. II. Reionization History and Its Back-reaction on Early Galaxies

We compare the results from several sets of cosmological simulations of cosmic reionization, produced under the Cosmic Reionization On Computers project, with existing observational data on the high-redshift Lyα forest and the abundance of Lyα emitters. We find good consistency with the observational measurements and previous simulation work. By virtue of having several independent realizations for each set of numerical parameters, we are able to explore the effect of cosmic variance on observable quantities. One unexpected conclusion we are forced into is that cosmic variance is unusually large at z > 6, with both our simulations and, most likely, observational measurements still not fully converged for even such basic quantities as the average Gunn-Peterson optical depth or the volume-weighted neutral fraction. We also find that reionization has little effect on the early galaxies or on global cosmic star formation history, because galaxies whose gas content is affected by photoionization contain no molecular (i.e., star-forming) gas in the first place. In particular, measurements of the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function by the James Webb Space Telescope are unlikely to provide a useful constraint on reionization.
Ghost Kinetic Operator of Vacuum String Field Theory

Using the data of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of Neumann matrices in the 3-string vertex, we prove analytically that the ghost kinetic operator of vacuum string field theory obtained by Hata and Kawano is equal to the ghost operator inserted at the open string midpoint. We also comment on the values of determinants appearing in the norm of sliver state.
Analysis of a Frequency-Hopping Millimeter-Wave Cellular Uplink

Fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks are expected to exhibit at least three primary physical-layer differences relative to fourth-generation (4G) ones: millimeter-wave propagation, massive antenna arrays, and densification of base stations. As in 4G systems, such as LTE, 5G systems are likely to continue to use single-carrier frequency-division multiple-access on the uplink due to its advantageous peak-to-average power ratio. Moreover, 5G systems are likely to use frequency hopping on the uplink to help randomize interference and provide diversity against frequency-selective fading. In this paper, the implications of these and other physical-layer features on uplink performance are assessed using a novel millimeter-wave propagation model featuring distance-dependent parameters that characterize the path-loss, shadowing, and fading. The analysis proceeds by first fixing the location of the mobile devices and finding the performance conditioned on the topology. The spatially averaged performance is then found by averaging with respect to the location of the mobile devices. The analysis allows for the use of actual base-station topologies and the propagation model can leverage empirical millimeter-wave measurements. The benefits of base-station densification, highly directional sectorization, frequency hopping, a large available bandwidth, and a high code rate are illustrated. The minor importance of fractional power control is shown.
A DEDICATED CHANDRA ACIS OBSERVATION OF THE CENTRAL COMPACT OBJECT IN THE CASSIOPEIA A SUPERNOVA REMNANT

We present results of a recent Chandra X-ray Observatory observation of the central compact object (CCO) in the supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A. This observation was carried out in an instrumental configuration that combines a high spatial resolution with a minimum spectral distortion, and it allowed us to search for pulsations with periods longer than 0.68 s. We found no evidence of extended emission associated with the CCO, nor statistically significant pulsations (the 3? upper limit on pulsed fraction is about 16%). The fits of the CCO spectrum with the power-law model yield a large photon index, ? 5, and a hydrogen column density larger than that obtained from the SNR spectra. The fits with the blackbody model are statistically unacceptable. Better fits are provided by hydrogen neutron star atmosphere models, with the best-fit effective temperature kT ? eff 0.2 keV, but they require a small star's radius, R = 4-5.5 km, and a low mass, M 0.8 M ?. A neutron star cannot have so small radius and mass, but the observed emission might emerge from an atmosphere of a strange quark star. More likely, the CCO could be a neutron star with a nonuniform surface temperature and a low surface magnetic field (the so-called anti-magnetar), similar to three other CCOs for which upper limits on period derivative have been established. The bolometric luminosity, L ? bol ~ 6 ? 1033 erg s?1, estimated from the fits with the hydrogen atmosphere models is consistent with the standard neutron star cooling for the CCO age of 330 yr. The origin of the surface temperature's nonuniformity remains to be understood; it might be caused by anisotropic heat conduction in the neutron star crust with very strong toroidal magnetic fields.
Analysis of comparative data with hierarchical autocorrelation

