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At least 559 records · Page 31

Calculation of permanent magnet arrangements for stellarators: a linear least-squares method

A problem arising in several engineering areas is to design magnets outside a volume that produce a desired magnetic field inside it. One instance of this problem is stellarator design, where it has recently been shown that permanent magnets can provide the required shaping of the magnetic field. Here we demonstrate a robust and efficient algorithm REGCOIL_PM to calculate the spatial distribution of these permanent magnets. The procedure involves a small number of fixed-point iterations, with a linear least-squares problem solved at each step. Furthermore, the method exploits the Biot–Savart Law's exact linearity in magnetization density and approximate linearity in magnet size, for magnets far from the target region. No constraint is placed on the direction of magnetization, so Halbach solutions are found naturally, and the magnitude of the magnetization can be made uniformly equal to a target value.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Linear perturbation constraints on multi-coupled dark energy

The Multi-coupled Dark Energy (McDE) scenario has been recently proposed as a specific example of a cosmological model characterized by a non-standard physics of the dark sector of the universe that nevertheless gives an expansion history which does not significantly differ from the one of the standard ΛCDM model. Thanks to a dynamical screening mechanism, in fact, the interaction between the Dark Energy field and the Dark Matter sector is effectively suppressed at the background level during matter domination. As a consequence, background observables cannot discriminate a McDE cosmology from ΛCDM for a wide range of model parameters. On the other hand, linear perturbations are expected to provide tighter bounds due to the existence of attractive and repulsive fifth-forces associated with the dark interactions. In this work, we present the first constraints on the McDE scenario obtained by comparing the predicted evolution of linear density perturbations with a large compilation of recent data sets for the growth rate fσ{sub 8}, including 6dFGS, LRG, BOSS, WiggleZ and VIPERS. Confirming qualitative expectations, growth rate data provide much tighter bounds on the model parameters as compared to the extremely loose bounds that can be obtained when only the background expansion history is considered. In particular, the 95% confidence level on the coupling strength |β| is reduced from |β| ≤ 83 (background constraints only) to |β| ≤ 0.88 (background and linear perturbation constraints). We also investigate how these constraints further improve when using data from future wide-field surveys such as supernova data from LSST and growth rate data from Euclid-type missions. In this case the 95% confidence level on the coupling further reduce to |β| ≤ 0.85. Such constraints are in any case still consistent with a scalar fifth-force of gravitational strength, and we foresee that tighter bounds might be possibly obtained from the investigation of nonlinear structure formation in McDE cosmologies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Non-linear resonance in relativistic preheating

Inflation in the early Universe can be followed by a brief period of preheating, resulting in rapid and non-equilibrium particle production through the dynamics of parametric resonance. However, the parametric resonance effect is very sensitive to the linearity of the reheating sector. Additional self-interactions in the reheating sector, such as non-canonical kinetic terms like the DBI Lagrangian, may enhance or frustrate the parametric resonance effect of preheating. In the case of a DBI reheating sector, preheating is described by parametric resonance of a damped relativistic harmonic oscillator. In this paper, we illustrate how the non-linear terms in the relativistic oscillator shut down the parametric resonance effect. This limits the effectiveness of preheating when there are non-linear self-interactions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Non-linear relativistic contributions to the cosmological weak-lensing convergence

Relativistic contributions to the dynamics of structure formation come in a variety of forms, and can potentially give corrections to the standard picture on typical scales of 100 Mpc. These corrections cannot be obtained by Newtonian numerical simulations, so it is important to accurately estimate the magnitude of these relativistic effects. Density fluctuations couple to produce a background of gravitational waves, which is larger than any primordial background. A similar interaction produces a much larger spectrum of vector modes which represent the frame-dragging rotation of spacetime. These can change the metric at the percent level in the concordance model at scales below the equality scale. Vector modes modify the lensing of background galaxies by large-scale structure. This gives in principle the exciting possibility of measuring relativistic frame dragging effects on cosmological scales. The effects of the non-linear tensor and vector modes on the cosmic convergence are computed and compared to first-order lensing contributions from density fluctuations, Doppler lensing, and smaller Sachs-Wolfe effects. The lensing from gravitational waves is negligible so we concentrate on the vector modes. We show the relative importance of this for future surveys such as Euclid and SKA. We find that these non-linear effects only marginally affect the overall weak lensing signal so they can safely be neglected in most analyses, though are still much larger than the linear Sachs-Wolfe terms. The second-order vector contribution can dominate the first-order Doppler lensing term at moderate redshifts and are actually more important for survey geometries like the SKA.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Cosmic bubble and domain wall instabilities I: parametric amplification of linear fluctuations

