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At least 775 records · Page 43

Search for Nuclear Modifications of 𝐵 + Meson Production in 𝑝-Pb Collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV

Nuclear medium effects on 𝐵 + meson production are studied using the binary-collision scaled cross section ratio between events of different charged-particle multiplicities from proton-lead collisions. Data, collected by the CMS experiment in 2016 at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{𝑠_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 175 nb −1 , were used. The scaling factors in the ratio are determined using a novel approach based on the 𝑍 → 𝜇 − ⁢𝜇 + cross sections measured in the same events. The scaled ratio for 𝐵 + is consistent with unity for all event multiplicities, putting stringent constraints on nuclear modification for heavy flavor.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Correlated fission fragment spin dynamics

Here, this study explores the role of nucleon exchange for the generation of the fission fragment angular momenta. For a number of typical fission cases, samples of 10 4 shape evolutions are generated by Langevin simulation and, subsequently, for each such evolution, the nucleon exchange transport theory previously developed for damped nuclear reactions is used to obtain the development of the fragment spin-spin distribution within the Fokker-Planck transport framework. The characteristic evolution of both parallel and perpendicular spin components is discussed. A common feature is that the rotational modes fall out of equilibrium before scission when the temperature rises rapidly while the concurrent shrinking of the neck suppresses further exchange. A number of fission observables are extracted from the event ensembles: the distribution of the magnitude of the fragment spin and its orientation relative to the fission axis, as well as the correlation between the two spins and the distribution of their opening angle. The dependence of these observables on the mass asymmetry is also examined.

fission↗

First Global Extraction of Generalized Parton Distributions from Experiment and Lattice Data with Next-to-Leading-Order Accuracy

We report the first global extraction of generalized parton distributions, GUMP 1.0, by combining deeply virtual Compton scattering and 𝜌-meson production data from Jefferson Lab and the Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator with global fits of parton distribution functions, charge form factors, and lattice quantum chromodynamics simulations. Using a conformal moment space parametrization, we achieve a unified description across low- and high-𝑥 regions at next to leading order accuracy in perturbative corrections. The results provide state-of-the-art generalized parton distributions consistent with almost all known facts, enabling three-dimensional nucleon imaging in impact parameter space and, at the same time, establishing a benchmark for future theoretical and experimental studies of the nucleon structure.

Form factors↗

Inclusive electron scattering in the resonance region off a hydrogen target with CLAS12

Inclusive electron scattering cross sections off a hydrogen target at a beam energy of 10.6 GeV have been measured with data collected from the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. These first absolute cross sections from CLAS12 cover a wide kinematic area in invariant mass 𝑊 of the final state hadrons from the pion threshold up to 2.5 GeV for each bin in virtual photon four-momentum transfer squared 𝑄 2 from 2.55 to 10.4GeV 2 owing to the large scattering angle acceptance of the CLAS12 detector. Comparison of the cross sections with the resonant contributions computed from the CLAS results on the nucleon resonance electroexcitation amplitudes has demonstrated a promising opportunity to extend the information on their 𝑄 2 evolution up to 10 GeV 2 . Together these results from CLAS and CLAS12 offer good prospects for probing the nucleon parton distributions at large fractional parton momenta 𝑥 for 𝑊<2.5 GeV, while covering the range of distances where the transition from the strongly coupled to the perturbative regimes is expected.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Neutron matter from local chiral effective field theory interactions at large cutoffs

Neutron matter is an important many-body system that provides valuable constraints for the equation of state (EOS) of neutron stars. Neutron-matter calculations employing chiral effective field theory (EFT) interactions have been extensively used for this purpose. Among the various many-body methods, quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods stand out due to their nonperturbative nature and the achievable precision. However, QMC methods require local interactions as input, which leads to the appearance of stronger regulator artifacts compared to nonlocal interactions. To circumvent this, we employ large-cutoff interactions derived within chiral EFT (400 MeV ≤ Λ 𝑐 ≤ 700MeV) for studies of pure neutron matter. These interactions have been adjusted to nucleon-nucleon scattering phase shifts, the triton binding energy, as well as the triton 𝛽-decay half-life. We find that regulator artifacts significantly decrease with increasing cutoff, leading to a significant reduction of uncertainties in the neutron-matter EOS. We discuss implications for the symmetry energy and demonstrate how our new calculations lead to a reduction in the theoretical uncertainty of predicted neutron-star radii by up to 30% for low-mass stars.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Evidence for Similar Collectivity of High Transverse-Momentum Particles in 𝑝-Pb and Pb-Pb Collisions

