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At least 973 records · Page 54

Patterns in extracellular enzyme activity and microbial diversity in deep-sea Mediterranean sediments

Deep-sea sediments are populated by diverse microbial communities that derive their nutritional requirements from the degradation of organic matter. Extracellular hydrolytic enzymes play a key role in the survival of microbes by enabling them to access and degrade complex organic compounds that are found in seafloor sediments. Despite their importance, extracellular enzymatic activity is poorly characterized at water depths greater than a few hundred meters where physical properties, such as pressure and temperature, create a unique environment for influencing enzyme behavior. In this work, we investigated microbial communities and enzyme activities in surface sediment collected at four sampling stations in the central Mediterranean Sea at water depths ranging from 800 to 2200 m. Fluorometric assays revealed that extracellular hydrolytic activity varied according to substrate type and water depth which suggests that the distributions of these enzymes within this basin are not homogenous. Furthermore, enzyme activities indicated substantial demand for phosphomonoesters and proteins, with measurable but much lower demand for polysaccharides. Barcoded amplicon sequencing of bacterial and archaeal SSU genes revealed that microbial communities varied across sampling stations and some groups displayed water-depth related trends. Our results demonstrate that heterotrophic capabilities of microbes in deep-sea Mediterranean sediments can differ substantially even within the same region.

16S rRNA↗

Anodic Interfacial Evolution in Extremely Fast Charged Lithium-Ion Batteries

Interfacial reaction mechanisms at the anode/separator interface play a central role in the performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries during fast charging. We report a mechanistic study on the evolution and interactions of the aging mechanisms at the anode/separator interface in lithium cobalt oxide/graphite pouch cells charged with variable charging rates (1–6C) over 10 cycles. In situ electrochemical measurements, including voltage relaxation, Coulombic efficiency, and direct current internal resistance, indicated an incremental lithium loss until the C rates were ≤5C. A substantial capacity fade is observed in the first few cycles of fast charging, but the magnitude of capacity fade progressively diminishes with the number of cycles, indicating a suppression in the lithium deposition mechanism. Post-mortem film thickness, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to elucidate the evolution of electrolyte decomposition, the solid–electrolyte interface (SEI), lithium plating, and film fracture mechanisms with C rate. XPS measurements confirmed an increasing lithium concentration in an SEI film with an increase in the C rate. SEM images showed a growth of dendritic lithium on the anode surface from 1C to 3C. Precrack formation leading to an interfacial film fracture was observed at higher C rates. Furthermore, a differential analysis of the discharge capacity indicated a possible two-phase delithiation from the anode and reduced cathodic lithiation due to lithium loss at high C rates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

H i -rich but low star formation galaxies in MaNGA: physical properties and comparison to control samples

ABSTRACT Gas-rich galaxies are typically star forming. We make use of H i-MaNGA, a programme of H i follow-up for the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys, to construct a sample of unusual neutral hydrogen (H i, 21 cm)-rich galaxies that have low star formation rates (SFRs), using infrared colour from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer as a proxy for specific SFR. Out of a set of 1575 MaNGA galaxies with H i-MaNGA detections, we find that 83 (5 per cent) meet our selection criteria to be H i rich with low SFR. We construct two stellar mass-matched control samples: H i-rich galaxies with typical SFR (high SF control) and H i-poor galaxies with low SFR (low H i control). We investigate the properties of each of these samples, comparing physical parameters such as ionization state maps, stellar and ionized gas velocity and dispersion, environment measures, metallicity, and morphology to search for the reasons why these unusual H i-rich galaxies are not forming stars. We find evidence for recent external accretion of gas in some galaxies (via high counter-rotating fractions), along with some evidence for active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback (from a high central low-ionization emission-line region and/or red geyser fraction), and bar quenching (via an enhanced strong bar fraction). Some galaxies in the sample are consistent with simply having their H i in a high angular momentum, large-radius, low-density disc. We conclude that no single physical process can explain all H i-rich, low-SFR galaxies.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Oxygen Inhomogeneity and Reversibility in Single Crystal LaNiO{sub 3-{delta}}.

LaNiO 3− δ single crystals have been obtained via high pressure floating zone growth under 149 bar of oxygen pressure. We find a radial gradient in the magnetic properties of specimens extracted from the as-grown boule, which we correlate with the appearance of ordered oxygen vacancy structures. This radial oxygen inhomogeneity has been characterized systematically using a combination of magnetization and X-ray scattering measurements. We establish the presence of rhombohedral ( R 3 ¯ c ), oxygen stoichiometric specimens at the periphery of the boule and the presence of a dilute concentration of ordered oxygen-deficient orthorhombic La 2 Ni 2 O 5 in the center. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the as-grown, oxygen-deficient central regions of the crystal can be annealed under high oxygen pressure, without loss of crystallinity, into fully oxygenated LaNiO 3 , recovering magnetic properties that are characteristic of stoichiometric specimens from the exterior region of the crystal. Thus, single crystals of LaNiO 3− δ possess oxygen content that can be reversibly modified under oxidizing and reducing conditions.

crystal growth↗

The SPT-Chandra BCG Spectroscopic Survey. I. Evolution of the Entropy Threshold for ICM Cooling and AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters over the Last 10 Gyr

Abstract We present a multiwavelength study of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in a sample of the 95 most massive galaxy clusters selected from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) survey. Our sample spans a redshift range of 0.3 < z < 1.7, and is complete with optical spectroscopy from various ground-based observatories, as well as ground and space-based imaging from optical, X-ray, and radio wave bands. At z ∼ 0, previous studies have shown a strong correlation between the presence of a low-entropy cool core and the presence of both star formation and radio-loud active galactic nuclei in the central BCG. We show for the first time that the central entropy threshold for triggering star formation, which is universally seen in nearby systems, persists out to z ∼ 1, with only marginal (∼1 σ ) evidence for evolution in the threshold entropy value itself. In contrast, we do not find a similar high- z analog for an entropy threshold for feedback, but instead measure a strong evolution in the fraction of radio-loud BCGs in high-entropy cores, decreasing with increasing redshift. This could imply that the cooling-feedback loop was not as tight in the past, or that some other fuel source like mergers are fueling the radio sources more often with increasing redshift, making the radio luminosity an increasingly unreliable proxy for radio jet power. We also find that our SZ-based sample is missing a small (∼4%) population of the most luminous radio sources ( ν L ν > 10 42 erg s −1 ), likely due to radio contamination suppressing the SZ signal with which these clusters are detected.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Aerosols from anthropogenic and biogenic sources and their interactions – modeling aerosol formation, optical properties, and impacts over the central Amazon basin

The Green Ocean Amazon experiment – GoAmazon 2014–2015 – explored the interactions between natural biogenic forest emissions from central Amazonia and urban air pollution from Manaus. Previous GoAmazon 2014–2015 studies showed that nitrogen oxide (NO x = NO + NO 2 ) and sulfur oxide (SO x ) emissions from Manaus strongly interact with biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), affecting secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. In previous studies, ground-based and aircraft measurements provided evidence of SOA formation and strong changes in aerosol composition and properties. Aerosol optical properties also evolve, and their impacts on the Amazonian ecosystem can be significant. As particles age, some processes, such as SOA production, black carbon (BC) deposition, particle growth and the BC lensing effect change the aerosol optical properties, affecting the solar radiation flux at the surface. This study analyzes data and models SOA formation using the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model to assess the spatial variability in aerosol optical properties as the Manaus plumes interact with the natural atmosphere. The following aerosol optical properties are investigated: single scattering albedo (SSA), asymmetry parameter (g aer ), absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) and scattering Ångström exponent (SAE). These simulations were validated using ground-based measurements at three experimental sites, namely the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory – ATTO (T0a), downtown Manaus (T1), Tiwa Hotel (T2) and Manacapuru (T3), as well as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Gulfstream 1 (G-1) aircraft flights. WRF-Chem simulations were performed over 7 d during March 2014. Results show a mean biogenic SOA (BSOA) mass enrichment of 512 % at the T1 site, 450 % in regions downwind of Manaus, such as the T3 site, and 850 % in areas north of the T3 site in simulations with anthropogenic emissions. The SOA formation is rather fast, with about 80 % of the SOA mass produced in 3–4 h. Comparing the plume from simulations with and without anthropogenic emissions, SSA shows a downwind reduction of approximately 10 %, 11 % and 6 % at the T1, T2 and T3 sites, respectively. Other regions, such as those further downwind of the T3 site, are also affected. The g aer values increased from 0.62 to 0.74 at the T1 site and from 0.67 to 0.72 at the T3 site when anthropogenic emissions are active. During the Manaus plume-aging process, a plume tracking analysis shows an increase in SSA from 0.91 close to Manaus to 0.98 160 km downwind of Manaus as a result of SOA production and BC deposition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Modernizing the Nuclear Industry and New Ways of Working

Nuclear energy is recognized as the most feasible energy source towards achieving nation-wide net-zero goals (COP 208, MIT). Additionally, the demand for reliable, consistent energy supply is soaring with the construction of energy hungry data centers and AI tools. This means the construction of new nuclear and the continuation of current nuclear are a high national priority. However, this leaves the nuclear industry with a workforce challenge. The rising demand for nuclear power is threatened by an underpopulated workforce. There exist a few contributors to the decreased workforce such as skewed workforce demographics resulting in large-scale workforce retirement. Also, some plants have observed difficulty hiring and retaining skill sets that typically comprise the nuclear power workforce – specifically skilled craftsman. Those who are graduating with desirable skills are seeking employment in sectors that are more modern and culturally more aligned with younger generational values. Lastly, within the nuclear sector, skilled employees will be a competitive commodity as advanced plants come online offering work environments that incorporate modern technologies, skill sets, and opportunities for career advancement. These factors emphasize the need for legacy plants to modernize with a focus on the workplace environment and culture that meets younger generations’ skills, cultural expectations, and desire for advancement opportunities. Nuclear plants are actively engaged in deploying advancements that improve the management of systems, structures, and components as well as process improvements and technologies that can reduce the costs of operation and maintenance. However, the advancements must also be analyzed, reviewed and deployed in a manner that considers the impact on how people within the organization collaborate, communicate, make decisions, and solve problems. Neglecting to consider the cultural impact of modernization risks poor adoption, unrealized opportunities, or insignificant change toward helping attract new employees. The traditional way of working is not necessarily the way new generations want to engage with their employer. For instance, in a survey performed by North American Young Generation in Nuclear the top three reasons for younger nuclear employees to seek other job opportunities was seeking better work-life balance, a lack of advancement opportunities, and work culture and leadership style differences (Smyth et al. 2022). Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) is an approach for the nuclear industry to create long-term strategic modernization plans and analyze each advancement for the impact on people and processes and measure how those impacts flow up to support high-level, long-term plant goals and requirements. One principle of ION is to replace the current labor-centric operation style in legacy nuclear plants with data-centric collaborative operation styles. This paper will explain how transitioning operations to leverage centralized skills and responsibility, multi-skilled teams, and collaborative decision making can flatten the hierarchical structure in plants, enable greater individual efficacy while also offering more experiences and advancement opportunities to staff. Adopting the ION way of working shifts the industry mind-set towards more networked, collaborative, and modern way of working that will attract skilled, next-generation workers to operate the legacy nuclear fleet.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Seasonal and tidal variations in hydrologic inputs drive salt marsh porewater nitrate dynamics

Salt marshes remove terrestrially derived nutrients en route to coasts. While these systems play a critical role in improving water quality, we still have a limited understanding of the spatiotemporal variability of biogeochemically reactive solutes and processes within salt marshes. We implemented a high-frequency sampling system to monitor sub-hourly nitrate (NO$^{–}_{3}$) concentrations in salt marsh porewater at Elkhorn Slough in central California, USA. We instrumented three marsh positions along an elevation gradient subjected to different amounts of tidal inundation, which we predicted would lead to varied biogeochemical characteristics and hydrological interactions. At each marsh position, we continuously monitored porewater NO$^{–}_{3}$ concentrations at depths of 10, 30, and 50 cm and porewater levels measured at 70 cm depth over seven deployments of ~10 days each that spanned seasonal wet/dry periods common to Mediterranean climates. We quantified tidal event hysteresis between NO$^{–}_{3}$ and water level to understand how NO$^{–}_{3}$ concentrations and sources fluctuate across tidal cycles. In dry periods, the NO$^{–}_{3}$-porewater level relationship indicated that the NO$^{–}_{3}$ source was likely estuarine surface water that flooded the transect during high tides and the salt marsh was a NO$^{–}_{3}$ sink. In wet periods, the NO$^{–}_{3}$-porewater level relationship suggested the salt marsh was a source of NO$^{–}_{3}$. Finally, these findings suggest that tidal and seasonal hydrologic fluxes together control NO$^{–}_{3}$ porewater dynamics and export and influence ecological processes in coastal environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Initial-site characterization of hydrogen migration following strong-field double-ionization of ethanol

