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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 73 records · Page 4

Multiprobe constraints on early and late time dark energy

We perform a multiprobe analysis combining cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from Planck and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), ACT CMB lensing, and large-scale structure (LSS) measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), including DESI Legacy Imaging Survey (LS) galaxies and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs). We present the first 5×2 pt analysis of ACT DR6 lensing, DESI LS, and Planck Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW). Within Λ⁢CDM, this yields 𝑆 8 =𝜎 8 ⁢(Ω 𝑚 /0.3) 0.5 =0.819 ±0.016, in good agreement with primary CMB inferences and provides a sound-horizon-free Hubble constant constraint of 𝐻 0 =70.0±4.4 km s −1 Mpc −1 . Then, combining with CMB primary and BAO, we reconfirm a CMB–BAO discrepancy in the Ω 𝑚 –$\frac{𝐷𝑣}{𝑟𝑑}$ plane, which is heightened when combining BAO with the 5 ×2 pt data vector. We explore two dark-energy extensions that may reconcile this: an early-time modification, early dark energy (EDE), and late-time dynamical dark energy (DDE) parametrized by 𝑤 0 ⁢𝑤 𝑎 . For CMB primary +BAO +5 ×2 pt, we find a 3.3⁢𝜎 preference for DDE over Λ⁢CDM, while EDE is modestly favored at 2.3⁢𝜎. The models address different shortcomings of Λ⁢CDM: DDE relaxes the neutrino mass bound (𝑀 𝜈 <0.17 eV vs <0.050 eV under Λ⁢CDM), making it compatible with neutrino oscillation measurements, while EDE raises the Hubble constant to 𝐻 0 =70.5±1.2 km s −1 Mpc −1 , easing the discrepancy with SH0ES. However, neither model resolves both issues simultaneously. Our analysis indicates that both DDE and EDE remain viable extensions of Λ⁢CDM within current uncertainties and demonstrates the capacity of combined probes to place increasingly stringent constraints on cosmological parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Complex surface topographic changes from explosive experiments at the Dry Alluvium Geology site, southern Nevada, United States

Understanding the surface topographic change that results from underground explosions is important for global security. Current techniques to relate the surface change to underground explosion characteristics usually involve assuming the earth has homogenous properties, leading to highly variable interpretations. Here we use an unoccupied aerial platform and a digital single lens reflex camera along with 200+ ground control points surveyed with a real-time kinematic global navigation satellite system to measure the surface topographic change resulting from two underground explosions at the Dry Alluvium Geology site in Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site, southern Nevada, United States. We find areas of 5–7 cm of subsidence that are not directly above the explosion source but rather 200–300 m away. For experiment DAG2, this zone is located south and west of the explosion, while for DAG4, there is a zone of subsidence located northeast of the explosion. In addition, late-time measurements show as much as 5 cm of horizontal change without measurable associated vertical change in the weeks following DAG4 but not DAG2. These indicate that the deformation resulting from underground chemical explosions can be very complex and bear little to no resemblance to predictions using half-space models. It is likely the tectonic environment plays a significant role in controlling the surface change, but the details are not fully understood.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Estimating time in quantum chaotic systems and black holes

We characterize new universal features of the dynamics of chaotic quantum many-body systems, by considering a hypothetical task of "time estimation". Most macroscopic observables in a chaotic system equilibrate to nearly constant late-time values. Intuitively, it should become increasingly difficult to estimate the precise value of time by making measurements on the state. We use a quantity called the Fisher information from quantum metrology to quantify the minimum uncertainty in estimating time. Due to unitarity, the uncertainty in the time estimate does not grow with time if we have access to optimal measurements on the full system. Restricting the measurements to act on a small subsystem or to have low computational complexity leads to results expected from equilibration, where the time uncertainty becomes large at late times. With optimal measurements on a subsystem larger than half of the system, we regain the ability to estimate the time very precisely, even at late times. Hawking's calculation for the reduced density matrix of the black hole radiation in semiclassical gravity contradicts our general predictions for unitary quantum chaotic systems. Hawking's state always has a large uncertainty for attempts to estimate the time using the radiation, whereas our general results imply that the uncertainty should become small after the Page time. This gives a new version of the black hole information loss paradox in terms of the time estimation task. By restricting to simple measurements on the radiation, the time uncertainty becomes large. This indicates from a new perspective that the observations of computationally bounded agents are consistent with the semiclassical effective description of gravity.

Black holes↗

Simulations and models for the Richtmyer– Meshkov instability with broadband perturbations

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) is shock driven and affects many phenomena from inertial fusion to supernova explosions. The behavior of single-modes in the RMI has been studied extensively but less is known with the broadband perturbations that occur in applications. Here, we describe extensive numerical simulations and modeling of the RMI with broadband perturbations with an initial power spectrum of the form P∝ k m , where k is the wavenumber. The hydrodynamic condition is the same as in the $\theta$-Group Collaboration [Thornber et al., “Late-time growth rate, mixing, and anisotropy in the multimode narrowband Richtmyer–Meshkov instability: The $\theta$-group collaboration,” Phys. Fluids 29, 105107 (2017)] with a Mach ~1.86 shock and gamma-law = 5/3 fluids with Atwood number A = 0.5. The bubble amplitude h B is found to grow in two stages. Initially, h B undergoes a phase-inversion and grows linearly in time (t) at a rate consistent with a linear theory. Asymptotically, h B grows as a power law $~t^{\theta}$ when $\langle{k}\rangle{|h_B|}$ > O(1), where $\langle{k}\rangle$ is the average wavenumber for the initial spectrum. The RMI behavior in simulations and modeling agree over a wide range of exponent m, spectral width, initial amplitude, and time. The agreement is quantified objectively using statistical analysis.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Temperature and Pressure Instrumentation for LYNM PE1 Chemical Explosive Testing

Underground chemical explosive testing has been conducted at the Nevada National Security Site under the Physics Experiment 1 (PE1) to validate explosive computer modeling and, ultimately, improve the accuracy of subsurface explosive detection. This SAND Report describes the dynamic temperature and pressure measurements within the chamber induced by the chemical explosive for the first of three experiments, PE1-A. The report details the instrumentation used for the experiment, the emplacement of the hardware, and the measured results. Dynamic temperature measurements were accomplished with the use of optical spectrometers and dynamic pressure was measured with a series of high-rated pressure transducers. This report includes details of the design and results of four cavity sensor systems used to measure early-time temperature, early-time pressure, late-time temperature, and late time pressure. The outcomes of PE1-A were used to inform the design of the remaining PE1 series experiments, PE1-B and PE1-DL.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Modeling Volumetric Energy Deposition-driven Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

The goal of this work is to simulate a volumetric energy deposition (VED) driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI). Efforts will focus on simulating effects observed in two-fluid VED-driven RTI experiments. The VED triggers the RTI by changing the density of the fluids through time, hence a variable Atwood number is achieved. While initially stable (heavier fluid on the bottom), the microwave heating creates a density inversion and leads to a RTI. We hope to explore the mechanisms in VED-driven RTI and see how initial perturbations change the dynamics of growth. This work will primarily focus on early-time behavior but will also include steps towards simulating late-time nonlinear behavior.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Solid State Transformer Controls for Mitigation of E3a High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse Insults

This paper explores the use of a solid state transformer (SST) to mitigate the 𝐸 3𝐴 component of a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) insult using external energy storage optimal control techniques. In lieu of conventional passive blocking devices or feedback-controlled energy storage devices, a novel implementation of Hamiltonian error tracking is utilized to develop a feedback control law for the variable converter ratio in an SST. The findings of the simulations performed in this paper suggest that additional energy storage is not necessary to protect an individual load from a HEMP insult. The simulations performed examine the response of a single-phase SST connected to a single voltage source on a long transmission line on the one side and a single linear resistor on the other. The control law is specifically developed for the late-time, low-frequency portion of a HEMP insult, namely the 𝐸 3𝐴 components. The Hamiltonian error-based converter ratio control law is compared with nonlinear optimal feedforward controls to show that the HSSPFC is an external energy storage optimal controller.

