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At least 1,135 records · Page 63

Examining a hadronic γ-ray scenario for the radiative shell and molecular clouds of the old GeV supernova remnant G298.6−0.0

Abstract Based on the 13.7 yr Fermi-LAT data, Yeung, Bamba, and Sano (2023, PASJ, 75, 384) claimed detection of two γ-ray sources (namely Src-NE and Src-NW) associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G298.6−0.0, and interpreted it as an old GeV SNR interacting with molecular clouds (MCs). In this follow-up study, we refine the flux measurements below 2 GeV with Fermi-LAT event types of better angular reconstruction. Then, we report our γ-ray spectral fittings and cosmic-ray phenomenology in a hadronic scenario, considering both the shell and MC regions of SNR G298.6−0.0. We confirm that the γ-ray spectra of both Src-NE and Src-NW exhibit spectral breaks, at $1.50_{-0.50}^{+0.60}$ and $0.68_{-0.11}^{+0.32}\:$GeV, respectively. Src-NW has a harder broad-band photon index than Src-NE, suggesting an appreciable difference between the physical separations of their respective emission sites from SNR G298.6−0.0. The cosmic-ray spectrum responsible for Src-NE starts with a minimum energy $E_\mathrm{CR,min}=1.38_{-0.16}^{+0.47}\:$GeV, and has a proton index $\Gamma _\mathrm{CR}=2.57_{-0.21}^{+0.18}$ below the exponential cutoff energy $E_\mathrm{CR,max}=240_{-150}^{+240}\:$GeV. Accordingly, we argue that Src-NE is dominated by the SNR shell, while only a minor portion of lower-energy emission is contributed by the MCs interacting with the SNR. The cosmic-ray population for Src-NW starts at a higher energy such that the ECR, min ratio of Src-NW to Src-NE is ≳2. The high ECR, min, as well as the high cosmic-ray energy density required (∼26 eV cm−3), supports the interpretation that Src-NW is predominantly the γ-ray emission from the farther MCs being bombarded by protons that had earlier escaped from SNR G298.6−0.0. By comparing the high-energy features of G298.6−0.0 with those of analogical SNRs, especially SNR W 28 and SNR W 44, we further constrain the age of SNR G298.6−0.0 to be 10–30 kyr, under the assumption of a purely hadronic scenario.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Cloud Services Enable Efficient AI-Guided Simulation Workflows across Heterogeneous Resources

Applications which fuse machine learning and simulation are rarely best served by a single computing resource. Highly parallel simulation codes are best deployed on super- computers, while AI tasks used to decide which simulations to perform may be best suited to specialized accelerators. Here we present a Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) system for executing complex, distributed computational campaigns that achieves performance parity with conventional workflow systems without the complexities of secure network connections between compute providers. One innovation enabling high performance is a subsystem that directly moves task data between sites, separate from the cloud-hosted FaaS system used to distribute task instructions. We also introduce a flexible scheduling system that allows us access factor of 2 trade offs between the amount of resources required to solve a problem at each compute site. We anticipate that this system will upgrade multi-site applications from demonstration projects to routine practice in computational science.

Ward, Logan↗

HPC and Cloud Convergence Beyond Technical Boundaries: Strategies for Economic Sustainability, Standardization, and Data Accessibility

At the IEEE/ACM International Conference for High-Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC23), held in Denver, experts discussed the convergence of high-performance computing and cloud computing. Experts explored how this integration could address current scientific computing limitations, enhance computational capabilities, and foster global collaboration while focusing on economic, security, technical, and community challenges and opportunities.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

From Reproducible Edge–Cloud Experimentation to Real-World Practice: The E2Clab Experience

