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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 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Consistency of the Planck CMB data and ΛCDM cosmology

We test the consistency between Planck temperature and polarization power spectra and the concordance model of Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmology (ΛCDM) within the framework of Crossing statistics. We find that Planck TT best fit ΛCDM power spectrum is completely consistent with EE power spectrum data while EE best fit ΛCDM power spectrum is not consistent with TT data. However, this does not point to any systematic or model-data discrepancy since in the Planck EE data, uncertainties are much larger compared to the TT data. We also investigate the possibility of any deviation from ΛCDM model analyzing the Planck 2015 data. Results from TT, TE and EE data analysis indicate that no deviation is required beyond the flexibility of the concordance ΛCDM model. Our analysis thus rules out any strong evidence for beyond the concordance model in the Planck spectra data. We also report a mild amplitude difference comparing temperature and polarization data, where temperature data seems to have slightly lower amplitude than expected (consistently at all multiples), as we assume both temperature and polarization data are realizations of the same underlying cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2021

Semi-Analytic Forecasts for JWST– V. AGN Luminosity Functions and Helium Reionization at z= 2–7

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) forming in the early universe are thought to be the pri-mary source of hard ionizing photons contributing to the reionization of intergalactic helium. However, the number density and spectral properties of high-redshift AGN remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we make use of physically-informed mod-els calibrated with a wide variety of available observations to provide estimates for the role of AGN throughout the Epoch of Reionization. We present AGN luminosity functions in various bands between z= 2 to 7 predicted by the well-established Santa Cruz semi-analytic model, which includes modelling of black hole accretion and AGN feedback. We then combine the predicted AGN populations with a physical spectral model for self-consistent estimates of ionizing photon production rates, which depend on the mass and accretion rate of the accreting supermassive black hole. We then couple the predicted comoving ionizing emissivity with an analytic model to compute the subsequent reionization history of intergalactic helium and hydrogen. This work demonstrates the potential of coupling physically motivated analytic or semi-analytic techniques to capture multi-scale physical processes across a vast range of scales (here, from AGN accretion disks to cosmological scales). Our physical model predicts an in-trinsic ionizing photon budget well above many of the estimates in the literature, meaning that helium reionization can comfortably be accomplished even with a rel-atively low escape fraction. We also make predictions for the AGN populations that are expected to be detected in future James Webb Space Telescope surveys

L Y Aaron Yung↗
DOE OSTI2021

Large-scale Gravitational Lens Modeling with Bayesian Neural Networks for Accurate and Precise Inference of the Hubble Constant

We investigate the use of approximate Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) in modeling hundreds of time delay gravitational lenses for Hubble constant (H 0 ) determination. Here, our BNN was trained on synthetic Hubble Space Telescope quality images of strongly lensed active galactic nuclei with lens galaxy light included. The BNN can accurately characterize the posterior probability density functions (PDFs) of model parameters governing the elliptical power-law mass profile in an external shear field. We then propagate the BNN-inferred posterior PDFs into an ensemble H 0 inference, using simulated time delay measurements from a plausible dedicated monitoring campaign. Assuming well-measured time delays and a reasonable set of priors on the environment of the lens, we achieve a median precision of 9.3% per lens in the inferred H 0 . A simple combination of a set of 200 test lenses results in a precision of 0.5 km s –1 Mpc –1 (0.7%), with no detectable bias in this H 0 recovery test. The computation time for the entire pipeline—including the generation of the training set, BNN training and H0 inference—translates to 9 minutes per lens on average for 200 lenses and converges to 6 minutes per lens as the sample size is increased. Being fully automated and efficient, our pipeline is a promising tool for exploring ensemble-level systematics in lens modeling for H 0 inference.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Constraining the time evolution of dark energy, curvature and neutrino properties with cosmic chronometers

We use the latest compilation of observational Hubble parameter measurements estimated with the differential evolution of cosmic chronometers , in the redshift range 0< z <2, to place constraints on cosmological parameters. We used a Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo approach to sample the parameter space for the cosmic chronometers dataset alone and in combination with other state-of-the art cosmological measurements: CMB data from the latest Planck 2015 release, the most recent estimate of the Hubble constant H {sub 0}, a compilation of recent baryon acoustic oscillation data, and the latest type Ia cosmological supernovae sample. From late-Universe probes alone ( z <2) we find that w {sub 0} = −0.9 ± 0.18 and w {sub a} = −0.5 ± 1.7, and when combining also Planck 2015 data we obtain w {sub 0}=−0.98± 0.11 and w {sub a} =−0.30±0.4. These new constraints imply that nearly all quintessence models are disfavoured by the data; only phantom models or a pure cosmological constant are favoured. This is a remarkable finding as it imposes severe constraints on the nature of dark energy. For the curvature our constraints are Ω {sub k} = 0.003 ± 0.003, considering also CMB data. We also find that H ( z ) data from cosmic chronometers are important to constrain parameters that do no affect directly the expansion history, by breaking or reducing degeneracies with other parameters. We find that N {sub eff} = 3.17 ± 0.15, thus excluding the possibility of an extra (sterile) neutrino at more than 5 σ, and put competitive limits on the sum of neutrino masses, Σ m {sub ν}< 0.27 eV at 95% confidence level. Finally, we constrain the redshift evolution of dark energy by exploring separately the early and late-Universe, and find a dark energy equation of state evolution w ( z ) consistent with that in the ΛCDM model at the ± 0.4 level over the entire redshift range 0 < z < 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Minimal dirac neutrino mass models from $$\hbox {U}(1)_{\mathrm{R}}$$ gauge symmetry and left–right asymmetry at colliders

In this work, we propose minimal realizations for generating Dirac neutrino masses in the context of a right-handed abelian gauge extension of the Standard Model. Utilizing only $$U(1)_R$$ U ( 1 ) R symmetry, we address and analyze the possibilities of Dirac neutrino mass generation via (a) tree-level seesaw and (b) radiative correction at the one-loop level . One of the presented radiative models implements the attractive scotogenic model that links neutrino mass with Dark Matter (DM), where the stability of the DM is guaranteed from a residual discrete symmetry emerging from $$U(1)_R$$ U ( 1 ) R . Since only the right-handed fermions carry non-zero charges under the $$U(1)_R$$ U ( 1 ) R , this framework leads to sizable and distinctive Left–Right asymmetry as well as Forward–Backward asymmetry discriminating from $$U(1)_{B-L}$$ U ( 1 ) B - L models and can be tested at the colliders. We analyze the current experimental bounds and present the discovery reach limits for the new heavy gauge boson $$Z^{\prime }$$ Z ' at the LHC and ILC. Furthermore, we also study the associated charged lepton flavor violating processes, dark matter phenomenology and cosmological constraints of these models.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Observational Constraints on the Tilted Spatially Flat and the Untilted Nonflat $\phi$CDM Dynamical Dark Energy Inflation Models

Herein we constrain spatially flat tilted and nonflat untilted scalar field ($\phi$) dynamical dark energy inflation ($\phi$CDM) models by using Planck 2015 cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy measurements and recent baryonic acoustic oscillation distance observations, Type Ia supernovae apparent magnitude data, Hubble parameter measurements, and growth rate data. We assume an inverse power-law scalar field potential energy density $V(\phi )={V}_{0}{\phi }^{-\alpha }$. We find that the combination of the CMB data with the four non-CMB data sets significantly improves parameter constraints and strengthens the evidence for nonflatness in the nonflat untilted $\phi$CDM case from 1.8$σ$ for the CMB measurements only to more than 3.1$σ$ for the combined data. In the nonflat untilted $\phi$CDM model, current observations favor a spatially closed universe with spatial curvature contributing about two-thirds of a percent of the present cosmological energy budget. The flat tilted $\phi$CDM model is a 0.4$σ$ better fit to the data than is the standard flat tilted $Λ$CDM model: current data allow for the possibility that dark energy is dynamical. The nonflat tilted $\phi$CDM model is in better accord with the Dark Energy Survey bounds on the rms amplitude of mass fluctuations now ($σ_8$) as a function of the nonrelativistic matter density parameter now ($Ω_m$) but it does not provide as good a fit to the larger-multipole Planck 2015 CMB anisotropy data as does the standard flat tilted $Λ$CDM model. A few cosmological parameter value measurements differ significantly when determined using the tilted flat and the untilted nonflat $\phi$CDM models, including the cold dark matter density parameter and the reionization optical depth.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

MODELING THE Ly α FOREST IN COLLISIONLESS SIMULATIONS

Cosmological hydrodynamic simulations can accurately predict the properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM), but only under the condition of retaining the high spatial resolution necessary to resolve density fluctuations in the IGM. This resolution constraint prohibits simulating large volumes, such as those probed by BOSS and future surveys, like DESI and 4MOST. To overcome this limitation, we present “Iteratively Matched Statistics” (IMS), a novel method to accurately model the Ly α forest with collisionless N -body simulations, where the relevant density fluctuations are unresolved. We use a small-box, high-resolution hydrodynamic simulation to obtain the probability distribution function (PDF) and the power spectrum of the real-space Ly α forest flux. These two statistics are iteratively mapped onto a pseudo-flux field of an N -body simulation, which we construct from the matter density. We demonstrate that our method can reproduce the PDF, line of sight and 3D power spectra of the Ly α forest with good accuracy (7%, 4%, and 7% respectively). We quantify the performance of the commonly used Gaussian smoothing technique and show that it has significantly lower accuracy (20%–80%), especially for N -body simulations with achievable mean inter-particle separations in large-volume simulations. In addition, we show that IMS produces reasonable and smooth spectra, making it a powerful tool for modeling the IGM in large cosmological volumes and for producing realistic “mock” skies for Ly α forest surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Constraints on the coupling between dark energy and dark matter from CMB data

We investigate a phenomenological non-gravitational coupling between dark energy and dark matter, where the interaction in the dark sector is parameterized as an energy transfer either from dark matter to dark energy or the opposite. The models are constrained by a whole host of updated cosmological data: cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies and polarization, high-redshift supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions and gravitational lensing. Both models are found to be compatible with all cosmological observables, but in the case where dark matter decays into dark energy, the tension with the independent determinations of H{sub 0} and σ{sub 8}, already present for standard cosmology, increases: this model in fact predicts lower H{sub 0} and higher σ{sub 8}, mostly as a consequence of the higher amount of dark matter at early times, leading to a stronger clustering during the evolution. Instead, when dark matter is fed by dark energy, the reconstructed values of H{sub 0} and σ{sub 8} nicely agree with their local determinations, with a full reconciliation between high- and low-redshift observations. A non-zero coupling between dark energy and dark matter, with an energy flow from the former to the latter, appears therefore to be in better agreement with cosmological data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

The effects of continuum fitting on Lyman-α forest correlations

Correlations of fluctuations of the flux in Lyman-α forests of high-redshift quasars have been observed by the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation Spectroscopy Survey (BOSS) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopy Instrument (DESI) survey where they have revealed the effects of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). In order to fit the correlation functions to a physical model and thereby constrain cosmological parameters, it is necessary to take into account the effects of fitting the observed spectra to a template about which the fluctuations are measured. In this paper we use mock spectra to test the distortion matrix technique that has been used since the final BOSS data release to appropriately distort the models. We show that while percent-level effects on the derived forest bias parameters may be present, the technique works sufficiently well that the determination of the BAO peak position is not affected at the percent level. We introduce modifications in the technique used by DESI that were not in the original applications and suggest further possibilities for improvements.

Lyman alpha forest↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optical galaxy cluster mock catalogs with realistic projection effects: Validations with the SDSS clusters

Galaxy clusters identified in optical imaging surveys suffer from projection effects: Physically unassociated galaxies along a cluster’s line of sight can be counted as its members and boost the observed richness (the number of cluster members). To model the impact of projection on cluster cosmology analyses, we apply a halo occupation distribution model to 𝑁-body simulations to simulate the red galaxies contributing to cluster members, and we use the number of galaxies in a cylinder along the line of sight (counts in cylinders) to model the impact of projection on cluster richness. We compare three projection models: uniform, quadratic, and Gaussian, and we convert between them by matching their effective cylinder volumes. We validate our mock catalogs using SDSS redMaPPer clusters’ data vectors, including counts vs richness, stacked lensing signal, spectroscopic redshift distribution of member galaxies, and richness remeasured on a redshift grid. We find the former two are insensitive to the projection model, while the latter two favor a quadratic projection model with a width of ≈180 ℎ −1 Mpc (equivalent to the volume of a uniform model with a width of 100 ℎ −1 Mpc and a Gaussian model with a width of 110 ℎ −1 Mpc, or a Gaussian redshift error of 0.04). Furthermore, our framework provides an efficient and flexible way to model optical cluster data vectors, paving the way for a simulation-based joint analysis for clusters, galaxies, and shear.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2013

