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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

The cross-section measurement for the 3 H($e, e'K^+)nnΛ$ reaction

The small binding energy of the hypertriton leads to predictions of the non-existence of bound hypernuclei for isotriplet three-body systems such as nnΛ. However, invariant mass spectroscopy at GSI has reported events that may be interpreted as the bound nnΛ state. The nnΛ state was sought by missing-mass spectroscopy via the (e, e'K + ) reaction at Jefferson Lab’s experimental Hall A. The present experiment has higher sensitivity to the nnΛ-state investigation in terms of better precision by a factor of about three. The analysis shown in this article focuses on the derivation of the reaction cross-section for the 3 H(γ*, K + )X reaction. Events that were detected in an acceptance, where a Monte Carlo simulation could reproduce the data well (|δp/p| < 4%), were analyzed to minimize the systematic uncertainty. No significant structures were observed with the acceptance cuts, and the upper limits of the production cross-section of the nnΛ state were obtained to be 21 and $31 nbsr -1 at the 90% confidence level when theoretical predictions of (-B Λ , Γ) = (0.25, 0.8) MeV and (0.55, 4.7) MeV, respectively, were assumed. The cross-section result provides valuable information for examining the existence of nnΛ.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases: a scoping review

Abstract To explore the effects of climate change on malaria and 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and potential effect amelioration through mitigation and adaptation, we searched for papers published from January 2010 to October 2023. We descriptively synthesised extracted data. We analysed numbers of papers meeting our inclusion criteria by country and national disease burden, healthcare access and quality index (HAQI), as well as by climate vulnerability score. From 42 693 retrieved records, 1543 full-text papers were assessed. Of 511 papers meeting the inclusion criteria, 185 studied malaria, 181 dengue and chikungunya and 53 leishmaniasis; other NTDs were relatively understudied. Mitigation was considered in 174 papers (34%) and adaption strategies in 24 (5%). Amplitude and direction of effects of climate change on malaria and NTDs are likely to vary by disease and location, be non-linear and evolve over time. Available analyses do not allow confident prediction of the overall global impact of climate change on these diseases. For dengue and chikungunya and the group of non-vector-borne NTDs, the literature privileged consideration of current low-burden countries with a high HAQI. No leishmaniasis papers considered outcomes in East Africa. Comprehensive, collaborative and standardised modelling efforts are needed to better understand how climate change will directly and indirectly affect malaria and NTDs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Generalizability of heat-related health risk associations observed in a large healthcare claims database of patients with commercial health insurance

Extreme ambient heat is unambiguously associated with higher risk of illness and death. The Optum Labs Data Warehouse (OLDW), a database of medical claims from US-based patients with commercial or Medicare Advantage health insurance, has been used to quantify heat-related health impacts. Whether results for the insured sub-population are generalizable to the broader population has to our knowledge not been documented. We sought to address this question, for the US population in California from 2012 to 2019. We examined changes in daily rates of emergency department (ED) encounters and in-patient hospitalization encounters for all-causes, heat-related outcomes, renal disease, mental/behavioral disorders, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. OLDW was the source for health data for insured individuals in California, and health data for the broader population were gathered from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). We defined extreme heat exposure as any day in a group of 2 or more days with maximum temperatures exceeding the county-specific 97.5 th percentile and used a space-time-stratified case–crossover design to assess and compare the impacts of heat on health. Average incidence rates of medical encounters differed by dataset. However, rate ratios for ED encounters were similar across datasets for all causes (ratio of incidence rate ratios (rIRR) = 0.989; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.973, 1.011), heat-related causes (rIRR = 1.080; 95% CI = 0.999, 1.168), renal disease (rIRR = 0.963; 95% CI = 0.718, 1.292), and mental health disorders (rIRR = 1.098; 95% CI = 1.004, 1.201). Rate ratios for inpatient encounters were also similar. This work presents evidence that OLDW can continue to be a resource for estimating the health impacts of extreme heat.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Output-weighted sampling for multi-armed bandits with extreme payoffs

