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Abstract Galactic gamma-ray diffuse emission (GDE) is emitted by cosmic rays (CRs), ultra-relativistic protons, and electrons, interacting with gas and electromagnetic radiation fields in the interstellar medium. Here we present the analysis of teraelectronvolt diffuse emission from a region of the Galactic plane over the range in longitude ofl∈ [43°, 73°], using data collected with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) detector. Spectral, longitudinal, and latitudinal distributions of the teraelectronvolt diffuse emission are shown. The radiation spectrum is compatible with the spectrum of the emission arising from a CR population with anindexsimilar to that of the observed CRs. When comparing with theDRAGONbase model, the HAWC GDE flux is higher by about a factor of 2. Unresolved sources such as pulsar wind nebulae and teraelectronvolt halos could explain the excess emission. Finally, deviations of the Galactic CR flux from the locally measured CR flux may additionally explain the difference between the predicted and measured diffuse fluxes. 

Direct layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of cationic, small-molecule antibacterial bioactives with water-soluble, ionic polyphosphazenes (PPzs) containing trifluoroethoxy and carboxy substitients is reported. First, influence of PPzs hydrophobicity and antibiotic charge density on LbL assembly was studied via evolution of dry film thickness. We found that the use of fluorinated PPz polyelectrolytes enhanced ionic pairing within LbL coatings, and that increasing charge density of small molecules increased antibiotic uptake. This strategy was successful even in the case of gentamicin, a hydrophilic, small antibiotic with only 3 to 4 positive charges at pH 7.5. Confirmation of antibiotic presence in films was demonstrated via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Importantly, LbL films of fluorinated PPz polyelectrolytes retained antibiotics in physiological conditions due to the enhanced hydrophobic interactions. In contrast, LbL films of non-fluorinated PPzs released antibiotics at low pH and in the presence of salt following the charge renormalization argument. The potential of these coatings with a biomedically relevant bacterial strain, Staphylococcus aureus, is discussed. 

Abstract Extended very-high-energy (VHE; 0.1–100 TeV) γ -ray emission has been observed around several middle-aged pulsars and referred to as “TeV halos.” Their formation mechanism remains under debate. It is also unknown whether they are ubiquitous or related to a certain subgroup of pulsars. With 2321 days of observation, the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory detected VHE γ -ray emission at the location of the radio-quiet pulsar PSR J0359+5414 with >6 σ significance. By performing likelihood tests with different spectral and spatial models and comparing the TeV spectrum with multiwavelength observations of nearby sources, we show that this excess is consistent with a TeV halo associated with PSR J0359+5414, though future observation of HAWC and multiwavelength follow-ups are needed to confirm this nature. This new halo candidate is located in a noncrowded region in the outer galaxy. It shares similar properties to the other halos but its pulsar is younger and radio-quiet. Our observation implies that TeV halos could commonly exist around pulsars and their formation does not depend on the configuration of the pulsar magnetosphere. 

The ALICE Collaboration reports measurements of the large relative transverse momentum ( $k_T$) component of jet substructure in $pp$and Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\mathrm{TeV}$. Enhancement in the yield of such large- $k_{\mathrm{T}}$emissions in head-on Pb-Pb collisions is predicted to arise from partonic scattering with quasiparticles of the quark-gluon plasma. The analysis utilizes charged-particle jets reconstructed by the anti- $k_{\mathrm{T}}$algorithm with resolution parameter $R=0.2$in the transverse-momentum interval $60<p_{\mathrm{T},\mathrm{ch},\mathrm{jet}}<80\mathrm{GeV}/c$. The soft drop and dynamical grooming algorithms are used to identify high transverse momentum splittings in the jet shower. Comparison of measurements in Pb-Pb and $pp$collisions shows medium-induced narrowing, corresponding to yield suppression of high- $k_T$splittings, in contrast to the expectation of yield enhancement due to quasiparticle scattering. The measurements are compared to theoretical model calculations incorporating jet modification due to jet-medium interactions (“jet quenching”), both with and without quasiparticle scattering effects. These measurements provide new insight into the underlying mechanisms and theoretical modeling of jet quenching. 

Abstract This paper presents a study of the inclusive forward J/ψyield as a function of forward charged-particle multiplicity in pp collisions at$$ \sqrt{s} $$ $\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV using data collected by the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC. The results are presented in terms of relativeJ/ψyields and relative charged-particle multiplicities with respect to these quantities obtained in inelastic collisions having at least one charged particle in the pseudorapidity range |η|<1. The J/ψmesons are reconstructed via their decay intoμ⁺μ⁻pairs in the forward rapidity region (2.5< y <4). The relative multiplicity is estimated in the forward pseudorapidity range which overlaps with the J/ψrapidity region. The results show a steeper-than-linear increase of the J/ψyields versus the multiplicity. They are compared with previous measurements and theoretical model calculations. 

Abstract Event-by-event fluctuations of the event-wise mean transverse momentum,$$\langle p_{\textrm{T}}\rangle $$ $⟨p_{\text{T}}⟩$, of charged particles produced in proton–proton (pp) collisions at$$\sqrt{s}$$ $\sqrt{s}$= 5.02 TeV, Xe–Xe collisions at$$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$$ $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}$= 5.44 TeV, and Pb–Pb collisions at$$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$$ $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}$= 5.02 TeV are studied using the ALICE detector based on the integral correlator$$\langle \!\langle \Delta p_\textrm{T}\Delta p_\textrm{T}\rangle \!\rangle $$ $⟨⟨\Delta p_{\text{T}}\Delta p_{\text{T}}⟩⟩$. The correlator strength is found to decrease monotonically with increasing produced charged-particle multiplicity measured at midrapidity in all three systems. In Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb collisions, the multiplicity dependence of the correlator deviates significantly from a simple power-law scaling as well as from the predictions of the HIJING and AMPT models. The observed deviation from power-law scaling is expected from transverse radial flow in semicentral to central Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb collisions. In pp collisions, the correlation strength is also studied by classifying the events based on the transverse spherocity,$$S_0$$ $S_0$, of the particle production at midrapidity, used as a proxy for the presence of a pronounced back-to-back jet topology. Low-spherocity (jetty) events feature a larger correlation strength than those with high spherocity (isotropic). The strength and multiplicity dependence of jetty and isotropic events are well reproduced by calculations with the PYTHIA 8 and EPOS LHC models. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> We report on the measurement of inclusive, non-prompt, and prompt J/ψ-hadron correlations by the ALICE Collaboration at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The correlations are studied at midrapidity (|y| <0.9) in the transverse momentum rangesp_T<40 GeV/cfor the J/ψand 0.15< p_T<10 GeV/cand |η|<0.9 for the associated hadrons. The measurement is based on minimum bias and high multiplicity data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities ofL_int= 34 nb⁻¹andL_int= 6.9 pb⁻¹, respectively. In addition, two more data samples are employed, requiring, on top of the minimum bias condition, a threshold on the tower energy ofE= 4 and 9 GeV in the ALICE electromagnetic calorimeters, which correspond to integrated luminosities ofL_int= 0.9 pb⁻¹andL_int= 8.4 pb⁻¹, respectively. The azimuthally integrated near and away side yields of associated charged hadrons per J/ψtrigger are presented as a function of the J/ψand associated hadron transverse momentum. The measurements are discussed in comparison to PYTHIA calculations. 

The production yields of the orbitally excited charm-strange mesons ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}1}\left(1^{+}\right)(2536{)}^{+}$and ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}2}^{*}\left(2^{+}\right)(2573{)}^{+}$were measured for the first time in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}1}^{+}$and ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}2}^{*+}$mesons were measured at midrapidity ( $\left|y\right|<0.5$) in minimum-bias and high-multiplicity pp collisions in the transverse-momentum interval $2<p_{\mathrm{T}}<24\mathrm{GeV}/c$. Their production yields relative to the ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$ground-state yield were found to be compatible between minimum-bias and high-multiplicity collisions, as well as with previous measurements in ${\mathrm{e}}^{\pm }\mathrm{p}$and ${\mathrm{e}}^{+}{\mathrm{e}}^{-}$collisions. The measured ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}1}^{+}/{\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$and ${\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}2}^{*+}/{\mathrm{D}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{+}$yield ratios are described by statistical hadronization models and can be used to tune the parameters governing the production of excited charm-strange hadrons in Monte Carlo generators, such as 8. 

The correlations between event-by-event fluctuations of symmetry planes are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02\mathrm{TeV}$recorded by the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. This analysis is conducted using the Gaussian estimator technique, which is insensitive to biases from correlations between different flow amplitudes. The study presents, for the first time, the centrality dependence of correlations involving up to five different symmetry planes. The correlation strength varies depending on the harmonic order of the symmetry plane and the collision centrality. Comparisons with measurements from lower energies indicate no significant differences within uncertainties. Additionally, the results are compared with hydrodynamic model calculations. Although the model predictions provide a qualitative explanation of the experimental results, they overestimate the data for some observables. This is particularly true for correlators that are sensitive to the nonlinear response of the medium to initial-state anisotropies in the collision system. As these new correlators provide unique information—independent of flow amplitudes—their usage in future model developments can further constrain the properties of the strongly interacting matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions.