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At least 253 records · Page 14

QCD running couplings and effective charges

Here we discuss our present knowledge of $\alpha_s$, the fundamental running coupling or effective charge of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). A precise understanding of the running of $\alpha_s(Q^2) $ at high momentum transfer, $Q$, is necessary for any perturbative QCD calculation. Equally important, the behavior of $\alpha_s$} at low $Q^2$ in the nonperturbative QCD domain is critical for understanding strong interaction phenomena, including the emergence of mass and quark confinement. The behavior of $\alpha_s(Q^2)$ at all momentum transfers also provides a connection between perturbative and nonperturbative QCD phenomena, such as hadron spectroscopy and dynamics. We first sketch the origin of the QCD coupling, the reason why its magnitude depends on the scale at which hadronic phenomena are probed, and the resulting consequences for QCD phenomenology. We then summarize latest measurements in both the perturbative and nonperturbative domains. New theory developments include the derivation of the universal nonperturbative behavior of $\alpha_s(Q^2)$ from both the Dyson-Schwinger equations and light-front holography. We also describe theory advances for the calculation of gluon and quark Schwinger functions in the nonperturbative domain and the relation of these quantities to $\alpha_s$. We conclude by highlighting how the nonperturbative knowledge of $\alpha_s$ is now providing a parameter-free determination of hadron spectroscopy and structure, a central and long-sought goal of QCD studies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

TMS XTRRA experiments on NIF

The study of x-ray induced rapid heating and the resulting material responses - (thermomechanical shock (TMS) and thermo-structural response (TSR)) - is important to our understanding of material behavior in extreme environments. A series of high conversion efficiency (XRCE) x-ray sources have been developed for the NIF laser facility ranging in fluence and spectral content. In conjunction with source development, we have developed a new XTRRA (X-ray Transport and Radiation Response Analysis) test cassette to hold a set of samples, each at equal distance from target chamber center (TCC) where the x-ray source is placed. Design and performance details of the x-ray sources is discussed elsewhere. Here, we describe the development and use of this TMS XTRRA test cassette. The XTRRA test cassette is a snout mounted on a NIF Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM) designed to position six samples equidistant from the x-ray source to assure uniform irradiation of all samples. Photon Displacement interferometry (PDI) is used to measure the displacement of the rear surface of each sample resulting from x-ray exposure on the front of the sample. This will help determine the x-ray generated impulse on the sample. The samples are retrieved from the snout after the shot for inspection and post-shot analysis including the measurement of sample ablated mass and engineering tests examining changes in the material structure. The data from experiments are compared to predictions from LLNL’s ASC codes and used to inform models implemented in these codes. Thus, XRCE x-ray sources with the XTRRA snout at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory [1,2] provide the ability to expose a broad range of material samples directly to high x-ray fluence, measure shock transits, and recover the sample for further analysis post-shot.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Module-Level Solutions For Degradation by Ionization Damage

After years of improving module efficiency while targeting mean degradation rates of 0.5 to 0.6 %/y for crystalline silicon technology, there is much evidence that the degradation rates are now increasing significantly. Contributing factors include:Radiation damage (UV-Light Induced Degradation): Trina solar: -4.5%/y degradation rate in Singapore, DOE National Laboratory Regional Test Centers showed degradation of -1% < r < -2%/y in crystalline silicon modules, Jinko Solar: -4% < r < -7% efficiency loss from 540 MJ/m-2 of UV-A light, ISFH: 15% relative power loss during of 1.8 GJ/m-2 UV exposure, attributed to H+. Electrical bias from positive system voltage (e.g., +1000 V, +1500 V) can drive ions and metallization through the encapsulation, NREL: Ion transport can affect the cell passivation, resulting in power loss of 5% to 40% in p-PERC+ (bifacial), NREL: Damage at cell rear with up to 17% power at cell fronts in n-PERT modules. Delamination can also occur due to cell surface reactions driven by light and bias.

module efficiency↗

Ultra-short pulse generation from mid-IR to THz range using plasma wakes and relativistic ionization fronts

