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At least 1,549 records · Page 86
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Boundary diffraction wave theory approach to corner diffraction

The scattering process of plane waves by a discontinuous edge contour is studied with the three dimensional boundary diffraction wave theory. The edge and corner diffracted fields are obtained from the stationary phase and edge point evaluations of the line integral. A new corner diffraction coefficient is derived. The behaviors of the uniform edge and corner diffracted waves are investigated numerically.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Observation of discrete oscillations in a model-independent plot of cosmological scale factor versus lookback time and scalar field model

We have observed damped longitudinal cosmological-scale oscillations in a unique model-independent plot of scale factor against lookback time for Type Ia supernovae data. We found several first-derivative relative maxima/minima spanning the range of reported transition redshifts. These extrema comprise two full cycles with a period of approximately 0.15 Hubble times (H{sub 0}=68 km s{sup −1} Mpc{sup −1}). This period corresponds to a fundamental frequency of approximately seven cycles over the Hubble time. Transition-z values quoted in the literature generally fall near these minima and may explain the reported wide spread up to the predicted ΛCDM value of approximately z = 0.77. We also observe second and third harmonics of the fundamental. The scale factor data is analyzed several different ways, including smoothing, Fourier transform, and autocorrelation. We propose a cosmological scalar field harmonic oscillator model for the observation. On this timescale, for a quantum scalar field, the scalar field mass is extraordinarily small at 3 × 10{sup −32} eV. Our scalar field density parameter precisely replaces the ΛCDM dark matter density parameter in the Friedmann equations, resulting in essentially identical data fits, and its present value matches the Planck value. Thus the wave is fundamentally a dark matter wave. We therefore posit that this scalar field manifests itself as the dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dynamics of the collapse of a ferromagnetic skyrmion in a centrosymmetric lattice

We report time dependence of the size and chirality of a ferromagnetic skyrmion in a Heisenberg model with the magnetic field on a square lattice has been studied analytically and numerically. The lattice and the magnetic field generate strong time dependence of the skyrmion chirality. Due to nonlinearity, the lattice alone also generates strong intrinsic damping that leads to the skyrmion collapse via the emission of spin waves. In the absence of the magnetic field, the collapse is slow for a large skyrmion, but it becomes exponentially fast in the presence of the Landau-Lifshitz damping when the field is turned on. Magnons emitted by a collapsing skyrmion must have a discrete spectrum due to the quantization of the skyrmion magnetic moment.

2-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simulation of an inductively coupled plasma with a two-dimensional Darwin particle-in-cell code

A two-dimensional particle-in-cell code for the simulation of low-frequency electromagnetic processes in laboratory plasmas has been developed. The code uses the Darwin method omitting the electromagnetic wave propagation. The Darwin method separates the electric field into solenoidal and irrotational parts. The solenoidal electric field is calculated with a new algorithm based on the equation for the electric field vorticity. The system of linear equations in the new algorithm is readily solved using a standard iterative method. The irrotational electric field is the electrostatic field calculated with the direct implicit algorithm. The code is verified by reproducing the two-stream instability, electron electromagnetic waves, and shear Alfvén waves. The code is applied to simulate an inductively coupled plasma with the driving current flowing around the plasma region. In this simulation, a ring of dense plasma forms at the initial stage but then the density becomes maximal in the center and decays monotonically toward the walls. The skin effect is in the transitional mode between local and non-local, and the electron velocity distribution function is non-Maxwellian.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Cosmological backreaction in higher-derivative gravity expansions

We calculate a general effective stress-energy tensor induced by cosmological inhomogeneity in effective theories of gravity where the action is Taylor-expandable in the Riemann tensor and covariant derivatives of the Riemann tensor. This is of interest as an effective fluid that might provide an alternative to the cosmological constant, but it also applies to gravitational waves. We use an adaptation of Green and Wald's weak-averaging framework, which averages over perturbations in the field equation where the perturbation length scales are small compared to the averaging scale. In this adaptation, the length scale of the effective theory, 1/ M , is also taken to be small compared with the averaging scale. This ensures that the perturbation length scales remain in fixed proportion to the length scale of the effective theory as the cosmological averaging scale is taken to be large. We find that backreaction from higher-derivative terms in the effective action can continue to be important in the late universe, given a source of sufficiently high-frequency metric perturbations. This backreaction might also provide a window on exotic particle physics in the far ultraviolet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bounce- and MLT-averaged diffusion coefficients in a physics-based magnetic field geometry obtained from RAM-SCB for the March 17 2013 storm

Local acceleration via whistler wave and particle interaction plays a significant role in particle dynamics in the radiation belt. In this work we explore gyro-resonant wave-particle interaction and quasi-linear diffusion in different magnetic field configurations related to the March 17 2013 storm. We consider the Earth's magnetic dipole field as a reference and compare the results against non-dipole field configurations corresponding to quiet and stormy conditions. The latter are obtained with the ring current-atmosphere interactions model with a self-consistent magnetic field RAM-SCB, a code that models the Earth's ring current and provides a realistic modeling of the Earth's magnetic field. By applying quasi-linear theory, the bounce- and MLT-averaged electron pitch angle, mixed term, and energy diffusion coefficients are calculated for each magnetic field configuration. For radiation belt (~1 MeV) and ring current (~100 keV) electrons, it is shown that at some MLTs the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients become rather insensitive to the details of the magnetic field configuration, while at other MLTs storm conditions can expand the range of equatorial pitch angles where gyro-resonant diffusion occurs and significantly enhance the diffusion rates. When MLT average is performed at drift shell L = 4.25 (a good approximation to drift average), the diffusion coefficients become quite independent of the magnetic field configuration for relativistic electrons, while the opposite is true for lower energy electrons. These results suggest that, at least for the March 17 2013 storm and for L ≲ 4.25, the commonly adopted dipole approximation of the Earth's magnetic field can be safely used for radiation belt electrons, while a realistic modeling of the magnetic field configuration is necessary to describe adequately the diffusion rates of ring current electrons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Scalar gravitational waves in the effective theory of gravity

As a low energy effective field theory, classical General Relativity receives an infrared relevant modification from the conformal trace anomaly of the energy-momentum tensor of massless, or nearly massless, quantum fields. The local form of the effective action associated with the trace anomaly is expressed in terms of a dynamical scalar field that couples to the conformal factor of the spacetime metric, allowing it to propagate over macroscopic distances. Linearized around flat spacetime, this semi-classical EFT admits scalar gravitational wave solutions in addition to the transversely polarized tensor waves of the classical Einstein theory. The amplitude of the scalar wave modes, as well as their energy and energy flux which are positive and contain a monopole moment, are computed. As a result, astrophysical sources for scalar gravitational waves are considered, with the excited gluonic condensates in the interiors of neutron stars in merger events with other compact objects likely to provide the strongest burst signals.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of the radio frequency discharge on the dust charging process in a weakly collisional and fully ionized plasma

A close analysis of dust charging process in the presence of radio frequency (RF) discharge on low pressure and fully ionized plasma for both weak and strong discharge's electric field is considered. When the electromagnetic waves pass throughout fully ionized plasma, the collision frequency of the plasma is derived. Moreover, the disturbed distribution function of plasma particles in the presence of the RF discharge is obtained. In this article, by using the Krook model, we separate the distribution function in two parts, the Maxwellian part and the perturbed part. The perturbed part of distribution can make an extra current, so-called the accretion rate of electron (or ion) current, towards a dust particle as a function of the average electron-ion collision frequency. It is proven that when the potential of dust grains increases, the accretion rate of electron current experiences an exponential reduction. Furthermore, the accretion rate of electron current for a strong electric field is relatively smaller than that for a weak electric field. The reasons are elaborated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

'Photonic jets' from dielectric microaxicons

We consider a specific spatially localised light structure, namely, a 'photonic jet' formed in the near field upon scattering of an optical wave in a dielectric micron particle. Dimensional parameters and intensity of a photonic jet from microaxicons of different spatial orientation are studied theoretically. It is found for the first time that an axicon-generated photonic jet has in this case a substantially larger length compared with the case of a jet formed on a spherical particle. (scattering of light)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Inflation and deformation of conformal field theory

It has recently been suggested that a strongly coupled phase of inflation may be described holographically in terms of a weakly coupled quantum field theory (QFT). Here, we explore the possibility that the wave function of an inflationary universe may be given by the partition function of a boundary QFT. We consider the case when the field theory is a small deformation of a conformal field theory (CFT), by the addition of a relevant operator O, and calculate the primordial spectrum predicted in the corresponding holographic inflation scenario. Using the Ward-Takahashi identity associated with Weyl rescalings, we derive a simple relation between correlators of the curvature perturbation ζ and correlators of the deformation operator O at the boundary. This is done without specifying the bulk theory of gravitation, so that the result would also apply to cases where the bulk dynamics is strongly coupled. We comment on the validity of the Suyama-Yamaguchi inequality, relating the bi-spectrum and tri-spectrum of the curvature perturbation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

