Papers

A measure of correlations for statistical systems is advanced, called correlation index. The measure is general, being applicable to quantum and classical, equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical systems. After formulating the general notion of correlation indices for arbitrary trace-class operators, the calculation of the correlation indices are illustrated by several examples of density operators and reduced density matrices. The computation of the correlation indices for equilibrium systems is exemplified for bosonic systems with the Bose-Einstein condensate, superconducting systems, and for spin systems. Correlation indices for nonequilibrium systems are considered for nonlinear dynamics of spin and pseudospin systems.

In the present study, we investigate the phase diagram of strongly-interacting fermions under imaginary rotation. We employ the linear sigma model coupled to quarks in the mean field approximation. The fermion expectation values are computed in the local density approximation (LDA), using the well-known expressions derived using cylindrical modes for states under rigid rotation, at finite temperature $T$ and chemical potential $\mu$. We study the impact of the fractalization of thermodynamics on the phase diagram in the far-field limit (far from the rotation axis). We also reveal non-trivial features such as a complete inhibition of the chiral symmetry restoration on the rotation axis above a critical imaginary angular velocity. We demonstrate explicitly how the transition line interpolates between its shape on the rotation axis and in the far-field limit by studying the chiral phase transition at finite distances from the rotation axis. We also address the moment of inertia of the system and discuss differences and similarities to lattice studies of QCD matter under imaginary rotation.

Time series prediction is a common application of reservoir computing. When the training and testing time series data contains multiple dynamical regimes, because an underlying parameter is changing, or the data in fact consists of multiple distinct systems, simple application of the reservoir computing principle produces high prediction errors. Here, we propose a HyperReservoir as an extended model of reservoir computing especially designed for such cases. The HyperReservoir combines a main reservoir with a smaller context reservoir, where the latter modulates the output weights of the former. This structure resembles the hypernetworks from deep neural network literature. However, in contrast, HyperReservoirs retain the simple training via linear regression of standard reservoir computing. We compare the proposed architecture with a conventional ESN, in which context acts at the input, and a full-matrix Conceptor, in which context modulates the reservoir state space. We evaluate all three models on time-series prediction tasks based on Lorenz and Rössler systems, including for varying bifurcation parameters and time sampling scales. We find that the HyperReservoir achieves the lowest mean test error in all three tasks, and particularly outperforms conceptors on data that is sampled from the same attractor but at different time scales.

We briefly discuss recent results on the four-loop splitting functions for the scale dependence of the parton distributions of hadrons. The three non-singlet cases are now completely known. The results agree with almost all expectations, but exhibit some small-$x$ double logarithms not encountered at lower orders. The flavour-singlet cases include, as already obvious from the present partial results, analytical structures not seen in the splitting functions up to now. The numerical effects (and their uncertainties, in the singlet cases) of the four-loop contributions to the scale derivatives amount to about $1\%$ or less down to momentum fractions $x$ as low as about $10^{-4}$ at a standard benchmark point with $\alpha_{\rm s} = 0.2$, with the exception of the total valence quark distribution.

Extending reliable nowcasting of extreme precipitation could provide critical additional time for warnings and emergency response during high-impact events such as flash floods. Radar-based generative machine-learning models have enabled skilful hyperlocal precipitation nowcasting, but accurate prediction of intense precipitation remains confined to the first few hours. Because storm-scale structure is predictable for longer than individual cells, a natural strategy is to predict that structure while generatively modelling only the uncertain local growth, decay, reorganisation and initiation of storms. Here we present Microsoft Weather Nowcast (MW-Nowcast), a six-hour ensemble radar nowcasting model that jointly learns a deterministic predictor to capture organised precipitation structure shared across ensemble members, and a generator to produce diverse local residuals around this shared prediction. Across independent test data from the United States, Europe and China, MW-Nowcast achieves higher detection skill than leading methods for heavy and extreme precipitation throughout the 6 h horizon. For the most intense rainfall, MW-Nowcast doubles the available warning time across all three regions, delivering 6 h forecasts with skill previously limited to 3 h for the leading generative baseline. A cost-loss decision analysis shows that MW-Nowcast retains substantial value for a broad range of applications even at 4-6 h, where alternative methods offer little benefit. These additional hours can give forecasters and emergency managers the time to warn and act before extreme rainfall strikes, helping to protect lives and property.

