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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 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

J/ψ photoproduction at the threshold with GlueX

High-statistics total cross sections for the vector meson photoproduction at the threshold: γp → ωp (from A2 at MAMI, ELPH, and CBELSA), γp → ϕp (from CLAS6 at JLab and LEPS at SPring-8), and γp → J/ψp (from GlueX at JLab) allow one to extract the absolute value of vector meson nucleon scattering length using Vector Meson Dominance (VMD) model. The “young” vector meson hypothesis may explain the fact that the obtained scattering length values for the nucleon. ϕ-meson compared to the typical hadron size of approximately ∼ 1 fm indicates that the proton is more transparent for the ϕ-meson compared to the ω-meson and is much less transparent than the J/ψ-meson. The extended analysis of Υ-meson photoproduction using quasi-data from the QCD approach is in perfect agreement with the light-meson findings using experimental data. Finally, the ability of J-PARC to measure $π^{–}p → ϕn$ and $π^{–}p → J/ψn$ at the threshold, which are free from the VMD model, is presented. It enables one to understand the dynamics of $s\bar{s}$ and $c\bar{c}$ production at threshold and to search for the effects of LHCb’s heavy quark exotic states.

Vector meson nucleon scattering length↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bottom quark energy loss and hadronization with B + and ${\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0$ nuclear modification factors using pp and PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV

The production cross sections of $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $ and B$^{+}$ mesons are reported in proton-proton (pp) collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 302 pb$^{−1}$. The cross sections are based on measurements of the $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $→ J/ψ(μ$^{+}$μ$^{−}$)ϕ(1020)(K$^{+}$K$^{−}$) and B$^{+}$→ J/ψ(μ$^{+}$μ$^{−}$)K$^{+}$ decay channels. Results are presented in the transverse momentum (p$_{T}$) range 7–50 GeV/c and the rapidity interval |y| < 2.4 for the B mesons. The measured p$_{T}$-differential cross sections of B$^{+}$ and $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $ in pp collisions are well described by fixed-order plus next-to-leading logarithm perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. Using previous PbPb collision measurements at the same nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy, the nuclear modification factors, R$_{AA}$, of the B mesons are determined. For p$_{T}$> 10 GeV/c, both mesons are found to be suppressed in PbPb collisions (with R$_{AA}$ values significantly below unity), with less suppression observed for the $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $ mesons. In this p$_{T}$ range, the R$_{AA}$ values for the B$^{+}$ mesons are consistent with those for inclusive charged hadrons and D$^{0}$ mesons. Below 10 GeV/c, both B$^{+}$ and $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $ are found to be less suppressed than either inclusive charged hadrons or D$^{0}$ mesons, with the $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $R$_{AA}$ value consistent with unity. The R$_{AA}$ values found for the B$^{+}$ and $ {\textrm{B}}_{\textrm{s}}^0 $ are compared to theoretical calculations, providing constraints on the mechanism of bottom quark energy loss and hadronization in the quark-gluon plasma, the hot and dense matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evidence of isospin-symmetry violation in high-energy collisions of atomic nuclei

Strong interactions preserve an approximate isospin symmetry between up (u) and down (d) quarks, part of the more general flavor symmetry. In the case of K meson production, if this isospin symmetry were exact, it would result in equal numbers of charged (K + and K − ) and neutral (K 0 and ${\overline{K}}^{0}$) mesons produced in collisions of isospin-symmetric atomic nuclei. Here, we report results on the relative abundance of charged over neutral K meson production in argon and scandium nuclei collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 11.9 GeV per nucleon pair. We find that the production of K + and K − mesons at mid-rapidity is (18.4 ± 6.1)% higher than that of the neutral K mesons. Although with large uncertainties, earlier data on nucleus-nucleus collisions in the collision center-of-mass energy range $2.6 \, < \, \sqrt{{s}_{NN}} \, < \, 200$ GeV are consistent with the present result. Using well-established models for hadron production, we demonstrate that known isospin-symmetry breaking effects and the initial nuclei containing more neutrons than protons lead only to a small (few percent) deviation of the charged-to-neutral kaon ratio from unity at high energies. Thus, they cannot explain the measurements. The significance of the flavor-symmetry violation beyond the known effects is 4.7σ when the compilation of world data with uncertainties quoted by the experiments is used. New systematic, high-precision measurements and theoretical efforts are needed to establish the origin of the observed large isospin-symmetry breaking.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Charmonium χ c 0 and χ c 2 resonances in coupled-channel scattering from lattice QCD

In order to explore the spectrum of hidden-charm scalar and tensor resonances, we study meson-meson scattering with J P C = 0 + + , 2 + + in the charmonium energy region using lattice QCD. Employing a light-quark mass corresponding to m π ≈ 391 MeV , we determine coupled-channel scattering amplitudes up to around 4100 MeV considering all kinematically relevant channels consisting of a pair of open-charm mesons or a charmonium meson with a light meson. A single isolated scalar resonance near 4000 MeV is found with large couplings to D D ¯ , D s D ¯ s and the kinematically closed D * D ¯ * channel. A single tensor resonance at a similar mass couples strongly to D D ¯ , D D ¯ * and D * D ¯ * . We compare the extracted resonances to contemporary experimental candidate states, previous lattice results and theoretical modeling. In contrast to several other studies, we do not find any significant feature in the scalar amplitudes between the ground state χ c 0 ( 1 P ) and the resonance found around 4000 MeV. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Search for low-mass hidden-valley dark showers with non-prompt muon pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A search for signatures of a dark analog to quantum chromodynamics is performed. The analysis targets long-lived dark mesons that decay into standard-model particles, with a high branching fraction of the dark mesons decaying into muons. The dark mesons are formed by the hadronisation of dark partons, which are produced by a decay of the Higgs boson. The search is performed using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.6 fb −1 , which was collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2018 using non-prompt muon triggers. The search is based on resonant muon pair signatures. Machine-learning techniques are employed in the analysis, utilising boosted decision trees to discriminate between signal and background. No significant excess is observed above the standard model expectation. Upper limits on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson decaying to dark partons are determined to be as low as 10−4 at 95% confidence level, surpassing and extending the existing limits on models with dark $\tilde{ω}$ mesons for mean proper decay lengths of less than 500 mm and for $\tilde{ω}$ masses down to 0.3 GeV. First limits are set for extended dark-shower models with two dark flavours that contain dark photons, probing their masses down to 0.33 GeV.

Beyond Standard Model↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing late-stage hadronic interactions at high baryon density via $K^{⁎0}$ production in the RHIC beam energy scan program

A precision measurement of the $K^{⁎0}$ meson yield is reported in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 14.6, 19.6, and 27 GeV using the high-statistics data sample collected by the STAR experiment during the Beam Energy Scan II (BES-II) program at RHIC. The transeverse momentum (p T )-integrated yield ratios $\large{(}K^{⁎0} + \overline{K^{⁎0}}\large{)}/(K^+ + K^{-})$ in central collisions show a suppression relative to peripheral collisions at the (1.7–3.6) σ level, while a thermal model without final-stage rescattering overpredicts this ratio with a deviation of (6.9–8.2) σ. These results indicate a loss of the measured $K^{⁎0}$ signal in central collisions due to re-scattering of its hadronic decay products in the hadronic phase. The p T -integrated yield of charged kaons exhibits an approximate scaling with charged-particle multiplicity, independent of collision energy and system size. A similar trend is observed for the short-lived $K^{⁎0}$ resonance, although significant deviations emerge at lower energies. At BES energies, the $K^{⁎0}/K$ ratio shows stronger suppression than at the highest RHIC and LHC energies within a given multiplicity bin, particularly in central and mid-central collisions. This behavior is consistent with changes in the effective hadronic interaction cross section and is supported by transport model calculations, which indicate dominant meson–baryon interactions at lower energies and meson–meson interactions at higher energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Global optimization of harmonic oscillator basis in covariant density functional theory

The present investigation focuses on the improvement of the accuracy of the description of binding energies within moderately sized fermionic basis. Using the solutions corresponding to infinite fermionic basis it was shown that in the case of meson exchange (ME) covariant energy density functionals (CEDFs) the global accuracy of the description of binding energies in the finite $N_F$ = 16 - 20 bases can be drastically (by a factor ranging from ~3 up to ~9 dependent on the functional and $N_F$) improved by a global optimization of oscillator frequency of the basis. This is a consequence of the unique feature of the ME functionals in which with increasing fermionic basis size fermionic and mesonic energies approach the exact (infinite basis) solution from above and below, respectively. As a consequence, an optimal oscillator frequency $\hbar\omega_0$ of the basis can be defined which provides an accurate reproduction of exact total binding energies by the ones calculated in truncated basis. This leads to a very high accuracy of the calculations in moderately sized $N_F=20$ basis when mass dependent oscillator frequency is used: global rms differences $\delta B_{rms}$ between the binding energies calculated in infinite and truncated bases are only 0.025 MeV and 0.031 MeV for the NL5(Z) and DD-MEZ functionals, respectively. Optimized values of the oscillator frequency $\hbar\omega_0$ are provided for three major classes of CEDFs, i.e. for density dependent meson exchange functionals, nonlinear meson exchange ones and point coupling functionals.

Binding energy & masses↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modern nuclear and astrophysical constraints of dense matter in a redefined chiral approach

Here, we explore the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram’s complexities, including quark deconfinement transitions, liquid-gas phase changes, and critical points by using the chiral mean-field (CMF) model that is able to capture all these features. We introduce a vector meson field redefinition within the CMF framework, enabling precise adjustments of meson masses and coupling strengths related to vector meson interactions. Performing a new fit to the deconfinement potential, we are able to replicate recent lattice QCD results, low-energy nuclear physics properties, neutron star observational data, and key phase diagram features as per modern constraints. This approach enhances our understanding of vector mesons’ roles in mediating nuclear interactions and their impact on the equation of state, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the QCD phase diagram and its implications for nuclear and astrophysical phenomena.

QCD phase transitions↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mass gaps of a Z 3 gauge theory with three fermion flavors in 1 + 1 dimensions

We consider a Z 3 gauge theory coupled to three degenerate massive flavors of fermions, which we term Quantum Z(3) Dynamics, QZD. The spectrum can be computed in 1 + 1 dimensions using tensor networks. In weak coupling the spectrum is that of the expected mesons and baryons, although the corrections in weak coupling are nontrivial, analogous to those of nonrelativistic QED in 1 + 1 dimensions. In strong coupling, besides the usual baryon, the singlet meson is a baryon-antibaryon state. For two special values of the coupling constant, the lightest baryon is degenerate with the lightest octet meson, and the lightest singlet meson, respectively. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Entanglement enabled intensity interferometry in ultrarelativistic ultraperipheral nuclear collisions

An important tool in studying the subfemtoscale spacetime structure of matter in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions is Hanbury Brown–Twiss (HBT) intensity interferometry of identical particles in the final state of the collisions. We propose that a variant of the entanglement enabled intensity interferometry (𝐸 2 ⁢𝐼 2 ) framework introduced by Cotler and Wilczek can provide a powerful alternative to HBT interferometry in extracting fundamental nonperturbative features of quantum chromodynamics at high energies. We apply this framework to demonstrate that the spatial distributions of color singlet (pomeron) configurations in nuclei are sensitive to measurements of exclusive resonant decays of 𝜌 mesons into 𝜋 ± pairs in ultrarelativistic ultraperipheral nuclear collisions (UPCs) at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider. A preliminary analysis suggests that the model-independent extraction of pomeron distributions will require careful treatment of the interplay of 𝐸 2 ⁢𝐼 2 in the vector meson exclusive decay with the incoherent cross section for exclusive vector meson production. The 𝐸 2 ⁢𝐼 2 framework developed here is quite general. It can also be employed as a tool to extract information on the spin structure of pomeron couplings as well as enhance the discovery potential for rare odderon configurations from exclusive vector meson decays into few-particle final states both in UPCs and at the Electron-Ion Collider.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Amplitude Analysis of ωπ0 Photoproduction at GlueX

spectrum of light mesons produced from a linearly polarized photon beam. The production and decays of a light meson resonance X such as γp → Xp′ →ωπ0p′ can be modeled with polarized vector-pseudoscalar ampli- tudes, which can describe the contribution of individual amplitudes to the total measured intensity. The status of mass-independent fits to the ωπ0 mass spectrum over a wide range of mass and momentum transfer−twill be presented, with an emphasis on interactions with the b1(1235) meson. We will also present in parallel an analysis of moments of the angular dis- tributions for the same process, as a means of verifying the stability of the amplitude-based results. These results will help to improve the broader knowledge of light meson states and how they are produced.

Scheuer, Kevin [College of William and Mary, Willi↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino Beam Monitoring

Accelerator facilities produce neutrino beams from meson decays in a decay volume. Experiments measure event rates that depend on flux, cross sections, and detector response, so the flux is predicted using hadron production and beamline modeling and constrained by beam instrumentation, since near detectors alone cannot separate flux from cross section. Proton, hadron, and muon monitors can track the parent particle distributions and beam conditions, providing the inputs needed for flux predictions in long-baseline experiments such as NOvA, T2K, and DUNE. This talk reviews how beam monitors are used in practice to understand neutrino flux. Proton beam monitors tell where the beam hits the target and how stable it is. Farther downstream, hadron and muon monitors sample particles produced in meson decays. Because those muons come from the same parents as the neutrinos, their profiles reveal focusing, alignment shifts, and other changes in the beam, and they are routinely used to detect problems and guide flux predictions. The muon information can be used more quantitatively; for example, to infer the parent meson phase space, and fast radiation-hard timing detectors can add sensitivity to the momentum dependence of the focusing. These developments show both how tightly beam measurements can constrain the flux and where the current limits still lie. These approaches complement monitored-beam concepts, in which the decay region is instrumented to detect charged leptons from meson decays and to measure the neutrino flux directly.

Ganguly, Sudeshna [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000003163482↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino Beam Monitoring

Accelerator facilities produce neutrino beams from meson decays in a decay volume. Experiments measure event rates that depend on flux, cross sections, and detector response, so the flux is predicted using hadron production and beamline modeling and constrained by beam instrumentation, since near detectors alone cannot separate flux from cross section. Proton, hadron, and muon monitors can track the parent particle distributions and beam conditions, providing the inputs needed for flux predictions in long-baseline experiments such as NOvA, T2K, and DUNE. This talk reviews how beam monitors are used in practice to understand neutrino flux. Proton beam monitors tell where the beam hits the target and how stable it is. Farther downstream, hadron and muon monitors sample particles produced in meson decays. Because those muons come from the same parents as the neutrinos, their profiles reveal focusing, alignment shifts, and other changes in the beam, and they are routinely used to detect problems and guide flux predictions. The muon information can be used more quantitatively; for example, to infer the parent meson phase space, and fast radiation-hard timing detectors can add sensitivity to the momentum dependence of the focusing. These developments show both how tightly beam measurements can constrain the flux and where the current limits still lie. These approaches complement monitored-beam concepts, in which the decay region is instrumented to detect charged leptons from meson decays and to measure the neutrino flux directly.

Ganguly, Sudeshna [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000003163482↗
DOE OSTI2025

Amplitude Analysis of $\omega\pi^0$ Photoproduction at GlueX

Excited meson states can often lie hidden within mass spectra beneath more dominant resonances, making it difficult to extract their physical properties. We can unveil these states through amplitude analysis, which disentangles the overlapping states via fits to their unique production and decay angular distributions. Understanding the light-meson spectrum is essential for confirming Lattice QCD predictions, especially in regards to the search for possible hybrid mesons. The Gluonic Excitation (GlueX) experiment at Jefferson Lab aids this search by studying the production of excited light mesons in $\gamma p$ interactions in the 8.2 - 8.8 GeV photon-beam energy range. We show in these proceedings preliminary results of an amplitude analysis of a large $\omega\pi^0$ dataset, concentrating on measuring the interference between the $b_1(1235)$ and an excited $J^{PC}=1^{--}$ vector resonance.

Scheuer, Kevin↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring Photoproduced $\eta^{(}{'^{)}} \pi^{0}$ Systems in the Search for Exotic Hadrons at GlueX

Physicists have long been captivated by the spectrum of hadrons, aiming to better comprehend the fundamental building blocks of matter. While various experiments have laid the foundation for this spectrum, Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics has revealed new states with forbidden JPC values. This has challenged the constituent quark model, suggesting spin-exotic hybrid mesons that could reshape our understanding of hadronic structure and quark-gluon interactions through gluonic excitations. The GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab has played a pivotal role in this pursuit, with its efforts centered on analyzing photoproduction data. In order to investigate the lightest predicted exotic state with JPC=1−+ , known as the π1(1600) meson, significant attention has been directed towards both ηπ0 and η′π0 systems. Detailed ongoing amplitude analysis studies of γp→η(′)π0p , leveraging the polarization of the photon beam at the GlueX experiment will be highlighted. Furthermore, first studies on the moments of angular distributions for these channels will also be shown, along with the differential cross section results for the a2(1320) meson. These results aid in identifying the dominant production mechanisms and offer valuable insights into complex hadronic interactions. Ultimately, this contributes to the ongoing search for and future identification of exotic hybrid meson candidates.

