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At least 361 records · Page 20

Thermally induced mimicry of quantum cluster excitations and implications for the magnetic transition in FePSe 3

In two dimensional magnets, the interplay of thermal fluctuations and spin anisotropy control the existence of long-range magnetic order. In the van der Waals antiferromagnets FePX 3 , orbital degeneracy in the 𝑡 2⁢𝑔 levels of the Fe 2+ ions in octahedral coordination yields strong uniaxial anisotropy, which stabilizes magnetic order up to 𝑇 ≈ 100 K. Recent inelastic neutron scattering measurements around the magnetic ordering transition have shown the existence of a broad spectrum of magnetic fluctuations with nontrivial momentum dependence, which has been interpreted as evidence for localized entangled cluster excitations. In this paper, we offer an alternative interpretation using classical nonlinear spin dynamics simulations. We present stochastic Landau Lifshitz dynamics simulations that reproduce the neutron scattering measurements of Chen et al. [npj Quantum Mater. 9, 40 (2024)] on FePSe 3 . These calculations faithfully explain the dynamical structure factor's momentum and energy dependence and point to a classical origin for the excitations observed in neutron spectroscopy and that the order-disorder transition can be understood in terms of thermal fluctuations overcoming the anisotropy energy.

Landau-Lifschitz-Gilbert equation↗

Gravitational waves from cosmic superstrings and gauge strings

Abstract We perform a phenomenological comparison of the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum expected from cosmic gauge string networks and superstring networks comprised of multiple string types. We show how violations of scaling behavior and the evolution of the number of relativistic degrees of freedom in the early Universe affect the GW spectrum. We derive simple analytical expressions for the GW spectrum from superstrings and gauge strings that are valid for all frequencies relevant to pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) and laser interferometers. We analyze the latest data from PTAs and show that superstring networks are consistent with 32 nHz data from NANOGrav, but are excluded by 3.2 nHz data at 3σunless the string couplingg s <0.2 or the strings evolve in only about 10% of the volume of the higher-dimensional space. We also point out that while gauge string networks are excluded by NANOGrav-15 data at 3σ, they are completely compatible with EPTA and PPTA data. Finally, we study correlations between GW signals at PTAs and laser interferometers.

Physics↗

Gravitational wave spectrum of chain inflation

Chain inflation is an alternative to slow-roll inflation in which the inflaton tunnels along a large number of consecutive minima in its potential. In this work we perform the first comprehensive calculation of the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum of chain inflation. In contrast to slow-roll inflation the latter does not stem from quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field during inflation, but rather from the bubble collisions during the first-order phase transitions associated with vacuum tunneling. Our calculation is performed within an effective theory of chain inflation which builds on an expansion of the tunneling rate capturing most of the available model space. The effective theory can be seen as chain inflation’s analog of the slow-roll expansion in rolling models of inflation. The near scale-invariance of the scalar power spectrum translates to a quasiperiodic shape of the inflaton potential in chain inflation, with the tunneling rate changing very slowly during the e-folds leading to cosmic microwave background observables. We show that chain inflation produces a very characteristic double-peak GW spectrum: a faint high-frequency peak associated with the gravitational radiation emitted during inflation, and a strong low-frequency peak associated with the graceful exit from chain inflation (marking the transition to the radiation-dominated epoch). There exist very exciting prospects to test the gravitational wave signal from chain inflation at the aLIGO-aVIRGO-KAGRA network, at LISA and /or at pulsar timing array experiments. A particularly intriguing possibility we point out is that chain inflation could be the source of the stochastic gravitational wave background recently detected by NANOGrav, PPTA, EPTA, and CPTA. We also show that the gravitational wave signal of chain inflation is often accompanied by running/ higher running of the scalar spectral index to be tested at future cosmic microwave background experiments. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Freese, Katherine↗

Fabrication of a Point-Like Transmission Target for Reducing Computed Tomography Imaging Artifacts

In this study, we address the challenge of enhancing image quality and spatial resolution in computed tomography (CT) imaging by introducing simulation and fabrication of high aspect ratio, point-like transmission targets. Utilizing advanced electroplating techniques, traditionally employed in the fabrication of Through Substrate Via (TSV) interconnects for CMOS circuitry, we successfully embed copper targets within silicon substrates. This method allows us to create high-aspect-ratio features specifically designed for X-ray transmission targets, resulting in micro targets that exhibit a volume increase compared to conventional evaporated surface targets. Furthermore, we present simulation results of the X-ray spectrum generated by these targets, demonstrating their potential to significantly improve both image quality and spatial resolution in CT applications. Our findings suggest that leveraging advanced fabrication techniques can open new avenues for the development of enhanced imaging technologies in medical diagnostics and beyond.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Efficiently evaluating loop integrals in the EFTofLSS using QFT integrals with massive propagators

We develop a new way to analytically calculate loop integrals in the Effective Field Theory of Large Scale-Structure. Previous available methods show severe limitations beyond the one-loop power spectrum due to analytical challenges and computational and memory costs. Our new method is based on fitting the linear power spectrum with cosmology-independent functions that resemble integer powers of quantum field theory massive propagators with complex masses. A remarkably small number of them is sufficient to reach enough accuracy. Similarly to former approaches, the cosmology dependence is encoded in the coordinate vector of the expansion of the linear power spectrum in our basis. We first produce cosmology-independent tensors where each entry is the loop integral evaluated on a given combination of basis vectors. For each cosmology, the evaluation of a loop integral amounts to contracting this tensor with the coordinate vector of the linear power spectrum. The 3-dimensional loop integrals for our basis functions can be evaluated using techniques familiar to particle physics, such as recursion relations and Feynman parametrization. We apply our formalism to evaluate the one-loop bispectrum of galaxies in redshift space. The final analytical expressions are quite simple and can be evaluated with little computational and memory cost. We show that the same expressions resolve the integration of all one-loop N-point function in the EFTofLSS. This method, which is originally presented here, has already been applied in the first one-loop bispectrum analysis of the BOSS data to constraint ΛCDM parameters and primordial non-Gaussianities [1, 2].

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Topological Langmuir-cyclotron wave

A theory is developed to describe the topological Langmuir-cyclotron wave (TLCW), a topological excitation in magnetized plasmas recently identified by numerical simulations. As a topological wave in a continuous medium, the TLCW propagates unidirectionally without scattering in complex boundaries and can be explored as an effective mechanism to energize particles. We show that, because momentum space in continuous media is contractible in general, the topology of the wave bundles is trivial over momentum space that contains no degeneracy points. This is in stark contrast to condensed matters with periodic lattice structures that impose nontrivial topology on momentum space. In continuous media without lattice structures, nontrivial topology of the eigenmode bundles manifests over phase space, and it is the nontrivial topology over phase space that underpins the topological excitations, such as the TLCW. It is shown that the TLCW can be faithfully modeled by a generic tilted Dirac cone in phase space, whose entire spectrum, including the spectral flow, is given.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Godiva IV Simulated Radiation Field Characterization and Variance Reduction