The asymptotic behavior of estimates and information criteria in linear models are studied in the context of hierarchically correlated sampling units. The work is motivated by biological data collected on species where autocorrelation is based on the species’ genealogical tree. Hierarchical autocorrelation is also found in many other kinds of data, such as from microarray experiments or human languages. Similar correlation also arises in ANOVA models with nested effects. I show that the best linear unbiased estimators are almost surely convergent but may not be consistent for some parameters such as the intercept and lineage effects, in the context of Brownian motion evolution on the genealogical tree. For the purpose of model selection I show that the usual BIC does not provide an appropriate approximation to the posterior probability of a model. To correct for this, an effective sample size is introduced for parameters that are inconsistently estimated. For biological studies, this work implies that tree-aware sampling design is desirable; adding more sampling units may not help ancestral reconstruction and only strong lineage effects may be detected with high power.
Supersymmetry and stability of flux vacua

We describe a modified KKLT mechanism of moduli stabilization in a supersymmetric Minkowski vacuum state. In this mechanism, supersymmetry ensures vacuum stability and positivity of the mass matrix for the dilaton, complex structure, and volume modulus.
RECURRING OCCULTATIONS OF RW AURIGAE BY COAGULATED DUST IN THE TIDALLY DISRUPTED CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK

We present photometric observations of RW Aurigae, a Classical T Tauri system, that reveal two remarkable dimming events. These events are similar to that which we observed in 2010–2011, which was the first such deep dimming observed in RW Aur in a century's worth of photometric monitoring. We suggested the 2010–2011 dimming was the result of an occultation of the star by its tidally disrupted circumstellar disk. In 2012–2013, the RW Aur system dimmed by ~0.7 mag for ~40 days and in 2014/2015 the system dimmed by ~2 mag for >250 days. The ingress/egress duration measurements of the more recent events agree well with those from the 2010–2011 event, providing strong evidence that the new dimmings are kinematically associated with the same occulting source as the 2010–2011 event. Therefore, we suggest that both the 2012–2013 and 2014–2015 dimming events, measured using data from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope and the Kutztown University Observatory, are also occultations of RW Aur A by the tidally disrupted circumstellar material. Recent hydrodynamical simulations of the eccentric fly-by of RW Aur B suggest the occulting body to be a bridge of material connecting RW Aur A and B. These simulations also suggest the possibility of additional occultations which are supported by the observations presented in this work. The color evolution of the dimmings suggest that the tidally stripped disk material includes dust grains ranging in size from small grains at the leading edge, typical of star-forming regions, to large grains, ices or pebbles producing gray or nearly gray extinction deeper within the occulting material. It is not known whether this material represents arrested planet building prior to the tidal disruption event, or perhaps accelerated planet building as a result of the disruption event, but in any case the evidence suggests the presence of advanced planet building material in the space between the two stars of the RW Aur system.
On the geometrization of quantum mechanics

Abstract Nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is commonly formulated in terms of wavefunctions (probability amplitudes) obeying the static and the time-dependent Schrodinger equations (SE). Despite the success of this representation of the quantum world a wave–particle duality concept is required to reconcile the theory with observations (experimental measurements). A first solution to this dichotomy was introduced in the de Broglie–Bohm theory according to which a pilot-wave (solution of the SE) is guiding the evolution of particle trajectories. Here, I propose a geometrization of quantum mechanics that describes the time evolution of particles as geodesic lines in a curved space, whose curvature is induced by the quantum potential. This formulation allows therefore the incorporation of all quantum effects into the geometry of space–time, as it is the case for gravitation in the general relativity.
SHINING LIGHT ON MERGING GALAXIES. I. THE ONGOING MERGER OF A QUASAR WITH A 'GREEN VALLEY' GALAXY

