Spatial network surrogates for disentangling complex system structure from spatial embedding of nodes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MW and RVD have been supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) via the Young Investigators Group CoSy-CC2 (grant no. 01LN1306A). JFD thanks the Stordalen Foundation and BMBF (project GLUES) for financial support. JK acknowledges the IRTG 1740 funded by DFG and FAPESP. MT Gastner is acknowledged for providing his data on the airline, interstate, and Internet network. P Menck thankfully provided his data on the Scandinavian power grid. We thank S Willner on behalf of the entire zeean team for providing the data on the world trade network. All computations have been performed using the Python package pyunicorn [41] that is available at https://github.com/pik-copan/pyunicorn.

Reconstructing complex networks with binary-state dynamics

For Supplementary Information, see http://sss.bnu.edu.cn/~wenxuw/publications/SI_reconstruct_binary.pdf

Immunization and targeted destruction of networks using explosive percolation

7 pages, 6 figures

Tweaking Synchronisation by Link Addition

8 pages, 7 figures ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors wish to thank the Nesin foundation for an amazing working group activity in Nesin Math Village and wish to thank Tiago Pereira for fruitful discussions. PS and JK acknowledge gratefully the support of BMBF, CoNDyNet, FK. 03SF0472A. TP acknowledges FAPESP (No. 2012/22160-7 and No. 2015/02486-3) and IRTG 1740. DE acknowledge support by the Leibniz Association (WGL) under Grant No. SAW-2013-IZW-2.

Topics in gravitational-wave science : macroscopic quantum mechanics and black hole physics

The theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, the two most important physics discoveries of the 20th century, not only revolutionized our understanding of the nature of space-time and the way matter exists and interacts, but also became the building blocks of what we currently know as modern physics. My thesis studies both subjects in great depths --- this intersection takes place in gravitational-wave physics.

Gravitational waves are "ripples of space-time", long predicted by general relativity. Although indirect evidence of gravitational waves has been discovered from observations of binary pulsars, direct detection of these waves is still actively being pursued. An international array of laser interferometer gravitational-wave detectors has been constructed in the past decade, and a first generation of these detectors has taken several years of data without a discovery. At this moment, these detectors are being upgraded into second-generation configurations, which will have ten times better sensitivity. Kilogram-scale test masses of these detectors, highly isolated from the environment, are probed continuously by photons. The sensitivity of such a quantum measurement can often be limited by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and during such a measurement, the test masses can be viewed as evolving through a sequence of nearly pure quantum states.

The first part of this thesis (Chapter 2) concerns how to minimize the adverse effect of thermal fluctuations on the sensitivity of advanced gravitational detectors, thereby making them closer to being quantum-limited. My colleagues and I present a detailed analysis of coating thermal noise in advanced gravitational-wave detectors, which is the dominant noise source of Advanced LIGO in the middle of the detection frequency band. We identified the two elastic loss angles, clarified the different components of the coating Brownian noise, and obtained their cross spectral densities.

The second part of this thesis (Chapters 3-7) concerns formulating experimental concepts and analyzing experimental results that demonstrate the quantum mechanical behavior of macroscopic objects - as well as developing theoretical tools for analyzing quantum measurement processes. In Chapter 3, we study the open quantum dynamics of optomechanical experiments in which a single photon strongly influences the quantum state of a mechanical object. We also explain how to engineer the mechanical oscillator's quantum state by modifying the single photon's wave function.

In Chapters 4-5, we build theoretical tools for analyzing the so-called "non-Markovian" quantum measurement processes. Chapter 4 establishes a mathematical formalism that describes the evolution of a quantum system (the plant), which is coupled to a non-Markovian bath (i.e., one with a memory) while at the same time being under continuous quantum measurement (by the probe field). This aims at providing a general framework for analyzing a large class of non-Markovian measurement processes. Chapter 5 develops a way of characterizing the non-Markovianity of a bath (i.e.,whether and to what extent the bath remembers information about the plant) by perturbing the plant and watching for changes in the its subsequent evolution. Chapter 6 re-analyzes a recent measurement of a mechanical oscillator's zero-point fluctuations, revealing nontrivial correlation between the measurement device's sensing noise and the quantum rack-action noise.

Chapter 7 describes a model in which gravity is classical and matter motions are quantized, elaborating how the quantum motions of matter are affected by the fact that gravity is classical. It offers an experimentally plausible way to test this model (hence the nature of gravity) by measuring the center-of-mass motion of a macroscopic object.

The most promising gravitational waves for direct detection are those emitted from highly energetic astrophysical processes, sometimes involving black holes - a type of object predicted by general relativity whose properties depend highly on the strong-field regime of the theory. Although black holes have been inferred to exist at centers of galaxies and in certain so-called X-ray binary objects, detecting gravitational waves emitted by systems containing black holes will offer a much more direct way of observing black holes, providing unprecedented details of space-time geometry in the black-holes' strong-field region.

The third part of this thesis (Chapters 8-11) studies black-hole physics in connection with gravitational-wave detection.

Chapter 8 applies black hole perturbation theory to model the dynamics of a light compact object orbiting around a massive central Schwarzschild black hole. In this chapter, we present a Hamiltonian formalism in which the low-mass object and the metric perturbations of the background spacetime are jointly evolved. Chapter 9 uses WKB techniques to analyze oscillation modes (quasi-normal modes or QNMs) of spinning black holes. We obtain analytical approximations to the spectrum of the weakly-damped QNMs, with relative error O(1/L^2), and connect these frequencies to geometrical features of spherical photon orbits in Kerr spacetime. Chapter 11 focuses mainly on near-extremal Kerr black holes, we discuss a bifurcation in their QNM spectra for certain ranges of (l,m) (the angular quantum numbers) as a/M → 1. With tools prepared in Chapter 9 and 10, in Chapter 11 we obtain an analytical approximate for the scalar Green function in Kerr spacetime.

Tests of a Roman Pot Prototype for the TOTEM Experiment

The TOTEM collaboration has developed and tested the first prototype of its Roman Pots to be operated in the LHC. TOTEM Roman Pots contain stacks of 10 silicon detectors with strips oriented in two orthogonal directions. To measure proton scattering angles of a few microradians, the detectors will approach the beam centre to a distance of 10 sigma + 0.5 mm (= 1.3 mm). Dead space near the detector edge is minimised by using two novel "edgeless" detector technologies. The silicon detectors are used both for precise track reconstruction and for triggering. The first full-sized prototypes of both detector technologies as well as their read-out electronics have been developed, built and operated. The tests took place first in a fixed-target muon beam at CERN's SPS, and then in the proton beam-line of the SPS accelerator ring. We present the test beam results demonstrating the successful functionality of the system despite slight technical shortcomings to be improved in the near future.

克隆植物绢毛匍匐委陵菜的生态对策研究

本文以匍匐茎草本绢毛匍匐委陵菜(Potentilla reptans L var. sericophylla)为研究对象，基于实验生态学研究方法和野外调查研究了该植物对异质性环境的生态适应对策。 　　对落叶松和油松群林下的绢毛匍匐委陵菜的基株特征和种群特征研究表明：在落叶松林下，绢毛匍匐委陵菜克隆分株具有更大叶面积和更长叶柄;在油松林下，绢毛匍匐委陵菜具有更多的匍匐茎和更多的克隆分株。两个生境中的绢毛匍匐委陵菜形成与其生境相适应的克隆形态和克隆生长特征。在两个群落中的绢毛匍匐委陵菜分株种群的密度和地上生物量没有差异。 　　应用GS+统计软件分析了绢毛匍匐委陵菜分株种群特征及其与所处的土壤基质九个指标（土壤有机质（SOC）、土壤全氮（STN）、土壤全磷（STP）、有效钾（K+）、有效磷（PO43-）、NH4+、NO3-、土壤含水量（SWC）、pH）的空间分布格局的关系，结果显示，绢毛匍匐委陵菜克隆分株种群呈斑块状分布，其克隆分株数的空间自相关尺度为1米;其生长的土壤基质的9个土壤养分及土壤性状指标也都显示了强烈的空间自相关，其自相关尺度（变程）范围在0.24 m ～1.05 m之间，大小顺序为STP>K+>SOC>pH>STN> NO3-> PO43->SWC> NH4+。 其中除STP外，其他8个土壤指标的空间自相关尺度都在0.5 m 左右，NH4+仅为24.4 cm。绢毛匍匐委陵菜野外克隆分株的匍匐茎节间长平均在7 cm 左右。由此表明绢毛匍匐委陵菜克隆分株种群的空间分布尺度大于其所在土壤基质养分及其物理性状的分布尺度，相互联结的克隆分株对异质性土壤资源表现出较大的缓冲能力。其原因之一有可能是克隆生理整合作用使克隆分株局部反应减弱，克隆分株表现趋于一致，克隆分株间实现资源共享，从而高效利用异质性土壤资源。 　　绢毛对匍匐委陵菜克隆特征的局部特化实验将生长在北京东灵山油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）林林窗和林下的绢毛匍匐委陵菜，进行生境间的交互移植-重植野外生态实验以验证绢毛匍匐委陵菜林窗和林下种群间的行为差异是完全由表型可塑性引起，还是局部分化的结果。研究结果表明，实验植物的叶片长度、叶片宽度、叶柄长度和匍匐茎节间长度等克隆形态特征在两生境间无差异。两个来源的植株，其基株生物量、基株分株数和基株匍匐茎总长度等克隆生长特征在林下生境中都比在林窗生境中小，表现出显著的可塑性。所研究的克隆形态特征和克隆生长特征及其可塑性在不同生境来源的实验植物间没有差异。绢毛匍匐委陵菜克隆形态特征和克隆生长特征及其可塑性在林下和林窗生境间没有发生局部分化，林窗为其较适生境，克隆生长特征的可塑性对绢毛匍匐委陵菜利用生境异质性可能具有主要意义。 　　绢毛匍匐委陵菜对土壤养分的克隆可塑性共进行了两个实验。实验1 探讨绢毛匍匐委陵菜对8个土壤基质养分梯度(N, P, K)的克隆可塑性。其结果表明，在植株能够生长的土壤基质养分条件下，随着土壤养分浓度增加，基株生物量、匍匐茎数、分株数增加;生物量分配可塑性反应格局为：随着土壤基质养分浓度的增加，对根生物量投资降低，对叶片的生物量投资增加，而对匍匐茎的投资没有改变。匍匐茎节间长、比叶片重没有对土壤养分梯度发生可塑性反应。随着土壤基质养分的增加，植株根冠比和比根重下降，而根系总长和叶片面积增加。实验2 设置与实验1相同的8个土壤养分梯度，分三个时期收获以探讨绢毛匍匐委陵菜不同发育时期对土壤养分梯度的克隆可塑性，其结果表明：随着植株发育年龄的增加，绢毛匍匐委陵菜的克隆可塑性有增强的趋势。生物量分配格局对土壤养分梯度的可塑性反应早于基株总生物量的可塑性反应;叶片面积、根系总长度和比根重在植物生长后期对土壤养分梯度发生可塑性反应;比叶面积在植物生长早期对土壤养分梯度发生可塑性反应，而在后期则没有;匍匐茎比节间重在生长之初和生长后期均对养分梯度发生可塑性反应。 　　绢毛匍匐委陵菜对局部遮荫的克隆可塑性实验是将采自林窗和林内生境的绢毛匍匐委陵菜“分株对”（即由一匍匐茎节间相连着的两个分株，其一为“目标分株”另一为“相连分株”）在一户外实验中进行全不遮荫、全部遮荫和局部遮荫处理。其结果表明，绢毛匍匐委陵菜基株生物量、匍匐茎总长度、分株数、匍匐茎比节间重、叶柄长、比叶柄重在遮荫条件下较小。匍匐茎节间长度没有对遮荫处理发生反应。在局部遮荫处理，遮荫斑块的分株的叶柄长度由于连着未遮荫斑块中分株而变得更长。这种克隆整合对克隆形态可塑性的修饰作用只在林窗生境来源的实验植物中观察到。其它克隆生长和克隆形态特征的可塑性在不同生境来源的实验植物间没有差异。

Application of factor analysis and geostatistics to identify processes controlling the distribution and bioaccessibility of trace elements in Northern Ireland soils

Geologic and environmental factors acting over varying spatial scales can control
trace element distribution and mobility in soils. In turn, the mobility of an element in soil will affect its oral bioaccessibility. Geostatistics, kriging and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to explore factors and spatial ranges of influence over a suite of 8 element oxides, soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, and the trace elements nickel (Ni), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn). Bioaccessibility testing was carried out previously using the Unified BARGE Method on a sub-set of 91 soil samples from the Northern Ireland Tellus1 soil archive. Initial spatial mapping of total Ni, V and Zn concentrations shows their distributions are correlated spatially with local geologic formations, and prior correlation analyses showed that statistically significant controls were exerted over trace element bioaccessibility by the 8 oxides, SOC and pH. PCA applied to the geochemistry parameters of the bioaccessibility sample set yielded three principal components accounting for 77% of cumulative variance in the data
set. Geostatistical analysis of oxide, trace element, SOC and pH distributions using 6862 sample locations also identified distinct spatial ranges of influence for these variables, concluded to arise from geologic forming processes, weathering processes, and localised soil chemistry factors. Kriging was used to conduct a spatial PCA of Ni, V and Zn distributions which identified two factors comprising the majority of distribution variance. This was spatially accounted for firstly by basalt rock types, with the second component associated with sandstone and limestone in the region. The results suggest trace element bioaccessibility and distribution is controlled by chemical and geologic processes which occur over variable spatial ranges of influence.

Modification of the formation of high-Mach number electrostatic shock-like structures by the ion acoustic instability

The formation of unmagnetized electrostatic shock-like structures with a high Mach number is examined with one- and two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The structures are generated through the collision of two identical plasma clouds, which consist of equally hot electrons and ions with a mass ratio of 250. The Mach number of the collision speed with respect to the initial ion acoustic speed of the plasma is set to 4.6. This high Mach number delays the formation of such structures by tens of inverse ion plasma frequencies. A pair of stable shock-like structures is observed after this time in the 1D simulation, which gradually evolve into electrostatic shocks. The ion acoustic instability, which can develop in the 2D simulation but not in the 1D one, competes with the nonlinear process that gives rise to these structures. The oblique ion acoustic waves fragment their electric field. The transition layer, across which the bulk of the ions change their speed, widens and their speed change is reduced. Double layer-shock hybrid structures develop.

Energy levels, radiative rates and electron impact excitation rates for transitions in C III

We report energy levels, radiative rates (A-values) and lifetimes for the astrophysically important Be-like ion C III. For the calculations, 166 levels belonging to the n ≤ 5 configurations are considered and the GRASP (General-purpose Relativistic Atomic Structure Package) is adopted. Einstein A-coefficients are provided for all E1, E2, M1 and M2 transitions, while lifetimes are compared with available measurements as well as theoretical results, and no large discrepancies noted. Our energy levels are assessed to be accurate to better than 1 per cent for a majority of levels, and A-values to better than 20 per cent for most transitions. Collision strengths are also calculated, for which the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code (DARC) is used. A wide energy range, up to 21 Ryd, is considered and resonances resolved in a fine energy mesh in the thresholds region. The collision strengths are subsequently averaged over a Maxwellian velocity distribution to determine effective collision strengths up to a temperature of 8.0 ×10[5]K, sufficient for most astrophysical applications. Our data are compared with the recent R-matrix calculations of Fernández-Menchero et al., and significant differences (up to over an order of magnitude) are noted for several transitions over the complete temperature range of the results.

Electron impact excitation of Be-like ions: a comparison of DARC and ICFT results

Emission lines of Be-like ions are frequently observed in astrophysical plasmas, and many are useful for density and temperature diagnostics. However, accurate atomic data for energy levels, radiative rates (A-values) and effective electron excitation collision strengths ($\Upsilon$) are required for reliable plasma modelling. In general it is reasonably straightforward to calculate energy levels and A- values to a high level of accuracy. By contrast, considerable effort is required to calculate $\Upsilon$, and hence it is not always possible to assess the accuracy of available data. Recently, two independent calculations (adopting the $R$-matrix method) but with different approaches (DARC and ICFT) have appeared for a range of Be-like ions. Therefore, in this work we compare the two sets of $\Upsilon$, highlight the large discrepancies for a significant number of transitions and suggest possible reasons for these.

Temporal structure of attosecond pulses from laser-driven coherent synchrotron emission

The microscopic dynamics of laser-driven coherent synchrotron emission transmitted through thin foils are investigated using particle-in-cell simulations. For normal incidence interactions, we identify the formation of two distinct electron nanobunches from which emission takes place each half-cycle of the driving laser pulse. These emissions are separated temporally by 130 attoseconds and are dominant in different frequency ranges, which is a direct consequence of the distinct characteristics of each electron nanobunch. This may be exploited through spectral filtering to isolate these emissions, generating electromagnetic pulses of duration ~70 as.

Evaluation of selected recurrence measures in discriminating pre-ictal and inter-ictal periods from epileptic EEG data

7 pages, 4 figures Acknowledgement We are grateful to M. Riedl and G. Ansmann for fruitful discussions and critical comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Volkswagen Foundation (Grant Nos. 88461, 88462, 88463, 85390, 85391 and 85392).

Scientific case for avoiding dangerous climate change to protect young people and nature

28 pages, 6 figures; version submitted to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Hierarchical structures in Northern Hemispheric extratropical winter ocean-atmosphere interactions

Acknowledgements MW and RVD have been supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research via the BMBF Young Investigators Group CoSy-CC2 (grant 18 Marc Wiedermann et al. no. 01LN1306A). JFD thanks the Stordalen Foundation and BMBF (project GLUES) for financial support. JK acknowledges the IRTG 1740 funded by DFG and FAPESP. Coupled climate network analysis has been performed using the Python package pyunicorn (Donges et al, 2015a) that is available at https://github.com/pik-copan/pyunicorn.