Charged hadron elliptic anisotropies (𝑣 2 ) are presented over a wide transverse momentum (𝑝 T ) range for proton-lead (𝑝 ⁢Pb) and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies of 8.16 and 5.02 TeV, respectively. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment and correspond to integrated luminosities of 186 and 0.607 nb −1 for the 𝑝⁢Pb and PbPb systems, respectively. A four-particle cumulant analysis is performed using subevents separated in pseudorapidity to effectively suppress noncollective effects. At high 𝑝 T (𝑝 T > 8 GeV), significant positive 𝑣 2 values that are similar between 𝑝 ⁢Pb and PbPb collisions at comparable charged particle multiplicities are observed. This observation suggests a common origin for the multiparticle collectivity for high-𝑝 T particles in the two systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Structure and dynamics of open-shell nuclei from spherical coupled-cluster theory

We extend the spherical coupled-cluster ab initio method for open-shell nuclei where two nucleons are removed from a shell subclosure. Following the recent implementation of the two-particle-attached approach [Phys. Rev. C 110, 044306 (2024)], we focus on the two-particle-removed method. Using the equations-of-motion framework, we address both nuclear structure and dipole response functions by coupling coupled-cluster theory with the Lorentz integral transform technique. We perform calculations using chiral interactions, including three-nucleon forces, and estimate many-body uncertainties by comparing different coupled-cluster truncation schemes. Here, we validate our approach by studying ground-state energies, excited states, and electric dipole polarizabilities in the oxygen and calcium isotopic chains. For binding energies and selected low-lying excited states, we achieve an accuracy comparable to that of the established closed-shell coupled-cluster theory and generally agree with experiment. Finally, we underestimate experimental data for electric dipole polarizabilities, particularly in calcium isotopes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Electromagnetic radii of light nuclei from variational Monte Carlo calculations

We present variational Monte Carlo calculations of charge and magnetic radii in 𝐴 ≤ 10 nuclei. The calculations are based on the Norfolk two- and three-nucleon interactions, and associated one- and two-nucleon electromagnetic charge and current operators derived up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order in the chiral expansion. The charge and magnetic radii are extracted from the respective form factors. We find that the charge radii are within 5% of the experimental values for the nuclei considered. For the magnetic radii, a comparison is available only with 3 H and 3 ⁢He electron scattering data that are affected by large error bars. We hope that our predictions foster an interest in precisely measuring magnetic radii of heavier systems.

lepton induced nuclear reactions↗

Systematic study of the validity of the eikonal model including uncertainties

Nuclear reactions at intermediate beam energies are often interpreted using the eikonal model. In the analysis of complex reaction probes, where few-body reaction methods are needed, the eikonal method may be used as an efficient way for describing the fragment-target reaction process. In this work, we perform a systematic study to test the validity of the eikonal approximation for nucleon-nucleus reactions. We also quantify uncertainties due to the nucleon optical potential on reaction observables. We inspect the validity of the eikonal model and its semiclassical correction by comparing it to exact solutions (obtained from solving the optical-model equation with a finite-differences method) for a wide range of reactions. We also study the effect of relativistic corrections, both kinematic and dynamic, by effectively incorporating the relativistic effects at intermediate energies. The uncertainties from a Bayesian global optical potential (KDUQ) are propagated to the observables of interest. Our study includes neutron and proton reactions on 27 Al , 40 Ca , 90 Zr , and 208 Pb , for a wide range of energies 𝐸 lab = 0–400 MeV. We calculate neutron-total cross sections (elastic and reactions) as well as proton-absorption cross sections as a function of beam energy, using the eikonal model, the eikonal model with a semiclassical correction, and the exact solution. Here, we also compute angular distributions for the methods above. Our results show that for the proton-absorption cross section, the eikonal model can be used down to around 60 MeV and the semiclassical correction extends its use to 30 MeV. However, the validity of the eikonal model for the neutron-total cross section only goes down to ≈120 MeV, a range extended to ≈ 50 MeV when using the semiclassical correction. We find the semiclassical correction to the eikonal model to be less effective in describing the angular distributions. The 1⁢𝜎 uncertainty intervals on the observables we studied is less than 5% for most of the energies considered, but increases rapidly for higher energies, namely energies outside the range of KDUQ (𝐸 lab > 200MeV).

Cluster models↗

Axion lines from nuclear de-excitations in galactic stellar populations

We show that mono-energetic axions are produced in abundance through nuclear de-excitations in nearby galaxies such as M87, which is the central galaxy of the Virgo cluster, and the starburst galaxy M82. If the axion couples to both nucleons and photons and is ultralight, then monochromatic hard x-ray signatures are induced by the subsequent axion-to-photon conversion in the magnetic fields permeating these systems. We search for evidence of such signals using NuSTAR data, focusing specifically on the 57 Fe de-excitation line at 14.4 keV, and we catalog other potentially relevant nuclear lines. We find no evidence for axions from M87 or M82 and set stringent constraints on the combined axion-nucleon and axion-photon coupling at the level of |𝑔 𝑎⁢𝑛⁢𝑛 × 𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾 | ≲ 1.1 × 10 −22 GeV −1 in the limit 𝑚 𝑎 ≲ 10 −10 eV at 95% confidence.

Ning, Orion [University of California, Berkeley, C↗

Isoscalar and Isovector Giant Resonances in Closed Shells Nuclei and Bulk Properties of Nuclear Matter

Centroid energies, E CEN , of the isoscalar (T = 0) and isovector (T = 1) giant resonances of multipolarities L = 0 – 3 in 40,48 Ca, 68 Ni, 90 Zr, 116 Sn, 144 Sm and 208 Pb, were calculated within the fully self-consistent spherical Hartree-Fock (HF)-based random phase approximation (RPA) theory, using 33 different energy density functionals associated with Skyrme-type effective nucleon-nucleon interactions of the standard form commonly employed in the literature. Here, we also calculate the Pearson linear correlation coefficients between each E CEN and each bulk property of nuclear matter (NM), associated with the Skyrme interactions used in the calculations, and determine the sensitivity of E CEN to bulk properties of NM. By comparing the calculated values of E CEN to the experimental data, we constrain the values of the bulk NM properties. We find that interactions associated with the values of the NM effective mass, m* / m = 0.70 to 0.90, incompressibility coefficient, K NM = 210 to 240 MeV, and the enhancement coefficient of the energy weighted sum rule of the isovector giant dipole resonance, κ = 0.25 to 0.70, best reproduce the experimental data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The {sup 136}Xe + {sup 198}Pt Reaction: a Detailed Re-examination

We extend previous measurements of the transfer product yields in the reaction of E-c.m. = 450 MeV Xe-136 with Pt-198 by measurements of the product yields using Gammasphere. By recording events occurring in beam bursts and in between beam bursts, we are able to extend the number of measured product yields from 78 to 171 nuclides. Our new data span a much wider range of Z and A than observed in previous work and when compared to theoretical predictions, these new measurements provide a more stringent and thorough test of models of multi-nucleon transfer (MNT) reactions.

Desai, V. V.↗

Light element ($$Z=1,2$$) production from spontaneous ternary fission of $$^{252}$$Cf

Abstract The yields of light elements ( $$Z=1,2$$ Z = 1 , 2 ) obtained from spontaneous ternary fission of $$^{252}$$ 252 Cf are treated within a nonequilibrium approach, and the contribution of unstable nuclei and excited bound states is taken into account. These light cluster yields may be used to probe dense matter, and to infer in-medium corrections such as Pauli blocking which is determined by the nucleon density. Continuum correlations are calculated from scattering phase shifts using the Beth-Uhlenbeck formula, and the effect of medium modification is estimated. The relevant distribution is reconstructed from the measured yields of isotopes. This describes the state of the nucleon system at scission and cluster formation, using only three Lagrange parameters which are the nonequilibrium counterparts of the temperature and chemical potentials, as defined in thermodynamic equilibrium. We concluded that a simple nuclear statistical equilibrium model neglecting continuum correlations and medium effects is not able to describe the measured distribution of H and He isotopes. Moreover, the freeze-out concept may serve as an important ingredient to the nonequilibrium approach using the relevant statistical operator concept.

Röpke, G.↗

Quasi-free scattering in inverse kinematics as a tool to unveil the structure of nuclei: A tribute to Mahir S. Hussein

Abstract Quasi-free scattering of electrons and protons has been extensively utilized in the past to study the single-particle structure of nuclei, clustering in light nuclei, and short-range correlated nucleon–nucleon pairs in nuclei. Recently, this approach has been applied in inverse kinematics using hydrogen targets. The characteristic features of this reaction and the experimental challenges and advantages of inverse-kinematics experiments are summarized. The applicability to radioactive beams opens a large research potential to study a variety of properties of neutron-to-proton asymmetric nuclei. Applications of quasi-free scattering in inverse kinematics and its potential are reviewed based on recent and ongoing research programs at different accelerator facilities worldwide.

Physics↗

In-medium $\Delta (1232)$ potential, pion production in heavy-ion collisions and the symmetry energy

Using the dcQMD transport model, the isoscalar and isovector in-medium potentials of the Δ (1232) baryon are studied and information regarding their effective strength is obtained from a comparison to experimental pion production data in heavy-ion collisions below 800 MeV/nucleon impact energy. The best description is achieved for an isoscalar potential moderately more attractive than the nucleon optical potential and a rather small isoscalar relative effective mass $m$$^{*}_{Δ}$ ≈ 0.45. For the isovector component only a constraint between the potential’s strength at saturation and the isovector effective mass difference can be extracted, which depends on quantities such as the slope of the symmetry energy and the neutron-proton effective mass difference. These results are incompatible with the usual assumption, in transport models, that the Δ (1232) and nucleon potentials are equal. The density dependence of symmetry energy can be studied using the high transverse momentum tail of pion multiplicity ratio spectra. Results are however correlated with the value of neutron-proton effective mass difference. Furthermore, this region of spectra is shown to be affected by uncertain model ingredients such as the pion potential or in-medium correction to inelastic scattering cross-sections at levels smaller than 10%. Extraction of precise constraints for the density dependence of symmetry energy above saturation will require experimental data for pion production in heavy-ion collisions below 800 MeV/nucleon impact energy and experimental values for the high transverse momentum tail of pion multiplicity ratio spectra accurate to better than 5%.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Impact of symmetry energy on sound speed and spinodal decomposition in dense neutron-rich matter

Using a meta model for nuclear Equation of State (EOS) with its parameters constrained by astrophysical observations and terrestrial nuclear experiments, we examine effects of nuclear EOS especially its symmetry energy $E$ sym ($ρ$) term on the speed of sound squared $C$ $^2_s$($ρ$) and the critical density ρt where $C$ $^2_s$($ρ_t$) vanishes (indicating the onset of spinodal decomposition) in both dense neutron-rich nucleonic matter relevant for relativistic heavy-ion collisions and the cold $n$ + $p$ + $e$ + $μ$ matter in neutron stars at $β$- equilibrium. Unlike in nucleonic matter with fixed values of the isospin asymmetry $δ$, in neutron stars with a density dependent isospin profile $δ$($ρ$) determined consistently by the $β$-equilibrium and charge neutrality conditions, the $C$ $^2_s$($ρ$) almost always show a peak and then vanishes at $ρ_t$. Furthermore, the latter strongly depends on the high-density behavior of $E$ sym ($ρ$) if the skewness parameter $J$ 0 characterizing the stiffness of high-density symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) EOS is not too far above its currently known most probable value of about -190 MeV inferred from recent Bayesian analyses of neutron star observables. Moreover, in the case of having a super-soft $E$ sym ($ρ$) that is decreasing with increasing density above about twice the saturation density of nuclear matter, the $ρ$ $t$ is significantly lower than the density where the $E$ sym ($ρ$) vanishes (indicating the onset of isospin-separation instability and pure neutron matter formation) in neutron star cores.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov mass models on a 3D mesh: III. From atomic nuclei to neutron stars

Here, we present BSkG3, the latest entry in the Brussels-Skyrme-on-a-grid series of large-scale models of nuclear structure based on an energy density functional. Compared to its predecessors, the new model offers a more realistic description of nucleonic matter at the extreme densities relevant to neutron stars. This achievement is made possible by incorporating a constraint on the infinite nuclear matter properties at high densities in the parameter adjustment, ensuring in this way that the predictions of BSkG3 for the nuclear Equation of State are compatible with the observational evidence for heavy pulsars with M > 2M ⊙ . Instead of the usual phenomenological pairing terms, we also employ a more microscopically founded treatment of nucleon pairing, resulting in extrapolations to high densities that are in line with the predictions of advanced many-body methods and are hence more suited to the study of superfluidity in neutron stars. By adopting an extended form of the Skyrme functional, we are able to reconcile the description of matter at high densities and at saturation density: the new model further refines the description of atomic nuclei offered by its predecessors. A qualitative improvement is our inclusion of ground state reflection asymmetry, in addition to the spontaneous breaking of rotational, axial, and time-reversal symmetry. Quantitatively, the model offers lowered root-mean-square deviations on 2457 masses (0.631 MeV), 810 charge radii (0.0237 fm) and an unmatched accuracy with respect to 45 primary fission barriers of actinide nuclei (0.33 MeV). Reconciling the complexity of neutron stars with those of atomic nuclei establishes BSkG3 as a tool of choice for applications to nuclear structure, the nuclear equation of state and nuclear astrophysics in general.

Physics↗

Tagged deep inelastic scattering measurement on deuterium with the LAD experiment

Here, the origin of the modification of the quark structure of nucleons in the nuclear medium can be tested with tagged recoil nucleon measurements from deep inelastic scattering off electrons on deuterium. The LAD experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory (JLab) will measure the modification of the neutron structure function for high-momentum, highly-virtual neutrons by measuring the spectator recoil protons in coincidence with the scattered electron. An update on the experimental setup and projected results is presented. The experiment will collect data in Fall 2024.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