Class Of Sources Research Articles

Photo-induced carboxylation of C(sp2)−S bonds in aryl thiols and derivatives with CO2

Aryl thiols have proven to be a useful class of electron donors and hydrogen atom sources in photochemical processes. However, the direct activation and functionalization of C(sp2)–S bonds in aryl thiols remains elusive in the field of photochemistry. Herein, a photochemical carboxylation of C(sp2)–S bonds in aryl thiols with CO2 is reported, providing a synthetic route to important aryl carboxylic acids. Moreover, different kinds of aryl thiol derivatives, benzeneselenol and diphenyl diselenide also show moderate-to-high reactivity in this transformation. Mechanistic studies, including DFT calculations, suggest that the in situ generated carbon dioxide radical anion (CO2•−) and disulfide might be the key intermediates, which undergo radical substitution to yield products. This reaction features mild and catalyst-free conditions, good functional group tolerance and wide substrate scope. Furthermore, the efficient degradation of polyphenylene sulfide highlights the usefulness of this methodology.

Nexus of Soil Microbiomes, Genes, Classes of Carbon Substrates, and Biotransformation of Fluorotelomer-Based Precursors.

The unpredictable biodegradation of fluorotelomer (FT)-based per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) causes complicated risk management of PFAS-impacted sites. Here, we have successfully used redundancy analysis to link FT-based precursor biodegradation to key microbes and genes of soil microbiomes shaped by different classes of carbon sources: alcohols (C2-C4), alkanes (C6 and C8), an aromatic compound (phenol), or a hydrocarbon surfactant (cocamidopropyl betaine [CPB]). All the enrichments defluorinated fluorotelomer alcohols (n:2 FtOH; n = 4, 6, 8) effectively and grew on 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FtS) as a sulfur source. The butanol-enriched culture showed the highest defluorination extent for FtOHs and 6:2 FtS due to the high microbial diversity and the abundance of desulfonating and defluorinating genes. The CPB-enriched culture accumulated more 5:3 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid, suggesting unique roles of Variovorax and Pseudomonas. Enhanced 6:2 FtOH defluorination was observed due to a synergism between two enrichments with different carbon source classes except for those with phenol- and CPB-enriched cultures. While the 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl betaine was not degraded, trace levels of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl amines were detected. The identified species and genes involved in desulfonation, defluorination, and carbon source metabolism are promising biomarkers for assessing precursor degradation at the sites.

Origin of the spectral features observed in the cosmic-ray spectrum

Recent measurements reveal the presence of several features in the cosmic-ray (CR) spectrum. In particular, the proton and helium spectra exhibit a spectral hardening at $ GV $ and a spectral steepening at $ TV $, followed by the well-known knee-like feature at $ PV $. The spectra of heavier nuclei also harden at $ GV $, while no claim can be currently made about the presence of the $ TV $ softening, due to low statistics. In addition, the B/C ratio also exhibits a hardening at $ GeV/n $ and seems to be rather shallow at $ TeV/n We propose a possible explanation of the observed spectral features in the framework of a composite diffusion scenario and considering different classes of sources. The proposed scenario is based on two assumptions. First, in the Galactic disk, where magnetic field lines are mainly oriented along the Galactic plane, particle scattering is assumed to be very inefficient. Therefore, the transport of CRs from the disk to the halo is set by the magnetic field line random walk induced by large-scale turbulence. Second, we propose that the spectral steepening at $ TV $ is related to the typical maximum rigidity reached in the acceleration of CRs by the majority of supernova remnants, while we assume that only a fraction of sources, contributing to $ 10-20<!PCT!> $ of the CR population, can accelerate particles up to sim PV rigidities. Within this framework we show that it is possible to reproduce the proton and helium spectra from GV to multi-PV; the $p$/He ratio; the spectra of CRs from lithium to iron; the $ p $ flux and the $ p /p$ ratio; and the abundance ratios B/C, B/O, C/O, Be/C, Be/O, and Be/B. We also discuss the Be Be ratio in view of the recent AMS02 preliminary measurements.

Effects of plastic film mulching on soil microbial carbon metabolic activity and functional diversity at different maize growth stages in cool, semi-arid regions.