We present a detailed photometric and spectroscopic analysis of Janus-11, a $z=10.7933 \pm 0.0006 $ galaxy magnified by a factor 1.6 by the galaxy cluster MACS J0416. It was observed with JWST/NIRCam as part of the PEARLS program and with JWST/NIRSpec MSA as part of the DREAMS program. It has M$_{\rm UV}=-19.78^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$, and its stellar mass of log(M*/M_sun) = 8.75 (+0.08/-0.10) places it among the most massive known $z>10$ galaxies, while its $A_V=0.54\pm0.09$ mag and UV slope of $\beta=-1.71\pm0.26$ are compatible with a red monster classification, albeit among the least obscured members of this population: this could hint at a transition from the red monster to the blue monster phase. Moreover, the [OIII]4363 detection allows for the highest-redshift metallicity measurement based on the [OIII]4363 direct method to date of $12 + \log(O/H) = 7.74^{+0.11}_{-0.10}$, together with an electron temperature of $T_e$(O$^{++}$) = $(2.1 \pm 0.2)\times10^4$ K. Its spatially resolved nature, with an effective radius of $136 \pm 9$ pc, together with the narrow FWHM of the emission lines ($\lesssim 230$ km s$^{-1}$, or $\sigma_v \lesssim 100$ km s$^{-1}$), and the lack of significant detections of high-ionization emission lines and broad components, favor an SFG classification, although an AGN contribution cannot be excluded. Janus-11 joins the small sample of spectroscopically confirmed and characterized sources at $z>10$, providing new information on massive systems with non-negligible dust attenuation and well-measured metallicity in this epoch.

It has long been believed that newborn quark stars are inefficient emitters because the quark plasma frequency is so high that it suppresses electromagnetic radiation across the entire spectrum up to energies of several tens of MeV. Here, we show that significant electromagnetic emission can instead originate from the electrosphere of a quark star, where the plasma frequency is much lower, approximately 40 keV. As a result, the cooling of a newborn quark star is expected to proceed through two distinct observational epochs. During the first epoch, blackbody radiation is emitted from the photosphere of an optically thick relativistic wind generated near the electrosphere. Over the course of a few days following the star's formation, the photospheric temperature decreases from several MeV to about 22 keV. During the second epoch, the blackbody spectrum evolves into a narrow feature centered around 40 keV, and the emission gradually fades. This spectral evolution provides a characteristic signature of the electrosphere surrounding compact astrophysical objects and may be detectable with current or future X-ray observatories.

GRB 240825A shows unprecedented temporal and spectral features that constrain the properties of its inner engine: (1) a prompt emission three-component spectrum consisting of a Band function continuum, a quasi-thermal bump, and a hard MeV tail; and (2) an X-ray afterglow fitted by a power-law decay with index $1.29 \pm 0.02$; and (3) a $6.37 \pm 0.05$ Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) identified in the 100-300 keV band during the 2.07-3.25 s time interval, coinciding with the photospheric radiation phase. We compare two central-engine candidates: (a) a newborn millisecond magnetar undergoing multipolar spin-down, free precession, and global magnetoelastic oscillations of its interior; and (b) a Kerr black hole powering a Blandford-Znajek jet subject to Lense-Thirring disk precession. In principle, both channels can reproduce the observed QPO frequency but impose different constraints on the energetics, temporal evolution, and the origin of the oscillation. We first demonstrate that the X-ray afterglow is quantitatively reproduced by a hexapolar magnetar spin-down model with an initial spin period of $P_0 \simeq 1.38$ ms and a surface field of $B_{\rm hexa} \simeq 2.04 \times 10^{16}$ G. The decay index measures a braking index rather than the field multipolarity, does not exclude a fallback-regulated flow, and leaves $P_0$ and $B_{\rm hexa}$ uncertain by a factor of a few. In this scenario, magnetic or magnetoinertial dynamics of the star interior provide a plausible explanation of the QPO without invoking extreme stellar deformations. Although a black hole engine cannot be firmly excluded, the combined prompt and afterglow observational properties of GRB 240825A favor a long-lived magnetar central engine.

