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The connection between nonzero density and spontaneous symmetry breaking for interacting scalars

We consider U(1)-symmetric scalar quantum field theories at zero temperature. At nonzero charge densities, the ground state of these systems is usually assumed to be a superfluid phase, in which the global symmetry is spontaneously broken along with Lorentz boosts and time translations. We show that, in d > 2 spacetime dimensions, this expectation is always realized at one loop for arbitrary non-derivative interactions, confirming that the physically distinct phenomena of nonzero charge density and spontaneous symmetry breaking occur simultaneously in these systems. We quantify this result by deriving universal scaling relations for the symmetry breaking scale as a function of the charge density, at low and high density. Moreover, we show that the critical value of μ above which a nonzero density develops coincides with the pole mass in the unbroken, Poincaré invariant vacuum of the theory. The same conclusions hold non-perturbatively for an O(N) theory with quartic interactions in d = 3 and 4, at leading order in the 1/N expansion. We derive these results by computing analytically the zero-temperature, finite-μ one-loop effective potential, paying special attention to subtle points related to the iε terms. We check our results against the one-loop low-energy effective action for the superfluid phonons in λΦ 4 theory in d = 4 previously derived by Joyce and ourselves, which we further generalize to arbitrary potential interactions and arbitrary dimensions. As a byproduct, we find analytically the one-loop scaling dimension of the lightest charge-n operator for the λΦ 6 conformal superfluid in d = 3, at leading order in 1/n, reproducing a numerical result of Badel et al. For a λΦ 4 superfluid in d = 4, we also reproduce the Lee-Huang-Yang relation and compute relativistic corrections to it. Finally, we discuss possible extensions of our results beyond perturbation theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Transverse Densities of Octet Baryons from Chiral Effective Field Theory

Transverse densities describe the distribution of charge and current at fixed light-front time and provide a frame-independent spatial representation of hadrons as relativistic systems. In this paper, we calculate the transverse densities of the octet baryons at peripheral distances b=O(M π -1 ) in an approach that combines chiral effective field theory (χχEFT) and dispersion analysis. The densities are represented as dispersive integrals of the imaginary parts of the baryon electromagnetic form factors in the timelike region (spectral functions). The spectral functions on the two-pion cut at t>4M$2\atop{π}$ are computed using relativistic χEFT with octet and decuplet baryons in the extended on-mass-shell renormalization scheme. The calculations are extended into the ρ-meson mass region using a dispersive method that incorporates the timelike pion form-factor data. The approach allows us to construct densities at distances b>1 fm with controlled uncertainties. Finally, our results provide insight into the peripheral structure of nucleons and hyperons and can be compared with empirical densities and lattice-QCD calculations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scattering Observables from One- and Two-body Densities: Formalism and Application to $\pmb \gamma $ ${}^3\hbox {He}$ Scattering

We introduce the transition-density formalism, an efficient and general method for calculating the interaction of external probes with light nuclei. One- and two-body transition densities that encode the nuclear structure of the target are evaluated once and stored. They are then convoluted with an interaction kernel to produce amplitudes, and hence observables. Here, by choosing different kernels, the same densities can be used for any reaction in which a probe interacts perturbatively with the target. The method therefore exploits the factorisation between nuclear structure and interaction kernel that occurs in such processes. We study in detail the convergence in the number of partial waves for matrix elements relevant in elastic Compton scattering on 3 He. The results are fully consistent with our previous calculations in Chiral Effective Field Theory. But the new approach is markedly more computationally efficient, which facilitates the inclusion of more partial-wave channels in the calculation. We also discuss the usefulness of the transition-density method for other nuclei and reactions. Calculations of elastic Compton scattering on heavier targets like 4 He are straightforward extensions of this study, since the same interaction kernels are used. And the generality of the formalism means that our 3 He densities can be used to evaluate any 3 He elastic-scattering observable with contributions from one- and two-body operators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Composite Boson Description of a Low-Density Gas of Excitons

Ground-state properties of a fermionic Coulomb gas are calculated using the fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo method. The validity of the composite boson description is tested for different densities. We extract the exciton–exciton s-wave scattering length by solving the four-body problem in a harmonic trap and mapping the energy to that of two trapped bosons. The equation of state is consistent with the Bogoliubov theory for composite bosons interacting with the obtained s-wave scattering length. The perturbative expansion at low density has contributions physically coming from (a) exciton binding energy, (b) mean-field Gross–Pitaevskii interaction between excitons, and (c) quantum depletion of the excitonic condensate (Lee–Huang–Yang terms for composite bosons). In addition, for low densities we find a good agreement with the Bogoliubov bosonic theory for the condensate fraction of excitons. The equation of state in the opposite limit of large density is found to be well described by the perturbative theory including (a) mixture of two ideal Fermi gases and (b) exchange energy. We find that for low densities both energetic and coherent properties are correctly described by the picture of composite bosons (excitons).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of choosing the Q{sub α}-values and daughter density distributions on the magic numbers predicted by α decays

We investigated the effects of choosing the α-decay energy (Q{sub α}) and particular density distributions of the daughter nuclei on predicting unknown magic numbers, or confirming some of them. The Q{sub α} values were calculated using three models, namely the finite-range droplet model (FRDM), the Weizsäcker–Skyrme (WS4) mass model, and a recent fitting formula. The α-decay half-lives (T{sub α}) of superheavy nuclei of Z = 118–124 have been calculated within the generalized density-dependent cluster model. The double-folding α+core potential was determined based on the M3Y-Reid nucleon–nucleon interaction. We have used the two-parameter Fermi distribution to represent the nuclear density, with four sets of parameters that were determined based on electron scattering data and different microscopic calculations. Upon investigating the relative stability of the mentioned superheavy isotopic chains, we found that the Q{sub α}-values deduced from FRDM and WS4 models predict different neutron magic numbers. The examined fitting formula failed to predict any magic number larger than N = 162. Under normalization to the proton and neutron (N) numbers, the different choices of the density distributions showed almost no effect on the general behavior of T{sub α} with N, but changed its values up to one order of magnitude. Even though the maxima and minima of T{sub α} clearly follow the characteristic minima and maxima of Q{sub α}, respectively, the results showed that precise density distribution and deformations, in addition to a correct preformation probability, are necessarily required for estimating an accurate value of the half-life.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Investigation of ventilation-coupled high energy density sensible thermal energy storage

Low-cost energy storage will play an important role in supporting the decarbonization of the energy sector. Here, a novel approach to thermal energy storage for buildings is proposed, in which a tank of antifreeze liquid can be used to heat outdoor air in mechanical ventilation systems. If heated to a high enough temperature, the fluid can potentially undergo temperature swings of nearly 100°C during discharge in cold climates. Because the energy density of sensible storage systems scales proportionally to the system temperature change, this concept has the potential to offer higher energy densities than other liquid-based sensible storage devices used in building applications. A one-dimensional numerical model of the storage system was developed and experimentally validated using 30 wt% (wt%) potassium acetate as an aqueous antifreeze solution. Using a commercial hot water tank, energy densities of 47.0 kW-hour per cubic meter (kWh/m 3 ) were demonstrated in a laboratory setting. Material energy densities of approximately 74.7 (kWh/m 3 ) were measured. Design improvements may boost this energy storage density even further. Because of the system's relative simplicity, ventilation-coupled sensible storage has the potential to be an easily deployable, low-cost energy storage solution for building systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Epidermal growth factor receptor mediated proliferation depends on increased lipid droplet density regulated via a negative regulatory loop with FOXO3/Sirtuin6

The proliferation of colon cancer cells is mediated in part by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and requires sustained levels of cellular energy to meet its high metabolic needs. Intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) are a source of energy used for various cellular functions and they are elevated in density in human cancer, yet their regulation and function are not well understood. Here, in human colon cancer cells, EGF stimulates increases in LD density, which depends on EGFR expression and activation as well as the individual cellular capacity for lipid synthesis. Increases in LDs are blockaded by inhibition of PI3K/mTOR and PGE2 synthesis, supporting their dependency on select upstream pathways. In colon cancer cells, silencing of the FOXO3 transcription factor leads to down regulation of SIRT6, a negative regulator of lipid synthesis, and consequent increases in the LD coat protein PLIN2, revealing that increases in LDs depend on loss of FOXO3/SIRT6. Moreover, EGF stimulates loss of FOXO3/SIRT6, which is blockaded by the inhibition of upstream pathways as well as lipid synthesis, revealing existence of a negative regulatory loop between LDs and FOXO3/SIRT6. Elevated LDs are utilized by EGF treatment and their depletion through the inhibition of lipid synthesis or silencing of PLIN2 significantly attenuates proliferation. This novel mechanism of proliferative EGFR signaling leading to elevated LD density in colon cancer cells could potentially be therapeutically targeted for the treatment of tumor progression. - Highlights: • In colon cancer cells, EGFR activation leads to increases in LD density. • EGFR signaling includes PI3K/mTOR and PGE2 leading to lipid synthesis. • Increases in LDs are controlled by a negative regulatory loop with FOXO3/SIRT6. • EGFR mediated colon cancer cell proliferation depends on increased LD density.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Packing density optimization and recyclability of multi-modal SiC powder feedstocks in binder jet additive manufacturing

Achieving high powder packing density is critical in binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM), as it directly influences the final part density, mechanical properties, and sintering behavior. Multi-modal powder blends, which combine particles of different sizes, have been explored as a strategy to optimize packing efficiency and minimize defects. In this study, bimodal and trimodal powder blends were obtained by mixing silicon carbide powder in three different sizes. These results show that increased powder density is achievable with bimodal powder blends but is reduced in trimodal blends, and it was found that a 13 % increase in the powder tap density was achieved using a bimodal blend of powder. The powder size distribution of the bimodal blend was measured at various stages during binder jet additive manufacturing and, no measurable powder separation occurred even after eight prints. Altogether, this study shows limited advantage to trimodal powder blends but good promise for bimodal blends for increasing printed density while maintaining reusability in the binder jet process.

Aguirre, Trevor G. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory ↗

An efficient computational framework for charge density estimation in twisted bilayer graphene

Electronic properties such as band structure and Fermi velocity in low-angle twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) are intrinsically dependent on the atomic structure. Rigid rotation between individual graphene layers provides an approximate description of the bilayer symmetry. Upon relaxation, in-plane displacement of the atoms in low angle TBG causes a change in the symmetry through the enlargement of the AB stacking regions and the reduction in size of AA and SP stacking regions. However, the effect of this in-plane relaxation on the charge density remains unexplored, because the necessary electronic structure calculations of such large supercells of low twist angle TBG are computationally infeasible. Therefore, we develop a computationally efficient framework that enables the exploration of the charge density symmetry of the low twist angle TBG. This framework is based on the Fourier representation of the charge density which presents high intensity Bragg peaks. Here we find that with the decrease of twist angle, low intensity satellite peaks also become apparent. Our framework incorporates these satellite peaks which reveals transformation of symmetry in the charge density distribution from high to low twist angle TBG. One striking outcome is the demonstration of the electron localization in the AA region of low twist angle TBG. Our framework helps to explain the effect of the atomistic relaxation on the charge density distribution and thus, it provides information about exotic electronic properties of low twist angle TBG at a low computational expense.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The density of dark matter in the Galactic bulge and implications for indirect detection

A recent study, making use of the number of horizontal branch stars observed in infrared photometric surveys and kinematic measurements of M-giant stars from the BRAVA survey, combined with N-body simulations of stellar populations, has presented a new determination of the dark matter mass within the bulge-bar region of the Milky Way. That study constrains the total mass within the $\pm 2.2 \times \pm 1.4 \times \pm 1.2$ kpc volume of the bulge-bar region to be ($1.84 \pm 0.07) \times 10^{10} \, M_{\odot}$, of which 9-30% is made up of dark matter. Here, we use this result to constrain the the Milky Way's dark matter density profile, and discuss the implications for indirect dark matter searches. Furthermore uncertainties remain significant, these results favor dark matter distributions with a cusped density profile. For example, for a scale radius of 20 kpc and a local dark matter density of 0.4 GeV/cm$^3$, density profiles with an inner slope of 0.69 to 1.40 are favored, approximately centered around the standard NFW value. In contrast, profiles with large flat-density cores are disfavored by this information.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Herbicide, fertilization, and planting density effects on intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development

Production forestry in the southeast US has been partially transitioned to intensively managed short rotations (~10 years), in which multiple silvicultural interventions are performed during forest development. Understanding the responses to silvicultural practices and continued refinement of site-specific recommendations is critical to sustainably maximize forest production. We evaluated the effects of silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) on growth, stand homogeneity, and above- and belowground biomass accumulation and partitioning of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) throughout early stand development (age 5 years) in the southeastern US. Five treatments with eight replications each were tested: no herbicide and no fertilization (C); herbicide only (H); herbicide and half-reduced fertilization rate (R); herbicide and full fertilization (F); and increased stand density (60+ %; 1346 vs. 2152 trees per hectare) with herbicide and full fertilization rate (D). Allometric equations generated from destructive harvests were applied to annual diameter measurements to estimate plot-level biomass and allocation. Herbicide was crucial to promote stand uniformity and increase yield (~600+ % stem biomass compared with C at age 5). Aboveground biomass was similar in R and F treatments, which was ~25% higher than in H at age 5. Increasing planting density along with multiple herbicide and fertilizer applications yielded higher biomass without compromising individual tree size (diameter and height). There was little effect of silviculture practices on allocation patterns. Our results parallel what was found for fertilization with herbicide from a number of loblolly stands under similar conditions and indicate a ~28% volume gain with fertilization during early stand development. Similarly, our results were consistent with other studies implementing similar differences in planting density and suggest a ~26% volume gain through early stand development with an initial 60% increase in planting density. Furthermore, our study helps to understand complex relationships between production and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that silvicultural prescriptions can be optimized to increase sustainability of production forestry

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Probability Density Function Control for Stochastic Nonlinear Systems using Monte Carlo Simulation

This paper presents a fast implementation framework of output probability density function (PDF) control for a class of stochastic nonlinear systems which are subjected to non-Gaussian noises. The statistical properties of the system outputs can be adjusted by shaping the dynamic output probability density function to track the reference stochastic distribution. However, the dynamic probability density function evolution is very difficult to obtain analytically even if the system model and the stochastic distributions of the noises are known. Motivated by Monte Carlo simulation, the dynamic probability density function can be estimated by sampling data which forms the contribution of this paper. In particular, the sampling points are generated following the stochastic distribution of the noise for each instant. These points go through the system would generate the histogram for system outputs, then the dynamic model can be established based on the dynamic histogram which reflects the randomness and the nonlinear dynamics of the investigated system. Based on the established model, the output probability density function tracking can be achieved and the simulation results and discussions show the effectiveness and benefits of the presented framework.

Zhang, Qichun↗

The fill density of automotive cryo-compressed hydrogen vessels

Cryo-compressed hydrogen storage promises to deliver highest system storage density leading to fundamental cost and safety advantages. Yet, cryogenic vessels are complex systems, continuously drifting in thermodynamic space depending on use patterns, insulation performance, vessel characteristics, liquid hydrogen pump performance, and para-H 2 to ortho-H 2 conversion. This paper reflects a comprehensive evaluation of all factors affecting cryogenic vessel fill density, in an effort to evaluate system performance vs. operational parameters over a broad range of conditions. The results validate previous experiments and models indicating that cryogenic vessels have maximum fill density of all available storage technologies, and fill density is most sensitive to daily driving distance and insulation performance. It is lastly predicted that para-H 2 to ortho-H 2 conversion will affect most automobiles, increasing fill density by up to 5.3%. In a future world dominated by cryogenic H 2 fueled vehicles, para-H 2 to ortho-H 2 conversion inside the vessel will be the closest contact an average person will have with quantum mechanics outside of consumer electronics.

08 HYDROGEN↗

An extension of the localized artificial diffusivity method for immiscible and high density ratio flows

The localized artificial diffusivity (LAD) method is widely regarded as the preferred multi-material regularization scheme for the compact finite difference method, because it is conservative, easy to implement, and generally robust for a wide range of multi-material problems. However, traditional LAD methods face significant challenges when applied to flows with large density ratios and when maintaining thermodynamic equilibrium across material interfaces. These limitations arise from the formulation of the artificial diffusivity flux and the reliance on enthalpy diffusion for interface regularization. Additionally, traditional LAD methods struggle to ensure stability under large density ratio conditions, fail to maintain a finite interface thickness, and are therefore unsuitable for modeling immiscible interfaces. Here, in this work, we discuss the origins of these issues in traditional LAD methods and propose modifications which enable the simulation of large density ratio and immiscible flows. The proposed method targets the artificial diffusion fluxes at gradients and ringing in the volume fraction, rather than the mass fraction in traditional methods, to consistently regularize large density ratio interfaces. Furthermore, the proposed method introduces an artificial bulk density diffusion term to enforce equilibrium conditions across interfaces. To address the challenge of modeling immiscible flows, a conservative diffuse interface term is incorporated into the formulation to ensure a finite interface thickness. Specific consideration is taken in the design of the method to ensure that these crucial properties are maintained for N -material flows. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a series of canonical test cases, and its accuracy is validated by comparison with experimental data on micro-bubble collapse in water. These results highlight the method’s robustness and its ability to overcome the limitations of traditional LAD approaches.

Artificial diffusivity↗

Dislocation density in fine grain-size spark-plasma sintered aluminum measured using high brightness synchrotron radiation

In this study, three-dimensional orientation mapping of samples of aluminum prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) with average grain sizes of 5 μm and 1 μm has been carried out using high-brightness synchrotron radiation, from which the geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density has been determined. The low average measured GND density values confirm that the SPS process can be used to produce samples containing grains with dislocation density similar to that of fully recrystallized coarse-grained samples. Values of GND density are also compared to those obtained from electron back-scatter diffraction studies on the same material, highlighting the significantly higher angular resolution of the synchrotron data. For the 5 μm grain-size sample the measured GND density can account for a large fraction of the previously observed positive Hall-Petch deviation of this material. For the 1 μm grain-size sample, however, the GND-based strengthening contribution is much smaller than the reported positive Hall-Petch deviation, such that the additional strength may be reliably associated with dislocation source-limited strengthening.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

System-size dependence of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV for pp, p–Pb, and Pb–Pb collisions

We present the first systematic comparison of the charged-particle pseudorapidity densities for three widely different collision systems, pp, p–Pb, and Pb–Pb, at the top energy of the Large Hadron Collider ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV) measured over a wide pseudorapidity range (-3.5 < η < 5), the widest possible among the four experiments at that facility. The systematic uncertainties are minimised since the measurements are recorded by the same experimental apparatus (ALICE). The distributions for p–Pb and Pb–Pb collisions are determined as a function of the centrality of the collisions, while results from pp collisions are reported for inelastic events with at least one charged particle at midrapidity. The charged-particle pseudorapidity densities are, under simple and robust assumptions, transformed to charged-particle rapidity densities. This allows for the calculation and the presentation of the evolution of the width of the rapidity distributions and of a lower bound on the Bjorken energy density, as a function of the number of participants in all three collision systems. We find a decreasing width of the particle production, and roughly a smooth ten fold increase in the energy density, as the system size grows, which is consistent with a gradually higher dense phase of matter

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Competition within low-density bacterial populations as an unexpected factor regulating carbon decomposition in bulk soil

Bacterial decomposition of organic matter in soils is generally believed to be mainly controlled by the access bacteria have to organic substrate. The influence of bacterial traits on this control has, however, received little attention. Using the substrate-dependent Monod growth model, we develop a bioreactive transport model to screen the interactive impacts of spatial dispersion and bacterial traits on mineralization. Bacterial traits primarily involved in the bacterial response to the substrate concentration, such as the maximum specific uptake rate and efficiency, the adaptation time of the uptake rate and the initial population density, are considered. We compare the model results with two sets of previously performed cm-scale soil-core experiments in which the mineralization of the pesticide 2,4-D was measured under well-controlled initial distributions and transport conditions. Bacterial dispersion away from the initial substrate location induced a significant increase in 2,4-D mineralization. Additionally, it reveals an increase of specific uptake rates at lower bacterial densities, more than compensating the decrease of specific uptake rates caused by substrate dilution. This regulation of bacterial activities by density, caused by the local depletion of substrate by competing bacteria, becomes dominant for bacteria with an efficient uptake of substrate at low substrate concentrations (a common feature of oligotrophs). Such oligotrophs, commonly found in soils, compete with each other for substrate even at remarkably low population densities. The ratio-dependent Contois growth model, which includes a density regulation in the expression of the uptake efficiency, is more accurate and convenient to calibrate than the substrate-dependent Monod model, at least under these conditions. In view of their strong interactions, bioreactive and transport processes cannot be handled independently but should be integrated, in particular when reactive processes of interest are carried out by oligotrophs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Interaction of radio frequency waves with cylindrical density filaments: scattering and radiation pressure

The propagation of radio-frequency (RF) waves in tokamaks can be affected by filamentary structures, or blobs, that are present in the edge plasma and the scrape-off layer. The difference in the permittivity between the surrounding plasma and interior of a filament leads to reflection, refraction and diffraction of the waves. This, in turn, can affect the power flow into the core of the plasma and reduce the efficiency of heating and/or current generation. The scattering of RF waves, lower hybrid, helicon and ion cyclotron waves, by a single cylindrical filament, embedded in a background plasma, is studied using a full-wave analytical theory developed previously (Ram & Hizanidis, Phys. Plasmas , vol. 23, 2016, 022504). The theory assumes that the plasma in and around a filament is homogeneous and cold. A detailed scattering analysis reveals a variety of common features that exist among the three distinctly different RF waves. These common attributes can be inferred intuitively based on an examination of the cold plasma dispersion relation. The physical intuition is a useful step to understanding experimental observations on scattering, as well as results from simulations that include general forms of edge plasma turbulence. While a filament can affect the propagation of RF waves, the radiation force exerted by the waves can influence the filament. The force on a filament is determined using the Maxwell stress tensor. In 1905, Poynting was the first to evaluate and measure the radiation force on an interface separating two different dielectric media (Poynting, London Edinburgh Dublin Philos. Mag. J. Sci. , vol. 9, 1905, pp. 393–406). For ordinary light propagating in vacuum and incident on a glass surface, Poynting noted that the surface is ‘pulled’ towards the vacuum. In a magnetized cold plasma, there are two independent wave modes. Even if only one of these modes is excited by an RF antenna, a filament will couple power to the other mode: a consequence of electromagnetic boundary conditions. This facet of scattering has consequences on the radiation force that go beyond Poynting's seminal contribution. The direction of the force depends on the polarization of the incident wave and on the mode structure of the waves inside and in the vicinity of a filament. It can either pull the filament toward the RF source or push it away. For slow lower hybrid waves, filaments with densities greater than the ambient density are pulled in, while filaments with lower densities are pushed out, thereby enhancing the density in front of the antenna. In the case of fast helicon and ion cyclotron waves, the direction of the force depends on the plasma and wave parameters; in particular, on the ambient density. The radiation force, in all three frequency ranges, is large enough to affect the motion of a filament and could be measured experimentally. This also suggests the possibility of modifying the edge turbulence using RF waves.

Physics↗