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At least 55 records · Page 3

Lyman-$α$ forest holography: 3D predictions from 1D measurements

Cosmological analyses of Lyman-$α$ forest clustering rely on either one-dimensional correlations along individual sightlines or three-dimensional correlations between different sightlines. Because these observables probe the matter distribution on very different scales, they have traditionally been analyzed independently. In this work, we bridge this gap using ForestFlow, an emulator trained on a suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that provides a unified description of Lyman-$α$ forest clustering from linear to nonlinear scales. This framework enables us to determine the range of three-dimensional clustering models compatible with the DESI one-dimensional flux power spectrum ($P_{\rm 1D}$). The resulting predictions successfully reproduce the large-scale clustering measured by the DESI BAO analysis and provide physically motivated priors on nonlinear clustering that are used in a companion paper presenting the full-shape analysis of the DESI DR2 Lyman-$α$ forest. We validate our methodology using the large-volume, high-resolution hydrodynamical simulation ACCEL-2, demonstrating excellent agreement across the full range of scales considered. Finally, we combine constraints from the $P_{\rm 1D}$ and BAO analyses on the parameter combinations $b_δσ_8$ and $b_ηf σ_8$, finding that the two probes provide comparable constraining power while exhibiting complementary parameter degeneracies. Our results establish a direct connection between one- and three-dimensional Lyman-$α$ forest measurements through ForestFlow, an approach we term Lyman-$α$ holography by analogy with the reconstruction of higher-dimensional structure from lower-dimensional information.

Chaves-Montero, J. [Barcelona, IFAE] (ORCID:000000

Particle-in-cell simulations of expanding high energy density plasmas with laser ray tracing

The design and analysis of high energy density (HED) laser experiments typically rely on radiation hydrodynamics simulations. However, some laser–plasma interaction regimes are not collisional and cannot be adequately modeled with hydrodynamics. For example, strongly driven magnetic reconnection and magnetized collisionless shock experiments possess extended hydrodynamic or even kinetic properties, necessitating first-principles kinetic simulations. In this paper, we present the benchmarking and first results obtained with a laser-ray-tracing and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption module implemented in the particle-in-cell code PSC. The simulation results are compared to radiation hydrodynamic simulations using the FLASH code as well as analytical estimates. We successfully benchmark the energy deposition model and overall hydrodynamic evolution of the systems. We also consider possible kinetic effects that may be expected from laser-target ablation in the HED regime, including non-local transport and two-temperature effects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Machine Learning-Driven Conservative-to-Primitive Conversion in Hybrid Piecewise Polytropic and Tabulated Equations of State

We present a novel machine learning (ML)-based method to accelerate conservative-to-primitive inversion, focusing on hybrid piecewise polytropic and tabulated equations of state. Traditional root-finding techniques are computationally expensive, particularly for large-scale relativistic hydrodynamics simulations. To address this, we employ feedforward neural networks (NNC2PS and NNC2PL), trained in PyTorch (2.0+) and optimized for GPU inference using NVIDIA TensorRT (8.4.1), achieving significant speedups with minimal accuracy loss. The NNC2PS model achieves 𝐿 1 and 𝐿 ∞ errors of 4.54 × 10 −7 and 3.44 × 10−6, respectively, while the NNC2PL model exhibits even lower error values. TensorRT optimization with mixed-precision deployment substantially accelerates performance compared to traditional root-finding methods. Specifically, the mixed-precision TensorRT engine for NNC2PS achieves inference speeds approximately 400 times faster than a traditional single-threaded CPU implementation for a dataset size of 1,000,000 points. Ideal parallelization across an entire compute node in the Delta supercomputer (dual AMD 64-core 2.45 GHz Milan processors and 8 NVIDIA A100 GPUs with 40 GB HBM2 RAM and NVLink) predicts a 25-fold speedup for TensorRT over an optimally parallelized numerical method when processing 8 million data points. Moreover, the ML method exhibits sub-linear scaling with increasing dataset sizes. We release the scientific software developed, enabling further validation and extension of our findings. By exploiting the underlying symmetries within the equation of state, these findings highlight the potential of ML, combined with GPU optimization and model quantization, to accelerate conservative-to-primitive inversion in relativistic hydrodynamics simulations.

conservative-to-primitive conversion

Long-lived neutron-star remnants from asymmetric binary neutron star mergers: element formation, kilonova signals and gravitational waves