The exact one-point function of Liouville theory on the real projective plane was derived long ago from the bootstrap, yet it has never been verified against a semiclassical path-integral computation. The check is less straightforward than one might expect. On the real projective plane every constant-curvature metric is positively curved, whereas classical Liouville theory produces metrics of constant negative curvature, so no real classical solution exists. Instead, as we show, the semiclassical path integral receives contributions from infinitely many complex saddles with a negative-definite metric. Once the integration contour is chosen so that the path integral converges, these saddles reproduce the exact one-point function. Complex saddles arise in the same way in timelike Liouville theory and in two-dimensional de~Sitter gravity, and the example treated here offers a rare opportunity to test their use against a known exact answer.

A near-deterministic source of non-Gaussianity is the missing piece to reach universal and fault-tolerant quantum computing with continuous-variable optics. Due to a lack of strong non-linearities, the probabilistic photon-subtracted Gaussian states remain the most promising contender. In combination with Gaussian measurements and single-mode feed-forward operations, they have been shown to provide sufficient non-Gaussianity at high rates. However, these existing breeding protocols lack the necessary loss tolerance to be experimentally feasible. In this work, we introduce a mathematical formalism based on the application of a Gaussian blur and filter on the measured Fock Wigner function to describe general photon-subtracted Gaussian states. Within our representation, the initial squeezing, Gaussian measurements, and photon loss can all be understood as contributions to the total blurring and interchanged accordingly. We find that this intuitive approach can be used to find improvements to cat, cubic phase, and GKP state generation by compromising between success rates, feed-forward compatibility, and loss tolerance. In the case of multiple photon subtractions, this is achieved by introducing a hybrid setup variant bridging the gap between protocols based on breeding and post-selection. Finally, we establish a general lower bound on the resources needed to generate a given target state near-deterministically by introducing the expected Wigner logarithmic negativity as an additive monotone of non-Gaussianity.

In this work, a comprehensive thermodynamic description of the formation of phases in amorphous SiOxNy (0 <= x <= 2, 0 <= y <= 4/3) films as a function of the film chemical composition and fabrication temperature is presented. Two possible phase states, namely homogeneous single-phase Si oxynitride and two-phase mixture of Si oxide and Si nitride phases, are analyzed in terms of the lowest values of the Gibbs free energy. The characters of the modification of the phase composition upon changing the SiOxNy stoichiometry indices and fabrication temperature are determined. Moreover, characteristic features of the chemical composition of the Si oxide and Si nitride phases in two-phase Si oxynitrides are revealed. Particular attention is given to the thermodynamic origin of the boundaries between different phase states of the SiOxNy films and to determining the critical stoichiometry values separating them. A comprehensive phase diagram indicating single- and two-phase SiOxNy regions as functions of the fabrication temperature is constructed. The peculiarities of the transitions between different SiOxNy phase states, along with underlying mechanisms, are discussed with reference to this phase diagram. The obtained results extend our understanding of the fundamental properties of Si oxynitride films and their dependence on the film fabrication conditions, and may be used for tailoring SiOxNy characteristics for practical applications.

Hybrid quantum systems combining discrete-variable (DV) and continuous-variable (CV) subsystems arise across a broad range of physical platforms and enable quantum information processing beyond purely qubit-based designs. Their classical simulation, however, is challenging since computational costs of both CV and DV systems exponentially increase. In this paper, we introduce a simulation framework for CV–DV hybrid systems based on linear combination of Gaussian (LCoG) decomposition. We decompose the hybrid density matrix into blocks in a DV basis and represent each block as an LCoG expansion. Within the representation, Gaussian operations on the bosonic subsystem independently act on each Gaussian function. We derive analytic formulas describing how complex Gaussian functions transform under controlled Gaussian operations. We further extend the framework to controlled Gaussian channels with state-dependent Gaussian noise. The method avoids a Fock-space truncation for the CV subsystem, and the cost of updating each Gaussian term scales polynomially with the number of modes. The framework provides a general computational tool for analyzing hybrid quantum algorithms, quantum simulation protocols, and non-Gaussian state generation schemes. As an example, we simulate Gottesman–Kitaev–Preskill (GKP) state generation based on a cavity-QED system.

In this paper we extend a study of the validity conditions of the separate universe approach of cosmological perturbations to models of inflation with multiple fields that are non minimally coupled to gravity. The separate universe approach effectively describes the universe as a collection of homogeneous and isotropic patches, leading to an effective description of cosmological perturbations at large scales. This approximation is a necessary step in stochastic inflation and in the $\delta \N$ formalism. We study and compare the dynamics of cosmological perturbation theory at large scales to the dynamics derived in the separate universe picture for non linear sigma models where we have allowed a non minimal coupling between the fields and gravity. We found that the separate universe approach adequately reproduces the dynamics of the large scale perturbations, provided the wavelength of the modes considered is greater than a list of lower bounds derived from the background evolution of the model we consider. These lower bounds are then compared to those derived in the classically equivalent Einstein frame description of the Jordan frame model at hand. In particular these conditions are derived and compared for a Higgs-like toy model of inflation in the large field limit.

As was shown in arXiv:2609.14497, the 2-loop $ {\rm T}^{-1}_2$ correction to the partition function of M2 brane wrapping $\mathrm{AdS}_2\times S^1$ inside $\mathrm{AdS}_4\times S^7/\mathbb{Z}_k$ vanishes. This is in agreement with the localization prediction for $\frac{1}{2}$-BPS circular Wilson loop in ABJM theory interpreted in the grand-canonical ensemble according to the conjecture of arXiv:2505.21633. Here we study the ${\rm T}^{-1}_2$ correction for the M2 brane instanton wrapping $S^3/\mathbb Z_k\subset S^7/\mathbb Z_k$ dual to the leading non-perturbative large $N$ contribution to the ABJM free energy on 3-sphere. The 1-loop instanton M2 brane partition function was shown in arXiv:2307.14112 to match the localization prediction. The 2-loop computation is complicated by the presence of bosonic and fermionic zero modes, which requires to integrate over the collective coordinates. The collective-coordinate Jacobian provides a non-trivial ${\rm T}^{-1}_2$ contribution in addition to the one of the quartic interaction vertex in the M2 brane action. We find that for $k>2$ the the quartic vertex contribution is cancelled by the Jacobian contribution for the choice of the separation of the fermionic zero modes from the quantum fields under which these form separate supermultiplets. Assuming the supersymmetric prescription for the paired zero modes we show that the cancellation persists after integration over the collective coordinates. Thus the ${\rm T}^{-1}_2$ correction vanishes, in agreement with the grand-canonical ensemble prediction. For $k=1$ the quartic vertex contribution reduces to equation-of-motion terms as in the case of ${\rm AdS}_3 \subset { \rm AdS}_7 \times S^4$ in arXiv:2511.22306 which is related to $S^3 \subset {\rm AdS}_4 \times S^7$ case by a formal analytic continuation.

The motional modes of trapped ions are promising candidates for continuous-variable (CV) quantum computation and simulation. However, to achieve a universal gate set for CV quantum computation, anharmonic nonlinear unitaries are required. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a protocol that allows us to approximate the cubic phase gate. By numerically optimizing the phase angles and amplitudes of a set of state-dependent force pulses, we demonstrate the cubic phase gate for both vacuum and low-$\alpha$ coherent state inputs and verify its performance. Our protocol can also be extended to approximate other nonlinear unitaries.

We study the localization properties of 1D and 2D tight-binding models with power-law distributed couplings by comparing the spectrum and the localization properties of the eigenmodes of the Laplacian and the adjacency matrix, using numerical diagonalization of these matrices for different system sizes and connectivities. These two matrices are relevant for different types of dynamical processes. While all eigenmodes of the adjacency matrix are localized for sufficiently large system sizes, the Laplacian matrix always leads to a small proportion of system-spanning modes due to a conservation law, and therefore to power-law tails in the probability distribution of the participation ratio and its relation to the eigenvalues. In one dimension, the exponent of these power laws change continuously with the exponent that characterizes the distribution of couplings. In two dimensions, the modes with the largest relaxation times change from system-spanning to localized when the exponent of the distribution of couplings becomes larger than 0.75. We provide phenomenological explanations for all these findings.