Serendipitous observations of a pair z = 0.37 interacting galaxies (one hosting a quasar) show a massive gaseous bridge of material connecting the two objects. This bridge is photoionized by the quasar (QSO), revealing gas along the entire projected 38 h{sup -1}{sub 70} kpc sightline connecting the two galaxies. The emission lines that result give an unprecedented opportunity to study the merger process at this redshift. We determine the kinematics, ionization parameter (log U {approx} -2.5 {+-} 0.03), column density (N{sub H,perpendicular} {approx} 10{sup 21} cm{sup -2}), metallicity ([M/H] {approx} - 0.20 {+-} 0.15), and mass ({approx}10{sup 8} M{sub sun}) of the gaseous bridge. We simultaneously constrain properties of the QSO host (M{sub DM} > 8.8 x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun}) and its companion galaxy (M{sub DM} > 2.1 x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun}; M{sub *} {approx} 2 x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun}; stellar burst age = 300-800 Myr; SFR {approx}6 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}; and metallicity 12 + log (O/H) = 8.64 {+-} 0.2). The general properties of this system match the standard paradigm of a galaxy-galaxy merger caught between first and second passages while one of the galaxies hosts an active quasar. The companion galaxy lies in themore » so-called green valley, with a stellar population consistent with a recent starburst triggered during the first passage of the merger and has no discernible active galactic nucleus activity. In addition to providing case studies of quasars associated with galaxy mergers, quasar/galaxy pairs with QSO-photoionized tidal bridges such as this one offer unique insights into the galaxy properties while also distinguishing an important and inadequately understood phase of galaxy evolution.« less
Constraining High Speed Winds in Exoplanet Atmospheres Through Observations of Anomalous Doppler Shifts During Transit

Three-dimensional (3D) dynamical models of hot Jupiter atmospheres predict very strong wind speeds. For tidally locked hot Jupiters, winds at high altitude in the planet's atmosphere advect heat from the day side to the cooler night side of the planet. Net wind speeds on the order of 1-10 km s–1 directed towards the night side of the planet are predicted at mbar pressures, which is the approximate pressure level probed by transmission spectroscopy. These winds should result in an observed blueshift of spectral lines in transmission on the order of the wind speed. Indeed, Snellen et al. recently observed a 2 ± 1 km s–1 blueshift of CO transmission features for HD 209458b, which has been interpreted as a detection of the day-to-night (substellar to anti-stellar) winds that have been predicted by 3D atmospheric dynamics modeling. Here, we present the results of a coupled 3D atmospheric dynamics and transmission spectrum model, which predicts the Doppler-shifted spectrum of a hot Jupiter during transit resulting from winds in the planet's atmosphere. We explore four different models for the hot Jupiter atmosphere using different prescriptions for atmospheric drag via interaction with planetary magnetic fields. We find that models with no magnetic drag produce net Doppler blueshifts in the transmission spectrum of ~2 km s–1 and that lower Doppler shifts of ~1 km s–1 are found for the higher drag cases, results consistent with—but not yet strongly constrained by—the Snellen et al. measurement. We additionally explore the possibility of recovering the average terminator wind speed as a function of altitude by measuring Doppler shifts of individual spectral lines and spatially resolving wind speeds across the leading and trailing terminators during ingress and egress.
Tuning parameter selection in high dimensional penalized likelihood

Summary Determining how to select the tuning parameter appropriately is essential in penalized likelihood methods for high dimensional data analysis. We examine this problem in the setting of penalized likelihood methods for generalized linear models, where the dimensionality of covariates p is allowed to increase exponentially with the sample size n. We propose to select the tuning parameter by optimizing the generalized information criterion with an appropriate model complexity penalty. To ensure that we consistently identify the true model, a range for the model complexity penalty is identified in the generlized information criterion. We find that this model complexity penalty should diverge at the rate of some power of log (p) depending on the tail probability behaviour of the response variables. This reveals that using the Akaike information criterion or Bayes information criterion to select the tuning parameter may not be adequate for consistently identifying the true model. On the basis of our theoretical study, we propose a uniform choice of the model complexity penalty and show that the approach proposed consistently identifies the true model among candidate models with asymptotic probability 1. We justify the performance of the procedure proposed by numerical simulations and a gene expression data analysis.
S4: A Spatial-spectral model for Speckle Suppression

High dynamic range imagers aim to block or eliminate light from a very bright primary star in order to make it possible to detect and measure far fainter companions; in real systems, a small fraction of the primary light is scattered, diffracted, and unocculted. We introduce S4, a flexible data-driven model for the unocculted (and highly speckled) light in the P1640 spectroscopic coronagraph. The model uses principal components analysis (PCA) to capture the spatial structure and wavelength dependence of the speckles, but not the signal produced by any companion. Consequently, the residual typically includes the companion signal. The companion can thus be found by filtering this error signal with a fixed companion model. The approach is sensitive to companions that are of the order of a percent of the brightness of the speckles, or up to 10{sup –7} times the brightness of the primary star. This outperforms existing methods by a factor of two to three and is close to the shot-noise physical limit.
Rolling axions during inflation: perturbativity and signatures