This is the first paper in a series where we study collisions of nucleated bubbles taking into account the effects of small initial (quantum) fluctuations in a fully 3+1-dimensional setting. In this paper, we consider the evolution of linear fluctuations around highly symmetric though inhomogeneous backgrounds. In particular, we demonstrate that a large degree of asymmetry develops over time from tiny initial fluctuations superposed upon planar and SO(2,1) symmetric backgrounds. These fluctuations are inevitable consequences of zero-point vacuum oscillations, so excluding them by enforcing a high degree of spatial symmetry is inconsistent in a quantum treatment. To simplify the analysis we consider the limit of two colliding planar walls, with mode functions for the fluctuations characterized by the wavenumber transverse to the collision direction and a longitudinal shape along the collision direction x, which we solve for. In the linear regime, the fluctuations obey a linear wave equation with a time- and space-dependent mass m{sub eff}(x,t). In situations where the walls collide multiple times, m{sub eff} oscillates in time. We use Floquet theory to study the evolution of the fluctuations and generalize the calculations familiar from the preheating literature to the case with many coupled degrees of freedom. The inhomogeneous case has bands of unstable transverse wavenumbers k{sub ⊥} whose corresponding mode functions grow exponentially. By examining the detailed spatial structure of the mode functions in x, we identify both broad and narrow parametric resonance generalizations of the homogeneous m{sub eff}(t) case of preheating. The unstable k{sub ⊥} modes are longitudinally localized, yet can be described as quasiparticles in the Bogoliubov sense. We define an effective occupation number and show they are created in bursts for the case of well-defined collisions in the background. The transverse-longitudinal coupling accompanying nonlinearity radically breaks this localized particle description, with nonseparable 3D modes arising that will be studied in subsequent papers.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Evolution of linear perturbations in Lemaítre-Tolman-Bondi void models

We study the evolution of linear perturbations in a Lemaítre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) void model with realistic cosmological initial conditions. Linear perturbation theory in LTB models is substantially more complicated than in standard Friedmann universes as the inhomogeneous background causes gauge-invariant perturbations couple at first order. As shown by Clarkson et al. (2009) [1], the evolution is constrained by a system of linear partial differential equations which need to be integrated numerically. We present a new numerical scheme using finite element methods to solve this equation system and generate scalar initial conditions based on Gaussian random fields with an underlying power spectrum for the Bardeen potential. After spherical harmonic decomposition, the initial fluctuations are propagated in time and estimates of angular power spectra of each gauge invariant variable are computed as functions of redshift. This allows to analyse the coupling strength in a statistical way. We find significant couplings up to 25% for large and deep voids of Gpc scale as required to fit the distance redshift relations of SNe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A new line-of-sight approach to the non-linear Cosmic Microwave Background

We develop the transport operator formalism, a new line-of-sight integration framework to calculate the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at the linear and non-linear level. This formalism utilises a transformation operator that removes all inhomogeneous propagation effects acting on the photon distribution function, thus achieving a split between perturbative collisional effects at recombination and non-perturbative line-of-sight effects at later times. The former can be computed in the framework of standard cosmological perturbation theory with a second-order Boltzmann code such as SONG, while the latter can be treated within a separate perturbative scheme allowing the use of non-linear Newtonian potentials. We thus provide a consistent framework to compute all physical effects contained in the Boltzmann equation and to combine the standard remapping approach with Boltzmann codes at any order in perturbation theory, without assuming that all sources are localised at recombination.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Relativistic weak lensing from a fully non-linear cosmological density field

In this paper we examine cosmological weak lensing on non-linear scales and show that there are Newtonian and relativistic contributions and that the latter can also be extracted from standard Newtonian simulations. We use the post-Friedmann formalism, a post-Newtonian type framework for cosmology, to derive the full weak-lensing deflection angle valid on non-linear scales for any metric theory of gravity. We show that the only contributing term that is quadratic in the first order deflection is the expected Born correction and lens-lens coupling term. We use this deflection angle to analyse the vector and tensor contributions to the E- and B- mode cosmic shear power spectra. In our approach, once the gravitational theory has been specified, the metric components are related to the matter content in a well-defined manner. Specifying General Relativity, we write down a complete set of equations for a GR+ΛCDM universe for computing all of the possible lensing terms from Newtonian N-body simulations. We illustrate this with the vector potential and show that, in a GR+ΛCDM universe, its contribution to the E-mode is negligible with respect to that of the conventional Newtonian scalar potential, even on non-linear scales. Thus, under the standard assumption that Newtonian N-body simulations give a good approximation of the matter dynamics, we show that the standard ray tracing approach gives a good description for a ΛCDM cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Efficient calculation of cosmological neutrino clustering in the non-linear regime

We study in detail how neutrino perturbations can be followed in linear theory by using only terms up to l =2 in the Boltzmann hierarchy. We provide a new approximation to the third moment and demonstrate that the neutrino power spectrum can be calculated to a precision of better than ∼ 5% for masses up to ∼ 1 eV and k ∼< 10 h /Mpc. The matter power spectrum can be calculated far more precisely and typically at least a factor of a few better than with existing approximations. We then proceed to study how the neutrino power spectrum can be reliably calculated even in the non-linear regime by using the non-linear gravitational potential, sourced by dark matter overdensities, as it is derived from semi-analytic methods based on N -body simulations in the Boltzmann evolution hierarchy. Our results agree extremely well with results derived from N -body simulations that include cold dark matter and neutrinos as independent particles with different properties.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A general theory of linear cosmological perturbations: scalar-tensor and vector-tensor theories

We present a method for parametrizing linear cosmological perturbations of theories of gravity, around homogeneous and isotropic backgrounds. The method is sufficiently general and systematic that it can be applied to theories with any degrees of freedom (DoFs) and arbitrary gauge symmetries. In this paper, we focus on scalar-tensor and vector-tensor theories, invariant under linear coordinate transformations. In the case of scalar-tensor theories, we use our framework to recover the simple parametrizations of linearized Horndeski and ''Beyond Horndeski'' theories, and also find higher-derivative corrections. In the case of vector-tensor theories, we first construct the most general quadratic action for perturbations that leads to second-order equations of motion, which propagates two scalar DoFs. Then we specialize to the case in which the vector field is time-like (à la Einstein-Aether gravity), where the theory only propagates one scalar DoF. As a result, we identify the complete forms of the quadratic actions for perturbations, and the number of free parameters that need to be defined, to cosmologically characterize these two broad classes of theories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Scalar-tensor linear inflation

We investigate two approaches to non-minimally coupled gravity theories which present linear inflation as attractor solution: a) the scalar-tensor theory approach, where we look for a scalar-tensor theory that would restore results of linear inflation in the strong coupling limit for a non-minimal coupling to gravity of the form of f (φ) R /2; b) the particle physics approach, where we motivate the form of the Jordan frame potential by loop corrections to the inflaton field. In both cases the Jordan frame potentials are modifications of the induced gravity inflationary scenario, but instead of the Starobinsky attractor they lead to linear inflation in the strong coupling limit.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

An optimally weighted estimator of the linear power spectrum disentangling the growth of density perturbations across galaxy surveys

Measuring the clustering of galaxies from surveys allows us to estimate the power spectrum of matter density fluctuations, thus constraining cosmological models. This requires careful modelling of observational effects to avoid misinterpretation of data. In particular, signals coming from different distances encode information from different epochs. This is known as ''light-cone effect'' and is going to have a higher impact as upcoming galaxy surveys probe larger redshift ranges. Generalising the method by Feldman, Kaiser and Peacock (1994) [1], I define a minimum-variance estimator of the linear power spectrum at a fixed time, properly taking into account the light-cone effect. An analytic expression for the estimator is provided, and that is consistent with the findings of previous works in the literature. I test the method within the context of the Halofit model, assuming Planck 2014 cosmological parameters [2]. I show that the estimator presented recovers the fiducial linear power spectrum at present time within 5% accuracy up to k ∼ 0.80 h Mpc{sup −1} and within 10% up to k ∼ 0.94 h Mpc{sup −1}, well into the non-linear regime of the growth of density perturbations. As such, the method could be useful in the analysis of the data from future large-scale surveys, like Euclid.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Current profile and normalized beta control via feedback linearization and Lyapunov techniques

Abstract Simultaneous control of the current profile and normalized plasma beta is an essential control problem in the development of advanced tokamak scenarios. However, this control problem is especially challenging due to the nonlinear nature of the current, heat, and particle transport dynamics, as well as the difficulty to understand and accurately model such processes. In this work, a nonlinear, robust, model-based controller for the simultaneous regulation of the current profile and normalized beta has been designed using feedback linearization and Lyapunov redesign techniques. Feedback linearization avoids approximate linearization of the plasma dynamics, retaining the original physics content of the model. Moreover, the use of Lyapunov redesign techniques makes the controller robust against the uncertainties arising during the modeling process. The controller’s performance in the presence of unknown dynamics is tested in nonlinear, one-dimensional simulations using the Control Oriented Transport SIMulator (COTSIM) code, which employs plasma models that are significantly more complex than those employed for control synthesis.

Physics↗

Non-linear MHD modelling of edge localized modes suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in ITER

Edge localized modes (ELMs) suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) was studied with the non-linear magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) code JOREK for the ITER H-mode scenarios at 15 MA, 12.5 MA, 10 MA/5.3 T. In this study, the main aim was to demonstrate that ELMs can be suppressed by RMPs while the divertor 3D footprints of heat and particle fluxes remain within divertor material limits. The unstable peeling–ballooning modes responsible for ELMs without RMPs were modelled first for each scenario using numerically accessible parameters for ITER. Then the stabilization of ELMs by RMPs was modelled with the same parameters. RMP spectra, optimized by the linear MHD MARS-F code, with main toroidal harmonics N = 2, N = 3, N = 4 have been used as boundary conditions of the computational domain of JOREK, including realistic RMP coils, main plasma, scrape off layer (SOL) divertor and realistic first wall. The model includes all relevant plasma flows: toroidal rotation, two fluid diamagnetic effects and neoclassical poloidal friction. With RMPs, the main toroidal harmonic and the non-linearly coupled harmonics remain dominant at the plasma edge, producing saturated modes and a continuous MHD turbulent transport thereby avoiding ELM crashes in all scenarios considered here. The threshold for ELM suppression was found at a maximum RMP coils current of 45 kAt–60 kAt compared to the coils maximum capability of 90 kAt. In the high beta poloidal steady-state 10 MA/5.3 T scenario, a rotating QH-mode without ELMs was observed even without RMPs. In this scenario with RMPs N = 3, N = 4 at 20 kAt maximum current in RMP coils, similar QH-mode behaviour was observed however with dominant edge harmonic corresponding to the main toroidal number of RMPs. The present MHD modelling was limited in time by few tens of ms after RMPs were switched on until the magnetic energy of the modes saturates. As a consequence the thermal energy was still evolving on this time scale, far from the ITER confinement time scale and hence only the form of 3D footprints on the divertor targets can be indicated within this set-up. Also note, that the divertor physics was missing in this model, so realistic values of fluxes are out of reach in this modelling. However the stationary 3D divertor and particle fluxes could be simply extrapolated from these results to the stationary situation considering that a large power fraction should be radiated in the core and SOL and only about 50 MW power is going to the divertor, which is an arbitrary, but reasonable number used here. The 3D footprints with RMPs show the characteristic splitting with the main RMP toroidal symmetry. The maximum radial extension of the footprints typically was ~20 cm in inner divertor and ~40 cm in outer divertor with stationary heat fluxes decreasing further out from the initial strike point from ~5 MW m ₋2 to ~1 MW m ₋2 assuming a total power in the divertor and walls is 50 MW. The heat fluxes remain within the divertor target and baffle areas, however with rather small margin in the outer divertor which could be an issue for the first wall especially in transient regimes when part of the plasma thermal energy is released due to switching on the RMP coils. This fact should be considered when RMPs are applied with a more favorable application before or soon after the L–H transition, although optimization is required to avoid increasing the L–H power threshold with RMPs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Non-linear dependence of ion heat flux on plasma density at the L–H transition of JET NBI-heated deuterium–tritium plasmas

Abstract Recent JET D–T campaigns opened the possibility of unique isotope studies to investigate the L–H transition physics in view of reactor plasmas and to study the origin of the observed power threshold minimum. In the present paper, we characterise L–H transitions in the low and high-density branches of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas. As discussed in the paper, L–H transition has been hypothesised to be determined by the transport power losses of plasma ions, i.e. the so-called ion heat flux ( Q i ). We present the first power balance analysis of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas to evaluate the ion heat flux at the transition. Due to the experimental setting being similar to previous JET D experiments, we also directly compare the results, discussing the isotope effect and similarities between datasets. First, we find an isotope effect between D and D–T Q i , with a lower Q i in D–T plasmas. We confirm that the ion heat flux deviates from density linearity compared to the linear trend observed in wave-heated D plasmas of other tokamaks. The deviation we observe in NBI-heated L–H transitions happens at an isotope-dependent density. Plasma edge rotation correlates with Q i deviation from density linearity in the low-density branch. However, further investigations would be required to assess the role of rotation on Q i and the power threshold minimum at JET. At low plasma density, NBI power dominates Q i , while increasing the density makes the equipartition power dominant. We finally compare our results with hypotheses proposed from evidence in other tokamaks to present a complete overview of ion heat flux analyses in D and D–T NBI-heated plasmas at JET.

Vincenzi, P. (ORCID:0000000251564354)↗

Nuclear recoil scintillation linearity of a high pressure 4 He gas detector

We investigate scintillation linearity of a commercial high pressure 4 He gas detector using monoenergetic 2.8 MeV neutrons from a deuterium-deuterium fusion neutron generator. The scintillation response of the detector was measured for a range of recoil energies between 83 keV and 626 keV by tagging neutrons scattering into fixed angles with a far-side organic scintillator detector. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations were compared to experimental data to determine the linearity of the detector response by comparing the scaling of the energy deposits in the simulations to the detector output. In this analysis, a linear scintillation response corresponds to a consistent value for the scaling factor between simulated energy deposits and experimental data for several different scattering angles. Here we demonstrate that the detector can be used to detect fast neutron interactions down to 83 keV recoil energies and can be used to characterize low-energy neutron sources, one of its potential applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Linear colliders based on laser-plasma accelerators

Laser-plasma accelerators are capable of sustaining accelerating fields of 10–100 GeV/m, 100–1000 times that of conventional technology and the highest fields produced by any of the widely researched advanced accelerator concepts. Laser-plasma accelerators also intrinsically accelerate short particle bunches, several orders of magnitude shorter than that of conventional technology, which leads to reductions in beamstrahlung and, hence, savings in the overall power consumption to reach a desired luminosity. These properties make laser-plasma accelerators a promising accelerator technology for a more compact, less expensive high-energy linear collider providing multi-TeV polarized leptons. In this submission to the Snowmass 2021 Accelerator Frontier, we discuss the motivation for a laser-plasma-accelerator-based linear collider, the status of the field, and potential linear collider concepts up to 15 TeV. Herein, we outline the research and development path toward a collider based on laser-plasma accelerator technology, and highlight near-term and mid-term applications of this technology on the collider development path. The required experimental facilities to carry out this research are described. We conclude with community recommendations developed during Snowmass.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Learning linear optical circuits with coherent states

We analyze the energy and training data requirements for supervised learning of an M-mode linear optical circuit by minimizing an empirical risk defined solely from the action of the circuit on coherent states. When the linear optical circuit acts non-trivially only on k < M unknown modes (i.e. a linear optical k-junta), we provide an energy-efficient, adaptive algorithm that identifies the junta set and learns the circuit. We compare two schemes for allocating a total energy, E, to the learning algorithm. In the first scheme, each of the T random training coherent states has energy E/T. In the second scheme, a single random MT-mode coherent state with energy E is partitioned into T training coherent states. The latter scheme exhibits a polynomial advantage in training data size sufficient for convergence of the empirical risk to the full risk due to concentration of measure on the $(2MT-1)$-sphere. Specifically, generalization bounds for both schemes are proven, which indicate that for ε-approximation of the full risk by the empirical risk with high probability, $O(E^{2/3}M^{2/3}/\epsilon^{2/3})$ training states are sufficient for the first scheme and $O(E^{1/3}M^{1/3}/\epsilon^{2/3})$ training states are sufficient for the second scheme.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