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At least 343 records · Page 19

High-spectral-resolution X-Ray Observations of the Evolved Supermassive Stellar Binary System η Carinae: Fe K α Band Profile Revealed with XRISM

The supermassive binary system, η Carinae, is experiencing enormous wind-driven mass loss at a rate unparalleled in the rest of the Galaxy. Their wind–wind collision (WWC) continuously produces shock heated, X-ray-emitting plasmas. The XRISM X-ray observatory observed the system in 2023 and 2024 when the X-ray emission began to increase toward periastron passage in 2025. This paper reports unprecedentedly high-resolution X-ray spectra in the Fe Kα band between 6.2 and 7.1 keV, obtained with the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter. The hydrogen-like (Lyα) and helium-like (Heα) lines reveal three velocity components. Two of them are broadened with maximum velocities of 2000–3000 km s −1 , likely originating from the postshock companion wind. The other is relatively narrow, with a Gaussian broadening of only ∼290 km s −1 in 1σ, which may originate from the postshock companion wind at the WWC stagnation point or penetrating the primary wind. The Fe fluorescent lines exhibit a moderate blueshift and broadening with velocities at 100–200 km s −1 , consistent with the primary wind’s velocity field. The spectra also confirm a Compton shoulder of the Heα line complex for the first time. Both fluorescing and scattering spectral profiles indicate that the binary system is seen from the companion side during these observations. The flux ratio of the Compton-scattering emission to the fluorescent line suggests substantial hydrogen depletion of the primary wind, expected from CNO-cycled hydrogen nuclear fusion gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Unravelling the origins of shale nanoporosity using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS)

Hydrocarbon production from tight rocks is constrained by slow diffusion within the shale matrix, limited by small pore sizes and low permeability. The nanopore proportion and size distribution significantly influence matrix permeability, a key property for optimizing hydrocarbon recovery and supporting hydrogen production while minimizing environmental impacts. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been an important tool for exploring the characteristics and structure of shale nanopores. This study used SANS to analyze nanoporosity and pore size distribution (<100 nm) in tight rocks with varying compositions to determine the influence of rock heterogeneity on SANS measurements. Results showed that nanoporosity correlates with clay content, with the highest clay-rich shale (52.48 wt% clay) exhibiting 8.8 % nanoporosity. SANS also revealed more nanopores than traditional nitrogen adsorption measurements, affirming its ability to reflect bulk mineralogy and upholding the relevance of experimental findings using this technique to optimize field operational approaches.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

A novel hydride phase in hydrogen charged Ti3Al

The effect of internal hydrogen on the microstructural modification of Ti3Al (alpha-2) compound was studied by large-angle neutron scattering and TEM. Ti-25 at. pct Al (Ti3Al) specimens were exposed to gaseous hydrogen atmosphere at 600 C that resulted in internal hydrogen concentration of 2000 ppm. The hydrogen-charged alloy consisted of a mixture of alpha-2 phase and a novel Ti3AlH phase with the E2(1), (Pm3m) crystal structure. The lattice parameters and atomic arrangement of the Ti3AlH phase were determined.

Schwartz, D. S.↗

New insights into the pole parameters of the Λ(1380), the Λ(1405) and the Σ(1385)

A coupled-channel S- and P-wave next-to-leading order chiral-unitary approach for strangeness S = –1 meson-baryon scattering is extended to include the new data from the KLOE and AMADEUS experiments as well as the Λπ mass distribution of the Σ(1385). The positions of the poles on the second Riemann sheet corresponding to the Σ(1385) pole and the Λ(1380) and Λ(1405) poles as well as the couplings of these states to various channels are calculated. We find that the resonance positions and branching ratios are on average determined with about 20% higher precision when including the KLOE and AMADEUS data. Additionally, for the first time, the correlations between the parameters of the poles are investigated and shown to be relevant. We also find that the Σ(1385) has negligible influence on the properties of the Λ states given the available data. Still, we identify isospin-1 cusp structures in the present solution in light of new measurements of π ± Λ line-shapes by the Belle collaboration.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Effects of Hydrogen Bonding on Nuclear Data Development of Liquid Anhydrous HF

Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) at high temperatures and pressures is used to process and manufacture nuclear fuel. As HF is often used directly with uranium, correct neutron thermal scattering cross sections are crucial to criticality safety applications. Classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulation of the flexible HF system was used to create the thermal scattering law (TSL) and cross sections. The initial 2-site model is used in LAMMPS, and it can not capture the H-bond. To correctly represent the H-bond effects, a second, 3-site model was constructed in GROMACS. The 3-site model handled H-bonds by connecting a massless charge to the molecule. Key model parameters were compared to experimental data to verify the approach and models. To get the normalized VACF, the model was compared using hydrogen and fluorine bond length, density, potential energy, and diffusion coefficient. The phonon DOSs for both models were derived from the normalized VACF. DOSs were used to estimate the TSL ( S ( α, β )) and neutron thermal scattering cross sections for hydrogen in HF. The TSLs were evaluated using the FLASSH code with the Schofield diffusion model. It was observed that the representation of the hydrogen bonding changes the TSL's diffusional contributions. This is represented in the low energy scattering cross section, where intermolecular binding effects shift the cross section.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Neutron vibrational spectroscopic evidence for short H∙∙∙H contacts in the RNiInH 1.4; 1.6 (R = Ce, La) metal hydride

Intermetallic metal hydrides are critical materials for hydrogen storage applications, however, metal hydrides with greater storage capacities are still needed. Within metal hydrides, the volumetric storage capacities are limited by the number of hydrogen-accommodating interstitial sites which can be simultaneously occupied given a minimum hydride nearest-neighbor distance of ~2.1 A, according to the Switendick-Westlake criterion. To date, violations of this criterion are rare. Perhaps the most well studied compounds violating this criterion are the RNiInHx compounds (R = Ce, La, Nd). Previous neutron diffraction studies on the deuterated species revealed the presence of Ni-D∙∙∙D-Ni-D∙∙∙D-Ni chains with anomalously close D∙∙∙D contacts of ~1.6 A. Yet there are no neutron vibrational spectroscopic investigations reported for these atypical hydrides. Here we use neutron vibrational spectroscopy (NVS) measurements to probe the hydrogen dynamics in LaNiInHx (x = 0.67, 1.6) and CeNiInH 1.4 . For x > 0.67, the presence of close H...H contacts yields two related features in the vibrational spectrum centered near ~90 meV corresponding to the oscillations of paired H atoms simultaneously occupying neighboring R 3 Ni tetrahedra. Notably, these features are energetically distinct from comparable vibrational motions for "unpaired" H atoms when x = 0.67. To compare, we also present powder neutron diffraction and NVS measurements for the newly characterized, chemically similar Sn compounds CeNiSnH, CeNiSnH 2 , and CeNiSnD 2 . These compounds also contain R 3 Ni tetrahedra, however, the H-occupied tetrahedra are well separated from each other with the closest H∙∙∙H distances exceeding 2.1 A, and the Switendick-Westlake criterion is not violated. Consequently, the spectral signature of the close H∙∙∙H contacts is absent in these hydrides.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Discovery of a longitudinal asymmetry in the H Lyman-alpha brightness of Jupiter

A strong longitude variation in the midlatitude Lyman-alpha brightness of Jupiter has been discovered using data from the Voyager ultraviolet spectrometers. A minimum brightness of 14.4 kR was observed in the System III (1965) west longitude range 200-300 deg. The intensity rises to a broad peak of 19.6 kR near a longitude of 110 deg, a 36% increase over the minimum. This intensity 'bulge' was observed to rotate with the planet and appeared at the same longitude during both Voyager encounters, four months apart. This is a surprising discovery; no other planet studied to date has such a characteristic and the upper levels of the Jovian atmosphere were expected to be uniform in longitude. It is likely that a longitudinal asymmetry in charged particle precipitation leads to selective heating of the upper atmosphere and increased dissociation of H2, increasing the hydrogen column abundance. The resulting increase in resonant scattering could produce the observed intensity bulge.

Sandel, B. R.↗

Spectral flux from low-density photospheres - Numerical results

Radiative transfer through sharp, quasi-static atmospheres whose opacity is dominated by hydrogen is considered at densities low enough that scattering usually dominates absorption and radiative excitations usually dominate collisional excitations. Numerical results for the continuum spectral flux are obtained for effective temperatures T(e) = 6000-16,000 K and scale heights Delta-R = 10 to the 10th - 10 to the 14th cm. Spectra are significantly different than if LTE level populations were assumed. Comparison with observations of the Type II supernova 1980k tends to increase the value of the Hubble constant previously obtained by the Baade (1926) method.

Hershkowitz, S.↗

Spectral flux from low-density photospheres - Approximate results

Radiative transfer through sharp, quasi-static atmospheres containing mostly hydrogen is considered at densities low enough that scattering dominates absorption and collisional excitations are negligible. It is found that the balance between photoionization and radiative recombination which governs the atomic level populations greatly reduces the effective absorptive opacity. Approximate results for the emergent continuum spectral flux are obtained, significantly different than if local thermodynamic equilibrium level populations were assumed. The flux jumps at the photoionization thresholds are relatively small for the photospheric temperatures T sub p(v) greater than or about 6000 K considered, and T sub p increases toward the far-ultraviolet. It appears that the lack of a Balmer jump in spectra of Type II supernovae implies that the flux is diluted below that of a blackbody at the same color temperature, which increases the value of the Hubble constant obtained by the Baade (1926) method.