The motion of a pseudo-scalar field X during inflation naturally induces a significant amplification of the gauge fields to which it is coupled. The amplified gauge fields can source characteristic scalar and tensor primordial perturbations. Several phenomenological implications have been discussed in the cases in which (i) X is the inflaton, and (ii) X is a field different from the inflaton, that experiences a temporary speed up during inflation. In this second case, visible sourced gravitational waves (GW) can be produced at the CMB scales without affecting the scalar perturbations, even if the scale of inflation is several orders of magnitude below what is required to produce a visible vacuum GW signal. Perturbativity considerations can be used to limit the regime in which these results are under perturbative control. We revised limits recently claimed for the case (i), and we extend these considerations to the case (ii). We show that, in both cases, these limits are satisfied by the applications that generate signals at CMB scales. Applications that generate gravitational waves and primordial black holes at much smaller scales are at the limit of the validity of this perturbativity analysis, so we expect those results to be valid up to possibly order one corrections.
Generalized virial theorem and pressure relation for a strongly correlated Fermi gas

Abstract For a two-component Fermi gas in the unitarity limit (i.e., with infinite scattering length), there is a well-known virial theorem, first shown by J.E. Thomas et al. A few people rederived this result, and extended it to few-body systems, but their results are all restricted to the unitarity limit. Here I show that there is a generalized virial theorem for FINITE scattering lengths. I also generalize an exact result concerning the pressure to the case of imbalanced populations.
Symmetry Fractionalization in Two Dimensional Topological Phases

Symmetry fractionalization describes the fascinating phenomena that excitations in a 2D topological system can transform under symmetry in a fractional way. For example in fractional quantum Hall systems, excitations can carry fractional charges while the electrons making up the system have charge one. An important question is to understand what symmetry fractionalization (SF) patterns are possible given different types of topological order and different global symmetries. A lot of progress has been made recently in classifying the SF patterns, providing deep insight into the strongly correlated experimental signatures of systems like spin liquids and topological insulators. We review recent developments on this topic. First, it was shown that the SF patterns need to satisfy some simple consistency conditions. More interestingly, it was realized that some seemingly consistent SF patterns are actually ‘anomalous’, i.e. they cannot be realized in strictly 2D systems. We review various methods that have been developed to detect such anomalies. Applying such an understanding to 2D spin liquid allows one to enumerate all potentially realizable SF patterns and propose numerical and experimental probing methods to distinguish them. On the other hand, the anomalous SF patterns were shown to exist on the surface of 3D systems and reflect the nontrivial order in the 3D bulk. We review examples of this kind where the bulk states are topological insulators, topological superconductors, or have other symmetry protected topological orders.
The Volume of some Non-spherical Horizons and the AdS/CFT Correspondence

We calculate the volumes of a large class of Einstein manifolds, namely Sasaki-Einstein manifolds which are the bases of Ricci-flat affine cones described by polynomial embedding relations in n. These volumes are important because they allow us to extend and test the AdS/CFT correspondence. We use these volumes to extend the central charge calculation of Gubser (1998) to the generalized conifolds of Gubser, Shatashvili, and Nekrasov (1999). These volumes also allow one to quantize precisely the D-brane flux of the AdS supergravity solution. We end by demonstrating a relationship between the volumes of these Einstein spaces and the number of holomorphic polynomials (which correspond to chiral primary operators in the field theory dual) on the corresponding affine cone.
Learning Triggers for Heterogeneous Treatment Effects

The causal effect of a treatment can vary from person to person based on their individual characteristics and predispositions. Mining for patterns of individual-level effect differences, a problem known as heterogeneous treatment effect estimation, has many important applications, from precision medicine to recommender systems. In this paper we define and study a variant of this problem in which an individuallevel threshold in treatment needs to be reached, in order to trigger an effect. One of the main contributions of our work is that we do not only estimate heterogeneous treatment effects with fixed treatments but can also prescribe individualized treatments. We propose a tree-based learning method to find the heterogeneity in the treatment effects. Our experimental results on multiple datasets show that our approach can learn the triggers better than existing approaches.
AN H-BAND SPECTROSCOPIC METALLICITY CALIBRATION FOR M DWARFS

