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DOE OSTI2025

Real-Time Artificial Intelligence for Particle Reconstruction and Higgs Physics

With the discovery of the Higgs boson at the CERN LHC, the world's highest-energy particle accelerator complex, scientists have acquired an important tool to study the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Precision measurements of Higgs bosons produced with large momentum allow for unique insights into the structure of the interactions of the Higgs boson with other particles that may shed light on physics beyond the standard model. While experimentally challenging, exploring such interactions with novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods can advance our understanding of the Higgs sector, including the Higgs boson's self-interaction. Moreover, the LHC is undergoing a major upgrade to further increase its particle collision rate and thereby operate for an additional decade. The experimental detectors at the upgraded facility must process at least a factor of ten more data at rates of hundreds of terabytes per second all under challenging conditions. New AI techniques are required to reconstruct and select, or trigger on, the most physics-sensitive events in real-time to handle the resulting avalanche of data. The proposed research will achieve the goals of the LHC program at the CMS experiment by developing a sub-microsecond event reconstruction system using real-time AI algorithms that employ field-programmable gate array technologies. By harnessing sophisticated AI techniques, this research focuses on measuring the production of Higgs bosons at large momentum while enhancing particle reconstruction methods in the trigger and beyond. Overall, the proposed research has broader implications for the use of AI in resource-constrained, low-latency embedded applications across all fields of science.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

NASA NTRS2003

Monte Carlo Methods in Materials Science Based on FLUKA and ROOT

A comprehensive understanding of mitigation measures for space radiation protection necessarily involves the relevant fields of nuclear physics and particle transport modeling. One method of modeling the interaction of radiation traversing matter is Monte Carlo analysis, a subject that has been evolving since the very advent of nuclear reactors and particle accelerators in experimental physics. Countermeasures for radiation protection from neutrons near nuclear reactors, for example, were an early application and Monte Carlo methods were quickly adapted to this general field of investigation. The project discussed here is concerned with taking the latest tools and technology in Monte Carlo analysis and adapting them to space applications such as radiation shielding design for spacecraft, as well as investigating how next-generation Monte Carlos can complement the existing analytical methods currently used by NASA. We have chosen to employ the Monte Carlo program known as FLUKA (A legacy acronym based on the German for FLUctuating KAscade) used to simulate all of the particle transport, and the CERN developed graphical-interface object-oriented analysis software called ROOT. One aspect of space radiation analysis for which the Monte Carlo s are particularly suited is the study of secondary radiation produced as albedoes in the vicinity of the structural geometry involved. This broad goal of simulating space radiation transport through the relevant materials employing the FLUKA code necessarily requires the addition of the capability to simulate all heavy-ion interactions from 10 MeV/A up to the highest conceivable energies. For all energies above 3 GeV/A the Dual Parton Model (DPM) is currently used, although the possible improvement of the DPMJET event generator for energies 3-30 GeV/A is being considered. One of the major tasks still facing us is the provision for heavy ion interactions below 3 GeV/A. The ROOT interface is being developed in conjunction with the CERN ALICE (A Large Ion Collisions Experiment) software team through an adaptation of their existing AliROOT (ALICE Using ROOT) architecture. In order to check our progress against actual data, we have chosen to simulate the ATIC14 (Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter) cosmic-ray astrophysics balloon payload as well as neutron fluences in the Mir spacecraft. This paper contains a summary of status of this project, and a roadmap to its successful completion.

Pinsky, Lawrence↗

DOE OSTI2025

Temperature measurement of Quark-Gluon plasma at different stages

In a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), the fundamental building blocks of matter, quarks and gluons, are under extreme conditions of temperature and density. A QGP could exist in the early stages of the Universe, and in various objects and events in the cosmos. The thermodynamic and hydrodynamic properties of the QGP are described by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and can be studied in heavy-ion collisions. Despite being a key thermodynamic parameter, the QGP temperature is still poorly known. Thermal lepton pairs (e + e − and μ + μ − ) are ideal penetrating probes of the true temperature of the emitting source, since their invariant-mass spectra suffer neither from strong final-state interactions nor from blue-shift effects due to rapid expansion. Here we measure the QGP temperature using thermal e+e− production at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The average temperature from the low-mass region (in-medium ρ 0 vector-meson dominant) is (2.01 ± 0.23) × 10 12 K, consistent with the chemical freeze-out temperature from statistical models and the phase transition temperature from Lattice QCD. The average temperature from the intermediate mass region (above the ρ0 mass, QGP dominant) is significantly higher at (3.25 ± 0.60) × 10 12 K. This work provides essential experimental thermodynamic measurements to map out the QCD phase diagram and understand the properties of matter under extreme conditions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

The detection of marine microseismic activity with the CUORE tonne-scale cryogenic experiment

Vibrations from experimental setups and the environment are a persistent source of noise for low-temperature calorimeters searching for rare events, including neutrinoless double beta ( 0νββ ) decay or dark matter interactions. Such noise can significantly limit experimental sensitivity to the physics case under investigation. Here, we report the detection of marine microseismic vibrations using mK-scale calorimeters. This study employs a multi-device analysis correlating data from CUORE, the leading experiment in the search for 0νββ decay with mK-scale calorimeters, and the Copernicus Earth Observation program, revealing the seasonal impact of Mediterranean Sea activity on CUORE’s energy thresholds, resolution, and sensitivity over four years. The detection of marine microseisms underscores the need to address faint environmental noise in ultra-sensitive experiments. Understanding how such noise couples to the detector and developing mitigation strategies is essential for next-generation experiments. We demonstrate one such strategy: a noise decorrelation algorithm implemented in CUORE using auxiliary sensors, which reduces vibrational noise and improves detector performance. Enhancing sensitivity to 0νββ decay and to rare events with low-energy signatures requires identifying unresolved noise sources, advancing noise reduction methods, and improving vibration suppression systems, all of which inform the design of next-generation rare event experiments.

experimental nuclear physics↗

DOE OSTI2024

Source size of x rays from self-modulated laser wakefield accelerators

A comparative study of x-ray sources generated with different mechanisms from self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration (SM-LWFA) electrons was performed to compare the source size or spatial resolution for use in high energy density science applications. We examine the source size of betatron, inverse Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung radiation with a Fresnel diffraction based formalism and a modified x-ray ray tracing model. We observe the dependence of source size on the radiation generation process, laser parameters, and compare to what is possible in other regimes of LWFA, as well as current methods. This information is significant as we begin to explore the use of light sources driven by SM-LWFA for use as a diagnostic at large-scale laser facilities where blowout regime LWFA is not possible.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Response of AC-coupled low gain avalanche detectors to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation damage

Low gain avalanche diodes with DC- and AC-coupled readout were exposed to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation at levels relevant to future experiments in particle, nuclear, and medical physics and to astrophysics. Damage-related change in their acceptor removal constants and in the resistivity of the region between the guard ring and the active area are reported, as is change in the leakage current and depletion voltages of the active volumes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Phases of dark matter from inverse decays

Inverse decays are an interesting avenue for producing dark matter in the early Universe. We study in detail various phases of dark matter parameter space where inverse decays control its abundance, expanding on our work of inverse decay (INDY) dark matter and going beyond. The role of initial conditions and the impact of departure from kinetic equilibrium are investigated as well. We show how these inverse decay phases can arise in theories of a kinetically mixed dark photon and dark Higgs, with promising prospects for detection at upcoming experiments.

Cosmology↗

DOE OSTI2025

Black holes from Fermi ball collapse

Fermi balls are nontopological solitons that can naturally form in an early Universe containing a dark sector with heavy fermions and an attractive interaction mediated by a light scalar field. We compute the Fermi ball mass and radius scaling relations when the potential of the scalar field 𝜑 has a non-negligible quartic coupling 𝜆⁢𝜑4. The resulting Fermi balls reach “saturation” very rapidly, even when their radius is much smaller than the effective Yukawa force range. These objects can therefore grow by mergers or by the accretion of ambient dark fermions until they become so dense that they fall within their Schwarzschild radius and collapse to black holes. This setup, therefore, provides an example of a rather natural and economical dark sector scenario for the formation of primordial black holes.

Hypothetical particle physics models↗

DOE OSTI2025

Potential for tensor polarized deuterons in Hall D at Jefferson lab

Hall D at Jefferson lab is an ideal place to install a polarized deuteron target which can be “tensor polarized”, allowing the separation of the spin states m = 0, ±1 or the measurement of tensor asymmetries. The bremsstrahlung photon beam with 3 - 12 GeV endpoint provides very little heating or radiation damage compared to an electron beam, allowing the target to be run in frozen spin mode. Adiabatic fast passage spin manipulations can then be used to greatly enhance the population of the m = 0 spin state of the deuteron. Coherent photoproduction of ρ mesons from deuterium is sensitive to double-scattering at high momentum transfer and in the m = 0 spin state an additional sensitivity at intermediate momentum transfer opens up. In conclusion, we propose a frozen spin target for Hall D and the measurement of ρ photoproduced coherently from the deuteron as a flagship measurement.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Training and onboarding initiatives in high energy physics experiments

In this article we document the current analysis software training and onboarding activities in several High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments: ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, Belle II and DUNE. Fast and efficient onboarding of new collaboration members is increasingly important for HEP experiments. With rapidly increasing data volumes and larger collaborations the analyses and consequently, the related software, become ever more complex. This necessitates structured onboarding and training. Recognizing this, a meeting series was held by the HEP Software Foundation (HSF) in 2022 for experiments to showcase their initiatives. Here we document and analyze these in an attempt to determine a set of key considerations for future HEP experiments.

analysis software↗

NASA NTRS2009

Properties of Smoke from Overheated Materials in Low-Gravity

Smoke particle size measurements were obtained under low-gravity conditions by overheating several materials typical of those found in spacecraft. The measurements included integral measurements of the smoke particles and physical sample of the particles for Transmission Electron Microscope analysis. The integral moments were combined to obtain geometric mean particle sizes and geometric standard deviations. These results are presented with the details of the instrument calibrations. The experimental results show that, for the materials tested, a substantial portion of the smoke particles are below 500 nm in diameter.

Urban, David L.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Optical and physical requirements for fluid particles marking trailing vortices from aircraft

A theoretical study of the optical and physical requirements of marking trailing vortices that emanate from aircraft wings was carried out by considering particulate light-scattering properties, ability of particles to follow trailing vortices, and survival time of particles to vortex dissipation. Liquid droplets undergoing evaporation and molecular dispersion were investigated. Droplets should have lifetimes of about 300 sec. Droplet size should be about 1 micron to maximize light scattering with the minimum mass of liquid required. Droplets of this small size would spiral outward very slowly and essentially remain in the vortex cores. Nontoxic hygroscopic liquids, having an affinity for moisture in the air, have been identified. These liquids have relatively low vapor pressures of order 10 to the -5 mm Hg that would insure droplet persistence long enough to mark trailing vortices.

Back, L. H.↗

DOE OSTI2025

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↗

DOE OSTI2024

Investigating strangeness enhancement in jet and medium via 𝜙⁡(1020) production in 𝑝-Pb collisions at √ s NN = 5.02TeV

This work aims to differentiate strangeness produced from hard processes (jetlike) and softer processes (underlying event) by measuring the angular correlation between a high-momentum trigger hadron (ℎ) acting as a jet proxy and a produced strange hadron [𝜙⁡(1020) meson]. Measuring ℎ−𝜙 correlations at midrapidity in 𝑝-Pb collisions at √ s NN = 5.02TeV as a function of event multiplicity provides insight into the microscopic origin of strangeness enhancement in small collision systems. The jetlike and the underlying-event-like strangeness production are investigated as a function of event multiplicity. They are also compared between a lower and higher momentum region. The evolutions of the per-trigger yields within the near-side (aligned with the trigger hadron) and away-side (in the opposite direction of the trigger hadron) jets are studied separately, allowing for the characterization of two distinct jetlike production regimes. Furthermore, the ℎ−𝜙 correlations within the underlying event give access to a production regime dominated by soft production processes, which can be compared directly to the in-jet production. Comparisons between ℎ−𝜙 and dihadron correlations show that the observed strangeness enhancement is largely driven by the underlying event, where the 𝜙/ℎ ratio is significantly larger than within the jet regions. As multiplicity increases, the fraction of the total 𝜙⁡(1020) yield coming from jets decreases compared to the underlying event production, leading to high-multiplicity events being dominated by the increased strangeness production from the underlying event.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

NASA NTRS1999

Physical and Chemical Characterization of Particles in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere: Microanalysis of Aerosol Impactor Samples

Herein is reported activities to support the characterization of the aerosol in the upper troposphere (UT) and lower stratosphere (LS) collected during the Airborne Southern Hemisphere Ozone Experiment/Measurements for Assessing the Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (ASHOE/MAESA) missions in 1994. Through a companion proposal, another group was to measure the size distribution of aerosols in the 0.008 to 2 micrometer diameter range and to collect for us impactor samples of particles larger than about 0.02 gm. In the first year, we conducted laboratory studies related to particulate deposition patterns on our collection substrates, and have performed the analysis of many ASHOE/MAESA aerosol samples from 1994 using analytical electron microscopy (AEM). We have been building an "aerosol climatology" with these data that documents the types and relative abundances of particles observed at different latitudes and altitudes. The second year (and non-funded extension periods) saw continued analyses of impactor aerosol samples, including more ASHOE/MAESA samples, some northern hemisphere samples from the NASA Stratospheric Photochemistry Aerosols and Dynamics Expedition (SPADE) program for comparison, and a few aerosol samples from the NASA Stratospheric TRacers of Atmospheric Transport (STRAT) program. A high-resolution field emission microscope was used for the analysis and re-analysis of a number of samples to determine if this instrument was superior in performance to our conventional electron microscope. In addition, some basic laboratory studies were conducted to determine the minimum detectable and analyzable particle size for different types of aerosols. In all, 61 aerosol samples were analyzed, with a total of over 30,000 individual particle analyses. In all analyzed samples, sulfate particles comprised the major aerosol number fraction. It must be stressed that particles composed of more than one species, for example sulfate and organic carbon, were classified according to the major fraction. Thus, many of the particles classified as sulfate may have contained significant mass fractions of carbonaceous or other material. These particles for the most part did not show two physical phases, however. Nonsulfate particles were classified according to the physical and chemical characteristics of each particle, and were grouped into the major nonsulfate particle classes, including C-rich, crustal, metallic, and salts. Our UT and LS sample analyses indicate a maximum for crustal and C-rich particle abundance in the Northern Hemisphere upper troposphere, and a salt particle maximum in the Southern Hemisphere upper troposphere. Metallic particles are clearly more prevalent in the troposphere than in the stratosphere, but interhemispheric differences appear small.

Sheridan, Patrick J.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Proton emission in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 5.02 TeV

The first measurements of proton emission accompanied by neutron emission in the electromagnetic dissociation (EMD) of 208 Pb nuclei in the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider are presented. The EMD protons and neutrons emitted at very forward rapidities are detected by the proton and neutron zero degree calorimeters of the ALICE experiment. The emission cross sections of zero, one, two, and three protons accompanied by at least one neutron were measured in ultraperipheral 208 Pb − 208 Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{𝑠_{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 5.02TeV. The 0p and 3p cross sections are described by the RELDIS model within their measurement uncertainties, while the 1p and 2p cross sections are underestimated by the model by 17–25%. According to this model, these 0p, 1p, 2p, and 3p cross sections are associated, respectively, with the production of various isotopes of Pb, Tl, Hg, and Au in the EMD of 208 Pb . The cross sections of the emission of a single proton accompanied by the emission of one, two, or three neutrons in EMD were also measured. The data are significantly overestimated by the RELDIS model, which predicts that the (1p,1n), (1p,2n), and (1p,3n) cross sections are very similar to the cross sections for the production of the thallium isotopes 206,205,204 Tl.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

NASA NTRS1984

Ring particles - Collisional interactions and physical nature

Attention is given to the properties of, and dynamical processes affecting individual particles of Saturn's rings. Because particles tend to be gravitationally bound when located on the surfaces of larger particles, and since net tidal stresses within the particles are small, particle collisions should produce accretion in Saturn's rings. Rapid accretionary processes within the rings are counterbalanced by tidal disruption of the larger accreted aggregates, which are presently designated 'dynamic ephemeral bodies'. The coefficient of restitution is probably very low, implying that the large particles containing most of the rings' mass are in a monolayer, although the small particles responsible for most of the rings' visible cross section form a layer many particles thick. Kinematic viscosity and interparticle erosive process models should incorporate these properties.

Weidenschilling, S. J.↗

DOE OSTI2025

SITCOMTN-165: Surface brightness profiles around massive galaxies in LSSTComCam data

Low surface brightness photometry of massive galaxies can probe the extended stellar halos and intracluster light but is often limited by background subtraction and masking systematics. Here we present radial surface brightness profiles for the brightest cluster galaxy of Abell 360 and 2dFGRS TGS323Z113 using Rubin Observatory Commissioning Camera (LSSTComCam) Data Preview 1 in the g, r, and z bands. Our results show that the LSSTComCam data can go down to ~28 mag arcsec^-2 in the r band. Comparison to DECaLS measurements processed with Legacyhalos shows good agreement of surface brightness profiles at small radii while the LSSTComCam data extend deeper at larger radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