Plastic film mulching has been widely used to enhance soil hydrothermal conditions and increase crop yields in cool, semi-arid areas. However, its impact on soil microbial carbon metabolic activity and functional diversity during plant growth remains unclear despite their important roles in nutrient cycling and soil quality evaluation. This study used the Biolog EcoPlate technique to investigate the dynamics and driving factors of soil microbial carbon metabolic activity and functional diversity at different maize growth stages following plastic film mulching. The results revealed that film mulching significantly increased microbial carbon metabolic activities [represented by average well color development (AWCD)] by 300% at the seedling stage and by 26.8% at maturity but decreased it by 47.4% at the flowering stage compared to the control (without mulching). A similar trend was observed for the microbial functional diversity index. Redundancy analysis identified soil moisture (SM), soil temperature (ST), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and bacteria amounts as the primary factors influencing changes in soil microbial carbon source utilization. The mulch treatment significantly increased SM at all growth stages, while its warming effect disappeared at the flowering stage. Soil DOC, MBC, and bacterial populations were notably higher under mulching at the seedling and maturity stages but lower at the flowering stage. Pearson correlation analysis showed that changes in SM, ST, DOC, MBC, and bacterial populations positively correlated with the utilization of all carbon source classes, AWCD, and functional diversity indexes after film mulching. Furthermore, maize grain yield and water use efficiency increased by 142 and 129%, respectively, following film mulching. In conclusion, plastic film mulching enhanced soil microbial carbon metabolic activity and functional diversity at the seedling and maturity stages, improving crop yields in cool, semi-arid areas. Furthermore, the decrease in soil carbon metabolic capacity at flowering stage highlights that supplementing soil carbon sources should be considered after continuous film mulching to sustain or enhance farmland productivity and soil quality.

Prospects for a survey of the galactic plane with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Approximately one hundred sources of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays are known in the Milky Way, detected with a combination of targeted observations and surveys. A survey of the entire Galactic Plane in the energy range from a few tens of GeV to a few hundred TeV has been proposed as a Key Science Project for the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). This article presents the status of the studies towards the Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). We build and make publicly available a sky model that combines data from recent observations of known gamma-ray emitters with state-of-the-art physically-driven models of synthetic populations of the three main classes of established Galactic VHE sources (pulsar wind nebulae, young and interacting supernova remnants, and compact binary systems), as well as of interstellar emission from cosmic-ray interactions in the Milky Way. We also perform an optimisation of the observation strategy (pointing pattern and scheduling) based on recent estimations of the instrument performance. We use the improved sky model and observation strategy to simulate GPS data corresponding to a total observation time of 1620 hours spread over ten years. Data are then analysed using the methods and software tools under development for real data. Under our model assumptions and for the realisation considered, we show that the GPS has the potential to increase the number of known Galactic VHE emitters by almost a factor of five. This corresponds to the detection of more than two hundred pulsar wind nebulae and a few tens of supernova remnants at average integral fluxes one order of magnitude lower than in the existing sample above 1 TeV, therefore opening the possibility to perform unprecedented population studies. The GPS also has the potential to provide new VHE detections of binary systems and pulsars, to confirm the existence of a hypothetical population of gamma-ray pulsars with an additional TeV emission component, and to detect bright sources capable of accelerating particles to PeV energies (PeVatrons). Furthermore, the GPS will constitute a pathfinder for deeper follow-up observations of these source classes. Finally, we show that we can extract from GPS data an estimate of the contribution to diffuse emission from unresolved sources, and that there are good prospects of detecting interstellar emission and statistically distinguishing different scenarios.Thus, a survey of the entire Galactic plane carried out from both hemispheres with CTAO will ensure a transformational advance in our knowledge of Galactic VHE source populations and interstellar emission.

The Northern Cross Fast Radio Burst project

Context. Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are energetic, millisecond-duration radio pulses observed at extragalactic distances and whose origins are still a subject of heated debate. A fraction of the FRB population have shown repeating bursts, however it’s still unclear whether these represent a distinct class of sources. Aims. We investigated the bursting behaviour of FRB 20220912A, one of the most active repeating FRBs known thus far. In particular, we focused on its burst energy distribution, linked to the source energetics, and its emission spectrum, with the latter directly related to the underlying emission mechanism. Methods. We monitored FRB 20220912A at 408 MHz with the Northern Cross radio telescope and at 1.4 GHz using the 32-m Medicina Grueff radio telescope. Additionally, we conducted 1.2 GHz observations taken with the upgraded Giant Meter Wave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) searching for a persistent radio source coincident with FRB 20220912A, and included high energy observations in the 0.3–10 keV, 0.4–100 MeV and 0.03–30 GeV energy range. Results. We report 16 new bursts from FRB 20220912A at 408 MHz during the period between October 16th 2022 and December 31st 2023. Their cumulative spectral energy distribution follows a power law with slope αE = −1.3 ± 0.2 and we measured a repetition rate of 0.19 ± 0.03 hr−1 for bursts having a fluence of ℱ ≥ 17 Jy ms. Furthermore, we report no detections at 1.4 GHz for ℱ ≥ 20 Jy ms. These non-detections imply an upper limit of β < −2.3, with β being the 408 MHz – 1.4 GHz spectral index of FRB 20220912A. This is inconsistent with positive β values found for the only two known cases in which an FRB has been detected in separate spectral bands. We find that FRB 20220912A shows a decline of four orders of magnitude in its bursting activity at 1.4 GHz over a timescale of one year, while remaining active at 408 MHz. The cumulative spectral energy distribution (SED) shows a flattening for spectral energy Eν ≥ 1031 erg Hz−1, a feature seen thus far in only two hyperactive repeaters. In particular, we highlight a strong similarity between FRB 20220912A and FRB 20201124A, with respect to both the energy and repetition rate ranges. We also find a radio continuum source with 240 ± 36 μJy flux density at 1.2 GHz, centered on the FRB 20220912A coordinates. Finally, we place an upper limit on the γ to radio burst efficiency η to be η < 1.5 × 109 at 99.7% confidence level, in the 0.4–30 MeV energy range. Conclusions. The strong similarity between the cumulative energy distributions of FRB 20220912A and FRB 20201124A indicate that bursts from these sources are generated via similar emission mechanisms. Our upper limit on β suggests that the spectrum of FRB 20220912A is intrinsically narrow-band. The radio continuum source detected at 1.2 GHz is likely due to a star formation environment surrounding the FRB, given the absence of a source compact on millisecond scales brighter than 48 μJy beam−1. Finally, the upper limit on the ratio between the γ and radio burst fluence disfavours a giant flare origin for the radio bursts unlike observed for the Galactic magnetar SGR 1806-20.

LFGurad: A Defense against Label Flipping Attack in Federated Learning for Vehicular Network

The explosive growth of the interconnected vehicle network creates vast amounts of data within individual vehicles, offering exciting opportunities to develop advanced applications. FL (Federated Learning) is a game-changer for vehicular networks, enabling powerful distributed data processing across vehicles to build intelligent applications while promoting collaborative training and safeguarding data privacy. However, recent research has exposed a critical vulnerability in FL: poisoning attacks, where malicious actors can manipulate data, labels, or models to subvert the system. Despite its advantages, deploying FL in dynamic vehicular environments with a multitude of distributed vehicles presents unique challenges. One such challenge is the potential for a significant number of malicious actors to tamper with data. We propose a hierarchical FL framework for vehicular networks to address these challenges, promising lower latency and coverage. We also present a defense mechanism, LFGuard, which employs a detection system to pinpoint malicious vehicles. It then excludes their local models from the aggregation stage, significantly reducing their influence on the final outcome. We evaluate LFGuard against state-of-the-art techniques using the three popular benchmark datasets in a heterogeneous environment. Results illustrate LFGuard outperforms prior studies in thwarting targeted label-flipping attacks with more than 5% improvement in the global model accuracy, 12% in the source class recall, and a 6% reduction in the attack success rate while maintaining high model utility.

Research on mine water source classifications based on BO-CatBoost.

Mine water surge is one of the main safety risks in coal mines. This research offers a novel mine water source identification model (BO-CatBoost) to successfully avoid and control mine sudden water catastrophes by properly identifying the sources of mine water. First, the classification model is trained and built using the Categorical Boosting (CatBoost) algorithm. The Gaussian process Bayesian optimization (BO) algorithm is used to optimize parameters, and the optimal parameter combination is integrated into the CatBoost algorithm to build the BO-CatBoost mine water source identification model, which further improves the accuracy of mine water source identification. The model was also applied to the Pingdingshan mine to verify the practicality of the model. Then, 29 groups of unknown water sources in Pingdingshan were selected as validation samples for the model and compared with the conventional CatBoost, Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (Xgboost) models. The comparison results demonstrate that the accuracy of LightGBM, Xgboost, CatBoost, and BO-CatBoost models can reach 69%, 79.3%, 79.3%, and 100% respectively, and the RMSE is 0.947, 0.643, 0.719, and 0.0 respectively. The comprehensive analysis shows that, when it comes to mine water source detection, the BO-CatBoost model performs noticeably better than other models in terms of discriminative accuracy and generalization capacity. Lastly, the multi-output prediction and decision-making process of the BO-CatBoost water source identification model is visualized by the interpretability analysis performed with the SHAP approach. The research demonstrates that the BO-CatBoost model can more precisely and impartially identify mine water sources, offering fresh concepts for mine water source detection.

On the Correlation between Young Massive Star Clusters and Gamma-Ray Unassociated Sources

Star clusters (SCs) are potential cosmic-ray accelerators and therefore are expected to emit high-energy radiation. However, a clear detection of gamma-ray emission from this source class has only been possible for a handful of cases. This could in principle result from two different reasons: either detectable SCs are limited to a small fraction of the total number of Galactic SCs, or gamma-ray-emitting SCs are not recognized as such and therefore are listed in the ensemble of unidentified sources. In this Letter we investigate this latter scenario by comparing available catalogs of SCs and H ii regions, obtained from Gaia and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer observations, to the gamma-ray GeV and TeV catalogs built from Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), H.E.S.S., and LHAASO data. The significance of the correlation between catalogs is evaluated by comparing the results with simulations of synthetic populations. A strong correlation emerges between Fermi-LAT-unidentified sources and H ii regions that trace massive SCs in the earliest (≲1–2 Myr) phase of their life, where no supernova explosions have happened yet, confirming that winds of massive stars can alone accelerate particles and produce gamma-ray emission at least up to GeV energies. The association with TeV energy sources is less evident. Similarly, no significant association is found between Gaia SCs and GeV nor TeV sources. We ascribe this fact to the larger extension of these objects but also to an intrinsic bias in the Gaia selection toward SCs surrounded by a lower target gas density, which would otherwise hinder the detection in the optical wave band.

Development of a Miniaturized 2-Joule Pulsed Plasma Source Based on Plasma Focus Technology: Applications in Extreme Condition Materials and Nanosatellite Orientation.

Plasma focus devices represent a class of hot and dense plasma sources that serve a dual role in fundamental plasma research and practical applications. These devices allow the observation of various phenomena, including the z-pinch effect, nuclear fusion reactions, plasma filaments, bursts, shocks, jets, X-rays, neutron pulses, ions, and electron beams. In recent years, considerable efforts have been directed toward miniaturizing plasma focus devices, driven by the pursuit of both basic studies and technological advancements. In this paper, we present the design and construction of a compact, portable pulsed plasma source based on plasma focus technology, operating at the ~2-4 Joule energy range for versatile applications (PF-2J: 120 nF capacitance, 6-9 kV charging voltage, 40 nH inductance, 2.16-4.86 J stored energy, and 10-15 kA maximum current at short circuit). The components of the device, including capacitors, spark gaps, discharge chambers, and power supplies, are transportable within hand luggage. The electrical characteristics of the discharge were thoroughly characterized using voltage and current derivative monitoring techniques. A peak current of 15 kiloamperes was achieved within 110 nanoseconds in a short-circuit configuration at a 9 kV charging voltage. Plasma dynamics were captured through optical refractive diagnostics employing a pulsed Nd-YAG laser with a 170-picosecond pulse duration. Clear evidence of the z-pinch effect was observed during discharges in a deuterium atmosphere at 4 millibars and 6 kilovolts. The measured pinch length and radius were approximately 0.8 mm and less than 100 μm, respectively. Additionally, we explore the potential applications of this compact pulsed plasma source. These include its use as a plasma shock irradiation device for analyzing materials intended for the first wall of nuclear fusion reactors, its capability in material film deposition, and its utility as an educational tool in experimental plasma physics. We also show its potential as a pulsed plasma thruster for nanosatellites, showcasing the advantages of miniaturized plasma focus technology.

