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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Observation of T = 3/2 isobaric analog states in 9 Be using p + 8 Li resonance scattering

Background: Resonance scattering has been extensively used to study the structure of exotic, neutron-deficient nuclei. Extension of the resonance scattering technique to neutron-rich nuclei was suggested more than 20 years ago. This development is based on the isospin conservation law. In spite of broad field of the application, it has never gained a wide-spread acceptance. Purpose: To benchmark the experimental approach to study the structure of exotic neutron-rich nuclei through resonance scattering on a proton target. Method: In this work, the excitation function for p + 8 Li resonance scattering is measured using a thick target by recording coincidence between light and heavy recoils, populating T = 3/2 isobaric analog states (IAS) in 9 Be. Results: A good fit of the 8 Li(p, p) 8 Li resonance elastic scattering excitation function was obtained using previously tentatively known 5/2 – T = 3/2 state at 18.65 MeV in 9 Be and a new broad T = 3/2 s-wave state—the 5/2 + at 18.5 MeV. These results fit the expected isomirror properties for the T = 3/2 A = 9 isoquartet. Conclusions: Our analysis confirmed isospin as a good quantum number for the investigated highly excited T = 3/2 states and demonstrated that studying the structure of neutron-rich exotic nuclei through IAS is a promising approach.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spectroscopy of the T = 2 mirror nuclei 48 Fe/ 48 Ti using mirrored knockout reactions

A sequence of excited states has been established for the first time in the proton-rich nucleus 48 Fe (Z=26, N=22). The technique of mirrored (i.e. analogue) one-nucleon knockout reactions was applied, in which the T z = ±2 mirror pair, 48 Fe/ 48 Ti were populated via one-neutron/one-proton knockout from the secondary beams 49 Fe/ 49 V, respectively. The analogue properties of the reactions were used to help establish the new level scheme of 48 Fe. The inclusive and exclusive cross sections were determined for the populated states. Large differences between the cross sections for the two mirrored reactions were observed and have been interpreted in terms of different degrees of binding of the mirror nuclei and in the context of the recent observations of suppression of spectroscopic strength as a function of nuclear binding, for knockout reactions on light solid targets. Mirror energy differences (MED) have been determined between the analogue T = 2 states and compared with the shell model predictions. MED for this mirror pair, due to their location in the shell, are especially sensitive to excitations out of the f 7/2 shell, and present a stringent test of the shell-model prescription.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The hypernuclear physics program at Jefferson Lab

Missing mass spectroscopy of Λ hypernuclei using the (e, e' K⁺) re action has been performed in the past at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) by several experiments in Halls A and C. A new experimen tal campaign is expected to start running in 2026 in Hall C and to provide the first study of the isospin dependence in medium-mass hyperisotopes by populating $^{40}_Λ{K}$ and $^{48}_Λ{K}$ using isotopically enriched calcium targets [E12-15-008]. During this cam paign, it will be possible to study Λ interactions in nuclear matter using a lead target [E12-20-013]. Solid-state targets made of lithium, beryllium, boron [LOI12-23-013], and aluminum [LOI12-23-016] are considered to be included in the campaign. The use of the HKS and HES spectrometers together with thin target foils and high beam currents leads to a sub-MeV energy resolution, significantly better than in hadron beam experiments. Valuable information on few-body hyperon systems would be gained if helium targets were used [E12-19-002]. Using an additional spectrometer for measuring the decay-pion spectra could give access to the binding energies of light hyperfragments [LOI12-23-011]. The measurement of precise and accurate en ergy spectra of different hyperisotopes probes the Λ-N interaction in nuclei including the Λ-N-N interaction. The latter is assumed to play a key role for the stiffness of the nuclear equation of state relevant for the stability of neutron stars.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantifying Uncertainties of Microscopic Nuclear Theories

