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At least 199 records · Page 11

The La Silla Schmidt Southern Survey

We present the La Silla Schmidt Southern Survey (LS4), a new wide-field, time-domain survey to be conducted with the 1 m ESO Schmidt telescope. The 268 megapixel LS4 camera mosaics 32 2k × 4k fully depleted CCDs, providing a ∼20 deg 2 field of view with 1″ pixel −1 resolution. The LS4 camera will have excellent performance at longer wavelengths: in a standard 45 s exposure the expected 5σ limiting magnitudes in g, i, z are ∼21.5, ∼20.9, and ∼20.3 mag (AB), respectively. The telescope design requires a novel filter holder that fixes different bandpasses over each quadrant of the detector. Two quadrants will have i band, while the other two will be g and z band with color information obtained by dithering targets across the different quadrants. The majority (90%) of the observing time will be used to conduct a public survey that monitors the extragalactic sky at both moderate (3 days) and high (1 day) cadence, as well as focused observations within the Galactic plane and bulge. Alerts from the public survey will be broadcast to the community via established alert brokers. LS4 will run concurrently with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The combination of LS4+LSST will enable detailed holistic monitoring of many nearby transients: high-cadence LS4 observations will resolve the initial rise and peak of the light curve while less-frequent but deeper observations by LSST will characterize the years before and after explosion. Here, we summarize the primary science objectives of LS4 including microlensing events in the Galaxy, extragalactic transients powered by massive black holes or stellar explosions, the search for electromagnetic counterparts to multi-messenger events, and supernova cosmology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The DUNE Vertical Drift Photon Detection System

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to mainly investigate oscillation parameters, supernova physics and proton decay. Its far detector will be composed of four liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) underground modules, in South Dakota-USA, which will detect a neutrino beam produced at Fermilab, 1300 km away, where a near detector will be in place. The second DUNE far detector module, Vertical Drift, will be a single phase LArTPC with electron drift along the vertical axis with two volumes of 13.5 m x 6.5 m x 60 m dimensions separated by a cathode plane. The charge collection will be performed by two anode planes placed at the top and bottom of the module, each composed by stacked layers of a perforated PCB technology with electrode strips. The photon detection system (PDS) will make use of large size X-Arapuca tiles distributed over three detection planes. One plane will consist of a horizontal arrangement of double sided tiles installed on the high voltage cathode plane and two vertical planes, each placed on the longest cryostat membrane walls. A light active coverage of 14.8% over the cathode and 7.4% over the laterals should allow improvements in the low energy physics range that can be probed in DUNE, especially regarding supernova neutrinos (~10 MeV). We present the initial characterization of the Vertical Drift PDS using a Monte Carlo simulation and preliminary studies on its reconstruction capabilities at the MeV scale. The information obtained with the PDS alone should allow determination of a neutrino interaction region with a precision of at least 65 cm for events with deposited energy above 5 MeV and the deposited energy can be reconstructed with precision better than 10%, both at the center of the volume.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Near-zero-index ultra-fast pulse characterization

Transparent conducting oxides exhibit giant optical nonlinearities in the near-infrared window where their linear index approaches zero. Despite the magnitude and speed of these nonlinearities, a “killer” optical application for these compounds has yet to be found. Because of the absorptive nature of the typically used intraband transitions, out-of-plane configurations with short optical paths should be considered. In this direction, we propose an alternative frequency-resolved optical gating scheme for the characterization of ultra-fast optical pulses that exploits near-zero-index aluminium zinc oxide thin films. Besides the technological advantages in terms of manufacturability and cost, our system outperforms commercial modules in key metrics, such as operational bandwidth, sensitivity, and robustness. The performance enhancement comes with the additional benefit of simultaneous self-phase-matched second and third harmonic generation. Because of the fundamental importance of novel methodologies to characterise ultra-fast events, our solution could be of fundamental use for numerous research labs and industries.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Measurement of the A dependence of the ν μ charged-current quasielasticlike cross section as a function of muon and proton kinematics at ⟨E ν ⟩ ∼ 6 GeV

The first simultaneous measurements of the 𝜈 𝜇 quasielasticlike cross section on C, CH, H 2 ⁡O, Fe, and Pb targets as a function of kinematic imbalance variables in the plane transverse to the incoming neutrino direction are presented. These variables combine the muon and proton information to provide a new way to disentangle the effects of the nucleus in quasielasticlike processes. The data were obtained using a wideband 𝜈 𝜇 beam with ⟨E 𝜈 ⟩ ∼ 6 GeV. Cross-section ratios of the different target materials to CH are also shown. These measurements are used to explore the nature of the cross-section 𝐴 scaling, as well as initial and final state interaction effects. Comparisons are made to predictions from a number of commonly used neutrino Monte Carlo event generators. The range of predictions of the different models tends to cover the data but the degree and consistency of the agreement suffers in regions, and on higher 𝐴 targets, where the final state interactions are expected to be more pronounced.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Augmented signal processing in Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers with a deep neural network

The Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) is an advanced neutrino detector technology widely used in recent and upcoming accelerator neutrino experiments. It features a low energy threshold and high spatial resolution that allow for comprehensive reconstruction of event topologies. In current-generation LArTPCs, the recorded data consist of digitized waveforms on wires produced by induced signal on wires of drifting ionization electrons, which can also be viewed as two-dimensional (2D) (time versus wire) projection images of charged-particle trajectories. For such an imaging detector, one critical step is the signal processing that reconstructs the original charge projections from the recorded 2D images. For the first time, we introduce a deep neural network in LArTPC signal processing to improve the signal region of interest detection. By combining domain knowledge (e.g., matching information from multiple wire planes) and deep learning, this method shows significant improvements over traditional methods. This work details the method, software tools, and performance evaluated with realistic detector simulations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for top squark pair production in a final state with two tau leptons in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

A search for pair production of the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, the top squark, in proton-proton collision events at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV is presented in a final state containing hadronically decaying tau leptons and large missing transverse momentum. This final state is highly sensitive to high-tan β or higgsino-like scenarios in which decays of electroweak gauginos to tau leptons are dominant. The search uses a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb$^{−1}$, which was recorded with the CMS detector during 2016 and 2017. No significant excess is observed with respect to the background prediction. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are presented in the top squark and lightest neutralino mass plane within the framework of simplified models, in which top squark masses up to 1100 GeV are excluded for a nearly massless neutralino.[graphic not available: see fulltext]

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The ICEBERG Test Stand for DUNE Cold Electronics Development

ICEBERG is a liquid argon time projection chamber at Fermilab for the purpose of testing detector components and software for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The detector features a 1.15m x 1m anode plane following the specifications of the DUNE horizontal drift far detector and a newly installed X-ARAPUCA photodetector. The status of ICEBERG is reported along with analysis of noise, pulser, and cosmic ray data from the ninth run beginning May 2024 with the goal of advising the DUNE collaboration on the optimal wire readout electronics configuration. In addition, development of an absolute energy scale calibration method is currently underway using known sources such as cosmic ray muon Michel electrons at the ~10 MeV scale and $^{39}$Ar decay electrons at the ~100keV scale. Research into AI-based identification of such events at the data acquisition level is introduced.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Tale of Two Disks: Mapping the Milky Way with the Final Data Release of APOGEE

We present new maps of the Milky Way disk showing the distribution of metallicity ([Fe/H]), α-element abundances ([Mg/Fe]), and stellar age, using a sample of 66,496 red giant stars from the final data release (DR17) of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey. We measure radial and vertical gradients, quantify the distribution functions for age and metallicity, and explore chemical clock relations across the Milky Way for the low-α disk, high-α disk, and total population independently. The low-α disk exhibits a negative radial metallicity gradient of -0.06 ± 0.001 dex kpc -1 , which flattens with distance from the midplane. The high-α disk shows a flat radial gradient in metallicity and age across nearly all locations of the disk. The age and metallicity distribution functions shift from negatively skewed in the inner Galaxy to positively skewed at large radius. Significant bimodality in the [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] plane and in the [Mg/Fe]–age relation persist across the entire disk. The age estimates have typical uncertainties of ~0.15 in log(age) and may be subject to additional systematic errors, which impose limitations on conclusions drawn from this sample. Nevertheless, these results act as critical constraints on galactic evolution models, constraining which physical processes played a dominant role in the formation of the Milky Way disk. We discuss how radial migration predicts many of the observed trends near the solar neighborhood and in the outer disk, but an additional more dramatic evolution history, such as the multi-infall model or a merger event, is needed to explain the chemical and age bimodality elsewhere in the Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Apparatus for skidding sensitivity testing of energetic materials

A remote-operated apparatus for testing the detonation sensitivity of energetic materials is detailed. Using an air ram and rotating disk, the normal force and transverse velocity of the impact plane are controlled independently, enabling the exploration of varying impact conditions over a wide parameter space. A microcontroller local to the apparatus is used to automate apparatus operation and ensure temporal alignment of the impacting ram head with the rotating disk. Calculation of the firing parameters and issuing of operational commands are handled by a remote computer and relayed to the local microcontoller for execution at the hardware level. Finally, impact forces are taken from fast strain measurements obtained from gauges incorporated into the ram head. Infrared imaging of explosive samples provides insight to the peak thermal temperatures experienced at the sample surface during the impact event.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Rupture Model of the 5 April 2024 Tewksbury, New Jersey, Earthquake Based on Regional Lg -Wave Data

On 5 April 2024, an earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred in Tewksbury, New Jersey. It was the largest instrumentally recorded event since 1900 in New Jersey and southern New York. Millions of people around New York City, ~65 km east–northeast of Tewksbury, felt the shaking from the mainshock, but the epicentral area experienced no known significant property damages. We determine the focal mechanism, which is oblique faulting, and retrieve the Lg–wave relative source time functions (RSTFs) from the stations at regional distances to understand rupture processes and ground motions. Our fault–slip models well explain azimuthal variations of the RSTFs. The models show the rupture propagating toward the east–northeast (~50° to 60°), not along the fault strike. The slip distribution on the nodal plane striking north and dipping to the east shows a slip area of 1.1 km radius with the rupture propagating down–dip. The down–dip rupture may account for the observed lack of strong shaking in the epicentral area.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Improving ICARUS Track Reconstruction Algorithms

The ICARUS experiment is part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab. The main goal of the experiment is to investigate the possibility of sterile neutrinos in the O(1 eV) mass region and provide clarification of the anomaly detected from the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments. The ICARUS-T600 detector is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr-TPC), that can provide excellent 3D imaging and calorimetric reconstruction of any ionizing particles. This detection technique allows a detailed study of neutrino interactions, spanning a wide energy spectrum (from a few keV to several hundreds of GeV). The detector consists of two identical adjacent modules, filled with a total of 760 tons of ultra-pure liquid argon. Each module houses two LAr-TPCs separated by a common cathode with a maximum drift distance of 1.5 m, equivalent to about 1 ms drift time for the nominal $500$ V/m electric drift field. The anode is made of three parallel wire planes positioned 3 mm apart, where the stainless-steel wires are oriented on each plane at a different angle with respect to the horizontal direction ($+60^\degree$,$-60^\degree$,$0^\degree$). The first two planes (Induction 1 and Induction 2) provide a non-destructive charge measurement, whereas the ionization charge is fully collected by the last collection plane. In total, 53248 wires with a 3 mm pitch and length up to 9 m are installed in the detector. In the first stage of the reconstruction, segments of waveforms corresponding to physical signals (hits) are searched for in the deconvolved wire waveform with a threshold-based hit-finding algorithm. Each hit is then fitted with a Gaussian, whose area is proportional to the number of drift electrons generating the signal. In the second stage of the reconstruction, hits are passed as input to Pandora, a framework software composed of different pattern recognition algorithms, that performs a 3D reconstruction of the full image recorded in the collected event, including the identification of interaction vertices and tracks and showers inside the TPC. These are organized into a hierarchical structure (called slice) of particles generated starting from a primary interaction vertex. In some cases, related to the inefficiencies in the hit detection or excessive deflection of the particle trajectory, Pandora breaks the particle's track into two or more smaller pieces and considers each piece as an independent track. We studied this phenomenon focusing on primary muons from ν_μ CC interactions contained in a single module with a track at least 20 cm long, to exclude delta rays. The study determined that about $7-8\%$ of the muon tracks are broken. Approximately $80\%$ of the times, Pandora assigns all segments of the track to the same slice (intra-slice track split), while in the remaining $20\%$ of the cases, one of the segments is associated with another slice (extra-slice track split). To mitigate this phenomenon, we designed an algorithm that detects and stitches the tracks broken by Pandora for the intra-slice split. In Monte Carlo simulations, the algorithm showed an efficiency exceeding $80\%$ and a purity exceeding $93\%$.

Ricci, Alessandro Maria [Pisa U.; INFN, Pisa] (ORC↗

Search for PeV Gamma-Ray Emission from the Southern Hemisphere with 5 Yr of Data from the IceCube Observatory

The measurement of diffuse PeV gamma-ray emission from the Galactic plane would provide information about the energy spectrum and propagation of Galactic cosmic rays, and the detection of a pointlike source of PeV gamma-rays would be strong evidence for a Galactic source capable of accelerating cosmic rays up to at least a few PeV. This paper presents several unbinned maximum-likelihood searches for PeV gamma-rays in the Southern Hemisphere using 5 yr of data from the IceTop air shower surface detector and the in-ice array of the IceCube Observatory. The combination of both detectors takes advantage of the low muon content and deep shower maximum of gamma-ray air showers and provides excellent sensitivity to gamma-rays between ~0.6 and 100 PeV. Our measurements of pointlike and diffuse Galactic emission of PeV gamma-rays are consistent with the background, so we constrain the angle-integrated diffuse gamma-ray flux from the Galactic plane at 2 PeV to 2.61 × 10 -19 cm -2 s -1 TeV -1 at 90% confidence, assuming an E -3 spectrum, and we estimate 90% upper limits on pointlike emission at 2 PeV between 10 -21 and 10 -20 cm -2 s -1 TeV -1 for an E -2 spectrum, depending on decl. Furthermore, we exclude unbroken power-law emission up to 2 PeV for several TeV gamma-ray sources observed by the High Energy Spectroscopic System and calculate upper limits on the energy cutoffs of these sources at 90% confidence. We also find no PeV gamma-rays correlated with neutrinos from IceCube's high-energy starting event sample. Lastly, these are currently the strongest constraints on PeV gamma-ray emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The age–chemical abundance structure of the Galactic disc – II. α -dichotomy and thick disc formation

ABSTRACT We extend our previous work on the age–chemical abundance structure of the Galactic outer disc to the inner disc (4 < r < 8 kpc) based on the SDSS/APOGEE survey. Different from the outer disc, the inner disc stars exhibit a clear bimodal distribution in the [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] plane. While a number of scenarios have been proposed in the literature, it remains challenging to recover this bimodal distribution with theoretical models. To this end, we present a chemical evolution model embedding a complex multiphase inner disc formation scenario that matches the observed bimodal [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] distribution. In this scenario, the formation of the inner disc is dominated by two main starburst episodes $6\,$Gyr apart with secular, low-level star formation activity in between. In our model, the first starburst occurs at early cosmic times ($t\sim 1\,$ Gyr) and the second one $6\,$ Gyr later at a cosmic time of $t\sim 7\,$ Gyr. Both these starburst episodes are associated with gas accretion events in our model, and are quenched rapidly. The first starburst leads to the formation of the high-α sequence, and the second starburst leads to the formation of the metal-poor low-α sequence. The metal-rich low-α stars, instead, form during the secular evolution phase between the two bursts. Our model shows that the α-dichotomy originates from the rapid suppression of star formation after the first starburst. The two starburst episodes are likely to be responsible for the formation of the geometric thick disc (z >1 kpc), with the old inner thick disc and the young outer thick disc forming during the first and the second starbursts, respectively.

Lian, Jianhui↗

Measurement of Photovoltaic Module Deformation Dynamics During Hail Impact Using Digital Image Correlation

Stereo high-speed video of photovoltaic modules undergoing laboratory hail tests was processed using digital image correlation to determine module surface deformation during and immediately following impact. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate a methodology for characterizing module impact response differences as a function of construction and incident hail parameters. Video capture and digital image analysis were able to capture out-of-plane module deformation to a resolution of ±0.1 mm at 11 kHz on an in-plane grid of 10 × 10 mm over the area of a 1 × 2 m commercial photovoltaic module. With lighting and optical adjustments, the technique was adaptable to arbitrary module designs, including size, backsheet color, and cell interconnection. Furthermore, impacts were observed to produce an initially localized dimple in the glass surface, with peak deflection proportional to the square root of incident energy. Subsequent deformation propagation and dissipation were also captured, along with behavior for instances when the module glass fractured. Natural frequencies of the module were identifiable by analyzing module oscillations postimpact. Limitations of the measurement technique were that the impacting ice ball obscured the data field immediately surrounding the point of contact, and both ice and glass fracture events occurred within 100 μs, which was not resolvable at the chosen frame rate. Increasing the frame rate and visualizing the back surface of the impact could be applied to avoid these issues. Applications for these data include validating computational models for hail impacts, identifying the natural frequencies of a module, and identifying damage initiation mechanisms.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Lower‐Hybrid Wave Structures and Interactions With Electrons Observed in Magnetotail Reconnection Diffusion Regions

Abstract We investigate waves close to the lower‐hybrid frequency in 12 magnetotail reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) events with guide field levels of near‐zero to 30%. In about half of the events, the wave vector has a small component along the current sheet normal, consistent with known lower‐hybrid drift wave properties, but the perpendicular magnetic field fluctuations can be comparable or greater than the parallel component, a feature unique to the waves inside and adjacent to EDRs. Another new wave property is that the wave vector has a significant component along the current sheet normal in some events and completely along the normal for one event. In 1/4 of the events, the term has a significant contribution to the wave electric field, possibly a feature of lower‐hybrid waves more likely to exist in the diffusion region than further away from the X‐line. Electron temperature variations are correlated with the wave potential, due to wave electric field acceleration and crossings at the corrugated separatrix region with different amounts of mixing between reconnection inflowing and outflowing populations. The latter also leads to the anti‐correlation between parallel and perpendicular temperature components. Using four‐spacecraft measurements, the magnetic field line twisting is demonstrated by the correlated fluctuations in and . The lower‐hybrid wave in the EDR of weak guide field reconnection may be generated near separatrices and penetrate to the mid‐plane or locally generated, and the latter possibility is beyond the prediction of previous reconnection simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Jets from main sequence and white dwarf companions during common envelope evolution

ABSTRACT It has long been speculated that jet feedback from accretion on to the companion during a common envelope (CE) event could affect the orbital evolution and envelope unbinding process. We present global 3D hydrodynamical simulations of CE evolution (CEE) that include a jet subgrid model and compare them with an otherwise identical model without a jet. Our binary consists of a 2-M⊙ red giant branch primary and a 1- or 0.5-M⊙ main sequence (MS) or white dwarf (WD) secondary companion modelled as a point particle. We run the simulations for 10 orbits (40 d). Our jet model adds mass at a constant rate $\dot{M}_\mathrm{j}$ of the order of the Eddington rate, with maximum velocity vj of the order of the escape speed, to two spherical sectors with the jet axis perpendicular to the orbital plane. We explore the influence of the jet on orbital evolution, envelope morphology and envelope unbinding, and assess the dependence of the results on the jet mass-loss rate, launch speed, companion mass, opening angle, and accretion rate. In line with our theoretical estimates, jets are choked around the time of first periastron passage and remain choked thereafter. Subsequent to choking, but not before, jets efficiently transfer energy to bound envelope material. This leads to increases in unbound mass of up to $\sim 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, as compared to the simulations without jets. We also estimate the cumulative effects of jets over a full CE phase, finding that jets launched by MS and WD companions are unlikely to dominate envelope unbinding.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

High-speed Boulders and the Debris Field in DART Ejecta

On 2022 September 26 the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with Dimorphos, the moon of the near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos, in a full-scale demonstration of a kinetic impactor concept. The companion Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube) spacecraft documented the aftermath, capturing images of the expansion and evolution of the ejecta from 29 to 243 s after the impact. We present results from our analyses of these observations, including an improved reduction of the data and new absolute calibration, an updated LICIACube trajectory, and a detailed description of the events and phenomena that were recorded throughout the flyby. One notable aspect of the ejecta was the existence of clusters of boulders, up to 3.6 m in radius, that were ejected at speeds of up to 52 m s −1 . Our analysis of the spatial distribution of 104 of these boulders suggests that they are likely the remnants of larger boulders shattered by the DART spacecraft in the first stages of the impact. The amount of momentum contained in these boulders is more than 3 times that of the DART spacecraft, and it is directed primarily to the south, almost perpendicular to the DART trajectory. Recoil of Dimorphos from the ejection of these boulders has the potential to change its orbital plane by up to a degree and to impart a non-principal-axis component to its rotation state. Damping timescales for these phenomena are such that the Hera spacecraft, arriving at the system in 2026, should be able to measure these effects.

asteroid dynamics↗

Resolution Study of Thermonuclear Initiation in White Dwarf Tidal Disruption Events

Abstract We study the initiation of thermonuclear detonations in tidally disrupted white dwarf stars by intermediate-mass (10 3 M ⊙ ) black holes. The length scales required to resolve the initiation mechanism are not easily reached in 3D, so instead we have devised 2D proxy models, which, together with a logarithmic gridding strategy, can adequately capture detonation wave fronts as material undergoes simultaneous compression and stretching from tidal forces. We consider 0.15 and 0.6 M ⊙ white dwarf stars parameterized by tidal strengths in the range β = 4–23. High spatial resolution elucidates the manner and conditions leading to thermonuclear detonation, linking the initiation sequence to stellar composition and tidal strength. All of our models suffer sustained detonations triggered by a combination of adiabatic compression, mild thermonuclear preconditioning, and collisional heating, in degrees depending primarily on tidal strength. We find that many diagnostics, such as temperature, total released energy, and iron-group products, are fairly well converged (better than 10%) at resolutions below 10 km along the scale height of the orbital plane. The exceptions are intermediate-mass transients like calcium, which remain uncertain up to factors of 2, even at 1 km resolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