In this work, we discuss numerical and experimental results on frequency downshifting and upshifting of a 10 μ m infrared (IR) laser to cover the entire wavelength (frequency) range from λ = 1 to 150 μ m ( ν = 300–2 THz) using two different plasma techniques. The first plasma technique utilizes frequency downshifting of the drive laser pulse in a nonlinear plasma wake. Based on this technique, we have proposed and demonstrated that in a tailored plasma structure, multi-millijoule energy, single-cycle, long-wavelength IR (3–20 μ m) pulses can be generated by using an 810 nm Ti:sapphire drive laser. Here, we extend this idea to the THz frequency regime. We show that sub-joule, terawatts, single-cycle terahertz (2–12 THz or 150–25 μ m) pulses can be generated by replacing the drive laser with a picosecond 10 μ m CO 2 laser and a different shaped plasma structure. The second plasma technique employs frequency upshifting by colliding a CO 2 laser with a rather sharp relativistic ionization front created by ionization of a gas in less than half cycle (17 fs) of the CO 2 laser. Even though the electrons in the ionization front carry no energy, the frequency of the CO 2 laser can be upshifted due to the relativistic Doppler effect as the CO 2 laser pulse enters the front. The wavelength can be tuned from 1 to 10 μ m by simply changing the electron density of the front. While the upshifted light with 5 < λ ( μ m ) < 10 propagates in the forward direction, that with 1 < λ ( μ m ) < 5 is back-reflected. These two plasma techniques seem extremely promising for covering the entire molecular fingerprint region.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fission with Exotic Nuclei (Full Technical Report)

Despite its importance for stockpile stewardship or nuclear forensics, data on fission is fragmentary: most experiments have only been performed on stable actinide nuclei and are often incomplete, and theoretical simulations often contain many parameters hard to constrain, which results in large uncertainties. Consequently, nuclear libraries have large gaps for important isotopes. The goal of this project was to prepare to take advantage of the unprecedented yields of radioactive isotopes at the upcoming DOE Facility for Rare Ion Beams and to leverage recent progress in the field of machine learning to develop a comprehensive program of fission studies that could address some of the most pressing problems in nuclear fission over the next several decades. Our project leveraged synergies between experimental nuclear physics, nuclear theory, and data science expertise at LLNL. On the experimental front, our main objective was to develop in-house expertise for inverse kinematics reactions with relativistic beams as well as to field and test new detectors to perform correlated measurements of fission properties. On the theoretical side, the objective was to develop a novel, high-fidelity and scalable approach of fissionfragment calculations based on emulating computationally expensive, quantum-mechanical calculations of nuclear properties with deep neural networks.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Texas A&M University Mobile Facility Measurements during TRACER (Field Campaign Report)

One of the main goals of the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) near Houston, Texas is to improve understanding of how meteorology and aerosols impact storm dynamical and microphysical processes in deep convection to better constrain and improve their model representation. The Houston area is strongly influenced by sea- and bay-breeze circulations that generate convergence and help to initiate and organize deep convection. To properly isolate and understand the roles of varied meteorological conditions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nucleation particles (INP) distributions in different air masses, co-located thermodynamic, kinematic, and aerosol vertical profile observations are needed. The focus of this campaign was to provide key measurements in air masses both in front of and behind sea/bay breeze fronts moving through the greater Houston area to sample the airmass heterogeneity. The overarching scientific goal of this campaign is to understand how the vertical distributions of both CCN and INP correspond to the inflow layer of deep convection in maritime, background continental, and polluted continental air masses, and how these variations influence deep convection. To fully sample the heterogeneity in both meteorological conditions and aerosols across the sea-breeze front (SBF), Texas A&M University (TAMU) deployed a InterMet 3050A 403 MHz mobile unit launching iMet-4 radiosondes and the new Rapid Onsite Atmospheric Measurement Van (ROAM-V) for aerosol sampling during the TRACER intensive operational period (IOP) from June to September 2022. The suite of instruments deployed on ROAM-V included a condensation particle counter (CPC; GRIMM Model 5.403 CPC), scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS; TSI 3750 detector, TSI 3082 classifier, TSI 3088 neutralizer, TSI 3081A differential mobility analyzer), cloud condensation nuclei counter (Droplet Measurement Technologies CCN counter), micropulse lidar (Droplet Measurement Technologies micropulse lidar [miniMPL]), and a Davis Rotating Uniform size-cut Monitor (DRUM; DRUMAir 4-DRUM). Before sampling at each location, the latitude and longitude were recorded using the Global Positioning System (GPS) on the phone application “My Altitude”. The DRUM data were collected as part of a closely related ARM field campaign and also supported by DOE Atmospheric System Research grant DE-SC0021047. The TAMU team sampled these airmass heterogeneities by strategically choosing deployment sites in a different airmass than the ARM fixed sites in La Porte and Guy, Texas. On days when the sea/bay breeze boundary was pushing inland, the TAMU team would usually sample the airmass on the maritime side of the SBF at a coastal site in Galveston, Texas in the early afternoon (1730-1900 UTC) and then move inland ahead of the SBF to sample the airmass on the continental side during late afternoon (2030-2230). Figure 1 shows the Galveston maritime site and the array of sites for the late afternoon continental measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Soft X-ray quantum efficiency of a commercial CMOS imaging sensor

The demonstrated performance and cost-effectiveness of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors make them a potentially attractive option for low-cost space-based X-ray observatories. We have previously reported on the performance of a commercially available backside-illuminated Sony IMX290LLR-C CMOS sensor and found it to offer X-ray spectral resolutions comparable to the charged coupled devices (CCDs) aboard Suzaku and Chandra and to have a sufficient radiation hardness for use in low Earth orbit. Here, in this work, we report on the quantum efficiency (QE) of this sensor, an essential metric for modeling the sensitivity of an instrument as an X-ray detector. Using the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, we measure the soft X-ray QE of this CMOS sensor to be 0.28 ± 0.02 at a photon energy of 490.5 eV. This energy was chosen for its proximity to the astrophysically important O VII triplet emission lines (~574 eV) studied by the HaloSat mission. Although not surpassing that of the back-illuminated CCDs aboard Suzaku and Chandra, this QE compares favorably to that of the front-illuminated CCDs aboard the same observatories and is competitive with that of the silicon drift detectors used aboard HaloSat, making it a strong candidate for use on future X-ray small satellite (SmallSat) missions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A novel, magnetically driven convergent Richtmyer–Meshkov platform

Here, we introduce a novel experimental platform for the study of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability in a cylindrically converging geometry using a magnetically driven cylindrical piston. Magnetically driven solid liner implosions are used to launch a shock into a liquid deuterium working fluid and, ultimately, into an on-axis rod with a pre-imposed perturbation. The shock front trajectory is tracked through the working fluid and up to the point of impacting the rod through the use of on axis photonic Doppler velocimetry. This configuration allows for precise characterization of the shock state as it impacts the perturbed rod interface. Monochromatic x-ray radiography is used to measure the post-shock interface evolution and rod density profile. The ALEGRA MHD model is used to simulate the dynamics of the experiment in one dimension. We show that late in time the perturbation growth becomes non-linear as evidenced by the observation of high-order harmonics, up to n = 5. Two dimensional simulations performed using a combination of the GORGON MHD code and the xRAGE radiation hydrodynamics code suggest that the late time non-linear growth is modified by convergence effects as the bubbles and spikes experience differences in the pressure of the background flow.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Electron and photon energy calibration with the ATLAS detector using LHC Run 2 data

This paper presents the electron and photon energy calibration obtained with the ATLAS detector using 140 fb -1 of LHC proton-proton collision data recorded at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV between 2015 and 2018. Methods for the measurement of electron and photon energies are outlined, along with the current knowledge of the passive material in front of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter. The energy calibration steps are discussed in detail, with emphasis on the improvements introduced in this paper. The absolute energy scale is set using a large sample of Z-boson decays into electron-positron pairs, and its residual dependence on the electron energy is used for the first time to further constrain systematic uncertainties. The achieved calibration uncertainties are typically 0.05% for electrons from resonant Z-boson decays, 0.4% at E T ~ 10 GeV, and 0.3% at E T ~ 1 TeV; for photons at E T ~ 60 GeV, they are 0.2% on average. This is more than twice as precise as the previous calibration. The new energy calibration is validated using J/ψ → ee and radiative Z-boson decays.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Ultra-short pulse laser acceleration of protons to 80 MeV from cryogenic hydrogen jets tailored to near-critical density

Laser plasma-based particle accelerators attract great interest in fields where conventional accelerators reach limits based on size, cost or beam parameters. Despite the fact that particle in cell simulations have predicted several advantageous ion acceleration schemes, laser accelerators have not yet reached their full potential in producing simultaneous high-radiation doses at high particle energies. The most stringent limitation is the lack of a suitable high-repetition rate target that also provides a high degree of control of the plasma conditions required to access these advanced regimes. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction of petawatt-class laser pulses with a pre-formed micrometer-sized cryogenic hydrogen jet plasma overcomes these limitations enabling tailored density scans from the solid to the underdense regime. Our proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that the near-critical plasma density profile produces proton energies of up to 80 MeV. Based on hydrodynamic and three-dimensional particle in cell simulations, transition between different acceleration schemes are shown, suggesting enhanced proton acceleration at the relativistic transparency front for the optimal case.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Understanding aerosol properties in convective outflows during TRACER

Convective outflow boundaries commonly form across the southeastern U.S., often originating from storms initiated along sea-breeze fronts. As outflows spread, merge, and collide, they frequently trigger secondary convection in air masses already modified by primary storm outflow. This resulting air mass carries a distinctive aerosol population, which can influence the development of secondary convective cells. During the U.S. DOE TRACER field campaign in summer 2022, we investigated how outflows affect aerosol size, composition, and hygroscopicity across Greater Houston, Texas. Using a novel detection algorithm, we identified and verified 72 outflow boundaries from surface meteorological observations. In the relatively simple continental environment northwest of Houston, a common relationship emerged between CCN-inferred hygroscopicity (κ) and size-resolved aerosol concentrations. The κ of aerosols typically decreased in size ranges where aerosol concentrations increased following outflow passage and increased where concentrations decreased. In contrast, at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement’s (ARM) fixed site in La Porte, Texas, the aerosol response depended on outflow direction, shaped by concentrated industrial and shipping activity to the north and south/southeast along the Houston Ship Channel. Concurrent size distribution and composition changes suggested case-specific variability in κ, with either reinforcing or offsetting effects. Outflows passing over industrial/shipping sectors often promoted less hygroscopic aerosol populations while cleaner residential outflows often favored more hygroscopic aerosol populations. These results highlight key aerosol changes following outflow passage, providing a foundation for improved understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions related to secondary convection initiation along or in the wake of outflow boundaries.

Thompson, Seth A. [Texas A & M Univ., College Stat↗

Color transparency and the proton form factor: Evidence for the Feynman mechanism

A recent experiment by D. Bhetuwal et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 082301 (2021)] used the (e,e'p) reaction on 12 C to search for the effects of color transparency (the absence of final-state interactions). Color transparency was said to be ruled out. Observing the effects of color transparency depends on the ability of a putative point-like-configuration (PLC), formed in a high-momentum transfer coherent reaction, to escape the nucleus without expanding its size. Here, we study the expansion aspect of color transparency using superconformal baryon-meson symmetry and light-front holographic QCD. A new formalism is obtained and used to analyze the recent experiment. The resulting conclusion is that effects of expansion would not be sufficiently significant in causing final-state interactions to occur. Therefore, we conclude that a PLC was not formed. In conclusion, this means that the Feynman mechanism involving virtual photon absorption on a single high-momentum quark is responsible for the high-momentum electromagnetic form factor of the proton.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Geochemical Impact of Acid Spearhead and Slickwater Stimulation on Wolfcamp Shale from the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site

The Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site 1 (HFTS-1) was a field study performed in the Wolfcamp Formation in the West Texas Permian (Midland) Basin, USA, with a focus on improving the efficiency of hydraulic fracturing. Investigating site-specific rock-fluid geochemical interactions during hydraulic fracturing is an important step to understanding the impact on formation shale porosity, permeability, and long-term shale gas production. During field operations in this region, hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) injection usually starts with a concentrated acid spearhead for rapid rock dissolution, followed by the injection of near-neutral pH slickwater containing chemicals and proppants. A multistep sequential injection approach was used to investigate different stages of rock-fluid interactions. The carbonate content in the host rock is important when acid spearhead is considered, as carbonate mineral dissolution is rapid and can result in porosity and permeability changes in the shale matrix. Here, in this study, we designed flow-through experiments using fractured carbonate-rich and clay-rich Wolfcamp shale cores with (1) a short-time acid soaking step and (2) a long-term slickwater flow-through step to simulate the injection method used at HFTS-1. The fluid chemistry was analyzed. A thorough mineralogical progression [e.g., Calcium (Ca) dissolution and iron (Fe) redox progression] in the cores during HFF injection was also characterized and imaged by synchrotron microprobe. Reactive transport modeling was performed based on the experimental setup. The results showed that the acid spearhead is a crucial step in creating a reaction front by mineral dissolution, especially in carbonate-rich shales. A slight layer of ferrihydrite precipitated during the slickwater flow-through period. This study provides insights into potential geochemical impact due to hydraulic fracturing operations in the Permian Basin.

clastic rock↗

Positronium: an illustration of nonperturbative renormalization in a basis light-front approach

We calculate the mass spectrum and the structure of the positronium system at a strong coupling in a basis light-front approach. We start from the light-front QED Hamiltonian and retain one dynamical photon in our basis. We perform the fermion mass renormalization associated with the nonperturbative fermion self-energy correction. We present the resulting mass spectrum and wave functions for the selected low-lying states. Next, we apply this approach to QCD and calculate the heavy meson system with one dynamical gluon retained. We illustrate the obtained mass spectrum and wave functions for the selected low-lying states.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Early High-contrast Imaging Results with Keck/NIRC2-PWFS: The SR 21 Disk

High-contrast imaging of exoplanets and protoplanetary disks depends on wave front sensing and correction made by adaptive optics instruments. Classically, wave front sensing has been conducted at optical wavelengths, which made high-contrast imaging of red targets such as M-type stars or extincted T Tauri stars challenging. Keck/NIRC2 has combined near-infrared (NIR) detector technology with the pyramid wave front sensor (PWFS). With this new module we observed SR 21, a young star that is brighter at NIR wavelengths than at optical wavelengths. Compared with the archival data of SR 21 taken with the optical wave front sensing we achieved ~20% better Strehl ratio in similar natural seeing conditions. Further post-processing utilizing angular differential imaging and reference-star differential imaging confirmed the spiral feature reported by the Very Large Telescope/Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument polarimetric observation, which is the first detection of the SR 21 spiral in total intensity at L' band. We also compared the contrast limit of our result (10 -4 at 0.'4 and 2 × 10 -5 at 1.'0) with the archival data that were taken with optical wave front sensing and confirmed the improvement, particularly at ≤0.'5. Our observation demonstrates that the NIR PWFS improves AO performance and will provide more opportunities for red targets in the future.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Surrogate-driven design optimization with uncertainty constraints in Monte Carlo simulations

In multi-objective design tasks, the computational cost increases rapidly when high-fidelity simulations are used to evaluate objective functions. Surrogate models help mitigate this cost by approximating the simulation output, simplifying the design process. However, under high uncertainty, surrogate models trained on noisy data can produce inaccurate predictions, as their performance depends heavily on the quality of training data. This study investigates the impact of data uncertainty on two multi-objective design problems modelled using Monte Carlo transport simulations: a neutron moderator and an ion-to-neutron converter. For each, a grid search was performed using five different tally uncertainty levels to generate training data for neural network surrogate models. These models were then optimized using NSGA-III. The recovered Pareto-fronts were analyzed across uncertainty levels: in the moderator problem, normalized hypervolume dropped from 0.886 at 1.0% uncertainty to 0.748 at 10% uncertainty, while in the converter problem it remained near 0.50 for all cases. Average simulation times were also compared to evaluate the trade-off between accuracy and computational cost. Results show that the influence of simulation uncertainty is strongly problem-dependent. In the neutron moderator case, higher uncertainties led to exaggerated objective sensitivities and distorted Pareto-fronts, reducing normalized hypervolume. In contrast, the ion-to-neutron converter task was less affected—low-fidelity simulations produced results similar to those from high-fidelity data. These findings suggest that a fixed-fidelity approach is not optimal. Surrogate models can recover the Pareto-front under noisy conditions, and multi-fidelity studies help identify suitable uncertainty levels for each problem to balance efficiency and accuracy.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Understanding ERE and iVOC Metrics for Graded CdSeTe Absorbers

PL-based external radiative efficiency (ERE) and implied open-circuit voltage (iVOC) metrics were introduced for thin-film solar absorbers to better understand the voltage deficit and diagnose losses in solar cells. Traditionally, elevated ERE and iVOC measurements are associated with diminished recombination within the solar device, a rationale heavily reliant on the assumption of a uniform bandgap and high carrier mobilities in the absorber. Recently, very low mobilities in CdSeTe absorbers (< 1 cm2/(V.s)) were measured using the light-induced transient grading technique. In this study, we use a detailed numerical model of iVOC to investigate the possible reasons of elevated iVOC in realistic CdSeTe absorbers with a graded Se profile. In particular, we examine how the bandgap nonuniformity and the reduced hole mobility in graded CdSeTe absorbers affect iVOC measurements. We show that high iVOC may result from inflated quasi-Fermi level splitting in the high-Se region in the front part of a CdSeTe absorber with slow hole transport. We reproduce the experimentally reported 360 mV increase in iVOC-VOC gap with reduced doping using a model with sub-1 cm2/(V.s) hole mobility in the high-Se region. Based on our results, we conclude that the iVOC metric (or ERE metric) should not be used as a sole metric of CdSeTe absorber quality. We discuss possible ways to extract useful information from the iVOC-VOC gap by supplementing the front-side illumination measurements with back-side illumination measurements.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

The 40 Ar(d,p) 41 Ar cross section between 3–7 MeV

To determine the safety of using argon as a deuteron beam stopping material, the 40 Ar(d,p) 41 Ar cross section was measured at average deuteron energies of 3.6 MeV, 5.5 MeV, and 7.0 MeV using an activation method. A 16-MeV deuteron beam produced by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 88-Inch Cyclotron was degraded to each energy by nickel foils and the front wall of an aluminum gas chamber. The reduced-energy deuterons were used to activate a sample of nat Ar gas. After each irradiation, the gas chamber’s 41 Ar activation was measured with a high-purity germanium detector. The cross sections measured were larger than a previous measurement by ~40%.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