A compact formulation of magnetostatics is presented. Without using constitutive relations, including the aether relations, an expression is proposed for the potential energy of a region carrying a distribution of magnetic dipoles under a vector potential field, where the dipole distribution is specified by a current density potential field. Assuming that during a virtual motion of the dipole distribution the virtual work expended by the field is equal to minus the time derivative of the potential energy, an expression for the mechanical force functional is derived. In addition to the Lorentz and Kelvin force densities, the force functional contains an asymmetric active stress field, the skew-symmetric part of which is the mechanical couple density, and a pressure term.

Positron forming a bound state with molecules is an area of meticulous research and remains open to simpler techniques for estimating the binding energy. Correlation between the incoming positron and the molecular electrons plays a crucial role even for polar molecules, where binding is also possible at the static-potential level. In this work, we have used a model correlation potential, which accounts for the virtual positronium formation, in the single-center expansion scattering calculations for polar oxygen-containing molecules. The thus determined S-matrix is continued into the complex momentum plane by fitting it to the Pade approximant. The positron bound state is estimated using the calculated pole position of the S-matrix. The results, compared with the latest experimental and ab initio findings, look quite promising.

Energetic electrons dominate the energy precipitated into Jupiter's auroral regions, but protons precipitate along the same field lines, with a contribution that remains poorly constrained. We statistically compare the precipitating energy flux of protons and electrons in two of Jupiter's auroral sub-regions, the polar (PE) and main (ME) emission regions. We use Juno/JEDI data from PJ3 to PJ66. The magnetic footprint of the spacecraft, computed with the JRM33 and CON2020 field models, is assigned to one of the two sub-regions, and the precipitating energy flux of each species is obtained by integrating over the loss cone the mean differential intensity measured within it. In both sub-regions, the median proton energy flux is 52 to 223 times lower than that of the electrons, and the total precipitated proton power is less than 2% of the electron power. Proton fluxes are broadly distributed across the sub-regions, with higher values in the ME than in the PE. Protons play a secondary role in Jupiter's auroral energy budget, radiating an estimated 5 to 9 GW in the UV per sub-region, pending a dedicated proton transport modelling. Their Doppler signature in the red wing of the Lyman-$\alpha$ line, undetected by HST and difficult to access with Juno/UVS, is a key observable for the upcoming Juice and Europa Clipper missions.

Many process engineering applications hold a gas-liquid interface stationary inside a structured solid by a controlled pressure difference. Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are one such case, where the interface separates the liquid electrolyte from the gaseous reactant. Maintaining it is particularly challenging in organic electrosynthesis, where low surface tensions lower the admissible pressures throughout and small contact angles leave the electrode with little margin against flooding. Here, we quantify how the shape, wettability, and three-dimensional topology of a structured medium set this window, using phase-field simulations of the Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes equations. Each geometry is characterised by its Laplace pressure curve, which yields both the maximum admissible pressure difference and the stiffness of the interface against pressure fluctuations. For single flat orifices at constant open area, elongating the opening from an aspect ratio of one to six raises the admissible pressure difference by 40 % and the stiffness by a factor of 3.3. Comparison with slits of equal width shows that this gain originates entirely from the reduced opening width. Sheared, diamond shaped openings are markedly less effective. In woven meshes, the wettability displaces the operating window several times as far as it stretches it. A less wetting surface therefore buys flooding margin largely at the expense of breakthrough margin, whereas the geometric route, established here for flat openings, widens the window itself. From these results we derive design rules for structured gas-liquid contactors and improved GDE architectures for organic electrosynthesis.