HEMP mitigation↗

Particle-in-cell Simulations of Mildly Relativistic Outflows in Kilonova Emissions

Abstract The electromagnetic emission from neutron star mergers is comprised of multiple components. Synchrotron emission from the disk-powered jet and thermal emission from the merger ejecta (powered by a variety of sources) are among the most studied sources. The low masses and high velocities of the merger ejecta quickly develop conditions where emission from collisionless shocks becomes critical and synchrotron emission from the merger ejecta constitutes a third component to the observed signal. The aim of this project is to examine shock development, magnetic field generation, and particle acceleration in the case of mildly relativistic shocks, which are expected when the tidal ejecta of neutron star mergers drive a shock into the external medium. Using LANL’s vector particle-in-cell (VPIC) code, we have run simulations of such mildly relativistic, collisionless, weakly magnetized plasmas and computed the resultant magnetic fields and particle energy spectra. We show the effects of varying plasma conditions, as well as explore the validity of using different proton-to-electron mass ratios in VPIC. Our results have implications for observing late-time electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave detections of neutron star mergers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Gravitational Wave Eigenfrequencies from Neutrino-driven Core-collapse Supernovae

Abstract Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are predicted to produce gravitational waves (GWs) that may be detectable by Advanced LIGO/Virgo. These GW signals carry information from the heart of these cataclysmic events, where matter reaches nuclear densities. Recent studies have shown that it may be possible to infer the properties of the proto-neutron star (PNS) via GWs generated by hydrodynamic perturbations of the PNS. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how these relationships may change with the properties of CCSNe. In this work, we build a self-consistent suite of over 1000 exploding CCSNe from a grid of progenitor masses and metallicities combined with six different nuclear equations of state (EOS). Performing a linear perturbation analysis on each model, we compute the resonant GW frequencies of the PNS, and we motivate a time-agnostic method for identifying characteristic frequencies of the dominant GW emission. From this, we identify two characteristic frequencies, of the early- and late-time signal, that measure the surface gravity of the cold remnant neutron star, and simultaneously constrain the hot nuclear EOS. However, we find that the details of the CCSN model, such as the treatment of gravity or the neutrino transport, and whether it explodes, noticeably change the magnitude and evolution of the PNS eigenfrequencies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Disruption of Dark Matter Minihalos in the Milky Way Environment: Implications for Axion Miniclusters and Early Matter Domination

Many theories of dark matter beyond the weakly interacting massive particles paradigm feature an enhanced matter power spectrum on subparsec scales, leading to the formation of dense dark matter minihalos. Future local observations are promising to search for and constrain such substructures. The survival probability of these dense minihalos in the Milky Way environment is crucial for interpreting local observations. In this work, we investigate two environmental effects: stellar disruption and (smooth) tidal disruption. These two mechanisms are studied using semianalytic models and idealized N-body simulations. For stellar disruption, we perform a series of N-body simulations of isolated minihalo–star encounters to test and calibrate analytic models of stellar encounters before applying the model to the realistic Milky Way disk environment. For tidal disruption, we perform N-body simulations to confirm the effectiveness of the analytic treatment. Finally, we propose a framework to combine the hierarchical assembly and infall of minihalos to the Milky Way with the late-time disruption mechanisms. We make predictions for the mass functions of minihalos in the Milky Way. The mass survival fraction (at M$_{mh}$ ≥ 10$^{−12}$M$_{⊙}$) of dense dark matter minihalos, e.g., for axion miniclusters and minihalos from early matter domination, is ∼60% with the relatively low-mass, compact population surviving. The survival fraction is insensitive to the detailed model parameters. We discuss various implications of the framework and future direct detection prospects.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Modeling the Progenitor Stars of Observed Type IIP Supernovae

Abstract Type IIP supernovae (SNe IIP) are thought to originate from the explosion of massive stars >10M ⊙ . Their luminosity is primarily powered by the explosion energy and the radioactive decay energy of 56 Co, with the photosphere location regulated by hydrogen recombination. However, the physical connections between SNe IIP and their progenitor stars remain unclear. This paper presents a comprehensive study of SNe IIP and their progenitor stars by using the one-dimensional stellar evolution code,MESA. Our model grids consider the effects of stellar metallicity, mass, and rotation in the evolution of massive stars, as well as the explosion energy and 56 Ni production in modeling supernovae. To elucidate the observed SNe IIP and their origins, we compare their light curves (LCs) with our models. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of stellar parameters on LCs by considering stellar mass, metallicity, rotation, explosion energy, and 56 Ni production. We find that more massive stars exhibit longer plateaus due to increased photon diffusion time caused by massive ejecta. Higher metallicity leads to increased opacity and mass loss of progenitor stars. Rapid rotation affects internal stellar structures, enhancing convective mixing and mass loss, potentially affecting the plateau’s brightness and duration. Higher explosion energy results in brighter but shorter plateaus due to faster-moving ejecta. 56 Ni mass affects late-time luminosity and plateau duration, with larger masses leading to slower declines.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Accretion onto a Supermassive Black Hole Binary before Merger

While supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) inspiral toward merger they may also accrete matter from a surrounding disk. To study the dynamics of this system requires simultaneously describing the evolving spacetime and the magnetized plasma. We present the first relativistic calculation simulating two equal-mass, nonspinning black holes as they inspiral from a 20 M (G = c = 1) initial separation almost to merger. Our results imply important observational consequences: for instance, the accretion rate $\dot{M}$ onto the black holes first decreases and then plateaus, dropping by only a factor of ~3 despite the rapid inspiral. An estimated bolometric light curve follows the same profile, suggesting some merging SMBBHs may be significantly luminous past the predicted circumbinary disk decoupling. The minidisks are nonstandard: Reynolds, not Maxwell, stresses dominate, and they oscillate between two states. In one part of the cycle, "sloshing" streams transfer mass between minidisks, carrying kinetic energy at a rate sometimes as high as the peak minidisk bolometric luminosity. We also discover that episodic accretion drives time-varying minidisk tilts. These complex dynamics all contribute to unique cyclical behavior in the light curves of late-time inspiraling SMBBHs. The poloidal magnetic flux on the black holes is roughly constant at a dimensionless level $\phi$ ~ 2–3, but doubles just before merger; for significant black hole spin, this flux predicts powerful jets with variability driven by binary dynamics, another potentially unique electromagnetic signature. This simulation is the first to employ our multipatch infrastructure PATCHWORK MHD, decreasing the computational expense to ~3% of conventional single-grid methods' cost.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Physics-driven Explosions of Stripped High-mass Stars: Synthetic Light Curves and Spectra of Stripped-envelope Supernovae with Broad Light Curves

Stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) represent a significant fraction of core-collapse supernovae, arising from massive stars that have shed their hydrogen and, in some cases, helium envelopes. The origins and explosion mechanisms of SESNe remain a topic of active investigation. In this work, we employ radiative-transfer simulations to model the light curves and spectra of a set of explosions of single, solar-metallicity, massive Wolf–Rayet stars with ejecta masses ranging from 4 to 11 M ⊙ , which were computed from a turbulence-aided and neutrino-driven explosion mechanism. We analyze these synthetic observables to explore the impact of varying ejecta mass and helium content on observable features. We find that the light curve shape of these progenitors with high ejecta masses is consistent with observed SESNe with broad light curves but not the peak luminosities. The commonly used analytic formula based on rising bolometric light curves overestimates the ejecta mass of these high-initial-mass progenitor explosions by a factor of up to 2.6. In contrast, the calibrated method by Haynie et al., which relies on late-time decay tails, reduces uncertainties to an average of 20% within the calibrated ejecta mass range. Spectroscopically, the He I 1.083 μm line remains prominent even in models with as little as 0.02 M ⊙ of helium. However, the strength of the optical He I lines is not directly proportional to the helium mass but instead depends on a complex interplay of factors such as the 56 Ni distribution, composition, and radiation field. Thus, producing realistic helium features requires detailed radiative transfer simulations for each new hydrodynamic model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Superclustering with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Dark Energy Survey. II. Anisotropic Large-scale Coherence in Hot Gas, Galaxies, and Dark Matter

Statistics that capture the directional dependence of the baryon distribution in the cosmic web enable unique tests of cosmology and astrophysical feedback. We use constrained oriented stacking of thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (tSZ) maps to measure the anisotropic distribution of hot gas 2.5–40 Mpc away from galaxy clusters embedded in massive filaments and superclusters. The cluster selection and orientation (at a scale of ∼15 Mpc) use Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data, while expanded tSZ maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Data Release 6 enable a ∼3× more significant measurement of the extended gas compared to the technique’s proof-of-concept. Decomposing stacks into cosine multipoles of order m , we detect a dipole ( m = 1) and quadrupole ( m = 2) at 8σ–10σ, as well as evidence for m = 4 signal at up to 6σ, indicating sensitivity to late-time non-Gaussianity. We compare to Cardinal simulations with spherical gas models pasted onto dark matter halos. The fiducial tSZ data can discriminate between two models that deplete pressure differently in low-mass halos (mimicking astrophysical feedback), preferring higher average pressure in extended structures. However, uncertainty in the amount of cosmic infrared background contamination reduces the constraining power. Additionally, we apply the technique to DES galaxy density and weak lensing to study for the first time their oriented relationships with tSZ. In the tSZ-to-lensing relation, averaged on 7.5 Mpc (transverse) scales, we observe dependence on redshift but not shape or radial distance. Thus, on large scales, the superclustering of gas pressure, galaxies, and total matter is coherent in shape and extent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Magnetosphere Evolution and Precursor-driven Electromagnetic Signals in Merging Binary Neutron Stars

We detail new force-free simulations to investigate magnetosphere evolution and precursor electromagnetic (EM) signals from binary neutron stars. Our simulations fully follow a representative inspiral motion, capturing the intricate magnetospheric dynamics and their impact on EM outflows. We explore a range of stellar magnetic moment orientations and relative strengths, finding that the magnetospheres and Poynting flux evolution are strongly configuration dependent. The Poynting flux exhibits pulsations at twice the orbital frequency, 2Ω, and is highly anisotropic, following a power-law dependence on orbital frequency. The index ranges from 1 to 6, shaped by the intricate dynamics of the magnetospheres. Furthermore, we present the first computation of (1) the EM forces acting on the star surfaces, revealing the presence of torques that, for highly magnetized stars, could influence the orbital dynamics or break the crust; (2) the high-energy emission signals from these systems by adopting the established isolated pulsar theory. Assuming curvature radiation in the radiation-reaction limit, we find that photons could reach TeV–PeV energies in the last ∼ms for magnetic field strengths 10 10 –10 15 G. However, our analysis of single photon magnetic pair production suggests that these photons are unlikely to escape, with the MeV band emerging as a promising observational window for precursor high-energy emission. In this framework, we construct high-energy emission skymaps and light curves, exploring observational implications. Finally, we propose potential precursor radio emission and delayed afterglow echoes from magnetized outflows, which may contribute to late-time rebrightening in short gamma-ray bursts or to orphan afterglows.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A Dark Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant with the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Event GW190412 and DESI Galaxies

Abstract We present a measurement of the Hubble Constant H 0 using the gravitational wave event GW190412, an asymmetric binary black hole merger detected by LIGO/Virgo, as a dark standard siren. This event does not have an electromagnetic counterpart, so we use the statistical standard siren method and marginalize over potential host galaxies from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. GW190412 is well-localized to 12 deg 2 (90% credible interval), so it is promising for a dark siren analysis. The dark siren value for H 0 = 85.4 − 33.9 + 29.1 km s −1 Mpc −1 , with a posterior shape that is consistent with redshift overdensities. When combined with the bright standard siren measurement from GW170817 we recover H 0 = 77.96 − 5.03 + 23.0 km s −1 Mpc −1 , consistent with both early and late-time Universe measurements of H 0 . This work represents the first standard siren analysis performed with DESI data, and includes the most complete spectroscopic sample used in a dark siren analysis to date.

Ballard, W.↗

Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Cosmological Constraints from Cluster Abundances, Weak Lensing, and Galaxy Clustering

Galaxy clusters provide a unique probe of the late-time cosmic structure and serve as a powerful independent test of the $\Lambda$CDM model. This work presents the first set of cosmological constraints derived with ~16,000 optically selected redMaPPer clusters across nearly 5,000 $\rm{deg}^2$ using DES Year 3 data sets. Our analysis leverages a consistent modeling framework for galaxy cluster cosmology and DES-Y3 joint analyses of galaxy clustering and weak lensing (3x2pt), ensuring direct comparability with the DES-Y3 3x2pt analysis. We obtain constraints of $S_8 = 0.864 \pm 0.035$ and $\Omega_{\rm{m}} = 0.265^{+0.019}_{-0.031}$ from the cluster-based data vector. We find that cluster constraints and 3x2pt constraints are consistent under the $\Lambda$CDM model with a Posterior Predictive Distribution (PPD) value of $0.53$. The consistency between clusters and 3x2pt provides a stringent test of $\Lambda$CDM across different mass and spatial scales. Jointly analyzing clusters with 3x2pt further improves cosmological constraints, yielding $S_8 = 0.811^{+0.022}_{-0.020}$ and $\Omega_{\rm{m}} = 0.294^{+0.022}_{-0.033}$, a $24\%$ improvement in the $\Omega_{\rm{m}}-S_8$ figure-of-merit over 3x2pt alone. Moreover, we find no significant deviation from the Planck CMB constraints with a probability to exceed (PTE) value of $0.6$, significantly reducing previous $S_8$ tension claims. Finally, combining DES 3x2pt, DES clusters, and Planck CMB places an upper limit on the sum of neutrino masses of $\sum m_\nu < 0.26$ eV at 95% confidence under the $\Lambda$CDM model. These results establish optically selected clusters as a key cosmological probe and pave the way for cluster-based analyses in upcoming Stage-IV surveys such as LSST, Euclid, and Roman.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The algebraic structure of gravitational scrambling

We introduce a new algebraic framework to describe gravitational scrambling, including the semiclassical limit of any out-of-time-order correlation function that is built out of operator insertions separated by approximately the scrambling time. In two dimensions, the scrambling algebra, which we call a modular-twisted product, is defined in terms of two copies of the Leutheusser-Liu half-sided modular inclusion of von Neumann algebras; these describe early- and late-time operators respectively. In limits where the separation between insertions is taken to be either significantly greater or smaller than the scrambling time, the modular-twisted product reduces, respectively, to free- and tensor-product algebras that were previously studied in [arXiv:2209.10454]. In a sense, the modular-twisted product interpolates between these two products. Including the Hamiltonian in the scrambling algebra leads to a Type II$_\infty$ von Neumann algebra with finite renormalized entropies that interpolate between single-QES and multi-QES phases. We also describe how to generalize the modular-twisted product algebra to higher dimensions, including spatially localized boundary excitations.

FOS: Physical sciences↗