Showing 1–50 of 149 results for author: Shang, R

Decouple and Rectify: Semantics-Preserving Structural Enhancement for Open-Vocabulary Remote Sensing Segmentation

Authors: Jie Feng, Fengze Li, Junpeng Zhang, Siyu Chen, Yuping Liang, Junying Chen, Ronghua Shang

Abstract: Open-vocabulary semantic segmentation in the remote sensing (RS) field requires both language-aligned recognition and fine-grained spatial delineation. Although CLIP offers robust semantic generalization, its global-aligned visual representations inherently struggle to capture structural details. Recent methods attempt to compensate for this by introducing RS-pretrained DINO features. However, the… ▽ More Open-vocabulary semantic segmentation in the remote sensing (RS) field requires both language-aligned recognition and fine-grained spatial delineation. Although CLIP offers robust semantic generalization, its global-aligned visual representations inherently struggle to capture structural details. Recent methods attempt to compensate for this by introducing RS-pretrained DINO features. However, these methods treat CLIP representations as a monolithic semantic space and cannot localize where structural enhancement is required, failing to effectively delineate boundaries while risking the disruption of CLIP's semantic integrity. To address this limitation, we propose DR-Seg, a novel decouple-and-rectify framework in this paper. Our method is motivated by the key observation that CLIP feature channels exhibit distinct functional heterogeneity rather than forming a uniform semantic space. Building on this insight, DR-Seg decouples CLIP features into semantics-dominated and structure-dominated subspaces, enabling targeted structural enhancement by DINO without distorting language-aligned semantics. Subsequently, a prior-driven graph rectification module injects high-fidelity structural priors under DINO guidance to form a refined branch, while an uncertainty-guided adaptive fusion module dynamically integrates this refined branch with the original CLIP branch for final prediction. Comprehensive experiments across eight benchmarks demonstrate that DR-Seg establishes a new state-of-the-art. △ Less

Submitted 2 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Resonance4D: Frequency-Domain Motion Supervision for Preset-Free Physical Parameter Learning in 4D Dynamic Physical Scene Simulation

Authors: Changshe Zhang, Jie Feng, Siyu Chen, Guanbin Li, Ronghua Shang, Junpeng Zhang

Abstract: Physics-driven 4D dynamic simulation from static 3D scenes remains constrained by an overlooked contradiction: reliable motion supervision often relies on online video diffusion or optical-flow pipelines whose computational cost exceeds that of the simulator itself. Existing methods further simplify inverse physical modeling by optimizing only partial material parameters, limiting realism in scene… ▽ More Physics-driven 4D dynamic simulation from static 3D scenes remains constrained by an overlooked contradiction: reliable motion supervision often relies on online video diffusion or optical-flow pipelines whose computational cost exceeds that of the simulator itself. Existing methods further simplify inverse physical modeling by optimizing only partial material parameters, limiting realism in scenes with complex materials and dynamics. We present Resonance4D, a physics-driven 4D dynamic simulation framework that couples 3D Gaussian Splatting with the Material Point Method through lightweight yet physically expressive supervision. Our key insight is that dynamic consistency can be enforced without dense temporal generation by jointly constraining motion in complementary domains. To this end, we introduce Dual-domain Motion Supervision (DMS), which combines spatial structural consistency for local deformation with frequency-domain spectral consistency for oscillatory and global dynamic patterns, substantially reducing training cost and memory overhead while preserving physically meaningful motion cues. To enable stable full-parameter physical recovery, we further combine zero-shot text-prompted segmentation with simulation-guided initialization to automatically decompose Gaussians into object-part-level regions and support joint optimization of full material parameters. Experiments on both synthetic and real scenes show that Resonance4D achieves strong physical fidelity and motion consistency while reducing peak GPU memory from over 35\,GB to around 20\,GB, enabling high-fidelity physics-driven 4D simulation on a single consumer-grade GPU. △ Less

Submitted 2 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

A3R: Agentic Affordance Reasoning via Cross-Dimensional Evidence in 3D Gaussian Scenes

Authors: Di Li, Jie Feng, Guanbin Li, Ronghua Shang, Yuhui Zheng, Weisheng Dong, Guangming Shi

Abstract: Affordance reasoning in 3D Gaussian scenes aims to identify the region that supports the action specified by a given text instruction in complex environments. Existing methods typically cast this problem as one-shot prediction from static scene observations, assuming sufficient evidence is already available for reasoning. However, in complex 3D scenes, many failure cases arise not from weak predic… ▽ More Affordance reasoning in 3D Gaussian scenes aims to identify the region that supports the action specified by a given text instruction in complex environments. Existing methods typically cast this problem as one-shot prediction from static scene observations, assuming sufficient evidence is already available for reasoning. However, in complex 3D scenes, many failure cases arise not from weak prediction capacity, but from incomplete task-relevant evidence under fixed observations. To address this limitation, we reformulate fine-grained affordance reasoning as a sequential evidence acquisition process, where ambiguity is progressively reduced through complementary 3D geometric and 2D semantic evidence. Building on this formulation, we propose A3R, an agentic affordance reasoning framework that enables an MLLM-based policy to iteratively select evidence acquisition actions and update the affordance belief through cross-dimensional evidence acquisition. To optimize such sequential decision making, we further introduce a GRPO-based policy learning strategy that improves evidence acquisition efficiency and reasoning accuracy. Extensive experiments on scene-level benchmarks show that A3R consistently surpasses static one-shot baselines, demonstrating the advantage of agentic cross-dimensional evidence acquisition for fine-grained affordance reasoning in complex 3D Gaussian scenes. △ Less

Submitted 2 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Mimetic Alignment with ASPECT: Evaluation of AI-inferred Personal Profiles

Authors: Ruoxi Shang, Dan Marshall, Edward Cutrell, Denae Ford

Abstract: AI agents that communicate on behalf of individuals need to capture how each person actually communicates, yet current approaches either require costly per-person fine-tuning, produce generic outputs from shallow persona descriptions, or optimize preferences without modeling communication style. We present ASPECT (Automated Social Psychometric Evaluation of Communication Traits), a pipeline that d… ▽ More AI agents that communicate on behalf of individuals need to capture how each person actually communicates, yet current approaches either require costly per-person fine-tuning, produce generic outputs from shallow persona descriptions, or optimize preferences without modeling communication style. We present ASPECT (Automated Social Psychometric Evaluation of Communication Traits), a pipeline that directs LLMs to assess constructs from a validated communication scale against behavioral evidence from workplace data, without per-person training. In a case study with 20 participants (1,840 paired item ratings, 600 scenario evaluations), ASPECT-generated profiles achieved moderate alignment with self-assessments, and ASPECT-generated responses were preferred over generic and self-report baselines on aggregate, with substantial variation across individuals and scenarios. During the profile review phase, linked evidence helped participants identify mischaracterizations, recalibrate their own self-ratings, and negotiate context-appropriate representations. We discuss implications for building inspectable, individually scoped communication profiles that let individuals control how agents represent them at work. △ Less

Submitted 27 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: 20 pages (including appendix), 5 figures, 5 tables

ACM Class: H.5.3; H.1.2

VERITAS Observations Contemporaneous with the LHAASO Detection of NGC 4278

Authors: The VERITAS Collaboration, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, S. Filbert, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, Z. Hughes, T. B. Humensky, M. Iskakova, W. Jin , et al. (44 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Significant gamma-ray emission between 1 TeV and 20 TeV from a point source, 1LHAASO J1219+2915, consistent with the location of the LINER/LLAGN galaxy NGC 4278 was recently reported by the LHAASO collaboration. These data were later split into active and quasi-quiet states, with most of the LHAASO significance coming from the active state (MJD 59449-59589). Subsequent analysis of Fermi-LAT and Sw… ▽ More Significant gamma-ray emission between 1 TeV and 20 TeV from a point source, 1LHAASO J1219+2915, consistent with the location of the LINER/LLAGN galaxy NGC 4278 was recently reported by the LHAASO collaboration. These data were later split into active and quasi-quiet states, with most of the LHAASO significance coming from the active state (MJD 59449-59589). Subsequent analysis of Fermi-LAT and Swift-XRT observations have been used to explore the double-peaked broad-band emission. Models of the spectral energy distribution (SED) are currently unconstrained due to the lack of contemporaneous multi-wavelength data at either peak. Here we report serendipitous observations of NGC 4278 with VERITAS, made possible by the contemporaneous observations of the nearby blazars 1ES 1218+304, 1ES 1215+303, and W Comae, each of which are located within $2^\circ$ of NGC 4278. VERITAS did not detect any gamma-ray emission and a flux upper limit was calculated. The flux upper limits constrain the photon spectrum of the quasi-quiet period, and together with Fermi-LAT, indicate a peak in the SED between 100 GeV and 2 TeV. We present an interpretation of the broadband SED that is based on acceleration of protons in the corona of the AGN, followed by p-$γ$ interactions and optically thin $γ$-ray emission. Within this framework, the implied neutrino signal is slightly below the current sensitivity of IceCube. △ Less

Submitted 18 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: 11 pages, 2 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

Singular Templates of Imaging Cherenkov Shower distribution (STOICS): A background estimation method for Very-High-Energy $γ$-ray observations

Authors: Ruo-Yu Shang, Karl Kosack, Brian Humensky

Abstract: Analyses of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) data for extended $γ$-ray sources face the issue that the field of view does not offer sufficient regions for background estimations. In cases where the source angular size exceeds or occupies a significant part of the field of view, an independent background estimation method is necessary to carry out IACT analyses and to have a better un… ▽ More Analyses of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) data for extended $γ$-ray sources face the issue that the field of view does not offer sufficient regions for background estimations. In cases where the source angular size exceeds or occupies a significant part of the field of view, an independent background estimation method is necessary to carry out IACT analyses and to have a better understanding of the systematic uncertainties. The proposed new method utilizes Singular Value Decomposition to extract the low-dimension representations of the distribution of cosmic-ray events in OFF runs and uses cosmic-ray-like events in the ON runs to estimate the background of $γ$-like events. Using VERITAS archival data, we demonstrate that the new method is capable of providing reliable background modeling for observations across a wide range of observing conditions. △ Less

Submitted 17 March, 2026; originally announced March 2026.