In-Situ Magnetic Field Reconstruction in the MAGIS-100 Experiment

Long-baseline atom interferometers such as the Matter-wave Atomic Gradiometer Interferometric Sensor (MAGIS-100) require stringent control and continuous characterization of background magnetic fields and spatial gradients to prevent systemic phase shifts that mimic ultralight dark matter or gravitational wave signatures. Because direct sensor placement within the ultra-high vacuum beam pipe is infeasible, in-situ magnetic field monitoring relies on external sensor arrays situated in the surrounding annular region. This work demonstrates a field reconstruction framework for a 5.3-meter MAGIS-100 modular section using finite-element Opera simulations. Transverse magnetic fields are expanded using a cylindrical multipole framework as informed by Fermilab’s Muon g-2 experiment, with magnetometer array configurations optimized via Fisher information matrix D-optimality. Inverting external sensor readings through a Gauss-Newton scheme recovers interior tube fields across distinct axial positions. In the discontinuity-averse uniform region (slice pair P4), the model achieves sub-noise-floor performance with a cross-validated root-mean-square error (RMSE) of $6.7227 \times 10^{-4}\text{ A/m}$ ($0.845\times$ sensor noise floor) and an interior field coefficient of variation of $1.71\%$. An elbow criterion in the Fisher bounds establishes $n_{\text{max}} = 2$ as the optimal multipole truncation order to prevent noise amplification from over-parameterization, with $n_{\text{max}} = 3$ (sextupole) order chosen for analysis to demonstrate further complexity and cross-pair comparison. Furthermore, analytical differentiation of the fitted multipole coefficients yields dense spatial maps of the transverse Jacobian gradient matrix $\nabla \mathbf{H}$ along with propagated $1\sigma$ uncertainty bounds across the beam region ($r \le 2.75\text{ in}$). This operational framework confirms that external magnetometer arrays can reliably monitor magnetic field uniformity and spatial gradients along the 100-meter flight path given appropriate sampling for any complexity order.

Appleby, Darwin [William Rainey Harper Coll.; Ferm↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gravitational wave detection with plasma haloscopes

Searches for high frequency gravitational waves using cavities based on the Gertsenshtein effect were recently proposed, building off existing axion dark matter experiments. In particular, the sensitivity of axion dark matter experiments using metamaterial plasmas (tunable plasma haloscopes) to gravitational waves has not been explored in detail. Here we perform a full analysis of gravitational wave detection in plasma haloscopes, showing that the baseline design of experiments such as ALPHA is several orders of magnitude less sensitive than previously thought. We show how simple changes to the experiment can recover that sensitivity and lead to a powerful gravitational wave detector in the 𝒪⁡(10–50) GHz frequency range.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Constant residual electrostatic electron plasma mode in Vlasov-Ampere system

In a collisionless Vlasov-Poisson (V-P) electron plasma system, two types of modes for electric field perturbation exist: the exponentially Landau damped electron plasma waves and the initial-value sensitive ballistic modes. Here, the V-P system is modified slightly to a Vlasov-Ampere (V-A) system. A new constant residual mode is revealed. Mathematically, this mode comes from the Laplace transform of an initial electric field perturbation, and physically represents that an initial perturbation (e.g., external electric field perturbation) would not be damped away. Thus, this residual mode is more difficult to be damped than the ballistic mode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Constraining axion inflation with gravitational waves from preheating

We study gravitational wave production from gauge preheating in a variety of inflationary models, detailing its dependence on both the energy scale and the shape of the potential. In this work, we show that preheating into Abelian gauge fields generically leads to a large gravitational wave background that contributes significantly to the effective number of relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe, $N_{\text{eff}}$. We demonstrate that the efficiency of gravitational wave production is correlated with the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $\textit{r}$. In particular, we show that efficient gauge preheating in models whose tensor-to-scalar ratio would be detected by next-generation cosmic microwave background experiments ($\textit{r}$ ≳ 10 –3 ) will be either detected through its contribution to $N_{\text{eff}}$ or ruled out. Furthermore, we show that bounds on $N_{\text{eff}}$ provide the most sensitive probe of the possible axial coupling of the inflaton to gauge fields regardless of the potential.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Physical processes in an electron current layer causing intense plasma heating and formation of x-lines

We study the evolution of an electron current layer (ECL) through its several stages by means of three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with ion to electron mass ratio M/m{sub e} = 400. An ECL evolves through the following stages: (i) Electrostatic (ES) current-driven instability (CDI) soon after its formation with half width w about 2 electron skin depth (d{sub e}), (ii) current disruption in the central part of the ECL by trapping of electrons and generation of anomalous resistivity, (iii) electron tearing instability (ETI) with significantly large growth rates in the lower end of the whistler frequency range, (iv) widening of the ECL and modulation of its width by the ETI, (v) gradual heating of electrons by the CDI-driven ES ion modes create the condition that the electrons become hotter than the ions, (vi) despite the reduced electron drift associated with the current disruption by the CDI, the enhanced electron temperature continues to favor a slow growth of the ion waves reaching nonlinear amplitudes, (vii) the nonlinear ion waves undergo modulation and collapse into localized density cavities containing spiky electric fields like in double layers (DLs), (viii) such spiky electric fields are very effective in further rapid heating of both electrons and ions. As predicted by the electron magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) theories, the ETI growth rate maximizes at wave numbers in the range 0.4 < k{sub x}W < 0.8 where k{sub x} is the wave number parallel to the ECL magnetic field and w is the evolving half width of the ECL. The developing ETI generates in-plane currents that support out-of-plane magnetic fields around the emerging x-lines. The ETI and the spiky electrostatic structures are accompanied by fluctuations in the magnetic fields near and above the lower-hybrid (ion plasma) frequency, including the whistler frequency range. We compare our results with experimental results and satellite observation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Acceleration of Charged Particles at a Spherical Shock Moving through an Irregular Magnetic Field

We investigate the physics of charged-particle acceleration at spherical shocks moving into a uniform plasma containing a turbulent magnetic field with a uniform mean. This has applications to particle acceleration at astrophysical shocks, most notably, to supernovae blast waves. We numerically integrate the equations of motion of a large number of test protons moving under the influence of electric and magnetic fields determined from a kinematically defined plasma flow associated with a radially propagating blast wave. Distribution functions are determined from the positions and velocities of the protons. The unshocked plasma contains a magnetic field with a uniform mean and an irregular component having a Kolmogorov-like power spectrum. The field inside the blast wave is determined from Maxwell’s equations. The angle between the average magnetic field and unit normal to the shock varies with position along its surface. It is quasi-perpendicular to the unit normal near the sphere’s equator, and quasi-parallel to it near the poles. We find that the highest intensities of particles, accelerated by the shock, are at the poles of the blast wave. The particles “collect” at the poles as they approximately adhere to magnetic field lines that move poleward from their initial encounter with the shock at the equator, as the shock expands. The field lines at the poles have been connected to the shock the longest. We also find that the highest-energy protons are initially accelerated near the equator or near the quasi-perpendicular portion of the shock, where the acceleration is more rapid.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

On the likely dominance of WIMP annihilation to f(bar sign)f+W/Z (and implication for indirect detection)

Arguably, the most popular candidate for Dark Matter (DM) is a massive, stable, Majorana fermion. However, annihilation of Majorana DM to two fermions features a helicity-suppressed s-wave rate. Radiating a gauge boson via electroweak (EW) and electromagnetic (EM) bremsstrahlung removes this s-wave suppression. The main purpose of this talk is to explain in some detail why the branching ratio Br({yields}f(bar sign)f) is suppressed while Br({yields}f(bar sign)f+W/Z/{gamma}) is not. In doing so, we investigate the general conditions for s-wave suppression and un-suppression using Fierz transformations and partial wave expansions. Suppression for the 2 {yields} 2 process is sufficiently severe that the EW and EM bremsstrahlung are likely to be the dominant modes of gauge-singlet Majorana DM annihilation. We end this talk with a discussion of the challenge presented by space-based data for Majorana DM models, given that the enhanced rate to radiated W and Z gauge bosons and their dominant decay via hadronic channels tends to produce more antiprotons than are observed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct nano-imaging of light-matter interactions in nanoscale excitonic emitters

Strong light-matter interactions in localized nano-emitters placed near metallic mirrors have been widely reported via spectroscopic studies in the optical far-field. Here, we report a near-field nano-spectroscopic study of localized nanoscale emitters on a flat Au substrate. Using quasi 2-dimensional CdSe/Cd x Zn 1-x S nanoplatelets, we observe directional propagation on the Au substrate of surface plasmon polaritons launched from the excitons of the nanoplatelets as wave-like fringe patterns in the near-field photoluminescence maps. These fringe patterns were confirmed via extensive electromagnetic wave simulations to be standing-waves formed between the tip and the edge-up assembled nano-emitters on the substrate plane. We further report that both light confinement and in-plane emission can be engineered by tuning the surrounding dielectric environment of the nanoplatelets. Our results lead to renewed understanding of in-plane, near-field electromagnetic signal transduction from the localized nano-emitters with profound implications in nano and quantum photonics as well as resonant optoelectronics.

42 ENGINEERING↗