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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

The black hole weak gravity conjecture with multiple charges

We study the effect of higher-derivative corrections on asymptotically flat, fourdimensional, dyonic black holes in low-energy models of gravity coupled to N U(1) gauge fields. For large extremal black holes, the leading O (1/Q 2 ) correction to the extremality bound is calculated from the most general low-energy effective action containing operators with up to four derivatives. Motivated by the multi-charge generalization of the Weak Gravity Conjecture, we analyze the necessary kinematic conditions for an asymptotically large extremal black hole to decay into a multi-particle state of extremal black holes. In the large black hole regime, we show that the convex hull condition degenerates to the requirement that a certain quartic form constructed from the Wilson coefficients of the fourderivative effective operators, is everywhere positive. Using on-shell unitarity methods, we show that higher-derivative operators are renormalized at one-loop only if they generate local, on-shell matrix elements that are invariant tensors of the electromagnetic duality group U(N). The one-loop logarithmic running of the four-derivative Wilson coefficients is calculated and shown to imply the positivity of the extremality form at some finite value of Q 2 . This result generalizes an argument recently given by Charles [1], and shows that under the given assumptions the multi-charge Weak Gravity Conjecture is not a Swampland criterion.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The constructive method for massive particles in QED

The constructive method of determining amplitudes from on-shell pole structure has been shown to be promising for calculating amplitudes in a more efficient way. However, challenges have been encountered when a massless internal photon is involved in the gluing of three-point amplitudes with massive external particles. In this paper, we use the original on-shell method, old-fashioned perturbation theory, to shed light on the constructive method, and show that one can derive the Feynman amplitude by correctly identifying the residue even when there is an internal photon involved.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scattering amplitudes for monopoles: pairwise little group and pairwise helicity

On-shell methods are particularly suited for exploring the scattering of electrically and magnetically charged objects, for which there is no local and Lorentz invariant Lagrangian description. In this paper we show how to construct a Lorentz-invariant S-matrix for the scattering of electrically and magnetically charged particles, without ever having to refer to a Dirac string. A key ingredient is a revision of our fundamental understanding of multi-particle representations of the Poincaré group. Surprisingly, the asymptotic states for electric-magnetic scattering transform with an additional little group phase, associated with pairs of electrically and magnetically charged particles. The corresponding “pairwise helicity” is identified with the quantized “cross product” of charges, e 1 g 2 - e 2 g 1 , for every charge-monopole pair, and represents the extra angular momentum stored in the asymptotic electromagnetic field. We define a new kind of pairwise spinor-helicity variable, which serves as an additional building block for electric-magnetic scattering amplitudes. We then construct the most general 3-point S-matrix elements, as well as the full partial wave decomposition for the 2 → 2 fermion-monopole S-matrix. In particular, we derive the famous helicity flip in the lowest partial wave as a simple consequence of a generalized spin-helicity selection rule, as well as the full angular dependence for the higher partial waves. Our construction provides a significant new achievement for the on-shell program, succeeding where the Lagrangian description has so far failed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Top tree amplitudes for higher order calculations

We present compact analytic results for tree-level amplitudes containing a $t\bar{t}$ pair accompanied by up to four massless partons $t\bar{t}gg$, $t\bar{t}ggg$, $t\bar{t}gggg$, $t\bar{t}q\bar{q}$, $t\bar{t}q\bar{q}g$, $t\bar{t}q\bar{q}gg$, and $t\bar{t}q\bar{q}q'\bar{q'}$. The results, obtained using BCFW on-shell recursion, are based both on previous published results and on the new calculations performed in this paper. These amplitudes are sufficient to calculate the production of a $t\bar{t}$ pair and zero, one, or two light parton jets, with the option to include the tree-level decays t → bνe + and $\bar{t} → \bar{b}e^-\bar{v}$ efficiently. Our results are part of the NNLO corrections to $t\bar{t}$ production including the decay correlations for on-shell top quarks.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Landau diagrams in AdS and S-matrices from conformal correlators

