Search Results (23)

In PAC spectroscopy, hyperfine interactions of a radioactive probe nucleus with its surroundings are measured, providing information about the local atomic structure and dynamics at the probe site. In the so-called fast reorientation time regime for fluctuating nuclear quadrupole interactions (NQIs), the PAC signal is an exponentially decaying function, with decay constant λ depending on both the hyperfine interaction and dynamics. For a molecular system in solution, dynamics may originate from Brownian molecular tumbling (rotational diffusion) with rotational correlation time τ_c and from local dynamics at the probe site, occurring at a characteristic time scale τ_loc. The τ_c and the τ_loc cannot be discriminated in a single PAC spectrum; however, assuming that they scale differently with viscosity and temperature, a series of experiments in which these parameters are varied may allow for discrimination of τ_c and the τ_loc. Three models are presented for the effect of dynamics on the PAC signal: (1) the Stokes–Einstein–Debye model with linear scaling of λ with viscosity ξ; (2) a more general model presenting a power law scaling of λ with (ξ/ξ₀)ⁿ; and (3) a model that includes rotational and local dynamics leading to an expression for λ that scales with ξ/(ξ + c), where c is a constant that depends on temperature, molecular volume, and τ_loc. These models may serve as different approaches to analyze PAC data and their dependence on temperature and solvent viscosity in the fast reorientation time regime, and they can be applied to design experiments for optimal discrimination of global rotational diffusion and local dynamics at the probe site. Full article

We present early follow-up observations of Einstein Probe (EP) X-ray transients, following its first year of operation. EP is a dedicated wide-field X-ray observatory that is transforming our understanding of the dynamic X-ray universe. During its first year, EP successfully detected a diverse range of high-energy transients—including gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), tidal disruption events (TDEs), and fast X-ray transients (FXTs), besides many stellar flares, disseminating 128 alerts in the aggregate. Ground-based optical follow-up observations, particularly those performed by our BOOTES telescope network, have played a crucial role in multi-wavelength campaigns carried out so far. Out of the 128 events, the BOOTES Network has been able to follow up 58 events, detecting 6 optical counterparts at early times. These complementary optical measurements have enabled rapid identification of counterparts, precise redshift determinations (such as EP250215a at $z=4.61$), and detailed characterization of the transient phenomena. The synergy between EP’s cutting-edge X-ray monitoring and the essential optical follow-up provided by facilities, such as the above-mentioned BOOTES Global Network or other Spanish ground-based facilities we have access to, underscores the importance and necessity of coordinated observations in the era of time-domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. Full article

This study employs quantum chemical computational methods to predict the spectroscopic properties of fluorescent probes 2,6-bis(2-benzimidazolyl)pyridine (BBP) and (E)-3-(2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)vinyl)-9-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)-9H-carbazole (BIMC). Using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), we successfully predicted the fluorescence emission wavelengths of BBP under various protonation states, achieving an average deviation of 6.0% from experimental excitation energies. Molecular dynamics simulations elucidated the microscopic mechanism underlying BBP’s fluorescence quenching under acidic conditions. The spectroscopic predictions for BIMC were performed using the STEOM-DLPNO-CCSD method, yielding an average deviation of merely 0.57% from experimental values. Based on Einstein’s spontaneous emission formula and empirical internal conversion rate formulas, we calculated fluorescence quantum yields for spectral intensity calibration, enabling the accurate prediction of experimental spectra. To streamline the computational workflow, we developed and open-sourced the EasySpecCalc software v0.0.1 on GitHub, aiming to facilitate the design and development of fluorescent probes. Full article

Gravitational waves (GWs) are expected to interact with dark energy and dark matter, affecting their propagation on cosmological scales. To model this interaction, we derive a gauge-invariant effective equation and action valid for all GW polarizations. This is achieved by encoding the effects of GW interactions at different orders of perturbation into a polarization-, frequency-, and time-dependent effective speed. The invariance of perturbations under time-dependent conformal transformations and the gauge invariance of GWs allow us to derive the unitary gauge effective action in any conformally related frame, thereby clarifying the relationship between the Einstein and Jordan frames. Tests of the polarization and frequency dependencies in the propagation time and luminosity distance of different GW polarizations allow us to probe the dark Universe, which acts as an effective medium, modeled by the GW effective speed. Full article