We present an empirical near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic method for estimating M dwarf metallicities, based on features in the H band, as well as an implementation of a similar published method in the K band. We obtained R {approx} 2000 NIR spectra of a sample of M dwarfs using the NASA IRTF-SpeX spectrograph, including 22 M dwarf metallicity calibration targets that have FGK companions with known metallicities. The H-band and K-band calibrations provide equivalent fits to the metallicities of these binaries, with an accuracy of {+-}0.12 dex. We derive the first empirically calibrated spectroscopic metallicity estimate for the giant planet-hosting M dwarf GJ 317, confirming its supersolar metallicity. Combining this result with observations of eight other M dwarf planet hosts, we find that M dwarfs with giant planets are preferentially metal-rich compared to those that host less massive planets. Our H-band calibration relies on strongly metallicity-dependent features in the H band, which will be useful in compositional studies using mid- to high-resolution NIR M dwarf spectra, such as those produced by multiplexed surveys like SDSS-III APOGEE. These results will also be immediately useful for ongoing spectroscopic surveys of M dwarfs.
Electroweak-Symmetric Dark Monopoles from Preheating

If the dark sector contains ’t Hooft-Polyakov monopoles and a small enough dark gauge coupling, dark monopoles could be a macroscopic dark matter candidate. Its Higgs-portal coupling to the Standard Model can modify the electroweak vacuum in the monopole interior. In the most striking cases, dark monopoles could even contain electroweak-symmetric cores and generate multi-hit signals at large-volume detectors. If they are produced via parametric resonance in the early Universe, monopoles with radii up to one micron and masses up to ten kilotonnes could account for all of dark matter.
Neutrino oscillations in a quantum processor

In this paper the authors demonstrate the emulation of neutrino oscillations on a quantum processor, directly encoding three-neutrino flavor evolution onto the two-qubit system of a publicly available quantum computer and time-evolving the system analogously to the physical neutrino. Excellent agreement with with the standard classical calculation is found, and extensions to more complex systems including beyond-standard-model physics involving sterile neutrinos, anomalous decoherence, and matter effects are explored.
On the index conjecture in zero-sum theory: Singular case

Let S = (a1)⋯(ak) be a minimal zero-sum sequence over a finite cyclic group G of order n. An important question in zero-sum theory is to determine the pairs (k,n) for which every minimal zero-sum sequence S of length k over G has index 1. Progress towards this question has been made by various authors; the only case that remains open, known as the index conjecture, is when k = 4 and gcd(|G|, 6) = 1. In this paper, we make a contribution to the index conjecture. Namely, we prove that if S is singular then the index of S is 1.
Optically controlled waveplate at a telecom wavelength using a ladder transition in Rb atoms for all-optical switching and high speed Stokesmetric imaging

We demonstrate an optically controlled waveplate at ~1323 nm using the 5S1/2-5P1/2-6S1/2 ladder transition in a Rb vapor cell. The lower leg of the transitions represents the control beam, while the upper leg represents the signal beam. We show that we can place the signal beam in any arbitrary polarization state with a suitable choice of polarization of the control beam. Specifically, we demonstrate a differential phase retardance of ~180 degrees between the two circularly polarized components of a linearly polarized signal beam. We also demonstrate that the system can act as a Quarter Wave plate. The optical activity responsible for the phase retardation process is explained in terms of selection rules involving the Zeeman sublevels. As such, the system can be used to realize a fast Stokesmetric imaging system with a speed of ~3 MHz. When implemented using a tapered nano fiber embedded in a vapor cell, this system can be used to realize an ultra-low power all-optical switch as well as a Quantum Zeno Effect based all-optical logic gate by combining it with an optically controlled polarizer, previously demonstrated by us. We present numerical simulations of the system using a comprehensive model which incorporates all the relevant Zeeman sub-levels in the system, using a novel algorithm recently developed by us for efficient computation of the evolution of an arbitrary large scale quantum system.
Multi-Task Learning for Email Search Ranking with Auxiliary Query Clustering

