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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

Cosmological constraints on extended Galileon models

The extended Galileon models possess tracker solutions with de Sitter attractors along which the dark energy equation of state is constant during the matter-dominated epoch, i.e. w{sub DE} = −1−s, where s is a positive constant. Even with this phantom equation of state there are viable parameter spaces in which the ghosts and Laplacian instabilities are absent. Using the observational data of the supernovae type Ia, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and baryon acoustic oscillations, we place constraints on the tracker solutions at the background level and find that the parameter s is constrained to be s = 0.034{sub −0.034}{sup +0.327} (95 % CL) in the flat Universe. In order to break the degeneracy between the models we also study the evolution of cosmological density perturbations relevant to the large-scale structure (LSS) and the Integrated-Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect in CMB. We show that, depending on the model parameters, the LSS and the ISW effect is either positively or negatively correlated. It is then possible to constrain viable parameter spaces further from the observational data of the ISW-LSS cross-correlation as well as from the matter power spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Exploring new physics with O(keV) electron recoils in direct detection experiments

Motivated by the recent XENON 1T results, we explore various new physics models that can be discovered through searches for electron recoils in O(keV)-threshold direct-detection experiments. First, we consider the absorption of axion-like particles, dark photons, and scalars, either as dark matter relics or being produced directly in the Sun. In the latter case, we find that keV mass bosons produced in the Sun provide an adequate fit to the data but are excluded by stellar cooling constraints. We address this tension by introducing a novel Chameleon-like axion model, which can explain the excess while evading the stellar bounds. We find that absorption of bosonic dark matter provides a viable explanation for the excess only if the dark matter is a dark photon or an axion. In the latter case, photophobic axion couplings are necessary to avoid X-ray constraints. Second, we analyze models of dark matter-electron scattering to determine which models might explain the excess. Standard scattering of dark matter with electrons is generically in conflict with data from lower-threshold experiments. Momentum-dependent interactions with a heavy mediator can fit the data with dark matter mass heavier than a GeV but are generically in tension with collider constraints. Next, we consider dark matter consisting of two (or more) states that have a small mass splitting. The exothermic (down)scattering of the heavier state to the lighter state can fit the data for keV mass splittings. Finally, we consider a subcomponent of dark matter that is accelerated by scattering off cosmic rays, finding that dark matter interacting though an O(100 keV)-mass mediator can fit the data. The cross sections required in this scenario are, however, typically challenged by complementary probes of the light mediator. Throughout our study, we implement an unbinned Monte Carlo analysis and use an improved energy reconstruction of the XENON 1T events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

EMAT enhanced dispersion of particles in liquid

Particulate matter is dispersed in a fluid material. A sample including a first material in a fluid state and second material comprising particulate matter are placed into a chamber. The second material is spatially dispersed in the first material utilizing EMAT force. The dispersion process continues until spatial distribution of the second material enables the sample to meet a specified criterion. The chamber and/or the sample is electrically conductive. The EMAT force is generated by placing the chamber coaxially within an induction coil driven by an applied alternating current and placing the chamber and induction coil coaxially within a high field magnetic. The EMAT force is coupled to the sample without physical contact to the sample or to the chamber, by another physical object. Batch and continuous processing are utilized. The chamber may be folded within the bore of the magnet. Acoustic force frequency and/or temperature may be controlled.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solar atmospheric neutrinos and the sensitivity floor for solar dark matter annihilation searches

Cosmic rays interacting in the solar atmosphere produce showers that result in a flux of high-energy neutrinos from the Sun. These form an irreducible background to indirect solar WIMP self-annihilation searches, which look for heavy dark matter particles annihilating into final states containing neutrinos in the Solar core. This background will eventually create a sensitivity floor for indirect WIMP self-annihilation searches analogous to that imposed by low-energy solar neutrino interactions for direct dark matter detection experiments. We present a new calculation of the flux of solar atmospheric neutrinos with a detailed treatment of systematic uncertainties inherent in solar atmospheric shower evolution, and we use this to derive the sensitivity floor for indirect solar WIMP annihilation analyses. We find that the floor lies less than one order of magnitude beyond the present experimental limits on spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for some mass points, and that the high-energy solar atmospheric neutrino flux may be observable with running and future neutrino telescopes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multi-messenger EOS constraints using binary NS mergers

Though nearly five decades in the making, the opening mark of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy has only just now sounded. This novel field holds great scientific promise in the upcoming years, and yet already with a single binary NS merger event — it has managed to deliver results beyond our hopes and expectations. A primary factor in this success is the fact that this first binary NS merger, GW170817, was successfully followed up and detected in wavelengths spanning the observable electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. This ‘multi-messenger’ view of binary NS mergers opens new windows of opportunity for maximizing the scientific return from these events, and has facilitated constraints on physics ranging from cosmology, to general relativity, and nuclear physics. In the following I review constraints on the equation of state (EOS) of dense nuclear matter which can be obtained from multi-messenger analyses of binary NS mergers, showing that these are complementary to alternative approaches of constraining the EOS using GW data alone, and summarizing the main results arising from GW170817.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

GenASiS: General Astrophysical Simulation System. II. Self-gravitating Baryonic Matter*

GenASiS (General Astrophysical Simulation System) is a code being developed initially and primarily, though not exclusively, for the simulation of core-collapse supernovae on the world's leading capability supercomputers. This paper---the second in a series---documents capabilities for Newtonian self-gravitating fluid dynamics, including tabulated microphysical equations of state treating nuclei and nuclear matter (`baryonic matter'). Computation of the gravitational potential of a spheroid, and simulation of the gravitational collapse of dust and of an ideal fluid, provide tests of self-gravitation against known solutions. In multidimensional computations of the adiabatic collapse, bounce, and explosion of spherically symmetric pre-supernova progenitors---which we propose become a standard benchmark for code comparisons---we find that the explosions are prompt and remain spherically symmetric (as expected), with an average shock expansion speed and total kinetic energy that are inversely correlated with the progenitor mass at the onset of collapse and the compactness parameter.

Cardall, Christian [ORNL] (ORCID:000000020086105X)↗

THE BURST CLUSTER: DARK MATTER IN A CLUSTER MERGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURST, GRB 050509B

We have identified a merging galaxy cluster with evidence of two distinct subclusters. The X-ray and optical data suggest that the subclusters are presently moving away from each other after closest approach. This cluster merger was discovered from observations of the first well-localized short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB 050509B. The Swift/Burst Alert Telescope error position of the source is coincident with a cluster of galaxies ZwCl 1234.0+02916, while the subsequent Swift/X-Ray Telescope localization of the X-ray afterglow found the GRB coincident with 2MASX J12361286+2858580, a giant red elliptical galaxy in the cluster. Deep multi-epoch optical images were obtained in this field to constrain the evolution of the GRB afterglow, including a total of 27,480 s exposure in the F814W band with Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys, among the deepest imaging ever obtained toward a known galaxy cluster in a single passband. We perform a weak gravitational lensing analysis based on these data, including mapping of the total mass distribution of the merger system with high spatial resolution. When combined with Chandra X-ray Observatory Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer and Swift/XRT observations, we are able to investigate the dynamical state of the merger to better understand the nature of the dark matter component. Our weak gravitational lensing measurements reveal a separation of the X-ray centroid of the western subcluster from the center of the mass and galaxy light distributions, which is somewhat similar to that of the famous 'Bullet cluster', and we conclude that this 'Burst cluster' adds another candidate to the previously known merger systems for determining the nature of dark matter, as well as for studying the environment of a short GRB. Finally, we discuss potential connections between the cluster dynamical state and/or matter composition, and compact object mergers, which is currently the leading model for the origin of short GRBs. We also present our results from a weak-lensing survey based on archival Very Large Telescope images in the areas of five other short GRBs, which do not provide any firm detections of mass concentrations representative of rich clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A NEW BARYONIC EQUATION OF STATE AT SUB-NUCLEAR DENSITIES FOR CORE-COLLAPSE SIMULATIONS

We calculate a new equation of state for baryons at sub-nuclear densities meant for the use in core-collapse simulations of massive stars. The abundances of various nuclei are obtained together with the thermodynamic quantities. The formulation is the nuclear statistical equilibrium description and the liquid drop approximation of nuclei. The model free energy to minimize is calculated by relativistic mean field theory for nucleons and the mass formula for nuclei with atomic number up to {approx}1000. We have also taken into account the pasta phase, thanks to which the transition to uniform nuclear matter in our equation of state (EOS) occurs in the conventional manner: nuclei are not dissociated into nucleons but survive right up to the transition to uniform nuclear matter. We find that the free energy and other thermodynamical quantities are not very different from those given in the H. Shen's EOS, one of the standard EOSs that adopt the single nucleus approximation. On the other hand, the average mass is systematically different, which may have an important ramification to the rates of electron captures and coherent neutrino scatterings on nuclei in supernova cores. It is also interesting that the root mean square of the mass number is not very different from the average mass number, since the former is important for the evaluation of coherent scattering rates on nuclei but has been unavailable so far. The EOS table is currently under construction, which will include the weak interaction rates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Bounds on dark matter interactions with electroweak gauge bosons

We investigate scenarios in which dark matter interacts with the Standard Model primarily through electroweak gauge bosons. We employ an effective field theory framework wherein the Standard Model and the dark matter particle are the only light states in order to derive model-independent bounds. Bounds on such interactions are derived from dark matter production by weak boson fusion at the LHC, indirect detection searches for the products of dark matter annihilation and from the measured invisible width of the Z 0 . We find that limits on the UV scale, Λ , reach weak scale values for most operators and values of the dark matter mass, thus probing the most natural scenarios in the weakly interacting massive particle dark matter paradigm. Our bounds suggest that light dark matter ( m χ ≲ m Z / 2 or m χ ≲ 100 – 200 GeV , depending on the operator) cannot interact only with the electroweak gauge bosons of the Standard Model, but rather requires additional operator contributions or dark sector structure to avoid overclosing the Universe.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Gravitational Wave Signal for Quark Matter with Realistic Phase Transition

The cores of neutron stars (NSs) near the maximum mass can realize a transitional change to quark matter (QM). Gravitational waves from binary NS mergers are expected to convey information about the equation of state (EOS) sensitive to the QM transition. Here, in this work, we present the first results of gravitational wave simulation with the realistic EOS that is consistent with ab initio approaches of χ⁢EFT and pQCD and is assumed to go through smooth crossover. We compare them to results obtained with another EOS with a first-order hadron-quark phase transition. Our results suggest that early collapse to a black hole in the post-merger stage after NS merger robustly signifies softening of the EOS associated with the QM onset in the crossover scenario. The nature of the hadron-quark phase transition can be further constrained by the condition that electromagnetic counterparts should be energized by the material left outside the remnant black hole.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Neutron skins and neutron stars

The neutron-skin thickness of heavy nuclei provides a fundamental link to the equation of state of neutron-rich matter, and hence to the properties of neutron stars. The Lead Radius Experiment ('PREX') at Jefferson Laboratory has recently provided the first model-independence evidence on the existence of a neutron-rich skin in {sup 208}Pb. In this contribution we examine how the increased accuracy in the determination of neutron skins expected from the commissioning of intense polarized electron beams may impact the physics of neutron stars.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Effects of Fuel Properties on Particle Number and Particle Mass Emissions from Lean and Stoichiometric Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Operation

Engine-out particle size distributions and soot mass emissions were measured from a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine fueled by seven different gasoline formulations. Additionally, particle size distributions were simultaneously measured downstream of a catalyzed gasoline particulate filter (GPF) to determine the size resolved filtration efficiency. Stoichiometric, lean homogeneous, and lean stratified combustion modes were studied at four steady-state engine conditions. The particulate matter (PM) Index was calculated for each fuel as a function of the double bond equivalent and vapor pressure of the fuel components. There was generally poor correlation between particle number (PN)/PM mass emissions and the PM Index for steady state stoichiometric conditions with clean injectors, which emitted low particle concentrations. However, under high-load lean homogeneous conditions, there was good correlation between PN/PM mass emission and the PM Index, with the exception that the high ethanol content fuel produced significantly higher PM emissions than the other fuels. Under lean stratified conditions, most fuels produced similar particle size distributions and concentrations with the exception that the E50 fuel produced significantly lower concentrations than the other fuels. These results demonstrate the profound sensitivity of particle emissions from high ethanol content fuel to engine operating conditions. Additionally, these results show the predominant factor influencing particle formation is charge mixture formation, which fuel properties influence, but not as significantly as engine conditions. Here, the GPF reduced the tailpipe particle number concentrations by 60 - 95% and showed evidence of passive regeneration under higher load lean engine conditions (Temp>400°C, Lambda>1.3). Total PN filtration efficiencies ranged from ~60 % with a clean filter to greater than 95% with as little as 25 mg/L of soot loaded on the filter with a most penetrating particle size (MPPS) between 100 and 150 nm. The GPF results show that GPF regeneration can be achieved with the added fuel efficiency benefit of lean operation.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Neutron matter, symmetry energy and neutron stars

Recent progress in quantum Monte Carlo with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions have enabled the successful description of properties of light nuclei and neutron- rich matter. Of particular interest is the nuclear symmetry energy, the energy cost of creating an isospin asymmetry, and its connection to the structure of neutron stars. Combining these advances with recent observations of neutron star masses and radii gives insight into the equation of state of neutron-rich matter near and above the saturation density. In particular, neutron star radius measurements constrain the derivative of the symmetry energy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Hidden SU ( N ) glueball dark matter

Here we investigate the possibility that the dark matter candidate is from a pure non-abelian gauge theory of the hidden sector, motivated in large part by its elegance and simplicity. The dark matter is the lightest bound state made of the confined gauge fields, the hidden glueball. We point out this simple setup is capable of providing rich and novel phenomena in the dark sector, especially in the parameter space of large N. They include self-interacting and warm dark matter scenarios, Bose-Einstein condensation leading to massive dark stars possibly millions of times heavier than our sun giving rise to gravitational lensing effects, and indirect detections through higher dimensional operators as well as interesting collider signatures.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Neutron matter, symmetry energy and neutron stars

Recent progress in quantum Monte Carlo with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions have enabled the successful description of properties of light nuclei and neutron-rich matter. Of particular interest is the nuclear symmetry energy, the energy cost of creating an isospin asymmetry, and its connection to the structure of neutron stars. Combining these advances with recent observations of neutron star masses and radii gives insight into the equation of state of neutron-rich matter near and above the saturation density. In particular, neutron star radius measurements constrain the derivative of the symmetry energy.

Stefano, Gandolfi↗