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At least 379 records · Page 21

First Differential Measurement of the Single 𝜋 + Production Cross Section in Neutrino Neutral-Current Scattering

Since its first observation in the 1970s, neutrino-induced neutral-current single positive pion production (NC⁢1⁢𝜋 + ) has remained an elusive and poorly understood interaction channel. This process is a significant background in neutrino oscillation experiments and studying it further is critical for the physics program of next-generation accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. In this Letter, we present the first double-differential cross-section measurement of NC⁢1⁢𝜋 + interactions using data from the ND280 detector of the T2K experiment collected in 𝜈-beam mode. The measured flux-averaged integrated cross section is 𝜎 = (6.07 ± 1.22) × 10 −41 cm 2 /nucleon. We compare the results on a hydrocarbon target to the predictions of several neutrino interaction generators and final-state-interaction models. While model predictions agree with the differential results, the data show a weak preference for a cross-section normalization approximately 30% higher than predicted by most models studied in this Letter.

Neutrino detection↗

Spin-1 Kitaev-Heisenberg model on a honeycomb lattice

We study the Kitaev-Heisenberg model with spin-1 local degree of freedom on a honeycomb lattice numerically by the infinite density matrix renormalization group method on a cylinder geometry. By tuning the relative value of the Kitaev and Heisenberg exchange couplings, we obtain the phase diagram with two spin liquid phases and four symmetry-broken phases. Here, we identify that the spin liquid phases are gapless by calculating the central charge at the pure Kitaev points without the Heisenberg interactions. Comparing to its spin-1/2 counterpart, the position and number of gapless modes of the spin-1 case are quite different. Due to the approximate Z 2 local conservations, the expectation value of the Wilson loop operator measuring the flux of each plaquette stays near to 1, and the static spin-spin correlations remain short range in the entire spin liquid phases.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Celestial-body focused dark matter annihilation throughout the Galaxy

Indirect detection experiments typically measure the flux of annihilating dark matter (DM) particles propagating freely through galactic halos. We consider a new scenario where celestial bodies “focus” DM annihilation events, increasing the efficiency of halo annihilation. In this setup, DM is first captured by celestial bodies, such as neutron stars or brown dwarfs, and then annihilates within them. If DM annihilates to sufficiently long-lived particles, they can escape and subsequently decay into detectable radiation. This produces a distinctive annihilation morphology, which scales as the product of the DM and celestial body densities, rather than as DM density squared. We show that this signal can dominate over the halo annihilation rate in γ -ray observations in both the Milky Way Galactic center and globular clusters. We use Fermi and H.E.S.S. data to constrain the DM-nucleon scattering cross section, setting powerful new limits down to ~10 -39 cm 2 for sub-GeV DM using brown dwarfs, which is up to 9 orders of magnitude stronger than existing limits. We demonstrate that neutron stars can set limits for TeV-scale DM down to about 10 -47 cm 2 .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Low- ν method with LHC neutrinos

The Forward Physics Facility (FPF) plans to use neutrinos produced at the Large Hadron Collider to make a variety of measurements at previously unexplored TeV energies. Its primary goals include precision measurements of the neutrino cross section and using the measured neutrino flux both to uncover information about far-forward hadron production and to search for various beyond standard model scenarios. However, these goals have the potential to conflict: Extracting information about the flux or cross section relies upon an assumption about the other. In this paper, we demonstrate that the FPF can use the low- ν method—a technique for constraining the flux shape by isolating neutrino interactions with low energy transfer to the nucleus—to break this degeneracy. We show that the low- ν method is effective for extracting the ν μ flux shape, in a model-independent way. We discuss its application for extracting the ν ¯ μ flux shape but find that this is significantly more model dependent. Finally, we explore the precision to which the ν μ flux shape could be constrained at the FPF for a variety of proposed detector options. We find that the precision would be sufficient to discriminate between various realistic flux models. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Optimization Simulations for a Gamma-Ray Calibration Standard for a Cyclic Neutron Activation Analysis Pneumatic System at the Penn State Breazeale Reactor

For new experimental setups, the initial testing and calibrations can be expensive and time consuming without prior optimization. However, these issues can be mitigated using realistic modeling and simulation studies of the proposed system a priori. Specifically, an experiment can be performed virtually using realistic simulations and the expected results evaluated to inform adjustments of the experimental setup to achieve optimum results. At the Penn State Breazeale Reactor, a new pneumatic transfer system has been developed for the detection and characterization of short-lived fission fragments to enhance and complement existing nuclear data. The system accomplishes this task by transporting samples cyclically between an assortment of gamma-ray/neutron detectors and the reactor-core vicinity with sub-second transit times. The measured neutron flux paired with simulations of detector response using Geant4 and a custom module for estimating cascade summing effects and corrections were used to select sample-material masses for system characterization. With the optimized sample masses, an experimental counting plan for characterizing the repeatability of the newly developed pneumatic system was developed. Finally, the predictions made with these simulations allowed for optimization of the irradiation sample characteristics and gamma-ray detection system.

cyclic neutron activation, gamma-ray spectroscopy↗

maranasgroup/yeastsMFA

The parameterization of kinetic models requires measurement of fluxes and/or metabolite levels for a base strain and a few genetic perturbations thereof. Unlike stoichiometric models that are mostly invariant to the specific strain, it remains unclear whether kinetic models constructed for different strains of the same species have similar or significantly different kinetic parameters. This important question underpins the applicability range and prediction limits of kinetic reconstructions. To this end, herein we parameterize two separate large-scale kinetic models using K-FIT with genome-wide coverage corresponding to two distinct strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: CEN.PK 113-7D strain (model k-sacce306-CENPK), and growth-deficient BY4741 (isogenic to S288c; model k-sacce306-BY4741). The metabolic network for each model contains 306 reactions, 230 metabolites, and 119 substrate-level regulatory interactions. The two models (for CEN.PK and BY4741) recapitulate, within one standard deviation, 77% and 75% of the fitted dataset fluxes, respectively, determined by 13C metabolic flux analysis for wild-type and eight single-gene knockout mutants of each strain. Strain-specific kinetic parameterization results indicate that key enzymes in the TCA cycle, glycolysis, and arginine and proline metabolism drive the metabolic differences between these two strains of S. cerevisiae. Our results suggest that although kinetic models cannot be readily used across strains as stoichiometric models, they can capture species-specific information through the kinetic parameterization process.

Dinh, Hoang↗

maranasgroup/k-sacce306

The parameterization of kinetic models requires measurement of fluxes and/or metabolite levels for a base strain and a few genetic perturbations thereof. Unlike stoichiometric models that are mostly invariant to the specific strain, it remains unclear whether kinetic models constructed for different strains of the same species have similar or significantly different kinetic parameters. This important question underpins the applicability range and prediction limits of kinetic reconstructions. To this end, herein we parameterize two separate large-scale kinetic models using K-FIT with genome-wide coverage corresponding to two distinct strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: CEN.PK 113-7D strain (model k-sacce306-CENPK), and growth-deficient BY4741 (isogenic to S288c; model k-sacce306-BY4741). The metabolic network for each model contains 306 reactions, 230 metabolites, and 119 substrate-level regulatory interactions. The two models (for CEN.PK and BY4741) recapitulate, within one standard deviation, 77% and 75% of the fitted dataset fluxes, respectively, determined by 13C metabolic flux analysis for wild-type and eight single-gene knockout mutants of each strain. Strain-specific kinetic parameterization results indicate that key enzymes in the TCA cycle, glycolysis, and arginine and proline metabolism drive the metabolic differences between these two strains of S. cerevisiae. Our results suggest that although kinetic models cannot be readily used across strains as stoichiometric models, they can capture species-specific information through the kinetic parameterization process.

Dinh, Hoang↗

Toward a more realistic representation of surface albedo in NASA CERES-derived surface radiative fluxes

Accurate multidecadal radiative flux records are vital to understand Arctic amplification and constrain climate model uncertainties. Uncertainty in the NASA Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES)-derived irradiances is larger over sea ice than any other surface type and comes from several sources. The year-long Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in the central Arctic provides a rare opportunity to explore uncertainty in CERES-derived radiative fluxes. First, a systematic and statistically robust assessment of surface shortwave and longwave fluxes was conducted using in situ measurements from MOSAiC flux stations. The CERES Synoptic 1degree (SYN1deg) product overestimates the downwelling shortwave flux by +11.40 Wm –2 and underestimates the upwelling shortwave flux by –15.70 Wm –2 and downwelling longwave fluxes by –12.58 Wm –2 at the surface during summer. In addition, large differences are found in the upwelling longwave flux when the surface approaches the melting point (approximately 0°C). The biases in downwelling shortwave and longwave fluxes suggest that the atmosphere represented in CERES is too optically thin. The large negative bias in upwelling shortwave flux can be attributed in large part to lower surface albedo (–0.15) in satellite footprint relative to surface sensors. Additionally, the results show that the spectral surface albedo used in SYN1deg overestimates albedo in visible and mid-infrared bands. A series of radiative transfer model perturbation experiments are performed to quantify the factors contributing to the differences. The CERES-MOSAiC broadband albedo differences (approximately 20 Wm –2 ) explain a larger portion of the upwelling shortwave flux difference than the spectral albedo shape differences (approximately 3 Wm –2 ). In addition, the differences between perturbation experiments using hourly and monthly MOSAiC surface albedo suggest that approximately 25% of the sea ice surface albedo variability is explained by factors not correlated with daily sea ice concentration variability. Biases in net shortwave and longwave flux can be reduced to less than half by adjusting both albedo and cloud inputs toward observed values. The results indicate that improvements in the surface albedo and cloud data would substantially reduce the uncertainty in the Arctic surface radiation budget derived from CERES data products.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

AmeriFlux US-Me7 Metolius Low Burn Severity Subcanopy

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Me7 Metolius Low Burn Severity Subcanopy. Site Description - This is a sub-canopy flux site measuring a low burn severity segment of the 2020 green ridge fire. Intact ponderso pine canopy with a mean stand age of 73 years old as of 2022. Understory largely absent.

Hanson, Chad↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-Me7 Metolius Low Burn Severity Subcanopy

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Me7 Metolius Low Burn Severity Subcanopy. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Me7 Metolius Low Burn Severity Subcanopy produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This is a sub-canopy flux site measuring a low burn severity segment of the 2020 green ridge fire. Intact ponderso pine canopy with a mean stand age of 73 years old as of 2022. Understory largely absent.

Hanson, Chad [Oregon State University]↗

Detectors and beam monitors based on wide bandgap semiconductors at cryogenic temperatures

Wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as single-crystal diamond and sapphire, can be used to measure the flux of passing particles through a particle-induced conductivity effect. We recently demonstrated a diamond-based, electrodeless electron beam halo monitor. This monitor utilized a thin diamond blade placed within an open, high-quality microwave resonator. The blade partially intercepted the beam and changes in the RF properties of the resonator were used to infer beam parameters. To enhance the sensitivity of our semiconductor sensors, we propose two new techniques: (1) biasing the semiconductor sensor to support avalanche multiplication of free carriers, and (2) operating at cryogenic temperatures to reduce intrinsic semiconductor losses and increase the mobility of induced carriers. These techniques are applicable not only to particle beam diagnostics but also to the detection of various types of ionizing radiation.

Accelerator Physics↗

Control of the Plasma-Material Interface for Long Pulse Optimization in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) (Final Report)

This project involved a collaborative effort, led by Dr. Rajesh Maingi of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, to understand and control the plasma-material interface to improve long pulse discharge control and performance in the EAST devices. The focus is on long pulse recycling control and optimization, which can be challenging because of their broad range of materials used for plasma-facing components (PFC) and wall conditioning techniques. The purpose of the EAST device is to demonstrate long-pulse, stable, high performance plasma operation, providing a test-bed for key physics and technology issues for next step devices. As part of these tests, EAST has deployed carbon for the lower divertor PFC, tungsten for the upper divertor, and molybdenum for the main wall. In addition wall coatings are deployed for long pulse recycling control: lithium (Li) via several delivery tools, boronization, and recently also siliconization; for example, in 2013, a layer of SiC was deposited on all of the graphite tiles. Oxygen is also present at trace levels, making for a complex mix of materials and plasma-materials interactions (PMI). This mix of materials and the limited durability of wall coatings, coupled to partially optimized cryo-pumping, lead to evolution of the recycling off the PFCs, which restricts the duration of stationary, high performance, long pulse discharges. Comparing the wall conditioning techniques, Li enables the highest energy confinement and lowest recycling for the longest duration, while also suppressing ELMs in certain discharges. More specifically, research activities at the University of Tennessee focused on heat flux profile measurements in EAST, modeling the surface response, including the bonding energetics and chemical interactions between Li with carbon, tungsten, hydrogen and impurities, in addition to post situ experimental characterization and analysis of the divertor plasma facing components in EAST. This final report describes the overall progress within each of these tasks at the University of Tennessee within the project.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Biological Carbon Sequestration for Climate and Soil Health

The United States recently launched the Net Zero World Initiative on decarbonization. As temperatures and sea levels rise, strong action is needed to mitigate high atmospheric CO 2 levels. In response to this need, a joint workshop between the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) was convened to assess the challenges and opportunities within biological carbon (C) capture. The virtual workshop on Biological Carbon Sequestration for Climate and Soil Health focused on three aspects of biological C capture research: natural systems, engineered systems, and modeling. For this workshop, the scope of natural systems included unmanaged (e.g., grasslands, wetlands, natural forests) and managed (e.g., agricultural lands, commercial forests, forest biofuels) ecosystems. The engineered systems group covered topics in genetically modified plants and microbes, synthetic microbiomes, and altered plant–microbe interactions for enhancing C capture, storage, and utilization. The modeling group focused on computational tools and data collection to predict and assess the effectiveness of new biocarbon sequestration advances. Participant expertise included plant and microbial systems biology, synthetic biology, soil biogeochemistry, and techno-economic analysis. Together, participants outlined key scientific advances in support of biological C capture and storage. Among the major findings of the meeting were the need to better measure C flux within natural, agricultural, and fabricated ecosystems for experimentation; better understand the role of soil composition, plant roots, and the rhizosphere (i.e., the soil surrounding the plant root) in the underground storage of organic C; and design plant–microbe systems for maximal C storage.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

First Results from Diamagnetic Loop Measurements of the DARHT-I Electron Beam [Slides]

Diamagnetic-loop (DML) measurements can inform efforts to improve radiographic resolution. DML is non-invasive, so time-resolved data is available on every shot while tuning or executing a hydrotest. The time-resolved beam size can be deduced from the DML data. LIA beam-transport dynamics affecting beam size can be monitored while testing mitigation measures (e.g., beam halo suppression). Time-resolved beam size at final focus provides immediate information about spot size enlargement due to blur, and effectiveness of mitigation efforts. DML measures magnetic flux produced by a rotating beam, so it also enables monitoring of Larmor emittance that can enlarge the spot size. Beam rotation adds in quadrature with emittance, hence “Larmor emittance." Observing zero bias-field DML flux monitors beam rotation resulting from imperfect nulling of flux linking the cathode, and/or broken LIA transport symmetry (e.g., steering, quads, etc.).

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Sensitivity to Cabibbo-Suppressed $\Lambda$ Production in MicroBooNE

We present a procedure to measure a flux averaged, restricted phase space cross section for direct (Cabibbo suppressed) Λ production using the MicroBooNE detector. This is a rare process, exclusively occurring in anti-neutrino interactions and to maximise the sensitivity of this analysis we combine predictions using the NuMI flux from two data taking periods, one in which this beam was run in neutrino mode and one in anti-neutrino mode. The event selection for this analysis was previously described in MicroBooNE public note 1097. The calculation of systematic uncertainties is shown and a method to propagate them through to the final cross section calculation is described, with final sensitivities shown in the form of Bayesian posterior distributions on the extracted cross section.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