The goal of this project was to produce modernized nuclear data libraries of light ion fusion reactions and actinide fission product yields. Such libraries are essential input in both stockpile science but also fundamental science (nucleosynthesis, superheavy nuclei). When such libraries are used to model complex processes involving exotic, very short-lived nuclei that have not been measured experimentally, the underlying nuclear data come from theoretical models, the predictive power of which needs to be quantified, together with its uncertainties. By teaming up nuclear theorists and statisticians, we built comprehensive theoretical frameworks based on the most fundamental theories of fusion and fission that we coupled for the first time with a Bayesian framework with machine learning techniques for uncertainty quantification. Our results include: (1) statistical emulators for neutron-alpha scattering, and the fission product mass yields of neutron-induced fission of 239 Pu, which will enable developers to generate random realizations of the corresponding data for uncertainty quantification (UQ) in applications; (2) the first complete and most accurate ab initio prediction of the S-factor for proton capture on 7 Be, which – combined with UQ – may become the recommended value at solar energies in the next review of solar fusion cross sections; (3) statistical emulators for fission mass yields in the neutron-induced fission of 239 Pu; (4) the first quantification of how uncertainties in nuclear forces impact fission properties that are relevant in nucleosynthesis simulations to explain how heavy elements are formed in the Cosmos.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Determination of the Al 27 Neutron Distribution Radius from a Parity-Violating Electron Scattering Measurement

In this paper, we report the first measurement of the parity-violating elastic electron scattering asymmetry on 27 Al. The 27 Al elastic asymmetry is $A_{\text{PV}}$ = 2.16 ± 0.11(stat) ± 0.16(syst) ppm, and was measured at $\langle Q^2\rangle$ = 0.02357 ± 0.00010 GeV$^2$, $\angleθ_{\text{lab}}$ = 7.61° ± 0.02°, and $\langle E_{\text{lab}}$ = 1.157 GeV with the Q weak apparatus at Jefferson Lab. Predictions using a simple Born approximation as well as more sophisticated distorted-wave calculations are in good agreement with this result. From this asymmetry the 27 Al neutron radius $R_n$ = 2.89 ± 0.12 fm was determined using a many-models correlation technique. The corresponding neutron skin thickness $R_n – R_p$ = –0.04 ± 0.12 fm is small, as expected for a light nucleus with a neutron excess of only 1. This result thus serves as a successful benchmark for electroweak determinations of neutron radii on heavier nuclei. A tree-level approach was used to extract the 27 Al weak radius $R_w$ = 3.00 ± 0.15 fm, and the weak skin thickness $R_{\text{wk}} – R_{\text{ch}}$ = –0.04 ± 0.15 fm. The weak form factor at this $Q^2$ is $F_{\text{wk}}$ = 0.39 ± 0.04.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The rapid transition from star formation to AGN-dominated rest-frame ultraviolet light at z ≃ 4

ABSTRACT With the advent of deep optical-to-near-infrared extragalactic imaging on the degree scale, samples of high-redshift sources are being selected that contain both bright star-forming (SF) galaxies and faint active galactic nuclei (AGN). In this study, we investigate the transition between SF- and AGN-dominated systems at z ≃ 4 in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV). We find a rapid transition to AGN-dominated sources brightward of MUV ≃ −23.2. The effect is observed in the rest-frame UV morphology and size–luminosity relation, where extended clumpy systems become point-source-dominated, and also in the available spectra for the sample. These results allow us to derive the rest-frame UV luminosity function (LF) for the SF- and AGN-dominated subsamples. We find the SF-dominated LF is best fit with a double power law, with a lensed Schechter function being unable to explain the existence of extremely luminous SF galaxies at MUV ≃ −23.5. If we identify AGN-dominated sources according to a point-source morphology criterion, we recover the relatively flat faint-end slope of the AGN LF determined in previous studies. If we instead separate the LF according to the current spectroscopic AGN fraction, we find a steeper faint-end slope of α = −1.83 ± 0.11. Using a simple model to predict the rest-frame AGN LF from the z = 4 galaxy LF, we find that the increasing impact of host galaxy light on the measured morphology of faint AGN can explain our observations.

Bowler, R. A. A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Photoionization of C 60 at high energies

Calculations of the photoionization cross section of C60 including all valence and core subshells have been carried out for photon energies up to 1 keV using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) within the framework of a fully molecular model. The high-energy valence subshell cross sections behave rather differently than the results from model potentials where the cross section falls far too rapidly with energy. This unphysical behavior of the model calculations is traced to smearing out of the carbon nuclei in the model potentials which makes it difficult for momentum to be conserved at the higher energies. Comparison with 60 times carbon atomic cross section sheds light on similarities and differences. The high energy behavior of individual valence cross sections reflects the amount of C 2s/2p mixing in the molecular orbitals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Direct driving of electronic and phononic degrees of freedom in a honeycomb bilayer with infrared light

