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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10

Search for heavy neutral resonances decaying to tau lepton pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV

A search for heavy neutral gauge bosons (𝑍′) decaying into a pair of tau leptons is performed in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV at the CERN LHC. The data were collected with the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The observations are found to be in agreement with the expectation from standard model processes. Limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of the 𝑍′ production cross section and its branching fraction to tau lepton pairs for a range of 𝑍′ boson masses. For a narrow resonance in the sequential standard model scenario, a 𝑍′ boson with a mass below 3.5 TeV is excluded. This is the most stringent limit to date from this type of search.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Supersymmetry with a Compressed Mass Spectrum in Events with a Soft $\tau$ Lepton, a Highly Energetic Jet, and Large Missing Transverse Momentum in Proton-Proton Collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ TeV

The first search for supersymmetry in events with an experimental signature of one soft, hadronically decaying τ lepton, one energetic jet from initial-state radiation, and large transverse momentum imbalance is presented. These event signatures are consistent with direct or indirect production of scalar τ leptons (τ˜) in supersymmetric models that exhibit coannihilation between the τ˜ and the lightest neutralino (χ˜10), and that could generate the observed relic density of dark matter. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016 and 2017. The results are interpreted in a supersymmetric scenario with a small mass difference (Δm) between the chargino (χ˜1±) or next-to-lightest neutralino (χ˜20), and the χ˜10. The mass of the τ˜ is assumed to be the average of the χ˜1± and χ˜10 masses. The data are consistent with standard model background predictions. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the sum of the χ˜1±, χ˜20, and τ˜ production cross sections for Δm(χ˜1±,χ˜10)=50 GeV, resulting in a lower limit of 290 GeV on the mass of the χ˜1±, which is the most stringent to date and surpasses the bounds from the LEP experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Magnetic Monopole Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb + Pb Collisions at s NN = 5.36 TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC

This Letter presents a search for highly ionizing magnetic monopoles in 262 μ b − 1 of ultraperipheral Pb + Pb collision data at s NN = 5.36 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. A new methodology that exploits the properties of clusters of hits reconstructed in the innermost silicon detector layers is introduced to study highly ionizing particles in heavy-ion data. No significant excess above the background, which is estimated using a data-driven technique, is observed. Using a nonperturbative semiclassical model, upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the cross section for pair production of monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge in the mass range of 20–150 GeV. Depending on the model, monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge and mass below 80–120 GeV are excluded. © 2025 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration 2025 CERN

Aad, G. (ORCID:0000000266654934)↗

Search for the Rare Decay 𝐷 0 → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − in Proton-Proton Collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13.6 TeV

A search for the rare decay 𝐷 0 → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − is reported using proton-proton collision events at $\sqrt{s}$ =13.6 TeV collected by the CMS detector in 2022–2023, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 64.5 fb −1 . This is the first analysis to use a newly developed inclusive dimuon trigger, expanding the scope of the CMS flavor physics program. The search uses 𝐷 0 mesons obtained from 𝐷* + → 𝐷 0 ⁢𝜋 + decays. No significant excess is observed. A limit on the branching fraction of ℬ⁡(𝐷 0 → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − ) < 2.4 × 10 −9 at 95% confidence level is set. This is the most stringent upper limit set on any flavor changing neutral current decay in the charm sector.

Charmed mesons↗

Rapid assessment of SARS-CoV-2–evolved variants using virus-like particles

Efforts to determine why new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants demonstrate improved fitness have been limited to analyzing mutations in the spike (S) protein with the use of S-pseudotyped particles. In this study, we show that SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (SC2-VLPs) can package and deliver exogenous transcripts, enabling analysis of mutations within all structural proteins and at multiple steps in the viral life cycle. In SC2-VLPs, four nucleocapsid (N) mutations found universally in more-transmissible variants independently increased messenger RNA delivery and expression ~10-fold, and in a reverse genetics model, the serine-202→arginine (S202R) and arginine-203→methionine (R203M) mutations each produced >50 times as much virus. SC2-VLPs provide a platform for rapid testing of viral variants outside of a biosafety level 3 setting and demonstrate N mutations and particle assembly to be mechanisms that could explain the increased spread of variants, including B.1.617.2 (Delta, which contains the R203M mutation).