Godiva IV is a system comprised of highly enriched uranium alloyed with molybdenum in the form of fuel plate rings. The reactor, along with its predecessors, was designed with the unique ability to satisfy interests in the super-prompt-critical reactor operation space. Originally, the reactor was part of the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) at Technical Area-18 (TA-18). The radiation field around Godiva at this facility was well characterized and understood. As a fast neutron system, the neutron spectrum in and around Godiva was close to a Watt Fission spectrum. The Kiva where Godiva IV was located at LACEF was made of thin, sheet metal walls which did not contribute significantly to the neutron spectrum. Following the transition of LACEF to the National Critical Experiments and Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada, Godiva-IV was moved from TA-18 to the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Part of this move brought renewed interest in radiation field characterization. The new facility introduced significant changes to the environment surrounding Godiva, and preliminary foil irradiation results suggested that the room contribution to the neutron spectrum was significant. Unlike at TA-18, a large thermal neutron signature was added to the fast spectrum from Godiva due to significant room return. A primary goal due to the additional complexity that the room return adds to the Godiva IV radiation emission spectrum was the development of an efficient Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) calculation capable of characterizing the neutron spectrum anywhere in the room around Godiva. A campaign of activation foil irradiations and analysis were completed to support the validation of the MCNP model. The modeling of these foils in MCNP can be easily done with a standard volumetric neutron flux tally. However, given the multitude of locations and reaction rates to be modeled, further steps must be taken to increase the efficiency of these calculations in MCNP. During this study, a benchmark model currently under development for Godiva IV was used. A qualitative assessment of the thermal neutron contributors was performed using spatial neutron distribution plots. Additional detail was added to the model based on the qualitative results showing the thermal spectrum’s large sensitivity to hydrogenous material. Neutron energy spectra was evaluated at discrete locations in the room around Godiva to quantify the relative contribution of various components. It was discovered that the concrete walls are the largest contributor to the thermal signature, with minor contributions from plastic components surrounding Godiva. Following these results, two different variance reduction techniques were implemented to improve the problem efficiency in these calculations. In the first approach, an F5 point detector tally was implemented in the standard Godiva IV criticality problem. The second approach involved a weight-window generator implementation with an F5 point detector tally in a fixed source problem. The weight window implementation reduced the runtime from 42739.55 minutes to 1803.34 minutes (computer time), compared to the F5 KCODE implementation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Applying Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy and Principal Component Analysis to Understand How Temperature Affects the Neptunium(V) Absorption Spectrum

The visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) electronic absorption spectrum of neptunium(V) (NpO 2 + ) comprises numerous f-f electronic transitions with mostly undocumented temperature dependencies. The effect of temperature on the absorption spectrum of the pentavalent neptunyl dioxocation (NpO 2 + ) is an important factor to consider with spectrophotometric applications but has often been overlooked. Optical Vis-NIR absorption spectra (400–1700 nm) of Np(V) (0.017–0.89 M) in 1 M nitric acid were evaluated with varying temperatures (T = 10–80 °C). The intensity, position, and overall shape of the bands were sensitive to interactions with the solvent and coordination environment. Numerous temperature-induced isosbestic points were identified resulting from dynamic, overlapping peak shifts. Spectral variations were characterized using principal component analysis (PCA) and 2D correlation spectroscopy (COS). 2D-COS revealed that the absorption band near 1095 nm likely consists of two bands centered near 1087 and 1096 nm, which cannot be explained by current computational methods. 2D-COS analysis also provided an unambiguous assignment of unresolved peaks in the visible region for comparison with computational predictions. PCA was used to identify nonlinearity in the spectral response at elevated Np(V) concentrations ≥ 0.5 M. This unique experimental data and interpretation will foster a deeper understanding of the absorption spectra for complex actinyl ions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Toward a resolution of the NN controversy

Lattice QCD calculations of two-nucleon interactions have been underway for about a decade, but still haven't reached the pion mass regime necessary for matching onto effective field theories and extrapolating to the physical point. Furthermore, results from different methods, including the use of the Lüscher formalism with different types of operators, as well as the HALQCD potential method, do not agree even qualitatively at very heavy pion mass. We investigate the role that different operators employed in the literature may play on the extraction of spectra for use within the Lüscher method. We first explore expectations from Effective Field Theory solved within a finite volume, for which the exact spectrum may be computed given different physical scenarios. We then present preliminary lattice QCD results for two-nucleon spectra calculated using different operators on a common lattice ensemble.