Statistical Issues in Galaxy Cluster Cosmology

The number and growth of massive galaxy clusters are sensitive probes of cosmological structure formation. Surveys at various wavelengths can detect clusters to high redshift, but the fact that cluster mass is not directly observable complicates matters, requiring us to simultaneously constrain scaling relations of observable signals with mass. The problem can be cast as one of regression, in which the data set is truncated, the (cosmology-dependent) underlying population must be modeled, and strong, complex correlations between measurements often exist. Simulations of cosmological structure formation provide a robust prediction for the number of clusters in the Universe as a function of mass and redshift (the mass function), but they cannot reliably predict the observables used to detect clusters in sky surveys (e.g. X-ray luminosity). Consequently, observers must constrain observable-mass scaling relations using additional data, and use the scaling relation model in conjunction with the mass function to predict the number of clusters as a function of redshift and luminosity.

Galaxy↗
DOE OSTI2019

α-attractor dark energy in view of next-generation cosmological surveys

The α-attractor inflationary models are nowadays favored by CMB Planck observations. Their similarity with canonical quintessence models motivates the exploration of a common framework that explains both inflation and dark energy. Here, we study the expected constraints that next-generation cosmological experiments will be able to impose for the dark energy α-attractor model. We systematically account for the constraining power of SNIa from WFIRST, BAO from DESI and WFIRST, galaxy clustering and shear from LSST and Stage-4 CMB experiments. We assume a tensor-to-scalar ratio, 10 -3 < r < 10 -2 , which permits to explore the wide regime sufficiently close, but distinct, to a cosmological constant, without need of fine tunning the initial value of the field. We find that the combination S4CMB + LSST + SNIa will achieve the best results, improving the FoM by almost an order of magnitude; respect to the S4CMB + BAO + SNIa case. We find this is also true for the FoM of the w 0 -w a parameters. Therefore, future surveys will be uniquely able to probe models connecting early and late cosmic acceleration.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Gauged global strings

We investigate the string solutions and cosmological implications of the gauge U(1) Z × global U(1) PQ model. With two hierarchical symmetry-breaking scales, the model exhibits three distinct string solutions: a conventional global string, a global string with a heavy core, and a gauge string as a bound state of the two global strings. This model reveals rich phenomenological implications in cosmology. During the evolution of the universe, these three types of strings can form a Y-junction configuration. Intriguingly, when incorporating this model with the QCD axion framework, the heavy-core global strings emit more axion particles compared to conventional axion cosmic strings due to their higher tension. This radiation significantly enhances the QCD axion dark matter abundance, thereby opening up the QCD axion mass window. Consequently, axions with masses exceeding ~ 10 −5 eV have the potential to constitute the whole dark matter abundance. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional gauge strings, the gauge strings in this model exhibit a distinctive behavior by radiating axions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Combined cosmological tests of a bivalent tachyonic dark energy scalar field model

A recently investigated tachyonic scalar field dark energy dominated universe exhibits a bivalent future: depending on initial parameters can run either into a de Sitter exponential expansion or into a traversable future soft singularity followed by a contraction phase. We also include in the model (i) a tiny amount of radiation, (ii) baryonic matter (Ω{sub b}h{sup 2} = 0.022161, where the Hubble constant is fixed as h = 0.706) and (iii) cold dark matter (CDM). Out of a variety of six types of evolutions arising in a more subtle classification, we identify two in which in the past the scalar field effectively degenerates into a dust (its pressure drops to an insignificantly low negative value). These are the evolutions of type IIb converging to de Sitter and type III hitting the future soft singularity. We confront these background evolutions with various cosmological tests, including the supernova type Ia Union 2.1 data, baryon acoustic oscillation distance ratios, Hubble parameter-redshift relation and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) acoustic scale. We determine a subset of the evolutions of both types which at 1σ confidence level are consistent with all of these cosmological tests. At perturbative level we derive the CMB temperature power spectrum to find the best agreement with the Planck data for Ω{sub CDM} = 0.22. The fit is as good as for the ΛCDM model at high multipoles, but the power remains slightly overestimated at low multipoles, for both types of evolutions. The rest of the CDM is effectively generated by the tachyonic field, which in this sense acts as a combined dark energy and dark matter model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Black hole formation in a contracting universe

