A niching memetic algorithm for simultaneous clustering and feature selection

Clustering is inherently a difficult task, and is made even more difficult when the selection of relevant features is also an issue. In this paper we propose an approach for simultaneous clustering and feature selection using a niching memetic algorithm. Our approach (which we call NMA_CFS) makes feature selection an integral part of the global clustering search procedure and attempts to overcome the problem of identifying less promising locally optimal solutions in both clustering and feature selection, without making any a priori assumption about the number of clusters. Within the NMA_CFS procedure, a variable composite representation is devised to encode both feature selection and cluster centers with different numbers of clusters. Further, local search operations are introduced to refine feature selection and cluster centers encoded in the chromosomes. Finally, a niching method is integrated to preserve the population diversity and prevent premature convergence. In an experimental evaluation we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and compare it with other related approaches, using both synthetic and real data

Rotating three-dimensional solitons in Bose Einstein condensates with gravity-like attractive nonlocal interaction

We study formation of rotating three-dimensional high-order solitons (azimuthons) in Bose Einstein condensate with attractive nonlocal nonlinear interaction. In particular, we demonstrate formation of toroidal rotating solitons and investigate their stability. We show that variational methods allow a very good approximation of such solutions and predict accurately the soliton rotation frequency. We also find that these rotating localized structures are very robust and persist even if the initial condensate conditions are rather far from the exact soliton solutions. Furthermore, the presence of repulsive contact interaction does not prevent the existence of those solutions, but allows to control their rotation. We conjecture that self-trapped azimuthons are generic for condensates with attractive nonlocal interaction

Substrate effects on quasiparticles and excitons in graphene nanoflakes

The effects of substrate on electronic and optical properties of triangular and hexagonal graphene nanoflakes with armchair edges are investigated by using a configuration interaction approach beyond double excitation scheme. The quasiparticle correction to the energy gap and exciton binding energy are found to be dominated by the long-range Coulomb interactions and exhibit similar dependence on the dielectric constant of the substrate, which leads to a cancellation of their contributions to the optical gap. As a result, the optical gaps are shown to be insensitive to the dielectric environment and unexpectedly close to the single-particle gaps.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Tunable Circularly Polarized Terahertz Radiation from Magnetized Gas Plasma

It is shown, by simulation and theory, that circularly or elliptically polarized terahertz radiation can be generated when a static magnetic (B) field is imposed on a gas target along the propagation direction of a two-color laser driver. The radiation frequency is determined by $\sqrt{\omega_p^2+{\omega_c^2}/{4}} + {\omega_c}/{2}$, where $\omega_p$ is the plasma frequency and $\omega_c$ is the electron cyclotron frequency. With the increase of the B field, the radiation changes from a single-cycle broadband waveform to a continuous narrow-band emission. In high-B-field cases, the radiation strength is proportional to $\omega_p^2/\omega_c$. The B field provides a tunability in the radiation frequency, spectrum width, and field strength.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Laser opacity in underdense preplasma of solid targets due to quantum electrodynamics effects

We investigate how next-generation laser pulses at 10 PW $-$ 200 PW interact with a solid target in the presence of a relativistically underdense preplasma produced by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). Laser hole boring and relativistic transparency are strongly restrained due to the generation of electron-positron pairs and $\gamma$-ray photons via quantum electrodynamics (QED) processes. A pair plasma with a density above the initial preplasma density is formed, counteracting the electron-free channel produced by the hole boring. This pair-dominated plasma can block the laser transport and trigger an avalanche-like QED cascade, efficiently transfering the laser energy to photons. This renders a 1-$\rm\mu m$-scalelength, underdense preplasma completely opaque to laser pulses at this power level. The QED-induced opacity therefore sets much higher contrast requirements for such pulse in solid-target experiments than expected by classical plasma physics. Our simulations show for example, that proton acceleration from the rear of a solid with a preplasma would be strongly impaired.Comment: 5 figure

The Fractional Quantum Hall States at ν=13/5\nu=13/5 and 12/512/5 and their Non-Abelian Nature

We investigate the nature of the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state at filling factor $\nu=13/5$, and its particle-hole conjugate state at $12/5$, with the Coulomb interaction, and address the issue of possible competing states. Based on a large-scale density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculation in spherical geometry, we present evidence that the physics of the Coulomb ground state (GS) at $\nu=13/5$ and $12/5$ is captured by the $k=3$ parafermion Read-Rezayi RR state, $\text{RR}_3$. We first establish that the state at $\nu=13/5$ is an incompressible FQH state, with a GS protected by a finite excitation gap, with the shift in accordance with the RR state. Then, by performing a finite-size scaling analysis of the GS energies for $\nu=12/5$ with different shifts, we find that the $\text{RR}_3$ state has the lowest energy among different competing states in the thermodynamic limit. We find the fingerprint of $\text{RR}_3$ topological order in the FQH $13/5$ and $12/5$ states, based on their entanglement spectrum and topological entanglement entropy, both of which strongly support their identification with the $\text{RR}_3$ state. Furthermore, by considering the shift-free infinite-cylinder geometry, we expose two topologically-distinct GS sectors, one identity sector and a second one matching the non-Abelian sector of the Fibonacci anyonic quasiparticle, which serves as additional evidence for the $\text{RR}_3$ state at $13/5$ and $12/5$.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure