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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 37 records · Page 2

High-sensitivity telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz detection through carrier transit time reduction

We present a telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz detector realized without using any short-carrier-lifetime photoconductor. By utilizing plasmonic contact electrodes on a thin layer of high-mobility photoconductor, the presented detector offers a short transit time for the majority of the photocarriers in the absence of a short-carrier-lifetime photoconductor. Consequently, high-sensitivity terahertz detection is achieved with a record-high signal-to-noise ratio of 122 dB over a 3.6 THz bandwidth under an optical probe power of 10 mW. To achieve such a high sensitivity, the device geometry is chosen to maintain a high resistance and low Johnson Nyquist noise. This design approach can be widely applied for terahertz detection using various semiconductors and optical wavelengths, without being limited by the availability of short-carrier-lifetime photoconductors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Detecting topological phase transitions in cadmium arsenide films via the transverse magnetoresistance

Topological protection against localization causes electrical transport phenomena in disordered topological materials to differ from those in topologically trivial systems. For example, a transition between a regime of weak localization to one of weak antilocalization can occur in systems such as topological insulators and topological semimetals when an external potential is applied across the system. Here, we report on the transverse magnetoresistance of thin films of cadmium arsenide, a topological non-trivial material, as we tune the electronic states and the Fermi level. We show that the appearance of weak localization and weak antilocalization sensitively reflects the relative contributions of multiple transport channels involving both gapless (massless) and gapped (massive) Dirac fermion states present in these films. Furthermore, the data is consistent with expectations of the different topological states of these films. Weak (anti-) localization phenomena can therefore serve as a probe of the types of Dirac fermions present in topological semimetals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

TOI-2374 b and TOI-3071 b: two metal-rich sub-Saturns well within the Neptunian desert

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of two transiting planets detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), TOI-2374 b and TOI-3071 b, orbiting a K5V and an F8V star, respectively, with periods of 4.31 and 1.27 d, respectively. We confirm and characterize these two planets with a variety of ground-based and follow-up observations, including photometry, precise radial velocity monitoring and high-resolution imaging. The planetary and orbital parameters were derived from a joint analysis of the radial velocities and photometric data. We found that the two planets have masses of (57 ± 4) M⊕ or (0.18 ± 0.01) MJ, and (68 ± 4) M⊕ or (0.21 ± 0.01) MJ, respectively, and they have radii of (6.8 ± 0.3) R⊕ or (0.61 ± 0.03) RJ and (7.2 ± 0.5) R⊕ or (0.64 ± 0.05) RJ, respectively. These parameters correspond to sub-Saturns within the Neptunian desert, both planets being hot and highly irradiated, with Teq ≈ 745 K and Teq ≈ 1812 K, respectively, assuming a Bond albedo of 0.5. TOI-3071 b has the hottest equilibrium temperature of all known planets with masses between 10 and 300 M⊕ and radii less than 1.5 RJ. By applying gas giant evolution models we found that both planets, especially TOI-3071 b, are very metal-rich. This challenges standard formation models which generally predict lower heavy-element masses for planets with similar characteristics. We studied the evolution of the planets’ atmospheres under photoevaporation and concluded that both are stable against evaporation due to their large masses and likely high metallicities in their gaseous envelopes.

Hacker, Alejandro (ORCID:0009000994520181)↗

Detecting depinning and nonequilibrium transitions with unsupervised machine learning

Using numerical simulations of a model disk system, we demonstrate that a machine learning generated order-parameter-like measure can detect depinning transitions and different dynamic flow phases in systems driven far from equilibrium. Furthermore, we specifically consider monodisperse passive disks with short range interactions undergoing a depinning phase transition when driven over quenched disorder. The machine learning derived order-parameter-like measure identifies the depinning transition as well as different dynamical regimes, such as the transition from a flowing liquid to a phase separated liquid-solid state that is not readily distinguished with traditional measures such as velocity-force curves or Voronoi tessellation. The order-parameter-like measure also shows markedly distinct behavior in the limit of high density where jamming effects occur. Our results should be general to the broad class of particle-based systems that exhibit depinning transitions and nonequilibrium phase transitions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Detectability of QCD phase transitions in binary neutron star mergers: Bayesian inference with the next generation gravitational wave detectors

We study the detectability of postmerger QCD phase transitions in neutron star binaries with next-generation gravitational-wave detectors Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope. We perform numerical relativity simulations of neutron star mergers with equations of state that include a quark deconfinement phase transition through either a Gibbs or Maxwell construction. These are followed by Bayesian parameter estimation of the associated gravitational-wave signals using the nrpmw waveform model, with priors inferred from the analysis of the inspiral signal. We assess the ability of the model to measure the postmerger peak frequency $f$$^{peak}_{2}$ and identify aspects that should be improved in the model. We show that, even at postmerger signal to noise ratios as low as 10, the model can distinguish (at the 90% level) $f$$^{peak}_{2}$ between binaries with and without a phase transition in most cases. Phase-transition induced deviations in the $f$$^{peak}_{2}$ from the predictions of equation-of-state insensitive relations can also be detected if they exceed 1.6⁢σ. Our results suggest that next-generation gravitational wave detectors can measure phase transition effects in binary neutron star mergers. Furthermore, unless the phase transition is “strong,” disentangling it from other hadronic physics uncertainties will require significant theory improvements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Detection of the clock transition in thulium atoms by using repump laser radiation

A population transfer from the upper level of the clock transition in thulium atoms to the ground level is demonstrated by using radiation with a wavelength of 402 nm. The method for detecting the clock transition excitation that is not affected by technical fluctuations of the number of atoms in an optical lattice is investigated. The hyperfine splitting of the |4f{sup 12}({sup 3}F{sub 2})5d{sub 5/2} 6s{sup 2}; J = 7/2〉 level in the thulium atom is measured to be 1480(9) MHz. The suggested method for population transfer can be applied to both the hyperfine components of the clock transition intended for compensating Zeeman effect in a thulium optical clock. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Compositional effect on pressure-induced polymorphism in high-entropy alloys

Recently, pressure-induced polymorphic phase transitions were discovered in several fragmented high-entropy alloys (HEAs), offering a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of these materials. However, the chemical and physical factors that govern these transitions are still unclear. Here, in this work, we combined in situ high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction, X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to systematically study the evolution of the atomic and electronic structures in the Cantor alloy and its face-centered-cubic ( fcc ) subset alloys (CoCrFeMnNi, CoCrFeNi, CoCrMnNi, CoFeMnNi, CoCrNi, CoFeNi, CoMnNi, CrFeNi, and FeMnNi). Surprisingly, diverse behavior was observed among these closely related alloys during compression and decompression, which includes irreversible, reversible fcc to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase transitions, or even no detectable phase transitions up to ∼40 GPa. HRTEM measurements confirmed that the fcc and hcp phases abided by the classic Shoji-Nishiyama orientation relationship during the transitions. XES data indicated that high-pressure suppresses the local magnetic moments in all the studied alloys, suggesting that magnetic states do not significantly influence the polymorphic transitions. By comparing the effects of the atomic size difference, entropy, valence electron concentration, and stacking fault energy across all the compositions studied, only the stacking fault energy shows a strong correlation with the phase transitions, indicating it plays a key role in inducing polymorphism in HEAs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Resonant Soft X-Ray Scattering from Stripe-Ordered La 2 - x Ba x Cu O 4 Detected by a Transition-Edge Sensor Array Detector

Resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSXS) is a leading probe of valence-band order in materials best known for detecting charge-density-wave order in copper-oxide superconductors. One of the biggest limitations on the RSXS technique is the presence of a severe fluorescence background, which, like the RSXS cross section itself, is enhanced under resonant conditions. This background prevents the study of weak signals such as diffuse scattering from glassy or fluctuating order that is spread widely over momentum space. Recent advances in superconducting transition-edge-sensor (TES) detectors have led to major improvements in energy resolution and detection efficiency in the soft x-ray range. Here, we perform a RSXS study of stripe-ordered La 2 - x Ba x Cu O 4 at the Cu L 3 / 2 edge (932.2 eV) using a TES detector with 1.5-eV resolution, to evaluate its utility for mitigating the fluorescence-background problem. We find that, for suitable degree of detuning from the resonance, the TES rejects the fluorescence background, leading to a five to ten times improvement in the statistical quality of the data compared to an equivalent, energy-integrated measurement. We conclude that a TES introduces a promising method to reducing background in RSXS studies and may lead to discoveries in materials exhibiting valence-band order that is fluctuating or glassy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Searching for dark clumps with gravitational-wave detectors

Dark compact objects (“clumps”) transiting the Solar System exert accelerations on the test masses (TM) in a gravitational-wave (GW) detector. We reexamine the detectability of these clump transits in a variety of current and future GW detectors, operating over a broad range of frequencies. TM accelerations induced by clump transits through the inner Solar System have frequency content around f ~ μ Hz . Some of us [Fedderke et al., Phys. Rev. D 105, 103018 (2022)] recently proposed a GW detection concept with μ Hz sensitivity, based on asteroid-to-asteroid ranging. From the detailed sensitivity projection for this concept, we find both analytically and in simulation that purely gravitational clump–matter interactions would yield one detectable transit every ~ 20 yrs , if clumps with mass m cl ~ 10 14 kg saturate the dark-matter (DM) density. Other (proposed) GW detectors using local TMs and operating in higher frequency bands are sensitive to smaller clump masses and have smaller rates of discoverable signals. We also consider the case of clumps endowed with an additional attractive long-range clump–matter fifth force significantly stronger than gravity (but evading known fifth-force constraints). For the μ Hz detector concept, we use simulations to show that, for example, a clump–matter fifth-force ~ 10 3 times stronger than gravity with a range of ~ AU would boost the rate of detectable transits to a few per year for clumps in the mass range 10 11 kg ≲ m cl ≲ 10 14 kg , even if they are a ~ 1 % subcomponent of the DM. The ability of μ Hz GW detectors to probe asteroid-mass-scale dark objects that may otherwise be undetectable bolsters the science case for their development.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scheduling strategies for the ESPRESSO follow-up of TESS targets

ABSTRACT Radial-velocity follow-up of stars harbouring transiting planets detected by TESS is expected to require very large amounts of expensive telescope time in the next few years. Therefore, scheduling strategies should be implemented to maximize the amount of information gathered about the target planetary systems. We consider myopic and non-myopic versions of a novel uniform-in-phase scheduler, as well as a random scheduler, and compare these scheduling strategies with respect to the bias, accuracy and precision achieved in recovering the mass and orbital parameters of transiting and non-transiting planets. This comparison is carried out based on realistic simulations of radial-velocity follow-up with ESPRESSO of a sample of 50 TESS target stars, with simulated planetary systems containing at least one transiting planet with a radius below 4R⊕. Radial-velocity data sets were generated under reasonable assumptions about their noise component, including that resulting from stellar activity, and analysed using a fully Bayesian methodology. We find the random scheduler leads to a more biased, less accurate, and less precise, estimation of the mass of the transiting exoplanets. No significant differences are found between the results of the myopic and non-myopic implementations of the uniform-in-phase scheduler. With only about 22 radial velocity measurements per data set, our novel uniform-in-phase scheduler enables an unbiased (at the level of 1 per cent) measurement of the masses of the transiting planets, while keeping the average relative accuracy and precision around 16 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. The number of non-transiting planets detected is similar for all the scheduling strategies considered, as well as the bias, accuracy and precision with which their masses and orbital parameters are recovered.

Cabona, L.↗

Noise robust detection of quantum phase transitions

Quantum computing allows for the manipulation of highly correlated states whose properties quickly go beyond the capacity of any classical method to calculate. Thus one natural problem which could lend itself to quantum advantage is the study of ground-states of condensed matter models, and the transitions between them. However, current levels of hardware noise can require extensive application of error-mitigation techniques to achieve reliable computations. In this work, we use several IBM devices to explore a finite-size spin model with multiple “phaselike” regions characterized by distinct ground-state configurations. Using preoptimized Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) solutions, we demonstrate that in contrast to calculating the energy, where zero-noise extrapolation is required in order to obtain qualitatively accurate yet still unreliable results, calculations of the energy derivative, two-site spin correlation functions, and the fidelity susceptibility yield accurate behavior across multiple regions, even with minimal or no application of error-mitigation approaches. Taken together, these sets of observables could be used to identify level crossings in a simple, noise-robust manner which is agnostic to the method of ground state preparation. This work shows promising potential for near-term application to identifying quantum phase transitions, including avoided crossings and nonadiabatic conical intersections in electronic structure calculations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Lively, Kevin (ORCID:0000000320981494)↗

Detecting Rain–Snow-Transition Elevations in Mountain Basins Using Wireless Sensor Networks

Here, to provide complementary information on the hydrologically important rain–snow-transition elevation in mountain basins, this study provides two estimation methods using ground measurements from basin-scale wireless sensor networks: one based on wet-bulb temperature T wet and the other based on snow-depth measurements of accumulation and ablation. With data from 17 spatially distributed clusters (178 nodes) from two networks, in the American and Feather River basins of California’s Sierra Nevada, we analyzed transition elevation during 76 storm events in 2014–18. A T wet threshold of 0.5°C best matched the transition elevation defined by snow depth. Transition elevations using T wet in upper elevations of the basins generally agreed with atmospheric snow level from radars located at lower elevations, while radar snow level was ~100 m higher due to snow-level lowering on windward mountainsides during orographic lifting. Diurnal patterns of the difference between transition elevation and radar snow level were observed in the American basin, related to diurnal ground-temperature variations. However, these patterns were not found in the Feather basin due to complex terrain and higher uncertainties in transition-elevation estimates. The American basin tends to exhibit 100-m-higher transition elevations than does the Feather basin, consistent with the Feather basin being about 1° latitude farther north. Transition elevation averaged 155 m higher in intense atmospheric river events than in other events; meanwhile, snow-level lowering was enhanced with a 90-m-larger difference between radar snow level and transition elevation. On-the-ground continuous observations from distributed sensor networks can complement radar data and provide important ground truth and spatially resolved information on transition elevations in mountain basins.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Transits of Known Planets Orbiting a Naked-eye Star

Some of the most scientifically valuable transiting planets are those that were already known from radial velocity (RV) surveys. This is primarily because their orbits are well characterized and they preferentially orbit bright stars that are the targets of RV surveys. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) provides an opportunity to survey most of the known exoplanet systems in a systematic fashion to detect possible transits of their planets. HD 136352 (Nu{sup 2} Lupi) is a naked-eye (V = 5.78) G-type main-sequence star that was discovered to host three planets with orbital periods of 11.6, 27.6, and 108.1 days via RV monitoring with the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) spectrograph. We present the detection and characterization of transits for the two inner planets of the HD 136352 system, revealing radii of 1.482{sub −0.056}{sup +0.058} R {sub ⊕} and 2.608{sub −0.077}{sup +0.078} R {sub ⊕} for planets b and c, respectively. We combine new HARPS observations with RV data from the Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer and the Anglo-Australian Telescope, along with TESS photometry from Sector 12, to perform a complete analysis of the system parameters. The combined data analysis results in extracted bulk density values of ρ{sub b}=7.8{sub −1.1}{sup +1.2} g cm{sup −3} and ρ{sub c}=3.50{sub −0.36}{sup +0.41} g cm{sup −3} for planets b and c, respectively, thus placing them on either side of the radius valley. The combination of the multitransiting planet system, the bright host star, and the diversity of planetary interiors and atmospheres means this will likely become a cornerstone system for atmospheric and orbital characterization of small worlds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Online data-driven changepoint detection for high-dimensional dynamical systems

In this study, the detection of anomalies or transitions in complex dynamical systems is of critical importance to various applications. In this study, we propose the use of machine learning to detect changepoints for high-dimensional dynamical systems. Here, changepoints indicate instances in time when the underlying dynamical system has a fundamentally different characteristic—which may be due to a change in the model parameters or due to intermittent phenomena arising from the same model. We propose two complementary approaches to achieve this, with the first devised using arguments from probabilistic unsupervised learning and the latter devised using supervised deep learning. To accelerate the deployment of transition detection algorithms in high-dimensional dynamical systems, we introduce dimensionality reduction techniques. Our experiments demonstrate that transitions can be detected efficiently, in real-time, for the two-dimensional forced Kolmogorov flow and the Rössler dynamical system, which are characterized by anomalous regimes in phase space where dynamics are perturbed off the attractor at potentially uneven intervals. Finally, we also demonstrate how variations in the frequency of detected changepoints may be utilized to detect a significant modification to the underlying model parameters by utilizing the Lorenz-63 dynamical system.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Phase Transition of Heptane under Pressure

A solid-to-solid phase transition was discovered in n-heptane with an onset at a pressure of 1.7 ± 0.1 GPa, evidenced by a discontinuity in the pressure–volume equation of state obtained from synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments conducted at room temperature. The phase transition also resulted in discontinuous shifts of vibrational peaks in the infrared spectra. No additional phase transitions were detected up to 10 GPa, contradicting an earlier claim of a phase transition at 3 GPa. Furthermore, the hydrostatic limit of heptane in a diamond anvil cell was estimated to be 3.5 GPa. Above that pressure, the stress state is not well-defined, which may explain prior reports of a phase transition at 7.5 GPa.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dynamics of Polymerization and Gelation in Epoxy Nanocomposites via X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy

The details of the curing process of epoxy resins are notoriously difficult to ascertain, hampering polymer matrix composite manufacturing. Here, the curing of a series of six epoxy resins containing dilute spherical nanoparticles was investigated via X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). The resin formulation was varied to achieve a range of crosslink densities and topologies. Prior to gelation, the viscosities obtained from XPCS agreed with bulk rheology. A clear dynamic transition was detected in all samples, where the q-scaling changes from approximately q2 .2 to q 1 , indicating a transition from sub-diffusive to ballistic-like nanoparticle motion. For the samples with a high crosslink density, this change was abrupt and coincided with gelation, and there was no evidence of crosslink heterogeneity. Chain entanglement played a role in the transition for samples with lower crosslink density. Finally, this work reveals the potential of XPCS to deliver new quantitative insights into the curing process of thermosetting resins.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

1T'-transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers stabilized on 4H-Au nanowires for ultrasensitive SERS detection

Unconventional 1T'-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have aroused tremendous research interest due to their unique phase-dependent physicochemical properties and applications. However, due to the metastable nature of 1T'-TMDs, the controlled synthesis of 1T'-TMD monolayers (MLs) with high phase purity and stability still remains a challenge. Here we report that 4H-Au nanowires (NWs), when used as templates, can induce the quasi-epitaxial growth of high-phase-purity and stable 1T'-TMD MLs, including WS 2 , WSe 2 , MoS 2 and MoSe 2 , via a facile and rapid wet-chemical method. The as-synthesized 4H-Au@1T'-TMD core–shell NWs can be used for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. For instance, the 4H-Au@1T'-WS 2 NWs have achieved attomole-level SERS detections of Rhodamine 6G and a variety of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike proteins. Finally, this work provides insights into the preparation of high-phase-purity and stable 1T'-TMD MLs on metal substrates or templates, showing great potential in various promising applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