We present a new type of acquisition function for online decision-making in multi-armed and contextual bandit problems with extreme payoffs. Specifically, we model the payoff function as a Gaussian process and formulate a novel type of upper confidence bound acquisition function that guides exploration towards the bandits that are deemed most relevant according to the variability of the observed rewards. This is achieved by computing a tractable likelihood ratio that quantifies the importance of the output relative to the inputs and essentially acts as an attention mechanism that promotes exploration of extreme rewards. Our formulation is supported by asymptotic zero-regret guarantees, and its performance is demonstrated across several synthetic benchmarks, as well as two realistic examples involving noisy sensor network data. Finally, we provide a JAX library for efficient bandit optimization using Gaussian processes.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Exascale applications: skin in the game

As noted in Wikipedia, skin in the game refers to having ‘incurred risk by being involved in achieving a goal’, where ‘ skin is a synecdoche for the person involved, and game is the metaphor for actions on the field of play under discussion’. For exascale applications under development in the US Department of Energy Exascale Computing Project, nothing could be more apt, with the skin being exascale applications and the game being delivering comprehensive science-based computational applications that effectively exploit exascale high-performance computing technologies to provide breakthrough modelling and simulation and data science solutions. These solutions will yield high-confidence insights and answers to the most critical problems and challenges for the USA in scientific discovery, national security, energy assurance, economic competitiveness and advanced healthcare. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science’.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Complete genomes of Asgard archaea reveal diverse integrated and mobile genetic elements

Asgard archaea are of great interest as the progenitors of Eukaryotes, but little is known about the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that may shape their ongoing evolution. Here, we describe MGEs that replicate in Atabeyarchaeia, a wetland Asgard archaea lineage represented by two complete genomes. We used soil depth–resolved population metagenomic data sets to track 18 MGEs for which genome structures were defined and precise chromosome integration sites could be identified for confident host linkage. Additionally, we identified a complete 20.67 kbp circular plasmid and two family-level groups of viruses linked to Atabeyarchaeia, via CRISPR spacer targeting. Closely related 40 kbp viruses possess a hypervariable genomic region encoding combinations of specific genes for small cysteine-rich proteins structurally similar to restriction-homing endonucleases. One 10.9 kbp integrative conjugative element (ICE) integrates genomically into theAtabeyarchaeum deiterrae-1chromosome and has a 2.5 kbp circularizable element integrated within it. The 10.9 kbp ICE encodes an expressed Type IIG restriction-modification system with a sequence specificity matching an active methylation motif identified by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) high-accuracy long-read (HiFi) metagenomic sequencing. Restriction-modification of Atabeyarchaeia differs from that of another coexisting Asgard archaea, Freyarchaeia, which has few identified MGEs but possesses diverse defense mechanisms, including DISARM and Hachiman, not found in Atabeyarchaeia. Overall, defense systems and methylation mechanisms of Asgard archaea likely modulate their interactions with MGEs, and integration/excision and copy number variation of MGEs in turn enable host genetic versatility.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗

Search for electroweak-scale dijet resonances using trigger-level analysis with the ATLAS detector in 132 fb −1 of 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV

This article reports on a search for dijet resonances using 132 fb −1 of 𝑝⁢𝑝 collision data recorded at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed solely on jets reconstructed within the ATLAS trigger to overcome bandwidth limitations imposed on conventional single-jet triggers, which would otherwise reject data from decays of sub-TeV dijet resonances. Collision events with two jets satisfying transverse momentum thresholds of 𝑝 T ≥ 85 GeV and jet rapidity separation of |𝑦*| <0.6 are analysed for dijet resonances with invariant masses from 375 to 1800 GeV. A data-driven background estimate is used to model the dijet mass distribution from multijet processes. No significant excess above the expected background is observed. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on coupling values for a benchmark leptophobic axial-vector 𝑍′ model and on the production cross section for a new resonance contributing a Gaussian-distributed line-shape to the dijet mass distribution.

hadron colliders↗

Probing the axion-electron coupling with NuSTAR observations of galaxies

We search for the existence of ultralight axions coupling to electrons and photons using data from the NuSTAR telescope directed toward the galaxies M82, M87, and M31. We focus on electron bremsstrahlung and Compton scattering for axion production in stars, summing over the stellar populations found in the target galaxies when computing the axion luminosity. We then compute the hard x-ray signal that arises from the conversion of these axions to photons in each galaxy’s magnetic fields, inferred from analog galaxies in cosmological magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Analyzing NuSTAR data toward these galaxies between roughly 20 to 70 keV, we find no evidence for axions and set leading constraints on the combined axion-electron and axion-photon coupling at the level of |𝑔 𝑎⁢𝑒⁢𝑒 ×𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾 | ≲ 8.3 ×10 −27 GeV −1 for 𝑚 𝑎 ≲ 10 −10 eV at 95% confidence, with M82 providing the most stringent constraints.

Axion-like particles↗

Search for dark matter produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to bottom quarks in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A search for dark matter particles produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to a bottom quark-antiquark pair in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV is presented. The data, collected with the CMS detector at the LHC, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb −1 . The analysis is performed in exclusive categories targeting both Lorentz-boosted (merged) and resolved 𝑏 jet pair topologies, covering a wide range of Higgs boson transverse momentum. A statistical combination is made with a previous search using data collected in 2016 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb −1 . The observed data agree with the standard model background predictions. Constraints are placed on models predicting new particles or interactions, such as those in the simplified frameworks of baryonic-𝑍′ and 2⁢HDM + 𝑎, where the latter is a type-II two-Higgs-doublet model featuring a heavy pseudoscalar with an additional light pseudoscalar. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section for these models. For the baryonic-𝑍′ model, 𝑍′ boson masses below 2.25 TeV are excluded for a dark matter particle candidate mass of 1 GeV. In the 2⁢HDM + 𝑎 model, heavy pseudoscalar masses between 850 and 1300 GeV are excluded for a light pseudoscalar mass of 350 GeV.

Hayrapetyan, A. [Yerevan Physics Institute]↗

Rare multinucleon decays with the full data sets of the M AJORANA D EMONSTRATOR

The M AJORANA D EMONSTRATOR was an ultra-low-background experiment designed for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0⁢𝜈⁢𝛽⁢𝛽) investigation in 76 Ge . Located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, the D EMONSTRATOR utilized modular high-purity Ge detector arrays within shielded vacuum cryostats, operating deep underground. The arrays, with a capacity of up to 40.4 kg (27.2 kg enriched to ∼88% in 76 Ge ), have accumulated the full data set, totaling 64.5 kg yr of enriched active exposure and 27.4 kg yr of exposure for natural detectors. Here, our updated search improves previously explored three-nucleon decay modes in Ge isotopes, setting new partial lifetime limits of 1.83 × 10 26 yr (90% confidence level) for 76 Ge (𝑝⁢𝑝⁢𝑝) → 73 Cu 𝑒 + ⁢𝜋 + ⁢𝜋 + and 76 Ge (𝑝⁢𝑝⁢𝑛) → 73 Zn 𝑒 + ⁢𝜋 + . The partial lifetime limit for the fully inclusive triproton decay mode of 76 Ge is found to be 2.1×10 25 yr. Furthermore, we have updated limits for corresponding multinucleon decays.

baryon & lepton number symmetries↗

Dark energy survey year 3 results: Cosmological constraints from cluster abundances, weak lensing, and galaxy clustering

Galaxy clusters provide a unique probe of the late-time cosmic structure and serve as a powerful independent test of the Λ⁢CDM model. This work presents the first set of cosmological constraints derived with ∼16,000 optically selected redMaPPer clusters across nearly 5000 deg 2 using DES year 3 datasets. Our analysis leverages a consistent modeling framework for galaxy cluster cosmology and DES-Y3 joint analyses of galaxy clustering and weak lensing (3 × 2⁢pt), ensuring direct comparability with the DES-Y3 3 × 2⁢pt analysis. Here, we obtain constraints of 𝑆 8 = 0.864 ± 0.035 and Ω m = $0.26⁢5^{+0.019}_{−0.031}$ from the cluster-based data vector. We find that cluster constraints and 3 × 2⁢pt constraints are consistent under the Λ⁢CDM model with a posterior predictive distribution (PPD) value of 0.53. The consistency between clusters and 3 × 2⁢pt provides a stringent test of Λ⁢CDM across different mass and spatial scales. Jointly analyzing clusters with 3 × 2⁢pt further improves cosmological constraints, yielding 𝑆 8 = $0.81⁢1^{+0.022}_{−0.020}$ and Ω m = $0.29⁢4^{+0.022}_{−0.033}$, a 24% improvement in the Ω m − 𝑆 8 figure of merit over 3 × 2⁢pt alone. Moreover, we find no significant deviation from the Planck CMB constraints with a probability to exceed (PTE) value of 0.6, significantly reducing previous 𝑆 8 tension claims. Finally, combining DES 3 × 2⁢pt, DES clusters, and Planck CMB places an upper limit on the sum of neutrino masses of ∑𝑚 𝜈 < 0.26 eV at 95% confidence under the Λ⁢CDM model. These results establish optically selected clusters as a key cosmological probe and pave the way for cluster-based analyses in upcoming stage-IV surveys such as LSST, Euclid, and Roman.

Abbott, T. M. C. [NSF’s National Optical-Infrared ↗

First Search for Dark Sector 𝑒 + ⁢𝑒 − Explanations of the MiniBooNE Anomaly at MicroBooNE

We present MicroBooNE’s first search for dark sector 𝑒 + ⁢𝑒 − explanations of the long-standing MiniBooNE anomaly. The MiniBooNE anomaly has garnered significant attention over the past 20 years including previous MicroBooNE investigations into both anomalous electron and photon excesses, but its origin still remains unclear. In this Letter, we provide the first direct test of dark sector models in which dark neutrinos, produced through neutrino-induced scattering, decay into missing energy and visible 𝑒 + ⁢𝑒 − pairs comprising the MiniBooNE anomaly. Many such models have recently gained traction as a viable solution to the anomaly while evading past bounds. Using an exposure of 6.87 × 10 20 protons-on-target in the Booster Neutrino Beam, we implement a selection targeting forward-going, coherently produced 𝑒 + ⁢𝑒 − events. After unblinding, we observe 95 events, which we compare with the constrained background-only prediction of 69.7 ±17.3. This analysis sets the world’s first direct limits on these dark sector models and, at the 95% confidence level, excludes the entirety of the single dark neutrino and majority of the dual dark neutrino, parameter space that is viable as a solution to the MiniBooNE anomaly.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Dark Matter Search Results from 4.2 Tonne−Years of Exposure of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

We report results of a search for nuclear recoils induced by weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter using the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) two-phase xenon time projection chamber. This analysis uses a total exposure of 4.2 ±0.1 tonne-years from 280 live days of LZ operation, of which 3.3 ± 0.1 tonne-years and 220 live days are new. A technique to actively tag background electronic recoils from 214 Pb 𝛽 decays is featured for the first time. Enhanced electron-ion recombination is observed in two-neutrino double electron capture decays of 124 Xe, representing a noteworthy new background. After removal of artificial signal-like events injected into the dataset to mitigate analyzer bias, we find no evidence for an excess over expected backgrounds. World-leading constraints are placed on spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections for masses ≥9 GeV/𝑐 2 . The strongest SI exclusion set is 2.2×10 −48 cm 2 at the 90% confidence level and the best SI median sensitivity achieved is 5.1 ×10 −48 cm 2 , both for a mass of 40 GeV/𝑐 2 .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for a heavy neutral lepton with the MAGNETO-𝜈 experiment using 241 Pu 𝛽 − decays

The MAGNETO-𝜈 experiment searches for keV-scale heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) through precise measurements of the 𝛽 − -decay spectrum of 241 Pu. We present spectra comprising a total of 194 million 𝛽 − decays recorded using decay energy spectrometry with metallic magnetic calorimeters, representing the most statistically precise measurement of 241 Pu 𝛽 − decay to date. The 𝛽-endpoint energy was determined using 𝛾 rays and x-rays from an external 133 Ba calibration source, yielding 𝑄 𝛽 = 22.273⁢ (33) ⁢keV. The measured spectrum shows no statistically significant deviation from the allowed 𝛽-decay model. From a subset of the high-statistics data, we set an upper limit on the mixing of an 11.5-keV HNL with the electron neutrino, |𝑈 𝑒⁢4 | 2 < 1.31 × 10 −3 at the 95% confidence level.

A ≥ 220↗

Search for the isospin-violating decays 𝜒 𝑐⁢𝐽 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c. and 𝜂 𝑐 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.

Using a sample of (2712.4 ± 14.3) × 10 6 𝜓⁡(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector, we perform a search for the isospin-violating decays 𝜒 𝑐⁢𝐽 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.(𝐽 = 0,1,2) and 𝜂 𝑐 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c. No significant signal for 𝜒 𝑐⁢𝐽 or 𝜂 𝑐 is observed in the $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ invariant mass distribution. The upper limits on the branching fractions at the 90% confidence level are set to be ℬ⁡(𝜒 𝑐⁢0 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.) < 1.5 × 10 −6 , ℬ⁡(𝜒 𝑐⁢1 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.) < 1.6 × 10 −6 , ℬ⁡(𝜒 𝑐⁢2 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.) < 1.7 × 10 −6 , and ℬ⁡(𝜂 𝑐 → $Λ\bar{⁢Σ}^0$ + c.c.) < 6.2 × 10 −5 for the first time.

Ablikim, M. [Institute of High Energy Physics] (OR↗

Determination of proton PDF uncertainties with Markov chain Monte Carlo

We present an analysis of parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The MCMC approach naturally implements Bayes’ theorem and, thus, provides a means to directly sample the underlying probability distribution—in this case, the probability distribution of the PDF parameters. This allows for a straightforward propagation of the resulting uncertainties into any PDF-dependent observable, preserving their simple probabilistic interpretation. In our analysis we include a broad set of deep inelastic scattering data from HERA, BCDMS and NMC experiments along with the Drell-Yan, 𝑊 and 𝑍 boson data from LHC and Tevatron experiments, which combined with theoretical calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD allow for realistic determination of PDFs. The main focus of this analysis is to explore alternative methods for PDF uncertainty estimation that are more firmly grounded in statistical principles. We show that the flexibility of the Bayes framework, allowing one, e.g., to account for non-Gaussianity or inconsistencies of datasets, is crucial to extract realistic uncertainties when such assumptions are not fulfilled. We also demonstrate that MCMC allows one to determine the Δ⁢𝜒 2 value corresponding to a given confidence level in the sample, which can, in turn, be used as a statistically well-founded tolerance criterion used in the Hessian method, thus addressing one of its main long-standing drawbacks.

Risse, Peter Clemens [Universität Münster (Germany↗

Direct nonparametric multimessenger constraints on the equation of state of cold dense nuclear matter

We utilize the now substantial amount of astrophysical observations of neutron stars (NSs), along with perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD) calculations at high density, to directly constrain the NS equation of state (EOS). To this end, we construct nonparametric EOS priors by using Gaussian processes trained on 75 EOSs, which include models with either hadrons, hyperons, or quarks at high densities. We create a prior using the full EOS sample (model agnostic), and one prior for each EOS family to test model discrimination. We introduce a novel inference approach, which allows the simultaneous sampling of intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of binary NS mergers, as well as a nonparametric equation of state. We showcase this method in a Bayesian updating scheme by first performing a complete analysis of the binary NS merger event GW170817 with minimal assumptions, and sequentially adding information from x-ray and radio NS observations, along with pQCD calculations. Besides providing standard constraints, such as the pressure at twice nuclear saturation density 𝑝⁡(2⁢𝜌 sat ) = 4.3$^{+0.6}_{−0.6}$ × 10 34 dyne/cm 2 , at 95% confidence level, for the model agnostic prior, our methodology shows how the choice of EOS families used in conditioning changes the inferred astrophysical properties of the EOS, namely tidal deformability and maximum supported NS mass. We find hyperonic priors predicting higher tidal deformabilities for a 1.4⁢𝑀 ⊙ NS, and hadronic priors being preferred by the considered astrophysical data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Search for cascade decays of charged sleptons and sneutrinos in final states with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠} = 13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for cascade decays of charged sleptons and sneutrinos using final states characterized by three leptons (electrons or muons) and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on a dataset with 140 fb −1 of proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{𝑠} = 13$ TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. This paper focuses on a supersymmetric scenario that is motivated by the muon anomalous magnetic moment observation, dark-mattter relic density abundance, and electroweak naturalness. A mass spectrum involving light Higgsinos and heavier sleptons with a bino at intermediate mass is targeted. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. This search enables us to place stringent constraints on this model, excluding at the 95% confidence level charged slepton and sneutrino masses up to 450 GeV when assuming a lightest neutralino mass of 100 GeV and mass-degenerate selectrons, smuons and sneutrinos.

extensions of Higgs sector↗