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Tuesday 18 August

Astrophysics of Galaxies

The VariableTNG project: how baryonic mechanisms shape galaxy properties

We use 50 Sobol-sampled VariableTNG simulations, varying eight subgrid parameters at fixed cosmology and initial conditions, to determine which baryonic processes regulate galaxies and black holes at $z=6$ and $z=8$. We compare the simulations with recent high-redshift measurements of the stellar mass function, star-forming main sequence, stellar and gas-phase mass-metallicity relations, stellar mass-size relation, and black-hole host and accretion properties. The simulations reproduce several broad trends in these observables, although differences remain in gas-phase metallicity, galaxy size, and the most extreme black-hole populations. Given the substantial uncertainties in both the physical modelling and the observational inference of high-redshift galaxy properties, we regard these differences as diagnostic tensions rather than definitive model failures. Random-forest analyses reveal a clear hierarchy in parameter sensitivity. The abundance of low-mass galaxies is regulated primarily by stellar feedback, particularly the supernova temperature $T_{\mathrm{SN}}$ and thermal wind fraction $\tau_{\mathrm{w}}$, whereas the sensitivity of the scatter in the star-forming main sequence is weaker and redshift dependent. The high-accretion tail of black-hole growth depends on black-hole seeding and feedback parameters, but also on $T_{\mathrm{SN}}$, suggesting that stellar feedback indirectly regulates rapid black-hole growth through its impact on the available gas supply. Although cosmic variance can obscure these intrinsic responses in independent small volumes, our controlled experiment identifies stellar feedback as a common physical link between early low-mass galaxy formation and rapid black-hole growth.
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All authors Kexin Liu, Hong Guo, Luis C. Ho, Tao Wang, Yikai Liu, Volker Springel

Mathematical Physics

Cohomology for solutions of polygon equations

Polygon equations form a family of equations generalizing the pentagon equation. In this paper, we construct semi-simplicial sets of permitted colorings associated with set-theoretic solutions of polygon equations and use them to define the corresponding (co)homology groups. We investigate several properties of these groups and establish an equivalence of categories between set-theoretic solutions of polygon equations and higher Segal semi-simplicial sets satisfying certain conditions. As a special case, our result recovers the correspondence between bijective set-theoretic solutions of the pentagon equation and $2$-Segal semi-simplicial sets proved by Dyckerhoff–Kapranov.
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Mathematical Physics · Cross-listed from eess.SY

Nonadaptive Learning in Robust Nonlinear Output Regulation

This paper considers robust nonadaptive regulation for general nonlinear systems in an output-feedback setting with arbitrarily high relative degree. We develop a nonadaptive design that combines an input-driven filter and a generic internal model with a recursive backstepping law, thereby recasting the regulation problem as the robust input-to-state stabilization of an augmented error system. Unlike adaptive schemes, the proposed method does not rely on linearly parameterized regressors and does not require the construction of Lyapunov functions having merely nonpositive derivatives. Under standard assumptions on the exosystem, including purely imaginary and simple eigenvalues, together with a minimum-phase input-to-state stability condition on the internal dynamics, we establish global asymptotic regulation and derive explicit, verifiable inequalities for selecting the design gains. The resulting nonadaptive framework guarantees convergence of the estimation and tracking errors even when the controlled-system dynamics are complex or only partially known. The effectiveness of the theoretical results is demonstrated using a benchmark controlled Duffing system.
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Chemical Physics

Implementation Possibility of Quantum Simulation for Quantum Molecular Dynamics

In this work, we explore the implementation possibility of quantum simulation for quantum molecular dynamics, in particular for reaction dynamics, though several implementations have already reported through quantum-classical mixed simulations (Acc. Chem. Res. 54 (2021), 4229 and J. Phys. Chem. Lett. xx (2026), XXXX). To analyze this aspect, we examine (1) the conjugacy relation between quantum simulator and the target molecular system, (2) the wave function correspondence in quantum algorithm and classical algorithm for multi-dimensional dynamics, (3) problems arisen from real-valued classical algorithms, and finally (4) geometric phase arisen from the separation among the degrees of freedom (DOFs). As is well known, the aforementioned first and second points play fundamental roles in quantum simulation of quantum many-body systems, and the third and fourth points are theoretical issues that might introduce problems in classical and quantum computing. In this work, we mainly focus on the third and fourth points by analysis of the first two points by reviewing previously reported quantum-classical mixed implementations of quantum simulation. We also consider gauge freedom in high-dimensional quantum molecular dynamics that has been introduced recently, and then discuss possibility of advantages and disadvantages of quantum simulation for molecular reaction dynamics.
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All authors Xingyu Zhang, Weijia Guo, Jinke Yu, Qingyong Meng

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: corgisim - a simulation suite for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument

NASA's Roman Space Telescope will feature a pathfinder Coronagraph Instrument to demonstrate advanced high-contrast imaging from space, paving the way for future missions like the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The Coronagraph Instrument could obtain imaging, polarimetry and spectroscopy of Jupiter analogs in reflected visible light for the first time. We present the development of an open-source simulation package “corgisim” as part of the Roman Coronagraph Community Participate Program. Built on established optical propagation libraries including PROPER and CGISim, corgisim provides a user-friendly, publicly available Python framework for end-to-end simulations of the Coronagraph Instrument observations. The package produces high-fidelity, format-compliant data for pre-launch calibration, pipeline testing, and community applications such as target selection and observation planning. We will give an overview of corgisim's infrastructure, functionalities, and current implementation across planned imaging, polarimetry, and spectroscopy modes, including the ability to simulate host stars, injected companions, and extended disks. We will also highlight suitable applications of corgisim and provide guidance on how users can access and employ the software.
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All authors Jingwen Zhang, Sophie Noiret, Maxwell A. Millar Blanchaer, Jason Wang, Alexis Lau, Neil Zimmerman, Jessica Gersh-Range, Eric Shen, Kevin Ludwick, Taichi Uyama, Chen Xie, Vanessa P. Bailey, John Krist, Elodie Choquet, Julien Girard, Alexis Bidot, Arthur Vigan

Quantum Physics

Low-Depth and Noise-Resilient Quantum State Preparation for Partial Differential Equations via Virtual Rz

Preparing smooth real-amplitude quantum states is a key subroutine in quantum solvers for dissipative PDEs, such as LCHS, where discretized positive weights must be encoded into amplitudes. Exact state-preparation decompositions can reach unit fidelity ideally, but their two-qubit depth grows quickly and causes severe fidelity loss on NISQ hardware. We propose a low-depth, hardware-aware variational ansatz tailored to smooth, weakly entangled, near-real target distributions typical of damped PDE dynamics. The circuit uses one layer of local Ry rotations to generate real amplitudes, a nearest-neighbor CZ entangling layer to introduce limited entanglement, and additional Rz rotations implemented virtually as frame updates. Virtual Rz operations add no physical pulses and do not increase circuit duration, providing extra degrees of freedom without enlarging the gate footprint; in simulation they are treated as ideal to isolate their benefit. From a tensor-network viewpoint, the alternating structure restricts the state to a low-bond-dimension MPS, matching the target smoothness (for 3 qubits, bond dimension <= 2). We optimize parameters with COBYLA to minimize infidelity and benchmark against exact state preparation (Qiskit) and a RealAmplitudes (CZ) baseline. Under depolarizing noise representative of NISQ and early fault-tolerant regimes, the proposed single-layer circuit achieves high ideal fidelity with O(n) depth and substantially higher noisy fidelity than deeper exact constructions. In coherent-noise sweeps, virtual Rz parameters absorb systematic phase errors and axis mismatch, maintaining near-unity fidelity over a wide error range. These results indicate that virtual-Rz-enabled, low-depth circuits provide a practical, noise-resilient state-preparation primitive for PDE solvers on NISQ and early FTQC hardware.
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High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

AT 2020afjz (TSS2020a): The First Fast Extragalactic Transient Discovered by TESS

We report the discovery of AT 2020afjz (TSS2020a): the first hour-scale extragalactic transient discovered in optical wavelengths whose complete evolution – from explosion onset to decay – is temporally resolved, and the first such transient discovered by TESS. AT 2020afjz was identified as a $>10\sigma$ detection in the pilot HiLaTS program run within the TESSELLATE Sky Survey, which blindly searches for transient phenomena in TESS data with the TESSELLATE pipeline. Through cross-matching with legacy imaging, we associate it with DES J042144.37$-$383311.3, a member of an interacting galaxy pair at $z_{\rm phot}=0.67^{+0.07}_{-0.10}$. While AT 2020afjz is similar in duration and brightness to GRB afterglows, it exhibits a slow rise time of $\sim1$ hr and lasts for only 2.4 hr above the half-max brightness; modeling the TESS light curve with VegasAfterglow finds that it is best described as either an on-axis "dirty-fireball" or off-axis orphan afterglow. Each of these rare classifications hinge upon a non-detection at gamma-ray energies, but as Fermi-GBM was Earth-occulted at the time of explosion, AT 2020afjz's gamma-quiet nature cannot be definitively confirmed. Regardless, AT 2020afjz demonstrates TESS's power to discover fast extragalactic transients, and heralds a new population awaiting discovery with TESSELLATE.
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All authors Ryan Ridden-Harper, Hugh Roxburgh, Clarinda Montilla, Lancia Hubley, James Freeburn, Brayden Leicester, Andrew Moore, Zachary G. Lane, Jaime Luisi, Koji Shukawa, Armin Rest, Jeff Cooke, Michele T. Bannister, Lilly Fox, Tait Keller, Qinan Wang

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Surface gravity wave on a neutron star ocean trapped around a magnetic pole

A warm neutron star is expected to have a fluid "ocean" of heavy elements at its outermost part of the outer crust. As is on the terrestrial ocean, the neutron star ocean also has surface gravity waves. Around a magnetic pole of a star, the ocean may have a dip due to the strong magnetic pressure coming into play in the hydrostatic balance of the ocean. The dip enables the surface gravity wave to be trapped around the magnetic pole to form eigenmodes. The frequency of the mode is much lower than the dynamical frequency at the stellar surface, owing to the weak Coriolis force and the gradient in the ocean's depth that makes the eigenmodes present. We solve the equation of surface gravity waves in the local $\beta$-plane approximation and obtain the spectrum of discrete eigenmodes. We see that there are no axisymmetric modes and that the mode frequency decreases and asymptotes to zero as the number of nodes of the corresponding eigenfunction increases. This is reminiscent of the g-modes in the context of asteroseismology. Observations of X-ray binaries containing neutron stars reveal that some of the systems exhibit low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) whose frequency is $1-10^3$mHz. We investigate whether the eigenmodes considered here may explain the low-frequency QPO spectrum. It is suggested that some of the QPOs in the system whose neutron star spins at the period less than $10$s may be consistent with the model. As far as the spin period is larger than $10$s, the eigenmode frequencies are too low to explain the observed QPOs.
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Quantum Physics

Gaussian Optimality of Energy-Constrained One-Shot Communication through Single-Mode Bosonic Gaussian Channels

We prove Gaussian optimality for the energy-constrained one-shot Holevo capacity of single-mode bosonic Gaussian channels, including phase-sensitive channels with arbitrarily squeezed thermal noise. The unresolved regime is the low energy branch, where the Gaussian optimizer modulates only one quadrature and minimum-output-entropy arguments cannot decouple the average state from the letters. For pure one-mode dilations we retain a stronger pointwise result: moment-matched Gaussianization improves the fixed average Holevo function for every input. For mixed environments, whose purification produces a 1:2 entanglement-of-formation problem, we avoid any generic 1:2 Gaussian extremality conjecture. The optimal Gaussian letter selects an effective environmental Schmidt mode and an affine two-mode EPR witness. Its null direction is exactly the modulated quadrature, while its slope equals the negative derivative of the Gaussian letter-output entropy. This produces a supporting lower bound on the dilated entanglement of formation; Gaussian maximum entropy and concavity then give a global upper bound tangent at the Gaussian optimizer. Consequently the known Gaussian formulas for attenuating, amplifying, phase-conjugating, and additive-noise fiducial channels are exact over unrestricted ensembles at every input energy. Via the passive-input fiducial decomposition and energy-constrained continuity, the result extends to every single-mode Gaussian channel, including lower-rank canonical limits. No additivity across channel uses is assumed.
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Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics

Zero Point Density Fluctuations and Electron Brownian Motion

The fluctuations in the phonon vacuum state can lead to zero point density fluctuations in a material, which in turn lead to local zero point fluctuations of the dielectric properties of the material. We argue that the density fluctuations lead to a fluctuating force on a test charge, such as an electron, located a short distance outside of the material. This force is due to fluctuating dipole moments inside the material, and produces Brownian motion of the electron. We calculate the mean squared velocity of the electron in both the normal and transverse direction relative to the boundary of the material. The result is nonzero in both directions, but larger in the normal case. We estimate the magnitude of this quantum Brownian motion and find that, in some cases, it can exceed the effects of both thermal motion and quantum momentum uncertainty. This suggests that the effect may be observable, and could constitute a source of quantum noise in nanoscale devices. It also potentially offers a means to remotely sense zero point density fluctuations in a material.
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Statistical Mechanics

Incidence-based random walks on simplicial complexes

We introduce an incidence-based random walk on the edges of a random two-dimensional simplicial complex with a complete $1$-skeleton and independently retained triangular faces. The dynamics combine two transport channels, one mediated by vertices and the other by triangular faces, through an effective transition operator controlled by a mixing parameter $q$. This construction isolates the effects of higher-order connectivity without modifying the underlying pairwise support of the walk. We characterize the model through structural observables, spectral relaxation, stationary localization, and first-passage transport. Our results show that partial face retention generates heterogeneous higher-order connectivity, giving rise to a pronounced transport bottleneck at intermediate face densities. In this regime, the second-largest eigenvalue modulus, the inverse participation ratio of the stationary distribution, and the mean first-passage time all exhibit non-monotonic behavior, reaching their largest values at intermediate face densities. The corresponding first-passage-time distributions reveal an enhanced probability of unusually long trajectories. Together, these results establish a simple framework for investigating how heterogeneous higher-order connectivity reshapes spectral and transport properties beyond pairwise network dynamics.
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Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

JWST-MIRI's multi-dimensional view of mass loss in the irradiated disks of NGC 1977

The evolution of protoplanetary disks, and consequently the outcomes of planet formation, are thought to be significantly altered in regions containing massive stars. Extreme cases in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) demonstrate the impact of external irradiation (FUV$\gtrsim10^{4}$ G$_{0}$) on disk evolution, but intermediate environments remain less observationally constrained. We present JWST/MIRI Medium Resolution Spectroscopy (MRS) observations of seven proplyds in NGC 1977 exposed to an external FUV field of $10^{3}-10^{5}$ G$_{0}$ from the B1V star 42 Orionis (42 Ori). We characterize emission from molecular (H$_{2}$) and atomic (e.g., [Ne II], [Ar II], HI) species, and in some cases, MIRI reveals extended emission tracing the proplyd ionization front and wind. The closest disk to 42 Ori, KCFF#1, is undergoing extreme mass loss, traced by a 1000s-of-au-long dusty tail, and lacks clear H$_{2}$ or HI emission, indicating an advanced stage of dispersal. The remaining six disks exhibit two-temperature components of H$_{2}$ emission (500–700 K and 1000–1500 K), likely tracing the disk molecular layer and a photoevaporative wind, alongside HI lines which are used to estimate mass accretion rates. When comparing KCFF#2 and #6, which have similar host stars, KCFF#2 (closer to 42 Ori) is dominated by externally driven mass loss, with extended molecular and atomic emission, whereas KCFF#6 only shows extended H$_{2}$ emission, with roughly equal contributions from accretion and external mass loss. While the sample is small, this work demonstrates how JWST/MIRI can assess environmental impacts on disk evolution, with NGC 1977 bridging strongly irradiated disks in the ONC and the more local population.
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All authors Alice S. Booth, Qijia Zhou, Jinyoung Serena Kim, Karin Öberg, Jenny Calahan, Klaus Pontoppidan, Thomas J. Haworth, Ilaria Pascucci, Ryan Boyden, Mayank Narang, Karina Maucó, Aditya M. Arabhavi, Nicholas Ballering

Materials Science

Windmill Spin Dynamics and Its Induced Anomalous Hall Effect in Noncollinear Antiferromagnet Mn3Sn

We demonstrate that the spin dynamics of the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn hosts a soft eigenmode that transitions from small-angle oscillation to a large-angle, chiral windmill precession once the canting angle exceeds a threshold set by the bending of the spin order. This windmill precession has a fixed chirality of motion, which couples to conduction electrons via a Berry connection polarizability in the mixed space of momentum and spin order, generating a nonzero Berry curvature. This Berry curvature produces a time-independent, DC anomalous Hall effect that persists throughout windmill precession, in sharp contrast to the vanishing Hall response of the static equilibrium spin order when the Hall plane coincides with the Kagome plane. Our results establish a direct link between spin group symmetry, nonlinear spin dynamics, and quantum geometric transport in noncollinear antiferromagnets.
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Mathematical Physics

Romanovski polynomials, Gegenbauer connections, and $\mathrm{su}(1,1)$ ladder structures

We study the monic Romanovski (pseudo-Jacobi) polynomials with degree dependent parameters $\beta_K=-K$ and $\alpha_K=c/(K+1)$. We write out the parameter preserving first order ladder relations at fixed $(\alpha,\beta)$, with real constants. Combining them returns the three-term recurrence; iterating them builds $R_n^{\alpha,\beta}$ from the constant polynomial. We solve in triangular form the connection problem with the $\alpha=0$ family, identified with the Gegenbauer polynomials, and transfer the ladder relations to the $(n,\ell)$ lattice. Under $x=\cot\chi$ the in-level operators depend on $\ell$ alone. The dressed functions carry intrinsic lowest weight $\mathrm{su}(1,1)$ modules along columns of fixed $\ell$; rows need a boundary prescription and a rescaling. The deformed functions carry the same modules through higher order operators, which yield relations between Romanovski polynomials with different parameter pairs. Algebraically the family lies in the Jacobi class, and we indicate throughout which statements are inherited from that framework by transformation or specialization and which are not.
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Quantum Physics

Dynamical protection of quantum steering and fidelity dynamics in the double Jaynes-Cummings model

We investigate the dynamics of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering in a double Jaynes-Cummings model, where two initially entangled spatially separated two-level atoms in two cavities interact with independent cavity modes. We study how the intrinsic noise in an initial Werner-type state affects the steering dynamics in this type of quantum optical system. We also analyze the evolution of steering under experimentally relevant conditions, including atom-cavity detuning and dipole-dipole interactions. We find that both detuning and dipole-dipole coupling help reduce steering sudden death in the system. We further identify a direct correlation between steering and state fidelity, revealing a threshold below which steering disappears. This suggests that fidelity may serve as a practical indicator of steerability in cavity QED systems. Our results provide insight into the controllability and robustness of non-classical correlations in realistic light-matter platforms.
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Monday 17 August

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

A Sub-Parsec Origin for Rapid Accretion-State Transitions in Radio-Loud AGN

I investigate the physical origin and timescale of accretion-state transitions in radio-loud active galactic nuclei, focusing on the evolution from FRII high-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs) to FRII low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) within the framework of Garofalo, Evans & Sambruna (2010). I show that the required transition timescale of about 4 million yr arises naturally if the accretion rate is regulated at sub-parsec radii (about 0.1-0.3 pc), corresponding to viscous evolution at about one thousand to ten thousand R_g for black hole masses 100 million to 1 billion solar masses. These radii coincide with the broad-line region and inner dusty torus, where multiphase gas dynamics regulate the effective inward mass flux on Myr timescales. I argue that powerful FRII jet feedback heats and perturbs the surrounding medium, reducing the effective mass supply reaching the inner disk. Once the accretion rate falls below the critical threshold m_crit about 0.01, the inner flow rapidly transitions to an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Observations of molecular gas reservoirs in radio galaxies are compatible with this picture because the transition requires suppression of inward fueling rather than complete removal of cold gas. I conclude that rapid, internally driven evolution provides a physically consistent basis for the FRII HERG -> FRII LERG transition while linking radio morphology, accretion state, and cosmic evolution.
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Atomic Physics

Charge-Reversal-Based Extraction of Muonic Ions

Negative muon capture in matter is accompanied by Auger electron emission and the formation of positively charged muonic ions. This charge reversal provides a possibility for electromagnetic extraction of the products of muon capture. Here we propose a charge-reversal-based extraction scheme for muonic ions, in which negative muons are moderated and confined in a dilute gas environment before conversion, and the resulting muonic ions are subsequently accelerated and extracted by electrostatic fields. The feasibility of the concept is investigated through order-of-magnitude estimates of the competing processes, including muon moderation, muonic-ion formation, charge exchange, and acceleration in the gas medium. A magnetic-electrostatic deceleration scheme is proposed to reduce the transverse phase space of practical low-energy muon beams while retaining controlled longitudinal motion, and is directly matched to the electrostatic capture region. The analysis indicates that muonic-ion formation and extraction within the muon lifetime are not excluded by fundamental timescale constraints, although the quantitative efficiency remains uncertain because several relevant low-energy cross sections and charge-state populations are poorly constrained experimentally.
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Quantum Physics

Improved Transversal Non-Clifford Gates from Cup Products

It is a major challenge in quantum fault-tolerance to obtain low-overhead protocols for performing non-Clifford gates. In this vein, we construct quantum codes with low-weight stabilizers that support transversal (i.e. low-depth) implementations of the non-Clifford $C^{r-1}Z$ gate, for every constant $r\geq 3$. In particular, we obtain length-$n$ quantum LDPC codes (with constant-weight stabilizers) of polynomial distance $d\geq n^{(1-\epsilon)/r}$ supporting transversal $C^{r-1}Z$ gates on a close-to-linear number $k\geq n^{1-\epsilon}$ of disjoint tuples of logical qubits, for arbitrarily small $\epsilon>0$. Our construction is the first with constant-weight stabilizers that obtains $dk\gg n$, and as a consequence achieves arbitrarily small magic state overhead exponent $\gamma=\log(n/k)/\log(d)>0$. Comparable prior constructions instead required at least polylogarithmic stabilizer weight. We also show how to obtain linearly many $k=\Omega(n)$ logical $C^{r-1}Z$ gates, though with stabilizer weight and physical circuit depth $n^\epsilon$. We show that our transversal gates also support addressing (i.e. targeting) of specific logical qubits. To obtain our codes, we develop a general transformation based on cup products that maps classical codes satisfying a multiplication property to quantum codes with transversal $C^{r-1}Z$. We apply this transformation to a new family of classical Tanner codes that we construct from punctured tensor products of algebraic codes.
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Mathematical Physics · Cross-listed from math.SG

Relative Logarithmic AKSZ Descent on Joyce Generalized Corners

We study resolution-independent relative logarithmic source complexes for AKSZ-BV-BFV theory on face-oriented Joyce manifolds with generalized corners. Under the geometric hypotheses (G1)-(G3), the Dupont-Panzer-Pym total relative logarithmic complexes of admitted smooth monoidal resolutions represent $j_!\Omega_{X^\circ}^\bullet$ and carry the same compactly supported derived trace. The comparison is deliberately unfiltered: it identifies total relative cocycle classes through the common interior, but not individual resolved faces, separate BFV descendants, nonlinear mapping spaces, or absolute regularized integrals. For the intrinsic $b$-source ${}^{b}T[1]X$ we formulate the additional Stokes and transfer data needed to recover strict facewise structures. A multiplicative regularized Stokes trace system on Joyce's face category gives the presymplectic intrinsic BV-BFV identity and incidence descent. The finite datum (G4) is a linear subdivision/aggregation transfer criterion; (G5) is a separate cyclic field-level criterion for classical abelian BF theory. Neither is a general existence theorem, and no general strict multiplicative intrinsic trace is constructed here. We prove the interval contractions needed for codimension-two collars and analyze the positive real conifold through the common star refinement of its two diagonal resolutions. On an explicit finite product-Whitney logarithmic class the exceptional square satisfies (G4) after normal-face totalization, and the transferred differential is exactly the signed intrinsic incidence differential. Its finite algebraic BF dual gives a cyclic logarithmic-cellular shadow, but not the full continuum intrinsic $b$-de Rham datum (G5). General nonlinear continuum pushforward, existence of the intrinsic multiplicative trace, and loop-level logarithmic graph integrals remain open.
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Quantum Physics

Improved lower bound for the two-way-assisted quantum capacity of the bosonic thermal-loss channel

The bosonic thermal-loss channel is a fundamental model for quantum communication. This Gaussian channel models the transmission of bosonic systems subject to both loss and thermal noise. It describes many practical systems, including optical fibers, waveguides and free-space links, where background thermal noise is significant. Determining the channel's two-way-assisted quantum capacity, the maximum rate at which quantum information can be transmitted reliably through the channel with two-way classical assistance, remains an open problem. Here, we improve upon the best known lower bound for this capacity for a wide range of channel parameters. We achieve this by combining an improved qubit-bosonic distribution technique with a recently introduced technique for discovering entanglement distillation protocols.
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Statistical Mechanics

Renormalization-Group Fixed Points Not Associated with Universality Classes

Universality classes have recently been identified for self-similar solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) as consequences of repeated renormalization-group (RG) transformations that eliminate irrelevant structures. Whether all RG fixed points are associated with universality classes, however, remains unclear. We address this question by extending a recently proposed predictive RG framework to traveling-wave solutions, using the Burgers and Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equations as examples. Traveling waves can be mapped onto self-similar forms via a logarithmic transformation. Applying the predictive RG to the log-transformed governing equations yields an RG-flow analysis that reproduces shock and soliton solutions, thereby identifying traveling waves as RG fixed points and the logarithmic variable as RG-flow time. Although the predictive RG framework has shown that self-similar fixed points are associated with universality classes, we find that the present traveling-wave fixed points do not produce the irrelevant structures whose elimination normally gives rise to universality classes. This failure originates from the logarithmic representation, which renders analytic local functions of the field and its derivatives scale invariant, thereby preventing the emergence of irrelevant structures. Traveling waves thus provide explicit examples of RG fixed points without universality classes. These observations suggest that the absence of universality classes may be generic for traveling-wave RG fixed points formulated through logarithmic coordinates. The absence of universality classes suggests that information associated with initial conditions may persist asymptotically, promoting memory retention. The Burgers and KdV examples suggest that memory of initial conditions can survive RG transformations, although its form remains system dependent.
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General Physics

Constraints on Rastall gravity from current observational data

We study the cosmological features of Rastall gravity, where the covariant energy-momentum conservation is modified to $\nabla_{\mu}T^{\mu}_{\nu}=\lambda \nabla_{\nu}R$ in curved spacetime. For this purpose, we obtain the modified field equations of Rastall model to linear order of perturbations, and then inspect the evolutionary behavior of cosmological observables, chiefly the matter power spectrum and the Hubble parameter, within the context of Rastall gravity. We also compare Rastall model with cosmological probes, namely cosmic microwave background, weak lensing, supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, and redshift-space distortions data. According to our numerical results, Rastall gravity prefers lower growth of structures compared to the $\Lambda$CDM model, which indicates consistency with low-redshift large-scale structure probes. Moreover, numerical analysis reveals that Rastall gravity with a cosmological constant as the dark energy component suffers from the Hubble tension, like the $\Lambda$CDM model.
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Quantum Physics

The Pauli Probability Spectrum Carries the Pure-State Quantum Fisher Metric

How a quantum state responds to small parameter changes underlies state distinguishability, many-body response, and metrological sensitivity. The Pauli probability spectrum provides a natural description of many-body quantum states, but it is not evident how much of this response survives in the corresponding classical distribution. Here we show that, for pure states, the complete labeled Pauli distribution retains the full local metric of the pure-state manifold, reproducing the quantum Fisher metric up to a fixed normalization. This correspondence has a direct measurement realization: preparing a state together with its complex conjugate and performing pairwise Bell measurements between corresponding degrees of freedom converts the quantum response into an ordinary classical distribution without losing any of the sensitivity available in the two inputs. The readout is fixed, factorizes into local pairwise measurements even for strongly entangled many-body states, and preserves the response along all parameter directions simultaneously. We trace this correspondence to the reality of the underlying operator amplitudes and show that the same mechanism extends beyond qubits. When the correspondence fails, we identify explicitly where the missing information resides: part of the response can remain hidden in phases for identical-copy and complex-coordinate readouts, while mixed states develop transverse operator-space motion that is invisible to the Bell probabilities. These results provide a direct link between Pauli/Bell statistics, many-body response, nonstabilizerness, and quantum geometry.
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2608.21437 · 17 Aug · 26 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Substantially revised and reorganized presentation; the main results and conclusions are unchanged. The revision clarifies the physical interpretation, the role of identical copies and real-amplitude readouts, the mixed-state information-loss mechanism, limitations, and relation to previous work

General Physics

Quantum Technologies: System-Level Performance and Validation Priorities

Performance claims in quantum technology are not properties of hardware alone. They are properties of a declared task, system boundary, normalization denominator, uncertainty or security convention, and comparator. We perform a cross-domain analysis spanning quantum computing, simulation, communication, sensing, clocks, randomness generation, and their enabling technologies. The analysis changes substantive conclusions in several representative cases. For the longest direct finite-key quantum key distribution case analyzed here, the same final key gives rates differing by a factor of $1.91$ when normalized by complete acquisition rather than transmission-active time. In Advanced LIGO, $6.1\,\mathrm{dB}$ peak quantum-noise reduction coexists with a $0.534$ coincident analysis-ready fraction, separating detector-level gain from delivered observing service. In quantum computation and photonic sampling, matching the observable, error tolerance, loss model, sample count, amortization, and classical hardware moves or reverses published crossover claims. Across domains, the recurring limits are correlated error, multiplicative interface loss, thermal and nonequilibrium occupation, calibration covariance, measurement efficiency, fabrication yield, and control latency. A quantum advantage is therefore established only for a fixed task and boundary when the accepted output outperforms the best documented alternative at matched accuracy, elapsed time, availability, and lifecycle cost. The resulting framework identifies the measurements required to convert component records into reproducible system capability. Credible progress is defined by reproduced logical workloads, prospectively validated simulations, repeater links outperforming direct transmission, long-duration calibrated sensors and clocks, integrated hardware with predictable yield and reliability.
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Quantum Physics

Complex-Time Parametrization of Evanescent Tunneling and Transmission Delay in non-Hermitian Scattering

The quantum tunneling process is a fundamental concept that presents the unconventional nature of quantum dynamics. The main anomaly of this effect revolves around the choice of imposing the classical 4-momentum to become imaginary during the barrier traversal. This paper addresses this paradox by introducing a complex-time parametrization, which uses a complex temporal coordinate, $\tau = t + i\kappa$. Here, the real axis $(t)$ represents standard thermodynamic time, while the imaginary axis $(i\kappa)$ is correlated to spatial evanescence. We demonstrate that evaluating this extended complex-time framework yields a hyperbolic section of the causal lightcone, proving that the traversal is strictly bounded by the speed of light and preserves causal disconnection. Applied to quantum tunneling, we resolve the anomaly of imaginary momentum through a continuous geometric signature flip of the effective complex-time momentum norm from a timelike to a spacelike state. This theoretical model finds a physically phenomenological analogy in microwave scattering experiments using open, non-Hermitian systems, which link complex transmission time delay to spatial wave decay.
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Quantum Physics

Maximal-Rank Squeezing from Rank-One Quenches: An Exact Spectral-Reachability Theorem for Gaussian Bosonic Systems

We prove an exact spectral-reachability theorem for multimode squeezing generated by finite-rank quadratic quenches in Gaussian bosonic systems. For a stable sign-definite stiffness quench $\Omega^2 \to \Omega^2+\varepsilon U U^T$, the kernel, range, and rank of the anomalous Bogoliubov block are determined exactly by the block-Krylov subspace generated by $\Omega$ and $U$. In particular, $\operatorname{rank}(\beta_\varepsilon)=\sum_a \operatorname{rank}(P_a U)$, where $P_a$ projects onto each distinct free-frequency eigenspace. Consequently, the microscopic rank of a perturbation does not bound the number of squeezing channels it can activate: for a simple spectrum, a single rank-one element with nonzero overlap with every mode produces a full-rank anomalous Bogoliubov response at every nonzero stable coupling. A signed Lyapunov-Gramian path shows that spectrally reachable directions cannot disappear through finite-coupling cancellation. The theorem also gives exact dark sectors, degeneracy bottlenecks, and actuator-position rules without computing the full Bogoliubov transformation. These results provide a direct hardware-screening principle for multimode Gaussian systems: one or a few physical elements can provide simultaneous support across many canonical squeezing channels, although algebraic rank alone does not imply strong squeezing or independent tunability.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Testing f(R) gravity using gravitational-wave signals from binary mergers

Recently, several studies have investigated the validity of General Relativity predictions. Gravitational waves provide an ideal probe for testing the theory in the strong-field regime. In this work, we consider a class of modified-grevity theories, specifically f(R), and scrutinize their predictions for the gravitational-wave emission from the coalescence of two astrophysical compact objects. We also assess the impact of next-generation gravitational-wave detectors on the ability of test these estensions of General Relativity.
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Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

A comparative study of emergent dark energy models

Late (emergent) dark energy models that involve a hyperbolic tangent in their dynamic equations have achieved success due to their simplicity, the possibility of resolving the Hubble tension, and, in some cases their consistency with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) results. Among the most studied are the Phenomenological and General Emergent Dark Energy Models (PEDE and GEDE, respectively), the variable curvature model, and the graduated dark energy model. Our goal is to include the curvature term in the models and perform a robust comparative study using diverse data samples, in particular, Cosmic Chronometers, Type Ia supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from DESI-DR1, and Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. This study presents the Universe age, the deceleration, the $w_{eff}$ parameter reconstruction, the redshift transition, and the best fit for the free parameters of each model. Our collected evidence from Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion indicates that the best candidate is the PEDE model. Nevertheless, the variable-curvature model is the only model that exhibits a decelerated phase near $z=0$, consistent with the results from DESI.
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All authors Andrés García-Rivera, A. Hernández-Almada, Miguel A. García-Aspeitia, V. Motta

Plasma Physics

Real-time feedback control of ELM frequency using divertor gas puffing and its effects on tungsten-induced radiation and plasma performance in KSTAR

The edge-localized mode (ELM) frequency ($f_{\mathrm{ELM}}$) was successfully controlled in real time on KSTAR using a proportional-integral (PI) feedback controller, employing a $\mathrm{D}_2$ divertor gas puff as the actuator under tungsten lower-divertor conditions. The controller accurately tracked a two-step target—a 30 Hz increase in $f_{\mathrm{ELM}}$ for 4 s, followed by a 30 Hz decrease for 3 s—yielding mean and median absolute percentage errors of approximately 13% and 12%, respectively. Compared to a reference discharge, the actively controlled shot did not exhibit a significant drop in volume-integrated core radiation, confirming that excessive gas use merely degrades overall plasma performance. However, when contrasted with the exponential increase in core radiation observed in the absence of divertor gas puffing, these results underscore the critical need for real-time optimization. Specifically, divertor gas commands must be actively managed to maintain an $f_{\mathrm{ELM}}$ sufficient for flushing tungsten from the core while maximizing global plasma performance.
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All authors Minseok Kim, Young-Ho Lee, SangKyeun Kim, Minwoo Kim, Sang-hee Hahn, Hiro J. Farre-Kaga, Ricardo Shousha, Juhyeok Jang, SooHyun Son, Yoon Seong Han, Junghoo Hwang, Boseong Kim, Egemen Kolemen