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Search for electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two leptons and missing transverse momentum in $$\sqrt{s}=13$$s=13 $$\text {TeV}$$TeV pp collisions using the ATLAS detector

© 2020, CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration. A search for the electroweak production of charginos and sleptons decaying into final states with two electrons or muons is presented. The analysis is based on 139 fb- 1 of proton–proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at s=13 TeV. Three R-parity-conserving scenarios where the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle are considered: the production of chargino pairs with decays via either W bosons or sleptons, and the direct production of slepton pairs. The analysis is optimised for the first of these scenarios, but the results are also interpreted in the others. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations are observed and limits at 95% confidence level are set on the masses of relevant supersymmetric particles in each of the scenarios. For a massless lightest neutralino, masses up to 420 Ge are excluded for the production of the lightest-chargino pairs assuming W-boson-mediated decays and up to 1 TeV for slepton-mediated decays, whereas for slepton-pair production masses up to 700 Ge are excluded assuming three generations of mass-degenerate sleptons.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Search for physics beyond the standard model in events with jets and two same-sign or at least three charged leptons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV

A data sample of events from proton-proton collisions with at least two jets, and two isolated same-sign or three or more charged leptons, is studied in a search for signatures of new physics phenomena. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of $137{\,{\text {fb}}^{-1}} $ at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,{\text {TeV}} $, collected in 2016–2018 by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is performed using a total of 168 signal regions defined using several kinematic variables. The properties of the events are found to be consistent with the expectations from standard model processes. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on cross sections for the pair production of gluinos or squarks for various decay scenarios in the context of supersymmetric models conserving or violating R parity. The observed lower mass limits are as large as $2.1\,{\text {TeV}} $ for gluinos and $0.9\,{\text {TeV}} $ for top and bottom squarks. To facilitate reinterpretations, model-independent limits are provided in a set of simplified signal regions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for chargino–neutralino pair production in final states with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$ TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for chargino–neutralino pair production in three-lepton final states with missing transverse momentum is presented. The study is based on a dataset of $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV pp collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . No significant excess relative to the Standard Model predictions is found in data. The results are interpreted in simplified models of supersymmetry, and statistically combined with results from a previous ATLAS search for compressed spectra in two-lepton final states. Various scenarios for the production and decay of charginos ($\tilde{χ}^±_1$) and neutralinos ($\tilde{χ}^0_2$) are considered. For pure higgsino $\tilde{χ}^±_1$$\tilde{χ}^0_2$ pair-production scenarios, exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are set on $\tilde{χ}^0_2$ masses up to 210 GeV. Limits are also set for pure wino $\tilde{χ}^±_1$$\tilde{χ}^0_2$ pair production, on $\tilde{χ}^0_2$ masses up to 640 GeV for decays via on-shell W and Z bosons, up to 300 GeV for decays via off-shell W and Z bosons, and up to 190 GeV for decays via W and Standard Model Higgs bosons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Observation of electroweak production of two jets in association with an isolated photon and missing transverse momentum, and search for a Higgs boson decaying into invisible particles at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents a measurement of the electroweak production of two jets in association with a Zγ pair, with the Z boson decaying into two neutrinos. It also presents a search for invisible or partially invisible decays of a Higgs boson with a mass of 125 GeV produced through vector-boson fusion with a photon in the final state. These results use data from LHC proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . The event signature, shared by all benchmark processes considered for the measurements and searches, is characterized by a significant amount of unbalanced transverse momentum and a photon in the final state, in addition to a pair of forward jets. Electroweak $Zγ$ production in association with two jets is observed in this final state with a significance of 5.2 (5.1 expected) standard deviations. The measured fiducial cross-section for this process is 1.31 ± 0.29 fb. An observed (expected) upper limit of 0.37 (0.34$^{+0.15}_{-0.10}$) at 95% confidence level is set on the branching ratio of a 125 GeV Higgs boson to invisible particles, assuming the Standard Model production cross-section. The signature is also interpreted in the context of decays of a Higgs boson into a photon and a dark photon. An observed (expected) 95% CL upper limit on the branching ratio for this decay is set at 0.018 (0.017$^{+0.007}_{-0.005}$), assuming the Standard Model production cross-section for a 125 GeV Higgs boson.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for low-mass dilepton resonances in Higgs boson decays to four-lepton final states in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {TeV} $

