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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Lepto-axiogenesis in minimal $\mathrm{SUSY}$ $\mathrm{KSVZ}$ model

We study the lepto-axiogenesis scenario in the minimal supersymmetric KSVZ axion model. Only one Peccei-Quinn (PQ) field and vector-like fields are introduced besides the MSSM with the type-I see-saw mechanism. The PQ field is stabilized by the radiative correction induced by the Yukawa couplings with the vector-like fields introduced in the KSVZ model. We develop a way to follow the dynamics of the PQ field, in particular we found a semi-analytical solution which describes the rotational motion under the log-arithmic potential with including the thermalization effect via the gluon scattering which preserves the PQ symmetry. Based on the solution, we studied the baryon asymmetry, the effective number of neutrino, and the dark matter density composed of the axion and the neutralino. We found that the baryon asymmetry is successfully explained when the mass of PQ field is $\mathcal{O}$(10 6 GeV) ($\mathcal{O}$(10 5 GeV)) with the power of the PQ breaking term being 10 (8).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electromagnetic radiation from axion condensates in a time dependent magnetic field

Time dependent magnetic fields can be sourced by spinning neutron stars, orbiting binaries and merging neutron stars. We consider electromagnetic radiation from axion condensates in the background of an alternating magnetic field. We find that a resonant peak in radiation can occur when the frequency of the alternating magnetic field is comparable with the axion mass scale. More interestingly, in situations where the frequency of the alternating magnetic field itself changes with time, as can be the case in binary mergers due to a steady increase in orbital frequency, the resonant peak in radiation may occur for a range of axion mass scales scanned by the time-varying magnetic field frequency.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

$\mathrm{FIMP}$ dark matter in heterotic $\mathrm{M}$-theory

Within the context of N = 1 supersymmetric heterotic M-theory, we present a “freeze-in” mechanism for producing dark matter via a “moduli portal” between the observable and hidden sectors. It is assumed that the observable sector consists of the MSSM or some physically acceptable extension of it, while the hidden sector is chosen to satisfy all physical and mathematical constraints. Dark matter production processes are examined for two fundamental types of hidden sectors; those whose gauge bundle structure group contains an anomalous U(1) and those whose structure group is non-Abelian and anomaly free. The couplings of the dilaton and the “universal” modulus to all fields of the observable and hidden sectors are presented and analyzed. These interactions are then combined to produce a moduli portal from a thermal bath of observable sector particles to the hidden sector. These processes are then analyzed for both anomalous and non-anomalous cases. It is shown that only the uncharged hidden sector matter scalars can play the role of dark matter and that these are predominantly produced during the “reheating” epoch on the observable sector. Within the context of both an anomalous and non-anomalous hidden sector, we calculated the dark matter “relic density”. We show that in both cases, for a wide choice of moduli vacua, one can correctly predict the observed relic density. For the anomalous U(1) case, we choose a specific physically acceptable vacuum within the context of the B - L MSSM and show that one precisely obtains the measured dark matter relic abundance.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Catalyzed baryogenesis

A novel mechanism, “catalyzed baryogenesis”, is proposed to explain the observed baryon asymmetry in our universe. In this mechanism, the motion of a ball-like catalyst provides the necessary out-of-equilibrium condition, its outer wall has CP-violating interactions with the Standard Model particles, and its interior has baryon number violating interactions. We use the electroweak-symmetric ball model as an example of such a catalyst. In this model, electroweak sphalerons inside the ball are active and convert baryons into leptons. The observed baryon number asymmetry can be produced for a light ball mass and a large ball radius. Due to direct detection constraints on relic balls, we consider a scenario in which the balls evaporate, leading to dark radiation at testable levels.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Absolute entropy and the observer’s no-boundary state

We investigate the no-boundary proposal for closed universes with an observer. We argue that the observer’s no-boundary state is the identity operator on the physical Hilbert space, i.e., the maximum entropy state and show this explicitly in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity. Geometrically, the no-boundary state is a bra-ket wormhole. Expectation values in the no-boundary state provide a trace for the observer’s algebra, which allows one to define von Neumann entropy for observers in different universes as the relative entropy with respect to the no-boundary state. This result is consistent with all previously discussed cases of traces for invariantly defined regions.

Cosmological models↗
DOE OSTI2021

Emergent unitarity in de Sitter from matrix integrals

We study Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity with positive cosmological constant as a model for de Sitter quantum gravity. We focus on the quantum mechanics of the model at past and future infinity. There is a Hilbert space of asymptotic states and an infinite-time evolution operator between the far past and far future. This evolution is not unitary, although we find that it acts unitarily on a subspace up to non-perturbative corrections. These corrections come from processes which involve changes in the spatial topology, including the nucleation of baby universes. There is significant evidence that this 1+1 dimensional model is dual to a 0+0 dimensional matrix integral in the double-scaled limit. So the bulk quantum mechanics, including the Hilbert space and approximately unitary evolution, emerge from a classical integral. We find that this emergence is a robust consequence of the level repulsion of eigenvalues along with the double scaling limit, and so is rather universal in random matrix theory.

2D gravity↗
DOE OSTI2022

Searching for ultra-light bosons and constraining black hole spin distributions with stellar tidal disruption events

Stars that pass close to the supermassive black holes located in the center of galaxies can be disrupted by tidal forces, leading to flares that are observed as bright transient events in sky surveys. The rate for these events to occur depends on the black hole spins, which in turn can be affected by ultra-light bosons due to superradiance. We perform a detailed analysis of these effects and show that searches for stellar tidal disruptions have the potential to uncover the existence of ultra-light bosons. In particular, we find that upcoming stellar tidal disruption rate measurements by the Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time can be used to either discover or rule out bosons with masses ranging from 10 –20 to 10 –18 eV. Our analysis also indicates that these measurements may be used to constrain a variety of supermassive black hole spin distributions and determine if close-to maximal spins are preferred.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Primordial gravitational waves from black hole evaporation in standard and nonstandard cosmologies

Gravitons radiated from light, evaporating black holes contribute to the stochastic background of gravitational waves. The spectrum of such emission depends on both the mass and the spin of the black holes, as well as on the redshifting that occurs between the black hole formation and today. This, in turn, depends on the expansion history of the Universe, which is largely unknown and unconstrained at times prior to the synthesis of light elements. Here, we explore the features of the stochastic background of gravitational waves from black hole evaporation under a broad range of possible early cosmological histories. The resulting gravitational wave signals typically peak at very high frequencies, and offer opportunities for proposed ultrahigh-frequency gravitational wave detectors. Lower-frequency peaks are also possible, albeit with a suppressed intensity that is likely well below the threshold of detectability. We find that the largest intensity peaks correspond to cosmologies dominated by fluids with equations of state that have large pressure-to-density ratios. Such scenarios can be constrained on the basis of violation of Δ⁢N eff bounds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2019

Negative Mass in Contemporary Physics, and Its Application to Propulsion

As first analyzed by Hermann Bondi in 1957, matter with negative mass is consistent with the structure of Einstein's general theory of Relativity. Although initially the concept was considered just a theoretical curiosity, negative mass, or "exotic matter," is now incorporated into the body of mainstream physics in a number of forms. Negative mass has a number of rather non-intuitive properties, which, as first noted by Bondi, and then later commented on by Forward (1990), Landis (1991), and others, results in possible applications for propulsion requiring little, or possibly no, expenditure of fuel. As pointed out by Morris and Thorne (1988) and others, negative mass (or, more strictly, a violation of the null energy condition) is also a requirement for any proposed faster than light travel. This paper presents the basic theory of negative mass, the ways by which it can manifest in contemporary physical theory, and the counterintuitive properties that result, including possible uses for interstellar propulsion. Although negative mass has moved from a theoretical curiosity to a concept fundamental to the contemporary understanding of physics, it is still not clear whether bulk negative mass can be manufactured, or if it is limited to only appearing at the cosmological scale (e.g., “dark energy:) or in the quantum (e.g., Casimir vacuum) limit. If it can be manufactured, the propulsion applications would be significant.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Negative Mass in Contemporary Physics and its Application to Propulsion

As first analyzed by Hermann Bondi in 1957, matter with negative mass is consistent with the structure of Einstein's general theory of Relativity. Although initially the concept was considered just a theoretical curiosity, negative mass, or "exotic matter," is now incorporated into the body of mainstream physics in a number of forms. Negative mass has a number of rather non-intuitive properties, which, as first noted by Bondi, and then later commented on by Forward (1990), Landis (1991), and others, results in possible applications for propulsion requiring little, or possibly no, expenditure of fuel. As pointed out by Morris and Thorne (1988) and others, negative mass (or, more strictly, a violation of the null energy condition) is also a requirement for any proposed faster than light travel. This paper presents the basic theory of negative mass, the ways by which it can manifest in contemporary physical theory, and the counterintiutive properties that result, including possible uses for interstellar propulsion.Although negative mass has moved from a theoretical curiosity to a concept fundamental to the contemporary understanding of physics, it is still not clear whether bulk negative mass can be manufactured, or if it is limited to only appearing at the cosmological scale (e.g., "dark energy:) or in the quantum (e.g., Casimir vacuum) limit. If it can be manufactured, the propulsion applications would be significant.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Forecasting cosmological constraints from the weak lensing magnification of type Ia supernovae measured by the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

We report that the weak lensing magnification of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is sensitive to the clustering of matter and provides an independent cosmological probe complementary to SN Ia distance measurements. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is uniquely sensitive to this measurement as it can discover high redshift SNe Ia and measure them with high precision. We present a methodology for reconstructing the probability distribution of the weak lensing magnification μ of SNe Ia, p(μ), from observational data, and using it to constrain cosmological parameters. We find that the reconstructed p(μ) can be fitted accurately by a stretched Gaussian distribution and used to measure the variance of μ, ξ μ , which can be compared to theoretical predictions in a likelihood analysis. Applying our methodology to a set of realistically simulated SNe Ia expected from the Roman Space Telescope, we find that using the weak lensing magnification of the SNe Ia constrains a combination of matter density Ω m and matter clustering amplitude σ 8 . SN Ia distances alone lead to a better than 1% measurement of Ωm. The combination of SN Ia weak lensing magnification and distance measurements result in a ~10 % measurement on σ 8 . The SNe Ia from Roman will be powerful in constraining the cosmological model.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1986

Generation of fluctuations in cosmological models

The initial production of classical matter fluctuations in a scalar quantum field theory in curved spacetime is discussed. It is shown how quantum fluctuations generate classical matter inhomogeneities, and that the resulting spectrum is scale invariant. The relevant events that occur before the scale leaves the Hubble radius are studied.

Brandenberger, Robert H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Three puzzles in cosmology

Cosmology presents us with several puzzles that are related to the fundamental structure of quantum theory. We discuss three such puzzles, linking them to effects that arise in black hole physics. We speculate that puzzles in cosmology may be resolved by the vecro structure of the vacuum that resolves the information paradox and the “bags of gold” problem for black holes.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantum gravity phenomenology in the infrared

Quantum gravity effects are traditionally tied to short distances and high energies. In this essay, we argue that, perhaps surprisingly, quantum gravity may have important consequences for the phenomenology of the infrared. We center our discussion around a conception of quantum gravity involving a notion of quantum spacetime that arises in metastring theory. This theory allows for an evolution of a cosmological Universe in which string-dual degrees of freedom decouple as the Universe ages. Importantly, such an implementation of quantum gravity allows for the inclusion of a fundamental length scale without introducing the fundamental breaking of Lorentz symmetry. The mechanism seems to have potential for an entirely novel source for dark matter/energy. The simplest observational consequences of this scenario may very well be residual infrared modifications that emerge through the evolution of the Universe.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1972

Hamiltonian cosmology.

The study of cosmological models by means of equations of motion in Hamiltonian form is considered. Hamiltonian methods applied to gravity seem to go back to Rosenfeld (1930), who constructed a quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian for linearized general relativity theory. The first to notice that cosmologies provided a simple model in which to demonstrate features of Hamiltonian formulation was DeWitt (1967). Applications of the ADM formalism to homogeneous cosmologies are discussed together with applications of the Hamiltonian formulation, giving attention also to Bianchi-type universes. Problems involving the concept of superspace and techniques of quantization are investigated.

Ryan, M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Theory and Simulations of Emergent Geometry in Quantum Gravity (Final Technical Report)

This is the final technical report for the QuantISED Award to PIs Hartman, Ginsparg, and McMahon at Cornell University, outlining the goals of the research project and summarizing its main technical achievements. These include the discovery of new non-perturbative effects in quantum gravity known as replica wormholes which play an important role in the black hole information paradox, new methods to study cosmological spacetimes using the tools of holographic duality, and new experimental results on error mitigation in quantum computing.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cosmological implications of Kalb-Ramond-like particles

The Kalb-Ramond field is an antisymmetric, rank-two tensor field which most notably appears in the context of string theory, but has largely been unexplored in the context of cosmology. In this work, motivated by the Kalb-Ramond field in string theory, and antisymmetric tensor fields that emerge in effective field theories ranging from particle physics to condensed matter, we study the primordial production of interacting massive Kalb-Ramond-like-particles (KRLPs). KRLPs contain features of both dark photon and axion models, which can be appreciated via their duality properties. While the massless non-interacting KRLP is dual to a pseudoscalar, and the massive non-interacting KRLP is dual to a pseudovector, the interacting massive KRLP can be distinguished from its scalar and vector counterparts. We study early-universe production of KRLPs via the freeze-in mechanism, considering a ‘dark photon-like’ interaction, an ‘axion-like’ interaction, and a ‘Higgs portal’ interaction, as well as production via cosmological gravitational particle production. We find that as a dark matter candidate, KRLPs can be produced by all of the above mechanisms and account for the relic density of dark matter today for a wide range of masses. Finally, we comment on the potential to obtain both warm and cold dark matter subcomponents, and speculate on observational and experimental prospects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