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Cryogenic Electronics development for High Energy Physics

In the quest to study the fundamental nature of matterand the universe, High Energy Physics (HEP) experimentsoften operate in extreme conditions that lie well outside thestandard operating range of integrated circuits. Two prominentexamples of such extreme environments are the irradiationlevels experienced at high luminosity colliders, as well asoperation at cryogenic temperatures. Cryogenic electronicsis a broad term that encompasses circuits operating at temperatures below the standard operating limit (-55°C in the caseof military grade electronics), all the way down to millikelvin,as in the case of superconducting circuits. Cryogenic circuitshave a long history and have found applications in abroad spectrum of applications, such as infrared focal planearrays, PET, quantum science. While CMOS circuits have beenreliably operated at deep cryogenic temperatures (<4.2K),this article focuses on applications down to liquid Nitrogen(77K), and provides an overview on the design considerations,benefits, and unique challenges pertaining to cryogenic CMOSICs for large HEP experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Bespoke, High-Purity Coal Tar with Microwave Plasma Pyrolysis

H Quest Vanguard, Inc is developing microwave plasma driven ultra-rapid (100-500 ms residence times) coal pyrolysis. In this innovative process, entrained in an oxygen-free gas stream, the coal particles enter a non-thermal plasma and are rapidly heated (~10 5 K/sec), resulting in a carbonized exterior and electrically conductive coal particles. Microwave radiation can then directly couple to entrained particles creating localized high energy regions. Aromatic and polyaromatic tar components are stripped from the macromolecular structure of coal and ejected into the gas stream leaving behind porous char particles

Viswanathan, Vignesh↗

Opportunities for DOE National Laboratory-led QuantISED Experiments

A subset of QuantISED Sensor PIs met virtually on May 26, 2020 to discuss a response to a charge by the DOE Office of High Energy Physics. In this document, we summarize the QuantISED sensor community discussion, including a consideration of HEP science enabled by quantum sensors, describing the distinction between Quantum 1.0 and Quantum 2.0, and discussing synergies/complementarity with the new DOE NQI centers and with research supported by other SC offices. Quantum 2.0 advances in sensor technology offer many opportunities and new approaches for HEP experiments. The DOE HEP QuantISED program could support a portfolio of small experiments based on these advances. QuantISED experiments could use sensor technologies that exemplify Quantum 2.0 breakthroughs. They would strive to achieve new HEP science results, while possibly spinning off other domain science applications or serving as pathfinders for future HEP science targets. QuantISED experiments should be led by a DOE laboratory, to take advantage of laboratory technical resources, infrastructure, and expertise in the safe and efficient construction, operation, and review of experiments. The QuantISED PIs emphasized that the quest for HEP science results under the QuantISED program is distinct from the ongoing DOE HEP programs on the energy, intensity, and cosmic frontiers. There is robust evidence for the existence of particles and phenomena beyond the Standard Model, including dark matter, dark energy, quantum gravity, and new physics responsible for neutrino masses, cosmic inflation, and the cosmic preference for matter over antimatter. Where is this physics and how do we find it? The QuantISED program can exploit new capabilities provided by quantum technology to probe these kinds of science questions in new ways and over a broader range of science parameters than can be achieved with conventional techniques.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

BETO 2021 Peer Review - FCIC Task 5 - Preprocessing

In the study of feedstock variability, this presentation specifically looks at preprocessing processes that will created well-defined and homogenous feedstock from variable biomass resources, in the quest to produce homogeneous intermediates that will be converted into market-ready products. The objective of this stage of the project is to develop science-based design and operation principles informed by TEA/LCA that result in predictable, reliable, and scalable performance of preprocessing unit operations (comminution, fractionation, deconstruction, and real-time imaging).

biomass↗

Neutron Calibration Studies for the SuperCDMS SNOLAB Experiment

My time at Fermilab has been dedicated to advancing the field of dark matter detection through my contributions to the SuperCDMS collaboration. The first project involved the development and testing of a delivery system for a Cf-252 neutron source to calibrate the SuperCDMS silicon and germanium detectors. Subsequently, I focused on parametrizing the detectors' instrumental response by optimizing a plastic scintillator backing array to measure the scattering angle of a collimated neutron beam. The Monte Carlo simulation I designed provided insights into the detection efficiency of the array, and the best-fit design I arrived at for the scattering counters will be implemented into the final array. Additionally, I assembled a muon detector with legacy hardware to enhance the ability of the calibration experiment to reduce dark current and false signals. As my work nears completion, I am confident that these contributions will significantly enhance the precision and reliability of the SuperCDMS experiment, pushing the boundaries of our understanding of dark matter and contributing to the broader scientific community's quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Target Multiwire for the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beamline

The Booster Neutrino Beamline experiment re-quested a new secondary electron emission multiwire profile monitor installation. The device had to be durable in high radiation conditions and mounted within a large 10-foot airtight steel fixture for installation near the beam target. Previous iterations of multiwire suffered radiation damage to both the connectors and wires. To ensure accurate horizontal and vertical beam profile measurements, an updated design was pro-posed, designed, and constructed. The new BNB multiwire utilizes 3 mil diameter gold-plated tungsten sense wires soldered to vertical and horizontal Alumi-na-96 ceramic planes, 50 wires per plane. Radiation hard Kapton insulated 30-gauge wires carry the output signals. Profiles are readout through charge integrator scanner electronics. This paper will detail the design and functionality of the BNB target multiwire and present relevant beam profile data.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Laboratory for Laser Energetics Targets Inertial Confinement Fusion

The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics is targeting laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, as part of National Nuclear Security Administration’s Stockpile Stewardship Program and in the quest for clean sources of energy. The Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is home to two extremely powerful lasers—OMEGA and OMEGA EP—and researchers are using them to explore laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF). ICF involves compressing a small amount of fuel consisting of hydrogen isotopes, deuterium (D), and tritium (T), and heating it to temperatures greater than the center of stars. “When these conditions are reached, the fuel undergoes fusion—releasing enormous energy that can be used for research relevant to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) and to drive carbon-free power plants,” explains Valeri Goncharov, distinguished scientist and director of the Theory Division at LLE. LLE was established at the University of Rochester in 1970 and is the largest U.S. Department of Energy university-based research program in the nation, supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration as part of its Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP). “As a center for exploring the interaction of intense radiation with matter, LLE is a unique national resource for research and education in science and technology,” says Goncharov. “Our current research includes exploring fusion for the SSP program and as a future source of energy, developing new laser and materials technologies, and pursuing a better understanding of high-energy-density phenomena.”

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Measuring the Neutron Spin Asymmetry A1n in the Valence Quark Region in Hall C at Jefferson Lab

The quest to understand how the nucleon spin is decomposed into its constituent quark and gluon spin and orbital angular momentum (OAM) components has been at the forefront of nuclear physics for decades. Due to the non-perturbative nature of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) - the theory describing how quarks and gluons bind together to form protons and neutrons - making absolute predictions of nucleon spin structure is generally difficult, especially as a function of its quark and gluon longitudinal momentum fraction x. Measurements involving nucleon spin structure serve as a sensitive test for QCD, including ab-initio lattice QCD calculations due to the advent of the quasi-PDF formalism, and various predictions that diverge at large-x. The neutron spin asymmetry An 1 at high?x is a key observable for probing nucleon spin structure. In the valence domain (x > 0.5), sea effects are expected to be negligible, and so the total nucleon spin is considered to be carried by the valence quarks. The valence region can therefore enable us to study the role of quark OAM and other non-perturbative effects of the strong force. An 1 was measured in the deep inelastic scattering region of 0.40 < x < 0.75 and 6 < Q2 < 10 GeV2 in Hall C at Jefferson Lab using a 10.4 GeV longitudinally polarized electron beam, upgraded polarized 3He target, and the High Momentum Spectrometer (HMS) and Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS). E12- 06-110 provides the first precision data in the valence quark region above x = 0.60, and its preliminary results proved consistent with earlier data disqualifying a pQCD model that excluded quark OAM. Combined with previous world proton data, the ratio of the polarized-to-unpolarized up quark momentum distribution (?u + ?u)/(u + u) remained positive at large-x, and the down quark (?d + ?d)/(d + d) remained negative.

Rehfuss, Melanie↗

CdZnTeSe: Recent advances for radiation detector applications

The quest for cost-effective, high performing room temperature semiconductor detector (RTSD) materials for high energy gamma rays has been continuing for more than three decades. The requirements for RTSD materials, however, are more stringent as compared to other applications unrelated to detection of X- and gamma-rays, mainly due to the requirement of thick detectors for sufficient absorption of high-energy electromagnetic radiation and excellent charge-transport properties. The II-VI compound CdZnTe (CZT) with the composition of 10 atomic % Zn (Cd0.9Zn0.1Te) has been the material of choice over the past several years, and it has dominated the commercial market for RTSD materials and detectors. Despite its commercial success as a room temperature radiation detection material, CZT suffers from a lack of compositional homogeneity on both a micro- and macro-scale and the presence of high concentrations of sub-grain boundary (dislocation walls) networks and secondary phases (Te-rich inclusions). This chapter focuses on the presence of performance-limiting defects in CZT that hinder the yield and elevate the cost of high-quality detectors. The presence of such performance-limiting defects has restricted widespread deployment of CZT for a variety of potential applications, particularly for uses of relatively large detectors where the demands on material perfection are significantly greater. In the recent past, replacing some of the tellurium with selenium in the CZT matrix was found to be very effective in drastically reducing the Te-rich secondary phases and dislocation networks, plus

Roy, Utpal N.↗

Comparative Analysis of Heat Exchangers for High Temperature High Pressure Helium Component Testing

Helium gas loops have been designed and built to gain a better understanding of the gas thermohydraulic phenomena that take place in a helium system. Some of these loops are used for validation and testing of components for high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). However, most of them operate at lower pressure and temperature than an HTGR. While these loops can provide valuable information about gas-cooled reactor components, the operating envelope of the experiment is constrained by the maximum operating conditions of the helium loop. In response to the lack of an experimental facility that can provide the infrastructure needed to validate and test components at nominal pressures and temperatures of HTGRS, the HElium Component Testing Out-of-pile Research (HECTOR) facility was designed at Idaho National Laboratory with the assistance of University of Idaho and Walsh Engineering. With the capability to test at temperatures up to 800°C and pressures of 8MPa, HECTOR serves as a critical tool for the advancement of HTGR technology. The facility's primary role is to provide a controlled, high-fidelity environment for the assessment of component resilience and efficiency under nominal HTGR conditions. In the quest to enhance the efficiency and performance of HECTOR, a comparative analysis of three distinct types of heat exchangers—shell and tube, offset strip fin, and printed-circuit—was conducted, focusing primarily on two critical metrics: the required surface area and pressure drop characteristics. The shell and tube heat exchanger, renowned for its robust design and widespread industrial application, was evaluated against the offset strip fin and the cuttingedge printed-circuit heat exchangers, both of which are lauded for their compactness and thermal effectiveness. This comparative study aims to provide detailed insights into the thermal management capabilities of each heat exchanger type under the conditions inherent to HECTOR, thereby facilitating an informed selection for systems demanding high operational integrity and efficiency.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Boosted Dark Matter Search with the ICARUS Detector at the Gran Sasso Underground National Laboratory

The quest to discover dark matter is one of the most pressing topics in modern physics. Evidence of gravitational anomalies is present at different cosmological scales, spanning the stability and rotation of galaxies to the overall density profile of the entire observable Universe. Due to the discrepancy between the mass measured and the gravitational influence on the mass, if General Relativity is to correctly describe gravity at different scales, extra electromagnetically invisible matter termed dark matter must exist. In recent decades, many experiments have been performed to detect dark matter with masses that span many orders of magnitude, from Mass Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) with masses several orders of magnitude that of our sun to very light particles on the order of $\sim\mu$eV. However, experiments have only been able to constrain the possible parameter space of dark matter models and, in general, probe dark matter models with single constituent dark matter like Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). In the Boosted Dark Matter (BDM) paradigm, there are four particles in the dark sector: $\chi_0$, $\chi_1$, $\chi_2$, and the dark photon $X$. WIMP-like properties are ascribed to $\chi_0$ to describe the physics of the gravitational anomalies, while relativistic components are assigned to $\chi_1$ and $\chi_2$. The inelastic boosted dark matter (iBDM) channel $\chi_1 e^-\rightarrow \chi_2 e^-\rightarrow \chi_1 Xe^-\rightarrow \chi_1 (e^+ e^- ) e^-$, where $\chi_2$ is an excited state of $\chi_1$, has a unique signature that is distinguishable from neutrino interactions, making neutrino experiments a viable search environment for BDM. Using data collected by the ICARUS collaboration with ICARUS T-600 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) during its operation at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), the first-ever LArTPC dark matter search using the ICARUS detector is presented. With a total detector exposure of 0.13 kton$\cdot$year, a total of 4 iBDM candidate events were identified by several stages of data scanning. All were rejected due to defined selection criteria and a wire-by-wire $dE/dx$ evaluation, giving a null result. Exclusion plots at 90\%C.L. for the dark photon ($m_X$, $\epsilon$) parameter space for fixed ($m_0,m_1,m_2$) DM mass sets are presented, setting new limits on the dark photon visible decay parameter space.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Can an Efficient Nuclear Energy Industry Still be Resilient? On the Nature of Efficiency and Resiliency in Complex Systems

At the time of writing, the nuclear industry is on the precipice of a long-hoped for, but as-yet-unrealized, “nuclear renaissance.” Nuclear power plants in the United States and around the globe are aging, emphasizing the criticality of this moment. The importance of carbon free power sources combined with advancements in nuclear technology and innovation have brought a new potential landscape. As existing reactors and utilities cope with increased economic pressure by seeking out efficiencies the push towards novel nuclear platforms like microreactors and fission batteries will only increase this quest for efficiency gains, potentially at the detriment of safety. This paper argues that the concepts of efficiency and resiliency are fundamentally linked and that the change in one necessarily affects the other. As nuclear power is known for being incredibly resilient, this dichotomy needs attention from the current wave of research towards nuclear power efficiencies. This paper argues for resiliency at any cost. We argue that this resilience-first approach is the right path for nuclear power to take in this net-zero future. The paper is laid out as follows. Section 1 introduces the economic context and resilient nature of nuclear power. Section 2 discusses efficiency, resiliency, and the struggle between the two in nuclear power. Section 3 exemplifies our argument through case studies in the aviation and manufacturing industries and extends the argument to the nuclear industry. Section 4 concludes with a discussion of the implications of this idea.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Integrating Immersive Visualization in Molten-Salt Reactor Waste Management for Experimental Design and Planning

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) represents a significant innovation in nuclear technology, offering several operational and safety benefits over traditional solid-fuel reactors. However, MSRs face uncertainties in waste management due to their flexible designs and variable waste compositions. To address these challenges, we propose a visualization platform that illustrates solutions and performance predictions for various waste management strategies, enhancing user experience and improving strategy and communication. Immersive visualizations are widely used in the nuclear industry for training, simulation, and safety enhancement. Our project aims to develop a visualization platform incorporating virtual reality (VR) technologies to illustrate MSR characteristics immediately following reactor shutdown. This immersive simulation will allow users to interact, explore, and understand different waste management strategies. The platform will display MSR reactor characterizations, including nuclide decay, salt solidification, and corrosion, which are crucial for assessing and selecting backend management strategies. Using the Meta Quest 3 VR headset with Unity software, our platform will provide real-scale visualizations, enabling users to experience and evaluate designs and plans as if they were physically present. This user-friendly interface will make complex data accessible and understandable for non-domain experts, aiding in decision-making for MSR waste management. Our proposed visualization workflow can be applied to other nuclear reactors, assisting in the design and planning of waste management strategies.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Immersive Scientific Visualization of Molten-Salt Reactor Waste Characteristics Using Virtual Reality

Immersive visualization is changing how we explore, communicate, and understand complex scientific systems. In nuclear energy, an area in which data are often multidimensional, time-dependent, and difficult to interpret, virtual reality (VR) represents a powerful and intuitive informational medium. This work introduces a VR-based platform that visualizes the post-shutdown behavior and waste management lifecycle of molten-salt reactors (MSRs), a next-generation reactor type with unique operational and safety characteristics. The platform, built in Unity, is streamed on the Meta Quest 3 headset. It transforms high-fidelity simulation data into an interactive, immersive experience. Users can explore time-dependent reactor characteristics such as nuclide decay, which is a key factor for evaluating reactor waste strategies. The datasets were generated using the MOOSE (Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment) framework and then processed through ParaView scripting for smooth integration into Unity. From a visualization standpoint, the platform emphasizes spatial storytelling, temporal exploration, and user-centered interaction. Users can navigate 3D reactor geometries, slice through volumetric data, and manipulate time to observe how physical phenomena evolve. Real-scale rendering and embodied interaction make the experience feel tangible. The interface is designed to be accessible, even to those without nuclear or simulation expertise. This lowers the barrier for stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public, while still supporting expert analysis and collaborative decision-making. This work shows how immersive visualization can function as both a scientific tool and a communication interface. By integrating simulation, processing, and visualization into a cohesive workflow, we offer a scalable framework for immersive scientific storytelling. The modular design supports future extensions to other reactor types and lifecycle stages, from shutdown to long-term storage, making the platform adaptable for both research and outreach.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Nitrene generation and transfer for unnatural biosynthesis in living cells

Abstract Synthetic biology has enabled the production of natural and unnatural products from inexpensive sustainable feedstocks. Yet, the scope of available products has been limited largely to compounds accessible from nature’s chemical reactions. Evolved enzymes can catalyse reactions of unnatural substrates or reactions not found in nature but often require the addition of synthetic reagents to purified enzymes or to resting cells containing those enzymes. Here we show that chemical reactions of metabolic intermediates produced intracellularly in living cells can include intermolecular nitrene transfers. The biosynthesis of N -acetoxyanilines, in combination with the generation and transfer of N -aryl nitrene intermediates from them catalysed by a cytochrome P450, generates amino alcohols, diamines, diarylamines and aminoalkyl arenes from simple carbon feedstocks. These products—common substructures of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals—are challenging to synthesize by standard organic chemistry and were produced from inexpensive, renewable feedstocks. Evolution of the enzymes in this pathway showed that titres can be increased by engineering and that the products can be synthesized with high enantioselectivity.

Donnell, Isaac↗

Complete integration of carbene-transfer chemistry into biosynthesis

Biosynthesis is an environmentally benign and renewable approach that can be used to produce a broad range of natural and, in some cases, new-to-nature products. However, biology lacks many of the reactions that are available to synthetic chemists, resulting in a narrower scope of accessible products when using biosynthesis rather than synthetic chemistry. A prime example of such chemistry is carbene-transfer reactions. Although it was recently shown that carbene-transfer reactions can be performed in a cell and used for biosynthesis, carbene donors and unnatural cofactors needed to be added exogenously and transported into cells to effect the desired reactions, precluding cost-effective scale-up of the biosynthesis process with these reactions. Here, in this paper, we report the access to a diazo ester carbene precursor by cellular metabolism and a microbial platform for introducing unnatural carbene-transfer reactions into biosynthesis. The α-diazoester azaserine was produced by expressing a biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces albus. The intracellularly produced azaserine was used as a carbene donor to cyclopropanate another intracellularly produced molecule—styrene. The reaction was catalysed by engineered P450 mutants containing a native cofactor with excellent diastereoselectivity and a moderate yield. Our study establishes a scalable, microbial platform for conducting intracellular abiological carbene-transfer reactions to functionalize a range of natural and new-to-nature products and expands the scope of organic products that can be produced by cellular metabolism.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Tearing at the dayside magnetopause

Initial observations of the dayside magnetopause thickness using magnetometers on board ISEE 1 (International Sun-Earth Explorer) and ISEE 2 indicate that this boundary may only be a few ion gyro-radii thick during periods of observed southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Such a thin current layer can destabilize the collisionless tearing mode, a probable first step in the reconnection sequence. The linear growth rate is calculated assuming typical magnetopause parameters and it is found that it is a sensitive function of IMF orientation, magnetopause thickness, and electron number density. It is also shown that the finite size of the dayside magnetopause necessitates the existence of a two-dimensional tearing mode wave vector spectrum, a consequence of the inability of a thermal electron to maintain Landau resonance with the wave for a growth period. Implications regarding reconnection are discussed.

Quest, K. B.↗

Linear theory of tearing in a high-beta plasma

The linear dispersion relation for a collisionless plasma in a sheared one-dimensional current sheet is calculated with reference to conditions in the daytime magnetopause. Calculations are extended to include plasmas with beta approximately equal to 1. It is found that the tearing mode eigenstructure and temporal growth rate are a sensitive function of the ratios l sub s/l sub G, l sub s/l sub T, and l sub s/l sub n, where l sub s is the shearing length of the magnetic field, l sub G is the gradient scale length, and l sub T is the temperature gradient scale length. In particular, if beta is approximately equal to 1, and l sub s is less than l sub G, l sub n, and l sub T, then the thickness of the layer over which particles are resonantly accelerated by the induction magnetic field is approximately rho, a thermal gyroradius. If the above conditions are not satisfied, plasma gradients may electrostatically stabilize the mode.

Quest, K. B.↗