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At least 703 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Nb SRF cavities applied to searches for beyond the standard model physics

The SRF technology developed for accelerators can be successfully applied to new applications, including quantum computing, dark matter searches and beyond the standard model physics. The ultra-high quality factor of SRF cavities can al-low to achieve unprecedented sensitivity in fields outside of the usual accelerator applications, for examples fundamental and beyond the standard model physics. Applications of SRF cavities for gravitational waves searches are also being investigated. The SQMS Physics and Sensing thrust is working on this effort as it strives to combine SRF cavities with QIS, with a focus on BSM and fundamental physics. Using Nb SRF cavities, we run a proof of principle search for the dark photon dark matter candidate at fixed frequency demonstrating the deepest sensitivity to wavelike dark mater [1]. The Dark SRF experiment uses two 1.3GHz SRF cavities to conduct a light shining through wall (LSW) experiment to attempt producing and detecting dark photons in the laboratory. The results of this first superconducting LSW search were recently published [2] and we are now working on the second phase of the experiment, which will be run in a dilution refrigerator using 2.6GHz SRF cavities. In addition to the limits we have achieved, we will also present the experiments we are currently developing, such as the heterodyne axion DM search [3, 4], the SERAPH series of experiments, and gravitational waves searches based on SRF cavities as proposed in [5-8].

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

ALP Experiment Sensitivity Exploration (Preliminary Findings)

This report presents an exploration of sensitivity estimates for multiple prominent proposed techniques to search for axion-like particles (ALPs). The sensitivities are plotted over particle mass ($m_a$) and coupling ($g_{aγγ}$) parameter space. Explorations include variation over detector type, integration time, background cosmology, and size of the apparatus.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Physics Opportunities at a Beam Dump Facility at PIP-II and Beyond

The accelerator complex at Fermilab is currently undergoing improvements which will increase the available beam power to the complex and is known as Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II). The PIP-II Linac is slated for operation near the end of this decade and will be the main proton driver for Fermilab experiments moving forward and provide the beam to LBNF/DUNE. However, the DUNE physics program requires only ~1% of the available protons provided by PIP-II. The Accelerator Complex Enhancement, or ACE, will provide further up grades in the 2030s in the form of increased power to LBNF along with a replacement for the Fermilab Booster which could also include an accumulator ring. A workshop was recently held at Fermilab in order to explore the physics possible when PIP-II is coupled with a fixed target or beam dump. The beam dump scenario pro vides an exciting opportunity to search for dark sector physics across detector threshold energy scales with examples being accelerator-produced dark matter, active-to-sterile neutrino oscillations, millicharged parti cles, and axion-like particles, which can be produced in the proton collisions with a fixed target. Additionally, experiments located at a PIP-II facility that is coupled to an accumulator ring would also be able to study coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, or CEvNS. In this talk, I will summarize the physics possible at a PIP-II beam dump facility and sensitivities to different dark sector physics and other beyond the Standard Model searches with detector concepts spanning from an eV-scale to MeV-scale detection threshold.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

ALP-Assisted Electroweak Phase Transition and Baryogenesis

Axion-like particles (ALPs) can be naturally lighter than the electroweak scale. We consider an ALP that couples to the Standard Model Higgs to achieve the strong first-order electroweak phase transition. We discuss the two-field dynamics of the phase transition and the associated computation in detail and identify the viable parameter space. The ALP mass can be from the MeV to GeV scale. Baryon asymmetry can be explained by local baryogenesis without violating the electron electric dipole moment bound. The viable parameter space can be probed through Higgs exotic decay, rare kaon decay, the electron electric dipole moment, and the effective number of neutrinos in the cosmic microwave background. The gravitational-wave signal is too weak to be detected.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Particle Theory and Cosmology

This project covered theoretical studies in particle physics, particle astrophysics and cosmology, aiming to bridge theoretical models with observable phenomena. The central focus was on exploring innovative mechanisms that could simultaneously address several outstanding puzzles in these areas, including the nature of dark matter, the muon g-2 anomaly, the existence of topologically stable monopoles, the generation of observable gravitational waves from early universe phenomena and high energy cosmic rays. One of the major achievements of this project was the development of models that predict new physics accessible through current and forthcoming experimental setups, both in particle colliders and astrophysical observations. These models have been instrumental in proposing verifiable predictions concerning supersymmetric extensions, the dynamics of cosmic strings and monopoles, and the intricate processes underpinning baryogenesis and reheating post-inflation. In tackling the dark matter conundrum, the project proposed several candidates within extended frameworks, such as light Z' models, pseudo-Goldstone dark matter, and scenarios integrating dark matter with inflationary cosmology. Each model outlined pathways for detection through direct, indirect, and collider search strategies, marking significant strides in the hunt for dark matter. Another cornerstone of the project was the in-depth analysis of inflationary models compliant with the Trans-Planckian Censorship Conjecture, highlighting the compatibility of axion dark matter within such frameworks. This not only provided a coherent picture of early universe cosmology but also delineated clear experimental signatures. The exploration of grand unified theories yielded insights into the potential discovery of monopoles and novel particle configurations at energy scales accessible to current and future colliders. This endeavor expanded the predictive power of these theories, particularly in the context of proton decay and the properties of Higgs-portal dark matter. Throughout the project, significant emphasis was placed on ensuring the theoretical developments were grounded in experimental testability. This led to a series of publications across prestigious journals, each contributing to the vibrant discourse at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology. In summary, this project has elucidated pathways beyond the Standard Model that are ripe for exploration through both ongoing and upcoming experimental efforts. The comprehensive approach adopted herein not only enhances our understanding of the fundamental forces and constituents of the universe but also propels the field towards new frontiers in high-energy physics and cosmology.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Magnetotransport of Sm 2 Ir 2 O 7 across the pressure-induced quantum-critical phase boundary

Rare-earth pyrochlore iridates host two interlocking magnetic sublattices of corner-sharing tetrahedra and can harbour a unique combination of frustrated moments, exotic excitations and highly correlated electrons. They are also the first systems predicted to display both topological Weyl semimetal and axion insulator phases. We have measured the transport and magnetotransport properties of single-crystal Sm 2 Ir 2 O 7 up to and beyond the pressure-induced quantum critical point for all-in-all-out (AIAO) Ir order at $p_c$ = 63 kbar previously identified by resonant X-ray scattering and close to which Weyl semimetallic behavior has been previously predicted. Our findings overturn the accepted expectation that the suppression of AIAO order should lead to metallic conduction persisting down to zero temperature. Instead, the resistivity-minimum temperature, which tracks the decrease in the AIAO ordering temperature for pressures up to 30 kbar, begins to increase under further application of pressure, pointing to the presence of a second as-yet unidentified mechanism leading to non-metallic behavior. The magnetotransport does track the suppression of Ir magnetism, however, with a strong hysteresis observed only within the AIAO phase boundary, similar to that found for Ho 2 Ir 2 O 7 and attributed to plastic deformation of Ir domains. Around $p_c$ we find the emergence of a new type of electronic phase, characterized by a negative magnetoresistance with small hysteresis at the lowest temperatures, and hysteresis-free positive magnetoresistance above approximately 5 K. The temperature dependence of our low-temperature transport data are found to be best described by a model consistent with a Weyl semimetal across the entire pressure range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for a Long-Lived $\mu\mu$ Resonance in the NuMI Beam at ICARUS

The ICARUS detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab is sensitive to “long-lived” new physics particles that would be produced in the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam and decay inside the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). We show results from a new analysis in ICARUS which searched for di-muon decays from a long-lived particle produced in kaon decay in the NuMI beam. The search is sensitive to new areas of parameter space for the Higgs portal scalar and an axion-like particle model. The sensitivity is also presented in a model-independent way applicable to any new physics model predicting the process $K \to \pi+S(\to\mu\mu)$, for a long-lived particle S. This is the first search for new physics performed with the ICARUS detector at Fermilab. It paves the way for the future program of long-lived particle searches at ICARUS.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Discovering Elusive Dynamics Across Frontiers (Final Technical Report)

Profound puzzles, such as the nature of dark matter, the origins of the electroweak scale, the mechanism behind the small neutrino mass, and the strong CP problem, suggested new physics beyond the Standard Model and drove the particle physics program in search of the associated new particles. Despite extensive searches, conventional realizations of new physics have not yet provided conclusive evidence. This raised the serious possibility that new dynamics might be more elusive, perhaps due to a richer gauge and matter structure than previously considered. Notably, the existence of dark matter and advancements in understanding the naturalness problem urged exploration into sectors with complex gauge and matter structures. Through experiments like the LHC, DUNE, and small-scale experiments, the robust US HEP program played a critical role in pursuing these well-motivated but under-explored scenarios for new physics. I explored these physics opportunities in depth, focusing on novel searches and significant improvements in parameter space coverage. The elusive dynamics revealed rich information about the underlying theory and were essential in identifying observable opportunities. Understanding the observable consequences required a deep comprehension of the theory, which I also developed. The proposal included essential components aimed at coherently increasing our knowledge in well-motivated elusive dynamics models. Through research on high-quality axions, composite neutrinos, the Higgs boson as a portal to hidden strong dynamics, and new scalar potentials to generate alternative electroweak phase transitions, I focused on identifying new signatures and parameter regions in plausible elusive dynamics models. The exploration emphasized generic possibilities motivated by broad classes of elusive dynamics models. These signatures were not effectively probed previously due to various challenges such as triggering, background suppression, or experimental design. My research involved close interaction with experimental colleagues to overcome these difficulties, leveraging new theoretical and experimental possibilities. These efforts included identifying new observables such as timing information and substructure in calorimetries, new multiple-hit techniques, new scattering events, and new resonance searches in liquid argon detectors. This work created a positive feedback loop: theory and experimental work inspired each other, revealing new exciting opportunities that supported both programs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Application of Superconducting Cavities as Ultra-Sensitive RF Photon Detectors

Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities are the world’s most efficient engineered oscillators, and they have long been employed for extremely high efficiency transfer of energy to beams of charged particles. Decades of R&D for particle accelerators have led to modern treatments for SRF cavities that achieve higher performance than was previously possible. Advanced SRF cavities using particle accelerator technology are now being used to search for new physics, including dark matter and gravitational waves. The extremely high Q makes it possible to search for very small signals from photons in the radio frequency range, and the extremely high electric fields makes it possible to perform experiments that involve pumping one mode of a cavity in order to search for power transfer mediated by new physics. This talk will present novel experiments that employ SRF cavities, including searches for axions and dark photons dark matter, light-shining-through-walls, and high frequency gravitational waves. Results to be presented include searches with world record sensitivity.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mapping Dark Matter on Small Scales with the Cosmic Microwave Background (Final Report)

Sehgal was funded by DOE Grant DE-SC0020441 over the period from 11/1/2019 - 04/30/2024 (no remaining funds are anticipated). Most recently, Sehgal and her group completed a publication forecasting cosmological parameter constraints for a CMB-HD survey, in addition to SO and CMB-S4 (1). One focus of this work was determining the improvement in parameter constraints when removing the gravitational lensing effect from the primordial CMB (a process called delensing). This work also explored the bias to parameters from neglecting baryonic effects, and ways to mitigate that. In addition, this work highlighted that a CMB-HD N eff measurement could tightly constrain the QCD axion in a modelindependent way (see left panel of Figure 1). Sehgal also developed a novel way to probe inflation via CMB experiments by measuring inflationary magnetic fields (IMFs) (2). IMFs are thought to seed the large magnetic fields we observe in galaxies today, and can be measured by looking for anisotropic rotation of the CMB polarization vectors across the sky (an effect called cosmic birefringence). The cosmic birefringence from IMFs has a unique frequency dependence, allowing it to be separated from other sources of cosmic birefringence. In (2), Sehgal and her postdoc also presented a novel way to remove foreground contamination from Galactic magnetic fields using measurements of the polarization of nearby radio sources. The removal of this Galactic contamination is necessary when measuring IMFs at the level of 0.1 nG; IMFs with a strength of at least 0.1 nG are needed to seed the magnetic fields in galaxies we observe today. Since only inflation can generate such a strong magnetic field, measuring such a signal would be a “smoking gun” signature that inflation occurred. Sehgal showed in (2) that CMB-HD could detect such IMFs with at least 3σ significance (see right panel of Figure 1).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

SERAPH: Dark Matter Searches with SRF Cavities and Transmon Qubits

The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, is one of five research centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a national initiative to develop and deploy the world s most powerful quantum computers and sensors. SQMS will also apply the same technologies used for quantum computing, such as SRF cavities and superconducting qubits, to search for fundamental physics. This presentation will focus on the SERAPH experiment, a family of superconducting haloscopes being developed by SQMS to search for wavelike dark matter like axions and dark photons. In this presentation, I will focus on the progress of the current phase of SERAPH, which will search dark photon dark matter using a widely-tunable SRF cavity (4-7 GHz) with Q>10^8. In parallel, SQMS has recently developed superconducting transmon qubits with leading coherence times. I will report new results for SQMS dark matter searches implementing these qubits to subvert the Standard Quantum Limit noise.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

SQMS Quantum R&D in Machine Learning, Optimization and Sensing beyond Fundamental Physics Applications

This newly formed team at SQMS under the Ecosystem Thrust is looking to develop capabilities impacting societal advances outside the core domain of HEP and condensed matter physics. We explicitly leverage the experimental and algorithmic innovations developed across all groups as well as connect to broad-scope external projects of the diverse team of PIs. As the inaugural set of projects, we are studying numerically quantum machine learning models inspired by efficiently trainable echo-state and orthogonal neural networks and developing designs for related experiments to be performed on quantum processors based on SQMS SRF cQED technology and Rigetti s transmon arrays. Investigated models exploit ideas and lessons learned from multiple prior work by SQMS team members in a variety of internal and external activities [R1]. Target initial applications include noisy signal processing, potentially captured by quantum sensors or noisy QPUs, as well as simulation and classification of healthcare data. For instance, image reconstruction of the brain s electrical properties by solving the inverse Maxwell equation problem with uncertainty [R2] through a hybrid quantum-classical physics-informed architecture for time-dependent processes [R3]. The group is also investigating the application and development of novel quantum sensors based on magnetic levitation of a superconducting sphere coupled to a superconducting qubit. This coupling enables high-precision measurements of the position of the sphere, which can be used for sensitive detection of forces, enabling practical applications such as gravimetry for geophysics analysis, or accelerometry for GPS-denied navigation [R4] [R1] Rieffel, Eleanor G., Ata Akbari Asanjan, M. Sohaib Alam, Namit Anand, David E. Bernal Neira, Sophie Block, Lucas T. Brady et al. "Assessing and advancing the potential of quantum computing: A NASA case study." Future Generation Computer Systems (2024). [R2] Yu, X., Serrall s, J.E., Giannakopoulos, I.I., Liu, Z., Daniel, L., Lattanzi, R. and Zhang, Z., 2023. Pifon-ept: Mr-based electrical property tomography using physics-informed fourier networks. IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques. [R3] Wudarski, Filip, Daniel OConnor, Shaun Geaney, Ata Akbari Asanjan, Max Wilson, Elena Strbac, P. Aaron Lott, and Davide Venturelli. "Hybrid quantum-classical reservoir computing for simulating chaotic systems." arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.14105 (2023). [R4] Higgins, Gerard, Saarik Kalia, and Zhen Liu. "Maglev for dark matter: Dark-photon and axion dark matter sensing with levitated superconductors." Physical Review D 109.5 (2024): 055024.

Venturelli, Davide↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for BSM Astroparticles in DUNE Far Detectors for NNN24

Despite the many gravitational pieces of evidence about the existence of Dark Matter (DM), its composition remains unknown. As new approaches were demanded, a well-motivated class of models was proposed in the last decade. In this context, DUNE, currently under construction in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in the US, offers an excellent opportunity to study these models and will be able to make a possible discovery. This work presents the DUNE’s sensitivity for Boosted DM from the Sun, which is the first time of astroparticles searches in DUNE with the full simulation and reconstruction of the detector capabilities. We also discuss an early stage sensitivity analysis for cosmogenic axions in DUNE.

Peres, Leonardo S. [Rio de Janeiro Federal U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Constraining Cosmic Birefringence with Polarization Angle Calibration

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a sensitive probe of cosmic birefringence, which, if detected, would imply physics beyond the standard model. For example, cosmic birefringence can be caused by axion-like pseudo scalar-fields coupling to photons via the Chern-Simons effect. These represent favored candidates for dark matter particles and are used in models to explain dark energy. However, measuring cosmic birefringence with CMB experiments requires exceptional polarization angle calibration to disentangle instrumental effects from this elusive signal. I will give an overview of the current state of the art in CMB polarization angle calibration on Simons Observatory and its implications for constraints on cosmic birefringence.

Simon, Sara M. [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000192217802)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Constraining Cosmic Birefringence with Polarization Angle Calibration

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a sensitive probe of cosmic birefringence, which, if detected, would imply physics beyond the standard model. For example, cosmic birefringence can be caused by axion-like pseudo scalar-fields coupling to photons via the Chern-Simons effect. These represent favored candidates for dark matter particles and are used in models to explain dark energy. However, measuring cosmic birefringence with CMB experiments requires exceptional polarization angle calibration to disentangle instrumental effects from this elusive signal. I will give an overview of the current state of the art in CMB polarization angle calibration on Simons Observatory and its implications for constraints on cosmic birefringence.

Simon, Sara M. [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000192217802)↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Review of Basic Energy Reconstruction Techniques in Liquid Xenon and Argon Detectors for Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics Using NEST

Detectors based upon the noble elements, especially liquid xenon as well as liquid argon, as both single- and dual-phase types, require reconstruction of the energies of interacting particles, both in the field of direct detection of dark matter (weakly interacting massive particles WIMPs, axions, etc.) and in neutrino physics. Experimentalists, as well as theorists who reanalyze/reinterpret experimental data, have used a few different techniques over the past few decades. In this paper, we review techniques based on solely the primary scintillation channel, the ionization or secondary channel available at non-zero drift electric fields, and combined techniques that include a simple linear combination and weighted averages, with a brief discussion of the application of profile likelihood, maximum likelihood, and machine learning. Comparing results for electron recoils (beta and gamma interactions) and nuclear recoils (primarily from neutrons) from the Noble Element Simulation Technique (NEST) simulation to available data, we confirm that combining all available information generates higher-precision means, lower widths (energy resolution), and more symmetric shapes (approximately Gaussian) especially at keV-scale energies, with the symmetry even greater when thresholding is addressed. Near thresholds, bias from upward fluctuations matters. For MeV-GeV scales, if only one channel is utilized, an ionization-only-based energy scale outperforms scintillation; channel combination remains beneficial. We discuss here what major collaborations use.

argon↗
DOE OSTI2023

BICEP/Keck. XVII. Line-of-sight Distortion Analysis: Estimates of Gravitational Lensing, Anisotropic Cosmic Birefringence, Patchy Reionization, and Systematic Errors

We present estimates of line-of-sight distortion fields derived from the 95 and 150 GHz data taken by BICEP2, BICEP3, and the Keck Array up to the 2018 observing season, leading to cosmological constraints and a study of instrumental and astrophysical systematics. Cosmological constraints are derived from three of the distortion fields concerning gravitational lensing from large-scale structure, polarization rotation from magnetic fields or an axion-like field, and the screening effect of patchy reionization. We measure an amplitude of the lensing power spectrum ${A}_{L}^{\phi \phi }=0.95\pm 0.20$. We constrain polarization rotation, expressed as the coupling constant of a Chern–Simons electromagnetic term g aγ ≤ 2.6 × 10 -2 /H I , where H I is the inflationary Hubble parameter, and an amplitude of primordial magnetic fields smoothed over 1 Mpc B 1Mpc ≤ 6.6 nG at 95 GHz. We constrain the rms of optical depth fluctuations in a simple "crinkly surface" model of patchy reionization, finding A τ < 0.19 (2σ) for the coherence scale of L c = 100. We show that all of the distortion fields of the 95 and 150 GHz polarization maps are consistent with simulations including lensed ΛCDM, dust, and noise, with no evidence for instrumental systematics. In some cases, the EB and TB quadratic estimators presented here are more sensitive than our previous map-based null tests at identifying and rejecting spurious B-modes that might arise from instrumental effects. Finally, we verify that the standard deprojection filtering in the BICEP/Keck data processing is effective at removing temperature to polarization leakage.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