Quantum field theories in AdS generate conformal correlation functions on the boundary, and in the limit where AdS is nearly flat one should be able to extract an S-matrix from such correlators. We discuss a particularly simple position-space procedure to do so. It features a direct map from boundary positions to (on-shell) momenta and thereby relates cross ratios to Mandelstam invariants. This recipe succeeds in several examples, includes the momentum-conserving delta functions, and can be shown to imply the two proposals in based on Mellin space and on the OPE data. Interestingly the procedure does not always work: the Landau singularities of a Feynman diagram are shown to be part of larger regions, to be called ‘bad regions’, where the flat-space limit of the Witten diagram diverges. To capture these divergences we introduce the notion of Landau diagrams in AdS. As in flat space, these describe on-shell particles propagating over large distances in a complexified space, with a form of momentum conservation holding at each bulk vertex. As an application we recover the anomalous threshold of the four-point triangle diagram at the boundary of a bad region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scattering amplitudes for all masses and spins

We introduce a formalism for describing four-dimensional scattering amplitudes for particles of any mass and spin. This naturally extends the familiar spinor-helicity formalism for massless particles to one where these variables carry an extra SU(2) little group index for massive particles, with the amplitudes for spin Sparticles transforming as symmetric rank 2S tensors. We systematically characterise all possible three particle amplitudes compatible with Poincare symmetry. Unitarity, in the form of consistent factorization, imposes algebraic conditions that can be used to construct all possible four-particle tree amplitudes. This also gives us a convenient basis in which to expand all possible four-particle amplitudes in terms of what can be called “spinning polynomials”. Many general results of quantum field theory follow the analysis of four-particle scattering, ranging from the set of all possible consistent theories for massless particles, to spin-statistics, and the Weinberg-Witten theorem. We also find a transparent understanding for why massive particles of sufficiently high spin cannot be “elementary”. The Higgs and Super-Higgs mechanisms are naturally discovered as an infrared unification of many disparate helicity amplitudes into a smaller number of massive amplitudes, with a simple understanding for why this can’t be extended to Higgsing for gravitons. We illustrate a number of applications of the formalism at one-loop, giving few-line computations of the electron (g - 2) as well as the beta function and rational terms in QCD. “Off-shell” observables like correlation functions and form-factors can be thought of as scattering amplitudes with external “probe” particles of general mass and spin, so all these objects — amplitudes, form factors and correlators, can be studied from a common on-shell perspective.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A tale of two saddles

We find a new on-shell replica wormhole in a computation of the generating functional of JT gravity coupled to matter. We show that this saddle has lower action than the disconnected one, and that it is stable under restriction to real Lorentzian sections, but can be unstable otherwise. The behavior of the classical generating functional thus may be strongly dependent on the signature of allowed perturbations. As part of our analysis, we give an LM-style construction for computing the on-shell action of replicated manifolds even as the number of boundaries approaches zero, including a type of one-step replica symmetry breaking that is necessary to capture the contribution of the new saddle. Our results are robust against quantum corrections; in fact, we find evidence that such corrections may sometimes stabilize this new saddle.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Near conformal perturbation theory in SYK type models

We present a systematic procedure to extract the dynamics of the low energy soft mode in SYK type models with a single energy scale J and emergent reparametrization symmetry in the IR. This is given in the framework of the perturbative scheme of arXiv:1608.07567 based on a specific (off-shell) breaking of conformal invariance in the UV, adjusted to yield the exact large-N saddle point. While this breaking term formally vanishes on-shell, it has a non-trivial effect on correlation functions and the effective action. In particular, it leads to the Schwarzian action with a specific coupling to bi-local matter. The method is applied to the evaluation of O(1) corrections to the correlation function of bi-locals. As a byproduct we confirm precise agreement with the explicit, symmetry breaking procedure. We provide a verification in the large q limit (Liouville theory), where the correlators can be calculated exactly at all length scales. In this case, our scheme illuminates how the enhanced O(J) and the subleading O(1) contributions originate from the Schwarzian dynamics of the soft mode and its interaction with h = 2 (bi-local) matter.

1/N expansion↗

Forecasting dark showers at Belle II

Dark showers from strongly interacting dark sectors that confine at the GeV scale can give rise to novel signatures at e + e - colliders. In this work, we study the sensitivity of B factory experiments to dark showers produced through an effective interaction arising from a heavy off-shell mediator. We show that a prospective search for displaced vertices from GeV-scale long-lived particles at Belle II can improve the sensitivity to dark showers substantially compared to an existing search at BaBar. We compare the sensitivity of searches for displaced signals to searches for promptly produced resonances at BaBar and KLOE and calculate sensitivity projections for a single-photon search at Belle II to invisible dark showers produced through an effective interaction. The underlying structure of the effective interaction can be resolved at higher-energy experiments, where the mediator can be produced on-shell. To study the resulting constraints, we update electroweak precision bounds on kinetically mixed Z' bosons and reinterpret a search for low-mass di-muon resonances at LHCb in terms of dark showers. We find that LHCb and Belle II are most sensitive to different particle decay lengths, underscoring the complementarity of LHC and intensity frontier experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Non-planar BCFW Grassmannian geometries

In this paper, we study non-adjacent BCFW recursion relations and their connection to positive geometry. For an adjacent BCFW shift, the n-point N k MHV tree-level amplitude in N = 4 SYM theory is expressed as a sum over planar on-shell diagrams, corresponding to canonical “dlog” forms on the cells in the positive Grassmannian G+(k, n). Non-adjacent BCFW shifts naturally lead to an expansion of the amplitude in terms of a different set of objects, which do not manifest the cyclic ordering and the hidden Yangian symmetry of the amplitude. We show that these terms can be interpreted as dlog forms on the non-planar Grassmannian geometries, generalizing the cells of the positive Grassmannian G+(k, n) to a larger class of objects which live in G(k, n). We focus mainly on the case of NMHV amplitudes and discuss in detail the Grassmannian geometries. We also propose an alternative way to calculate the associated on-shell functions and dlog forms using an intriguing connection between Grassmannian configurations and the geometry in the kinematical space.

1/N expansion↗

Non-close-packed plasmonic Bravais lattices through a fluid interface-assisted colloidal assembly and transfer process

Abstract The assembly of colloids at fluid interfaces followed by their transfer to solid substrates represents a robust bottom-up strategy for creating colloidal monolayers over large, macroscopic areas. In this study, we showcase how subtle adjustments in the transfer process, such as varying the contact angle of the substrate and controlling deposition speed and direction, enable the realization of all five two-dimensional Bravais lattices. Leveraging plasmonic core–shell microgels as the building blocks, we successfully engineered non-close-packed plasmonic lattices exhibiting hexagonal, square, rectangular, centered rectangular, and oblique symmetries. Beyond characterizing the monolayer structures and their long-range order, we employed extinction spectroscopy alongside finite difference time domain simulations to comprehensively investigate and interpret the plasmonic response of these monolayers. Additionally, we probed the influence of the refractive index environment on the plasmonic properties by two methods: first, by plasma treatment to remove the microgel shells, and second, by overcoating the resulting gold nanoparticle lattices with a homogeneous refractive index polymer film. Graphical Abstract

Chemistry↗

Quasilinear theory: the lost ponderomotive effects and why they matter

Quasilinear theory (QLT) has been used for modeling wave–plasma interactions for decades but remains largely heuristic. Plasma inhomogeneity, ponderomotive effects, microscopic fluctuations, and collisions are not easily accommodated from first principles in QLT, and typically are ignored entirely, due to the limitations of the standard Fourier–Laplace global-mode approach. This results in inconsistencies, for example, violation of the action conservation for nonresonant waves. However, these issues can be avoided, and the theory can be substantially generalized and corrected, if QLT is formulated using more suitable analytical tools, particularly, the Weyl symbol calculus. Here, an attempt is made to deliver an accessible review of this modern formulation, provide intuitive calculations for special cases, and elaborate on the connection with the ‘oscillation-center QLT’ originally proposed by Dewar (Phys Fluids 16:1102, 1973). A Fokker–Planck equation for a ‘dressed’ distribution is derived from the Klimontovich equation and captures quasilinear diffusion, ponderomotive forces, and interactions with background fields for a generic Hamiltonian, so many known formulations of QLT for specific plasma models become corollaries of a single unifying theory. Also, waves are allowed to be off-shell (not constrained by a dispersion relation), which allows them to accommodate microscopic fluctuations. This leads to a collision integral of the Balescu–Lenard type that has all the usual properties but is not restricted to any specific plasma model. For on-shell waves, a generalized version of the classic oscillation-center QLT is obtained. Finally, combined with the wave-kinetic equation, this formulation not only conserves particles, momentum, and energy, like the classic QLT but also reinstates the action conservation for nonresonant waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Relativistic Effects From Coupled-Cluster Theory

We discuss the theory and computational challenges of the relativistic coupled-cluster methods. Example calculations of heavy-atom-containing molecules are then presented to demonstrate the importance of scalar-relativistic, spin-orbit coupling, and electron-correlation effects on molecular properties as well as the applicability and usefulness of relativistic coupled-cluster methods in calculations aiming at high-accuracy results. Here, a unique applicability of the spinor-based relativistic coupled-cluster methods is also highlighted using the calculations of open shell actinide-containing small molecules. As a result, a summary is given together with an outlook into future developments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard free energy and interfacial energies for binary alloys with pairwise interactions

The original Cahn-Hilliard derivation of the contribution of compositional inhomogeneity to the free energy of a binary alloy with pairwise interactions is extended to include higher-order inhomogeneity terms. For alloys on a cubic lattice, the coefficient of the first inhomogeneity is a second-rank tensor and reduces to a scalar, but it is shown that the second order and the third order inhomogeneity terms are weighted by fourth-rank and sixth-rank tensors, thus resulting in anisotropic contributions. Furthermore, each interaction shell generates a unique set of inhomogeneity coefficients that is determined by the set of vectors connecting an atom to its neighbors on that shell. These coefficients are calculated for fcc and bcc alloys with interactions up fourth nearest neighbors. Phase field simulations based on these extended Cahn-Hilliard free energies are performed to measure interface free energies along specific crystallographic directions as a function of temperature, and to obtain the equilibrium shape of precipitates. Interface free energies, and the resulting anisotropies, are compared to those obtained by discrete models and Monte Carlo simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Redox oxide@molten salt as a generalized catalyst design strategy for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane via selective hydrogen combustion

Here, the current study demonstrates a redox oxide @ molten salt core-shell architecture as a generalized redox catalyst design strategy for chemical looping – oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. 17 combinations of redox active oxides and molten salts were prepared, evaluated, and characterized. X-ray diffraction indicates that the redox oxides and molten salts are fully compatible, forming separate and stable phases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the molten salts aggregate at the redox oxide surface, forming a core-shell structure to block the non-selective sites responsible for CO x formation. Up to ~74% single-pass olefin yields were achieved using the proposed redox catalyst design strategy. Statistical analyses of the performance data indicate the potential to achieve up to 86.7% single-pass yield by simply optimizing the operating conditions using the redox catalysts reported in this study. Meanwhile, the generalizability of the catalyst design strategy offers exciting opportunities to further optimize the composition and performance of the redox catalysts for ethane ODH under a chemical looping scheme with significantly reduced energy consumption and CO 2 emissions.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Optimization-Inspired Pin-Fin Array for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Recuperator

Additively manufactured heat exchangers are one possible route to cost-effective sCO 2 power cycles. In this paper, experimental results are obtained for two helical pin fin tubes that were designed following parametric optimization of the fin array. Neither the numerical optimization nor the experimental testing have been previously reported in the literature. The two tube designs were, (1) the optimization inspired design, and (2) the optimization-inspired design with a fin diameter increased by a factor of 2. To characterize the print, the designs were scanned using X-ray computed tomography to measure feature sizes and heat transfer area. The optimization was conducted in a commercial, computational fluid dynamics code. The code solved the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and energy equations with turbulence closure provided by the shear stress transport (SST) k-ω model. In the experiments, the Nusselt number augmentation was measured using the Wilson plot technique and the friction factor was determined with mass flow and pressure drop measurements. The experimental testing indicated that the optimization-inspired design had a friction factor that was four times less than the baseline tube design at equal Nusselt number. Additionally, the optimization-inspired design had a 14% improvement in Nusselt number, at equal friction factor, relative to the best performing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) trial points. Tube design (2), with the larger diameter pin fins, had similar performance, within experimental error, as the tube with the smaller diameter pin fins (1). Both tubes achieved overall fin array efficiencies near 1. A performance factor, V/V 0 , equal to the volume of the enhanced heat exchanger divided by the volume of the baseline (no-fins) heat exchanger, is recommended to quantify internal cooling performance. In conclusion, the experimental shell and tube heat exchanger, using the additively manufactured tube, is competitive with printed circuit heat exchangers in its pressure drop class and could be further improved by optimizing a shell-and-tube heat exchanger utilizing this heat transfer enhancement feature.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Nitrogen-doped graphene-wrapped Cu 2 S as a superior anode in sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been attracting an ever-growing research interest, mainly ascribed to their cost-effectiveness. However, SIBs have been significantly hindered by lack of a suitable anode. Herein, an exceptional Cu 2 S-based composite anode is developed via a facile ball-milling method, in which Cu 2 S particles are wrapped by nitrogen-doped graphene sheets (Cu 2 S@NG). This Cu 2 S@NG composite anode enables extremely long cycling life, ultra-stable cyclability with high capacity, and excellent rate capability. The superior performance of the Cu 2 S@NG composite is owing to its intriguing core-shell structure and the exceptional properties of both the Cu 2 S and NG. In this study, it is found that the NG shell yields multiple merits in improving the performance of Cu 2 S: (i) mitigating the loss of active materials, (ii) constituting a stable interface, (iii) providing improved electrical conductivity and good ionic transfer, and (iv) enhancing mechanical integrity. Additionally, the vital effects of different voltage windows and a surface coating via atomic layer deposition on further enhancing performance are clarified. Significantly, the electrochemical mechanism of Cu 2 S during sodiation/desodiation is unveiled using advanced synchrotron-based in-situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. This work represents a great advance in seeking high-performance anodes in SIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 based redox catalysts for chemical looping – Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane: Effects of Na 2 MoO 4 promoter and degree of reduction on the reaction kinetics

Reduction kinetics and stability of 20 wt% Na 2 MoO 4 -promoted CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 were investigated for its applications in Chemical Looping – Oxidative Dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) of ethane, a potential alternative for ethylene production with higher efficiency and lower emissions. Here, the present work reports a kinetics model and parameters for a Na 2 MoO 4 -promoted, Ti-doped CaMnO 3 (CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 ) redox catalyst under H 2 and C 2 H 4 . A first-order reaction model provides the best fit for the reduction of Na 2 MoO 4 /CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 under H 2 , while the C 2 H 4 reduction is well described by an Avrami–Erofe’ev model. The activation energy for C 2 H 4 oxidation is approximately three times higher than that for H 2 conversion, showing that the activation of C 2 H 4 is significantly more difficult on the surface of the redox catalyst. The reduction rate of Na 2 MoO 4 /CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 under H 2 at 750 °C is more than two orders of magnitude greater than that under C 2 H 4 , while the reduction rate of unpromoted CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 is comparable under H 2 and C 2 H 4 , showing that the addition of Na 2 MoO 4 effectively suppresses C 2 H 4 combustion relative to H 2 oxidation. The kinetics results for Na 2 MoO 4 /CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 confirm its excellent selectivity towards hydrogen combustion, making it a promising candidate under CL-ODH. Additionally, the stability of the CaMn 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 3 @ Na 2 MoO 4 core-shell structure, which was the underlying reason for the excellent selectivity, was examined under both shallow and deep reductions. It was determined that deep reduction of the redox catalyst, e.g. higher than 80% solid conversion, would lead to loss of sodium and hence to decreased selectivity for hydrogen combustion. In contrast, the core-shell structure was well-maintained, exhibiting excellent performance after 50 redox cycles when deep reduction of the redox catalyst was avoided. This study offers a basis for both the CL-ODH reactor design and redox catalyst optimizations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