We study the evolution of cosmological perturbations in a contracting universe. We aim to determine under which conditions density perturbations grow to form large inhomogeneities and collapse into black holes. Our method consists in solving the cosmological perturbation equations in complete generality for a hydrodynamical fluid. We then describe the evolution of the fluctuations over the different length scales of interest and as a function of the equation of state for the fluid, and we explore two different types of initial conditions: quantum vacuum and thermal fluctuations. We also derive a general requirement for black hole collapse on sub-Hubble scales, and we use the Press-Schechter formalism to describe the black hole formation probability. For a fluid with a small sound speed (e.g., dust), we find that both quantum and thermal initial fluctuations grow in a contracting universe, and the largest inhomogeneities that first collapse into black holes are of Hubble size and the collapse occurs well before reaching the Planck scale. For a radiation-dominated fluid, we find that no black hole can form before reaching the Planck scale. In the context of matter bounce cosmology, it thus appears that only models in which a radiation-dominated era begins early in the cosmological evolution are robust against the formation of black holes. Yet, the formation of black holes might be an interesting feature for other models. We comment on a number of possible alternative early universe scenarios that could take advantage of this feature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

PLASMA INSTABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT HELIUM SEDIMENTATION MODELS: DYNAMICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ICM IN GALAXY CLUSTERS

Understanding whether Helium can sediment to the core of galaxy clusters is important for a number of problems in cosmology and astrophysics. All current models addressing this question are one-dimensional and do not account for the fact that magnetic fields can effectively channel ions and electrons, leading to anisotropic transport of momentum, heat, and particle diffusion in the weakly collisional intracluster medium (ICM). This anisotropy can lead to a wide variety of instabilities, which could be relevant for understanding the dynamics of heterogeneous media. In this paper, we consider the radial temperature and composition profiles as obtained from a state-of-the-art Helium sedimentation model and analyze its stability properties. We find that the associated radial profiles are unstable to different kinds of instabilities depending on the magnetic field orientation at all radii. The fastest growing modes are usually related to generalizations of the magnetothermal instability (MTI) and the heat-flux-driven buoyancy instability which operate in heterogeneous media. We find that the effect of sedimentation is to increase (decrease) the predicted growth rates in the inner (outer) cluster region. The unstable modes grow quickly compared to the sedimentation timescale. This suggests that the composition gradients as inferred from sedimentation models, which do not fully account for the anisotropic character of the weakly collisional environment, might not be very robust. Our results emphasize the subtleties involved in understanding the gas dynamics of the ICM and argue for the need of a comprehensive approach to address the issue of Helium sedimentation beyond current models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Testing Einstein's Gravity on Large Scales

A little over a decade has passed since two teams studying high redshift Type Ia supernovae announced the discovery that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. After all this time, we?re still not sure how cosmic acceleration fits into the theory that tells us about the large-scale universe: General Relativity (GR). As part of our search for answers, we have been forced to question GR itself. But how will we test our ideas? We are fortunate enough to be entering the era of precision cosmology, where the standard model of gravity can be subjected to more rigorous testing. Various techniques will be employed over the next decade or two in the effort to better understand cosmic acceleration and the theory behind it. In this talk, I will describe cosmic acceleration, current proposals to explain it, and weak gravitational lensing, an observational effect that allows us to do the necessary precision cosmology.

Prescod-Weinstein, Chandra↗
DOE OSTI2017

Parameter space for range of bare graviton mass in an FLRW universe based on dRGT massive gravity theory

We discuss the existence of graviton in a Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) metric of isotropic and homogeneous universe based on de Rham–Gabadadze–Tolley (dRGT) nonlinear massive gravity theory. We consider a similar FLRW fiducial metric in the formulation that lead to a Friedmann–Lemaitre equation similar to the case of cosmological constant based dark energy model. We show that these equations can be constructed by considering a constraint equation found from varying the corresponding action with respect to the fiducial metric. Under a specific choice of fiducial metric lapse function, we determine the range of present cosmological time bare graviton mass in a parameter space by considering the observed cosmological constant density parameter and the related Higuchi bound for the lower dressed graviton mass value. The existence of an indefinite condition in the corresponding parameter space is also discussed and analyzed, as well as the characteristics of the related bare graviton mass and the strong-coupling scale quantity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