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At least 127 records · Page 7

Splitting regions and shrinking islands from higher point constraints

We study constraints from higher-point amplitudes on 2 → 2 scattering in the context of effective field theory (EFT) using the perturbative numerical S-matrix bootstrap. Specifically, we investigate the class of weakly coupled EFTs with amplitudes that obey the hidden zero and split conditions that are known to hold both for Tr(Φ 3 ) theory and for certain string tree amplitudes, including at 4-point the beta function. Requiring the splitting condition for the 5-point amplitude not only fixes nearly all its contact terms, but it also imposes non-linear constraints among the 4-point EFT Wilson coefficients. When included in the bootstrap, the resulting allowed region consistent with positivity is no longer convex but is restricted to a smaller non-convex region — which has a sharp corner near the string beta function! Assuming the absence of an infinite spin tower at the mass gap, the allowed region bifurcates into a trivial region (with states only above a chosen cutoff) and an island that continues to shrink around the string as more constraints are included in the bootstrap. The numerics indicate that in the absence of single-mass infinite spin towers the string beta function is the unique 4-point amplitude compatible with hidden zero and the 5-point splitting constraints. The analysis provides a prototype example for how features of higher-point amplitudes constrain the bootstrap of 4-point amplitudes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Characterization of a novel HIV-1 circulating recombinant form, CRF91_cpx, comprising CRF02_AG, G, J, and U, mostly among men who have sex with men

Prospective molecular studies of HIV-1 pol region (2253–5250 in HXB2 genome) sequences from sequenced samples of 269 HIV-1-infected patients in Cyprus (2017–2021) revealed a transmission cluster of 14 unknown HIV-1 recombinants that were not classified as previously established CRFs. The earliest recombinant was collected in September 2017, and the transmission cluster continued to grow until November 2020. Near full-length HIV-1 genome sequences of the 11 of the 14 recombinants were successfully obtained (790–8795 in HXB2 genome) and aligned against a reference dataset of HIV-1 subtypes and CRFs. We employed MEGAX for maximum-likelihood tree construction (GTR model, 1000 bootstrap replicates), Cluster-Picker for phylogenetic clustering analysis (genetic distance ≤0.045, bootstrap support value ≥70%), and REGA-3.0 for subtype determination. Bootscan and similarity plot analyses (sliding window of 400 nucleotides overlapped by 40 nucleotides) were conducted using SimPlot-v3.5.1, and subregion confirmatory neighbour-joining tree analyses were conducted using MEGAX (Kimura two-parameter model, 1000 bootstrap replicates, ≥70% bootstrap-support value). Exclusive clustering of the HIV-1 recombinants revealed their uniqueness. The recombination analyses illustrated the same unique mosaic pattern with six putative intersubtype recombination breakpoints, seven fragments of subtypes CRF02_AG, G, J and an unclassified fragment. We conclusively characterized the mosaic structure of the novel HIV-1 CRF, named CRF91_cpx, by the Los Alamos HIV Sequence Database. Additionally, we identified a URF of CRF91_cpx with two additional recombination sites, generated by a recombination event between subtype B and CRF91_cpx. Since the identification of CRF91_cpx, two additional patient samples have been entered into the CRF91_cpx transmission cluster, demonstrating active growth.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Experimental evidence of electron-cyclotron current drive-based neoclassical tearing mode suppression threshold reduction during mode locking on DIII-D

The repetitive locking-unlocking process of a large $m/n = 2/1$ neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) is studied on the DIII-D tokamak. Cyclical periods of partial suppression are achieved when β p and the expected bootstrap current $J_{\mathrm{BS}}$ drop upon back-transitions to L-mode. Diminished L-mode bootstrap current is required to explain decreased island size as modeled by the generalized Rutherford equation. At EC power levels too low to fully suppress the NTM, partial suppression is enough to reduce the torque on the mode to the point where viscous drag from the background plasma overcomes the electromagnetic torque and restores fast plasma rotation and H-mode. Additional current drive is shown to further reduce the size of the mode until full suppression is achieved. These results suggest that the suppression of locked modes may be aided by the lower bootstrap current in L-mode plasmas, possibly improving chances of disruption avoidance in ITER.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Nonlinear second order electromagnetic gyrokinetic theory for a tokamak plasma

The steep plasma pressure gradient that forms at the edge of the high confinement, H-mode regime of tokamak operation provides free energy to drive electromagnetic micro-instabilities that are widely believed to influence the transport processes in this so-called pedestal region. This high pressure gradient also provides a high current density (bootstrap current), known to influence ballooning mode stability and to be important for driving kink modes in the ideal magneto-hydrodynamic plasma model (so-called peeling-ballooning modes). Furthermore, efficient, steady state future tokamak power plants must operate with a large bootstrap current in the core and especially concerning spherical tokamaks, confinement will be influenced by electromagnetic turbulence. To accommodate these important situations, conventional electromagnetic gyrokinetic theory is extended to incorporate neoclassical effects in the equilibrium drives, allowing $B_{\vartheta} ~ B_0$ (B0 is the confining magnetic field, and $B_{\vartheta}$ is its poloidal component). This provides a global gyrokinetic model that self-consistently captures the consequences of large bootstrap current fractions on the equilibrium distribution functions.

kink modes↗

Accuracy of Tau Positron Emission Tomography as a Prognostic Marker in Preclinical and Prodromal Alzheimer Disease: A Head-to-Head Comparison Against Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Importance: Tau positron emission tomography (PET) tracers have proven useful for the differential diagnosis of dementia, but their utility for predicting cognitive change is unclear. Objective: To examine the prognostic accuracy of baseline fluorine 18 ( 18 F)-flortaucipir and [18F]RO948 (tau) PET in individuals across the Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical spectrum and to perform a head-to-head comparison against established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and amyloid PET markers. Design, setting, and participants: This prognostic study collected data from 8 cohorts in South Korea, Sweden, and the US from June 1, 2014, to February 28, 2021, with a mean (SD) follow-up of 1.9 (0.8) years. A total of 1431 participants were recruited from memory clinics, clinical trials, or cohort studies; 673 were cognitively unimpaired (CU group; 253 [37.6%] positive for amyloid-β [Aβ]), 443 had mild cognitive impairment (MCI group; 271 [61.2%] positive for Aβ), and 315 had a clinical diagnosis of AD dementia (315 [100%] positive for Aβ). Exposures: [ 18 F]Flortaucipir PET in the discovery cohort (n = 1135) or [ 18 F]RO948 PET in the replication cohort (n = 296), T1-weighted MRI (n = 1431), and amyloid PET (n = 1329) at baseline and repeated Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) evaluation. Main outcomes and measures: Baseline [ 18 F]flortaucipir/[ 18 F]RO948 PET retention within a temporal region of interest, MRI-based AD-signature cortical thickness, and amyloid PET Centiloids were used to predict changes in MMSE using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age, sex, education, and cohort. Mediation/interaction analyses tested whether associations between baseline tau PET and cognitive change were mediated by baseline MRI measures and whether age, sex, and APOE genotype modified these associations. Results: Among 1431 participants, the mean (SD) age was 71.2 (8.8) years; 751 (52.5%) were male. Findings for [ 18 F]flortaucipir PET predicted longitudinal changes in MMSE, and effect sizes were stronger than for AD-signature cortical thickness and amyloid PET across all participants (R 2 , 0.35 [tau PET] vs 0.24 [MRI] vs 0.17 [amyloid PET]; P < .001, bootstrapped for difference) in the Aβ-positive MCI group (R2, 0.25 [tau PET] vs 0.15 [MRI] vs 0.07 [amyloid PET]; P < .001, bootstrapped for difference) and in the Aβ-positive CU group (R 2 , 0.16 [tau PET] vs 0.08 [MRI] vs 0.08 [amyloid PET]; P < .001, bootstrapped for difference). These findings were replicated in the [ 18 F]RO948 PET cohort. MRI mediated the association between [ 18 F]flortaucipir PET and MMSE in the groups with AD dementia (33.4% [95% CI, 15.5%-60.0%] of the total effect) and Aβ-positive MCI (13.6% [95% CI, 0.0%-28.0%] of the total effect), but not the Aβ-positive CU group (3.7% [95% CI, -17.5% to 39.0%]; P = .71). Age (t = -2.28; P = .02), but not sex (t = 0.92; P = .36) or APOE genotype (t = 1.06; P = .29) modified the association between baseline [ 18 F]flortaucipir PET and cognitive change, such that older individuals showed faster cognitive decline at similar tau PET levels. Conclusions and relevance: The findings of this prognostic study suggest that tau PET is a promising tool for predicting cognitive change that is superior to amyloid PET and MRI and may support the prognostic process in preclinical and prodromal stages of AD.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

On gauge amplitudes first appearing at two loops

We study scattering amplitudes in massless non-abelian gauge theory where all outgoing gluons have positive helicity. It has been argued recently by Costello that for a particular fermion representation (8 fundamentals plus one antisymmetric-tensor representation in SU(N)) the one-loop amplitudes vanish identically. We show that this vanishing leads to previously-observed identities among one-loop color-ordered partial amplitudes. We then turn to two loops, where Costello has computed the all-plus amplitudes for this theory, as rational functions of the kinematics for any number of gluons using the celestial chiral algebra (CCA) bootstrap. We show that in dimensional regularization, these two-loop amplitudes are not rational, and they are not even finite as ϵ → 0. However, the finite remainder for four gluons agrees with the formula by Costello. In addition, we provide a mass regulator for the infrared-divergent loop integrals; with this regulator, the CCA bootstrap formula is recovered exactly. Finally, we use the CCA bootstrap to compute the double-trace terms in the theory at two loops for an arbitrary number of gluons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Plasma self-driven current in tokamaks with magnetic islands

Magnetic island perturbations may cause a reduction in plasma self-driven current that is needed for tokamak operation. A novel effect on tokamak self-driven current revealed by global gyrokinetic simulations is due to magnetic-island-induced 3D electric potential structures, which have the same dominant mode numbers as that of the magnetic island, whereas centered at both the inner and outer edge of the island. The non-resonant potential islands are shown to drive a current through an efficient nonlinear parallel acceleration of electrons. In large aspect ratio (large-A) tokamak devices, this new effect can result in a significant global reduction of the electron bootstrap current when the island size is sufficiently large, in addition to the local current loss across the island region due to the pressure profile flattening. It is shown that there exists a critical magnetic island width for large-A tokamaks beyond which the electron bootstrap current loss is global and increases rapidly with the island size. As such, this process may introduce a size limit for tolerable magnetic islands in large-A tokamak devices in the context of steady state operation. On the other hand, the current loss caused by magnetic islands in low-A tokamaks such as spherical tokamak (ST) NSTX/U is minor. The reduction of the axisymmetric current by magnetic islands scales with the square of island width. However, the loss of the current is mainly local to the island region, and the pace of current loss as the island size increases is substantially slower compared to large-A tokamaks. In particular, the bootstrap current reduction in STs is even smaller in the reactor-relevant high-β p regime where neoclassical tearing modes are more likely to develop.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Statistical uncertainties of the v n { 2 k } harmonics from Q cumulants

Analytic formulas to calculate statistical uncertainties of v n { 2 k } harmonics extracted from the Q cumulants are presented. The Q cumulants are multivariate polynomial functions of the weighted means of 2m-particle azimuthal correlations, $\langle\langle 2 m \rangle\rangle$. Variances and covariances of the $\langle\langle 2 m \rangle\rangle$ are included in the analytic formulas of the uncertainties that can be calculated simultaneously with the calculations of the v n { 2 k } harmonics. The calculations are performed using a simple toy model, which roughly simulates elliptic flow azimuthal anisotropy with magnitudes around 0.05. The results are compared with the results obtained by the many data subsets, and by the bootstrapping method. The first one is a common way of estimation of the statistical uncertainties of the v n { 2 k } harmonics in a real experiment. In order to increase precision in the measurement of the v n { 2 k } harmonics, a large number of 15 000 subsets and the same number of the resampling in the bootstrap method is used. Unlike the other ways of the analytic calculation of the v n { 2 k } statistical uncertainties, our proposal that includes the use of squared weights in the calculation of both the variances and covariances, gives the best agreement with the results obtained from the subsets and bootstrap method. Additionally, a recurrence equation between Q cumulants of any order is also presented.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

On gauge amplitudes first appearing at two loops

We study scattering amplitudes in massless non-abelian gauge theory where all outgoing gluons have positive helicity. It has been argued recently by Costello that for a particular fermion representation (8 fundamentals plus one antisymmetric-tensor representation in SU(N)) the one-loop amplitudes vanish identically. We show that this vanishing leads to previously-observed identities among one-loop color-ordered partial amplitudes. We then turn to two loops, where Costello has computed the all-plus amplitudes for this theory, as rational functions of the kinematics for any number of gluons using the celestial chiral algebra (CCA) bootstrap. We show that in dimensional regularization, these two-loop amplitudes are not rational, and they are not even finite as ϵ → 0. However, the finite remainder for four gluons agrees with the formula by Costello. In addition, we provide a mass regulator for the infrared-divergent loop integrals; with this regulator, the CCA bootstrap formula is recovered exactly. Finally, we use the CCA bootstrap to compute the double-trace terms in the theory at two loops for an arbitrary number of gluons.

Dixon, Lance J↗

Time-temperature-superposition analysis of diverse datasets by the minimum-arclength method: long-term prediction with uncertainty margins

In a recent publication, we carried out an extensive analysis of an unsupervised method of determining optimum shift factors in time-temperature-superposition of accelerated-aging data that involves minimizing the vertical arclength to obtain the master curve. For synthetic Arrhenius data with a variety of noise distributions, the work showed that, in conjunction with bootstrap-resampling, the method can produce reliable estimates of the mean activation energy along with uncertainty quantification. Here, we apply the above method to six different datasets taken from the published literature and demonstrate accurate prediction of mean activation energy from the data as-is without the need for any pre-processing or fitting. We also compare uncertainty margins computed by second-order bootstrap with that by linear regression theory and show that the former appears to provide consistent margins in the presence of common noise types in real data, including intra-isotherm measurement-errors, sample-to-sample variations, and intrinsic deviation from perfect Arrhenius behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Validation of theory-based models for the control of plasma currents in W7-X divertor plasmas

A theory-based model for the control of plasma currents for steady-state operation in W7-X is proposed and intended for model-based plasma control. The conceptual outline implies the strength of physics-based models: it offer approaches applicable to future conditions of fusion devices or next-step machines. The application at extrapolated settings is related to the validity range of the theory model. Therefore, the predictive power of theory-based control models could be larger than for data-driven approaches and limitations can be predicted from the validity range for the prediction of bootstrap currents in W7-X. The model predicts the L/R response when density or heating power is changed. The model is based on neoclassical bootstrap current calculations and validated for different discharge conditions. While the model was found to be broadly applicable for conducted electron-cyclotron-heated discharges in W7-X, limits were found for cases when the polarization of the electron cyclotron heating was changed from X2 to O2-heating. The validity assessment attempts to quantify the potential of the derived model for model-based control in the operational space (density, heating power) of W7-X.

neoclassical modelling↗

Discreteness and integrality in Conformal Field Theory

Various observables in compact CFTs are required to obey positivity, discreteness, and integrality. Positivity forms the crux of the conformal bootstrap, but understanding of the abstract implications of discreteness and integrality for the space of CFTs is lacking. We systematically study these constraints in two-dimensional, non-holomorphic CFTs, making use of two main mathematical results. First, we prove a theorem constraining the behavior near the cusp of integral, vector-valued modular functions. Second, we explicitly construct non-factorizable, non-holomorphic cuspidal functions satisfying discreteness and integrality, and prove the non-existence of such functions once positivity is added. Application of these results yields several bootstrap-type bounds on OPE data of both rational and irrational CFTs, including some powerful bounds for theories with conformal manifolds, as well as insights into questions of spectral determinacy. We prove that in rational CFT, the spectrum of operator twists t ≥ c/12 is uniquely determined by its complement. Likewise, we argue that in generic CFTs, the spectrum of operator dimensions Δ > c–1/12 is uniquely determined by its complement, absent fine-tuning in a sense we articulate. Finally, we discuss implications for black hole physics and the (non-)uniqueness of a possible ensemble interpretation of AdS 3 gravity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

On extended supersymmetry of 4d Galileons and 3-brane effective actions

We use on-shell amplitude methods to systematically analyze the possibility of extended supersymmetry for 4d Galileon models, expanding on previous $\mathcal{N}$ = 1 results. Assuming spins ≤1, we prove that there exists no $\mathcal{N}$ = 4 supersymmetric extension of 4d Galileons with a single vector multiplet. Thus the Galileons cannot be part of the effective action of a single flat maximally supersymmetric D3-brane, and that explains why such terms do not appear in the α'-expansion of the abelian open superstring amplitude. For $\mathcal{N}$ = 2 Galileons, we show that the complex scalar Z = $\phi$ + $iχ$ of the vector supermultiplet cannot have $\phi$ and $χ$ both enjoy enhanced shift symmetry; instead, $χ$ can at best be an R-axion with constant shift symmetry. Using the soft bootstrap, we demonstrate that the quartic DBI-Galileon is incompatible with $\mathcal{N}$ = 2 supersymmetry. A similar analysis performed at 7-point shows that a 2-parameter family of $\mathcal{N}$ = 2 supersymmetric quintic Galileons coupled with DBI passes the soft bootstrap. Finally, we show how supersymmetric couplings between Galileons and gravitons arise in generalizations of our constructions, and we conclude with a discussion of Galileons and DBI-Galileons in the context of UV-completability vs. the Swampland.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Cosmology meets cohomology

The cosmological polytope and bootstrap programs have revealed interesting connections between positive geometries, modern on-shell methods and bootstrap principles studied in the amplitudes community with the wavefunction of the Universe in toy models of FRW cosmologies. To compute these FRW correlators, one often faces integrals that are too difficult to evaluate by direct integration. Borrowing from the Feynman integral community, the method of (canonical) differential equations provides an efficient alternative for evaluating these integrals. Moreover, we further develop our geometric understanding of these integrals by describing the associated relative twisted cohomology. Leveraging recent progress in our understanding of relative twisted cohomology in the Feynman integral community, we give an algorithm to predict the basis size and simplify the computation of the differential equations satisfied by FRW correlators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Revealing the landscape of globally color-dual multi-loop integrands

Abstract We report on progress in understanding how to construct color-dual multi-loop amplitudes. First we identify a cubic theory, semi-abelian Yang-Mills, that unifies many of the color-dual theories studied in the literature, and provides a prescriptive approach for constructingD-dimensional color-dual numerators through one-loop directly from Feynman rules. By a simple weight counting argument, this approach does not further generalize to two-loops. As a first step in understanding the two-loop challenge, we use aD-dimensional color-dual bootstrap to successfully construct globally color-duallocaltwo-loop four-point nonlinear sigma model (NLSM) numerators. The double-copy of these NLSM numerators with themselves, pure Yang-Mills, and$$\mathcal{N}$$= 4 super-Yang-Mills correctly reproduce the known unitarity constructed integrands of special Galileons, Born-Infeld theory, and Dirac-Born-Infeld-Volkov-Akulov theory, respectively. Applying our bootstrap to two-loop four-point pure Yang-Mills, we exhaustively search the space of local numerators and find that it fails to satisfy global color-kinematics duality, completing a search previously initiated in the literature. We pinpoint the failure to the bowtie unitarity cut, and discuss a path forward towards non-local construction of color-dual integrands at generic loop order.

Physics↗

Carving out OPE space and precise O(2) model critical exponents

We develop new tools for isolating CFTs using the numerical bootstrap. A “cutting surface” algorithm for scanning OPE coefficients makes it possible to find islands in high-dimensional spaces. Together with recent progress in large-scale semidefinite programming, this enables bootstrap studies of much larger systems of correlation functions than was previously practical. We apply these methods to correlation functions of charge-0, 1, and 2 scalars in the 3d O(2) model, computing new precise values for scaling dimensions and OPE coefficients in this theory. Our new determinations of scaling dimensions are consistent with and improve upon existing Monte Carlo simulations, sharpening the existing decades-old 8σ discrepancy between theory and experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Linking the singularities of cosmological correlators

Much of the structure of cosmological correlators is controlled by their singularities, which in turn are fixed in terms of flat-space scattering amplitudes. An important challenge is to interpolate between the singular limits to determine the full correlators at arbitrary kinematics. This is particularly relevant because the singularities of correlators are not directly observable, but can only be accessed by analytic continuation. In this paper, we study rational correlators — including those of gauge fields, gravitons, and the inflaton — whose only singularities at tree level are poles and whose behavior away from these poles is strongly constrained by unitarity and locality. We describe how unitarity translates into a set of cutting rules that consistent correlators must satisfy, and explain how this can be used to bootstrap correlators given information about their singularities. We also derive recursion relations that allow the iterative construction of more complicated correlators from simpler building blocks. In flat space, all energy singularities are simple poles, so that the combination of unitarity constraints and recursion relations provides an efficient way to bootstrap the full correlators. In many cases, these flat-space correlators can then be transformed into their more complex de Sitter counterparts. As an example of this procedure, we derive the correlator associated to graviton Compton scattering in de Sitter space, though the methods are much more widely applicable.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Heptagon functions and seven-gluon amplitudes in multi-Regge kinematics

We compute all 2 → 5 gluon scattering amplitudes in planar $ \mathcal{N} $ N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory in the multi-Regge limit that is sensitive to the non-trivial (“long”) Regge cut. We provide the amplitudes through four loops and to all logarithmic accuracy at leading power, in terms of single-valued multiple polylogarithms of two variables. To obtain these results, we leverage the function-level results for the amplitudes in the Steinmann cluster bootstrap. To high powers in the series expansion in the two variables, our results agree with the recently conjectured all-order central emission vertex used in the Fourier-Mellin representation of amplitudes in multi-Regge kinematics. Our results therefore provide a resummation of the Fourier-Mellin residues into single-valued polylogarithms, and constitute an important cross-check between the bootstrap approach and the all-orders multi-Regge proposal.

1/N expansion↗