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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

The Mu2e experiment — Searching for charged lepton flavor violation

The Mu2e experiment will search for a Standard Model violating rate of neutrinoless conversion of a muon into an electron in the presence of an aluminum nucleus. Observation of this charged lepton flavor violating process would be an unambiguous sign of new physics. Mu2e will improve upon previous searches for this process by four orders of magnitude. This requires the world’s highest-intensity muon beam, a detector system capable of efficiently reconstructing the 105 MeV/c conversion electron signal, and minimizing sensitivity to background events. A pulsed 8 GeV proton beam strikes a target, producing pions that decay into muons. Beam outside the pulse must be suppressed to < 1 0 – 10 to reduce beam-related backgrounds. The muon beam is guided from the production target along the transport system and onto the aluminum stopping target. Conversion electrons leave the stopping target and propagate inside a solenoidal magnetic field to the tracker and electromagnetic calorimeter. The tracker is a system of straw tube panels filled with Ar/CO 2 at 1 atm that tracks particles inside of a solenoidal B-field and measures their momenta with ~ 100 keV/c resolution to resolve signal events from decay-in-orbit backgrounds. The CsI calorimeter provides E / p and is used to seed the track reconstruction algorithm with σ E / E ~ 10 % and σ t < 500 ps . Additionally, a novel cosmic ray veto with greater than 99.99% efficiency brings the expected number of background events to fewer than one over three years of running. Finally, to normalize the experiment, the stopping target monitor measures the rate of capture photons from muons incident on the stopping target by using a system of high-purity germanium and lanthanum bromide scintillators.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

A monolithic antineutrino detector for non-intrusive reactor monitoring

Recent advances in organic detection media have found applications in reactor antineutrino physics. One example is the Precision Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment (PROSPECT), which leveraged pulse-shape sensitivity to enable a successful surface deployment at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), achieving a signal to background of 4:1. PROSPECT utilized almost 4 tonnes of 6 Li-doped pulse-shape sensitive liquid scintillator in a two-dimensional segmented array. It used a combination of pulse-shape sensitivity and position sensitivity via segmentation to reduce the most prominent form of correlated background for surface detectors — cosmogenic fast neutrons. These new liquids may enable detector designs that bring additional tools for reducing backgrounds while reducing engineering complexity. In this paper, we present an investigation into a detector design that exploits properties of these liquids by maximizing spectral and pulse-shape sensitivity via highly efficient photon detection. The detector utilizes photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) placed at the top and bottom of a right cylinder, with highly reflective white walls. This design sacrifices some position sensitivity for maximal photon efficiency. In conclusion, the design choice has consequences for the identification of the background and antineutrino sensitivity, which we examine.

Pulse shape↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Volatility-Based Aerosol Phase State Predictions in the Amazon Rainforest

Organic aerosol (OA) is a complex matrix of various constituents—fresh (primary organic aerosols—POA) and aged via oxidation (secondary organic aerosols—SOA), generated from biogenic, anthropogenic, and biomass burning sources. The viscosity of OA can be critical in influencing new particle formation, reactive uptake processes that impact evaporation-growth kinetics, and the lifetime of particles in the atmosphere. We report this work utilizes a well-defined relationship between volatility and viscosity for pure compounds, which we incorporated within the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled to chemistry (WRF-Chem) to simulate the phase state and viscosity of bulk OA during the dry-to-wet transition season (September–October) in the Amazon rainforest during 2014. Our simulations indicate spatial and temporal heterogeneity in aerosol phase state often not captured by global-scale models. We show the strong role of water associated with organic aerosol ($w_s$) as the dominant factor that can be used to quantitatively estimate OA viscosity. Analysis of WRF-Chem simulations across the entire atmospheric column indicates a strong inverse log-linear relationship between $w_s$ and OA viscosity with a correlation coefficient approaching 1, in the background and biomass burning-influenced conditions. At high altitudes where relative humidity (RH) and temperatures are low, our simulations indicate that OA exists in a semisolid-/solid-like phase state, consistent with previous studies. OA hygroscopicity is strongly correlated (ca. –0.8) with OA viscosity at RH ca. 30–50%, but this RH range is found mostly at low OA concentrations and the middle troposphere (ca. 6–10 km altitudes) in our simulated domain. OA hygroscopicity is uncorrelated with viscosity at higher-RH (near surface) and lower-RH (upper troposphere) regimes. At the urban site near surface, where day–night differences in RH are significant, RH is found to drive the phase state. At the background forested site near surface, where day–night RH differences are small, biomass burning-influenced OA is semisolid and a significant OA associated with background conditions is liquid-like. Simulations indicate a long tail of OA viscosity frequency distributions extending in the semisolid/solid regimes over background biogenic-influenced conditions due to the role of low-volatility OA components such as monoterpene oxidation products.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Urbanization Amplifies Nighttime Heat Stress on Warmer Days Over the US

Abstract The impact of heat on human health is well‐recognized, with excess heat stress in urban areas (urban heat stress intensity, UHSI) adversely affecting rapidly growing urban populations. However, the physical associations of UHSI with urban heat island (UHI), urban‐induced change in moisture (UQI) and background temperature are not well understood. Multi‐year convection‐permitting simulations over the US show that UHI effect peaks during nighttime (2–5°C) but maximum UQI occurs in daytime (0.01–2 g kg −1 ), resulting in competing effects on UHSI. UHI dynamics dominate the diurnal variations in UHSI with intensified urban‐induced human discomfort during nighttime (3–5 hr day − 1 ). UHSI is very sensitive to the background temperature, especially over the southeastern US, with distinct nightime UHSI amplification of ∼0.5 hr day −1 degree − 1 rise in the background temperature. Spatial variability of UHSI is also dominated by the UHI with possible constrains from background moisture availability.

Sarangi, Chandan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Can Biogeochemical Tracer Observations Constrain Southern Ocean Diapycnal Mixing Rates?

Abstract Direct observations of background diapycnal mixing rates in the Southern Ocean (SO) are limited spatially and temporally, making the choice of an appropriate value to parameterize this mixing in Earth system models a challenge. However, the deployment of Argo floats throughout the SO has provided an extensive range of observations of both physical and biogeochemical parameters. We use an ocean state estimate run with various background diapycnal mixing coefficients to assess if biogeochemical tracer observations can be used to better constrain SO diapycnal mixing rates. We find that vertical tracer distributions in the SO are highly sensitive to the rate of background diapycnal mixing and can provide an upper limit on background mixing rates. This demonstrates the importance of biogeochemical tracer observations throughout the full depth of the water column to validate ocean models.

Ellison, Elizabeth [The Australian National Univer↗
DOE OSTI2020

The role of ambient gas confinement, plasma chemistry, and focusing conditions on emission features of femtosecond laser-produced plasmas

Ultrafast laser ablation coupled with optical emission spectroscopy is currently under development for standoff detection of elements and their isotopes for a wide range of application areas. In this work, we explore the role of ambient air pressure during the interaction of an ultrafast laser beam with two metallic targets (brass and uranium) with significantly different oxygen gas-phase reactivity. Plasma plumes were generated by focusing ~800 nm, ~35 fs pulses from an ultrafast laser system using a long focal length lens with f = 1 m. Two-dimensional spectral imaging was performed over the pressure range of 30 mTorr-700 Torr air to evaluate emission dynamics, plasma chemistry, signal-to-background ratio, and characteristic parameters (i.e. excitation temperature, electron density). An increase in ambient air pressure during ultrafast laser ablation leads to plume confinement and subsequent changes in the emission dynamics due to plasma chemistry as well as changes in plasma generation conditions (i.e. focused fs laser ablation versus filament ablation). Ablation crater morphologies were also investigated via scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate atomic emission intensity and signal-to-background ratios peak at moderate pressure levels (~50-100 Torr air) for both targets studied, although plasma chemistry influences uranium emission signatures. The emission features of the uranium plasma at pressures = 10 Torr showed the presence of atoms and oxide molecules which are co-located within the plume. We also find filament ablation leads to wider, more shallow craters compared to focused laser ablation. Our study provides unique insight into the interplay between plume dynamics, confinement, and oxygen chemistry of fs laser-produced plasmas and how these phenomena evolve with changing ambient air pressure.

Laser-produced plasma↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fresnel zone plate point spread function approximation for zeroth order mitigation in millimetric field of view x-ray imaging

High spatial and temporal resolution x-ray radiography images are required at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) for high-energy density experiments. One technique that is in development to achieve the required resolution uses Fresnel zone plate (FZP) optics to image an object that is backlit by an x-ray source. The multiple FZP diffraction orders do not focus on the same plane, which increases the background and reduces the contrast. Understanding the point spread function of the different diffraction orders will allow the prediction of the expected background using simulations. We find that the two-dimensional point spread function of the FZP can be approximated by the addition of a sharp Gaussian with a disk. This allowed for the estimation of the background in NIF experimental images of Rayleigh–Taylor spikes and their interpretation. An alternative design of FZP is discussed to allow the inclusion of a zeroth order blocker to reduce the background.

