Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Effective Field Theory”

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.

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

At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

The timbre of Hawking gravitons: an effective description of energy transport from holography

Planar black holes in AdS, which are holographically dual to compressible relativistic fluids, have a long-lived phonon mode that captures the physics of attenuated sound propagation and transports energy in the plasma. We describe the open effective field theory of this fluctuating phonon degree of freedom. The dynamics of the phonon is encoded in a single scalar field whose gravitational coupling has non-trivial spatial momentum dependence. This description fits neatly into the paradigm of classifying gravitational modes by their Markovianity index, depending on whether they are long-lived. The sound scalar is a non-Markovian field with index 3 - d for a d-dimensional fluid. We reproduce (and extend) the dispersion relation of the holographic sound mode to quartic order in derivatives, constructing in the process the effective field theory governing its attenuated dynamics and associated stochastic fluctuations. We also remark on the presence of additional spatially homogeneous zero modes in the gravitational problem, which remain disconnected from the phonon Goldstone mode.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Matter couplings and equivalence principles for soft scalars

Scalar effective field theories with enhanced soft limits behave in many ways like gauge theories and gravity. In particular, symmetries fix the structure of interactions and the tree-level S-matrix in both types of theories. We explore how this analogy persists in the presence of matter by considering theories with additional fields coupled to the Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) scalar or the special galileon in a way that is consistent with their symmetries. Using purely on-shell arguments, we show that these theories obey analogues of the S-matrix equivalence principle whereby all matter fields must couple to the DBI scalar or the special galileon through a particular quartic vertex with a universal coupling. These equivalence principles imply the universality of the leading double soft theorems in these theories, which are scalar analogues of Weinberg’s gravitational soft theorem, and can be used to rule out interactions with massless higher-spin fields when combined with analogues of the generalized Weinberg-Witten theorem. We verify in several examples that amplitudes with external matter fields nontrivially exhibit enhanced single soft limits and we show that such amplitudes can be constructed using soft recursion relations when they have sufficiently many external DBI or special galileon legs, including amplitudes with massive higher-spin fields. As part of our analysis we construct a recently conjectured special galileon-vector effective field theory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aligned yet large dipoles: a SMEFT study

We study a non-universal flavor scenario at the level of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory, according to which the matrix of Wilson coefficients cuW of an up-type electroweak quark dipole operator is aligned with the up-type Yukawa coupling. Such an alignment usually follows from the assumption of Minimal Flavor Violation (MFV), away from which we step by allowing the entries of cuW to be sizable along the first quark generations. A particular example, which we refer to as “inverse hierarchy MFV”, features Wilson coefficients inversely proportional to quark masses, and arises from BSM models respecting MFV and containing heavy fields that replicate the mass hierarchy of SM quarks. We then analyze the phenomenology driven by cuW at colliders and at lower-energy flavor experiments. We show that precision measurements of the process pp → Wh → γγℓν at FCC-hh could set an upper bound on |cuW| ≲ O (10 -2 )(Λ/TeV) 2 , with Λ the cutoff of the effective field theory. This bound is an order of magnitude stronger than the existing LHC bounds. Moreover, we estimate that Wh → b$\overline{b}$ℓν at HL-LHC could also give competitive bounds. In the low-energy regime, we consider bounds arising from rare kaon decays, which turn out to be loose, |c$_{uW}^{11}$ | < O (1)(Λ/TeV) 2 . We finally demonstrate that our flavor and operator assumptions can be derived from a weakly-coupled UV model, which we choose to simultaneously illustrate the UV origin of inverse hierarchy MFV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Variational Monte Carlo Calculations of A ≤ 4 Nuclei with an Artificial Neural-Network Correlator Ansatz

Here, the complexity of many-body quantum wave functions is a central aspect of several fields of physics and chemistry where nonperturbative interactions are prominent. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have proven to be a flexible tool to approximate quantum many-body states in condensed matter and chemistry problems. In this work we introduce a neural-network quantum state ansatz to model the ground-state wave function of light nuclei, and approximately solve the nuclear many-body Schrodinger equation. Using efficient stochastic sampling and optimization schemes, our approach extends pioneering applications of ANNs in the field, which present exponentially scaling algorithmic complexity. We compute the binding energies and point-nucleon densities of A ≤ 4 nuclei as emerging from a leading-order pionless effective field theory Hamiltonian. We successfully benchmark the ANN wave function against more conventional parametrizations based on two- and three-body Jastrow functions, and virtually exact Green's function Monte Carlo results.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impurity lattice Monte Carlo for hypernuclei

Abstract We consider the problem of including $$\varLambda $$ Λ hyperons into the ab initio framework of nuclear lattice effective field theory. In order to avoid large sign oscillations in Monte Carlo simulations, we make use of the fact that the number of hyperons is typically small compared to the number of nucleons in the hypernuclei of interest. This allows us to use the impurity lattice Monte Carlo method, where the minority species of fermions in the full nuclear Hamiltonian is integrated out and treated as a worldline in Euclidean projection time. The majority fermions (nucleons) are treated as explicit degrees of freedom, with their mutual interactions described by auxiliary fields. This is the first application of the impurity lattice Monte Carlo method to systems where the majority particles are interacting. Here, we show how the impurity Monte Carlo method can be applied to compute the binding energies of the light hypernuclei. In this exploratory work we use spin-independent nucleon–nucleon and hyperon–nucleon interactions to test the computational power of the method. We find that the computational effort scales approximately linearly in the number of nucleons. The results are very promising for future studies of larger hypernuclear systems using chiral effective field theory and realistic hyperon–nucleon interactions, as well as applications to other quantum many-body systems.

Frame, Dillon↗
DOE OSTI2024

Relevance of one-loop SMEFT matching in the 2HDM

The two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM) is a well understood alternative to the Standard Model of particle physics. If the new particles included in the 2HDM are at an energy scale much greater than the weak scale, the theory can be matched to the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT). We compute for the first time the complete one-loop matching at dimension-6. We compare its numerical impact with that of tree-level matching at dimension-8 by performing a global fit to single Higgs and precision electroweak measurements, and we emphasize the importance of comparing one-loop SMEFT results with corresponding one-loop results in the full 2HDM model. In the SMEFT, we consider the relative importance of both one-loop matching and the inclusion of renormalization group evolution. Our results demonstrate the necessity of studying the impact of various expansions to quantify the uncertainties of the SMEFT matching. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multimessenger constraints on the neutron-star equation of state and the Hubble constant

Observations of neutron-star mergers with distinct messengers, including gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals, can be used to study the behavior of matter denser than an atomic nucleus and to measure the expansion rate of the Universe as quantified by the Hubble constant. We performed a joint analysis of the gravitational-wave event GW170817 with its electromagnetic counterparts AT2017gfo and GRB170817A, and the gravitational-wave event GW190425, both originating from neutron-star mergers. We combined these with previous measurements of pulsars using x-ray and radio observations, and nuclear-theory computations using chiral effective field theory, to constrain the neutron-star equation of state. We found that the radius of a 1.4–solar mass neutron star is 11.75 − 0.81 + 0.86 km at 90% confidence and the Hubble constant is 66.2 − 4.2 + 4.4 at 1σ uncertainty.

Dietrich, Tim↗
DOE OSTI2021

Renormalization group improvement of the effective potential: an EFT approach

We apply effective field theory (EFT) methods to compute the renormalization group improved effective potential for theories with a large mass hierarchy. Our method allows one to compute the effective potential in a systematic expansion in powers of the mass ratio, as well as to sum large logarithms of mass ratios using renormalization group evolution. The effective potential is the sum of one-particle irreducible diagrams (1PI) but information about which diagrams are 1PI is lost after matching to the EFT, since heavy lines get shrunk to a point. We therefore introduce a tadpole condition in place of the 1PI condition, and use the renormalization group improved value of the tadpole in computing the effective potential. We explain why the effective potential computed using an EFT is not the same as the effective potential of the EFT. We illustrate our method using the O(N) model, a theory of two scalars in the unbroken and broken phases, and the Higgs-Yukawa model. Our leading-log result, obtained by integrating the one-loop β-functions, correctly reproduces the log-squared term in explicit two-loop calculations. Our method does not have a Goldstone boson infrared divergence problem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spectral Constraints on Theories of Colored Particles and Gravity

