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Showing votes from 2023-12-26 11:30 to 2023-12-29 12:30 | Next meeting is Tuesday Oct 29th, 10:30 am.
Spatial variations in survey properties due to selection effects generate substantial systematic errors in large-scale structure measurements in optical galaxy surveys on very large scales. On such scales, the statistical sensitivity of optical surveys is also limited by their finite sky coverage. By contrast, gravitational wave (GW) sources appear to be relatively free of these issues, provided the angular sensitivity of GW experiments can be accurately characterized. We quantify the expected cosmological information gain from combining the forecast LSST 3$\times$2pt analysis (combination of three 2-point correlations of galaxy density and weak lensing shear fields) with the large-scale auto-correlation of GW sources from proposed next-generation GW experiments. We find that in $\Lambda$CDM and $w$CDM models, there is no significant improvement in cosmological constraints from combining GW with LSST 3$\times$2pt over LSST alone, due to the large shot noise for the former; however, this combination does enable a $\sim6\%$ constraint on the linear galaxy bias of GW sources. More interestingly, the optical-GW data combination provides tight constraints on models with primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG), due to the predicted scale-dependent bias in PNG models on large scales. Assuming that the largest angular scales that LSST will probe are comparable to those in Stage III surveys ($\ell_{\rm min}\sim50$), the inclusion of next-generation GW measurements could improve constraints on the PNG parameter $f_{\rm NL}$ by up to a factor of $\simeq6.6$ compared to LSST alone, yielding $\sigma(f_{\rm NL})=8.5$. These results assume the expected capability of a network of Einstein Telescope-like GW observatories, with a detection rate of $10^6$ events/year. We investigate the sensitivity of our results to different assumptions about future GW detectors as well as different LSST analysis choices.
Gravitational waves (GWs) provide a new avenue to test Einstein's General Relativity (GR) using the ongoing and upcoming GW detectors by measuring the redshift evolution of the effective Planck mass proposed by several modified theories of gravity. We propose a model-independent, data-driven approach to measure any deviation from GR in the GW propagation effect by combining multi-messenger observations of GW sources accompanied by EM counterparts, commonly known as bright sirens (Binary Neutron Star(BNS) and Neutron Star Black Hole systems(NSBH)). We show that by combining the GW luminosity distance measurements from bright sirens with the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements derived from galaxy clustering, and the sound horizon measurements from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), we can make a data-driven reconstruction of deviation of the variation of the effective Planck mass (jointly with the Hubble constant) as a function of cosmic redshift. Using this technique, we achieve a precise measurement of GR with redshift (z) with a precision of approximately $7.9\%$ for BNSs at redshift $z=0.075$ and $10\%$ for NSBHs at redshift $z=0.225$ with 5 years of observation from LVK network of detectors. Employing $CE\&ET$ for just 1 year yields the best precision of about $1.62\%$ for BNSs and $2\%$ for NSBHs at redshift $z=0.5$ on the evolution of the frictional term, and a similar precision up to $z=1$. This measurement can discover potential deviation from any kind of model that impacts GW propagation with ongoing and upcoming observations.
Gravitational waves (GW) from the inspiral of binary compact objects offers a one-step measurement of the luminosity distance to the event, which is essential for the measurement of the Hubble constant, $H_0$, that characterizes the expansion rate of the Universe. However, unlike binary neutron stars, the inspiral of binary black holes is not expected to be accompanied by electromagnetic radiation and a subsequent determination of its redshift. Consequently, independent redshift measurements of such GW events are necessary to measure $H_0$. In this study, we present a novel Bayesian approach to infer $H_0$ from the cross-correlation between galaxies with known redshifts and individual binary black hole merger events. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method with $250$ simulated GW events distributed within $1$ Gpc in colored Gaussian noise of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors operating at O4 sensitivity. We show that such measurements can constrain the Hubble constant with a precision of $\lesssim 15 \%$ ($90\%$ highest density interval). We highlight the potential improvements that need to be accounted for in further studies before the method can be applied to real data.
Primordial magnetic fields (PMFs) are one of the plausible candidates for the origin of the observed large-scale magnetic fields. While many proposals have been made for the generation mechanism of PMFs by earlier studies, it remains a subject of debate. In this paper, to obtain new insights into PMFs, we focus on the intrinsic alignments (IAs) of galaxies induced by the vector and tensor modes of the anisotropic stress of PMFs. The long-wavelength vector and tensor modes locally induce the tidal gravitational fields, leading to the characteristic distortions of the intrinsic ellipticity of galaxies. We investigate the shear E- and B-mode power spectra induced by the magnetic vector and tensor modes in the three-dimensional space, assuming the combination of galaxy imaging and galaxy redshift surveys. We find that the magnetic tensor mode dominates both the E- and B-mode spectra. In particular, the B-mode spectrum induced by the magnetic tensor mode plays a crucial role in constraining the amplitude of PMFs, even in the presence of the non-magnetic scalar contribution to the B-mode spectrum arising from the one-loop effect. In future galaxy redshift surveys, such as Euclid and Square Kilometre Array, the minimum detectable value reaches $\sim 30 \, \rm nG$, which can potentially get even smaller in proportion to the number of observed galaxies and reach $\sim \mathcal{O}(1 \, {\rm nG})$. Measuring the IAs of galaxies would be a potential probe for PMFs in future galaxy surveys.
In this work we consider the realization of a variant emergent Universe scenario in the context of $f(R)$ gravity. We use well-known reconstruction techniques existing in the literature, and we find the approximate form of the vacuum $f(R)$ that reproduces the specific variant emergent Universe scale factor in the large curvature approximation. As we show, in the variant emergent Universe scenario, the Hubble horizon shrinks primordially and the Universe undergoes in an accelerated expansion era. In a perturbation theory approach, the scalar and tensor curvature perturbations can be expressed in terms of the phenomenological indices $\epsilon_i , i=1,3,4$, usually used for inflationary phenomenology, and we extract the spectral indices for the scalar and tensor perturbations, along with the tensor-to-scalar ratio expressed in terms of the perturbation indices. Using a powerful genetic algorithm we investigate in depth the parameter space of the model, quantified by several free parameters, in order to study the viability of the model when this is compared with the Planck 2018 data. We also investigate the implications of the vacuum $f(R)$ gravity we found on the Big Bang nucleosynthesis.
High precision mapping of H2O megamaser emissions from active galaxies have revealed more than a dozen of Keplerian H2O aser disks that enable a ~4% Hubble constant measurement and provide accurate black hole masses. The maser disks that allow for these important astrophysical applications usually display clear inner and outer edges at sub-parsec scales. It is still unclear what causes these boundaries and how their radii are determined. To understand whether the physical conditions favorable for population inversion of H2O molecules can determine the inner and outer radii of a maser disk, we examine the distributions of gas density and X-ray heating rate in a warped molecular disk described by power-law surface density profile. With a suitable choice of the disk mass, we find that the outer radius R_out of the maser disk predicted from our model can match the observed value, with R_out mainly determined by the maximum heating rate or the minimum density for efficient maser action, depending on the combination of the Eddington ratio, black hole mass and disk mass. Our analysis also suggests that the inner edge of a maser disk often lie close to the dust sublimation radius, suggesting that the physical conditions of the dusts may play a role in defining inner boundary of the disk. Finally, our model predicts that H2O "gigamaser" disks could possibly exist at the center of high-z quasars, with disk size of >~10-30 pc.
Ultralight bosons are attractive dark-matter candidates and appear in various scenarios beyond standard model. They can induce superradiant instabilities around spinning black holes (BHs), extracting the energy and angular momentum from BHs, and then dissipated through monochromatic gravitational radiation, which become promising sources of gravitational wave detectors. In this letter, we focus on massive tensor fields coupled to BHs and compute the stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds emitted by these sources. We then undertake a search for this background within the data from LIGO/Virgo O1$\sim$ O3 runs. Our analysis reveals no discernible evidence of such signals, allowing us to impose stringent limits on the mass range of tensor bosons. Specifically, we exclude the existence of tensor bosons with masses ranging from $4.0\times10^{-14}$ to $2.0\times10^{-12}$ eV at $95\%$ confidence level.
The ADMX collaboration gathered data for its Run 1A axion dark matter search from January to June 2017, scanning with an axion haloscope over the frequency range 645-680 MHz (2.66-2.81 ueV in axion mass) at DFSZ sensitivity. The resulting axion search found no axion-like signals comprising all the dark matter in the form of a virialized galactic halo over the entire frequency range, implying lower bound exclusion limits at or below DFSZ coupling at the 90% confidence level. This paper presents expanded details of the axion search analysis of Run 1A, including review of relevant experimental systems, data-taking operations, preparation and interpretation of raw data, axion search methodology, candidate handling, and final axion limits.
Recent JWST surveys reveal a striking abundance of massive galaxies at cosmic dawn, earlier than predicted by $\Lambda$CDM. The implied speed-up in galaxy formation by gravitational collapse is reminiscent of short-period galaxy dynamics described by the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. This may originate in weak gravitation tracking the de Sitter scale of acceleration $a_{dS}=cH$, where $c$ is the velocity of light and $H(z)\propto \left(1+z\right)^{3/2}$ is the Hubble parameter with redshift $z$. With no free parameters, this produces a speed-up in early galaxy formation by an order of magnitude with essentially no change in initial galaxy mass function. It predicts a deceleration parameter $q_0=1-\left( 2\pi/GAa_{dS}\right)^2 = -0.98\pm 0.5$, where $G$ is Newton's constant and $A=(47\pm6)M_\odot$\,(km/s)$^{-4}$ is the baryonic Tully-Fisher coefficient (McGaugh 2012). At $3\sigma$ significance, it identifies dynamical dark energy alleviating $H_0$-tension when combined with independent $q_0$ estimates in the Local Distance Ladder. Conclusive determination of $q_0=d\log(\theta(z)H(z))/dz\left|_{z=0}\right.$ is expected from BAO angle $\theta(z)$ observations by the recently launched {\em Euclid} mission.
Star-forming galaxies (SFGs) adhere to a surprisingly tight scaling relation of dust attenuation parameterized by the infrared excess (IRX=$L_{\rm IR}/L_{\rm UV}$), being jointly determined by the star formation rate (SFR), galaxy size ($R_{\rm e}$), metallicity ($Z$/Z$_\odot$) and axial ratio ($b/a$). We examine how these galaxy parameters determine the effective dust attenuation and give rise to the universal IRX relation, utilizing a simple two-component star-dust geometry model in which dust in the dense and diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) follows exponential mass density profiles, connected with but not necessarily identical to the stellar mass profiles. Meanwhile, empirical relations are adopted to link galaxy properties, including the gas--star formation relation, the dust-to-stellar size relation, as well as the dust-to-gas ratio versus metallicity relation. By fitting a large sample of local SFGs with the model, we obtain the best-fitting model parameters as a function of metallicity, showing that the two-component geometry model is able to successfully reproduce the dependence of IRX on SFR, $R_{\rm e}$, $b/a$ at given $Z$/Z$_\odot$, as well as the dependence of power-law indices on metallicity. Moreover, we also retrieve constraints on the model geometry parameters, including the optical depth of birth clouds (BCs), BC-to-total dust mass fraction, BC covering factor of UV-emitting stars, and star-to-total dust disc radius ratio, which all evolve with galaxy metallicity. Finally, a consistent picture of how the star-dust geometry in SFGs evolves with galaxy metallicity is discussed.
In this work we present a new framework of the gravity sector by considering the extension $F(R,w)$, in which $R$ is the Ricci scalar and $w$ is the equation of state. Three different choices of function $F(R,w)$ are investigated under the Palatini formalism. The models appear equivalent to $F(R)$ models of gravity with effective momentum-energy tensors. For linear dependence of Ricci scalar in which $F(R,w)=k(w)R$, the model appears equivalent to Einstein-Hilbert action with effective momentum-energy tensor. Recovering the minimal coupling case of the last choice does not face Jordan-Einstein frame ambiguities and exhibits natural alignments with general relativity results in the matter\text{/} radiation dominated eras. We discuss some astrophysical implications of the model by considering scalar fields as dominant matter forms. We show that the Higgs inflation could be saved within the $F(R,w)$ model. We suggest some future investigations exemplified by constant-roll inflation and universe evolution for $F(R)=f(R)k(w)$ where $f(R)$ represents the Starobinsky gravitational form. Using the model and comparing it with pure $F(R)$ gravity, we provide preliminary indications of $F(R,w)$'s impact. As a final note, we suggest using the Polytropic equation of state in future works to investigate $F(R,w)$.
We thoroughly explore the cosmic gravitational focusing of cosmic neutrino fluid (C$\nu$F) by dark matter (DM) halo using both general relativity for a point source of gravitational potential and Boltzmann equations for continuous overdensities. Derived in the most general way for both relativistic and non-relativistic neutrinos, our results show that the effect has fourth power dependence on the neutrino mass and temperature. With nonlinear mass dependence which is different from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large scale structure (LSS) observations, the cosmic gravitational focusing can provide an independent cosmological way of measuring the neutrino mass and ordering. We take DESI as an example to illustrate that the projected sensitivity as well as its synergy with existing terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and other cosmological observations can significantly improve the neutrino mass measurement.
I review the use of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the 1998 discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe, as well as the subsequent use of SNe Ia to study the expansion history in more detail, determine the equation-of-state parameter w, and measure the current value of the Hubble constant. This is the lightly edited transcript of a lecture given at the Standard Model at 50 Symposium held at Case Western University, June 1-4, 2018, and thus corresponds to the state of the field in mid-2018; however, a few post-symposium updates were included in 2019. Also, this version includes at the end a brief update (December 2023) on the early-time vs. late-time Hubble tension, which has now reached a level of 5 sigma based on SNe Ia alone and is supported by several other low-redshift determinations of the Hubble constant.
We use galaxy-galaxy lensing data to test general relativity and $f(T)$ gravity at galaxies scales. We consider an exact spherically symmetric solution of $f(T)$ theory which is obtained from an approximate quadratic correction, and thus it is expected to hold for every realistic deviation from general relativity. Quantifying the deviation by a single parameter $Q$, and following the post-Newtonian approximation, we obtain the corresponding deviation in the gravitational potential, shear component, and effective surface density (ESD) profile. We used five stellar mass samples and divided them into blue and red to test the model dependence on galaxy color, and we modeled ESD profiles using Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profiles. Based on the group catalog from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7) we finally extract $Q=2.138^{+0.952}_{-0.516}\times 10^{-5}\,$Mpc$^{-2}$ at $1\sigma$ confidence. This result indicates that $f(T)$ corrections on top of general relativity are favored. Finally, we apply information criteria, such as the AIC and BIC ones, and although the dependence of $f(T)$ gravity on the off-center effect implies that its optimality needs to be carefully studied, our analysis shows that $f(T)$ gravity is more efficient in fitting the data comparing to general relativity and $\Lambda$CDM paradigm, and thus it offers a challenge to the latter.
We investigate the effects of an early cosmological period, dominated by primordial 2-2-holes, on axion dark matter. 2-2-holes emerge in quadratic gravity, a candidate theory of quantum gravity, as a new family of classical solutions for ultracompact matter distributions. These objects have the black hole exterior without an event horizon and hence, as a probable endpoint of gravitational collapse, they do not suffer from the information loss problem. Thermal 2-2-holes exhibit Hawking-like classical radiation and satisfy the entropy-area law. Moreover, these objects, unlike BHs, have a minimum allowed mass and hence naturally give rise to stable remnants. In this paper, we consider the remnant contribution to dark matter (DM) small and adopt the axion DM scenario by the misalignment mechanism. We show that a 2-2-hole domination phase in the evolution of the universe changes the axion mass window from the dark matter abundance constraints. The biggest effect occurs when the remnants have the Planck mass, which is the case for a strongly coupled quantum gravity. The change in abundance constraints for the Planck mass 2-2-hole remnants amounts to that of the Primordial Black Hole (PBH) counterpart. Therefore; since we use the revised constraints on the initial fraction of 2-2-holes from GWs, the results here can also be considered as the updated version of the PBH case. As a result, the lower limit on the axion mass is found as $m_a \sim 10^{-9}$ eV. Furthermore, the domination scenario itself constrains the remnant mass $M_{\mathrm{min}}$ considerably. Given that we focus on the pre-BBN domination scenario in order not to interfere with BBN (Big Bang Nucleosynthesis) constraints, the remnant mass window becomes $m_{\mathrm{Pl}} \lesssim M_{\mathrm{min}} \lesssim 0.1\;\mathrm{g}$.
We further investigate novel features of the $T-$vacuum state, originally defined in the context of quantum field theory in a (1+1) dimensional radiation dominated universe [Modak, JHEP 12, 031 (2020)]. Here we extend the previous work to a realistic (3+1) dimensional set up and show that $T-$vacuum causes an \emph{anisotropic particle creation} in the radiation dominated early universe. Unlike the Hawking or Unruh effect, where the particle content is thermal and asymptotically defined, here it is non-thermal and time dependent. This novel example of particle creation is interesting because these particles are detected in the frame of physical/cosmological observers, who envision the $T-$vacuum as a particle excited state, and therefore may eventually be compared with observations.
Neutrinos are often considered as a portal to new physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) and might possess phenomenologically interesting interactions with dark matter (DM). This paper examines the cosmological imprints of DM that interacts with and is produced from SM neutrinos at temperatures below the MeV scale. We take a model-independent approach to compute the evolution of DM in this framework and present analytic results which agree well with numerical ones. Both freeze-in and freeze-out regimes are included in our analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the thermal evolution of neutrinos might be substantially affected by their interaction with DM. We highlight two distinctive imprints of such DM on neutrinos: (i) a large, negative contribution to $N_{\rm eff}$, which is close to the current experimental limits and will readily be probed by future experiments; (ii) spectral distortion of the cosmic neutrino background (C$\nu$B) due to DM annihilating into neutrinos, a potentially important effect for the ongoing experimental efforts to detect C$\nu$B.
We study finite-coupling effects of QFT on a rigid de Sitter (dS) background taking the $O(N)$ vector model at large $N$ as a solvable example. Extending standard large $N$ techniques to the dS background, we analyze the phase structure and late-time four-point functions. Explicit computations reveal that the spontaneous breaking of continuous symmetries is prohibited due to strong IR effects, akin to flat two-dimensional space. Resumming loop diagrams, we compute the late-time four-point functions of vector fields at large $N$, demonstrating that their spectral density is meromorphic in the spectral plane and positive along the principal series. These results offer highly nontrivial checks of unitarity and analyticity for cosmological correlators.
Theories in which the dark matter (DM) candidate is a fermion transforming chirally under a gauge symmetry are attractive, as the gauge symmetry would protect the DM mass. In such theories, the universe would have undergone a phase transition at early times that generated the DM mass upon spontaneous breaking of the gauge symmetry. In this paper, we explore the gravitational wave signals of a simple such theory based on an $\mathrm{SU}(2)_\mathrm{D}$ dark sector with a dark isospin-$3/2$ fermion serving as the DM candidate. This is arguably the simplest chiral theory possible. The scalar sector consists of a dark isospin-$3$ multiplet which breaks the $\mathrm{SU}(2)_\mathrm{D}$ gauge symmetry and also generates the DM mass. We construct the full thermal potential of the model and identify regions of parameter space which lead to detectable gravitational wave signals, arising from a strong first-order $\mathrm{SU}(2)_\mathrm{D}$ phase transition, in various planned space-based interferometers, while also being consistent with dark matter relic abundance. Bulk of the parameter space exhibiting detectable gravitational wave signals in the model also has large WIMP-nucleon scattering cross sections, $\sigma_{\rm SI}$, which could be probed in upcoming direct detection experiments.
Primordial black holes (PBHs) remain a viable dark matter candidate in the asteroid-mass range. We point out that in this scenario, the PBH abundance would be large enough for at least one object to cross through the inner Solar System per decade. Since Solar System ephemerides are modeled and measured to extremely high precision, such close encounters could produce detectable perturbations to orbital trajectories with characteristic features. We evaluate this possibility with a suite of simple Solar System simulations, and we argue that the abundance of asteroid-mass PBHs can plausibly be probed by existing and near-future data.
We study thermal corrections to a model of real scalar dark matter interacting feebly with a SM fermion and a gauge-charged vector-like fermion. We employ the Closed-Time-Path (CTP) formalism for our calculation and go beyond previous works by including the full dependence on the relevant mass scales as opposed to using (non)relativistic approximations. In particular, we use 1PI-resummed propagators without relying on the Hard-Thermal-Loop approximation. We conduct our analysis at leading order in the loop expansion of the 2PI effective action and compare our findings to commonly used approximation schemes, including the aforementioned Hard-Thermal-Loop approximation and results obtained from solving Boltzmann equations using thermal masses as a regulator for $t$-channel divergences. We find that the Boltzmann approach deviates between $-10\%$ and $+30\%$ from our calculation, where the size and sign strongly depends on the mass splitting between the DM candidate and the gauge-charged parent. The HTL-approximated result is more precise for small gauge couplings and is percent level accurate for large mass splittings, whereas it overestimates the relic density up to $25 \%$ for small mass splittings. Tree-level propagators lead to underabundant DM as they do not account for scattering contributions and can deviate up to $-100\%$ from the 1PI-resummed result.
The intersection of the cosmic and neutrino frontiers is a rich field where much discovery space still remains. Neutrinos play a pivotal role in the hot big bang cosmology, influencing the dynamics of the universe over numerous decades in cosmological history. Recent studies have made tremendous progress in understanding some properties of cosmological neutrinos, primarily their energy density. Upcoming cosmological probes will measure the energy density of relativistic particles with higher precision, but could also start probing other properties of the neutrino spectra. When convolved with results from terrestrial experiments, cosmology can become even more acute at probing new physics related to neutrinos or even Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Any discordance between laboratory and cosmological data sets may reveal new BSM physics and/or suggest alternative models of cosmology. We give examples of the intersection between terrestrial and cosmological probes in the neutrino sector, and briefly discuss the possibilities of what different laboratory experiments may see in conjunction with cosmological observatories.
We study the topology of the network of ionized and neutral regions that characterized the intergalactic medium during the Epoch of Reionization. Our analysis uses the formalism of persistent homology, which offers a highly intuitive and comprehensive description of the ionization topology in terms of the births and deaths of topological features. Features are identified as $k$-dimensional holes in the ionization bubble network, whose abundance is given by the $k$th Betti number: $\beta_0$ for ionized bubbles, $\beta_1$ for tunnels, and $\beta_2$ for neutral islands. Using semi-numerical models of reionization, we investigate the dependence on the properties of sources and sinks of ionizing radiation. Of all topological features, we find that the tunnels dominate during reionization and that their number is easiest to observe and most sensitive to the astrophysical parameters of interest, such as the gas fraction and halo mass necessary for star formation. Seen as a phase transition, the importance of the tunnels can be explained by the entanglement of two percolating clusters and the fact that higher-dimensional features arise when lower-dimensional features link together. We also study the relation between the morphological components of the bubble network (bubbles, tunnels, islands) and those of the cosmic web (clusters, filaments, voids), describing a correspondence between the $k$-dimensional features of both. Finally, we apply the formalism to mock observations of the 21-cm signal. Assuming 1000 observation hours with HERA Phase II, we show that astrophysical models can be differentiated and confirm that persistent homology provides additional information beyond the power spectrum.
Space-time parity can solve the strong CP problem and introduces a spontaneously broken $SU(2)_R$ gauge symmetry. We investigate the possibility of baryogenesis from a first-order $SU(2)_R$ phase transition similar to electroweak baryogenesis. We consider a model with the minimal Higgs content, for which the strong CP problem is indeed solved without introducing extra symmetry beyond parity. Although the parity symmetry seems to forbid the $SU(2)_R$ anomaly of the $B-L$ symmetry, the structure of the fermion masses can allow for the $SU(2)_R$ sphaleron process to produce non-zero $B-L$ asymmetry of Standard Model particles so that the wash out by the $SU(2)_L$ sphaleron process is avoided. The setup predicts a new hyper-charged fermion whose mass is correlated with the $SU(2)_R$ symmetry breaking scale and hence with the $SU(2)_R$ gauge boson mass, and depending on the origin of CP violation, with an electron electric dipole moment. In a setup where CP violation and the first-order phase transition are assisted by a singlet scalar field, the singlet can be searched for at future colliders.
We present cosmological parameter constraints from a blind joint analysis of three two-point correlation functions measured from the Year 3 Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC-Y3) imaging data, covering 416 deg$^2$, and the SDSS DR11 spectroscopic galaxies spanning the redshift range $[0.15, 0.70]$. We subdivide the SDSS galaxies into three volume-limited samples separated in redshift, each of which acts as a large-scale structure tracer characterized by the measurement of the projected correlation function, $w_{\rm p}(R)$. We also use the measurements of the galaxy-galaxy weak lensing signal $\Delta \Sigma(R)$ for each of these SDSS samples which act as lenses for a secure sample of source galaxies selected from the HSC-Y3 shape catalog based on their photometric redshifts. We combine these measurements with the cosmic shear correlation functions, $\xi_{\pm}(\vartheta)$, measured for our HSC source sample. We model these observables with the minimal bias model of the galaxy clustering observables in the context of a flat $\Lambda$CDM cosmology. We use conservative scale cuts, $R>12$ and $8~h^{-1}$Mpc, for $\Delta\Sigma$ and $w_{\rm p}$, respectively, where the minimal bias model is valid, in addition to conservative prior on the residual bias in the mean redshift of the HSC photometric source galaxies. Our baseline analysis yields $S_8=0.775^{+0.043}_{-0.038}$ (68% C.I.) for the $\Lambda$CDM model, after marginalizing over uncertainties in other parameters. Our value of $S_8$ is consistent with that from the Planck 2018 data, but the credible interval of our result is still relatively large. Our results are statistically consistent with those of a companion paper, which extends this analysis to smaller scales with an emulator-based halo model.
We argue that observations of the reionization history can be used as a probe of primordial density fluctuations, particularly on small scales. Although the primordial curvature perturbations are well constrained from measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and large-scale structure, these observational data probe the curvature perturbations only on large scales, and hence its information on smaller scales will give us further insight on primordial fluctuations. Since the formation of early galaxies is sensitive to the amplitude of small-scale perturbations, and then, in turn, gives an impact on the reionization history, one can probe the primordial power spectrum on small scales through observations of reionization. In this work, we focus on the running spectral indices of the primordial power spectrum to characterize the small-scale perturbations, and investigate their impact on the reionization history using the numerical code \texttt{21cmFAST}, which adopts a simple but commonly used reionization model. We also derive the constraints on the running spectral indices from observations of the reionization history indicated by the luminosity function of the Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters. We show that the reionization history, in combination with large-scale observations such as CMB, would be a useful tool to investigate primordial density fluctuations.
We study the impact of renormalization group effects on QCD axion phenomenology. Focusing on the DFSZ model, we argue that the relevance of running effects for the axion couplings crucially depends on the scale where the heavier Higgs scalars are integrated out. We study the impact of these effects on astrophysical and cosmological bounds as well as on the sensitivity of helioscopes experiments such as IAXO and XENONnT, showing that they can be sizable even in the most conservative case in which the two Higgs doublets remain as light as the TeV scale. We provide simple analytical expressions that accurately fit the numerical solutions of the renormalization group equations as a function of the mass scale of the heavy scalars.
We investigate the dark energy phenomenology in an extended parameter space where we allow the curvature density of our universe as a free-to-vary parameter. The inclusion of the curvature density parameter is motivated from the recently released observational evidences indicating the closed universe model at many standard deviations. Here we assume that the dark energy equation-of-state follows the PADE approximation, a generalized parametrization that may recover a variety of existing dark energy models. Considering three distinct PADE parametrizations, labeled as PADE-I, SPADE-I and PADE-II, we first constrain the cosmological scenarios driven by them using the joint analyses of a series of recently available cosmological probes, namely, Pantheon sample of Supernovae Type Ia, baryon acoustic oscillations, big bang nucleosynthesis, Hubble parameter measurements from cosmic chronometers, cosmic microwave background distance priors from Planck 2018 and then we include the future Gravitational Waves standard sirens (GWSS) data from the Einstein telescope with the combined analyses of these current cosmological probes. We find that the current cosmological probes indicate a very strong evidence of a dynamical dark energy at more than 99\% CL in both PADE-I, and PADE-II, but no significant evidence for the non-flat universe is found in any of these parametrizations. Interestingly, when the future GWSS data from the Einstein telescope are included with the standard cosmological probes an evidence of a non-flat universe is found in all three parametrizations together with a very strong preference of a dynamical dark energy at more than 99\% CL in both PADE-I, and PADE-II. Although from the information criteria analysis, namely, AIC, BIC, DIC, the non-flat $\Lambda$-Cold Dark Matter model remains the best choice, however, in the light of DIC, PADE parametrizations are still appealing.
The Surface Brightness Fluctuation (SBF) method is a powerful tool for determining distances to early-type galaxies. The method measures the intrinsic variance in a galaxy's surface brightness distribution to determine its distance with an accuracy of about 5%. Here, we discuss the mathematical formalism behind the SBF technique, its calibration, and the practicalities of how measurements are performed. We review the various sources of uncertainties that affect the method and discuss how they can be minimized or controlled through careful observations and data analysis. The SBF technique has already been successfully applied to a large number of galaxies and used for deriving accurate constraints on the Hubble-Lema\^itre constant $H_0$. An approved JWST program will greatly reduce the systematic uncertainties by establishing a firm zero-point calibration using tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances. We summarize the existing results and discuss the excellent potential of the SBF method for improving the current constraints on $H_0$.
The Cosmic Neutrino Background (CNB) encodes a wealth of information, but has not yet been observed directly. To determine the prospects of detection and to study its information content, we reconstruct the phase-space distribution of local relic neutrinos from the three-dimensional distribution of matter within 200 Mpc/h of the Milky Way. Our analysis relies on constrained realization simulations and forward modelling of the 2M++ galaxy catalogue. We find that the angular distribution of neutrinos is anti-correlated with the projected matter density, due to the capture and deflection of neutrinos by massive structures along the line of sight. Of relevance to tritium capture experiments, we find that the gravitational clustering effect of the large-scale structure on the local number density of neutrinos is more important than that of the Milky Way for neutrino masses less than 0.1 eV. Nevertheless, we predict that the density of relic neutrinos is close to the cosmic average, with a suppression or enhancement over the mean of (-0.3%, +7%, +27%) for masses of (0.01, 0.05, 0.1) eV. This implies no more than a marginal increase in the event rate for tritium capture experiments like PTOLEMY. We also predict that the CNB and CMB rest frames coincide for 0.01 eV neutrinos, but that neutrino velocities are significantly perturbed for masses larger than 0.05 eV. Regardless of mass, we find that the angle between the neutrino dipole and the ecliptic plane is small, implying a near-maximal annual modulation in the bulk velocity. Along with this paper, we publicly release our simulation data, comprising more than 100 simulations for six different neutrino masses.
One of main sources of uncertainty in modern cosmology is the present rate of the universe's expansion, H0, called the Hubble constant. Once again, different observational techniques bring about different results, causing new 'Hubble tension'. In the present work, we review the historical roots of the Hubble constant from the beginning of the twentieth century, when modern cosmology originated, to the present. We develop the arguments that gave rise to the importance of measuring the expansion of the Universe and its discovery, and we describe the different pioneering works attempting to measure it. There has been a long dispute on this matter, even in the present epoch, which is marked by high-tech instrumentation and, therefore, in smaller uncertainties in the relevant parameters. It is, again, currently necessary to conduct a careful and critical revision of the different methods before one invokes new physics to solve the so-called Hubble tension.
We study the dipole signal in the spectral index (x) of the differential number counts using quasars in the CatWISE2020 catalog of infrared sources. The index is extracted by using the log-likelihood method. We obtain the value $x=1.579 \pm 0.001$ for a quasar sample of 1355352 sources. We extract the dipole signal in this parameter by employing $\chi^{2}$ minimization, assuming a sky model of x up to the quadrupole term. We find that the dipole amplitude |D| is 0.005 \pm 0.002 and dipole direction (l, b) in Galactic coordinate system equal to $(201.50^{\circ} \pm 27.87^{\circ}, -29.37^{\circ} \pm 19.86^{\circ})$. The direction of dipole anisotropy is found to be very close to the hemispherical power asymmetry $(l,b)=(221^\circ,-27^{\circ})$ in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). We also obtain a signal of quadrupole anisotropy which is correlated with the ecliptic poles and can be attributed to ecliptic bias.}
We present microscopic Molecular Dynamics simulations including the efficient Ewald sum procedure to study warm and dense stellar plasmas consisting of finite-size ion charges immerse in a relativistic neutralizing electron gas. For densities typical of Supernova matter and crust in a proto-neutron star, we select a representative single ion composition and obtain the virialized equation of state (vEoS). We scrutinize the finite-size and screening corrections to the Coulomb potential appearing in the virial coefficients $B_2, B_3$ and $B_4$ as a function of temperature. In addition, we study the thermal heat capacity at constant volume, $C_V$, and the generalized Mayer's relation i.e. the difference $C_P-C_V$ with $C_P$ being the heat capacity at constant pressure, obtaining clear features signaling the onset of the liquid-gas phase transition. Our findings show that microscopic simulations reproduce the discontinuity in $C_V$, whose value lies between that of idealized gas and crystallized configurations. We study the pressure isotherms marking the boundary of the metastable region before the gaseous transition takes place. The resulting vEoS displays a behaviour where effective virial coefficients include extra density dependence showing a generalized density-temperature form. As an application we parametrize pressure as a function of density and temperature under the form of an artificial neural network showing the potential of machine learning for future regression analysis in more refined multicomponent approaches. This is of interest to size the importance of these corrections in the liquid-gas phase transition in warm and dense plasma phases contributing to the cooling behaviour of early Supernova phases and proto-neutron stars.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are fascinating sources studied in modern astronomy. They are extremely luminous electromagnetic explosions in the Universe observed from cosmological distances. These unique characteristics provide a marvellous chance to study the evolution of massive stars and probe the rarely explored early Universe. In addition, the central source's compactness and the high bulk Lorentz factor in GRB's ultra-relativistic jets make them efficient laboratories for studying high-energy astrophysics. GRBs are the only astrophysical sources observed in two distinct signals: gravitational and electromagnetic waves. GRBs are believed to be produced from a "fireball" moving at a relativistic speed, launched by a fast-rotating black hole or magnetar. GRBs emit radiation in two phases: the initial gamma/hard X-rays prompt emission, the duration of which ranges from a few seconds to hours, followed by the multi-wavelength and long-lived afterglow phase. Based on the observed time frame of GRB prompt emission, astronomers have generally categorized GRBs into two groups: long (> 2 s) and short (< 2 s) bursts. Despite the discovery of GRBs in the late 1960s, their origin is still a great mystery. There are several open questions related to GRBs, such as: What powers the GRBs jets/central engine? What are the possible progenitors? What is the jet composition? What is the underlying emission process that gives rise to observed radiation? Where and how does the energy dissipation occur in the outflow? How to solve the radiative efficiency problem? What are the possible causes of Dark GRBs and orphan afterglows? How to investigate the local environment of GRBs? etc. In this thesis, we explored some of these open enigmas (progenitor, emission mechanisms, jet composition and environment) using multi-wavelength observations obtained using space and ground-based facilities.
Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are catastrophic astrophysical phenomena that occur during the last evolutionary stages of massive stars having initial masses of around 8 M$_{\odot}$ or more. These calamitous events play a pivotal role in enriching our Universe with heavy elements and are also responsible for the birth of Neutron stars and stellar mass Black holes. Knowledge of the possible progenitors of CCSNe is fundamental to understanding these transient events. Additionally, the underlying circumstellar environment around possible progenitors and the physical mechanism powering the light curves of these catastrophic CCSN events also require careful investigations to unveil their nature. The research work within the context of the present thesis is an attempt to investigate the possible progenitors, ambient media around the progenitors, and powering mechanisms behind the light curve of CCSNe.
We present a new subgrid model for neutrino quantum kinetics, which is primarily designed to incorporate effects of collective neutrino oscillations into neutrino-radiation-hydrodynamic simulations for core-collapse supernovae and mergers of compact objects. We approximate the neutrino oscillation term in quantum kinetic equation by Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) relaxation-time prescription, and the transport equation is directly applicable for classical neutrino transport schemes. The BGK model is motivated by recent theoretical indications that non-linear phases of collective neutrino oscillations settle into quasi-steady structures. We explicitly provide basic equations of the BGK subgrid model for both multi-angle and moment-based neutrino transport to facilitate the implementation of the subgrid model in the existing neutrino transport schemes. We also show the capability of our BGK subgrid model by comparing to fully quantum kinetic simulations for fast neutrino-flavor conversion. We find that the overall properties can be well reproduced in the subgrid model; the error of angular-averaged survival probability of neutrinos is within $\sim 20 \%$. By identifying the source of error, we also discuss perspectives to improve the accuracy of the subgrid model.
Currently, 6 out of 30 known magnetars had pulsed radio emission detected. In this work, we evaluated the possibility of detecting radio transient events from magnetars with the telescopes of the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronom\'ia (IAR). To this aim, we made daily observations of the magnetar XTE~J1810$-$197 from 02-Sep-22 to 30-Nov-22. We analysed the observations by applying ephemeris folding and single pulse searches. We fitted a timing model to our observations and were able to detect the magnetar on 6 of the 36 observing sessions with signal-to-noise ratios at the limit of detectability, $3.3\leq \mathrm{S/N} \leq4.1$. We searched for individual pulses in one of these 6 days and found 7 individual pulses with $8.5\leq \mathrm{S/N} \leq18.8$. The dispersion measure changed slightly between pulses within a range of $178 \leq \textrm{DM} \,[\mathrm{pc\, cm^{-3}}] \leq 182$. The pulse with $\mathrm{S/N}=18.8$ has an associated $\textrm{DM}$ of $180\,\mathrm{pc\, cm^{-3}}$. We confirmed that we can detect pulsed radio emission in the band of $1400-1456\, \mathrm{MHz}$ from magnetars with a time resolution of $146\,\mu s$, being able to detect both integrated pulse profiles and individual pulses.
Iron K$\alpha$ (Fe K$\alpha$) emission is observed ubiquitously in AGN, and it is a powerful probe of their circumnuclear environment. Examinations of the emission line play a pivotal role in understanding the disk geometry surrounding the black hole. It has been suggested that the torus and the broad line region (BLR) are the origins of emission. However, there is no universal location for the emitting region relative to the BLR. Here, we present an analysis of the narrow component of the Fe K$\alpha$ line in the Seyfert AGN MCG-5-23-16, one of the brightest AGN in X-rays and in Fe K$\alpha$ emission, to localize the emitting region. Spectra derived from Chandra/HETGS observations show asymmetry in the narrow Fe K$\alpha$ line, which has only been confirmed before in the AGN NGC 4151. Models including relativistic Doppler broadening and gravitational redshifts are preferred over simple Gaussians and measure radii consistent with $R \simeq$ 200-650 r$_g$. These results are consistent with those of NGC 4151 and indicate that the narrow Fe K$\alpha$ line in MCG-5-23-16 is primarily excited in the innermost part of the optical broad line region (BLR), or X-ray BLR. Characterizing the properties of the narrow Fe K$\alpha$ line is essential for studying the disk geometries of the AGN population and mapping their innermost regions.
Pulsar detection has become an active research topic in radio astronomy recently. One of the essential procedures for pulsar detection is pulsar candidate sifting (PCS), a procedure of finding out the potential pulsar signals in a survey. However, pulsar candidates are always class-imbalanced, as most candidates are non-pulsars such as RFI and only a tiny part of them are from real pulsars. Class imbalance has greatly damaged the performance of machine learning (ML) models, resulting in a heavy cost as some real pulsars are misjudged. To deal with the problem, techniques of choosing relevant features to discriminate pulsars from non-pulsars are focused on, which is known as {\itshape feature selection}. Feature selection is a process of selecting a subset of the most relevant features from a feature pool. The distinguishing features between pulsars and non-pulsars can significantly improve the performance of the classifier even if the data are highly imbalanced.In this work, an algorithm of feature selection called {\itshape K-fold Relief-Greedy} algorithm (KFRG) is designed. KFRG is a two-stage algorithm. In the first stage, it filters out some irrelevant features according to their K-fold Relief scores, while in the second stage, it removes the redundant features and selects the most relevant features by a forward greedy search strategy. Experiments on the dataset of the High Time Resolution Universe survey verified that ML models based on KFRG are capable for PCS, correctly separating pulsars from non-pulsars even if the candidates are highly class-imbalanced.
Type I X-ray bursts in the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 1820$-$30 are powered by the unstable thermonuclear burning of hydrogen-deficient material. We report the detection of 15 type I X-ray bursts from 4U 1820$-$30 observed by NICER in between 2017 and 2023. All these bursts occurred in the low state for the persistent flux in the range of $2.5-8\times10^{-9}~{\rm erg~s^{-1}~cm^{-2}}$ in 0.1$-$250 keV. The burst spectra during the tail can be well explained by blackbody model. However, for the first $\sim$5 s after the burst onset, the time-resolved spectra showed strong deviations from the blackbody model. The significant improvement of the fit can be obtained by taking into account of the enhanced persistent emission due to the Poynting-Robterson drag, the extra emission modelled by another blackbody component or by the reflection from the surrounding accretion disk. The reflection model provides a self-consistent and physically motivated explanation. We find that the accretion disk density changed with 0.5 s delay as response to the burst radiation, which indicates the distortion of the accretion disk during X-ray bursts. From the time-resolved spectroscopy, all bursts showed the characteristic of photospheric radius expansion (PRE). We find one superexpansion burst with the extreme photospheric radius $r_{\rm ph}>10^3$ km and blackbody temperature of $\sim 0.2$ keV, thirteen strong PRE bursts for $r_{\rm ph}>10^2$ km, and one moderate PRE burst for $r_{\rm ph}\sim55$ km.
In this paper, we investigate quasinormal modes of scalar and electromagnetic fields in the background of Einstein--scalar--Gauss--Bonnet (EsGB) black holes. Using the scalar and electromagnetic field equations in the vicinity of the EsGB black hole, we study nature of the effective potentials. The dependence of real and imaginary parts of the fundamental quasinormal modes on parameter $p$ (which is related to the Gauss--Bonnet coupling parameter $\alpha$) for different values of multipole numbers $l$ are studied. We analyzed the effects of massive scalar fields on the EsGB black hole, which tells us the existence of quasi--resonances. In the eikonal regime, we find the analytical expression for the quasinormal frequency and show that the correspondence between the eikonal quasinormal modes and null geodesics is valid in the EsGB theory for the test fields. Finally, we study grey-body factors of the electromagnetic fields for different multipole numbers $l$, which deviates from Schwarzschild's black hole.
Neutron stars are known to have strong magnetic fields reaching as high as $10^{15}$ Gauss, besides having strongly curved interior spacetime. So for computing an equation of state for neutron-star matter, the effect of magnetic field as well as curved spacetime should be taken into account. In this article, we compute the equation of state for an ensemble of degenerate fermions in the curved spacetime of a neutron star in presence of a magnetic field. We show that the effect of curved spacetime on the equation of state is relatively stronger than the effect of observed strengths of magnetic field. Besides, a thin layer containing only spin-up neutrons is shown to form at the boundary of a degenerate neutron star.
In recent years the equations of relativistic first-order viscous hydrodynamics, that is, the relativistic version of Navier-Stokes, have been shown to be well posed and causal under appropriate field redefinitions, also known as hydrodynamic frames. We perform real-time evolutions of these equations for a conformal fluid and explore, quantitatively, the consequences of using different causal frames for different sets of initial data. By defining specific criteria, we make precise and provide evidence for the statement that the arbitrarily chosen frame does not affect the physics up to first order, as long as the system is in the effective field theory regime. Motivated by the physics of the quark-gluon plasma created in heavy-ion collisions we also explore systems which are marginally in the effective field theory regime, finding that even under these circumstances the first order physics is robust under field redefinitions.
Triaxial neutron stars can be sources of continuous gravitational radiation detectable by ground-based interferometers. The amplitude of the emitted gravitational wave can be greatly affected by the state of the hydrodynamical fluid flow inside the neutron star. In this work we examine the most triaxial models along two sequences of constant rest mass, confirming their dynamical stability. We also study the response of a triaxial figure of quasiequilibrium under a variety of perturbations that lead to different fluid flows. Starting from the general relativistic compressible analog of the Newtonian Jacobi ellipsoid, we perform simulations of Dedekind-type flows. We find that in some cases the triaxial neutron star resembles a Riemann-S-type ellipsoid with minor rotation and gravitational wave emission as it evolves towards axisymmetry. The present results highlight the importance of understanding the fluid flow in the interior of a neutron star in terms of its gravitational wave content.
The discovery in 2014 of the pulsation from the ultra-luminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-2 in 2014 has changed our view of ULXs. Because of the relatively short baseline over which pulsations have been detected so far, M82 X-2's spin state had been assumed to be in an equilibrium state. Using \cha and \xmm archive data, we are able to investigate the pulsation of M82 X-2 back to 2005 and 2001. The newly determined spin frequencies clearly show a long-term spin-down trend. If this trend is caused by magnetic threading, we infer a dipolar magnetic field of $\sim1.2\times10^{13}$ G and that a mild beaming factor ($\sim4$) is needed to match the braking torque with the mass accretion torque. On the other hand, there are \nus observations showing instantaneous spin-down behaviours, which might favour a variable prograde/retrograde flow scenario for M82 X-2.
We present the structure of a low angular momentum accretion flows around rotating compact objects incorporating relativistic corrections up to the leading post-Newtonian order. To begin with, we formulate the governing post-Newtonian hydrodynamic equations for the mass and energy-momentum flux without imposing any symmetries. However, for the sake of simplicity, we consider the flow to be stationary, axisymmetric, and inviscid. Toward this, we adapt the polytropic equation of state (EoS) and analyze the geometrically thin accretion flow confined to the equatorial plane. The spin-orbit effects manifest themselves in the disk structure. This is a relativistic interaction between the body's spin and the motion of fluid elements inside the gravitational potential of the body. In the present analysis, we focus on global transonic accretion solutions, where a subsonic flow enters far away from the compact object and gradually gains radial velocity as it moves inwards. Thus, the flow becomes supersonic after reaching a certain radius, known as the critical point. For a better understanding of the transonic solutions, we classify the post-Newtonian equations into semi-relativistic (SR), semi-Newtonian (SN), and non-relativistic (NR) limits and compare the accretion solutions and their corresponding flow variables. With these, we find that SR and SN flow are in good agreement all throughout, although they deviate largely from the NR ones. Interestingly, the density profile seems to follow the profile $\rho \propto r^{-3/2}$ in the post-Newtonian regime. The present study has the potential to connect Newtonian and GR descriptions of accretion disks.
Novae, explosive events in binary star systems involving a white dwarf and a companion star, offer profound insights into extreme astrophysical conditions. During the eruption of a nova, material accreted onto the white dwarf's surface undergoes a thermonuclear runaway reaction resulting in the ejection of matter into space and the formation of a luminous shell. The classical V5668 Sgr (Nova Sagittarii) was the second and brighter of the two novae in the southern constellation of Sagittarius. It was discovered by John Seach of Chatsworth Island, Australia, on March 15, 2015. In this paper, drawing on data from Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the US-based radio astronomy observatory, on V5668 Sgr as well as from research that aggregates data from a range of sources including telescope archives, this study used the Uniform Slab Model and statistical techniques to plot the nova's light and frequency curves and estimate its ejected shell mass and the brightness temperature. These characteristics help us better understand the nova's formation and eruption. The paper presents the light curves in a machine-readable format and provides insight into the behaviour of ionised gas clouds.
We report timing and spectral studies of the high mass X-ray binary 4U 1700-37 using Insight-HXMT observations carried out in 2020 during its out-of-eclipse state. We found significant variations in flux on a time-scale of kilo-seconds, while the hardness (count rate ratio between 10-30 keV and 2-10 keV) remains relatively stable. No evident pulsations were found over a frequency range of $10^{-3}$-2000 Hz. During the spectral analysis, for the first time we took the configuration of different Insight-HXMT detectors' orientations into account, which allows us obtaining reliable results even if a stable contamination exists in the field-of-view. We found that the spectrum could be well described by some phenomenological models that commonly used in accreting pulsars (e.g., a power law with a high energy cutoff) in the energy range of 2-100 keV. We found hints of cyclotron absorption features around ~ 16 keV or/and ~ 50 keV.
X-ray binary systems consist of a companion star and a compact object in close orbit. Thanks to their copious X-ray emission, these objects have been studied in detail using X-ray spectroscopy and timing. The inclination of these systems is a major uncertainty in the determination of the mass of the compact object using optical spectroscopic methods. In this paper, we present a new method to constrain the inclination of X-ray binaries, which is based on the modeling of the polarization of X-rays photons produced by a compact source and scattered off the companion star. We describe our method and explore the potential of this technique in the specific case of the low mass X-ray binary GS 1826-238 observed by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory.
Large uncertainties in the determinations of the equation of state of dense stellar matter allow the intriguing possibility that the bulk quark matter in beta equilibrium might be the true ground state of the matter at zero pressure. And quarks will form Cooper pairs very readily since the dominant interaction between quarks is attractive in some channels. As a result, quark matter will generically exhibit color superconductivity, with the favored pairing pattern at intermediately high densities being two-flavor pairing. In the light of several possible candidates for such self-bound quark stars, including the very low-mass central compact object in supernova remnant HESS J1731-347 reported recently, we carry out one field-theoretic model, the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, of investigation on the stability of beta-stable two-flavor color superconducting (2SC) phase of quark matter, nevertheless find no physically-allowed parameter space for the existence of 2SC quark stars.
It is important to develop a unified theoretical framework to describe the nuclear experiments and astrophysical observations based on the same effective nuclear interactions. Based on the so-called Skyrme pseudopotential up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order, we construct a series of extended Skyrme interactions by modifying the density-dependent term and fitting the empirical nucleon optical potential up to above $1$ GeV, the empirical properties of isospin symmetric nuclear matter, the microscopic calculations of pure neutron matter and the properties of neutron stars from astrophysical observations. The modification of the density-dependent term in the extended Skyrme interactions follows the idea of Fermi momentum expansion and this leads to a highly flexible density behavior of the symmetry energy. In particular, the values of the density slope parameter $L$ of the symmetry energy for the new extended Skyrme interactions range from $L = -5$ MeV to $L = 125$ MeV by construction, to cover the large uncertainty of the density dependence of the symmetry energy. Furthermore, in order to consider the effects of isoscalar and isovector nucleon effective masses, we adjust the momentum dependency of the single-nucleon optical potential and the symmetry potential of these new extended Skyrme interactions and construct a parameter set family, by which we systematically study the impacts of the symmetry energy and the nucleon effective masses on the properties of nuclear matter and neutron stars. The new extended Skyrme interactions constructed in the present work will be useful to determine the equation of state of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter, especially the symmetry energy, as well as the nucleon effective masses and their isospin splitting, in transport model simulations for heavy-ion collisions, nuclear structure calculations and neutron star studies.
These lectures address the effects of Cosmic Rays over macro-instabilities which develop in the interstellar medium and the micro-instabilities the particles are able to trigger themselves. The lectures are centered on the derivation of linear growth rates but also discuss some numerical simulations addressing the issue of magnetic field saturation. A particular emphasis is made on the streaming instability, an instability driven by anisotropic cosmic-ray distributions.
The spectra of several galaxies, including extremely metal-poor galaxies (EMPGs) from the EMPRESS survey, have shown that the abundances of some Si-group elements differ from "spherical" explosion models of massive stars. This leads to the speculation that these galaxies have experienced supernova explosions with high asphericity, where mixing and fallback of the inner ejecta with the outer material leads to the distinctive chemical compositions. In this article, we consider the jet-driven supernova models by direct two-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations using progenitors about 20 -- 25 $M_{\odot}$ at zero metallicity. We investigate how the abundance patterns depend on the progenitor mass, mass cut and the asphericity of the explosion. We compare the observable with available supernova and galaxy catalogs based on $^{56}$Ni, ejecta mass, and individual element ratios. The proximity of our results with the observational data signifies the importance of aspherical supernova explosions in chemical evolution of these galaxies. Our models will provide the theoretical counterpart for understanding the chemical abundances of high-z galaxies measured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Multiwavelength observations have revealed that dense, confined circumstellar material (CCSM) commonly exists in the vicinity of supernova (SN) progenitors, suggesting enhanced mass losses years to centuries before their core collapse. Interacting SNe, which are powered or aided by interaction with the CCSM, are considered to be promising high-energy multimessenger transient sources. We present detailed results of broadband electromagnetic emission, following the time-dependent model proposed in the previous work on high-energy SN neutrinos [Murase, Phys. Rev. D 97, 081301(R) (2018)]. We investigate electromagnetic cascades in the presence of Coulomb losses, including inverse-Compton and synchrotron components that significantly contribute to MeV and high-frequency radio bands, respectively. We also discuss the application to SN 2023ixf.
Neutrinos from supernovae (SNe) are crucial probes of explosive phenomena at the deaths of massive stars and neutrino physics. High-energy neutrinos are produced through hadronic processes by cosmic rays, which are accelerated during interaction between the supernova (SN) ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM). Recent observations of extragalactic SNe have revealed that a dense CSM is commonly expelled by the progenitor star. We provide new quantitative predictions of time-dependent high-energy neutrino emission from diverse types of SNe. We show that IceCube and KM3Net can detect about 1000 events from a SN II-P (and about 300000 events from a SN IIn) at a distance of 10 kpc. The new model also enables us to critically optimize the time window for dedicated searches for nearby SNe. A successful detection will give us a multienergy neutrino view of SN physics and new opportunities to study neutrino properties, as well as clues to the cosmic-ray origin. GeV-TeV neutrinos may also be seen by KM3Net, Hyper-Kamiokande, and PINGU.
Stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) may merge in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). It is suggested that the gravitational-wave (GW) emitted by a BBH has a high probability to be lensed by the SMBH if the BBH's orbit around the SMBH (i.e., the outer orbit) has a period of less than a year and is less than the duration of observation of the BBH by a space-borne GW observatory. For such a BBH + SMBH triple system, the de Sitter precession of the BBH's orbital plane is also significant. In this work, we thus study GW waveforms emitted by the BBH and then modulated by the SMBH due to effects including Doppler shift, de Sitter precession, and gravitational lensing. We show specifically that for an outer orbital period of 0.1 yr and an SMBH mass of $10^7 M_\odot$, there is a 3\%-10\% chance for the standard, strong lensing signatures to be detectable by space-borne GW detectors such as LISA and/or TianGO. For more massive lenses ($\gtrsim 10^8 M_\odot$) and more compact outer orbits with periods <0.1 yr, retro-lensing of the SMBH might also have a 1%-level chance of detection. Furthermore, by combining the lensing effects and the dynamics of the outer orbit, we find the mass of the central SMBH can be accurately determined with a fraction error of $\sim 10^{-4}$. This is much better than the case of static lensing because the degeneracy between the lens' mass and the source's angular position is lifted by the outer orbital motion. Including lensing effects also allows the de Sitter precession to be detectable at a precession period 3 times longer than the case without lensing. Lastly, we demonstrate that one can check the consistency between the SMBH's mass determined from the orbital dynamics and the one inferred from gravitational lensing, which serves as a test on theories behind both phenomena. The statistical error on the deviation can be constrained to a 1% level.
We study self-consistent approximations such as the $\Phi$-derivable and virial approaches to dilute strongly interacting systems in equilibrium. We consider a system of non-relativistic fermions of one kind interacting via a pair potential Thermodynamical quantities are expressed in terms of various spectral functions. We review the $\Phi$ derivable approximation scheme demonstrating the exact conservation of the Noether and the Botermans-Malfliet fermion number densities, and then for $\Phi$ described by the tadpole and sandwich diagrams we show the coincidence of these two number densities. As examples of test pair potentials, we consider the Yukawa central nucleon-nucleon potentials within Walecka, CD Bonn, and Reid parameterizations, and the corresponding classical Lennard-Jones potentials. Expressions for the second and third virial coefficients are derived and analyzed for $\Phi$ described by the tadpole and sandwich diagrams. Next, we focus on the virial approach to the equation of state. Classical, semiclassical, and purely quantum approaches are studied in detail. Then, different extrapolations of the virial equation of state are considered including the van~der~Waals form and excluded-volume models. We derive the expression for the second virial coefficient using the effective range approximation for the scattering amplitude and compare the result with the purely quantum result using the experimental phase shifts. Attention is focused on the problem of anomalously large value of the nucleon-nucleon scattering length appearing due to the presence of the quasi-bound state in nucleon-nucleon scattering, which can be destroyed in the matter because of the action of the Pauli blocking. We present results for the second virial coefficient subtracting this term. We discuss the validity of such a procedure to describe the equation of state of the nuclear matter in the virial limit.
The flavor evolution of neutrinos in core collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers is a critically important unsolved problem in astrophysics. Following the electron flavor evolution of the neutrino system is essential for calculating the thermodynamics of compact objects as well as the chemical elements they produce. Accurately accounting for flavor transformation in these environments is challenging for a number of reasons, including the large number of neutrinos involved, the small spatial scale of the oscillation, and the nonlinearity of the system. We take a step in addressing these issues by presenting a method which describes the neutrino fields in terms of angular moments. We apply our moment method to neutron star merger conditions and show it simulates fast flavor neutrino transformation in a region where this phenomenon is expected to occur. By comparing with particle-in-cell calculations we show that the moment method is able to capture the three phases of growth, saturation, and decoherence, and correctly predicts the lengthscale of the fastest growing fluctuations in the neutrino field.
Electromagnetic field confinement due to plasma near accreting black holes can trigger superradiant instabilities at the linear level, limiting the spin of black holes and providing novel astrophysical sources of electromagnetic bursts. However, nonlinear effects might jeopardize the efficiency of the confinement, rending superradiance ineffective. Motivated by understanding nonlinear interactions in this scenario, here we study the full $3+1$ nonlinear dynamics of Maxwell equations in the presence of plasma by focusing on regimes that are seldom explored in standard plasma-physics applications, namely a generic electromagnetic wave of very large amplitude but small frequency propagating in an inhomogeneous, overdense plasma. We show that the plasma transparency effect predicted in certain specific scenarios is not the only possible outcome in the nonlinear regime: plasma blow-out due to nonlinear momentum transfer is generically present and allows for significant energy leakage of electromagnetic fields above a certain threshold. We argue that such effect is sufficient to dramatically quench the plasma-driven superradiant instability around black holes even in the most optimistic scenarios.
White dwarfs and neutron stars are far-reaching and multi-faceted laboratories in the hunt for dark matter. We review detection prospects of wave-like, particulate, macroscopic and black hole dark matter that make use of several exceptional properties of compact stars, such as ultra-high densities, deep fermion degeneracies, low temperatures, nucleon superfluidity, strong magnetic fields, high rotational regularity, and significant gravitational wave emissivity. Foundational topics first made explicit in this document include the effect of the ``propellor phase" on neutron star baryonic accretion, and the contribution of Auger and Cooper pair breaking effects to neutron star heating by dark matter capture.
Neutrino Events Reconstruction has always been crucial for IceCube Neutrino Observatory. In the Kaggle competition "IceCube -- Neutrinos in Deep Ice", many solutions use Transformer. We present ISeeCube, a pure Transformer model based on TorchScale (the backbone of BEiT-3). When having relatively same amount of total trainable parameters, our model outperforms the 2nd place solution. By using TorchScale, the lines of code drop sharply by about 80% and a lot of new methods can be tested by simply adjusting configs. We compared two fundamental models for predictions on a continuous space, regression and classification, trained with MSE Loss and CE Loss respectively. We also propose a new metric, overlap ratio, to evaluate the performance of the model. Since the model is simple enough, it has the potential to be used for more purposes such as energy reconstruction, and many new methods such as combining it with GraphNeT can be tested more easily. The code and pretrained models are available at https://github.com/ChenLi2049/ISeeCube
Multi-messenger astrophysics has produced a wealth of data with much more to come in the future. This enormous data set will reveal new insights into the physics of core collapse supernovae, neutron star mergers, and many other objects where it is actually possible, if not probable, that new physics is in operation. To tease out different possibilities, we will need to analyze signals from photons, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and chemical elements. This task is made all the more difficult when it is necessary to evolve the neutrino component of the radiation field and associated quantum-mechanical property of flavor in order to model the astrophysical system of interest -- a numerical challenge that has not been addressed to this day. In this work, we take a step in this direction by adopting the technique of angular-integrated moments with a truncated tower of dynamical equations and a closure, convolving the flavor-transformation with spatial transport to evolve the neutrino radiation quantum field. We show that moments capture the dynamical features of fast flavor instabilities in a variety of systems, although our technique is by no means a universal blueprint for solving fast flavor transformation. To evaluate the effectiveness of our moment results, we compare to a more precise particle-in-cell method. Based on our results, we propose areas for improvement and application to complementary techniques in the future.
Jetted active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are the principal extragalactic $\gamma$-ray sources. Fermi-detected high-redshift ($z>3$) blazars are jetted AGNs thought to be powered by massive, rapidly spinning supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the early universe ($<2$ Gyr). They provide a laboratory to study early black hole (BH) growth and super-Eddington accretion -- possibly responsible for the more rapid formation of jetted BHs. However, previous virial BH masses of $z>3$ blazars were based on C IV in the observed optical, but C IV is known to be biased by strong outflows. We present new Gemini/GNIRS near-IR spectroscopy for a sample of nine $z>3$ Fermi $\gamma$-ray blazars with available multi-wavelength observations that maximally sample the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We estimate virial BH masses based on the better calibrated broad H$\beta$ and/or Mg II . We compare the new virial BH masses against independent mass estimates from SED modeling. Our work represents the first step in campaigning for more robust virial BH masses and Eddington ratios for high-redshift Fermi blazars. Our new results confirm that high-redshift Fermi blazars indeed host overly massive SMBHs as suggested by previous work, which may pose a theoretical challenge for models of the rapid early growth of jetted SMBHs.
The Line Emission Mapper's (LEM's) exquisite spectral resolution and effective area will open new research domains in Astrophysics, Planetary Science and Heliophysics. LEM will provide step-change capabilities for the fluorescence, solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) and auroral precipitation processes that dominate X-ray emissions in our Solar System. The observatory will enable novel X-ray measurements of historically inaccessible line species, thermal broadening, characteristic line ratios and Doppler shifts - a universally valuable new astrophysics diagnostic toolkit. These measurements will identify the underlying compositions, conditions and physical processes from km-scale ultra-cold comets to the MK solar wind in the heliopause at 120 AU. Here, we focus on the paradigm-shifts LEM will provide for understanding the nature of the interaction between a star and its planets, especially the fundamental processes that govern the transfer of mass and energy within our Solar System, and the distribution of elements throughout the heliosphere. In this White Paper we show how LEM will enable a treasure trove of new scientific contributions that directly address key questions from the National Academies' 2023-2032 Planetary Science and 2013-2022 Heliophysics Decadal Strategies. The topics we highlight include: 1. The richest global trace element maps of the Lunar Surface ever produced; insights that address Solar System and planetary formation, and provide invaluable context ahead of Artemis and the Lunar Gateway. 2. Global maps of our Heliosphere through Solar Wind Charge Exchange (SWCX) that trace the interstellar neutral distributions in interplanetary space and measure system-wide solar wind ion abundances and velocities; a key new understanding of our local astrosphere and a synergistic complement to NASA IMAP observations of heliospheric interactions...
We present the discovery and timing results of four pulsars discovered in a pilot survey at intermediate Galactic latitudes with the Five-hundred Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). Among these pulsars, two belong to the category of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) with spin periods of less than 20 ms. The other two fall under the classification of "mildly recycled" pulsars, with massive white dwarfs as companions. Remarkably, this small survey, covering an area of 4.7 $deg^2$ , led to the discovery of four recycled pulsars. Such success underscores the immense potential of future surveys at intermediate Galactic latitudes. In order to assess the potential yield of MSPs, we conducted population simulations and found that both FAST and Parkes new phased array feed surveys, focusing on intermediate Galactic latitudes, have the capacity to uncover several hundred new MSPs.
Highly collimated relativistic jets are a defining feature of certain active galactic nuclei (AGN), yet their formation mechanism remains elusive. Previous observations and theoretical models have proposed that the ambient medium surrounding the jets could exert pressure, playing a crucial role in shaping the jets. However, direct observational confirmation of such a medium has been lacking. In this study, we present very long baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations of 3C 84 (NGC 1275), located at the center of the Perseus Cluster. Through monitoring observations with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 43 GHz, a jet knot was detected to have been ejected from the sub-parsec scale core in the late 2010s. Intriguingly, this knot propagated in a direction significantly offset from the parsec-scale jet direction. To delve deeper into the matter, we employ follow-up VLBA 43 GHz observations, tracing the knot's trajectory until the end of 2022. We discovered that the knot abruptly changed its trajectory in the early 2020s, realigning itself with the parsec-scale jet direction. Additionally, we present results from an observation of 3C 84 with the Global VLBI Alliance (GVA) at 22 GHz, conducted near the monitoring period. By jointly analyzing the GVA 22 GHz image with a VLBA 43 GHz image observed about one week apart, we generated a spectral index map, revealing an inverted spectrum region near the edge of the jet where the knot experienced deflection. These findings suggest the presence of a dense, cold ambient medium characterized by an electron density exceeding $\sim10^5\ {\rm cm^{-3}}$, which guides the jet's propagation on parsec scales and significantly contributes to the overall shaping of the jet.
In this study, we delve into the observational implications of rotating Loop Quantum Black Holes (LQBHs) within an astrophysical framework. We employ semi-analytical General Relativistic Radiative Transfer (GRRT) computations to study the emission from the accretion flow around LQBHs. Our findings indicate that the increase of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) effects results in an enlargement of the rings from LQBHs, thereby causing a more circular polarization pattern in the shadow images. We make comparisons with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of Sgr\,A$^*$ and M\,87$^*$, which enable us to determine an upper limit for the polymetric function $P$ in LQG. The upper limit for Sgr\,A$^*$ is $0.2$, while for M\,87$^*$ it is $0.07$. Both black holes exhibit a preference for a relatively high spin ($a\gtrsim0.5$ for Sgr\,A$^*$ and $0.5\lesssim a \lesssim 0.7$ for M\,87$^*$). The constraints for Sgr\,A$^*$ are based on black hole spin and ring diameter, whereas for M\,87$^*$, the constraints are further tightened by the polarimetric pattern. In essence, our simulations provide observational constraints on the effect of LQG in supermassive black holes (SMBH), providing the most consistent comparison with observation.
We present the discovery of twelve thus far non-repeating fast radio burst (FRB) sources, detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) telescope. These sources were selected from a database comprising of order $10^3$ CHIME/FRB full-array raw voltage data recordings, based on their exceptionally high brightness and complex morphology. Our study examines the time-frequency characteristics of these bursts, including drifting, microstructure, and periodicities. The events in this sample display a variety of unique drifting phenomenologies that deviate from the linear negative drifting phenomenon seen in many repeating FRBs, and motivate a possible new framework for classifying drifting archetypes. Additionally, we detect microstructure features of duration $\lesssim$ 50 $\mu s$ in seven events, with some as narrow as $\approx$ 7 $\mu s$. We find no evidence of significant periodicities. Furthermore, we report the polarization characteristics of seven events, including their polarization fractions and Faraday rotation measures (RMs). The observed $|\mathrm{RM}|$ values span a wide range of $17.24(2)$ - $328.06(2) \mathrm{~rad~m}^{-2}$, with linear polarization fractions between $0.340(1)$ - $0.946(3)$. The morphological properties of the bursts in our sample appear broadly consistent with predictions from both relativistic shock and magnetospheric models of FRB emission, as well as propagation through discrete ionized plasma structures. We address these models and discuss how they can be tested using our improved understanding of morphological archetypes.
We present results from the search for astrometric accelerations of stars in $\omega$ Centauri using 13 years of regularly-scheduled {\it Hubble Space Telescope} WFC3/UVIS calibration observations in the cluster core. The high-precision astrometry of $\sim$160\,000 sources was searched for significant deviations from linear proper motion. This led to the discovery of four cluster members and one foreground field star with compelling acceleration patterns. We interpret them as the result of the gravitational pull by an invisible companion and determined preliminary Keplerian orbit parameters, including the companion's mass. {For the cluster members} our analysis suggests periods ranging from 8.8 to 19+ years and dark companions in the mass range of $\sim$0.7 to $\sim$1.4$M_\mathrm{sun}$. At least one companion could exceed the upper mass-boundary of white dwarfs and can be classified as a neutron-star candidate.
Context: Episodic accretion plays an important role during the early phases of star-formation. The main processes responsible for the episodic accretion events remain, however, unclear. Aims: Our main objective is to investigate the properties of FUors and EXors by analysing observational data, along with numerical hydrodynamics simulations of protostellar disks, stellar evolution models of outbursting stars and thermo-chemical models of star-disk systems in the outburst state. Our goal is to get a better understanding of the outburst processes and their respective origin. Methods: We used the radiation thermo-chemical code ProDiMo (PROtoplanetary DIsk MOdel) to match the dust emission and gas emission lines originating from the environment surrounding the FUor star Re 50 N IRS 1. Our model focusses on the observational data obtained by Herschel and Spitzer while we use archival photometry to complete the spectral energy distribution. Results: The modelling shows that the object is composed of a complex combination of several heating sources with different spatial distribution. Our model uses a massive envelope with an mass infall rate of 1.35 $\times 10^{-5}$ M$_{sun}$ yr$^{-1}$ to explain the continuum emission in the (sub-)mm regime. At the same time we fit the CO and $^{13}$CO ladders from 60 \textmu m to 650 \textmu m along with the two [\ion{O}{i}] lines centered at 63.18 and 145.53 \textmu m. To explain the strong CO emission at shorter wavelengths and the oxygen lines, we require a very warm disk due to a high disk accretion rate reaching 6 $\times 10^{-4}$ M$_{sun}$ yr$^{-1}$ and an additional UV field of 3\% of the overall emission to heat the disk.
The correlation between the X-ray and UV luminosities observed in quasars, spanning a wide redshift range and holding true for several decades in both spectral bands, suggests the presence of a universal mechanism governing the transfer of energy from the accretion disc to the hot corona. In this study, we leverage X-ray spectroscopic data extracted from the Chandra Source Catalog 2.0 for a sample of over $2000$ quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14 (SDSS DR14). Our analysis reveals a reduced intrinsic dispersion in the $L_{\rm{X}}-L_{\rm{UV}}$ relation at higher redshifts ($\delta < 0.2$ dex) compared to previous studies relying on photometric data from catalogs. Additionally, our findings confirm the stability of this relation up to redshifts of approximately $4.5$. The $L_{\rm{X}}-L_{\rm{UV}}$ relation can also serve as a tool to investigate the physics of accretion by identifying outliers - sources that exhibit a different state of the accretion disc-hot corona system compared to the average population. For instance, X-ray-weak quasars are sources with reduced X-ray emissions due to a radiatively inefficient state of the corona, and their optical properties suggest the presence of a powerful accretion disc wind. The wealth of spectroscopic data available in the CSC 2.0-SDSS catalogs opens up the opportunity for a more comprehensive exploration of the central engine in AGN.
We investigate the relationship between the baryonic angular momentum and mass for a sample of 36 isolated disc galaxies with resolved HI kinematics and infrared WISE photometry drawn from -- and representative in terms of morphologies, stellar masses and HI-to-star fraction of -- the carefully-constructed AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. Similarly to previous studies performed on non-isolated galaxies, we find that the relation is well described by a power law $j_{bar} \propto M_{bar}^\alpha$. We also find a slope of $\alpha = 0.54 \pm 0.08$ for the AMIGA galaxies, in line with previous studies in the literature; however, we find that the specific angular momenta of the AMIGA galaxies are on average higher than those of non-isolated galaxies in the literature. This is consistent with theories stipulating that environmental processes involving galaxy-galaxy interaction are able to impact the angular momentum content of galaxies. However, no correlation was found between the angular momentum and the degree of isolation, suggesting that there may exist a threshold local number density beyond which the effects of the environment on the angular momentum become important.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is slated to observe nearly 20 billion galaxies during its decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time. The rich imaging data it collects will be an invaluable resource for probing galaxy evolution across cosmic time, characterizing the host galaxies of transient phenomena, and identifying novel populations of anomalous systems. To facilitate these studies, we introduce a convolutional variational autoencoder trained to estimate the redshift, stellar mass, and star-formation rates of galaxies from multi-band imaging data. We train and test our physics-informed CVAE on a spectroscopic sample of $\sim$26,000 galaxies within $z<1$ imaged through the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey. We show that our model can infer redshift and stellar mass more accurately than the latest image-based self-supervised learning approaches, and is >100x faster than more computationally-intensive SED-fitting techniques. Using a small sample of Green Pea and Red Spiral galaxies reported in the literature, we further demonstrate how this CVAE can be used to rapidly identify rare galaxy populations and interpret what makes them unique.
The angular momentum of molecular cloud cores plays a key role in the star formation process. However, the evolution of the angular momentum of molecular cloud cores formed in magnetized molecular filaments is still unclear. In this paper, we perform three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations to reveal the effect of the magnetic field on the evolution of the angular momentum of molecular cloud cores formed through filament fragmentation. As a result, we find that the angular momentum decreases by 30% and 50% at the mass scale of 1Msun in the case of weak and strong magnetic field, respectively. By analyzing the torques exerted on fluid elements, we identify the magnetic tension as the dominant process for angular momentum transfer for mass scales < 3Msun for the strong magnetic field case. This critical mass scale can be understood semi-analytically as the timescale of magnetic braking. We show that the anisotropy of the angular momentum transfer due to the presence of strong magnetic field changes the resultant angular momentum of the core only by a factor of two. We also find that the distribution of the angle between the rotation axis and the magnetic field does not show strong alignment even just before the first core formation. Our results also indicate that the variety of the angular momentum of the cores are inherited from the difference of the phase of the initial turbulent velocity field. The variety could contribute to the diversity in size and other properties of protoplanetary disks recently reported by observations.
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) play an important role in galaxy evolution. Binary and triple SMBHs can form after galaxy mergers. A third SMBH may accelerate the SMBH merging process, possibly through the Kozai mechanism. We use N -body simulations to analyze oscillations in the orbital elements of hierarchical triple SMBHs with surrounding star clusters in galaxy centers. We find that SMBH triples spend only a small fraction of time in the hierarchical merger phase (i.e., a binary SMBH with a distant third SMBH perturber). Most of the time, the enclosed stellar mass within the orbits of the innermost or the outermost SMBH is comparable to the SMBH masses, indicating that the influence of the surrounding stellar population cannot be ignored. We search for Eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) oscillations for which (i) the eccentricity of the inner binary and inclination are both oscillate and are anti-phase or in-phase and (ii) the oscillation period is consistent with EKL timescale. We find that EKL oscillations are short-lived and rare: the triple SMBH spends around 3% of its time in this phase over the ensemble of simulations, reaching around 8% in the best-case scenario. This suggests that the role of the EKL mechanism in accelerating the SMBH merger process may have been overestimated in previous studies. We follow-up with three-body simulations, using initial conditions extracted from the simulation, and the result can to some extent repeat the observed EKL-like oscillations. This comparison provides clues about why those EKL oscillations with perturbing stars are short-lived.
To investigate the environment effects on size growth of galaxies, we study the size-mass relation across a broad range of environment with a vast sample of approximately 32 million galaxies at z < 0.5 from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. This sample is divided into 3 subsamples representing galaxies within three different environments: brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), other cluster galaxies, and field galaxies. The BCGs in our large sample are dominated by quiescent galaxies (QGs), while only a minority (~13%) of BCGs are star-forming galaxies (SFGs). To demonstrate the influence of environment on size growth, we attempt to observe the difference in size-mass relation for these three subsamples. In general, the slope differences between QGs and SFGs within various environments are significant, and tend to be greater at higher redshifts. For the mass-complete subsamples at z < 0.5, BCGs are found to have the highest slope of size-mass relation, and no difference in size-mass relation is found between cluster members and field galaxies. To assess whether the observed slope differences stem from the variations in environment or mass distribution, we construct the mass-matched subsamples for QGs and SFGs. As a result, both QGs and SFGs show negligible difference in slope of size-mass relation among the galaxies within three distinct environments, indicating that stellar mass is the most fundamental factor driving the size evolution at z < 0.5, though the mass growth mode for QGs and SFGs may have been affected by galaxy environment.
Quasars are bright and unobscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) thought to be powered by the accretion of matter around supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. The temporal variability of a quasar's brightness contains valuable information about its physical properties. The UV/optical variability is thought to be a stochastic process, often represented as a damped random walk described by a stochastic differential equation (SDE). Upcoming wide-field telescopes such as the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) are expected to observe tens of millions of AGN in multiple filters over a ten year period, so there is a need for efficient and automated modeling techniques that can handle the large volume of data. Latent SDEs are machine learning models well-suited for modeling quasar variability, as they can explicitly capture the underlying stochastic dynamics. In this work, we adapt latent SDEs to jointly reconstruct multivariate quasar light curves and infer their physical properties such as the black hole mass, inclination angle, and temperature slope. Our model is trained on realistic simulations of LSST ten-year quasar light curves, and we demonstrate its ability to reconstruct quasar light curves even in the presence of long seasonal gaps and irregular sampling across different bands, outperforming a multi-output Gaussian process regression baseline. Our method has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the physical properties of quasars and is applicable to a wide range of other multivariate times series with missing data and irregular sampling.
We report high angular resolution observations, made with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in band 6, of high excitation molecular lines of CH3CN and SO2 and of the H29a radio recombination line towards the G345.0061+01.794 B HC H ii region, in order to investigate the physical and kinematical characteristics of its surroundings. Emission was detected in all observed components of the J=14-13 rotational ladder of CH3CN and in the 30(4,26) - 30(3,27) and 32(4,28) - 32(3,29) lines of SO2. The peak of the velocity integrated molecular emission is located ~0.4" northwest of the peak of the continuum emission. The first-order moment images and channel maps show a velocity gradient, of 1.1 km s-1 arcsec-1, across the source, and a distinctive spot of blueshifted emission towards the peak of the zero-order moment. The rotational temperature is found to decrease from 252+-24 Kelvin at the peak position to 166+-16 Kelvin at its edge, indicating that our molecular observations are probing a hot molecular core that is internally excited. The emission in the H29a line arises from a region of 0.65" in size, whose peak is coincident with that of the dust continuum, has a center velocity of V_LSRK= -18.1+-0.9 km s-1 and a width (FWHM) of 33.7+-2.3 km s-1. We model the kinematical characteristics of the "central blue spot" feature as due to infalling motions, suggesting a central mass of 126.0+-8.7 M_solar. Our observations indicate that this HC H ii region is surrounded by a compact structure of hot molecular gas, which is rotating and infalling toward a central mass, that is most likely confining the ionized region.
As the progenitors of present-day galaxy clusters, protoclusters are excellent laboratories to study galaxy evolution. Since existing observations of protoclusters are limited to the detected constituent galaxies at UV and/or infrared wavelengths, the details of how typical galaxies grow in these young, pre-virialized structures remain uncertain. We measure the total stellar mass and star formation within protoclusters, including the contribution from faint undetected members by performing a stacking analysis of 211 $z=2-4$ protoclusters selected as Planck cold sources. We stack WISE and Herschel/SPIRE images to measure the angular size and the spectral energy distribution of the integrated light from the protoclusters. The fluxes of protoclusters selected as Planck cold sources can be contaminated by line of sight interlopers. Using the WebSky simulation, we estimate that a single protocluster contributes $33\pm15$% of the flux of a Planck cold source on average. After this correction, we obtain a total star formation rate of $7.3\pm3.2 \times 10^3\ M_{\odot} {\rm yr}^{-1}$ and a total stellar mass of $4.9\pm 2.2\times 10^{12}\ M_{\odot}$. Our results indicate that protoclusters have, on average, 2x more star formation and 4x more stellar mass than the total contribution from individually-detected galaxies in spectroscopically-confirmed protoclusters. This suggests that much of the total flux within $z=2-4$ protoclusters comes from galaxies with luminosities lower than the detection limit of SPIRE ($L_{IR} < 3 \times 10^{12} L_{\odot}$). Lastly, we find that protoclusters subtend a half-light radius of 2.8' (4.2-5.8 cMpc) which is consistent with simulations.
Theoretical models of spiral arms suggest that the spiral arms provoke a vertical bulk motion in disc stars. By analysing the breathing motion, a coherent asymmetric vertical motion around the mid-plane of the Milky Way disc, with $\textit{Gaia}$ DR3, we found that a compressing breathing motion presents along the Local arm. On the other hand, with an $N$-body simulation of an isolated Milky Way-like disc galaxy, we found that the transient and dynamic spiral arms induce compressing breathing motions when the arms are in the growth phase, while the expanding breathing motion appears in the disruption phase. The observed clear alignment of the compressing breathing motion with the Local arm is similar to what is seen in the growth phase of the simulated spiral arms. Hence, we suggest that the Local arm's compressing breathing motion can be explained by the Local arm being in the growth phase of a transient and dynamic spiral arm. We also identified the tentative signatures of the expanding breathing motion associated with the Perseus arm and also the Outer arm coinciding with the compressing breathing motion. This may infer that the Perseus and Outer arms are in the disruption and growth phases, respectively.
Fe II emission is a well-known contributor to the UV spectra of active galactic nuclei and the modeling of this part may affect the results obtained for the MgII$\lambda2800$ emission, which is one of the lines used for black hole mass measurements and cosmological applications. We use the 11-year monitoring of the selected quasar HE 0413-4031 with the South African Large Telescope (SALT) and we supplement this monitoring with the near-IR spectrum taken with the SOAR telescope. A new redshift determination ($z=1.39117 \pm 0.00017$) using [OIII]$\lambda \lambda 4959,5007$ gave a very different value than the previous determination based only on the UV FeII pseudocontinuum ($z=1.3764$). It favors a different decomposition of the spectrum into Mg II and UV Fe II emissions. The line characteristics and the time delay of the Mg II emission ($224^{+21}_{-23}$ days) are not significantly affected. However, in comparison with the previous analysis, the rest-frame UV FeII time delay ($251^{+9}_{-7}$ days) is consistent with the inferred UV FeII line FWHM of $4200\,{\rm km/s}$ that is only slightly smaller than the MgII line FWHM. Hence the FeII-emitting material is more distant than the MgII-emitting gas in HE 0413-4031 by $\sim 0.023$ pc (4700 AU). The inferred velocity shift of both Mg II and UV Fe II lines with respect to the systemic redshift is now rather low, below 300 km s$^{-1}$. In addition, we construct an updated MgII radius-luminosity ($R-L$) relation from 194 sources, which is more than double the previous sample. The MgII $R-L$ relation is flatter than the UV FeII, optical FeII, and H$\beta$ $R-L$ relations. While the new decomposition of the spectrum is satisfactory, we see a need to create better Fe II templates using the newest version of the code CLOUDY.
Today it is understood that our universe would not be the same without dark matter, which apparently has given rise to the formation of galaxies, stars and planets. Its existence is inferred mainly from the gravitational effect on the rotation curves of stars in spiral galaxies. The nature of dark matter remains unknown. Here we show that the dark matter halo is in a state of Bose-Einstein condensation, or at least the central region is. By using fittings of observational data, we can put an upper bound on the dark matter particle mass in the order of $12~\,eV/c^2$. We present the temperature profiles of galactic dark matter halos by considering that dark matter can be treated as a classical ideal gas, as an ideal Fermi gas, or as an ideal Bose gas. The only free parameter in the matter model is the mass of the dark matter particle. We obtain the temperature profiles by using the rotational velocity profile proposed by Persic, Salucci, and Stel (1996) and assuming that the dark matter halo is a self-gravitating stand-alone structure. From the temperature profiles, we conclude that the classical ideal gas and the ideal Fermi gas are not viable explanations for dark matter, while the ideal Bose gas is if the mass of the particle is low enough. If we take into account the relationship presented by Kormendy and Freeman (2004, 2016), Donato et al. (2009) and Gentile et al. (2009) between central density and core radius then we conclude that the central temperature of dark matter in all galaxies is the same. Remarkably, our results imply that basics thermodynamics principles could shed light on the mysterious nature of dark matter and if this is the case, those principles have to been taken into account in its description.
The standard paradigm for the formation of the Universe suggests that large structures are formed from hierarchical clustering by the continuous accretion of less massive galaxy systems through filaments. In this context, filamentary structures play an important role in the properties and evolution of galaxies by connecting high-density regions, such as nodes, and being surrounded by low-density regions, such as cosmic voids. The availability of the filament and point critic catalogues extracted by \textsc{DisPerSE} from the \textsc{Illustris} TNG300-1 hydrodynamic simulation allows a detailed analysis of these structures. The halo occupation distribution (HOD) is a powerful tool for linking galaxies and dark matter halos, allowing constrained models of galaxy formation and evolution. In this work we combine the advantage of halo occupancy with information from the filament network to analyse the HOD in filaments and nodes. In our study, we distinguish the inner regions of cosmic filaments and nodes from their surroundings. The results show that the filamentary structures have a similar trend to the total galaxy sample covering a wide range of densities. In the case of the nodes sample, an excess of faint and blue galaxies is found for the low-mass nodes suggesting that these structures are not virialised and that galaxies may be continuously falling through the filaments. Instead, the higher-mass halos could be in a more advanced stage of evolution showing features of virialised structures.
We measure the CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor ($\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$) in 37 galaxies at 2~kpc resolution, using dust surface density inferred from far-infrared emission as a tracer of the gas surface density and assuming a constant dust-to-metals ratio. In total, we have $\sim790$ and $\sim610$ independent measurements of $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ for CO (2-1) and (1-0), respectively. The mean values for $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(2-1)}$ and $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(1-0)}$ are $9.3^{+4.6}_{-5.4}$ and $4.2^{+1.9}_{-2.0}~M_\odot~pc^{-2}~(K~km~s^{-1})^{-1}$, respectively. The CO-intensity-weighted mean for $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(2-1)}$ is 5.69, and 3.33 for $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(1-0)}$. We examine how $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ scales with several physical quantities, e.g.\ star-formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and dust-mass-weighted average interstellar radiation field strength ($\overline{U}$). Among them, $\overline{U}$, $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$, and integrated CO intensity ($W_\mathrm{CO}$) have the strongest anti-correlation with spatially resolved $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$. We provide linear regression results to \aco for all quantities tested. At galaxy integrated scales, we observe significant correlations between $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ and $W_\mathrm{CO}$, metallicity, $\overline{U}$, and $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$. We also find that the normalized $\alpha_\mathrm{CO}$ decreases with stellar mass surface density ($\Sigma_\star$) in the high surface density regions ($\Sigma_\star\geq100~{\rm M_\odot~pc^{-2}}$), following the power-law relations $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(2-1)}\propto\Sigma_\star^{-0.5}$ and $\alpha_\mathrm{CO~(1-0)}\propto\Sigma_\star^{-0.2}$. The power-law index is insensitive to the assumed dust-to-metals ratio. (abridged)
We present resolved GMRT HI observations of the high gas-phase metallicity dwarf galaxy WISEA J230615.06+143927.9 (z = 0.005) (hereafter J2306) and investigate whether it could be a Tidal Dwarf Galaxy (TDG) candidate. TDGs are observed to have higher metallicities than normal dwarfs. J2306 has an unusual combination of a blue g -- r colour of 0.23 mag, irregular optical morphology and high-metallicity (12 + log(O/H) = 8.68$\pm$0.14), making it an interesting galaxy to study in more detail. We find J2306 to be an HI rich galaxy with a large extended, unperturbed rotating HI disk. Using our HI data we estimated its dynamical mass and found the galaxy to be dark matter (DM) dominated within its HI radius. The quantity of DM, inferred from its dynamical mass, appears to rule out J2306 as an evolved TDG. A wide area environment search reveals J2306 to be isolated from any larger galaxies which could have been the source of its high gas metallicity. Additionally, the HI morphology and kinematics of the galaxy show no indication of a recent merger to explain the high-metallicity. Further detailed optical spectroscopic observations of J2306 might provide an answer to how a seemingly ordinary irregular dwarf galaxy achieved such a high level of metal enrichment.
For most writers the science is either an exotic setting or a source of thrilling conflict that would drive the story forward. For a communicator it is the other way around - the science is neatly wrapped in a package of literary tools that make it "invisible" while it remains tangible and most importantly - it can be conveyed to the reader in understandable terms. There are many examples showing how these seemingly contradicting goals can complement each other successfully. I will review how the science was communicated by mainstream and genre writers of yesterday and today, and in different (not necessarily anglophone) cultures. I will bring forward the best and the worst examples that illuminate various astronomical concepts. Finally, I will discuss how we can use them both in outreach and education. Contrary to many similar summaries I will concentrate on some often overlooked mainstream literary examples, including the plays The Physisists by Friedrich D\"urrenmatt and Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, the novel White Garments by Vl. Dudintsev and even an episode of the Inspector Morse TV show, featuring scientists. I will also mention in passing a few less well known genre books.
The GECAM series of satellites utilize LaBr3(Ce), LaBr3(Ce,Sr), and NaI(Tl) crystals as sensitive materials for gamma-ray detectors (GRDs). To investigate the non-linearity in the detection of low-energy gamma rays and address errors in the E-C relationship calibration, comprehensive tests and comparative studies of the non-linearity of these three crystals were conducted using Compton electrons, radioactive sources, and mono-energetic X-rays. The non-linearity test results for Compton electrons and X-rays displayed substantial differences, with all three crystals showing higher non-linearity for X-rays and gamma-rays than for Compton electrons. Despite LaBr3(Ce) and LaBr3(Ce,Sr) crystals having higher absolute light yields, they exhibited a noticeable non-linear decrease in light yield, especially at energies below 400 keV. The NaI(Tl) crystal demonstrated excess light output in the 6~200 keV range, reaching a maximum excess of 9.2% at 30 keV in X-ray testing and up to 15.5% at 14 keV during Compton electron testing, indicating a significant advantage in the detection of low-energy gamma rays. Furthermore, this paper explores the underlying causes of the observed non-linearity in these crystals. This study not only elucidates the detector responses of GECAM, but also marks the inaugural comprehensive investigation into the non-linearity of domestically produced lanthanum bromide and sodium iodide crystals.
Radiation flow through an inhomogeneous medium is critical in a wide range of physics and astronomy applications from transport across cloud layers on the earth to the propagation of supernova blast-waves producing UV and X-ray emission in supernovae. This paper reviews the current state of the art in the modeling of inhomogeneous radiation transport, subgrid models developed to capture this often-unresolved physics, and the experiments designed to improve our understanding of these models. We present a series of detailed simulations (both single-clump and multi-clump conditions) probing the dependence on the physical properties of the radiation front (e.g. radiation energy) and material characteristics (specific heat, opacity, clump densities). Unless the radiation pressure is high, the clumps will heat and then expand, effectively cutting off the radiation flow. The expanding winds can also produce shocks that generates high energy emission. We compare our detailed simulations with some of the current subgrid prescriptions, identifying some of the limitations of these current models.
The Far Ultraviolet (FUV: hereafter 900-1150 A) is a spectral range which contains many of the ground state transitions of common elements but has had limited observational capabilities due to the unique technological requirements to operate in this waveband. Conceptual designs are presented, for high resolution (R > 50,000) echelle spectrographs for CubeSat, SMEX and MIDEX missions, along with comparisons of their performance to past instruments.
Since the commencement of the first SETI observation in 2019, China's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program has garnered momentum through domestic support and international collaborations. Several observations targeting exoplanets and nearby stars have been conducted with the FAST. In 2023, the introduction of the Far Neighbour Project(FNP) marks a substantial leap forward, driven by the remarkable sensitivity of the FAST telescope and some of the novel observational techniques. The FNP seeks to methodically detect technosignatures from celestial bodies, including nearby stars, exoplanetary systems, Milky Way globular clusters, and more. This paper provides an overview of the progress achieved by SETI in China and offers insights into the distinct phases comprising the FNP. Additionally, it underscores the significance of this project's advancement and its potential contributions to the field.
We present three-dimensional (3D) maps of Jupiter's atmospheric circulation at cloud-top level from Doppler-imaging data obtained in the visible domain with JIVE, the second node of the JOVIAL network, which is mounted on the Dunn Solar Telescope at Sunspot, New Mexico. We report on 12 nights of observations between May 4 and May 30, 2018, representing a total of about 80 hours. Firstly, the average zonal wind profile derived from our data is compatible with that derived from cloud-tracking measurements performed on Hubble Space Telescope images obtained in April 2018 from the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. Secondly, we present the first ever two-dimensional maps of Jupiter's atmospheric circulation from Doppler measurements. The zonal velocity map highlights well-known atmospheric features, such as the equatorial hot spots and the Great Red Spot (GRS). In addition to zonal winds, we derive meridional and vertical velocity fields from the Doppler data. The motions attributed to vertical flows are mainly located at the boundary between the equatorial belts and tropical zones, which could indicate active motion in theses regions. Qualitatively, these results compare well to recent Juno data that have unveiled the three-dimensional structure of Jupiter's wind field. To the contrary, the motions attributed to meridional circulation are very different from what is obtained by cloud tracking, except at the GRS. Because of limitations with data resolution and processing techniques, we acknowledge that our measurement of vertical or meridional flows of Jupiter are still to be confirmed.
Modal noise appears due to the non-uniform and unstable distribution of light intensity among the finite number of modes in multimode fibres. It is an important limiting factor in measuring radial velocity precisely by fibre-fed high-resolution spectrographs. The problem can become particularly severe as the fibre's core become smaller and the number of modes that can propagate reduces. Thus, mitigating modal noise in relatively small core fibres still remains a challenge. We present here a novel technique to suppress modal noise. Two movable mirrors in the form of a galvanometer reimage the mode-pattern of an input fibre to an output fibre. The mixing of modes coupled to the output fibre can be controlled by the movement of mirrors applying two sinusoidal signals through a voltage generator. We test the technique for four multimode circular fibres: 10 and 50 micron step-index, 50 micron graded-index, and a combination of 50 micron graded-index and 5:1 tapered fibres (GI50t). We present the results of mode suppression both in terms of the direct image of the output fibre and spectrum of white light obtained with the high-resolution spectrograph. We found that the galvanometer mitigated modal noise in all the tested fibres, but was most useful for smaller core fibres. However, there is a trade-off between the modal noise reduction and light-loss. The GI50t provides the best result with about 60% mitigation of modal noise at a cost of about 5% output light-loss. Our solution is easy to use and can be implemented in fibre-fed spectrographs.
The Multipurpose Interferometer Array Pathfinder (MIA), developed from the Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR), is a radio astronomical instrument based on interferometry techniques, designed for the detection of radio emission from astronomical sources. Phase one consists of 16 antennas of 5 meters in diameter, with the possibility of increasing their number. In addition, it is equipped with a dual polarization receiver with a bandwidth of 250 MHz, centered at 1325 MHz, and a digitizer and processor for the correlation functions. For the development of this instrument, a three antenna pathfinder is currently being built with its positioning control, radio frequency systems, acquisition and processing stages. This paper will describe the concept design and their current progress for each stage.
This book was created as part of the SIRIUS B VERGE program to orient students to astrophysics as a broad field. The 2023-2024 VERGE program and the printing of this book is funded by the Women and Girls in Astronomy Program via the International Astronomical Union's North American Regional Office of Astronomy for Development and the Heising-Simons Foundation; as a result, this document is written by women in astronomy for girls who are looking to pursue the field. However, given its universal nature, the material covered in this guide is useful for anyone interested in pursuing astrophysics professionally.
We examined the output of a quantum Michelson interferometer incorporating the combined effects of nonlinear optomechanical interaction and time-varying gravitational fields. Our findings indicate a deviation from the standard relationship between the phase shift of the interferometer's output and the amplitude of gravitational waves. This deviation, a slight offset in direct proportionality, is associated with the velocity memory effect of gravitational waves. Furthermore, the results suggest that consecutive gravitational wave memory, or the stochastic gravitational wave memory background, contributes not only to the classical displacement-induced red noise spectrum but also to a quantum noise spectrum through a new mechanism associated with velocity memory background. This leads to a novel quantum noise limit for interferometers, which may be crucial for higher precision detection system. Our analysis potentially offers a more accurate description of quantum interferometers responding to gravitational waves and applies to other scenarios involving time-varying gravitational fields. It also provides insights and experimental approaches for exploring how to unify the quantum effects of macroscopic objects and gravitation.
This paper provides a detailed review of gravitational waves. We begin with a thorough discussion regarding the history of gravitational waves, beginning even before Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, highlighting important developments and milestones in the field. We then discuss the scientific significance of gravitational wave detections such as the verification of general relativity and key properties of black holes/neutron stars. We extend our analysis into various detection techniques including interferometer-based detectors (LIGO, Virgo, GEO600), pulsar timing arrays, and proposed space-based detectors (LISA, DECIGO, BBO). Finally, we conclude our review with a brief examination of the captivating event GW190521.
This study examines a recently hypothesized black hole. We study the Joule-Thomson coefficient, the inversion temperature and also the isenthalpic curves in the $T_i -P_i$ plane. A comparison is made between the Van der Waals fluid and the black hole to study their similarities and differences. The Joule-Thomson coefficient, the inversion curves and the isenthalpic curves are discussed inAdS black holes surrounded by Chaplygin dark fluid. In $T -P$ plane, the inversion temperature curves and isenthalpic curves are obtained with different parameters. Next, we explore the radial timelike geodesics that leads us to explore the tidal force effects for a radially in-falling particle in such black hole spacetime. We also numerically solve the geodesic deviation equation for two nearby radial geodesics for a freely falling particle. Our analysis shows that contrary to the Schwarzschild spacetime, the tidal forces don't become zero at spatial infinity due to the lack of asymptotic flatness because of the presence of a non-zero cosmological constant. The geodesic separation profile shows an oscillating trend and depends on the dynamic spacetime parameters $q, B$ and $\Lambda$.
We know that Kerr black holes are stable for specific conditions.In this article, we use algebraic methods to prove the stability of the Kerr black hole against certain scalar perturbations. This provides new results for the previously obtained superradiant stability conditions of Kerr black hole. Hod proved that Kerr black holes are stable to massive perturbations in the regime $\mu \ge \sqrt 2 m{\Omega _H}$. In this article, we consider some other situations of the stability of the black hole in the complementary parameter region$ \sqrt 2 \omega < \mu < \sqrt 2 m{\Omega _H}.$
Accelerating black holes have been widely studied in the context of black hole thermodynamics, holographic gravity theories, and in the description of black holes at the center of galaxies. As a fundamental assumption to ensure spacetime causality, we investigated the weak cosmic censorship conjecture (WCCC) in the accelerating Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m-Anti-de Sitter (RN-AdS) spacetime through the scattering of a charged field and the absorption of a charged particle. For the scattering of a charged scalar field, both near-extremal and extremal accelerating RN-AdS black holes cannot be overcharged, thereby upholding the validity of the WCCC. In the case of the absorption of a test charged particle, the results demonstrate that the event horizon of the extremal accelerating RN-AdS black hole cannot be destroyed, while the event horizon of the near-extremal black hole can be overcharged if the test particle satisfies certain conditions. The above results suggest that, in the case of test particles, second-order effects like self-force and self-energy should be further considered.
Einstein presented the Hole Argument against General Covariance, understood as invariance with respect to a change of coordinates, as a consequence of his initial failure to obtain covariant equations that, in the weak static limit, contain Newton's law. Fortunately, about two years later, Einstein returned to General Covariance and found these famous equations of gravity. However, the rejection of his Hole Argument carries a totally different vision of space-time. Its substantivalism notion, which is an essential ingredient in Newtonian theory and also in his special theory of relativity, has to be replaced, following Descartes and Leibniz's relationalism, by a set of "point-coincidences."
Recently, a static spherically symmetric black hole solution was found in gravity nonminimally coupled a background Kalb-Ramond field. The Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously broken when the Kalb-Ramond field has a nonvanishing vacuum expectation value. In this work, we focus on the quasinormal modes and greybody factor of this black hole. The master equations for the perturbed scalar field, electromagnetic field, and gravitational field can be written into a uniform form. We use three methods to solve the quasinormal frequencies in the frequency domain. The results agree well with each other. The time evolution of a Gaussian wave packet is studied. The quasinormal frequencies fitted from the time evolution data agree well with that of frequency domain. The greybody factor is calculated by Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) method. The effect of the Lorentz-violating parameter on the quasinormal modes and greybody factor are also studied.
We construct asymptotically flat, static spherically symmetric black holes with regular centre in $f(R,T)$ gravity coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics Lagrangian. We obtain generalized metric function of the Bardeen and Hayward black holes. The null, weak and strong energy conditions of these solutions are discussed. All the energy conditions hold outside the black hole's outer event horizon by appropriated choices of parameters. Quasinormal mode of massive scalar perturbation is also investigated. Quasinormal frequencies are computed via the sixth order Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) with Pad\'e approximation. All the imaginary parts of the frequencies are found to be negative. Finally, we provide an analysis in the eikonal limit.
In this paper we present a number of examples of exact solutions for the Friedmann cosmological equation for metric $ F(R) $ gravity model. Emphasis was placed on the possibility of obtaining exact time dependences of the main cosmological physical quantities: scale factor, scalar curvature, Hubble rate and function $ F(R) $. For this purpose an ansatz was used to reduce the Friedmann equation to an ordinary differential equation for function $ F = F(H^{2})$. This made it possible to obtain a number of exact solutions, both already known and new.
In this paper, we briefly review highlights of nonlocal de Sitter gravity based on the nonlocal term $ \sqrt{R - 2\Lambda}\ \mathcal{F}(\Box)\ \sqrt{R - 2\Lambda }$ in the Einstein-Hilbert action without matter sector. This nonlocal de Sitter gravity model has several exact cosmological FLRW solutions and one of these solutions contains some effects that are usually assigned to dark matter and dark energy. There are also some other interesting and promising properties of this kind of gravity nonlocality. We also review some anisotropic cosmological solutions, and mention the corresponding nonlocal Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric.
We investigate possible manifolds characterizing traversable wormholes in the presence of a scalar field, which is minimally coupled to gravity and has both kinetic and potential energy. The feature of traversability requires the violation of the null energy condition, which, in turn, signals the existence of exotic matter with negative energy density. For this reason, we impose a hypothetical Casimir apparatus with plates positioned at a distance either parametrically fixed or radially varying. The main feature of all the derived solutions is the conservation of the Stress Energy Tensor. Such a conservation though requires the introduction of an auxiliary field, which we interpret as a gravitational response of the Traversable Wormhole to the original source. Interestingly, the only case that seems to avoid the necessity for such an auxiliary field, is the one involving a scalar field with a potential, in combination with a Casimir device with fixed plates.
We show that Schwarzschild black hole binaries can undergo dynamical scalarization (DS) in the inspiral phase, in a subclass of $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetric Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet (ESGB) theories of gravity. The mechanism is analogous to neutron star DS in scalar-tensor gravity, and it differs from the late merger and ringdown black hole (de)scalarization found in recent ESGB studies. To our knowledge, the new parameter space we highlight was unexplored in numerical relativity simulations. We also estimate the orbital separation at the DS onset, and characterize the subsequent scalar hair growth at the adiabatic approximation.
Describing the gravitational energy-momentum, the super-energy Bel-Robinson tensor is the best candidate. In the past, people seems only explore the lowest order: the electric part $E_{ab}$ and magnetic part $B_{ab}$ for the Riemann tensor. These two components are related with the static case, however, for the energy transfer situation, one may need to consider the time varying $\dot{E}_{ab}$ and $\dot{B}_{ab}$. Here we use $(\dot{E}_{ab},\dot{B}_{ab}$) to study the energy-momentum for the Bel-Robinson tensor in a small sphere limit. Meanwhile, our result illustrates how the gravitational field carries the 4-momentum including this extra information.
We describe quantum correction to the accreting hot plasma onto black holes. This quantum correction is related with the Hawking radiation, which heats the accreting plasma. The hot accreting gas is heated additionally by the quantum Hawking radiation. It is demonstrated that Hawking radiation prevails over the Compton scattering of hot electrons in the accreting flow onto the small enough evaporating black holes with masses $M<M_q\simeq 4.61\cdot10^{29}$ grams. In result, the evaporating black holes with masses $M<M_q$ reverse the inflowing plasma into outflowing one and stop the black hole accretion at all. The black holes with masses $M<M_q$ made contribute to the enigmatic dark matter at the galactic disks, galactic halos and even in the intergalactic space, if these black holes are primordial in origin.
This study deals with astrophysical accretion onto the charged black hole solution, which is sourced by the dilation, spin, and shear charge of matter in metric affine gravity. The metric affine gravity defines the link between torsion and nonmetricity in space-time geometry. In the current analysis, we study the accretion process of various perfect fluids that are accreting near the charged black hole in the framework of metric affine gravity. Within the domain of accretion, multiple fluids have been examined depending on the value of $f_1$. The ultra-stiff, ultra-relativistic, and sub-relativistic fluids are considered to discuss the accretion. In the framework of equations of state, we consider isothermal fluids for this investigation. Further, we explore the effect of polytropic test fluid in relation to accretion discs, and it is presented in phase diagrams. Some important aspects of the accretion process are investigated. Analyzing the accretion rate close to a charged black hole solution, typical behavior is created and discussed graphically.
The primary objective of this work is to study the dynamical characteristics of an anisotropic compact star model with spherical symmetry. This investigation is conducted in the framework of $f(Q)$ modified gravity. To simplify the calculations, we employ the Karmarkar condition and derive a differential equation that establishes a relationship between two crucial components of the spacetime namely $e^\nu$ and $e^\lambda$. Additionally, we incorporate the well-known Finch-Skea structure as the component representing $g_{rr}$ and subsequently find the resulting form of the component $g_{tt}$ from the relation of metric functions to formulate the precise solutions for the stellar structure. To assess the behavior of the anisotropic fluid and stability of the compact star, we use the observed values of mass and radius for the compact star model $PSR J0437-4715$. The graphical analysis depicts that the stellar structure possesses physical viability and exhibits intriguing properties. Furthermore, we predicted the mass-radius relation along with the maximum mass limit of several objects for different parameter values by assuming two different surface densities. It is discovered that the compactness rises when density increases.
In this work, the holographic dark energy model is constructed by using the non-extensive nature of the Schwarzschild black hole via the R\'enyi entropy. Due to the non-extensivity, the black hole can be stable under the process of fixing the non-extensive parameter. A change undergoing such a process would then motivate us to define the energy density of the R\'enyi holographic dark energy (RHDE). As a result, the RHDE with choosing the characteristic length scale as the Hubble radius provides the late-time expansion without the issue of causality. Remarkably, the proposed dark energy model contains the non-extensive length scale parameter additional to the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. The cosmic evolution can be characterized by comparing the size of the Universe to this length scale. Moreover, the preferable value of the non-extensive length scale is determined by fitting the model to recent observations. The results of this work would shed light on the interplay between the thermodynamic description of the black hole with non-extensivity and the classical gravity description of the evolution of the Universe.
Analogous to the famous Euler angle parametrization in three-dimensional Euclidean space, a reflection-free Lorentz transformation in (2+1)-dimensional Minkowski space can be decomposed into three simple parts. Applying this decomposition to the Wigner rotation problem, we are able to show the related mathematics becomes much simpler and the physical meanings more comprehensible and enlightening.
We report on the observation of thermal photons from an accelerated electron via examination of radiative beta decay of free neutrons measured by the RDK II collaboration. The emitted photon spectrum is shown to corroborate a thermal distribution consistent with the dynamical Casimir effect. Supported by a robust chi-squared statistic, we find the photons reside in a one-dimensional Planck spectrum with a temperature predicted by the moving mirror model.
This paper continues our work on black holes in the framework of the Regge calculus, where the discrete version (with a certain edge length scale $b$ proportional to the Planck scale) of the classical solution emerges as an optimal starting point for the perturbative expansion after functional integration over the connection, with the singularity resolved. An interest in the present discrete Kerr-Newman type solution (with the parameter $a \gg b$) may be to check the classical prediction that the electromagnetic contribution to the metric and curvature on the singularity ring is (infinitely) greater than the contribution of the $\delta$-function-like mass distribution, no matter how small the electric charge is. Here we encounter a kind of a discrete diagram technique, but with three-dimensional (static) diagrams and with only a few diagrams, although with modified (extended to complex coordinates) propagators. The metric (curvature) in the vicinity of the former singularity ring is considered. The electromagnetic contribution does indeed have a relative factor that is infinite at $b \to 0$, but, taking into account some existing estimates of the upper bound on the electric charge of known substances, it is not so large for habitual bodies and can only be significant for practically non-rotating black holes.
This article is in the spirit of our work on the consequences of the Regge calculus, where some edge length scale arises as an optimal initial point of the perturbative expansion after functional integration over connection. Now consider the perturbative expansion itself. To obtain an algorithmizable diagram technique, we consider the simplest periodic simplicial structure with a frozen part of the variables ("hypercubic"). After functional integration over connection, the system is described by the metric $g_{\lambda \mu}$ at the sites. We parameterize $g_{\lambda \mu}$ so that the functional measure becomes Lebesgue. The discrete diagrams are free from ultraviolet divergences and reproduce (for ordinary, non-Planck external momenta) those continuum counterparts that are finite. We give the parametrization of $g_{\lambda \mu}$ up to terms, providing, in particular, additional three-graviton and two-graviton-two-matter vertices, which can give additional one-loop corrections to the Newtonian potential. The edge length scale is $\sim \sqrt{ \eta }$, where $\eta$ defines the free factor $ ( - \det \| g_{\lambda \mu} \| )^{ \eta / 2}$ in the measure and should be a large parameter to ensure the true action after integration over connection. We verify the important fact that the perturbative expansion does not contain increasing powers of $\eta$ if its initial point is chosen close enough to the maximum point of the measure, thus justifying this choice. Discrete propagators depend on the Barbero-Immirzi parameter $\gamma$, which determines the ratio of timelike and spacelike elementary length scales. The existing estimates of $\gamma$ allow the propagator poles to have real energy for any (real) spatial momenta.
The loop quantization of the conformal Brans-Dicke cosmology is explored in the spatially flat and Bianchi-I setting. The scalar and conformal constraints governing the canonical model are quantized using the loop techniques. The physical Hilbert space of quantum spacetimes satisfying both quantum constraints is then obtained by incorporating the quantum geometric features. The Schr\"odinger cosmic evolutions are derived with the relational Heisenberg observables describing the dynamical degrees of freedom with respect to the chosen reference degrees of freedom, with the latter providing the physical coordinates for the spatial hypersurfaces and the conformal scales. We show that the emerging Schr\"odinger theories contain not only the loop quantum cosmology of GR, but also that of the so-called shape dynamics. The exact dictionary between the two theories is achieved via the underlying physical Hilbert space possessing the additional (loop-corrected) conformal symmetry.
With the help of the AdS/CFT correspondence, we easily derive the desired response function of QFT on the boundary. Using the virtual optical system with a convex lens, we are able to obtain the image of the black hole from the response function and further study the Einstein ring of the non-commutative black holes. All the results show that there are some common features and different features compared to the previous study of other background black holes. And with the change of the observation position, this ring will change into a luminosity-deformed ring, or light points. In addition to these similarities, there are some different features which are due to the singularity of the event horizon temperature. Explicitly, the relation between temperature and the event horizon $T-z_h$ has two branches when the non-commutative parameter $n$ is fixed. These in turn have an effect on the behavior of the response function and the Einstein ring. However, the amplitude of $|\langle O\rangle|$ increases with the decrease of the temperature $T$ for the left branch of $T-z_h$ relation, while the amplitude of $|\langle O\rangle|$ decreases with the decrease of the temperature $T$ for the right branch. These differences are also reflected in the Einstein ring. Therefore, these differences can be used to distinguish different black hole backgrounds. Furthermore, we show that the non-commutative parameter has an effect on the brightness and the position of Einstein ring.
We present a generalization of the Rezzolla-Zhidenko theory-agnostic parametrization of black-hole spacetimes to accommodate spherically-symmetric Lorentzian, traversable wormholes (WHs) in an arbitrary metric theory of gravity. By applying our parametrization to various known WH metrics and performing calculations involving shadows and quasinormal modes, we show that only a few parameters are important for finding potentially observable quantities in a WH spacetime.
In a companion paper we introduced the notion of asymptotically Minkowski spacetimes. These space-times are asymptotically flat at both null and spatial infinity, and furthermore there is a harmonious matching of limits of certain fields as one approaches $i^\circ$ in null and space-like directions. These matching conditions are quite weak but suffice to reduce the asymptotic symmetry group to a Poincar\'e group $\mathfrak{p}_{i^\circ}$. Restriction of $\mathfrak{p}_{i^\circ}$ to future null infinity $\mathscr{I}^{+}$ yields the canonical Poincar\'e subgroup $\mathfrak{p}^{\rm bms}_{i^\circ}$ of the BMS group $\mathfrak{B}$ selected in the companion paper and its restriction to spatial infinity $i^\circ$ gives the canonical subgroup $\mathfrak{p}^{\rm spi}_{i^\circ}$ of the Spi group $\mathfrak{S}$ there. As a result, one can meaningfully compare angular momentum that has been defined at $i^\circ$ using $\mathfrak{p}^{\rm spi}_{i^\circ}$ with that defined on $\mathscr{I}^{+}$ using $\mathfrak{p}^{\rm bms}_{i^\circ}$. We show that the angular momentum charge at $i^\circ$ equals the sum of the angular momentum charge at any 2-sphere cross-section $S$ of $\mathscr{I}^{+}$ and the total flux of angular momentum radiated across the portion of $\mathscr{I}^{+}$ to the past of $S$. In general the balance law holds only when angular momentum refers to ${\rm SO(3)}$ subgroups of the Poincar\'e group $\mathfrak{p}_{i^\circ}$.
Photonspheres, curved hypersurfaces on which massless particles can perform closed geodesic motions around highly compact objects, are an integral part of generic black-hole spacetimes. In the present compact paper we prove, using analytical techniques, that the innermost light rings of spherically symmetric hairy black-hole spacetimes whose external matter fields are characterized by a traceless energy-momentum tensor cannot be located arbitrarily close to the central black hole. In particular, we reveal the physically interesting fact that the non-linearly coupled Einstein-matter field equations set the lower bound $r_{\gamma}\geq {6\over5}r_{\text{H}}$ on the radii of traceless black-hole photonspheres, where $r_{\text{H}}$ is the radius of the outermost black-hole horizon.
We present the results of an analysis of three maximal extensions of the Vaidya metric in Israel coordinates, a spherically symmetric solution to the Einstein field equations for the energy momentum tensor of pure radiation in the high-frequency approximation. This metric is necessary for various applications, such as describing the exterior geometry of a radiating star in astrophysics and studying possible formation of naked singularities in the geometry of spacetime. Contrary to the common Eddington-Finkelstein-like (EFL) coordinates, these maximal extensions, in Israel coordinates, are complete and cover the entirety of the Vaidya manifold. We develop three mass functions, one for each extension, and consider the qualitative characteristics of the three mass models and the surfaces of constant (dynamical) radius. We demonstrate that each maximal extension is null geodesically complete, which we assess by solving the radial null geodesics equation and forming the Penrose conformal diagram for each extension.
Time scales associated with many-body fast neutrino flavor conversions in core-collapse supernova are explored in the context of an effective two-flavor model with axial symmetry. We present a preliminary study of time scales obtained from a linear stability analysis and from the distributions of Loschmidt echo crossing times (intimately connected to dynamical phase transitions in non-equilibrium systems) determined by time evolution with the exact many-body Hamiltonian. Starting from a tensor-product initial state describing systems of $N$ neutrinos, with $N/2$ electron-type and $N/2$ heavy-type, with uniform angular distributions, the Loschmidt echo crossing times, $t_{\mathcal{L}_{\times}}$, are found to exhibit two distinct time scales that are exponentially separated. The second peak structure at longer times, effectively absent for $N=4$, develops with increasing $N$. When re-scaled in terms of $\log t_{\mathcal{L}_{\times}}$, the distributions are found to become increasingly well described by the sum of two stable distributions. The distribution of Loschmidt echo crossing times differs somewhat from the results of the (numerical) linear stability analysis, which exhibits a peak at finite frequency and a second peak consistent with zero frequency. The exact analysis suggests that the zero-frequency instability manifests itself as a modest flavor-conversion time scale.
We extend the QCD Parton Model analysis using a factorized nuclear structure model incorporating individual nucleons and pairs of correlated nucleons. Our analysis of high-energy data from lepton Deep-Inelastic Scattering, Drell-Yan and W/Z production simultaneously extracts the universal effective distribution of quarks and gluons inside correlated nucleon pairs, and their nucleus-specific fractions. Such successful extraction of these universal distributions marks a significant advance in our understanding of nuclear structure properties connecting nucleon- and parton-level quantities.
Thermalization of heavy quarks in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is one of the most promising phenomena for understanding the strong interaction. The energy loss and momentum broadening at low momentum can be well described by a stochastic process with drag and diffusion terms. Recent advances in quantum computing, in particular quantum amplitude estimation (QAE), promise to provide a quadratic speed-up in simulating stochastic processes. We introduce and formalize an accelerated quantum circuit Monte-Carlo (aQCMC) framework to simulate heavy quark thermalization. With simplified drag and diffusion coefficients connected by Einstein's relation, we simulate the thermalization of a heavy quark in isotropic and anisotropic mediums using an ideal quantum simulator and compare that to thermal expectations.
The current upper limit on $N_{\rm eff}$ at the time of CMB by Planck 2018 can place stringent constraints in the parameter space of BSM paradigms where their additional interactions may affect neutrino decoupling. Motivated by this fact in this paper we explore the consequences of light gauge boson ($Z'$) emerging from local $U(1)_X$ symmetry in $N_{\rm eff}$ at the time of CMB. First, we analyze the generic $U(1)_X$ models with arbitrary charge assignments for the SM fermions and show that, in the context of $N_{\rm eff}$ the generic $U(1)_X$ gauged models can be broadly classified into two categories, depending on the charge assignments of first generation leptons. We then perform a detailed analysis with two specific $U(1)_X$ models: $U(1)_{B_3-3L_e}$ and $U(1)_{B_3-3L_\mu}$ and explore the contribution in $N_{\rm eff}$ due to the presence of $Z'$ realized in those models. For comparison, we also showcase the constraints from low energy experiments like: Borexino, Xenon 1T, neutrino trident, etc. We show that in a specific parameter space, particularly in the low mass region of $Z'$, the bound from $N_{\rm eff}$ (Planck 2018) is more stringent than the experimental constraints. Additionally, a part of the regions of the same parameter space may also relax the $H_0$ tension.
