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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Muon neutrino charged current single pion production on various targets in the MINERvA detector

Measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters at accelerator-based experiments require precise knowledge of neutrino interaction cross sections. A significant fraction of neutrino interactions observed in these experiments produce single charged pions. While single charged pion production has been measured on hydrocarbon and water, few precise measurements exist for heavier targets, and there are no high statistics measurements that directly compare pion production on different targets. This thesis measures differential cross sections of muon neutrino charged current single charged pion production with no other mesons in the final state in a neutrinobeam with a mean energy of ≈ 6 GeV. The pion production is studied on targets of scintillator, carbon, water, iron, and lead at MINERvA, a neutrino cross section experiment located in the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. These measured cross sections are differential in μ - and π + kinematics. A strong suppression of low Q 2 and an enhancement of low π are observed relative to commonly used neutrino interaction models in both the light and heavy nuclear targets. Incorporation of these observed effects in future neutrino oscillation experiments will improve their ability to measure energy of neutrino interactions, and therefore measure the parameters governing neutrino oscillations.

Bercellie, Aaron↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the pion charge exchange differential cross section on Argon with the ProtoDUNE-SP detector

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) utilizes Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) technology in its pursuit of uncovering the origins of matter. As a crucial prototype for the DUNE far detector (FD) module, ProtoDUNE-SP at CERN Neutrino Platform Facility employs a hadron test beam with a momentum range of 0.3 to 7 GeV/c to study the detector response to particles that could be produced in the neutrino interactions at the DUNE FD. Furthermore, ProtoDUNE-SP is dedicated to testing event reconstruction and performing detector calibration under controlled conditions. Neutral pion reconstruction performance is an important benchmark of the calorimetric and tracking capability of LArTPC, and understanding neutral pion in LArTPC is crucial to characterize backgrounds to oscillation measurements and rare searches. To improve neutral pion reconstruction in LArTPC, a kinematic fitting algorithm is developed, achieving a 12% resolution in neutral pion energy in ProtoDUNE-SP. This enhancement enables the first measurements of the pion-argon charge exchange differential cross-section. By comparing these results with the current model, valuable constraints can be made to improve generator simulations in the future DUNE experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

High Statistics Measurements of $ν_μ$ Charged-Current Single $π^{+}$ Production with Zero Pion Kinetic Energy Threshold in MINERvA

This Letter presents measurements of single-differential cross sections of $ν_μ$-induced charged-current 1 $π^{+}$ production on scintillator using the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. These measurements use traditional track-based pion reconstruction as well as pions identified solely via Michel electron decays, allowing measurement of kinetic energies from 0 to 350 MeV. In total, 91,843 events were selected with $W_{exp}$$<$ 1.4 GeV/c. Differential cross sections as a function of pion and muon kinematic variables are presented and compared with the predictions of several neutrino event generators. Overall, modern pion production models tend to agree with data at the ends of the kinematic regions probed, but are discrepant with the main regions of the phase space probed by up to 15% in muon observables and up to 20% in pion observables. No model describes any of the variables well, and this result highlights model areas that require improvement for the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments.

Granados, E. [Guanajuato U.]↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spectrum of Virtual Photons in the Electroproduction of Negatively Charged Pions on Deuterons

Numerical and analytical calculations of the virtual photon spectrum have been performed for the electroproduction of negatively charged pions on a deuteron. The numerical calculations of the virtual photon spectrum were performed without recourse to any approximations while a number of approximations were admitted in the derivation of the analytical expression. A comparison of the results of an exact numerical calculation of the virtual photon spectrum with the results of a calculation obtained using an approximate analytical expression for the virtual photon spectrum has been performed for the first time. It is shown that the discrepancy between the virtual photon spectra obtained with the help of numerical and analytical methods can reach 10% in the kinematic region of photoproduction of pions with intermediate energies. It follows from the obtained results that in the statistical modeling of the yields of the reaction of photoproduction of negatively charged pions on a deuteron it is necessary to use the exact virtual photon spectrum obtained with the help of numerical methods whereas in the statistical modeling of the asymmetry of reactions of photoproduction of negatively charged pions on a deuteron it is sufficient to use the approximate analytical expression for the virtual photon spectrum.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Neutral pion reconstruction using machine learning in the experiment at 〈E ν〉 6 GeV

This paper presents a novel neutral-pion reconstruction that takes advantage of the machine learning technique of semantic segmentation using MINERvA data collected between 2013–2017, with an average neutrino energy of 6 GeV. Semantic segmentation improves the purity of neutral pion reconstruction from two γs from 70.7 ± 0.9% to 89.3 ± 0.7% and improves the efficiency of the reconstruction by approximately 40%. We demonstrate our method in a charged current neutral pion production analysis where a single neutral pion is reconstructed. This technique is applicable to modern tracking calorimeters, such as the new generation of liquid-argon time projection chambers, exposed to neutrino beams with 〈E ν〉 between 1–10 GeV. In such experiments it can facilitate the identification of ionization hits which are associated with electromagnetic showers, thereby enabling improved reconstruction of charged-current νe events arising from νμ → νe appearance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Systematic study of charged-pion and kaon femtoscopy in Au+Au collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV

We present a systematic study of charged pion and kaon interferometry in Au+Au collisions at √s NN =200 GeV. The kaon mean source radii are found to be larger than pion radii in the outward and longitudinal directions for the same transverse mass; this difference increases for more central collisions. The azimuthal-angle dependence of the radii was measured with respect to the second-order event plane and similar oscillations of the source radii were found for pions and kaons. Hydrodynamic models qualitatively describe the similar oscillations of the mean source radii for pions and kaons, but they do not fully describe the transverse-mass dependence of the oscillations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Dispersion relation for hadronic light-by-light scattering: pion pole

Here, the pion-pole contribution to hadronic light-by-light scattering in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (g – 2) μ is fully determined by the doubly-virtual pion transition form factor. Although this crucial input quantity is, in principle, directly accessible in experiment, a complete measurement covering all kinematic regions relevant for (g –2) μ is not realistic in the foreseeable future. Here, we report in detail on a reconstruction from available data, both space- and time-like, using a dispersive representation that accounts for all the low-lying singularities, reproduces the correct high- and low-energy limits, and proves convenient for the evaluation of the (g – 2) μ loop integral. We concentrate on the systematics of the fit to e + e – → 3π data, which are key in constraining the isoscalar dependence, as well as the matching to the asymptotic limits. In particular, we provide a detailed account of the pion transition form factor at low energies in the time- and space-like region, including the error estimates underlying our final result for the pion-pole contribution, a π0–pole μ = 62.6 +3.0 –2.5 × 10 –11 , and demonstrate how forthcoming singly-virtual measurements will further reduce its uncertainty.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Amplitude analysis of resonant production in three pions

We present some results on the analysis of three pion resonances. The analyses are motivated by the recent release of the largest data set on diffractively produced three pions by the COMPASS collaboration. We construct reaction amplitudes that satisfy fundamental $S$-matrix principles, which allows the use of models that have physical constraints to be used in fitting data. The models are motivated by the isobar model that satisfy unitarity constraints. The model consist of a Deck production amplitude with which final state interactions are constrained by unitarity. We employ the isobar model where two of the pions form a quasi-stable particle. The analysis is performed in the high-energy, single Regge limit. We specifically discuss the examples of the three pion $J^{PC}=2^{-+}$ resonance in the $\rho\pi$ and $f_2\pi$ channels.

Jackura, Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluation of the response to electrons and pions in the scintillating fiber and lead calorimeter for the future electron-ion collider

The performance of the Baby Barrel Electromagnetic Calorimeter (Baby BCAL) — a small-scale lead-scintillating-fiber (Pb/ScFi) prototype of the GlueX Barrel Electromagnetic Calorimeter (BCAL) — was tested in a dedicated beam campaign at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF). This study provides a benchmark for the Pb/ScFi component of the future Barrel Imaging Calorimeter (BIC) in the ePIC detector at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The detector response to electrons and pions was studied at beam energies between 4 and 10 GeV, extending previous GlueX tests to a higher energy regime. The calibrated detector exhibits good linearity within uncertainties, and its electron energy resolution meets EIC requirements. The data further constrain the constant term in the energy resolution to below 1.9%, improving upon previous constraints at lower energies. Simulations reproduce key features of the electron and pion data within the limitations of the collected dataset and the FTBF test environment. Electron-pion separation in the test beam setup was analyzed using multiple methods, incorporating varying degrees of beam-related effects. The inclusion of longitudinal shower profile information enhanced the separation performance, underscoring its relevance for the full-scale BIC in ePIC. These results provide essential benchmarks for the Pb/ScFi section of the future BIC, validating detector simulations and guiding optimization strategies for electron-pion discrimination.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transverse-momentum-dependent pion structures from lattice QCD: Collins-Soper kernel, soft factor, TMDWF, and TMDPDF

We present the first lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculation of the pion valence-quark transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution function (TMDPDF) within the framework of large-momentum effective theory (LaMET). Using correlators fixed in the Coulomb gauge (CG), we computed the quasi-TMD beam function for a pion with a mass of 300 MeV, a fine lattice spacing of 𝑎 =0.06 fm, and multiple large momenta up to 3 GeV. The intrinsic soft functions in the CG approach are extracted from form factors with large momentum transfer, and as a byproduct, we also obtain the corresponding Collins-Soper (CS) kernel. Our determinations of both the soft function and the CS kernel agree with perturbation theory at small transverse separations (𝑏 ⊥ ) between the quarks. At larger 𝑏 ⊥ , the CS kernel remains consistent with recent results obtained using both CG and gauge-invariant TMD correlators in the literature. By combining next-to-leading logarithmic factorization of the quasi-TMD beam function and the soft function, we obtain an 𝑥-dependent pion valence-quark TMDPDF for transverse separations 𝑏 ⊥ ≳1 fm. Interestingly, we find that the 𝑏 ⊥ dependence of the phenomenological parametrizations of TMDPDF for moderate values of 𝑥 are in reasonable agreement with our QCD determinations. In addition, we present results for the transverse-momentum-dependent wave function for a heavier pion with 670 MeV mass.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Comparing different density-matrix expansions for long-range pion exchange

Empirical energy density functionals (EDFs) are generally successful in describing nuclear properties across the table of nuclides. But their limitations motivate using the density-matrix expansion (DME) to embed long-range pion interactions into a Skyrme functional. Recent results on the impact of the pion were both encouraging and puzzling, necessitating a careful re-examination of the DME implementation. In this study, we take the first steps, focusing on two-body scalar terms in the DME. Exchange energies with long-range one-pion contributions are well approximated by all DME implementations considered, with preference for variants that do not truncate at two derivatives in every EDF term. The use of the DME for chiral pion contributions is therefore supported by this investigation. For scalar-isovector energies it is important to treat neutrons and protons separately. The results are found to apply under broad conditions, although self-consistency is not yet tested.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimized nuclear energy density functionals including long-range pion contributions

Nuclear energy density functionals successfully reproduce properties of nuclei across almost the entire nuclear chart. However, nearly all available functionals are phenomenological in nature and lack a rigorous connection to systematically improvable nuclear forces. This issue might be solved with an energy density functional obtained from first principles. As an intermediate step towards this goal we construct the GUDE family of functionals that is obtained from a hybrid scheme consisting of long-range pion-exchange contributions derived from chiral effective field theory at the Hartree-Fock level and a phenomenological Skyrme part. When including pion contributions beyond next-to-leading order in the chiral expansion, we find significant improvements over a reference Skyrme functional constructed following the same protocol. We analyze the importance of different pion contributions and identify which terms drive the observed improvements. Since pions are incorporated without adding further optimization parameters to the functionals, the improvements can be attributed to the functional form of these terms. Our work therefore suggests that the considered chiral contributions constitute useful ingredients for true energy density functionals. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Charge symmetry breaking effects in pion and kaon structure

Charge symmetry breaking (CSB) effects associated with the u and d quark mass difference are investigated in the quark distribution functions and spacelike electromagnetic form factors of the pion and kaon. We use a confining version of the Nambu-Jona-Lasimo model, where CSB effects at the infrared scale associated with the model are driven by the dressed u and d quark mass ratio, which because of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is much closer to unity than the associated current quark mass ratio. The pion and kaon are given as bound states of a dressed quark and a dressed antiquark governed by the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and exhibit the properties of Goldstone bosons, with a pion mass difference given by m(Pi)+(2) - m(Pi)0(2) (m(u) - m(d))(2) as demanded by dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. We find significant CSB effects for realistic current quark mass ratios (m(u)/m(d) similar to 0.5) in the quark flavor-sector electromagnetic form factors of both the pion and kaon. For example, the difference between the u and d quark contributions to the Pi(+) electromagnetic form factors is about 8% at a momentum transfer of Q(2) = 10 GeV2, while the analogous effect for the light quark sector form factors in the K+ and K-0 is about twice as large. For the parton distribution functions we find CSB effects which are considerably smaller than those found in the electromagnetic form factors.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamics of the O ( 4 ) critical point in QCD: Critical pions and diffusion in model G

We present a detailed study of the finite momentum dynamics of the O ( 4 ) critical point of QCD, which lies in the dynamic universality class of “model G.” The critical scaling of the model is analyzed in multiple dynamical channels. For instance, the finite momentum analysis allows us to precisely extract the pion dispersion curve below the critical point. The pion velocity is in striking agreement with the predictions relation and static universality. The pion damping rate and velocity are both consistent with the dynamical critical exponent ζ = 3 / 2 of model G. Similarly, although the critical amplitude for the diffusion coefficient of the conserved O ( 4 ) charges is small, it is clearly visible both in the restored phase and with finite explicit symmetry breaking, and its dynamical scaling is again consistent with ζ = 3 / 2 . We determine a new set of universal dynamical critical amplitude ratios relating the diffusion coefficient to a suitably defined order parameter relaxation time. We also show that in a finite volume simulation, the chiral condensate diffuses on the coset manifold in a manner consistent with dynamical scaling, and with a diffusion coefficient that is determined by the transport coefficients of hydrodynamic pions. Finally, the amplitude ratios (together with other nonuniversal amplitudes also reported here) compile all relevant information for further studies of model G both in and out of equilibrium. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hidden pion varieties in composite models for diphoton resonances

The diphoton excesses at 750 GeV seen in the LHC data may be the first hint of new physics at the TeV scale. We discuss variations of the model considered earlier, in which one or more diphoton excesses arise from composite pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons (hidden pions) associated with new strong dynamics at the TeV scale. We study the case in which the 750 GeV excess arises from a unique hidden pion leading to a diphoton final state as well as the case in which it arises from one of the hidden pions decaying into diphotons. We consider SU(N), SO(N), and Sp(N) gauge groups for the strong dynamics and find that SO(N) and Sp(N) models give extra hidden pions beyond those in the SU(N) models, which can be used to discriminate among models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pion distribution amplitude from lattice QCD

Here, we introduce the first lattice-QCD calculation of the pion distribution amplitude using the large-momentum effective field theory (LaMET) approach, which allows us to extract light cone parton observables from a Euclidean lattice. The mass corrections needed to extract the pion distribution amplitude from this approach are calculated to all orders in $m^{2}_{π}$/$P^{2}_{z}$. Furthermore, we implement the Wilson-line renormalization which is crucial to remove the power divergences in this approach, and find that it reduces the oscillation at the end points of the distribution amplitude. Our exploratory result at 310-MeV pion mass favors a single-hump form broader than the asymptotic form of the pion distribution amplitude.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Pion and kaon valence quark distribution functions from Dyson-Schwinger equations

Using realistic quark propagators and meson Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes based on the Dyson-Schwinger equations, we calculate the pion and kaon's valence parton distribution functions (PDF) through the modified impulse approximation. The PDFs we obtained at hadronic scale have the purely valence characteristic and exhibit both dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects. A new calculation technique is introduced to determine the valence PDFs with precision. Through next-to-leading order (NLO) evolution, our result is compared with pion and kaon valence PDF data at experimental scale. Good agreement is found in the case of pion, while deviation emerges for kaon. We point out this situation can potentially be resolved by incorporating gluon contributions into the mesons if the pion hosts more gluons than kaon nonperturbatively.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