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At least 703 records · Page 39

Adaptive mesh refinement in binary black holes simulations

Abstract We discuss refinement criteria for the Berger–Rigoutsos (block-based) refinement algorithm in our numerical relativity code GR-Athena++ in the context of binary black hole (BBH) merger simulations. We compare three different strategies: the ‘box-in-box’ approach, the ‘sphere-in-sphere’ approach and a local criterion for refinement based on the estimation of truncation error of the finite difference scheme. We extract and compare gravitational waveforms using the three different mesh refinement methods and compare their accuracy against a calibration waveform and demonstrate that the sphere-in-sphere approach provides the best strategy overall when considering computational cost and the waveform accuracy. Ultimately, we demonstrate the capability of each mesh refinement method in accurately simulating gravitational waves from BBH systems—a crucial aspect for their application in next-generation detectors. We quantify the mismatch achievable with the different strategies by extrapolating the gravitational wave mismatch to higher resolution.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

S -factor and scattering-parameter extractions from ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}+{}^{4}\mathrm{He}{ \rightarrow }^{7}\mathrm{Be}+\gamma $

Previous studies of the reaction ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}+{}^{4}\mathrm{He}\to {}^{7}\mathrm{Be}+\gamma $ have mainly focused on providing the best central value and error bar for the S factor at solar energies. Experimental measurements of this capture reaction at higher energies, the ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$–${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ scattering phase shifts, as well as properties of ${}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ and its excited state, have been used to constrain the theoretical models employed for this purpose. Here we show that much more information than was previously appreciated can be extracted from angle-integrated capture data alone. We use the next-to-leading-order (NLO) amplitude in an effective field theory (EFT) for ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}+{}^{4}\mathrm{He}\to {}^{7}\mathrm{Be}+\gamma $ to perform the extrapolation. At this order the EFT describes the capture process using an s-wave scattering length and effective range, the asymptotic properties of ${}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ and its excited state, and short-distance contributions to the E1 capture amplitude. We extract the multi-dimensional posterior of all these parameters via a Bayesian analysis that uses capture data below 2 MeV. We find that properties of the ${}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ ground and excited states are well constrained. The total S factor $S(0)\,={0.577}_{-0.016}^{+0.015}$ keV b, while the branching ratio for excited- to ground-state capture at zero energy, ${Br}(0)={0.406}_{-0.011}^{+0.013}$, both at 68% degree of belief. This S(0) is broadly consistent with other recent evaluations, and agrees with the previously recommended value $S(0)=0.56\pm 0.03\,\,\mathrm{keV}$ b, but has a smaller error bar. We also find significant constraints on ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$–${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ scattering parameters, and we obtain constraints on the angular distribution of capture gamma rays, which is important for interpreting experiments. The path forward for this reaction seems to lie with better measurements of the scattering phase shifts and S(E)'s angular dependence away from zero energy, together with better understanding of the asymptotic normalization coefficients of the ${}^{7}$Be bound states' wave functions. Lastly, data on these could further reduce the uncertainty on S(0).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Quantifying uncertainties on fission fragment mass yields with mixture density networks

Probabilistic machine learning techniques can learn both complex relations between input features and output quantities of interest as well as take into account stochasticity or uncertainty within a data set. In this initial work, we explore the use of one such probabilistic network, the mixture density network (MDN), to reproduce fission yields and their uncertainties. In this paper, we study mass yields for the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf, exploring the number of training samples needed for converged predictions, how different levels of uncertainty propagate from the training set to the MDN predictions, and how well physical constraints of the yields—such as normalization and symmetry—are upheld by the algorithm. Finally, we test the ability of the MDN to interpolate between and extrapolate beyond samples in the training set using energy-dependent mass yields for the neutron-induced fission on 235 U. The MDN provides a reliable way to include and predict uncertainties and is a promising path forward for supplementing sparse sets of nuclear data.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multiplicity and pseudo-rapidity density distributions of charged particles produced in pp, pA and AA collisions at RHIC & LHC energies

Multiplicity and pseudorapidity (η) density (d N ch /dη) distributions of charged hadrons provide key information towards understanding the particle production mechanisms and initial conditions of high-energy heavy-ion collisions. However, detector constraints limit the η-range across which charged particle measurements can be carried out. Extrapolating the measured distributions to large η-range by parameterizing measured distributions and by using calculations from event generators, we characterize the production of charged particles over the full kinematic range. In the present study, we use three different ansätze to obtain quantitative descriptions of the shape of pseudorapidity distributions of charged hadrons produced in pp, p–A, and A–A collisions for beam energies ( s NN ) ranging from a few GeV to a few TeV corresponding to RHIC and LHC energies. We study the limiting fragmentation behavior in these collisions and report evidence for participant-scaling violations in high-energy collisions at the TeV scale. We additionally examine measured pseudorapidity distributions to constrain models describing initial conditions of particle production. We predict the centrality dependence of charged particle multiplicity distributions at FAIR and NICA energies and give an estimation of charged particle multiplicity at η = 0 for the proposed HE-LHC and FCC energies.

Physics↗

Connecting ground-state properties of 6 Li to each other and to scattering data

We examine the relationship between the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) of 6 Li and other low-energy observables in the α–deuteron system. Our analysis uses a set of calculations carried out within the ab initio no core shell model with continuum (NCSMC) using a variety of inter-nucleon interactions and basis sizes, and yielding 6 Li deuteron separation energies between 1.3 and 1.8 MeV (Hebborn et al 2022 Phys. Rev. Lett. 129 042503). These NCSMC calculations show that the square of the ANC is strongly correlated with the separation energy over this range. In this work, we investigate the origin of this correlation using the phenomenological R-matrix, a single-channel potential and a perturbative approach. We show that this correlation occurs because the depth of the α–deuteron central potential changes by only a small relative amount as the separation energy varies. We then investigate if the ANC can be accurately extracted from α–deuteron phase shifts in an ideal case in which low-energy data are available and there are no experimental errors. We find that both R-matrix and Coulomb-modified effective-range theory (CM-ERE) yield extracted ANCs close to, although not exactly equal to, the NCSMC value, provided the extrapolation is constrained by the known position of the bound-state pole and at least three terms are included in the fit function. The R-matrix approach converges faster than the CM-ERE as the number of parameters increases and is also more robust against the inclusion of low-energy and high-energy phase shift data. Finally, our study also shows that a naive quantification of uncertainties by comparing different truncations used in both theories is not accurate, and suggests the accuracy of ANCs extracted from phase shift data needs further investigation.

R-matrix↗

Combination of searches for nonresonant Higgs boson pair production in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

This paper presents a combination of searches for the nonresonant production of Higgs boson pairs (HH) in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The dataset was collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC from 2016 to 2018 and corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 138 fb –1 . The observed (expected) upper limit on the inclusive HH production cross-section relative to the standard model (SM) prediction is found to be 3.5 (2.5). Assuming all other Higgs boson couplings are equal to their SM values, the Higgs boson trilinear self-coupling modifier κ λ = λ 3 /λ$^{SM}_{3}$ is constrained in the range –1.35 ≤ κ λ ≤ 6.37 at 95% confidence level (CL). Similarly, for the coupling modifier κ 2V , which governs the interactions between two vector bosons and two Higgs bosons, we have excluded κ 2V = 0 at more than five standard deviations for all values of κ λ . At 95% CL, assuming that the other couplings are equal to their SM values, κ 2V is constrained in the range 0.64 ≤ κ 2V ≤ 1.40. This work also investigates HH production in several new physics scenarios, using the Higgs effective field theory (HEFT) framework. The HEFT framework is further exploited to study various ultraviolet complete models with an extended Higgs sector and set constraints on specific parameters. An extrapolation of the results in the expected integrated luminosity following the high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC is also reported.

BSM↗

Quasi-equilibrium predictions of water desorption kinetics from rapidly-heated metal oxide surfaces

Controlling sub-microsecond desorption of water and other impurities from electrode surfaces at high heating rates is crucial for pulsed power applications. Despite the short time scales involved, quasi-equilibrium ideas based on transition state theory (TST) and Arrhenius temperature dependence have been widely applied to fit desorption activation free energies. Here, we apply molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in conjunction with equilibrium potential-of-mean-force (PMF) techniques to directly compute the activation free energies (ΔG*) associated with desorption of intact water molecules from Fe 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 (0001) surfaces. The desorption free energy profiles are diffuse, without maxima, and have substantial dependences on temperature and surface water coverage. Incorporating the predicted ΔG* into an analytical form gives rate equations that are in reasonable agreement with non-equilibrium molecular dynamics desorption simulations. We also show that different ΔG* analytical functional forms which give similar predictions at a particular heating rate can yield desorption times that differ by up to a factor of four or more when the ramp rate is extrapolated by 8 orders of magnitude. This highlights the importance of constructing a physically-motivated ΔG* functional form to predict fast desorption kinetics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Robust superconductivity and the suppression of charge-density wave in the quasi-skutterudites Ca 3 ( Ir 1 – x Rh x ) 4 Sn 13 single crystals at ambient pressure