Detection prospects of very and ultra high-energy gamma rays from extended sources with ASTRI, CTA, and LHAASO

Context. The recent discovery of several ultra high-energy gamma-ray emitters in our Galaxy represents a significant advancement towards the characterisation of its most powerful accelerators. Nonetheless, in order to unambiguously locate the regions where the highest energy particles are produced and understand the responsible physical mechanisms, detailed spectral and morphological studies are required, especially given that most of the observed sources were found to be significantly extended. Aims. In these regards, pointing observations with the next-generation Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Observatory and the ASTRI Mini-Array (ASTRI), are expected to provide significant improvements. Here we aim to identify the most promising sources to target in future observations. Methods. For this purpose, we performed a comparative analysis of the expected performance of ASTRI and CTA, computing their differential sensitivities towards extended sources, and further explored their capabilities with respect to specific case studies, including follow-ups of existing gamma-ray source catalogues. Results. We find that almost all of the sources thus far detected by LHAASO-WCDA and in the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey will be in the reach of ASTRI and CTA with about 300 and 50 hours of exposure, respectively. For the highest energy emitters detected by LHAASO-KM2A, in turn, we provide a list of the most promising objects that would require further investigation. We additionally examined specific classes of sources in order to identify potentially detectable gamma-ray emitters, such as passive molecular clouds (i.e. illuminated by the cosmic-ray sea) and pulsars surrounded by a halo of runaway particles.

Berezinsky hidden sources: an emergent tension in the high-energy neutrino sky?

The IceCube Collaboration has recently reported compelling evidence of high-energy neutrino emission from NGC 1068, and also mild excesses for NGC 4151 and CGCG420-015, local Seyfert galaxies. This has increased the interest along neutrino emission from hot-corona surrounding the super massive black holes of Seyfert Galaxies. In this paper, we revisit phenomenological constraints on the neutrino emission from hot-coronae of Seyfert galaxies, using an assumption of sub-equipartition between cosmic-rays and magnetic energy densities. We show that not only these sources are consistent with such an assumption but also that the data point towards low values for the ratio between thermal and magnetic pressure, the so called beta plasma parameters inside Seyfert galaxies. We exploit this finding to constrain the Seyfert diffuse neutrino flux and we obtain that, in order not to overproduce neutrinos, not all the sources can be efficient neutrino emitters. In our approach (along with previous findings), Seyfert galaxies provide a negligible contribution to the diffuse neutrino spectrum above ∼ 100 TeV, allowing space for other astrophysical sources. However, future data from high-energy neutrino telescopes will be crucial to shed more light onto the contribution of this source class to the cosmic neutrino background.

Strange and Odd Morphology Extragalactic Radio Sources (STROMERSs): A Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST) Look at the Strange and Odd Radio Sources

We report the identification of an extremely rare and peculiar set of irregular radio sources, termed “STROMERSs” (STRange and Odd Morphology Extragalactic Radio Sources).ingThe irregular radio sources with very anomalous morphologies that make them exceptionally different from all the known classes and subclasses of irregular radio sources are detected as STROMERSs. A thorough search for this class of sources from the Very Large Array (VLA) Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST) gave a total of nine such candidates. We checked the corresponding morphology of the identified sources in other frequency surveys. We found a detectable radio emission for all of the nine sources in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) at 1.4 GHz and in the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) at 150 MHz, while the same was found for only three sources in the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS) at 625 MHz. However, the strange morphology was not found in all of those other survey images. We also characterized the sources with their corresponding physical parameters like optical counterpart, size, spectral index, and radio luminosity. ingThe estimated spectral values of the sources indicated that the STROMERSs were most likely radio galaxies. The presence of any nearby galaxy clusters for the STROMERSs was also checked.

