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At least 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

THE PHYSICS OF THE NEUTRINO MECHANISM OF CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

Although it is known that the stalled accretion shock in models of core-collapse supernovae turns into explosion when the neutrino luminosity from the proto-neutron star (PNS) exceeds a critical value (L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core}) (the 'neutrino mechanism'), the physics of L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core} has never been systematically explored. We solve the accretion problem between the PNS surface and the accretion shock. We quantify the deep connection between the general problem of accretion flows with bounding shocks and the neutrino mechanism. In particular, we show that there is a maximum, critical sound speed above which the shock jump conditions cannot be satisfied and steady-state accretion is impossible. This physics is general and does not depend on a specific heating mechanism. For the simple model of pressure-less free fall onto a shock bounding an isothermal accretion flow, we show that shock solutions are possible only for sound speed c{sub T} < c{sup crit}{sub T} and that c{sup 2}{sub T}/v{sub esc}{sup 2} = 3/16 = 0.1875 at c{sup crit}{sub T}. We generalize this result to the supernova problem, showing that the same physics determines L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core}. The critical condition for explosion can be written as c{sup 2}{sub S}/v{sup 2}{sub esc} {approx_equal} 0.19, where c{sub S} is the adiabatic sound speed. This 'antesonic' condition describes L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core} over a broad range of parameters, and other criteria proposed in the literature fail to capture this physics. We show that the accretion luminosity reduces L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core} non-trivially. A larger PNS radius decreases L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core}, implying that a stiff high-density equation of state may be preferred. Finally, using an analytic model, we provide evidence that the reduction of L{sup crit}{sub {nu},core} seen in recent multi-dimensional simulations results from reduced cooling efficiency, rather than an increased heating rate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MID-INFRARED EXTINCTION MAPPING OF INFRARED DARK CLOUDS. II. THE STRUCTURE OF MASSIVE STARLESS CORES AND CLUMPS

We develop the mid-infrared extinction (MIREX) mapping technique of Butler and Tan (Paper I), presenting a new method to correct for the Galactic foreground emission based on observed saturation in independent cores. Using Spitzer GLIMPSE 8 {mu}m images, this allows us to accurately probe mass surface densities, {Sigma}, up to {approx_equal} 0.5 g cm{sup -2} with 2'' resolution and mitigate one of the main sources of uncertainty associated with Galactic MIREX mapping. We then characterize the structure of 42 massive starless and early-stage cores and their surrounding clumps, selected from 10 infrared dark clouds, measuring {Sigma}{sub cl}(r) from the core/clump centers. We first assess the properties of the core/clump at a scale where the total enclosed mass as projected on the sky is M{sub cl} = 60 M{sub Sun }. We find that these objects have a mean radius of R{sub cl} {approx_equal} 0.1 pc, mean {Sigma}{sub cl} = 0.3 g cm{sup -} and, if fitted by a power-law (PL) density profile {rho}{sub cl}{proportional_to}r{sup -k{sub {rho}}{sub ,}{sub c}{sub l}}, a mean value of k{sub {rho},cl} = 1.1. If we assume a core is embedded in each clump and subtract the surrounding clump envelope to derive the core properties, then we find a mean core density PL index of k{sub {rho},c} = 1.6. We repeat this analysis as a function of radius and derive the best-fitting PL plus uniform clump envelope model for each of the 42 core/clumps. The cores have typical masses of M{sub c} {approx} 100 M{sub Sun} and {Sigma}-bar{sub c} {approx} 0.1 g cm{sup -2}, and are embedded in clumps with comparable mass surface densities. We also consider Bonnor-Ebert density models, but these do not fit the observed {Sigma} profiles as well as PLs. We conclude that massive starless cores exist and are well described by singular polytropic spheres. Their relatively low values of {Sigma} and the fact that they are IR dark may imply that their fragmentation is inhibited by magnetic fields rather than radiative heating. Comparing to massive star-forming cores and clumps, there is tentative evidence for an evolution toward higher densities and steeper density profiles as star formation proceeds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CHEMISTRY IN THE FIRST HYDROSTATIC CORE STAGE BY ADOPTING THREE-DIMENSIONAL RADIATION HYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

