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At least 775 records · Page 43

Slow relaxation of cascade-induced defects in Fe

On-the-fly kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations are performed to investigate slow relaxation of non-equilibrium systems. Point defects induced by 25 keV cascades in α -Fe are shown to lead to a characteristic time-evolution, described by the replenish and relax mechanism. Then, we produce an atomistically-based assessment of models proposed to explain the slow structural relaxation by focusing on the aggregation of 50 vacancies and 25 self-interstital atoms (SIA) in 10-lattice-parameter α-Fe boxes, two processes that are closely related to cascade annealing and exhibit similar time signature. Four atomistic effects explain the timescales involved in the evolution: defect concentration heterogeneities, concentration-enhanced mobility, cluster-size dependent bond energies and defect-induced pressure. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the two main classes of models to explain slow structural relaxation, the Eyring model and the Gibbs model, both play a role to limit the rate of relaxation of these simple point-defect systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Description of the multinucleon transfer mechanism for Ca 48 + Pu 244 and Kr 86 + Pt 198 reactions in a quantal transport approach

Multinucleon transfer (MNT) reactions involving heavy projectile and target combinations stand as a promising method for synthesizing new neutron-rich exotic nuclei, which may not be possible using hot or cold fusion reactions or fragmentation. Exploring the mechanisms behind MNT reactions is essential and it requires a comprehensive theoretical framework that can explain the physical observables in these reactions. This work aims to show that the quantal diffusion approach based on the stochastic mean-field (SMF) theory is capable of explaining the reaction dynamics observed in MNT reactions. Primary product mass distributions in 48 Ca + 244 Pu reaction at E c.m. = 203.2 MeV and 86 Kr + 198 Pt reaction at E c.m. = 324.2 MeV are calculated and compared with the available experimental data. In this work, we utilize the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations to analyze the mean-field reaction dynamics computationally in the reactions 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt for a broad range of initial angular momenta. Quantal transport description based on the SMF approach is used to calculate quantal diffusion coefficients and mass variances in 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt systems. The primary products arising from quasifission reactions are described by joint probability distribution in the SMF approach and those arising from fusion-fission are estimated by using the statistical deexcitation code gemini + +. Mean values of charge and mass numbers, scattering angles of the primary reaction products, and the total kinetic energies after the collision are calculated within the TDHF framework for a broad range of initial angular momenta. Throughout all the collisions, drift toward the mass symmetry and large mass dispersion associated with this drift are observed. Here, the calculated primary fragment and mass distributions using the SMF approach successfully explain experimental observations for the 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt systems. The primary mass distributions, mean values of binary products, and mass dispersions are determined and results are compared with the available experimental data. The observed agreement between the experimental data and SMF results highlights the effectiveness of the quantal diffusion mechanism based on the SMF approach, which does not include any adjustable parameters other than standard parameters of Skyrme energy density functional.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Clustering aspects in nuclear structure functions

For understanding an anomalous nuclear effect experimentally observed for the beryllium-9 nucleus at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, clustering aspects are studied in structure functions of deep inelastic lepton-nucleus scattering by using momentum distributions calculated in antisymmetrized (or fermionic) molecular dynamics (AMD) and also in a simple shell model for comparison. According to AMD, the {sup 9}Be nucleus consists of two {alpha}-like clusters with a surrounding neutron. The clustering produces high-momentum components in nuclear wave functions, which affects nuclear modifications of the structure functions. We investigated whether clustering features could appear in the structure function F{sub 2} of {sup 9}Be along with studies for other light nuclei. We found that nuclear modifications of F{sub 2} are similar in both AMD and shell models within our simple convolution description although there are slight differences in {sup 9}Be. It indicates that the anomalous {sup 9}Be result should be explained by a different mechanism from the nuclear binding and Fermi motion. If nuclear-modification slopes d(F{sub 2}{sup A}/F{sub 2}{sup D})/dx are shown by the maximum local densities, the {sup 9}Be anomaly can be explained by the AMD picture, namely by the clustering structure, whereas it certainly cannot be described in the simple shell model. This fact suggests that the large nuclear modification in {sup 9}Be should be explained by large densities in the clusters. For example, internal nucleon structure could be modified in the high-density clusters. The clustering aspect of nuclear structure functions is an unexplored topic which is interesting for future investigations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Testing dark matter and modifications to gravity using local Milky Way observables

Galactic rotation curves are often considered the first robust evidence for the existence of dark matter. Yet, even in the presence of a dark matter halo, other galactic-scale observations, such as the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation and the Radial Acceleration Relation, remain challenging to explain. This has motivated long-distance, infrared modifications to gravity as an alternative to the dark matter hypothesis as well as various DM theories with similar phenomenology. In general, the standard lore has been that any model that reduces to the phenomenology of MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) on galactic scales explains essentially all galaxy-scale observables. We present a framework to test precisely this statement using local Milky Way observables, including the vertical acceleration field, the rotation curve, the baryonic surface density, and the stellar disk profile. We focus on models that predict scalar amplifications of gravity, i.e., models that increase the magnitude but do not change the direction of the gravitational acceleration. We find that models of this type are disfavored relative to a simple dark matter halo model because the Milky Way data necessitates a substantial amplification of the radial acceleration with little amplification of the vertical acceleration. We conclude that models which result in a MOND-like force struggle to simultaneously explain both the rotational velocity and vertical motion of nearby stars in the Milky Way.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Axion dark matter experiment: Run 1B analysis details

Searching for axion dark matter, the ADMX Collaboration acquired data from January to October 2018, over the mass range 2.81–3.31 μeV, corresponding to the frequency range 680–790 MHz. Using an axion haloscope consisting of a microwave cavity in a strong magnetic field, the ADMX experiment excluded Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnisky (DFSZ) axions at 90% confidence level and 100% dark matter density over this entire frequency range, except for a few gaps due to mode crossings. This paper explains the full ADMX analysis for run 1B, motivating analysis choices informed by details specific to this run.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Model independent analysis of gluonic pole matrix elements and universality of transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions

Gluonic pole matrix elements explain the appearance of single spin asymmetries (SSA) in high-energy scattering processes. They involve a combination of operators which are odd under time reversal (T-odd). Such matrix elements appear in principle both for parton distribution functions and parton fragmentation functions. We show that for parton fragmentation functions these gluonic pole matrix elements vanish as a consequence of the analytic structure of scattering amplitudes in Quantum Chromodynamics. Furthermore, this result is important in the study of the universality of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) fragmentation functions.

Gamberg, L. P.↗

Connection of gamma rays, dark matter, and Higgs boson searches at the LHC

Motivated by the upcoming Higgs analyzes we investigate the importance of the complementarity of the Higgs boson chase on the low mass WIMP search in direct detection experiments and the gamma-ray emission from the Galactic Center measured by the Fermi-LAT telescope in the context of the $SU(3)_c\otimes SU(3)_L\otimes U(1)_N$. We obtain the relic abundance, thermal cross section, the WIMP-nucleon cross section in the low mass regime and network them with the branching ratios of the Higgs boson in the model. We conclude that the Higgs boson search has a profound connection to the dark matter problem in our model, in particular for the case that ($M_{WIMP} < 60$ GeV) the BR($H \rightarrow 2$ WIMPs) $\gtrsim 90%$. This scenario could explain this plateau of any mild excess regarding the Higgs search as well as explain the gamma-ray emission from the galactic center through the $b\bar{b}$ channel with a WIMP in the mass range of 25-45 GeV, while still being consistent with the current limits from XENON100 and CDMSII. However, if the recent modest excesses measured at LHC and TEVATRON are confirmed and consistent with a standard model Higgs boson this would imply that $ M_{WIMP} > 60 $ GeV, consequently ruling out any attempt to explain the Fermi-LAT observations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multistep cascade annihilations of dark matter and the Galactic Center excess

If dark matter is embedded in a non-trivial dark sector, it may annihilate and decay to lighter dark-sector states which subsequently decay to the Standard Model. Such scenarios - with annihilation followed by cascading dark-sector decays - can explain the apparent excess GeV gamma-rays identified in the central Milky Way, while evading bounds from dark matter direct detection experiments. Each 'step' in the cascade will modify the observable signatures of dark matter annihilation and decay, shifting the resulting photons and other final state particles to lower energies and broadening their spectra. We explore, in a model-independent way, the effect of multi-step dark-sector cascades on the preferred regions of parameter space to explain the GeV excess. We find that the broadening effects of multi-step cascades can admit final states dominated by particles that would usually produce too sharply peaked photon spectra; in general, if the cascades are hierarchical (each particle decays to substantially lighter particles), the preferred mass range for the dark matter is in all cases 20-150 GeV. Decay chains that have nearly-degenerate steps, where the products are close to half the mass of the progenitor, can admit much higher DM masses. We map out the region of mass/cross-section parameter space where cascades (degenerate, hierarchical or a combination) can fit the signal, for a range of final states. In the current paper, we study multi-step cascades in the context of explaining the GeV excess, but many aspects of our results are general and can be extended to other applications.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Effects Beyond the Born Approximation in Polarization Transfer Observables in e-vectorp Elastic Scattering

Intensive theoretical and experimental efforts over the past decade have aimed at explaining the discrepancy between data for the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio, G{sub E}/G{sub M}, obtained separately from cross section and polarization transfer measurements. One possible explanation for this difference is a two-photon-exchange contribution. In an effort to search for effects beyond the one-photon-exchange or Born approximation, we report measurements of polarization transfer observables in the elastic H(e-vector,e{sup '}p-vector) reaction for three different beam energies at a Q{sup 2}=2.5 GeV{sup 2}, spanning a wide range of the kinematic parameter {epsilon}. The ratio R, which equals {mu}{sub p}G{sub E}/G{sub M} in the Born approximation, is found to be independent of {epsilon} at the 1.5% level. The {epsilon} dependence of the longitudinal polarization transfer component P{sub l} shows an enhancement of (2.3{+-}0.6)% relative to the Born approximation at large {epsilon}.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electric dipole moments of atoms, molecules, nuclei, and particles

A permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of a particle or system is a separation of charge along its angular momentum axis and is a direct signal of T violation and, assuming CPT symmetry, CP violation. For over 60 years EDMs have been studied, first as a signal of a parity-symmetry violation and then as a signal of CP violation that would clarify its role in nature and in theory. Contemporary motivations include the role that CP violation plays in explaining the cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry and the search for new physics. Experiments on a variety of systems have become ever-more sensitive, but provide only upper limits on EDMs, and theory at several scales is crucial to interpret these limits. Nuclear theory provides connections from standard-model and beyond-standard-model physics to the observable EDMs, and atomic and molecular theory reveal how CP violation is manifest in these systems. EDM results in hadronic systems require that the standard-model QCD parameter of θ¯ must be exceptionally small, which could be explained by the existence of axions, also a candidate dark-matter particle. Theoretical results on electroweak baryogenesis show that new physics is needed to explain the dominance of matter in the Universe. Experimental and theoretical efforts continue to expand with new ideas and new questions, and this review provides a broad overview of theoretical motivations and interpretations as well as details about experimental techniques, experiments, and prospects. Here, the intent is to provide specifics and context as this exciting field moves forward.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Tah1 helix-swap dimerization prevents mixed Hsp90 co-chaperone complexes

A helix swap involving the fifth helix between two adjacently bound Tah1 molecules restores the normal binding environment of the conserved MEEVD peptide of Hsp90. Dimerization also explains how other monomeric TPR-domain proteins are excluded from forming inappropriate mixed co-chaperone complexes with Hsp90 and Tah1. Specific co-chaperone adaptors facilitate the recruitment of client proteins to the Hsp90 system. Tah1 binds the C-terminal conserved MEEVD motif of Hsp90, thus linking an eclectic set of client proteins to the R2TP complex for their assembly and regulation by Hsp90. Rather than the normal complement of seven α-helices seen in other tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains, Tah1 unusually consists of the first five only. Consequently, the methionine of the MEEVD peptide remains exposed to solvent when bound by Tah1. In solution Tah1 appears to be predominantly monomeric, and recent structures have failed to explain how Tah1 appears to prevent the formation of mixed TPR domain-containing complexes such as Cpr6–(Hsp90){sub 2}–Tah1. To understand this further, the crystal structure of Tah1 in complex with the MEEVD peptide of Hsp90 was determined, which shows a helix swap involving the fifth α-helix between two adjacently bound Tah1 molecules. Dimerization of Tah1 restores the normal binding environment of the bound Hsp90 methionine residue by reconstituting a TPR binding site similar to that in seven-helix-containing TPR domain proteins. Dimerization also explains how other monomeric TPR-domain proteins are excluded from forming inappropriate mixed co-chaperone complexes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Experimental Characterization Test of a Grid-Forming Inverter for Microgrid Applications

Standardized experimental testing protocols for grid forming (GFM) inverters to ensure expected operation under both normal and contingency conditions do not exist. Such protocols increase the confidence of system owner/operators that an inverter deployed in a proposed system will engage in typical behaviors to ensure interoperability with other units and ancillary equipment (e.g. protection equipment). This paper presents systematic and comprehensive test protocols to evaluate the performance of GFM inverters under the following operational configurations: islanded operation, heterogeneous islanded operation (parallel with a synchronous generator), grid-connected operation, and transition operation. A commercial GFM inverter is used to verify the test protocols and to understand the inverter's performance and functionalities. In particular, required configuration and tuning of the inverter will be explained in the full paper to enrich the testing protocol.

black start↗

Hydrological niche segregation defines forest structure and drought tolerance strategies in a seasonal Amazon forest

The relationship between rooting depth and above-ground hydraulic traits can potentially define drought resistance strategies that are important in determining species distribution and coexistence in seasonal tropical forests, and understanding this is important for predicting the effects of future climate change in these ecosystems. We assessed the rooting depth of 12 dominant tree species (representing c. 42% of the forest basal area) in a seasonal Amazon forest using the stable isotope ratios (δ 18 O and δ 2 H) of water collected from tree xylem and soils from a range of depths. We took advantage of a major ENSO-related drought in 2015/2016 that caused substantial evaporative isotope enrichment in the soil and revealed water use strategies of each species under extreme conditions. We measured the minimum dry season leaf water potential both in a normal year (2014; Ψ non-ENSO ) and in an extreme drought year (2015; Ψ ENSO ). Furthermore, we measured xylem hydraulic traits that indicate water potential thresholds trees tolerate without risking hydraulic failure (P 50 and P 88 ). We demonstrate that coexisting trees are largely segregated along a single hydrological niche axis defined by root depth differences, access to light and tolerance of low water potential. These differences in rooting depth were strongly related to tree size; diameter at breast height (DBH) explained 72% of the variation in the δ 18 Oxylem. Additionally, δ 18 O xylem explained 49% of the variation in P50 and 70% of P88, with shallow-rooted species more tolerant of low water potentials, while δ 18 O of xylem water explained 47% and 77% of the variation of minimum Ψ non-ENSO and Ψ ENSO . We propose a new formulation to estimate an effective functional rooting depth, i.e. the likely soil depth from which roots can sustain water uptake for physiological functions, using DBH as predictor of root depth at this site. Based on these estimates, we conclude that rooting depth varies systematically across the most abundant families, genera and species at the Tapajós forest, and that understorey species in particular are limited to shallow rooting depths. Our results support the theory of hydrological niche segregation and its underlying trade-off related to drought resistance, which also affect the dominance structure of trees in this seasonal eastern Amazon forest. Synthesis. Our results support the theory of hydrological niche segregation and demonstrate its underlying trade-off related to drought resistance (access to deep water vs. tolerance of very low water potentials). We found that the single hydrological axis defining water use traits was strongly related to tree size, and infer that periodic extreme droughts influence community composition and the dominance structure of trees in this seasonal eastern Amazon forest.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Sedimentation of ballasted cells-free EPS in meromictic Fayetteville Green Lake

Fayetteville Green Lake (FGL) is a recognized, extensively studied present-day model of the stratified Proterozoic Ocean. Nonetheless, biomass sedimentation in FGL remains hard to explain: Whilst virtually all sediment pigments belong to photosynthetic sulfur bacteria (PSB) from a chemocline, the isotopic carbon signature of the bulk biomass suggests its epilimnetic phytoplankton origin. Here we present experimental evidence that FGL Synechococci produce copious extracellular polysacchrides (EPS), which become impregnated with Ca, Mg and Na cations and are release to the environment as ballasted cell coverings. We propose that sedimentation of these cell-free EPS can constitute the bulk of pigment-less organic material in FGL sediment. Because increased availability of inorganic carbon (Ci) stimulates accumulation of ballasted EPS, we propose the universal role of cyanobacterial EPS in biomass sedimentation in the high-Ci Paleoproterozoic Ocean as well as in modern aquatic systems like FGL.

Kamennaya, Nina A.↗

Partitioning controls on Amazon forest photosynthesis between environmental and biotic factors at hourly to interannual timescales

Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in tropical forests varies both with the environment and with biotic changes in photosynthetic infrastructure, but our understanding of the relative effects of these factors across timescales is limited. Here, we used a statistical model to partition the variability of seven years of eddy covariance-derived GEP in a central Amazon evergreen forest into two main causes: variation in environmental drivers (solar radiation, diffuse light fraction, and vapor pressure deficit) that interact with model parameters that govern photosynthesis and biotic variation in canopy photosynthetic light-use efficiency associated with changes in the parameters themselves. Our fitted model was able to explain most of the variability in GEP at hourly (R 2 = 0.77) to interannual (R 2 = 0.80) timescales. At hourly timescales, we found that 75% of observed GEP variability could be attributed to environmental variability. When aggregating GEP to the longer timescales (daily, monthly, and yearly), however, environmental variation explained progressively less GEP variability: At monthly timescales, it explained only 3%, much less than biotic variation in canopy photosynthetic light-use efficiency, which accounted for 63%. These results challenge modeling approaches that assume GEP is primarily controlled by the environment at both short and long timescales. Our approach distinguishing biotic from environmental variability can help to resolve debates about environmental limitations to tropical forest photosynthesis. For example, we found that biotically regulated canopy photosynthetic light-use efficiency (associated with leaf phenology) increased with sunlight during dry seasons (consistent with light but not water limitation of canopy development) but that realized GEP was nonetheless lower relative to its potential efficiency during dry than wet seasons (consistent with water limitation of photosynthesis in given assemblages of leaves). Lastly, this work highlights the importance of accounting for differential regulation of GEP at different timescales and of identifying the underlying feedbacks and adaptive mechanisms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Phosphorus in agricultural soils: drivers of its distribution at the global scale

Phosphorus (P) availability in soils limits crop yields in many regions of the world, while excess of soil P triggers aquatic eutrophication in other regions. Numerous processes drive the global spatial distribution of P in agricultural soils, but their relative roles remain unclear. Here, we combined several global datasets describing these drivers with a soil P dynamics model to simulate the distribution of P in agricultural soils and to assess the contributions of the different drivers at the global scale. We analyzed both the labile inorganic P (P ILAB ), a proxy of the pool involved in plant nutrition and the total soil P (P TOT ). We found that the soil biogeochemical background (BIOG) and farming practices (FARM) were the main drivers of the spatial variability in cropland soil P content but that their contribution varied between P TOT vs P ILAB . Indeed, 97% of the P TOT spatial variability could be explained by BIOG, while BIOG and FARM explained 41% and 58% of P ILAB spatial variability, respectively. Other drivers such as climate, soil erosion, atmospheric P deposition and soil buffering capacity made only very small contribution. Lastly, our study is a promising approach to investigate the potential effect of P as a limiting factor for agricultural ecosystems and for global food production. Additionally, we quantified the anthropogenic perturbation of P cycle and demonstrated how the different drivers are combined to explain the global distribution of agricultural soil P.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Decreased growth of wild soil microbes after 15 years of transplant‐induced warming in a montane meadow

Abstract The carbon stored in soil exceeds that of plant biomass and atmospheric carbon and its stability can impact global climate. Growth of decomposer microorganisms mediates both the accrual and loss of soil carbon. Growth is sensitive to temperature and given the vast biological diversity of soil microorganisms, the response of decomposer growth rates to warming may be strongly idiosyncratic, varying among taxa, making ecosystem predictions difficult. Here, we show that 15 years of warming by transplanting plant–soil mesocosms down in elevation, strongly reduced the growth rates of soil microorganisms, measured in the field using undisturbed soil. The magnitude of the response to warming varied among microbial taxa. However, the direction of the response—reduced growth—was universal and warming explained twofold more variation than did the sum of taxonomic identity and its interaction with warming. For this ecosystem, most of the growth responses to warming could be explained without taxon‐specific information, suggesting that in some cases microbial responses measured in aggregate may be adequate for climate modeling. Long‐term experimental warming also reduced soil carbon content, likely a consequence of a warming‐induced increase in decomposition, as warming‐induced changes in plant productivity were negligible. The loss of soil carbon and decreased microbial biomass with warming may explain the reduced growth of the microbial community, more than the direct effects of temperature on growth. These findings show that direct and indirect effects of long‐term warming can reduce growth rates of soil microbes, which may have important feedbacks to global warming.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Temperature drives local contributions to beta diversity in mountain streams: stochastic and deterministic processes

Community variation (i.e. beta diversity) in geographical coenoclines is of substantial interest in ecology, yet the elevational patterns in beta diversity are still understudied, and no general conclusions have been reached. Here, we explored local contributions to beta diversity (LCBD) of stream bacteria, diatoms and macroinvertebrates on mountainsides. Across all taxa, we revealed a general U-shaped LCBD-elevation relationships (LCBDer), suggesting higher uniqueness of community composition at the two ends of the elevational gradients. This pattern was confirmed by coenocline simulations based on observed communities, and supported by the dominance of species replacement in total beta diversity. Across mountains and taxonomic groups, temperature was the main environmental factor underlying elevational patterns in LCBD and its metric relatives, which were also mediated by local environmental variables. The observed magnitudes of U-shaped LCBDer across mountains and taxonomic groups were specifically related to the heterogeneity of stream morphology, and the mean annual temperature on each mountain. U-shaped LCBDer were strengthened by the occurrence of generalist species with large elevational ranges, while rare species had a lesser effect on the patterns. Raup-Crick beta diversity indicated that both stochastic and deterministic processes drove the community assembly, and the latter one was positively related to the magnitudes of LCBDer. Our synthesis across mountains and taxonomic groups clearly shows that there are consistent elevational patterns in LCBD among taxonomic groups, and that these patterns are explained by similar ecological mechanisms, producing a more complete picture in understanding and bridging the spatial variation in biodiversity under changing climate.

Wang, Jianjun↗