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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 1,351 records · Page 75
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Vortex in superconducting thin-film strips of arbitrary width

We report the currents and field distributions of a vortex in a thin superconducting strip of a width W are considered. It is shown that unlike infinite films where the vortex field crosses the film only in one direction (say, from the half-space under the film to the half-space above it), in strips (as well as in finite size film samples of any shape) the field lines go back to the lower half-space not only out of the sample but also through certain strip parts. The strip patches where the magnetic lines 'dive' back to the space under the strip are situated mostly near the strip edges, at the strip and out of it. The magnetic flux through the strip associated with the vortex is shown to be less than the flux quantum and depends on the vortex position. The suppression of the vortex flux is strong in narrow strips with W $\ll$ Λ = 2λ 2 /d where λ is the bulk London penetration depth and d is the film thickness. The vortex energy scales roughly with W/Λ and depends on vortex position.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Cosmological perturbations from a spectator field during inflation

In this paper we will discuss analytically the perturbations created from a slowly rolling subdominant spectator field which decays much before the end of inflation. The quantum fluctuations of such a spectator field can seed perturbations on very large scales and explain the temperature anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background radiation with moderate non-Gaussianity, provided the relevant modes leave the Hubble patch while the spectator is slowly rolling. Furthermore, the perturbations are purely adiabatic since the inflaton decay dominates and creates all the Standard Model degrees of freedom. We will provide two examples for the spectator field potential, one with a step function profile, and the other with an inflection point. In both the cases we will compute higher order curvature perturbations, i.e. local bispectrum and trispectrum, which can be constrained by the forthcoming Planck data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Charting an Inflationary Landscape with Random Matrix Theory

We construct a class of random potentials for N >> 1 scalar fields using non-equilibrium random matrix theory, and then characterize multifield inflation in this setting. By stipulating that the Hessian matrices in adjacent coordinate patches are related by Dyson Brownian motion, we define the potential in the vicinity of a trajectory. This method remains computationally efficient at large N, permitting us to study much larger systems than has been possible with other constructions. We illustrate the utility of our approach with a numerical study of inflation in systems with up to 100 coupled scalar fields. A significant finding is that eigenvalue repulsion sharply reduces the duration of inflation near a critical point of the potential: even if the curvature of the potential is fine-tuned to be small at the critical point, small cross-couplings in the Hessian cause the curvature to grow in the neighborhood of the critical point.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Predicting a prior for Planck

The quantum state of the universe combined with the structure of the landscape potential implies a prior that specifies predictions for observations. We compute the prior for CMB related observables given by the no-boundary wave function (NBWF) in a landscape model that includes a range of inflationary patches representative of relatively simple single-field models. In this landscape the NBWF predicts our classical cosmological background emerges from a region of eternal inflation associated with a plateau-like potential. The spectra of primordial fluctuations on observable scales are characteristic of concave potentials, in excellent agreement with the Planck data. By contrast, alternative theories of initial conditions that strongly favor inflation at high values of the potential are disfavored by observations in this landscape.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Riemann correlator in de Sitter including loop corrections from conformal fields

The Riemann correlator with appropriately raised indices characterizes in a gauge-invariant way the quantum metric fluctuations around de Sitter spacetime including loop corrections from matter fields. Specializing to conformal fields and employing a method that selects the de Sitter-invariant vacuum in the Poincaré patch, we obtain the exact result for the Riemann correlator through order H{sup 4}/m{sub p}{sup 4}. The result is expressed in a manifestly de Sitter-invariant form in terms of maximally symmetric bitensors. Its behavior for both short and long distances (sub- and superhorizon scales) is analyzed in detail. Furthermore, by carefully taking the flat-space limit, the explicit result for the Riemann correlator for metric fluctuations around Minkowki spacetime is also obtained. Although the main focus is on free scalar fields (our calculation corresponds then to one-loop order in the matter fields), the result for general conformal field theories is also derived.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Lensing reconstruction from a patchwork of polarization maps

The lensing signals involved in CMB polarization maps have already been measured with ground-based experiments such as SPTpol and POLARBEAR, and would become important as a probe of cosmological and astrophysical issues in the near future. Sizes of polarization maps from ground-based experiments are, however, limited by contamination of long wavelength modes of observational noise. To further extract the lensing signals, we explore feasibility of measuring lensing signals from a collection of small sky maps each of which is observed separately by a ground-based large telescope, i.e., lensing reconstruction from a patchwork map of large sky coverage organized from small sky patches. We show that, although the B-mode power spectrum obtained from the patchwork map is biased due to baseline uncertainty, bias on the lensing potential would be negligible if the B-mode on scales larger than the blowup scale of 1/f noise is removed in the lensing reconstruction. As examples of cosmological applications, we also show 1) the cross-correlations between the reconstructed lensing potential and full-sky temperature/polarization maps from satellite missions such as PLANCK and LiteBIRD, and 2) the use of the reconstructed potential for delensing B-mode polarization of LiteBIRD observation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Computation of the halo mass function using physical collapse parameters: application to non-standard cosmologies

In this article we compare the halo mass function predicted by the excursion set theory with a drifting diffusive barrier against the results of N-body simulations for several cosmological models. This includes the standard ΛCDM case for a large range of halo masses, models with different types of primordial non-Gaussianity, and the Ratra-Peebles quintessence model of Dark Energy. We show that in all those cosmological scenarios, the abundance of dark matter halos can be described by a drifting diffusive barrier, where the two parameters describing the barrier have physical content. In the case of the Gaussian ΛCDM, the statistics are precise enough to actually predict those parameters at different redshifts from the initial conditions. Furthermore, we found that the stochasticity in the barrier is non-negligible making the simple deterministic spherical collapse model a bad approximation even at very high halo masses. We also show that using the standard excursion set approach with a barrier inspired by peak patches leads to inconsistent predictions of the halo mass function.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Parity-violating and anisotropic correlations in pseudoscalar inflation

A pseudo-scalar inflaton field can have interesting phenomenological signatures associated with parity violation. The existing analyses of these signatures typically assume statistical isotropy. In the present work we instead investigate the possibility that a pseudo-scalar inflaton is coupled to a vector field carrying a small but non-negligible vacuum expectation value (vev) coherent over our Hubble patch. We show that, in such case, correlators involving the primordial curvature perturbations and gravitational waves violate both statistical isotropy and parity symmetry. We compute the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature anisotropies (T) and polarization (E/B) generated by these primordial modes. The CMB two-point correlation functions present distinct signals of broken rotational and parity invariance. Specifically, we find non-vanishing TT, TE, EE and BB correlators between ℓ{sub 1} and ℓ{sub 2} = ℓ{sub 1} ± 1 multipoles, and non-vanishing TB and EB correlators between ℓ{sub 1} and ℓ{sub 2} = ℓ{sub 1} ± 2 multipoles. Such signatures are specific of the models under consideration and they cannot be generated if one of parity and isotropy is preserved. As a specific example we consider the simple case in which the vector field has just an ''electric'' background component decaying in the standard way as a{sup −2}. In this case a strong scale-dependent quadrupolar modulation of the primordial power spectra is generated and we find that almost noiseless data of the large-scale temperature and E-mode polarization anisotropies (like, e.g., the ones provided by WMAP or Planck) should be able to constrain the quadrupolar amplitude coefficients g{sub 2M} of the primordial scalar power spectrum (normalized at the pivot scale comparable to the present horizon size k{sup −1}{sub 0} = 14 Gpc) down to g{sub 2M} = 30 (68%CL)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Deriving super-horizon curvature perturbations from the dynamics of preheating

We present a framework for calculating super-horizon curvature perturbation from the dynamics of preheating, which gives a reasonable match to the lattice results. Hubble patches with different initial background field values evolve differently. From the bifurcation of their evolution trajectories we find curvature perturbation using Lyapunov theorem and δ N formulation. In this way we have established a connection between the finer dynamics of preheating and the curvature perturbation produced in this era. From the calculated analytical form of the curvature perturbation we have derived the effective super-horizon curvature perturbation smoothed out on large scales of CMB. The order of the amount of local form non-gaussianity generated in this process has been calculated and problems regarding the precise determination of it have been pointed out.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cosmological signatures of anisotropic spatial curvature

If one is willing to give up the cherished hypothesis of spatial isotropy, many interesting cosmological models can be developed beyond the simple anisotropically expanding scenarios. One interesting possibility is presented by shear-free models in which the anisotropy emerges at the level of the curvature of the homogeneous spatial sections, whereas the expansion is dictated by a single scale factor. We show that such models represent viable alternatives to describe the large-scale structure of the inflationary universe, leading to a kinematically equivalent Sachs-Wolfe effect. Through the definition of a complete set of spatial eigenfunctions we compute the two-point correlation function of scalar perturbations in these models. In addition, we show how such scenarios would modify the spectrum of the CMB assuming that the observations take place in a small patch of a universe with anisotropic curvature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dissipative dark matter and the Andromeda plane of satellites

We show that dissipative dark matter can potentially explain the large observed mass to light ratio of the dwarf satellite galaxies that have been observed in the recently identified planar structure around Andromeda, which are thought to result from tidal forces during a galaxy merger. Whereas dwarf galaxies created from ordinary disks would be dark matter poor, dark matter inside the galactic plane not only provides a source of dark matter, but one that is more readily bound due to the dark matter's lower velocity. This initial N-body study shows that with a thin disk of dark matter inside the baryonic disk, mass-to-light ratios as high as O(90) can be generated when tidal forces pull out patches of sizes similar to the scales of Toomre instabilities of the dark disk. A full simulation will be needed to confirm this result.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Search for a direction in the forest of Lyman-α

We report the first test of isotropy of the Universe using the Lyman-α forest data from the high redshift quasars (z>2) (the signal from the matter dominated epoch) from SDSS-III BOSS-DR9 datasets. Using some specified data cuts, we obtain the probability distribution function (PDF) of the Lyman-α forest transmitted flux and use the statistical moments of the PDF to address the isotropy of the Universe. In an isotropic Universe one would expect the transmitted flux to have consistent statistical characteristics in different parts of the sky. We trisect the total survey area of 3275 deg{sup 2} along the galactic latitude and using quadrant convention. We also make three subdivisions in the data for three different signal-to-noise-ratios (SNR). Finally we obtain and compare the statistical moments in the mean redshifts of 2.3, 2.6 and 2.9. We find, that the moments from all patches overall agree at all redshifts and at all SNRs. Since Lyman-α transmitted flux directly maps the neutral hydrogen distribution in the inter galactic medium (IGM), our results indicate, within the limited survey area and sensitivity of the data, the distribution of the neutral hydrogen in the Universe is consistent with isotropic distribution. Increase in survey area and larger amount of data are needed to perform this isotropy test in a bigger domain and different directions in the sky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Axion-photon propagation in magnetized universe

Oscillations between photons and axion-like particles (ALP) travelling in intergalactic magnetic fields have been invoked to explain a number of astrophysical phenomena, or used to constrain ALP properties using observations. One example is the anomalous transparency of the universe to TeV gamma rays. The intergalactic magnetic field is usually modeled as patches of coherent domains, each with a uniform magnetic field, but the field orientation changes randomly from one domain to the next (''discrete-φ model''). We show in this paper that in more realistic situations, when the magnetic field direction varies continuously along the propagation path, the photon-to-ALP conversion probability P can be significantly different from the discrete-φ model. In particular, P has a distinct dependence on the photon energy and ALP mass, and can be as large as 100%. This result can affect previous constraints on ALP properties based on ALP-photon propagation in intergalactic magnetic fields, such as TeV photons from distant Active Galactic Nucleus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Simulating the universe(s) III: observables for the full bubble collision spacetime

This is the third paper in a series establishing a quantitative relation between inflationary scalar field potential landscapes and the relic perturbations left by the collision between bubbles produced during eternal inflation. We introduce a new method for computing cosmological observables from numerical relativity simulations of bubble collisions in one space and one time dimension. This method tiles comoving hypersurfaces with locally-perturbed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker coordinate patches. The method extends previous work, which was limited to the spacetime region just inside the future light cone of the collision, and allows us to explore the full bubble-collision spacetime. We validate our new methods against previous work, and present a full set of predictions for the comoving curvature perturbation and local negative spatial curvature produced by identical and non-identical bubble collisions, in single scalar field models of eternal inflation. In both collision types, there is a non-zero contribution to the spatial curvature and cosmic microwave background quadrupole. Some collisions between non-identical bubbles excite wall modes, giving extra structure to the predicted temperature anisotropies. We comment on the implications of our results for future observational searches. For non-identical bubble collisions, we also find that the surfaces of constant field can readjust in the presence of a collision to produce spatially infinite sections that become nearly homogeneous deep into the region affected by the collision. Contrary to previous assumptions, this is true even in the bubble into which the domain wall is accelerating.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hidden in the background: a local approach to CMB anomalies

We investigate a framework aiming to provide a common origin for the large-angle anomalies detected in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which are hypothesized as the result of the statistical inhomogeneity developed by different isocurvature fields of mass m ∼ H present during inflation. The inhomogeneity arises as the combined effect of ( i ) the initial conditions for isocurvature fields (obtained after a fast-roll stage finishing many e -foldings before cosmological scales exit the horizon), ( ii ) their inflationary fluctuations and ( iii ) their coupling to other degrees of freedom. Our case of interest is when these fields (interpreted as the precursors of large-angle anomalies) leave an observable imprint only in isolated patches of the Universe. When the latter intersect the last scattering surface, such imprints arise in the CMB. Nevertheless, due to their statistically inhomogeneous nature, these imprints are difficult to detect, for they become hidden in the background similarly to the Cold Spot. We then compute the probability that a single isocurvature field becomes inhomogeneous at the end of inflation and find that, if the appropriate conditions are given (which depend exclusively on the preexisting fast-roll stage), this probability is at the percent level. Finally, we discuss several mechanisms (including the curvaton and the inhomogeneous reheating) to investigate whether an initial statistically inhomogeneous isocurvature field fluctuation might give rise to some of the observed anomalies. In particular, we focus on the Cold Spot, the power deficit at low multipoles and the breaking of statistical isotropy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Gravitational waves from axion monodromy

Large field inflation is arguably the simplest and most natural variant of slow-roll inflation. Axion monodromy may be the most promising framework for realising this scenario. As one of its defining features, the long-range polynomial potential possesses short-range, instantonic modulations. These can give rise to a series of local minima in the post-inflationary region of the potential. We show that for certain parameter choices the inflaton populates more than one of these vacua inside a single Hubble patch. This corresponds to a dynamical phase decomposition, analogously to what happens in the course of thermal first-order phase transitions. In the subsequent process of bubble wall collisions, the lowest-lying axionic minimum eventually takes over all space. Our main result is that this violent process sources gravitational waves, very much like in the case of a first-order phase transition. We compute the energy density and peak frequency of the signal, which can lie anywhere in the mHz-GHz range, possibly within reach of next-generation interferometers. We also note that this “dynamical phase decomposition' phenomenon and its gravitational wave signal are more general and may apply to other inflationary or reheating scenarios with axions and modulated potentials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Higgs boson can delay reheating after inflation

The Standard Model Higgs boson, which has previously been shown to develop an effective vacuum expectation value during inflation, can give rise to large particle masses during inflation and reheating, leading to temporary blocking of the reheating process and a lower reheat temperature after inflation. We study the effects on the multiple stages of reheating: resonant particle production (preheating) as well as perturbative decays from coherent oscillations of the inflaton field. Specifically, we study both the cases of the inflaton coupling to Standard Model fermions through Yukawa interactions as well as to Abelian gauge fields through a Chern-Simons term. We find that, in the case of perturbative inflaton decay to SM fermions, reheating can be delayed due to Higgs blocking and the reheat temperature can decrease by up to an order of magnitude. In the case of gauge-reheating, Higgs-generated masses of the gauge fields can suppress preheating even for large inflaton-gauge couplings. In extreme cases, preheating can be shut down completely and must be substituted by perturbative decay as the dominant reheating channel. Lastly, we discuss the distribution of reheat temperatures in different Hubble patches, arising from the stochastic nature of the Higgs VEV during inflation and its implications for the generation of both adiabatic and isocurvature fluctuations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulating MADMAX in 3D: Requirements for Dielectric Axion Haloscopes

We present 3D calculations for dielectric haloscopes such as the currently envisioned MADMAX experiment. For ideal systems with perfectly flat, parallel and isotropic dielectric disks of finite diameter, we find that a geometrical form factor reduces the emitted power by up to 30% compared to earlier 1D calculations. We derive the emitted beam shape, which is important for antenna design. We show that realistic dark matter axion velocities of 10 -3 c and inhomogeneities of the external magnetic field at the scale of 10% have negligible impact on the sensitivity of MADMAX. We investigate design requirements for which the emitted power changes by less than 20% for a benchmark boost factor with a bandwidth of 50 MHz at 22 GHz, corresponding to an axion mass of 90 μeV. We find that the maximum allowed disk tilt is 100 μm divided by the disk diameter, the required disk planarity is 20 μm (min-to-max) or better, and the maximum allowed surface roughness is 100 μm (min-to-max). We show how using tiled dielectric disks glued together from multiple smaller patches can affect the beam shape and antenna coupling.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