Here, we study theoretically AB-stacked honeycomb bilayers driven by light in resonance with an infrared phonon within a tight-binding description. We characterize the phonon properties of honeycomb bilayers with group theory and construct an electronic time-dependent tight-binding model for the system following photoexcitation in resonance with an infrared phonon. We adopt an atomically adiabatic approximation [V. Mohanty and E. J. Heller, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 116, 18316 (2019)] to describe classically vibrating nuclei, but obtain the Floquet quasienergy spectrum associated with the time-dependent model exactly. We introduce a general scheme to disentangle the complex low-frequency Floquet spectrum to elucidate the relevant Floquet bands. As a prototypical example, we consider bilayer graphene. We find that light in the low-frequency regime can induce a band gap in the quasienergy spectrum in the vicinity of the $K$ points even if it is linearly polarized, in contrast with the expectations within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and the high-frequency regime. Finally, we analyze the diabaticity of the driven electron and driven phonon processes and find contrasting effects on the autocorrelation functions at the same driving frequency: Driven phonons preserve the character of the initial state while driven electrons exhibit strong deviations within a few drive cycles. The procedure outlined here can be applied to other materials to describe the combined effects of low-frequency light on phonons and electrons.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Plastic scintillation detectors for time-of-flight mass measurements

Fast timing detectors are an essential element in the experimental setup for time-of-flight (ToF) mass measurements of unstable nuclei. We have upgraded the scintillator detectors used in experiments at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) by increasing the number of photomultiplier tubes that read out their light signals to four per detector, and characterized them in a test experiment with 48 Ca beam at the NSCL. The new detectors achieved a time resolution (σ) of 7.5 ps. We systematically investigated different factors that affect their timing performance. In addition, we evaluated the ability of positioning the hitting points on the scintillator using the timing information and obtained a resolution (σ) below 1 mm for well-defined beam spots.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nonequilibrium information entropy approach to ternary fission of actinides

Ternary fission of actinides probes the state of the nucleus at scission. Light clusters are produced in space and time very close to the scission point. Within the nonequilibrium statistical operator method, a generalized Gibbs distribution is constructed from the information given by the observed yields of isotopes. Using this relevant statistical operator, yields are calculated taking excited states and continuum correlations into account, in accordance with the virial expansion of the equation of state. Furthermore, clusters with mass number A≤10 are well described using the nonequilibrium generalizations of temperature and chemical potentials. Improving the virial expansion, in-medium effects may become of importance in determining the contribution of weakly bound states and continuum correlations to the intrinsic partition function. Yields of larger clusters, which fail to reach this quasiequilibrium form of the relevant distribution, are described by nucleation kinetics, and a saddle-to-scission relaxation time of about 7000 fm/c is inferred. Light-charged particle emission, described by reaction kinetics and virial expansions, may therefore be regarded as a very important tool to probe the nonequilibrium time evolution of actinide nuclei during fission.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optically detected NMR in a diamond-anvil cell for geochemistry

Developments in quantum-information processing are being adapted to perform nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on solutions in very small volumes. Here we describe efforts to adapt the technology to a diamond-anvil cell (DAC), with the goal of conducting solution NMR measurements at elevated pressures and temperatures. At the center of the method is the use of diamonds that have a particular type of defect that pairs a nitrogen atom substitution for near-surface carbon with a vacancy. These NV sites have unpaired electrons that can be excited while conserving electron spins and the amount of light released upon decay of the excited state depends upon the orientation of the electron spin. Under certain conditions the NV centers can probe AC magnetic fields from nearby nuclei with exquisite sensitivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Science Requirements and Detector Concepts for the Electron-Ion Collider: EIC Yellow Report

Here, this report describes the physics case, the resulting detector requirements, and the evolving detector concepts for the experimental program at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The EIC will be a powerful new high-luminosity facility in the United States with the capability to collide high-energy electron beams with high-energy proton and ion beams, providing access to those regions in the nucleon and nuclei where their structure is dominated by gluons. Moreover, polarized beams in the EIC will give unprecedented access to the spatial and spin structure of the proton, neutron, and light ions. The studies leading to this document were commissioned and organized by the EIC User Group with the objective of advancing the state and detail of the physics program and developing detector concepts that meet the emerging requirements in preparation for the realization of the EIC. The effort aims to provide the basis for further development of concepts for experimental equipment best suited for the science needs, including the importance of two complementary detectors and interaction regions. This report consists of three volumes. Volume I is an executive summary of our findings and developed concepts. In Volume II we describe studies of a wide range of physics measurements and the emerging requirements on detector acceptance and performance. Volume III discusses general-purpose detector concepts and the underlying technologies to meet the physics requirements. These considerations will form the basis for a world-class experimental program that aims to increase our understanding of the fundamental structure of all visible matter.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dwarf AGNs from Optical Variability for the Origins of Seeds (DAVOS): insights from the dark energy survey deep fields

ABSTRACT We present a sample of 706, z < 1.5 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected from optical photometric variability in three of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) deep fields (E2, C3, and X3) over an area of 4.64 deg2. We construct light curves using difference imaging aperture photometry for resolved sources and non-difference imaging PSF photometry for unresolved sources, respectively, and characterize the variability significance. Our DES light curves have a mean cadence of 7 d, a 6-yr baseline, and a single-epoch imaging depth of up to g ∼ 24.5. Using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we find 26 out of total 706 variable galaxies are consistent with dwarf galaxies with a reliable stellar mass estimate ($M_{\ast }\lt 10^{9.5}\, {\rm M}_\odot$; median photometric redshift of 0.9). We were able to constrain rapid characteristic variability time-scales (∼ weeks) using the DES light curves in 15 dwarf AGN candidates (a subset of our variable AGN candidates) at a median photometric redshift of 0.4. This rapid variability is consistent with their low black hole (BH) masses. We confirm the low-mass AGN nature of one source with a high S/N optical spectrum. We publish our catalogue, optical light curves, and supplementary data, such as X-ray properties and optical spectra, when available. We measure a variable AGN fraction versus stellar mass and compare to results from a forward model. This work demonstrates the feasibility of optical variability to identify AGNs with lower BH masses in deep fields, which may be more ‘pristine’ analogues of supermassive BH seeds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Single-Nucleon Transfer on Unstable 59 Cu Probes the NiCu Cycle in Astrophysical X-Ray Bursts

Recent models of the rapid proton (𝑟⁢𝑝) capture process indicate that a competition between the 59 Cu⁢(𝑝,𝛾) ⁢60 Zn and 59 Cu⁢(𝑝,𝛼) ⁢56 Ni reactions may result in the formation of a nickel-copper (NiCu) cycle that traps the flux of material between 56 Ni and 60 Zn . Here, in this work, we report the identification of 15 proton-unbound levels in 60 Zn , populated via 59 Cu⁢(𝑑,𝑛) transfer, which govern the rate of the 59 Cu⁢(𝑝,𝛾)⁢ 60 Zn reaction in XRBs. Precise excitation energies for levels in 60 Zn were obtained from observed 𝛾 decays, and spectroscopic factors were determined from angle-integrated cross sections. Incorporating these results into stellar-model calculations, we find that with experimentally constrained uncertainties a NiCu cycle in XRBs is indeed possible, though we limit its branching strength to less than 38%. While modest, such a branching has significant impact on the light curve, motivating further studies of the relevant rates. Our calculations also indicate that a significant NiCu cycle leads to an increase in the amount of odd-𝐴 nuclei in the burst ashes, which may affect Urca cooling processes in neutron star crusts.

direct reactions↗
DOE OSTI2023

Constraining AGN Torus Sizes with Optical and Mid-infrared Ensemble Structure Functions

We propose a new method to constrain the size of the dusty torus in broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using optical and mid-infrared (MIR) ensemble structure functions (SFs). Because of the geometric dilution of the torus, the MIR response to optical continuum variations has suppressed variability with respect to the optical that depends on the geometry (e.g., size, orientation, opening angle) of the torus. More extended tori have steeper MIR SFs with respect to the optical SFs. We demonstrate the feasibility of this SF approach using simulated AGN light curves and a geometric torus model. While it is difficult to use SFs to constrain the orientation and opening angle due to the insensitivity of the SF on these parameters, the size of the torus can be well determined. Applying this method to the ensemble SFs measured for 587 SDSS quasars, we measure a torus R–L relation of $\mathrm{log}\,{R}_{\mathrm{eff}}(\mathrm{pc})={0.51}_{-0.04}^{+0.04}\times \mathrm{log}({{L}}_{\mathrm{bol}}/{10}^{46}\,\mathrm{erg}\ {{\rm{s}}}^{-1})-{0.38}_{-0.01}^{+0.01}$ in the WISE W1 band and sizes ~1.4 times larger in the W2 band, which are in good agreement with dust reverberation mapping measurements. Compared with the reverberation mapping technique, the SF method is much less demanding in data quality and can be applied to any optical+MIR light curves for which a lag measurement may not be possible, as long as the variability process and torus structure are stationary. While this SF method does not extract all information contained in the light curves (i.e., the transfer function), it provides an intuitive interpretation for the observed trends of AGN MIR SFs compared with optical SFs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measurement of Charged-Pion Production in Deep-Inelastic Scattering off Nuclei with the CLAS Detector

Background: Energetic quarks in nuclear deep-inelastic scattering propagate through the nuclear medium. Processes that are believed to occur inside nuclei include quark energy loss through medium-stimulated gluon bremsstrahlung and intranuclear interactions of forming hadrons. More data are required to gain a more complete understanding of these effects. Purpose: To test the theoretical models of parton transport and hadron formation, we compared their predictions for the nuclear and kinematic dependence of pion production in nuclei. Methods: We have measured charged-pion production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off D, C, Fe, and Pb using the CLAS detector and the CEBAF 5.014-GeV electron beam. We report results on the nuclear-to-deuterium multiplicity ratio for π + and π - as a function of energy transfer, four-momentum transfer, and pion energy fraction or transverse momentum—the first three-dimensional study of its kind. Results: The π + multiplicity ratio is found to depend strongly on the pion fractional energy z and reaches minimum values of 0.67 ± 0.03, 0.43 ± 0.02, and 0.27 ± 0.01 for the C, Fe, and Pb targets, respectively. The z dependencies of the multiplicity ratios for π + and π - are equal within uncertainties for C and Fe targets but show differences at the level of 10% for the Pb-target data. The results are qualitatively described by the GIBUU transport model, as well as with a model based on hadron absorption, but are in tension with calculations based on nuclear fragmentation functions. Conclusions: These precise results will strongly constrain the kinematic and flavor dependence of nuclear effects in hadron production, probing an unexplored kinematic region. They will help to reveal how the nucleus reacts to a fast quark, thereby shedding light on its color structure and transport properties and on the mechanisms of the hadronization process.

Moran, S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

XMM and NuSTAR Observations of an Optically Quiescent Quasar

Optically quiescent quasars (OQQs) represent a recently systematized class of infrared-luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that have galaxy-like optical continua. They may represent an interesting, brief phase in the AGN life cycle, e.g., either cocooned within high-covering-factor media or indicative of recent triggering, though their nature remains unclear. Here, we present the first targeted simultaneous X-ray observations of an OQQ, our previously identified prototype, SDSS J075139.06+402811.2 at z = 0.587. The source is significantly detected over 0.5–16 keV with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR, unambiguously confirming the presence of current accretion activity. Spectral modeling yields an intrinsic luminosity L 2–10 keV ≈ 4.4 × 10 43 erg s -1 , well within the AGN regime, but underluminous relative to its infrared power. It is lightly obscured, with log N H [cm -2 ] ≈ 22.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Pion and kaon parton distribution functions from basis light front quantization and QCD evolution

We investigate the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the pion and the kaon by combining quantum chromodynamics (QCD) evolution with the basis light front quantization. The initial PDFs result from the light front wave functions obtained by diagonalizing the effective Hamiltonian consisting of the holographic QCD confinement potential, a complementary longitudinal confinement potential, and the color-singlet Nambu–Jona-Lasinio interactions. The valence-quark PDF of the pion, after QCD evolution, is consistent with the result from the E-0615 experiment at Fermilab. Meanwhile, the pion structure function calculated from the PDFs agrees with the ZEUS and the H1 experiments at DESY-HERA for large x. Additionally, the ratio of the up quark PDF of the kaon to that of the pion is in agreement with the NA-003 experiment at CERN. Finally, we also present the cross section for the pion-nucleus induced Drell-Yan process with the obtained pion PDFs supplemented by the PDFs of the target nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