Single crystals of the quasi-skutterudite compounds Ca 3 (Ir 1-x Rh x ) 4 Sn 13 (3–4–13) were synthesized by flux growth and characterized by x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, magnetization, resistivity, and radio frequency magnetic susceptibility techniques. The coexistence and competition between the charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity was studied by varying the Rh/Ir ratio. The superconducting transition temperature, T c , varies from 7 K in pure Ir (x = 0) to 8.3 K in pure Rh (x = 1). Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity reveals monotonic suppression of the CDW transition temperature, T CDW (x). The CDW starts in pure Ir, x = 0, at T CDW ≈ 40 K and extrapolates roughly linearly to zero at x c ≈ 0.53–0.58 under the superconducting dome. Magnetization and transport measurements show a significant influence of CDW on superconducting and normal states. Meissner expulsion is substantially reduced in the CDW region, indicating competition between the CDW and superconductivity. The low-temperature resistivity is higher in the CDW part of the phase diagram, consistent with the reduced density of states due to CDW gapping. Its temperature dependence just above T c shows signs of non-Fermi liquid behavior in a cone-like composition pattern. We conclude that the Ca 3 (Ir 1-x Rh x ) 4 Sn 13 alloy is a good candidate for a composition-driven quantum critical point at ambient pressure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Benchmarking machine learning strategies for phase-field problems

Abstract We present a comprehensive benchmarking framework for evaluating machine-learning approaches applied to phase-field problems. This framework focuses on four key analysis areas crucial for assessing the performance of such approaches in a systematic and structured way. Firstly, interpolation tasks are examined to identify trends in prediction accuracy and accumulation of error over simulation time. Secondly, extrapolation tasks are also evaluated according to the same metrics. Thirdly, the relationship between model performance and data requirements is investigated to understand the impact on predictions and robustness of these approaches. Finally, systematic errors are analyzed to identify specific events or inadvertent rare events triggering high errors. Quantitative metrics evaluating the local and global description of the microstructure evolution, along with other scalar metrics representative of phase-field problems, are used across these four analysis areas. This benchmarking framework provides a path to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of machine-learning strategies applied to phase-field problems, ultimately facilitating their practical application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Results from the Alfvén Eigenmode Active Diagnostic during the 2019-2020 JET deuterium campaign

This paper presents results of extensive analysis of mode excitation observed during the operation of the Alfvén Eigenmode Active Diagnostic (AEAD) in the JET tokamak during the 2019-2020 deuterium campaign. Here, six of eight toroidally spaced antennas, each with independent power and phasing, were successful in actively exciting stable MHD modes in 479 plasmas. In total, magnetic resonances were detected with up to fourteen fast magnetic probes. In this work, we present the calculations of resonant frequencies $f_0$, damping rates γ < 0, and toroidal mode numbers $\textit{n}$, spanning the parameter ranges $f_0$ ≈ 30–250 kHz, –γ ≈ 0–13 kHz, and $\vert n \vert \leq {30}$. In general, good agreement is seen between the resonant and the calculated toroidal Alfvén Eigenmode frequencies, and between the toroidal mode numbers applied by the AEAD and estimated of the excited resonances. We note several trends in the database: the probability of resonance detection decreases with plasma current and external heating power; the normalized damping rate increases with edge safety factor but decreases with external heating. These results provide key information to prepare future experimental campaigns and to better understand the physics of excitation and damping of Alfvén Eigenmodes in the presence of alpha particles during the upcoming DT campaign, thereby extrapolating with confidence to future tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Overview of results from the 2023 DIII-D negative triangularity campaign

Negative triangularity (NT) is a potentially transformative configuration for tokamak-based fusion energy with its high-performance core, edge localized mode (ELM)-free edge, and low-field-side divertors that could readily scale to an integrated reactor solution. Previous NT work on the TCV and DIII-D tokamaks motivated the installation of graphite-tile armor on the low-field-side lower outer wall of DIII-D. A dedicated multiple-week experimental campaign was conducted to qualify the NT scenario for future reactors. During the DIII-D NT campaign, high confinement ($H_\mathrm{98y,2}\gtrsim$ 1), high current ($q_\mathrm{95} \lt$ 3), and high normalized pressure plasmas ($\beta_\mathrm{N} \gt$ 2.5) were simultaneously attained in strongly NT-shaped discharges with average triangularity $\delta_\mathrm{avg}$ = −0.5 that were stably controlled. Experiments covered a wide range of DIII-D operational space (plasma current, toroidal field, electron density and pressure) and did not trigger an ELM in a single discharge as long as sufficiently strong NT was maintained; in contrast, to other high-performance ELM-suppression scenarios that have narrower operating windows. These strong NT plasmas had a lower outer divertor X-point shape and maintained a non-ELMing edge with an electron temperature pedestal, exceeding that of typical L-mode plasmas. Also, the following was achieved during the campaign: high normalized density ($n_\mathrm{e}$/$n_\mathrm{GW}$ of at least 1.7), particle confinement comparable to energy confinement with $Z_\mathrm{eff}\sim2$ , a detached divertor without impurity seeding, and a mantle radiation scenario using extrinsic impurities. These results are promising for a NT fusion pilot plant but further questions on confinement extrapolation and core-edge integration remain, which motivate future NT studies on DIII-D and beyond.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Characterizing the plasma-induced thermal loads on a 200 kW light-ion helicon plasma source via infra-red thermography

The light-ion helicon plasma source of the Proto-MPEX linear plasma device has been recently upgraded to enable pulsed (0.5–1 s) operation up to 200 kW. The main objective of this work is to report on the plasma-induced surface heat fluxes incident on the helicon window during high power operation (60–150 kW net power) for the purpose of the design of the upcoming material plasma exposure eXperiment (MPEX). The IR imaging system and associated physics models for the extraction of surface heat fluxes are presented. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrate that the control of the plasma strike point via magnetic flux mapping and the use of dedicated limiters is effective at reducing the heat loads on the dielectric window. Moreover, it is found that the flux mapping must create a gap between the plasma and the dielectric window of at least the plasma radial decay length. Extrapolated to 200 kW net RF power, this mode of operation can reduce the power lost to the dielectric window by 33%. The results presented have direct application to the design of high-powered helicon plasma sources that operate in a steady state. Examples include linear divertor simulators such as MPEX, electric thrusters, negative ion sources for NBI and linear plasma–material interaction test stands.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

TMAP modeling of D release from baked multi-layer Be–D co-deposits

Single-layer Beryllium–Deuterium (Be–D) co-deposits were analyzed using Thermal Desorption mass Spectrometry (TDS) as outlined in the companion paper. This work details the TMAP modeling and the analysis of selected samples that received double-layer (DL) coatings to study co-deposit thickness and prior bake effects. Here, TDS data were simulated with detrap energies 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 eV. In DLs formed at 393 K, modeling revealed that under-layers baked at 623 K for either 2 or 20 h had little pumping effect on over-layers, suggesting empty trap removal during bake. Extrapolated to ITER, data and analysis suggest less impact on the ongoing ITER bake efficiency than previously predicted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Design and physics basis for the upcoming DIII-D SAS-VW campaign to quantify tungsten leakage and transport in a new slot divertor geometry

A set of experiments are planned to exploit the high SOL collisionality enabled by a tightly baffled slot divertor geometry to suppress tungsten leakage in DIII-D. A toroidal row of graphite tiles from the Small Angle Slot (SAS) divertor is being coated with 10–15 μ m of tungsten. New spectroscopic viewing chords with in-vacuo optics will measure the W gross erosion source from the divertor surface with high spatial and temporal resolution. In parallel, the bottom of the SAS divertor is changed from a flat to a ‘V’ shape. New SOLPS-ITER/DIVIMP simulations conducted with drifts using the planned ‘V’ shape predict a substantial reduction in W sourcing and SOL accumulation in either B × ∇B direction relative to either the old SAS divertor shape or the open, lower divertor. Dedicated studies are planned to carefully characterize the level of W sourcing, leakage, and scrape-off-layer (SOL) accumulation in DIII-D over a wide range of plasma scenarios. Various actuators will be assessed for their efficacy in further reducing high-Z impurity sources and leakage from the slot divertor geometry. Finally, this coupled code-experiment validation effort will be used to stress-test physics models and build confidence in extrapolations to advanced, high-Z divertor geometries for next-step devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Towards testing the theory of gravity with DESI: summary statistics, model predictions and future simulation requirements

Shortly after its discovery, General Relativity (GR) was applied to predict the behavior of our Universe on the largest scales, and later became the foundation of modern cosmology. Its validity has been verified on a range of scales and environments from the Solar system to merging black holes. However, experimental confirmations of GR on cosmological scales have so far lacked the accuracy one would hope for — its applications on those scales being largely based on extrapolation and its validity there sometimes questioned in the shadow of the discovery of the unexpected cosmic acceleration. Future astronomical instruments surveying the distribution and evolution of galaxies over substantial portions of the observable Universe, such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), will be able to measure the fingerprints of gravity and their statistical power will allow strong constraints on alternatives to GR. In this paper, based on a set of N-body simulations and mock galaxy catalogs, we study the predictions of a number of traditional and novel summary statistics beyond linear redshift distortions in two well-studied modified gravity models — chameleon f(R) gravity and a braneworld model — and the potential of testing these deviations from GR using DESI. These summary statistics employ a wide array of statistical properties of the galaxy and the underlying dark matter field, including two-point and higher-order statistics, environmental dependence, redshift space distortions and weak lensing. We find that they hold promising power for testing GR to unprecedented precision. The major future challenge is to make realistic, simulation-based mock galaxy catalogs for both GR and alternative models to fully exploit the statistic power of the DESI survey (by matching the volumes and galaxy number densities of the mocks to those in the real survey) and to better understand the impact of key systematic effects. Using these, we identify future simulation and analysis needs for gravity tests using DESI.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Velocity-dependent annihilation radiation from dark matter subhalos in cosmological simulations

Here, we use the suite of Milky Way-like galaxies in the Auriga simulations to determine the contribution to annihilation radiation from dark matter subhalos in three velocity-dependent dark matter annihilation models: Sommerfeld, p-wave, and d-wave models. We compare these to the corresponding distribution in the velocity-independent s-wave annihilation model. For both the hydrodynamical and dark-matter-only simulations, only in the case of the Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation does the total annihilation flux from subhalos exceed the total annihilation flux from the smooth halo component within the virial radius of the halo. Progressing from Sommerfeld to the s, p, and d-wave models, the contribution from the smooth component of the halo becomes more dominant, implying that for the p-wave and d-wave models the smooth component is by far the dominant contribution to the radiation. Comparing to the Galactic center excess observed by Fermi-LAT, for all simulated halos the emission is dominated by the smooth halo contribution. However, it is possible that for Sommerfeld models, extrapolation down to mass scales below the current resolution limit of the simulation would imply a non-negligible contribution to the gamma-ray emission from the Galactic Center region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Gravitational wave probes of massive gauge bosons at the cosmological collider

We extend the reach of the "cosmological collider" for massive gauge boson production during inflation from the CMB scales to the interferometer scales. Considering a Chern-Simons coupling between the gauge bosons and the pseudoscalar inflaton, one of the transverse gauge modes is efficiently produced and its inverse decay leaves an imprint in the primordial scalar and tensor perturbations. We study the correlation functions of these perturbations and derive the updated constraints on the parameter space from CMB observables. We then extrapolate the tensor power spectrum to smaller scales consistently taking into account the impact of the gauge field on inflationary dynamics. Our results show that the presence of massive gauge fields during inflation can be detected from characteristic gravitational wave signals encompassing the whole range of current and planned interferometers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Developing new analysis tools for near surface radio-based neutrino detectors

The ARIANNA experiment is an Askaryan radio detector designed to measure high-energy neutrino induced cascades within the Antarctic ice. Ultra-high-energy neutrinos above 10 16 eV have an extremely low flux, so experimental data captured at trigger level need to be classified correctly to retain as much neutrino signal as possible. We first describe two new physics-based neutrino selection methods, or "cuts", (the updown and dipole cut) that extend the previously published analysis to a specialized ARIANNA station with 8 antenna channels, which is double the number used in the prior analysis. For a standard trigger with a threshold signal to noise ratio at 4.4, the new cuts produce a neutrino efficiency of > 95% per station-year of operation, while rejecting 99.93% of the background (corresponding to 53 remaining experimental background events). When the new cuts are combined with a previously developed cut using neutrino waveform templates, all background is removed at no change of efficiency. In addition, the neutrino efficiency is extrapolated to 1,000 station-years of operation, obtaining 91%. This work then introduces a new selection method (the deep learning cut) to augment the identification of neutrino events by using deep learning methods and compares the efficiency to the physics-based analysis. The deep learning cut gives 99% signal efficiency per station-year of operation while rejecting 99.997% of the background (corresponding to 2 remaining experimental background events), which are subsequently removed by the waveform template cut at no significant change in efficiency. Here the results of the deep learning cut were verified using measured cosmic rays which shows that the simulations do not introduce artifacts with respect to experimental data. The paper demonstrates that the background rejection and signal efficiency of near surface antennas meets the requirements of a large scale future array, as considered in baseline design of the radio component of IceCube-Gen2.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