A new approach to producing multidisciplinary lists of highly cited researchers is described and used for compiling a multidisciplinary list of highly cited researchers. This approach is essentially related to the recently discovered law of the constant ratios (Podlubny, 2004) and gives a better-balanced representation of different scientific fields.

Recent cosmological data reveal tension between parameters inferred from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), and supernovae (SN) under $Λ$CDM. Typical dynamical dark energy parameterizations (such as $w_0w_a$) that seek to jointly resolve these tensions have an equation of state parameter that crosses into the phantom regime, leading to potential instabilities for physical models. We show that the BAO (early-time) and SN (late-time) sides of the tension can instead be treated independently. Early dark energy (EDE) can reduce the tension between CMB-BAO data by changing the calibration of the sound horizon at the drag epoch $r_d$, with a $Δχ^2 = -{9.4}$ relative to $Λ$CDM, raising $H_0$ to 70.87 $\rm km s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}$. EDE alone cannot bring consistency between CMB, BAO, and SN data, but combining with a thawing-quintessence component of dark energy reduces tensions between the three datasets, with $Δχ^2=-12.6$ relative to $Λ$CDM without a phantom component, vs. $Δχ^2=-15.8$ for $w_0 w_a$ with one. We consider different SN datasets, using the most recent DES Dovekie catalog as our default while assessing differences with the original DESY5 and Pantheon+ catalogs. While the significance of adding thawing quintessence changes, the EDE solution to the CMB-BAO tension remains nearly unaffected. Moreover, though we do not include direct Hubble constant measurements in these $Δχ^2$ values, the EDE solution reduces the Hubble tension with the Local Distance Network value from $7σ$ in $Λ$CDM to $2-3σ$ depending on the SN dataset, nominally the equivalent of an extra $Δχ^2 \sim -40$ or more.

We lay the foundations for a quantum formalism describing the real-time evolution of particles in the Glasma phase of a heavy-ion collision, focusing on the implications of gauge invariance in the definition of the momentum of a particle in a classical background field. We first establish the correspondence between the classical Wong's equations and the Heisenberg equations of motion for a particle in a classical non-Abelian background field. Using this correspondence, we obtain equations of motion for both the kinetic momentum -- the gauge invariant, physically measurable quantity -- and the canonical momentum, which is conjugate to the coordinates in the Hamiltonian. In particular, the kinetic momentum broadening receives non-trivial contributions from the transverse field components, even in the eikonal limit. Finally, we demonstrate that imposing a transverse Coulomb gauge condition at the initial time significantly reduces the accumulation of numerical errors, thereby providing an optimized framework for the forthcoming quantum implementation.

Fresnel zone plates (FZPs), with patterns of $1\,μ$m resolution, allow the formation of clean, diffraction-limited foci -- but have a static phase profile. Spatial light modulators (SLMs) allow dynamic control of spatial beam intensity and phase -- but are bulky and currently limited to roughly $10\,μ$m pixel sizes and $1\,$Mega-pixel formats. Here, we present a new `best-of-both' kind of FZP, scalable to large area rings currently incompatible with direct SLM generation. It is equivalent to a plano-convex donut lens, whereby light's local intensity and global phase at the FZP map directly onto the image plane. The same FZP under different SLM illumination can generate: rings and arcs, double-rings, phase windings and ring lattices (or dynamic combinations thereof). The smooth and adaptable near-field waveguide this enables will be ideal for Sagnac interferometry with ultracold atoms.

Understanding the mechanisms that limit high-fidelity readout in circuit quantum electrodynamics is essential for its optimization. Multi-photon resonances are understood to be a limiting factor, causing population transfer from the computational states to higher-energy states under drive. This effect, known as measurement-induced state transitions, has been extensively studied for the transmon qubit. While this exploration has begun for the fluxonium qubit, a systematic study of this effect is lacking. Here, we bridge this gap by theoretically studying measurement-induced state transitions in the fluxonium qubit over a wide range of parameters, comprising essentially all experimentally explored ranges. We find that lighter fluxoniums are less susceptible to these state transitions when compared to their heavier counterparts. We attribute this effect to the combination of lower density of multi-photon resonances, a smaller requisite coupling for a given dispersive shift, and a more harmonic-like structure of the charge operator. We confirm the validity of our analysis by performing time-dependent readout simulations. Finally, we consider the impact of the superinductor's array modes on measurement-induced state transitions over a large range of parameters.

Recently, it has been shown that wave function coefficients (WFCs) admit a natural description in terms of the orthogonal Grassmannian, furnishing homogeneous solutions to the three-dimensional conformal Ward identities in spinor-helicity variables. This, however, presents a challenge for WFCs of conserved currents, which satisfy inhomogeneous Ward identities; correspondingly, the Grassmannian construction reproduces only their \textit{discontinuities}. In this paper, we show that $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry, by relating spinning and non-spinning WFCs, leads to a Grassmannian formula augmented by a kinematic prefactor that captures the full WFC. Moreover, we show that the positive and negative branches of the Grassmannian formula admit a natural interpretation in terms of supersymmetric invariants, and give rise to distinct helicity amplitudes in the flat-space limit.

Modified theories of gravity often introduce geometric structure beyond general relativity in order to address unresolved problems in the gravitational sector without invoking ad hoc matter fields. Mimetic gravity, for example, generates an effective cosmological dark sector by isolating the conformal mode of the metric, while Horava--Lifshitz gravity attains power-counting renormalizability by endowing spacetime with a preferred dynamical foliation. Although chronology protection was not the original motivation for either theory, both enforce it classically through stable causality. This suggests that chronology protection itself may be elevated from a derived property to a guiding principle for constructing modified gravitational theories, especially if its implementation at the quantum-gravitational level leaves infrared imprints in the effective action. Motivated by this possibility, we introduce a toy metric--affine gravity model that modifies only the geometric sector. The model realizes stable causality by dynamically generating a global time function via breaking of projective invariance. We further show that mimetic gravity is recovered as a special case, while a broader dark sector emerges naturally.

We study the non-Gaussian features of the gravitational wave (GW) background generated by a population of inspiraling supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries. We show that the SMBH GW amplitude distribution (GWAD) features a universal heavy power-law tail $\propto A^{-4}$, while the low-amplitude tail depends on the SMBH merger rate and the energy-loss mechanisms of the binaries. The distribution of the induced timing residuals inherits this heavy tail. As a result, the ensemble averaged statistical moments of order three and higher diverge, limiting their usefulness as measures of non-Gaussianity, and the GW background from SMBH binaries exhibits the single loud source principle, according to which the strongest signals are more likely to be caused by a small number of loud sources. We confirm that the variance-averaged Gaussian approximation accurately describes the timing residual statistics. This approximation justifies a factored likelihood structure that combines standard Gaussian-process PTA posteriors with the non-Gaussian population prior, enabling consistent incorporation of non-Gaussian effects into SMBH model inference. We provide a fast and flexible Python implementation to compute the distribution of timing residuals from a given SMBH merger rate or GWAD.

We study Schrödinger operators on metric and discrete decorated graphs. The values taken by the integrated density of states (IDS) on spectral gaps are called gap labels. A natural question is which gap labels can occur. We answer this for graphs arising from uniquely ergodic one-dimensional dynamical systems by proving Johnson-Schwartzman gap-labelling theorems in both the metric and discrete settings. Our results extend Johnson-Schwartzman gap labelling beyond the standard one-dimensional setting. Unlike in one dimension, these graphs may contain cycles, which prevent the use of Sturm oscillation theory and require different spectral methods. We also analyze discontinuities of the IDS for certain graph families and show that not every admissible label corresponds to an open spectral gap. This reveals a mechanism of gap closing driven by graph geometry rather than by the underlying dynamics.

We analyse the effects of a non-standard evolution of the Universe during the reheating epoch on the spectrum of scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) accounting for the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity. We show that given values of $w$ and $c_s^2$ leave characteristic features in the spectrum which can be detectable by third generation interferometers like LISA. In addition, we argue that the specific reheating dynamics can suppress or even enhance the spectrum, with crucial consequences for its detectability. We perform a Fisher forecast for different values of $w$ and different scans to assess the detectability of the signal when different values of the amplitude and central frequency are considered.

One of the main questions in planet formation theory is how to cross the metre-scale barrier. In this two-part series, we assess the merits of vortex-based theories by investigating the effect of backreacting dust on vortices. Specifically, this second paper focuses on the 'turbulent' vortex theory, according to which the streaming instability (SI) might be active in vortices. We re-purpose the dusty vortex models derived in paper I as background flows for a linear stability analysis. To simplify the perturbation equations, we build an analogue of the shearing box that follows vortex streamlines instead of Keplerian orbits. This allows us to study the evolution of small wavelength perturbations. We find that inertial waves and dust density waves can propagate in vortices, but that they are not sinusoidal in time. We then extend resonant drag instability theory to these non-modal waves. This allows us to demonstrate that a close cousin of the SI remains active in vortices, a result that greatly strengthens the case for vortex-induced planetesimal formation. Our results also complement past simulations - which showed that the dust's backreaction makes vortices unstable - by providing insights into the nature of (some of) the unstable modes. The caveat is that our work is restricted to the limit of dilute well-coupled dust and to the linear phase of the instability. Finally, our 'vortex SI' extends to 2D. We explain the mechanism of this 'zonal flow RDI', but remain unsure whether it is the unknown instability seen in 2D vortex simulations.

One of the main questions regarding planet formation is how to cross the metre-scale barrier. Several theories rely on the formation of dust clumps dense enough to collapse under their own gravity. Vortices are promising candidate sites of clump formation because they can concentrate dust 'laminarly' by capturing particles, and 'turbulently' by creating the ideal conditions for the streaming instability. In this two-part series, we assess the validity of both pathways by investigating the effect of backreacting dust on vortices. This first paper focuses on the laminar pathway. We use multiple timescale analysis to create two models of vortex evolution. They differ in their assumptions regarding how much gas crosses the vortex's boundary: the first one assumes that the vortex's mass is constant, whereas the second one assumes that the gas density is constant. These two options epitomize the two ways in which vortices can respond to dust concentration. Essentially, as dust gets closer to the vortex centre, it loses angular momentum. To compensate, the gas must either move away from the vortex centre or change its vorticity (and therefore its shape). This choice neatly emerges from the conservation of a quantity akin to potential vorticity. Interestingly, we find that vortices that adjust their vorticity all evolve towards elliptically unstable shapes. And since the elliptical instability destroys the vortex, we conclude that dust imposes an upper bound on vortex lifetimes. If vortex destruction happens before the dust reaches the Hill density, the 'laminar' vortex pathway to planetesimal formation fails.

Efficient, low-loss, and versatile optical modulators are a critical ingredient for practical integrated photonic systems. Modulators based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have unique advantages over more traditional thermal, electro-optic, or plasma dispersion modulators. In this work, we show that evanescent MEMS modulators (in which a dielectric slab is mechanically inserted into a waveguide's evanescent field) can exhibit anomalously dispersive modulation. That is, despite positive modulation of a waveguide mode's effective index, the modulator brings about a negative change in group index. We experimentally demonstrate these unique capabilities using a novel MEMS actuator design. The new theory and results here reveal that evanescent MEMS modulators possess a capability for control of wavelength dispersion not accessible to nearly any other type of modulator. These new capabilities may enable on-chip integration of systems for various optical applications, including broadband switching, photonic true time delay, pulse shaping, or phase matching of nonlinear processes.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is a promising route towards high-efficiency, metal-free organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the characterization of TADF kinetics in solid-state thin films is often complicated by pronounced multiexponential photoluminescence decays that prevent standard biexponential modeling. In this work, we introduce the 'Gamma-Fit' method, a streamlined analytical framework based on the gamma distribution that accounts for the continuous distribution of decay rates inherent in disordered molecular ensembles. By treating the decay as a result of conformational and kinetic heterogeneity, we accurately extract kinetic parameters for the benchmark emitters 4CzIPN and 5CzBN, as well as a series of novel diphenylamine (DPA)-based systems. Our results reveal that accounting for the local environment in thin films remains an important part in determining OLED efficiency. The experimental findings are complemented by a semiclassical Marcus-like computational approach. We evaluate the reliability of this conventional single-conformation rate calculation method and highlight the presence of conformational ensembles and multiple RISC-active triplet states as important factors for accurately describing the transition kinetics.

