Spinfoam theories propose a well-defined path-integral formulation for quantum gravity, and it is hoped that they will provide the dynamics of loop quantum gravity. However, it is computationally hard to calculate spinfoam amplitudes. The well-studied Euclidean Barrett–Crane model provides an excellent setting for testing analytical and numerical tools to probe spinfoam models. We explore a data-driven approach to accelerating spinfoam computations by showing that the vertex amplitude is an object that can be learned from data using deep learning. We divide the learning process into a classification and a regression task: Two networks are independently engineered to decide whether the amplitude is zero or not and to predict the precise numerical value, respectively. The trained networks are tested with several accuracy measures. The classifier in particular demonstrates robust generalisation far outside the training domain, while the regressor demonstrates high predictive accuracy in the domain it is trained on. We discuss limitations, possible improvements, and implications for future work.

Supernova 2023ixf occurred on 18 May 2023 in the nearby galaxy Messier 101 (D≈6.85 Mpc), making it the closest supernova in the last decade. Following its discovery, astronomers around the world rushed to observe the explosion across the electromagnetic spectrum in order to uncover its early-time properties. Based on multi-wavelength analysis during its first year after explosion, Supernova 2023ixf is a type II supernova that interacted with dense, confined circumstellar material in its local environment—this material being lost from its red supergiant progenitor in the final years before explosion. In this article, we will review the findings of >80 studies already published on this incredible event and explore how the synthesis of SN 2023ixf observations across the electromagnetic spectrum can be used to constrain type II supernova explosion physics in addition to the uncertain mass loss histories of red supergiant stars in their final years.

We continue the analysis of the gauge-invariant decomposition of amplitudes in spontaneously broken massive gauge theories by performing the characterization of separately gauge-invariant subsectors for amplitudes involving trilinear interaction vertices for an Abelian theory with chiral fermions. We show that the use of Frohlich–Morchio–Strocchi gauge-invariant dynamical (i.e., propagating inside loops) fields yields a very powerful handle on the cancellations among unphysical degrees of freedom (the longitudinal mode of the massive gauge field, the Goldstone scalar and the ghosts). The resulting cancellations are encoded into separate Slavnov–Taylor invariant sectors for 1-PI amplitudes. The construction works to all orders in perturbation theory. This decomposition suggests a novel strategy for the determination of finite counter-terms required to restore the Slavnov–Taylor identities in chiral theories in the absence of an invariant regularization scheme.

We discuss different quench protocols for Ising and XY spin chains in a transverse magnetic field. With a sudden local magnetic field quench as a starting point, we generalize our approach to a large class of local non-sudden quenches. Using finite time path field theory (FTPFT) perturbative methods, we show that the difference between the sudden quench and a class of quenches with non-sudden switching on the perturbation vanishes exponentially with time, apart from non-substantial modifications that are systematically accounted for. As the consequence of causality and analytic properties of functions describing the discussed class of quenches, this is true at any order of perturbation expansion and thus for the resummed perturbation series. The only requirements on functions describing the perturbation strength switched on at a finite time t=0 are as follows: (1) their Fourier transform f(p) is a function that is analytic everywhere in the lower complex semiplane, except at the simple pole at p=0 and possibly others with ℑ(p)<0; and (2) f(p)/p converges to zero at infinity in the lower complex semiplane. A prototypical function of this class is tanh(ηt), to which the perturbation strength is proportional after the switching at time t=0. In the limit of large η, such a perturbation approaches the case of a sudden quench. It is shown that, because of this new type of universal behavior of Loschmidt echo (LE) that emerges in an exponentially short time scale, our previous results for the sudden local magnetic field quench of Ising and XY chains, obtained by the resummation of the perturbative expansion, extend in the long-time limit to all non-sudden quench protocols in this class, with non-substantial modifications systematically taken into account. We also show that analogous universal behavior exists in disorder quenches, and ultimately global ones. LE is directly connected to the work probability distribution, and the described universal behavior is therefore appropriate in potential concepts of quantum technology related to spin chains.

Thermodynamic systems admit multiple equivalent descriptions related by transformations that preserve their fundamental structure. This work focuses on exact isohomogeneous transformations (EITs), a class of mappings that keep fixed the set of independent variables of the thermodynamic potential, while preserving both the original homogeneity and the validity of a first law. Our investigation explores EITs within the extended Iyer–Wald formalism for theories containing free parameters (e.g., the cosmological constant). EITs provide a unifying framework for reconciling the diverse formulations of Kerr-anti de Sitter (KadS) thermodynamics found in the literature. While the Iyer–Wald formalism is a powerful tool for deriving first laws for black holes, it typically yields a non-integrable mass variation that prevents its identification as a proper thermodynamic potential. To address this issue, we investigate an extended Iyer–Wald formalism where mass and thermodynamic volume become gauge dependent. Within this framework, we identify the gauge choices and Killing vector normalizations that are compatible with EITs, ensuring consistent first laws. As a key application, we demonstrate how conventional KadS thermodynamics emerges as a special case of our generalized approach.