Hershkowitz, S.↗

Measurement of the Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Cross Section from the Proton at 10.6 GeV using the CLAS12 Detector

Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) is an exclusive process that produces a real photon when a lepton scatters from a quark inside a nucleon or a nucleus. Measurement of the DVCS cross section enables the study of the Generalized Parton Distributions (GPD), which plays a central role in understanding the QCD dynamics inside a hadron. Thus, the quark and gluon origin of the nucleon spin and mass can be probed and three-dimensional images of the target nucleon or nucleus can be realized. This thesis presents a cross section analysis of DVCS from the proton in the presence of its background, Bethe-Heitler (BH) process. The CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer for operation at 12 GeV beam energy (CLAS12) collaboration has taken electron-proton scattering data in fall 2018 using a liquid hydrogen target and the 10.6 GeV polarized electron beam from the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). The CLAS12 detector is a nearly hermetic fixed-target detector, located in Hall B, Jefferson Lab at Newport News, Virginia. The experimentally determined BH-DVCS cross section is in good agreement with a phenomenological-model based theoretical prediction. The kinematic dependence of the cross section is reported over a wide range. The short-term plan to utilize the results presented here for a thorough tomography study and the long-term plan for GPD studies at future facilities such as the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) are discussed.

Lee, Sangbaek↗

Surface Analysis and Hydrogen Permation Measurements for Super-Permeating Membrane Materials

In this report, we summarize preliminary surface characterization results for Nb surfaces, using low energy ion scattering, direct recoil spectrometry, and Auger electron spectroscopy. While most surface analysis tools cannot detect hydrogen, the low energy ion beam techniques described here are among the few techniques that are directly sensitive to it. For this study, we examined chemisorption using both molecular and atomic hydrogen (using an heated tungsten capillary to dissociate the hydrogen.) To complement these results, we have been performing ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry as a means of detecting the surface oxide.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pioneer 10 and Voyager observations of the interstellar medium in scattered emission of the He584 A and H Lya 1216 A lines

The combination of Pioneer photometric and Voyager spectrometric observations of EUV interstellar-interplanetary emissions in the region beyond 5 A was applied to a determination of atomic hydrogen and helium densities. These density estimates obtained from direct measurement of scattered radiation depend on absolute calibration of the instruments in the same way as other earlier determinations based on the same method. However, the spacecraft data were combined with daily full sun averages of the H Lyman 1216 A line obtained by the Solar Mesospheric Explorer satellite to obtain a measure of atomic hydrogen density independent of instrument absolute calibration. The method depends on observations of long and short term temporal variability of the solar line over a one year period, and the fact that the ISM is optically thick. The density estimates from preliminary work on these observations are H = 0.12 cu cm and H = .016 cu cm, giving a density ratio close to the cosmic abundance value in contrast to some earlier results indicating a depletion of atomic hydrogen. Estimates were obtained of galactic background emissions in the signals of both spacecraft.

Shemansky, D. E.↗

Multiscale Structural Characterization of a Smectic Liquid Crystalline Elastomer upon Mechanical Deformation Using Neutron Scattering

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exhibit unique shape memory behavior due to the combination of liquid crystalline orientation and rubber elasticity. Multiscale structural characterization of these materials upon deformation is crucial to understanding their structure–property relationships. In this work, the structure evolution of an epoxy-based, main-chain LCE with deuterated flexible spacers upon uniaxial mechanical deformation is investigated at different length scales. Wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS/SAXS) reveal the presence of smectic polymorphism and rotations of the smectic domains upon mechanical stretching, which is also confirmed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Importantly, the selective deuteration enables an improved neutron scattering contrast between the smectic and amorphous domains. SANS patterns of the deformed, deuterated LCE exhibit strong scattering streaks that are not observed in SAXS or SANS of hydrogenated LCE, indicating the presence of highly aligned amorphous domains. The macroscopic orientation also results in the formation of structures in the micrometer scale revealed by the ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering (USANS) experiment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pioneer 10 and Voyager Observations of the Interstellar Medium in Scattered Emission of the He 584 a and H Lya 1216 a Lines

The combination of Pioneer photometric and Voyager spectrometric observations of EUV interstellar-interplanetary emissions in the region beyond 5 A was applied to a determination of atomic hydrogen and helium densities. These density estimates obtained from direct measurement of scattered radiation depend on absolute calibration of the instruments in the same way as other earlier determinations based on the same method. However, the spacecraft data were combined with daily ll sun averages of the H Lyman 1216 A line obtained by the Solar Mesospheric Explorer satellite to obtain a measure of atomic hydrogen density independent of instrument absolute calibration. The method depends on observations of long and short term temporal variability of the solar line over a one year period, and the fact that the ISM is optically thick. The density estimates from preliminary work on these observations are H = 0.12/cu cm and H = .016/cu cm, giving a density ratio close to the cosmic abundance value in contrast to some earlier results indicating a depletion of atomic hydrogen. Estimates were obtained of galactic background emissions in the signals of both spacecraft.

