We formulate an unstructured grid-generation framework for direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of wall turbulence, termed η-grid, based on setting the wall-normal (y) and spanwise (z) grid sizes proportional to the local Kolmogorov scale η. The framework consists of an inner layer, with a thickness ~50 viscous units, with viscous-scaled grid sizes similar to a conventional DNS grid; 0.3 < Δy+ < 4, Δz+ ~ 5 over a smooth wall, and l+/30 < Δy+, Δz+ < 4 over a non-smooth surface, where l+ is the smallest surface wavelength. Above the inner layer, Δy+~ Δz+ ~ 2η+. We test η-grid with a finite volume method (FVM) code, as well as a spectral element method (SEM) code, and conduct a campaign of DNSs of turbulent channel flow and turbulent boundary layer over smooth wall and various riblet geometries (as streamwise-aligned microgrooves), up to friction Reynolds number δ+0= 1000. We assess the accuracy of the η-grid against the conventional Cartesian grids, as well as the reference DNS and experimental data. We obtain less than 1% difference between the η-grid and the Cartesian grids, in terms of skin-friction coefficient, mean velocity, turbulent stresses, and their spectrograms. Up to δ+0 ~ 104, the number of grid points with the η -grid (Nη) scales proportional to δ+02.5 over smooth wall, and proportional to δ+02.0 over riblets, whereas the number of grid points with a Cartesian grid and hyperbolic tangent y-gird (NTanh) scales proportional to δ+03.0. This leads to an enormous grid saving with the η-grid; by δ+0 = 6000, Nη / NTanh ~ 0.1 over smooth wall, and Nη / NTanh ~ 0.03 over typical drag-reducing triangular riblets with tip angle 60o, and viscous-scaled spacing 15.

Real online brain--computer interfaces operate on continuous electroencephalography (EEG) streams, where users are usually at rest and enter motor-imagery task states only intermittently. EEG windows may also arise from OOD MI activity outside the predefined control set. Conventional closed-set motor-imagery classifiers tend to assign such inputs to ID classes, which can cause erroneous control. To address this issue, this paper proposes a two-stage EEG detection framework for asynchronous motor-imagery brain--computer interfaces. A sliding-window mechanism continuously monitors EEG signals. The first stage uses an EEGNet-based rest/task gate to determine whether the current window should enter the control-decision process. The second stage performs ID MI classification and out-of-distribution detection only for task-state samples. To improve OOD rejection, we further propose TempDens, which combines classification-output energy, deep-feature density, and temporal-consistency scores to characterize distributional deviation from output, feature, and temporal-dynamic perspectives. Experimental results show that the proposed method effectively supports task-state detection and OOD MI recognition in continuous EEG streams, outperforming multiple conventional OOD baselines. This study reframes online motor-imagery control as a hierarchical decision problem involving continuous monitoring, state discrimination, ID classification, and OOD rejection.

Asymmetric valences in a binary electrolyte can significantly affect the performance of systems such as reverse electrodialysis cells, batteries, and supercapacitors. To generate a theoretical understanding of this effect, we consider a steady one-dimensional Poisson-Nernst-Planck model of an electrolytic cell with imposed constant ionic fluxes, focusing on varying ion valences in a general asymmetric binary electrolyte. Numerical simulations reveal a smooth transition between the qualitatively distinct near-equilibrium and strongly non-equilibrium steady-state regimes. These regimes are distinguished by a valence-dependent transition point at an intermediate current where the classical Debye-scale boundary layer vanishes. We characterise this transition using asymptotic analysis, recovering the Gouy-Chapman and limiting-current results in the appropriate limits, and determining the correct transition results when neither is appropriate. We provide implicit solutions for the potential and ion concentrations of general asymmetric binary electrolytes and, notably, we provide explicit analytic expressions for the asymptotic composite solutions for 2z:z, z:2z, and z:z electrolytes. We show how the results can be presented in a collapsed phase diagram that can be used to predict qualitative intermediate-current steady-state behaviour in terms of ion valences and fluxes.

We consider a strongly damped semilinear wave equation with initial data prescribed as $(\varrhoϕ,\varrho h)$, where the profiles are fixed and only the amplitude $\varrho>0$ is allowed to vary. The question addressed here is how this rescaling affects a guaranteed lower bound for the maximal existence time. We show that the solution exists at least on a time interval of length comparable to $\varrho^{-(p-2)}$. The proof is based on the growth of a quadratic phase-space norm: after the source term is estimated by the relevant Sobolev embedding, the problem reduces to a scalar differential inequality. The constants produced in the argument are independent of $\varrho$, so the dependence on the initial amplitude remains explicit throughout.

We develop a stability theory for contractive local IFSs on compact metric spaces. Unlike the classical global setting, local systems may exhibit a richer symbolic and geometric structure, including code spaces that are not of finite type and attractors with endpoints, leading to new mechanisms of instability. We first prove that concordant shadowing implies upper semicontinuity of the local attractor and persistence of the code space, yielding a criterion for combinatorial stability under perturbations. Under the open set condition, we establish a strong form of topological stability for combinatorially stable contractive local systems, and prove the converse implication on compact manifolds of dimension at least three. In particular, we show that contractive graph-directed IFSs are topologically stable. We also construct contractive local IFSs derived from beta-transformations that are combinatorially unstable. These results show that stability in the local setting is governed by the interplay between contraction and the combinatorial rigidity of the code space. Applications to graph-directed IFSs and pseudogroup actions are also given.

Shor-style quantum algorithms for the elliptic-curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP) are highly sensitive to the exact semantics of their group-operation oracles. Consequently, minor implementation choices can invalidate the intended mathematical model and lead to misleading conclusions. This paper introduces a semantics-first verification perspective for an end-to-end, compilable ECDLP implementation built on Qrisp. We specify the implemented oracle at the level of program semantics, derive refinement-style verification obligations for its key components, and provide a high-level complexity argument for the resulting oracle family. A small case study highlights that (i) the core point-update primitive agrees with a classical reference on well-formed inputs, yet (ii) controlled execution may violate the expected control law under the evaluated toolchain, despite a passing trivial control sanity check. These results position semantic auditing as a practical prerequisite for trustworthy ECDLP-oriented quantum software.

In this paper, we study the white Manin product of the associative operad $\As$ with a binary quadratic operad $\Var$. We introduce the notion of a nonsymmetric version of $\Var$ and provide a criterion for determining when the operad $\As\circ\Var$ has this property. We illustrate the construction with several examples and counterexamples. Finally, for some operads admitting nonsymmetric versions, we describe their combinatorial properties.

We implement coordinates suitable for studying wide binary systems in TRACE, a hybrid integrator in the widely used open-source N-body integration package REBOUND. This is a regime in which traditional hybrid integrators perform poorly. The coordinate system supports close encounters between any pair of bodies in the system. We describe the implementation of this coordinate system and benchmark its performance against other integrators in the REBOUND ecosystem. In tests of planet-planet scattering, stellar flybys, and ZLK oscillations. TRACE in wide binary coordinates is qualitatively correct when other hybrid methods fail, and in many cases returns statistically similar results to the high-precision IAS15 integrator with up to 9x speedups. We also provide some guidelines for when use of these coordinates are appropriate.

The identification of ultra-high energy cosmic ray sources is one of the open challenges of high-energy astrophysics. As charged particles travel through the Universe, they are deflected by extragalactic magnetic fields and lose energy through interactions with background radiation, making source inference highly non-trivial. Existing approaches either rely on simplified propagation models or on computationally prohibitive Monte Carlo methods. Here we present a simulation-based inference framework trained on three-dimensional \texttt{CRPropa~3} propagation simulations that produces calibrated posterior distributions over source energy, distance, direction, and primary composition for individual UHECR events. The model combines a Deep Set encoder, handling the variable number of detected secondary particles, with a normalizing flow, and is trained on approximately 5 million simulated events covering a broad range of extragalactic magnetic field configurations. Validated on held-out simulations, all source parameters are recovered without systematic bias, with directional parameters best constrained and source distance most uncertain, consistent with the underlying propagation physics. Primary composition classification achieves $\geq$~98.2\% accuracy across all mass groups. This framework provides a scalable and physically interpretable interface between detailed propagation simulations and Bayesian source inference relevant for current UHECR data.

Active galactic nuclei often exhibit highly collimated relativistic plasma outflows launched from the vicinity of their central black holes. One of the key theoretical challenges in understanding black hole jet formation is the origin of the plasma that feeds the jet, which remains poorly understood, particularly in explaining the observed jet emission. In this study, we focus on electron positron pair production generated by high energy photons from non axisymmetric magnetic reconnection near the black hole, as suggested by recent three dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations. By employing general relativistic ray tracing, we calculate the spatial distribution of the pair production rate in the jet, taking into account photon propagation and collision angles in curved spacetime. We find that our scenario can naturally supply a sufficient amount of plasma to explain the observed radio emission from the M87 jet, even when photon anisotropy is considered. Furthermore, we show that a spinning black hole plays a crucial role in shaping the spartial dsitribution of the pairs, which in turn affects jet acceleration and very high energy emission from the jet base.

Creating 3D character animations traditionally requires significant time and effort from the animator. Advancements in generative methods now enable easy creation of multiple character animation variations for use or further editing. However, this capability introduces a new challenge in comparing character animations to select the best animation, which is challenging due to temporal misalignment and the large amount of spatial data. We present AnimationDiff, a visual comparison tool for generated character animations. AnimationDiff enables contextual comparisons in the intended scene and camera angle, and embedding of spatial information by combining established animation visualization techniques and easy switching between overlaid and side-by-side comparisons. AnimationDiff also supports filtering to handle information overload, and Temporal Lenses that visualize entire animations over time for overview, alignment, and comparison. We evaluated AnimationDiff in a user study, showcasing its efficacy in animation comparison and providing design insights for comparing motion.

The superb sensitivity and angular resolution of the next-generation radio telescopes with combined frequency coverage of approximately over three orders of magnitude (100 MHz--100 GHz) will sample the radio and far-infrared (FIR) spectral energy distribution (SED) of galaxies and revolutionize the galaxy formation study at the epoch of re-ionization and beyond. We present a prospect of observing the radio--FIR continuum SEDs of galaxies in the redshift of up to $z\approx 20$ based on an ensemble of the simulated `energy balanced' panchromatic SED (from UV to FIR) extended to the radio. For `realistic' populations of UV star-forming galaxies and dusty star-forming galaxies, we simulate their SEDs by accounting for the CMB effect and the radio--IR correlation. The flux density evolution of the UV-bright star-forming galaxies and the dusty star-forming galaxies at the selected observing frequencies covered by the current (ALMA) and next generation (SKA and ngVLA) radio-millimeter telescopes, suggest that massive galaxies (M$_* \gtrsim 10^{10}$M$_{\odot}$) are detectable at any redshift ($0<z<20$) in high frequency ($ν>90$GHz). In particular, when operating, the ngVLA high-frequency ($\approx 100$ GHz) band is capable of detecting galaxies with M$_* \gtrsim 10^{9}$M$_{\odot}$ almost independently from redshift and the SKA low-frequency observing window ($\lesssim1$ GHz) has sufficient sensitivity to detect M$_* \gtrsim 10^{10}$M$_{\odot}$ dusty star-forming galaxies up to the epoch of reionization ($z=5\sim7$). We also show that the brightness of anomalous microwave emission (AME) in the galaxy SED is insignificant if the galaxies are beyond the local Universe (e.g., $z\gtrsim 0.1$).

We investigate a hierarchical control problem for a one-dimensional Stefan system with localized distributed controls. The setting combines a Stackelberg strategy with a Nash equilibrium among multiple followers, yielding a multi-objective free-boundary problem. The interaction between the hierarchical control and the moving interface results in a nonlinear optimality system, and we show that the original problem reduces to the null controllability of this optimality system. Under suitable geometric conditions on the control regions, we establish a local null controllability result. The proof relies on an observability inequality for a linearized system, obtained through Carleman estimates adapted to the presence of a moving boundary. These results constitute, to the best of our knowledge, the first treatment of a Stefan system within a Stackelberg-Nash framework.

A simple symmetric random walk in the space $\mathbb{Z}^2$ is considered. The asymptotic behavior as the number of jumps tends to infinity of the probability that a fixed edge of the random walk lies in the polygon that forms the boundary of the convex hull is investigated.

In this paper, we determine the largest family $\mathcal F \subset 2^{[n]}$ without $s$ pairwise disjoint sets, provided $n=ms+c$ for positive integers $m,c$, and $s \geq s_0(m, c)$. This result can be seen as a non-uniform analogue of the results on the Erd\H os Matching Conjecture in the regime when the clique is extremal.

In this work, we continue the line of research on the complexity of distributions (Viola, Journal of Computing 2012), and study samplers defined by low degree polynomials. An $n$-tuple $P = (P_1,\dots, P_n)$ of functions $P_i \colon \mathbb{F}_2^m \to \mathbb{F}_2$ defines a distribution over $\{0,1\}^n$ in the natural way: draw $X$ uniformly at random from $\mathbb{F}_2^m$ and output $(P_1(X),\dots, P_n(X)) \in \{0,1\}^n$. We show that when $P$ is defined by polynomials of degree $d$, the total variation distance of $P$ from the product distribution $\mathrm{Ber}(1/3)^{\otimes n}$ is $1-o_n(1)$, where $o_n(1)$ is a vanishing function of $n$ for any constant degree $d$. For small values of $d$, we show the following concrete bounds. (i) For $d=1$ we have $\|P-\mathrm{Ber}(1/3)^{\otimes n}\|_{TV} \geq 1-\exp(-Ω(n))$. (ii) For $d=2$ we have $\|P-\mathrm{Ber}(1/3)^{\otimes n}\|_{TV} \geq 1-\exp(-Ω(\log(n)/\log\log(n)))$. (iii) For $d=3$ we have $\|P-\mathrm{Ber}(1/3)^{\otimes n}\|_{TV} \geq 1-\exp(-Ω(\sqrt{\log\log(n)}))$. Our results extend the recent lower bound results for sampling distributions, which have mostly focused on local samplers, small depth decision trees, and small depth circuits. As part of our proof, we establish the following result, that may be of independent interest: for any degree-$d$ polynomial $P\colon\mathbb{F}_2^m \to \mathbb{F}_2$ it holds that $\Pr_X[P(X) = 1]$ is bounded away from $1/3$ by some absolute constant $δ= δ_d>0$. Although the statement may seem obvious, we are not aware of an elementary proof of this. The proof techniques rely on the structural results for low degree polynomials, saying that any biased polynomial of degree $d$ can be written as a function of a small number of polynomials of degree $d-1$.

Star-forming low-mass galaxies in the dense environments of galaxy clusters provide opportunities to study how environmental effects such as ram-pressure stripping, tidal interactions, or galaxy mergers shape a galaxy's star formation history. We combined integral-field spectroscopic observations with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and available multi-band imaging of the star-forming galaxy NGC 1427A, located near the centre of the Fornax galaxy cluster, at a distance of 20 Mpc. Our aim was to trace the evolutionary history of NGC 1427A using the star formation history reconstructed from the integrated spectra and employing star clusters as surviving tracers of past star formation episodes. We fitted the spectral energy distribution of 222 star cluster candidates using archival $u,g,r$, and $i$ photometry to derive the ages and masses. For 58 clusters, we additionally incorporated their MUSE spectra in the fits and found an encouraging agreement between the photometric and spectroscopic results. The comparison of the age distribution of star clusters with star formation histories from a full spectrum fitting of the MUSE data found a reasonable agreement, with evidence for multiple episodes of star formation throughout the history of NGC 1427A. In particular, we found a population of young clusters ($\sim$ 10 Myr) that is located along the star formation edge and within the northern object, and a population of intermediate-age clusters ($\sim$ 100 - 300 Myr) with corresponding peaks in the star formation history of NGC 1427A. We interpret these populations in the context of the orbital evolution of NGC 1427A in the Fornax cluster and conclude that this galaxy has experienced not only ram-pressure stripping, but also tidal interactions or even a minor galaxy merger. The northern object is likely a regular component of the galaxy.

As the AAS Working Group on Graduate Admissions (WGGA) we are sharing brief recommendations for improving and standardizing key elements of the graduate admissions process in astronomy. Most astronomy graduate programs have large areas of overlap in their admissions processes; however, the existing small variations in requirements and mismatches in communication and transparency make admissions more challenging for students and programs alike. To improve this situation, and building on the work presented in the AAS Graduate Admissions Task Force (GATF) report we recommend a few simple and straightforward changes for application content, communication, and timelines. These include an application format that consists of 1) two 500-word recommendation letters, 2) one 1500-word application essay, 3) an applicant CV, and 4) unofficial transcripts; and an admissions timeline that includes effective and transparent communication from programs and encouraging an April 1st "down-select date" for applicants.