We investigate molecular evolution from a molecular cloud core to a first hydrostatic core in three spatial dimensions. We perform a radiation hydrodynamic simulation in order to trace fluid parcels, in which molecular evolution is investigated, using a gas-phase and grain-surface chemical reaction network. We derive spatial distributions of molecular abundances and column densities in the molecular cloud core harboring the first core. We find that the total gas and ice abundances of many species in a cold era (10 K) remain unaltered until the temperature reaches {approx}500 K. The gas abundances in the warm envelope and the outer layer of the first core (T {approx}< 500 K) are mainly determined via the sublimation of ice-mantle species. Above 500 K, the abundant molecules, such as H{sub 2}CO, start to be destroyed, and simple molecules, such as CO, H{sub 2}O, and N{sub 2}, are reformed. On the other hand, some molecules are effectively formed at high temperature; carbon chains, such as C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and cyanopolyynes, are formed at temperatures >700 K. We also find that large organic molecules, such as CH{sub 3}OH and HCOOCH{sub 3}, are associated with the first core (r {approx}< 10 AU). Although the abundances of these molecules in the first core stage are comparable to or less than in the protostellar stage (hot corino), reflecting the lower luminosity of the central object, their column densities in our model are comparable to the observed values toward the prototypical hot corino, IRAS 16293-2422. We propose that these large organic molecules can be good tracers of the first cores.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

EARLY STAGES OF CLUSTER FORMATION: FRAGMENTATION OF MASSIVE DENSE CORES DOWN TO {approx}< 1000 AU

In order to study the fragmentation of massive dense cores, which constitute the cluster cradles, we observed the continuum at 1.3 mm and the CO (2-1) emission of four massive cores with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in the most extended configuration. We detected dust condensations down to {approx}0.3 M {sub Sun} and separate millimeter sources down to 0.''4 or {approx}< 1000 AU, comparable to the sensitivities and separations reached in optical/infrared studies of clusters. The CO (2-1) high angular resolution images reveal high-velocity knots usually aligned with previously known outflow directions. This, in combination with additional cores from the literature observed at similar mass sensitivity and spatial resolution, allowed us to build a sample of 18 protoclusters with luminosities spanning three orders of magnitude. Among the 18 regions, {approx}30% show no signs of fragmentation, while 50% split up into {approx}> 4 millimeter sources. We compiled a list of properties for the 18 massive dense cores, such as bolometric luminosity, total mass, and mean density, and found no correlation of any of these parameters with the fragmentation level. In order to investigate the combined effects of the magnetic field, radiative feedback, and turbulence in the fragmentation process, we compared our observations to radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations and found that the low-fragmented regions are reproduced well in the magnetized core case, while the highly fragmented regions are consistent with cores where turbulence dominates over the magnetic field. Overall, our study suggests that the fragmentation in massive dense cores could be determined by the initial magnetic field/turbulence balance in each particular core.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE GROWTH OF COOL CORES AND EVOLUTION OF COOLING PROPERTIES IN A SAMPLE OF 83 GALAXY CLUSTERS AT 0.3 < z < 1.2 SELECTED FROM THE SPT-SZ SURVEY

We present first results on the cooling properties derived from Chandra X-ray observations of 83 high-redshift (0.3 < z < 1.2) massive galaxy clusters selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. We measure each cluster's central cooling time, central entropy, and mass deposition rate, and compare these properties to those for local cluster samples. We find no significant evolution from z {approx} 0 to z {approx} 1 in the distribution of these properties, suggesting that cooling in cluster cores is stable over long periods of time. We also find that the average cool core entropy profile in the inner {approx}100 kpc has not changed dramatically since z {approx} 1, implying that feedback must be providing nearly constant energy injection to maintain the observed ''entropy floor'' at {approx}10 keV cm{sup 2}. While the cooling properties appear roughly constant over long periods of time, we observe strong evolution in the gas density profile, with the normalized central density ({rho}{sub g,0}/{rho}{sub crit}) increasing by an order of magnitude from z {approx} 1 to z {approx} 0. When using metrics defined by the inner surface brightness profile of clusters, we find an apparent lack of classical, cuspy, cool-core clusters at z > 0.75, consistent with earlier reports for clusters at z > 0.5 using similar definitions. Our measurements indicate that cool cores have been steadily growing over the 8 Gyr spanned by our sample, consistent with a constant, {approx}150 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} cooling flow that is unable to cool below entropies of 10 keV cm{sup 2} and, instead, accumulates in the cluster center. We estimate that cool cores began to assemble in these massive systems at z{sub cool}=1.0{sup +1.0}{sub -0.2}, which represents the first constraints on the onset of cooling in galaxy cluster cores. At high redshift (z {approx}> 0.75), galaxy clusters may be classified as ''cooling flows'' (low central entropy, cooling time) but not ''cool cores'' (cuspy surface brightness profile), meaning that care must be taken when classifying these high-z systems. We investigate several potential biases that could conspire to mimic this cool core evolution and are unable to find a bias that has a similar redshift dependence and a substantial amplitude.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

INTERFEROMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF NITROGEN-BEARING MOLECULAR SPECIES IN THE STAR-FORMING CORE AHEAD OF HH 80N

We present Very Large Array NH{sub 3} and Plateau de Bure Interferometer NH{sub 2}D and HN{sup 13}C observations of the star-forming core ahead of HH 80N, the optically obscured northern counterpart of the Herbig-Haro objects HH 80/81. The main goal is to determine the kinematical information of the high density regions of the core (n ∼> 10{sup 5} cm{sup –3}) missed in previous works due to the depletion of the species observed (e.g., CS). The obtained maps show different kinematical signatures between the eastern and western parts of the core, suggesting a possible dynamical interaction of the core with the HH 80/81/80N outflow. The analysis of the position-velocity (P-V) plots of these species rules out a previous interpretation of having a molecular ring-like structure with a radius of 6 × 10{sup 4} AU traced by CS infalling onto a central protostar found in the core (IRS1). A high degree of NH{sub 3} deuteration, with respect to the central part of the core harboring IRS1, is derived in the eastern part, where a dust condensation (SE) is located. This deuteration trend of NH{sub 3} suggests that SE is in a pre-stellar evolutionary stage, earlier than that of IRS1. Since SE is the closest condensation to the HH 80N/81/80N outflow, in a case of outflow-core dynamical interaction, it should be perturbed first and be the most evolved condensation in the core. Therefore, the derived evolutionary sequence for SE and IRS1 makes outflow triggered star formation on IRS1 unlikely.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Setting the stage for circumstellar interaction in core-collapse supernovae. II. Wave-driven mass loss in supernova progenitors

Supernovae (SNe) powered by interaction with circumstellar material provide evidence for intense stellar mass loss during the final years before core collapse. We have argued that during and after core neon burning, internal gravity waves excited by core convection can tap into the core fusion power and transport a super-Eddington energy flux out to the stellar envelope, potentially unbinding ∼1 solar mass of material. In this work, we explore the internal conditions of SN progenitors using the MESA one-dimensional stellar evolution code in search of those most susceptible to wave-driven mass loss. We focus on simple, order of magnitude considerations applicable to a wide range of progenitors. Wave-driven mass loss during core neon and oxygen fusion happens preferentially in either lower mass (∼20 solar mass zero-age main sequence) stars or massive, sub-solar metallicity stars. Roughly 20% of the SN progenitors we survey can excite 10{sup 46-48} erg of energy in waves that can potentially drive mass loss within a few months to a decade of core collapse. This energy can generate circumstellar environments with 10{sup –3}-1 solar masses reaching 100 AU before explosion. We predict a correlation between the energy associated with pre-SN mass ejection and the time to core collapse, with the most intense mass loss preferentially occurring closer to core collapse. During silicon burning, wave energy may inflate 10{sup –3}-1 solar masses of the envelope to 10-100 s of solar radii. This suggests that some nominally compact SN progenitors (Type Ibc progenitors) will have a significantly different SN shock breakout signature than traditionally assumed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The dynamical fingerprint of core scouring in massive elliptical galaxies