User information needs vary significantly across different tasks, and therefore their queries will also differ considerably in their expressiveness and semantics. Many studies have been proposed to model such query diversity by obtaining query types and building query-dependent ranking models. These studies typically require either a labeled query dataset or clicks from multiple users aggregated over the same document. These techniques, however, are not applicable when manual query labeling is not viable, and aggregated clicks are unavailable due to the private nature of the document collection, e.g., in email search scenarios. In this paper, we study how to obtain query type in an unsupervised fashion and how to incorporate this information into query-dependent ranking models. We first develop a hierarchical clustering algorithm based on truncated SVD and varimax rotation to obtain coarse-to-fine query types. Then, we study three query-dependent ranking models, including two neural models that leverage query type information as additional features, and one novel multi-task neural model that views query type as the label for the auxiliary query cluster prediction task. This multi-task model is trained to simultaneously rank documents and predict query types. Our experiments on tens of millions of real-world email search queries demonstrate that the proposed multi-task model can significantly outperform the baseline neural ranking models, which either do not incorporate query type information or just simply feed query type as an additional feature.
ELECTROMAGNETIC COUNTERPARTS OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SOURCES: MERGERS OF COMPACT OBJECTS

Mergers of compact objects are considered prime sources of gravitational waves (GW) and will soon be targets of GW observatories such as the Advanced-LIGO and VIRGO. Finding electromagnetic counterparts of these GW sources will be important to understand their nature. We discuss possible electromagnetic signatures of the mergers. We show that the BH–BH mergers could have luminosities which exceed Eddington luminosity from unity to several orders of magnitude depending on the masses of the merging BHs. As a result these mergers could be explosive, release up to 1051 erg of energy and shine as radio transients. At any given time we expect about a few such transients in the sky at GHz frequencies, which could be detected to be about 300 Mpc. It has also been argued that these radio transients would look alike radio supernovae with comparable detection rates. Multi-band follow-up could, however, distinguish between the mergers and supernovae.
ON THE (0, 4) CONFORMAL FIELD THEORY OF THE THROAT

In SO(32) heterotic string theory, the space–time at the core of N coincident NS five-branes is an infinite throat, ℝ×S3. As shown by Witten, the throat signals a singularity in the usual heterotic string conformal field theory and a nonperturbative USp(2N) gauge group appears, due to the N small instantons at the five-branes' core. Nevertheless, we look for some trace of the nonperturbative physics in the description of the heterotic string infinitely far down the throat. Our guide is a D1-brane probing N D5-branes in type I, which yields a (1+1)-dimensional (0, 4) supersymmetric model with ADHM data in its couplings, as shown by Douglas. The neighborhood of the classical boundary of the hypermultiplet moduli space of the theory flows to an exact conformal field theory description of the throat theory. Ironically, the remnant of the nonperturbative symmetry is indeed found in the conformal field theory, lurking in the structure of the partition function, and encoded in a family of deformations of the theory along flat directions. The deformations have an explicit description using the flow from type I theory, and have a hyper-Kahler structure. Similar results hold true for the analogous (4, 4) supersymmetric situation in type IIB theory, as is evident in the work of Diaconescu and Seiberg.
Action of Intertwining operators on pseudospherical K-types

In this paper, we give a concrete description of the two-fold cover of a simply connected, split real reductive group and its maximal compact subgroup as Chevalley groups. We define a representation of the maximal compact subgroup called pseudospherical representation, it appears with multiplicity one in the principal series representation. We introduce a family of canonically defined intertwining operators and compute the action of them on pseudospherical K-types, obtaining explicit formulas of the Harish-Chandra c-function.
Phase Curves of the Kepler-11 Multi-planet System

The Kepler mission has allowed the detection of numerous multi-planet exosystems where the planetary orbits are relatively compact. The first such system detected was Kepler-11 which has six known planets at the present time. These kinds of systems offer unique opportunities to study constraints on planetary albedos by taking advantage of both the precision timing and photometry provided by Kepler data to monitor possible phase variations. Here we present a case study of the Kepler-11 system in which we investigate the phase modulation of the system as the planets orbit the host star. We provide predictions of maximum phase modulation where the planets are simultaneously close to superior conjunction. We use corrected Kepler data for Q1-Q17 to determine the significance of these phase peaks. We find that data quarters where maximum phase peaks occur are better fit by a phase model than a "null hypothesis" model.
Band-taut sutured manifolds

Attaching a 2‐handle to a genus two or greater boundary component of a 3‐manifold is a natural generalization of Dehn filling a torus boundary component. We prove that there is an interesting relationship between an essential surface in a sutured 3‐manifold, the number of intersections between the boundary of the surface and one of the sutures, and the cocore of the 2‐handle in the manifold after attaching a 2‐handle along the suture. We use this result to show that tunnels for tunnel number one knots or links in any 3‐manifold can be isotoped to lie on a branched surface corresponding to a certain taut sutured manifold hierarchy of the knot or link exterior. In a subsequent paper, we use the theorem to prove that band sums satisfy the cabling conjecture, and to give new proofs that unknotting number one knots are prime and that genus is superadditive under band sum. To prove the theorem, we introduce band-taut sutured manifolds and prove the existence of band-taut sutured manifold hierarchies.
Fiber-based cryogenic and time-resolved spectroscopy of PbS quantum dots

PbS quantum dots are promising active emitters for use with high-quality Si nanophotonic devices in the telecommunications-band. Measurements of low quantum dot densities are limited both because of low fluorescence levels and the challenges of single photon detection at these wavelengths. Here, we report on methods using a fiber taper waveguide to efficiently extract PbS quantum dot photoluminescence. Temperature dependent ensemble measurements reveal an increase in emitted photons concomitant with an increase in excited-state lifetime from 58.9 ns at 293 K to 657 ns at 40 K. Measurements are also performed on quantum dots on high-Q (> 105) microdisks using cavity-resonant, pulsed excitation.
Light axion within the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model

We analyze the Higgs sector in the next-to-minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, emphasizing the possibility of a light CP-odd scalar (axion) in the spectrum. We compute the coupling of the Standard-Model-like Higgs boson to a pair of axions, and show that it can be large enough to modify the Higgs branching fractions, with a significant impact on the Higgs searches. We delineate the range of parameters relevant for this scenario, and also derive analytic expressions for the scalar masses and couplings in two special cases - a decoupling limit where all scalars other than the axion are heavier than the Standard-Model-like Higgs boson, and the large tan β limit.
On Sasaki-Einstein manifolds in dimension five

We prove the existence of Sasaki-Einstein metrics on certain simply connected 5-manifolds where until now existence was unknown. All of these manifolds have non-trivial torsion classes. On several of these we show that there are a countable infinity of deformation classes of Sasaki-Einstein structures.
Multidimensional spectroscopy with a single broadband phase-shaped laser pulse

We calculate the frequency-dispersed nonlinear transmission signal of a phase-shaped visible pulse to fourth order in the field. Two phase profiles, a phase-step and phase-pulse, are considered. Two dimensional signals obtained by varying the detected frequency and phase parameters are presented for a three electronic band model system. We demonstrate how two-photon and stimulated Raman resonances can be manipulated by the phase profile and sign, and selected quantum pathways can be suppressed.
Large Deviations of the Lyapunov Exponent and Localization for the 1D Anderson Model

The proof of Anderson localization for the 1D Anderson model with arbitrary (e.g. Bernoulli) disorder, originally given by Carmona–Klein–Martinelli in 1987, is based in part on the multi-scale analysis. Later, in the 90s, it was realized that for one-dimensional models with positive Lyapunov exponents some parts of multi-scale analysis can be replaced by considerations involving subharmonicity and large deviation estimates for the corresponding cocycle, leading to nonperturbative proofs for 1D quasiperiodic models. In this paper we present a short proof along these lines, for the Anderson model. To prove dynamical localization we also develop a uniform version of Craig–Simon’s bound that works in high generality and may be of independent interest.
Coronal Mass Ejections as Expanding Force-Free Structures

We model solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as expanding force-free magnetic structures and find the self-similar dynamics of configurations with spatially constant α, where J=α B, in spherical and cylindrical geometries, expanding spheromaks and Lundquist fields, respectively. The field structures remain force-free, under the conventional non-relativistic assumption that the dynamical effects of the inductive electric fields can be neglected. While keeping the internal magnetic field structure of the stationary solutions, expansion leads to complicated internal velocities and rotation, caused by inductive electric fields. The structure depends only on overall radius R(t) and rate of expansion $\dot{R}(t)$ measured at a given moment, and thus is applicable to arbitrary expansion laws. In case of cylindrical Lundquist fields, magnetic flux conservation requires that both axial and radial expansion proceed with equal rates. In accordance with observations, the model predicts that the maximum magnetic field is reached before the spacecraft reaches the geometric center of a CME.
On superstability in the class of flat modules and perfect rings

We obtain a characterization of left perfect rings via superstability of the class of flat left modules with pure embeddings. $\mathbf{Theorem.}$ For a ring $R$ the following are equivalent. - $R$ is left perfect. - The class of flat left $R$-modules with pure embeddings is superstable. - There exists a $\lambda \geq (|R| + \aleph_0)^+$ such that the class of flat left $R$-modules with pure embeddings has uniqueness of limit models of cardinality $\lambda$. - Every limit model in the class of flat left $R$-modules with pure embeddings is $\Sigma$-cotorsion. A key step in our argument is the study of limit models in the class of flat modules. We show that limit models with chains of long cofinality are cotorsion and that limit models are elementarily equivalent. We obtain a new characterization via limit models of the rings characterized in [Rot02]. We show that in these rings the equivalence between left perfect rings and superstability can be refined. We show that the results for these rings can be applied to extend [She17, 1.2] to classes of flat modules not axiomatizable in first-order logic.
Deep Multi Depth Panoramas for View Synthesis

We propose a learning-based approach for novel view synthesis for multi-camera 360\(^\circ \) panorama capture rigs. Previous work constructs RGBD panoramas from such data, allowing for view synthesis with small amounts of translation, but cannot handle the disocclusions and view-dependent effects that are caused by large translations. To address this issue, we present a novel scene representation—Multi Depth Panorama (MDP)—that consists of multiple RGBD\(\alpha \) panoramas that represent both scene geometry and appearance. We demonstrate a deep neural network-based method to reconstruct MDPs from multi-camera 360\(^\circ \) images. MDPs are more compact than previous 3D scene representations and enable high-quality, efficient new view rendering. We demonstrate this via experiments on both synthetic and real data and comparisons with previous state-of-the-art methods spanning both learning-based approaches and classical RGBD-based methods.
Neutron Response of the EJ-254 Boron-Loaded Plastic Scintillator

Organic scintillators doped with capture agents provide a detectable signal for neutrons over a broad energy range. This work characterizes the fast and slow neutron response of EJ-254, an organic plastic scintillator with 5% natural boron loading by weight. For fast neutrons, the primary mechanism for light generation in organic scintillators is n-p elastic scattering. To study the fast neutron response, the proton light yield of EJ-254 was measured at the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Using a broad-spectrum neutron source and a double time-of-flight technique, the EJ-254 proton light yield was obtained over the energy range of approximately 270 keV to 4.5 MeV and determined to be in agreement with other plastic scintillators comprised of the same polymer base. To isolate the slow neutron response, an AmBe source with polyethylene moderator was made incident on the EJ-254 scintillator surrounded by an array of EJ-309 observation detectors. Events in the EJ-254 target coincident with the signature 477.6 keV $\gamma $ ray (resulting from deexcitation of the residual 7Li nucleus following boron neutron capture) were identified. Pulse shape discrimination was used to evaluate the temporal differences in the response of EJ-254 scintillation signals arising from $\gamma $ -ray and fast/slow neutron interactions. Clear separation between $\gamma $ -ray and fast neutron signals was not achieved and the neutron-capture feature was observed to overlap both the $\gamma $ -ray and fast neutron bands. Taking into account the electron light nonproportionality, the neutron-capture light yield in EJ-254 was determined to be 89.4 ± 1.1 keVee.
Electronic Characteristics of MoSe 2 and MoTe 2 for Nanoelectronic Applications

Single-crystalline MoSe2 and MoTe2 platelets were grown by Chemical Vapor Transport (CVT), followed by exfoliation, device fabrication, optical and electrical characterization. We observed that for the field-effect-transistor (FET) channel thickness in range of 5.5 nm to 8.5 nm, MoTe2 shows p-type, whereas MoSe2 with channel thickness range of 1.6 nm to 10.5 nm, shows n-type conductivity behavior. At room temperature, both MoSe2 and MoTe2 FETs have high ON/OFF current ratio and low contact resistance. Controlling charge carrier type and mobility in MoSe2 and MoTe2 layers can pave a way for utilizing these materials for heterojunction nanoelctronic devices with superior performance.