The present work reports the parity ($\mathcal{P}$)-odd and time-reversal ($\mathcal{T}$)-odd interaction constants for the ground electronic state, X$^2Σ^{+}_{1/2}$, of YbX, X: Cu, Ag and Au molecules. The reported results have been calculated using the Kramers-restricted configuration interaction method limited to single and double excitations, in conjunction with relativistic core-valence double-, triple-, and quadruple-zeta quality basis sets, within a four-component relativistic framework. The computed results for the symmetry violating properties have been compared with the available results in the literature. Further, the parallel and perpendicular components of the hyperfine structure constants for the constituent atoms in YbX molecules are reported here for the first time.

Electro-optic (E/O) modulators are crucial for optical communication but face a trade-off between modulation bandwidth and efficiency. A small footprint could reduce the capacitance and increase the bandwidth, however, this usually results in a low modulation efficiency. Here, we present an integrated E/O modulator that simultaneously achieves wideband large bandwidth and high modu- lation efficiency operation by embedding a partially overlapped double-layer graphene on a compact silicon slot waveguide microring resonator. At 1550 nm, the graphene-silicon slot-waveguide demon- strates a high phase modulation efficiency of Vπ L = 220 V μm, and the corresponding microring modulator has a large bandwidth of over 70 GHz, a compact active length of 10 μm, and an optical modulation amplitude (OMA) of -1.97 dBm under a 3-V voltage swing. The modulator operates at a data rate of 50 Gbit/s with an open eye diagram under a 2-V Vpp RF drive voltage. The graphene modulator operation is broadband, and we also characterize its performance at 2 μm wavelength band. At 2 μm wavelength band, the microring modulator has a large bandwidth of over 20 GHz, an OMA of -3.36 dBm under a 6-V voltage swing, and an open eye diagram at 20 Gbit/s with a 2-V Vpp RF drive voltage. The difference in performance is caused by the bandwidth limit of the 2 μm wavelength band measurement setup. The broadband, large bandwidth, compact, highly effi- cient, and energy efficient graphene E/O modulator has the potential to enable large-scale graphene photonic integrated circuits, facilitating a broad range of applications such as optical interconnects, optical neural networks, and programmable photonic circuits.

Quantum trajectory methods reduce the computational overhead of simulating noisy quantum systems, approximating them with $m$ stochastically sampled $2^n$-entry quantum statevectors rather than exact $2^{2n}$-entry density matrices. Recently, Pre-Trajectory Sampling with Batched Execution (PTSBE) has dramatically increased the data collection rate of these methods. While statevector PTSBE has demonstrated data collection speedups of over $10^6 \times$, tensor network implementations only achieved $\sim 15 \times$ speedup. This comparatively modest tensor network advantage stemmed from 1) contraction path recalculations, 2) sequential tensor network sampling, and 3) inflexible/unoptimized contraction hyperparameters. In this manuscript, we increase PTSBE's tensor network data collection rate to more than $10^8\times$ that of traditional trajectories methods by developing 1) error-independent unified path variation, 2) non-degenerate tensor network sampling, and 3) a flexible/optimized contraction framework. While our methods are particularly powerful for accelerating non-proportional sampling, we also demonstrate a more than $1000\times$ speedup for more general quantum simulations.

Impurity Hamiltonians are systems of $N$ fermionic modes where $O(1)$ of them interact among themselves via quartic (or higher order) fermion terms, while coupling quadratically with $O(N)$ bath modes. Without the quartic interactions, these systems are classically simulable with $O(N^3)$ resources. It was proved that the time-dependent evolution of these systems can perform universal quantum computation. The question of whether or not this remains true for time-independent evolution remains open. Here, we prove that the time evolution of generic time-independent impurity Hamiltonians on $O(N)$ qubits is universal on $N$ qubits if the input state is a product state of fermions in any single particle basis. In our proof we find that for a computation of depth $S$, the size of the impurity scales as $O(S\log S)$.

We present a novel, JAX-powered implementation of a parametric component-separation method for CMB polarization data, explicitly designed to handle spatially varying foreground Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs). The approach models this variation across the sky by grouping sets of pixels that share common foreground spectral parameters, scanning over thousands of such configurations to evaluate the trade-off between model complexity and residual systematic contamination. Built within the FURAX framework -- a JAX-powered environment for CMB data analysis -- our pipeline extends the fgbuster parametric formalism. It enables fully vectorized, GPU-accelerated evaluation of the spectral likelihood, map reconstruction, and diagnostic metrics across tens of thousands of pixel subset configurations, noise realizations, and sky regions. Our implementation achieves up to $\sim 100\times$ speed-up over the scipy TNC optimizer used in fgbuster when running on GPUs, as well as giving more robust results. When applied to LiteBIRD-like simulations with spatially varying foreground SEDs, our optimized K-means configuration reduces the 68% upper limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ by $\approx 30\%$ relative to a fixed, previously derived multi-resolution configuration, while maintaining competitive statistical uncertainties.

We investigate the thermal properties of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric scalar field theories with purely imaginary couplings. The free energy governs the asymptotic density of states, providing an effective measure of the number of degrees of freedom, while thermal masses and one-point functions provide predictions for operator dimensions and three-point functions in the corresponding $d=2$ Conformal Field Theories. Naive finite-temperature perturbation theory near upper critical dimensions is spoiled by infrared divergences. To remove these divergences, we introduce a ''thermal normal-ordering'' scheme that resums these contributions and yields a systematic $ε$-expansion. This framework allows us to compute the free energy, thermal masses, and one-point functions in the cubic and quintic $O(N)$ models. We compare the thermal free energy density, thermal masses, and one-point function in two dimensions with exact results derived from the proposed Ginzburg-Landau descriptions of the non-unitary minimal models $M(2,5)$ and $M(3,8)_D$. Eventually, we employ two-sided Padé extrapolations to obtain estimates for the thermal free energy in $d=3,4,5$.

We investigate an extended 3-4-1 model consisting of a new singly charged Higgs boson, implementing the minimal inverse seesaw mechanism to accommodate the large values of the $(g-2)_{e,μ}$ anomalies as well as the lepton-flavor-violating decay rates of charged leptons, the Standard Model-like Higgs boson, and the $Z$ boson, all consistent with current experimental data. Unlike the previously studied 3-4-1 realization, the model considered here predicts strong correlations among these observables that can be tested in future experiments. In particular, the current upper bound on Br$(τ\to μγ)$ imposes a stringent constraint compatible with the $1σ$ experimental range of $(g-2)_μ$, corresponding to a maximal deviation of $10^{-9}$ from the SM prediction. The forthcoming experimental sensitivity to Br$(τ\to μγ)$ will reduce this deviation to $5\times 10^{-10}$.

To elucidate how land surface state and soil moisture dynamics regulate moist convection, and how convective rainfall subsequently reshapes surface and root-zone hydrology, we develop a stochastic dynamical model that couples soil moisture, vegetation hydraulics, atmospheric boundary layer evolution, and convective available potential energy (CAPE). We show that CAPE depends not only on the free-tropospheric environment but also on soil moisture, through its control of surface fluxes, boundary-layer growth, and the timing of the intersection between the atmospheric boundary layer and the lifting condensation level (LCL). Soil texture and plant properties strongly modulate convective potential during dry-down. Loamy sand favors convection at relatively high soil moisture and maintains the largest CAPE at the time of LCL-ABL crossing across drying conditions. In contrast, sandy soils exhibit high CAPE when wet but lose convective potential rapidly as they dry. As matric potential becomes more negative, convection is increasingly suppressed in finer, loamy clay textures. Plant functional type further shapes dry-down dynamics: water-use-maximizing strategies can enhance dry persistence via stomatal closure during drying, whereas more conservative strategies can sustain convection for longer periods. On longer timescales, stochastic rainfall forcing with CAPE-dependent precipitation intensity produces persistent wet and dry soil moisture regimes, with switching times that depend on soil hydraulic properties, plant physiological traits, and atmospheric conditions.

The coherent pulse propagation of a Bessel beam resonant to the 8.4 eV nuclear clock transition in $^{229}$Th-doped crystals is investigated theoretically. Due to the magnetic dipole character of the clock transition, Bessel beams which present non-uniform transverse profiles and carry orbital angular momentum might enhance excitation channels or offer new control degrees of freedom compared to standard plane waves. We model the nuclear forward scattering of a resonant Bessel beam pulse propagating through the crystal, extending an formalism based on the iterative wave equation for plane waves. Thereby we take into account the nuclear quadrupole splitting in the crystal, considering the possibility of multiple quantization axes and present results for scenarios involving a single nuclear transition and multiple simultaneously driven transitions, analyzing temporal and spatial intensity patterns. Our findings show that the propagation of Bessel beams can be used to determine the relative distribution of different directions of quantization axes inside the crystal.

We develop a procedure to solve Einstein-dilaton-Maxwell models in quadratures using the potential reconstruction approach. We then apply this procedure to three distinct models, examining both the null energy condition (NEC) and the validity of the third law of thermodynamics in each case. The explicit knowledge of the blackening function -- as opposed to relying solely on numerical data -- allows us to discuss the validity of the third law in detail. The three models considered are: (I) a 5D model with two Maxwell fields, featuring anisotropy specified by a Gaussian function and a Lifshitz function; (II) the same 5D model as in (I), but with anisotropy parametrized by two Lifshitz parameters; and (III) a 6D model with one 2-form and one 3-form field, with the metric parametrized by two Lifshitz parameters. We show that for models I and II the parameter regions, where both the NEC and the third law are satisfied, exhibit no correlation between the two conditions. In contrast, for model III the validity of the NEC implies the validity of the third law.

More than one hundred years ago, physics has been revolutionized when people realized that electronic orbitals, or electromagnetic interactions in general, are quantized. Now, in this study, we are presenting evidence of quantization of planet orbits around stars. Confining a wave in spatial dimensions "quantizes" its wave number. Therefore, this study points to the evidence of the existence of long-range standing waves in the proto-planetary disks. Such waves, although being on a much larger scale of few tens of AU, have already been found by ALMA observation-so called ring-like structure. Now we see that it may exist within 1 AU, and may exert its effect on the existence and distribution of planets within this distance range to the host star. Careful analysis has been carried out to compare the results of different surveys.

Quantum reservoir computing is a promising paradigm for processing temporal data. So far, the primary focus has been on univariate time series. However, the most relevant and complex real-world data is multidimensional. In this paper, we establish an extensive framework for multivariate data processing in quantum reservoir computing. We propose and evaluate three multivariate encoding schemes and introduce the mixing capacity as a novel metric to evaluate the effectiveness with which a reservoir combines independent data streams. The computational performance of these proposed schemes is systematically assessed using this metric, as well as on the chaotic Lorenz-63 system prediction task, for two quantum reservoirs based on discrete and continuous-variable quantum systems. Furthermore, we relate the computational performance on these tasks to the underlying quantum properties of the reservoir. Our findings reveal that the optimal encoding method is highly dependent on the reservoir system and the specific task, underlining the importance of a task-specific input design. Moreover, we observe that peak computational performance coincides with the presence of non-classical effects, which indicates that quantum resources play a role in processing multivariate data.

We combine Gaia DR3 5-parameter astrometry with calibrated radial velocities for 23 nearby (<1 kpc) young (<60 Myr) clusters, with membership lists from Cantat-Gaudin et al. (2020). We characterise the plane-of-sky structure of the clusters using Q-Parameter and Angular Dispersion Parameter (ADP) methods. We measure plane-of-sky expansion using several methods. We determine plane-of-sky orientations along which expansion is maximised. We also estimate expansion timescales and traceback ages and compare to isochronal ages. We then look for correlations between cluster properties and discuss sample-wide trends. We find that most young clusters are more smoothly structured in their centers where the rate of dynamical interactions is highest, while hierarchical structure can survive in the sparse outskirts for >10 Myr. We also find that the majority of nearby young clusters exhibit clear signatures of expansion in the plane-of-sky, which in many cases is significantly anisotropic, even at ages >30 Myr. We find evidence that older clusters tend to have directions of maximum expansion oriented closer to parallel with the Galactic plane. The high degree of spatial structure and significant expansion anisotropy imply that the majority of these young clusters have formed with significant spatial and kinematic substructure and not as dense, monolithic clusters. Kinematic ages estimated from expansion timescales and on-sky traceback are generally in good agreement with estimates inferred from stellar evolution models for clusters <10 Myr old. However, many clusters with older isochronal ages appear to have significantly younger kinematic ages. We discuss potential reasons for this discrepancy, including a prolonged embedded and/or gravitationally bound phase in the early stages of the clusters.

This study investigates the influence of different types of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on epidemic progression using SIR compartmental models. We analyze the optimization of two distinct targets: the final epidemic size and the infection peak, particularly how they respond to variations in the initiation time of the NPIs. We derive analytical approximations for the critical points of the infection curve of the standard mean-field SIR model with NPIs, and for the epidemic size, enabling a systematic comparison. The analytical results reveal the existence of six different allowed scenarios for the evolution of the epidemic with a single NPI. Furthermore, by employing degree-based mean-field network models, we distinguish between NPIs that decrease the transmission rate (individual and environmental measures) and those that reduce social contacts (lock down measures). We find that, when assuming equal effects on the reproductive number, the former are more efficient in reducing the final epidemic size. Meanwhile, the effectivities of both types of NPIs differ in reducing primary and secondary peaks. The results for all models consistently confirm that minimizing the infection peak requires earlier implementation of the NPI than minimizing the epidemic size, offering new insights for strategic public health timing.

The interpretation of the parameters appearing in constitutive models for viscoelastic fluids is essential for analyzing theoretical predictions and understanding the origin of phenomena observed in experiments. In this work, we examine the physical significance of the Deborah ($De$) and Weissenberg ($Wi$) numbers, along with other key parameters commonly used in these models. The central objective is to clarify the extent to which these dimensionless groups effectively characterise the competition between elastic and viscous effects in complex flows. While these parameters are ubiquitous in theoretical and experimental research, their interpretation is often context-dependent and prone to ambiguity. To address this, we analyse two representative scenarios: an analytical solution for unsteady planar flow and a numerical simulation of viscoelastic flow between rotating coaxial cylinders, governed by the Oldroyd-B constitutive equations. Our findings elucidate the distinct roles of these dimensionless numbers, offering guidelines for their rigorous interpretation in both analytical and numerical studies.

As statistical systems, galaxies exhibit a rich interplay between organized structure and stochastic fluctuations across a broad range of spatial scales. This duality motivates the need for quantitative frameworks capable of capturing their morphological complexity. The ordinal patterns framework, along with its associated statistical measures: permutation entropy ($H$), disequilibrium ($D_E$), statistical complexity ($C$), and ordinal network node entropy, has recently emerged as a powerful tool for analyzing such complexity in physical systems. We apply this framework in a multiwavelength, multiscale analysis of the galaxy NGC 628, utilizing observations in the near-ultraviolet, near-infrared, mid-infrared, and millimeter bands. Our results reveal a characteristic spatial scale of approximately 200 parsecs, marking the transition from small-scale structures influenced by star formation and stellar feedback to larger-scale morphology governed by the galaxy's dynamics. Furthermore, we find that the $C$ vs. $H$ trajectories for all wavelengths converge toward a common attractor curve, consistent with the behavior of isotropic Gaussian random fields. This convergence suggests a universal statistical behavior in galactic structure at large scales, despite the differing physical processes traced by each wavelength.