Inelastic neutron scattering experiments have been carried out to measure the phonon density of states in polycrystalline α-ZnCl₂ at Dhruva, Trombay. Lattice dynamical calculations, based on an interatomic potential model, are accomplished to study phonons associated with this otherwise extremely hygroscopic compound. Our calculated data are found to be well-compatible with the available measured ones.

This is the report of the cosmology and astroparticle physics working group at WHEPPXI. We present the discussions carried out during the workshop on selected topics in the above fields. The problems discussed concerned axions, infrared divergences in inflationary theories, supersonic bubbles in a first-order electroweak phase transition, dark matter, MOND, interacting dark energy, composite Higgs models and statistical anisotropy of the Universe.

We report the existence of chimera states in an assembly of identical nonlinear oscillators that are globally linked to each other in a simple planar cross-coupled form. The rotational symmetry breaking of the coupling term appears to be responsible for the emergence of these collective states that display a characteristic coexistence of coherent and incoherent behaviour. The finding, observed in both a collection of van der Pol oscillators and chaotic Rössler oscillators, further simplifies the existence criterion for chimeras, thereby broadens the range of their applicability to real-world situations.