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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Probing Galaxy assembly bias in BOSS galaxies using void probabilities

ABSTRACT We measure the void probability function (VPF) of galaxies in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The VPF provides complementary information to standard two-point statistics in that it is sensitive to galaxy bias in the most extreme underdensities in the cosmic web. Thus, the VPF is ideal for testing whether halo occupation of galaxies depends on large-scale density, an effect known as galaxy assembly bias. We find that standard HOD model – one parameterized by halo mass only – fit only to the two-point function, accurately predicts the VPF. Additionally, for HOD models where density dependence is explicitly incorporated, the best-fitting models fit to the combination of the correlation function and the VPF have zero density dependence. Thus, galaxy assembly bias is not a strong source of systematic uncertainty when modelling the clustering of massive galaxies.

Walsh, Kilian↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phosphate Limitation Responses in Marine Green Algae Are Linked to Reprogramming of the tRNA Epitranscriptome and Codon Usage Bias

Marine algae are central to global carbon fixation, and their productivity is dictated largely by resource availability. Reduced nutrient availability is predicted for vast oceanic regions as an outcome of climate change; however, there is much to learn regarding response mechanisms of the tiny picoplankton that thrive in these environments, especially eukaryotic phytoplankton. Here, we investigate responses of the picoeukaryote Micromonas commoda, a green alga found throughout subtropical and tropical oceans. Under shifting phosphate availability scenarios, transcriptomic analyses revealed altered expression of transfer RNA modification enzymes and biased codon usage of transcripts more abundant during phosphate-limiting versus phosphate-replete conditions, consistent with the role of transfer RNA modifications in regulating codon recognition. To associate the observed shift in the expression of the transfer RNA modification enzyme complement with the transfer RNAs encoded by M. commoda, we also determined the transfer RNA repertoire of this alga revealing potential targets of the modification enzymes. Codon usage bias was particularly pronounced in transcripts encoding proteins with direct roles in managing phosphate limitation and photosystem-associated proteins that have ill-characterized putative functions in “light stress.” The observed codon usage bias corresponds to a proposed stress response mechanism in which the interplay between stress-induced changes in transfer RNA modifications and skewed codon usage in certain essential response genes drives preferential translation of the encoded proteins. Collectively, we expose a potential underlying mechanism for achieving growth under enhanced nutrient limitation that extends beyond the catalog of up- or downregulated protein-encoding genes to the cell biological controls that underpin acclimation to changing environmental conditions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

An iterative CMB lensing estimator minimizing instrumental noise bias

Noise maps from cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments are generally statistically anisotropic, due to scanning strategies, atmospheric conditions, or instrumental effects. Any mismodeling of this complex noise can bias the reconstruction of the lensing potential and the measurement of the lensing power spectrum from the observed CMB maps. We introduce a new CMB lensing estimator based on the maximum (MAP) reconstruction that is minimally sensitive to these instrumental noise biases. By modifying the likelihood to rely exclusively on correlations between CMB map splits with independent noise realizations, we minimize autocorrelations that contribute to biases. In the regime of many independent splits, this maximum closely approximates the optimal MAP reconstruction of the lensing potential. In simulations, we demonstrate that this method is able to determine lensing observables that are immune to any noise mismodeling with a negligible cost in signal-to-noise ratio. Our estimator enables unbiased and nearly optimal lensing reconstruction for next-generation CMB surveys.

Legrand, Louis [University of Cambridge (United Ki↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bias-hardened estimators of patchy screening profiles

Detecting anisotropic screening of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) holds the promise of revealing the distribution of gas in the Universe, characterizing the complex processes of galaxy formation and feedback, and studying the epoch of reionization. Estimators for inhomogeneous screening, including some recently proposed small-scale (stacked) estimators, are quadratic or higher order in the CMB temperature or polarization fields and are therefore subject to contamination from CMB lensing. We review the origin of this lensing bias and show that, when stacking on unWISE galaxies, the expected lensing bias dominates the signal if left unmitigated. Hardening techniques that null the lensing bias have been proposed for standard quadratic estimators, whereas only approximate methods have been proposed for stacked estimators. In conclusion, we review these techniques and apply the former to stacked estimators, presenting several strategies (including the optimal strategy) to null lensing contamination when stacking on any large-scale structure tracer.

Cosmic microwave background↗
DOE OSTI2015

Manipulation of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains in exchange-biased nanostructures

In this work, using photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism we show that a progressive spatial confinement of a ferromagnet (FM), either through thickness variation or laterally via patterning, actively controls the domains of uncompensated spins in the antiferromagnet (AF) in exchange-biased systems. Direct observations of the spin structure in both sides of the FM/AF interface in a model system, Ni/FeF 2 , show that the spin structure is determined by the balance between the competing FM and AF magnetic energies. Coexistence of exchange bias domains, with opposite directions, can be established in Ni/FeF 2 bilayers for Ni thicknesses below 10 nm. Patterning the Ni/FeF 2 heterostructures with antidots destabilizes the FM state, enhancing the formation of opposite exchange bias domains below a critical antidot separation of the order of a few FeF 2 crystal domains. The results suggest that dimensional confinement of the FM may be used to manipulate the AF spin structure in spintronic devices and ultrahigh-density information storage media. Lastly, the underlying mechanism of the uncompensated AF domain formation in Ni/FeF 2 may be generic to other magnetic systems with complex noncollinear FM/AF spin structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hyper Suprime-Cam Year 3 results: Cosmology from galaxy clustering and weak lensing with HSC and SDSS using the minimal bias model

Here, we present cosmological parameter constraints from a blind joint analysis of three two-point correlation functions measured from the Year 3 Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC-Y3) imaging data, covering about 416 deg 2 , and the SDSS DR11 spectroscopic galaxies spanning the redshift range [0.15, 0.70]. We subdivide the SDSS galaxies into three luminosity-cut, and therefore nearly volume-limited samples separated in redshift, each of which acts as a large-scale structure tracer characterized by the measurement of the projected correlation function, w p ⁡(R). We also use the measurements of the galaxy-galaxy weak-lensing signal Δ⁢Σ⁡(R) for each of these SDSS samples which act as lenses for a secure sample of source galaxies selected from the HSC-Y3 shape catalog based on their photometric redshifts. We combine these measurements with the cosmic shear correlation functions, ξ ± ⁡($\vartheta$) measured for our HSC source sample. We model these observables with the minimal bias model of the galaxy clustering observables in the context of a flat Λ⁢CDM cosmology. We use conservative scale cuts, R >12 and 8⁢ℎ -1 Mpc for Δ⁢Σ and w p , respectively, where the minimal bias model is valid, in addition to conservative prior on the residual bias in the mean redshift of the HSC photometric source galaxies. We present various validation tests of our model as well as analysis methods. Our baseline analysis yields S 8 = $0.77⁢5^{+0.043}_{-0.038}$ (68% C.I.) for the Λ⁢CDM model, after marginalizing over uncertainties in other parameters. Our value of S 8 is consistent with that from the Planck 2018 data, but the credible interval of our result is still relatively large. We show that various internal consistency tests based on different splits of the data are passed. Our results are statistically consistent with those of a companion paper, which extends this analysis to smaller scales with an emulator-based halo model, using Δ⁢Σ⁡(R) and w p ⁡(R) down to R >3 and 2⁢ℎ -1 Mpc, respectively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Convolution Lagrangian perturbation theory for biased tracers beyond general relativity

We compare analytic predictions for real and Fourier space two-point statistics for biased tracers from a variety of Lagrangian perturbation theory approaches against those from state of the art N-body simulations in f(R) Hu-Sawicki and the nDGP braneworld modified gravity theories. We show that the novel physics of gravitational collapse in scalar tensor theories with the chameleon or the Vainshtein screening mechanism can be effectively factored in with bias parameters analytically predicted using the peak-background split formalism when updated to include the environmental sensitivity of modified gravity theories as well as changes to the halo mass function. Here, we demonstrate that convolution Lagrangian perturbation theory (CLPT) and standard perturbation theory (SPT) approaches provide accurate analytic methods to predict the correlation function and power spectra, respectively, for biased tracers in modified gravity models and are able to characterize both the baryon acoustic oscillation, power-law, and small scale regimes needed for upcoming galaxy surveys such as DESI, Euclid, LSST and WFIRST.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Minimizing Selection Bias in Inclusive Jets in Heavy-Ion Collisions with Energy Correlators

The first-ever measurement of energy correlators within inclusive jets produced in heavy-ion collisions, revealed by the CMS Collaboration, shows a clear enhancement at large angles relative to the proton-proton (p-p) baseline. However, interpreting this enhancement is complicated due to selection bias from energy loss, which also distorts the energy correlator heavy-ion to p-p ratio in the hadronization region, hindering our understanding of parton/hadron dynamics in a colored medium. In this Letter, we introduce a new ratio of energy correlator observables that removes the leading effects of selection bias from the two-point energy correlator spectrum (E2C). PYTHIA and HERWIG simulations show that the impact of selection bias in the E2C is reduced by an order of magnitude, while sensitivity to any other medium modifications is retained. This quantity can be obtained directly from the experimental measurements presented by CMS, as illustrated in an accompanying note [C. Andres and J. Holguin, arXiv:2409.07526].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ab initio calculations for void swelling bias in α - and δ -plutonium

Void swelling can develop in materials under persistent irradiation when nonequilibrium vacancy and self-interstitial populations migrate under sufficiently asymmetric interaction biases. In conventional metals, the propensity is determined to the first approximation by comparing point-defect relaxation strains. We thus present DFT-based calculations of structures and formation energies and volumes of point defects in the α and the δ phases of plutonium. Here we discuss the pros and cons of various levels of electronic structure theory: spin polarization, spin-orbit coupling, and orbital polarization. Our results show that lattice defects in δ-Pu, in contrast to most fcc metals, have surprisingly small formation volumes. Equally unexpected are the large defect formation volumes found in the low-symmetry α-Pu phase. Both these unusual properties can be satisfactorily explained from defect-induced spin/orbital moment formation and destruction in the Pu phases. Surprisingly, the point defects in α-Pu are found to induce far larger transformation of the local electronic structure than in δ-Pu. When we use the calculated defect properties to estimate the classic void swelling bias in each of the phases, we find it to be unusually small in δ-Pu but likely much larger in α-Pu. Hence, swelling rates and mechanisms can diverge dramatically between the different phases of Pu. Especially in the transient regime before the formation of large defect clusters, the swelling rate of α-Pu can reliably be expected to be much larger than δ-Pu. However, accurate forecasts over longer times will require the conventional void-swelling theory to be modified to handle the complexities presented by the different Pu phases. As a case in point, we show the possible anomalous temperature dependence of vacancy properties in δ-Pu, caused by entropic contributions from defect-induced spin-lattice fluctuations. Such complications may affect defect-defect interactions and thus alter the void swelling bias.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low Offset and Noise in High Biased GaN 2DEG Hall-Effect Plates Investigated With Infrared Microscopy

This article presents GaN two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) Hall plates with low residual offset and noise at 3 V input bias. We studied devices made from three consecutive fabrication generations through current spinning offset measurements in a zero-field chamber. When operated above 1 V, the first-generation devices charted high residual offsets >1 mT. We reduced these residual offsets by three orders of magnitude in later device generations. Two experiments were performed to confirm the improvements. First, the GaN 2DEG Hall-effect plates were measured with infrared microscopy during current spinning to investigate current crowding and Joule heating. The low offset devices had minimal thermal gradients while the high offset devices had large thermal variations during current spinning. Second, zero-field current spinning was used to compare GaN 2DEG Hall-effect plates against typical commercial silicon Hall-effect plates. The Si devices had residual offsets >10μT biased at 3 V and AlGaN/GaN devices had residual offset <4 μT at 3 V, and an InAlN/GaN devices operated at 2 V had a residual offset <4 μT . Thus, for the first time, GaN 2DEG Hall-effect plates were shown to operate with high bias with low offsets and noise, which enables high fidelity sensing applications in extreme environments.

2DEG↗
DOE OSTI2018

Identifying Reverse-Bias Breakdown Sites in CuInxGa(1-x)Se2

CIGS mini-modules are stressed under reverse bias, resembling partial shading conditions, to predict and characterize where failure occurs. Partial shading can cause permanent damage in the form of 'wormlike' defects on thin-film modules due to thermal runaway. We use electroluminescence (EL) imaging and dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) to supplement current-voltage curves when reverse-bias breakdown occurs on various CIGS minimodules. For better understanding of how these defects originate and propagate, we have implemented a current-limited, reverse-bias stressing technique. This allowed for DLIT-based detection and detailed study of the region where breakdown initiates before thermal runaway leads to permanent damage. A correlation between suspected defect sites and actual breakdown has been determined using this method.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Bias on Isotope Ratios in Dolomite-Ankerite, Part I: δ 18 O Matrix Effects

Here, we document the development of a suite of carbonate mineral reference materials for calibrating SIMS determinations of δ 18 O in samples with compositions along the dolomite–ankerite solid solution series [CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 –CaFe(CO 3 ) 2 ]. Under routine operating conditions for the analysis of carbonates for δ 18 O with an IMS 1280 instrument (at WiscSIMS, University of Wisconsin, Madison), the magnitude of instrumental bias along the dolomite–ankerite series decreased exponentially by ~ 10‰ with increasing Fe-content in the dolomite structure, but appeared insensitive to minor Mn substitution (< 2.6 mol% Mn/(Ca+Mg+Fe+Mn)). The compositional dependence of bias (i.e., the sample matrix effect) was calibrated using the Hill equation, which relates bias to the Fe# of dolomite–ankerite (i.e., molar Fe/(Mg+Fe)) for thirteen reference materials (Fe# = 0.004–0.789); for calibrations employing either 10 or 3 μm diameter spot size measurements, this yielded residual values ≤ 0.3–0.4‰ relative to CRM NBS 19 for most reference materials in the suite. Analytical precision was ± 0.3‰ (2s) for 10-μm spots and ± 0.7‰ (2s) for 3-μm spots, based on the spot-to-spot repeatability of a drift monitor material that ‘bracketed’ each set of ten sample spot analyses. Analytical uncertainty for individual sample analyses was approximated by a combination of precision and calibration residual values (propagated in quadrature), suggesting an uncertainty of ± 0.5‰ (2s) for 10-μm spots and ± 1‰ (2s) for 3-μm spots.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Controlled ambient and temperature treatment of InGaZnO thin film transistors for improved bias-illumination stress reliability

The failure mechanisms arising from the instability in operation of indium gallium zinc oxide based thin film transistors (TFTs) upon prolonged real application stresses (bias and illumination) have been extensively studied and reported. Positive and negative gate bias conditions, along with high photonic energy wavelengths within visible light spectrum are used as stress conditions. The increased carrier concentration due to photonic excitation of defects within bandgap and ionization of deep level vacancies is compensated by the reduction in off currents under illumination due to the trapping of carriers in the intermetal dielectric. Band lowering at the source-channel junction due to accumulation of negative carriers repelled due to negative gate bias stress further causes high carrier flow into the channel and drives the devices into failure. The defect identification during failure and degradation assisted in proposing suitable low temperature post processing in specific ambients. Reliability tests after specific anneals in oxygen, vacuum, and forming gas ambients confirm the correlation of the defect type with anneal ambient. Annealed TFTs demonstrate high stabilities under illumination stresses and do not fail when subjected to combined stresses that cause failure in as-fabricated TFTs. Oxygen and forming gas anneals are impactful on the reliability and opens an area of study on donor and vacancy behavior in amorphous mixed oxide based TFTs. The subthreshold swing, field-effect mobilities, and off currents provide knowledge on best anneal practices by understanding role of hydrogen and oxygen in vacancy annihilation and transistor switching properties.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

TH-C-19A-08: PDD Discrepancies at Opposite Biases From Very Small Volume Ion Chambers When Using Water Scanners

Purpose: As more so-called micro ion chambers become commercially available, medical physicists may be inclined to use them during the linear accelerator commissioning process, in an attempt to better characterize the beam in steep dose gradient areas. The purpose of this work is to inform the medical physics community of a non-trivial, anomalous behavior observed when very small chambers are used in certain beam scanning configurations. Methods: A total of six ion chambers (0.007cc to 0.6cc) were used to scan PDDs from a 10×10cm2 field at both +300V and −300V biases. PDDs were scanned using three different water tank scanning systems to determine whether different scanners exhibit the same abnormality. Finally, PDDs were sampled using an external electrometer to bypass the internal electrometer of the scanner to determine the potential contributions of the scanner electronics to the abnormality observed. Results: We observed a reproducible, significant difference (over-response with depth) in PDDs acquired when using very small ion chambers with certain bias and watertank combinations, on the order of 3–5% at a depth of 25 cm in water. This difference was not observed when the PDDs were sampled using the ion chambers in conjunction with an external electrometer. This suggests a contribution of interference produced by the controller box and scanning system, which becomes significant for the very small signals collected by very small ion chambers, especially at depth, as the signal level is reduced even further. Conclusion: Based on the results observed here, if currently available very small ion chambers are used with specific bias and scanning water-tank combinations, erroneous PDD data may be collected. If this data is used as input to the Treatment Planning System, systematic errors on the order of 3%–5% may be introduced into the treatment planning process.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP1-01: Bias and Computational Efficiency of Variance Reduction Methods for the Monte Carlo Simulation of Imaging Detectors

Purpose: Variance reduction techniques (VRTs) are employed in Monte Carlo simulations to obtain estimates with reduced statistical uncertainty for a given simulation time. In this work, we study the bias and efficiency of a VRT for estimating the response of imaging detectors. Methods: We implemented Directed Sampling (DS), preferentially directing a fraction of emitted optical photons directly towards the detector by altering the isotropic model. The weight of each optical photon is appropriately modified to maintain simulation estimates unbiased. We use a Monte Carlo tool called fastDETECT2 (part of the hybridMANTIS open-source package) for optical transport, modified for VRT. The weight of each photon is calculated as the ratio of original probability (no VRT) and the new probability for a particular direction. For our analysis of bias and efficiency, we use pulse height spectra, point response functions, and Swank factors. We obtain results for a variety of cases including analog (no VRT, isotropic distribution), and DS with 0.2 and 0.8 optical photons directed towards the sensor plane. We used 10,000, 25-keV primaries. Results: The Swank factor for all cases in our simplified model converged fast (within the first 100 primaries) to a stable value of 0.9. The root mean square error per pixel for DS VRT for the point response function between analog and VRT cases was approximately 5e-4. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that DS VRT does not affect the estimate of the mean for the Swank factor. Our findings indicate that it may be possible to design VRTs for imaging detector simulations to increase computational efficiency without introducing bias.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Exchange Bias Training Effect in GdBaCo{sub 2}O{sub 5.5} Cobaltite

The nature of the training effect in exchange bias compounds, which consists in a decrease in the exchange bias field H{sub EB} under magnetic field cycling, is clarified. It is shown that the training effect in GdBaCo{sub 2}O{sub 5 + δ} cobaltite with δ ≈ 0.5 is caused by a decrease in magnetization. Depending on time, magnetization M(t) decreases sharply after the first cycle and slowly in subsequent N cycles. A direct relationship (proportionality) is established between the decrease in the magnetization M(t) of ferromagnetic particles and the change of the field H{sub EB}(t). It is assumed that the cooling of a sample in a magnetic field gives rise to small (single-domain) and large ferromagnetic clusters in an antiferromagnetic environment. The sharp decrease in M(t) and H{sub EB}(t) and the deviation of the function H{sub EB}(N) from the well-known power-law relation ΔH{sub EB} ∝ N{sup –1/2} with N > 1 is explained by the transformation of large ferromagnetic clusters into a multidomain state under magnetic field cycling. The results are consistent with the phenomenological model of Meiklejohn and Bean, which predicts a linear dependence of the exchange bias on the ferromagnetic magnetization of a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Field Characteristics of Spin-Torque Diode Sensitivity in the Presence of a Bias Current

The use of the spin-torque diode effect, which is generated upon the current-induced transfer of spin angular momentum in magnetic tunnel junctions, opens the prospect of considerably improving microwave sensitivity in the gigahertz frequency band over that of semiconductor Schottky diodes. In this work, the spin-diode effect of microwave signal rectification in a magnetic tunnel junction upon the resonant excitation of spin waves in the free magnetic layer as a result of the current-induced spin-transfer torque effect is analyzed theoretically. Frequency characteristics of the resonant response of a spin-torque diode to a microwave signal are calculated in the linear macrospin approximation as functions of the direction and value of the applied magnetic field and bias current. It is shown that with zero bias current, the maximum rectified voltage across a junction is obtained in the geometry of mutually perpendicular magnetizations of magnetic layers; as the resonant frequency of oscillations in a magnetic field increases, this voltage drops at the retained equilibrium orientation of spins in the layers. After the bias current is switched on, the resonance amplitude of forced oscillations of the free layer spins upon microwave excitation grows sharply at the critical point of the spin-torque diode’s loss of equilibrium state stability. The linewidth at this point is limited only by nonlinear effects. Improving spin-torque diode sensitivity is important for its use in microwave holographic vision systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Challenges and Prospects for Reducing Coupled Climate Model SST Biases in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans: The U.S. CLIVAR Eastern Tropical Oceans Synthesis Working Group

Well-known problems trouble coupled general circulation models of the eastern Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins. Model climates are significantly more symmetric about the equator than is observed. Model sea surface temperatures are biased warm south and southeast of the equator, and the atmosphere is too rainy within a band south of the equator. Near-coastal eastern equatorial SSTs are too warm, producing a zonal SST gradient in the Atlantic opposite in sign to that observed. The U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (CLIVAR) Eastern Tropical Ocean Synthesis Working Group (WG) has pursued here an updated assessment of coupled model SST biases, focusing on the surface energy balance components, on regional error sources from clouds, deep convection, winds, and ocean eddies; on the sensitivity to model resolution; and on remote impacts. Motivated by the assessment, the WG makes the following recommendations: 1) encourage identification of the specific parameterizations contributing to the biases in individual models, as these can be model dependent; 2) restrict multimodel intercomparisons to specific processes; 3) encourage development of high-resolution coupled models with a concurrent emphasis on parameterization development of finer-scale ocean and atmosphere features, including low clouds; 4) encourage further availability of all surface flux components from buoys, for longer continuous time periods, in persistently cloudy regions; and 5) focus on the eastern basin coastal oceanic upwelling regions, where further opportunities for observational–modeling synergism exist.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