Baldwin, Zachary↗
DOE OSTI2024

Photoproduction of K0K0-bar with the GlueX Experiment

In this dissertation, we study photoproduction of K0 ?K 0 through the KSKLp and KSKSp ?nal states with the GlueX Phase-I (GlueX-I) data set. We measure the spin-density matrix elements (SDMEs) and di?erential cross section of ?(1020) ! KSKL to better understand photoproduction of light vector mesons. A mass independent Partial Wave Analysis (PWA) of the KSKL and KSKS meson spectrum below 2 GeV is also undertaken to study the meson spectrum with JPC = even++ and odd??. The ?(1020) di?erential cross section is measured at E = 8:2 ? 8:8 GeV and ?t = 0:15 ? 1:00 GeV2. The di?erential cross section is well described by an exponential decay with slope 4:44?0:01 GeV?2 and the integrated cross section is determined to be 295:7?0:4 nb, only statistical uncertainties are quoted. Both measurements are consistent and far more precise than the previous measurement by Ballam et al. [1]. The ?(1020) SDMEs were measured in nine bins of ?t in the same range. At low ?t, we ?nd the data were consistent with s-channel helicity conservation, SCHC, i. e. the only non-zero SDMEs were ?1 1?1 = ?Im(?2 1?1) = 1=2. At higher ?t, the SDMEs deviate from SCHC and the measurements indicate this is due to natural parity exchange since we observe that the SDMEs are consistent with zero unnatural exchange. We also ?find that the contribution from helicity double-flip amplitudes is consistent with zero. The measured SDMEs are in poor agreement with theoretical predictions put forward by JPAC [35]. These measurements will serve as input to re?ne models of production processes, which will be essential for the interpretation of possible signals of exotic mesons in GlueX. Analysis of the spectrum above the ?(1020) indicates the presence of at least three particles at ? 1:50, ? 1:75, and 2:20 GeV. We employ simple parametrizations of the resonance line shape based on relativistic Breit-Wigner functions considering cases with and without interference. The resonance at ? 1:50 GeV is not identifi?ed as any specifi?c resonance, but could be due to interference between the ?(1450) and !(1420). Our models favor the resonance at ~1:75 GeV as the X(1750) rather than the ?(1680). We ?find that introducing a third Breit-Winger into the models improves the ?t quality with the ?2/ndf going from 1.75 to 1.59 and 1.41 to 1.18 for models without and with interference respectively. A PWA of the KSKL spectrum indicates that the spectrum is consistent with exclusively spin-1 contribution up to ? 1:6 GeV. Above ? 1:6 GeV we ?find evidence for a small spin-3 contribution. We also ?nd that the spectrum predominantly positive reflectivity up to ? 1:6 GeV, after which the spectrum becomes a nearly equal mix of both. The KSKS system shows a rich spectrum with multiple resonance structures but is more statistically limited than the KSKL system. Modelling the line shape we ?find evidence at greater than 10? level in favor of a resonance at ? 1:75 GeV. The model parameters suggest this resonance is the f0(1710). The PWA of the KSKS system was inconclusive. However, using a small set of amplitudes suggests that the spin-2 contribution to the spectrum is primarily in the range 1:2?1:6 GeV, where f2(1270), a2(1320) and f02 (1525) are expected.

Linera, Gabriel Rodriguez↗
DOE OSTI2024

Charm physics with overlap fermions on 2+1-flavor domain wall fermion configurations*

Decay constants of pseudoscalar mesons D, D s , η c , and vector mesons D*, D$^{*}_{s}$, J/ψ are determined from the N f = 2 + 1 lattice QCD at a lattice spacing a ~ 0.08 fm. For vector mesons, the decay constants defined by tensor currents are given in the $\overline{MS}$ scheme at 2 GeV. The calculation is performed on domain wall fermion configurations generated by the RBC-UKQCD collaborations and the overlap fermion action is used for the valence quarks. Comparing the current results with our previous results at a coarser lattice spacing a ~ 0.11 fm provides a better understanding of the discretization error. We obtain $f$$^{T}_{D^*_s}$($\overline{MS}$, 2 GeV)/f D$^{*}_{s}$ = 0.909(18) with a better precision than our previous result. Combining our f D$^{*}_{s}$ = 277(11) MeV with the total width of D$^{*}_{s}$ determined in a recent study gives a branching fraction 4.26(52) x 10 –5 for D$^{*}_{s}$ leptonic decay.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamical coupled-channel models for hadron dynamics

Dynamical coupled-channel (DCC) approaches parametrize the interactions and dynamics of two and more hadrons and their response to different electroweak probes. The inclusion of unitarity, three-body channels, and other properties from scattering theory allows for a reliable extraction of resonance spectra and their properties from data. Here, we review the formalism and application of the ANL-Osaka, the Juelich-Bonn-Washington, and other DCC approaches in the context of light baryon resonances from meson, (virtual) photon, and neutrino-induced reactions, as well as production reactions, strange baryons, light mesons, heavy meson systems, exotics, and baryon-baryon interactions. Finally, we also provide a connection of the formalism to study finite-volume spectra obtained in Lattice QCD, and review applications involving modern statistical and machine learning tools.

Amplitude analysis↗