The X-ray satellite “Einstein Probe” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was successfully launched on 9 January 2024 at 15:03 Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China with a “Long March-2C” rocket. The Einstein Probe is equipped with two scientific X-ray telescopes. One is the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), which uses lobster-eye optics. The other is the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), a Wolter-I type telescope. These telescopes are designed to study the universe for high-energy X-rays associated with transient high-energy phenomena. The FXT consists of two modules based on 54 thin X-ray Wolter-I grazing incidence Ni-replicated mirrors produced by the Italian Media Lario company, as contributions from the European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), which also provided the focal-plane detectors. Meanwhile, the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), together with the Harbin Institute of Technology and Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, has also completed the development and production of the structural and thermal model (STM), qualification model (QM) and flight model (FM) of FXT mirrors for the Einstein Probe (EP) satellites for demonstration purposes. This paper introduces the precision manufacturing adopted in China of Wolter-I X-ray mirror mandrels similar to those used for the EP-FXT payload. Moreover, the adopted electroformed nickel replication process, based on a chemical nickel–phosphorus alloy, is reported. The final results show that the surface of the produced mandrels after demolding and the internal surface of the mirrors have been super polished to the roughness level better than 0.3 nm RMS and the surface accuracy is better than 0.2 μm, and the mirror angular resolution for single mirror shells may be as good as 17.3 arcsec HPD (Half Power Diameter), 198 arcsec W90 (90% Energy Width) @1.49 keV (Al-K line). These results demonstrate the reliability and advancement of the process. As the first efficient X-ray-focusing optics manufacturing chain established in China, we successfully developed the first focusing mirror prototype that could be used for future X-ray satellite payloads. Full article

The detection of gravitational waves in 2015 ushered in a new era of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy capable of probing the strong field dynamics of black holes and neutron stars. It has opened up an exciting new window for laboratory and space tests of Einstein’s theory of classical general relativity (GR). In recent years, two interesting proposals have aimed to reveal the quantum nature of perturbative gravity: (1) theoretical predictions on how graviton noise from the early universe, after the vacuum of the gravitational field was strongly squeezed by inflationary expansion; (2) experimental proposals using the quantum entanglement between two masses, each in a superposition (gravitational cat, or gravcat) state. The first proposal focuses on the stochastic properties of quantum fields (QFs), and the second invokes a key concept of quantum information (QI). An equally basic and interesting idea is to ask whether (and how) gravity might be responsible for a quantum system becoming classical in appearance, known as gravitational decoherence. Decoherence due to gravity is of special interest because gravity is universal, meaning, gravitational interaction is present for all massive objects. This is an important issue in macroscopic quantum phenomena (MQP), underlining many proposals in alternative quantum theories (AQTs). To fully appreciate or conduct research in these exciting developments requires a working knowledge of classical GR, QF theory, and QI, plus some familiarity with stochastic processes (SPs), namely, noise in quantum fields and decohering environments. Traditionally a new researcher may be conversant in one or two of these four subjects: GR, QFT, QI, and SP, depending on his/her background. This tutorial attempts to provide the necessary connective tissues between them, helping an engaged reader from any one of these four subjects to leapfrog to the frontier of these interdisciplinary research topics. In the present version, we shall address the three topics listed in the title, excluding gravitational entanglement, because, despite the high attention some recent experimental proposals have received, its nature and implications in relation to quantum gravity still contain many controversial elements. Full article

The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA) is the pathfinder of the wide-field X-ray telescope used in the Einstein Probe mission. In this study, we present an image of the Virgo Cluster taken by LEIA in the 0.5–4.5 keV band with an exposure time of ∼17.3 ks in the central region. This extended emission is generally consistent with the results obtained by ROSAT. However, the field is affected by bright point sources due to the instrument’s Point Spread Function (PSF) effect. Through fitting of the LEIA spectrum of the Virgo Cluster, we obtained a temperature of $2.1_{-0.1}^{+0.3}$ keV, which is consistent with the XMM-Newton results (∼2.3 keV). Above 1.6 keV, the spectrum is dominated by the X-ray background. In summary, this study validates LEIA’s extended source imaging and spectral resolution capabilities for the first time. Full article