Comments: 17 pages, 15 figures

Explore Intrinsic Geometry for Query-based Tiny and Oriented Object Detector with Momentum-based Bipartite Matching

Authors: Junpeng Zhang, Zewei Yang, Jie Feng, Yuhui Zheng, Ronghua Shang, Mengxuan Zhang

Abstract: Recent query-based detectors have achieved remarkable progress, yet their performance remains constrained when handling objects with arbitrary orientations, especially for tiny objects capturing limited texture information. This limitation primarily stems from the underutilization of intrinsic geometry during pixel-based feature decoding and the occurrence of inter-stage matching inconsistency cau… ▽ More Recent query-based detectors have achieved remarkable progress, yet their performance remains constrained when handling objects with arbitrary orientations, especially for tiny objects capturing limited texture information. This limitation primarily stems from the underutilization of intrinsic geometry during pixel-based feature decoding and the occurrence of inter-stage matching inconsistency caused by stage-wise bipartite matching. To tackle these challenges, we present IGOFormer, a novel query-based oriented object detector that explicitly integrates intrinsic geometry into feature decoding and enhances inter-stage matching stability. Specifically, we design an Intrinsic Geometry-aware Decoder, which enhances the object-related features conditioned on an object query by injecting complementary geometric embeddings extrapolated from their correlations to capture the geometric layout of the object, thereby offering a critical geometric insight into its orientation. Meanwhile, a Momentum-based Bipartite Matching scheme is developed to adaptively aggregate historical matching costs by formulating an exponential moving average with query-specific smoothing factors, effectively preventing conflicting supervisory signals arising from inter-stage matching inconsistency. Extensive experiments and ablation studies demonstrate the superiority of our IGOFormer for aerial oriented object detection, achieving an AP$_{50}$ score of 78.00\% on DOTA-V1.0 using Swin-T backbone under the single-scale setting. The code will be made publicly available. △ Less

Submitted 14 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

Comments: 13 pages

Presence versus absence of charging energies in PbTe quantum dots

Authors: Yuhao Wang, Lining Yang, Wenyu Song, Li Chen, Zehao Yu, Xinchen He, Zeyu Yan, Jiaye Xu, Ruidong Li, Weizhao Wang, Zonglin Li, Shuai Yang, Shan Zhang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Charging energy ($E_C$) is essential in quantum dot (QD) devices. Previous studies on PbTe QDs have reported both the presence and absence of $E_C$. To resolve this ambiguity, we vary the QD size, i.e. the cross-sectional area of PbTe nanowires, and track the evolution of $E_C$. For large crosssectional areas ($\sim$ 16000 nm$^2$), the PbTe QDs exhibit no measurable $E_C$, while quantized levels a… ▽ More Charging energy ($E_C$) is essential in quantum dot (QD) devices. Previous studies on PbTe QDs have reported both the presence and absence of $E_C$. To resolve this ambiguity, we vary the QD size, i.e. the cross-sectional area of PbTe nanowires, and track the evolution of $E_C$. For large crosssectional areas ($\sim$ 16000 nm$^2$), the PbTe QDs exhibit no measurable $E_C$, while quantized levels are well resolved. Decreasing this area successively to 5000, 1500, and 500 nm$^2$, $E_C$ becomes finite and increases to 80, 160, and 210 $μ$eV, respectively. We further demonstrate the strong tunability of local gates, which can tune the PbTe device from the QD regime to the regime of ballistic transport. These results address concerns regarding the large dielectric constant of PbTe and provide key insights in engineering advanced PbTe quantum devices. △ Less

Submitted 13 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

SoulX-Singer: Towards High-Quality Zero-Shot Singing Voice Synthesis

Authors: Jiale Qian, Hao Meng, Tian Zheng, Pengcheng Zhu, Haopeng Lin, Yuhang Dai, Hanke Xie, Wenxiao Cao, Ruixuan Shang, Jun Wu, Hongmei Liu, Hanlin Wen, Jian Zhao, Zhonglin Jiang, Yong Chen, Shunshun Yin, Ming Tao, Jianguo Wei, Lei Xie, Xinsheng Wang

Abstract: While recent years have witnessed rapid progress in speech synthesis, open-source singing voice synthesis (SVS) systems still face significant barriers to industrial deployment, particularly in terms of robustness and zero-shot generalization. In this report, we introduce SoulX-Singer, a high-quality open-source SVS system designed with practical deployment considerations in mind. SoulX-Singer sup… ▽ More While recent years have witnessed rapid progress in speech synthesis, open-source singing voice synthesis (SVS) systems still face significant barriers to industrial deployment, particularly in terms of robustness and zero-shot generalization. In this report, we introduce SoulX-Singer, a high-quality open-source SVS system designed with practical deployment considerations in mind. SoulX-Singer supports controllable singing generation conditioned on either symbolic musical scores (MIDI) or melodic representations, enabling flexible and expressive control in real-world production workflows. Trained on more than 42,000 hours of vocal data, the system supports Mandarin Chinese, English, and Cantonese and consistently achieves state-of-the-art synthesis quality across languages under diverse musical conditions. Furthermore, to enable reliable evaluation of zero-shot SVS performance in practical scenarios, we construct SoulX-Singer-Eval, a dedicated benchmark with strict training-test disentanglement, facilitating systematic assessment in zero-shot settings. △ Less

Submitted 16 March, 2026; v1 submitted 7 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

Comments: Technical Report

PaperTok: Exploring the Use of Generative AI for Creating Short-form Videos for Research Communication

Authors: Meziah Ruby Cristobal, Hyeonjeong Byeon, Tze-Yu Chen, Ruoxi Shang, Donghoon Shin, Ruican Zhong, Tony Zhou, Gary Hsieh

Abstract: The dissemination of scholarly research is critical, yet researchers often lack the time and skills to create engaging content for popular media such as short-form videos. To address this gap, we explore the use of generative AI to help researchers transform their academic papers into accessible video content. Informed by a formative study with science communicators and content creators (N=8), we… ▽ More The dissemination of scholarly research is critical, yet researchers often lack the time and skills to create engaging content for popular media such as short-form videos. To address this gap, we explore the use of generative AI to help researchers transform their academic papers into accessible video content. Informed by a formative study with science communicators and content creators (N=8), we designed PaperTok, an end-to-end system that automates the initial creative labor by generating script options and corresponding audiovisual content from a source paper. Researchers can then refine based on their preferences with further prompting. A mixed-methods user study (N=18) and crowdsourced evaluation (N=100) demonstrate that PaperTok's workflow can help researchers create engaging and informative short-form videos. We also identified the need for more fine-grained controls in the creation process. To this end, we offer implications for future generative tools that support science outreach. △ Less

Submitted 26 January, 2026; originally announced January 2026.

ACM Class: H.5.2; I.2.7

Journal ref: In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), Apr 13-17, 2026, Barcelona, Spain. ACM, New York, NY, USA

Prompt Searches for Very-High-Energy γ-Ray Counterparts to IceCube Astrophysical Neutrino Alerts

Authors: J. Abhir, A. Biland, K. Brand, T. Bretz, D. Dorner, L. Eisenberger, D. Elsaesser, P. Günther, S. Hasan, D. Hildebrand, K. Mannheim, M. Linhoff, F. Pfeifle, W. Rhode, B. Schleicher, V. Sliusar, M. Vorbrugg, R. Walter, F. Aharonian, F. Ait Benkhali, J. Aschersleben, H. Ashkar, M. Backes, V. Barbosa Martins, R. Batzofin , et al. (809 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The search for sources of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos can be significantly advanced through a multi-messenger approach, which seeks to detect the gamma rays that accompany neutrinos as they are produced at their sources. Multi-messenger observations have so far provided the first evidence for a neutrino source, illustrated by the joint detection of the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in highen… ▽ More The search for sources of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos can be significantly advanced through a multi-messenger approach, which seeks to detect the gamma rays that accompany neutrinos as they are produced at their sources. Multi-messenger observations have so far provided the first evidence for a neutrino source, illustrated by the joint detection of the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in highenergy (HE, E > 1 GeV) and very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays in coincidence with the high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A, identified by IceCube. Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), namely FACT, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, continue to conduct extensive neutrino target-of-opportunity follow-up programs. These programs have two components: followup observations of single astrophysical neutrino candidate events (such as IceCube-170922A), and observation of known gamma-ray sources after the identification of a cluster of neutrino events by IceCube. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of follow-up observations of high-energy neutrino events observed by the four IACTs between September 2017 (after the IceCube-170922A event) and January 2021. Our study found no associations between gamma-ray sources and the observed neutrino events. We provide a detailed overview of each neutrino event and its potential counterparts. Furthermore, a joint analysis of all IACT data is included, yielding combined upper limits on the VHE gamma-ray flux. △ Less

Submitted 18 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: accepted for publication in ApJ

Deep Learning-Driven Quantitative Spectroscopic Photoacoustic Imaging for Segmentation and Oxygen Saturation Estimation

Authors: Ruibo Shang, Sidhartha Jandhyala, Yujia Wu, Kevin Hoffer-Hawlik, Austin Van Namen, Matthew O'Donnell, Geoffrey P. Luke

Abstract: Spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) imaging can potentially estimate blood oxygenation saturation (sO2) in vivo noninvasively. However, quantitatively accurate results require accurate optical fluence estimates. Robust modeling in heterogeneous tissue, where light with different wavelengths can experience significantly different absorption and scattering, is difficult. In this work, we developed a d… ▽ More Spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) imaging can potentially estimate blood oxygenation saturation (sO2) in vivo noninvasively. However, quantitatively accurate results require accurate optical fluence estimates. Robust modeling in heterogeneous tissue, where light with different wavelengths can experience significantly different absorption and scattering, is difficult. In this work, we developed a deep neural network (Hybrid-Net) for sPA imaging to simultaneously estimate sO2 in blood vessels and segment those vessels from surrounding background tissue. sO2 error was minimized only in blood vessels segmented in Hybrid-Net, resulting in more accurate predictions. Hybrid-Net was first trained on simulated sPA data (at 700 nm and 850 nm) representing initial pressure distributions from three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of light transport in breast tissue. Then, for experimental verification, the network was retrained on experimental sPA data (at 700 nm and 850 nm) acquired from simple tissue mimicking phantoms with an embedded blood pool. Quantitative measures were used to evaluate Hybrid-Net performance with an averaged segmentation accuracy of >= 0.978 in simulations with varying noise levels (0dB-35dB) and 0.998 in the experiment, and an averaged sO2 mean squared error of <= 0.048 in simulations with varying noise levels (0dB-35dB) and 0.003 in the experiment. Overall, these results show that Hybrid-Net can provide accurate blood oxygenation without estimating the optical fluence, and this study could lead to improvements in in-vivo sO2 estimation. △ Less

Submitted 17 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 6 figures

Design and Performance of the Upgraded Prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope Camera Module

Authors: Giovanni Ambrosi, Carla Aramo, Mattia Barbanera, Chiara Bartolini, Wystan Benbow, Bruna Bertucci, Elisabetta Bissaldi, Massimiliano Bitossi, Massimo Capasso, Mirco Caprai, Davide Cerasole, Zachary Curtis-Ginsberg, Gaia De Palma, Leonardo Di Venere, Miguel Escobar Godoy, Qi Feng, Emanuele Fiandrini, Lucy Fortson, Stefan Funk, Amy Furniss, Alasdair Gent, Stefano Germani, Nicola Giglietto, Francesco Giordano, William Hanlon , et al. (31 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is a ground-based observatory that will improve upon the sensitivities of the current generation of very-high-energy gamma-ray instruments. The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a dual-mirror candidate design for a CTAO Medium-Sized Telescope (MST). The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) was inaugurated in 2019 at Fred Lawrence Wh… ▽ More The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is a ground-based observatory that will improve upon the sensitivities of the current generation of very-high-energy gamma-ray instruments. The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a dual-mirror candidate design for a CTAO Medium-Sized Telescope (MST). The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) was inaugurated in 2019 at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) in Arizona and observed significant gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula with a partially populated camera. The pSCT camera is currently being upgraded to fully instrument the focal plane with 11,328 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) pixels split between 177 camera modules. Additionally, the modules will feature upgraded electronics designed to reduce electronics crosstalk and noise. A module calibration procedure has been developed using a preproduction test module. Following this calibration procedure, performance testing shows that the upgrade module has low noise, minimal electronics crosstalk, and excellent charge resolution. After calibration and optimization, the 177 production modules will be installed in the pSCT camera for commissioning. This will be followed by observations of known VHE gamma-ray sources for camera performance validation. △ Less

Submitted 13 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: 58 pages, 38 figures, 2 tables

Phase Space Modeling of Extended Sources Based on Wigner Distribution and Hamiltonian Optics

Authors: Rongqi Shang, Donglin Ma

Abstract: Precise modeling of extended sources is a central challenge in modern optical engineering, laser physics, and computational lithography. Unlike ideal point sources or completely incoherent thermal radiation sources, real-world light sources -- such as high-power laser diode arrays, superluminescent diodes (SLD), extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography sources, and beams transmitted through atmospher… ▽ More Precise modeling of extended sources is a central challenge in modern optical engineering, laser physics, and computational lithography. Unlike ideal point sources or completely incoherent thermal radiation sources, real-world light sources -- such as high-power laser diode arrays, superluminescent diodes (SLD), extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography sources, and beams transmitted through atmospheric turbulence -- typically exhibit partial spatial coherence. Traditional geometric optics based on ray tracing ignores diffraction and interference effects; while classical wave optics is accurate, the computational cost of handling four-dimensional correlation functions for partially coherent fields is enormous. To balance computational efficiency and physical accuracy, phase space optics provides a unified theoretical framework. By introducing the Wigner distribution function (WDF), we can map the light field into a joint space-time-spatial frequency domain $(\bm{r}, \bm{p})$. This description not only retains all the information of wave optics (including interference terms) but also naturally transitions to the ray description of Hamiltonian optics in the short-wavelength limit, governed by Liouville's theorem of phase space volume conservation. This report aims to establish optimal modeling methods based on phase space and Hamiltonian optics for different types of extended sources such as partially coherent light, fully coherent light, and quasi-homogeneous light. The report will derive in detail the mathematical models for each source type and provide strict criteria for the applicability of geometric optics models using mathematical tools such as the Moyal expansion and generalized Fresnel number. △ Less

Submitted 7 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Optical Caustics as Lagrangian Singularities: Classification and Geometric Structure

Authors: Rongqi Shang, Donglin Ma

Abstract: This paper develops a rigorous mathematical framework for light propagation by constructing the optical phase space with its symplectic structure and the extended phase space with its contact structure. We prove that light rays in three-dimensional Euclidean space correspond to Reeb orbits in a five-dimensional contact manifold, which are then projected onto a four-dimensional symplectic manifold… ▽ More This paper develops a rigorous mathematical framework for light propagation by constructing the optical phase space with its symplectic structure and the extended phase space with its contact structure. We prove that light rays in three-dimensional Euclidean space correspond to Reeb orbits in a five-dimensional contact manifold, which are then projected onto a four-dimensional symplectic manifold via symplectic reduction. Leveraging the advantages of phase space, we provide a rigorous definition of caustic surfaces as singularities of the Lagrangian submanifold projection and derive explicit expressions for caustic surfaces in convex lens systems. Furthermore, based on singularity theory, we present a complete classification of stable caustic surfaces and establish a correspondence with classical Seidel aberration theory. Building upon this theory, we propose a method of \emph{topological optical correction} that overcomes the limitations of traditional optimization algorithms in dealing with complex caustic structures. This work provides a new mathematical paradigm for the design and correction of high-precision optical systems. △ Less

Submitted 3 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Probing a cosmogenic origin of astrophysical neutrinos and cosmic rays using gamma-ray observations of TXS 0506+056

Authors: A. Acharyya, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, A. Falcone, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, S. Filbert, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, Z. Hughes, M. Iskakova, W. Jin, P. Kaaret , et al. (36 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In September 2017, a high-energy neutrino event detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube-170922A) was associated, at the $3σ$ level, with a gamma-ray flare from the blazar TXS 0506+056. Cosmic rays that are accelerated in astrophysical sources can escape from their jets and interact with background radiation fields. Interactions with the extragalactic background light can produce pion… ▽ More In September 2017, a high-energy neutrino event detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube-170922A) was associated, at the $3σ$ level, with a gamma-ray flare from the blazar TXS 0506+056. Cosmic rays that are accelerated in astrophysical sources can escape from their jets and interact with background radiation fields. Interactions with the extragalactic background light can produce pions and hence neutrinos, while interactions with the cosmic microwave background predominantly drive inverse Compton scattering, contributing to electromagnetic cascades in intergalactic space. The resulting secondary gamma-ray emission can be detected with high-energy gamma-ray telescopes. Here, we report on a new search for such cosmogenic cascade emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056, using a combined data set from the Fermi-Large Area Telescope and VERITAS. We compare the gamma-ray spectrum and neutrino observations with the predictions of cosmic-ray induced cascades in intergalactic space. The observed gamma-ray spectrum is modeled as a combination of the primary spectrum and the cascade spectrum. We apply a Monte Carlo simulation with a $Δχ^2$-based likelihood analysis to jointly determine the best-fit parameters of a proton emission spectrum describing the data and derive constraints on the proton escape luminosity. Assuming a log-parabola primary photon spectrum, we find consistency with a proton injection spectral index of $α_{p} \simeq 2.0$ and a cutoff energy of $E_{p,\text{max}} \simeq 1.3 \times 10^{16}$ eV, and constrain the isotropic proton escape luminosity to $1 \times 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ $\lesssim L_{p, esc} \lesssim 3 \times 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at the 90 % confidence level. △ Less

Submitted 8 November, 2025; originally announced November 2025.

Comments: 14 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

Combined fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging of tozuleristide in muscle tissue in vitro -- toward optically-guided solid tumor surgery: feasibility studies

Authors: Ruibo Shang, Matthew Thompson, Matthew D. Carson, Eric J. Seibel, Matthew O'Donnell, Ivan Pelivanov

Abstract: Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) can deliver high-contrast, video-rate, non-contact imaging of tumor-targeted contrast agents with the potential to guide surgeries excising solid tumors. However, it has been met with skepticism for wide-margin excision due to sensitivity and resolution limitations at depths larger than ~5 mm in tissue. To address this limitation, fast-sweep photoacoustic-ultrasou… ▽ More Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) can deliver high-contrast, video-rate, non-contact imaging of tumor-targeted contrast agents with the potential to guide surgeries excising solid tumors. However, it has been met with skepticism for wide-margin excision due to sensitivity and resolution limitations at depths larger than ~5 mm in tissue. To address this limitation, fast-sweep photoacoustic-ultrasound (PAUS) imaging is proposed to complement NIRF. In an exploratory in vitro feasibility study using dark-red bovine muscle tissue, we observed that PAUS scanning can identify tozuleristide, a clinical stage investigational imaging agent, at a concentration of 20 uM from the background at depths of up to ~34 mm, highly extending the capabilities of NIRF alone. The capability of spectroscopic PAUS imaging was tested by direct injection of 20 uM tozuleristide into bovine muscle tissue at a depth of ~ 8 mm. It is shown that laser-fluence compensation and strong clutter suppression enabled by the unique capabilities of the fast-sweep approach greatly improve spectroscopic accuracy and the PA detection limit, and strongly reduce image artifacts. Thus, the combined NIRF-PAUS approach can be promising for comprehensive pre- (with PA) and intra- (with NIRF) operative solid tumor detection and wide-margin excision in optically guided solid tumor surgery. △ Less

Submitted 31 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 24 pages, 10 figures

SoulX-Podcast: Towards Realistic Long-form Podcasts with Dialectal and Paralinguistic Diversity

Authors: Hanke Xie, Haopeng Lin, Wenxiao Cao, Dake Guo, Wenjie Tian, Jun Wu, Hanlin Wen, Ruixuan Shang, Hongmei Liu, Zhiqi Jiang, Yuepeng Jiang, Wenxi Chen, Ruiqi Yan, Jiale Qian, Yichao Yan, Shunshun Yin, Ming Tao, Xie Chen, Lei Xie, Xinsheng Wang

Abstract: Recent advances in text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis have significantly improved speech expressiveness and naturalness. However, most existing systems are tailored for single-speaker synthesis and fall short in generating coherent multi-speaker conversational speech. This technical report presents SoulX-Podcast, a system designed for podcast-style multi-turn, multi-speaker dialogic speech generation,… ▽ More Recent advances in text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis have significantly improved speech expressiveness and naturalness. However, most existing systems are tailored for single-speaker synthesis and fall short in generating coherent multi-speaker conversational speech. This technical report presents SoulX-Podcast, a system designed for podcast-style multi-turn, multi-speaker dialogic speech generation, while also achieving state-of-the-art performance in conventional TTS tasks. To meet the higher naturalness demands of multi-turn spoken dialogue, SoulX-Podcast integrates a range of paralinguistic controls and supports both Mandarin and English, as well as several Chinese dialects, including Sichuanese, Henanese, and Cantonese, enabling more personalized podcast-style speech generation. Experimental results demonstrate that SoulX-Podcast can continuously produce over 90 minutes of conversation with stable speaker timbre and smooth speaker transitions. Moreover, speakers exhibit contextually adaptive prosody, reflecting natural rhythm and intonation changes as dialogues progress. Across multiple evaluation metrics, SoulX-Podcast achieves state-of-the-art performance in both monologue TTS and multi-turn conversational speech synthesis. △ Less

Submitted 28 October, 2025; v1 submitted 27 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Constraints on Axion-Like Particles from VERITAS Observations of a Flaring Radio Galaxy in the Perseus Cluster

Authors: C. B. Adams, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, J. Escudero Pedrosa, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, S. Filbert, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, Z. Hughes, T. B. Humensky, M. Iskakova, W. Jin , et al. (40 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Background: Axion-like particles (ALPs) are hypothetical particles that emerge in numerous theoretical extensions to the Standard Model. Their coupling to electromagnetic field implies that ALPs would mix with photons in the presence of external magnetic fields. As ALP phenomenology is governed by the mass and strength of its coupling, there is a subset of this parameter space in which this mixing… ▽ More Background: Axion-like particles (ALPs) are hypothetical particles that emerge in numerous theoretical extensions to the Standard Model. Their coupling to electromagnetic field implies that ALPs would mix with photons in the presence of external magnetic fields. As ALP phenomenology is governed by the mass and strength of its coupling, there is a subset of this parameter space in which this mixing would be expected to leave an imprint on the spectra of TeV gamma-ray sources. Data: In 2017, the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory recorded the second day of a dramatic flare of the radio galaxy NGC 1275, embedded at the center of the Perseus galaxy cluster. This serendipitous locale provides a spatially-extended magnetic field of strength O(10$μ$G) through which escaping photons traverse, making it an excellent target to study ALPs. Methods: We analyze the VERITAS data of NGC 1275's 2017 flare with the gammapy analysis package. Extensive fitting and modeling are performed to ultimately conduct a likelihood analysis used to search for any evidence of a preference for ALPs and to explore the confidence with which constraints can be set. We adopt the CLs method for this study for its conservative approach to setting limits in regimes where the search has limited sensitivity. Results: No evidence for the existence of ALPs is found, and no combination of mass and coupling strength can be excluded at or above 95% confidence level. We provide a map showing the strength of our exclusions in the mass and coupling parameter space. The strongest exclusions are found in the mass range $2 \times 10^{-7}$eV $\lesssim m_a \lesssim 4 \times 10^{-7}$eV and at the coupling strength of $g_{aγ} \gtrsim 3 \times 10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$ up to 80% confidence level, which are consistent with previous studies. Conclusions: We find the CLs method to be a trustworthy approach, and advocate for its... △ Less

Submitted 21 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Physical Review D (PRD)

Combined dark matter search towards dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS

Authors: Fermi-LAT Collaboration, :, S. Abdollahi, L. Baldini, R. Bellazzini, B. Berenji, E. Bissaldi, R. Bonino, P. Bruel, S. Buson, E. Charles, A. W. Chen, S. Ciprini, M. Crnogorcevic, A. Cuoco, F. D'Ammando, A. de Angelis, M. Di Mauro, N. Di Lalla, L. Di Venere, A. Domínguez, S. J. Fegan, A. Fiori, P. Fusco, V. Gammaldi , et al. (582 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are excellent targets for indirect dark matter (DM) searches using gamma-ray telescopes because they are thought to have high DM content and a low astrophysical background. The sensitivity of these searches is improved by combining the observations of dSphs made by different gamma-ray telescopes. We present the results of a combined search by the most sensitive cu… ▽ More Dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are excellent targets for indirect dark matter (DM) searches using gamma-ray telescopes because they are thought to have high DM content and a low astrophysical background. The sensitivity of these searches is improved by combining the observations of dSphs made by different gamma-ray telescopes. We present the results of a combined search by the most sensitive currently operating gamma-ray telescopes, namely: the satellite-borne Fermi-LAT telescope; the ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS; and the HAWC water Cherenkov detector. Individual datasets were analyzed using a common statistical approach. Results were subsequently combined via a global joint likelihood analysis. We obtain constraints on the velocity-weighted cross section $\langle σ\mathit{v} \rangle$ for DM self-annihilation as a function of the DM particle mass. This five-instrument combination allows the derivation of up to 2-3 times more constraining upper limits on $\langle σ\mathit{v} \rangle$ than the individual results over a wide mass range spanning from 5 GeV to 100 TeV. Depending on the DM content modeling, the 95% confidence level observed limits reach $1.5\times$10$^{-24}$ cm$^3$s$^{-1}$ and $3.2\times$10$^{-25}$ cm$^3$s$^{-1}$, respectively, in the $τ^+τ^-$ annihilation channel for a DM mass of 2 TeV. △ Less

Submitted 27 August, 2025; originally announced August 2025.

Journal ref: JCAP 03 (2026) 035

Domain-aware Category-level Geometry Learning Segmentation for 3D Point Clouds

Authors: Pei He, Lingling Li, Licheng Jiao, Ronghua Shang, Fang Liu, Shuang Wang, Xu Liu, Wenping Ma

Abstract: Domain generalization in 3D segmentation is a critical challenge in deploying models to unseen environments. Current methods mitigate the domain shift by augmenting the data distribution of point clouds. However, the model learns global geometric patterns in point clouds while ignoring the category-level distribution and alignment. In this paper, a category-level geometry learning framework is pro… ▽ More Domain generalization in 3D segmentation is a critical challenge in deploying models to unseen environments. Current methods mitigate the domain shift by augmenting the data distribution of point clouds. However, the model learns global geometric patterns in point clouds while ignoring the category-level distribution and alignment. In this paper, a category-level geometry learning framework is proposed to explore the domain-invariant geometric features for domain generalized 3D semantic segmentation. Specifically, Category-level Geometry Embedding (CGE) is proposed to perceive the fine-grained geometric properties of point cloud features, which constructs the geometric properties of each class and couples geometric embedding to semantic learning. Secondly, Geometric Consistent Learning (GCL) is proposed to simulate the latent 3D distribution and align the category-level geometric embeddings, allowing the model to focus on the geometric invariant information to improve generalization. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, which has very competitive segmentation accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art domain generalized point cloud methods. △ Less

Submitted 15 August, 2025; originally announced August 2025.

Comments: to be published in International Conference on Computer Vision, ICCV 2025

HAWC, VERITAS, Fermi-LAT and XMM-Newton follow-up observations of the unidentified ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source LHAASO J2108+5157

Authors: The VERITAS collaboration, C. B. Adams, P. Bangale, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, M. Escobar Godoy, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, J. Foote, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, Z. Hughes, T. B. Humensky, W. Jin, P. Kaaret, M. Kertzman, M. Kherlakian, D. Kieda , et al. (121 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report observations of the ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source LHAASO J2108$+$5157, utilizing VERITAS, HAWC, Fermi-LAT, and XMM-Newton. VERITAS has collected $\sim$ 40 hours of data that we used to set ULs to the emission above 200 GeV. The HAWC data, collected over $\sim 2400$ days, reveal emission between 3 and 146 TeV, with a significance of $7.5~σ$, favoring an extended source model. The bes… ▽ More We report observations of the ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source LHAASO J2108$+$5157, utilizing VERITAS, HAWC, Fermi-LAT, and XMM-Newton. VERITAS has collected $\sim$ 40 hours of data that we used to set ULs to the emission above 200 GeV. The HAWC data, collected over $\sim 2400$ days, reveal emission between 3 and 146 TeV, with a significance of $7.5~σ$, favoring an extended source model. The best-fit spectrum measured by HAWC is characterized by a simple power-law with a spectral index of $2.45\pm0.11_{stat}$. Fermi-LAT analysis finds a point source with a very soft spectrum in the LHAASO J2108+5157 region, consistent with the 4FGL-DR3 catalog results. The XMM-Newton analysis yields a null detection of the source in the 2 - 7 keV band. The broadband spectrum can be interpreted as a pulsar and a pulsar wind nebula system, where the GeV gamma-ray emission originates from an unidentified pulsar, and the X-ray and TeV emission is attributed to synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering of electrons accelerated within a pulsar wind nebula. In this leptonic scenario, our X-ray upper limit provides a stringent constraint on the magnetic field, which is $\lesssim 1.5\ μ$G. △ Less

Submitted 25 August, 2025; v1 submitted 3 August, 2025; originally announced August 2025.

Comments: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal

Multi-wavelength Study of HESS J0632+057: New Insights into Pulsar-Disk Interaction

Authors: Jaegeun Park, Hongjun An, Chanho Kim, Natalie Matchett, Kaya Mori, Brian van Soelen, VERITAS Collaboration, :, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, A. Falcone, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, S. Filbert, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon , et al. (38 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present an analysis of new multi-wavelength observations of the TeV gamma-ray binary HESS J0632+057, conducted using SALT, Swift, NuSTAR, and VERITAS in 2023--2024. By combining these new data with archival observations, we confirm previous suggestions of orbital variability in the source's X-ray spectrum, including increased X-ray absorption at the orbital phase interval of… ▽ More We present an analysis of new multi-wavelength observations of the TeV gamma-ray binary HESS J0632+057, conducted using SALT, Swift, NuSTAR, and VERITAS in 2023--2024. By combining these new data with archival observations, we confirm previous suggestions of orbital variability in the source's X-ray spectrum, including increased X-ray absorption at the orbital phase interval of $φ\approx0.3\textrm{--}0.4$. The source's X-ray flux within this phase interval seems to have exhibited a significant change on an orbital timescale. Additionally, occasional short-term variations in the X-ray band on a timescale of less than 3 days have been observed. The measured duration of the increased absorbing column density and the flux variability timescales can provide clues about the interaction between the putative pulsar and the Be companion's disk if, as previously suggested, the pulsar crosses the disk at this phase interval. Moreover, the new contemporaneous X-ray and TeV observations around the pulsar-crossing phases revealed independent variability in the X-ray and TeV fluxes, contrary to a previous observation of concurrent flux increases. While these observations alone cannot provide definitive conclusions, we discuss our results in the context of pulsar-disk interaction and intrabinary shock emission scenarios. △ Less

Submitted 31 July, 2025; originally announced July 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Measurement of the photosphere oblateness of $γ$ Cassiopeiae via Stellar Intensity Interferometry with the VERITAS Observatory

Authors: A. Archer, J. P. Aufdenberg, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, N. B. Y. Chin, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Escobar Godoy, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, S. Filbert, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, Z. Hughes, T. B. Humensky, W. Jin, M. N. Johnson , et al. (36 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We use the stellar intensity interferometry system implemented with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) as a light collector to obtain measurements of the rapid rotator star $γ$ Cassiopeiae, at a wavelength of 416 nm. Using data from baselines sampling different position angles, we extract the size, oblateness, and proje… ▽ More We use the stellar intensity interferometry system implemented with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) as a light collector to obtain measurements of the rapid rotator star $γ$ Cassiopeiae, at a wavelength of 416 nm. Using data from baselines sampling different position angles, we extract the size, oblateness, and projected orientation of the photosphere. Fitting the data with a uniform ellipse model yields a minor-axis angular diameter of $0.43\pm0.02$ mas, a major-to-minor-radius ratio of $1.28\pm0.04$, and a position angle of $116^\circ\pm5^\circ$ for the axis of rotation. A rapidly-rotating stellar atmosphere model that includes limb and gravity darkening describes the data well with a fitted angular diameter of $0.604^{+0.041}_{-0.034}$ mas corresponding to an equatorial radius of 10.9$^{+0.8}_{-0.6}~R_\odot$, a rotational velocity with a $1~σ$ lower limit at $97.7\%$ that of breakup velocity, and a position angle of $114.7^{+6.4}_{-5.7}$ degrees. These parameters are consistent with H$α$ line spectroscopy and infrared-wavelength Michelson interferometric measurements of the star's decretion disk. This is the first measurement of an oblate photosphere using intensity interferometry. △ Less

Submitted 17 June, 2025; originally announced June 2025.

Gate modulation and interface engineering on Coulomb blockade in open superconducting islands

Authors: Huading Song, Dong Pan, Runan Shang, Zhaoyu Wang, Ke He, Jianhua Zhao, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Mesoscopic Coulomb blockade (MCB) is recognized as a phase-coherent variant of the conventional Coulomb blockade that arises in systems with open contacts. In open quantum dots, MCB is enhanced by a decrease in background conductance. This occurs because the reduction in coupling strength between the quantum dot and the outer reservoir renders the system more closed, thereby facilitating the emerg… ▽ More Mesoscopic Coulomb blockade (MCB) is recognized as a phase-coherent variant of the conventional Coulomb blockade that arises in systems with open contacts. In open quantum dots, MCB is enhanced by a decrease in background conductance. This occurs because the reduction in coupling strength between the quantum dot and the outer reservoir renders the system more closed, thereby facilitating the emergence of conventional Coulomb blockade. In this work, we demonstrate that the MCB in open superconducting islands exhibits an different correlation with coupling strength compared to open quantum dots. Specifically, a decrease in background conductance may result in a weakening of the MCB. This observation indicates that the MCB in superconducting islands originates from the presence of superconducting-normal interfaces. △ Less

Submitted 12 May, 2025; originally announced May 2025.

Meta knowledge assisted Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search

Authors: Yangyang Li, Guanlong Liu, Ronghua Shang, Licheng Jiao

Abstract: Evolutionary computation (EC)-based neural architecture search (NAS) has achieved remarkable performance in the automatic design of neural architectures. However, the high computational cost associated with evaluating searched architectures poses a challenge for these methods, and a fixed form of learning rate (LR) schedule means greater information loss on diverse searched architectures. This pap… ▽ More Evolutionary computation (EC)-based neural architecture search (NAS) has achieved remarkable performance in the automatic design of neural architectures. However, the high computational cost associated with evaluating searched architectures poses a challenge for these methods, and a fixed form of learning rate (LR) schedule means greater information loss on diverse searched architectures. This paper introduces an efficient EC-based NAS method to solve these problems via an innovative meta-learning framework. Specifically, a meta-learning-rate (Meta-LR) scheme is used through pretraining to obtain a suitable LR schedule, which guides the training process with lower information loss when evaluating each individual. An adaptive surrogate model is designed through an adaptive threshold to select the potential architectures in a few epochs and then evaluate the potential architectures with complete epochs. Additionally, a periodic mutation operator is proposed to increase the diversity of the population, which enhances the generalizability and robustness. Experiments on CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, and ImageNet1K datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high performance comparable to that of many state-of-the-art peer methods, with lower computational cost and greater robustness. △ Less

Submitted 30 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Design Priorities in Digital Gateways: A Comparative Study of Authentication and Usability in Academic Library Alliances

Authors: Rui Shang, Bingjie Huang

Abstract: Purpose: This study examines the design and functionality of university library login pages across academic alliances (IVY Plus, BTAA, JULAC, JVU) to identify how these interfaces align with institutional priorities and user needs. It explores consensus features, design variations, and emerging trends in authentication, usability, and security. Methodology: A multi-method approach was employed:… ▽ More Purpose: This study examines the design and functionality of university library login pages across academic alliances (IVY Plus, BTAA, JULAC, JVU) to identify how these interfaces align with institutional priorities and user needs. It explores consensus features, design variations, and emerging trends in authentication, usability, and security. Methodology: A multi-method approach was employed: screenshots and HTML files from 46 institutions were analyzed through categorization, statistical analysis, and comparative evaluation. Features were grouped into authentication mechanisms, usability, security/compliance, and library-specific elements. Findings: Core functionalities (e.g., ID/password, privacy policies) were consistent across alliances. Divergences emerged in feature emphasis: mature alliances (e.g., BTAA) prioritized resource accessibility with streamlined interfaces, while emerging consortia (e.g., JVU) emphasized cybersecurity (IP restrictions, third-party integrations). Usability features, particularly multilingual support, drove cross-alliance differences. The results highlighted regional and institutional influences, with older alliances favoring simplicity and newer ones adopting security-centric designs. Originality/Value: This is the first systematic comparison of login page designs across academic alliances, offering insights into how regional, technological, and institutional factors shape digital resource access. Findings inform best practices for balancing security, usability, and accessibility in library interfaces. **Keywords**: Academic library consortia, Login page design, User authentication, User experience, Security compliance. △ Less

Submitted 17 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Multiwavelength observation of a candidate pulsar halo LHAASO J0621+3755 and the first X-ray detection of PSR J0622+3749

Authors: C. B. Adams, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, A. Falcone, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, T. B. Humensky, W. Jin, M. N. Johnson, P. Kaaret , et al. (49 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Pulsar halos are regions around middle-aged pulsars extending out to tens of parsecs. The large extent of the halos and well-defined central cosmic-ray accelerators make this new class of Galactic sources an ideal laboratory for studying cosmic-ray transport. LHAASO J0621+3755 is a candidate pulsar halo associated with the middle-aged gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0622+3749. We observed LHAASO J0621+3755… ▽ More Pulsar halos are regions around middle-aged pulsars extending out to tens of parsecs. The large extent of the halos and well-defined central cosmic-ray accelerators make this new class of Galactic sources an ideal laboratory for studying cosmic-ray transport. LHAASO J0621+3755 is a candidate pulsar halo associated with the middle-aged gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0622+3749. We observed LHAASO J0621+3755 with VERITAS and XMM-Newton in the TeV and X-ray bands, respectively. For this work, we developed a novel background estimation technique for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope observations of such extended sources. No halo emission was detected with VERITAS (0.3--10 TeV) or XMM-Newton (2--7 keV) within 1 degree and 10 arcmin around PSR J0622+3749, respectively. Combined with the LHAASO-KM2A and Fermi-LAT data, VERITAS flux upper limits establish a spectral break at ~1--10 TeV, a unique feature compared with Geminga, the most studied pulsar halo. We model the gamma-ray spectrum and LHAASO-KM2A surface brightness as inverse Compton emission and find suppressed diffusion around the pulsar, similar to Geminga. A smaller diffusion suppression zone and harder electron injection spectrum than Geminga are necessary to reproduce the spectral cutoff. A magnetic field <= 1 uG is required by our XMM-Newton observation and synchrotron spectral modeling, consistent with Geminga. Our findings support slower diffusion and lower magnetic field around pulsar halos than the Galactic averages, hinting at magnetohydrodynamic turbulence around pulsars. Additionally, we report the detection of an X-ray point source spatially coincident with PSR J0622+3749, whose periodicity is consistent with the gamma-ray spin period of 333.2 ms. The soft spectrum of this source suggests a thermal origin. △ Less

Submitted 2 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 28 pages, 19 figures

Constraints on the X-ray and Very High Energy $γ$-ray Flux from Supernova Remnant W44

Authors: A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, W. Benbow, J. H. Buckley, Y. Chen, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, M. Escobar Godoy, S. Feldman, Q. Feng, J. Foote, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, T. B. Humensky, W. Jin, M. N. Johnson, P. Kaaret, M. Kertzman , et al. (33 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Observations of GeV gamma-ray emission from the well-studied mixed-morphology supernova remnant (SNR) W44 by Fermi-LAT and AGILE imply that it is a site of significant cosmic ray acceleration. The spectral energy distribution (SED) derived from the GeV data suggest that the gamma-ray emission likely originates from the decay of neutral pions generated by cosmic-ray interactions. It is essential to… ▽ More Observations of GeV gamma-ray emission from the well-studied mixed-morphology supernova remnant (SNR) W44 by Fermi-LAT and AGILE imply that it is a site of significant cosmic ray acceleration. The spectral energy distribution (SED) derived from the GeV data suggest that the gamma-ray emission likely originates from the decay of neutral pions generated by cosmic-ray interactions. It is essential to measure the SED of W44 in the X-ray and very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray bands to verify the hadronic origin of the emission and to gauge the potential contributions from leptonic emission. We report an upper-limit of the nonthermal X-ray flux from W44 of 5 $\times$ 10$^{-13}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in the 0.5 - 8.0 keV band based on $\sim$ 300 ks of XMM-Newton observations. The X-ray upper limit is consistent with previously estimated hadronic models, but in tension with the leptonic models. We estimate the VHE flux upper limit of $\sim$ 1.2 $\times$ 10$^{-12}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ in the 0.5 - 5.0 TeV range from W44 using data from the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). Our non-detection of W44 at VHE wavlengths is in agreemnent with observations from other imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) and is perhaps consistent with the evolutionary stage of the SNR. △ Less

Submitted 12 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ

Retrieval Backward Attention without Additional Training: Enhance Embeddings of Large Language Models via Repetition

Authors: Yifei Duan, Raphael Shang, Deng Liang, Yongqiang Cai

Abstract: Language models can be viewed as functions that embed text into Euclidean space, where the quality of the embedding vectors directly determines model performance, training such neural networks involves various uncertainties. This paper focuses on improving the performance of pre-trained language models in zero-shot settings through a simple and easily implementable method. We propose a novel backw… ▽ More Language models can be viewed as functions that embed text into Euclidean space, where the quality of the embedding vectors directly determines model performance, training such neural networks involves various uncertainties. This paper focuses on improving the performance of pre-trained language models in zero-shot settings through a simple and easily implementable method. We propose a novel backward attention mechanism to enhance contextual information encoding. Evaluated on the Chinese Massive Text Embedding Benchmark (C-MTEB), our approach achieves significant improvements across multiple tasks, providing valuable insights for advancing zero-shot learning capabilities. △ Less

Submitted 28 March, 2025; v1 submitted 28 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

A General Pseudonymization Framework for Cloud-Based LLMs: Replacing Privacy Information in Controlled Text Generation

Authors: Shilong Hou, Ruilin Shang, Zi Long, Xianghua Fu, Yin Chen

Abstract: An increasing number of companies have begun providing services that leverage cloud-based large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT. However, this development raises substantial privacy concerns, as users' prompts are transmitted to and processed by the model providers. Among the various privacy protection methods for LLMs, those implemented during the pre-training and fine-tuning phrases fail… ▽ More An increasing number of companies have begun providing services that leverage cloud-based large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT. However, this development raises substantial privacy concerns, as users' prompts are transmitted to and processed by the model providers. Among the various privacy protection methods for LLMs, those implemented during the pre-training and fine-tuning phrases fail to mitigate the privacy risks associated with the remote use of cloud-based LLMs by users. On the other hand, methods applied during the inference phrase are primarily effective in scenarios where the LLM's inference does not rely on privacy-sensitive information. In this paper, we outline the process of remote user interaction with LLMs and, for the first time, propose a detailed definition of a general pseudonymization framework applicable to cloud-based LLMs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework strikes an optimal balance between privacy protection and utility. The code for our method is available to the public at https://github.com/Mebymeby/Pseudonymization-Framework. △ Less

Submitted 21 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: under review

Strong enhancement of g-factor in PbTe-Pb hybrid nanowires

Authors: Shan Zhang, Wenyu Song, Zonglin Li, Zehao Yu, Ruidong Li, Yuhao Wang, Zeyu Yan, Jiaye Xu, Zhaoyu Wang, Yichun Gao, Shuai Yang, Lining Yang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: We report large Lande g-factors observed in PbTe-Pb hybrid nanowires. The g-factor can reach 83, significantly larger than those in bare PbTe nanowires (typically below 20). We attribute this enhancement to orbital effects in the superconducting film, particularly when the magnetic field is nearly perpendicular to the Pb film. This enhancement is beneficial for the search for topological supercond… ▽ More We report large Lande g-factors observed in PbTe-Pb hybrid nanowires. The g-factor can reach 83, significantly larger than those in bare PbTe nanowires (typically below 20). We attribute this enhancement to orbital effects in the superconducting film, particularly when the magnetic field is nearly perpendicular to the Pb film. This enhancement is beneficial for the search for topological superconductivity by reducing the critical magnetic field required for the phase transition. △ Less

Submitted 1 April, 2026; v1 submitted 11 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Journal ref: Nano Letters (2026)

VERITAS and multiwavelength observations of the Blazar B3 2247+381 in response to an IceCube neutrino alert

Authors: Atreya Acharyya, Colin B. Adams, Priyadarshini Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, Wystan Benbow, James H. Buckley, Yu Chen, Jodi Christiansen, Alisha Chromey, Anne Duerr, Manel Errando, Miguel E. Godoy, Abe Falcone, Qi Feng, Juniper Foote, Lucy Fortson, Amy Furniss, William Hanlon, David Hanna, Olivier Hervet, Claire E. Hinrichs, Jamie Holder, Thomas B. Humensky, Weidong Jin, Madalyn N. Johnson , et al. (473 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: While the sources of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory are still largely unknown, one of the promising methods used towards understanding this is investigating the potential temporal and spatial correlations between neutrino alerts and the electromagnetic radiation from blazars. We report on the multiwavelength target-of-opportunity observations o… ▽ More While the sources of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory are still largely unknown, one of the promising methods used towards understanding this is investigating the potential temporal and spatial correlations between neutrino alerts and the electromagnetic radiation from blazars. We report on the multiwavelength target-of-opportunity observations of the blazar B3 2247+381, taken in response to an IceCube multiplet alert for a cluster of muon neutrino events compatible with the source location between May 20, 2022 and November 10, 2022. B3 2247+381 was not detected with VERITAS during this time period. The source was found to be in a low-flux state in the optical, ultraviolet and gamma-ray bands for the time interval corresponding to the neutrino event, but was detected in the hard X-ray band with NuSTAR during this period. We find the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution is well described using a simple one-zone leptonic synchrotron self-Compton radiation model. Moreover, assuming the neutrinos originate from hadronic processes within the jet, the neutrino flux would be accompanied by a photon flux from the cascade emission, and the integrated photon flux required in such a case would significantly exceed the total multiwavelength fluxes and the VERITAS upper limits presented here. The lack of flaring activity observed with VERITAS, combined with the low multiwavelength flux levels, and given the significance of the neutrino excess is at 3$σ$ level (uncorrected for trials), makes B3 2247+381 an unlikely source of the IceCube multiplet. We conclude that the neutrino excess is likely a background fluctuation. △ Less

Submitted 6 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: 26 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

An in-depth study of Gamma rays from the Starburst Galaxy M 82 with VERITAS

Authors: Atreya Acharyya, Colin B. Adams, Priyadarshini Bangale, Joshua T. Bartkoske, Wystan Benbow, Yu Chen, Jodi L. Christiansen, Alisha J. Chromey, Anne Duerr, Manel Errando, Miguel E. Godoy, Abe Falcone, Sydney Feldman, Qi Feng, Juniper Foote, Lucy Fortson, Amy Furniss, William Hanlon, David Hanna, Olivier Hervet, Claire E. Hinrichs, Jamie Holder, Thomas B. Humensky, Weidong Jin, Madalyn N. Johnson , et al. (38 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Assuming Galactic cosmic rays originate in supernovae and the winds of massive stars, starburst galaxies should produce very-high-energy (VHE; E$>$100 GeV) gamma-ray emission via the interaction of their copious quantities of cosmic rays with the large reservoirs of dense gas within the galaxies. Such VHE emission was detected by VERITAS from the starburst galaxy M 82 in 2008-09. An extensive, mul… ▽ More Assuming Galactic cosmic rays originate in supernovae and the winds of massive stars, starburst galaxies should produce very-high-energy (VHE; E$>$100 GeV) gamma-ray emission via the interaction of their copious quantities of cosmic rays with the large reservoirs of dense gas within the galaxies. Such VHE emission was detected by VERITAS from the starburst galaxy M 82 in 2008-09. An extensive, multi-year campaign followed these initial observations, yielding a total of 254 h of good quality VERITAS data on M 82. Leveraging modern analysis techniques and the larger exposure, these VERITAS data show a more statistically significant VHE signal ($\sim$6.5 standard deviations ($σ$)). The corresponding photon spectrum is well fit by a power law ($Γ= 2.3 \pm 0.3_{stat} \pm0.2_{sys}$) and the observed integral flux is F($>$450 GeV) = $(3.2 \pm0.6_{stat} \pm 0.6_{sys}) \times 10^{-13}~\mathrm{cm^{-2}~s}^{-1}$, or $\sim$0.4\% of the Crab Nebula flux above the same energy threshold. The improved VERITAS measurements, when combined with various multi-wavelength data, enable modeling of the underlying emission and transport processes. A purely leptonic scenario is found to be a poor representation of the gamma-ray spectral energy distribution (SED). A lepto-hadronic scenario with cosmic rays following a power-law spectrum in momentum (index $s\simeq 2.25$), and with significant bremsstrahlung below $1$~GeV, provides a good match to the observed SED. The synchrotron emission from the secondary electrons indicates that efficient non-radiative losses of cosmic-ray electrons may be related to advective escape from the starburst core. △ Less

Submitted 17 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 7 figures; Accepted for the publication in The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

Anisotropy of PbTe nanowires with and without a superconductor

Authors: Zonglin Li, Wenyu Song, Shan Zhang, Yuhao Wang, Zhaoyu Wang, Zehao Yu, Ruidong Li, Zeyu Yan, Jiaye Xu, Yichun Gao, Shuai Yang, Lining Yang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: We investigate the anisotropic behaviors in PbTe and PbTe-Pb hybrid nanowires. In previous studies on PbTe, wire-to-wire variations in anisotropy indicate poor device control, posing a serious challenge for applications. Here, we achieve reproducible anisotropy in PbTe nanowires through a substantial reduction of disorder. We then couple PbTe to a superconductor Pb, and observe a pronounced deviat… ▽ More We investigate the anisotropic behaviors in PbTe and PbTe-Pb hybrid nanowires. In previous studies on PbTe, wire-to-wire variations in anisotropy indicate poor device control, posing a serious challenge for applications. Here, we achieve reproducible anisotropy in PbTe nanowires through a substantial reduction of disorder. We then couple PbTe to a superconductor Pb, and observe a pronounced deviation in the anisotropy behavior compared to bare PbTe nanowires. This deviation is gate-tunable and attributed to spin-orbit interaction and orbital effect, controlled by charge transfer between Pb and PbTe. These results provide a guidance for the controlled engineering of exotic quantum states in this hybrid material platform. △ Less

Submitted 8 January, 2025; originally announced January 2025.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 111, 195416 (2025)

Interpolation for degree 2 Veroneses of odd dimension

Authors: Ray Shang

Abstract: A classical fact is that through any $d+3$ general points in $\mathbb{P}_\mathbb{C}^d$ there exists a unique rational normal curve of degree $d$ passing through them. We generalize this by proving the following: when $n$ is odd, for any $\binom{n+2}{2} + n+1$ general points in $\mathbb{P}_\mathbb{C}^{\binom{n+2}{2} - 1}$, there exist at least $2^{n(n-1)}$ degree 2 Veroneses passing through them. T… ▽ More A classical fact is that through any $d+3$ general points in $\mathbb{P}_\mathbb{C}^d$ there exists a unique rational normal curve of degree $d$ passing through them. We generalize this by proving the following: when $n$ is odd, for any $\binom{n+2}{2} + n+1$ general points in $\mathbb{P}_\mathbb{C}^{\binom{n+2}{2} - 1}$, there exist at least $2^{n(n-1)}$ degree 2 Veroneses passing through them. This makes substantial progress on a question of Aaron Landesman and Anand Patel, and extends the work of Arthur Coble. △ Less

Submitted 25 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 21 pages

Slope semistability of Veronese normal bundles

Authors: Ray Shang

Abstract: A classical fact is that normal bundles of rational normal curves are well-balanced. We generalize this by proving that all Veronese normal bundles are slope semistable. We also determine the line bundle decomposition of the restriction of degree 2 Veronese normal bundles to lines and rational normal curves. A classical fact is that normal bundles of rational normal curves are well-balanced. We generalize this by proving that all Veronese normal bundles are slope semistable. We also determine the line bundle decomposition of the restriction of degree 2 Veronese normal bundles to lines and rational normal curves. △ Less

Submitted 25 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 17 pages

Masked Image Modeling Boosting Semi-Supervised Semantic Segmentation

Authors: Yangyang Li, Xuanting Hao, Ronghua Shang, Licheng Jiao

Abstract: In view of the fact that semi- and self-supervised learning share a fundamental principle, effectively modeling knowledge from unlabeled data, various semi-supervised semantic segmentation methods have integrated representative self-supervised learning paradigms for further regularization. However, the potential of the state-of-the-art generative self-supervised paradigm, masked image modeling, ha… ▽ More In view of the fact that semi- and self-supervised learning share a fundamental principle, effectively modeling knowledge from unlabeled data, various semi-supervised semantic segmentation methods have integrated representative self-supervised learning paradigms for further regularization. However, the potential of the state-of-the-art generative self-supervised paradigm, masked image modeling, has been scarcely studied. This paradigm learns the knowledge through establishing connections between the masked and visible parts of masked image, during the pixel reconstruction process. By inheriting and extending this insight, we successfully leverage masked image modeling to boost semi-supervised semantic segmentation. Specifically, we introduce a novel class-wise masked image modeling that independently reconstructs different image regions according to their respective classes. In this way, the mask-induced connections are established within each class, mitigating the semantic confusion that arises from plainly reconstructing images in basic masked image modeling. To strengthen these intra-class connections, we further develop a feature aggregation strategy that minimizes the distances between features corresponding to the masked and visible parts within the same class. Additionally, in semantic space, we explore the application of masked image modeling to enhance regularization. Extensive experiments conducted on well-known benchmarks demonstrate that our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance. The code will be available at https://github.com/haoxt/S4MIM. △ Less

Submitted 14 November, 2024; v1 submitted 13 November, 2024; originally announced November 2024.

Comments: 13 pages. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication

Coulomb blockade in open superconducting islands on InAs nanowires

Authors: Huading Song, Zhaoyu Wang, Dong Pan, Jiaye Xu, Yuqing Wang, Zhan Cao, Dong E. Liu, Ke He, Runan Shang, Jianhua Zhao, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Electrons in closed systems can exhibit Coulomb blockade (CB) oscillations due to charge quantization. Here, we report CB oscillations in aluminum superconducting islands on InAs nanowires in the open regime. The Al island is connected to the source/drain leads through two contacts: One is fully transmitting while the other is tuned into the tunneling regime. This device configuration is typical f… ▽ More Electrons in closed systems can exhibit Coulomb blockade (CB) oscillations due to charge quantization. Here, we report CB oscillations in aluminum superconducting islands on InAs nanowires in the open regime. The Al island is connected to the source/drain leads through two contacts: One is fully transmitting while the other is tuned into the tunneling regime. This device configuration is typical for tunneling spectroscopy where charging energy is generally considered negligible. The oscillation periods are 2$e$ or 1$e$, depending on the gate settings. A magnetic field can induce the 2$e$ to 1$e$ transition. Our result is reminiscent of the "mesoscopic Coulomb blockade" in open quantum dots caused by electron interference. △ Less

Submitted 9 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 111 (2025) L201402

S4DL: Shift-sensitive Spatial-Spectral Disentangling Learning for Hyperspectral Image Unsupervised Domain Adaptation

Authors: Jie Feng, Tianshu Zhang, Junpeng Zhang, Ronghua Shang, Weisheng Dong, Guangming Shi, Licheng Jiao

Abstract: Unsupervised domain adaptation techniques, extensively studied in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification, aim to use labeled source domain data and unlabeled target domain data to learn domain invariant features for cross-scene classification. Compared to natural images, numerous spectral bands of HSIs provide abundant semantic information, but they also increase the domain shift significantly.… ▽ More Unsupervised domain adaptation techniques, extensively studied in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification, aim to use labeled source domain data and unlabeled target domain data to learn domain invariant features for cross-scene classification. Compared to natural images, numerous spectral bands of HSIs provide abundant semantic information, but they also increase the domain shift significantly. In most existing methods, both explicit alignment and implicit alignment simply align feature distribution, ignoring domain information in the spectrum. We noted that when the spectral channel between source and target domains is distinguished obviously, the transfer performance of these methods tends to deteriorate. Additionally, their performance fluctuates greatly owing to the varying domain shifts across various datasets. To address these problems, a novel shift-sensitive spatial-spectral disentangling learning (S4DL) approach is proposed. In S4DL, gradient-guided spatial-spectral decomposition is designed to separate domain-specific and domain-invariant representations by generating tailored masks under the guidance of the gradient from domain classification. A shift-sensitive adaptive monitor is defined to adjust the intensity of disentangling according to the magnitude of domain shift. Furthermore, a reversible neural network is constructed to retain domain information that lies in not only in semantic but also the shallow-level detailed information. Extensive experimental results on several cross-scene HSI datasets consistently verified that S4DL is better than the state-of-the-art UDA methods. Our source code will be available at https://github.com/xdu-jjgs/S4DL. △ Less

Submitted 11 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

BLADE: Benchmarking Language Model Agents for Data-Driven Science

Authors: Ken Gu, Ruoxi Shang, Ruien Jiang, Keying Kuang, Richard-John Lin, Donghe Lyu, Yue Mao, Youran Pan, Teng Wu, Jiaqian Yu, Yikun Zhang, Tianmai M. Zhang, Lanyi Zhu, Mike A. Merrill, Jeffrey Heer, Tim Althoff

Abstract: Data-driven scientific discovery requires the iterative integration of scientific domain knowledge, statistical expertise, and an understanding of data semantics to make nuanced analytical decisions, e.g., about which variables, transformations, and statistical models to consider. LM-based agents equipped with planning, memory, and code execution capabilities have the potential to support data-dri… ▽ More Data-driven scientific discovery requires the iterative integration of scientific domain knowledge, statistical expertise, and an understanding of data semantics to make nuanced analytical decisions, e.g., about which variables, transformations, and statistical models to consider. LM-based agents equipped with planning, memory, and code execution capabilities have the potential to support data-driven science. However, evaluating agents on such open-ended tasks is challenging due to multiple valid approaches, partially correct steps, and different ways to express the same decisions. To address these challenges, we present BLADE, a benchmark to automatically evaluate agents' multifaceted approaches to open-ended research questions. BLADE consists of 12 datasets and research questions drawn from existing scientific literature, with ground truth collected from independent analyses by expert data scientists and researchers. To automatically evaluate agent responses, we developed corresponding computational methods to match different representations of analyses to this ground truth. Though language models possess considerable world knowledge, our evaluation shows that they are often limited to basic analyses. However, agents capable of interacting with the underlying data demonstrate improved, but still non-optimal, diversity in their analytical decision making. Our work enables the evaluation of agents for data-driven science and provides researchers deeper insights into agents' analysis approaches. △ Less

Submitted 10 November, 2025; v1 submitted 18 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Comments: EMNLP 2024

Trusting Your AI Agent Emotionally and Cognitively: Development and Validation of a Semantic Differential Scale for AI Trust

Authors: Ruoxi Shang, Gary Hsieh, Chirag Shah

Abstract: Trust is not just a cognitive issue but also an emotional one, yet the research in human-AI interactions has primarily focused on the cognitive route of trust development. Recent work has highlighted the importance of studying affective trust towards AI, especially in the context of emerging human-like LLMs-powered conversational agents. However, there is a lack of validated and generalizable meas… ▽ More Trust is not just a cognitive issue but also an emotional one, yet the research in human-AI interactions has primarily focused on the cognitive route of trust development. Recent work has highlighted the importance of studying affective trust towards AI, especially in the context of emerging human-like LLMs-powered conversational agents. However, there is a lack of validated and generalizable measures for the two-dimensional construct of trust in AI agents. To address this gap, we developed and validated a set of 27-item semantic differential scales for affective and cognitive trust through a scenario-based survey study. We then further validated and applied the scale through an experiment study. Our empirical findings showed how the emotional and cognitive aspects of trust interact with each other and collectively shape a person's overall trust in AI agents. Our study methodology and findings also provide insights into the capability of the state-of-art LLMs to foster trust through different routes. △ Less

Submitted 7 November, 2024; v1 submitted 25 July, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Journal ref: AIES '24: Proceedings of the Seventh AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (AIES-24), Pages 1343-1356, 2024

An indirect search for dark matter with a combined analysis of dwarf spheroidal galaxies from VERITAS

Authors: A. Acharyya, C. B. Adams, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, P. Batista, W. Benbow, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, A. Duerr, M. Errando, A. Falcone, Q. Feng, G. M. Foote, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, W. Hanlon, D. Hanna, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Holder, T. B. Humensky, W. Jin, M. N. Johnson, P. Kaaret, M. Kertzman , et al. (37 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Understanding the nature and identity of dark matter is a key goal in the physics community. In the case that TeV-scale dark matter particles decay or annihilate into standard model particles, very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays (greater than 100 GeV) will be present in the final state. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescop… ▽ More Understanding the nature and identity of dark matter is a key goal in the physics community. In the case that TeV-scale dark matter particles decay or annihilate into standard model particles, very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays (greater than 100 GeV) will be present in the final state. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array that can indirectly detect VHE gamma rays in an energy range of 100 GeV to > 30 TeV. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are ideal candidates in the search for dark matter due to their high dark matter content, high mass-to-light ratios, and their low gamma-ray fluxes from astrophysical processes. This study uses a legacy data set of 638 hours collected on 17 dSphs, built over 11 years with an observing strategy optimized according to the dark matter content of the targets. The study addresses a broad dark matter particle mass range, extending from 200 GeV to 30 PeV. In the absence of a detection, we set the upper limits on the dark matter velocity-weighted annihilation cross section. △ Less

Submitted 6 August, 2024; v1 submitted 23 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 18 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted in PRD

A multi-wavelength study to decipher the 2017 flare of the blazar OJ 287

Authors: A. Acharyya, C. B. Adams, A. Archer, P. Bangale, J. T. Bartkoske, P. Batista, W. Benbow, A. Brill, J. P. Caldwell, M. Carini, J. L. Christiansen, A. J. Chromey, M. Errando, A. Falcone, Q. Feng, J. P. Finley, J. Foote, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, G. Gallagher, W. Hanlon, D. Hanna, O. Hervet, C. E. Hinrichs, J. Hoang , et al. (49 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In February 2017, the blazar OJ~287 underwent a period of intense multiwavelength activity. It reached a new historic peak in the soft X-ray (0.3-10 keV) band, as measured by Swift-XRT. This event coincides with a very-high-energy (VHE) $γ$-ray outburst that led VERITAS to detect emission above 100 GeV, with a detection significance of $10σ$ (from 2016 December 9 to 2017 March 31). The time-averag… ▽ More In February 2017, the blazar OJ~287 underwent a period of intense multiwavelength activity. It reached a new historic peak in the soft X-ray (0.3-10 keV) band, as measured by Swift-XRT. This event coincides with a very-high-energy (VHE) $γ$-ray outburst that led VERITAS to detect emission above 100 GeV, with a detection significance of $10σ$ (from 2016 December 9 to 2017 March 31). The time-averaged VHE $γ$-ray spectrum was consistent with a soft power law ($Γ= -3.81 \pm 0.26$) and an integral flux corresponding to $\sim2.4\%$ that of the Crab Nebula above the same energy. Contemporaneous data from multiple instruments across the electromagnetic spectrum reveal complex flaring behavior, primarily in the soft X-ray and VHE bands. To investigate the possible origin of such an event, our study focuses on three distinct activity states: before, during, and after the February 2017 peak. The spectral energy distributions during these periods suggest the presence of at least two non-thermal emission zones, with the more compact one responsible for the observed flare. Broadband modeling results and observations of a new radio knot in the jet of OJ~287 in 2017 are consistent with a flare originating from a strong recollimation shock outside the radio core. △ Less

Submitted 26 August, 2024; v1 submitted 16 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 21 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Joint Segmentation and Image Reconstruction with Error Prediction in Photoacoustic Imaging using Deep Learning

Authors: Ruibo Shang, Geoffrey P. Luke, Matthew O'Donnell

Abstract: Deep learning has been used to improve photoacoustic (PA) image reconstruction. One major challenge is that errors cannot be quantified to validate predictions when ground truth is unknown. Validation is key to quantitative applications, especially using limited-bandwidth ultrasonic linear detector arrays. Here, we propose a hybrid Bayesian convolutional neural network (Hybrid-BCNN) to jointly pre… ▽ More Deep learning has been used to improve photoacoustic (PA) image reconstruction. One major challenge is that errors cannot be quantified to validate predictions when ground truth is unknown. Validation is key to quantitative applications, especially using limited-bandwidth ultrasonic linear detector arrays. Here, we propose a hybrid Bayesian convolutional neural network (Hybrid-BCNN) to jointly predict PA image and segmentation with error (uncertainty) predictions. Each output pixel represents a probability distribution where error can be quantified. The Hybrid-BCNN was trained with simulated PA data and applied to both simulations and experiments. Due to the sparsity of PA images, segmentation focuses Hybrid-BCNN on minimizing the loss function in regions with PA signals for better predictions. The results show that accurate PA segmentations and images are obtained, and error predictions are highly statistically correlated to actual errors. To leverage error predictions, confidence processing created PA images above a specific confidence level. △ Less

Submitted 2 July, 2024; originally announced July 2024.

Comments: 31 pages, 8 figures

Quantized Andreev conductance in semiconductor nanowires

Authors: Yichun Gao, Wenyu Song, Yuhao Wang, Zuhan Geng, Zhan Cao, Zehao Yu, Shuai Yang, Jiaye Xu, Fangting Chen, Zonglin Li, Ruidong Li, Lining Yang, Zhaoyu Wang, Shan Zhang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Dong E. Liu, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Clean one-dimensional electron systems can exhibit quantized conductance. The plateau conductance doubles if the transport is dominated by Andreev reflection. Here, we report quantized conductance observed in both Andreev and normal-state transports in PbTe-Pb and PbTe-In hybrid nanowires. The Andreev plateau is observed at $4e^2/h$, twice of the normal plateau value of $2e^2/h$. In comparison, An… ▽ More Clean one-dimensional electron systems can exhibit quantized conductance. The plateau conductance doubles if the transport is dominated by Andreev reflection. Here, we report quantized conductance observed in both Andreev and normal-state transports in PbTe-Pb and PbTe-In hybrid nanowires. The Andreev plateau is observed at $4e^2/h$, twice of the normal plateau value of $2e^2/h$. In comparison, Andreev conductance in the best-optimized III-V nanowires is non-quantized due to mode-mixing induced dips (a disorder effect), despite the quantization of normal-state transport. The negligible mode mixing in PbTe hybrids indicates an unprecedented low-disorder transport regime for nanowire devices, beneficial for Majorana researches. △ Less

Submitted 17 June, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. Applied 23, L061004 (2025)

Multi-Teacher Multi-Objective Meta-Learning for Zero-Shot Hyperspectral Band Selection

Authors: Jie Feng, Xiaojian Zhong, Di Li, Weisheng Dong, Ronghua Shang, Licheng Jiao

Abstract: Band selection plays a crucial role in hyperspectral image classification by removing redundant and noisy bands and retaining discriminative ones. However, most existing deep learning-based methods are aimed at dealing with a specific band selection dataset, and need to retrain parameters for new datasets, which significantly limits their generalizability.To address this issue, a novel multi-teach… ▽ More Band selection plays a crucial role in hyperspectral image classification by removing redundant and noisy bands and retaining discriminative ones. However, most existing deep learning-based methods are aimed at dealing with a specific band selection dataset, and need to retrain parameters for new datasets, which significantly limits their generalizability.To address this issue, a novel multi-teacher multi-objective meta-learning network (M$^3$BS) is proposed for zero-shot hyperspectral band selection. In M$^3$BS, a generalizable graph convolution network (GCN) is constructed to generate dataset-agnostic base, and extract compatible meta-knowledge from multiple band selection tasks. To enhance the ability of meta-knowledge extraction, multiple band selection teachers are introduced to provide diverse high-quality experiences.strategy Finally, subsequent classification tasks are attached and jointly optimized with multi-teacher band selection tasks through multi-objective meta-learning in an end-to-end trainable way. Multi-objective meta-learning guarantees to coordinate diverse optimization objectives automatically and adapt to various datasets simultaneously. Once the optimization is accomplished, the acquired meta-knowledge can be directly transferred to unseen datasets without any retraining or fine-tuning. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method on par with state-of-the-art baselines for zero-shot hyperspectral band selection. △ Less

Submitted 12 June, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Broadband Multi-wavelength Properties of M87 during the 2018 EHT Campaign including a Very High Energy Flaring Episode

Authors: J. C. Algaba, M. Balokovic, S. Chandra, W. Y. Cheong, Y. Z. Cui, F. D'Ammando, A. D. Falcone, N. M. Ford, M. Giroletti, C. Goddi, M. A. Gurwell, K. Hada, D. Haggard, S. Jorstad, A. Kaur, T. Kawashima, S. Kerby, J. Y. Kim, M. Kino, E. V. Kravchenko, S. S. Lee, R. S. Lu, S. Markoff, J. Michail, J. Neilsen , et al. (721 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The nearby elliptical galaxy M87 contains one of the only two supermassive black holes whose emission surrounding the event horizon has been imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). In 2018, more than two dozen multi-wavelength (MWL) facilities (from radio to gamma-ray energies) took part in the second M87 EHT campaign. The goal of this extensive MWL campaign was to better understand the physi… ▽ More The nearby elliptical galaxy M87 contains one of the only two supermassive black holes whose emission surrounding the event horizon has been imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). In 2018, more than two dozen multi-wavelength (MWL) facilities (from radio to gamma-ray energies) took part in the second M87 EHT campaign. The goal of this extensive MWL campaign was to better understand the physics of the accreting black hole M87*, the relationship between the inflow and inner jets, and the high-energy particle acceleration. Understanding the complex astrophysics is also a necessary first step towards performing further tests of general relativity. The MWL campaign took place in April 2018, overlapping with the EHT M87* observations. We present a new, contemporaneous spectral energy distribution (SED) ranging from radio to very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays, as well as details of the individual observations and light curves. We also conduct phenomenological modelling to investigate the basic source properties. We present the first VHE gamma-ray flare from M87 detected since 2010. The flux above 350 GeV has more than doubled within a period of about 36 hours. We find that the X-ray flux is enhanced by about a factor of two compared to 2017, while the radio and millimetre core fluxes are consistent between 2017 and 2018. We detect evidence for a monotonically increasing jet position angle that corresponds to variations in the bright spot of the EHT image. Our results show the value of continued MWL monitoring together with precision imaging for addressing the origins of high-energy particle acceleration. While we cannot currently pinpoint the precise location where such acceleration takes place, the new VHE gamma-ray flare already presents a challenge to simple one-zone leptonic emission model approaches, and emphasises the need for combined image and spectral modelling. △ Less

Submitted 5 December, 2024; v1 submitted 24 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Comments: 46 pages, 23 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics on August. 29, 2024

Journal ref: A&A 692, A140 (2024)

SQUID oscillations in PbTe nanowire networks

Authors: Yichun Gao, Wenyu Song, Zehao Yu, Shuai Yang, Yuhao Wang, Ruidong Li, Fangting Chen, Zuhan Geng, Lining Yang, Jiaye Xu, Zhaoyu Wang, Zonglin Li, Shan Zhang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Network structures by semiconductor nanowires hold great promise for advanced quantum devices, especially for applications in topological quantum computing. In this study, we created networks of PbTe nanowires arranged in loop configurations. Using shadow-wall epitaxy, we defined superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) using the superconductor Pb. These SQUIDs exhibit oscillations in… ▽ More Network structures by semiconductor nanowires hold great promise for advanced quantum devices, especially for applications in topological quantum computing. In this study, we created networks of PbTe nanowires arranged in loop configurations. Using shadow-wall epitaxy, we defined superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) using the superconductor Pb. These SQUIDs exhibit oscillations in supercurrent upon the scanning of a magnetic field. Most of the oscillations can be fitted assuming a sinusoidal current-phase relation for each Josephson junction. Under certain conditions, the oscillations are found to be skewed, suggesting possible deviation from a sinusoidal behavior. Our results highlight the potential of PbTe nanowires for building complex quantum devices in the form of networks. △ Less

Submitted 10 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Journal ref: Phys. Rev. B 110, 045405 (2024)

Gate-tunable subband degeneracy in semiconductor nanowires

Authors: Yuhao Wang, Wenyu Song, Zhan Cao, Zehao Yu, Shuai Yang, Zonglin Li, Yichun Gao, Ruidong Li, Fangting Chen, Zuhan Geng, Lining Yang, Jiaye Xu, Zhaoyu Wang, Shan Zhang, Xiao Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yunyi Zang, Lin Li, Runan Shang, Qi-Kun Xue, Dong E. Liu, Ke He, Hao Zhang

Abstract: Degeneracy and symmetry have a profound relation in quantum systems. Here, we report gate-tunable subband degeneracy in PbTe nanowires with a nearly symmetric cross-sectional shape. The degeneracy is revealed in electron transport by the absence of a quantized plateau. Utilizing a dual gate design, we can apply an electric field to lift the degeneracy, reflected as emergence of the plateau. This d… ▽ More Degeneracy and symmetry have a profound relation in quantum systems. Here, we report gate-tunable subband degeneracy in PbTe nanowires with a nearly symmetric cross-sectional shape. The degeneracy is revealed in electron transport by the absence of a quantized plateau. Utilizing a dual gate design, we can apply an electric field to lift the degeneracy, reflected as emergence of the plateau. This degeneracy and its tunable lifting were challenging to observe in previous nanowire experiments, possibly due to disorder. Numerical simulations can qualitatively capture our observation, shedding light on device parameters for future applications. △ Less

Submitted 3 April, 2024; originally announced April 2024.

Journal ref: PNAS 121, e2406884121 (2024)