In this Letter, we consider effective field theories for light fields transforming under the fundamental or adjoint representation of a continuous group. Assuming tree-level completions, we demonstrate that, in the presence of gravity, crossing symmetry combined with twice-subtracted sum rules leads to constraints on the irreducible representations that the ultraviolet degrees of freedom must populate. A spectrum is allowed only if its low energy projection contains the graviton pole. Beautifully, the graviton pole is the anchor of our argument, not an obstruction.

Effective field theory↗
DOE OSTI2024

Apparent fine tunings for field theories with broken space-time symmetries

We exhibit a class of effective field theories that have hierarchically small Wilson coefficients for operators that are not protected by symmetries but are not finely tuned. These theories possess bounded target spaces and vacua that break space-time symmetries. We give a physical interpretation of these theories as generalized solids with open boundary conditions. We show that these theories realize unusual RG flows where higher dimensional (seemingly irrelevant) operators become relevant even at weak coupling. Finally, we present an example of a field theory whose vacuum energy relaxes to a hierarchically small value compared to the UV cut-off.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Functional prescription for EFT matching

We simplify the one-loop functional matching formalism to develop a streamlined prescription. The functional approach is conceptually appealing: all calculations are performed within the UV theory at the matching scale, and no prior determination of an Effective Field Theory (EFT) operator basis is required. Our prescription accommodates any relativistic UV theory that contains generic interactions (including derivative couplings) among scalar, fermion, and vector fields. As an example application, we match the singlet scalar extended Standard Model (SM) onto SMEFT.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dark matter absorption via electronic excitations

We revisit the calculation of bosonic dark matter absorption via electronic excitations. Working in an effective field theory framework and consistently taking into account in-medium effects, we clarify the relation between dark matter and photon absorption. As is well-known, for vector (dark photon) and pseudoscalar (axion-like particle) dark matter, the absorption rates can be simply related to the target material’s optical properties. However, this is not the case for scalar dark matter, where the dominant contribution comes from a different operator than the one contributing to photon absorption, which is formally next-to-leading-order and does not suffer from in-medium screening. It is therefore imperative to have reliable first-principles numerical calculations and/or semi-analytic modeling in order to predict the detection rate. We present updated sensitivity projections for semiconductor crystal and superconductor targets for ongoing and proposed direct detection experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Non-canonical kinetic structures in the swampland

We consider how the swampland criteria might be applied to models in which scalar fields have nontrivial kinetic terms, particularly in the context of P (φ, X) theories, popularly used in approaches to inflation, to its alternatives, and to the problem of late-time cosmic acceleration. By embedding such theories in canonical multi-field models, from which the original theory emerges as a low-energy effective field theory, we derive swampland constraints, and study the circumstances under which these might be evaded while preserving cosmologically interesting phenomenology. We further demonstrate how these successes are tied to the phenomenon of turning in field space in the multi-field picture. We study both the general problem and specific examples of particular interest, such as DBI inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Generalized symmetry breaking scales and weak gravity conjectures

We explore the notion of approximate global symmetries in quantum field theory and quantum gravity. We show that a variety of conjectures about quantum gravity, including the weak gravity conjecture, the distance conjecture, and the magnetic and axion versions of the weak gravity conjecture can be motivated by the assumption that generalized global symmetries should be strongly broken within the context of low-energy effective field theory, i.e. at a characteristic scale less than the Planck scale where quantum gravity effects become important. For example, the assumption that the electric one-form symmetry of Maxwell theory should be strongly broken below the Planck scale implies the weak gravity conjecture. Similarly, the violation of generalized non-invertible symmetries is closely tied to analogs of this conjecture for non-abelian gauge theory. This reasoning enables us to unify these conjectures with the absence of global symmetries in quantum gravity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

A collinear perspective on the Regge limit

The high energy (Regge) limit provides a playground for understanding all loop structures of scattering amplitudes, and plays an important role in the description of many phenomenologically relevant cross-sections. While well understood in the planar limit, the structure of non-planar corrections introduces many fascinating complexities, for which a general organizing principle is still lacking. We study the structure of multi-reggeon exchanges in the context of the effective field theory for forward scattering, and derive their factorization into collinear operators (impact factors) and soft operators. We derive the structure of the renormalization group consistency equations in the effective theory, showing how the anomalous dimensions of the soft operators are related to those of the collinear operators, allowing us to derive renormalization group equations in the Regge limit purely from a collinear perspective. The rigidity of the consistency equations provides considerable insight into the all orders organization of Regge amplitudes in the effective theory, as well as its relation to other approaches. Along the way we derive a number of technical results that improve the understanding of the effective theory. We illustrate this collinear perspective by re-deriving all the standard BFKL equations for two-Glauber exchange from purely collinear calculations, and we show that this perspective provides a number of conceptual and computational advantages as compared to the standard view from soft or Glauber physics. We anticipate that this formulation in terms of collinear operators will enable a better understanding of the relation between BFKL and DGLAP in gauge theories, and facilitate the analysis of renormalization group evolution equations describing Reggeization beyond next-to-leading order.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Weinberg’s Compositeness

Nearly 60 years ago, Weinberg suggested a criterion for particle “compositeness”, which has acquired a new life with the discovery of new, exotic hadrons. His idea resonates with model-based intuition. I discuss the role it plays in the context of another of Weinberg’s creations, the model-independent framework of effective field theories.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

On de Sitter spacetime and string theory

We review various aspects of de Sitter spacetime in string theory: its status as an Effective Field Theory spacetime solution, its relation to the vacuum energy problem in string theory, its (global) holographic definition in terms of two entangled and noncanonical conformal field theories as well as a realization of a realistic de Sitter universe endowed with the observed visible matter and the necessary dark sector in order to reproduce the realistic cosmological structure. In particular, based on the new insight regarding the cosmological constant problem in string theory, we argue that in a doubled, [Formula: see text]-duality-symmetric, phase-space-like and noncommutative generalized-geometric formulation, string theory can naturally lead to a small and positive cosmological constant that is radiatively stable and technically natural. Such a formulation is fundamentally based on a quantum spacetime, but in an effective spacetime description of this general formulation of string theory, the curvature of the dual spacetime is the cosmological constant of the observed spacetime, while the size of the dual spacetime is the gravitational constant of the same observed spacetime. Also, the three scales associated with intrinsic noncommutativity of string theory, the cosmological constant scale, the Planck scale as well as the Higgs scale, can be arranged to satisfy various seesaw-like formulae. Along the way, we show that these new features of string theory can be implemented in a particular deformation of cosmic-string-like models.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dynamical chemistry: non-equilibrium effective actions for reactive fluids

Abstract We present two approaches for describing chemical reactions taking place in fluid phase. The first method mirrors the usual derivation of the hydrodynamic equations of motion by relating conserved—or to account for chemical reactions, non-conserved—currents to local-equilibrium parameters. The second method involves a higher-brow approach in which we attack the same problem from the perspective of non-equilibrium effective field theory (EFT). Non-equilibrium effective actions are defined using the in–in formalism on the Schwinger–Keldysh contour and are therefore capable of describing thermal fluctuations and dissipation as well as quantum effects. The non-equilibrium EFT approach is especially powerful as all terms in the action are fully specified by the symmetries of the system; in particular the second law of thermodynamics does not need to be included by hand, but is instead derived from the action itself. We find that the equations of motion generated by both methods agree, but the EFT approach yields certain advantages. To demonstrate some of these advantages we construct a quadratic action that is valid to very small distance scales—much smaller than the scales at which ordinary hydrodynamic theories break down. Such an action captures the full thermodynamic and quantum behavior of reactions and diffusion at quadratic order. Finally, taking the low-frequency and low-wavenumber limit, we reproduce the linearized version of the well-known reaction–diffusion equations as a final coherence check.

Mechanics↗