Shemansky, D. E.↗

Investigation of the feasibility of optical diagnostic measurements at the exit of the SSME

Under Contract NAS8-36861 sponsored by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the United Technologies Research Center is conducting an investigation of the feasibility of remote optical diagnostics to measure temperature, species concentration and velocity at the exit of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This is a two phase study consisting of a conceptual design phase followed by a laboratory experimental investigation. The first task of the conceptual design studies is to screen and evaluate the techniques which can be used for the measurements. The second task is to select the most promising technique or techniques, if as expected, more than one type of measurement must be used to measure all the flow variables of interest. The third task is to examine in detail analytically the capabilities and limitations of the selected technique(s). The results of this study are described in the section of this report entitled Conceptual Design Investigations. The conceptual design studies identified spontaneous Raman scattering and photodissociative flow-tagging for measurements respectively of gas temperature and major species concentration and for velocity. These techniques and others that were considered are described in the section describing the conceptual design. The objective of the second phase of investigations was to investigate experimentally the techniques identified in the first phase. The first task of the experimental feasibility study is to design and assemble laboratory scale experimental apparatus to evaluate the best approaches for SSME exit optical diagnostics for temperature, species concentrations and velocity, as selected in the Phase I conceptual design study. The second task is to evaluate performance, investigate limitations, and establish actual diagnostic capabilities, accuracies and precision for the selected optical systems. The third task is to evaluate design requirements and system trade-offs of conceptual instruments. Spontaneous Raman scattering excited by a KrF excimer laser pulse was investigated for SSME exit plane temperature and major species concentration measurements. The relative concentrations of molecular hydrogen and water vapor would be determined by measuring the integrated Q-branch scattering signals through narrow bandpass filters in front of photomultipliers. The temperature would be determined by comparing the signal from a single hydrogen rotational Raman line to the total hydrogen Q-branch signal. The rotational Raman line would be isolated by a monochromator and detected with a PMT.

Shirley, John A.↗

Pioneer 10 and Voyager Observations of the Interstellar Medium in Scattered Emission of the H 584 A and H Lya 1216 A Lines

The combination of Pioneer photometric and Voyager spectrometric observations of EUV interstellar-interplanetary emissions in the region beyond 5 AU have been applied to a determination of atomic hydrogen and helium densities. These density estimates obtained from direct measurement of scattered radiation depend on absolute calibration of the instruments, in the same way as other earlier determinations based on the same method. However. we have combined the spacecraft data with daily full sun averages of the H Lya 1216 A line obtained by the Solar Mesospheric Explorer (SME) satellite, to obtain a measure of atomic hydrogen density independent of instrument absolute calibration. The method depends on observations of long and short term temporal variability of the solar line over a 1 year period, and the fact that the ISM is optically thick. The density estimates from preliminary work on these observations are (H) = 0.12 cm(sup 2) and (He) = .016 cm(sup 2), giving a density ratio close to the cosmic abundance value, in contrast to some earlier results indicating a depletion of atomic hydrogen. We have obtained estimates of galactic background emissions in the signals of both spacecraft.

Shemansky, D. E.↗

Search for GeV-scale dark matter annihilation in the Sun with IceCube DeepCore

The Sun provides an excellent target for studying spin-dependent dark matter-proton scattering due to its high matter density and abundant hydrogen content. Dark matter particles from the Galactic halo can elastically interact with Solar nuclei, resulting in their capture and thermalization in the Sun. The captured dark matter can annihilate into Standard Model particles including an observable flux of neutrinos. Here, we present the results of a search for low-energy (<500 GeV) neutrinos correlated with the direction of the Sun using 7 years of IceCube data. This work utilizes, for the first time, new optimized cuts to extend IceCube's sensitivity to dark matter mass down to 5 GeV. We find no significant detection of neutrinos from the Sun. Our observations exclude capture by spin-dependent dark matter-proton scattering with cross section down to a few times 10 -41 cm 2 , assuming there is equilibrium with annihilation into neutrinos/antineutrinos for dark matter masses between 5 GeV and 100 GeV. These are the strongest constraints at GeV energies for dark matter annihilation directly to neutrinos.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