We show that Einstein’s conformal gravity can explain, simply, and on the geometric ground, galactic rotation curves, without the need to introduce any modification in both the gravitational as well as in the matter sector of the theory. The geometry of each galaxy is described by a metric obtained, making a singular rescaling of Schwarzschild’s spacetime. The new exact solution, asymptotically anti-de Sitter, manifests an unattainable singularity at infinity that cannot be reached in finite proper time; namely, the spacetime is geodetically complete. It deserves to be noticed that, in this paper, we have a different opinion from the usual one. Indeed, instead of making the metric singularity-free, we make it apparently but harmlessly even more singular than Schwarzschild’s. Finally, it is crucial to point out that Weyl’s conformal symmetry is spontaneously broken into the new singular vacuum rather than the asymptotically flat Schwarzschild’s one. The metric is unique according to the null energy condition, the zero acceleration for photons in the Newtonian regime, and the homogeneity of the Universe at large scales. Once the matter is conformally coupled to gravity, the orbital velocity for a probe star in the galaxy turns out to be asymptotically constant consistent with the observations and the Tully–Fisher relation. Therefore, we compare our model with a sample of 175 galaxies and show that our velocity profile very well interpolates the galactic rotation curves after a proper choice of the only free parameter in the metric. The mass-to-luminosity ratios of galaxies turn out to be close to 1, consistent with the absence of dark matter. Full article

A substantial body of phenomenological and theoretical work over the last few years strengthens the possibility that the vacuum energy density (VED) of the universe is dynamical, and in particular that it adopts the ‘running vacuum model’ (RVM) form, in which the VED evolves mildly as $\delta {\rho }_{\mathrm{vac}}\left(H\right)\sim {\nu }_{\mathrm{eff}}{m}_{\mathrm{Pl}}^2\mathcal{O}\left(H^2\right)$, where H is the Hubble rate and ${\nu }_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is a (small) free parameter. This dynamical scenario is grounded on recent studies of quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spacetime and also on string theory. It turns out that what we call the ‘cosmological constant’, $\mathsf{\Lambda }$, is no longer a rigid parameter but the nearly sustained value of $8\pi G\left(H\right){\rho }_{\mathrm{vac}}\left(H\right)$ around any given epoch $H\left(t\right)$, where $G\left(H\right)$ is the gravitational coupling, which can also be very mildly running (logarithmically). Of particular interest is the possibility suggested in past works that such a running may help to cure the cosmological tensions afflicting the $\mathsf{\Lambda }$CDM. In the current study, we reanalyze the RVM in full and we find it becomes further buttressed. Using modern cosmological data, namely a compilation of the latest SNIa+BAO+$H\left(z\right)$+LSS+CMB observations, we probe to what extent the RVM provides a quality fit better than the concordance $\mathsf{\Lambda }$CDM model, with particular emphasis on its impact on the ${\sigma }_8$ and $H_0$ tensions. We utilize the Einstein–Boltzmann system solver CLASS and the Monte Carlo sampler MontePython for the statistical analysis, as well as the statistical DIC criterion to compare the running vacuum against the rigid vacuum (${\nu }_{\mathrm{eff}}=0$). On fundamental grounds, ${\nu }_{\mathrm{eff}}$ receives contributions from all the quantized matter fields in FLRW spacetime. We show that with a tiny amount of vacuum dynamics (${\nu }_{\mathrm{eff}}\ll 1$) the global fit can improve significantly with respect to the $\mathsf{\Lambda }$CDM and the mentioned tensions may subside to inconspicuous levels. Full article

We construct a holographic p-wave superconductor with excited states in the 4D Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity using the Maxwell complex vector field model. In the probe limit, we observe that, the higher curvature correction or the higher excited state can hinder the vector condensate to be formed in the full parameter space, which is different from the holographic s-wave superconductor. Regardless of the choice of the vector mass by selecting the value of $m^2{L}^2$ or $m^2{L}_{\mathrm{eff}}^2$, we note that the critical chemical potential becomes evenly spaced for the number of nodes and that the difference of the critical chemical potential between the consecutive states depends on the curvature correction. Moreover, we find that the higher curvature correction or the higher excited state will alter the universal relation of the gap frequency, and the pole and delta function of the conductivity for the excited states can be broadened into the peaks with the finite width as the curvature correction increases. Full article