Abstract An essential problem in photochemistry is understanding the coupling of electronic and nuclear dynamics in molecules, which manifests in processes such as hydrogen migration. Measurements of hydrogen migration in molecules that have more than two equivalent hydrogen sites, however, produce data that is difficult to compare with calculations because the initial hydrogen site is unknown. We demonstrate that coincidence ion-imaging measurements of a few deuterium-tagged isotopologues of ethanol can determine the contribution of each initial-site composition to hydrogen-rich fragments following strong-field double ionization. These site-specific probabilities produce benchmarks for calculations and answer outstanding questions about photofragmentation of ethanol dications; e.g., establishing that the central two hydrogen atoms are 15 times more likely to abstract the hydroxyl proton than a methyl-group proton to form H $${}_{3}^{+}$$ 3 + and that hydrogen scrambling, involving the exchange of hydrogen between different sites, is important in H 2 O + formation. The technique extends to dynamic variables and could, in principle, be applied to larger non-cyclic hydrocarbons.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Isotopic mass effects of tritium-fueled high-performance TFTR supershots

An increase in total stored energy correlated with the addition of tritium fuel was observed in supershots during the TFTR DT campaign. This supershot regime had strikingly high, centrally peaked ion and electron temperatures, and the largest neutron emission rates observed in TFTR. This paper presents a study of the causes of this increase in stored energy in supershots. Twenty-six supershots have been recently reanalyzed with the TRANSP plasma analysis code. Early TRANSP simulations did not accurately match the measured magnitude and time evolutions of the neutron emission rates. This mismatch is attributed to neglecting apparent increases of trace amounts of heavy impurities during neutral beam injection. The new TRANSP runs were tuned to accommodate this and match the measured global neutron emission rates. These new runs also had improved fidelity in predicting the time histories and radial dependencies of measured DT neutron emission rates. That in turn adds confidence in the simulated thermal deuterium and tritium density profiles that are needed for calculating the average hydrogenic atomic mass profiles. Six subsets of these supershots had well matched toroidal field B tor , plasma current I p , flux geometry, and total injected neutral beam power. The mix of D and T beam ions was varied for different discharges. The magnitude of the increase of the thermal ion energy W i with added tritium was relatively small, and the total W tot increase is dominated by the increase in fast beam ions with T. Analyses at times before the occurrences of deleterious MHD instabilities yielded scaling of W tot with the volume-average isotopic mass consistent with previous publications. The relative fraction of fast energy ions is expected to be small in practical tokamak reactors. Thus the increase in stored energy W tot observed in TFTR supershots does not appear likely to be significantly helpful for producing useful fusion energy.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Computed Tomography Scanning and Geophysical Measurements of the Integrated Mid-Continent Stacked Carbon Storage Hub Sleepy Hollow Reagan Unit 86A Well

The Computed Tomography (CT) facilities, the Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL), and the Geologic Storage Core Flow laboratory at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were used to characterize a core through Upper Pennsylvanian strata (limestones, mudstones, and sandstones) from the Sleepy Hollow Reagan Unit (SHRU) 86A well in southwest-central Nebraska. The Integrated Mid-Continent Stack Carbon Storage Hub (IMSCS-HUB) core from the vertical well was obtained as part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) effort to assess the feasibility of stacked storage complexes in Nebraska and Kansas to support a commercial-scale CO2 storage hub. The Sleepy Hollow Field (SHF) is one of three sites within the IMSCS-HUB corridor. Bulk scans of core were obtained from the IMSCS-HUB SHRU 86A well. This report, and the associated scans, include detailed datasets not typically made available to the public. The data sets presented in this report can be accessed from NETL's Energy Data eXchange (EDX) online system.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Electrochemical Modeling of PID Leakage Current of PV Modules: Steady-State Current, Transient Current, and RC-Equivalent Circuit