Reproducibility is already difficult in distributed systems; on the computing continuum, it becomes substantially harder. Applications that span sensing devices, edge and fog resources, and cloud platforms must be evaluated across heterogeneous hardware, variable network conditions, cross-layer orchestration decisions, and long-running workflow lifecycles. We use E2Clab as a case study to examine these challenges and their implications for experimental methodology. We explain why reproducible experimentation is harder on the continuum, then revisit E2Clab as an initial response based on explicit modeling of infrastructure, workflow lifecycle, and artifacts. Lastly, we discuss how its evolution toward more realistic application settings can be understood through the lens of Translational Computer Science. We argue that reproducible continuum experimentation requires methods that are rigorous enough for research while remaining adaptable to real-world practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Optimizing Non-Terrestrial Hybrid RF/FSO Links With Reinforcement Learning: Navigating Through Clouds

In the pursuit of ubiquitous broadband connectivity, there has been a significant shift towards the vertical expansion of communication networks into space, particularly through the exploitation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, which are favored for their relatively low latency. However, this approach faces many challenges that need to be addressed, including atmospheric turbulence, high path loss, and dynamic cloud formations. High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) have emerged as promising relaying layers between LEO satellites and ground stations, enhancing coverage, latency, and direct terrestrial user connectivity. While radio frequency (RF) bands suffer from congestion and limited bandwidth, free space optical (FSO) communications offer higher data rates, but are susceptible to misalignment and weather-induced signal degradation. To address these challenges, a hybrid RF/FSO approach has been proposed to take advantage of both technologies by dynamic switching between RF and FSO based on propagation channel conditions. This paper introduces a reinforcement learning-based algorithm designed to optimize the trajectory of HAPS, maneuver around cloudy areas, and seamlessly switch between the RF and FSO communication modes to maximize the achievable capacity. The proposed approach aims to maximize system performance by intelligently adapting to environmental conditions and offering a promising solution for next-generation space communication networks.

actor-critic algorithm↗

OPEN leaf : an open‐source cloud‐based phenotyping system for tracking dynamic changes at leaf‐specific resolution in Arabidopsis

SUMMARY The first draft of the Arabidopsis genome was released more than 20 years ago and despite intensive molecular research, more than 30% of Arabidopsis genes remained uncharacterized or without an assigned function. This is in part due to gene redundancy within gene families or the essential nature of genes, where their deletion results in lethality (i.e., thedark genome). High‐throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) offers an automated and unbiased approach to characterize subtle or transient phenotypes resulting from gene redundancy or inducible gene silencing; however, access to commercial HTPP platforms remains limited. Here we describe the design and implementation ofOPEN leaf, an open‐source phenotyping system with cloud connectivity and remote bilateral communication to facilitate data collection, sharing and processing.OPEN leaf, coupled with our SMART imaging processing pipeline was able to consistently document and quantify dynamic changes at the whole rosette level and leaf‐specific resolution when plants experienced changes in nutrient availability. Our data also demonstrate that VIS sensors remain underutilized and can be used in high‐throughput screens to identify and characterize previously unidentified phenotypes in a leaf‐specific time‐dependent manner. Moreover, the modular and open‐source design ofOPEN leafallows seamless integration of additional sensors based on users and experimental needs.

Plant Sciences↗

Cyber-Physical System Implementation for Manufacturing With Analytics in the Cloud Layer

Effective and efficient modern manufacturing operations require the acceptance and incorporation of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. Traditional shop floors are evolving their production into smart factories. To continue this trend, a specific architecture for the cyber-physical system is required, as well as a systematic approach to automate the application of algorithms and transform the acquired data into useful information. This work makes use of an approach that distinguishes three layers that are part of the existing Industry 4.0 paradigm: edge, fog, and cloud. Each of the layers performs computational operations, transforming the data produced in the smart factory into useful information. Trained or untrained methods for data analytics can be incorporated into the architecture. A case study is presented in which a real-time statistical control process algorithm based on control charts was implemented. The algorithm automatically detects changes in the material being processed in a computerized numerical control (CNC) machine. The algorithm implemented in the proposed architecture yielded short response times. The performance was effective since it automatically adapted to the machining of aluminum and then detected when the material was switched to steel. The data were backed up in a database that would allow traceability to the line of g-code that performed the machining.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Foundations of automatic feature extraction at LHC–point clouds and graphs