Constraining neutrino mass through cosmological observations relies on precise simulations to calibrate their effects on large scale structure, while these simulations must overcome computational challenges like dealing with large velocity dispersions and small intrinsic neutrino perturbations. We present an efficient N-body implementation with semi-linear neutrino mass response which gives accurate power spectra and halo statistics. We explore the necessity of correcting the expansion history caused by massive neutrinos and the transition between relativistic and non-relativistic components. The above method of including neutrino masses is built into the memory-, scalability-, and precision-optimized parallel N-body simulation code CUBE 2.0. Through a suite of neutrino simulations, we precisely quantify the neutrino mass effects on the nonlinear matter power spectra and halo statistics.

Phase stability at low radio frequencies is severely impacted by ionospheric propagation delays. Radio interferometers such as the giant metrewave radio telescope (GMRT) are capable of detecting changes in the ionosphere’s total electron content (TEC) over larger spatial scales and with greater sensitivity compared to conventional tools like the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Thanks to its unique design, featuring both a dense central array and long outer arms, and its strategic location, the GMRT is particularly well-suited for studying the sensitive ionospheric region located between the northern peak of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and the magnetic equator. In this study, we observe the bright flux calibrator 3C48 for ten hours to characterize and study the low-latitude ionosphere with the upgraded GMRT (uGMRT). We outline the methods used for wideband data reduction and processing to accurately measure differential TEC (δTEC) between antenna pairs, achieving a precision of< mTECU (1 mTECU = 10−3 TECU) for central square antennas and approximately mTECU for arm antennas. The measured δTEC values are used to estimate the TEC gradient across GMRT arm antennas. We measure the ionospheric phase structure function and find a power-law slope of β=1.72±0.07, indicating deviations from pure Kolmogorov turbulence. The inferred diffractive scale, the spatial separation over which the phase variance reaches 1rad2, is ∼6.66 km. The small diffractive scale implies high phase variability across the field of view and reduced temporal coherence, which poses challenges for calibration and imaging.

We reanalyze the spectral lag data for 56 Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) in the cosmological rest frame to search for Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) using frequentist inference. For this purpose, we use the technique of profile likelihood to deal with the nuisance parameters, corresponding to a constant time lag in the GRB rest frame and an unknown intrinsic scatter, while the parameter of interest is the energy scale for LIV (EQG). With this method, we do not obtain a global minimum for χ2 as a function of EQG up to the Planck scale. Thus, we can obtain one-sided lower limits on EQG in a seamless manner. Therefore, the 95% c.l. lower limits which we thus obtain on EQG are then given by EQG≥2.07×1014 GeV and EQG≥3.71×105 GeV, for linear and quadratic LIV, respectively.

The mid-infrared band is the last major observational window for the ground-based large solar telescopes in the 21st century. Achieving ultra-narrowband filter imaging is a fundamental challenge that all solar telescopes encounter as they progress towards the mid-infrared spectrum. The guided-mode resonance filtering (GMRF) technology provides a promising solution to this critical issue. This paper describes in detail the fundamental principles and calculation procedure of guided-mode resonance filtering. Building upon this foundation, a preliminary design and simulation of a mid-infrared guided-mode resonance filter are carried out. The results show that when the thickness of the sub-wavelength grating is an even multiple of the half-wavelength, it is feasible to attain ultra-narrowband filtering with a bandwidth below 0.03 nm by increasing the grating thickness and decreasing the grating fill factor. Nevertheless, the high sensitivity of the resonant wavelength to the angle of incidence still stands as a formidable obstacle that demands further investigation and resolution.

We investigate changes in the emission properties in association with the emission shifts observed in PSR J0344−0901 and their implications for the underlying emission mechanism. By decomposing the averaged pulse profile into multiple Gaussian components, the observed emission shift can be modeled through the variation in the peak phase of each component in relation to the plasma flow in a pulsar magnetosphere of multiple emission states based on the model by Melrose and Yuen. From the arrangements of the Gaussian components to fit the two averaged profiles, we show that the emission shift is due to (i) shifting of the Gaussian components toward later longitudinal phases and (ii) an increase in the plasma density. We show that the plasma flow is not uniform, which may be the reason for the irregular drifting subpulses observed. In addition, the change in the plasma density can either positively or negatively affect the pulse amplitude, depending on the amount of change. We demonstrate that an emission shift should be more prominent when it occurs at a lower emission height, where the plasma density is higher. This suggests that this phenomenon should be common, but it is more likely detected in pulsars with small impact parameters.