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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

The future of high-energy astrophysical neutrino flavor measurements

In this paper, we critically examine the ability of future neutrino telescopes, including Baikal-GVD, KM3NeT, P-ONE, TAMBO, and IceCube-Gen2, to determine the flavor composition of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos in light of data from next-generation of neutrino oscillation experiments including JUNO, DUNE, and Hyper-Kamiokande. By 2040, the region of allowed flavor composition at Earth will shrink ten-fold, and the flavor composition at the astrophysical sources of the neutrinos will be inferred to within 6%, enough to pinpoint the dominant neutrino production mechanism and to identify possible sub-dominant mechanisms. These conclusions hold even in the nonstandard scenario where neutrino mixing is non-unitary, a scenario that will be probed in next-generation experiments such as the IceCube-Upgrade. As an illustration, we show that future experiments are sensitive to decay rates of the heavier neutrinos to below 1.8 × 10 -5 (m/eV) s -1 at 95% credibility by 2040.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Early-time measure in eternal inflation

In a situation like eternal inflation, where our data is replicated at infinitely-many other space-time events, it is necessary to make a prior assumption about our location to extract predictions. The principle of mediocrity entails that we live at asymptotic late times, when the occupational probabilities of vacua has settled to a near-equilibrium distribution. In this paper we further develop the idea that we instead exist during the approach to equilibrium, much earlier than the exponentially-long mixing time. In this case we are most likely to reside in vacua that are easily accessed dynamically. Using first-passage statistics, we prove that vacua that maximize their space-time volume at early times have: 1. maximal ever-hitting probability; 2. minimal mean first-passage time; and 3. minimal decay rate. These requirements are succinctly captured by an early-time measure. The idea that we live at early times is a predictive guiding principle, with many phenomenological implications. First, our vacuum should lie deep in a funneled region, akin to folding energy landscapes of proteins. Second, optimal landscape regions are characterized by relatively short-lived vacua, with lifetime of order the de Sitter Page time. For our vacuum, this lifetime is ~ 10 130 years, which is consistent with the Standard Model estimate due to Higgs metastability. Third, the measure favors vacua with small, positive vacuum energy. This can address the cosmological constant problem, provided there are sufficiently many vacua in the entire ensemble of funnels. As a concrete example, we study the Bousso-Polchinski lattice of flux vacua, and find that the early-time measure favors lattices with the fewest number of flux dimensions. This favors compactifications with a large hierarchy between the lightest modulus and all other Kähler and complex structure moduli.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamics of long-lived (axionic) domain walls and its cosmological implications

Here, we perform an updated analysis on a long-lived domain wall (DW) network, which may apply to a broad class of axion models. By simulating an axion-like scalar field on a 3D lattice and fitting an analytical model for the DW evolution, we identify the leading energy loss mechanisms of the DWs and compute the spectrum of axions emitted from the network. The contribution from the DWs to axion-like dark matter (DM) density is derived, with viable parameter space given. The application to both QCD axions and general axion-like particles (ALPs) is considered. Due to the new approaches taken, while our results bear consistency with earlier literature, notable discrepancies are also revealed, such as the specifics about DW decay rate which impacts the prediction for DM abundance, which may have a profound impact on axion phenomenology at large.

Cosmic strings↗
DOE OSTI2025

X-rays from inelastic dark matter freeze-in

We study inelastic dark matter produced via freeze-in through a light mediator with a mass splitting below the electron-positron threshold. In this regime, the heavier dark matter state is naturally long-lived compared to the age of the Universe and decays to the lighter state in association with photons. Given a light mediator, the dark matter abundance is directly related to the decay rate of the heavier dark matter. We show that observations of photons from the Galactic Center can effectively probe inelastic dark matter freeze-in with mediators at the 100 MeV scale and dark matter at the GeV scale.

Krnjaic, Gordan [Fermi National Accelerator Labora↗
DOE OSTI2026

Geometric decoherence time in Lindbladian dynamics

The onset of decoherence in open many-body systems lacks a dynamical timescale grounded in the loss of bipartite entanglement. Here, we introduce the geometric decoherence time, defined as the earliest moment the monotone relation between logarithmic negativity and Rényi-$\frac{1}{2}$ entropy—exactly equal across any bipartition for pure states—breaks down under open-system evolution, signaling entropy growth without accompanying entanglement growth. We establish this criterion in both single-particle Gaussian dynamics and many-body Lindbladian evolution. We show that quantum mutual information provides a complementary long-time diagnostic: Its asymptotic vanishing is equivalent to factorization of the steady state across the bipartition, a condition strictly stronger than separability, and whenever a product steady state is approached exponentially in trace norm, negativity and mutual information share the same decay rate. In the presence of a strong symmetry, this tracking can fail—residual classical correlations can survive after entanglement has vanished. In the Kitaev chain with balanced gain and loss, we derive a closed-form solution and show that the topological phase sustains longer coherence times than the trivial phase at identical dissipation, with a local minimum at the chiral-symmetric point. In the interacting XXZ chain, exact many-body evolution shows that local 𝑍 dephasing preserves residual classical correlations, whereas gain and loss restore the mutual-information tracking of negativity. Furthermore, our results establish the geometric decoherence time as a dynamical scale tracking the onset of decoherence.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Radiative properties of an artificial atom coupled to a Josephson-junction array

We study the radiative properties—the Lamb shift, Purcell decay rate, and spontaneous emission dynamics—of an artificial atom coupled to a long, multimode cavity formed by an array of Josephson junctions. Introducing a tunable coupling element between the atom and the array, we demonstrate that such a system can exhibit a crossover from a perturbative to a nonperturbative regime of light-matter interaction as one strengthens the coupling between the atom and the Josephson-junction array. As a consequence, the concept of spontaneous emission as the occupation of the local atomic site being governed by a single complex-valued exponent breaks down. This breakdown, we show, can be interpreted in terms of formation of hybrid atom-resonator modes with radiative losses that are nontrivially related to the effective coupling between individual modes. We develop a singular function expansion approach for the description of the open quantum system dynamics in such a multimode nonperturbative regime. This modal framework generalizes the normal-mode description of quantum fields in a finite volume, incorporating exact radiative losses and incident quantum noise at the delimiting surface. Our results are pertinent to recent experiments with Josephson atoms coupled to high-impedance Josephson-junction arrays.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-rank Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models

Motivated by recent proposals of experimental realization of fast scramblers, we study a family of solvable variants of the ($\textit{q}$ = 4) Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model in which the rank and eigenvalue distribution of the coupling matrix $J_{ ij,kl}$ are tuneable. When the rank is proportional to the number of fermions, the low temperature behavior is sensitive to the eigenvalue distribution. We obtain a complete classification of the possible non-Fermi liquid quantum phases. These include two previously studied phases whose fermion scaling dimension depends continuously on the rank; we show that they are maximally chaotic, but necessitate an extensively degenerate or negative semidefinite coupling matrix. In this work, more generic distributions give rise to “almost Fermi liquids” with a scaling dimension Δ = 1/2, but which differ from a genuine Fermi liquid in quasiparticle decay rate, quantum Lyapunov exponent, and/or specific heat.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Extracting correlation effects from momentum-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy: Synergistic origin of the dispersion kink in Bi 2.1 Sr 1.9 CaCu 2 O 8 + x

We employ momentum-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy (M-EELS) on Bi 2.1 Sr 1.9 CaCu 2 O 8 + x to resolve the issue of the kink feature in the electron dispersion widely observed in the cuprates. To this end, we utilize the GW approximation to relate the density response function measured in M-EELS to the self-energy, isolating contributions from phonons, electrons, and the momentum dependence of the effective interaction to the decay rates. The phononic contributions, present in the M-EELS spectra due to electron-phonon coupling, lead to kink features in the corresponding single-particle spectra at energies between 40 and 80 meV, independent of the doping level. We find that a repulsive interaction constant in momentum space is able to yield the kink attributed to phonons in ARPES. Hence, our analysis of the M-EELS spectra points to local repulsive interactions as a factor that enhances the spectroscopic signatures of electron-phonon coupling in cuprates. We conclude that the strength of the kink feature in cuprates is determined by the combined action of electron-phonon coupling and electron-electron interactions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Universal spin wave damping in magnetic Weyl semimetals

We analyze the decay of spin waves into Stoner excitations in magnetic Weyl semimetals. The lifetime of a mode is found to have a universal dependence on its frequency and momentum, and on a few parameters that characterize the relativistic Weyl spectrum. At the same time, uniform Gilbert damping by Weyl electrons is absent. Here, the decay rate of spin waves is calculated perturbatively using the s-d model of itinerant Weyl or Dirac electrons coupled to local moments. We show that many details of the Weyl spectrum, such as the momentum-space locations, dispersions, and sizes of the Weyl Fermi pockets, can be deduced indirectly by probing the spin waves of local moments using inelastic neutron scattering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Extracting spinon self-energies from two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy

Two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) is a nonlinear spectroscopy technique capable of identifying whether apparent continua in linear response are made out of multiplets of sharp deconfined quasiparticles. This makes it a potent tool for experimental identification of fractionalized phases. Previous discussions have focused on limits where the quasiparticles in question are infinitely long lived. In this paper we discuss 2DCS in the regime where the fractionalized quasiparticles can themselves decay. We introduce a powerful path-integral-based approach, whereby the computation of nonlinear susceptibilities reduces to an efficient exercise in diagrammatic perturbation theory. Here, we apply this method to compute the 2DCS response of the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model, in the presence of integrability-breaking perturbations. We discuss aspects of the self-energy of the fractionalized quasiparticles that may be extracted via 2DCS, such as the momentum-dependent decay rate.

1-dimensional spin chains↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gapless Floquet topology

Symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases in insulators and superconductors are known for their robust edge modes, linked to bulk invariants through the bulk-boundary correspondence. While this principle traditionally applies to gapped phases, recent advances have extended it to gapless systems, where topological edge-states persist even in the absence of a bulk gap. We extend this framework to periodically driven chains with chiral symmetry, revealing the existence of topological edge zero and π modes despite the lack of bulk gaps in the quasienergy spectrum. By examining the half-period decomposition of chiral evolutions, we construct topological invariants that circumvent the need to define the Floquet Hamiltonian, making them more suitable for generalization to the gapless regime. We provide explicit examples, including generalizations of the Kitaev chain and related spin models, where localized π modes emerge even when the bulk is gapless at the same quasienergy as the edge modes. Here, we numerically study the effect of interactions, which give a finite lifetime to the edge modes in the thermodynamic limit with the decay rate consistent with Fermi's golden rule.

1-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2025

Relaxation times for disoriented isospin condensates in high energy heavy ion collisions

Fluctuations between charged and neutral kaons measured by the ALICE Collaboration in Pb-Pb collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) exceed conventional explanations. Previously it was shown that if the scalar condensate is accompanied by an electrically neutral isospin-1 field then the combination can produce large equilibrium fluctuations where ⟨$\overline{𝑢}$ ⁢𝑢⟩≠⟨ $\overline{𝑑}$𝑑⟩. Hadronizing strange and antistrange quarks might then strongly fluctuate between charged ($\overline{𝑢}$⁢𝑠 or $\overline{𝑠}$⁢𝑢) and neutral (𝑑⁢$\overline{𝑠}$⁢ or 𝑠⁢$\overline{𝑑}$) kaons. Here, we estimate the times for the condensates to achieve their equilibrium probability distributions within causal volumes in high energy heavy ion collisions. This is achieved by modeling the temperature dependence of the condensates, mesonic collective excitations, decay rates of the associated fields, and employing the Langevin and Fokker-Planck equations. Within this model, we find that the equilibration times are short compared with the expansion time, making disoriented isospin condensates a viable explanation for the anomalous fluctuations observed at the LHC.

Quark-gluon plasma↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characteristic momentum of Hydro + and a bound on the enhancement of the speed of sound near the QCD critical point

Near the critical point in the QCD phase diagram, hydrodynamics breaks down at a momentum where the frequency of the fastest hydrodynamic mode becomes comparable with the decay rate of the slowest nonhydrodynamic mode. Hydro+ was developed as a framework which extends the range of validity of hydrodynamics beyond that momentum value. This was achieved through coupling the hydrodynamic modes to the slowest nonhydrodynamic mode. In this work, analyzing the spectrum of linear perturbations in Hydro+, we find that a slow mode falls out of equilibrium if its momentum is greater than a characteristic momentum value. That characteristic momentum turns out to be set by the branch points of the dispersion relations. These branch points occur at the critical momenta of so-called spectral curves and are related to the radius of convergence of the derivative expansion. The existence of such a characteristic momentum scale suggests that a particular class of slow modes has no remarkable effect on the flow of the plasma. Based on these results, we show that there is an enhancement of the speed of sound due to the Hydro+ corrections compared to the known thermodynamic corrections near the critical point. This enhancement can not exceed a temperature-dependent upper bound which we derive near the critical point in the QCD phase diagram.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the B + /B 0 production ratio in e + e - collisions at the $\Upsilon$ (4S) resonance using B → J/Ψ($\ell\ell$)K decays at Belle

We measure the ratio of branching fractions for the $\Upsilon$ (4S) decays to B + B - and B 0 $\bar{B}$ 0 using B + → J/Ψ($\ell\ell$)K + and B 0 → J/Ψ($\ell\ell$)K 0 samples, where J/Ψ($\ell\ell$) stands for J/Ψ → $\ell$ + $\ell$ - ($\ell$ = e or μ), with 711 fb -1 of data collected at the $\Upsilon$ (4S) resonance with the Belle detector. We find the decay rate ratio of $\Upsilon$ (4S) → B + B - over $\Upsilon$ (4S) → B 0 $\bar{B}$ 0 to be 1.065 ± 0.012 ± 0.019 ± 0.047, which is the most precise measurement to date. The first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively, and the third uncertainty is due to the assumption of isospin symmetry in B → J/Ψ($\ell\ell$) K.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Most general neutron decay correlations: Standard model recoil and radiative corrections

To continue from our previous work, we derive the full Standard Model prediction of the most general free neutron differential decay rate with all massive particles (neutron, proton, and electron) polarized, including the $\mathcal{O}$⁢(1/$\mathcal{m}$ N ) recoil corrections and $\mathcal{O}$⁢(α/π) radiative corrections. For the latter we adopt the newly developed pseudoneutrino formalism which is compatible to realistic experimental setups, in which neutrinos and photons are not detected. We also provide readily executable Mathematica notebooks to evaluate these corrections.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improved measurement of the semileptonic decay D s + → K 0 e + ν e

Analyzing e + e − collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7.33 fb − 1 collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.128 and 4.226 GeV with the BESIII detector, we measure the branching fraction of the semileptonic decay D s + → K 0 e + ν e to be ( 2.98 ± 0.2 3 stat ± 0.1 2 syst ) × 10 − 3 . Based on fit to the partial decay rates in various q 2 intervals, the product value of D s + → K 0 hadronic form factor and Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa element is measured to be f + K 0 ( 0 ) | V c d | = 0.143 ± 0.01 1 stat ± 0.00 3 syst . With | V c d | = 0.22486 ± 0.00067 as an input, the hadronic form factor is evaluated to be f + K 0 ( 0 ) = 0.636 ± 0.04 9 stat ± 0.01 3 syst . The branching fraction and form factor measurements are factors of 1.6 and 1.7 more precise than the previous world averages, respectively. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Angular analysis of B → K * e + e − in the low- q 2 region with new electron identification at Belle

We perform an angular analysis of the B → K * e + e − decay for the dielectron mass squared, q 2 , range of 0.0008 – 1.1200 GeV 2 / c 4 using the full Belle dataset in the K * 0 → K + π − and K * + → K S 0 π + channels, incorporating new methods of electron identification to improve the statistical power of the dataset. This analysis is sensitive to contributions from right-handed currents from physics beyond the Standard Model by constraining the Wilson coefficients C 7 ( ′ ) . We perform a fit to the B → K * e + e − differential decay rate and measure the imaginary component of the transversality amplitude to be A T Im = − 1.27 ± 0.52 ± 0.12 , and the K * transverse asymmetry to be A T ( 2 ) = 0.52 ± 0.53 ± 0.11 , with F L and A T Re fixed to the Standard Model values. The resulting constraints on the value of C 7 ′ are consistent with the Standard Model within a 2 σ confidence interval. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Ferlewicz, D. (ORCID:0000000243741234)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Searching for heavy neutral leptons at a future muon collider

As the planning stages for a high energy muon collider enter a more concrete era, an important question arises as to what new physics could be uncovered. A TeV-scale muon collider is also a vector boson fusion (VBF) factory with a very clean background, and as such it is a promising environment to look for new physics that couples to the electroweak (EW) sector. In this paper, we explore the ability of a future TeV-scale muon collider to search for Majorana and Dirac heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) produced via EW bosons. Employing a model-independent, conservative approach, we present an estimation of the production and decay rate of HNLs over a mass range between 200 GeV and 9.5 TeV in two benchmark collider proposals with s = 3 , 10 TeV, as well as an estimation of the dominant Standard Model (SM) background. We find that exclusion limits for the mixing between the HNLs and SM neutrinos can be as low as O ( 10 − 6 ) . Additionally, we demonstrate that a TeV-scale muon collider allows for the ability to discriminate between Majorana and Dirac type HNLs for a large range of mixing values. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Kwok, Tsz Hong↗