The 21-cm signal from cosmic dawn is a potentially sensitive probe of interactions between dark matter (DM) and baryons. We investigate the implications of the SARAS3 non-detection in the 55.5-84.4 MHz band for Coulomb-like interacting DM (IDM). In contrast to earlier constraint analyses that focused primarily on baryon cooling, we model the interaction self-consistently by including both excess cooling of the gas and the suppression of structure formation, which delays the onset of star formation and hence suppresses the Ly$α$, X-ray, and ionizing backgrounds at early times. We perform a joint Bayesian fit of a global 21-cm signal model and a flexible foreground model to the SARAS3 antenna temperature, and find that the signal parameters remain weakly constrained after marginalizing over the foregrounds. The null result is nonetheless informative: the data disfavour deep absorption features within the observed band, with the strongest bound at $z = 23.6$ ($ν\approx 57.7$ MHz), where $T_{21} \gtrsim -277.6$ mK at $3σ$. Comparing the IDM and standard cold dark matter scenarios, we find no statistically significant preference for IDM (Bayes factor $B \approx 1.7$). While we do not constrain the strength of baryon-DM interactions, the SARAS3 non-detection places a meaningful upper bound on the amplitude of the global 21-cm signal in this class of models.

We use a new implementation of the NEFERTITI galaxy formation model, coupled to $\sim 30$ high-resolution Caterpillar dark-matter simulations of Milky Way (MW) analogues, to connect early galaxy formation with the MW's assembly down to $z=0$. Our locally-constrained model resolves minihaloes hosting the first PopIII stars and self-consistently tracks inhomogeneous ionization and chemical enrichment. PopIII star formation begins at $z\simeq27$, peaks at $z\simeq10-15$, and persists down to $z\lesssim5$, producing PopIII systems with $M_*\sim10-5\times10^5\:{\rm M_\odot}$. The present-day descendants of PopIII stars span ${\rm [Fe/H]<-9}$ to ${\rm [Fe/H]\approx-1}$, with the most metal-poor stars typically enriched by a few (1-4) low-energy supernova progenitors. Pair-instability supernova descendants more commonly form in massive haloes ($M_{\rm vir}>10^8\:{\rm M_\odot}$), often externally enriched, reflecting the strong feedback and delayed recovery following energetic explosions. These early systems serve as building blocks for the present-day Galaxy's metal-poor component: although 90$\%$ of the total stellar mass formed in situ, the accreted component dominates at $[{\rm Fe/H}]<-1$ and accounts for nearly all stars with $[{\rm Fe/H}]<-3$. This accreted population is largely built by a few ($\sim5$) massive ($M_*>10^8\:{\rm M_\odot}$) destroyed dwarfs, but lower-mass systems become increasingly important at low metallicities, with ultra-faint and classical dSph analogues contributing $\sim25\%$ at $[{\rm Fe/H}]<-3$. Our model simultaneously reproduces the properties of metal-poor MW stars and the JWST "Hebe" galaxy at $z\sim11$, supporting its identification as a pure PopIII system. Ultimately, NEFERTITI is a key tool to interpret upcoming local and high-$z$ observations linking the near- and far-field cosmology.

We study CP violation induced by neutral kaon mixing in $a_{CP}(D^0 \rightarrow K_S K_S)$. We show that the contribution from neutral kaon mixing arises only in connection with second-order weak interactions in $D$ decays. We estimate this effect to be at the $10^{-6}$ level, and thus negligible compared to current experimental sensitivity and to the expected contribution from CP violation in the charm sector.

The superconformal index is a grand-canonical partition function that counts the 1/16-BPS states in the theory, and its Legendre transform with respect to reduced chemical potentials accounts for the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of electrically charged rotating black holes in anti-de Sitter spacetime. However, the superconformal index of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory appears to allow shifts in chemical potentials, and the contributions of the shifted terms diverge exponentially. This puzzle was resolved by showing the instability of wrapped D3-branes corresponding to the shifts in the gravitational on-shell action. Analogously, we study the ABJM index and the M5-brane instability criterion.

We present general series solutions to the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for compact stellar objects. We develop an algorithm to compute the coefficients of the power series in terms of the equation of state and its derivatives with respect to the thermodynamic variables. Using these results, we establish general properties of analytic solutions and their relation to the regularity of the equation of state. Applying the theory of Padé approximants, we derive series representations for meromorphic functions whose domains of convergence may include isolated poles. These analytic solutions are then used to obtain closed-form expressions to approximate the radius and mass of stellar objects. We apply the formalism to specific models, namely fluids with affine equations of state and polytropic fluids, and compare the results with those obtained from numerical integration. Lastly, we extend the formalism to piecewise equations of state, deriving series solutions that can be matched across transition hypersurfaces.