Nicholson, A↗

Light sources with bias tunable spectrum based on van der Waals interface transistors

Light-emitting electronic devices are ubiquitous in key areas of current technology, such as data communications, solid-state lighting, displays, and optical interconnects. Controlling the spectrum of the emitted light electrically, by simply acting on the device bias conditions, is an important goal with potential technological repercussions. However, identifying a material platform enabling broad electrical tuning of the spectrum of electroluminescent devices remains challenging. Here, we propose light-emitting field-effect transistors based on van der Waals interfaces of atomically thin semiconductors as a promising class of devices to achieve this goal. We demonstrate that large spectral changes in room-temperature electroluminescence can be controlled both at the device assembly stage –by suitably selecting the material forming the interfaces– and on-chip, by changing the bias to modify the device operation point. Even though the precise relation between device bias and kinetics of the radiative transitions remains to be understood, our experiments show that the physical mechanism responsible for light emission is robust, making these devices compatible with simple large areas device production methods.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Occupational disorder as the origin of flattening of the acoustic phonon branches in the clathrate Ba 8 ⁢Ga 16 ⁢Ge 30

In the search for high-performance thermoelectrics, materials such as clathrates have drawn attention due to having both glasslike low phonon thermal conductivity and crystal-like high electrical conductivity. Ba 8 ⁢Ga 16 ⁢Ge 30 (BGG) has a loosely bound guest Ba atom trapped inside rigid Ga-Ge cage structures. Avoided crossings between acoustic phonons and the flat guest atom branches have been proposed to be the source of the low lattice thermal conductivity of BGG. Ga-Ge site disorder with Ga and Ge exchanging places in different unit cells has also been reported. We used time-of-flight neutron scattering to measure the complete phonon spectrum in a large single crystal of BGG and compared these results with predictions of density functional theory to elucidate the effect of the disorder on heat-carrying phonons. Experimental results agreed much better with the calculation assuming the disorder than with the calculation assuming the ordered configuration. Although the atomic masses of Ga and Ge are nearly identical, we found that disorder strongly reduces phonon group velocities, which significantly reduces thermal conductivity. Finally, our work points to a path towards optimizing thermoelectrics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Parameter-masked Mock Data Challenge for Beyond-two-point Galaxy Clustering Statistics

The past few years have seen the emergence of a wide array of novel techniques for analyzing high-precision data from upcoming galaxy surveys, which aim to extend the statistical analysis of galaxy clustering data beyond the linear regime and the canonical two-point (2pt) statistics. We test and benchmark some of these new techniques in a community data challenge named “Beyond-2pt,” initiated during the Aspen 2022 Summer Program “Large-Scale Structure Cosmology beyond 2-Point Statistics,” whose first round of results we present here. The challenge data set consists of high-precision mock galaxy catalogs for clustering in real space, in redshift space, and on a light cone. Participants in the challenge have developed end-to-end pipelines to analyze mock catalogs and extract unknown (“masked”) cosmological parameters of the underlying ΛCDM models with their methods. The methods represented are density-split clustering, nearest neighbor statistics, BACCO power spectrum emulator, void statistics, LEFTfield field-level inference using effective field theory (EFT), and joint power spectrum and bispectrum analyses using both EFT and simulation-based inference. In this work, we review the results of the challenge, focusing on problems solved, lessons learned, and future research needed to perfect the emerging beyond-2pt approaches. The unbiased parameter recovery demonstrated in this challenge by multiple statistics and the associated modeling and inference frameworks supports the credibility of cosmology constraints from these methods. The challenge data set is publicly available, and we welcome future submissions from methods that are not yet represented.

Krause, Elisabeth [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (U↗

Properties of giant dipole resonances within an extended pairing model with a focus on spectral statistics

In this paper, we report on a study of the spectral features associated with dipole resonances in medium mass nuclei (E ≤ 12 MeV), as revealed in the framework of the spd-interacting boson model. The effect of pairing correlations on the theory follows from solutions obtained through an application of the Bethe Ansatz Equation. In general, calculated spectra around the critical point of the vibrational to γ-soft transitions appears to approach that of a Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble, while near the rotational and vibrational limits of the theory the spectra show more regular behavior. Specifically, the results reveal that the statistical features of the spectra are sensitive to the vector boson pairing strength, c p , in the transition region; that is, when c p is zero, or when the system approaches one of its dynamical symmetries limits the spectrum display regular features, while for stronger c p values, or when near to the critical phase transition region, the spectral feature show more chaotic behavior. Overall, our results indicate that the statistical features are governed by the interplay between dipole resonant energies, pairing correlations, and interactions between and among the single and vector bosons modes of the theory. As part of this work we also found out that chaoticity occurs when results were fit to a Berry-Robnik distribution. Throughout our analyses, we used experimentally known information about both positive and negative parity states. Our findings suggest that dipole resonances appear to be best-described by Poisson statistics for A ≈ 32-138 nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Neutron scattering study of magnetic anisotropy in the tetragonal antiferromagnet Bi 2 CuO 4

In this work, we present a comprehensive study of magnon excitations in the tetragonal easy-plane antiferromagnet Bi 2 CuO 4 using inelastic neutron scattering and spin-wave analyses. The nature of low-energy magnons, and hence the anisotropy in this material, has been controversial. We show unambiguously that the low-energy magnon spectrum consists of a gapped and a gapless mode, which we attribute to out-of-plane and in-plane spin fluctuations, respectively. We modeled the observed magnon spectrum using linear spin-wave analysis of a minimal anisotropic spin model motivated by the lattice symmetry. By studying the magnetic field dependence of the (1,0,0) Bragg peak intensity and the in-plane magnon intensity, we observed a spin-flop transition in the ab plane at ~0.4 T, which directly indicates the existence of a small in-plane anisotropy that is classically forbidden. It is only by taking into account magnon zero-point fluctuations beyond the linear spin-wave approximation that we could explain this in-plane anisotropy and its magnitude, the latter of which is deduced from the critical field of the spin-flop transition. The microscopic origins of the observed anisotropic interactions are also discussed. We found that our data are inconsistent with a large Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which suggests a potential departure of Bi 2 CuO 4 from the conventional theories of magnetic anisotropy for other cuprates.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

All the light we cannot see: Climate manipulations leave short and long‐term imprints in spectral reflectance of trees

Abstract Anthropogenic climate change, particularly changes in temperature and precipitation, affects plants in multiple ways. Because plants respond dynamically to stress and acclimate to changes in growing conditions, diagnosing quantitative plant‐environment relationships is a major challenge. One approach to this problem is to quantify leaf responses using spectral reflectance, which provides rapid, inexpensive, and nondestructive measurements that capture a wealth of information about genotype as well as phenotypic responses to the environment. However, it is unclear how warming and drought affect spectra. To address this gap, we used an open‐air field experiment that manipulates temperature and rainfall in 36 plots at two sites in the boreal‐temperate ecotone of northern Minnesota, USA. We collected leaf spectral reflectance (400–2400 nm) at the peak of the growing season for three consecutive years on juveniles (two to six years old) of five tree species planted within the experiment. We hypothesized that these mid‐season measurements of spectral reflectance capture a snapshot of the leaf phenotype encompassing a suite of physiological, structural, and biochemical responses to both long‐ and short‐time scale environmental conditions. We show that the imprint of environmental conditions experienced by plants hours to weeks before spectral measurements is linked to regions in the spectrum associated with stress, namely the water absorption regions of the near‐infrared and short‐wave infrared. In contrast, the environmental conditions plants experience during leaf development leave lasting imprints on the spectral profiles of leaves, attributable to leaf structure and chemistry (e.g., pigment content and associated ratios). Our analyses show that after accounting for baseline species spectral differences, spectral responses to the environment do not differ among the species. This suggests that building a general framework for understanding forest responses to climate change through spectral metrics may be possible, likely having broader implications if the common responses among species detected here represent a widespread phenomenon. Consequently, these results demonstrate that examining the entire spectrum of leaf reflectance for environmental imprints in contrast to single features (e.g., indices and traits) improves inferences about plant‐environment relationships, which is particularly important in times of unprecedented climate change.

Stefanski, Artur [Department of Forest Resources U↗

Theoretical study of intrinsic defects in cubic silicon carbide 3C-SiC

Using the local moment counter charge (LMCC) method to accurately represent the asymptotic electrostatic boundary conditions within density functional theory supercell calculations, we present a comprehensive analysis of the atomic structure and energy levels of point defects in cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC). Finding that the classical long-range dielectric screening outside the supercell induced by a charged defect is a significant contributor to the total energy. we describe and validate a modified Jost screening model to evaluate this polarization energy. This leads to bulk-converged defect levels in finite size supercells. With the LMCC boundary conditions and a standard Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange correlation functional, the computed defect level spectrum exhibits no band gap problem: the range of defect levels spans ~2.4 eV, an effective defect band gap that agrees with the experimental band gap. Comparing with previous literature, our LMCC-PBE defect results are in consistent agreement with the hybrid-exchange functional results of Oda et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 124707 (2013)] rather than their PBE results. The difference with their PBE results is attributed to their use of a conventional jellium approximation rather than the more rigorous LMCC approach for handling charged supercell boundary conditions. The difference between standard dft and hybrid functional results for defect levels lies not in a band gap problem but rather in solving a boundary condition problem. The LMCC-PBE entirely mitigates the effect of the band gap problem on defect levels. The more computationally economical PBE enables a systematic exploration of 3C-SiC defects, where, most notably, we find that the silicon vacancy undergoes Jahn-Teller-induced distortions from the previously assumed T d symmetry, and that the divacancy, like the silicon vacancy, exhibits a site-shift bistability in p -type conditions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Self Consistent 2D Simulation of Coherent Synchrotron Radiation Effects on Beam Dynamics

An increasing interest in high quality and high current electron beams necessitates a thorough understanding and prediction of coherent synchrotron radiation effects. The self-interaction of charged particles in a beam undergoing synchrotron motion is a physically significant process that is all too often computationally intensive with very little analytical results to rely on for the general case. The coherent spectrum of this interaction is of utmost importance to the design of free electron lasers (FELs) and an accurate assessment is imperative for their design. This work presents a novel implementation to the numerical simulation of charged particle beams. The simulation is a self-consistent approach including the self-fields generated by the beam of which coherent synchrotron radiation effects are of primary interest. A particle-in-cell model is used where a planar beam sampled by point particles is deposited on an encompassing grid at each timestep. The electromagnetic fields are calculated on the grid using the retarded potentials according to causality. The electromagnetic forces from the fields are interpolated on each particle which in turn advance in time. The simulation is benchmarked against well-established results for coherent synchrotron radiation effects. In addition, studies are provided that show the convergence of simulation results for increasing resolution. A study into the transverse beam size effects on beam dynamics is performed as well as a proof of concept where the simulation is used by a genetic algorithm to optimize the design parameters of a beam lattice. The results of these studies in tandem verify the efficacy of the simulation for its practical use in accelerator design or the study of synchrotron radiation effects

Duffin, Dallan [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (U↗

Probing anisotropies of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background with LISA

Here, we investigate the sensitivity of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to the anisotropies of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background (SGWB). We first discuss the main astrophysical and cosmological sources of SGWB which are characterized by anisotropies in the GW energy density, and we build a Signal-to-Noise estimator to quantify the sensitivity of LISA to different multipoles. We then perform a Fisher matrix analysis of the prospects of detectability of anisotropic features with LISA for individual multipoles, focusing on a SGWB with a power-law frequency profile. We compute the noise angular spectrum taking into account the specific scan strategy of the LISA detector. We analyze the case of the kinematic dipole and quadrupole generated by Doppler boosting an isotropic SGWB. We find that β Ω GW ~ 2 × 10 -11 is required to observe a dipolar signal with LISA. The detector response to the quadrupole has a factor ~ 10 3 β relative to that of the dipole. The characterization of the anisotropies, both from a theoretical perspective and from a map-making point of view, allows us to extract information that can be used to understand the origin of the SGWB, and to discriminate among distinct superimposed SGWB sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