Potential-induced degradation (PID) remains a significant reliability concern for photovoltaic (PV) modules, arising when a voltage difference between the module frame and the solar cells drives unintended leakage current through the glass-encapsulant stack. Although PID ultimately manifests as PID-s, PID-p, or PID-c, the underlying behavior of the leakage current-its magnitude and time dependence-requires clearer electrochemical interpretation. Traditional explanations attribute the initial transient current to bulk capacitive elements of the glass, encapsulant, and antireflection coatings, and the steady-state current according to their effective ohmic resistance. More recent studies, however, indicate that electrochemical charge-transfer processes at the encapsulant-metallization interface can play a dominant role in defining the leakage-current path. This paper develops a unified electrochemical framework for modeling PID leakage current. First, an RC-equivalent circuit is formulated by combining conventional RC elements with a Randles-type interface to capture transient leakage current through double-layer capacitance and faradaic processes at ionic-electronic boundaries. Second, the steady-state current-voltage behavior is explained using a linearized Butler-Volmer relationship, showing that the measured ohmic response corresponds to the low-overpotential limit of charge-transfer kinetics. Analytical results demonstrate that, for typical module materials-3.2-mm soda-lime glass and 0.45-mm encapsulant-the dominant modulators to PID leakage current are the glass surface resistance (under dry-surface conditions), the glass bulk capacitance, and the encapsulant resistance (under wet-surface conditions), with soda lime glass surface and EVA/POE encapsulant resistances primarily governing steady-state current. The proposed electrochemical model is validated against measured leakage-current data, showing good agreement in both the magnitude and the time-dependent evolution of PID leakage current.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

GLM Observations of the Brightest Lightning in the Americas

Two years of Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) science data are used to document the brightest lighting flashes observed on the Americas continent. The most radiant optical lightning emissions—termed “superbolts”—were first identified by the Vela satellite constellation in the 1970s (Turman, 1977) and are defined in terms of peak optical power. GLM is an integrating sensor that, instead, measures the total optical energy from a lightning pulse. Furthermore, while GLM might not correctly classify short-duration superbolts, its top lightning cases certainly fall in the superbolt category, and the wealth of GLM measurements over its stationary hemispheric field of view provide an unmatched sample of extraordinarily bright lightning. While radiant bolts in excess of 100× the optical energy of typical lightning are ubiquitous across the Americas and result from many types of lightning processes, we find the most radiant cases (>1,000×) are concentrated in the central United States and in the La Plata basin in South America. Coincident Earth Networks Global Lightning Network (ENGLN) observations reveal that these extremely bright emissions usually result from + CG strokes with high peak currents in long horizontal flashes outside of the convective core. Single cases of these megaflashes might produce multiple superbolts over their durations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

All-in-one probe for exploring self-organized two-fluid equilibria in toroidal plasmas

This paper presents the development of an all-in-one probe to simultaneously measure all components of the generalized Ohm’s law in reversed-field pinch plasmas and tokamaks. The polyhedral configuration of the Mach probe is achieved through the specific arrangement, angle, and depth of the collimator channel apertures drilled into the surface of a hollow boron nitride cylinder encasing it. This probe includes a central Mach probe to assess the ion velocity field in three dimensions. Initial tests at the RELAX and Madison Symmetric Torus machines have confirmed the probe’s effectiveness, revealing an octahedron form similar to a tetrahedron. The probe seems to function correctly and is expected to facilitate the empirical validation of two-fluid equilibria at the periphery of toroidal plasmas.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

On the use of adjoints in the inversion of observed quasi-static deformation

An adjoint-based conjugate gradient algorithm provides an efficient means for imaging sources of deformation within the Earth, such as volume stresses associated with fluid flow in aquifers and reservoirs. For time intervals over which the overburden deforms elastically, one can calculate the gradient elements for a single model update using just two numerical simulations. The first is a forward run that is used to compute the residuals associated with the given iteration. The second simulation is to evaluate the application of the adjoint operator to the residuals. In this adjoint calculation, the residual displacements are applied as sources at the measurement locations, driving the deformation in the simulation. The volume stress on the source grid blocks, in response to the residual displacements, provide the gradient components. We apply this technique to satellite-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) line-of-sight displacements that were observed over an oil reservoir in California’s Central Valley. Furthermore, we find that the adjoint-based gradient estimates, requiring 18 CPU seconds, agree with conventional numerical calculations that take over 3700 CPU seconds to compute. Conjugate gradient algorithms utilizing the conventional approach and adjoint-based gradient computations give roughly the same reductions in misfit and similar final estimates of reservoir volume change.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

pnnl/simple-building-calculator

The Simple Building Calculator is a web application that estimates annual energy use using regression models that have been fit to simulation results for the DOE Commercial Prototype Building Models. The tool is a single-page application that will allow a user to rapidly analyze the impact of energy efficiency measures and design options on building performance. As it uses linear regression models rather than more complicated machine learning models or physics based simulation, the tool can deploy easily and run client-side.

Xu, Weili↗

Overview of the MOSAiC expedition—Atmosphere

With the Arctic rapidly changing, the needs to observe, understand, and model the changes are essential. To support these needs, an annual cycle of observations of atmospheric properties, processes, and interactions were made while drifting with the sea ice across the central Arctic during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition from October 2019 to September 2020. An international team designed and implemented the comprehensive program to document and characterize all aspects of the Arctic atmospheric system in unprecedented detail, using a variety of approaches, and across multiple scales. These measurements were coordinated with other observational teams to explore cross-cutting and coupled interactions with the Arctic Ocean, sea ice, and ecosystem through a variety of physical and biogeochemical processes. This overview outlines the breadth and complexity of the atmospheric research program, which was organized into 4 subgroups: atmospheric state, clouds and precipitation, gases and aerosols, and energy budgets. Atmospheric variability over the annual cycle revealed important influences from a persistent large-scale winter circulation pattern, leading to some storms with pressure and winds that were outside the interquartile range of past conditions suggested by long-term reanalysis. Similarly, the MOSAiC location was warmer and wetter in summer than the reanalysis climatology, in part due to its close proximity to the sea ice edge. The comprehensiveness of the observational program for characterizing and analyzing atmospheric phenomena is demonstrated via a winter case study examining air mass transitions and a summer case study examining vertical atmospheric evolution. Overall, the MOSAiC atmospheric program successfully met its objectives and was the most comprehensive atmospheric measurement program to date conducted over the Arctic sea ice. The obtained data will support a broad range of coupled-system scientific research and provide an important foundation for advancing multiscale modeling capabilities in the Arctic.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Space-time evolution of particle emission in p–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV with 3D kaon femtoscopy

The measurement of three-dimensional femtoscopic correlations between identical charged kaons (K ± K ± ) produced in p–Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC is presented for the first time. This measurement, supplementary to those in pp and Pb–Pb collisions, allows understanding the particle-production mechanisms at different charged-particle multiplicities and provides information on the dynamics of the source of particles created in p–Pb collisions, for which a general consensus does not yet exist. It is shown that the measured source sizes increase with charged-particle multiplicity and decrease with increasing pair transverse momentum. These trends for K ± K ± are similar to the ones observed earlier in identical charged-pion and ${\text{K}}_{\text{s}}^{0}{\text{K}}_{\text{s}}^{0}$ correlations in Pb–Pb collisions at various energies and in π ± π ± correlations in p–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. At comparable multiplicity, the source sizes measured in p–Pb collisions agree within uncertainties with those observed in pp collisions, and there is an indication that they are smaller than those observed in Pb–Pb collisions. The obtained results are also compared with predictions from the hadronic interaction model EPOS 3, which tends to underestimate the source size for the most central collisions and agrees with the data for semicentral and peripheral events. Furthermore, the time of maximal emission for kaons is extracted. It turns out to be comparable with the value obtained in highly peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at the same energy, indicating that the kaon emission evolution is similar to that in p–Pb collisions.

Heavy Ion Experiments↗