Mutually cooperative epidemics on power-law networks

The spread of an infectious disease can, in some cases, promote the propagation of other pathogens favouring violent outbreaks, which cause a discontinuous transition to an endemic state. The topology of the contact network plays a crucial role in these cooperative dynamics. We consider a susceptible--infected--removed (SIR) type model with two mutually cooperative pathogens: an individual already infected with one disease has an increased probability of getting infected by the other. We present an heterogeneous mean-field theoretical approach to the co--infection dynamics on generic uncorrelated power-law degree-distributed networks and validate its results by means of numerical simulations. We show that, when the second moment of the degree distribution is finite, the epidemic transition is continuous for low cooperativity, while it is discontinuous when cooperativity is sufficiently high. For scale-free networks, i.e. topologies with diverging second moment, the transition is instead always continuous. In this way we clarify the effect of heterogeneity and system size on the nature of the transition and we validate the physical interpretation about the origin of the discontinuity.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Effect of network clustering on mutually cooperative coinfections

The spread of an infectious disease can be promoted by previous infections with other pathogens. This cooperative effect can give rise to violent outbreaks, reflecting the presence of an abrupt epidemic transition. As for other diffusive dynamics, the topology of the interaction pattern of the host population plays a crucial role. It was conjectured that a discontinuous transition arises when there are relatively few short loops and many long loops in the contact network. Here we focus on the role of local clustering in determining the nature of the transition. We consider two mutually cooperative pathogens diffusing in the same population: an individual already infected with one disease has an increased probability of getting infected by the other. We look at how a disease obeying the susceptible-infected-removed dynamics spreads on contact networks with tunable clustering. Using numerical simulations we show that for large cooperativity the epidemic transition is always abrupt, with the discontinuity decreasing as clustering is increased. For large clustering strong finite size effects are present and the discontinuous nature of the transition is manifest only in large networks. We also investigate the problem of influential spreaders for cooperative infections, revealing that both cooperativity and clustering strongly enhance the dependence of the spreading influence on the degree of the initial seed.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Epidemic spreading dynamics with drug-resistant and heterogeneous contacts

Drug resistance and strong contacts actually play crucial roles in epidemic spread in complex systems. Nevertheless, neither theoretical model or methodology is proposed to address this. We thus consider an edge-based epidemic spread model considering the two key ingredients, in which the contacts are grouped into two classes: strong contacts and normal ones. Next, we present a unified edge-based compartmental approach to the spread dynamics on Erd\"{o}s-R\'{e}nyi (ER) networks and validate its results by extensive numerical simulations. In case that epidemic is totally drug-resistant, we both numerically and theoretically show a slow outbreak (continuous transition) of epidemics when number of strong contacts is not enough for the emergence of null threshold. If the epidemic owns partial resistance, we would observe evident faster-growing outbreaks (discontinuous transitions) and larger final epidemic sizes for few strong contacts, instead of emergence of null threshold with increase of strong contacts. Inhibiting effect of infection threshold, positive roles of strong contacts and strength of strong contacts in promoting outbreaks are also approved. Throughout this paper, we could drive exact predictions through the analytical approach, showing good agreements with numerical simulations

Discriminating Local Sources of High-Energy Cosmic Electrons and Positrons by Current and Future Anisotropy Measurements

The Fermi-LAT detects no significant anisotropy of the cosmic-ray (CR) electrons and positrons ($e^-+e^+$) with seven years of data, which provides the strongest restriction to the $e^-+e^+$ anisotropy up to now. As next generation CR observatory, HERD is expected to have a better capability of anisotropy detection than Fermi-LAT. In this paper, we discuss several models aimed to explain the AMS-02 data by the present and future anisotropy measurements. We find that the upper limits of Fermi-LAT disfavor Vela SNR as the dominant source in sub-TeV, while other cases that remain safe under the constraint of Fermi-LAT are expected to be distinguished from each other by HERD. We then discuss the possibilities of remarkable TeV spectral features, and test the corresponding anisotropies. We find the conditions under which the TeV model can have a prominent spectral feature and avoid the constraint of Fermi-LAT at the same time. Furthermore, the expected performance of HERD is sensitive enough to detect the anisotropies of all these TeV models, and even for the case of a featureless TeV spectrum. Thus HERD may play a crucial part in the study of the origin of cosmic electrons and positrons.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Status of Dark Matter Detection

The detection of dark matter has made great progresses in recent years. We give a brief review on the status and progress in dark matter detection, including the progresses in direct detection, collider detection at LHC and focus on the indirect detection. The results from PAMELA, ATIC, Fermi-LAT and relevant studies on these results are introduced. Then we give the progress on indirect detection of gamma rays from Fermi-LAT and ground based Cerenkov telescopes. Finally the detection of neutrinos and constraints on the nature of dark matter are reviewed briefly.Comment: 33 pages, invited revie

Small world yields optimal public goods in presence of both altruistic and selfish cooperators

