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At least 271 records · Page 15

Detect and Avoid and Collision Avoidance Flight Test Results with ACAS Xr

In October 2023, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completed its Integration of Automated Systems flight test series, conducted under NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility project and in partnership with Sikorsky and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The flight test effort included two crewed rotorcraft platforms. The first, a modified S-76B helicopter, served as the “ownship” for the duration of the flight test. The second vehicle, a modified S-70, served as the intruder aircraft. One Sikorsky pilot and one NASA test pilot was onboard each aircraft for every test point, with the NASA test pilot responsible for interacting with the research systems under test. Approximately half of the flight test was devoted to assessing the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) next-generation collision avoidance system, the Airborne Collision Avoidance System X for Rotorcraft (ACAS Xr). The two configurations available within ACAS Xr – the Collision Avoidance System (CAS) configuration and the Detect and Avoid (DAA) configuration – were flown with an onboard pilot under Visual Flight Rules in controlled airspace over the Long Island Sound (Connecticut, USA). A total of 33 flight test cards were flown with ACAS Xr active. The ownship was equipped with ACAS Xr and the intruder was equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The test points were blocked by ACAS Xr configuration, with individual encounters varying the ownship speed (90 knots or 20 knots), the intruder designation (en-route, terminal area, or structured airspace), and method of RA execution (automated or manually executed). Results showed that the ACAS Xr alerting and guidance was largely effective and rated positively by the NASA test pilots, exemplified by zero instances of the pilots overriding an ACAS Xr Resolution Advisory (RA). Key areas of improvement, however, were noted, particularly with regards to the lack of an aural alert indicating a need to accelerate when receiving an RA at low speed and the occurrence of multiple RAs that the pilots found to be unacceptable.

detect and avoid↗

First observation of strange baryon enhancement with effective energy in pp collisions at the LHC

The production of (multi-)strange hadrons is measured at midrapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV as a function of the local charged-particle multiplicity in the pseudorapidity interval |η| < 0.5 and of the very-forward energy measured by the ALICE Zero-Degree Calorimeters. The latter provides information on the effective energy, i.e. the energy available for particle production in the collision once subtracted from the centre-of-mass energy. The yields of K$^{0}_{s}$, $Λ$ + $\overline{Λ}$, and $Ξ$ – + $\overline{Ξ}$ + per charged-particle increase with the effective energy. In addition, this work exploits a multi-differential approach to decouple the roles of local multiplicity and effective energy in such an enhancement. The results presented in this article provide new insights into the interplay between global properties of the collision, such as the initial available energy in the event, and the locally produced final hadronic state, connected to the charged-particle multiplicity at midrapidity. Notably, a strong increase of strange baryon production with effective energy is observed for fixed charged-particle multiplicity at midrapidity. These results are discussed within the context of existing phenomenological models of hadronisation implemented in different tunes of the PYTHIA 8 event generator.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multiplicity-dependent jet modification from di-hadron correlations in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

Short-range correlations between charged particles are studied via two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The correlation functions are measured as a function of the relative azimuthal angle ∆φ and the pseudorapidity separation ∆η for pairs of primary charged particles within the pseudorapidity interval |η| < 0.9 and the transverse-momentum range 1 < p T < 8 GeV/c. Near-side (|∆φ| < 1.3) peak widths are extracted from a generalised Gaussian fitted over the correlations in full pseudorapidity separation (|∆η| < 1.8), while the per-trigger associated near-side yields are extracted for the short-range correlations (|∆η| < 1.3). Both are evaluated as a function of charged-particle multiplicity obtained by two different event activity estimators. The width of the near-side peak decreases with increasing multiplicity, and this trend is reproduced qualitatively by the Monte Carlo event generators PYTHIA 8, AMPT, and EPOS. However, the models overestimate the width in the low transverse-momentum region (p T < 3 GeV/c). The per-trigger associated near-side yield increases with increasing multiplicity. Although this trend is also captured qualitatively by the considered event generators, the yield is mostly overestimated by the models in the considered kinematic range. The measurement of the shape and yield of the short-range correlation peak can help us understand the interplay between jet fragmentation and event activity, quantify the narrowing trend of the near-side peak as a function of transverse momentum and multiplicity selections in pp collisions, and search for final-state jet modification in small collision systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of ω meson production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

The p T -differential cross section of ω meson production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) was measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC, covering an unprecedented transverse-momentum range of 1.6 < p T < 50 GeV/c. The meson is reconstructed via the ω → π + π − π 0 decay channel. The results are compared with various theoretical calculations: PYTHIA8.2 with the Monash 2013 tune overestimates the data by up to 50%, whereas good agreement is observed with Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) calculations incorporating ω fragmentation using a broken SU(3) model. The ω/π 0 ratio is presented and compared with theoretical calculations and the available measurements at lower collision energies. The presented data triples the p T ranges of previously available measurements. A constant ratio of C ω/π0 = 0.578 ± 0.006 (stat.) ± 0.013 (syst.) is found above a transverse momentum of 4 GeV/c, which is in agreement with previous findings at lower collision energies within the systematic and statistical uncertainties.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Gluon double-spin asymmetry in the longitudinally polarized p + p collisions

We derive the first-ever small-x expression for the inclusive gluon production cross section in the central rapidity region of the longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions. The cross section depends on the polarizations of both protons, therefore comprising the numerator of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry ALL for the produced gluons. The cross section is calculated in the shock wave formalism and is expressed in terms of the polarized dipole scattering amplitudes on the projectile and target protons. We show that the small-x evolution corrections are included into our cross section expression if one evolves these polarized dipole amplitudes using the double-logarithmic helicity evolution derived in [1–4]. Our calculation is performed for the gluon sector only, with the quark contribution left for future work. When that work is complete, the resulting formula will be applicable to longitudinally polarized proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions, as well as to polarized semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) on a proton or a nucleus. Our results should allow one to extend the small-x helicity phenomenology analysis of [5] to the jet/hadron production data reported for the longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions at RHIC and to polarized SIDIS measurements at central rapidities to be performed at the EIC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Light-flavor particle production in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{\textrm{s}}$ = 13 TeV as a function of transverse spherocity

Results on the transverse spherocity dependence of light-flavor particle production (π, K, p, ϕ, K *0 , K$^{0}_{S}$, Λ, Ξ) at midrapidity in high-multiplicity pp collisions at $\sqrt{\textrm{s}}$ = 13 TeV were obtained with the ALICE apparatus. The transverse spherocity estimator ($S$$^{p_T=1}_{O}$) categorizes events by their azimuthal topology. Utilizing narrow selections on $S$$^{p_T=1}_{O}$, it is possible to contrast particle production in collisions dominated by many soft initial interactions with that observed in collisions dominated by one or more hard scatterings. Results are reported for two multiplicity estimators covering different pseudorapidity regions. The $S$$^{p_T=1}_{O}$ estimator is found to effectively constrain the hardness of the events when the midrapidity (|η| < 0.8) estimator is used.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multiplicity and transverse momentum dependence of charge-balance functions in pPb and PbPb collisions at LHC energies

Measurements of the charge-dependent two-particle angular correlation function in proton-lead (pPb) collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 8.16 TeV and lead-lead (PbPb) collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV are reported. The pPb and PbPb data sets correspond to integrated luminosities of 186 nb -1 and 0.607 nb -1 , respectively, and were collected using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The charge-dependent correlations are characterized by balance functions of same- and opposite-sign particle pairs. The balance functions, which contain information about the creation time of charged particle pairs and the development of collectivity, are studied as functions of relative pseudorapidity (Δη) and relative azimuthal angle (Δφ), for various multiplicity and transverse momentum (p T ) intervals. A multiplicity dependence of the balance function is observed in Δη and Δφ for both systems. The width of the balance functions decreases towards high-multiplicity collisions in the momentum region < 2 GeV, for pPb and PbPb results. Integrals of the balance functions are presented in both systems, and a mild dependence of the charge-balancing fractions on multiplicity is observed. No multiplicity dependence is observed at higher transverse momentum. The data are compared with HYDJET, HIJING, and AMPT generator predictions, none of which capture completely the multiplicity dependence seen in the data. The comparison of results with different center-of-mass energies suggests that the balance functions become narrower at higher energies, which is consistent with the idea of delayed hadronization and the effect of radial flow.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of correlations among net-charge, net-proton, and net-kaon multiplicity distributions in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV

Correlations among conserved quantum numbers, such as the net-electric charge, the net-baryon, and the net-strangeness in heavy-ion collisions, are crucial for exploring the QCD phase diagram. In this paper, these correlations are investigated using net-proton number (as a proxy for the net-baryon), net-kaon number (for the net-strangeness), and net-charged particle number in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector. The observed correlations deviate from the Poissonian baseline, with a more pronounced deviation at LHC energies than at RHIC. Theoretical calculations of the Thermal-FIST hadron resonance gas model, HIJING, and EPOS LHC event generators are compared with experimental results, where a significant impact of resonance decays is observed. Thermal-FIST calculations under the grand canonical and canonical ensembles highlight significant differences, underscoring the role of local charge conservation in explaining the data. Recent lattice QCD studies have demonstrated that the magnetic field generated by spectator protons in heavy-ion collisions affects susceptibility ratios, in particular those related to the net-electric charge and the net-baryon numbers. The experimental findings are in qualitative agreement with the expectations of lattice QCD.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

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↗

Observation of nuclear modification of energy-energy correlators inside jets in heavy ion collisions

Energy-energy correlators are constructed by averaging the number of charged particle pairs within jets, weighted by the product of their transverse momenta, as a function of the angular separation of the particles within a pair. They are sensitive to a multitude of perturbative and nonperturbative quantum chromodynamics phenomena in high-energy particle collisions. Using lead-lead data recorded with the CMS detector, energy-energy correlators inside high transverse momentum jets are measured in heavy ion collisions for the first time. The data are obtained at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.70 nb −1 . A similar analysis is done for proton-proton collisions at the same center-of-mass energy to establish a reference. The ratio of lead-lead to proton-proton energy-energy correlators reveals significant jet substructure modifications in the quark-gluon plasma. The results are compared to different models that incorporate either color coherence or medium response effects, where the two effects predict similar substructure modifications.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Direct-photon production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

In this letter, we present the first measurement of direct photons at the transverse momentum of 1 < 𝑝 T < 6 GeV/𝑐 at midrapidity 𝜂 < 0.8 in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The fraction of virtual direct photons in the inclusive virtual photon spectrum is obtained from a fit to the dielectron invariant mass spectrum. In the limit of zero invariant mass, this fraction is equal to the relative contribution of real direct photons in the inclusive real photon spectrum. Contributions from decays of light- flavour neutral mesons are estimated using independent measurements in proton–proton collisions at the same energy and the same event class. For the first time at the LHC energies, a direct-photon signal is observed at low 𝑝T in both inelastic and high-multiplicity event classes, with a significance of 3.2𝜎 and 1.9𝜎 in terms of standard deviations, correspondingly. The yield of direct photons in inelastic pp collisions is compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The integrated photon yield is studied as a function of charged-particle multiplicity and is compared to the results from other experiments and theoretical calculations. The results show a significant increase of direct- photon yield with charged-particle multiplicity.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Studying charm hadronisation into baryons with azimuthal correlations of Λ$^+_c$ with charged particles in pp collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV

The distribution of angular correlations between prompt charm hadrons and primary charged particles in pp collisions is sensitive to the charm-quark hadronisation process. In this letter, charm-baryon correlations are measured for the first time by studying the azimuthal-angle difference between charged particles and prompt Λ$^+_c$ baryons produced in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV, with the ALICE detector. Λ$^+_c$ baryons are reconstructed at midrapidity (|𝑦| < 0.5) in the transverse-momentum interval 3 < 𝑝 T < 16 GeV/𝑐, and correlated with charged particles with 𝑝 T > 0.3 GeV/𝑐 and pseudorapidity |𝜂| < 0.8. For 3 < 𝑝$^{Λ{^{+}_{c} ,D}}_{T}$ < 5 GeV/𝑐, the comparison with published measurements of D-meson and charged-particle correlations in the same collision system hints at a larger number of low-momentum particles associated with Λ$^+_c$-baryon triggers than with D-meson triggers, both in the collinear and opposite directions with respect to the trigger particle. These differences can be quantified by the comparison of the properties of the near- and away-side correlation peaks, and are not reproduced by predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators, generally underpredicting the associated particle yields at 𝑝$^{assoc}_{T}$ < 1 GeV/𝑐. This tension between Λ$^+_c$-baryon and D-meson associated peak yields could suggest a modified fragmentation of the charm quark, or a different hadronisation process, when a charm baryon is produced in the final state.

Acharya, S. (ORCID:0000000292135329)↗

Femtoscopic study of the proton-proton and proton-deuteron systems in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC

This work reports femtoscopic correlations of p – – p ($\overline{p}$ – – $\overline{p}$) and p – – d ($\overline{p}$ – – $\overline{d}$) pairs measured in Pb–Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV in the ALICE Collaboration. A fit to the measured proton-proton correlation functions allows one to extract the dependence of the nucleon femtoscopic radius of the particle-emitting source on the pair transverse mass (m T ) and on the average charge particle multiplicity $\langle$dN ch /dη$\rangle$ 1/3 for three centrality intervals (0–10%, 10 – – 30 %, 30 – – 50 %). In both cases, the expected power-law and linear scalings are observed, respectively. The measured p–d correlations can be described by both two- and three-body calculations, indicating that the femtoscopy observable is not sensitive to the short-distance features of the dynamics of the p-(p-n) system, due to the large inter-particle distances in Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC. Indeed, in this study, the minimum measured femtoscopic source sizes for protons and deuterons have a minimum value at 2.73$^{+0.05}_{–0.05}$ and 3.10$^{+1.04}_{–0.86}$ fm, respectively, for the 30–50% centrality collisions. Moreover, the m T -scaling obtained for the p–p and p–d systems is compatible within 1σ of the uncertainties. These findings provide new input for fundamental studies on the production of light (anti)nuclei under extreme conditions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Beam-energy dependence of correlations between mean transverse momentum and anisotropic flow of charged particles in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

The correlation between the mean transverse momentum, [ p T ], and the squared anisotropic flow, $v^2_n$, on an event-by-event basis has been suggested to be influenced by the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions. We present measurements of the variances and covariance of [ p T ] and $v^2_n$, along with their dimensionless ratio, for Au+Au collisions at various beam energies: $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 14.6, 19.6, 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV. Our measurements reveal a distinct energy-dependent behavior in the variances and covariances. In addition, the dimensionless ratio displays a similar behavior across different beam energies. We compare our measurements with hydrodynamic models and similar measurements from Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These findings provide valuable insights into the beam energy dependence of the specific shear viscosity ( η/s ) and initial-state effects, allowing for differentiating between different initial-state models.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Evaluating the Collision‐Coalescence Process in Idealized Cloud Convection Using Large‐Eddy Simulations With Lagrangian Microphysics

Drizzle initiation through the collision and coalescence of cloud droplets plays a crucial role in warm cloud precipitation. Recent theoretical studies suggest that the influence of collisional growth on the droplet size distribution can be quantified by a non-dimensional drizzle number (Dz). Here, large-eddy simulations with Lagrangian microphysics are employed to evaluate the theory by simulating a tall convection-cloud chamber under various conditions. Results show that the smaller the Dz, the larger the impact of collisions on the right tail of the droplet size distribution, consistent with the theory. The simulations confirm that the collision rate can be estimated from the droplet size distribution interacting only with cloud droplets of the same size at the mode radius. This suggests that the idealized theory can be a useful tool to design a cloud chamber for drizzle investigation, as well as to represent drizzle formation in models of real atmospheric clouds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Quantum dynamics of the temporary capture of light atoms by superfluid helium nanodroplets at very low collision energies (≈1–13 meV): the case of the hydrogen atom and its isotopes

The capture dynamics of a H atom and isotopic variants [D, T and Q (hypothetical isotope of mass equal to four times the mass of H)] by a superfluid helium nanodroplet (HeND) has been investigated theoretically. The HeND (T = 0.37 K) is ( 4 He) N=400 and a mean field quantum hybrid approach [TDDFT (helium) + quantum wave packet (H, D, T or Q)] at zero angular momentum, is used to explore a rather wide range of very low initial kinetic energies (E k,0 ≈ 10–150 K). The analysis of the capture mechanism shows the existence of a dynamical barrier and a dynamical minimum that play key roles to understand the time evolution of the capture, especially the former property. In general, the H atom shows a different behavior from the other isotopes, with the behavior of T and Q being very similar to each other and the D atom behaving inbetween H and T. Besides, it is worth noting that, in principle, at the very low initial kinetic energies considered only “short” and “long” lived atom⋯HeND collision complexes are formed, i.e., in the atom-helium nanodroplet collision only the temporary capture of the atom takes place. The different behaviors observed have been interpreted considering the faster motion of the H atom when colliding with ( 4 He) N=400 and the more quantum character of the H behavior both due to its significantly lower mass. As far as we know, this is the first quantum dynamics study carried out on the collision of light atoms with HeNDs at very low energies.

Sternberg, Michael [Argonne National Laboratory (A↗

Spinodal enhancement of fluctuations in nucleus-nucleus collisions

Subensemble Acceptance Method (SAM) [1, 2] is an essential link between measured event-by-event fluctuations and their grand canonical theoretical predictions such as lattice QCD. The method allows quantifying the global conservation law effects in fluctuations. In its basic formulation, SAM requires a sufficiently large system such as created in central nucleus-nucleus collisions and sufficient space-momentum correlations. Directly in the spinodal region of the First Order Phase Transition (FOPT) different approximations should be used that account for finite size effects. Thus, we present the generalization of SAM applicable in both the pure phases, metastable and unstable regions of the phase diagram [3]. Obtained analytic formulas indicate the enhancement of fluctuations due to crossing the spinodal region of FOPT and are tested using molecular dynamics simulations. A rather good agreement is observed. Using transport model calculations with interaction potential we show that the spinodal enhancement of fluctuations survives till the later stages of collision via the memory effect [4]. However, at low collision energies the space-momentum correlation is not strong enough for this signal to be transferred to second and third order cumulants measured in momentum subspace. This result agrees well with recent HADES data on proton number fluctuations at $\sqrt{S_{NN}}$ = 2.4 GeV which are found to be consistent with the binomial momentum space acceptance [5].

Poberezhnyuk, Roman↗

Review of nonflow estimation methods and uncertainties in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract Collective anisotropic flow, where particles are correlated over the entire event, is a prominent phenomenon in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and is sensitive to the properties of the matter created in those collisions. It is often measured by two- and multi-particle correlations and is therefore contaminated by nonflow, those genuine few-body correlations unrelated to the global event-wise correlations. Many methods have been devised to estimate nonflow contamination with various degrees of successes and difficulties. Here, we review those methods pedagogically, discussing the pros and cons of each method, and give examples of ballpark estimate of nonflow contamination and associated uncertainties in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We hope such a review of the various nonflow estimation methods in a single place would prove helpful to future researches.

Feng, Yicheng (ORCID:0000000169010870)↗