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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Search for Axionlike-Particle-Induced Prompt γ-Ray Emission from Extragalactic Core-Collapse Supernovae with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

During a core-collapse supernova (SN), axionlike particles (ALPs) could be produced through the Primakoff process and subsequently convert into γ rays in the magnetic field of the Milky Way. We do not find evidence for such a γ -ray burst in observations of extragalactic SNe with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The SN explosion times are estimated from optical light curves and we find a probability of about ~90% that the LAT observed at least one SN at the time of the core collapse. Under the assumption that at least one SN was contained within the LAT field of view, we exclude photon-ALP couplings ≳ 2.6 × 10 -12 GeV -1 for ALP masses m a ≲ 3 × 10 -10 eV , improving previous limits from SN1987A by a factor of 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Low-Energy Supernovae Severely Constrain Radiative Particle Decays

The hot and dense core formed in the collapse of a massive star is a powerful source of hypothetical feebly interacting particles such as sterile neutrinos, dark photons, axionlike particles (ALPs), and others. Radiative decays such as a→2γ deposit this energy in the surrounding material if the mean free path is less than the radius of the progenitor star. For the first time, we use a supernova (SN) population with particularly low explosion energies as the most sensitive calorimeters to constrain this possibility. These SNe are observationally identified as low-luminosity events with low ejecta velocities and low masses of ejected 56 Ni. Their low energies limit the energy deposition from particle decays to less than about 0.1 B, where 1 B(bethe) = 10 51 erg. For 1–500 MeV-mass ALPs, this generic argument excludes ALP-photon couplings G aγγ in the 10 -10 -10 -8 GeV -1 range.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for Light Long-Lived Particles in $pp$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV Using Displaced Vertices in the ATLAS Inner Detector

A search for long-lived particles (LLPs) using 140 fb -1 of pp collision data with $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC is presented. The search targets LLPs with masses between 5 and 55 GeV that decay hadronically in the ATLAS inner detector. Benchmark models with LLP pair production from exotic decays of the Higgs boson and models featuring long-lived axionlike particles (ALPs) are considered. No significant excess above the expected background is observed. Upper limits are placed on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to pairs of LLPs, the cross section for ALPs produced in association with a vector boson, and, for the first time, on the branching ratio of the top quark to an ALP and a u/c quark.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for New Physics via Low-Energy Electron Recoils with a 4.2 Tonne-Year Exposure from the LZ Experiment

We report results from searches for new physics models through electron recoils using data collected by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment during its first two science runs, with a total exposure of 4.2 tonne−years. The observed data are consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Constraints are derived for electromagnetic interactions of solar neutrinos, solar axionlike particles (ALPs), mirror dark matter, and the absorption of bosonic dark matter candidates. The inverse Primakoff process for 57 Fe deexcitation solar ALPs is considered for the first time. These results represent the most stringent constraints to date on keV-scale Primakoff and 57 Fe solar ALPs, bosonic dark matter, mirror dark matter, and neutrino millicharge, while remaining competitive for the other signal models investigated.

Axion-like particles↗
DOE OSTI2024

Two-loop contributions of axion-like particles to electromagnetic and chromomagnetic form factors

Abstract Axions and axion-like particles emerge in many models for physics beyond the Standard Model. Thus, they have gained increasing research interest in both experimental and theoretical physics apart from their original proposition as a solution to the strong CP -problem. Among other aspects it has recently been shown that ALPs can potentially provide a solution to the long-lasting discrepancy between theory and experiment of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Provided that the ALP has flavor-violating couplings to leptons, they can also mediate flavor-violating decays like $$\mu \rightarrow e\gamma $$ μ → e γ . Both processes are mediated through related form factors that we compute to two-loop order. We further show numerical implications of our calculations and how they might affect constraints on ALP couplings derived from experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Light Curves and Event Rates of Axion Instability Supernovae

Abstract It was recently proposed that exotic particles can trigger a new stellar instability that is analogous to the e − e + pair instability if they are produced and reach equilibrium in the stellar plasma. In this study, we construct axion instability supernova (AISN) models caused by the new instability to predict their observational signatures. We focus on heavy axion-like particles (ALPs) with masses of ∼400 keV–2 MeV and coupling with photons of g a γ ∼ 10 −5 GeV −1 . It is found that the 56 Ni mass and the explosion energy are significantly increased by ALPs for a fixed stellar mass. As a result, the peak times of the light curves of AISNe occur earlier than those of standard pair-instability supernovae by 10–20 days when the ALP mass is equal to the electron mass. Also, the event rate of AISNe is 1.7–2.6 times higher than that of pair-instability supernovae, depending on the high mass cutoff of the initial mass function.

Mori, Kanji (ORCID:0000000325951657)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Early glacier advance in New Zealand during the Antarctic Cold Reversal

ABSTRACT Glacial landscapes preserve records of past climate change. Investigating the glacier–climate system over the Late Quaternary provides information about past climate change and context for present‐day glacier response to climate warming. Using 28 beryllium‐10 ( 10 Be) surface exposure dates and snowline reconstructions, we present glacier fluctuations and climate changes for the Antarctic Cold Reversal in the Ahuriri River catchment, Southern Alps of New Zealand (44°7′50″S, 169°38′29″E). Prominent terminal and lateral moraine features from the upper right tributary of the Ahuriri River valley have exposure ages of 14.5 ± 0.3, 13.6 ± 0.3 and 12.6 ± 0.2 ka, suggesting retreat of the glacier during the Antarctic Cold Reversal. Maximum elevation of lateral moraines (MELM) and accumulation area ratio (AAR) suggest snowline elevations at these ages were ≤700, ≤630 and ~360 m lower than today, respectively. This equates to air temperatures ≤3.9, ≤3.5 and 2.3 ± 0.7 °C lower than today (1981–2010), assuming no changes in past precipitation. Ice‐sculpted bedrock surfaces bound by a lateral moraine at nearby Canyon Creek have an age of 13.1 ± 0.3 ka, indicating the moraine correlates with those in the Ahuriri upper right tributary. MELM and AAR reconstructions from the Canyon Creek suggest that snowline elevations at 14.5–13.6 ka were ≤500 or ~380 m lower than today, corresponding to air temperatures ≤2.8 or 2.4 ± 0.7 °C lower than the present‐day (1981–2010). Our results provide insight into the structure of the Antarctic Cold Reversal in the Southern Alps, showing that the largest glacier advance occurred at the start of this interval at c . 14.5 ± 0.3 ka and was followed by gradual retreat. We hypothesize that the early cooling and glacier readvance in New Zealand at the onset of the Antarctic Cold Reversal were triggered by a latitudinal shift of the Southern Hemisphere westerly wind belt.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark photons and axion-like particles at the electron-ion collider in China

The Electron-Ion Collider in China (EicC), a proposed high-luminosity facility with advanced charged particle and photon detection capabilities, provides unique opportunities to uncover new physics beyond the Standard Model. We analyze its sensitivity to dark photons produced through electron bremsstrahlung in coherent scattering. Thanks to its beam energy settings, it has the potential to comprehensively probe the previously unexplored parameter space between the constraints from meson decays and beam dumps below $\mathcal{O}(1)$ GeV with displaced-vertex search. Additionally, the EicC has the potential to probe axion-like particles (ALPs) in the mass range 0.1 GeV ≲ m a ≲ 5 GeV, with a coupling reach of Λ ≲ 10 6 GeV, by combining the prompt-decay and displaced-vertex searches. The projected sensitivities to ALPs exceed the current bounds.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Probing Axion-Like-Particles at the CERN Gamma Factory

We report the aim of the proposed CERN Gamma Factory is to produce ≈10 17 photons per second with energies up to 400 MeV. The photon beam intensity is expected to be a factor of $\mathcal{O}$(10 7 ) larger than that of the presently available photon beams in the MeV energy range. In this work, its potential to probe physics beyond the Standard Model is explored. In particular, searches for axion like particles (ALPs) with dominant couplings to photons are discussed and various production scenarios - fixed target, photon-photon collision, and conversion by a magnetic field - and detection schemes considered - via decay to photons or back-conversion. It is found that the Gamma Factory in a fixed target mode can probe ALPs with mass m a ≲ $\mathcal{O}$(100 MeV) and decay constants larger than 10 7 GeV, improving by an order of magnitude the discovery potential of previous beam dump experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Conceptual design of BabyIAXO, the intermediate stage towards the International Axion Observatory

This article describes BabyIAXO, an intermediate experimental stage of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), proposed to be sited at DESY. IAXO is a large-scale axion helioscope that will look for axions and axion-like particles (ALPs), produced in the Sun, with unprecedented sensitivity. BabyIAXO is conceived to test all IAXO subsystems (magnet, optics and detectors) at a relevant scale for the final system and thus serve as prototype for IAXO, but at the same time as a fully-fledged helioscope with relevant physics reach itself, and with potential for discovery. The BabyIAXO magnet will feature two 10 m long, 70 cm diameter bores, and will host two detection lines (optics and detector) of dimensions similar to the final ones foreseen for IAXO. BabyIAXO will detect or reject solar axions or ALPs with axion-photon couplings down to g aγ ~ 1 . 5 × 10 -11 GeV -1 , and masses up to m a ~ 0.25 eV. BabyIAXO will offer additional opportunities for axion research in view of IAXO, like the development of precision x-ray detectors to identify particular spectral features in the solar axion spectrum, and the implementation of radiofrequency-cavity-based axion dark matter setups.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Axion searches with two superconducting radio-frequency cavities

We propose an experimental setup to search for Axion-like particles (ALPs) using two superconducting radio-frequency cavities. In this light-shining-through-wall setup the axion is sourced by two modes with large fields and nonzero $_E^→$∙$_B^→$ in an emitter cavity. In a nearby identical cavity only one of these modes, the spectator, is populated while the other is a quiet signal mode. Axions can up-convert off the spectator mode into signal photons. We discuss the physics reach of this setup finding potential to explore new ALP parameter space. Enhanced sensitivity can be achieved if high-level modes can be used, thanks to improved phase matching between the excited modes and the generated axion field. We also discuss the potential leakage noise effects and their mitigation, which is aided by O(GHz) separation between the spectator and signal frequencies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for an axion-like particle with forward proton scattering in association with photon pairs at ATLAS

A search for forward proton scattering in association with light-by-light scattering mediated by an axion-like particle is presented, using the ATLAS Forward Proton spectrometer to detect scattered protons and the central ATLAS detector to detect pairs of outgoing photons. Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2017 at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV were analysed, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 14.6 fb –1 . A total of 441 candidate events were selected. A search was made for a narrow resonance in the diphoton mass distribution, corresponding to an axion-like particle (ALP) with mass in the range 150–1600 GeV. No excess is observed above a smooth background. Upper limits on the production cross section of a narrow resonance are set as a function of the mass, and are interpreted as upper limits on the ALP production coupling constant, assuming 100% decay branching ratio into a photon pair. The inferred upper limit on the coupling constant is in the range 0.04–0.09 TeV –1 at 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

KOTO vs. NA62 dark scalar searches

The two kaon factories, KOTO and NA62, are at the cutting edge of the intensity frontier, with an unprecedented numbers of long lived and charged Kaons,~10 13 , being measured and analyzed. These experiments have currently a unique opportunity to search for dark sectors. In this paper, we demonstrate that searches done at KOTO and NA62 are complementary, both probing uncharted territories. We consider two qualitatively different physics cases. In the first, we analyze models of axion-like-particles (ALP) which couple to gluons or electroweak gauge bosons. In the second, we introduce a model based on an approximate strange flavor symmetry that leads to a strong violation of the Grossman-Nir bound. For the first scenario, we design a new search strategy for the KOTO experiment,K L → π 0 a →4γ. Its expected sensitivity on the branching ratio is at the level of 10 -9 . This demonstrates the great potential of KOTO as a discovery machine. In addition, we revisit other bounds on ALPs from Kaon factories, highlighting the main sources of theoretical uncertainty, and collider experiments, and show new projections. For the second scenario, we show that the model may be compatible with the preliminary analysis of the KOTO-data that shows a hint for New Physics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland

Abstract Peatland ecosystems cover only 3% of the world’s land area; however, they store one-third of the global soil carbon (C). Microbial communities are the main drivers of C decomposition in peatlands, yet we have limited knowledge of their structure and function. While the microbial communities in the Northern Hemisphere peatlands are well documented, we have limited understanding of microbial community composition and function in the Southern Hemisphere peatlands, especially in Australia. We investigated the vertical stratification of prokaryote and fungal communities from Wellington Plains peatland in the Australian Alps. Within the peatland complex, bog peat was sampled from the intact peatland and dried peat from the degraded peatland along a vertical soil depth gradient (i.e., acrotelm, mesotelm, and catotelm). We analyzed the prokaryote and fungal community structure, predicted functional profiles of prokaryotes using PICRUSt, and assigned soil fungal guilds using FUNGuild. We found that the structure and function of prokaryotes were vertically stratified in the intact bog. Soil carbon, manganese, nitrogen, lead, and sodium content best explained the prokaryote composition. Prokaryote richness was significantly higher in the intact bog acrotelm compared to degraded bog acrotelm. Fungal composition remained similar across the soil depth gradient; however, there was a considerable increase in saprotroph abundance and decrease in endophyte abundance along the vertical soil depth gradient. The abundance of saprotrophs and plant pathogens was two-fold higher in the degraded bog acrotelm. Soil manganese and nitrogen content, electrical conductivity, and water table level (cm) best explained the fungal composition. Our results demonstrate that both fungal and prokaryote communities are shaped by soil abiotic factors and that peatland degradation reduces microbial richness and alters microbial functions. Thus, current and future changes to the environmental conditions in these peatlands may lead to altered microbial community structures and associated functions which may have implications for broader ecosystem function changes in peatlands.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring microstructures and anisotropies of serpentinites

Serpentine minerals have received a lot of attention because of their unique crystal structures, their wide occurrence in orogenic belts and their potential role in contributing seismic anisotropy in subducting slabs. Several studies have investigated crystal preferred orientation (CPO) in high temperature antigorite serpentinites from Japan, the Alps, Spain, Cuba and Tibet, documenting significant crystal alignment. However, only a limited number of lower grade serpentines have been explored to date. Mainly because of submicroscopic microstructural heterogeneities CPO cannot be measured with conventional methods such as optical microscopy and EBSD. In this study 15 serpentinites from different tectonic settings in California, the Central Alps and Northern Spain have been investigated, mainly with high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction, to quantify bulk crystal alignment. We find that CPO is strong on sheared surfaces of fractured blocks and secondary veins but the bulk of most serpentinite samples, except high-grade recrystallized antigorite serpentinite, show only weak crystal alignment. Correspondingly calculated seismic anisotropy based on CPO is not very significant. This is supported by very heterogeneous microstructures as documented with SEM and TEM analyses.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for the decay of the Higgs boson to a $Z$ boson and a light pseudoscalar particle decaying to two photons

A search for the decay of the Higgs boson to a Z boson and a light, pseudoscalar particle, a, decaying respectively to two leptons and to two photons is reported. The search uses the full LHC Run 2 proton–proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, corresponding to 139 fb –1 collected by the ATLAS detector. This is one of the first searches for this specific decay mode of the Higgs boson, and it probes unexplored parameter space in models with axion-like particles (ALPs) and extended scalar sectors. The mass of the $a$ particle is assumed to be in the range 0.1–33 GeV. The data are analysed in two categories: a merged category where the photons from the $a$ decay are reconstructed in the ATLAS calorimeter as a single cluster, and a resolved category in which two separate photons are detected. The main background processes are from Standard Model Z boson production in association with photons or jets. The data are in agreement with the background predictions, and upper limits on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson decay to $Za$ times the branching ratio $a → γγ$ are derived at the 95% confidence level and they range from 0.08% to 2% depending on the mass of the $a$ particle. The results are also interpreted in the context of ALP models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Necrosulfonamide reverses pyroptosis-induced inhibition of proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts through the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pathway

The acute inflammatory stimulation occurring after a bone fracture regulates the repair and healing of local bone injury; however, under certain conditions, pyroptosis may occur in osteoblasts, which affects osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, thereby affecting the growth, development and morphological changes of bone tissue. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of the pyroptosis inhibitor necrosulfonamide (NSA) on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and elucidate the underlying mechanism. The results revealed that NSA reversed the effects of ATP/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on cell viability and pyroptosis, and on the mRNA and protein expression of pyroptosis-related genes. It also suppressed the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β and reversed the effects of ATP/LPS on the activity of ALP and the mRNA expression of differentiation-related genes in osteoblasts. The fact that overexpression of caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD) and NLRP3 abolished the effects of NSA on the viability and pyroptosis of osteoblasts, as well as the mRNA expression of differentiation-related genes and the activity of ALP in osteoblasts, indicated that NSA promoted the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway. The present study provides proof supporting the potential application of NSA for improving the function of osteoblasts in fracture repair and indicates the value of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway as a pharmaceutical target.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Extracellular IL-37 promotes osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells via autophagy

The osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) contribute to restoration and regeneration of dental tissue. Previous study indicated that interleukin-37 (IL-37) was an anti-inflammatory factor that affected other pro-inflammatory signals. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of IL-37 on the differentiation of DPSCs. DPSCs were cultured in growth medium with different concentrations of IL-37. We selected the optimal concentration for the following experiments by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity analysis, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Cell counting kit assay (CCK-8) and 5-Ethynyl-2-Deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were conducted to assess the effects of IL-37 on the proliferation of DPSCs. ALP activity assay and staining, alizarin red S (ARS) staining, qRT‐PCR, Western blot as well as immunofluorescence staining were conducted to assess differentiation ability of DPSCs. Western blot, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to examine cell autophagy. Results showed that IL-37 enhanced the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation ability of DPSCs with no significant influence on the proliferation of DPSCs. Autophagy in DPSCs was activated by IL-37. Activation of autophagy enhanced osteogenesis and odontogenesis of DPSCs, whereas inhibition of autophagy suppressed DPSCs osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation. In conclusion, IL-37 increased osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation via autophagy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