Accretion discs are fundamental to many astrophysical systems, providing the conversion of gravitational potential energy into radiation that we can observe. In many systems there is evidence that discs are warped; from spatially-resolved observations of protoplanetary discs, to the features of lightcurves and line profiles from discs around supermassive black holes in galaxy centres. The dynamics of warped discs is largely controlled by the physical nature of the internal disc viscosity. While typically disc viscosity is hydromagnetic in origin, simulations of magnetized discs cannot match observed rates of angular momentum transport in planar discs and thus cannot be used to determine the ratio of the torques responsible for driving accretion to those responsible for evolving the disc warp. The analytic work of Ogilvie is the most comprehensive model for warped disc evolution, but makes assumptions that need to be tested. In particular, it assumes that the disc viscosity is Navier-Stokes, and therefore small-scale and isotropic. Here we attempt to test this model using the long periods of X-ray binaries that are due to precession of the disc. These systems have well-constrained estimates of the component of viscosity responsible for driving accretion, and by looking at systems with and without evidence for disc misalignment and precession we can constrain the component of viscosity responsible for flattening the disc. We conclude that the observational constraints suggest that the Ogilvie model provides an adequate description of the disc evolution, but that there are indications that the internal disc viscosity might be marginally non-isotropic.

Motivated by the discovery of peculiar dwarf galaxies inside galaxy clusters such as blue candidates (BCs), dark galaxies and ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs), we present hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy mergers in cluster environments. We vary the viscosity and stellar feedback prescriptions, realistically modelling possible conditions for hydrodynamic drag and fluid instabilities, as well as internal destabilization through stellar feedback-driven heating and gas loss. We find that long-lived tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) can form throughout all viscosity values applicable to galaxy clusters if stellar feedback is moderate. Our results expand on studies of cloud crushing simulations, investigating the entrainment problem in intracluster medium ambience. The smallest clouds have gas masses on the order of $M_\text{gas} \sim 10^7 \text{ M}_\odot$ and reach relatively low final drift velocities of $\sim 100 \text{ km/s}$. The lowest possible Reynolds number acting on this class of clouds is $Re \sim 1$ for full Spitzer viscosity. Almost all TDGs display elevated star formation rates of $0.01-0.1 \text{ M}_\odot / \text{yr}$, which are stable across several Gyr. Based on their matching properties, we support that BCs observed in the Virgo cluster are likely stripped TDGs. Similar features are also found in comparison with dark galaxies and baryon-dominated UDGs, implying that a subsample of these objects are also long-lived TDGs. This work provides robust evidence that stripping from galaxy mergers is a viable channel for the formation of stable cold gas clouds and dark matter-deficient galaxies observed in galaxy clusters.

Circuit QED systems provide an ideal platform for exploring the strong-coupling regime of multimode cavity QED. Here we present two new phenomena from multimode strong coupling: a circuit Lagrangian analysis which captures beyond tight-binding effects of strong photon-photon coupling and experimental observation of strong wave-mixing resonances in the qubit response. Our circuit analysis reveals qualitatively new features such as emergent band gaps, lifted degeneracies, broadened flat bands, and frequency-dependent hopping. Within the multimode photon environment, strong qubit-photon coupling in turn gives rise to multiphoton processes involving multiple normal modes. We demonstrate a strong four-wave-mixing process involving excitation of a qubit and simultaneous frequency conversion between modes. Notably, this wave-mixing process is dominated by localized flat-band modes of the photonic lattice, which exhibit the strongest coupling to the transmon qubit.

