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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Development of Multiplexed Immuno-N-Terminomics to Reveal the Landscape of Proteolytic Processing in Early Embryogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster

Protein expression levels are regulated through both translation and degradation mechanisms. Levels of degradation intermediates, i.e., partially degraded proteins, cannot be distinguished from those of intact proteins by global proteomics analysis, which quantify total protein abundance levels. This study aimed to develop a tool for assessing the aspects of degradation regulation via proteolytic processing through a new multiplexed N-terminomics method involving selective isobaric labeling of protein N-termini and immunoaffinity capture of the labeled N-terminal peptides. Our method allows for not only identification or proteolytic cleavage sites, but also highly multiplexed quantification of proteolytic processing. In this paper, we profiled a number of potential cleavage sites by signal peptidase and provided experimental confirmation of predicted cleavage sites of signal peptide. Furthermore, the present method uniquely represents the landscape of proteomic proteolytic processing rate during early embryogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, revealing the underlying mechanism of stringent decay regulation of zygotically expressed proteins during early stages of embryogenesis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2021

Evidence that Horizontal Moisture Advection Regulates the Ubiquitous Amplification of Rainfall Variability over Tropical Oceans

The column moist static energy (MSE) budget equation approximates the processes associated with column moistening and drying in the tropics, and is therefore predictive of precipitation amplification and decay. We use ERA-Interim (ERA-I) and TRMM 3B42 data to investigate day-to-day convective variability and distinguish the roles of horizontal MSE (or moisture) advection versus vertical advection, sources, and sinks. Over tropical convergence zones, results suggest that horizontal moisture advection is a primary driver of day-to-day precipitation fluctuations; when drying via horizontal moisture advection is smaller (greater) than Chikira’s “column process,” precipitation tends to amplify (decay). In the absence of horizontal moisture advection, precipitation tends to increase spontaneously almost universally through a positive column process feedback. This bulk positive feedback is characterized by negative effective gross moist stability (GMS), which is maintained throughout the tropical convergence zones. How this positive feedback is achieved varies geographically, depending on the shape of vertical velocity (omega) profiles. In regions where omega profiles are top-heavy, the effective GMS is negative primarily owing to strong feedbacks between convection and diabatic MSE sources (radiative and surface fluxes). In these regions, vertical MSE advection stabilizes the atmosphere (positive vertical GMS). Where omega profiles are bottom-heavy, by contrast, a positive feedback is primarily driven by import of MSE through a shallow circulation (negative vertical GMS). The diabatic feedback and vertical GMS are in a seesaw balance, offsetting one another. Our results suggest that ubiquitous convective variability is amplified by the same mechanism as moisture-mode instability.

horizontal moisture advection↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for a resonance decaying into a scalar particle and a Higgs boson in the final state with two bottom quarks and two photons in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for the resonant production of a heavy scalar X decaying into a Higgs boson and a new lighter scalar S, through the process X → S(→ $b\overline{b}$)H(→γγ), where the two photons are consistent with the Higgs boson decay, is performed. The search is conducted using an integrated luminosity of 140 fb -1 of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed over the mass range 170 ≤ m X ≤ 1000 GeV and 15 ≤ m S ≤ 500 GeV. Parameterised neural networks are used to enhance the signal purity and to achieve continuous sensitivity in a domain of the (m X , m S ) plane. No significant excess above the expected background is found and 95% CL upper limits are set on the cross section times branching ratio, ranging from 39 fb to 0.09 fb. The largest deviation from the background-only expectation occurs for (m X , m S ) = (575, 200) GeV with a local (global) significance of 3.5 (2.0) standard deviations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1985

A very important process of nucleosynthesis in stars

When some nuclei are free from strong gravitational field, they are unstable and will become stable nuclei by competitions of following processes: (1) neutron-evaporation; (2) spontaneous fission; and (3) beta prime 3-decay. At the initial stage, (1) and (2) are important and (3) can be ignored. The qualitative results are as follows: (1) it seems that nuclei with A 100 come from the spontaneous fission and beta prime decay of neutron-evaporated nuclei with A similiar to 140-440, which can replace the r-process; (2) the super-heavy elements with Z=114--126 (A similiar to 330--360) can be formed. They can be observed in cosmic rage if they have the halftime T 10 to the 7th poweer years; (3) the peak in the rare-earth elements comes from the symmetric fission of super-heavy elements; (4) there are more neutron-rich nuclei in the fragments; and (5) the abundances of a 83 elements in cosmic rays are one order of magnitude higher than that in the solar system.