The Primakoff mechanism is one of the primary channels for the production of solar axion. In the canonical estimation of the Primakoff photon-axion conversion rate, the recoil effect is neglected and a static structure factor in adopted. In this work, by use of the linear response theory, we provide a dynamic description of the solar Primakoff process. It is found that the collective electrons overtake ions as the dominant factor, in contrast to the static screening picture where ions contribute more to the photon-axion conversion. Nonetheless, the resulting axion flux is only 1-2% lower than the standard estimate based on the static structure factor.
From a cosmological perspective, scalar fields are well motivated dark matter and dark energy candidates. Several possibilities of neutrino couplings with a time-varying cosmic field have been investigated in the literature. In this work, we present a framework in which violations of Lorentz invariance (LIV) and $CPT$ symmetry in the neutrino sector could arise from an interaction among neutrinos with a time-varying scalar field. Furthermore, some cosmological and phenomenological aspects and constraints concerning this type of interaction are discussed. Potential violations of Lorentz and $CPT$ symmetries at present and future neutrino oscillation experiments such as IceCube and KM3NeT can probe this scenario.
We present an operator based factorization formula for the transverse energy-energy correlator in the back-to-back (dijet) region, and uncover its remarkable perturbative simplicity and relation to transverse momentum dynamics. This simplicity enables us to achieve next-to-next-to-next-to leading logarithmic (N$^3$LL) accuracy for a hadron collider dijet event shape for the first time. Our factorization formula applies to color singlet, $W/Z/\gamma$ + jet, and dijet production, providing a natural generalization of transverse momentum observables to one- and two-jet final states. This provides a laboratory for precision studies of QCD and transverse momentum dynamics at hadron colliders, as well as an opportunity for understanding factorization and its violation in a perturbatively well controlled setting.
The dynamics of strongly interacting particles are governed by Yang-Mills (Y-M) theory, which is a natural generalization of Maxwell Electrodynamics (ED). Its quantized version is known as quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and has been very well studied. Classical Y-M theory is proving to be equally interesting because of the central role it plays in describing the physics of quark-gluon plasma (QGP)-which was prevalent in the early universe and is also produced in relativistic heavy ion collision experiments. This calls for a systematic study of classical Y-M theories. A good insight into classical Y-M dynamics would be best obtained by comparing and contrasting the Y-M results with their ED counterparts. In this article, a beginning has been made by considering streaming instabilities in Y-M fluids. We find that in addition to analogues of ED instabilities, novel nonabelian modes arise, reflecting the inherent nonabelian nature of the interaction. The new modes exhibit propagation/ growth, with growth rates that can be larger than what we find in ED. Interestingly, we also find a mode that propagates without getting affected by the medium.
We present an alternative scheme to provide an anomalous smallness of the Dirac neutrino mass. The multiplicative Lagrangian model of the Higgs field plays an essential role in explaining a huge difference between the mass of the charged leptons and Dirac neutrinos while the ratio of Yukawa coupling between these two groups of particles is naturally of order unity. On the other hand, if the neutrino mass is mixed between the Dirac and Majorana types, the mass of the right-handed neutrinos can be in the range between sub-eV and the grand unification scale without fine-tuning and naturalness problems. Moreover, the little hierarchy between the Yukawa coupling of top-quark and electron is also discussed.
We study the mass spectrum of light pseudoscalar and vector mesons in the presence of an external uniform magnetic field $\vec B$, considering the effects of the mixing with the axial vector meson sector. The analysis is performed within a two-flavor NJL-like model which includes isoscalar and isovector couplings together with a flavor mixing 't Hooft-like term. The effect of the magnetic field on charged particles is taken into account by retaining the Schwinger phases carried by quark propagators, and expanding the corresponding meson fields in proper Ritus-like bases. The spin-isospin and spin-flavor decomposition of meson mass states is also analyzed. For neutral pion masses it is shown that the mixing with axial vector mesons improves previous theoretical results, leading to a monotonic decreasing behavior with $B$ that is in good qualitative agreement with LQCD calculations, both for the case of constant or $B$-dependent couplings. Regarding charged pions, it is seen that the mixing softens the enhancement of their mass with $B$. As a consequence, the energy becomes lower than the one corresponding to a pointlike pion, improving the agreement with LQCD results. The agreement is also improved for the magnetic behavior of the lowest $\rho^+$ energy state, which does not vanish for the considered range of values of $B$ -- a fact that can be relevant in connection with the occurrence of meson condensation for strong magnetic fields.
We construct a set of Wigner 6j symbols with gluon lines (adjoint representations) in closed form, expressed in terms of similar 6j symbols with quark lines (fundamental representations). Together with Wigner 6j symbols with quark lines, this gives a set of 6j symbols sufficient for treating QCD color structure for any number of external particles, in or beyond perturbation theory. This facilitates a complete treatment of QCD color structure in terms of orthogonal multiplet bases, without the need of ever explicitly constructing the corresponding bases. We thereby open up for a completely representation theory based treatment of SU(N) color structure, with the potential of significantly speeding up the color structure treatment.
Starting with the polarization dependent Wigner function of vector mesons, we derive an expression for the 00-component ($\rho_{00}$) of spin density matrix in terms of the second order gradients of the vector meson distribution functions. We further apply a thermal model to analyze the transverse momentum and the azimuthal angle dependence of $\rho_{00}$ for $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons resulting from distribution gradients in Au-Au collisions with $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130$ GeV at mid-rapidity. Our results for the transverse momentum dependence indicate that the deviations of $\rho_{00}$ from $1/3$ as the signal for spin alignment are greatly enhanced at large transverse momenta and have a strong centrality dependence while analysis of the azimuthal angle ($\phi_q$) dependence suggest that such deviations have a $\cos(2\phi_q)$ structure with opposite sign for $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$. Our finding may be considered as a baseline for probing spin-alignment mechanisms beyond hydrodynamic gradients.
We construct an extended version of the linear sigma model in such a way as to describe spin-$1$ hadrons as well as spin-$0$ hadrons in two-color QCD (QC$_2$D) by respecting the Pauli-G\"{u}rsey $SU(4)$ symmetry. Within a mean-field approximation, we therefrom examine a mass spectrum of the spin-$1$ hadrons at finite quark chemical potential ($\mu_q$) and zero temperature. Not only mean fields of scalar mesons and scalar-diquark baryons but also of vector mesons and vector-diquark baryons are incorporated. As a result, we find that, unless all of those four types of mean fields are taken into account, neither lattice result for the critical $\mu_q$ that corresponds to the onset of baryon superfluidity nor for $\mu_q$ dependence of the pion mass can be reproduced. We also find that a slight suppression of the $\rho$ meson mass in the superfluid phase, which was suggested by the lattice simulation, is reproduced by subtle mixing effects between spin-$0$ and spin-$1$ hadrons. Moreover, we demonstrate the emergence of an axialvector condensed phase and possibly of a vector condensed phase by identifying the values of $\mu_q$ at which the corresponding hadron masses vanish. The possible presence of iso-triplet $1^-$ diquarks that may be denoted by a tensor-type quark bilinear field is also discussed.
The quark spin effects are introduced for the first time in the string fragmentation routine of the Pythia 8 Monte Carlo event generator for the simulation of $e^+e^-$ annihilation to hadrons. To describe the spin effects the string+${}^3P_0$ model of polarized hadronization with emissions of pseudoscalar and vector mesons is used. The spin effects are activated in the generator by extending the StringSpinner package, previously applied to the simulation of deep inelastic scattering off a polarized nucleon. The generator is used to carry out simulations of $e^+e^-$ annihilation at the center of mass energy of $10.6\,\rm{GeV}$. The Collins asymmetry for back-to-back pion pairs is evaluated and compared to the asymmetry as measured by the BELLE experiment. A satisfactory agreement is found.
We illustrate and discuss the phenomenology of a model featuring a two-Higgs doublet sector augmented by two $SU(2)$ singlet scalars. The gauge symmetry group is extended as well with a $U(1)_{B_{i}-L_{i}}$ component whose spontaneous breaking leads to the gauge boson which has an important effect in the muon (g-2). A global PQ symmetry is introduced upon its breaking we have the axion particle which is also DM in our work. In particular, we have focussed on Type-X and Type-II 2HDM models and found out that (g-2) can not be explained only by the scalar sector for Type-II 2HDM mainly due to stringent constraint from $b \rightarrow s \gamma$ resulted in $M_{H^{\pm}} > 800$ GeV. For Type-II 2HDM, we can have axion coupling with the gluons which generates the axion potential and possible explanation for the strong CP problem. The proposed model accommodates neutrino masses via the Type-I see-saw mechanism with an upper bound on the right-handed neutrino mass 1 GeV (1 TeV) for Type-II (Type-X) 2HDM due to the presence of Planck scale suppressed operators. Moreover, we also have additional scalars which affect the oblique parameters and hence the W-boson mass which leads us to explain the W-boson mass observed at CDF-II detector. The most stringent constraints on the masses and quartic couplings come from the perturbativity and potential bound from below conditions which leads to fine-tuning among the parameters in part of the parameter space. Finally, we discuss the possible detection prospects of the axion DM and the additional gauge boson.
In this research, we focus on exploring lepton flavor universality violating (LFUV) observables, including longitudinal polarization ($P_L$), $\tau$-polarization ($P_{\tau}$), and forward-backward asymmetry ($\mathcal{A}_{FB}$). Our investigation is conducted within the Relativistic Independent Quark Model (RIQM), emphasizing the model-dependent analysis of these observables in the decay channel: $B_c \to \eta_c(J/\psi)/D (D^*), l \nu_l$. With a keen eye on the experimental aspects of B-hadron decays, the rapid confirmation of these quantities could signify a significant detection of physics beyond the Standard Model, opening up new avenues for further research into New Physics.
We present a comprehensive analytic calculation of the next-to-next-to-leading order $\text{QCD} \otimes \text{EW}$ corrections to $Z$-boson pair production at electron-positron colliders. The two-loop master integrals essential to this calculation are evaluated using the differential equation method. In this work, we detail the formulation and solution of the canonical differential equations for the two-loop three-point master integrals with two on-shell $Z$ boson external legs and a massive internal quark loop. These canonical master integrals are systematically given as Taylor series in the dimensional regulator, $\epsilon = (4-d)/2$, up to order four, with coefficients expressed in terms of Goncharov polylogarithms up to weight four. Upon applying our analytic master integrals in the context of phenomenological analysis, we observe that the $\mathcal{O}(\alpha \alpha_s)$ corrections manifest at a level of approximately one percent compared to the leading-order predictions and thus cannot be overlooked in future comparisons with high precision experimental data.
The present study aims to unveil a non-minimal secluded dark sector (DS) scenario in an effective field theory (EFT) framework. To explore this, we have examined a suitable extension of type-X Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) as a potential origin for secluded DS. The dark sector, possessing non-minimal characteristics, becomes non-thermally populated through diverse dim-6 four-Fermi operators, effectively generated by integrating out the heavier Higgs particles. The analysis further focuses on the consequence of the collision mechanism $\text{DM}+ a \to a + a$, occurring within the DS, where `$a$' represents the lighter DS particle. We have investigated the significance of employing an effective theory approach to track the temperature evolution of the dark sector (DS). Within the present framework, the final relic abundance of dark matter can be attained through both dark freeze-out and freeze-in mechanisms. Furthermore, we have delineated the permissible ranges of relevant parameter space essential for achieving the correct dark matter relic abundance considering different variants of cosmology, as validated by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and gamma-ray searches.
We present DM@NLO, a Fortran 77 based program with a C++ interface dedicated to precision calculations of dark matter (DM) (co)annihilation cross-sections and elastic dark matter-nucleon scattering amplitudes in the Minimal Supersymmetric (SUSY) Standard Model (MSSM) at next-to-leading order (NLO) in perturbative (SUSY) QCD. If the annihilating initial particles carry an electric or colour charge, the Sommerfeld enhanced cross section is included as well and can be matched to the NLO cross section. We review these calculations including technical details relevant for using the code. We illustrate their impact by applying DM@NLO to an example scenario in the constrained MSSM.
We calculate the two-loop mixed QCD$\otimes$EW corrections for the charged Higgs boson pair production within the framework of four types of Two Higgs Doublet Models (THDMs) with the $Z_2$ symmetry. We analyze in detail the dependences of our results on physical parameters, including the charged Higgs mass, $\tan\beta$, the scattering angle, and the colliding energy. It is noticeable that the mixed QCD$\otimes$EW relative correction is independent of the scattering angle due to the topology of Feynman diagrams at $O(\alpha\alpha_s)$. Numerical results in most allowed regions of four types of THDMs are provided in the density plots on the $m_{H^{\pm}}$-$\tan\beta$ plane. For type-I and type-X, the mixed QCD$\otimes$EW relative correction varies slightly near $1\%$ except in the vicinity of resonance. For type-II and type-Y, the corrections increase consistently in large $\tan\beta$ region and reach up to $11.5\%$ at $\tan\beta = 50$. We also compute the $O(\alpha)$ corrections to obtain the corrected cross section up to $O(\alpha\alpha_s)$. The numerical results show that the corrected cross section can be larger than $80\ \mathrm{fb}$ in some parameter space region for type-I and type-X THDMs.
We investigate the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD radiative corrections to the pion electromagnetic form factor with large momentum transfer. We explicitly verify the validity of the collinear factorization to two-loop order for this observable, and obtain the respective IR-finite two-loop hard-scattering kernel in the closed form. The NNLO QCD correction turns to be positive and significant. Incorporating this new ingredient of correction, we then make a comprehensive comparison between the finest theoretical predictions and various pion form factor data in both space-like and time-like regions. Our phenomenological analysis provides strong constraints on the second Gegenbauer moments of the pion light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) obtained from recent lattice QCD studies.
In this article we analyze the masses of gauge bosons as well as their mixtures in the Minimal Supersymmetric $SU(3)_{C}\otimes SU(3)_{L}\otimes U(1)_{N}$ Model, and we will show that all masses are in agreement with current experimental data.
We study the properties of the shear viscosity coefficient of quark matter near the chiral phase transition at finite temperature and chemical potential, and the kinds of high temperature, high density and strong magnetic field background. The strong magnetic field induces anisotropy, that is, the quantization of Landau energy levels in phase space. If the magnetic field is strong enough, it will interfere with significant QCD phenomena, such as the generation of dynamic quark mass, which may affect the transport properties of quark matter. The inclusion of the anomalous magnetic moments of the quarks at finite density into the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model gives rise to additional spin polarization magnetic effects. It is found that both the ratio $\eta/s$ of shear viscosity coefficient to entropy and the collision relaxation time $\tau$ show similar trend with temperature, both of which reach minima around the critical temperature. The shear viscosity coefficient of the dissipative fluid system can be decomposed into five different components as the strong magnetic field exists. The influences of the order of chiral phase transition and the critical end point on dissipative phenomena in such a magnetized medium are quantitatively investigated. It is found that ${\eta}_{1}$, ${\eta}_{2}$, ${\eta}_{3}$, and ${\eta}_{4}$ all increase with temperature. For first-order phase transitions, ${\eta}_{1}$, ${\eta}_{2}$, ${\eta}_{3}$, and ${\eta}_{4}$ exhibit discontinuous characteristics.
We study the hadronic and radiative couplings of the $f_2(1270)$ meson within the hard- and soft-wall models of AdS/QCD. The results for the tensor meson-nucleon-nucleon coupling ($g_{f_2NN}$) and tensor meson-photon-vector meson coupling ($g_{f_2\gamma\rho}$) are compared to the ones obtained by using the dispersion relations and amplitude methods, respectively. Qualitative agreement with different analyses implies the reliability of the holographic description of spin-2 meson.
A model for particles based on preons in chiral, vector and tensor/graviton supermultiplets of unbroken global supersymmetry is engineered. The framework of the model is little string theory. Some phenomenological results are discussed.
Inspired from perturbative calculations, this work introduces imaginary ($\Omega_{\rm I}$) and real ($\Omega$) rotation effects to the pure $SU(3)$ gauge potentials simply through variable transformations: The empirical Polyakov loop (PL) potentials can be rewritten as functions of the imaginary chemical potentials of gluons and ghosts $(q_{\rm ij})$, and the transformations are taken as $q_{\rm ij}\rightarrow q_{\rm ij}\pm\Omega_{\rm I}/T$ and $q_{\rm ij}\rightarrow q_{\rm ij}\pm i\,\Omega/T$, respectively. For the PL potential of Fukushima $(V_1)$, a smaller imaginary rotation $\Omega_{\rm I}$ tends to suppress PL at all temperature and the deconfinement transition keeps of first order. However, for the PL potential of Munich group $(V_2)$, $\Omega_{\rm I}$ tends to enhance PL at low temperature $T$, consistent with lattice simulations; but suppress PL at high $T$, consistent with perturbative calculations. Moreover, the deconfinement alters from first order to crossover with increasing $\Omega_{\rm I}$ as is expected from lattice simulations. On the other hand, the real rotation $\Omega$ tends to enhance PL at relatively low $T$ for both potentials, and the (pseudo-)critical temperature decreases with $\Omega$ as expected. Therefore, we find that analytic continuation of the phase diagram from imaginary to real rotation is not necessarily valid in the non-perturbative region. Finally, we apply the more successful PL potential $V_2$ to the Polyakov--Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model and discover that $\Omega_{\rm I}$ tends to break chiral symmetry while $\Omega$ tends to restore it. Especially, the modified model is even able to qualitatively explain the lattice result that a larger $T$ would catalyze chiral symmetry breaking for a large $\Omega_{\rm I}$.
We analyze in detail the most singular behaviour of processes involving triple-collinear splittings with massive particles in the quasi-collinear limit, and present compact expressions for the splitting amplitudes and the corresponding splitting kernels at the squared-amplitude level. Our expressions fully agree with well-known triple-collinear splittings in the massless limit, which are used as a guide to achieve the final expressions. These results are important to quantify dominant mass effects in many observables, and constitute an essential ingredient of current high-precision computational frameworks for collider phenomenology.
During the ringdown phase of a gravitational signal emitted by a black hole, the least damped quasinormal frequency dominates. If modifications to Einstein's theory induce noticeable deformations of the black-hole geometry only near the event horizon, the fundamental mode remains largely unaffected. However, even a small change near the event horizon can significantly impact the first few overtones, providing a means to probe the geometry of the event horizon. Overtones are stable against small deformations of spacetime at a distance from the black hole, allowing the event horizon to be distinguished from the surrounding environment. In contrast to echoes, overtones make a much larger energy contribution. These findings open up new avenues for future observations.
The ultraviolet cutoff on a quantum field theory can be interpreted as a condensate of the affine curvature such that while the maximum of the affine action gives the power-law corrections, its minimum leads to the emergence of gravity. This mechanism applies also to fundamental strings as their spinless unstable ground levels can be represented by the scalar affine curvature such that open strings (D-branes) decay to closed strings and closed strings to finite minima with emergent gravity. Affine curvature is less sensitive to massive string levels than the tachyon, and the field-theoretic and stringy emergent gravities take the same form. It may be that affine condensation provides an additional link between the string theory and the known physics at low energies.
Recent years have seen the emergence of a new understanding of scattering amplitudes in the simplest theory of colored scalar particles - the Tr$(\phi^3)$ theory - based on combinatorial and geometric ideas in the kinematic space of scattering data. In this paper we report a surprise: far from the toy model it appears to be, the ''stringy'' Tr$(\phi^3)$ amplitudes secretly contain the scattering amplitudes for pions, as well as non-supersymmetric gluons, in any number of dimensions. The amplitudes for the different theories are given by one and the same function, related by a simple shift of the kinematics. This discovery was spurred by another fundamental observation: the tree-level Tr$(\phi^3)$ field theory amplitudes have a hidden pattern of zeros when a special set of non-planar Mandelstam invariants is set to zero. Furthermore, near these zeros, the amplitudes simplify, by factoring into a non-trivial product of smaller amplitudes. Remarkably the amplitudes for pions and gluons are observed to also vanish in the same kinematical locus. These properties further generalize to the ''stringy'' Tr$(\phi^3)$ amplitudes. There is a unique shift of the kinematic data that preserves the zeros, and this shift is precisely the one that unifies colored scalars, pions, and gluons into a single object. We will focus in this paper on explaining the hidden zeros and factorization properties and the connection between all the colored theories, working for simplicity at tree-level. Subsequent works will describe this new formulation for the Non-linear Sigma Model and non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, at all loop orders.
We define generalized dualities for heterotic and type I strings based on consistent truncations to half-maximal gauged supergravities in more than three dimensions. The latter are constructed from a generalized Scherk-Schwarz ansatz in heterotic double field theory that satisfies the strong constraint. Necessary and sufficient conditions on the resulting embedding tensor are discussed, showing that only certain gaugings, called geometric, can arise from this procedure. For all of them, we explicitly construct the internal geometry and gauge potentials. In general, this construction is not unique and permits different uplifts which are used to define generalized T-duality. Two examples are worked out underlying the utility of our approach to explore new dualities and uplifts of half-maximal gauged supergravities.
By using the notion of fractional derivatives, we introduce a class of massless Lifshitz scalar field theory in (1+1)-dimension with an arbitrary anisotropy index $z$. The Lifshitz scale invariant ground state of the theory is constructed explicitly and takes the form of Rokhsar-Kivelson (RK). We show that there is a continuous family of ground states with degeneracy parameterized by the choice of solution to the equation of motion of an auxiliary classical system. The quantum mechanical path integral establishes a 2d/1d correspondence with the equal time correlation functions of the Lifshitz scalar field theory. We study the entanglement properties of the Lifshitz theory for arbitrary $z$ using the path integral representation. We find that the Lifshitz vacuum at $z=1$ is insensitive to any subdivision of the system. The entanglement measures are expressed in terms of certain cross ratio functions we specify, and satisfy the $c$-function monotonicity theorems. We also consider the holographic description of the Lifshitz theory. In order to match with the field theory result for the entanglement entropy, we propose a $z$-dependent radius scale for the Lifshitz background. This relation is consistent with the $z$-dependent scaling symmetry respected by the Lifshitz vacuum. Furthermore, the time-like entanglement entropy is determined using holography. Our result suggests that there should exist a fundamental definition of time-like entanglement other than employing analytic continuation as performed in relativistic field theory.
Dynamical cobordisms implement the swampland cobordism conjecture in the framework of effective field theory, realizing codimension 1 end of the world (ETW) branes as singularities at finite spacetime distance at which scalars diverge to infinite field space distance. ETW brane solutions provide a useful probe of infinity in moduli field spaces and the associated swampland constraints, such as the distance conjecture. We construct explicit solutions describing intersecting ETW branes in theories with multiple scalars and general potentials, so that different infinite field space limits coexist in the same spacetime, and can be simultaneously probed by paths approaching the ETW brane intersection. Our class of solutions includes physically interesting examples, such as intersections of Witten s bubbles of nothing in toroidal compactifications, generalizations in compactifications on products of spheres, and possible flux dressings thereof (hence including charged objects at the ETW branes). From the cobordism perspective, the intersections can be regarded as describing the end of the world for end of the world branes, or as boundary domain walls interpolating between different ETW brane boundary conditions for the same bulk theory.
We develop a novel framework for describing quantum fluctuations in field theory, with a focus on cosmological applications. Our method uniquely circumvents the use of operator/Hilbert-space formalism, instead relying on a systematic treatment of classical variables, quantum fluctuations, and an effective Hamiltonian. Our framework not only aligns with standard formalisms in flat and de Sitter spacetimes, which assumes no backreaction, demonstrated through the $\varphi^3$-model, but also adeptly handles time-dependent backreaction in more general cases. The uncertainty principle and spatial symmetry emerge as critical tools for selecting initial conditions and understanding effective potentials. We discover that modes inside the Hubble horizon \emph{do not} necessarily feel an initial Minkowski vacuum, as is commonly assumed. Our findings offer fresh insights into the early universe's quantum fluctuations and potential explanations to large-scale CMB anomalies.
Frenkel, Lepowsky, and Meurman constructed a vertex operator algebra (VOA) associated to any even, integral, Euclidean lattice. In the language of physics, these are examples of chiral conformal field theories. In this paper, we define non-chiral vertex operator algebra and some associated notions. We then give a construction of a non-chiral VOA associated to an even, integral, Lorentzian lattice and construct their irreducible modules. We obtain the moduli space of such modular invariant non-chiral VOAs based on self-dual Lorentzian lattices of signature $(m,n)$ assuming the validity of a technical result about automorphisms of the lattice. We finally show that Narain conformal field theories in physics are examples of non-chiral VOA. Our formalism helps us to identify the chiral algebra of Narain CFTs in terms of a particular sublattice and break its partition function into sum of characters.
Quantum gravity in 4D asymptotically flat spacetimes features spontaneous symmetry breaking due to soft radiation hair, intimately tied to the proliferation of IR divergences. A holographic description via a putative 2D CFT is expected free of such redundancies. In this series of two papers, we address this issue by initiating the study of Quantum Error Correction in Celestial CFT (CCFT). In Part I we construct a toy model with finite degrees of freedom by revisiting noncommutative geometry in Kleinian hyperk\"ahler spacetimes. The model obeys a Wick algebra that renormalizes in the radial direction and admits an isometric embedding \`a la Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill. The code subspace is composed of 2-qubit stabilizer states which are robust under soft spacetime fluctuations. Symmetries of the hyperk\"ahler space become discrete and translate into the Clifford group familiar from quantum computation. The construction is then embedded into the incidence relation of twistor space, paving the way for the CCFT regime addressed in upcoming work.
The physical world is fundamentally: (1) field-theoretic, (2) smooth, (3) local, (4) gauged, (5) containing fermions, and last but not least: (6) non-perturbative. Tautologous as this may sound, it is remarkable that the mathematical notion of geometry which reflects all of these aspects -- namely, as we will explain: ``supergeometric homotopy theory'' -- has received little attention even by mathematicians and remains unknown to most physicists. Elaborate algebraic machinery is known for perturbative field theories, but in order to tackle the deep open questions of the subject, these will need to be lifted to a global geometry of physics. Our aim in this series is, first, to introduce inclined physicists to this theory, second to fill mathematical gaps in the existing literature, and finally to rigorously develop the full power of supergeometric homotopy theory and apply it to the analysis of fermionic (not necessarily super-symmetric) field theories. To warm up, in this first part we explain how classical bosonic Lagrangian field theory (variational Euler-Lagrange theory) finds a natural home in the ``topos of smooth sets'', thereby neatly setting the scene for the higher supergeometry discussed in later parts of the series. This introductory material will be largely known to a few experts but has never been comprehensively laid out before. A key technical point we make is to regard jet bundle geometry systematically in smooth sets instead of just its subcategories of diffeological spaces or even Fr\'echet manifolds -- or worse simply as a formal object. Besides being more transparent and powerful, it is only on this backdrop that a reasonable supergeometric jet geometry exists, needed for satisfactory discussion of any field theory with fermions.
In this letter, we prove the existence of resummed expressions for the diagonal of the heat kernel and the effective action of a quantum field which interacts with a scalar or an electromagnetic background. Working in an arbitrary number of spacetime dimensions, we propose an Ansatz beyond the Schwinger--DeWitt proposal, effectively resumming an infinite number of invariants which can be constructed from powers of the background, as well as its first and second derivatives in the Yukawa case. This provides a proof of the recent conjecture that all terms containing the invariants $F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}$ and $\widetilde F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}$ in the proper-time series expansion of the SQED effective action can be resummed. Possible generalizations and several applications are also discussed -- in particular, the existence of an analogue of the Schwinger effect for Yukawa couplings.
We define the gauge potentials of Poisson electrodynamics as sections of a symplectic realization of the spacetime manifold and infinitesimal gauge transformations as a representation of the associated Lie algebroid acting on the symplectic realization. Finite gauge transformations are obtained by integrating the sections of the Lie algebroid to bisections of a symplectic groupoid, which form a one-parameter group of transformations, whose action on the fields of the theory is realized in terms of an action groupoid. A covariant electromagnetic two-form is obtained, together with a dual two-form, invariant under gauge transformations. The duality appearing in the picture originates from the existence of a pair of orthogonal foliations of the symplectic realization, which produce dual quotient manifolds, one related with space-time, the other with momenta.
We derive new dualities of topological quantum field theories in three spacetime dimensions that generalize the familiar level-rank dualities of Chern-Simons gauge theories. The key ingredient in these dualities is non-abelian anyon condensation, which is a gauging operation for topological lines with non-group-like i.e. non-invertible fusion rules. We find that, generically, dualities involve such non-invertible anyon condensation and that this unifies a variety of exceptional phenomena in topological field theories and their associated boundary rational conformal field theories, including conformal embeddings, and Maverick cosets (those where standard algorithms for constructing a coset model fail.) We illustrate our discussion in a variety of isolated examples as well as new infinite series of dualities involving non-abelian anyon condensation including: i) a new description of the parafermion theory as $(SU(N)_{2} \times Spin(N)_{-4})/\mathcal{A}_{N},$ ii) a new presentation of a series of points on the orbifold branch of $c=1$ conformal field theories as $(Spin(2N)_{2} \times Spin(N)_{-2} \times Spin(N)_{-2})/\mathcal{B}_{N}$, and iii) a new dual form of $SU(2)_{N}$ as $(USp(2N)_{1} \times SO(N)_{-4})/\mathcal{C}_{N}$ arising from conformal embeddings, where $\mathcal{A}_{N}, \mathcal{B}_{N},$ and $\mathcal{C}_{N}$ are appropriate collections of gauged non-invertible bosons.
We compute the one-loop effective action of the Horava theory, in its nonprojectable formulation. The quantization is performed in the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky formalism. It includes the second-class constraints and the appropriate gauge-fixing condition. The ghost fields associated with the second-class constraints can be used to get the integrated form of the effective action, which has the form of a Berezinian. We show that all irregular loops cancel between them in the effective action. The key for the cancellation is the role of the ghosts associated with the second-class constraints. These ghosts form irregular loops that enter in the denominator of the Berezinian, eliminating the irregular loops of the bosonic nonghost sector. Irregular loops produce dangerous divergences; hence their cancellation is an essential step for the consistency of the theory. The cancellation of this kind of divergences is in agreement with the previous analysis done on the quantum canonical Lagrangian and its Feynman diagrams.
We study the effects of acceleration in entanglement dynamics using the theory of open quantum systems. In this scenario we consider two atoms moving along different hyperbolic trajectories with different proper times. The generalized master equation is used for a pair of dipoles interacting with the electromagnetic field. We observe that the proper acceleration plays an essential role in the entanglement harvesting and sudden death phenomenom and we study how the polarization of the atoms affects this results.
In this work, we propose a four-dimensional gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten model, obtained as a dimensional reduction from a transgression field theory invariant under the $\mathcal{N}=1$ Poincar\'{e} supergroup. For this purpose, we consider that the two gauge connections on which the transgression action principle depends are given by linear and non-linear realizations of the gauge group respectively. The field content of the resulting four-dimensional theory is given by the gauge fields of the linear connection, in addition to a set of scalar and spinor multiplets in the same representation of the gauge supergroup, which in turn, correspond to the coordinates of the coset space between the gauge group and the five-dimensional Lorentz group. We then decompose the action in terms of four-dimensional quantities and derive the corresponding equations of motion. We extend our analysis to the non- and ultra- relativistic regime.
We study the convergence of the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) expansion in the context of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory for superconductivity and the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model for chiral symmetry breaking at finite temperature $T$ and chemical potential $\mu$. We present derivations of the all-order formulas for the coefficients of the GL expansions in both systems under the mean-field approximation. We show that the convergence radii for the BCS gap $\Delta$ and dynamical quark mass $M$ are given by $\Delta_\text{conv} = \pi T$ and $M_\text{conv} = \sqrt{\mu^2 + (\pi T)^2}$, respectively. We also discuss the implications of these results and the quantitative reliability of the GL expansion near the first-order chiral phase transition.
Supertubes are supersymmetric configurations in string theory in which branes are extending along a closed curve. For a supertube of codimension two, its dipole charge is characterized by the duality monodromy around the closed curve. When multiple codimension-2 supertubes are present, the monodromies around different supertubes can be non-commuting, namely non-Abelian. Non-Abelian configurations of supertubes are expected to play an important role in non-perturbative physics of string theory, especially black holes. In this paper, in the framework of five-dimensional supergravity, we construct exact solutions describing codimension-2 supertubes in three-dimensional space. We use an extension formula to construct a three-dimensional solution from a two-dimensional seed solution. The two-dimensional seed is an F-theory like configuration in which a torus is nontrivially fibered over a complex plane. In the first example, there is a stack of circular supertubes around which there is a non-trivial monodromy. In some cases this can be thought of as a microstate of a black hole in AdS_2 x S^2. The second example is an axi-symmetric solution with two stacks of circular supertubes with non-Abelian monodromies. In addition, there is a continuous distribution of charges on the symmetry axis.
We prove that the supersymmetric deformed $ \mathbb{CP}^{1} $ sigma model (the generalization of the Fateev-Onofri-Zamolodchikov model) admits an equivalent description as a generalized Gross-Neveu model. This formalism is useful for the study of renormalization properties and particularly for calculation of the one- and two-loop $ \beta $-function. We show that in the UV the superdeformed model flows to the super-Thirring CFT, for which we also develop a superspace approach. It is then demonstrated that the super-Thirring model is equivalent to a sigma model with the cylinder $ \mathbb{R} \times S^{1} $ target space by an explicit computation of the correlation functions on both sides. Apart from that, we observe that the original model has another interesting conformal limit, given by the supercigar model, which as well could be described in the Gross-Neveu approach.
In this work, we have rewritten the BDNK stress tensor in the Landau frame by redefining the fluid variables such as velocity and temperature. This `fluid frame' transformation includes shift variables $\delta u^{\mu}$ and $\delta T$, which are small enough to be treated linearly but encompass all orders of gradient corrections. The redefinition indicates that though the BDNK formalism has a finite number of derivatives, in the Landau frame, it will have either an infinite number of derivatives or one has to introduce new `non-fluid' variables. The infinite derivative series are summed in two different ways that lead to two different methods of `integrating in' new `non-fluid' variables, showing the non-uniqueness of the process of `integrating in' new variables. Finally, the dispersion relations and the corresponding spectra of these different systems of equations have been analyzed to check that the systems of equations presented here are equivalent to the BDNK formalism, at least in the hydrodynamic regime.
We study new cohomologies for the BPS operators of the $\mathcal{N}=4$ Yang-Mills theory with $SU(3)$ and $SU(4)$ gauge groups, to better understand the black hole microstates. We first study the index of these black hole operators and identify their apparent threshold levels. For $SU(3)$, we find many towers of states and partial no-hair behaviors. We explicitly construct the threshold cohomology in the $SU(3)$ theory. We study throughout this paper a subsector of the field theory corresponding to the BMN matrix theory. We also argue that the BMN sector exhibits a black hole like entropy growth at large $N$.
Cone holography is a codimension-$n$ doubly holographic model, which can be interpreted as the holographic dual of edge modes on defects. The initial model of cone holography is based on mixed boundary conditions. This paper formulates cone holography with Neumann boundary conditions, where the brane-localized gauge fields play an essential role. Firstly, we illustrate the main ideas in an $\text{AdS}_4/\text{CFT}_1$ toy model. We show that the $U(1)$ gauge field on the end-of-the-world brane can make the typical solution consistent with Neumann boundary conditions. Then, we generalize the discussions to general codimension-$n$ cone holography by employing brane-localized $p$-form gauge fields. We also investigate perturbative solutions and prove the mass spectrum of Kaluza-Klein gravitons is non-negative. Furthermore, we prove that cone holography obeys holographic $c$-theorem. Finally, inspired by the recently proposed chiral model in AdS/BCFT, we construct another type of cone holography with Neumann boundary conditions by applying massive vector (Proca) fields on the end-of-the-world brane.
The momentum space associated with "tachyonic particles" proves to be rather intricate, departing very much from the ordinary dual to Minkowski space directly parametrized by space-time translations of the Poincar\'e group. In fact, although described by the constants of motion (Noether invariants) associated with space-time translations, they depend non-trivially on the parameters of the rotation subgroup. However, once the momentum space is parametrized by the Noether invariants, it behaves exactly as that of ordinary particles. On the other hand, the evolution parameter is no longer the one associated with time translation, whose Noether invariant, $P_o$, is now a basic one. Evolution takes place in a spatial direction. These facts not only make difficult the computation of the corresponding representation, but also force us to a sound revision of several traditional ingredients related to Cauchy hypersurface, scalar product and, of course, causality. After that, the theory becomes consistent and could shed new light on some special physical situations like inflation or traveling inside a black hole.
Symmetry-breaking quantum phase transitions lead to the production of topological defects or domain walls in a wide range of physical systems. In second-order transitions, these exhibit universal scaling laws described by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, but for first-order transitions a similarly universal approach is still lacking. Here we propose a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate as a testbed system where critical scaling behavior in a first-order quantum phase transition can be understood from generic properties. We generalize the Kibble-Zurek mechanism to determine the critical exponents for: (1) the onset of the decay of the metastable state on short times scales, and (2) the number of resulting phase-separated ferromagnetic domains at longer times, as a one-dimensional spin-1 condensate is ramped across a first-order quantum phase transition. The predictions are in excellent agreement with mean-field numerical simulations and provide a paradigm for studying the decay of metastable states in experimentally accessible systems.
We propose a method to constrain the scaling dimension of the operators of the strongly interacting systems (SIS) using the holographic setup where the (d+1)-dimensional black hole is used to describe the d-dimensional SIS. We demonstrate the method in the holographic superconductor theory where the operator is a scalar. The idea is to consider the inside as well as the outside of the AdS black hole in which the gap equations has higher order singularities. Then the equivalence principle requests the solution be smoothly connected at the horizon, which turns out to give a quantized values of the scaling dimension of the condensed operator. This is a pleasant surprise because so far one gets the constraints on the scaling dimension only by a hard analysis with bootstrap ansatz.
Chiral higher spin gravity is defined in terms of a strong homotopy algebra of pre-Calabi-Yau type (noncommutative Poisson structure). All structure maps are given by the integrals over the configuration space of concave polygons and the first two maps are related to the (Shoikhet-Tsygan-)Kontsevich Formality. As with the known formality theorems, we prove the $A_\infty$-relations via Stokes' theorem by constructing a closed form and a configuration space whose boundary components lead to the $A_\infty$-relations. This gives a new way to formulate higher spin gravities and hints at a construct encompassing the known formality theorems.
We study 4d exceptional S-fold SCFTs obtained from the 6d $(2,0)$ theories of type $E_{6,7,8}$. We show that all but one of these theories are discrete gaugings of free theories because they do not admit a consistent charge lattice. We compute the 1-form symmetry of the only interacting theory, the $k=4$ exceptional S-fold SCFT of type $E_8$, and find that it is trivial. Along the way we develop a consistency condition for the Coulomb Branch stratification of $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs with characteristic dimension $\varkappa \neq \{1,2\}$ and show that the triviality of (most) exceptional S-fold SCFTs follows directly from this constraint.
Recent work has highlighted the importance of crossed products in correctly elucidating the operator algebraic approach to quantum field theories. In the gravitational context, the crossed product simultaneously promotes von Neumann algebras associated with subregions in diffeomorphism covariant quantum field theories from type III to type II, and provides the necessary ingredients to gravitationally dress operators, thereby enforcing the constraints of the theory. In this note we enhance the crossed product construction to the context of general gauge theories with arbitrary combinations of internal and spacetime local symmetries. This is done by leveraging the correspondence between the crossed product and the extended phase space. We then undertake a detailed study of constraint quantization from the perspective of a generic crossed product algebra. We study and compare three distinct approaches to constraint quantization from this point of view: refined algebraic quantization, BRST quantization, and path integral quantization. Far from simply reproducing existing analyses, the operator algebraic viewpoint sheds new light on old problems by reformulating the dressing of operators in terms of a (generalized) conditional expectation. We conclude by applying our approach to the constraint quantization of three distinct gauge theories including a discussion of gravity on null hypersurfaces.
