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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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DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of nuclear effects in neutrino-argon interactions using generalized kinematic imbalance variables with the MicroBooNE detector

We present a set of new generalized kinematic imbalance variables that can be measured in neutrino scattering. These variables extend previous measurements of kinematic imbalance on the transverse plane and are more sensitive to modeling of nuclear effects. We demonstrate the enhanced power of these variables using simulation and then use the MicroBooNE detector to measure them for the first time. We report flux-integrated single- and double-differential measurements of charged-current muon neutrino scattering on argon using a topology with one muon and one proton in the final state as a function of these novel kinematic imbalance variables. These measurements allow us to demonstrate that the treatment of charged current quasielastic interactions in genie version 2 is inadequate to describe data. As a result, they reveal tensions with more modern generator predictions particularly in regions of phase space where final state interactions are important.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Neutron star cooling with lepton-flavor-violating axions

The cores of dense stars are a powerful laboratory for studying feebly coupled particles such as axions. Some of the strongest constraints on axionlike particles and their couplings to ordinary matter derive from considerations of stellar axion emission. In this work we study the radiation of axionlike particles from degenerate neutron star matter via a lepton-flavor-violating coupling that leads to muon-electron conversion when an axion is emitted. We calculate the axion emission rate per unit volume (emissivity) and by comparing with the rate of neutrino emission, we infer upper limits on the lepton-flavor-violating coupling that are at the level of | g a e μ | ≲ 10 − 6 . For the hotter environment of a supernova, such as SN 1987A, the axion emission rate is enhanced and the limit is stronger, at the level of | g a e μ | ≲ 10 − 11 , competitive with laboratory limits. Interestingly, our derivation of the axion emissivity reveals that axion emission via the lepton-flavor-violating coupling is suppressed relative to the familiar lepton-flavor-preserving channels by the square of the plasma temperature to muon mass ratio, which is responsible for the relatively weaker limits. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of the astrophysical diffuse neutrino flux using starting track events in IceCube

In this article, a measurement of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino spectrum is presented using IceCube data collected from 2011-2022 (10.3 years). We developed novel detection techniques to search for events with a contained vertex and exiting track induced by muon neutrinos undergoing a charged-current interaction. Searching for these starting track events allows us to not only more effectively reject atmospheric muons but also atmospheric neutrino backgrounds in the southern sky, opening a new window to the sub-100 TeV astrophysical neutrino sky. The event selection is constructed using a dynamic starting track veto and machine learning algorithms. We use this data to measure the astrophysical diffuse flux as a single power law flux (SPL) with a best-fit spectral index of γ=2.58$_{-0.09}^{+0.10}$ and per-flavor normalization of $\phi$$_{per-flavor}^{Astro}$=1.68$_{-0.22}^{+0.19}$×10 -18 ×GeV -1 cm -2 s -1 sr -1 (at 100 TeV). The sensitive energy range for this dataset is 3-550 TeV under the SPL assumption. This data was also used to measure the flux under a broken power law, however we did not find any evidence of a low energy cutoff.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for R -parity violating supersymmetric decays of the top squark to a b -jet and a lepton in s = 13 TeV p p collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search is presented for direct pair production of the stop, the supersymmetric partner of the top quark, in a decay through an R-parity violating coupling to a charged lepton and a b-quark. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb -1 of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The final state has two charged leptons (electrons or muons) and two b-jets. The results of the search are interpreted in the context of a Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with an additional B -L gauge symmetry that is spontaneously broken. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model background, and exclusion limits on stop pair production are set at 95% confidence level. The corresponding lower limits on the stop mass for 100% branching ratios to a b-quark and an electron, muon, or tau-lepton are 1.9 TeV, 1.8 TeV and 800 GeV, respectively, extending the reach of previous LHC searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Direct detection of light dark matter charged under a 𝐿 𝜇 − 𝐿 𝜏 symmetry

A possible extension of the Standard Model able to explain the recent measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon consists in adding a gauged 𝑈⁢(1) 𝐿𝜇−𝐿𝜏 symmetry. If the dark matter particle is charged under this symmetry, then the kinetic mixing between the new gauge boson and the photon induces dark matter-electron interactions. We derive direct detection constraints on light dark matter charged under a 𝑈⁢(1) 𝐿𝜇−𝐿𝜏 symmetry with electron recoil experiments and explore prospects with XLZD and OSCURA to close in the parameter space able to explain simultaneously the recent measurement on the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and the observed relic density of dark matter. We further discuss the spin-dependent scattering contribution arising in this model, which was ignored previously in the literature.

extensions of gauge sector↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos in the decay of top quarks produced in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos is performed with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, using the 140 fb -1 of proton–proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV collected during Run 2. This search targets $t\overline{t}$ production, in which both top quarks decay into a bottom quark and a W boson, where one of the W bosons decays hadronically and the other decays into an electron or muon and a heavy neutral lepton. The heavy neutral lepton is identified through a decay into an electron or muon and another W boson, resulting in a pair of same-charge same-flavor leptons in the final state. This paper presents the first search for heavy neutral leptons in the mass range of 15–75 GeV using $t\overline{t}$ events. No significant excess is observed over the background expectation, and upper limits are placed on the signal cross sections. Assuming a benchmark scenario of the phenomenological type-I seesaw model, these cross section limits are then translated into upper limits on the mixing parameters of the heavy Majorana neutrino with Standard Model neutrinos.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Constraining neutrinophilic mediators at FASER ν , FLArE, and FASER ν 2

High energy collider neutrinos have been observed for the first time by the FASER ν experiment. The detected spectrum of collider neutrinos scattering off nucleons can be used to probe neutrinophilic mediators with GeV-scale masses. We find that constraints on the pseudoscalar (axial vector) neutrinophilic mediator are close to the scalar (vector) case since they have similar cross section in the neutrino massless limit. We perform an analysis on the measured muon spectra at FASER ν , and find that the bounds on the vector mediator from the current FASER ν data are comparable to the existing bounds at m Z ′ ≈ 0.2 GeV . We also study the sensitivities to a neutrinophilic mediator at future Forward Physics Facilities including FLArE and FASER ν 2 by using both the missing transverse momentum and the charge identification information. We find that FLArE and FASER ν 2 can impose stronger bounds on both the scalar and vector neutrinophilic mediators than the existing bounds. The constraints on the scalar mediator can reach 0.08 (0.1) for m ϕ ≲ 1 GeV with (without) muon charge identification at FASER ν 2 . Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for charged-lepton flavor violation in the production and decay of top quarks using trilepton final states in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV

A search is performed for charged-lepton flavor violating processes in top quark (𝑡) production and decay. The data were collected by the CMS experiment from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The selected events are required to contain one opposite-sign electron-muon pair, a third charged lepton (electron or muon), and at least one jet of which no more than one is associated with a bottom quark. Boosted decision trees are used to distinguish signal from background, exploiting differences in the kinematics of the final states particles. The data are consistent with the standard model expectation. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed in the context of effective field theory on the Wilson coefficients, which range between 0.024–0.424 TeV −2 depending on the flavor of the associated light quark and the Lorentz structure of the interaction. These limits are converted to upper limits on branching fractions involving up (charm) quarks, 𝑡 → 𝑒⁢𝜇⁢𝑢 (𝑡 → 𝑒⁢𝜇⁢𝑐), of 0.032⁢(0.498) × 10 −6 , 0.022⁢(0.369) × 10 −6 , and 0.012⁢(0.216) × 10 −6 for tensorlike, vectorlike, and scalarlike interactions, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mass ordering sum rule for the neutrino disappearance channels in T2K, NOvA, and JUNO

We revisit, reformulate, and extend a method for determining the neutrino mass ordering by using precision measurements of the atmospheric Δ m 2 s in both electron and muon neutrino disappearance channels, first proposed by the authors in 2005 [H. Nunokawa , Phys. Rev. D 72, 013009 (2005)]. The mass ordering is a very important outstanding question for our understanding of the elusive neutrino and determination of the mass ordering has consequences to particle physics, nuclear physics, and cosmology. The JUNO reactor experiment will start data taking this year, and the precision of the atmospheric Δ m 2 s from electron antineutrino measurements will improve by a factor of 3 from Daya Bay’s 2.4% to 0.8% within a year. This measurement, when combined with the atmospheric Δ m 2 ’s measurements from T2K and NOvA for muon neutrino disappearance, will contribute substantially to the Δ χ 2 between the two remaining neutrino mass orderings. In this paper we derive for the first time a mass ordering sum rule that can be used to address the possibility that JUNO’s atmospheric Δ m 2 ’s measurement, when combined with other experiments in particular T2K and NOvA, can determine the neutrino mass ordering at the 3 σ confidence level within one year of operation. For a confidence level of 5 σ in a single experiment, we will have to wait until the middle of the next decade when the DUNE experiment is operating.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

General signals for charged lepton flavor violating decays

We explore the most general phenomenology of charged lepton flavor violating (CLFV) decays of muon and tau leptons to the three body final states ($\bar{e}ee, \bar{μ}μμ, \bar{e}μμ, \bar{μ}μe, \bar{μ}ee, \bar{e}eμ$). By constructing a complete basis of operators at each dimension, we derive the most general amplitudes for these decay processes. By considering constraints from unitarity and Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP), we show that operators of mass dimension 6 and 7 are the most likely to be observed in next generation experiments. Focusing on these dimensions, we compute the results of unpolarized (spin-averaged) decays parametrized in terms of the invariant masses of the daughter particles. We also compute the differential decay rates for polarized decays, in anticipation of the experimental search Mu3e, which expects to have a muon beam with ∼ 90% polarization, and the chiral Belle proposal, which aims to have a 70% polarized electron beam. To determine the extent to which the operators may be distinguished experimentally, we plot the differential distributions for each operator, showing that they leave only a few possible degenerate explanations. Through a statistical analysis, we estimate the number of events needed to break the degeneracies using the angular information. These results are adapted to treat ℓ → ℓ′⁢$v\bar{v}$, where the angular distribution of the outgoing charged lepton has enhanced distinguishing power. With many Standard Model extensions predicting these CLFV decays, these results will better enable upcoming searches to identify and/or constrain physics beyond the Standard Model.

phenomenology↗
DOE OSTI2024

Random singlet-like state in the dimer-based triangular antiferromagnet Ba 6 Y 2 Rh 2 Ti 2 O 17 − δ

We present the magnetic, thermodynamic, and muon spin relaxation ( μ SR ) results of the dimer-based triangular antiferromagnet Ba 6 Y 2 Rh 2 Ti 2 O 17 − δ . The magnetic susceptibility data show the sub-Curie-Weiss behavior χ ( T ) ∝ T − α χ below 100 K, suggesting random magnetism. The isothermal magnetization results reveal the presence of weakly interacting structural orphan spins about 6.1 % at 2 K, arising from the oxygen deficiency. The comprehensive μ SR experiments exhibit the coexisting relaxing and nonrelaxing components along with the thermally activated behavior in the muon spin relaxation rate, reflecting the fluctuating orphan spins in the dimer singlet background. In addition, we observe the scaling behavior of M ( H , T ) in H / T and P z ( t ) in t / H LF with the scaling exponents α χ = α M = 0.75 and α μ = 0.72 , respectively, but not for the magnetic specific heat data. The failure of the scaling relation in C m ( H , T ) / T implies low-energy excitations dressed by the conventional orphan spins. Based on these observations, we find that the magnetic ground state resembles random singlets and discuss the possible configurations of the spin dimer unit Rh 2 O 9 . Our results shed light on the role of quenched disorder in the dimer-based frustrated magnets. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Lee, Wonjun (ORCID:000000034848852X)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of 𝜋 0 production in $\bar{v}_μ$ charged-current interactions in the NOvA near detector

We present a high-statistics measurement of muon antineutrino-induced charged-current neutral pion production on a hydrocarbon target using the NOvA near detector. The differential cross sections as functions of the momenta and angles of the outgoing pion and muon, the squared four-momentum transfer, and the invariant mass of the hadronic system at an average neutrino energy of 2 GeV are measured and compared with predictions from various neutrino interaction models. The results agree with the GENIE prediction but suggest that other models underestimate the cross section in the Δ⁡(1232) resonance region. These results represent the most precise measurement of antineutrino-induced neutral pion production to date.

neutrino detection↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for displaced leptons in $\sqrt{𝑠}$ =13 TeV and 13.6 TeV 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for leptons displaced from the primary vertex is performed with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search includes the full proton-proton collision dataset collected during Run 2 at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV and a partial dataset collected during Run 3 in 2022–2023 at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13.6 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 140 fb −1 and 56.3 fb −1 , respectively. Final states with displaced electrons or muons are considered, and novel triggers introduced in Run 3 are employed that use large impact parameter tracking to reconstruct displaced tracks with low momentum. In addition, photon reconstruction and multivariate techniques are employed to broaden the sensitivity to channels with large background rates or highly displaced electrons, respectively. The results are consistent with the Standard Model background expectations and are used to set model-independent limits on the production of displaced electrons and muons. The analysis is also interpreted in the context of a gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking model with pair-produced long-lived sleptons and a dark sector model with pair-produced chargino-like states. The results include 95% confidence level exclusions of selectrons with lifetimes from 4 ps to 60 ns and a mass of 150 GeV, and exclusions of selectrons, smuons, and staus with a lifetime of 0.3 ns for masses up to 740, 830, and 440 GeV, respectively. Dark charginos with masses up to 380 GeV are excluded for a mass difference with the neutral state of 40 GeV, and mass differences down to 17 GeV are excluded for dark charginos with a 100 GeV mass.

supersymmetric models↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of pseudoscalars in the $μμ bb$ and $ττ bb$ final states

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson (H) with a mass of 125 GeV to a pair of light pseudoscalars a 1 is performed in final states where one pseudoscalar decays to two quarks and the other to a pair of muons or leptons. A data sample of proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 recorded with the CMS detector is analyzed. No statistically significant excess is observed over the standard model backgrounds. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level (CL) on the Higgs boson branching fraction to μ μ b b and to τ τ b b via a pair of a 1 s. The limits depend on the pseudoscalar mass m a 1 and are observed to be in the range (0.17–3.3) x 10 -4 and (1.7–7.7) x 10 -2 in the μ μ b b and τ τ b b final states, respectively. In the framework of models with two Higgs doublets and a complex scalar singlet (2HDM+S), the results of the two final states are combined to determine upper limits on the branching fraction ${\mathcal {B}}(\text {H} \rightarrow \text {a}_{1} \text {a}_{1} \rightarrow \ell \ell \text{ b } \text{ b})$ at 95% CL, with ℓ being a muon or a τ lepton. For different types of 2HDM+S, upper bounds on the branching fraction ${\mathcal {B}}(\text {H} \rightarrow \text {a}_{1} \text {a}_{1} )$ are extracted from the combination of the two channels. In most of the Type II 2HDM+S parameter space ${\mathcal {B}}(\text {H} \rightarrow \text {a}_{1} \text {a}_{1} )$, values above 0.23 are excluded at 95% CL for m a 1 values between 15 and 60 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Operation and performance of the ATLAS tile calorimeter in LHC Run 2

The ATLAS tile calorimeter (TileCal) is the hadronic sampling calorimeter covering the central region of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This paper gives an overview of the calorimeter’s operation and performance during the years 2015–2018 (Run 2). In this period, ATLAS collected proton–proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and the TileCal was 99.65% efficient for data-taking. The signal reconstruction, the calibration procedures, and the detector operational status are presented. The performance of two ATLAS trigger systems making use of TileCal information, the minimum-bias trigger scintillators and the tile muon trigger, is discussed. Studies of radiation effects allow the degradation of the output signals at the end of the LHC and HL-LHC operations to be estimated. Finally, the TileCal response to isolated muons, hadrons and jets from proton–proton collisions is presented. The energy and time calibration methods performed excellently, resulting in good stability and uniformity of the calorimeter response during Run 2. The setting of the energy scale was performed with an uncertainty of 2%. The results demonstrate that the performance is in accordance with specifications defined in the Technical Design Report.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Precise measurements of W - and Z -boson transverse momentum spectra with the ATLAS detector using pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 5.02$ TeV and 13 TeV

This paper describes measurements of the transverse momentum spectra of W and Z bosons produced in proton–proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV and $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Measurements are performed in the electron and muon channels, W → $\ell$$v$ and Z → $\ell$$\ell$ ($\ell$ = e or μ), and for W events further separated by charge. The data were collected in 2017 and 2018, in dedicated runs with reduced instantaneous luminosity, and correspond to 255 and 338 pb -1 at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV and 13 TeV, respectively. These conditions optimise the reconstruction of the W-boson transverse momentum. The distributions observed in the electron and muon channels are unfolded, combined, and compared to QCD calculations based on parton shower Monte Carlo event generators and analytical resummation. The description of the transverse momentum distributions by Monte Carlo event generators is imperfect and shows significant differences largely common to W - , W + and Z production. The agreement is better at $\sqrt{s}$ = 5.02 TeV, especially for predictions that were tuned to Z production data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV. Higher-order, resummed predictions based on DYTurbo generally match the data best across the spectra. Distribution ratios are also presented and test the understanding of differences between the production processes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Non-universal SUSY models, $g_\mu -2$, $m_H$ and dark matter

We study the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, g μ – 2 ≡ 2a μ , in the context of supersymmetric models beyond the CMSSM, where the unification of either the gaugino masses M 1,2,3 or sfermion and Higgs masses is relaxed, taking into account the measured mass of the Higgs boson, m H , the cosmological dark matter density and the direct detection rate. We find that the model with non-unified gaugino masses can make a contribution Δa μ ~ 20 x 10 –10 to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, for example if M 1,2 ~ 600 GeV and M 3 ~ 8 TeV. The model with non-universal sfermion and Higgs masses can provide even larger Δa μ ~ 24 x 10 –10 if the sfermion masses for the first and the second generations are ~400 GeV and that of the third is ~8 TeV. We discuss the prospects for collider searches for supersymmetric particles in specific benchmark scenarios illustrating these possibilities, focusing in particular on the prospects for detecting the lighter smuon and the lightest neutralino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of high-mass $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ production and lepton flavour universality-inspired effective field theory interpretations at $\sqrt{s}=13$ $\text {T}\text {e}\hspace{-1.00006pt}\text {V}$ with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ production in the region of high dilepton invariant mass with effective field theory (EFT) interpretations are presented. They are performed using final states with three isolated leptons (electrons or muons) and are based on $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton–proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of $140\,\textrm{fb}^{-1}$, recorded from 2015 to 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Measurements of the $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ signal strength and cross-section upper-limits are performed inclusively in lepton flavour and separately for electrons and muons. The study also aims to probe anomalous four-fermion interactions including to test for possible lepton flavor universality violation. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed and the measurements are interpreted through the EFT formalism to provide new constraints on the relevant operators.

Aad, G. [CNRS/IN2P3] (ORCID:0000000266654934)↗