Yu, C.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Search for the direct production of charginos, neutralinos and staus in final states with at least two hadronically decaying taus and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=8 $ TeV with the ATLAS detector

We present results of a search for the electroweak associated production of charginos and next-to-lightest neutralinos, pairs of charginos or pairs of tau sleptons. These processes are characterised by final states with at least two hadronically decaying tau leptons, missing transverse momentum and low jet activity. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb ₋1 of proton-proton collisions at √s = 8TeV recorded with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. We observed no significant excess with respect to the predictions from Standard Model processes. Limits are set at 95% confidence level on the masses of the lighter chargino and next-to-lightest neutralino for various hypotheses for the lightest neutralino mass in simplified models. In the scenario of direct production of chargino pairs, with each chargino decaying into the lightest neutralino via an intermediate tau slepton, chargino masses up to 345 GeV are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino. For associated production of mass-degenerate charginos and next-tolightest neutralinos, both decaying into the lightest neutralino via an intermediate tau slepton, masses up to 410 GeV are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Search for a light charged Higgs boson decaying to $ \mathrm{ c \bar{s} } $ in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s} =$ 8 TeV

Our search for a light charged Higgs boson, originating from the decay of a top quark and subsequently decaying into a charm quark and a strange antiquark, is presented. The data used in the analysis correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb -1 recorded in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is performed in the process tt - W ± bH ∓ b - , where the W boson decays to a lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. Furthermore, the decays lead to a final state comprising an isolated lepton, at least four jets and large missing transverse energy. No significant deviation is observed in the data with respect to the standard model predictions, and model-independent upper limits are set on the branching fraction B(t→ H + b), ranging from 1.2 to 6.5% for a charged Higgs boson with mass between 90 and 160 GeV, under the assumption that B(H + →cs - ) = 100%.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of the branching fraction of D s + → ℓ + ν ℓ via e + e − → D s * + D s * −

Based on 10.64 fb − 1 of e + e − collision data taken at center-of-mass energies between 4.237 and 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector, we study the leptonic D s + decays using the e + e − → D s * + D s * − process. The branching fractions of D s + → ℓ + ν ℓ ( ℓ = μ , τ ) are measured to be B D s + → μ + ν μ = ( 0.547 ± 0.02 6 stat ± 0.01 6 syst ) % and B D s + → τ + ν τ = ( 5.60 ± 0.1 6 stat ± 0.2 0 syst ) % , respectively. The product of the decay constant and Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element | V c s | is determined to be f D s + | V c s | = ( 246.5 ± 5.9 stat ± 3.6 syst ± 0.5 input ) μ ν and f D s + | V c s | = ( 252.7 ± 3.6 stat ± 4.5 syst ± 0.6 input ) τ ν MeV , respectively. Taking the value of | V c s | from a global fit in the Standard Model, we obtain f D s + = ( 253.2 ± 6.0 stat ± 3.7 syst ± 0.6 input ) μ ν and f D s + = ( 259.6 ± 3.7 stat ± 4.6 syst ± 0.6 input ) τ ν MeV , respectively. Conversely, taking the value for f D s + from the latest lattice quantum chromodynamics calculation, we obtain | V c s | = ( 0.986 ± 0.02 3 stat ± 0.01 4 syst ± 0.00 3 input ) μ ν and | V c s | = ( 1.011 ± 0.01 4 stat ± 0.01 8 syst ± 0.00 3 input ) τ ν , respectively. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2014

Search for the direct production of charginos, neutralinos and staus in final states with at least two hadronically decaying taus and missing transverse momentum in p p collisions at s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

CERN-LHC. Results of a search for the electroweak associated production of charginos and next-to-lightest neutralinos, pairs of charginos or pairs of tau sleptons are presented. These processes are characterised by final states with at least two hadronically decaying tau leptons, missing transverse momentum and low jet activity. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess is observed with respect to the predictions from Standard Model processes. Limits are set at 95% confidence level on the masses of the lighter chargino and next-to-lightest neutralino for various hypotheses for the lightest neutralino mass in simplified models. In the scenario of direct production of chargino pairs, with each chargino decaying into the lightest neutralino via an intermediate tau slepton, chargino masses up to 345 GeV are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino. For associated production of mass-degenerate charginos and next-to-lightest neutralinos, both decaying into the lightest neutralino via an intermediate tau slepton, masses up to 410 GeV are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for an axion-like particle in radiative $J/ψ$ decays

We search for an axion-like particle (ALP) a through the process $\psi$(3686) → π + π – J/$\psi$, J/$\psi$ → γa, a → γγ in a data sample of (2.71 ± 0.01) x 10 9 $\psi$(3686) events collected by the BESIII detector. No significant ALP signal is observed over the expected background, and the upper limits on the branching fraction of the decay J/$\psi$ → γa and the ALP-photon coupling constant g aγγ are set at 95% confidence level in the mass range of 0.165 ≤ m a ≤ 2.84 GeV/c 2 . The limits on $\mathscr{B}$(J/$\psi$ → γa) range from 8.3 x 10 –8 to 1.8 x 10 –6 over the search region, and the constraints on the ALP-photon coupling are the most stringent to date for 0.165 ≤ m a ≤ 1.468 GeV/c 2 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Corrections beyond the leading order in π{sup 0} → e{sup +}e{sup −} process

We briefly summarize experimental and theoretical results on the rare decay π{sup 0} → e{sup +}e{sup −}. Two-loop QED corrections are reviewed and the bremsstrahlung contribution beyond the soft-photon approximation is analytically calculated. Using the leading logarithm approximation, the possible contribution of QCD corrections is estimated. The complete result can be used to fit the value of the contact interaction coupling χ{sup (r)} to the recent KTeV experiment with the result χ{sup (r)}(M{sub ρ}) = 4.5±1.0.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Following Fission Products in Explosive Astrophysical Environments

The astrophysical process by which the heaviest elements are formed in the universe is known as the rapid neutron capture process, or r process, of nucleosynthesis. The r process is characterized by the neutron capture and β - decay of short-lived, neutron-rich atomic nuclei; in suitably extreme environments, nuclear fission can also play a major role in determining the ensuing nucleosynthesis. In this work, we present the application of our recently developed nucleosynthesis tracing framework to precisely quantify the impact that neutron-induced and β - -delayed fission processes have in r-process environments that produce fissioning nuclei.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Off-diagonal dark-matter phenomenology: Exploring enhanced complementarity relations in nonminimal dark sectors

In the majority of multi-component dark-matter scenarios, two classes of processes generically contribute to event rates at experiments capable of probing the nature of the dark sector. The first class consists of "diagonal" processes involving only a single species of dark-matter particle -- processes analogous to those which arise in single-component dark-matter scenarios. By contrast, the second class consists of "off-diagonal" processes involving dark-matter particles of different species. Such processes include inelastic scattering at direct-detection experiments, asymmetric production at colliders, dark-matter co-annihilation, and certain kinds of dark-matter decay. In typical multi-component scenarios, the contributions from diagonal processes dominate over those from off-diagonal processes. Unfortunately, this tends to mask those features which are most sensitive to the multi-component nature of the dark sector. In this paper, by contrast, we point out that there exist natural, multi-component dark-sector scenarios in which the off-diagonal contributions actually dominate over the diagonal. This then gives rise to a new, enhanced picture of dark-matter complementarity. Here, we introduce a scenario in which this situation arises and examine the enhanced picture of dark-matter complementarity which emerges.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Analysis of the Pressure-Pulse Propagation in Rock: a New Approach to Simultaneously Determine Permeability, Porosity, and Adsorption Capacity

Permeability estimation from pressure-pulse decay method is complicated by two facts: (1) the decay curve often deviates from the single-exponential behavior in the early time period and (2) possible existence of gas adsorption. Both the two factors cause significant permeability error in most of pressure-pulse decay methods. In this paper, we first present a thorough analysis of pressure-pulse propagation process to reveal the mechanism behind the early time and later time behaviors of pressure decay curve. Inspired by the findings from these analyses, a new scaled pressure is proposed which can: (1) be easily used to distinguish the early time and later time data and (2) make the decay curves of all cases into a single 1:1 straight line for later time. A new data-proceeding method, which calculates the apparent porosity and permeability using the same set of measured data, is then developed. The new method could not only remove the effects of the adsorption on the permeability estimation, but also identify the apparent porosity as well as proper adsorption model and parameters. The proposed method is verified by comparing with true values and calculated values through numerical simulations that cover variations in typical rock properties (porosity, permeability, slippage, and adsorption) and the experiment configurations. It is found that the new method is accurate and reliable for all test cases, whereas the Brace’s and Cui’s approaches may cause permeability error in some cases. Lastly, the new method has been successfully applied to real data measured in pressure-pulse decay experiments involving different types of rocks and gases.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Gamma ray spectroscopy employing divalent europium-doped alkaline earth halides and digital readout for accurate histogramming

A scintillator radiation detector system according to one embodiment includes a scintillator; and a processing device for processing pulse traces corresponding to light pulses from the scintillator, wherein pulse digitization is used to improve energy resolution of the system. A scintillator radiation detector system according to another embodiment includes a processing device for fitting digitized scintillation waveforms to an algorithm based on identifying rise and decay times and performing a direct integration of fit parameters. A method according to yet another embodiment includes processing pulse traces corresponding to light pulses from a scintillator, wherein pulse digitization is used to improve energy resolution of the system. A method in a further embodiment includes fitting digitized scintillation waveforms to an algorithm based on identifying rise and decay times; and performing a direct integration of fit parameters. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

ELECTRON-CAPTURE AND β-DECAY RATES FOR sd-SHELL NUCLEI IN STELLAR ENVIRONMENTS RELEVANT TO HIGH-DENSITY O–NE–MG CORES

Electron-capture and β-decay rates for nuclear pairs in the sd-shell are evaluated at high densities and high temperatures relevant to the final evolution of electron-degenerate O–Ne–Mg cores of stars with initial masses of 8–10 M{sub ⊙}. Electron capture induces a rapid contraction of the electron-degenerate O–Ne–Mg core. The outcome of rapid contraction depends on the evolutionary changes in the central density and temperature, which are determined by the competing processes of contraction, cooling, and heating. The fate of the stars is determined by these competitions, whether they end up with electron-capture supernovae or Fe core-collapse supernovae. Since the competing processes are induced by electron capture and β-decay, the accurate weak rates are crucially important. The rates are obtained for pairs with A = 20, 23, 24, 25, and 27 by shell-model calculations in the sd-shell with the USDB Hamiltonian. Effects of Coulomb corrections on the rates are evaluated. The rates for pairs with A = 23 and 25 are important for nuclear Urca processes that determine the cooling rate of the O–Ne–Mg core, while those for pairs with A = 20 and 24 are important for the core contraction and heat generation rates in the core. We provide these nuclear rates at stellar environments in tables with fine enough meshes at various densities and temperatures for studies of astrophysical processes sensitive to the rates. In particular, the accurate rate tables are crucially important for the final fates of not only O–Ne–Mg cores but also a wider range of stars, such as C–O cores of lower-mass stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Neutron rich matter in the laboratory and in the heavens after GW170817

The historic observations of the neutron star merger GW170817 advanced our understanding of r-process nucleosynthesis and the equation of state (EOS) of neutron rich matter. Simple neutrino physics suggests that supernovae are not the site of the main r-process. Instead, the very red color of the kilonova associated with GW170817 shows that neutron star (NS) mergers are an important r-process site. We now need to measure the masses and beta decay half-lives of very neutron rich heavy nuclei so that we can more accurately predict the abundances of heavy elements that are produced. This can be done with new radioactive beam accelerators such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). GW170817 provided information on the deformability of NS and the equation of state of dense matter. The PREX II experiment will measure the neutron skin of {sup 208}Pb and help constrain the low density EOS. As the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors improve, we expect to observe many more events. We look forward to exciting advances and surprises!.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Inelastic Scattering of a Photon by a Quantum Phase Slip

Spontaneous decay of a single photon is a notoriously inefficient process in nature irrespective of the frequency range. We report that a quantum phase-slip fluctuation in high-impedance superconducting waveguides can split a single incident microwave photon into a large number of lower-energy photons with a near unit probability. The underlying inelastic photon-photon interaction has no analogs in non-linear optics. Instead, the measured decay rates are explained without adjustable parameters in the framework of a new model of a quantum impurity in a Luttinger liquid. Our result connects circuit quantum electrodynamics to critical phenomena in two-dimensional boundary quantum field theories, important in the physics of strongly-correlated systems. Here, the photon lifetime data represents a rare example of verified and useful quantum many-body simulation.

1-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2018

Detecting a boosted diboson resonance

New light scalar particles in the mass range of hundreds of GeV, decaying into a pair of W/Z bosons can appear in several extensions of the SM. The focus of collider studies for such a scalar is often on its direct production, where the scalar is typically only mildly boosted. The observed W/Z are therefore well-separated, allowing analyses for the scalar resonance in a standard fashion as a low-mass diboson resonance. In this work we instead focus on the scenario where the direct production of the scalar is suppressed, and it is rather produced via the decay of a significantly heavier (a few TeV mass) new particle, in conjunction with SM particles. Such a process results in the scalar being highly boosted, rendering the W/Z’s from its decay merged. The final state in such a decay is a “fat” jet, which can be either four pronged (for fully hadronic W/Z decays), or may be like a W/Z jet, but with leptons buried inside (if one of the W/Z decays leptonically). In addition, this fat jet has a jet mass that can be quite different from that of the W/Z/Higgs/top quark-induced jet, and may be missed by existing searches. In this work, we develop dedicated algorithms for tagging such multi-layered “boosted dibosons” at the LHC. As a concrete application, we discuss an extension of the standard warped extra dimensional framework where such a light scalar can arise. We demonstrate that the use of these algorithms gives sensitivity in mass ranges that are otherwise poorly constrained.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