We present 3D general-relativistic neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics simulations of two asymmetric binary neutron star mergers producing long-lived neutron stars remnants and spanning a fraction of their cooling time scale. The mergers are characterized by significant tidal disruption with neutron rich material forming a massive disc around the remnant. The latter develops one-armed dynamics that is imprinted in the emitted kilo-Hertz gravitational waves. Angular momentum transport to the disc is initially driven by spiral-density waves and enhanced by turbulent viscosity and neutrino heating on longer timescales. The mass outflows are composed by neutron-rich dynamical ejecta of mass ∼10 −3 –10 −2 M ⊙ followed by a persistent spiral-wave/neutrino-driven wind of ≳ 10 −2 M ⊙ with material spanning a wide range of electron fractions, ∼0.1–0.55. Dynamical ejecta (winds) have fast velocity tails up to ∼0.8 (∼0.4) c. The outflows are further evolved to days timescale using 2D ray-by-ray radiation-hydrodynamics simulations that include an online nuclear network. We find complete r-process yields and identify the production of 56 Ni and the subsequent decay chain to 56 Co and 56 Fe. Synthetic kilonova light curves predict an extended (near-) infrared peak a few days postmerger originating from r-process in the neutron-rich/high-opacity ejecta and UV/optical peaks at a few hours (ten minutes) postmerger originating from weak r-process (free-neutron decay) in the faster ejecta components. Additionally, the fast tail of tidal origin generates kilonova afterglows potentially detectable in radio and X band on a few to ten years time scale. Quantitative effects originating from the tidal disruption merger dynamics are reflected in the multimessenger emissions.

abundances

Zonal Flow and Self-regulating Mechanism in a Hydrodynamic Disk

This study addresses key aspects of momentum transport in hydrodynamic disks, which is critical for understanding zonal flow generation and turbulence in compressible hydrodynamic disks. We find that nonlinear momentum/density transport leads to the formation of zonal flows from the Rossby wave instability in disks. We analytically derive the generation and location of zonal flows and describe a modified Taylor identity applicable to compressible disk flows. We further present a self-regulation model, revealing a dynamic interplay between zonal flow and fluctuations driven by Rossby wave instability that regulates the nonlinear saturation state. This theoretical framework contributes insights into the dynamics of disks such as protoplanetary disks, shedding light on the intricate processes governing momentum/density transport and the emergence of zonal flows in the saturation of protoplanetary disks.

Astrophysical fluid dynamics

Beryllium–tungsten graded density inner shells in double shell capsules for improved hydrodynamic stability

The outer surface of the high-Z inner shell in the double shell configuration of inertial confinement fusion experiments experiences Rayleigh–Taylor instability growth during the implosion process due to inverted density and pressure gradients between a highly compressed foam interstitial layer and the accelerating dense inner shell. Graded density layers have long been known to reduce instability growth rates. In this study, we employ high-fidelity radiation hydrodynamic simulations to demonstrate this improved stability when grading beryllium into tungsten. We first characterize the response to L-band preheat of these layers using a newly calibrated radiation drive. While graded layer capsules suffer reduced performance (here, measured as DD neutron yield from a CD foam fuel) in 1D simulations due to reduced kinetic energy coupling and reduced fuel compression, they suffer less of a performance drop when 2D instabilities are accounted for. With the improved stability of graded layers, we explore the performance of capsules with larger fuel radii and thinner shells as a preliminary study to find new designs in which graded layers produce the highest yields.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Resolving discrepancies in bang-time predictions for indirect-drive ICF experiments on the NIF: Insights from the Build-A-Hohlraum campaign

This study investigated discrepancies between measured and simulated x-ray drive in Indirect-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ID-ICF) hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility. Despite advances in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations, a consistent “drive deficit” remains. Experimentally measured ID-ICF capsule bang-times are systematically 400–700 ps later than simulations predict. The Build-A-Hohlraum (BAH) campaign explored potential causes for this discrepancy by systematically varying hohlraum features, including laser entrance hole (LEH) windows, capsules, and gas fills. Overall, the agreement between simulated and experimental x-ray drive was found to be largely unaffected by these changes. The data allow us to exclude some hypotheses put forward to potentially explain the discrepancy. Errors in the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) atomic modeling, errors in the modeling of LEH closure, and errors due to a lack of plasma species mix physics in simulations are shown to be inconsistent with our measurements. Instead, the data support the hypothesis that errors in NLTE emission modeling are a significant contributor to the discrepancy. X-ray emission in the 2–4 keV range is found to be approximately 30% lower than in simulations. This is accompanied by higher than predicted electron temperatures in the gold bubble region, pointing to errors in non-LTE modeling. Introducing an opacity multiplier of 0.87 on energy groups above 1.8 keV improves agreement with experimental data, reducing the bang-time discrepancy from 300 to 100 ps. These results underscore the need for refined NLTE opacity models to enhance the predictive power of hohlraum simulations.

