Comment on the paper by Y.Komura and Y.Okabe [arXiv:1011.3321]

We point out that the claim of strong universality in the paper J.Phys. A 44, 015002, arXiv:1011.3321 is incorrect, as it contradicts known rigorous results.Comment: submitted to J.Phys.

Diffraction by a right-angled no-contrast penetrable wedge: recovery of far-field asymptotics

We provide a description of the far-field encountered in the diffraction problem resulting from the interaction of a monochromatic plane-wave and a right-angled no-contrast penetrable wedge. To achieve this, we employ a two-complex-variable framework and use the analytical continuation formulae derived in (Kunz $\&$ Assier, QJMAM, 76(2), 2023) to recover the wave-field's geometrical optics components, as well as the cylindrical and lateral diffracted waves. We prove that the corresponding cylindrical and lateral diffraction coefficients can be expressed in terms of certain two-complex-variable spectral functions, evaluated at some given points

Diffraction by a Right-Angled No-Contrast Penetrable Wedge Revisited: A Double Wiener-Hopf Approach

In this paper, we revisit Radlow's innovative approach to diffraction by a penetra ble wedge by means of a double Wiener-Hopf technique. We provide a constructive way of obtaining his ansatz and give yet another reason for why his ansatz cannot be the true solution to the diffraction problem at hand. The two-complex-variable Wiener-Hopf equation is reduced to a system of two equations, one of which contains Radlow's ansatz plus some correction term consisting of an explicitly known integral operator applied to a yet unknown function, whereas the other equation, the compatibility equation, governs the behaviour of this unknown function

Diffraction by a Right-Angled No-Contrast Penetrable Wedge: Analytical Continuation of Spectral Functions

We study the problem of diffraction by a right-angled no-contrast penetrable wedge by means of a two-complex-variable Wiener-Hopf approach. Specifically, the analyticity properties of the unknown (spectral) functions of the two-complex-variable Wiener-Hopf equation are studied. We show that these spectral functions can be analytically continued onto a two-complex dimensional manifold, and unveil their singularities in $\mathbb{C}^2$. To do so, integral representation formulae for the spectral functions are given and thoroughly used. It is shown that the novel concept of additive crossing holds for the penetrable wedge diffraction problem and that we can reformulate the physical diffraction problem as a functional problem using this concept

Anderson Localization of Classical Waves in Weakly Scattering Metamaterials

We study the propagation and localization of classical waves in one-dimensional disordered structures composed of alternating layers of left- and right-handed materials (mixed stacks) and compare them to the structures composed of different layers of the same material (homogeneous stacks). For weakly scattering layers, we have developed an effective analytical approach and have calculated the transmission length within a wide region of the input parameters. When both refractive index and layer thickness of a mixed stack are random, the transmission length in the long-wave range of the localized regime exhibits a quadratic power wavelength dependence with the coefficients different for mixed and homogeneous stacks. Moreover, the transmission length of a mixed stack differs from reciprocal of the Lyapunov exponent of the corresponding infinite stack. In both the ballistic regime of a mixed stack and in the near long-wave region of a homogeneous stack, the transmission length of a realization is a strongly fluctuating quantity. In the far long-wave part of the ballistic region, the homogeneous stack becomes effectively uniform and the transmission length fluctuations are weaker. The crossover region from the localization to the ballistic regime is relatively narrow for both mixed and homogeneous stacks. In mixed stacks with only refractive-index disorder, Anderson localization at long wavelengths is substantially suppressed, with the localization length growing with the wavelength much faster than for homogeneous stacks. The crossover region becomes essentially wider and transmission resonances appear only in much longer stacks. All theoretical predictions are in an excellent agreement with the results of numerical simulations.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, submitted to PR

Near-infrared spectroscopy of candidate red supergiant stars in clusters

Clear identifications of Galactic young stellar clusters farther than a few kpc from the Sun are rare, despite the large number of candidate clusters. We aim to improve the selection of candidate clusters rich in massive stars with a multiwavelength analysis of photometric Galactic data that range from optical to mid-infrared wavelengths. We present a photometric and spectroscopic analysis of five candidate stellar clusters, which were selected as overdensities with bright stars (Ks < 7 mag) in GLIMPSE and 2MASS images. A total of 48 infrared spectra were obtained. The combination of photometry and spectroscopy yielded six new red supergiant stars with masses from 10 Msun to 15 Msun. Two red supergiants are located at Galactic coordinates (l,b)=(16.7deg,-0.63deg) and at a distance of about ~3.9 kpc; four other red supergiants are members of a cluster at Galactic coordinates (l,b)=(49.3deg,+0.72deg) and at a distance of ~7.0 kpc. Spectroscopic analysis of the brightest stars of detected overdensities and studies of interstellar extinction along their line of sights are fundamental to distinguish regions of low extinction from actual stellar clusters. The census of young star clusters containing red supergiants is incomplete; in the existing all-sky near-infrared surveys, they can be identified as overdensities of bright stars with infrared color-magnitude diagrams characterized by gaps.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted to A&A 201