Our study of the early stages of fragmentation in massive clumps has revealed a striking anomaly: $\sim15\%$ of the CoCoA sample exhibit no fragmentation at all. These sources could represent the initial conditions before core formation. We investigate whether these sources are indeed at the onset of core formation, and whether gravity or turbulence dominates their early fragmentation. We study the transition from uniform gas to active cluster formation, and compare contrasting predictions of turbulence- and gravity-dominated models of clump fragmentation through ALMA observations of three massive clumps spanning this phase. The fragmented source exhibits higher average $n$(H$_2$) and a core-to-envelope density contrast 5-6 times larger than the minimally fragmented sources. All sources display pc-scale velocity differences comparable to their linewidths and gravitational velocities. This suggests that the linewidth is dominated by the large-scale motions, and that the latter are driven by gravity. The high CH$_3$OH abundances and the mass build-up timescales align with astrochemical models where complex molecules form at intermediate densities before the appearance of cores. All independent diagnostics in our analysis are consistent with the minimally fragmented clumps being an early evolutionary phase, potentially marking the onset of core fragmentation. If turbulence were the primary driver of fragmentation, sources with comparable Mach numbers should exhibit similar structural properties. Instead, we observe significant variations in density contrast and fragmentation. These findings challenge turbulence-supported models and lend support to hierarchical, gravity-driven models of clump fragmentation, where large-scale ordered motions account for a significant fraction of the observed linewidths and drive the evolution of the clump toward increasingly dense and fragmented states.

The emergence of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) has paved the way for realizing strong Brillouin interactions in lithium niobate platforms, enabling new opportunities in integrated photonics. However, fully harnessing stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in TFLN for the plethora of Brillouin applications remains an exciting area of research, with significant opportunities for further exploration and technological advancement. Here, we present the first comprehensive experimental and numerical study of the surface acoustic wave (SAW)-mediated Brillouin temperature sensor on a TFLN-on-insulator chip. The proposed technique directly senses the surrounding environment via SAWs, providing an optical-power-efficient platform compatible with existing integrated photonic architectures. Exploiting the strong intermodal Brillouin interactions in x-cut TFLN waveguides, we report a high Brillouin gain of 24.8$ \pm $1.3\, m$^{-1}$W$^{-1}$ and a temperature coefficient of $-0.73$ $\pm$ 0.02\,MHz/$^\circ$C. Considering the anisotropic nature of lithium niobate, we investigate the temperature dependence of the Brillouin frequency for the propagation directions 0$^\circ$, 10$^\circ$, 20$^\circ$, 30$^\circ$ relative to the crystallographic y-axis.

A fundamental open question in hadron spectroscopy is whether the radial excitation ladder of heavy mesons terminates at a finite level once confinement is screened by light-quark pair creation. We address this question for the mixed-flavor mesons $D_s$, $B_s$, and $B_c$ by solving a screened Godfrey–Isgur Hamiltonian with the Gaussian expansion method. The screening length is fixed by threshold-dependent string breaking analysis, and is matched to the charmonium and bottomonium anchors. The calculated spectra saturate at $3.36$, $6.78$, and $8.19~{\rm GeV}$ in $D_s$, $B_s$, and $B_c$ families, while the RMS radii grow by several fm and mass gaps fall below $10~{\rm MeV}$. Mass-radius decoupling places the end of the safe radial ladder at $n_{\mathrm{safe}}\approx 4$–$6$ for $D_s$, $5$–$7$ for $B_s$, and $9$–$11$ for $B_c$, so the ladder terminates first in $D_s$, then in $B_s$, and last in $B_c$. Above the limiting-mass windows, at $3.49$, $6.86$, and $8.24~{\rm GeV}$, states of the radial ladder cannot be discovered. This termination is directly testable with forthcoming high-statistics data from BESIII, Belle II, and LHCb.