Gate operations for superconducting qubits and non-Markovianity

While the accuracy of qubit operations has been greatly improved in the last decade, further development is demanded to achieve the ultimate goal: a fault-tolerant quantum computer that can solve real-world problems more efficiently than classical computers. With growing fidelities even subtle effects of environmental noise such as qubit–reservoir correlations and non-Markovian dynamics turn into the focus for both circuit design and control. To guide progress, we disclose, in a numerically rigorous manner, a comprehensive picture of the single-qubit dynamics in presence of a broad class of noise sources and for entire sequences of gate operations. Thermal reservoirs ranging from Ohmic to deep 1/fɛ-like sub-Ohmic behavior are considered to imitate realistic scenarios for superconducting qubits. Apart from dynamical features, fidelities of the qubit performance over entire sequences are analyzed as a figure of merit. The relevance of retarded feedback and long-range qubit–reservoir correlations is demonstrated on a quantitative level, thus, providing a deeper understanding of the limitations of performances for current devices and guiding the design of future ones. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The IXPE View of Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binaries

Low-mass X-ray binaries hosting weakly magnetized neutron stars (NS-LMXBs) are among the brightest sources in the X-ray sky. Since 2021, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has provided new measurements of the X-ray polarization of these sources. IXPE observations have revealed that most NS-LMXBs are significantly polarized in the X-rays, providing unprecedented insight into the geometry of their accretion flow. In this review paper, we summarize the first results obtained by IXPE on NS-LMXBs, the emerging trends within each class of sources (atoll/Z), and possible physical interpretations.

Constraining the hadronic properties of star-forming galaxies above 1 GeV with 15-years Fermi-LAT data

Star-forming and starburst galaxies (SFGs and SBGs) are considered to be powerful emitters of non-thermal γ-rays and neutrinos, due to their intense phases of star-formation activity, which should confine high-energy Cosmic-Rays (CRs) inside their environments. On this regard, the Fermi-LAT collaboration has found a correlation between the γ-ray and infrared luminosities for a sample of local sources. Yet, the physics behind these non-thermal emission is still under debate. We provide novel constraints on the tight relation between γ-rays and star formation rate (SFR) exploiting 15 years of public Fermi-LAT data. Thus, we probe the calorimetric fraction Fcal of high-energy protons in SFGs and SBGs, namely, the fraction of high-energy protons actually producing high-energy γ-rays and neutrinos. Further, we extrapolate this information to their diffuse γ-ray and neutrino emissions constraining their contribution to the extra-galactic gamma-ray background (EGB) and the diffuse neutrino flux. Using the publicly-available fermitools, we analyse 15.3 years of γ-ray between 1-1000 GeV data for 70 sources, 56 of which were not previously detected. We relate this emission to a theoretical model for SBGs in order to constrain Fcal for each source and then study its correlation with the star formation rate of the sources. Firstly, we find at 4σ level an indication of γ-ray emission for other two SBGs, namely M 83 and NGC 1365. By contrast, we find that, even with the new description of background, the significance for the γ-ray emission of M 33 (initially reported as discovered) still stands at ~ 4σ (as already reported by previous works).Along with previous findings, the flux of each detected source is consistent with a ~ E -2.3/2.4 spectrum, compatible with the injected CR flux inferred in the Milky-Way. We also notice that the correlation between Fcal and the SFR is in accordance with the expected scaling relation for CR escape dominated by advection. We remark that undiscovered sources strongly constrain Fcal at 95% CL, providing fundamental information when we interpret the results as common properties of SFGs and SBGs. Finally, we find that these sources might contribute (12 ± 3)% to the EGB, while the corresponding diffuse neutrino flux strongly depends on the spectral index distribution along the source class.

Geminga's pulsar halo: An X-ray view

Geminga is the first pulsar around which a remarkable gamma-ray halo extending over a few degrees was discovered at TeV energies by MILAGRO and HAWC and later by H.E.S.S., and by -LAT in the GeV band. More middle-aged pulsars have exhibited gamma-ray halos, and they are now recognised as an emerging class of Galactic gamma-ray sources. The emission appears in the late evolution stage of pulsars, and is most plausibly explained by inverse Compton scattering of CMB and interstellar photons by relativistic electrons and positrons escaping from the pulsar wind nebulae. These observations pose a number of theoretical challenges, particularly the origin of the inferred, significantly lower effective diffusion coefficients around the pulsar when compared to typical Galactic values. Tackling these questions requires constraining the ambient magnetic field properties, which can be achieved through X-ray observations. If the gamma-ray halos originate from a distribution of highly energetic electrons, synchrotron losses in the ambient magnetic fields of the same particles are expected to produce a diffuse X-ray emission with a similar spatial extension. We present the most comprehensive X-ray study of the Geminga pulsar halo to date, utilising archival data from and . Our X-ray analysis covers a broad bandwidth ($0.5 79$ keV) and large field of view ($ for the first time. This was achieved by accurately measuring the background over the entire field of view, and taking into account both focused and stray-light X-ray photons from the pulsar halo with . We find no significant emission and set robust constraints on the X-ray halo flux. These are translated to stringent constraints on the ambient magnetic field strength and the diffusion coefficient by using a physical model considering particle injection, diffusion, and cooling over the pulsar’s lifetime, which is tuned by fitting multi-wavelength data. Our novel methodology for modelling and searching for synchrotron X-ray halos can be applied to other pulsar halo candidates.

The NuSTAR Serendipitous Survey: The 80 Month Catalog and Source Properties of the High-energy Emitting Active Galactic Nucleus and Quasar Population

We present a catalog of hard X-ray serendipitous sources detected in the first 80 months of observations by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The NuSTAR serendipitous survey 80 month (NSS80) catalog has an unprecedented ∼62 Ms of effective exposure time over 894 unique fields (a factor of 3 increase over the 40 month catalog, NSS40), with an areal coverage of ∼36 deg2, larger than all NuSTAR extragalactic surveys. NSS80 provides 1274 hard X-ray sources in the 3−24 keV band (822 new detections compared to the previous NSS40). Approximately 76% of the NuSTAR sources have lower-energy (<10 keV) X-ray counterparts from Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift-XRT. We have undertaken an extensive campaign of ground-based spectroscopic follow-up to obtain new source redshifts and classifications for 427 sources. Combining these with existing archival spectroscopy provides redshifts for 550 NSS80 sources, of which 547 are classified. The sample is primarily composed of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), detected over a large range in redshift (z = 0.012–3.43), but also includes 58 spectroscopically confirmed Galactic sources. In addition, five AGN–galaxy pairs, one dual AGN system, one BL Lac candidate, and a hotspot of 4C 74.26 (radio quasar) have been identified. The median rest-frame 10−40 keV luminosity and redshift of NSS80 are 〈L 10−40 keV〉 = 1.2 × 1044 erg s−1 and 〈z〉 = 0.56. We investigate the optical properties and construct composite optical spectra to search for subtle signatures not present in the individual spectra, finding an excess of redder BL AGNs compared to optical quasar surveys, predominantly due to the presence of the host galaxy and, at least in part, due to dust obscuration.

Neutrino Fluxes from Different Classes of Galactic Sources

We estimate the neutrino flux from different kinds of galactic sources and compare it with the recent diffuse neutrino flux detected by IceCube. We find that the flux from these sources may contribute to ∼20% of the IceCube neutrino flux. Most of the sources selected in this work populate the southern hemisphere, therefore a detector like KM3NeT could help in resolving the sources out of the observed diffused galactic neutrino flux.

Review on Some Important Research Progresses in Biodegradable Plastics/Polymers

Biodegradable plastics/polymers may serve as a promising solution to the global problem of plastic waste accumulation in oceans and soil and may significantly reduce carbon emissions from the manufacturing process, since the materials used to make biodegradable polymers are carbon-based and emitted during the synthesis processes. This article systematically reviewed the existing and closely related scientific literature on materials, biomaterials, and biodegradable materials to find answers on how to effectively study and develop biodegradable polymers. This article reviewed and summarized the source classifications of the biodegradable plastics. Some of the major manufacturing techniques for making biodegradable polymer products were discussed, including micro-extrusion for biofibers, solvent casting method for thin films, 3D printing, injection and compression molding and extrusion processes, as well as the fabrication methods applied to some important biopolymers, such as cellulose, starch, bacterial concrete, packaging materials, and paper-based biodegradable materials. More importantly, experimental and computational methodologies applied for materials characterization and development that can be adopted to characterize the properties of biodegradable polymers and understand the physicochemical mechanisms of the materials were described in detail, including experimental methods (physical and chemical methods) and computational methods at different scales (from quantum mechanics at subatomic scale, molecular dynamics at atomic scale, to finite element analysis at micro or macro scale), and data analysis methods. The degradation mechanisms and factors affecting the biodegradability of the polymers were discussed. Finally, the future perspective of biodegradable polymers has been described. Properly adopting the effective state-of-the-art biomaterial research and characterization techniques (experimental and computational methods) and advanced data analysis methods discussed in this article will help advance the development of novel biodegradable polymers.