Related papers: Galactic exploration by directed Self-Replicating …
How coperation between self-interested individuals evolve is a crucial problem, both in biology and in social sciences, that is far from being well understood. Evolutionary game theory is a useful approach to this issue. The simplest model…
In this work we consider partially observable environments with sparse rewards. We present a self-supervised representation learning method for image-based observations, which arranges embeddings respecting temporal distance of…
The Fermi Bubbles were discovered about a decade ago in the {\it Fermi}-LAT data as a double-lobe structure extending up to 55 deg. in Galactic latitudes above and below the Galactic Center. At the moment their origin is still unknown. The…
Detailed simulations of the gamma-ray sky played an important role before the launch of Fermi. Pre-launch simulation campaigns aided the development of new analysis tools and the assessment of the expected Fermi-LAT science performance.…
Reinforcement learning algorithms struggle when the reward signal is very sparse. In these cases, naive random exploration methods essentially rely on a random walk to stumble onto a rewarding state. Recent works utilize intrinsic…
State-of-the-art integral field surveys like $\mathrm{ATLAS^{3D}}$, SLUGGS, CALIFA, SAMI, and MaNGA provide large data sets of kinematical observations of early-type galaxies (ETGs), yielding constraints on the formation of ETGs. Using the…
We consider some implications of the much-discussed circumstellar habitable zones around M-dwarf stars for the conventionally understood radio SETI. We argue that the flaring nature of these stars would further adversely impact local…
Gas giants are the most readily detectable exoplanets but fundamental questions about their system architectures, formation, migration, and atmospheres have been unanswerable with the current generation of ground- and space-based…
We explore the motivation behind large stellar surveys in Galactic astronomy, in particular, surveys that measure the photometric, phase space and abundance properties of thousands or millions of stars. These observations are essential to…
We present a search for spatial extension in high-latitude ($|b|>5^\circ$) sources in recent Fermi point source catalogs. The result is the Fermi High-Latitude Extended Sources Catalog, which provides source extensions (or upper limits…
In over two years of operation Fermi-LAT has revolutionized our knowledge of the gamma-ray sky. Interstellar gamma rays are part of this new era and allow unprecedented tests for models of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. The extension to lower…
This thesis investigates the evolution of galaxies in diverse environments, utilizing Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data to explore the impact of environmental richness on central and satellite galaxies across stellar mass ranges,…
Maximizing the scientific return of Roman requires focusing on the scientific discovery space opened up by Roman relative to the ground: i.e., planets in wide orbits (log s > 0.4), the smallest mass-ratio planets (log q < -4.5), and…
The Great Filter hypothesis is an extension of the Fermi Paradox: "If life is so common in the universe, why don't we see it?" The Great Filter theory posits there are multiple obstacles or filters life must pass through which ultimately…
The observational evidence for the recent acceleration of the universe demonstrates that canonical theories of cosmology and particle physics are incomplete (or possibly incorrect) and that new physics is out there, waiting to be…
The dynamical history of most merging galaxies is not well understood. Correlations between galaxy interaction and star formation have been found in previous studies, but require the context of the physical history of merging systems for…
Multi-robot rendezvous and exploration are fundamental challenges in the domain of mobile robotic systems. This paper addresses multi-robot rendezvous within an initially unknown environment where communication is only possible after the…
Lacking the ability to follow individual galaxies on cosmological timescales, our understanding of individual galaxy evolution is broadly inferred from population trends and behaviours. In its most prohibitive form, this approach assumes…
The notion of a Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ), or regions of the Milky Way galaxy that preferentially maintain the conditions to sustain complex life, has recently gained attention due to the detection of numerous exoplanets and advances…
As our ability to undertake more powerful Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) grows, so does interest in the more controversial endeavour of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI). METI proponents point to the SETI…