SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Quantum Chromodynamics”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.36$ TeV

The inclusive cross section for top quark pair ($\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$) production in lead-lead (PbPb) collisions is reported for the first time at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.36 TeV. The analysis uses data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.58 nb −1 collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2023. The $\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$ production cross section, ${\sigma}_{\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}}={3.42}_{-0.51}^{+0.54}{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.43}^{+0.50}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)$ μb, is measured in dilepton final states using a fit to a multivariate discriminator that combines the decay electron and muon kinematic properties with the multiplicity of bottom quark jets. The result is consistent with perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) accuracy employing several nuclear parton distribution functions. In addition, the Drell–Yan production cross section (σ DY ) for dilepton masses above 10 GeV and the ratio of $\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}$ to DY cross sections $\left({R}_{\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}/\mathrm{DY}}\right)$ are found to be compatible with the NNLO predictions. The observables ${\sigma}_{\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}}$, σ DY , and ${R}_{\mathrm{t}\overline{\mathrm{t}}/\mathrm{DY}}$ are measured separately for central and semicentral PbPb collisions to investigate for the first time the dependence of top quark production on the collision impact parameter.

Heavy Ion Experiments↗

DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the t-channel single top quark cross section in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV

The single top quark t-channel production cross section is measured in proton-proton collisions at the CERN LHC at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV, using data recorded with the CMS detector in 2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 302 pb −1 , and resulting in the first CMS measurement of the process at that energy. Events with one electron or muon and two or more jets, among which at least one is identified as originating from a b quark fragmentation, are analyzed. The combined cross section of single top quark (tq) and single top antiquark ($\overline{\mathrm{t}}\mathrm{q}$) production is $\sigma \left(\mathrm{tq}+\overline{\mathrm{t}}\mathrm{q}\right)={25.5}_{-3.5}^{+3.6}{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-3.9}^{+4.2}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\pm 0.5\left(\mathrm{lumi}\right)$ pb. The individual cross sections are measured to be $\sigma \left(\mathrm{tq}\right)={17.7}_{-2.7}^{+2.9}{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-2.4}^{+2.6}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\pm 0.3\left(\mathrm{lumi}\right)$ pb and $\sigma \left(\overline{\mathrm{t}}\mathrm{q}\right)={6.7}_{-1.6}^{+2.4}{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-2.5}^{+2.1}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\pm 0.1\left(\mathrm{lumi}\right)$ pb. Their ratio is measured to be ${\mathcal{R}}_{\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{ch}}={2.7}_{-0.8}^{+1.5}{\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)}_{-0.3}^{+1.2}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)$. The absolute value of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element is found to be |f LV V tb | = 0.92 ± 0.09(exp) ± 0.01(theo). The measurements are in good agreement with the standard model predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy in quantum chromodynamics.

Hadron-Hadron Scattering↗

DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the branching fraction of ${\textrm{D}}_{\textrm{s}}^{+}$ → τ + ν τ via τ + → μ+ν μ $\overline{\nu}$τ

Utilizing 7 . 33 fb - 1 of e + e - collision data taken at the center-of-mass energies of 4.128, 4.157, 4.178, 4.189, 4.199, 4.209, 4.219, and 4.226 GeV with the BESIII detector, the branching fraction of the leptonic decay ${D}_s^{+}$ → τ + ν τ via τ + → μ + ν μ $\overline{\nu}$ τ is measured to be ${\mathcal{B}}_{D_s^{+}\to {\tau}^{+}{\nu}_{\tau }}$ = (5 . 37 ± 0 . 17 stat ± 0 . 15 syst )%. Combining this branching fraction with the world averages of the measurements of the masses of τ + and ${D}_s^{+}$ as well as the lifetime of ${D}_s^{+}$, we extract the product of the decay constant of ${D}_s^{+}$ and the c → s Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element to be ${f}_{D_s^{+}}$ |V cs | = (246 . 7 ± 3 . 9 stat ± 3 . 6 syst ) MeV. Taking |V cs | from a global fit in the standard model we obtain ${f}_{D_s^{+}}$ = (253 . 4 ± 4 . 0 stat ± 3 . 7 syst ) MeV. Conversely, taking ${f}_{D_s^{+}}$ from lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations, we obtain |V cs | = 0 . 987 ± 0 . 016 stat ± 0 . 014 syst .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

A fragmentation approach to jet flavor

An intuitive definition of the partonic flavor of a jet in quantum chromodynamics is often only well-defined in the deep ultraviolet, where the strong force becomes a free theory and a jet consists of a single parton. However, measurements are performed in the infrared, where a jet consists of numerous particles and requires an algorithmic procedure to define their phase space boundaries. To connect these two regimes, we introduce a novel and simple partonic jet flavor definition in the infrared. We define the jet flavor to be the net flavor of the partons that lie exactly along the direction of the Winner-Take-All recombination scheme axis of the jet, which is safe to all orders under emissions of soft particles, but is not collinear safe. Collinear divergences can be absorbed into a perturbative fragmentation function that describes the evolution of the jet flavor from the ultraviolet to the infrared. The evolution equations are linear and a small modification to traditional DGLAP and we solve them to leading-logarithmic accuracy. The evolution equations exhibit fixed points in the deep infrared, we demonstrate quantitative agreement with parton shower simulations, and we present various infrared and collinear safe observables that are sensitive to this flavor definition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Energy dependence of coherent photonuclear production of J/ψ mesons in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{\textrm{s}}_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV

The cross section for coherent photonuclear production of J/ψ is presented as a function of the electromagnetic dissociation (EMD) of Pb. The measurement is performed with the ALICE detector in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{{\textrm{s}}_{\textrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV. Cross sections are presented in five different J/ψ rapidity ranges within |y| < 4, with the J/ψ reconstructed via its dilepton decay channels. In some events the J/ψ is not accompanied by EMD, while other events do produce neutrons from EMD at beam rapidities either in one or the other beam direction, or in both. The cross sections in a given rapidity range and for different configurations of neutrons from EMD allow for the extraction of the energy dependence of this process in the range 17 < W γ Pb,n < 920 GeV, where W γ Pb,n is the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon of the γPb system. This range corresponds to a Bjorken-x interval spanning about three orders of magnitude: 1.1 × 10 —5 < x < 3.3 × 10 —2 . In addition to the ultra-peripheral and photonuclear cross sections, the nuclear suppression factor is obtained. These measurements point to a strong depletion of the gluon distribution in Pb nuclei over a broad, previously unexplored, energy range. These results, together with previous ALICE measurements, provide unprecedented information to probe quantum chromodynamics at high energies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Dependence of inclusive jet production on the anti-k$_{T}$ distance parameter in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{\mathrm{s}} $ = 13 TeV

The dependence of inclusive jet production in proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV on the distance parameter R of the anti-k$_{T}$ algorithm is studied using data corresponding to integrated luminosities up to 35.9 fb$^{−1}$ collected by the CMS experiment in 2016. The ratios of the inclusive cross sections as functions of transverse momentum p$_{T}$ and rapidity y, for R in the range 0.1 to 1.2 to those using R = 0.4 are presented in the region 84 < p$_{T}$< 1588 GeV and |y|< 2.0. The results are compared to calculations at leading and next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant using different parton shower models. The variation of the ratio of cross sections with R is well described by calculations including a parton shower model, but not by a leading-order quantum chromodynamics calculation including nonperturbative effects. The agreement between the data and the theoretical predictions for the ratios of cross sections is significantly improved when next-to-leading order calculations with nonperturbative effects are used.[graphic not available: see fulltext]

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Measurement of the inclusive and differential $t\overline{t}γ$ cross sections in the single-lepton channel and EFT interpretation at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The production cross section of a top quark pair in association with a photon is measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data set, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb -1 , was recorded by the CMS experiment during the 2016–2018 data taking of the LHC. The measurements are performed in a fiducial volume defined at the particle level. Events with an isolated, highly energetic lepton, at least three jets from the hadronization of quarks, among which at least one is b tagged, and one isolated photon are selected. The inclusive fiducial $t\overline{t}γ$ cross section, for a photon with transverse momentum greater than 20 GeV and pseudorapidity |η| < 1.4442, is measured to be 798 ± 7(stat) ± 48(syst) fb, in good agreement with the prediction from the standard model at next-to-leading order in quantum chromodynamics. The differential cross sections are also measured as a function of several kinematic observables and interpreted in the framework of the standard model effective field theory (EFT), leading to the most stringent direct limits to date on anomalous electromagnetic dipole moment interactions of the top quark and the photon.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dark Grand Unification in the axiverse: decaying axion dark matter and spontaneous baryogenesis

The quantum chromodynamics axion with a decay constant near the Grand Unification (GUT) scale has an ultralight mass near a neV. We show, however, that axion-like particles with masses near the keV–PeV range with GUT-scale decay constants are also well motivated in that they naturally arise from axiverse theories with dark c gauge groups. We demonstrate that the correct dark matter abundance may be achieved by the heavy axions in these models through the misalignment mechanism in combination with a period of early matter domination from the long-lived dark glueballs of the same gauge group. Heavy axion dark matter may decay to two photons, yielding mono-energetic electromagnetic signatures that may be detectable by current or next-generation space-based telescopes. We project the sensitivity of next-generation telescopes including Athena, AMEGO, and e-ASTROGAM to such decaying axion dark matter. If the dark sector contains multiple confining gauge groups, then the observed primordial baryon asymmetry may also be achieved in this scenario through spontaneous baryogenesis. We present explicit orbifold constructions where the dark gauge groups unify with the SM at the GUT scale and axions emerge as the fifth components of dark gauge fields with bulk Chern-Simons terms.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Local Two- and Three-Nucleon Chiral Interactions

We report that understanding the structure and reactions of nuclei from first principles has been a long-standing goal of nuclear physics. In this respect, few- and many-body systems provide a unique laboratory for studying nuclear interactions. In the past couple of decades, the modeling of nuclear interactions has progressed significantly owing, in particular, to the development of chiral effective field theory (χEFT), a low-energy effective representation of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Within χEFT, many studies have dealt with the construction of both two- and three-nucleon interactions. The aim of the present article is to provide a concise account of chiral interaction models that are local in configuration space, and to report on a selection of recent results for nuclear systems obtained with these interactions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Experiments at Jefferson Lab

This chapter presents experiments conducted at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab), a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory in Newport News, Virginia. There, physicists exploring the nature of matter make use of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), a DOE Office of Science user facility that enables the research of more than 1,650 scientists worldwide. CEBAF’s precise electron beams can reach energies up to 12 billion electron-volts and exhibit high degrees of polarization. Jefferson Lab’s first experiment began taking data in 1995. Since then, the facility has become a world leader in the study of quantum chromodynamics. Today, experiments are carried out simultaneously in four experimental halls, each with specialized capabilities. The primary instruments in use are focusing or large-acceptance magnetic spectrometers, many of which feature superconducting elements. Jefferson Lab’s physics program provides unprecedented insight into the particles and forces that shape the visible universe.

Achenbach, Patrick [Thomas Jefferson National Acce↗

DOE OSTI2026

Fantômas unconfined: global QCD fits with Bézier parameterizations

Fantômas is a C++ toolkit for exploring the parametrization dependence of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and other correlator functions in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Fantômas facilitates the generation of adaptable polynomial parametrizations for PDFs, called metamorphs, to find best-fit PDF solutions and quantify the epistemic uncertainty associated with the parametrizations during their fitting. The method employs Bézier curves as universal approximators for a variety of PDF shapes. Integrated into the xFitter framework for the global QCD analysis, Fantômas provides a foundation for general models of PDFs, while reducing the computational time compared to the approaches utilizing traditional polynomial parametrizations as well as providing an interpretable alternative to neural-network-based models. This paper outlines the structure and practical usage of the Fantômas toolkit, including its inputs, outputs, and implementation within xFitter. It also provides a practical example of using Fantômas for uncertainty quantification as well as the combination of PDF fits into a single ensemble.

Bézier curves↗

DOE OSTI2025

Spectrum of Dirac eigenvalues across QCD chiral transition

Here, we show that the universal scaling properties of the chiral phase transition in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) at the macroscale are encoded in the microscopic energy levels of the quarks in the background of gluon fields, defined as eigenvalues of the Dirac operator. We introduce a novel relation between the cumulants of the chiral condensate, and the correlations among the energy levels of quarks, i.e., the eigenspectra of the massless QCD Dirac operator. This relation elucidates how the fluctuations of the chiral condensate arise from the correlations within the infrared part of the energy spectra of quarks, and naturally leads to a generalization of the Banks-Casher relation for the cumulants of the chiral condensate. Then, through (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD calculations using HISQ action with varying light quark masses around the chiral phase transition temperature, we demonstrate that the correlations among the infrared part of the Dirac eigenvalue spectra exhibit same universal scaling behaviors as expected of the cumulants of the chiral condensate. We find that these universal scaling behaviors extend up to the physical values of the up and down quark masses.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simulation studies related to the particle identification by the forward and backward RICH detectors at Electron Ion Collider

The Electron-Ion collider (EIC) will be the ultimate facility to study the dynamics played by colored quarks and gluons in the phenomenology of nucleons and nuclei, described by Quantum Chromodynamics. The physics programs will greatly rely on efficient particle identification (PID) in both the forward and the backward regions. The forward and the backward RICHes of the EIC have to be able to cover wide acceptance and momentum ranges; in the forward region a dual radiator RICH (dRICH) is foreseen and in the backward region a proximity-focusing RICH can be foreseen to be employed. The geometry and the performance studies of the dRICH have been performed as prescribed in the EIC Yellow Report using the ATHENA software framework. Furthermore, this part of our work reports the effort following the call for EIC detector proposal and the studies related to the forward and the backward RICH performance. In the forward region, the dRICH performance showed a pion- kaon separation from around 1 GeV/c to 50 GeV/c at a three sigma level; the proximity focusing RICH (pfRICH) foreseen for the backward region can reach three sigma separation up to 3 GeV/c for e/$π$ and up to 10 GeV/c for $π$/K mass hypotheses.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2026

The forward physics facility: Physics opportunities and conceptual design

The Forward Physics Facility (FPF) is a proposed extension of the HL-LHC program designed to exploit the unique scientific opportunities offered by the intense flux of high energy neutrinos, and possibly new particles, in the far-forward direction. Located in a well-shielded cavern 627 m downstream of one of the LHC interaction points, the facility will support a broad and ambitious physics program that significantly expands the discovery potential of the HL-LHC. Equipped with four complementary detectors -- FLArE, FASER$ν$2, FASER2, and FORMOSA -- the FPF will enable breakthrough measurements that will advance our understanding of neutrino physics, quantum chromodynamics, and astroparticle physics, and will search for dark matter and other new particles. With this Letter of Intent, we propose the construction of the FPF cavern and the construction, integration, and installation of its experiments. We summarize the physics case, the facility design, the layout and components of the detectors, as well as the envisioned collaboration structure, cost estimate, and implementation timeline.

Astroparticle physics↗

DOE OSTI2026

William A. Bardeen: A life in physics and the legacy of the chiral anomaly

William Allan Bardeen (September 15, 1941 − November 18, 2025) was an American theoretical physicist who worked at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. He is renowned for his foundational work on the chiral anomaly, the Adler-Bardeen theorem, the non-Abelian anomaly and gravitational anomalies. He was instrumental in the development of quantum chromodynamics and its applications, such as semileptonic decays and the Λ $\overline{MS}$ scheme frequently used in perturbative analysis of high energy processes involving strong interactions. Bardeen also played a major role in developing a theory of dynamical breaking of electroweak symmetry via top quark condensates, leading to one of the first composite Brout-Englert-Higgs boson models. His work on the chiral symmetry dynamics of heavy-light quark bound states correctly predicted abnormally long-lived resonances which are chiral symmetry partners of the ground state.

Hill, Christopher T. [Fermi National Accelerator L↗

DOE OSTI2021

First measurement of the cross section for top quark pair production with additional charm jets using dileptonic final states in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV

The first measurement of the inclusive cross section for top quark pairs ($t\bar{t}$) produced in association with two additional charm jets is presented. The analysis uses the dileptonic final states of $t\bar{t}$ events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb -1 recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. A new charm jet identification algorithm provides input to a neural network that is trained to distinguish among $t\bar{t}$ events with two additional charm ($t\bar{t}c\bar{c}$), bottom ($t\bar{t}b\bar{b}$), and light-flavour or gluon ($t\bar{t}LL$) jets. By means of a template fitting procedure, the inclusive $t\bar{t}c\bar{c}$, $t\bar{t}b\bar{b}$, and $t\bar{t}LL$ cross sections are simultaneously measured, together with their ratios to the inclusive $t\bar{t}$ + two jets cross section. This provides measurements of the $t\bar{t}c\bar{c}$ and $t\bar{t}b\bar{b}$ cross sections of 10.1 ± 1.2 (stat) ± 1.4 (syst) pb and 4.54 ± 0.35 (stat) ± 0.56 (syst) pb, respectively, in the full phase space. The results are compared and found to be consistent with predictions from two different matrix element generators with next-to-leading order accuracy in quantum chromodynamics, interfaced with a parton shower simulation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Non-perturbative BRST symmetry and the spectral structure of the ghost propagator

In BRST-quantised Yang-Mills theory the existence of BRST symmetry imposes significant constraints on the analytic structure of the continuum theory. In particular, the presence of this symmetry in the non-perturbative regime implies that any on-shell state with vanishing norm must have an associated partner state with identical mass, but negative inner product. In this work we demonstrate that for quantum chromodynamics (QCD) this constraint gives rise to an interconnection between the ghost and gluon spectra, and in doing so provides a non-trivial test of whether BRST symmetry is realised non-perturbatively. By analysing infrared lattice data for the minimal Landau gauge ghost propagator in pure SU(3) Yang-Mills theory, and comparing this with previous results for the gluon propagator, we show that this interconnection is violated, and hence conclude that continuum and current lattice formulations of Yang-Mills theory in Landau gauge represent two distinct realisations of the theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Accessing subnuclear fluctuations and saturation with multiplicity dependent J/ψ production in p+p and p+Pb collisions

We study the production of J/ψ vector mesons as a function of charged hadron multiplicity in p+p and p+Pb collisions at LHC energies. We employ the color glass condensate framework, using running coupling Balitsky-Kovchegov evolved dipole amplitudes, to compute gluon and cc¯-pair production. We use fragmentation functions to obtain charged hadrons, and explore two different hadronization schemes for the J/ψ: non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics and the improved color evaporation model. In our framework, event-by-event multiplicity fluctuations of both hadrons and J/ψ are driven by geometric and saturation scale normalization fluctuations. Studying the correlation between J/ψ and hadron multiplicity, we show that the characteristic difference between forward and backward rapidity in p+Pb collisions is a result of different degrees of saturation probed at different rapidities. We demonstrate that experimental data on heavy-flavor production as a function of event activity provide stringent constraints on the fluctuating proton structure

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