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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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66 records · Page 4

Predicting wind-driven spatial deposition through simulated color images using deep autoencoders

Abstract For centuries, scientists have observed nature to understand the laws that govern the physical world. The traditional process of turning observations into physical understanding is slow. Imperfect models are constructed and tested to explain relationships in data. Powerful new algorithms can enable computers to learn physics by observing images and videos. Inspired by this idea, instead of training machine learning models using physical quantities, we used images, that is, pixel information. For this work, and as a proof of concept, the physics of interest are wind-driven spatial patterns. These phenomena include features in Aeolian dunes and volcanic ash deposition, wildfire smoke, and air pollution plumes. We use computer model simulations of spatial deposition patterns to approximate images from a hypothetical imaging device whose outputs are red, green, and blue (RGB) color images with channel values ranging from 0 to 255. In this paper, we explore deep convolutional neural network-based autoencoders to exploit relationships in wind-driven spatial patterns, which commonly occur in geosciences, and reduce their dimensionality. Reducing the data dimension size with an encoder enables training deep, fully connected neural network models linking geographic and meteorological scalar input quantities to the encoded space. Once this is achieved, full spatial patterns are reconstructed using the decoder. We demonstrate this approach on images of spatial deposition from a pollution source, where the encoder compresses the dimensionality to 0.02% of the original size, and the full predictive model performance on test data achieves a normalized root mean squared error of 8%, a figure of merit in space of 94% and a precision-recall area under the curve of 0.93.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Search for emerging jets in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13.6$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment

A search for emerging jets is presented using 51.8 fb −1 of proton–proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13.6$ TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment during 2022 and 2023. The search explores a hypothetical dark sector featuring ‘dark quarks’ that are charged under a confining gauge group and couple to the standard model (SM) via a new mediator particle. These dark quarks undergo showering and hadronisation within the dark sector, forming long-lived dark mesons that decay back into SM particles. This results in jets that contain multiple displaced vertices known as emerging jets. The analysis targets events with pairs of emerging jets, produced either through a vector mediator, Z′, in the s-channel, or a scalar mediator, Φ, in the t-channel. No significant excess over the SM background is observed. Assuming a dark pion proper decay length between 5 mm and 50 mm, Z′ mediator masses between 600 GeV and 2550 GeV are excluded for quark and dark quark coupling values of 0.01 and 0.1, respectively. For a quark dark-quark coupling of 0.1, Φ mediator masses between 600 GeV and 1375 GeV are excluded. These results represent the first direct search targeting emerging jet pair production via a Z′ mediator, as well as the first study of emerging jet production mediated by a scalar particle exchanged in the t-channel.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

New μ forces from ν μ sources

Accelerator-based experiments reliant on charged pion and kaon decays to produce muon-neutrino beams also deliver an associated powerful flux of muons. Therefore, these experiments can additionally be sensitive to light new particles that preferentially couple to muons and decay to visible final states on macroscopic length scales. Such particles are produced through rare 3-body meson decays in the decay pipe or via muon scattering in the beam dump, and decay in a downstream detector. To demonstrate the potential of this search strategy, we recast existing MiniBooNE and MicroBooNE studies of neutral pion production in neutrino-induced neutral-current scattering ( ν μ N → ν μ N π 0 , π 0 → γ γ ) to place limits on light ( < 2 m μ ) muon-philic scalar particles that decay to diphotons through loops of virtual muons. While much of this parameter space has already been excluded by E137, we also project that SBND can be sensitive to unexplored parameter space for these models, and provide a road map for future neutrino experiments to perform dedicated searches for muon-philic forces. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for heavy Higgs bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

A search is presented for additional scalar (H) or pseudoscalar (A) Higgs bosons decaying to a top quark pair in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data set analyzed corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Final states with one or two charged leptons are considered. The invariant mass of the reconstructed top quark pair system and variables that are sensitive to the spin of the particles decaying into the top quark pair are used to search for signatures of the H or A bosons. The interference with the standard model top quark pair background is taken into account. A moderate signal-like deviation compatible with an A boson with a mass of 400 GeV is observed with a global significance of 1.9 standard deviations. New stringent constraints are reported on the strength of the coupling of the hypothetical bosons to the top quark, with the mass of the bosons ranging from 400 to 750 GeV and their total relative width from 0.5 to 25%. The results of the search are also interpreted in a minimal supersymmetric standard model scenario. Values of $m_\mathrm{A}$ from 400 to 700 GeV are probed, and a region with values of $\tan\beta$ below 1.0 to 1.5, depending on $m_\mathrm{A}$, is excluded at 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Effective field theory for dark matter absorption on single phonons

Single phonon excitations, with energies in the 1–100 meV range, are a powerful probe of light dark matter (DM). Utilizing effective field theory, we derive a framework to compute DM absorption rates into single phonons starting from general DM-electron, proton, and neutron interactions. We apply the framework to a variety of DM models: Yukawa coupled scalars, axionlike particles with derivative interactions, and vector DM coupling via gauge interactions or Standard Model electric and magnetic dipole moments. We find that GaAs or Al 2 O 3 targets can set powerful constraints on a U ( 1 ) B − L model, and targets with electronic spin ordering are similarly sensitive to DM coupling to the electron magnetic dipole moment. Lastly, we make the code, (an extension of the existing code which computes general DM–single phonon scattering rates), publicly available. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

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↗

Dark sink enhances the direct detection of freeze-in dark matter

We describe a simple dark sector structure which, if present, has implications for the direct detection of dark matter (DM); the dark sink. A dark sink transports energy density from the DM into light dark-sector states that do not appreciably contribute to the DM density. As an example, we consider a light, neutral fermion ψ which interacts solely with DM Χ via the exchange of a heavy scalar Φ. We illustrate the impact of a dark sink by adding one to a DM freeze-in model in which Χ couples to a light dark photon γ' which kinetically mixes with the Standard Model (SM) photon. This freeze-in model (absent the sink) is itself a benchmark for ongoing experiments. In some cases, the literature for this benchmark has contained errors; we correct the predictions and provide them as a public code. We then analyze how the dark sink modifies this benchmark, solving coupled Boltzmann equations for the dark-sector energy density and DM yield. We check the contribution of the dark sink ψ’s to dark radiation; consistency with existing data limits the maximum attainable cross section. For DM with a mass between MeV –Ο⁡(10 GeV), adding the dark sink can increase predictions for the direct detection cross section all the way up to the current limits.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Soft Unclustered Energy Patterns in Proton-Proton Collisions at 13 TeV

The first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV, collected in 2016–2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by hidden valley models with a new, confining force with a large ’t Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

First Search for Dark-Trident Processes Using the MicroBooNE Detector

We present a first search for dark-trident scattering in a neutrino beam using a dataset corresponding to 7.2 × 10 20 protons on target taken with the MicroBooNE detector at Fermilab. Proton interactions in the neutrino target at the main injector produce π 0 and η mesons, which could decay into dark-matter (DM) particles mediated via a dark photon A ′ . A convolutional neural network is trained to identify interactions of the DM particles in the liquid-argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) exploiting its imagelike reconstruction capability. In the absence of a DM signal, we provide limits at the 90% confidence level on the squared kinematic mixing parameter ϵ 2 as a function of the dark-photon mass in the range 10 ≤ M A ′ ≤ 400 MeV . The limits cover previously unconstrained parameter space for the production of fermion or scalar DM particles χ for two benchmark models with mass ratios M χ / M A ′ = 0.6 and 2 and for dark fine-structure constants 0.1 ≤ α D ≤ 1 . Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for decays of the Higgs boson into scalar particles decaying into four or six 𝑏 quarks using 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson 𝐻 into new scalar or pseudoscalar particles that subsequently decay into 𝑏-quarks is presented. The search considers 𝑍⁢𝐻 production with several decay scenarios for the Higgs boson; first to a pair of identical scalars, 𝐻 → 2⁢𝑎 → 4⁢𝑏, second to a pair of scalars with different masses (𝑚 𝑎⁢1 < 𝑚 𝑎⁢2 ), either directly, 𝐻 → 𝑎 1 ⁢𝑎 2 → 4⁢𝑏, or via a longer decay chain, 𝐻 → 𝑎 1 ⁢𝑎 2 → 3⁢𝑎 1 → 6⁢𝑏. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{𝑠}$ = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb −1 . No significant excess above the Standard Model prediction is observed. The search sets upper limits at 95% confidence level on the ratio of the Higgs boson production cross section to the SM prediction times the branching ratio of Higgs bosons decaying into 4⁢𝑏 or 6⁢𝑏, between 4% and 25% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎 SM ⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻→ 2⁢𝑎→ 4⁢𝑏), between 24% and 38% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎 SM ⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻 → 𝑎 1 ⁢𝑎 2 → 4⁢𝑏), and between 10% and 20% for 𝜎⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻)/𝜎 SM ⁡(𝑍⁢𝐻) × ℬ⁡(𝐻→𝑎 1⁢ 𝑎 2 → 3⁢𝑎 1 → 6⁢𝑏), depending on the masses of the scalar particles.

extensions of Higgs sector↗