We derive the running of the $R^2$ coupling in the Starobinsky Lagrangian that stems from integrating out quantum torsion fluctuations on a maximally symmetric Euclidean background. Our analysis is performed in a manifestly covariant way, exploiting both the recently-introduced spin-parity decomposition of torsion perturbations and the heat kernel technique. The Lagrangian we start with is the most general one involving kinetic terms and couplings to the scalar curvature that is compatible with a gauge-like symmetry for the torsion. The latter removes the twice-longitudinal vector mode from the spectrum, and it yields operators of maximum rank four.
We use the topological quantum field theory description of states in Chern-Simons theory to discuss the relation between spacetime connectivity and entanglement, exploring the paradigm entanglement=topology. We define a special class of states in Chern-Simons with properties similar to those of holographic states. While the holographic states are dual to classical geometries, these connectome states represent classical topologies, which satisfy a discrete analog of the Ryu-Takayanagi formula and characteristic inequalities for the entanglement entropy. Generic states are linear combinations of connectomes, and the theory also has nonperturbative states which are global spacetime defects formed by a large number of quantum fluctuations. Topological presentation of quantum states and emergence of topology from entanglement may be useful for building a generalization to geomentry, that is quantum gravity. Thinking of further quantum gravity comparisons we discuss replica wormholes and conclude that similar objects exist beyond gravitational theories. The topological theory perspective suggests that the sum over all wormholes is always factorizable, even though the individual ones might not be.
The concept of early Universe inflation resolves several problems of hot Big Bang theory and quantitatively explains the origin of the inhomogeneities in the present Universe. However, it is not possible to arrange inflation in a scalar field model with renormalizable potential, such that it would not contradict the recent Planck data. For this reason, inflaton must have also higher derivative couplings suppressed at least by the Planck scale. We show that these couplings may be relevant during reheating and lead to non-negligible production of gravitons. We consider the possibility that the unitarity breaking scale for the model of inflation is lower than the Planck scale and compute production of gravitons during reheating, due to the inflaton decay to two gravitons and graviton bremsstrahlung process. The spectrum of produced gravitons is crucially dependent on reheating temperature and inflaton mass. We find that for low reheating temperature decay to gravitons lead to significant amount of dark radiation. Confronting this result with CMB constraints, we find reheating dependent bounds on the unitarity breaking scale. We also compare the obtained gravitational wave signals with the projected limits of future high frequency gravitational wave experiments.
Quantum properties of the state associated to the gluon Green's function in the BFKL approach are studied using a discretization in virtuality space. Considering the coupling constant as imaginary, its density matrix corresponds to a pure state for any energy. Non-linear corrections due to high gluon densities are modelled through a suppression of infrared modes in the Hamiltonian making it no longer hermitian. This introduces quantum decoherence into the evolution equation. When the coupling is real this leads to unbounded normalization of states which becomes bounded for sufficient saturation of infrared modes. Physical quantum properties, such as a purity smaller than one or a positive von Neumann entropy, hence are recovered when the infrared/ultraviolet original symmetry of the formalism is broken. Similarly to the work of Armesto, Dom{\'\i}nguez, Kovner, Lublinsky and Skokov in arXiv:1901.08080, an evolution equation of Lindblad type for the normalized density matrix describing the open system is obtained.
We perform a detailed analysis of quarter BPS bubbling geometries with AdS asymptotics and their corresponding duality relations with their dual states in the quantum field theory side, among other aspects. We derive generalized Laplace-type equations with sources, obtained from linearized Monge-Ampere equations, and used for asymptotically AdS geometry. This enables us to obtain solutions specific to the asymptotically AdS context. We conduct a thorough analysis of boundary conditions and explore the stretched technique where boundary conditions are imposed on a stretched surface. These boundary conditions include grey droplets. This stretched technique is naturally used for the superstar, where we place grey droplet boundary conditions on the stretched surface. We also perform a coarse-graining of configurations and analyze the symplectic forms on the configuration space and their coarse-graining.
We study various aspects of modeling astrophysical black holes using the recently introduced semiclassical formalism of physical black holes (PBHs). This approach is based on the minimal requirements of observability and regularity of the horizons. We demonstrate that PBHs do not directly couple to the cosmological background in the current epoch, and their equation of state renders them unsuitable for describing dark energy. Utilizing their properties for analysis of more exotic models, we present a consistent semiclassical scenario for a black-to-white hole bounce and identify obstacles to the transformation from a black hole horizon to a wormhole mouth.
We investigate the transition behavior of the two-level atom as the Unruh-DeWitt detector outside a noncommutative black hole. When the mass of the black hole is small enough, the difference between the commutative and noncommutative black hole can be distinguished. In particular, an evident fluctuation appearing at a far distance from the horizon by calculating the quantum Fisher information of the transition rate with regard to the local Hawking temperature provides a novel and interesting result about the information extraction of the noncommutativity for a small-mass black hole.
We consider the double scaling limit of a model of Pauli spin operators recently studied in Hanada et al. [1] and evaluate the moments of the Hamiltonian by the chord diagrams. We find that they coincide with those of the double scaled SYK model, which makes it more likely that this model may play an important role in the study of holography. We compare the model with another previously studied model. We also speculate on the form of the Hamiltonian in the double scaling limit.
In gauge theories with fundamental matter there is typically no sharp way to distinguish confining and Higgs regimes, e.g. using generalized global symmetries acting on loop order parameters. It is standard lore that these two regimes are continuously connected, as has been explicitly demonstrated in certain lattice and continuum models. We point out that Higgsing and confinement sometimes lead to distinct symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases -- necessarily separated by a phase transition -- for ordinary global symmetries. We present explicit examples in 3+1 dimensions, obtained by adding elementary Higgs fields and Yukawa couplings to QCD while preserving parity P and time reversal T. In a suitable scheme, the confining phases of these theories are trivial SPTs, while their Higgs phases are characterized by non-trivial P- and T-invariant theta-angles $\theta_f, \theta_g = \pi$ for flavor or gravity background gauge fields, i.e. they are topological insulators or superconductors. Finally, we consider conventional three-flavor QCD (without elementary Higgs fields) at finite $U(1)_B$ baryon-number chemical potential $\mu_B$, which preserves P and T. At very large $\mu_B$, three-flavor QCD is known to be a completely Higgsed color superconductor that also spontaneously breaks $U(1)_B$. We argue that this high-density phase is in fact a gapless SPT, with a gravitational theta-angle $\theta_g = \pi$ that safely co-exists with the $U(1)_B$ Nambu-Goldstone boson. We explain why this SPT motivates unexpected transitions in the QCD phase diagram, as well as anomalous surface modes at the boundary of quark-matter cores inside neutron stars.
In this article, we investigate the stationary, soliton-like solutions in the model of the Einstein gravity coupled to a free and complex scalar field, and extend chains of mini-boson stars to the rotating case. These solutions manifest as multiple rotating mini-boson stars uniformly arranged along the rotation axis. Through numerical methods, we obtain chains of rotating mini-boson stars with one to five constituents. We show the distribution of the field functions for these chain solutions. Additionally, we also study the effect of the frequency of the complex scalar field on the ADM mass $M$ and angular momentum $J$. By comparing the conclusions of the rotating case with the non-rotating case, there are some intriguing differences. Furthermore, we observe that there exist two ergospheres for some of these solutions.
We introduce a new concept of logarithmic topological recursion that provides a patch to topological recursion in the presence of logarithmic singularities and prove that this new definition satisfies the universal $x-y$ swap relation. This result provides a vast generalization and a proof of a very recent conjecture of Hock. It also uniformly explains (and conceptually rectifies) an approach to the formulas for the $n$-point functions proposed by Hock.
The recent experimental observation of Light-by-Light (LbL) scattering at the Large Hadron Collider has revived interest in this fundamental process, and especially of the accurate prediction of its cross-section, which we present here for the first time at Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) in both QCD and QED. We compare two radically different computational approaches, both exact in the fermion mass dependence, thus offering a strong cross-check of our results. The first approach is a fully analytic method to calculate compact and well-organized two-loop helicity amplitudes. The second one is entirely numerical and leverages the Local Unitarity construction. Our two calculations agree with each other and conclude that including the exact fermion mass contribution typically increases the size of the NLO corrections. Moreover, we find that the exact result converges slowly to the massless limit of the high-energy regime, thus emphasizing the importance of including the full mass dependence at NLO. We also compare our results with the ATLAS measurement of LbL in ultra-peripheral lead-lead collisions, and find that the inclusion of exact NLO corrections reduces, but does not eliminate, the existing tension with theoretical predictions.
We present the analytic and compact two-loop helicity amplitudes for QCD and QED corrections to the light-by-light scattering process with massive internal fermions. We express the master integrals either in terms of multiple polylogarithms or in terms of iterated integrals with dlog one-forms. We also elaborate on optimizing the analytic results for each phase-space region. This makes the numerical evaluation of the scattering amplitudes fast, stable and suitable for phenomenological applications.
We extend the dictionary between Type IIB branes and representations of the Ding-Iohara-Miki (DIM) algebra to the case when one of the space directions is a circle. It is well-known that the worldvolume theory on branes wrapping the circle is a 5d $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauge theory with adjoint matter, or more generally of cyclic quiver type, and the corresponding intertwiners of the DIM algebra give their Nekrasov partition functions. However, we find that there exists a much wider natural class of intertwiners corresponding to branes spiralling around the compactified direction, with many interesting properties. We consider two examples, one corresponding to a spiralling D5 brane and another to a D3 brane. The former gives rise to the K-theoretic vertex function counting sheaves on $\mathbb{C}^3$ while the latter produces the "non-stationary elliptic Ruijsenaars wavefunctions" introduced recently by Shiraishi.
We herein investigate the universal relation proposed by Goon and Penco in de Sitter black holes with electric charge or angular momentum. Our analysis focuses on the cosmological horizon, which only exists in de Sitter and Nariai spacetimes. Because the relation is given in a general case, the overall relationship may be valid. However, we elucidate the details of the relation, highlighting distinctions from those of (anti-)de Sitter black holes while affirming the validity of the relation. Furthermore, based on our analysis of Schwarzschild--de Sitter, Reissner--Nordstr\"om--de Sitter, and Kerr--de Sitter black holes, we demonstrate the universality of the thermodynamic relation in de Sitter black holes.
Not all complete set of spinors can be used as expansion coefficients of a quantum field. In fact, Steven Weinberg established the uniqueness of Dirac spinors for this purpose provided: (a) one paid due attention to the multiplicative phases for each of the spinors, and (b) one paired these to creation and annihilation operators in a specific manner. This is implicit in his implementation of the rotational symmetry for the spin half quantum field. Among the numerous complete set of spinors that are available to a physicist, Elko occupies a unique status that allows it to enter as expansion coefficients of a quantum field without violating Weinberg's no go theorem. How this paradigm changing claim arises is the primary subject of this communication. Weinberg's no go theorem is evaded by exploiting a uniquely special feature of Elko that allows us to introduce a doubling of the particle-antiparticle degrees of freedom from four to eight. Weinberg had dismissed this degeneracy on the ground that, "no examples are known of particles that furnish unconventional representations of inversions." Here we will find that this degeneracy, once envisioned by Eugene Wigner, in fact gives rise to a quantum field that has all the theoretical properties required of dark matter.
Light-cone gauge-fixed sigma-models on $AdS_n\times S^n$ backgrounds play an important role in the integrability formulation of the AdS/CFT correspondence. The string spectrum of the sigma-model is gauge-independent, however the Hamiltonian and scattering matrix of the transverse worldsheet fields are not. We study how these change for a large family of inequivalent light-cone gauges, which are interpreted as $T\bar{T}$, $\tilde{J}T_\tau$, $JT_\sigma$ and $J^\tau$ deformations. We investigate the moduli space of equivalent light-cone gauges and, specialising to $AdS_5 \times S^5$, compute the different light-cone gauge symmetry algebras, well-known to be $\mathfrak{psu}(2|2)^{\oplus 2} \oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)^{\oplus 2}$ for the standard gauge-fixing. Many integrable deformations require a non-standard light-cone gauge, hence our classification and analysis of inequivalent gauges will be important for analysing such models.
We show that position space correlators of a Poincare invariant quantum field theory can be recast in terms of conformally invariant correlators, in other words, as functions of conformal cross ratios. In particular, we show that correlators of massless fields in flat spacetimes with $n-$point interactions can be expressed as position space soft limits of conformally invariant correlators with $(n+1)-$point interactions. We show that this correspondence applies at the level of every Feynman diagram that appears in the perturbative expansion of the correlators in the respective coupling constants. We apply this method to find exact answers for some Feynman diagrams including several loop examples. We also show that the analogous correlators for massive fields can be expressed as infinite sums of conformal correlators.
In this paper we study the shear free spherical symmetric gravitational collapse of charged radiating star. All the physical quantities including pressure, density are regular. Energy conditions are satisfied throughout the interior of the matter configuration. The luminosity is time independent and mass is radiated linearly. The causal and non causal temperature remains greater than that of the uncharged collapsing scenario.
We study 3D $N=2$ supersymmetric field theories geometrically engineered from M-theory on non-compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds (CY4). We establish a detailed dictionary between the geometry and topology of non-compact CY4 and the physics of 3D $N=2$ theories in three different regimes. The first one is the Coulomb branch description when the CY4 is smooth. The second one is non-abelian gauge theory when the CY4 has a degenerate $\mathbb{P}^1$-fibration structure. The third one is the strongly coupled SCFT from a CY4 singularity. We find interesting flavor symmetry enhancements in the singular limit of CY4, as well as an interesting and previously unexplored phenomenon in 3D, termed ``flavor symmetry duality''. Many examples are analyzed with an emphasis on toric CY4s and $\mathbb{C}^4$ orbifolds with crepant resolutions. We develop a new brane box method to study the physics of Coulomb branch of 3D $N=2$ theory that admits a toric construction. Via IIB/M-theory duality we find that the brane box diagram living in $\mathbb{R}^3$ can be physically realized as a configuration of intersecting 4-branes which are extended objects in 8D maximal supersymmetric theory, which is shown to be consistent via various chains of dualities. The rank, effective gauge coupling and certain hints to flavor symmetry enhancement of the 3D $N=2$ theory are read off from the brane box and cross-checked against the results obtained from geometric engineering. The exotic branes in 8D maximal supersymmetric theory and the 4-string junctions thereof are shown to play a crucial role in the construction of the brane box.
We consider three-dimensional ${\mathcal N}=2$ supersymmetric field theories defined on general complex-valued backgrounds of Euclidean new minimal supergravity admitting two Killing spinors of opposite R-charges. We focus on compact spaces admitting orbifold singularities, including $\Sigma \times S^1$, where $\Sigma$ is a spindle, as well as branched and squashed lens spaces. In each of these supersymmetric backgrounds we compute the corresponding partition function, thus obtaining novel observables for three-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories. In particular, our results cover a wide class of circle bundles over a spindle. For theories compactified on $\Sigma \times S^1$ we discuss both the twist and anti-twist and show that the partition functions on these backgrounds may be expressed in terms of a single formula, which we refer to as \emph{the spindle index}, unifying and generalising the refined superconformal and topologically twisted indices, in the limits wherein the orbifold singularities are removed. We test our new index by means of non-perturbative dualities. The main results of this paper were announced in \cite{Inglese:2023wky}.
We study M2-branes in $AdS_4\times S^7/{\mathbb Z}_k$ dual to 1/2 and 1/3 BPS vortex loop operators in ABJM theory and compute their one-loop correction beyond the classical M2-brane action. The correction depends only on the parity of $k$ and is independent of all continues parameters in the definition of the vortex loops. The result for odd $k$ agrees with the answers for the 1/2 BPS Wilson loop in the $k=1$ theory and for even $k$ with the one in the $k = 2$ theory. Combining with the classical part, we find that the natural expansion parameter seems to be $1/\sqrt{kN}$ rather than $1/\sqrt{N}$. This provides a further setting where semiclassical quantisation can be applied to M2-branes and produces new results inaccessible by other methods.
An attempt to directly use the synchronous gauge ($g_{0 \lambda} = - \delta_{0 \lambda}$) in perturbative gravity leads to a singularity at $p_0 = 0$ in the graviton propagator. This is similar to the singularity in the propagator for Yang-Mills fields $A^a_\lambda$ in the temporal gauge ($A^a_0 = 0$). There the singularity was softened, obtaining this gauge as the limit at $\varepsilon \to 0$ of the gauge $n^\lambda A^a_\lambda = 0$, $n^\lambda = (1, - \varepsilon (\partial^j \partial_j )^{- 1} \partial^k ) $. Then the singularities at $p_0 = 0$ are replaced by negative powers of $p_0 \pm i \varepsilon$, and thus we bypass these poles in a certain way. Now consider a similar condition on $n^\lambda g_{\lambda \mu}$ in perturbative gravity, which becomes the synchronous gauge at $\varepsilon \to 0$. Unlike the Yang-Mills case, the contribution of the Faddeev-Popov ghosts to the effective action is nonzero, and we calculate it. In this calculation, an intermediate regularization is needed, and we assume the discrete structure of the theory at short distances for that. The effect of this contribution is, in particular, to add non-pole terms to the propagator. In overall, this contribution vanishes at $\varepsilon \to 0$. Thus, we effectively have the synchronous gauge with the resolved singularities at $p_0 = 0$, where only the physical components $g_{j k}$ are active and there is no need to calculate the ghost contribution.
Calabi-Yau (CY) manifolds play a ubiquitous role in string theory. As a supersymmetry-preserving choice for the 6 extra compact dimensions of superstring compactifications, these spaces provide an arena in which to explore the rich interplay between physics and geometry. These lectures will focus on compact CY manifolds and the long standing problem of determining their Ricci flat metrics. Despite powerful existence theorems, no analytic expressions for these metrics are known. In this lecture series we review numerical approximation methods for Ricci flat CY metrics. Our first aim is to give a brief overview of the mathematical framework underlying CY geometry, and the various metrics that CY manifolds admit. We will then discuss the three types of numerical methods that have been developed to compute Ricci-flat CY metrics: Donaldson's algorithm, functional minimization methods, and machine learning methods. Due to the limited time/space we have, this will not be a comprehensive review, but instead we hope to give a brief survey and illustrate the essential tools, key ideas, and implementations of this rapidly advancing field.
Charge conjugation (C), mirror reflection (R), time reversal (T), and fermion parity $(-1)^{\rm F}$ are basic discrete spacetime and internal symmetries of the Dirac fermions. In this article, we determine the group, called the C-R-T fractionalization, which is a group extension of $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm C}\times\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm R}\times\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm T}$ by the fermion parity $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm F}$, and its extension class in all spacetime dimensions $d$, for a single-particle fermion theory. For Dirac fermions, with the canonical CRT symmetry $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm CRT}$, the C-R-T fractionalization has two possibilities that only depend on spacetime dimensions $d$ modulo 8, which are order-16 nonabelian groups, including the famous Pauli group. For Majorana fermions, we determine the R-T fractionalization in all spacetime dimensions $d=0,1,2,3,4\mod8$, which is an order-8 abelian or nonabelian group. For Weyl fermions, we determine the C or T fractionalization in all even spacetime dimensions $d$, which is an order-4 abelian group. For Majorana-Weyl fermions, we only have an order-2 $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm F}$ group. We discuss how the Dirac and Majorana mass terms break the symmetries C, R, or T. We study the domain wall dimensional reduction of the fermions and their C-R-T fractionalization: from $d$-dim Dirac to $(d-1)$-dim Dirac or Weyl; and from $d$-dim Majorana to $(d-1)$-dim Majorana or Majorana-Weyl.
The expectation value of a smooth conformal line defect in a CFT is a conformal invariant functional of its path in space-time. For example, in large $N$ holographic theories, these fundamental observables are dual to the open string partition function in AdS. In this paper, we develop a bootstrap method for studying them and apply it to conformal line defects in Chern-Simons matter theories. In these cases, the line bootstrap is based on three minimal assumptions -- conformal invariance of the line defect, large $N$ factorization, and the spectrum of the two lowest-lying operators at the end of the line. On the basis of these assumptions, we solve the one-dimensional CFT on the line and systematically compute the defect expectation value in an expansion around the straight line. We find that the conformal symmetry of a straight defect is insufficient to fix the answer. Instead, imposing the conformal symmetry of the defect along an arbitrary curved line leads to a functional bootstrap constraint. The solution to this constraint is found to be unique.
We describe how the general mechanism of partial deconfinement applies to large-$N$ QCD and the partially-deconfined phase inevitably appears between completely-confined and completely-deconfined phases. Furthermore, we propose how the partial deconfinement can be observed in the real-world QCD with SU(3) gauge group. We propose the relationship between the behaviors of the Polyakov loop and other quantities. We test our proposal against lattice simulation data and find a nontrivial matching.
We study numerically the existence in a false vacuum, of magnetic monopoles which are ``thin-walled'', \ie, which correspond to a spherical region of radius $R$ that is essentially trivial surrounded by a wall of thickness $\Delta\ll R$, hence the name thin wall, and finally an exterior region that essentially corresponds to a pure Abelian magnetic monopole. Such monopoles were dubbed false monopoles and can occur in non-abelian gauge theories where the symmetry-broken vacuum is actually the false vacuum. This idea was first proposed in \cite{Kumar:2010mv}, however, their proof of the existence of false monopoles was incorrect. Here we fill this lacuna and demonstrate numerically the existence of thin-wall false monopoles. The decay via quantum tunnelling of the false monopoles could be of importance to cosmological scenarios which entertain epochs in which the universe is trapped in a symmetry-breaking false vacuum.
The quantum fluctuations of fields can exhibit subtle correlations in space and time. As the interval between a pair of measurements varies, the correlation function can change sign, signaling a shift between correlation and anti-correlation. A numerical simulation of the fluctuations requires a knowledge of both the probability distribution and the correlation function. Although there are widely used methods to generate a sequence of random numbers which obey a given probability distribution, the imposition of a given correlation function can be more difficult. Here we propose a simple method in which the outcome of a given measurement determines a shift in the peak of the probability distribution, to be used for the next measurement. We illustrate this method for three examples of quantum field correlation functions, and show that the resulting simulated function agree well with the original, analytically derived function. We then discuss the application of this method to numerical studies of the effects of correlations on the random walks of test particles coupled to the fluctuating field.
In this paper, we provide a self-contained investigation of the Weyl double copy in the Newman-Penrose formalism. We examine the Weyl double copy constraints for the general asymptotically flat solution in the Newman-Unit gauge. We find that two transparent solutions of the asymptotic Weyl double copy constraints lead to truncated solutions for both linearized and Einstein gravity theory where the solutions are in the manifest form of Petrov type N or type D in the Newman-Unit gauge.
We discuss the construction of duality defects in $c=24$ meromorphic CFTs that correspond to Niemeier lattices. We will illustrate our constructions for the $D_n$-type lattices. We will identify non-anomalous $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetries of these theories, and we show that on orbifolding with respect to these symmetries, these theories map to each other. We investigate this map, and in the case of self-dual orbifolds, we provide the duality defect partition functions. We show that exchange automorphisms in some CFTs give rise to a new class of defect partition functions.
This paper contains two results of independent interest, the first being more mathematical in nature whereas the second more physical. We first show that the hierarchy of Higgs branch RG flows between the 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs known as A-type orbi-instantons is given by the Hasse diagram of certain strata and transverse slices in the double affine Grassmannian of $E_8$. Secondly, we leverage the partial order naturally defined on this Hasse diagram to prove the $a$-theorem for orbi-instanton Higgs branch RG flows, thereby exhausting the list of $c$-theorems in the even-dimensional (supersymmetric) setting.
We show how to use a worldline-instanton formalism to calculate, to leading order in the weak-field expansion, the momentum spectrum of nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production in fields that depend on time and one spatial coordinate. We find a nontrivial dependence on the width, $\lambda$, of the photon wave packet, and the existence of a critical point $\lambda_c$. For $\lambda<\lambda_c$ and a field with one peak, the spectrum has one peak where the electron and positron have the same energy. For $\lambda>\lambda_c$ this splits into two peaks. We calculate a high-energy ($\Omega\gg1$) expansion, which to leading order agrees with the results obtained by replacing the space-time field with a plane wave and using the well-known Volkov solutions. We also calculate an expansion for $\Omega\sim a_0\gg1$, where the field is strong enough to significantly bend the trajectories of the fermions despite $\Omega\gg1$.
The topological aspects of Einstein gravity suggest that topological invariance could be a more profound principle in understanding quantum gravity. In this work, we explore a topological supergravity action that initially describes a universe without Riemann curvature, which seems trivial. However, we made a surprising discovery by introducing a small deformation parameter $\lambda$, which can be regarded as an AdS generalization of supersymmetry (SUSY). We find that the deformed topological quantum field theory (TQFT) becomes unstable at low energy, resulting in the emergence of a classical metric, whose dynamics are controlled by the Einstein equation. Our findings suggest that a quantum theory of gravity could be governed by a UV fixed point of a SUSY TQFT, and classical spacetime ceases to exist beyond the Planck scale.
In this work, we delve into the model of the shift symmetric and parity-preserving Beyond Horndeski theory in all its generality. We present an explicit algorithm to extract static and spherically symmetric black holes with primary scalar charge adhering to the conservation of the Noether current emanating from the shift symmetry. We show that when the functionals $G_2$ and $G_4$ of the theory are linearly dependent, analytic homogeneous black-hole solutions exist, which can become regular by virtue of the primary charge contribution. Such geometries can easily enjoy the preservation of the Weak Energy Conditions, elevating them into healthier compact objects than most hairy black holes in modified theories of gravity. Finally, we revisit the concept of disformal transformations as a solution-generating mechanism and discuss the case of generic $G_2$ and $G_4$ functionals.
Scattering amplitudes in Yang-Mills-Einstein theories have been investigated mostly for compact gauge groups. While non-compact gauge groups are not physically viable in Yang-Mills theory, non-compact gaugings feature prominently in the supergravity literature, where any choice of perturbative vacuum spontaneously breaks the gauge group to a compact subgroup. In this paper, we formulate double-copy constructions for several five-dimensional N=2 supergravities with non-compact gauge groups. On one side of the double copy, we employ amplitudes from a super-Yang-Mills theory with a massive hypermultiplet. On the other, we use amplitudes from particular non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills-scalar theories with massive fermions, chosen to obey constraints coming from color/kinematics duality. Supergravities with massive self-dual tensors in five dimensions are also considered, showing that tensors are straightforwardly realized as double copies of gauge-theory fermions with suitable choices of signs in the corresponding solutions of the Dirac equation. We present several examples of these constructions, noting in particular the appearance of Heisenberg groups in the supergravity gauge symmetry and, in some cases, the possibility of exotic tensor-vector matter couplings.
We consider a congruence of null geodesics in the presence of a quantized spacetime metric. The coupling to a quantum metric induces fluctuations in the congruence; we calculate the change in the area of a pencil of geodesics induced by such fluctuations. For the gravitational field in its vacuum state, we find that quantum gravity contributes a correction to the null Raychaudhuri equation which is of the same sign as the classical terms. We thus derive a quantum-gravitational focusing theorem valid for linearized quantum gravity.
We obtain a color-kinematics-dual representation of the two-loop four-vector amplitude a general renormalizable massless $\mathcal{N}=1$ SYM theory, including internal matter as chiral supermultiplets. The integrand is constructed to be compatible with dimensional regularization and supersymmetry by employing two strategies (implicitly defining our regularization scheme): supersymmetric decomposition and matching to massive spinor-helicity amplitudes. All internal vector components inherit their $D$-dimensional properties by relating them to the previously constructed $D\leq6$, $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQCD amplitude using supersymmetric decomposition identities of individual diagrams. This leaves only diagrams with internal matter lines as unknown masters, which are in turn constrained on $D$-dimensional unitarity cuts by reinterpreting the extra-dimensional momentum components as masses for the chiral supermultiplets. We rely on the massive spinor-helicity formalism and massive on-shell $\mathcal{N}=1$ superspace, generalized here to complex masses. Finally, we extend the kinematic numerator algebra to include three-term identities that are dual to color identities linear in the matter Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, as well as two new optional identities satisfied by mass-deformed $\mathcal{N}=4$ and $\mathcal{N}=2$ SYM theories that preserve $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetry. Altogether, these identities makes it possible to completely reduce the two-loop integrand to only two master numerators.
The static QCD force from the lattice can be used to extract $\Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}$, which determines the running of the strong coupling. Usually, this is done with a numerical derivative of the static potential. However, this introduces additional systematic uncertainties; thus, we use another observable to measure the static force directly. This observable consists of a Wilson loop with a chromoelectric field insertion. We work in the pure SU(3) gauge theory. We use gradient flow to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and to address the field insertion. We extract $\Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}^{n_f=0}$ from the data by exploring different methods to perform the zero flow time limit. We obtain the value $\sqrt{8t_0} \Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}^{n_f=0} =0.629^{+23}_{-34}$, where $t_0$ is a flow time reference scale. We also obtain precise determinations of several scales: $r_0/r_1$, $\sqrt{8 t_0}/r_0$, $\sqrt{8 t_0}/r_1$ and we compare to the literature. The gradient flow appears to be a promising method for calculations of Wilson loops with chromolectric and chromomagnetic insertions in quenched and unquenched configurations.
The strong longitudinal expansion characteristic of heavy-ion collisions leads to universal attractor behaviour of the resulting drop of Quark-Gluon Plasma already at very early times. Assuming approximate boost invariance, we incorporate transverse dynamics of this system by linearizing the Mueller-Israel-Stewart theory around the attractor. The result is a system of coupled ordinary differential equations which describe the proper-time evolution of Fourier modes encoding the transverse structure of the initial energy deposition. The late time asymptotic behaviour of solutions is described by transseries which make manifest the stability of the attractor against transverse perturbations. In this framework, most of the physically relevant information resides in the exponentially suppressed corrections to evolution along the attractor, which are not yet negligible at freeze-out. These findings also suggest a simple numerical approach to QGP dynamics which accounts for the transverse dynamics using a finite number of Fourier modes. We show that this approach is able to describe collectivity at the level of the transverse anisotropy, as a surrogate for elliptic flow. Physical observables can be expressed in terms of the asymptotic data evaluated at freeze-out, which we illustrate by calculating the final multiplicity distributions.
In this paper, we find a class of Carrollian and Galilean contractions of (extended) BMS algebra in 3+1 and 2+1 dimensions. To this end, we investigate possible embeddings of 3D/4D Poincar\'{e} into the BMS${}_3$ and BMS${}_4$ algebras, respectively. The contraction limits in the 2+1-dimensional case are then enforced by appropriate contractions of their Poincar\'{e} subalgebra. In 3+1 dimensions, we have to apply instead the analogy between the structures of Poincar\'{e} and BMS algebra. In the case of non-vanishing cosmological constant in 2+1 dimensions, we consider the contractions of $\Lambda$-BMS${}_3$ algebras in an analogous manner.
Fractional statistics is one of the most intriguing features of topological phases in 2D. In particular, the so-called non-Abelian statistics plays a crucial role towards realizing universal topological quantum computation. Recently, the study of topological phases has been extended to 3D and it has been proposed that loop-like extensive objects can also carry fractional statistics. In this work, we systematically study the so-called three-loop braiding statistics for loop-like excitations for 3D fermionic topological phases. Most surprisingly, we discovered new types of non-Abelian three-loop braiding statistics that can only be realized in fermionic systems (or equivalently bosonic systems with fermionic particles). The simplest example of such non-Abelian braiding statistics can be realized in interacting fermionic systems with a gauge group $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_8$ or $\mathbb{Z}_4 \times \mathbb{Z}_4$, and the physical origin of non-Abelian statistics can be viewed as attaching an open Majorana chain onto a pair of linked loops, which will naturally reduce to the well known Ising non-Abelian statistics via the standard dimension reduction scheme. Moreover, due to the correspondence between gauge theories with fermionic particles and classifying fermionic symmetry-protected topological (FSPT) phases with unitary symmetries, our study also give rise to an alternative way to classify FSPT phases with unitary symmetries. We further compare the classification results for FSPT phases with arbitrary Abelian total symmetry $G^f$ and find systematical agreement with previous studies using other methods. We believe that the proposed framework of understanding three-loop braiding statistics (including both Abelian and non-Abelian cases) in interacting fermion systems applies for generic fermonic topological phases in 3D.
We construct analogues of the Hecke operators for the moduli space of G-bundles on a curve X over a local field F with parabolic structures at finitely many points. We conjecture that they define commuting compact normal operators on the Hilbert space of half-densities on this moduli space. In the case F=C, we also conjecture that their joint spectrum is in a natural bijection with the set of opers on X for the Langlands dual group with real monodromy. This may be viewed as an analytic version of the Langlands correspondence for complex curves. Furthermore, we conjecture an explicit formula relating the eigenvalues of the Hecke operators and the global differential operators studied in our previous paper arXiv:1908.09677. Assuming the compactness conjecture, this formula follows from a certain system of differential equations satisfied by the Hecke operators, which we prove in this paper for G=PGL(n).
We extract the relativistic classical radial action from scattering amplitudes, to all orders in perturbation theory, in the probe limit. Our sources include point charges and monopoles, as well as the Schwarzschild and pure-NUT gravitational backgrounds. A characteristic relativistic effect, that scattering trajectories may wind around these sources any number of times, can be recovered when all-order amplitudes are available. We show that the amplitude for scattering a probe off a pure NUT is given by the solution of a transcendental equation involving continued fractions, and explain how to solve this equation to any desired loop order.
We study the extensions of two left modules $W_1, W_2$ for a meromorphic open-string vertex algebra $V$. We show that the extensions satisfying some technical but natural convergence conditions are in bijective correspondence to the first cohomology classes associated to the $V$-bimodule $\mathcal{H}_N(W_1, W_2)$ constructed in \cite{HQ-Red}. When $V$ is grading-restricted and contains a nice vertex subalgebra $V_0$, those convergence conditions hold automatically. In addition, we show that the dimension of $\text{Ext}^1(W_1, W_2)$ is bounded above by the fusion rule $N\binom{W_2}{VW_1}$ in the category of $V_0$-modules. In particular, if the fusion rule is finite, then $\text{Ext}^1(W_1, W_2)$ is finite-dimensional. We also give an example of an abelian category consisting of certain modules of the Virasoro VOA that does not contain any nice subalgebras, while the convergence conditions hold for every object.
The hyper-Mahler measures $m_k( 1+x_1+x_2),k\in\mathbb Z_{>1}$ and $m_k( 1+x_1+x_2+x_3),k\in\mathbb Z_{>1}$ are evaluated in closed form via Goncharov-Deligne periods, namely $\mathbb Q$-linear combinations of multiple polylogarithms at cyclotomic points (complex-valued coordinates that are roots of unity). Some infinite series related to these hyper-Mahler measures are also explicitly represented as Goncharov-Deligne periods of levels $1$, $2$, $ 3$, $4$, $6$, $8$, $10$ and $12$.
One of the standard approaches of incorporating the quantum gravity (QG) effects into the semiclassical analysis is to adopt the notion of a quantum-corrected spacetime arising from the QG model. This procedure assumes that the expectation value of the metric variable effectively captures the relevant QG subtleties in the semiclassical regime. We investigate the viability of this effective geometry approach for the case of dust dominated and a dark energy dominated universe. We write the phase space expressions for the geometric observables and construct corresponding Hermitian operators. A general class of operator ordering of these observables is considered, and their expectation values are calculated for a unitarily evolving wave packet. In the case of dust dominated universe, the expectation value of the Hubble parameter matches the "semiclassical" expression, the expression computed from the scale factor expectation value. In the case of Ricci scalar, the relative difference between the semiclassical expression and quantum expectation is maximum at singularity and decays for late time. For a cosmological constant driven universe, the difference between the semiclassical expressions and the expectation value is most pronounced far away from the bounce point, hinting at the persistent quantum effect at the late time. The parameter related to the shape of the distribution appears as a control parameter in these models. In the limit of a sharply peaked distribution, the expectation value of the observables matches with their semiclassical counterpart, and the usage of effective geometry approach is justified.
We present a method to construct the extended K\"ahler cone of any Calabi-Yau threefold by using Gopakumar-Vafa invariants to identify all geometric phases that are related by flops or Weyl reflections. In this way we obtain the K\"ahler moduli spaces of all favorable Calabi-Yau threefold hypersurfaces with $h^{1,1} \le 4$, including toric and non-toric phases. In this setting we perform an explicit test of the Weak Gravity Conjecture by using the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants to count BPS states. All of our examples satisfy the tower/sublattice WGC, and in fact they even satisfy the stronger lattice WGC.
The study of black holes in string theory has led to the discovery of deep and surprising connections between black holes and modular forms -- which are two classical, a priori unrelated, subjects. This article explains the main physical and mathematical ideas behind these connections. It is known from the pioneering work of J.Bekenstein and S.Hawking in the 1970s that black holes have thermodynamic entropy, and should therefore be made up of a collection of microscopic quantum states. Superstring theory provides a framework wherein we can associate a number of microscopic states that make up the quantum-statistical system underlying a black hole, thus explaining their thermodynamic behavior from a more fundamental point of view. %The above-mentioned connections arise from the observation that, i The basic connection to modular forms arises from the observation that, in the simplest superstring-theoretic construction, the generating function of the number of microscopic states is a modular form. In one direction, modular symmetry acts as a powerful guide to the calculation of quantum-gravitational effects on the black hole entropy. In the other direction, the connection has led to the discovery of surprising relations between Ramanujan's mock modular forms and a class of string-theoretic black holes, thus providing an infinite number of new examples of mock modular forms.
This work explores various manifestations of bumblebee gravity within the metric-affine formalism. We investigate the impact of the Lorentz violation parameter, denoted as $X$, on the modification of the Hawking temperature. Our calculations reveal that as $X$ increases, the values of the Hawking temperature attenuate. To examine the behavior of massless scalar perturbations, specifically the quasinormal modes, we employ the WKB method. The transmission and reflection coefficients are determined through our calculations. The outcomes indicate that a stronger Lorentz-violating parameter results in slower damping oscillations of gravitational waves. To comprehend the influence of the quasinormal spectrum on time-dependent scattering phenomena, we present a detailed analysis of scalar perturbations in the time-domain solution. Additionally, we conduct an investigation on shadows, revealing that larger values of $X$ correspond to larger shadow radii. Furthermore, we constrain the magnitude of the shadow radii using the EHT horizon-scale image of $Sgr A^*$. Finally, we calculate both the time delay and the deflection angle.
We examine symmetries of chiral four-dimensional vacua of Type IIB flux compactifications with vanishing superpotential $W=0$. We find that the ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric MSSM-like and Pati-Salam vacua possess enhanced discrete symmetries in the effective action below the mass scale of stabilized complex structure moduli and dilaton. Furthermore, a generation number of quarks/leptons is small on these vacua where the flavor, CP and metaplectic modular symmetries are described in the framework of eclectic flavor symmetry.
Alday & Maldacena conjectured an equivalence between string amplitudes in AdS$_5 \times S^5$ and null polygonal Wilson loops in planar $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills (SYM). At strong coupling this identifies SYM amplitudes with areas of minimal surfaces in AdS. For minimal surfaces in AdS$_3$, we find that the nontrivial part of these amplitudes, the \emph{remainder function}, satisfies an integrable system of nonlinear differential equations, and we give its Lax form. The result follows from a new perspective on `Y-systems', which defines a new psuedo-hyperk\"ahler structure \emph{directly} on the space of kinematic data, via a natural twistor space defined by the Y-system equations. The remainder function is the (pseudo-)K\"ahler scalar for this geometry. This connection to pseudo-hyperk\"ahler geometry and its twistor theory provides a new ingredient for extending recent conjectures for non-perturbative amplitudes using structures arising at strong coupling.