Abstract Deep learning algorithms will play a key role in the upcoming runs of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), helping bolster various fronts ranging from fast and accurate detector simulations to physics analysis probing possible deviations from the Standard Model. The game-changing feature of these new algorithms is the ability to extract relevant information from high-dimensional input spaces, often regarded as “replacing the expert” in designing physics-intuitive variables. While this may seem true at first glance, it is far from reality. Existing research shows that physics-inspired feature extractors have many advantages beyond improving the qualitative understanding of the extracted features. In this review, we systematically explore automatic feature extraction from a phenomenological viewpoint and the motivation for physics-inspired architectures. We also discuss how prior knowledge from physics results in the naturalness of the point cloud representation and discuss graph-based applications to LHC phenomenology.

Bhardwaj, Akanksha↗

Uranium Dust Cloud Combustion: Burning Characteristics and Absorption Spectroscopy Measurements

This study characterized uranium metal dust cloud combustion using absorption spectroscopy, imaging, and broadband emission measurements. Other metals were similarly combusted to establish correlations between results from this study and those found in the literature. It was determined that the burn temperature of uranium was limited to the volatilization temperature of uranium dioxide. Combustion behavior was similar to that of other refractory metals in terms of burn time and the observation of exploding particle behavior.

42 ENGINEERING↗

ARGONNE DISCOVERY CLOUD SDK&CLI

Software development kit and command-line interface to access and interact with the Argonne Discovery Cloud platform. Software code can be used to enable software developers to add their own integrates into their own software.

AVARCA, ANTHONY↗

Multiple Environmental Influences on the Lightning of Cold-Based Continental Cumulonimbus Clouds. Part I: Description and Validation of Model

In this two-part paper, influences from environmental factors on lightning in a convective storm are assessed with a model. In Part I, an electrical component is described and applied in the Aerosol–Cloud model (AC). AC treats many types of secondary (e.g., breakup in ice–ice collisions, raindrop-freezing fragmentation, rime splintering) and primary (heterogeneous, homogeneous freezing) ice initiation. AC represents lightning flashes with a statistical treatment of branching from a fractal law constrained by video imagery. The storm simulated is from the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS; 19/20 June 2000). The simulation was validated microphysically [e.g., ice/droplet concentrations and mean sizes, liquid water content (LWC), reflectivity, surface precipitation] and dynamically (e.g., ascent) in our 2017 paper. Predicted ice concentrations (~10 L -1 ) agreed—to within a factor of about 2—with aircraft data at flight levels (-10° to -15°C). Here, electrical statistics of the same simulation are compared with observations. Flash rates (to within a factor of 2), triggering altitudes and polarity of flashes, and electric fields, all agree with the coincident STEPS observations. The “normal” tripole of charge structure observed during an electrical balloon sounding is reproduced by AC. It is related to reversal of polarity of noninductive charging in ice–ice collisions seen in laboratory experiments when temperature or LWC are varied. Positively charged graupel and negatively charged snow at most midlevels, charged away from the fastest updrafts, is predicted to cause the normal tripole. Total charge separated in the simulated storm is dominated by collisions involving secondary ice from fragmentation in graupel–snow collisions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Low-Level Mesoscale and Cloud-Scale Interactions Promoting Deep Convection Initiation

Data from scanning radars, radiosondes, and vertical profilers deployed during three field campaigns are analyzed to study interactions between cloud-scale updrafts associated with initiating deep moist convection and the surrounding environment. Three cases are analyzed in which the radar networks permitted dual-Doppler wind retrievals in clear air preceding and during the onset of surface precipitation. These observations capture the evolution of (i) the mesoscale and boundary layer flow, and (ii) low-level updrafts associated with deep moist convection initiation (CI) events yielding sustained or short-lived precipitating storms. The elimination of convective inhibition did not distinguish between sustained and unsustained CI events, though the vertical distribution of convective available potential energy may have played a role. The clearest signal differentiating the initiation of sustained versus unsustained precipitating deep convection was the depth of the low-level horizontal wind convergence associated with the mesoscale flow feature triggering CI, a sharp surface wind shift boundary, or orographic upslope flow. The depth of the boundary layer relative to the height of the LFC failed to be a consistent indicator of CI potential. Widths of the earliest detectable low-level updrafts associated with sustained precipitating deep convection were ~3–5 km, larger than updrafts associated with surrounding boundary layer turbulence (~1–3 km wide). It is hypothesized that updrafts of this larger size are important for initiating cells to survive the destructive effects of buoyancy dilution via entrainment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data for Quantifying the Impact of Surfactants on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity Using a Particle-Resolved Model

This dataset contains simulation results from PartMC-MOSAIC and WRF-PartMC that used in the journal article: Quantifying the Impact of Surfactants on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity Using a Particle-Resolved Model. Two compressed folder are uploaded here, one is for the data that used in this article, the other folder is the python scripts to process the data. For more details of the uploaded files, please check the README file.

CCN↗

Effectiveness of Deep Learning Trained on SynthCity Data for Urban Point-Cloud Classification

3D object recognition is one of the most popular areas of study in computer vision. Many of the more recent algorithms focus on indoor point clouds, classifying 3D geometric objects, and segmenting outdoor 3D scenes. One of the challenges of the classification pipeline is finding adequate and accurate training data. Hence, this article seeks to evaluate the accuracy of a synthetically generated data set called SynthCity, tested on two mobile laser-scan data sets. Varying levels of noise were applied to the training data to reflect varying levels of noise in different scanners. The chosen deep-learning algorithm was Kernel Point Convolution, a convolutional neural network that uses kernel points in Euclidean space for convolution weights.

Geology↗

Watermarks in stream processing systems: semantics and comparative analysis of Apache Flink and Google cloud dataflow

Streaming data processing is an exercise in taming disorder: from oftentimes huge torrents of information, we hope to extract powerful and timely analyses. But when dealing with streaming data, the unbounded and temporally disordered nature of real-world streams introduces a critical challenge: how does one reason about the completeness of a stream that never ends? In this paper, we present a comprehensive definition and analysis of watermarks, a key tool for reasoning about temporal completeness in infinite streams.First, we describe what watermarks are and why they are important, highlighting how they address a suite of stream processing needs that are poorly served by eventually-consistent approaches:• Computing a single correct answer, as in notifications.• Reasoning about a lack of data, as in dip detection.• Performing non-incremental processing over temporal subsets of an infinite stream, as in statistical anomaly detection with cubic spline models.• Safely and punctually garbage collecting obsolete inputs and intermediate state.• Surfacing a reliable signal of overall pipeline health.Second, we describe, evaluate, and compare the semantically equivalent, but starkly different, watermark implementations in two modern stream processing engines: Apache Flink and Google Cloud Dataflow.

Akidau, Tyler↗

Electron cloud simulations in the Fermilab booster

As part of Fermilab's Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II),the Fermilab Booster synchrotron will operate at a higherintensity, increasing from 4.5 x 10^12 to 6.7 x 10^12 protons per pulse (ppp). A potential challenge for achievinghigh intensity performance arises from rapid transverse instabilities induced by electron cloud (EC). This researchpresents EC simulations using PyECLOUD, which is anadvanced computational tool that incorporates measurements of the secondary electron yield (SEY) from theBooster's combined function magnet material. By systematically varying beam parameters in PyECLOUD, such asbunch structure, SEY, bunch length, and intensity, it becomes possible to forecast the impact of EC effects on thebeam stability of the PIP-II era Booster.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