A search for low-mass dilepton resonances in Higgs boson decays is conducted in the four-lepton final state. The decay is assumed to proceed via a pair of beyond the standard model particles, or one such particle and a ${\mathrm{Z}}$ boson. The search uses proton–proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137$\,\text {fb}^{-1}$, at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {TeV} $. No significant deviation from the standard model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on model-independent Higgs boson decay branching fractions. Additionally, limits on dark photon and axion-like particle production, based on two specific models, are reported.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for pair production of heavy particles decaying to a top quark and a gluon in the lepton+jets final state in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V}$

A search is presented for the pair production of new heavy resonances, each decaying into a top quark (t) or antiquark and a gluon (g). The analysis uses data recorded with the CMS detector from proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 . Events with one muon or electron, multiple jets, and missing transverse momentum are selected. After using a deep neural network to enrich the data sample with signal-like events, distributions in the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of all reconstructed objects are analyzed in the search for a signal. No significant deviations from the standard model prediction are found. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the product of cross section and branching fraction squared for the pair production of excited top quarks in the t* → tg decay channel. The upper limits range from 120 to 0.8 fb for a t* with spin-1/2 and from 15 to 1.0 fb for a t* with spin-3/2. These correspond to mass exclusion limits up to 1050 and 1700 GeV for spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 t* particles, respectively. These are the most stringent limits to date on the existence of t* → tg resonances.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for heavy resonances decaying into two Higgs bosons in the $\text {b}{\bar{\text {b}}} \tau ^{+} \tau ^{-}$ final state in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V}$

A search is presented for massive narrow-width resonances in the mass range of 1–4.5 TeV , decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (HH). The search uses proton–proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC during 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 . The analysis targets final states where one Higgs boson decays into a pair of bottom quarks and the other into a pair of tau leptons, ${\text {X}} \rightarrow {\text {HH}} \rightarrow \text {b}{\bar{\text {b}}}\,\tau ^{+}\tau ^{-}$. It uses a single large radius jet to reconstruct the ${\text {H}} \rightarrow \text {b}{\bar{\text {b}}}$ decay, while the ${\text {H}} \rightarrow \tau ^{+}\tau ^{-}$ decay products can either be contained within a single large radius jet or appear as two isolated tau leptons. The observed data are consistent with standard model background expectations. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section for resonant HH production for masses between 1 and 4.5 TeV. This analysis sets the most sensitive limits to date on ${\text {X}} \rightarrow {\text {HH}} \rightarrow \text {b}\bar{\hbox {b}}\, \tau ^{+}\tau ^{-}$ decays in the mass range of 1.4–4.5 TeV.

Hayrapetyan, A. [Yerevan Physics Institute]↗

Frequency Recovery in Power Grids Using High-Performance Computing

Maintaining electric power system stability is paramount, especially in extreme contingencies involving unexpected outages of multiple generators or transmission lines that are typical during severe weather events. Such outages often lead to large supply-demand mismatches followed by subsequent system frequency deviations from their nominal value. The extent of frequency deviations is an important metric of system resilience, and its timely mitigation is a central goal of power system operation and control. This paper develops a novel nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) method to minimize frequency deviations when the grid is affected by an unforeseen loss of multiple components. Our method is based on a novel multi-period alternating current optimal power flow (ACOPF) formulation that accurately models both nonlinear electric power flow physics and the primary and secondary frequency response of generator control mechanisms. We develop a distributed parallel Julia package for solving the large-scale nonlinear optimization problems that result from our NMPC method and thereby address realistic test instances on existing high-performance computing architectures. Our method demonstrates superior performance in terms of frequency recovery over existing industry practices, where generator levels are set based on the solution of single-period classical ACOPF models.

nonlinear model predictive control↗

Nitrogen limitation causes a seismic shift in redox state and phosphorylation of proteins implicated in carbon flux and lipidome remodeling in Rhodotorula toruloides

Background: Oleaginous yeast are prodigious producers of oleochemicals, offering alternative and secure sources for applications in foodstuff, skincare, biofuels, and bioplastics. Nitrogen starvation is the primary strategy used to induce oil accumulation in oleaginous yeast as part of a global stress response. While research has demonstrated that post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation and protein cysteine thiol oxidation (redox PTMs), are involved in signaling pathways that regulate stress responses in metazoa and algae, their role in oleaginous yeast remain understudied and unexplored. Results: Towards linking the yeast oleaginous phenotype to protein function, we integrated lipidomics, redox proteomics, and phosphoproteomics to investigate Rhodotorula toruloides under nitrogen-rich and starved conditions over time. Our lipidomics results unearthed interactions involving sphingolipids and cardiolipins with ER stress and mitophagy. Our redox and phosphoproteomics data highlighted the roles of the AMPK, TOR, and calcium signaling pathways in regulation of lipogenesis, autophagy, and oxidative stress response. As a first, we also demonstrated that lipogenic enzymes including fatty acid synthase are modified as a consequence of shifts in cellular redox states due to nutrient availability. Conclusions: We conclude that lipid accumulation is largely a consequence of carbon rerouting and autophagy governed by changes to PTMs, and not increases in the abundance of enzymes involved in central carbon metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. Our systems-level approach sets the stage for acquiring multidimensional data sets for protein structural modeling and predicting the functional relevance of PTMs using Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML). Coupled to those bioinformatics approaches, the putative PTM switches that we delineate will enable advanced metabolic engineering strategies to decouple lipid accumulation from nitrogen limitation.

Lipid Signalling↗

Effectiveness of Deep Learning Trained on SynthCity Data for Urban Point-Cloud Classification

3D object recognition is one of the most popular areas of study in computer vision. Many of the more recent algorithms focus on indoor point clouds, classifying 3D geometric objects, and segmenting outdoor 3D scenes. One of the challenges of the classification pipeline is finding adequate and accurate training data. Hence, this article seeks to evaluate the accuracy of a synthetically generated data set called SynthCity, tested on two mobile laser-scan data sets. Varying levels of noise were applied to the training data to reflect varying levels of noise in different scanners. The chosen deep-learning algorithm was Kernel Point Convolution, a convolutional neural network that uses kernel points in Euclidean space for convolution weights.

Geology↗

Evaluating the Impact of Residential Solar Contract Cancellations in the United States

The residential solar photovoltaic (PV) market in the United States is growing, despite frequent customer cancellations. Contract cancellations result in lost time and costs that must be borne by installers, often in the form of higher "soft costs" (i.e., non-equipment costs). These costs are often passed on to customers who successfully install PV systems. To date, few studies have attempted to estimate national cancellation rates or model the impacts on installed system costs. In this report, we utilize an installer-provided dataset of 199,665 residential PV-only projects representing about 10% of U.S. installs each year from 2017-2019. With this data, we evaluate cancellation rates and trends from contract signing to install. Next, by leveraging NREL's soft cost model for residential solar, we estimate installer spending through each phase of the pre-install process. Applying our findings on cancellation timelines and rates, we then estimate the potential cost impacts to successful installs from contract cancellations. Our work suggests that the rates and impacts of contract cancellations have been previously underestimated. Namely, we find that cancellations/unsuccessful project are; more common than previous estimates suggest; occur earlier in project timelines, though a significant number happen even after permit/ATB approvals; and contribute significantly to customer acquisition and other soft costs. We also find that cancellation do not appear to be driven by review delays in permitting and interconnection applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

New Resource Adequacy Criteria for the Energy Transition: Modernizing Reliability Requirements

The transition toward a cleaner and more weather-dependent power system brings with it unprecedented challenges and opportunities for maintaining resource adequacy—namely, a future that includes rapid load growth, plant retirements, and a shift toward variable and energy-limited resources. Resource adequacy analyses, capacity accreditation, and the resource adequacy planning criteria are becoming increasingly important for power system planning and investment decisions. While previous ESIG reports evaluated the changing resource adequacy risks and planning practices created by the energy transition, none specifically examined potential changes to the resource adequacy criterion used for planning. The resource adequacy criterion sets the level of supply- and demand-side resources that are required for a given power system to meet reliability objectives. It is a pivotal standard that influences billions of dollars of investment decisions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