We use the extended relaxation time approximation for the collision kernel, which incorporates a particle-energy dependent relaxation time, to derive second-order viscous hydrodynamics from the Boltzmann equation for a system of massless particles. The resulting transport coefficients are found to be sensitive to the energy dependence of the relaxation time and have significant influence on the fluid's evolution. Using the derived hydrodynamic equations, we study the evolution of a fluid undergoing (0+1)-dimensional expansion with Bjorken symmetry and investigate the fixed point structure inherent in the equations. Further, by employing a power law parametrization to describe the energy dependence of the relaxation time, we successfully reproduce the stable free-streaming fixed point for a specific power of the energy dependence. The impact of the energy-dependent relaxation time on the processes of isotropization and thermalization of an expanding plasma is discussed.
Global symmetries of quantum many-body systems can be spontaneously broken. Whenever this mechanism happens, the ground state is degenerate and one encounters an ordered phase. In this study, our objective is to investigate this phenomenon by examining the entanglement asymmetry of a specific region. This quantity, which has recently been introduced in the context of $U(1)$ symmetry breaking, is extended to encompass arbitrary finite groups $G$. We also establish a field theoretic framework in the replica theory using twist operators. We explicitly demonstrate our construction in the ordered phase of the Ising field theory in 1+1 dimensions, where a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry is spontaneously broken, and we employ a form factor bootstrap approach to characterise a family of composite twist fields. Analytical predictions are provided for the entanglement asymmetry of an interval in the Ising model as the length of the interval becomes large. We also propose a general conjecture relating the entanglement asymmetry and the number of degenerate vacua, expected to be valid for a large class of states, and we prove it explicitly in some cases.
Double Field Theory (DFT) can be constructed as the double copy of a Yang-Mills theory. In this work we extend this statement by including higher-derivative terms. Starting from a four-derivative extension of Yang-Mills whose double copy is known to correspond to a conformal-gravity theory, we obtain a four-derivative theory formulated in double space, which in the pure gravity limit reduces to conformal gravity at quadratic order. This result reveals important aspects for the study of conformal symmetry in the context of DFT through double copy maps.
We consider the $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$ dualities proposed by Eberhardt, where the bulk geometry is AdS$_3\times(S^3\times T^4)/\mathbb{Z}_k$, and the CFT is a deformation of the symmetric orbifold of the supersymmetric sigma model $T^4/\mathbb{Z}_k$ (with $k=2,\ 3,\ 4,\ 6$). The elliptic genera of the two sides vanish due to fermionic zero modes, so for microstate counting applications one must consider modified supersymmetric indices. In an analysis similar to that of Maldacena, Moore, and Strominger for the standard $\mathcal{N}=(4,4)$ case of $T^4$, we study the appropriate helicity-trace index of the boundary CFTs. We encounter a strange phenomenon where a saddle-point analysis of our indices reproduces only a fraction (respectively $\frac{1}{2},\ \frac{2}{3},\ \frac{3}{4},\ \frac{5}{6}$) of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the associated macroscopic black branes.
A Sasakian quasi-Killing spinor (SqK-spinor), which is a generalization of a Killing spinor on Sasakian manifolds, was defined in \cite{Kim Friedrich 2000}.The purpose of this paper is to study in detail SqK-spinors on three-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian Sasakian space-form.We briefly review some results on SqK-spinors and then investigate some geometric properties.First, we demonstrate that the Reeb vector field is described by a specific SqK-spinor. Then we establish that the motion of a charged particle in the presence of a contact Maxwell field can be depicted using an SqK-spinor. urthermore, we find that almost all SqK-spinors provide solutions to the Einstein-Dirac system with a non-zero cosmological constant.Additionally, we reveal that a particular SqK-spinor in conjunction with a contact Maxwell field satisfies the Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell systems.Finally, we show explicit formulae of SqK-spinors in terms of elementary functions with respect to a certain frame.
The effective field theory description of a radiating black hole introduces redundant degrees of freedom that necessitate annihilation of those modes at late stages to conserve entropy. The prevailing view is that such effective process can result in information loss unless the redundant states are annihilated in maximally entangled pairs, resembling quantum teleportation. In this Letter, we demonstrate that this view can be relaxed in a new postselection model. We investigate information recoverability in a radiating black hole through the non-unitary dynamics that projects the randomly-selected modes from a scrambling unitary. We show that the model has the merit of producing the von Neumann entropy of black holes consistent with the island formula calculation and that information in the black hole interior can be decoded from the Hawking radiation without loss after the Page time. Moreover, in this model the Page time gains a new interpretation as the transition point between two channels of information transmission when sufficient amounts of effective modes are annihilated inside the horizon. We present two decoding strategies along with their quantum circuit realizations. The experimental verification of the strategies employs 7-qubit IBM quantum processors, demonstrating the viability of these strategies and the potential for quantum processors to probe the black hole interior.
We investigate the transport properties within a holographic model characterized by a novel gauge-axion coupling. A key innovation is the introduction of the direct coupling between axion fields, the antisymmetric tensor, and the gauge field in our bulk theory. This novel coupling term leads to the emergence of nondiagonal components in the conductivity tensor. An important characteristic is that the off-diagonal elements manifest antisymmetry. Remarkably, the conductivity behavior in this model akin to that of Hall conductivity. Additionally, this model can also achieve metal-insulator transition.
Lagrangian of a classical conformal Yang-Mills field in the flat space of even dimension greater than or equal to six involves higher derivatives. We study Lagrangian formulation of the classical conformal Yang-Mills field by using ordinary-derivative (second-derivative) approach. In the framework of the ordinary-derivative approach, a field content, in addition to generic Yang-Mills field, consists of auxiliary vector fields and Stueckelberg scalar fields. For such field content, we obtain a gauge invariant Lagrangian with the conventional second-derivative kinetic terms and the corresponding gauge transformations. The Lagrangian is built in terms of non-abelian field strengths. Structure of a gauge algebra entering gauge symmetries of the conformal Yang-Mills field is described. FFF-vertex of the conformal Yang-Mills field which involves three derivatives is also obtained. For six, eight, and ten dimensions, eliminating the auxiliary vector fields and gauging away the Stueckelberg scalar fields, we obtain a higher-derivative Lagrangian of the conformal Yang-Mills field. For arbitrary dimensions, we demonstrate that all auxiliary fields can be integrated out at non-linear level leading just to a local higher-derivative action which is expressed only in terms of the generic Yang-Mills field.
It is well known that one can take an infinite speed of light limit that gives rise to non-relativistic strings with a relativistic worldsheet sigma model but with a non-relativistic target space geometry. In this work we systematically explore two further limits in which the worldsheet becomes non-Lorentzian. The first gives rise to a Galilean string with a Galilean structure on the worldsheet, extending previous work on Spin Matrix-related string theory limits. The second is a completely novel limit leading to a worldsheet theory with a Carrollian structure. We find the Nambu-Goto and Polyakov formulations of both limits and explore gauge fixing choices. Furthermore, we study in detail the case of the Galilean string for a class of target space geometries that are related to Spin Matrix target space geometries, for which the Nambu-Goto action (in static gauge) is quadratic in the fields.
In this paper, we study a holographic description of weak measurements in conformal field theories (CFTs). Weak measurements can be viewed as a soft projection that interpolates between an identity operator and a projection operator, and can induce an effective central charge distinct from the unmeasured CFT. We model the weak measurement by an interface brane, separating different geometries dual to the post-measurement state and the unmeasured CFT, respectively. In an infinite system, the weak measurement is related to ICFT via a spacetime rotation. We find that the holographic entanglement entropy with twist operators located on the defect is consistent in both calculations for ICFT and weak measurements. We additionally calculate the boundary entropy via holographic entanglement as well as partition function. In a finite system, the weak measurement can lead to a rich phase diagram: for marginal measurements the emergent brane separates two AdS geometries, while for irrelevant measurements the post-measurement geometry features an AdS spacetime and a black hole spacetime that are separated by the brane. Although the measurement is irrelevant in the later phase, the post-measurement geometry can realize a Python's lunch.
In this note we discuss features of the simplest spinning Discrete Series Unitary Irreducible Representations (UIR) of SO(1,4). These representations are known to be realised in the single particle Hilbert space of a free gauge field propagating in a four dimensional fixed de Sitter background. They showcase distinct features as compared to the more common Principal Series realised by heavy fields. Upon computing the $1-$loop Sphere path integral we show that the \emph{edge modes} of the theory can be understood in terms of a Discrete Series of SO$(1,2)$. We then canonically quantise the theory and show how group theory constrains the mode decomposition. We further clarify the role played by the second SO(4) Casimir in the single particle Hilbert space of the theory.
We propose a top-down approach to non-invertible symmetries in 2D QFTs and their associated symmetry topological field theories. We focus on the gauge theory engineered on D1-branes probing a particular Calabi-Yau 4-fold singularity. We show how to derive the symmetry topological field theory, a 3D Dijkgraaf-Witten theory, from the IIB supergravity under dimensional reduction. We also identify branes behind the non-invertible topological lines by dimensionally reducing their worldvolume actions. The action of non-invertible lines on charged local operators is then realized as the Hanany-Witten transition.
It is well-known that in unimodular gravity the cosmological constant is not sourced by a constant energy density, but rather appears as some sort of integration constant. In this work we try to flesh this out by studying in some detail a couple of examples, one from cosmology and the other from gravitational collapse.
The worldsheet axion plays a crucial role in the dynamics of the Yang-Mills confining flux tubes. According to the lattice measurements, its mass is of order the string tension and its coupling is close to a certain critical value. Using the S-matrix Bootstrap, we construct non-perturbative $2 \to 2$ branon scattering amplitudes which also feature a weakly coupled axion resonance with these properties. We study the extremal bootstrap amplitudes in detail and show that the axion plays a dominant role in their UV completion in two distinct regimes, in one of which it cannot be considered a parametrically light particle. We conjecture that the actual flux tube amplitudes exhibit a similar behavior.
In this paper we investigate the vacuum expectation values of the field squared and the energy-momentum tensor associated to a charged massive scalar quantum field in a $(1+D)$-dimensional de Sitter spacetime induced by a plate (flat boundary) and a carrying-magnetic-flux cosmic string. In our analysis we admit that the flat boundary is perpendicular to the string, and the scalar field obeys the Robin boundary condition on the plate. In order to do develop this analysis, we obtain the complete set of normalized positive-energy solution of the Klein-Gordon equation compatible with the model setup. Having obtained these bosonic modes, we construct the corresponding Wightman function. The latter is given by the sum of two terms: one associated with the boundary-free spacetime, and the other induced by the flat boundary. Although we have imposed the Robin boundary condition on the field, we apply our formalism considering specifically the Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The corresponding parts have opposite signs. Because the analysis of bosonic vacuum polarization in boundary-free de Sitter space and in presence of a cosmic string, in some sense, has been developed in the literature, here we are mainly interested in the calculations of the effects induced by the boundary. In this way, closed expressions for the corresponding expectation values are provided, as well as their asymptotic behavior in different limiting regions. We show that the conical topology due to the cosmic string enhances the boundary induced vacuum polarization effects for both field squared and the energy-momentum tensor, compared to the case of a boundary in pure de Sitter spacetime. Moreover, the presence of cosmic string and boundary induce non-zero stress along the direction normal to the boundary. The corresponding vacuum force acting on the boundary is also investigated.
The out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) of simple harmonic oscillator with extra anharmonic (quartic) interaction are calculated by the second quantization method. We obtain the analytic formulas of spectrum, Fock space states and matrix elements of coordinate to the second order of anharmonic interaction. These relations clearly reveal the property that the correction of the interaction is proportional to the quantum number of the energy level, and shows the enhancement for some physical quantities. The analytic results explicitly show that the OTOC is raising in the quadratic power law at early times. Then, we use the formulas to do numerical summation to calculate the OTOC, which shows that, at late times, while the first-order perturbative OTOC is oscillating as that in a simple harmonic oscillator, the second-order perturbative OTOC saturates to a constant value. We compare it with $2\langle x^2\rangle_T\langle p^2\rangle_T$, which is associated with quantum chaotic behavior in systems that exhibit chaos, and discuss the validity of the second-order perturbation.
The Schwinger model, one-dimensional quantum electrodynamics, has CP symmetry at $\theta = \pi$ due to the topological nature of the $\theta$ term. At zero temperature, it is known that as increasing the fermion mass, the system undergoes a second-order phase transition to the CP broken phase, which belongs to the same universality class as the quantum Ising chain. In this paper, we obtain the phase diagram near the quantum critical point (QCP) in the temperature and fermion mass plane using first-principle Monte Carlo simulations, while avoiding the sign problem by using the lattice formulation of the bosonized Schwinger model. Specifically, we perform a detailed investigation of the correlation function of the electric field near the QCP and find that its asymptotic behavior can be described by the universal scaling function of the quantum Ising chain. This finding indicates the existence of three regions near the QCP, each characterized by a specific asymptotic form of the correlation length, and demonstrates that the CP symmetry is restored at any nonzero temperature, entirely analogous to the quantum Ising chain. The range of the scaling behavior is also examined and found to be particularly wide.
We study the back-reaction of fermion fields on the kink solution in one space and one time dimension. We employ a variational procedure to determine an upper limit for the minimum of the total energy. This energy has three contributions: the classical kink energy, the energy of valence fermions and the fermion vacuum polarization energy. The latter arises from the interaction of the kink with the Dirac sea and is required for consistency of the semi-classical expansion for the fermions. Earlier studies only considered the valence part and observed a substantial back-reaction. This was reflected by a sizable distortion of the kink profile. We find that this distortion is strongly mitigated when the Dirac sea is properly accounted for. As a result the back-reaction merely produces a slight squeeze or stretch of the kink profile.
A longstanding enigma within AdS/CFT concerns the entanglement entropy of holographic quantum fields in Rindler space. The vacuum of a quantum field in Minkowski spacetime can be viewed as an entangled thermofield double of two Rindler wedges at a temperature $T=1/2\pi$. We can gradually disentangle the state by lowering this temperature, and the entanglement entropy should vanish in the limit $T\to 0$ to the Boulware vacuum. However, holography yields a non-zero entanglement entropy at arbitrarily low $T$, since the bridge in the bulk between the two wedges retains a finite width. We show how this is resolved by bulk quantum effects of the same kind that affect the entropy of near-extremal black holes. Specifically, a Weyl transformation maps the holographic Boulware states to near-extremal hyperbolic black holes. A reduction to an effective two-dimensional theory captures the large quantum fluctuations in the geometry of the bridge, which bring down to zero the density of entangled states in the Boulware vacuum. Using another Weyl transformation, we construct unentangled Boulware states in de Sitter space.
We provide an improved definition of new conserved quantities derived from the energy-momentum tensor in curved spacetime by introducing an additional scalar function. We find that the conserved current and the associated conserved charge become geometric under a certain initial condition of the scalar function, and show that such a conserved geometric current generally exists in curved spacetime. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the geometric conserved current agrees with the entropy current for the perfect fluid, thus the conserved charge is the total entropy of the system. While the geometric charge can be regarded as the entropy for non-dissipative fluid, its physical meaning should be investigated for more general cases.
While it has become widely appreciated that (higher) gauge theories need, besides their variational phase space data, to be equipped with "flux quantization laws" in generalized differential cohomology, there used to be no general prescription for how to define and construct the resulting flux-quantized phase space stacks. In this short note we observe that all higher Maxwell-type equations have solution spaces given by flux densities on a Cauchy surface subject to a higher Gauss law and no further constraint: The metric duality-constraint is all absorbed into the evolution equation away from the Cauchy surface. Moreover, we observe that the higher Gauss law characterizes the Cauchy data as flat differential forms valued in a characteristic L-infinity-algebra. Using the recent construction of the non-abelian Chern-Dold character map, this implies that compatible flux quantization laws on phase space have classifying spaces whose rational Whitehead L-infinity algebra is this characteristic one. The flux-quantized higher phase space stack of the theory is then simply the corresponding (generally non-abelian) differential cohomology moduli stack on the Cauchy surface. We show how this systematic prescription subsumes existing proposals for flux-quantized phase spaces of vacuum Maxwell theory and of the chiral boson. Moreover, for the case of NS/RR-fields in type II supergravity, the traditional "Hypothesis K" of flux quantization in topological K-theory is naturally implied, without the need, on phase space, for the notorious further duality constraint. Finally, as a genuinely non-abelian example, we consider flux-quantization of the C-field in 11d supergravity/M-theory given by unstable differential 4-Cohomotopy ("Hypothesis H") and emphasize again that, implemented on Cauchy data, this qualifies as the full phase space without the need for a further duality constraint.
With the help of AdS/CFT correspondence, the Einstein ring of a charged black hole in conformal gravity has been studied. Imposing an oscillating Gauss source on one side of the AdS boundary which propagates in the bulk, we derive the response function on the other side of the boundary. With the proposed wave optics system, we observe the Einstein ring as expect. The results reveal that when the observer locates at the north pole, the Einstein ring and surrounding concentric stripes always exist. While the observer departs away from the north pole, the ring becomes into a luminosity-deformed ring or light spot. We also investigate the effect of temperature $T$, chemical potential $u$ and gravity-related parameters $c_0$ on the ring radius. We find the ring radius increases with the decrease of the temperature, increase of the chemical potential, and increase of the gravity-related parameters respectively. To check the results in the framework of holography, we investigate the ingong angle of photon at the photon ring via geometric optics and find it is consistent with the angle of Einstein ring obtained via holography.
We study tree-level $n$-point supergluon amplitudes in ${\rm AdS}_5$ and reveal new structures reminiscent of flat-space amplitudes. We demonstrate the constraining power of scalar-exchange factorization by constructing up to $n=7$ amplitudes, without inputting the explicit form of lower-point spinning amplitudes but just their "gauge invariance". Our method is greatly facilitated by a natural R-symmetry basis for planar color-ordered amplitudes, which reduces the latter to "partial amplitudes" with simpler pole structures and factorization properties. The complexity of partial amplitudes increases with the number of R-symmetry traces, and along the way we show how to construct $n$-point partial amplitudes with up to three traces.
A measurement is presented of the primary Lund jet plane (LJP) density in inclusive jet production in proton-proton collisions. The analysis uses 138 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected by the CMS experiment at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The LJP, a representation of the phase space of emissions inside jets, is constructed using iterative jet declustering. The transverse momentum $k_\mathrm{T}$ and the splitting angle $\Delta R$ of an emission relative to its emitter are measured at each step of the jet declustering process. The average density of emissions as function of $\ln(k_\mathrm{T}$/GeV) and $\ln(R/\Delta R)$ is measured for jets with distance parameters $R$ = 0.4 or 0.8, transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T} \gt$ 700 GeV, and rapidity $\vert y\vert \lt $ 1.7. The jet substructure is measured using the charged-particle tracks of the jet. The measured distributions, unfolded to the level of stable particles, are compared with theoretical predictions from simulations and with perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. Due to the ability of the LJP to factorize physical effects, these measurements can be used to improve different aspects of the physics modeling in event generators.
By analyzing $(27.12\pm0.14)\times10^8$ $\psi(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, the decay processes $\chi_{cJ} \to 3(K^+K^-)$ ($J=0,1,2$) are observed for the first time with statistical significances of 8.2$\sigma$, 8.1$\sigma$, and 12.4$\sigma$, respectively. The product branching fractions of $\psi(3686)\to\gamma\chi_{cJ}$, $\chi_{cJ}\to 3(K^+K^-)$ are presented and the branching fractions of $\chi_{cJ}\to 3(K^+K^-)$ decays are determined to be $\mathcal{B}_{\chi_{c0}\to 3(K^+K^-)}$=$(10.7\pm1.8\pm1.1)$$\times10^{-6}$, $\mathcal{B}_{\chi_{c1}\to 3(K^+K^-)}$=$(4.2\pm0.9\pm0.5)$$\times10^{-6}$, and $\mathcal{B}_{\chi_{c2}\to 3(K^+K^-)}$=$(7.2\pm1.1\pm0.8)$$\times10^{-6}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
We discuss a low-scale realization of the dark-technicolour paradigm, where the dark-technicolour scale is close to the electroweak scale. This scenario provides an ultraviolet completion of the standard HVM, and predicts a dark-Higgs with mass $ m_{\rm DH } = 95.4$ GeV. Moreover, the grand-unification scale in this framework can be as low as $1.18 \times 10^8$ GeV.
We prsent a lepton flavor model with $S_4$ and $U(1)_{\mathrm{FN}}$ symmetry. The left-handed leptons are assigned as a triplet under the $S_4$ symmetry, the right-handed electron and muon as $S_4$ doublets, and the right-handed tauon as an $S_4$ singlet. We introduce three right-handed Majorana neutrinos that are charged under the $S_4$ symmetry and two scalar fields. Additionally, the three Higgs doublets are assigned as an $S_4$ triplet, and we analyze the scalar potential to get the conditions for the Higgs VEVs. We numerically calculate the PMNS matrix, and give strong predictions for the mixing angle $0.486<\sin\theta_{23}<0.603$ and the Dirac CP phase $60.12^\circ<|\delta_{CP}|<76.47^\circ$. Our predictions for the lightest neutrino mass $m_{light}\simeq5.53~[\mathrm{meV}]$ and the effective Majorana neutrino mass $m_{ee}\simeq6.33~[\mathrm{meV}]$ from the neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are relatively close to upper limits. Lastly, we obtain the sum of neutrino masses $m_1+m_2+m_3\simeq66.1~[\mathrm{meV}]$, and two Majorana phases $\eta_1$ and $\eta_2$.
Accelerator based neutrino oscillation experiments seek to measure the relative number of electron and muon neutrinos and antineutrinos at different $L/E$ values. However high statistics studies of neutrino interactions are almost exclusively measured using muon neutrinos and antineutrinos since the dominant flavor of neutrinos produced by accelerator based beams are of the muon type. This work reports new measurements of electron neutrino and antineutrino interactions in hydrocarbon, obtained by strongly suppressing backgrounds initiated by muon flavor neutrinos and antineutrinos. Double differential cross sections as a function of visible energy transfer, $E_\text{avail}$, and transverse momentum transfer, $p_T$, or three momentum transfer, $q_3$ are presented.
Electroweak-inos, superpartners of the electroweak gauge and Higgs bosons, play a special role in supersymmetric theories. Their intricate mixing into chargino and neutralino mass eigenstates leads to a rich phenomenology, which makes it difficult to derive generic limits from LHC data. In this paper, we present a global analysis of LHC constraints for promptly decaying electroweak-inos in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, exploiting the SModelS software package. Combining up to 16 ATLAS and CMS searches for which electroweak-ino efficiency maps are available in SModelS, we study which combinations maximise the sensitivity in different regions of the parameter space, how fluctuations in the data in individual analyses influence the global likelihood, and what is the resulting exclusion power of the combination compared to the analysis-by-analysis approach.
A measurement of the dijet production cross section is reported based on proton-proton collision data collected in 2016 at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 36.3 fb$^{-1}$. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-$k_\mathrm{T}$ algorithm for distance parameters of $R$ = 0.4 and 0.8. Cross sections are measured double-differentially (2D) as a function of the largest absolute rapidity $\lvert y_\text{max}\rvert$ of the two jets with the highest transverse momenta $p_\mathrm{T}$ and their invariant mass $m_{1,2}$, and triple-differentially (3D) as a function of the rapidity separation $y^*$, the total boost $y_\mathrm{b}$, and either $m_{1,2}$ or the average $p_\mathrm{T}$ of the two jets. The cross sections are unfolded to correct for detector effects and are compared with fixed-order calculations derived at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The impact of the measurements on the parton distribution functions and the strong coupling constant at the mass of the Z boson is investigated, yielding a value of $\alpha_\mathrm{S}$ = 0.1179 $\pm$ 0.0019.
Within the extended vector meson dominance model, we investigate the $e^+ e^- \to \Lambda^+_c \bar{\Lambda}^-_c$ reaction and the electromagnetic form factors of the charmed baryon $\Lambda_c^+$. The model parameters are determined by fitting them to the cross sections of the process $e^+e^-\rightarrow \Lambda_c^+ \bar{\Lambda}_c^-$ and the magnetic form factor $|G_M|$ of $\Lambda^+_c$. By considering four charmoniumlike states, called $\psi(4500)$, $\psi(4660)$, $\psi(4790)$, and $\psi(4900)$, we can well describe the current data on the $e^+ e^- \to \Lambda^+_c \bar{\Lambda}^-_c$ reaction from the reaction threshold up to $4.96 \ \mathrm{GeV}$. In addition to the total cross sections and $|G_M|$, the ratio $|G_E/G_M|$ and effective form factor $|G_{\mathrm{eff}}|$ for $\Lambda^+_c$ are also calculated, and found that these calculations are consistent with the experimental data. Within the fitted model parameters, we have also estimated the charge radius of the charmed $\Lambda_c^+$ baryon.
In these proceedings, we present transverse momentum dependence of the mid-rapidity slope of directed flow ($dv_1/dy|_{y=0}$) for $\pi^+$ and $K_S^0$ in Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.0, 3.2, 3.5, and 3.9 GeV. Both $\pi^+$ and $K_S^0$ show negative $v_1$ slope at low $p_T$ ($p_T < 0.6$ GeV/$c$). Collision energy dependence of $v_1$ slope and $p_T$-integrated $v_2$ for $\pi^{\pm}$, $K_S^0$, and $\Lambda$ are also presented. A comparison to JAM model calculations indicates that spectator shadowing can lead to anti-flow at low $p_T$. In addition, a breaking of the Number of Constitute Quark (NCQ) scaling of elliptic flow ($v_2$) is observed at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.2 GeV, which implies the dominance of hadronic degrees of freedom occurs in collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 3.2 GeV and below.
In this proceeding we discuss the status of the currently running experiments and the capability of the future proposed experiments to study neutrino oscillation. In particular, we discuss the current results of the accelerator-based long-baseline experiments in the standard three-flavour scenario and for a scenario where one assumes the existence of a light sterile neutrino at the eV scale in addition to the three active neutrinos. Further, we also discuss the capability of the future long-baseline experiments to study these scenarios.
A massless particle beyond the Standard Model is searched for in the two-body decay $\Sigma^+\rightarrow p+{\rm invisible}$ using $(1.0087\pm0.0044)\times10^{10}$ $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limit on the branching fraction $B(\Sigma^+\rightarrow p+{\rm invisible})$ is determined to be $3.2\times10^{-5}$ at the 90% confidence level. This is the first search for a flavor-changing neutral current process with missing energy in hyperon decays which plays an important role in constraining new physics models.
Despite the f$_0$(980) hadron having been discovered half a century ago, the question about its quark content has not been settled: it might be an ordinary quark-antiquark ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$) meson, a tetraquark ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}q\bar{q}}$) exotic state, a kaon-antikaon ($\mathrm{K\bar{K}}$) molecule, or a quark-antiquark-gluon ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}g}$) hybrid. This paper reports strong evidence that the f$_0$(980) state is an ordinary $\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$ meson, inferred from the scaling of elliptic anisotropies ($v_2$) with the number of constituent quarks ($n_\mathrm{q}$), as empirically established using conventional hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The f$_0$(980) state is reconstructed via its dominant decay channel f$_0$(980) $\to$ $\pi^+\pi^-$, in proton-lead collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, and its $v_2$ is measured as a function of transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$). It is found that the $n_q$ = 2 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}}$ state) hypothesis is favored over $n_q$ = 4 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}q\bar{q}}$ or $\mathrm{K\bar{K}}$ states) by 7.7, 6.3, or 3.1 standard deviations in the $p_\mathrm{T}$ $\lt$ 10, 8, or 6 GeV/$c$ ranges, respectively, and over $n_\mathrm{q}$ = 3 ($\mathrm{q\bar{q}g}$ hybrid state) by 3.5 standard deviations in the $p_\mathrm{T}$ $\lt$ 8 GeV/$c$ range. This result represents the first determination of the quark content of the f$_0$(980) state, made possible by using a novel approach, and paves the way for similar studies of other exotic hadron candidates.
A search for partonic collective effects inside jets produced in proton-proton collisions is performed via correlation measurements of charged constituents using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The analysis uses data collected at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-$k_\mathrm{T}$ algorithm with a distance parameter of 0.8 and are required to have transverse momentum greater than 550 GeV and pseudorapidity $\lvert\eta\rvert$ $\lt$ 1.6. Two-particle correlations among the charged constituents within the jets are studied as functions of the particles' azimuthal angle and pseudorapidity separations ($\Delta\phi^*$ and $\Delta\eta^*$) in a jet coordinate basis, where constituents' $\eta^*$, $\phi^*$ are defined relative to the direction of the jet. The correlation functions are studied in classes of in-jet charged-particle multiplicity up to $N_\text{ch}^\mathrm{j}$ $\approx$ 100. Fourier harmonics are extracted from long-range azimuthal correlation functions to characterize azimuthal anisotropy for $\lvert\Delta\eta^*\rvert$ $\gt$ 2. For low-multiplicity jets, the long-range elliptic anisotropic harmonic, $v^*_2$, is observed to decrease with $N_\text{ch}^\mathrm{j}$. This trend is well described by Monte Carlo event generators. However, a rising trend for $v^*_2$ emerges at $N_\text{ch}^\mathrm{j}$ $\gtrsim$ 80, hinting at a possible onset of collective behavior, which is not reproduced by the models tested. This observation yields new insights into the dynamics of parton fragmentation processes in the vacuum.
The NA62 experiment at CERN utilises a differential Cherenkov counter with achromatic ring focus (CEDAR) for tagging kaons within an unseparated monochromatic beam of charged hadrons. The CEDAR-H detector was developed to minimise the amount of material in the path of the beam by using hydrogen gas as the radiator medium. The detector was shown to satisfy the kaon tagging requirements in a test-beam before installation and commissioning at the experiment. The CEDAR-H performance was measured using NA62 data collected in 2023.
Long-lived particles that are present in many new physics models beyond the standard model, can be searched for in a number of newly proposed lifetime frontier experiments at the LHC. The signals of the long-lived dark photons can be significantly enhanced in a new dark photon model in which dark photons are copiously produced in the hidden radiation process. We investigate the capability of various lifetime frontier detectors in probing the parameter space of this model, including the far forward detectors FACET and FASER, the far transverse detector MATHUSLA, and the precision timing detector CMS-MTD. We find that the accessible parameter space is significantly enlarged by the hidden radiation process so that FACET, MATHUSLA, and CMS-MTD can probe a much larger parameter space than the so-called minimal model. The parameter space probed by FACET is found to be much larger than FASER, which is largely due to the fact that the former has a larger decay volume and is closer to the interaction point. There also exists some parameter space that can be probed both by the far detectors and by precision timing detectors, so that different experiments can be complementary to each other. A brief overview of the lifetime frontier detectors is also given.
We perform a detailed study of the consequences of isospin symmetry in the Cabibbo favoured $D\to\Kbar\pi\pi$ decays. These processes are important for precision testing of the Standard Model and for hadronic physics. Combining isospin symmetry with a dispersive reconstruction theorem we derive a representation in terms of one-variable functions which allows one to predict all the $D\to\Kbar\pi\pi$ amplitudes given inputs from one $D^+$ mode and one $D^0$ mode. From this, using dispersion relations and unitarity, we derive a set of 6+6 Khuri-Treiman type integral equations which enable to take three-body rescattering effects into account. A first test of this approach is presented using experimental results on the $D^+\to K_S\piz\pip$ and the $D^0\to K_S\pim\pip$ modes.
Quasireal photons exchanged in relativistic heavy ion interactions are powerful probes of the gluonic structure of nuclei. The coherent J/$\psi$ photoproduction cross section in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions is measured as a function of photon-nucleus center-of-mass energies per nucleon (W$^\text{Pb}_{\gamma\text{N}}$), over a wide range of 40 $\lt$ W$^\text{Pb}_{\gamma\text{N}}$ $\lt$ 400 GeV. Results are obtained using data at the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.52 nb$^{-1}$. The cross section is observed to rise rapidly at low W$^\text{Pb}_{\gamma\text{N}}$, and plateau above W$^\text{Pb}_{\gamma\text{N}}$ $\approx$ 40 GeV, up to 400 GeV, a new regime of small Bjorken-$x$ ($\approx$ 6 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$) gluons being probed in a heavy nucleus. The observed energy dependence is not predicted by current quantum chromodynamic models.
We present a new quantum field-theoretic definition of fully unintegrated dihadron fragmentation functions (DiFFs) as well as a generalized version for $n$-hadron fragmentation functions. We demonstrate that this definition allows certain sum rules to be satisfied, making it consistent with a number density interpretation. Moreover, we show how our corresponding so-called extended DiFFs that enter existing phenomenological studies are number densities and also derive their evolution equations. Within this new framework, DiFFs extracted from experimental measurements will have a clear physical meaning.
We show that a new leptophilic Higgs sector can resolve some intriguing anomalies in current experimental data across multiple energy ranges. Motivated by the recent CMS excess in the resonant $e\mu$ channel at 146 GeV, we focus on a leptophilic two-Higgs-doublet model, and propose a resonant production mechanism for the neutral components of the second Higgs doublet at the LHC using the lepton content of the proton. Interestingly, the same Yukawa coupling $Y_{e\mu}\sim 0.6-0.8$ that explains the CMS excess also addresses the muon $(g-2)$ anomaly. Moreover, the new Higgs doublet also resolves the recent CDF $W$-boson mass anomaly. The relevant model parameter space will be completely probed by future LHC data.
Based on a data sample of $(10087\pm44)\times10^6$ $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector, the branching fraction of $J/\psi\rightarrow\bar{\Lambda}\pi^{+}\Sigma^{-}+c.c.$ is measured to be $(1.221\pm 0.002\pm 0.038)\times10^{-3}$, and the branching fraction of its isospin partner mode $J/\psi\rightarrow\bar{\Lambda}\pi^{-}\Sigma^{+}+c.c.$ is measured to be $(1.244\pm 0.002\pm 0.045)\times10^{-3}$ with improved precision. Here the first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones systematic. The isospin symmetry of the $\Sigma$ baryon in charmonium hadronic decay and the "$12\%$ rule" are tested, and no violation is found. The potential of using these channels as $\Sigma$ baryon sources for nuclear physics research is studied, and the momentum and angular distributions of these sources are provided.
In High-Energy Physics experiments it is often necessary to evaluate the global statistical significance of apparent resonances observed in invariant mass spectra. One approach to determining significance is to use simulated events to find the probability of a random fluctuation in the background mimicking a real signal. As a high school summer project, we demonstrate a method with Monte Carlo simulated events to evaluate the global significance of a potential resonance with some assumptions. This method for determining significance is general and can be applied, with appropriate modification, to other resonances.
In this paper we study the magnetic dipole moments of the newly discovered $\Omega_{c}(3185)^0$ and $\Omega_c(3327)^0$, assuming that $\Omega_{c}(3185)^0$ and $\Omega_c(3327)^0$ are $S$-wave $D \Xi$ and $D^* \Xi$ molecular pentaquark states, respectively. Together with these states, the magnetic dipole moments of possible $D_s \Xi$, $D_s^* \Xi$, $D \Xi^*$, and $D_s \Xi^*$ pentaquark states are also studied. The magnetic dipole moments of these singly-charmed pentaquarks are estimated within the framework of the QCD light cone sum rules utilizing the photon distribution amplitudes. In the search for the properties of singly-charmed molecular pentaquark states, the results obtained for the magnetic dipole moments can be useful.
The $\gamma^\ast N \to N(1520)$ transition has a property that differs from the other low lying nucleon resonance amplitudes: the magnitude of the transverse helicity amplitudes. The transition helicity amplitudes are defined in terms of square transfer momentum $q^2$, or $Q^2=-q^2$. Near the photon point ($Q^2=0$) there is a significant difference in the magnitude of the transverse amplitudes: $A_{3/2}$ is very large and $A_{1/2}$ is very small. This atypical behavior contrasts with the relation between the amplitudes at the pseudothreshold (the limit where the nucleon and the $N(1520)$ are both at rest and $Q^2 <0$), where $A_{3/2} = A_{1/2}/\sqrt{3}$, and also in the large $Q^2$ region, where theory and data suggest that $A_{3/2}$ is suppressed relative to $A_{1/2}$. In the present work, we look for the source of the suppression of the $A_{1/2}$ amplitude at $Q^2=0$. The result is easy to understand in first approximation, when we look into the relation between the transverse amplitudes and the elementary form factors, defined by a gauge invariant parametrization of the $\gamma^\ast N \to N(1520)$ transition current, near $Q^2=0$. There is a partial cancellation between contributions of two {\it elementary} form factors near $Q^2=0$. We conclude, however, that the correlation between the these elementary form factors at $Q^2=0$ is not sufficient to explain the transverse amplitude data below $Q^2 = 1$ GeV$^2$. The description the dependence of the transverse amplitudes on $Q^2$ requires the determination of the scale of variation of the elementary form factors in the range $Q^2=0$...0.5 GeV$^2$, a region with almost non existent data. We conclude at the end that the low $Q^2$ data for the transverse amplitudes can be well described when we relate the scale of variation of the elementary form factors with the nucleon dipole form factor.
The first measurements of femtoscopic correlations with the particle pair combinations $\pi^\pm$K$^0_{\rm S}$ in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported by the ALICE experiment. Using the femtoscopic approach, it is shown that it is possible to study the elusive K$^*_0(700)$ particle that has been considered a tetraquark candidate for over forty years. Boson source parameters and final-state interaction parameters are extracted by fitting a model assuming a Gaussian source to the experimentally measured two-particle correlation functions. The final-state interaction is modeled through a resonant scattering amplitude, defined in terms of a mass and a coupling parameter, decaying into a $\pi^\pm$K$^0_{\rm S}$ pair. The extracted mass and Breit-Wigner width, derived from the coupling parameter, of the final-state interaction are found to be consistent with previous measurements of the K$^*_0(700)$. The small value and increasing behavior of the correlation strength with increasing source size support the hypothesis that the K$^*_0(700)$ is a four-quark state, i.e. a tetraquark state. This latter trend is also confirmed via a simple geometric model that assumes a tetraquark structure of the K$^*_0(700)$ resonance.
The RHIC interaction rate at sPHENIX will reach around 3 MHz in pp collisions and requires the detector readout to reject events by a factor of over 200 to fit the DAQ bandwidth of 15 kHz. Some critical measurements, such as heavy flavor production in pp collisions, often require the analysis of particles produced at low momentum. This prohibits adopting the traditional approach, where data rates are reduced through triggering on rare high momentum probes. We explore a new approach based on real-time AI technology, adopt an FPGA-based implementation using a custom designed FELIX-712 board with the Xilinx Kintex Ultrascale FPGA, and deploy the system in the detector readout electronics loop for real-time trigger decision.
The Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) is the last stage in the injector chain for CERN's Large Hadron Collider, and it also provides proton and ion beams for several fixed-target experiments. The SPS has been in operation since 1976, and it has been upgraded over the years. For the SPS to operate safely, its internal beam dump must be able to repeatedly absorb the energy of the circulating beams without sustaining damage that would affect its function. The latest upgrades of the SPS led to the requirement for its beam dump to absorb proton beams with a momentum spectrum from 14 to 450~GeV/$c$ and an average beam power up to $\sim$270~kW. This paper presents the technical details of a new design of SPS beam dump that was installed in one of the long straight sections of the SPS during the 2019--2020 shutdown of CERN's accelerator complex. This new beam dump has been in operation since May 2021, and it is foreseen that it will operate with a lifetime of 20~years. The key challenges in the design of the beam dump were linked to the high levels of thermal energy to be dissipated -- to avoid overheating and damage to the beam dump itself -- and high induced levels of radiation, which have implications for personnel access to monitor the beam dump and repair any problems occurring during operation. The design process therefore included extensive thermomechanical finite-element simulations of the beam-dump core and its cooling system's response to normal operation and worst-case scenarios for beam dumping. To ensure high thermal conductivity between the beam-dump core and its water-cooling system, hot isostatic pressing techniques were used in its manufacturing process. A comprehensive set of instrumentation was installed in the beam dump to monitor it during operation and to cross-check the numerical models with operational feedback.
