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DOE OSTI2021

Systematic Extraction of Pion Parton Distributions Using Threshold Resummation and Applications to Pion TMDs

Following our recent Monte Carlo determination of the pion?s PDFs from Drell-Yan (DY) and leading neutron electroproduction data from the Jefferson Lab Angular Momentum (JAM) collaboration, we extend the analysis by including effects from threshold resummation. At higher orders in the strong coupling, ?S, soft gluon emissions cause large logarithmic corrections, which become important in the qq¯ channel of the DY partonic cross section near threshold. These corrections can be summed over all orders of ?S. However, different prescriptions exist for how the threshold resummation is implemented, for instance, using varying levels of approximation in the Minimal Prescription with cosine, expansion, and double Mellin methods. We present the Monte Carlo results of the first simultaneous fit of the valence, sea, and gluon distributions in the pion taking into account the ambiguities in the resummation calculations. The wide ranges of valence distributions at large x and the effective behavior of the valence distribution as x approaches 1 is discussed. While the PDFs are extracted through collinear factorization, we additionally present a dedicated study to the low and large lepton pair transverse momentum distributions (TMDs) in the same DY experimental data. By adjusting the nonperturbative TMD components, we analyze the degree of compatibility between data and theory across all regions of transverse momentum dependence. We attempt to match the description of the low transverse momentum region using Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism and the large transverse momentum region, which is best described using collinear factorization.

Sato, Nobuo↗

DOE OSTI2021

Variable Laser Ignition Pathways in Al/Pt Reactive Multilayers across 10 Decades of Pulse Duration

Pulsed laser irradiation is used to investigate the local initiation of rapid, self-propagating formation reactions in Al/Pt multilayers. The single pulse direct laser ignition of these 1.6 μm thick freestanding foils was characterized over 10 decades of pulse duration (10 ms to 150 fs). Finite element, reactive heat transport modeling of the near-threshold conditions has identified three distinct ignition pathways. For milli- to microsecond pulses, ignition occurs following sufficient absorption of laser energy to enable diffusion of Al and Pt between layers such that the heat released from the corresponding exothermic reaction overcomes conductive losses outside the laser-irradiated zone. When pulse duration is decreased into the nanosecond regime, heat is concentrated near the surface such that the Al locally melts, and a portion of the top-most bilayers react initially. The favorable kinetics and additional heat enable ignition. Further reducing pulse duration to hundreds of femtoseconds leads to a third ignition pathway. In this work, while much of the energy from these pulses is lost to ablation, the remaining heat beneath the crater can be sufficiently concentrated to drive a transverse self-propagating reaction, wherein the heat released from mixing at each interface occurs under kinetic conditions capable of igniting the subsequent layer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Predicting displacement damage for ion irradiation: Origin of the overestimation of vacancy production in SRIM full-cascade calculations

Ion irradiation and implantation have wide applications that demand accurate determination of displacement damage profile and distribution of implanted ion concentration. The prediction of vacancies is especially important to determine displacements per atom (dpa), the standard parameter of primary radiation damage in materials. However, significant discrepancies exist in estimations of vacancies between full-cascade (F-C) and quick calculation (Q-C) options in the popular computer code SRIM. This study inspected the SRIM code and a relatively new code called Iradina, which uses a similar methodology, to develop an understanding of the origin of vacancy overestimation in the F-C options for SRIM and Iradina. Here, we found that the default values of thresholds (namely final energy in SRIM and replacement energy in Iradina) in displacement production calculations results in excessively large number of calculated vacancies and very few replacements. After conducting multiple calculations using SRIM, Iradina, and MARLOWE (all based on the binary collision approximation), a comparison of the results indicates that there is a shortcoming in the SRIM and Iradina F-C methodology for treating near-threshold collisions. This issue is responsible for the deficiency of replacements and excess of calculated vacancies in the SRIM and Iradina F-C results. Drawing on the principles of collision physics, we propose recommendations for modifying the source codes to address these issues.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

J/psi photoproduction close to threshold at GlueX

Close-to-threshold photoproduction probes small-size gluon configurations in the proton. Under certain assumptions it allows us to study the proton properties, as gluonic GPDs, anomalous contribution to the mass of the proton, gravitational form factors, and the mass radius of the proton. A careful comparison of the experimental data with the theoretical predictions would help us to verify the validity of those assumptions. The first cross-section measurements of near-threshold reaction by the GlueX Collaboration (Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 072001 (2019)) has attracted a considerable theoretical interest. Along with the relation to the gluonic properties of the proton, the measurement exploited a possibility of the LHCb Pentaquark production in the s-channel of the observed reaction, placing a limit of the decay probability . Here we present new GlueX results based on a four-times larger data set. The higher statistics along with the full acceptance of the GlueX spectrometer allow us to measure the differential cross section in several energy ranges and compare the results with several theoretical calculations.

Chudakov, Eugene↗

DOE OSTI2021

Determining the leading-order contact term in neutrinoless double β decay

We present a method to determine the leading-order (LO) contact term contributing to the nn → ppe - e - amplitude through the exchange of light Majorana neutrinos. Our approach is based on the representation of the amplitude as the momentum integral of a known kernel (proportional to the neutrino propagator) times the generalized forward Compton scattering amplitude n ( p 1 ) n ( p 2 ) W + ( k ) → $ p\left({p}_1^{\prime}\right)p\left({p}_2^{\prime}\right){W}^{-}(k) $ , in analogy to the Cottingham formula for the electromagnetic contribution to hadron masses. We construct model-independent representations of the integrand in the low- and high-momentum regions, through chiral EFT and the operator product expansion, respectively. We then construct a model for the full amplitude by interpolating between these two regions, using appropriate nucleon factors for the weak currents and information on nucleon-nucleon ( NN ) scattering in the 1 S 0 channel away from threshold. By matching the amplitude obtained in this way to the LO chiral EFT amplitude we obtain the relevant LO contact term and discuss various sources of uncertainty. We validate the approach by computing the analog I = 2 NN contact term and by reproducing, within uncertainties, the charge-independence-breaking contribution to the 1 S 0 NN scattering lengths. While our analysis is performed in the $ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $ scheme, we express our final result in terms of the scheme-independent renormalized amplitude $ {\mathcal{A}}_{\nu}\left(\left|\mathbf{p}\right|,\left|\mathbf{p}^{\prime}\right|\right) $ at a set of kinematic points near threshold. We illustrate for two cutoff schemes how, using our synthetic data for $ {\mathcal{A}}_{\nu } $ , one can determine the contact-term contribution in any regularization scheme, in particular the ones employed in nuclear-structure calculations for isotopes of experimental interest.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Beta-delayed charged-particle spectroscopy using TexAT

β-delayed charged-particle emission is a sensitive probe of three-body decays in light nuclei. Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) offer a significant advantage over traditional charged-particle spectroscopy techniques due to a low-energy threshold and a high-geometric efficiency (≈ 4π) which are essential for use with radioactive ion beams where the beam intensities are limited. The technique for high-sensitivity spectroscopy of β-delayed charged-particle emission is shown to be possible using the Texas Active Target (TexAT) TPC in conjunction with the General Electronics for TPCs (GET) system. The benchmark case studied was that of 12 N β-decay to the first α-unbound state in 12 C, the Hoyle state. Here, half-life and branching ratio measurements are presented and are in good agreement with previous studies. The efficacy of using TPCs to study such a near-threshold state and disentangle the three-body dynamics of the decay products is demonstrated.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of the degradation of gamma-irradiated elastomers using Raman spectroscopy

This report presents key findings from Raman spectroscopic analysis of gamma-irradiated rubber samples extracted from a laminated lead-damped rubber (LDR) seismic isolation device. The samples were exposed to gamma radiation from a 60Co source in a Foss Therapy Services gamma irradiator, reaching absorbed doses up to 1600 kGy. A distinct threshold near 400 kGy was identified, beyond which significant spectral changes were observed. Two Raman peaks - at approximately 425 cm-1 and 2440 cm-1 - were tracked as a function of dose using Gaussian fitting. The 425 cm-1 peak, attributed to sulfur–sulfur (S–S) bond stretching (resulting from vulcanization of the rubber), exhibited a dose-dependent upshift, indicating radiation-induced crosslinking within the sulfur-based polymer network. Conversely, the 2440 cm-1 peak, likely associated with vibrational modes of additives or impurities, showed a downward shift with increasing dose, suggesting chain scission and degradation of non-rubber constituents. These results provide first-of-a-kind insights into the microstructural evolution of elastomers under high-dose gamma irradiation and establish a preliminary dose threshold for significant degradation. Future work will incorporate multi-modal characterization—including Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electrom microscopy (SEM) of the rubber surface morphology, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to determine changes in thermal stability, and mechanical testing—to correlate molecular-level changes with macroscopic performance of these elastomers as damping media in seismic isolation devices. These findings are expected to provide regulatory guidance and design criteria for qualifying low-damping rubber seismic isolators in advanced nuclear reactor applications.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Super-leading logarithms in top-quark pair production at hadron colliders

To date, the appearance and resummation of “super-leading” logarithms in hadron-hadron collisions has been studied only for massless parton states. We extend the formalism to include an arbitrary number of massive final states. We derive the corresponding anomalous dimension and identify an additional Coulomb phase that gives rise to a new source of super-leading logarithms. We then perform a systematic leading-logarithmic resummation of these contributions for 2 → M processes. Finally, we analyze the numerical impact in partonic scattering processes for $t\bar{t}$ production, including a treatment of the Sommerfeld enhancement observed near threshold.

Effective Field Theories of QCD↗

DOE OSTI2021

AdS 3 gravity and random CFT

We compute the path integral of three-dimensional gravity with negative cosmological constant on spaces which are topologically a torus times an interval. These are Euclidean wormholes, which smoothly interpolate between two asymptotically Euclidean AdS 3 regions with torus boundary. From our results we obtain the spectral correlations between BTZ black hole microstates near threshold, as well as extract the spectral form factor at fixed momentum, which has linear growth in time with small fluctuations around it. The low-energy limit of these correlations is precisely that of a double-scaled random matrix ensemble with Virasoro symmetry. Our findings suggest that if pure three-dimensional gravity has a holographic dual, then the dual is an ensemble which generalizes random matrix theory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2022

A lattice study of ππ scattering at large N c

We present the first lattice study of pion-pion scattering with varying number of colors, N c . We use lattice simulations with four degenerate quark flavors, N f = 4, and N c = 3 – 6. We focus on two scattering channels that do not involve vacuum diagrams. These correspond to two irreducible representations of the SU(4) flavor group: the fully symmetric one, SS, and the fully antisymmetric one, AA. The former is a repulsive channel equivalent to the isospin-2 channel of SU(2). By contrast, the latter is attractive and only exists for N f ≥ 4. A representative state is (|D$^{+}_{s}$π + > – | D + K + >)/√2. Using Lüscher’s formalism, we extract the near-threshold scattering amplitude and we match our results to Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) at large N c . For this, we compute the analytical U(N f ) ChPT prediction for two-pion scattering, and use the lattice results to constrain the N c scaling of the relevant low-energy couplings.

1/N Expansion↗

DOE OSTI2020

The Hoyle Family: The Search for Alpha-Condensate States in Light Nuclei

Our present understanding of the structure of the Hoyle state in 12 C and other near-threshold states in α-conjugate nuclei is reviewed in the framework of the α-condensate model. The 12 C Hoyle state, in particular, is a candidate for α-condensation, due to its large radius and α-cluster structure. The predicted features of nuclear α-particle condensates are reviewed along with a discussion of their experimental indicators, with a focus on precision break-up measurements. Two experiments are discussed in detail, firstly concerning the break-up of 12 C and then the decays of heavier nuclei. With more theoretical input, and increasingly complex detector setups, precision break-up measurements can, in principle, provide insight into the structures of states in α-conjugate nuclei. However, the commonly-held belief that the decay of a condensate state will result in Nα-particles is challenged. We further conclude that unambiguously characterizing excited states built on α-condensates is difficult, despite improvements in detector technology.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

The Influence of Residual Stress on Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in Stainless Steel Processed by Different Additive Manufacturing Methods

The properties and microstructure of Type 304L stainless steel produced by two additive manufacturing (AM) methods—directed energy deposition (DED) and powder bed fusion (PBF)—are evaluated and compared. Localized heating and steep temperature gradients of AM processes lead to significant residual stress and distinctive microstructures, which may be process-specific and influence mechanical behavior. Test data show that materials produced by DED and PDF have small differences in tensile strengths but clear differences in residual stress and microstructural features. Measured fatigue crack growth rates (FCGRs) for cracks propagating parallel to and perpendicular to the build directions differ between the two AM materials. To separate the influences of residual stress and microstructure, K-control test procedures with decreasing and constant stress intensity factor ranges are used to measure FCGRs in the near-threshold regime (crack growth rates ≤ 1 × 10 −8 m/cycle). Residual stress is quantified by the residual stress intensity factor, K res , measured by the online crack compliance method. Correcting the FCGR data for differences in K res brings results for specimens of the two AM materials into agreement with each other and with results for wrought specimens, when the latter are corrected for crack closure. Differences in microstructure and tensile strength have an insignificant influence on FCGRs in these tests.

additive manufacturing↗

DOE OSTI2023

The complex momentum representation approach and its application to low-lying resonances in ${^{17}}$O and ${^{29,31}}$F

Approaches for predicting low-lying resonances, uniformly treating bound, and resonant levels have been a long-standing goal in nuclear theory. Accordingly, we explored the viability of the complex momentum representation (CMR) approach coupled with new potentials. We focus on predicting the energy of the low-lying 2p 3/2 resonance in 17 O, which is critical for s-process nucleosynthesis and missing in previous theoretical research. Here, using a Woods-Saxon potential based on the Koning-Delaroche optical model and constrained by the experimental one-neutron separation energy, we successfully predicted the resonant energy of this level for the first time. Our predictions of the bound levels and 1d 3/2 resonance agree well with the measurement results. Additionally, we utilize this approach to study the near-threshold resonances that play a role when forming a two-neutron halo in 29,31 F. We found that the CMR-based predictions of the bound-level energies and unbound 1f 7/2 level agree well with the results obtained using the scattering phase shift method. Subsequently, we successfully found a solution for the 2p 3/2 resonance with energy just above the threshold, which is decisive for halo formation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Benchmarking Monte Carlo codes for the modelling of low-energy neutron production target reactions

The increasing adoption of accelerator-based neutron sources (ABNS) for applications including neutron capture therapy (NCT) research has highlighted the need for accurate simulation tools. Precise modelling of the neutron production target is crucial to ensure that simulated predictions of neutron beam characteristics used for subsequent beam shaping assembly design are reliable. This work presents a comprehensive benchmarking of four widely-used Monte Carlo codes - Geant4, PHITS, FLUKA (CERN), and MCNP - for modelling low-energy neutron production target reactions. Using their recommended physics models and cross-section libraries, we evaluate each code’s performance in simulating four beam-target reactions: 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be, 9 Be(p,n) 9 B, 9 Be(d,n) 10 B, and C(d,n)N. Predictions of neutron yield, angular distributions, and energy spectra are compared against available thick target experimental data. Results show varying levels of agreement between the codes depending on the reaction type, energy range, and beam characteristics. Geant4, MCNP and PHITS are the overall best performing codes for the simulation of total neutron yield and yield in the forward direction across most reactions. Across energies where experimental benchmarks exist, inter-code discrepancies in total and forward-directed yield are typically 10 to 30%, with larger deviations at near-threshold incident ion energies. PHITS provides the best overall reproduction of experimental spectra, particularly for the 9 Be(p,n) 9 B reaction. Additionally, PHITS demonstrates superior computational performance for most reactions. These findings provide valuable guidance for ABNS design, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each code for the simulation of low-energy neutron production reactions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Numerical analysis of air dehumidification through electrospray-enhanced vortical flow cyclone separator

The dehumidification of air is a highly energy-intensive process, typically requiring vapor compression systems to cool the air significantly below its dew point temperature. Here, this study numerically investigates air dehumidification achieved by electrostatic and dielectrophoresis forces in a converging duct and centrifugal principles in cyclone separators. An electrospray was employed to energize water droplets, which then captured water vapor via dielectrophoresis. A novelty of the present study is the inclusion of a cyclone separator positioned downstream of the electrospray. This combination increased the dehumidification efficiency and controlled the flow of the condensate. By integrating electrospray technology and applying an electric field, this study examines the impact of particle separation efficiency, pressure drops, and cyclone performance on air dehumidification. The control parameters for air dehumidification were investigated. Three cyclones were modelled for airflow rates of 5 cubic feet per minute [cfm] (0.0024 m 3 /s), 38 cfm (0.0179 m 3 /s), and 200 cfm (0.094 m 3 /s). The results indicated air dehumidification was up to 5.7 % under environmental conditions, similar to those used to validate the CFD model. The degree of air dehumidification was primarily influenced by the electric charge acquired by the water droplets, their flight trajectory, and the vorticity intensity within the cyclone. Air dehumidification could increase by up to 13 % by increasing the number of droplets injected into the air stream, the flight time, and the electrical charge. The breakdown electric field strength threshold near the electrospray was a limiting factor for further enhancing dehumidification performance. This study examines the optimization of an electro-assisted dehumidification system that includes cyclone-based droplet separation through numerical analysis. The results provide insights into the design of energy-efficient air treatment technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2023

Note on the definitions of branching ratios of overlapping resonances

Branching ratios for the decay of hadrons with large width or near thresholds depend on their definition. We test different definitions and show that rather different branching ratios can be obtained. For wide resonances and for sequential decays with wide intermediate resonances, integration over the spectral functions is mandatory. The tests are performed exploiting the latest solution of the Bonn-Gatchina multi-channel analysis and published values for residues of light scalar mesons. For a resonance overlapping with a threshold, in case its pole lies in a non-adjacent sheet, we show how the total width, needed for the branching ratios, does not correspond to the imaginary part of the pole position. We use the Madrid-Krakow dispersive parameterizations to illustrate this situation with the f 0 (980).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2025

The gallium solar neutrino capture cross section revisited

Solar neutrino flux constraints from the legacy GALLEX/GNO and SAGE experiments continue to influence contemporary global analyses of neutrino properties. The constraints depend on the neutrino absorption cross sections for various solar sources. Following recent work updating the 51 Cr and 37 Ar neutrino source cross sections, we reevaluate the 71 Ga solar neutrino cross sections, focusing on contributions from transitions to 71 Ge excited states, but also revising the ground-state transition to take into account new 71 Ge electron-capture lifetime measurements and various theory corrections. The excited-state contributions have been traditionally taken from forward-angle (𝑝, 𝑛) cross sections. Here we correct this procedure for the ≈ 10%–20% tensor operator contribution that alters the relationship between Gamow-Teller and (𝑝, 𝑛) transition strengths. Using state-of-the-art nuclear shell-model calculations to evaluate this correction, we find that it lowers the 8 B and hep neutrino cross sections. However, the addition of other corrections, including contributions from near-threshold continuum states that radiatively decay, leads to an overall increase in the 8 B and hep cross sections of ≈ 10% relative to the values recommended by Bahcall. Uncertainties are propagated using Monte Carlo simulations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Observation of a Symmetry-Forbidden Excited Quadrupole-Bound State

In this paper, we report the observation of a symmetry-forbidden excited quadrupole-bound state (QBS) in the tetracyanobenzene anion (TCNB - ) using both photoelectron and photodetachment spectroscopies of cryogenically-cooled anions. The electron affinity of TCNB is accurately measured as 2.4695 eV. Photodetachment spectroscopy of TCNB - reveals selected symmetry-allowed vibronic transitions to the QBS, but the ground vibrational state was not observed because the transition from the ground state of TCNB - (A u symmetry) to the QBS (Ag symmetry) is triply-forbidden by the electric and magnetic dipoles, and the electric quadrupole. The binding energy of the QBS is found to be 0.2206 eV, which is unusually large due to strong correlation and polarization effects. A centrifugal barrier is observed for near-threshold autodetachment, as well as relaxations from the QBS vibronic levels to the ground and a valence excited state of TCNB - . The current study shows a rare example where symmetry selection rules, rather than the Franck-Condon principle, govern vibronic transitions to a non-valence state in an anion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