The most massive elliptical galaxies have low-density centers or cores that differ dramatically from the high-density centers of less massive ellipticals and bulges of disk galaxies. These cores have been interpreted as the result of mergers of supermassive black hole binaries, which depopulate galaxy centers by gravitationally slingshotting central stars toward large radii. Such binaries naturally form in mergers of luminous galaxies. Here, we analyze the population of central stellar orbits in 11 massive elliptical galaxies that we observed with the integral field spectrograph SINFONI at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. Our dynamical analysis is orbit-based and includes the effects of a central black hole, the mass distribution of the stars, and a dark matter halo. We show that the use of integral field kinematics and the inclusion of dark matter is important to conclude on the distribution of stellar orbits in galaxy centers. Six of our galaxies are core galaxies. In these six galaxies, but not in the galaxies without cores, we detect a coherent lack of stars on radial orbits in the core region and a uniform excess of radial orbits outside of it: when scaled by the core radius r{sub b} , the radial profiles of the classical anisotropy parameter β(r) are nearly identical in core galaxies. Moreover, they quantitatively match the predictions of black hole binary simulations, providing the first convincing dynamical evidence for core scouring in the most massive elliptical galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dense cores in galaxies out to z = 2.5 in SDSS, UltraVISTA, and the five 3D-HST/Candels fields

The dense interiors of massive galaxies are among the most intriguing environments in the universe. In this paper,we ask when these dense cores were formed and determine how galaxies gradually assembled around them. We select galaxies that have a stellar mass >3 × 10{sup 10} M{sub ☉} inside r = 1 kpc out to z = 2.5, using the 3D-HST survey and data at low redshift. Remarkably, the number density of galaxies with dense cores appears to have decreased from z = 2.5 to the present. This decrease is probably mostly due to stellar mass loss and the resulting adiabatic expansion, with some contribution from merging. We infer that dense cores were mostly formed at z > 2.5, consistent with their largely quiescent stellar populations. While the cores appear to form early, the galaxies in which they reside show strong evolution: their total masses increase by a factor of 2-3 from z = 2.5 to z = 0 and their effective radii increase by a factor of 5-6. As a result, the contribution of dense cores to the total mass of the galaxies in which they reside decreases from ∼50% at z = 2.5 to ∼15% at z = 0. Because of their early formation, the contribution of dense cores to the total stellar mass budget of the universe is a strong function of redshift. The stars in cores with M{sub 1{sub kpc}} > 3 × 10{sup 10} M{sub ☉} make up ∼0.1% of the stellar mass density of the universe today but 10%-20% at z ∼ 2, depending on their initial mass function. The formation of these cores required the conversion of ∼10{sup 11} M{sub ☉} of gas into stars within ∼1 kpc, while preventing significant star formation at larger radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Exploring cosmic origins with CORE: Gravitational lensing of the CMB

Lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is now a well-developed probe of the clustering of the large-scale mass distribution over a broad range of redshifts. By exploiting the non-Gaussian imprints of lensing in the polarization of the CMB, the CORE mission will allow production of a clean map of the lensing deflections over nearly the full-sky. The number of high-S/N modes in this map will exceed current CMB lensing maps by a factor of 40, and the measurement will be sample-variance limited on all scales where linear theory is valid. Here, we summarise this mission product and discuss the science that will follow from its power spectrum and the cross-correlation with other clustering data. For example, the summed mass of neutrinos will be determined to an accuracy of 17 meV combining CORE lensing and CMB two-point information with contemporaneous measurements of the baryon acoustic oscillation feature in the clustering of galaxies, three times smaller than the minimum total mass allowed by neutrino oscillation measurements. Lensing has applications across many other science goals of CORE, including the search for B-mode polarization from primordial gravitational waves. Here, lens-induced B-modes will dominate over instrument noise, limiting constraints on the power spectrum amplitude of primordial gravitational waves. With lensing reconstructed by CORE, one can "delens" the observed polarization internally, reducing the lensing B-mode power by 60 %. This can be improved to 70 % by combining lensing and measurements of the cosmic infrared background from CORE, leading to an improvement of a factor of 2.5 in the error on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves compared to no delensing (in the null hypothesis of no primordial B-modes). Lensing measurements from CORE will allow calibration of the halo masses of the tens of thousands of galaxy clusters that it will find, with constraints dominated by the clean polarization-based estimators. The 19 frequency channels proposed for CORE will allow accurate removal of Galactic emission from CMB maps. We present initial findings that show that residual Galactic foreground contamination will not be a significant source of bias for lensing power spectrum measurements with CORE.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Achievements of actively controlled divertor detachment compatible with sustained high confinement core in DIII-D and EAST

The compatibility of efficient divertor detachment with high-performance core plasma is vital to the development of magnetically controlled fusion energy. The joint research on the EAST and DIII-D tokamaks demonstrates successful integration of divertor detachment with excellent core plasma confinement quality, a milestone towards solving the critical plasma–wall-interaction (PWI) issue and core-edge integration for ITER and future reactors. In EAST, actively controlled partial detachment with T et,div ~ 5 eV around the strike point and H 98 > 1 in different H-mode scenarios including the high β P H-mode scenario have been achieved with ITER-like tungsten divertor, by optimizing the detachment access condition and performing detailed experiments for core-edge integration. For active long-pulse detachment feedback control, a 30 s H-mode operation with detachment-control duration being 25 s has been successfully achieved in EAST. DIII-D has achieved actively controlled fully detached divertor with low plasma electron temperature (T et,div ≤ 5 eV across the entire divertor target) and low particle flux (degree of detachment, DoD > 3), simultaneously with very high core performance (β N ~3, β P > 2 and H 98 ~ 1.5) in the high βP scenario being developed for ITER and future reactors. The high-β P high confinement scenario is characterized by an internal transport barrier (ITB) at large radius and a weak edge transport barrier (ETB, or pedestal), which are synergistically self-organized. Both the high-β P scenario and impurity seeding facilitate divertor detachment. The detachment access leads to the reduction of ETB, which facilitates the development of an even stronger ITB at large radius in the high β P scenario. Thus, this strong large radius ITB enables the core confinement improvement during detachment. In conclusion, these significant joint DIII-D and EAST advances on the compatibility of high confinement core and detached divertor show a great potential for achieving a high-performance core plasma suitable for long-pulse operation of fusion reactors with controllable steady-state PWIs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dynamics of core accretion

In this paper, we perform three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of gas flowing around a planetary core of mass M pl = 10M ⊕ embedded in a near Keplerian background flow, using a modified shearing box approximation. We assume an ideal gas behaviour following an equation of state with a fixed ratio of the specific heats, γ = 1.42, consistent with the conditions of a moderate-temperature background disc with solar composition. No radiative heating or cooling is included in the models. We employ a nested grid hydrodynamic code implementing the ‘Piecewise Parabolic Method’ with as many as six fixed nested grids, providing spatial resolution on the finest grid comparable to the present-day diameters of Neptune and Uranus. We find that a strongly dynamically active flow develops such that no static envelope can form. The activity is not sensitive to plausible variations in the rotation curve of the underlying disc. It is sensitive to the thermodynamic treatment of the gas, as modelled by prescribed equations of state (either ‘locally isothermal’ or ‘locally isentropic’) and the temperature of the background disc material. The activity is also sensitive to the shape and depth of the core's gravitational potential, through its mass and gravitational softening coefficient. Each of these factors influences the magnitude and character of hydrodynamic feedback of the small-scale flow on the background, and we conclude that accurate modelling of such feedback is critical to a complete understanding of the core accretion process. The varying flow pattern gives rise to large, irregular eruptions of matter from the region around the core which return matter to the background flow: mass in the envelope at one time may not be found in the envelope at any later time. No net mass accretion into the envelope is observed over the course of the simulation and none is expected, due to our neglect of cooling. Except in cases of very rapid cooling however, as defined by locally isothermal or isentropic treatments, any cooling that does affect the envelope material will have limited consequences for the dynamics, since the flow quickly carries cooled material out of the core's environment entirely. The angular momentum of material in the envelope, relative to the core, varies both in magnitude and in sign on time-scales of days to months near the core and on time-scales a few years at distances comparable to the Hill radius. The dynamical activity contrasts with the largely static behaviour typically assumed within the framework of the core accretion model for Jovian planet formation. We show that material entering the dynamically active environment may suffer intense heating and cooling events the durations of which are as short as a few hours to a few days. Shorter durations are not observable in our work due to the limits of our resolution. Peak temperatures in these events range from T ~ 1000 K to as high as T ~ 3–4000 K, with densities ρ ~ 10 -9 to 10 -8 gcm -3 . These time-scales, densities and temperatures span a range consistent with those required for chondrule formation in the nebular shock model. Finally, we therefore propose that dynamical activity in the Jovian planet formation environment could be responsible for the production of chondrules and other annealed silicates in the solar nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Observation of Defect-Assisted Magnetic Vortex Core Reversal at Ultralow Critical Velocity

The stability of structures with nontrivial topology is a subject of great interest, both from fundamental and technological perspectives. The topology of a magnetic vortex, for example, results in high stability of the vortex core polarity, which is attractive for applications. This high stability, however, greatly impedes the required deterministic polarity switching, which is typically only achieved with large magnetic fields or strong dynamic driving. Here, we show that the interaction between the vortex core and manufactured nanoscale defects in the magnetic material lowers the required driving strength for core polarity reversal by more than an order of magnitude. We excite vortex dynamics in thin permalloy disks, and map the twodimensional (2D) vortex core trajectory using 3D time-resolved Kerr microscopy. In pristine samples, we observe normal gyrotropic motion of the vortex core. After laser-induced generation of defects, however, we observe repeated vortex core reversal at much-reduced driving strength. Micromagnetic simulations reveal how local reduction of exchange coupling and saturation magnetization can create vortex core reversal sites for deterministic vortex core switching.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

Core excitation contributions to the breakup of the one-neutron halo nucleus {sup 11}Be on a proton

The effect of the core excitation in the breakup of a one-neutron halo nucleus is studied within two different reaction formalisms, namely, the core excited model and the single-scattering approximation of the three-body Faddeev-Alt-Grassberger-Sandhas equations with target-core potential allowing for the core excitation. As an example, we consider the breakup of {sup 11}Be on a proton target at 63.7 MeV/nucleon incident energy and calculate the semi-inclusive cross section in the excitation energy interval E{sub x}=3.0-5.5 MeV (E{sub rel}=2.5-5 MeV) containing the 3/2{sup +} resonance with dominant contribution of the {sup 10}Be(2{sup +}) core excited state. The effect of the core excitation to the breakup cross section integrated around this resonance is found to be very significant. Moreover, when resonant and nonresonant contributions are added, the resulting semi-inclusive cross section is in reasonable agreement with the existing data, demonstrating the relevance of the core excitation mechanism for this observable. The present calculations also show the importance of incorporating the energy dependence of the core-target transition operators in the reaction formalism.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Can light dark matter solve the core-cusp problem?

Recently, there has been much interest in light dark matter, especially ultralight axions, as they may provide a solution to the core-cusp problem at the center of galaxies. Since very light bosons can have a de Broglie wavelength that is of astrophysical size, they can smooth out the centers of galaxies to produce a core, as opposed to vanilla dark matter models, and so it has been suggested that this solves the core-cusp problem. In this work, we critically examine this claim. While an ultralight particle will indeed lead to a core, we examine whether the relationship between the density of the core and its radius matches the data over a range of galaxies. We first review data that show the core density of a galaxy ρ c varies as a function of the core radius R c as ρ c ∝1/R$^{β}_{c}$ with β ≈ 1. We then compare this to theoretical models. We examine a large class of light scalar dark matter models, governed by some potential V. For simplicity, we take the scalar to be complex with a global U(1) symmetry in order to readily organize solutions by a conserved particle number. However, we expect our central conclusions to persist even for a real scalar, and furthermore, a complex scalar matches the behavior of a real scalar in the nonrelativistic limit which is the standard regime of interest. For any potential V, we find the relationship between ρ c and R c for ground state solutions is always in one of the following regimes: (i) β$\gg$1, or (ii) β$\ll$1, or (iii) unstable, and so it never matches the data. We also find similar conclusions for virialized dark matter, more general scalar field theories, degenerate fermion dark matter, superfluid dark matter, and general polytropes. We conclude that the solution to the core-cusp problem is more likely due to either complicated baryonic effects or some other type of dark matter interactions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Sample-morphology effects on x-ray photoelectron peak intensities. III. Simulated spectra of model core–shell nanoparticles

The National Institute of Standards and Technology database for the simulation of electron spectra for surface analysis has been used to simulate Cu 2p photoelectron spectra for four types of spherical copper–gold nanoparticles (NPs). These simulations were made to extend the work of Tougaard [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 14, 1415 (1996)] and of Powell et al. [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 31, 021402 (2013)] who performed similar simulations for four types of planar copper–gold films. The Cu 2p spectra for the NPs were compared and contrasted with analogous results for the planar films and the effects of elastic scattering were investigated. The new simulations were made for a monolayer of three types of Cu/Au core–shell NPs on a Si substrate: (1) an Au shell of variable thickness on a Cu core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm; (2) a Cu shell of variable thickness on an Au core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm; and (3) an Au shell of variable thickness on a 1 nm Cu shell on an Au core with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm. For these three morphologies, the outer-shell thickness was varied until the Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity was the same (within 2%) as that found in our previous work with planar Cu/Au morphologies. The authors also performed similar simulations for a monolayer of spherical NPs consisting of a CuAu{sub x} alloy (also on a Si substrate) with diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 nm. In the latter simulations, the relative Au concentration (x) was varied to give the same Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity (within 2%) as that found previously. For each morphology, the authors performed simulations with elastic scattering switched on and off. The authors found that elastic-scattering effects were generally strong for the Cu-core/Au-shell and weak for the Au-core/Cu-shell NPs; intermediate elastic-scattering effects were found for the Au-core/Cu-shell/Au-shell NPs. The shell thicknesses required to give the selected Cu 2p{sub 3/2} peak intensity for the three types of core–shell NPs were less than the corresponding film thicknesses of planar samples since Cu 2p photoelectrons can be detected from the sides and, for the smaller NPs, bottoms of the NPs. Elastic-scattering effects were also observed on the Au atomic fractions found for the CuAu{sub x} NP alloys with different diameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of genetic diversity, agronomic traits, and anthracnose resistance in the NPGS Sudan Sorghum Core collection

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) sorghum core collection contains 3011 accessions randomly selected from 77 countries. Genomic and phenotypic characterization of this core collection is necessary to encourage and facilitate its utilization in breeding programs and to improve conservation efforts. In this study, we examined the genome sequences of 318 accessions belonging to the NPGS Sudan sorghum core set, and characterized their agronomic traits and anthracnose resistance response. We identified 183,144 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within or in proximity of 25,124 annotated genes using the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach. The core collection was genetically highly diverse, with an average pairwise genetic distance of 0.76 among accessions. Population structure and cluster analysis revealed five ancestral populations within the Sudan core set, with moderate to high level of genetic differentiation. In total, 171 accessions (54%) were assigned to one of these populations, which covered 96% of the total genomic variation. Genome scan based on Tajima’s D values revealed two populations under balancing selection. Phenotypic analysis showed differences in agronomic traits among the populations, suggesting that these populations belong to different ecogeographical regions. A total of 55 accessions were resistant to anthracnose; these accessions could represent multiple resistance sources. Genome-wide association study based on fixed and random model Circulating Probability (farmCPU) identified genomic regions associated with plant height, flowering time, panicle length and diameter, and anthracnose resistance response. Integrated analysis of the Sudan core set and sorghum association panel indicated that a large portion of the genetic variation in the Sudan core set might be present in breeding programs but remains unexploited within some clusters of accessions. The NPGS Sudan core collection comprises genetically and phenotypically diverse germplasm with multiple anthracnose resistance sources. Population genomic analysis could be used to improve screening efforts and identify the most valuable germplasm for breeding programs. The new GBS data set generated in this study represents a novel genomic resource for plant breeders interested in mining the genetic diversity of the NPGS sorghum collection.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Simulation of SPND Beta-Current in AP1000 core

The Self-Powered Neutron Detectors (SPNDs) are widely used in Generation-III commercial PWR due to its small size and external-power free character. It can measure the in-core neutron flux density immediately to obtain the power profile in the core. To better understand the actual state of the simulated core, a SPND beta-current simulation module has been established in the NECP-Bamboo code. Firstly, neutron simulation is carried out in the lattice code Bamboo-Lattice together with nuclide depletion simulation to obtain the depleted composition of the entire lattice including the SPND, and the few-group parameters including density and cross section of emitter material. Secondly, the depleted lattice can then be piped into a Monte-Carlo code for neutron-photon-electron simulation to obtain the electron escape efficiency from the emitter of the SPND to the corresponding collector. Thirdly, the electron escape efficiency can be parameterized into the function of the lattice state parameters similarly to the common few-group constants. Finally, the beta-current was calculated by the core code Bamboo-Core simultaneously with the simulation of the core operation process. The beta-current of the Vanadium SPND in the AP1000 core was simulated and analyzed in this paper. Comparison between simulation and measurement of the beta-current distribution in the specific core state is shown in this paper to verify the effectiveness of the method and the code. The radial normalized current distribution is in good agreement with the measurement. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