Research on optimal eavesdropping models under practical conditions will help to evaluate realistic risk when employing quantum key distribution (QKD) system for secure information transmission. Intuitively, fiber loss will lead to the optical energy leaking to the environment, rather than harvested by the eavesdropper, which also limits the eavesdropping ability while improving the QKD system performance in practical use. However, defining the optimal eavesdropping model in the presence of lossy fiber is difficult because the channel is beyond the control of legitimate partners and the leaked signal is undetectable. Here we investigate how the fiber loss influences the eavesdropping ability based on a teleportation-based collective attack model which requires two distant stations and a shared entanglement source. We find that if the distributed entanglement is limited due to the practical loss, the optimal attack occurs when the two teleportation stations are merged to one and placed close to the transmitter site, which performs similar to the entangling-cloning attack but with a reduced wiretapping ratio. Assuming Eve uses the best available hollow-core fiber, the secret key rate in the practical environment can be 20%~40% higher than that under ideal eavesdropping. While if the entanglement distillation technology is mature enough to provide high quality of distributed entanglement, the two teleportation stations should be distantly separated for better eavesdropping performance, where the eavesdropping can even approach the optimal collective attack. Under the current level of entanglement purification technology, the unavoidable fiber loss can still greatly limit the eavesdropping ability as well as enhance the secret key rate and transmission distance of the realistic system, which promotes the development of QKD systems in practical application scenarios.
Fluctuation theorems are fundamental results in nonequilibrium thermodynamics beyond the linear response regime. Among these, the paradigmatic Tasaki-Crooks fluctuation theorem relates the statistics of the works done in a forward out-of-equilibrium quantum process and in a corresponding backward one. In particular, the initial states of the two processes are thermal states and thus incoherent in the energy basis. Here, we aim to investigate the role of initial quantum coherence in work fluctuation theorems. To do this, we formulate and examine the implications of a stronger fluctuation theorem, which reproduces the Tasaki-Crooks fluctuation theorem in the absence of initial quantum coherence.
This report is concerned with the efficiency of numerical methods for simulating quantum spin systems, with the aim to implement an improved method for simulation of a time-dependent Hamiltonian that displays chirped pulses at a high frequency. Working in the density matrix formulation of quantum systems, we study evolution under the Liouville-von Neumann equation, presenting analysis of and benchmarking current numerical methods. The accuracy of existing techniques is assessed in the presence of chirped pulses. We also discuss the Magnus expansion and detail how a truncation of it is used to solve differential equations. The results of this work are implemented in the Python package MagPy to provide a better error-to-cost ratio than current approaches allow for time-dependent Hamiltonians.
Leggett-Garg inequalities place bounds on the temporal correlations of a system based on the principles of macroscopic realism (MR) and noninvasive measurability (NM). Their conventional formulation relies on the ensemble-averaged products of observables measured at different instants of time. However, this expectation value based approach does not provide a clear definition of NM. A complete description that enables a precise understanding and captures all physically relevant features requires the study of probability distributions associated with noncommuting observables. In this article, we propose a scheme to describe the dynamics of generic $N$-level quantum systems via a probability vector representation of the Schr\"odinger equation and define a precise notion of NM for the probability distributions of noncommuting observables. This allows us to elucidate MR itself more clearly, eliminating any potential confusion. In addition, we introduce a measure to quantify violations of NM for arbitrary quantum states. For single-qubit systems, we pinpoint the pivotal relation that establishes a connection between the disturbance of observables incurred during a measurement and the resulting NM violation.
We theoretically study how the peculiar properties of the vacuum state of an ultra-strongly coupled system can affect basic light-matter interaction processes. In this unconventional electromagnetic environment, an additional emitter no longer couples to the bare cavity photons, but rather to the polariton modes emerging from the ultra-strong coupling, and the effective light-matter interaction strength is sensitive to the properties of the distorted vacuum state. Different interpretations of our predictions in terms of modified quantum fluctuations in the vacuum state and of radiative reaction in classical electromagnetism are critically discussed. Whereas our discussion is focused on the experimentally most relevant case of intersubband polaritons in semiconductor devices, our framework is fully general and applies to generic material systems.
Quantum scars are special eigenstates of many-body systems that evade thermalization. They were first discovered in the PXP model, a well-known effective description of Rydberg atom arrays. Despite significant theoretical efforts, the fundamental origin of PXP scars remains elusive. By investigating the discretized dynamics of the PXP model as a function of the Trotter step $\tau$, we uncover a remarkable correspondence between the zero- and two-particle eigenstates of the integrable Floquet-PXP cellular automaton at $\tau=\pi/2$ and the PXP many-body scars of the time-continuous limit. Specifically, we demonstrate that PXP scars are adiabatically connected to the eigenstates of the $\tau=\pi/2$ Floquet operator. Building on this result, we propose a protocol for achieving high-fidelity preparation of PXP scars in Rydberg atom experiments.
In this work, we have introduced two innovative quantum algorithms: the Direct Column Algorithm and the Quantum Backtracking Algorithm to solve N-Queens problem, which involves the arrangement of $N$ queens on an $N \times N$ chessboard such that they are not under attack from each other on the same row, column and diagonal. These algorithms utilizes Controlled W-states and dynamic circuits, to efficiently address this NP-Complete computational problem. The Direct Column Algorithm strategically reduces the search space, simplifying the solution process, even with exponential circuit complexity as the problem size grows, while Quantum Backtracking Algorithm emulates classical backtracking techniques within a quantum framework which allows the possibility of solving complex problems like satellite communication, routing and VLSI testing.
Secure multiparty computation (MPC) schemes allow two or more parties to conjointly compute a function on their private input sets while revealing nothing but the output. Existing state-of-the-art number-theoretic-based designs face the threat of attacks through quantum algorithms. In this context, we present secure MPC protocols that can withstand quantum attacks. We first present the design and analysis of an information-theoretic secure oblivious linear evaluation (OLE), namely ${\sf qOLE}$ in the quantum domain, and show that our ${\sf qOLE}$ is safe from external attacks. In addition, our scheme satisfies all the security requirements of a secure OLE. We further utilize ${\sf qOLE}$ as a building block to construct a quantum-safe multiparty private set intersection (MPSI) protocol.
Fast quantum gates are crucial not only for the contemporary era of noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices but also for the prospective development of practical fault-tolerant quantum computing systems. Leakage errors, which arise from data qubits jumping beyond the confines of the computational subspace, are the main challenges in realizing non-adiabatically driven, fast gates. In this letter, we propose and illustrate the usefulness of reinforcement learning (RL) to generate fast two-qubit gates in practical multi-level superconducting qubits. In particular, we show that the RL controller offers great effectiveness in finding piecewise constant gate pulse sequences autonomously that act on two transmon data qubits coupled by a tunable coupler to generate a controlled-Z (CZ) gate with 11 ns gate time and an error rate of $\sim 4\times 10^{-3}$, making it about five times faster than state-of-the-art implementations. Such gate pulse sequences exploit the leakage space judiciously by controlling the leakage dynamics into and out of the computational subspace at appropriate times during the gate application, making it extremely fast.
Quantum computers are expected to perform the full con-figuration interaction calculations with fewer computa-tional resources compared to classical ones, thanks to the use of the quantum phase estimation (QPE) algorithms. However, only limited number of the QPE-based quantum chemical calculations have been reported even on the numerical simulations on a classical computer, focusing on small molecules of up to five atoms. In this paper, we performed quantum chemical calculations of electronic ground and excited states on industrially important mole-cules using the iterative QPE algorithms. With the simula-tor based on a single-GPGPU, we observed the speedup compared to the ones based on multi-CPUs. We also con-firmed the feasibility of this method using a quantum simulator and evaluated the {\pi}-{\pi}* excitation energies of benzene and its mono-substituted derivatives. Our meth-od is easily applicable to other molecules and can be a standard approach for performing the QPE-based quan-tum chemical calculations of practical molecules.
Predicting solar panel power output is crucial for advancing the energy transition but is complicated by the variable and non-linear nature of solar energy. This is influenced by numerous meteorological factors, geographical positioning, and photovoltaic cell properties, posing significant challenges to forecasting accuracy and grid stability. Our study introduces a suite of solutions centered around hybrid quantum neural networks designed to tackle these complexities. The first proposed model, the Hybrid Quantum Long Short-Term Memory, surpasses all tested models by over 40% lower mean absolute and mean squared errors. The second proposed model, Hybrid Quantum Sequence-to-Sequence neural network, once trained, predicts photovoltaic power with 16% lower mean absolute error for arbitrary time intervals without the need for prior meteorological data, highlighting its versatility. Moreover, our hybrid models perform better even when trained on limited datasets, underlining their potential utility in data-scarce scenarios. These findings represent a stride towards resolving time series prediction challenges in energy power forecasting through hybrid quantum models, showcasing the transformative potential of quantum machine learning in catalyzing the renewable energy transition.
Recently there are more promising qubit technology such as Majorana fermions Rydberg atoms and Silicon quantum dot have yet to be developed for realizing a quantum computer than Superconductivity and Ion trap into the world The simulation of the quantum hardware of these qubits can only be done numerically However a classical numerical simulation is limited concerning available resources The method for simulation of quantum hardware by quantum hardware may be necessary In this paper we propose a novel method for optimizing time propagation from initial states to aimed given states of systems by the Born machine We call this method the Hamiltonian Engineering Born Machine HEBM We calculated the optimal Hamiltonians for propagation to Bars and Stripes distribution Gaussian distribution and Gibbs state for $H=-\Sum Z_j Z_{j+1}$ and revealed that they can be realized rapidly and accurately
There exist two types of universality in measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC): ${\it strict}$ and ${\it computational}$ universalities. It is well known that the former is stronger than the latter. In this paper, we give a method of transforming from a certain type of computationally-universal MBQC to the strictly-universal one. Our method simply replaces a single qubit in a resource state with a Pauli-$Y$ eigenstate. We apply our method to show that hypergraph states can be made strictly universal with only Pauli measurements, while only computationally-universal hypergraph states were known so far.
The effective dynamics of a system interacting with a bath or environment is presented in two ways, (1) the (LGKS) replacement of the von Neuman equation for the density matrix and (2) the Feynman-Vernon path-integral derivation, by integrating out the bath degree of freedom, to arrive at a system's density matrix. In this paper, I connect the two methods by deriving a Lindbladian in a mechanical example, a point particle interacting with a bath of harmonic oscillators, previously considered by Feynman and Vernon (FV) and expounded on later by Caldeira and Leggett (CL). But the (FV)/(CL) results only in non-Markov effect, memory terms from the bath interaction. To derive a Lindbladian, I changed the interaction term they considered to take into account the point particle interacting with the bath harmonic oscillators to something more realistic. From the resulting path-integral expression of the system's propagator for the density matrix, the Lindbladian and non-Markov terms are read for this simple problem. I also point out the causes of these terms, the Markov Lindbladian from the very local interaction of the point particle with the classical solutions of the harmonic oscillator and the non-Markov term from the global interaction of the point particle with the fluctuation of the classical solutions.
We address the problem of coherent state discrimination in the presence of phase diffusion. We investigate the role of the hybrid near-optimum receiver (HYNORE) we proposed in [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 40, 705-714 (2023)] in the task of mitigating the noise impact. We prove the HYNORE to be a robust receiver, outperforming the displacement photon-number-resolving (DPNR) receiver and beating the standard quantum limit in particular regimes. We introduce the maximum tolerable phase noise $\sigma_{\mathrm{max}}$ as a figure of merit for the receiver robustness and show that HYNORE increases its value with respect to the DPNR receiver.
Systems of coupled optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) forming an Ising machine are emerging as large-scale simulators of the Ising model. The advances in computer science and nonlinear optics have triggered not only the physical realization of hybrid (electro-optical) or all-optical Ising machines, but also the demonstration of quantum-inspired algorithms boosting their performances. To date, the use of the quantum nature of parametrically generated light as a further resource for computation represents a major open issue. A key quantum feature is the non-Gaussian character of the system state across the oscillation threshold. In this paper, we perform an extensive analysis of the emergence of non-Gaussianity in the single quantum OPO with an applied external field. We model the OPO by a Lindblad master equation, which is numerically solved by an ab initio method based on exact diagonalization. Non-Gaussianity is quantified by means of three different metrics: Hilbert-Schmidt distance, quantum relative entropy, and photon distribution. Our findings reveal a nontrivial interplay between parametric drive and applied field: (i) Increasing pump monotonously enhances non-Gaussianity, and (ii) Increasing field first sharpens non-Gaussianity, and then restores the Gaussian character of the state when above a threshold value.
In the present paper we construct a properly defined quantum state expressed in terms of elliptic Jacobi theta functions for the self-adjoint observables angular position $\theta$ and the corresponding angular momentum operator $L = -id/d\theta$. The quantum uncertainties $\Delta \theta$ and $\Delta L$ for the state are well-defined and are, e.g., shown to give a lower value of the uncertainty product $\Delta \theta \Delta L$ than the minimal uncertainty states of Ref.\cite{Padgett_2004}. The mean value $< L >$ of the state is not required to be an integer. In the case of any half-integer mean value $< L >$ the state constructed exhibits a remarkable critical behavior with upper and lower bounds $\Delta \theta < \sqrt{\pi^2/3 -2}$ and $\Delta L > 1/2$.
Activation of genuine multipartite entanglement (GME) is a phenomenon whereby multiple copies of biseparable but fully inseparable states can be GME. This was shown to be generically possible in finite dimensions. Here, we extend this analysis to infinite dimensions. We provide examples of GME-activatable non-Gaussian states. For Gaussian states we employ a necessary biseparability criterion for the covariance matrix (CM) and show that it cannot detect GME activation. We further identify fully inseparable Gaussian states that satisfy the criterion but show that multiple and, in some cases, even single copies are GME. Thus, we show that the CM biseparability criterion is not sufficient even for Gaussian states.
We analyze in detail a procedure of entangling of two singlet-triplet ($S$-$T_{0}$) qubits operated in a regime when energy associated with the magnetic field gradient, $\Delta B_{z}$, is an order of magnitude smaller than the exchange energy, $J$, between singlet and triplet states [Shulman M. et al., Science 336, 202 (2012)]. We have studied theoretically a single $S$-$T_{0}$ qubit in free induction decay and spin echo experiments. We have obtained analytical expressions for time dependence of components of its Bloch vector for quasistatical fluctuations of $\Delta B_{z}$ and quasistatical or dynamical $1/f^{\beta}$-type fluctuations of $J$. We have then considered the impact of fluctuations of these parameters on the efficiency of the entangling procedure which uses an Ising-type coupling between two $S$-$T_{0}$ qubits. Particularly, we have obtained an analytical expression for evolution of two qubits affected by $1/f^{\beta}$-type fluctuations of $J$. This expression indicates the maximal level of entanglement that can be generated by performing the entangling procedure. Our results deliver also an evidence that in the above-mentioned experiment, the $S$-$T_{0}$ qubits were affected by uncorrelated $1/f^{\beta}$ charge noises.
In the wake of recent progress on quantum computing hardware, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is standardizing cryptographic protocols that are resistant to attacks by quantum adversaries. The primary digital signature scheme that NIST has chosen is CRYSTALS-Dilithium. The hardness of this scheme is based on the hardness of three computational problems: Module Learning with Errors (MLWE), Module Short Integer Solution (MSIS), and SelfTargetMSIS. MLWE and MSIS have been well-studied and are widely believed to be secure. However, SelfTargetMSIS is novel and, though classically as hard as MSIS, its quantum hardness is unclear. In this paper, we provide the first proof of the hardness of SelfTargetMSIS via a reduction from MLWE in the Quantum Random Oracle Model (QROM). Our proof uses recently developed techniques in quantum reprogramming and rewinding. A central part of our approach is a proof that a certain hash function, derived from the MSIS problem, is collapsing. From this approach, we deduce a new security proof for Dilithium under appropriate parameter settings. Compared to the only other rigorous security proof for a variant of Dilithium, Dilithium-QROM, our proof has the advantage of being applicable under the condition q = 1 mod 2n, where q denotes the modulus and n the dimension of the underlying algebraic ring. This condition is part of the original Dilithium proposal and is crucial for the efficient implementation of the scheme. We provide new secure parameter sets for Dilithium under the condition q = 1 mod 2n, finding that our public key sizes and signature sizes are about 2.5 to 2.8 times larger than those of Dilithium-QROM for the same security levels.
We derive shortcuts to adiabaticity maximizing population transfer in a three-level $\Lambda$ quantum system, using the spin to spring mapping to formulate the corresponding optimal control problem on the simpler system of a classical driven dissipative harmonic oscillator. We solve the spring optimal control problem and obtain analytical expressions for the impulses, the durations of the zero control intervals and the singular control, which are the elements composing the optimal pulse sequence. We also derive suboptimal solutions for the spring problem, one with less impulses than the optimal and others with smoother polynomial controls. We then apply the solutions derived for the spring system to the original system, and compare the population transfer efficiency with that obtained for the original system using numerical optimal control. For all dissipation rates used, the efficiency of the optimal spring control approaches that of the numerical optimal solution for longer durations, with the approach accomplished earlier for smaller decay rates. The efficiency achieved with the suboptimal spring control with less impulses is very close to that of the optimal spring control in all cases, while that obtained with polynomial controls lies below, and this is the price paid for not using impulses, which can quickly build a nonzero population in the intermediate state. The analysis of the optimal solution for the classical driven dissipative oscillator is not restricted to the system at hand but can also be applied in the transport of a coherent state trapped in a moving harmonic potential and the transport of a mesoscopic object in stochastic thermodynamics.
We use Quantum Imaginary Time Evolution (QITE) to solve polynomial unconstrained binary optimization (PUBO) problems. We show that a linear Ansatz yields good results for a wide range of PUBO problems, often outperforming standard classical methods, such as the Goemans-Williamson (GW) algorithm. We obtain numerical results for the Low Autocorrelation Binary Sequences (LABS) and weighted MaxCut combinatorial optimization problems, thus extending an earlier demonstration of successful application of QITE on MaxCut for unweighted graphs. We find the performance of QITE on the LABS problem with a separable Ansatz comparable with p=10 QAOA, and do not see a significant advantage with an entangling Ansatz. On weighted MaxCut, QITE with a separable Ansatz often outperforms the GW algorithm on graphs up to 150 vertices.
We present an experimentally study of the dissociative excitation in collision of helium ions with nitrogen and oxygen molecules for collision energy of $0.7-10$ keV. Absolute emission cross sections is measured and reported for the most nitrogen and oxygen atomic and ionic lines in wide, vacuum ultraviolet ($80-130$ nm) and visible ($380-800$ nm), spectral region. The striking similarities of processes realized in He$^{+}+$N$_{2}$ and He$^{+}+$O$_{2}$ collision system are observed. We present polarization measurements for He$^{+}+$N$_{2}$ collision system. Emission of excited dissociative products was detected with the improved method of high-resolution optical spectroscopy. This device is incorporated with the retarding potential method and a high resolution electrostatic energy analyzer to measure precisely the energy of incident particles and the energy of dispersion. The improvement of an optics resolution allows us to measure the cross section on the order of 10$^{-19}$ cm$^{2}$ or lower.
We develop a new $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric approach for mapping three pure qubit states, implement it by the dilation method, and demonstrate it with a superconducting quantum processor provided by the IBM Quantum Experience. We derive exact formulas for the population of the post-selected $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric subspace and show consistency with the Hermitian case, conservation of average projections on reference vectors, and Quantum Fisher Information. When used for discrimination of $N = 2$ pure states, our algorithm gives an equivalent result to the conventional unambiguous quantum state discrimination. For $N = 3$ states, our approach provides novel properties unavailable in the conventional Hermitian case and can transform an arbitrary set of three quantum states into another arbitrary set of three states at the cost of introducing an inconclusive result. For the QKD three-state protocol, our algorithm has the same error rate as the conventional minimum error, maximum confidence, and maximum mutual information strategies. The proposed method surpasses its Hermitian counterparts in quantum sensing using non-MSE metrics, providing an advantage for precise estimations within specific data space regions and improved robustness to outliers. Applied to quantum database search, our approach yields a notable decrease in circuit depth in comparison to traditional Grover's search algorithm while maintaining the same average number of oracle calls, thereby offering significant advantages for NISQ computers. Additionally, the versatility of our method can be valuable for the discrimination of highly non-symmetric quantum states, and quantum error correction. Our work unlocks new doors for applying $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry in quantum communication, computing, and cryptography.
We investigate the phases and phase transitions of the disordered Haldane model in the presence of on-site disorder. We use the real-space Chern marker and transfer matrices to extract critical exponents over a broad range of parameters. The disorder-driven transitions are consistent with the plateau transitions in the Integer Quantum Hall Effect (IQHE), in conformity with recent simulations of disordered Dirac fermions. Our numerical findings are compatible with an additional line of mass-driven transitions with a continuously varying correlation length exponent. The values interpolate between free Dirac fermions and the IQHE with increasing disorder strength. We also show that the fluctuations of the Chern marker exhibit a power-law divergence in the vicinity of both sets of transitions, yielding another varying exponent. We discuss the interpretation of these results.
As the size of quantum hardware progressively increases, the conjectured computational advantages of quantum technologies tend to be threatened by noise, which randomly corrupts the design of quantum logical gates. Several methods already exist to reduce the impacts of noise on that matter. However, a reliable and user-friendly one to reduce the noise impact has not been presented yet. Addressing this issue, this paper proposes a relevant method based on evolutionary optimisation and modulation of the gate design. This method consists of two parts : a model of quantum gate design with time-dependent noise terms, parameterised by a vector of laser phases, and an evolutionary optimisation platform aimed at satisfying a trade-off between the gate fidelity and a pulse duration-related metric of the time consuming simulation model. This feature is the main novelty of this work. Another advantage is the ability to treat any noise spectrum, regardless of its characteristics (e.g., variance, frequency range, etc). A thorough validation of the method is presented, which is based on empirical averaging of random gate trajectories. It is shown that evolutionary based method is successfully applied for noise mitigation. It is expected that the proposed method will help designing more and more noise-resisting quantum gates.
The LiFr diatomic represents a promising candidate for indirect laser cooling that has not yet been investigated not theoretically or experimentally. The potential energy curves of the ground and low_lying excited states of the LiFr heteronuclear alkali metal dimer are calculated using the Fock_space relativistic coupled cluster theory for the first time. A number of properties such as the electronic term energies, equilibrium internuclear distances, transition and permanent dipole moments, sequences of vibrational energies, harmonic vibrational frequencies, Franck_Condon factors, and radiative lifetimes (including bound and free transitions) are predicted. The probabilities of the two_step schemes (optical cycles) for the transfer process of the LiFr molecules from high excited vibrational states to the ground vibronic state are also predicted. The data obtained would be useful for laser cooling and spectral experiments with LiFr molecules.
We consider a two-level system with a fixed energy spacing (detuning) between the two levels and a single transverse control field which can take values between zero and a maximum amplitude. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, we completely solve the problem of generating in minimum time a uniform superposition of the two quantum states when starting from one of them, for all the values of the ratio between the maximum control amplitude and the detuning. For each value of this ratio we find the optimal pulse sequence to have the bang-bang form, and calculate the durations of the pulses composing it. The suggested framework is not only restricted to the problem at hand, but it can be also exploited in the problem of fast charging a quantum battery based on a two-level system, as well as for the optimization of pulse-sequences used for the controlled preparation of the excited state in a quantum emitter, which is a prerequisite for its usage as a single-photon source.
We study the problem of universality in the anyon model described by the $SU(2)$ Witten-Chern-Simons theory at level $k$. A classic theorem of Freedman-Larsen-Wang states that for $k \geq 3, \ k \neq 4$, braiding of the anyons of topological charge $1/2$ is universal for topological quantum computing. For the case of one qubit, we prove a stronger result that double-braiding of such anyons alone is already universal.
We study operator - or noncommutative - variants of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). These higher-dimensional variants are a core topic of investigation in quantum information, where they arise as nonlocal games and entangled multiprover interactive proof systems (MIP*). The idea of higher-dimensional relaxations of CSPs is also important in the classical literature. For example since the celebrated work of Goemans and Williamson on Max-Cut, higher dimensional vector relaxations have been central in the design of approximation algorithms for classical CSPs. We introduce a framework for designing approximation algorithms for noncommutative CSPs. Prior to this work Max-$2$-Lin$(k)$ was the only family of noncommutative CSPs known to be efficiently solvable. This work is the first to establish approximation ratios for a broader class of noncommutative CSPs. In the study of classical CSPs, $k$-ary decision variables are often represented by $k$-th roots of unity, which generalise to the noncommutative setting as order-$k$ unitary operators. In our framework, using representation theory, we develop a way of constructing unitary solutions from SDP relaxations, extending the pioneering work of Tsirelson on XOR games. Then, we introduce a novel rounding scheme to transform these solutions to order-$k$ unitaries. Our main technical innovation here is a theorem guaranteeing that, for any set of unitary operators, there exists a set of order-$k$ unitaries that closely mimics it. As an integral part of the rounding scheme, we prove a random matrix theory result that characterises the distribution of the relative angles between eigenvalues of random unitaries using tools from free probability.
We present the asymptotic analysis of the quantum two-port interferometer in the $n \rightarrow \infty$ limit of $n$ partially indistinguishable photons. Using the unitary-unitary duality between port and inner-mode degrees of freedom, the probability distribution of output port counts can be decomposed as a sum of contributions from independent channels, each associated to a spin-$j$ representation of $SU(2)$ and, in this context, to $2 j$ effectively indistinguishable photons in the channel. Our main result is that the asymptotic output distribution is dominated by the $O(\sqrt{n})$ channels around a certain $j^*$ that depends on the degree of indistinguishability. The asymptotic form is essentially the doubly-humped semi-classical envelope of the distribution that would arise from $2 j^*$ indistinguishable photons, and which reproduces the corresponding classical intensity distribution.
The bosonic Josephson junction, one of the maximally simple models for periodic-driven many-body systems, has been intensively studied in the past two decades. Here, we revisit this problem with five different methods, all of which have solid theoretical reasoning. We find that to the order of $\omega^{-2}$ ($\omega$ is the modulating frequency), these approaches will yield slightly different Floquet Hamiltonians. In particular, the parameters in the Floquet Hamiltonians may be unchanged, increased, or decreased, depending on the approximations used. Especially, some of the methods generate new interactions, which still preserve the total number of particles; and the others do not. The validity of these five effective models is verified using dynamics of population imbalance and self-trapping phase transition. In all results, we find the method by first performing a unitary rotation to the Hamiltonian will have the highest accuracy. The difference between them will become significate when the modulating frequency is comparable with the driving amplitude. The results presented in this work indicate that the analysis of the Floquet Hamiltonian has some kind of subjectivity, which will become an important issue in future experiments with the increasing of precision. We demonstrate this physics using a Bose-Josephson junction, and it is to be hoped that the validity of these methods and their tiny differences put forward in this work can be verified in realistic experiments in future using quantum simulating platforms, including but not limited to ultracold atoms.
Typical fermion algorithms require the computation (or sampling) of the fermion determinant. We focus instead on cluster algorithms which do not involve the determinant and involve a more physically relevant sampling of the configuration space. We develop new cluster algorithms and design classes of models for fermions coupled to $\mathbb{Z}_2$ and $U(1)$ gauge fields that are amenable to being simulated by these cluster algorithms in a sign-problem free way. Such simulations should contain rich phase diagrams and are particularly relevant for quantum simulator experiments.
Nonlinear action of the group of spatial rotations on commuting components of a position operator of a massless particle (Hawton operator) is studied. Using Callan, Coleman, Wess and Zumino method it is shown that coordinates which linearize this action correspond to the Pryce operator with non-commuting components.
In this work, we present a quantum circuit for a binary classification prediction algorithm using a random forest model. The quantum prediction algorithm is presented in our previous works. We construct a circuit and implement it using qiskit tools (python module for quantum programming). One of our goals is reducing the number of basic quantum gates (elementary gates). The set of basic quantum gates which we use in this work consists of single-qubit gates and a controlled NOT gate. The number of CNOT gates in our circuit is estimated by $O(2^{n+2h+1})$ , when trivial circuit decomposition techniques give $O(4^{|X|+n+h+2})$ CNOT gates, where $n$ is the number of trees in a random forest model, $h$ is a tree height and $|X|$ is the length of attributes of an input object $X$. The prediction process returns an index of the corresponding class for the input $X$.
This study investigates the dynamic behavior of polaritons in an optical cavity containing one million molecules, emphasizing the influence of molecular rotation and level disorder on the coupling between molecules and photons. Through rigorous theoretical simulations and numerical analyses, we systematically explore the formation and spectral characteristics of polaritons in this complex environment. Our findings reveal that the rotational motion of molecules significantly affects the electromagnetic field distribution within the cavity, leading to distinct alterations in polariton properties. Simultaneously, the presence of level disorder induces diverse energy level structures, influencing the energy distribution of polaritons. The comprehensive examination of these factors provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between molecules and photons in large-scale cavity systems. This research not only advances the fundamental understanding of molecular-photon coupling but also offers theoretical guidance for practical applications in the design and exploration of optical cavities.
In the paper, we investigate Two Sets Intersection problem. Assume that we have two sets that are subsets of n objects. Sets are presented by two predicates that show which of n objects belong to these sets. We present a quantum algorithm that finds an element from the two sets intersection. It is a modification of the well-known Grover's search algorithm that uses two Oracles with access to the predicates. The algorithm is faster than the naive application of Grover's search.
We perform an experimental investigation of Quantum Discord with Spin-Orbit X-states. These states are prepared through the incoherent superposition of different laser beans, where a two-level system is encoded in polarization and the first-order Hermitian-Gaussian modes, as proposed in Phys. Rev. A 103,0022411 (2022). We characterize different classes of spin-orbit X-states by performing an all-optical tomography for polarization and first-order transverse mode degrees of freedom. We also perform a study on the dependence of Discord with respect to the Fidelity of spin-orbit modes, revealing that Discord is very sensitive to incoherent noise. Our experimental results align with the theoretical predictions of Quantum Discord when accounting for the effect of fidelity. These results reinforce the spin-orbit modes as an important platform for quantum information processing. On the other hand, the need of astigmatic optical elements to implement unitary operations required by quantum information protocols implies in a loss of fidelity and quantum correlations. Alternative methods to manipulate spin-orbit modes are welcome.
Quantum sensors offer control flexibility during estimation by allowing manipulation by the experimenter across various parameters. For each sensing platform, pinpointing the optimal controls to enhance the sensor's precision remains a challenging task. While an analytical solution might be out of reach, machine learning offers a promising avenue for many systems of interest, especially given the capabilities of contemporary hardware. We have introduced a versatile procedure capable of optimizing a wide range of problems in quantum metrology, estimation, and hypothesis testing by combining model-aware reinforcement learning (RL) with Bayesian estimation based on particle filtering. To achieve this, we had to address the challenge of incorporating the many non-differentiable steps of the estimation in the training process, such as measurements and the resampling of the particle filter. Model-aware RL is a gradient-based method, where the derivatives of the sensor's precision are obtained through automatic differentiation (AD) in the simulation of the experiment. Our approach is suitable for optimizing both non-adaptive and adaptive strategies, using neural networks or other agents. We provide an implementation of this technique in the form of a Python library called qsensoropt, alongside several pre-made applications for relevant physical platforms, namely NV centers, photonic circuits, and optical cavities. This library will be released soon on PyPI. Leveraging our method, we've achieved results for many examples that surpass the current state-of-the-art in experimental design. In addition to Bayesian estimation, leveraging model-aware RL, it is also possible to find optimal controls for the minimization of the Cram\'er-Rao bound, based on Fisher information.
To control and measure the state of a quantum system it must necessarily be coupled to external degrees of freedom. This inevitably leads to spontaneous emission via the Purcell effect, photon-induced dephasing from measurement back-action, and errors caused by unwanted interactions with nearby quantum systems. To tackle this fundamental challenge, we make use of the design flexibility of superconducting quantum circuits to form a multi-mode element -- an artificial molecule -- with symmetry-protected modes. The proposed circuit consists of three superconducting islands coupled to a central island via Josephson junctions. It exhibits two essential non-linear modes, one of which is flux-insensitive and used as the protected qubit mode. The second mode is flux-tunable and serves via a cross-Kerr type coupling as a mediator to control the dispersive coupling of the qubit mode to the readout resonator. We demonstrate the Purcell protection of the qubit mode by measuring relaxation times that are independent of the mediated dispersive coupling. We show that the coherence of the qubit is not limited by photon-induced dephasing when detuning the mediator mode from the readout resonator and thereby reducing the dispersive coupling. The resulting highly protected qubit with tunable interactions may serve as a basic building block of a scalable quantum processor architecture, in which qubit decoherence is strongly suppressed.
The robustness of quantum memory against physical noises is measured by two methods: the exact and approximate quantum error correction (QEC) conditions for error recoverability, and the decoder-dependent error threshold which assesses if the logical error rate diminishes with system size. Here we unravel their relations and propose a unified framework to extract an intrinsic error threshold from the approximate QEC condition, which could upper bound other decoder-dependent error thresholds. Our proof establishes that relative entropy, effectively measuring deviations from exact QEC conditions, serves as the order parameter delineating the transition from asymptotic recoverability to unrecoverability. Consequently, we establish a unified framework for determining the error threshold across both exact and approximate QEC codes, addressing errors originating from noise channels as well as those from code space imperfections. This result sharpens our comprehension of error thresholds across diverse QEC codes and error models.
We analyze the time-dependent free energy functionals of the semiclassical one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard chain. We first review the weakly chaotic dynamics and the consequent early-time anomalous diffusion in the system. The anomalous diffusion is robust, appears with strictly quantized coefficients, and persists even for very long chains (more than hundred sites), crossing over to normal diffusion at late times. We identify fast (angle) and slow (action) variables and thus consider annealed and quenched partition functions, corresponding to fixing the actions and integrating over the actions, respectively. We observe the leading quantum effects in the annealed free energy, whereas the quenched energy is undefined in the thermodynamic limit, signaling the absence of thermodynamic equilibrium in the quenched regime. But already the leading correction away from the quenched regime reproduces the annealed partition function exactly. This encapsulates the fact that in both slow- and fast-chaos regime both the anomalous and the normal diffusion can be seen (though at different times).
Random numbers play a crucial role in numerous scientific applications. Source-independent quantum random number generators (SI-QRNGs) can offer true randomness by leveraging the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, eliminating the need for a trusted source. Silicon photonics shows great promise for QRNG due to its benefits in miniaturization, cost-effective device manufacturing, and compatibility with CMOS microelectronics. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a silicon-based discrete variable SI-QRNG. Using a well-calibrated chip and an optimized parameter strategy, we achieve a record-breaking random number generation rate of 7.9 Mbits/s. Our research paves the way for integrated SI-QRNGs.
In this work, we consider a fundamental task in quantum many-body physics - finding and learning ground states of quantum Hamiltonians and their properties. Recent works have studied the task of predicting the ground state expectation value of sums of geometrically local observables by learning from data. For short-range gapped Hamiltonians, a sample complexity that is logarithmic in the number of qubits and quasipolynomial in the error was obtained. Here we extend these results beyond the local requirements on both Hamiltonians and observables, motivated by the relevance of long-range interactions in molecular and atomic systems. For interactions decaying as a power law with exponent greater than twice the dimension of the system, we recover the same efficient logarithmic scaling with respect to the number of qubits, but the dependence on the error worsens to exponential. Further, we show that learning algorithms equivariant under the automorphism group of the interaction hypergraph achieve a sample complexity reduction, leading in particular to a constant number of samples for learning sums of local observables in systems with periodic boundary conditions. We demonstrate the efficient scaling in practice by learning from DMRG simulations of $1$D long-range and disordered systems with up to $128$ qubits. Finally, we provide an analysis of the concentration of expectation values of global observables stemming from central limit theorem, resulting in increased prediction accuracy.
In this work, we analyze the local certification of unitary quantum channels and von Neumann measurements, which is a natural extension of quantum hypothesis testing. A particular case of a quantum channel and von Neumann measurement, operating on two systems corresponding to product states at the input, is considered. The goal is to minimize the probability of the type II error, given a specified maximum probability of the type I error, considering assistance through entanglement. We introduce a new mathematical structure q-product numerical range, which is a natural generalization of the q-numerical range, used to obtain result, when dealing with one system. In our findings, we employ the q-product numerical range as a pivotal tool, leveraging its properties to derive our results and minimize the probability of type II error under the constraint of type I error probability. We show a fundamental dependency: for local certification, the tensor product structure inherently manifests, necessitating the transition from q-numerical range to q-product numerical range.
Surface codes are versatile quantum error-correcting codes known for their planar geometry, making them ideal for practical implementations. While the original proposal used Pauli $X$ or Pauli $Z$ operators in a square structure, these codes can be improved by rotating the lattice or incorporating a mix of generators in the XZZX variant. However, a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the logical error rate for these variants has been lacking. To address this gap, we present theoretical formulas based on recent advancements in understanding the weight distribution of stabilizer codes. For example, over an asymmetric channel with asymmetry $A=10$ and a physical error rate $p \to 0$, we observe that the logical error rate asymptotically approaches $p_\mathrm{L} \to 10 p^2$ for the rotated $[[9,1,3]]$ XZZX code and $p_\mathrm{L} \to 18.3 p^2$ for the $[[13,1,3]]$ surface code. Additionally, we observe a particular behavior regarding rectangular lattices in the presence of asymmetric channels. Our findings demonstrate that implementing both rotation and XZZX modifications simultaneously can lead to suboptimal performance. Thus, in scenarios involving a rectangular lattice, it is advisable to avoid using both modifications simultaneously. This research enhances our theoretical understanding of the logical error rates for XZZX and rotated surface codes, providing valuable insights into their performance under different conditions.
We propose a time-crystal model based on a disordered interacting long-range spin chain where the periodic swapping of nearby spin couples is applied. This protocol can be applied to systems with any local spin magnitude $s$ and in principle also to systems with nonspin (fermionic or bosonic) local Hilbert space. We explicitly consider the cases $s = 1/2$ and $s = 1$, using analytical and numerical methods to show that the time-crystal behavior appears in a range of parameters. In particular, we study the persistence of period-doubling oscillations in time, the properties of the Floquet spectrum ($\pi$-spectral pairing and correlations of the Floquet states), and introduce a quantity (the local imbalance) to assess what initial states give rise to a period-doubling dynamics. We also use a probe of quantum integrability/ergodicity to understand the interval of parameters where the system does not thermalize, and a nontrivial persistent period-doubling behavior is possible.
We study entanglement distillation and dilution of states and channels in the single-shot regime. With the help of a recently introduced conversion distance, we provide compact closed-form expressions for the dilution and distillation of pure states and show how this can be used to efficiently calculate these quantities on multiple copies of pure states. These closed-form expressions also allow us to obtain second-order asymptotics. We then prove that the epsilon-single-shot entanglement cost of mixed states is given exactly in terms of an expression containing a suitably smoothed version of the conditional max-entropy. For pure states, this expression reduces to the smoothed max-entropy of the reduced state. Based on these results, we bound the single-shot entanglement cost of channels. We then turn to the one-way entanglement distillation of states and channels and provide bounds in terms of a quantity we denote coherent information of entanglement.
The evolution of molecular quantum states is central to many research areas, including chemical reaction dynamics, precision measurement, and molecule based quantum technology. Details of the evolution is often obscured, however, when measurements are performed on an ensemble of molecules, or when the molecules are subjected to environmental perturbations. Here, we report real-time observations of quantum jumps between rotational states of a single molecule driven by thermal radiation, and present techniques to maintain the molecule in a chosen state over a timescale of tens of seconds. Molecular state detection is achieved nondestructively through quantum-logic spectroscopy, in which information on the state of the molecule is transferred to a co-trapped "logic" atomic ion for readout. Our approaches for state detection and manipulation are applicable to a wide range of molecular ion species, thereby facilitating their use in many fields of study including quantum science, molecular physics, and ion-neutral chemistry. The measured rotational transition rates show anisotropy in the background thermal radiation, which points to the possibility of using a single molecular ion as an in-situ probe for the strengths of ambient fields at the relevant transition frequencies.
One promising application of near-term quantum devices is to prepare trial wavefunctions using short circuits for solving different problems via variational algorithms. For this purpose, we introduce a new circuit design that combines graph-based diagonalization circuits with arbitrary single-qubit rotation gates to get Hamiltonian-based graph states ans\"atze (H-GSA). We test the accuracy of the proposed ansatz in estimating ground state energies of various molecules of size up to 12-qubits. Additionally, we compare the gate count and parameter number complexity of the proposed ansatz against previously proposed schemes and find an order magnitude reduction in gate count complexity with slight increase in the number of parameters. Our work represents a significant step towards constructing compact quantum circuits with good trainability and convergence properties and applications in solving chemistry and physics problems.
Lindbladian formalism, as tuned to dissipative and open systems, has been all-pervasive to interpret non-equilibrium steady states of quantum many-body systems. We study the fate of free fermionic and superconducting phases in a dissipative one-dimensional Kitaev model - where the bath acts both as a source and a sink of fermionic particles with different coupling rates. As a function of these two couplings, we investigate the steady state, its entanglement content, and its approach from varying initial states. Interestingly, we find that the steady state phase diagram retains decipherable signatures of ground state critical physics. We also show that early-time fidelity is a useful marker to find a subclass of phase transitions in such situations. Moreover, we show that the survival of critical signatures at late-times, strongly depend on the thermal nature of the steady state. This connection hints at a correspondence between quantum observables and classical magnetism in the steady state of such systems. Our work uncovers interesting connections between dissipative quantum many-body systems, thermalization of a classical spin and many-body quantum critical phenomena.
Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT) is a framework to capture universal features of quantum many-body systems by viewing them as a boundary of topological order in one higher dimension. This yielded numerous insights in static low-energy settings. Here we study what SymTFT can tell about nonequilibrium, focusing on one-dimensional (1D) driven systems and their 2D SymTFT. In driven settings, boundary conditions (BCs) can be dynamical and can apply both spatially and temporally. We show how this enters SymTFT via topological operators, which we then use to uncover several new results for 1D dynamics. These include revealing time crystals (TCs) as systems with symmetry-twisted temporal BCs, finding robust bulk TC features in phases thought to be only boundary TCs, Floquet dualities, or identifying Floquet codes as space-time duals to systems with duality-twisted spatial BCs. We also show how, by making duality-twisted BCs dynamical, non-Abelian braiding of duality defects can enter SymTFT, leading to effects such as the exact pumping of symmetry charges between a system and its BCs. We illustrate our ideas for $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetric 1D systems, but our construction applies for any finite Abelian symmetry.
We propose an interferometric scheme for generating the totally antisymmetric state of $N$ identical bosons with $N$ internal levels (generalized singlet). This state is a resource for various problems with dramatic quantum advantage. The procedure uses a sequence of Fourier multi-ports, combined with coincidence measurements filtering the results. Successful preparation of the generalized singlet is confirmed when the $N$ particles of the input state stay separate (anti-bunch) on each multiport. The scheme is robust to local lossless noise and works even with a totally mixed input state.
Noise is an important concept and its measurement and characterization has been a flourishing area of research in contemporary mesoscopic physics. Here we propose interaction-free measurements as a noise-detection technique, exploring two conceptually different schemes: the coherent and the projective realizations. These detectors consist of a qutrit whose second transition is coupled to a resonant oscillatory field that may have noise in amplitude or phase. For comparison, we consider a more standard detector previously discussed in this context - a qubit coupled in a similar way to the noise source. We find that the qutrit scheme offers clear advantages, allowing precise detection and characterization of the noise, while the qubit does not. Finally, we study the signature of noise correlations in the detector's signal.
We review recent suggestions to quantum simulate scalar electrodynamics (the lattice Abelian Higgs model) in $1+1$ dimensions with rectangular arrays of Rydberg atoms. We show that platforms made publicly available recently allow empirical explorations of the critical behavior of quantum simulators. We discuss recent progress regarding the phase diagram of two-leg ladders, effective Hamiltonian approaches and the construction of hybrid quantum algorithms targeting hadronization in collider physics event generators.
The Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) algorithm is gaining interest for its potential use in near-term quantum devices. In the VQE algorithm, parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) are employed to prepare quantum states, which are then utilized to compute the expectation value of a given Hamiltonian. Designing efficient PQCs is crucial for improving convergence speed. In this study, we introduce problem-specific PQCs tailored for optimization problems by dynamically generating PQCs that incorporate problem constraints. This approach reduces a search space by focusing on unitary transformations that benefit the VQE algorithm, and accelerate convergence. Our experimental results demonstrate that the convergence speed of our proposed PQCs outperforms state-of-the-art PQCs, highlighting the potential of problem-specific PQCs in optimization problems.
In recent years, fermionic topological phases of quantum matter has attracted a lot of attention. In a pioneer work by Gu, Wang and Wen, the concept of equivalence classes of fermionic local unitary(FLU) transformations was proposed to systematically understand non-chiral topological phases in 2D fermion systems and an incomplete classification was obtained. On the other hand, the physical picture of fermion condensation and its corresponding super pivotal categories give rise to a generic mathematical framework to describe fermionic topological phases of quantum matter. In particular, it has been pointed out that in certain fermionic topological phases, there exists the so-called q-type anyon excitations, which have no analogues in bosonic theories. In this paper, we generalize the Gu, Wang and Wen construction to include those fermionic topological phases with q-type anyon excitations. We argue that all non-chiral fermionic topological phases in 2+1D are characterized by a set of tensors $(N^{ij}_{k},F^{ij}_{k},F^{ijm,\alpha\beta}_{kln,\chi\delta},n_{i},d_{i})$, which satisfy a set of nonlinear algebraic equations parameterized by phase factors $\Xi^{ijm,\alpha\beta}_{kl}$, $\Xi^{ij}_{kln,\chi\delta}$, $\Omega^{kim,\alpha\beta}_{jl}$ and $\Omega^{ki}_{jln,\chi\delta}$. Moreover, consistency conditions among algebraic equations give rise to additional constraints on these phase factors which allow us to construct a topological invariant partition for an arbitrary triangulation of 3D spin manifold. Finally, several examples with q-type anyon excitations are discussed, including the Fermionic topological phase from Tambara-Yamagami category for $\mathbb{Z}_{2N}$, which can be regarded as the $\mathbb{Z}_{2N}$ parafermion generalization of Ising fermionic topological phase.
Transition metal dichalcogenides layered nano-crystals are emerging as promising candidates for next-generation optoelectronic and quantum devices. In such systems, the interaction between excitonic states and atomic vibrations is crucial for many fundamental properties, such as carrier mobilities, quantum coherence loss, and heat dissipation. In particular, to fully exploit their valley-selective excitations, one has to understand the many-body exciton physics of zone-edge states. So far, theoretical and experimental studies have mainly focused on the exciton-phonon dynamics in high-energy direct excitons involving zone-center phonons. Here, we use ultrafast electron diffraction and ab initio calculations to investigate the many-body structural dynamics following nearly-resonant excitation of low-energy indirect excitons in MoS2. By exploiting the large momentum carried by scattered electrons, we identify the excitation of in-plane K- and Q-phonon modes with E^' symmetry as key for the stabilization of indirect excitons generated via near-infrared light at 1.55 eV, and we shed light on the role of phonon anharmonicity and the ensuing structural evolution of the MoS2 crystal lattice. Our results highlight the strong selectivity of phononic excitations directly associated with the specific indirect-exciton nature of the wavelength-dependent electronic transitions triggered in the system.
In the literature of calculating atomic and molecular structures, most Schrodinger equations are described by Coulomb potential. However, there are also a few literatures that discuss some magnetic correction methods, such as Pauli and Shortley's early work. But in fact, the calculation accuracy of these Schrodinger equations is not consistent with Lamb shift. Therefore, in the traditional ab initio calculation of quantum mechanics, it is common and necessary to use Dirac theory or quantum electrodynamics (QED) to correct the energy level of Schrodinger equation. However, the calculation of Feynman diagram is a daunting problem, including the application of self-consistent field in relativity and density functional theory. So recently, we have noticed the simplicity of the modified Newtonian mechanics, and we think that quantum mechanics will have similar properties. Here, we state this and improve the correction function in our previous action potential. In addition, through the demonstration of hydrogen-like and helium-like systems here, it can be proved that this conclusion is a potential application, that is, the energy level structure of our modified Schrodinger equation is consistent with Lamb shift.
Symmetries in a Hamiltonian play an important role in quantum physics because they correspond directly with conserved quantities of the related system. In this paper, we propose quantum algorithms capable of testing whether a Hamiltonian exhibits symmetry with respect to a group. We demonstrate that familiar expressions of Hamiltonian symmetry in quantum mechanics correspond directly with the acceptance probabilities of our algorithms. We execute one of our symmetry-testing algorithms on existing quantum computers for simple examples of both symmetric and asymmetric cases.
Causality can be defined in terms of space-time or based on information-theoretic structures, which correspond to very different notions of causation. Yet, in physical experiments, these notions play together in a compatible manner. The process matrix framework is useful for modelling indefinite causal structures (ICS) in an information-theoretic sense, but there remain important open questions regarding the physicality of such processes. In particular, there are several experiments that claim to implement ICS processes in Minkowski space-time, which presents an apparent theoretical paradox: how can an indefinite information-theoretic causal structure be compatible with a definite space-time structure? To address this, we develop a general framework that disentangles the two causality notions and formalises their relations. The framework describes a composition of quantum operations through feedback loops, and the embedding of the resulting (possibly cyclic) information-theoretic structure in an acyclic space-time structure. Relativistic causality is formalised as an operational compatibility condition between the two structures. Reformulating the process matrix framework here, we establish no-go results which imply that it is impossible to physically realise ICS in a fixed space-time with space-time localised quantum systems. Further, we prove that physical realisations of any ICS process, even those involving space-time non-localised systems, will ultimately admit an explanation in terms of a definite (and acyclic) causal order process, at a more fine-grained level. These results fully resolve the apparent paradox and we discuss their implications for the interpretation of the above-mentioned experiments. Moreover, our work offers concrete insights on the operational meaning of indefinite causality, both within and beyond the context of a fixed space-time.
A striking feature of non-Hermitian systems is the presence of two different types of topology. One generalizes Hermitian topological phases, and the other is intrinsic to non-Hermitian systems, which are called line-gap topology and point-gap topology, respectively. Whereas the bulk-boundary correspondence is a fundamental principle in the former topology, its role in the latter has not been clear yet. This paper establishes the bulk-boundary correspondence in the point-gap topology in non-Hermitian systems. After revealing the requirement for point-gap topology in the open boundary conditions, we clarify that the bulk point-gap topology in open boundary conditions can be different from that in periodic boundary conditions. We give a complete classification of the open boundary point-gap topology with symmetry and show that the non-trivial open boundary topology results in robust and exotic surface states.
We define rewinding operators that invert quantum measurements. Then, we define complexity classes ${\sf RwBQP}$, ${\sf CBQP}$, and ${\sf AdPostBQP}$ as sets of decision problems solvable by polynomial-size quantum circuits with a polynomial number of rewinding operators, cloning operators, and adaptive postselections, respectively. Our main result is that ${\sf BPP}^{\sf PP}\subseteq{\sf RwBQP}={\sf CBQP}={\sf AdPostBQP}\subseteq{\sf PSPACE}$. As a byproduct of this result, we show that any problem in ${\sf PostBQP}$ can be solved with only postselections of outputs whose probabilities are polynomially close to one. Under the strongly believed assumption that ${\sf BQP}\nsupseteq{\sf SZK}$, or the shortest independent vectors problem cannot be efficiently solved with quantum computers, we also show that a single rewinding operator is sufficient to achieve tasks that are intractable for quantum computation. In addition, we consider rewindable Clifford and instantaneous quantum polynomial time circuits.
Born machines are quantum-inspired generative models that leverage the probabilistic nature of quantum states. Here, we present a new architecture called many-body localized (MBL) hidden Born machine that utilizes both MBL dynamics and hidden units as learning resources. We show that the hidden units act as an effective thermal bath that enhances the trainability of the system, while the MBL dynamics stabilize the training trajectories. We numerically demonstrate that the MBL hidden Born machine is capable of learning a variety of tasks, including a toy version of MNIST handwritten digits, quantum data obtained from quantum many-body states, and non-local parity data. Our architecture and algorithm provide novel strategies of utilizing quantum many-body systems as learning resources, and reveal a powerful connection between disorder, interaction, and learning in quantum many-body systems.
Quantum-enhanced (i.e., less query complexity compared to any classical method) mean value estimation of observables is a fundamental task in various quantum technologies; in particular, it is an essential subroutine in quantum computing algorithms. Notably, the quantum estimation theory identifies the ultimate precision of such estimator, which is referred to as the quantum Cram\'{e}r-Rao (QCR) lower bound or equivalently the inverse of the quantum Fisher information. Because the estimation precision directly determines the performance of those quantum technological systems, it is highly demanded to develop a generic and practically implementable estimation method that achieves the QCR bound. Under imperfect conditions, however, such an ultimate and implementable estimator for quantum mean values has not been developed. In this paper, we propose a quantum-enhanced mean value estimation method in a depolarizing noisy environment that asymptotically achieves the QCR bound in the limit of a large number of qubits. To approach the QCR bound in a practical setting, the method adaptively optimizes the amplitude amplification and a specific measurement that can be implemented without any knowledge of state preparation. We provide a rigorous analysis for the statistical properties of the proposed adaptive estimator such as consistency and asymptotic normality. Furthermore, several numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, particularly showing that the estimator needs only a modest number of measurements to almost saturate the QCR bound.
Hilbert space fragmentation (HSF) is a phenomenon that the Hilbert space of an isolated quantum system splits into exponentially many disconnected subsectors. The fragmented systems do not thermalize after long-time evolution because the dynamics are restricted to a small subsector. Inspired by recent developments of the HSF, we construct the Hamiltonian that exhibits the HSF in the momentum space. We show that persistent-current (PC) states emerge due to the HSF in the momentum space. We also investigate the stability of the PC states against the random potential, which breaks the structure of the HSF, and find that the decay rate of the PC is almost independent of the current velocity.
Quantum computing has entered fast development track since Shor's algorithm was proposed in 1994. Multi-cloud services of quantum computing farms are currently available. One of which, IBM quantum computing, presented a road map showing their Kookaburra system with over 4158 qubits will be available in 2025. For the standardization of Post-Quantum Cryptography or PQC, the National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST recently announced the first candidates for standardization with one algorithm for key encapsulation mechanism (KEM), Kyber, and three algorithms for digital signatures. NIST has also issued a new call for quantum-safe digital signature algorithms due June 1, 2023. This timeline shows that FIPS-certified quantum-safe TLS protocol would take a predictably long time. However, "steal now, crack later" tactic requires protecting data against future quantum threat actors today. NIST recommended the use of a hybrid mode of TLS 1.3 with its extensions to support PQC. The hybrid mode works for certain cases but FIPS certification for the hybridized cryptomodule might still be required. This paper proposes to take a nested mode to enable TLS 1.3 protocol with quantum-safe data, which can be made available today and is FIPS compliant. We discussed the performance impacts of the handshaking phase of the nested TLS 1.3 with PQC and the symmetric encryption phase. The major impact on performance using the nested mode is in the data symmetric encryption with AES. To overcome this performance reduction, we suggest using quantum encryption with a quantum permutation pad for the data encryption with a minor performance reduction of less than 10 percent.
Non-Hermitian (NH) Hamiltonians have been shown to exhibit unique signatures, including the NH skin effect and an exponential spectral sensitivity with respect to boundary conditions. Here, we investigate as to what extent these remarkable phenomena, recently predicted and observed in a broad range of settings, may also occur in closed correlated fermionic systems that are governed by a Hermitian many-body Hamiltonian. There, an effectively NH quasiparticle description naturally arises in the Green's function formalism due to inter-particle scattering that represents an inherent source of dissipation. As a concrete platform we construct an extended interacting Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model subject to varying boundary conditions, which we analyze using exact diagonalization and non-equilibrium Green's function methods. That way, we clearly identify the presence of the aforementioned NH phenomena in the quasi-particle properties of this Hermitian model system.
Large machine learning models are revolutionary technologies of artificial intelligence whose bottlenecks include huge computational expenses, power, and time used both in the pre-training and fine-tuning process. In this work, we show that fault-tolerant quantum computing could possibly provide provably efficient resolutions for generic (stochastic) gradient descent algorithms, scaling as O(T^2 polylog(n)), where n is the size of the models and T is the number of iterations in the training, as long as the models are both sufficiently dissipative and sparse, with small learning rates. Based on earlier efficient quantum algorithms for dissipative differential equations, we find and prove that similar algorithms work for (stochastic) gradient descent, the primary algorithm for machine learning. In practice, we benchmark instances of large machine learning models from 7 million to 103 million parameters. We find that, in the context of sparse training, a quantum enhancement is possible at the early stage of learning after model pruning, motivating a sparse parameter download and re-upload scheme. Our work shows solidly that fault-tolerant quantum algorithms could potentially contribute to most state-of-the-art, large-scale machine-learning problems.
The interplay of quantum and classical fluctuations in the vicinity of a quantum critical point (QCP) gives rise to various regimes or phases with distinct quantum character. In this work, we show that the R\'enyi entropy is a precious tool to characterize the phase diagram of critical systems not only around the QCP but also away from it, thanks to its capability to detect the emergence of local order at finite temperature. For an efficient evaluation of the R\'enyi entropy, we introduce a new algorithm based on a path integral Langevin dynamics combined with a previously proposed thermodynamic integration method built on regularized paths. We apply this framework to study the critical behavior of a linear chain of anharmonic oscillators, a particular realization of the $\phi^4$ model. We fully resolved its phase diagram, as a function of both temperature and interaction strength. At finite temperature, we find a sequence of three regimes - para, disordered and quasi long-range ordered -, met as the interaction is increased. The R\'enyi entropy divergence coincides with the crossover between the para and disordered regime, which shows no temperature dependence. The occurrence of quasi long-range order, on the other hand, is temperature dependent. The two crossover lines merge in proximity of the QCP, at zero temperature, where the R\'enyi entropy is sharply peaked. Via its subsystem-size scaling, we confirm that the transition belongs to the two-dimensional Ising universality class. This phenomenology is expected to happen in all $\phi^4$-like systems, as well as in the elusive water ice transition across phases VII, VIII and X.
We describe particles in a potential by a special diffusion process, the maximal entropy random walk (MERW) on a lattice. Since MERW originates in a variational problem, it shares the linear algebra of Hilbert spaces with quantum mechanics. The Born rule appears from measurements between equilibrium states in the past and the same equilibrium states in the future. Introducing potentials by the observation that time, in a gravitational field running in different heights with a different speed, MERW respects the rule that all trajectories of the same duration are counted with equal probability. In this way, MERW allows us to derive the Schr\"odinger equation for a particle in a potential and the Darwin term of the nonrelativistic expansion of the Dirac equation. Finally, we discuss why quantum mechanics cannot be simply a result of MERW, but, due to the many analogies, MERW may pave the way for further understanding.
We propose a scheme of using two fixed frequency resonator couplers to tune the coupling strength between two Xmon qubits. The induced indirect qubit-qubit interactions by two resonators could offset with each other, and the direct coupling between two qubits are not necessarily for switching off. The small direct qubit-quibt coupling could effectively suppress the frequency interval between switching off and switching on, and globally suppress the second and third-order static ZZ couplings. The frequencies differences between resonator couplers and qubits readout resonators are very large, this might be helpful for suppressing the qubits readout errors. The cross-kerr resonant processes between a qubit and two resonators might induce pole and affect the crosstalks between qubits. The double resonator couplers could unfreeze the restrictions on capacitances and coupling strengths in the superconducting circuit, and it can also reduce the flux noises and globally suppress the crosstalks.
We investigate the quantum reaction-diffusion dynamics of fermionic particles which coherently hop in a one-dimensional lattice and undergo annihilation reactions. The latter are modelled as dissipative processes which involve losses of pairs $2A \to \emptyset$, triplets $3A \to \emptyset$, and quadruplets $4A \to \emptyset$ of neighbouring particles. When considering classical particles, the corresponding decay of their density in time follows an asymptotic power-law behavior. The associated exponent in one dimension is different from the mean-field prediction whenever diffusive mixing is not too strong and spatial correlations are relevant. This specifically applies to $2A\to \emptyset$, while the mean-field power-law prediction just acquires a logarithmic correction for $3A \to \emptyset$ and is exact for $4A \to \emptyset$. A mean-field approach is also valid, for all the three processes, when the diffusive mixing is strong, i.e., in the so-called reaction-limited regime. Here, we show that the picture is different for quantum systems. We consider the quantum reaction-limited regime and we show that for all the three processes power-law behavior beyond mean field is present as a consequence of quantum coherences, which are not related to space dimensionality. The decay in $3A\to \emptyset$ is further, highly intricate, since the power-law behavior therein only appears within an intermediate time window, while at long times the density decay is not power-law. Our results show that emergent critical behavior in quantum dynamics has a markedly different origin, based on quantum coherences, to that applying to classical critical phenomena, which is, instead, solely determined by the relevance of spatial correlations.
In this paper, we consider a network of quantum sensors, where each sensor is a qubit detector that "fires," i.e., its state changes when an event occurs close by. The change in state due to the firing of a detector is given by a unitary operator which is the same for all sensors in the network. Such a network of detectors can be used to localize an event, using a protocol to determine the firing sensor which is presumably the one closest to the event. The determination of the firing sensor can be posed as a Quantum State Discrimination problem which incurs a probability of error depending on the initial state and the measurement operator used. In this paper, we address the problem of determining the optimal initial global state of a network of detectors that incur a minimum probability of error in determining the firing sensor. For this problem, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an initial state that allows for perfect discrimination, i.e., zero probability of error. Using insights from this result, we derive a conjectured optimal solution for the initial state, provide a pathway to prove the conjecture, and validate the conjecture empirically using multiple search heuristics that seem to perform near-optimally.
Many calculations in strong field quantum field theory are carried out by using a simple field geometry, often neglecting the spacial field envelope. In this article, we simulate the electron diffraction quantum dynamics of the Kapitza-Dirac effect in a Gaussian beam standing light wave. The two-dimensional simulation is computed in a relativistic framework, by solving the Dirac equation with the fast Fourier transform split operator method. Except the numerical propagation method, our results are obtained without applying approximations and demonstrate that a spin-flip in the Kapitza-Dirac effect is possible. We further discuss properties, such as the validity of a plane wave approach for the theoretical description, the influence of the longitudinal polarization component due to laser beam focusing and higher order diffraction peaks in Kapitza-Dirac scattering.
Single photon detection played an important role in the development of quantum optics. Its implementation in the microwave domain is challenging because the photon energy is 5 orders of magnitude smaller. In recent years, significant progress has been made in developing single microwave photon detectors (SMPDs) based on superconducting quantum bits or bolometers. In this paper we present a new practical SMPD based on the irreversible transfer of an incoming photon to the excited state of a transmon qubit by a four-wave mixing process. This device achieves a detection efficiency $\eta = 0.43$ and an operational dark count rate $\alpha = 85$ $\mathrm{s^{-1}}$, mainly due to the out-of-equilibrium microwave photons in the input line. The corresponding power sensitivity is $\mathcal{S} = 10^{-22}$ $\mathrm{W/\sqrt{Hz}}$, one order of magnitude lower than the state of the art. The detector operates continuously over hour timescales with a duty cycle $\eta_\mathrm{D}=0.84$, and offers frequency tunability of $\sim 400$ MHz around 7 GHz.
The physics of a single Josephson junction coupled to a resistive environment is a long-standing fundamental problem at the center of an intense debate, strongly revived by the advent of superconducting platforms with high-impedance multimode resonators. Here we investigate the emergent criticality of a junction coupled to a multimode resonator when the number of modes is increased. We demonstrate how the multimode environment renormalizes the Josephson and capacitive energies of the junction so that in the thermodynamic limit the charging energy dominates when the impedance is larger than the resistance quantum and is negligible otherwise, independently from the bare ratio between the two energy scales and the compact or extended nature of the phase of the junction. Via exact diagonalization, we find that the transition surprisingly stems from a level anticrossing involving not the ground state, but the first excited state, whose energy gap vanishes in the thermodynamic limit. We clarify the nature of the two phases by pointing at a different behaviour of the ground and excited states and we show that at the transition point the spectrum displays universality not only at low frequencies. In agreement with recent experiments, we reveal striking spectral signatures of the phase transition.
In the context of non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, many systems are known to possess a pseudo PT symmetry , i.e. the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H is related to its adjoint H^{{\dag}} via the relation, H^{{\dag}}=PTHPT . We propose a derivation of pseudo PT symmetry and {\eta} -pseudo-Hermiticity simultaneously for the time dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonians by intoducing a new metric {\eta}(t)=PT{\eta}(t) that not satisfy the time-dependent quasi-Hermiticity relation but obeys the Heisenberg evolution equation. Here, we solve the SU(1,1) time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and we construct a time-dependent solutions by employing this new metric and discuss a concrete physical applications of our results.
Measurements map the value of a target observable onto a meter shift, resulting in a meter readout that combines the initial statistics of the meter state with the quantum statistics of the target observable. Even in the limit of weak measurement interactions, some information about the fluctuations of the target observable can be extracted from the change in the readout fluctuations caused by the measurement interaction. Here, we apply the Heisenberg picture to analyze the changes in the meter readout statistics caused by sufficiently weak measurement interactions, including the effects of non-linearities in the meter response. When additional information is obtained in a subsequent measurement of the system, the meter fluctuations are modified based on the post-selected statistics of the target observable. In addition, our analysis reveals a direct modification of the meter fluctuations due to the dependence of the post-selection probability on the dynamics induced by the meter in the measurement interaction. We point out that the quantum formalism makes it difficult to distinguish this dynamic term from the physical fluctuations of the target observable and stress the importance of distinguishing between genuine conditional fluctuations of the target observable and the dynamic pseudovariance associated with the measurement back-action.
We propose a novel adiabatic time evolution (ATE) method for obtaining the ground state of a quantum many-electron system on a quantum circuit based on first quantization. As a striking feature of the ATE method, it consists of only unitary operations representing real-time evolution, which means that it does not require any ancillary qubits, nor controlled real-time evolution operators. Especially, we explored the first-quantized formalism of ATE method in this study, since the implementation of first-quantized real-time evolution on quantum circuits is known to be efficient. However, when realizing the ATE quantum circuit in first-quantization formalism, obstacles are how to set the adiabatic Hamiltonian and how to prepare the corresponding initial ground state. We provide a way to prepare an antisymmetrized and non-degenerate initial ground state that is suitable as an input to an ATE circuit, which allows our ATE method to be applied to systems with any number of electrons. In addition, by considering a first-quantized Hamiltonian for quantum-mechanical electron system and classical nuclear system, we design a quantum circuit for optimal structure search based on ATE. Numerical simulations are demonstrated for simple systems, and it is confirmed that the ground state of the electronic system and optimal structure can be obtained by our method.
Though there has been substantial progress in developing quantum algorithms to study classical datasets, the cost of simply \textit{loading} classical data is an obstacle to quantum advantage. When the amplitude encoding is used, loading an arbitrary classical vector requires up to exponential circuit depths with respect to the number of qubits. Here, we address this ``input problem'' with two contributions. First, we introduce a circuit compilation method based on tensor network (TN) theory. Our method -- AMLET (Automatic Multi-layer Loader Exploiting TNs) -- proceeds via careful construction of a specific TN topology and can be tailored to arbitrary circuit depths. Second, we perform numerical experiments on real-world classical data from four distinct areas: finance, images, fluid mechanics, and proteins. To the best of our knowledge, this is the broadest numerical analysis to date of loading classical data into a quantum computer. The required circuit depths are often several orders of magnitude lower than the exponentially-scaling general loading algorithm would require. Besides introducing a more efficient loading algorithm, this work demonstrates that many classical datasets are loadable in depths that are much shorter than previously expected, which has positive implications for speeding up classical workloads on quantum computers.
In this review, we introduce a developing qubit platform: floating-electron-based qubits. Electrons floating in a vacuum above the surface of liquid helium or solid neon emerge as promising candidates for qubits, especially due to their expected long coherence times. Despite being in the early stages, a variety of recent experiments from different groups have shown substantial potential in this role. We survey a range of theoretical proposals and recent experiments, primarily focusing on the use of the spin state as the qubit state, wherein the spin and charge states are hybridized. Throughout these proposals and experiments, the charge state is coupled to an LC resonator, which facilitates both the control and readout mechanisms for the spin state via an artificially introduced spin-charge coupling.
One of quantum theory's salient lessons is its inherent indeterminacy. That is, generic physical states imply uncertainty for the outcomes of measurements. We formally define and address whether quantum uncertainty could be fundamental or whether post-quantum theories can offer predictive advantage whilst conforming to the Born rule on average. We present a no-go claim combining three aspects: predictive advantage, signal-locality, and the epistemic relationship between quantum observers. The results of the analysis lead to the conclusion that there exists a fundamental limitation on genuine predictive advantage over standard quantum probabilities. However, we uncover a fascinating possibility: when the assumption of 'reliable intersubjectivity' between different observers is violated, subjective predictive advantage can, in principle, exist. This, in turn, entails an epistemic boundary between different observers of the same theory. The findings reconcile us to quantum uncertainty as an aspect of limits on Nature's predictability.
Chainwise stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (C-STIRAP) in M-type molecular system is a good alternative in creating ultracold deeply-bound molecules when the typical STIRAP in {\Lambda}-type system does not work due to weak Frank-Condon factors between states. However, its creation efficiency under the smooth evolution is generally low. During the process, the population in the intermediate states may decay out quickly and the strong laser pulses may induce multi-photon processes. In this paper, we find that shortcut-to-adiabatic (STA) passage fits very well in improving the performance of the C-STIRAP. Currently, related discussions on the so-called chainwise stimulated Raman shortcut-to-adiabatic passage (C-STIRSAP) are rare. Here, we investigate this topic under the adiabatic elimination. Given a relation among the four incident pulses, it is quite interesting that the M-type system can be generalized into an effective {\Lambda}-type structure with the simplest resonant coupling. Consequently, all possible methods of STA for three-state system can be borrowed. We take the counter-diabatic driving and "chosen path" method as instances to demonstrate our treatment on the molecular system. Although the "chosen path" method does not work well in real three-state system if there is strong decay in the excited state, our C-STIRSAP protocol under both the two methods can create ultracold deeply-bound molecules with high efficiency in the M-type system. The evolution time is shortened without strong laser pulses and the robustness of STA is well preserved. Finally, the detection of ultracold deeply-bound molecules is discussed.
We investigate the phenomenology leading to the non-conservation of energy of the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model from the viewpoint of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and use such framework to assess the equilibration process entailed by the dissipative formulation of the model (dCSL). As a paradigmatic situation currently addressed in frontier experiments aimed at investigating possible collapse theories, we consider a one-dimensional mechanical oscillator in a thermal state. We perform our analysis in the phase space of the oscillator, where the entropy production rate, a non-equilibrium quantity used to characterize irreversibility, can be conveniently analyzed. We show that the CSL model violates Clausius law, as it exhibits a negative entropy production rate, while the dCSL model reaches equilibrium consistently only under certain dynamical conditions, thus allowing us to identify the values -- in the parameter space -- where the latter mechanism can be faithfully used to describe a thermodynamically consistent phenomenon.
Engineering the admittance of external environments connected to superconducting qubits is essential, as increasing the measurement speed introduces spontaneous emission loss to superconducting qubits, known as Purcell loss. Here, we report a broad bandwidth Purcell filter design within a small footprint, which effectively suppresses Purcell loss without losing the fast measurement speed. We characterize the filter's frequency response at 4.3 K and also estimate Purcell loss suppression by finite-element-method simulations of superconducting planar circuit layouts with the proposed filter design. The measured bandwidth is over 790 MHz within 0.29 mm$^2$ while the estimated lifetime enhancement can be over 5000 times with multiple Purcell filters. The presented filter design is expected to be easily integrated on existing superconducting quantum circuits for fast and multiplexed readout without occupying large footprint.
The eigenstate thermalization hypothesis for translation invariant quantum spin systems has been proved recently by using random matrices. In this paper, we study the subsystem version of eigenstate thermalization hypothesis for translation invariant quantum systems without referring to random matrices. By showing the small upper bounds on the quantum variance or the Belavkin-Staszewski relative entropy, we prove the subsystem eigenstate thermalization hypothesis for translation invariant quantum systems with an algebraic speed of convergence in an elementary way.
We proposed a simple strategy to improve the postprocessing overhead of evaluating Hamiltonian expectation values in Variational quantum eigensolvers (VQEs). Observing the fact that for a mutually commuting observable group G in a given Hamiltonian, <b|G|b> is fixed for a measurement outcome bit string $b$ in the corresponding basis, we create a measurement memory (MM) dictionary for every commuting operator group G in a Hamiltonian. Once a measurement outcome bit string $b$ appears, we store $b$ and <b|G|b> as key and value, and the next time the same bit string appears, we can find <b|G|b> from the memory, rather than evaluate it once again. We further analyze the complexity of MM and compare it with commonly employed post-processing procedure, finding that MM is always more efficient in terms of time complexity. We implement this procedure on the task of minimizing a fully connected Ising Hamiltonians up to 20 qubits, and $H_2$, $H_4$, $LiH$, and $H_2O$ molecular Hamiltonians with different grouping methods. For Ising Hamiltonian, where all $O(N^2)$ terms commute, our method offers an $O(N^2)$ speedup in terms of the percentage of time saved. In the case of molecular Hamiltonians, we achieved over $O(N)$ percentage time saved, depending on the grouping method.
Our proposal introduces a customization of the rodeo algorithm that enables us to determine the number of states associated with all energy levels of a quantum system without explicitly solving the Schr\"odinger equation. Quantum computers, with their innate ability to address the intricacies of quantum systems, make this approach particularly promising for the study of the thermodynamics of quantum systems. To illustrate the effectiveness of our approach, we apply it to compute the number of states of the 1D transverse-field Ising model and, consequently, its specific heat.
In this pioneering research paper, we present a groundbreaking exploration into the synergistic fusion of classical and quantum computing paradigms within the realm of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Our objective is to seamlessly integrate quantum computational elements into the conventional GAN architecture, thereby unlocking novel pathways for enhanced training processes. Drawing inspiration from the inherent capabilities of quantum bits (qubits), we delve into the incorporation of quantum data representation methodologies within the GAN framework. By capitalizing on the unique quantum features, we aim to accelerate the training process of GANs, offering a fresh perspective on the optimization of generative models. Our investigation deals with theoretical considerations and evaluates the potential quantum advantages that may manifest in terms of training efficiency and generative quality. We confront the challenges inherent in the quantum-classical amalgamation, addressing issues related to quantum hardware constraints, error correction mechanisms, and scalability considerations. This research is positioned at the forefront of quantum-enhanced machine learning, presenting a critical stride towards harnessing the computational power of quantum systems to expedite the training of Generative Adversarial Networks. Through our comprehensive examination of the interface between classical and quantum realms, we aim to uncover transformative insights that will propel the field forward, fostering innovation and advancing the frontier of quantum machine learning.
Light-matter interfaces have now entered a new stage marked by the ability to engineer quantum correlated states under driven-dissipative conditions. To propel this new generation of experiments, we are confronted with the need to model non-unitary many-body dynamics in strongly coupled regimes, by transcending traditional approaches in quantum optics. In this work, we contribute to this program by adapting a functional integral technique, conventionally employed in high-energy physics, in order to derive nonequilibrium Dyson equations for interacting light-matter systems. Our approach is grounded in constructing two-particle irreducible (2PI) effective actions, which provide a non-perturbative and conserving framework for describing quantum evolution at a polynomial cost in time. One of the aims of the article is to offer a pedagogical introduction designed to bridge readers from diverse scientific communities, including those in quantum optics, condensed matter, and high-energy physics. We apply our method to complement the analysis of spin glass formation in the context of frustrated multi-mode cavity quantum electrodynamics, initiated in our accompanying work [H. Hosseinabadi, D. Chang, J. Marino, arXiv:2311.05682]. Finally, we outline the capability of the technique to describe other near-term platforms in many-body quantum optics, and its potential to make predictions for this new class of experiments.
The generation of squeezed Fock states by the one or more photon subtraction from a two-mode entangled Gaussian (TMEG) state is theoretically addressed. We showed that an arbitrary order Fock state can be generated this way and we obtained a condition that should be imposed on the parameters of the TMEG state to guaranty such a generation. We called the regime, in which this condition is satisfied, universal solution regime. We showed that, for first squeezed Fock state, the above condition is redundant such that the generation of the first squeezed Fock state is still possible by a one photon subtraction from an arbitrary TMEG state. At the same time, the maximum generation probability of the first squeezed Fock state generation corresponds to the universal solution regime. We applied the above results to the description of generation of the squeezed Fock states using a beam splitter and a Controlled-Z operation. We have estimated the parameters of such setups and input squeezed states, which are necessary to obtain squeezed Fock states with the maximum probability.
Realization of the long sought on-chip scalable photonic quantum information processing networks has been thwarted by the absence of spatially-ordered and scalable on-demand single photon emitters with emission figures-of-merit exceeding the required thresholds across large numbers. The positioning must meet the required degree of accuracy that enables fabricating their interconnection to create the desired functional network. Here we report on the realization of large-area spatially-ordered arrays of mesa-top single quantum dots (MTSQDs) that are demonstrated [1] to be on-demand single photon emitters with characteristics that meet the requirements for implementing quantum photonic circuits/platforms aimed at quantum key distribution, linear optical quantum computing, simulations of quantum many-body problems, and metrology/sensing. The reported GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs MTSQD arrays, grown via SESRE (substrate-encoded size-reducing epitaxy) are in multiple arrays of up to 100x100 with 5um pitch, across a centimeter radius area. We show illustrative large-area images of the emission intensity (brightness) and color-coded wavelength distribution exhibiting ~3.35nm standard deviation. Scanning transmission electron microscopy shows a remarkable control on the QD location to within ~3nm accuracy laterally and ~1nm vertically. The primary remaining challenge is the control on the uniformity of the currently wet-chemically etched as-patterned nanomesa lateral size across the substrate, a surmountable technical issue. Thus, SESRE offers the most promising approach to realizing on-chip scalable spatially-ordered arrays of on-demand bright single quantum emitters meeting the figures-of-merit required for on-chip fully integrated quantum photonic circuit platforms-monolithic (such as based upon AlGaAs on insulator) or hybrid that leverage the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic integrated circuit (PIC).
The coherent control of interacting spins in semiconductor quantum dots is of strong interest for quantum information processing as well as for studying quantum magnetism from the bottom up. On paper, individual spin-spin couplings can be independently controlled through gate voltages, but nonlinearities and crosstalk introduce significant complexity that has slowed down progress in past years. Here, we present a $2\times4$ germanium quantum dot array with full and controllable interactions between nearest-neighbor spins. As a demonstration of the level of control, we define four singlet-triplet qubits in this system and show two-axis single-qubit control of all qubits and SWAP-style two-qubit gates between all neighbouring qubit pairs. Combining these operations, we experimentally implement a circuit designed to generate and distribute entanglement across the array. These results highlight the potential of singlet-triplet qubits as a competing platform for quantum computing and indicate that scaling up the control of quantum dot spins in extended bilinear arrays can be feasible.