Band emission

Classical-quantum simulation of non-equilibrium Marshak waves

In the radiation hydrodynamic simulations used to design inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and pulsed power experiments, nonlinear radiation diffusion tends to dominate CPU time. This raises the interesting question of whether a quantum algorithm can be found for nonlinear radiation diffusion which provides a quantum speedup. Recently, such a quantum algorithm was introduced based on a quantum algorithm for solving systems of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) which provides a quadratic quantum speedup. Here, we apply this quantum PDE (QPDE) algorithm to the problem of a non-equilibrium Marshak wave propagating through a cold, semi-infinite, optically thick target, where the radiation and matter fields are not assumed to be in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The dynamics is governed by a coupled pair of nonlinear PDEs which are solved using the QPDE algorithm, as well as two standard PDE solvers: (i) Python's py-pde solver; and (ii) the KULL ICF simulation code developed at Lawrence-Livermore National Laboratory. We compare the simulation results obtained using the QPDE algorithm and the standard PDE solvers and find excellent agreement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Rippled shock propagation in a laser-driven target at multimegabar pressures

The evolution of non-uniform shocks produced by modulated laser irradiation or surface perturbations is relevant to studies of inertial confinement fusion and material properties at high-energy-density conditions. We present results from an experiment conducted at the OMEGA EP laser facility, where a 300 GPa shock was driven into a fused silica sample with pre-fabricated single-mode surface modulations. Using time-resolved optical velocimetry, we captured the continuous evolution of rippled shock motion, enabling a comprehensive mapping of the spatial amplitude history from formation to phase reversal in a single experiment. Initially, the ablation-driven shock inherits a fraction of the surface modulation amplitude from the sample, which subsequently grows before decaying, ultimately leading to the flattening of the rippled shock and a phase reversal. We find that two-dimensional inviscid hydrodynamic simulation of the experiment is able to qualitatively capture many aspects of the rippled shock evolution but over-predicts the initial amplitude growth. This experimental platform, capable of accommodating varying ripple wavelengths, lays the groundwork for a potential viscometry method at extreme pressures, where viscous effects manifest as differences in shock flattening times between rippled shocks of two distinct wavelengths propagating through the sample.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Time-dependent density-functional theory study on nonlocal electron stopping for inertial confinement fusion

Understanding laser–target coupling is of the utmost importance for achieving high performance in laser-direct-drive (LDD) inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. Thus, accurate modeling of electron transport and deposition through ICF-relevant materials and conditions is necessary to quantify the total thermal conduction and ablation. The stopping range is a key transport quantity used in thermal conduction models; in this work, we review the overall role that the electron mean free path (MFP) plays in thermal conduction and hydrodynamic simulations. The currently used modified Lee–More model employs various physics approximations. We discuss a recent model that uses time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) to eliminate these approximations in both the calculation of the electron stopping power and corresponding MFP in conduction zone polystyrene (CH) plasma. In general, the TD-DFT calculations showed a larger MFP (lower stopping power) than the standard modified Lee–More model. Using the TD-DFT results, an analytical model for the electron deposition range, λTD−DFT(ρ,T,K), was devised for CH plasmas between ρ=[0.05−1.05] g/cm3, kBT=[100−1000] eV. We implemented this model into LILAC, for simulations of a National Ignition Facility-scale LDD implosion and compared key physics quantities to ones obtained by simulations using the standard model. The implications of the obtained results and the path moving forward to calculate this same quantity in conduction-zone deuterium–tritium plasmas are further discussed, to hopefully close the understanding gap for laser target coupling in LDD-ICF simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Explosively driven Richtmyer–Meshkov instability jet suppression and enhancement via coupling machine learning and additive manufacturing

The ability to control the behavior of fluid instabilities at material interfaces, such as the shock-driven Richtmyer–Meshkov instability, is a grand technological challenge with a broad number of applications ranging from inertial confinement fusion experiments to explosively driven shaped charges. In this work, we use a linear-geometry shaped charge as a means of studying methods for controlling material jetting that results from the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability. A shaped charge produces a high-velocity jet by focusing the energy from the detonation of high explosives. The interaction of the resulting detonation wave with a hollowed cavity lined with a thin metal layer produces the unstable jetting effect. By modifying the characteristics of the detonation wave prior to striking the lined cavity, the kinetic energy of the jet can be enhanced or reduced. Modifying the geometry of the liner material can also be used to alter jetting properties. We apply optimization methods to investigate several design parameterizations for both enhancing or suppressing the shaped-charge jet. This is accomplished using 2D and 3D hydrodynamic simulations to investigate the design space that we consider. We also apply new additive manufacturing methods for producing the shaped-charge assemblies, which allow for the experimental testing of complicated design geometries obtained through computational optimization. We present a direct comparison of our optimized designs with experimental results carried out at the High Explosives Application Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Al–W gradient density materials—Processing and dynamic ramp compression

Materials with high-density gradients are desired for controlling loading paths in dynamic compression, important for studying material properties in extreme conditions and inertial confinement fusion. The large density difference between Al and W makes them ideal choices for producing gradient density materials, but their extremely different melting temperatures make them challenging to fabricate simultaneously. We report a method for producing Al–W porosity-free materials with a fourfold increase in density (2.7–11 g/cm 3 ) across the composition range, from Al-rich to W-rich, without intermetallic phase formation. This was achieved by understanding the aluminum-dominated densification behavior and examining the influence of pressure and temperature on the densification of Al–W composites. Dynamic compression experiments conducted with the Al–W gradient density material produced shock ramp compressions as expected based on the designed composition, and the performed hydrodynamics simulations showed excellent agreement with experimental results. The results demonstrate that current activated pressure-assisted densification allows for the easy and rapid fabrication of gradient density materials with significant density gradients and tailored compositions, facilitating precise control of the loading paths. These materials have the potential to create customized pressure drives for advancing the fields of material science in extreme environments and dynamic compression.

Alloys

Sensitivity of an integrated experiment to uncertainty in the high explosive equations of state

Traditionally, hydrodynamics simulations are performed with a single equation-of-state (EOS) to describe each material. These EOSs typically have a physics-informed functional form with adjustable parameters that are calibrated in order to replicate small-scale data. However, because the calibration data have uncertainty and there are typically inherent degeneracies in fitting the EOS, there are actually multiple EOSs that might be consistent with calibration data. In this work, we perform uncertainty quantification (UQ) for the reactant and product equations of state for the high explosive PBX 9501 to yield an ensemble of EOSs that match the uncertain small-scale calibration data. We then simulate an experiment of an explosively formed penetrator repeatedly with different EOSs to both validate the UQ analysis and determine the effects of EOS uncertainty on the prediction of quantities of interest in the experiment. In general, we find good agreement between the simulation predictions and the experimental measurements, and we identify an EOS variable that contributes most directly to the spread in the predictions as the EOSs are varied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Galaxy cluster matter profiles - I. Self-similarity, mass calibration, and observable-mass relation validation employing cluster mass posteriors