Do, A. (ORCID:0000000174372147)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluation of uncertainty in antineutrino spectra normalization calculations for advanced nuclear reactor monitoring

Antineutrino detection systems have been envisioned as an important aspect of safeguarding the next generation of nuclear reactors, especially considering designs utilizing exotic fuel cycles. Deployment of antineutrino detection systems for safeguarding applications is hindered by the uncertainties associated with the calculations required for antineutrino spectra measurements and predictions. The focus of this work is to assess the impact of system components on antineutrino spectra normalization uncertainties and their significance in reactor power monitoring sensitivity. The dominant limitation in antineutrino detection calculations is typically the uncertainty associated with a cosmogenic background. This limitation becomes more pronounced when signals are weak, although the issue is mitigated in larger reactors due to their stronger source strength. Additionally, antineutrino emission uncertainties vary with the isotopic composition of the reactor fuel. Unconventional fuel cycles, featuring less common fissioning isotopes, such as Pu-240, introduce larger antineutrino yield uncertainties. The findings from this study suggest that future research on safeguard-targeted antineutrino detection should prioritize background mitigation, particularly when background simulation is necessary. Advanced nuclear reactor designs have a major influence on background understanding and successful system implementation.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Real-time steerable frequency-stepped Doppler backscattering (DBS) system for local helicon wave electric field measurements on the DIII-D tokamak

A new frequency-stepped Doppler backscattering (DBS) system has been integrated into a real-time steerable electron cyclotron heating launcher system to simultaneously probe local background turbulence (f < 10 MHz) and high-frequency (20–550 MHz) density fluctuations in the DIII-D tokamak. The launcher allows for 2D steering (horizontally and vertically) over wide angular ranges to optimize probe location and wavenumber response. The vertical steering can be optimized during a discharge in real time. The new DBS system employs a programmable frequency synthesizer with adjustable dwell time as a source to launch either O or X-mode polarized millimeter waves. This system can step in real-time over the entire E-band frequency range (60–90 GHz). This combination of capabilities allows for the diagnosis of the complex internal spatial structure of high power (>200 kW) helicon waves (476 MHz) injected from an external antenna during helicon current drive experiments in DIII-D. Broadband density fluctuations around the helicon frequency are observed during real-time scans of measurement location and wavenumber during these experiments. Analysis indicates that these broadband high-frequency fluctuations are a result of backscattering of the DBS millimeter-wave probe beam from plasma turbulence modulated by the helicon wave. It is observed that background turbulence is effectively locally “tagged” with the helicon wave electric field, forming images of the turbulent spectrum in the overall density fluctuation spectrum that appear as high-frequency sidebands of the turbulence. These observations of background turbulence and high-frequency fluctuations open up the possibility of monitoring local helicon wave amplitude by comparing the high-frequency signal amplitude to the simultaneously measured background turbulence. In combination with the real-time measurement location and wavenumber scanning capabilities (offered by real-time frequency-stepping and steering), this allows rapid determination of the spatial distribution of the helicon wave power during steady-state plasma operation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluating proxy influence in assimilated paleoclimate reconstructions – Testing the exchangeability of two ensembles of spatial processes

Climate field reconstructions (CFR) attempt to estimate spatiotemporal fields of climate variables in the past using climate proxies such as tree rings, ice cores, and corals. Data Assimilation (DA) methods are a recent and promising new means of deriving CFRs that optimally fuse climate proxies with climate model output. Despite the growing application of DA-based CFRs, little is understood about how much the assimilated proxies change the statistical properties of the climate model data. To address this question, we propose a robust and computationally efficient method, based on functional data depth, to evaluate differences in the distributions of two spatiotemporal processes. In this study, we apply our test to study global and regional proxy influence in DA-based CFRs by comparing the background and analysis states, which are treated as two samples of spatiotemporal fields. We find that the analysis states are significantly altered from the climate-model-based background states due to the assimilation of proxies. Moreover, the difference between the analysis and background states increases with the number of proxies, even in regions far beyond proxy collection sites. Our approach allows us to characterize the added value of proxies, indicating where and when the analysis states are distinct from the background states.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for heavy pseudoscalar and scalar bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search for pseudoscalar or scalar bosons decaying to a top quark pair ($\textrm{t}$$\bar{\textrm{t}}$) in final states with one or two charged leptons is presented. The analyzed proton–proton collision data was recorded at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 . The invariant mass $m_{{\textrm{t}}{\bar{\textrm{t}}}}$ of the reconstructed $\textrm{t}$$\bar{\textrm{t}}$ system and variables sensitive to its spin and parity are used to discriminate against the standard model background. Interference between pseudoscalar or scalar boson production and the standard model $\textrm{t}$$\bar{\textrm{t}}$ continuum is included, leading to peak-dip structures in the $m_{{\textrm{t}}{\bar{\textrm{t}}}}$ distribution. An excess of the data above the background prediction, based on perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations, is observed near the kinematic $\textrm{t}$$\bar{\textrm{t}}$ production threshold, while good agreement is found for high $m_{{\textrm{t}}{\bar{\textrm{t}}}}$. The data are consistent with the background prediction if the contribution from a simplified model of a color-singlet $^1\textrm{S}^{|1|}_0$ ${{\textrm{t}}{\bar{\textrm{t}}}}$ quasi-bound state $η_{\textrm{t}}$, inspired by nonrelativistic QCD, is added. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the coupling between the pseudoscalar or scalar bosons and the top quark for boson masses in the range 365–1000 GeV, relative widths between 0.5% and 25%, and two background scenarios with or without $η_{\textrm{t}}$ contribution.

CMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Double photoionization of atomic oxygen: Feshbach resonances in the two-electron continuum

In this work, we describe a joint experimental and theoretical investigation on oxygen double photoionization—the emission of two electrons from atomic oxygen following single photon absorption. High-resolution experimental measurements were performed at the Advanced Light Source, revealing sharp resonance structure superimposed on the more familiar Wannier-like, nearly-linear background. These resonance features are attributed to ionization-plus-excitation Feshbach resonances embedded in the double ionization continuum, doubly-excited states that lie above the double-ionization threshold. Such features are absent in the double photoionization cross section of He, or other quasi-two-electron systems, for which the doubly-ionized atomic core remains inert. For a corresponding theoretical analysis, the R-matrix with pseudostates (RMPS) method was invoked by calculating final-state, two-electron resonances-plus-continua wavefunctions and corresponding single-photon absorption cross sections. Overall agreement is found in the direct, background double photoionization cross section. However, the RMPS method, using a small basis due to practical computational limitations, was unable to reproduce quantitatively the smooth background or the sharper resonance features observed in the measurements, showing instead large-scale oscillations about the experimental background, and characteristic pseudoresonance jitter, associated with an insufficient convergence of the pseudostate representation to the true two-electron infinite series of Feshbach resonances embedded in the two-electron continuum. The prominent resonance structure observed highlights the need to consider multiple excitation processes in atoms more complex than He or quasi-two-electron systems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design and construction of a new detector to measure ultra-low radioactive-isotope contamination of argon

Large liquid argon detectors offer one of the best avenues for the detection of galactic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their scattering on atomic nuclei. The liquid argon target allows exquisite discrimination between nuclear and electron recoil signals via pulse-shape discrimination of the scintillation signals. Atmospheric argon (AAr), however, has a naturally occurring radioactive isotope, 39Ar, a ß emitter of cosmogenic origin. For large detectors, the atmospheric 39Ar activity poses pile-up concerns. The use of argon extracted from underground wells, deprived of 39Ar, is key to the physics potential of these experiments. The DarkSide-20k dark matter search experiment will operate a dual-phase time projection chamber with 50 tonnes of radio-pure underground argon (UAr), that was shown to be depleted of 39Ar with respect to AAr by a factor larger than 1400. Assessing the 39Ar content of the UAr during extraction is crucial for the success of DarkSide-20k, as well as for future experiments of the Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration (GADMC). This will be carried out by the DArT in ArDM experiment, a small chamber made with extremely radio-pure materials that will be placed at the centre of the ArDM detector, in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) in Spain. The ArDM LAr volume acts as an active veto for background radioactivity, mostly ?-rays from the ArDM detector materials and the surrounding rock. This article describes the DArT in ArDM project, including the chamber design and construction, and reviews the background required to achieve the expected performance of the detector.

Noble liquid detectors, Dark Matter detectors, Cry↗
DOE OSTI2021

The electric field dependence of single electron emission in the PIXeY two-phase xenon detector

Dual phase xenon detectors are widely used in experimental searches for galactic dark matter particles. The origin of single electron backgrounds following prompt scintillation and proportional scintillation signals in these detectors is not fully understood, although there has been progress in recent years. Here, in this paper, we describe single electron backgrounds in 83m Kr calibration events and their correlation with drift and extraction fields, using the Particle Identification in Xenon at Yale (PIXeY) dual-phase xenon time projection chamber. The single electron background induced by the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) effect is measured, and its electric field dependence is quantified. The photoionization of grids and impurities by prompt scintillation and proportional scintillation also contributes to the single electron background.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Calibration sources for the LEGEND-200 experiment

In the search for a monochromatic peak as the signature of neutrinoless double beta decay an excellent energy resolution and an ultra-low background around the Q-value of the decay are essential. The LEGEND-200 experiment performs such a search with high-purity germanium detectors enriched in 76 Ge immersed in liquid argon. To determine and monitor the stability of the energy scale and resolution of the germanium diodes, custom-made, low-neutron emission 228 Th sources are regularly deployed in the vicinity of the crystals. Here we describe the production process of the 17 sources available for installation in the experiment, the measurements of their alpha- and gamma- activities, as well as the determination of the neutron emission rates with a low-background LiI(Eu) detector operated deep underground. With a flux of ( 4.27 ± 0.60 stat ± 0.92 syst ) × 10 -4 n / (kBq·s), approximately one order of magnitude below that of commercial sources, the neutron-induced background rate, mainly from the activation of 76 Ge, is negligible compared to other background sources in LEGEND-200.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Temperature-dependent characterization of large-area superconducting microwire array with single-photon sensitivity in the near-infrared

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a leading detector technology for time-resolved single-photon counting from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared regime. The recent advancement in single-photon sensitivity in micrometer-scale superconducting wires opens up promising opportunities to develop large area SNSPDs with applications in low background dark matter detection experiments. Here, we present the first detailed temperature-dependent study of a 4-channel 1×1 mm 2 WSi superconducting microwire single photon detector (SMSPD) array, including the internal detection efficiency, dark count rate, and importantly the coincident dark counts across pixels. The detector shows saturated internal detection efficiency for photon wavelengths ranging from 635 nm to 1650 nm, time jitter of about 160 ps for 1060 nm photons, and a low dark count rate of about 10 -2 Hz. Additionally, the coincidences of dark count rate across pixels are studied for the first time in detail, where we observed an excess of correlated dark counts, which has important implications for low background dark matter experiments. The results presented is the first step towards characterizing and developing SMSPD array systems and associated background for low background dark matter detection experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Physics-guided dual implicit neural representations for source separation

Significant challenges exist in efficient data analysis of most advanced experimental and observational techniques because the collected signals often include unwanted contributions, such as background and signal distortions, that can obscure the physically relevant information of interest. To address this, we have developed a self-supervised machine-learning approach for source separation using a dual implicit neural representation framework that jointly trains two neural networks: one for approximating distortions of the physical signal of interest and the other for learning the effective background contribution. Our method learns directly from the raw data by minimizing a reconstruction-based loss function without requiring labeled data or pre-defined dictionaries. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by considering a challenging case study involving large-scale simulated, as well as experimental, momentum-energy-dependent inelastic neutron scattering data in a four-dimensional parameter space, characterized by heterogeneous background contributions and unknown distortions to the target signal. The method is found to successfully separate physically meaningful signals from a complex or structured background even when the signal characteristics vary across all four dimensions of the parameter space. An analytical approach that informs the choice of the regularization parameter is presented. Our method offers a versatile framework for addressing source separation problems across diverse domains, ranging from superimposed signals in astronomical measurements to structural features in biomedical image reconstructions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Decoherence from long-range forces in atom interferometry

Atom interferometers provide a powerful means of realizing quantum coherent systems with increasingly macroscopic extent in space and time. These systems provide an opportunity for a variety of novel tests of fundamental physics, including ultralight dark matter searches and tests of modifications of gravity, using long drop times and microgravity environments. However, as experiments operate with longer periods of free fall and become sensitive to smaller background effects, key questions start to emerge about the fundamental limits to future atom interferometry experiments. Here we study the effects on atomic coherence from hard-to-screen backgrounds due to baths of ambient particles with long-range forces, such as gravitating baths and charged cosmic rays. Our approach—working in the Heisenberg picture for the atomic motion—makes proper inclusion of the experimental apparatus feasible and clearly shows how to handle long-range forces. We find that these potential backgrounds are likely negligible for the next generation of interferometers, as aggressive estimates for the gravitational decoherence from a background bath of dark matter particles gives a decoherence timescale on the order of years.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