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In local disk galaxies such as our Milky Way, older stars generally inhabit a thicker disk than their younger counterparts. Two competing models have attempted to explain this result: one in which stars first form in thin disks that gradually thicken with time through dynamical heating, and one in which stars form in thick disks at early times and in progressively thinner disks at later times. We use a direct measure of the thicknesses of stellar disks at high redshift to discriminate between these scenarios. Using legacy Hubble Space Telescope imaging from the CANDELS and GOODS surveys, we measure the rest-optical scale heights of 491 edge-on disk galaxies spanning 0.4 ≤ z ≤ 2.5. We measure a median intrinsic scale height for the full sample of 0.74 ± 0.03 kpc, with little redshift evolution of both the population median and scatter. The median is consistent with the thick disk of the Milky Way today (0.6–1.1 kpc), but it is smaller than the median scale height of local disks (∼1.5 kpc) that are matched to our high-redshift sample by descendant mass. These findings indicate that, while (1) disks as thick as the Milky Way’s thick disk were in place at early times, (2) to explain the full disk galaxy population today, the stellar disks in galaxies need to on average physically thicken after formation.

Photonic crystals—a class of materials whose optical properties derive from their structure in addition to their composition—can be created by self-assembling particles whose sizes are comparable to the wavelengths of visible light. Proof-of-principle studies have shown that DNA can be used to guide the self-assembly of micrometer-sized colloidal particles into fully programmable crystal structures with photonic properties in the visible spectrum. However, the extremely temperature-sensitive kinetics of micrometer-sized DNA-functionalized particles has frustrated attempts to grow large, monodisperse crystals that are required for photonic metamaterial applications. Here we describe a robust two-step protocol for self-assembling single-domain crystals that contain millions of optical-scale DNA-functionalized particles: Monodisperse crystals are initially assembled in monodisperse droplets made by microfluidics, after which they are grown to macroscopic dimensions via seeded diffusion-limited growth. We demonstrate the generality of our approach by assembling different macroscopic single-domain photonic crystals with metamaterial properties, like structural coloration, that depend on the underlying crystal structure. By circumventing the fundamental kinetic traps intrinsic to crystallization of optical-scale DNA-coated colloids, we eliminate a key barrier to engineering photonic devices from DNA-programmed materials. DNA-programmed colloidal assembly of macroscopic crystals for photonic applications remains elusive. Here, the authors use insights from studies of nucleation and seeded growth to develop a two-step method for assembling macroscopic photonic crystals.

The interaction between light and a relativistic electron beam can be used to generate optical vortices in a free electron laser, providing a way to engineer bright orbital angular momentum light at shorter X-ray wavelengths. Recent advances in the production and control of high-brightness electron beams (e-beams) have enabled a new class of intense light sources based on the free electron laser (FEL) that can examine matter at ångstrom length and femtosecond time scales 1 . The free, or unbound, electrons act as the lasing medium, which provides unique opportunities to exquisitely control the spatial and temporal structure of the emitted light through precision manipulation of the electron distribution. We present an experimental demonstration of light with orbital angular momentum (OAM; ref.  2 ) generated from a relativistic e-beam rearranged into an optical scale helix by a laser. With this technique, we show that a Gaussian laser mode can be effectively up-converted to an OAM mode in an FEL using only the e-beam as a mode-converter. Results confirm theoretical predictions 3 , 4 , and pave the way for the production of coherent OAM light with unprecedented brightness down to hard X-ray wavelengths for wide ranging applications in modern light sources.

Recently, Bizyaev et. al. (2021) conducted the first modeling of rotation curves for 153 ultra-faint, edge-on galaxies using the 3.5 m telescope at the Apache Point Observatory. These models derived high resolution rotation curves for 20 galaxies of various sizes and spiral morphologies, making new estimates of the optical scale lengths. Using the derived models, in this work we make the first fits to the rotation curves using alternative gravity, namely conformal gravity, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) and more. A robust analysis is shown including the derived rotation curve fits to the alternative gravity models, along with how the models account for empirical phenomena such as the Baryonic Tully Fisher relation and the Radial Acceleration Rule. This data is not only modern, but unique in that certain galaxies are shown to be able to be fit by standard gravity alone without dark matter.

In this paper, a novel disk piezoelectric actuator structure - 4-9-9-14 piezoelectric actuator is constructed, and it is made of piezoelectric buzzer to drive a biaxial piezoelectric actuated stage. The 4-9-9-14 piezoelectric actuator offers a better balanced capability of forward rotation and reverse rotation than the conventional edge-driving piezoelectric actuator. The biaxial piezoelectric actuated stage structure comprises a base, a V-shaped guide rail, an optical scale measurement system, a preload adjusting structure, and a load-carrying stage. The movement of a stage is read and analyzed by means of LabVIEW operating in conjunction with an optical scale. Stage movement-related signals read by the optical scale are processed. With a human-machine interface of LabVIEW, the movement of the stage is depicted by a waveform chart to thereby facilitate the observation of the waveform chart and the understanding of propulsion of the stage by the actuator.