Wolf–Rayet (WR) binaries frequently display high orbital eccentricities, and their eccentricity distributions are inconsistent with that of high-mass Galactic field binaries at high significance. This raises the question of whether these eccentricities are primordial or generated during the WR phase. We test whether a tidal enhancement of the mass-loss rate can pump the eccentricity of a WR binary on a sample of 14 WR systems. We model each system as a variable-mass two-body problem and integrate the orbital evolution over the WR lifetime under three prescriptions: i) adiabatic isotropic mass loss, ii) equilibrium-tide circularization, and iii) a tidally enhanced, pericenter-focused mass loss in which the companion-facing reduction of the effective surface gravity raises the local Eddington parameter. Adiabatic mass loss can not change eccentricity and affects only the orbital separation, which increases by up to a factor of ~20. Tidal circularization is effective only in the tightest orbits, which are compatible with the observed systems only for high mass-loss rates, a regime in which any primordial eccentricity is erased. The tidally enhanced mass loss channel pumps the eccentricity by only $\leq10^{-4}$, three to four orders of magnitude below the observed values, and therefore cannot be the responsible mechanism. We conclude that the high eccentricities of WR binaries are predominantly primordial rather than generated by mass loss during the WR phase.

The Cox-Merz rule is an empirical relation between the magnitude of the complex viscosity, $\lvert\eta^*(\omega)\rvert$, obtained from linear viscoelasticity, and the steady-shear viscosity, $\eta(\dot{\gamma})$. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of coarse-grained polymer melts using the Kremer-Grest model and systematically examined the validity of the Cox-Merz rule as a function of chain length and chain stiffness for linear and ring polymers. For short chains and, more generally, for flexible chains, $\lvert\eta^*(\omega)\rvert$ and $\eta(\dot{\gamma})$ show good agreement at corresponding values of angular frequency $\omega$ and shear rate $\dot{\gamma}$. For linear polymers, however, the discrepancy between the two viscosities becomes increasingly pronounced with increasing chain length and chain stiffness, with $\lvert\eta^*(\omega)\rvert$ exceeding $\eta(\dot{\gamma})$ at high corresponding values of $\omega$ and $\dot{\gamma}$. This deviation is associated with the pronounced nonlinear response under strong steady shear, where flow-induced chain extension and alignment can modify the entanglement constraints that govern relaxation near equilibrium. In contrast, ring polymers retain substantially better agreement between $\lvert\eta^*(\omega)\rvert$ and $\eta(\dot{\gamma})$ with increasing chain length and stiffness within the range examined here, indicating a weaker breakdown of the Cox-Merz rule. These results demonstrate that the applicability of the Cox-Merz rule depends strongly on chain length, chain stiffness, and molecular architecture. When the molecular response under steady shear deviates substantially from the relaxation behavior characterized by linear viscoelasticity near equilibrium, the complex viscosity can no longer accurately predict the steady-shear viscosity, resulting in a pronounced breakdown of the Cox-Merz rule.

We formulate scattering experiments in terms of parameterized finite measures on outcome spaces and develop the associated information geometry defined by the Fisher metric. The decomposition of a scattering measure into total mass and normalized shape separates Fisher information into contributions from changes in overall scattering strength and redistribution among outcomes. Measurement processes are represented by probability or sub-probability kernels acting on the scattering measure. Such kernels contract Fisher information, placing a broad class of experimental operations within a common information-theoretic framework. This formulation connects scattering experiments to the theory of optimal experimental design through the Fisher geometry of scattering measures. The same finite-measure structure arises naturally in quantum measurements with incomplete detection, clarifying its place in the hierarchy from quantum measurement to classical outcome statistics.

Helium dimer in its metastable triplet electronic state, He$_2(a~^3\Sigma_u^+)$, is a promising candidate for direct laser cooling and precision measurements. Interactions and collisions involving He$_2(a~^3\Sigma_u^+)$ remain unexplored in ultracold and cold energy domains. Here, we present the first theoretical investigation of intermolecular interactions and collision dynamics of He$_2(a~^3\Sigma_u^+)$+Ne van der Waals complex. For the ground electronic state, $X~^3\mathrm{A}'$, we employ a spin-restricted coupled cluster method with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations. The resulting interaction potential exhibits an extremely shallow well with a depth of 4.612 cm$^{-1}$. We construct a three-dimensional vibrationally averaged potential energy surface. Using this surface, we perform full close-coupling calculations including fine-structure levels of He$_2(a~^3\Sigma_u^+)$ to investigate collisional excitation and quenching induced by Ne. We analyze the low-energy scattering dynamics and model resonant features associated with quasi-bound states supported by interaction potential. Propensity rule for fine-structure conserving transitions is established. We additionally consider He$_2$+Ar collisions and compare their energy dependence and resonance structure with those of He$_2$+Ne. The He$_2$+Ar system exhibits a richer resonance structure, highlighting the sensitivity of low-energy scattering to interaction potential and reduced mass. Calculated PES and scattering properties provide a reliable benchmark for description of He$_2$+Ne van der Waals complex and may be useful for interpretation of future experimental spectra and collision measurements.

Topological magnetization textures play a central role in modern magnetism. For many applications, spin textures with different topological charges $Q$ in the same system are particularly attractive. Although the coexistence of skyrmions and antiskyrmions ($|Q| = 1$) has been reported in inversion-symmetric magnets, extending this to high-$Q$ ($|Q| > 1$) textures with arbitrary charge remains elusive. Here, using an atomistic spin model parameterized from first-principles calculations, we predict the emergence of sub-20 nm high-$Q$ textures in Janus monolayers, van der Waals magnets of growing interest. We explore skyrmion and antiskyrmion rings as well as skyrmion bags with $|Q|$ up to 5, and characterize their nucleation mechanisms, thermal stability, and collapse pathways. We find that higher-order spin interactions (HOI), which extend the conventional bilinear-exchange Hamiltonian, are essential for stabilizing these high-$Q$ spin textures. The rings remain thermally stable at zero magnetic field. HOI substantially enhance their energy barriers while leaving their size nearly unchanged and stabilize them even in the absence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Skyrmion bags, in contrast, nucleate only in the presence of HOI. In particular, the four-spin three-site interaction is the key ingredient preventing high-$Q$ textures from collapsing into the ferromagnetic state. Finally, we identify previously unreported parity-dependent collapse mechanisms for high-$Q$ textures. Our results establish HOI as an overlooked mechanism for high-$Q$ nucleation.

The Doppler velocity and bisector of photospheric lines show significant center-to-limb variation. This variation has been considered to be caused by the projection angle of the granular convection which has a corrugated surface. This study aimed to show the spectral line shifts up to limb and investigate how these shifts are caused by granular convection. We analyzed the Fe I 630.15 nm absorption line by spatially resolving the granulation very close to the limb using datasets of polar observations obtained with the Spectro-polarimeter (SP) of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode. We also analyzed the Fe I 630.15 nm emission line, which was observed within 1" above the limb. This study revealed the following: 1) the spatially averaged spectral lines showed an increase in redshift toward the limb, then became constant, and finally became nearly zero, 2) the Doppler velocities of granules, which were classified as bright and non-magnetic regions, showed as increase in redshifts toward the limb, 3) the bisector of granules changed more than that of the intergranules, and 4) the emission lines showed small blueshifts. These results indicate that the increase in redshift toward the limb is caused by the increase in the redshift of granules. Because the bisector reflects the atmospheric velocity along the line-of-sight, our observations can be interpreted as suggesting that the line-forming region in granules is geometrically thicker than that in intergranules.

Quantum conditional mutual information (QCMI) is a fundamental measure of conditional independence, with central applications throughout quantum information theory and many-body physics. Despite its importance, finding a fully quantum Rényi generalization that satisfies all desirable structural properties has remained an open question. In this work, we introduce a quantum Rényi conditional mutual information possessing these desirable properties: it is monotone under local quantum channels, additive under tensor products, monotone in the Rényi parameter, and converges to the QCMI in the limit $\alpha \to 1$. We establish bounds on this quantity in terms of relative entropies to the Petz-recovered state, showing that it provides a distinct measure of approximate conditional independence. As a consequence, we derive recovery-based upper and lower bounds on the QCMI in terms of quantum generalizations of the Kullback-Leibler divergence, improving upon the best known results in certain regimes. Finally, we establish bounds in terms of relative entropies to the sets of Markov and separable states and derive Rényi chain rules, which appear to be novel even in the classical setting.