Noncommutative geometry is an established potential candidate for including quantum phenomena in gravitation. We outlined the formalism of Hopf algebras and its connection to the algebra of infinitesimal diffeomorphisms. Using a Drinfeld twist, we deformed spacetime symmetries, algebra of vector fields and differential forms, leading to a formulation of noncommutative Einstein equations. We studied a concrete example of charged BTZ spacetime and deformations steaming from the so-called angular twist. The entropy of the noncommutative charged BTZ black hole was obtained using the brick-wall method. We used a charged scalar field as a probe and obtained its spectrum and density of states via WKB approximation. We provide the method used to calculate corrections to the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy in higher orders in WKB, but we present the final result in the lowest WKB order. The result is that, even in the lowest order in WKB, the entropy, in general, contains higher powers in ℏ, and it has logarithmic corrections and polynomials of logarithms of the black hole area. Full article

Nonlinear electrodynamics is known as the generalizations of Maxwell electrodynamics at strong fields and presents interesting features such as curing the classical divergences present in the linear theory when coupled to general relativity. In this paper, we consider the asymptotically flat Reissner–Nordström black hole solution with higher-order magnetic correction in Einstein-nonlinear-Maxwell fields. We study the effect of the magnetic charge parameters on the black hole, viz., weak deflection angle of photons and massive particles using the Gauss–Bonnet theorem. Moreover, we apply Keeton–Petters formalism to confirm our results concerning the weak deflection angle. Apart from a vacuum, their influence in the presence of different media such as plasma and dark matter are probed as well. Finally, we examine the black hole shadow cast using the null-geodesics method and investigate its spherically in-falling thin accretion disk. Our inferences show how the magnetic charge parameter p affects the other physical quantities; so, we impose some constraints on this parameter using observations from the Event Horizon Telescope. Full article

UV-induced oligomerisation of squalene was undertaken to indicate the potential for squalene-containing biological systems to exhibit rheology changes. DOSY NMR enabled the determination of the molecular weight (MW) range using Stokes–Einstein Gierer–Wirtz Estimation (SEGWE Calculator, University of Manchester). This approach was validated by Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (ASAP TOF MS). To demonstrate the principle, both benzoyl peroxide and AIBN were used, separately, to initiate rapid, radical oligomerisation. Subsequent experiments in the absence of initiators compared the influence of UV wavelength and time on the resulting oligomer formation. To further model a relevant biological implication of this potentially chaotic UV oligomerisation, both saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids were added to squalene and exposed to UV at 285 nm and 300 nm to determine if cross oligomerisation could be observed. This representation of sebum evidenced the formation of a distribution of higher MW oligomers. Internal viscosity was normalised using the DMSO solvent, but to confirm that changes in rheology did not affect diffusion, a final experiment where fresh squalene was added to our oligomer mixture, representative of sebum, showed that unchanged squalene possessed the anticipated monomeric diffusion coefficient and hence MW. This work suggests, at least qualitatively, that UV-induced squalene oligomerisation can occur over time and that this may have a role in the behaviour of squalene on the skin. Full article

In this paper, the finite element method was used to simulate the response of the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) across an iron–zinc cut-edge sample in order to provide a deeper understanding of the localized corrosion rates measured using SVET. It was found that, if the diffusion layer was neglected, the simulated current density using the Laplace equation fitted the experimental SVET current density perfectly. However, the electrolyte was not perturbed by a vibrating SVET probe in the field, so a diffusion layer existed. Therefore, the SVET current densities obtained from the local conductivity of the electrolyte would likely be more representative of the true corrosion rates than the SVET current densities obtained from the bulk conductivity. To help overcome this difference between natural conditions and those imposed by the SVET experiment, a local electrolyte corrected conductivity SVET (LECC-SVET) current density was introduced, which was obtained by replacing the bulk electrolyte conductivity measured experimentally by the local electrolyte conductivity simulated using the Nernst−Einstein equation. Although the LECC-SVET current density did not fit the experimental SVET current density as perfectly as that obtained from the Laplace equation, it likely represents current densities closer to the true, unperturbed corrosion conditions than the SVET data from the bulk conductivity. Full article

Josephson junctions are essential ingredients in the superconducting circuits used in many existing quantum technologies. Additionally, ultracold atomic quantum gases have also become essential platforms to study superfluidity. Here, we explore the analogy between superconductivity and superfluidity to present an intriguing effect caused by a thin finite barrier in a quasi-one-dimensional toroidal spinor Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC). In this system, the atomic current density flowing through the edges of the barrier oscillates, such as the electrical current through a Josephson junction in a superconductor, but in our case, there is no current circulation through the barrier. We also show how the nontrivial broken-symmetry states of spinor BECs change the structure of this Josephson-like current, creating the possibility to probe the spinor symmetry, solely using measurements of this superfluid current. Full article