Empirical studies have shown that individuals' behaviors are largely influenced by social conformity, including punishment. However, a coevolutionary theoretical framework that takes into account effects of conformity on individuals' punishment behaviors has not been put forward yet. Herein we propose a coevolutionary game model to extend the theory of cooperation with conformity in spatial public goods game by considering pool punishment, as well as two converse feedback modes of conformity that strongly affect cooperators' punishment behaviors. We focus on how different parameters and spatial structures govern evolutionary dynamics on three different kinds of networks by employing mean-field analysis based on replicator dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. On regular lattices, defectors are overall extincted since cooperators, especially selfish cooperators, have great evolutionary advantages due to strong network reciprocity, and at the same time the number of altruistic cooperators decays. Conversely, abundant shortcuts in regular random networks lead to the prevalence of altruistic cooperators, but cooperators suffer from free-riding behaviors of defectors. Of particular interest, we find that small-world topology can simultaneously help cooperators successfully outperform defectors by means of strong network reciprocity, and enable rich contacting opportunities with defectors to facilitate the expansion of altruistic cooperators. Therefore, we clarify that small world is the optimal topology subject to the dominance of altruistic cooperators.Comment: 12 pages 14 figure

Explanation of the knee-like feature in the DAMPE cosmic e−+e+e^-+e^+ energy spectrum

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), a space-based high precision cosmic ray detector, has just reported the new measurement of the total electron plus positron energy spectrum up to 4.6 TeV. A notable feature in the spectrum is the spectral break at $\sim 0.9$ TeV, with the spectral index softening from $-3.1$ to $-3.9$. Such a feature is very similar to the knee at the cosmic nuclei energy spectrum. In this work we propose that the knee-like feature can be explained naturally by assuming that the electrons are accelerated at the supernova remnants (SNRs) and released when the SNRs die out with lifetime around $10^5$ years. The cut-off energy of those electrons have already decreased to several TeV due to radiative cooling, which may induce the observed TeV spectral break. Another possibility is that the break is induced by a single nearby old SNR. Such a scenario may bring a large electron flux anisotropy that is observable by the future detectors. We also show that a minor part of electrons escaping during the acceleration in young and nearby SNRs are able to contribute to several TeV or higher energy region of the spectrum.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Possible origin of the slow-diffusion region around Geminga

Geminga pulsar is surrounded by a multi-TeV $\gamma$-ray halo radiated by the high energy electrons and positrons accelerated by the central pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The angular profile of the $\gamma$-ray emission reported by HAWC indicates an anomalously slow diffusion for the cosmic-ray electrons and positrons in the halo region around Geminga. In the paper we study the possible mechanism for the origin of the slow diffusion. At first, we consider the self-generated Alfv\'en waves due to the streaming instability of the electrons and positrons released by Geminga. However, even considering a very optimistic scenario for the wave growth, we find this mechanism DOES NOT work to account for the extremely slow diffusion at the present day if taking the proper motion of Geminga pulsar into account. The reason is straightforward as the PWN is too weak to generate enough high energy electrons and positrons to stimulate strong turbulence at the late time. We then propose an assumption that the strong turbulence is generated by the shock wave of the parent supernova remnant (SNR) of Geminga. Geminga may still be inside the SNR, and we find that the SNR can provide enough energy to generate the slow-diffusion circumstance. The TeV halos around PSR B0656+14, Vela X, and PSR J1826-1334 may also be explained under this assumption.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted by MNRA

Probing Light Stop Pairs at the LHC

In this work, we study the light stop pair signals at the LHC. We explore the SUSY parameter space with non-universal gaugino and third generation masses at the GUT scale. Recent LHC SUSY search results based on 35pb$^{-1}$ and 1fb$^{-1}$ of data are implemented to put the limits on stop pair events. The dark matter relic density and direct detection constraints are also taken into account. Detailed simulations on the signals and background for some benchmark points are performed, and it is found that the stop pair signals usually escape the LHC search if the present cut conditions are used. We also explore the potential and sensitivity of ILC to probe such scenarios. It is found that the ILC can detect them with an integrated luminosity of a few tens of fb$^{-1}$.Comment: 35pages, 13figure

Expectations of the Cosmic Antideuteron Flux

The cosmic antideuteron is a promising probe for the dark matter annihilation signature. In order to determine the DM signature, the background astrophysical antideuteron flux should be carefully studied. In this work we provide a new calculation of the secondary antideuteron flux, and pay special attention to the uncertainties from hadronic interaction models by using several Monte Carlo generators. The uncertainties from propagation effects are also carefully investigated for both the astrophysical background and DM annihilation signature in several scenarios, which are constrained by the latest B/C ratio measured by AMS-02. Considering these uncertainties, we find that the secondary antideuteron flux is hard to detect in the near future detectors. However, the antideuteron signature from dark matter annihilation will be detectable even considering the constraint from the AMS-02 observation of the $\bar{p}/p$ ratio.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure