Soft Condensed Matter
How do 3M Command strips work? A fracture mechanics approach
Xue-Ling Luo, Nikolaos Bouklas and Chung-Yuen Hui
Removable adhesive systems such as 3M Command strips are designed to support substantial loads while allowing clean, damage-free removal from the substrate. These systems rely on a highly extensible adhesive strip that bonds strongly during use but releases when stretched, causing the adhesive layer to elongate and progressively debond from the surfaces. A central challenge in the design of stretch-release adhesives is therefore to maximize load-bearing capacity while minimizing the force required for removal. This study investigates the finite-deformation mechanics governing both load support and tape release in a hyperelastic stretch-release adhesive system, with particular focus on the 3M Command tape geometry. Explicit analytical expressions are derived for the energy release rate of interfacial cracks under both load-bearing and release conditions and are validated against $J$-integral evaluations from finite element simulations. The results show that the ratio of maximum supported load to release force scales linearly with the ratio of bonded length to adhesive thickness, which is typically very large. We also investigate geometry-driven alternating crack propagation between the backing and substrate interfaces, governing tape removal, by analytical solutions and simulations. Parametric studies of competing interfacial fracture toughnesses produce failure envelopes that provide a predictive framework for estimating release forces and unstable crack propagation in multilayer stretch-release adhesive systems.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Anomalous Dissipation in Current Biased Josephson Systems
Johannes Hauff, Niklas Gaiser, Joachim Ankerhold et al. (+1 more)
A new phase diffusive regime in a current biased Josephson junction is theoretically explored which originates from
embedding the junction in a
circuit environment with anomalous dissipation. This is realized by placing parallel to the junction a resistor in series with a capacitor such that electromagnetic fluctuations effectively couple also to the charge of the junction. This leads to rich Josephson dynamics, in particular for the switching of the junction out of a zero voltage state. Modelled as the escape process of a fictitious phase-particle out of a metastable well, a detailed study reveals that anomalous dissipation has a strong impact at low temperatures when
quantum tunneling dominates against thermal activation. As a manifestation, a regime is found, where for realistic
circuit parameters the
quantum escape process is substantially enhanced, followed by a short voltage pulse and re-trapping with high probability. This class of
circuits may be leveraged for detecting microwave
photons or dissipative
quantum annealing processes. In addition, the analysis provides a general framework for engineering dissipative dynamics in nonlinear systems using anomalous environments.
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All authors Johannes Hauff, Niklas Gaiser, Joachim Ankerhold, Dominik Maile
High Energy Physics (Theory)
Notes on the bootstrap of four-point conformal integrals
Xuhang Jiang
We set up a bootstrap workflow to study four-point conformal integrals in position space, using leading singularities, single-valued multiple polylogarithmic ansätze and boundary data from expansion by regions. These four-point conformal integrals are general in the sense that they are generated by the four-point projections of all possible $f$-graphs, including all non-planar $f$-graph sectors. For three-loop cases, fourteen of the fifteen inequivalent integrand basis can be directly calculated by HyperlogProcedures and the last one is fixed by Gram identity. Then we concentrate on how far the bootstrap workflow can go for four-loop cases, though it works for three-loop cases as well. We show that integrals with several leading singularities can be made tractable by decomposing them into pieces with simpler cut structure. Some four-loop integrals which can not be calculated or very hard to be calculated by other methods for now are obtained in this way. We also provide a package with skill files which is suitable to be read and used by current AI models.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Latitudinal chemical and cloud variations in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf
Benjamin Charnay, Sam de Regt, Matthieu Ravet et al. (+8 more)
Brown
dwarfs are massive analogues of extrasolar
giant planets. Compared to
exoplanets whose observations are generally limited by the presence of their bright host
star, brown
dwarfs are ideal targets for studying substellar atmospheric physics, chemistry and dynamics. Previous observations and simulations of their atmospheres suggest preferential cloud formation around the equator, associated with an equator-pole thermal gradient. Here we show that this atmospheric structure should induce latitudinal chemical variations detectable by the Doppler effect. We introduce a new method - Differential Molecular Rotational Broadening - which consists in comparing the apparent rotational broadening of individual molecules from high-resolution spectra. Application of this approach to VLT-CRIRES observations for different molecules (CO, H2O, CH4 and NH3) in the atmosphere of the brown
dwarf DENIS J0255-4700 confirms the existence of latitudinal chemical variations. Our data suggest a depletion of CH4 and NH3 at low latitudes, consistent with an equatorial cloud belt. Our method could be applied to multiple brown
dwarfs and
exoplanets to map their atmospheres and to study various atmospheric processes.
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All authors Benjamin Charnay, Sam de Regt, Matthieu Ravet, Lucas Teinturier, Flavien Kiefer, Gaël Chauvin, Allan Denis, Mickaël Bonnefoy, Paulina Palma-Bifani, Alice Radcliffe, Arthur Vigan
High Energy Physics (Theory)
Holographic Timelike Entanglement and Subregion Complexity in Localized AdS3*S3*T4 Black Holes
Jitendra Pal and Yu Shi
We study timelike
entanglement entropy and timelike subregion complexity in localized black holes with asymptotic AdS3*S3*T4 geometry, focusing on the black-pole solution. Unlike the BTZ solution, the black pole exhibits a nontrivial dependence on the internal sphere through the functions $K_y(r,\theta)$ and $G(r,\theta)$. Both observables are constructed from spacelike and timelike Lorentzian branches, but they probe the geometry in different ways: timelike
entanglement yields a complex lifted area, while timelike complexity gives a real, finite renormalized volume. We employ a localized timelike prescription in which the branch profile is built at an angular label $\theta_0$ and subsequently lifted over the physical internal angle $\theta$. In the large-$r$ regime, the leading angular dependence drops out, recovering the expected short-interval behaviour. In the exact black-pole geometry, the temporal families become non-monotonic, making a fixed-boundary-interval selection essential. As the boundary interval increases, the selected branches move inward and become sensitive to the localized cap-horizon transition region. These results demonstrate that timelike Lorentzian observables probe localized-geometry effects that are absent in BTZ and in the leading large-$r$ description.
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Nuclear Experiment
Experimental Review on Bulk Properties and Light/Strange Hadron Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions
Shusu Shi and Xianglei Zhu
This proceedings article reviews recent experimental results on bulk properties and light/strange
hadron production in heavy-ion collisions, presented at the Strangeness in
Quark Matter 2026 conference. The discussion covers the QCD phase diagram, extraction of the temperature-dependent speed of sound, radial flow fluctuations probed by $v_0(p_T)$, anisotropic flow in small collision systems, strange
hadron yields across system sizes,
nuclear modification factors, and collectivity signatures at high
baryon density. Results from the
STAR, CMS, ALICE, ATLAS, PHENIX, NA61/SHINE, and HADES collaborations are synthesized to highlight recent progress in understanding the properties of the
Quark-
Gluon Plasma and the nature of the QCD phase transition.
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Quantum Physics
From Circuits to Hardware: Benchmarking Standard and Qubit-Efficient Quantum Optimization on Real Hardware
Monit Sharma and Hoong Chuin Lau
Despite rapid progress in
quantum optimization, broad real-hardware
benchmarks comparing multiple algorithmic families across diverse combinatorial problems under a common protocol remain limited. We
benchmark gate-based
quantum optimization on four NP-hard problems: multi-dimensional knapsack (MDKP), maximum independent set (MIS), quadratic assignment (QAP), and
market-share (MSP). We study VQE, CVaR-VQE, standard, multi-angle, and warm-start QAOA, together with
qubit-efficient PCE and QRAO, on IBM Heron r1/r2 processors using resilience-level-2 mitigation. To our knowledge, this includes the first real-hardware QRAO results and the first multi-problem PCE hardware
benchmark. Across 247 method-instance combinations, we report transpiled
circuit size, hardware outcomes, and an independent-error gate-count fidelity proxy, $F_{\mathrm{est}}$. For MDKP and MIS, an empirical operating point near $F_{\mathrm{est}}\approx 0.1$, corresponding to about 770 two-
qubit gates at the median Heron-r2 CZ error rate, marks the onset of noise-dominated execution. QAP exposes a separate bottleneck: dense one-hot encodings and an exponentially sparse feasible
manifold, with feasible fraction $10!/2^{100}$ at $n=10$; no tested hardware method produces a feasible assignment. Compiled QAOA-family
circuits are generally noise dominated, and a matched uniform-random control shows that most feasible low-fidelity outcomes fall within the random range, apart from one finite-sample MIS warm-start exception. A SWAP-aware, fractional-gate, Nighthawk-
topology compilation counterfactual reduces two-
qubit counts but leaves all
circuits below $F_{\mathrm{est}}=10^{-3}$. These conclusions apply to the tested implementations rather than QAOA in general.
Qubit-efficient methods extend runnable instance sizes, but only within the empirical fidelity budget.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)
Thermal Dilepton Polarization under Rotation or Magnetic Field in Heavy-ion Collisions
Haowen He, Bowen Hou, Xinyang Wang et al. (+1 more)
Dilepton (Virtual
photon) polarization is characterized by anisotropic coefficients $\lambda_{\theta}$, $\lambda_{\phi}$, and $\lambda_{\theta\phi}$, which are expected to be influenced by vorticity and
magnetic fields. This work investigates thermal dilepton production in a
quark-
gluon plasma via the
quark-antiquark annihilation process $q\bar{q} \to \gamma^* \to l^+l^-$. Virtual
photon polarization can be induced by both the
spin polarization of
quarks and the anisotropy of their momentum distribution in the medium. By employing the modified
quark propagator under an external field, we derive the electromagnetic spectral function in a hot medium. Based on the
spin-projection decomposition of the spectral function, the
spin density
matrix elements of the virtual
photon and the anisotropy coefficients for the emitted dileptons are determined. Due to the distinct effects of vorticity and
magnetic fields on the
quark propagator, the resulting invariant mass spectra of dilepton polarization exhibit characteristic differences. Furthermore, our study reveals the response of dilepton polarization signals to external fields of varying strengths, suggesting dilepton polarization as a complementary and sensitive probe for both vorticity and
magnetic fields in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.
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All authors Haowen He, Bowen Hou, Xinyang Wang, Minghua Wei
Physics and Society · Cross-listed from cs.AI
Reproducing human biases in route choice using large language models: Toward scalable behavioral modeling
Jiangtao Han, Shoufeng Ma, Shuxian Xu et al. (+4 more)
Human choice behavior, including route choice, exhibits systematic behavioral biases that deviate from the assumptions of full rationality. Cumulative prospect theory (CPT) has been widely recognized as an effective framework for characterizing such behavioral patterns. However, its large-scale application, particularly in simulation and
agent-based modeling, critically depends on specifying individual-level CPT parameters, which remain a major bottleneck. Conventional approaches typically rely on surveys and controlled experiments to calibrate CPT parameters, yet these methods are difficult to generalize and often fail to capture the full diversity of human decision-making. To address this challenge, this paper investigates whether large
language models (LLMs) can reproduce human behavioral biases in choice-making without explicit specification of prospect-theoretic parameters. Using route choice as a representative scenario, we design a behavioral evaluation framework and systematically compare LLM-generated decisions with established human behavioral patterns predicted by CPT. Experimental results demonstrate that LLMs are capable of reproducing non-rational human choice biases and can exhibit decision behaviors consistent with prospect-theoretic effects under uncertainty. These findings suggest that generative AI models may provide a scalable alternative for modeling human decision processes and offer a promising foundation for next-generation large-scale
agent-based simulation and AI-driven behavioral research.
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All authors Jiangtao Han, Shoufeng Ma, Shuxian Xu, Geng Li, Shuai Ling, Ning Jia, Zhengbing He
Lattice Field Theory
Heng-Tong Ding, José Javier Hernández Hernández and Dan Zhang
We study
chiral symmetry and singlet $U(1)_A$
symmetry in QCD in a background
magnetic field using
lattice QCD. We first clarify the neutral-sector
symmetry structure in a pure
magnetic background, where the unequal electric charges of the light
quarks explicitly reduce the non-singlet
flavor symmetry. We identify the neutral-pion–sigma susceptibility difference, $\chi_{\pi^0}-\chi_\sigma$, as the
chiral-partner splitting associated with the surviving neutral non-singlet axial
symmetry, and the neutral-pion–delta susceptibility difference, $\chi_{\pi^0}-\chi_{\delta^0}$, as the singlet $U(1)_A$ partner splitting. We also discuss the disconnected contribution to the neutral-pion susceptibility and its continuum constraint. Numerical results are obtained on fixed-scale $(2+1)$-
flavor HISQ ensembles with $m_l=m_s^{\rm phys}/10$, corresponding to a pion mass of about $220~{\rm MeV}$ at vanishing
magnetic field. We find that the neutral
chiral-partner splitting increases with the
magnetic field strength $eB$ at low temperature and decreases at sufficiently large $eB$ near the crossover, providing susceptibility-splitting counterparts of
magnetic catalysis and inverse
magnetic catalysis, respectively. The singlet $U(1)_A$ partner splitting shows an analogous low-temperature enhancement and large-field suppression near the crossover, with the suppression setting in at larger $eB$ and remaining milder than in the
chiral channel. These results provide a first
lattice-QCD study of neutral-sector probes of
chiral and singlet $U(1)_A$ partner susceptibility splittings in background
magnetic fields.
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Soft Condensed Matter
Photoconductive nonpolar liquids based on azobenzene
Carlo Rigoni, Promeet K. Saha, Jinyu Sheng et al. (+1 more)
The weakly conductive properties of mixtures of organic surfactants in nonpolar
liquids are fundamental to many electrohydrodynamic phenomena and underpin several cutting-edge technologies, particularly the development of electrophoretic displays. To date, tuning the electrical properties of these systems has involved modifying their composition, including surfactant type and concentration, water content, and the carrier
liquid, all of which influence their behavior. Here, we use photoresponsive molecules to control electric phenomena in nonpolar
liquids externally with light irradiation, thereby rendering them photoconductive. In particular, we examine azobenzene solutions in toluene, whose conductivity can be adjusted by two colors of light: UV induces trans to cis isomerization, leading to an increase in conductivity, while blue light triggers cis to trans back-isomerization, decreasing conductivity. The findings of this study suggest new ways to expand the applications of weakly conductive organic fluids, such as in self-regulating devices that respond to sunlight or in externally programmable displays.
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All authors Carlo Rigoni, Promeet K. Saha, Jinyu Sheng, Rafal Klajn
High Energy Physics (Theory)
Bethe Ansatz without Nesting
Gleb Arutyunov, Hrachya Babujian and Minghao Gao
We develop a non-nested Bethe ansatz description of rational $\mathfrak{gl}_\ell$
spin chains in the vector representation. Starting from the
quantum spectral curve and the separation-of-variables framework, we derive closed systems of Bethe equations involving only the momentum-carrying Bethe roots. The construction is worked out explicitly for the $\mathfrak{gl}_3$ and $\mathfrak{gl}_4$
spin chains and then generalized to arbitrary rank. A central result of this work is the identification of a recursive hierarchy associated with the fundamental transfer
matrices. The hierarchy is generated by regularity conditions of the lower transfer
matrices and closes through a universal rank-$\ell$ equation $\mathcal{R}_{\ell}=0$. This equation replaces the final level of the conventional nested Bethe ansatz and eliminates all auxiliary Bethe roots. Consequently, the complete spectral data of an eigenstate are encoded solely in the first Baxter
polynomial $Q_{1}(u)$. We further obtain explicit expressions for the
eigenvalues of all fundamental transfer
matrices in terms of the momentum-carrying roots alone. The resulting formulation provides a compact characterization of the spectrum of rational $\mathfrak{gl}_\ell$
spin chains and reveals a direct connection between the
quantum spectral curve, transfer-
matrix fusion relations, and a truncated $Q$-system underlying the non-nested description. Finally, we investigate the quasi-classical (Gaudin) limit of the non-nested Bethe equations. For the $\mathfrak{gl}_3$
spin chain, we show that the leading non-trivial contribution gives rise to Gaudin equations whose pole-free form naturally defines a scalar third-order $\mathfrak{gl}_3$ oper.
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Optics
The Dielectric Bowtie Effect: Classical Electromagnetic Edge Singularities in Subwavelength Cavities
Valdemar Bille-Lauridsen and Jesper Mørk
Dielectric bowtie nanocavities can concentrate light into subwavelength regions without the ohmic losses of plasmonic metals. We show that this enhancement is the finite-geometry realization of a classical electromagnetic edge singularity. Unlike an isolated dielectric wedge, the scaling in a bowtie is governed by an exponent determined by a collective four-sector singularity. In a finite structure, this scale-free singular field is regularized by the gap size, while the bowtie length sets the outer scale. The tip radius, gap, and bowtie length therefore play distinct physical roles:
curvature cuts off the local wedge singularity, the gap cuts off the collective bowtie singularity, and the outer length sets the range over which the field can build up. Electrostatic simulations confirm the predicted scaling laws, while three-dimensional quasinormal-mode simulations show how the same near-field mechanism is accessed and limited by realistic dielectric nanocavities.
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High Energy Physics (Theory)
Multi-rotating black holes with non-aligned angular momenta in 5D Kaluza-Klein theory
Shinya Tomizawa, Hideo Furugori, Jun-ichi Sakamoto et al. (+1 more)
We present an exact solution describing multi-rotating black holes in 4D Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory, which can be obtained from 5D Kaluza–Klein theory via dimensional reduction. The solution represents a multi-centered configuration of rotating black holes carrying both electric and
magnetic charges, with each black hole possessing a non-aligned angular momentum. This work generalizes our previous solution for black holes with aligned angular momenta to the more general case of non-aligned angular momenta. It includes, as special cases, the Majumdar–Papapetrou solution, the recent multi-centered rotating black hole solutions of Teo and Wan, and our previous solution with unequal electric and
magnetic charges. The resulting spacetimes are free of
curvature singularities and closed timelike curves, both on and outside the horizons, provided that the magnitude of the
spin angular momentum of each black hole remains below a certain upper bound.
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All authors Shinya Tomizawa, Hideo Furugori, Jun-ichi Sakamoto, Ryotaku Suzuki
Mathematical Physics · Cross-listed from math.PR
Phase transition for weakly interacting focusing Gibbs measures with harmonic potential
Damiano Greco and Yuzhao Wang
In this paper, we study the Gibbs measures on Euclidean spaces associated to the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with harmonic potential and critical non linearity whose coupling constant tends to 0, a question initially posed by Brydges-Slade (1996) for the $\Phi^4_2$-model on $\mathbb{T}^2$. In dimension one and in the higher dimensional cases (with radial assumption), we establish a critical threshold below which the frequency-truncated measures converge to the base Gaussian measure (possibly with a renormalized $L^2$ cut-off) while, in the supercritical regime, we prove non-convergence of the frequency-truncated measures, even up to a subsequence.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Peering through the disc of HD 98800 BaBb. Precise timing predictions for the HD 98800 AaAb occultation
S. Zúñiga-Fernández, A. Bayo, J. Olofsson et al. (+2 more)
HD 98800 is a young hierarchical quadruple system composed of the tight binaries AaAb and BaBb on a wide, highly inclined outer orbit. The B subsystem hosts a circumbinary disc in a polar configuration, and the geometry of the system offers a rare opportunity to observe the passage of the disc around BaBb in front of AaAb. We aim to update the overall orbital solution to offer precise time windows of the main occultation features by combining the orbit with the state-of-the-art knowledge of the disc's structure. We combine new and published radial-velocity measurements and multi-wavelength astrometry for the outer AB orbit and both inner subsystems, AaAb and BaBb, in a joint orbital fit. The revised solution is consistent with previous dynamical masses and improved the outer orbit, reducing the uncertainties in the period and periastron epoch by about a factor of two. It also narrows the predicted crossing-phase windows to 5–15 days at the 1{\sigma} level, improving the timing of ingress, egress, and the first cavity-crossing predictions. These results provide a more accurate timing framework for future observations of the occultation, although the predicted epochs remain model-dependent because of uncertainties in the disc structure.
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All authors S. Zúñiga-Fernández, A. Bayo, J. Olofsson, J. Ehrhardt, Á. Ribas
Quantum Physics
Moment-Structured Block Encodings of Periodic Finite-Difference Operators
Jishnu Mahmud and Rebekah Herrman
Block encoding is the standard technique for accessing
matrix data in
quantum linear-
algebra algorithms. Its implementation directly affects its subnormalization, which in turn controls the
algorithm's success probability, simulation time, and downstream costs. Explicit construction of block encodings with provably optimal subnormalization exists for only a handful of operators, with bespoke calculations used in its design. In this work, we develop a framework to block encode translation-invariant finite-difference operators on a periodic grid. These operators are the finite-difference discretizations of the constant-coefficient partial differential equations that sit at the core of scientific computing. We show that the moment order of these stencils can be used to simultaneously determine the continuum operator approximated, the vanishing order of the
Fourier symbol, and the cost of the block encoding. From there, we derive a closed-form optimality criterion as a function of the stencil coefficients, which certifies whether the construction attains the optimal subnormalization for an entire operator family, uniformly in grid size, and quantifies the gap when it does not. The framework subsumes optimal constructions for the
Laplacian operator in the literature and can be used to certify new instances at higher even orders, including the biharmonic operator. Furthermore, we derive success-probability floors parameterized by spectral properties of the operator's symbol and find explicit constants for the block encoding of the advection-
diffusion family for which no prior explicit spatial block encoding exists.
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Optics
Axion Generation in a Three-Dimensional Optical Trap
Chunyu Zhang, Xinran Fang, Lichen Peng et al. (+2 more)
The
axion is a theoretical particle that could resolve multiple fundamental problems, most notably the strong Charge-conjugation-parity-
symmetry (CP) problem in
quantum chromodynamics and the nature of dark matter.To date, however, the
axion has never been detected in any free-space experiment. In this work, we designed and constructed a
laser-based system that generates a three-dimensional, closed trapping potential field with a null central region. Owing to its spindle-like geometry, we term this configuration an optical spindle trap (OST). Along the propagation axis, the
photon population evolves in a distinct manner from the left to the right terminus of the trap: it first diminishes and then recovers to its baseline value.This behavior is analogous to the
photon axion photon conversion process sought in light shining through wall experiments(LSW)1-3, in which a measured
photon deficit would constitute evidence for
axion conversion. The
photon population was monitored with a single-
photon counter (SPC) operated well below its saturation threshold, and the observed behavior was corroborated by charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging at extremely low optical powers, thereby excluding detector artefacts as the origin of the
photon deficit.Under the constraint of energy conservation, the missing
photons are attributed to conversion into
axions that remain undetectable by both the SPC and the CCD. The underlying conversion mechanism is ascribed to
spin-coupled
axion photon interactions. This tens-of-millimeter-scale optical spindle trap thus provides a viable free-space
axion source, generated by a table-top
laser, for the study of the strong CP problem and
axion-like dark matter candidates.
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All authors Chunyu Zhang, Xinran Fang, Lichen Peng, Xuri Yao, Xiaoying Tang
Soft Condensed Matter
Precipitation-dissolution cycling drives intermittent salt creeping
Javier Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Manikuntala Mukhopadhyay, Lijun Thayyil Raju et al. (+3 more)
Salt creeping — the precipitation of salt
crystals away from an evaporating
liquid interface along surrounding surfaces — occurs across settings from geology and cultural-heritage weathering to inkjet printing and carbon sequestration. Yet why its dynamics are sometimes smooth and sometimes violently intermittent has remained unexplained. Here we investigate the confined evaporation of salt solutions from a capillary with unidirectional water loss, and show that intermittent salt creeping is driven by a cycle of precipitation and dissolution sustained entirely by
liquid transport. Time-resolved measurements reveal that each burst of
crystal growth coincides with episodic imbibition of solution into the growing salt deposit on the outer capillary surface, which couples evaporation to crystallization. Combining experiments with a minimal theoretical model, we show that the difference between the supersaturation at which
crystals nucleate and the saturation concentration at which they redissolve — the metastable zone of the salt — is sufficient to generate this cycle. The same mechanism accounts for the cases in which creeping is not intermittent: where the concentration at the capillary exit never reaches the nucleation threshold the
liquid meniscus recedes smoothly, and where it cannot subsequently fall back below saturation the deposit grows continuously, exhibiting self-amplified creeping. Our results recast salt creeping as a relaxation oscillator, and identify precipitation-dissolution cycling as a generic route to intermittency in evaporating multicomponent fluids.
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All authors Javier Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Manikuntala Mukhopadhyay, Lijun Thayyil Raju, Detlef Lohse, Jasper van der Gucht, Uddalok Sen
High Energy Physics (Experiment)
Machine Learning-Based Reconstruction for Resistive Silicon Sensors
Alexander Aoki, Gaetano Barone, Leena Diehl et al. (+13 more)
Low-Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs) and AC-coupled Low-Gain Avalanche Diodes (AC-LGADs) are promising technologies for precision timing and four-dimensional tracking. In AC-LGADs, the AC pad is coupled to the resistive n$^{+}$ layer through a dielectric layer, while the gain layer remains unsegmented. This structure provides a 100% fill factor and enables good spatial resolution with a relaxed readout pitch. The same signal-sharing mechanism that makes interpolation possible complicates the readout: charge spreads across multiple pads, the useful information can approach the electronic-noise threshold, and
matrix-inversion approaches can become computationally challenging and sensitive to off-diagonal noise. In this work, we study machine-learning-based reconstruction and compression for resistive silicon sensors. We use full-waveform information from correlated pads to regularise the reconstruction and extract spatial information beyond what is available from binary readouts or reduced-amplitude summaries. We first introduce recurrent neural network models based on LSTM layers, which provide a proof-of-concept implementation for full-waveform reconstruction and have been tested for FPGA deployment using \hls. We also study routes towards bandwidth reduction with waveform rasterisation and window-selection methods, and extend the approach beyond the first model to
topology-agnostic
transformer-based architectures that use pad coordinates as part of the input. These models are designed to support arbitrary pad counts and geometries, mitigate edge distortions, preserve approximately $10~\mu\mathrm{m}$ position resolution for $500~\mu\mathrm{m}\times500~\mu\mathrm{m}$ pitched sensors, and guide future resistive-silicon sensor designs
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All authors Alexander Aoki, Gaetano Barone, Leena Diehl, Gabriele Giacomini, Vagelis Gkougkousis, Hanshal Goyal, Rohan Kher, Daniel Li, Anna Macchiolo, Yevhenii Padnuik, Daria Senina, Samantha Sunnarborg, Jessica Tang, Alessandro Tricoli, Lixing Wang, Don C. Wong
High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)
Linearity, Nonlinearity and Universality of Regge Trajectories in Light Mesons: a Statistical Approach
S.S. Afonin
The masses of light non-strange
mesons can be parameterized as a function of the radial
quantum number $n$ and the orbital angular momentum $L$. We perform a comprehensive statistical and phenomenological comparative analysis of competing Regge-like formulas evaluated against two experimental
datasets: a
benchmark sample of 27 well-established states from the 2024 Particle Data Group (PDG) data, and an expanded sample of 85 states compiled within a recently proposed $(L,n)$-classification. Two linear Regge models for $M^2(L,n)$ are tested: one featuring distinct slopes for $L$ and $n$, $M^2(L,n)\propto an+bL$ (Model 1), and another assuming a universal slope, $M^2(L,n)\propto a(n+L)$ (Model 2). Model selection is conducted quantitatively using the Residual Sum of Squares (RSS), the adjusted RSS, the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and the
Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Within the 27
benchmark states, Model 2 is statistically disfavored. We argue, however, that this discrepancy is driven by the specific behavior of $S$-wave ($L=0$) states. Upon their exclusion, the difference in performance between the two models becomes statistically insignificant, with information criteria selecting Model 2 as the more parsimonious description. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the masses of $S$-wave states can be successfully accommodated by a physically motivated, nonlinear $L$-dependent correction. A parallel analysis of the extended 85-state
dataset, where the relative contribution of $S$-wave states is significantly smaller, reveals that Model 2 is statistically preferred, thereby restoring the Coulomb-like degeneracy in the Regge spectrum under consideration.
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Quantum Physics
Classical probabilistic realisation of quantum double-slit interference
Christof Wetterich
We demonstrate how the interference effects for a
quantum particle in the double-slit experiment can be described by classical probabilities. We investigate a classical field theory for a complex scalar field with probabilistic initial conditions. A central element are conserved charges leading to the concept of particles. These are statistical observables which describe properties of the probability distribution for field configurations. The conserved charges define subsystems for particle excitations of a
vacuum state. The classical probability distribution for the one-particle subsystem can be expressed in terms of a complex wave function. The Liouville equation for the classical probability distribution implies that the time
evolution of this wave function obeys the Schrödinger equation for a
quantum particle in a potential. The potential arises from space-dependent external fields in the otherwise relativistic classical field theory. It can be chosen arbitrarily, realizing the typical
quantum effects of interference, tunneling or discrete energy spectra.
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High Energy Physics (Phenomenology)
TRSMScans
Tania Robens, Roxana Rodriguez, Manuel Samaniego et al. (+1 more)
In this work, we propose a new scan tool that automatically calculates maximal cross section predictions for a new physics scenario with additional scalar states. While the tool is currently optimized for asymmetric production and decay processes in the form of p p -> h3 -> h1 h2, where hi denote CP even neutral scalars, in principle it can be extended to include any production and decay mode. As the code builds largely on the structure of the publicly available code ScannerS, it can in principle be extended to any other model contained within this tool. We here show first applications for a specific model, the Two-Real-Singlet Model (TRSM), and compare to publicly available results from the LHC collaborations from the previous runs. We also in detail discuss the structure of the code, including code installation, usage, as well as underlying
algorithms.
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All authors Tania Robens, Roxana Rodriguez, Manuel Samaniego, Jason Veatch
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Discovery of a symmetry-driven electronic cascade in a $d$-wave altermagnet
Zhouyi Yin, Zheng Shi, Shuxuan Zhang et al. (+9 more)
Altermagnets host
magnetic compensation together with non-relativistic
spin-split bands, a coexistence enabled by
crystal symmetry. Yet whether and how
crystal symmetry organizes collective electronic order remains largely unexplored. Here we uncover a
symmetry-driven cascade of finite-$q$ charge order in a $d$-wave altermagnet Rb$_{1-{\delta}}$V$_2$Te$_2$O, using phase-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy. A primary density-wave instability drives an initial electronic reconstruction, followed by the emergence of a nematic component and an off-axis modulation with wave vectors geometrically tied to the preceding orders. Phase-resolved spectroscopy distinguishes these components through separate contrast-inversion energies and maps out branch-selective spectral-weight redistribution within the off-axis mode. Together with doping and temperature
evolution, these observations establish a highly coordinated hierarchy of coupled density-wave instabilities, consistent with successive
symmetry lowering. This multi-component hierarchy can be well described in the Landau framework through sequential softening of the charge orders, where bilinear coupling to their compatible octupolar partners at the lower-
symmetry stages enables mutual stabilization within an intertwined charge-multipole state. Such a transparent realization of a charge-order cascade shows how altermagnetic
symmetry can extend beyond band formation to organize collective electronic order, offering a new perspective on emergent many-body states in correlated
quantum materials.
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All authors Zhouyi Yin, Zheng Shi, Shuxuan Zhang, Changchao Liu, Xingkai Cheng, Fayuan Zhang, Han-Bin Deng, Jia-Xin Yin, Chaoyu Chen, Guang-Han Cao, Junwei Liu, Yue Zhao
Fluid Dynamics · Cross-listed from cs.LG
Heuristic Learning for Active Flow Control Using Coding Agents
Paul Garnier, Jonathan Viquerat and Elie Hachem
Active flow control involves nonlinear dynamics, partial observations, and computationally expensive simulations, making controller design particularly challenging. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has emerged as a powerful framework for such problems, but its success typically relies on large numbers of simulator interactions and produces neural-network policies whose decision process often remains difficult to interpret. In this work, we investigate a different paradigm: instead of optimizing neural-network parameters, we use modern coding
agents to search directly for explicit executable feedback laws. We introduce a constrained heuristic-learning protocol in which an
agent iteratively proposes, evaluates, and revises controller implementations while interacting exclusively through the public
benchmark interface. The proposed framework is evaluated on 13 active flow-control
benchmarks spanning one, two, and three-dimensional problems and compared against the strongest available DRL baselines under identical simulation budgets. The discovered heuristic controllers match or outperform the best DRL policy in 10 of the 13 environments while remaining compact, interpretable, and directly inspectable. Beyond aggregate performance, the resulting controllers reveal physically meaningful feedback mechanisms, transfer successfully across more challenging configurations, and remain competitive under varying Reynolds and Rayleigh numbers, actuator counts, and observation sparsity. These results suggest that heuristic learning through coding
agents constitutes a credible and complementary alternative to conventional reinforcement learning, combining competitive performance with physically interpretable controller representations.
Prompts and source code are available at https://github.com/DonsetPG/fluid-heuristic-learning.
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Astrophysics of Galaxies
Can third- and fourth-order multipoles plus radial variation of iso-density ellipses explain the observed flux ratios in B1422$+$231? YES, and a lesson learned from a TNG100 lensing galaxy sample
Ruizhe Feng, Dandan Xu, Dominique Sluse et al. (+3 more)
Flux ratio anomalies in multiply-imaged
quasar lenses are a long-standing issue. Using a classical system B1422+231 as a case study, we investigate how typical non-clumpy perturbations beyond elliptical shapes – multipoles $m_3, m_4$ and radial variations in $q, \phi_q$ – can account for the observed image positions and flux ratios under different observational precisions. We extract these perturbations from a pre-selected strong-
lensing galaxy sample from the TNG100 simulation. Smooth macroscopic models (SIE+$\gamma$, EPL+$\gamma$) are then fitted to the observed image positions alone and to both positions and flux ratios, with and without including the extracted perturbations. With astrometric uncertainty of $\sigma_{p}=10$ mas, both macro-models alone can already successfully fit image positions within $3\sigma_{p}$. At $\sigma_{p}=2$ mas, however, 'astrometric anomalies' appear if smooth macro-models alone are adopted. In this case, adding the extracted perturbations can explain the anomalous image positions. When both positions and flux ratios are adopted, the SIE+$\gamma$ model family already shows 'flux ratio anomalies' at photometric uncertainty $\sigma_{f} \le 10\%$ (keeping $\sigma_{p}=10$ mas). When EPL+$\gamma$ is used, the smooth model alone can simultaneously fit both positions and flux ratios with $\sigma_{f}=10\%, 5\%$, but not with $\sigma_{f}=2\%$, where 'flux ratio anomalies' appear. Adding all four types of extracted perturbations can rescue the macro-models and explain the observed anomalous flux ratios. We present important lessons learned regarding model flexibility and degeneracy.
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All authors Ruizhe Feng, Dandan Xu, Dominique Sluse, Giulia Despali, Anowar Shajib, Cai-Na Hao
High Energy Physics (Experiment)
Study of the proccess $e^+e^-\to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0\eta$ in the c.m. energy range 1.6–2.0 GeV with the CMD-3 detector
R.R. Akhmetshin, A.N. Amirkhanov, A.V. Anisenkova et al. (+52 more)
The cross section of the process $e^+e^- \to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0\eta$ has been measured using a data sample with the integrated luminosity of 372 pb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMD-3 detector at the VEPP-2000 $e^+e^-$
collider. 6300$\pm$145 signal events have been selected in the center-of-mass energy range 1.6–2.0 GeV. The total systematic uncertainty of the cross section is about 10%. The production dynamics is dominated by the $\omega(782)\pi^0\eta$ final state with a possible small contribution of the $a_0(980)$ resonance in the $\pi^0\eta$ combination. We also observe a presence of the $\rho(770)^{\pm}$ resonance signal in the $\pi^{\pm}\pi^0$ invariant mass distribution.
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All authors R.R. Akhmetshin, A.N. Amirkhanov, A.V. Anisenkova, V.M. Aulchenkoa, N.S. Bashtovoy, E.V. Bedarev, D.E. Berkaev, A.E. Bondar, A.V. Bragin, V.S. Denisov, D.A. Epifanov, L.B. Epshteyn, A.L. Erofeev, G.V. Fedotovich, A.O. Gorkovenko, A.A. Grebenuk, S.S. Gribanov, D.N. Grigoriev, F.V. Ignatov, V.L. Ivanov, A.S. Kasaev, S.V. Karpov, V.F. Kazanin, I.A. Koop, A.A. Korobov, A.N. Kozyrev, P.P. Krokovny, A.S. Kuzmin, I.B. Logashenko, P.A. Lukin, K.Yu. Mikhailov, I.V. Obraztsov, Yu.N. Pestov, E.A. Perevedentsev, V.G. Petrochenko, N.A. Petrov, A.S. Popov, Yu.A. Rogovsky, A.A. Ruban, A.E. Ryzhenenkov, A.V. Semenov, A.I. Senchenko, V.E. Shebalin, D.N. Shemyakin, B.A. Shwartz, D.B. Shwartz, E.P. Solodov, M.V. Timoshenko, V.M. Titov, A.A. Talyshev, S.S. Tolmachev, A.I. Vorobiov, I.M. Zemlyansky, D.S. Zhadan, Yu.V. Yudin
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Robust Spin Qubit Coupler via Minimal Kitaev Chain
Jiaan Qi and Hongqi Xu
While a minimal Kitaev chain is promised to host unprotected Majorana zero modes, its role for
spin qubits is relatively underappreciated. Following recent breakthroughs in the fine control of transport behaviors, we propose to use minimal Kitaev chain as a robust coupling module between
spin qubits. Long-distance, anisotropic exchange coupling can be mediated by the Andreev bound states (ABSs) in the hybrid segment. The chemical potential of ABS gives a simple way to selectively control the coupling strength and its response to local perturbations. Moreover, this additional control degree of freedom creates a unique sweet spot, allowing both strong coupling and first-order immunity against charge noise. The protected
qubit encoded on the minimal Kitaev chain at the sweet spot is shown to boast over 200 fold improvement in decoherence time.
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Optics
Drill-bit-inspired dynamic focal fields for augmented laser materials processing
Evangelos Skoulas, Pinku Yadav, Justin Hidjam et al. (+8 more)
Laser manufacturing has advanced through increasingly precise control of power, pulse duration, repetition rate and scan trajectory, yet the spatial intensity profile of the beam is still usually fixed during light-matter interaction. This constraint limits how energy can be delivered to matter, particularly in processes where melt flow, material removal and surface morphology evolve on comparable time and length scales. Here we introduce drill-bit-inspired
laser beams that convert the focal intensity distribution from a passive, static spot into an active, programmable processing tool. By combining cylindrical vector beams with rotational vectorial polarization filtering, we create a near diffraction limited two lobe Hermite-Gaussian focus that continuously
spins about the propagation axis and can be reconfigured on demand. We establish two operating regimes, dynamic beam spinning and instantaneous beam-profile shifting, and derive closed-form descriptions of the accumulated fluence and effective pulse number governed by the along-scan pitch l = u/f, where u is the scan speed and f is the
spin frequency. Across continuous-wave and ultrashort-pulse regimes, this dynamic energy deposition enables low-power metal machining with drilling efficiencies about four times higher than static Gaussian, enhances convective melt flow, promotes pore resorption and reduces retained porosity in keyhole welding, as visualized by in situ X-ray imaging, and turns simple linear scans into programmable surface textures. These results show that dynamic focal-profile control can extend
laser processing beyond static beam shaping, opening a broadly applicable route to programmable energy deposition in manufacturing.
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All authors Evangelos Skoulas, Pinku Yadav, Justin Hidjam, Aurelien Woher, Rainer Kling, Beat Neuenschwander, Alexander Rack, Xavier Maeder, Patrik Hoffmann, Elia Iseli, Sergey Shevchik
Materials Science
Synthesis of Ti2B2Clx MBenes in molten salts from theoretical and experimental perspectives
Rodrigo M. Ronchi, Emile Defoy, Andrejs Petruhins et al. (+11 more)
The unique properties and application possibilities of two-dimensional (2D) materials motivates the exploration of different nanolaminated compounds. Here, by using a molten salt approach, we selectively etch Ti2InB2 with ZnCl2 to produce a multilayer (ml) Ti2B2Clx MBene. Scanning transmission electron microscopy, in combination with energy dispersive X-ray, and electron energy loss spectroscopies show that In atoms are completely removed from the precursor upon etching, being replaced by chlorine surface terminations with a coverage 1.1 < x < 1.4. Further, in situ X-ray diffraction indicates a direct biphasic transformation from Ti2InB2 to ml-MBene, with no signs of intermediate phase formation. A computational framework based on density functional theory further corroborates these experimental observations by showing a negative reaction free energy for the formation of ml-MBene, favourable over all competing processes. In addition, A-element substitution into to the 3D Ti2ZnB2 phase is predicted to be endergonic, consistent with the absence of experimental evidence for its formation. Initial Li-ion battery performance evaluation showed a stable discharge capacity similar or better than MAX phases and other borides. Altogether, the theoretical framework combined with materials synthesis and characterization provides a general approach for 2D materials development, for further expansion of the family of 2D materials.
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All authors Rodrigo M. Ronchi, Emile Defoy, Andrejs Petruhins, Justinas Palisaitis, Lianghao Yu, Lan Tang, Solenn Reguer, Dominique Thiaudière, Ningjun Chen, Durga Sankar Vavilapalli, David Portehault, Jonas Björk, Per O. Å. Persson, Johanna Rosen