In this work, we investigate whether the location of galaxies within the large-scale structures (LSS) of the Universe affects their stellar mass ($M_\star$) and morphology. To this end, we attempt to disentangle the effects of local and large-scale environments in their distributions. We classify 25309 galaxies in the redshift range ${0.02 < z \leq 0.04}$ with $\log M_\star/\rm{M}_\odot \geq 9.5$ in terms of the main LSS (voids, clusters, and not clusters nor voids, referred to as NCNV) and local environment (singlets and multiplets; galaxies with and without companions). We present the stellar mass and morphology distributions in these environments, and for a subsample of galaxy pairs. Even in voids, we find that $\sim22\%$ of galaxies have companions. Stellar mass distributions show that galaxies are less massive in voids, regardless of their local environment. Satellites in voids are, too, less massive relative to their centrals than in NCNV pairs. In terms of morphology, the denser the LSS, the greater is the proportion of early-type galaxies, even among singlets. In voids and NCNV, late-type multiplets tend to be later-type spirals than singlets. In pairs, centrals tend to be more early-type than satellites. The sample, curated to avoid morphology incompleteness, yields slightly higher fractions of early-type galaxies and multiplets than previous studies. We conclude that the local environment alone is insufficient to explain the distribution of stellar mass and the morphology of galaxies in the local Universe. The observed mass distributions support a scenario in which galaxy assembly depends critically on the host halos, and the properties of these halos are related to their large-scale environment. This would explain the finding of lower-mass galaxies in voids than in denser environments, and provide a basis for considering a common evolutionary origin for multiplets.

In recent years, the study of Bell nonlocality has been generalized to quantum networks, where multiple independent sources distribute physical systems to distant parties who perform local measurements. In this context, a central open question is to identify the minimal network configuration in which quantum resources produce Bell nonlocal correlations. Here we address this question and show that quantum nonlocality is possible in the triangle network where the parties have no input choices and produce only binary-valued outcomes. To do so, we start by identifying a family of target distributions and proving their nonlocality. Next, we construct an explicit quantum model that reproduces the target distributions to machine precision. For this, we develop an efficient method for parameterizing quantum distributions in networks, inspired by the formalism of higher-order quantum operations. When considering the number of observed variables and their cardinality, this constitutes the smallest scenario possible that supports quantum nonlocality in networks. Moreover, by analyzing the explicit quantum model, we obtain new insights into how nonlocal distributions can be generated in quantum networks.

(Abridged) Simulation-based inference (SBI) has emerged as a powerful framework for extracting cosmological information from complex, non-linear data where analytical likelihoods are unavailable. Its reliability is commonly assessed using coverage-based diagnostics under the prior predictive distribution, which probe calibration only in an averaged sense and do not constrain posterior behavior at fixed parameter value, the regime relevant for practical inference. We investigate these limitations in the context of primordial non-Gaussianity, parameterized by $f_\mathrm{NL}$, using simulations of the dark matter halo field. We compare SBI based on contrastive neural ratio estimation (CNRE) with likelihood-based inference (LBI) using the power spectrum, bispectrum, and wavelet scattering transform (WST) coefficients across 1000 realizations. SBI and LBI agree well on posterior means and skewness, while the variance agrees on average but shows weaker realization-by-realization consistency. Larger differences arise in the kurtosis, indicating discrepancies in the posterior tails. These effects are already present for the power spectrum - where the Gaussian likelihood assumed in LBI is best justified - and are most pronounced for the combined power spectrum and bispectrum, where SBI posteriors are often underconfident and can yield weaker constraints than either statistic individually, despite passing coverage tests. WST coefficients further tighten constraints on $f_\mathrm{NL}$, even when restricted to large scales. Our results highlight both the potential of higher-order statistics and the need for validation strategies that probe the posterior shape beyond standard coverage diagnostics.

Simulating physical systems on near-term quantum computers often requires preparing states within constrained subspaces, like those with fixed particle number or spin. We use Lie algebraic techniques to prove that hardware-efficient gates are universal for state preparation in these subspaces. The key mechanism is Pauli $Z$ dressing: commutators of overlapping gates produce Pauli $Z$ operators on shared qubits, acting as spectator projectors that decompose multi-plane rotations into single-plane generators spanning the full $\mathfrak{so}(w)$ algebra, where $w$ is the dimension of the constrained subspace, thereby guaranteeing universality for real state preparation. Adding independent complex phases extends this to $\mathfrak{su}(w)$, enabling arbitrary complex state preparation. We provide a computationally efficient Jacobian criterion for verifying that a circuit can explore any direction on the target manifold from almost any parameter configuration. Our findings are applicable to many problem areas, including Fermi-Hubbard models, Bose-Hubbard models, and molecular electronic structure. We apply our framework to two physical settings: we prove the completeness of the binary encoded multi-level particles ansatz on the conserved-particle-number subspace, and we construct symmetry-preserving circuits for the fuzzy sphere regularisation of the 3D Ising conformal field theory (CFT). For the latter, we variationally prepare the ground and excited states to extract CFT scaling dimensions.