Dark Matter’s Fingerprint on Colliding Black Holes
![For parameters E=100, [latex]r_s[/latex]=0.5, and [latex]\rho_s[/latex]=0.2-corresponding to conditions depicted in the lower panel of Figure 1 using metric (19)-gravitational-wave signals exhibit irregular amplitude modulation and a loss of quasi-periodic structure, indicative of the stochastic nature of the orbital dynamics underlying these chaotic regimes.](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.19541v1/x23.png)
New research suggests that the chaotic influence of dark matter halos can leave detectable signatures in the gravitational waves emitted by black hole mergers.
Science
Quantum Hidden Dynamics: Two Roads Diverge
New research explores how the order of quantum state updates within hidden Markov models fundamentally alters their behavior and entanglement properties.
New Chapters: Navigating Life’s Transitions
This review explores the emotional landscape of significant life changes, from relocation and career shifts to the pursuit of personal growth.
When Strings Lose Their Gap: Rethinking Confinement
![The relationship between string width and the dimensionless parameter [latex]\alpha = \lambda/\ell[/latex] reveals a convergence of numerical and analytical approaches, with a full numerical solution-depicted as a solid blue curve-supported by analytical approximations (dashed orange and green) valid in the regimes of small and large α, alongside predictions from the EST model (dashed gray).](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.17758v1/x11.png)
New research explores how the absence of a mass gap in bulk theories fundamentally alters the behavior of confining strings and their associated properties.
Seeing the Unseen: Observability in Quantum Dynamics
New research establishes conditions for determining the state of a quantum system governed by the Schrödinger equation, even with incomplete data.
Wormholes and Warnings: Can Gravity Theories Sidestep Time Travel?
![Chronological safety-the absence of closed timelike curves-is demonstrably bounded by parabolic regions defined by spin [latex]\varepsilon_a[/latex], equatorial angle θ, and stellar mass [latex]M_\ast[/latex] when calculations are performed with [latex]M = 1000 M_{Pl}[/latex].](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.17724v1/x6.png)
A new analysis explores how modified gravity theories might avoid the paradoxes of closed timelike curves, and proposes a way to detect causality violations near black holes through gravitational waves.
Seeing Electrons in Motion: How Pulse Shape Impacts Spectroscopy
![With a pulse duration of [latex]\tau = 100\ \mathrm{as}[/latex], the study demonstrates that a cylindrical Gabor transform accurately reconstructs the shape of the energy-momentum spectrum, as evidenced by the near-perfect correspondence between calculated scattering probabilities and the transform’s isolated momentum distributions for a target with [latex]t_d = 0[/latex] and varying transversal widths [latex]\sigma_{\perp}[/latex].](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.18123v1/x3.png)
New research reveals how the size and properties of ultrashort electron pulses affect the precision of electron momentum spectroscopy, impacting our ability to image materials at the atomic scale.
Hunting Shadows: First Results from the Dandelion Dark Matter Search
![The Dandelion experiment, leveraging just 24.7 hours of measurement, establishes a new constraint on the kinetic mixing parameter χ for dark photons with masses between 0.6 and 1.4 meV, assuming these particles comprise the entirety of the local dark matter density of approximately [latex]0.44\,\text{GeV/cm}^{3}[/latex], and thereby defines a boundary beyond which existing theories regarding dark matter interaction must be revised.](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.18218v1/pics/excl.png)
The Dandelion experiment has initiated a new approach to detecting dark matter, focusing on the elusive dark photon and its potential directional signal.
Unlocking Particle Interactions in Confined Spaces
![The analysis of phase shifts-calculated as a function of the coupling constant [latex]CMkk[/latex] for partial waves up to [latex]l=5[/latex]-demonstrates a distinction between spin-up and spin-down states, with the s-wave ([latex]l=0[/latex]) component exclusively residing within the spin-up branch as defined by equations (72) and (73).](https://arxiv.org/html/2602.17924v1/x2.png)
New research provides a refined framework for analyzing particle scattering within the finite volumes used in lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations.
Tuning Materials with Sound: A Faster Path to Alloy Discovery
Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy offers a rapid and non-destructive method for characterizing the mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys, accelerating the search for materials with optimal performance.