To effectively balance the trade-off between a large field of view (FOV) and high resolution of an optical system, as well as to solve the problem of image stitching misalignment after focusing, firstly, this paper conducts a theoretical analysis of the design principle of the concentric multi-scale optical system and the causes of image stitching misalignment after focusing. Secondly, the design idea of using a combination structure of a two-layer front concentric imaging group and an image-space telecentric relay imaging array and then a joint full-motion zoom relay imaging system is proposed. Finally, an image-space telecentric two-step zoom concentric multi-scale optical system with a 7 × 7 relay imaging array is designed. The FOV of this optical system is 60° × 45°; the focal lengths are 50 mm and 100 mm for the center channel and 50 mm for the other channels. This concentric multi-scale zoom system has the advantages of both high-precision imaging stitching with a wide object distance and high-resolution imaging, which makes up for the defects of the conventional concentric multi-scale optical system, making it a promising application in the fields of aviation and security.

The long-term dynamic evolution and underlying mechanisms of coastal landscape pattern stability, driven by strong anthropogenic interference and consequently climate change, are topics of major interest in national and international scientific research. Guangdong Province, located in southeastern China, has been undergoing rapid urbanization over several decades. In this study, we quantitatively determined the scale threshold characteristics of coastal landscape pattern stability in Guangdong Province, from the dual perspective of spatial heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation. An analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution of the coastal landscape was conducted after the optical scale was determined. Then, we applied the geodetector statistical method to quantitatively explore the mechanisms underlying coastal landscape pattern stability. Based on the inflection point of landscape metrics and the maximum value of the Moran I index, the optimal scale for analyzing coastal landscape pattern stability in Guangdong Province was 240 m × 240 m. Within the past several decades, coastal landscape pattern stability increased slightly and then decreased, with a turning point around 2005. The most significant variations in coastal landscape pattern stability were observed in the transition zone of rural-urban expansion. A q -statistics analysis showed that the explanatory power of paired factors was greater than that of a single driving factor; the paired factors with the greatest impact on coastal landscape pattern stability in Guangdong Province were the change in gross industrial output and change in average annual precipitation from 2010 to 2015, based on a q value of 0.604. These results will contribute to future efforts to achieve sustainable coastal development and provide a scientific basis and technical support for the rational planning and utilization of resources in large estuarine areas, including marine disaster prevention and seawall ecological restoration.

We present a vectorial optical field (VOF) framework that surpasses the diffraction limit in both long-range imaging and energy delivery. By jointly engineering spatial and temporal dimensions, reflective Fourier ptychography is extended to 3.2 km with 0.37× the classical diffraction limit, while a single-photon LiDAR tomography system achieves centimeter-scale, sub-diffraction imaging at 3.3 km using superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. These advances demonstrate super-resolution, turbulence-resilient imaging over kilometer-range distances. Beyond super-resolution optical, high power VOFs are able to counteract thermal blooming during atmospheric laser propagation, enhancing on-target power density by a factor larger than 2. Together, these results may outline a cross-scale paradigm that links high-power vector-field structuring, single-photon detection, and adaptive control—offering a pathway toward next-generation optical systems that integrate imaging, sensing, communication and directed energy within a common physical framework.

Photonic crystals -- a class of materials whose optical properties derive from their structure in addition to their composition -- can be created by self-assembling particles whose sizes are comparable to the wavelengths of visible light. Proof-of-principle studies have shown that DNA can be used to guide the self-assembly of micrometer-sized colloidal particles into fully programmable crystal structures with photonic properties in the visible spectrum. However, the extremely temperature-sensitive kinetics of micrometer-sized DNA-functionalized particles has frustrated attempts to grow large, monodisperse crystals that are required for photonic metamaterial applications. Here we describe a robust two-step protocol for self-assembling single-domain crystals that contain millions of optical-scale DNA-functionalized particles: Monodisperse crystals are initially assembled in monodisperse droplets made by microfluidics, after which they are grown to macroscopic dimensions via seeded diffusion-limited growth. We demonstrate the generality of our approach by assembling different macroscopic single-domain photonic crystals with metamaterial properties, like structural coloration, that depend on the underlying crystal structure. By circumventing the fundamental kinetic traps intrinsic to crystallization of optical-scale DNA-coated colloids, we eliminate a key barrier to engineering photonic devices from DNA-programmed materials.