We present a study of the weak lensing inferred matter profiles ΔΣ(R) of 698 South Pole Telescope (SPT) thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect (tSZE) selected and MCMF optically confirmed galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.94 that have associated weak gravitational lensing shear profiles from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Rescaling these profiles to account for the mass dependent size and the redshift dependent density produces average rescaled matter profiles ΔΣ(R/R200c)/(ρcritR200c) with a lower dispersion than the unscaled ΔΣ(R) versions, indicating a significant degree of self-similarity. Galaxy clusters from hydrodynamical simulations also exhibit matter profiles that suggest a high degree of self-similarity, with RMS variation among the average rescaled matter profiles with redshift and mass falling by a factor of approximately six and 23, respectively, compared to the unscaled average matter profiles. We employed this regularity in a new Bayesian method for weak lensing mass calibration that employs the so-called cluster mass posterior P(M200|ζ̂, λ̂, z), which describes the individual cluster masses given their tSZE (ζ̂) and optical (λ̂, z) observables. This method enables simultaneous constraints on richness λ-mass and tSZE detection significance ζ-mass relations using average rescaled cluster matter profiles. We validated the method using realistic mock datasets and present observable-mass relation constraints for the SPT×DES sample, where we constrained the amplitude, mass trend, redshift trend, and intrinsic scatter. Our observable-mass relation results are in agreement with the mass calibration derived from the recent cosmological analysis of the SPT×DES data based on a cluster-by-cluster lensing calibration. Our new mass calibration technique offers a higher efficiency when compared to the single cluster calibration technique. We present new validation tests of the observable-mass relation that indicate the underlying power-law form and scatter are adequate to describe the real cluster sample but that also suggest a redshift variation in the intrinsic scatter of the λ-mass relation may offer a better description. In addition, the average rescaled matter profiles offer high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) constraints on the shape of real cluster matter profiles, which are in good agreement with available hydrodynamical ΛCDM simulations. This high S/N profile contains information about baryon feedback, the collisional nature of dark matter, and potential deviations from general relativity.Key words: gravitational lensing: weak / galaxies: clusters: general / large-scale structure of Universe

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

A platform for non-local thermodynamic equilibrium atomic physics research using the buried layer target approach at a kJ level laser facility

Here we present a design and first use of a kJ level laser facility for research of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium atomic physics using the buried layer target method. The target design included a metal layer buried inside a plastic tamper with thicknesses tailored to the expected laser intensities. The target was illuminated from each side by two laser beams with intensities of 0.5–5 × 10 14 W/cm 2 . The advanced diagnostic suite included static and time-resolved imagers and spectrometers with various spectral resolutions. A 3D printed dual elliptically curved spectrometer is presented, and its results are compared to a traditional crystal spectrometer. Experimental results and radiation hydrodynamic simulations demonstrate that the target achieved the desired thermodynamic conditions of n e ≈ 10 21 –10 22 cm -3 and T e ≈ 1–2 keV.

3D printing

Studies of localized mix and asymmetry caused by the stalk in inertial fusion experiments at OMEGA

In an inertially confined fusion experiment, a capsule of fusion fuel is compressed to high temperatures and densities using lasers, creating a hot plasma in which thermonuclear fusion reactions take place. To achieve efficient conversion of laser energy to fuel heating, the implosion must be as spherically symmetric as possible. One common source of asymmetry that degrades performance is the stalk and glue spot that hold the capsule in place before the experiment. The exact nature and magnitude of this perturbation had not been previously quantified. In this work, inertially confined fusion experiments were executed with an additional stalk on the capsule to measure and quantify the effect of the stalk and glue spot on the symmetry and performance. It is found that the stalk drives low-mode asymmetry by shadowing the laser drive on the part of the shell near the glue spot, enhancing the hot-spot velocity toward the stalk by 40–80 km/s and elongating the hot-spot along the stalk axis. It is also found that localized mix due to the additional stalk has a negligible effect on implosion performance. Two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations using the xRAGE code reproduce the direction of the experimentally observed change to hot-spot velocity and implosion performance metrics, but not the observed elongation, suggesting that this feature results from an interaction between stalk perturbations and other preexisting asymmetry seeds, such as laser drive asymmetry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Simultaneous inference of equation of state parameters and unknown data errors with uncertainty quantification via hierarchical Bayesian posterior maximization

Equations of state (EOSs) are a key component in running hydrodynamic simulations as they relate the thermodynamic states for the material. The Davis reactants EOS is commonly used for modeling high explosives (HEs), and the EOS model parameters are calibrated using material specific data. The calibrations are often performed with uncertainty quantification via Bayesian inference to account for uncertainty in the data and generate ensembles of likely parameters. However, there are relatively few HE data sets to use for calibration and many are historical and lack error information. In this work, we simultaneously calibrate the Davis reactants EOS model parameters and unknown data error terms for the high explosive PBX 9501. To quantify the uncertainty in the models and the data, we use a Bayesian framework for the calibration and compute the hierarchical Bayesian posterior distribution with both a posteriori maximization approach and Markov Chain Monte Carlo. In general, we find that, given our assumptions, the two approaches result in similar calibrated parameters, posterior covariance matrices, and insights about the parameters but that the posterior maximization requires far less computational resources.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING