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At least 163 records · Page 9

The weirdest SDSS galaxies: results from an outlier detection algorithm

How can we discover objects we did not know existed within the large data sets that now abound in astronomy? In this paper, we present an outlier detection algorithm that we developed, based on an unsupervised Random Forest. We test the algorithm on more than two million galaxy spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and examine the 400 galaxies with the highest outlier score. We find objects which have extreme emission line ratios and abnormally strong absorption lines, objects with unusual continua, including extremely reddened galaxies. We find galaxy–galaxy gravitational lenses, double-peaked emission line galaxies and close galaxy pairs. We find galaxies with high ionization lines, galaxies that host supernovae and galaxies with unusual gas kinematics. Only a fraction of the outliers we find were reported by previous studies that used specific and tailored algorithms to find a single class of unusual objects. Our algorithm is general and detects all of these classes, and many more, regardless of what makes them peculiar. Lastly, it can be executed on imaging, time series and other spectroscopic data, operates well with thousands of features, is not sensitive to missing values and is easily parallelizable.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Constraining the dark energy equation of state using Bayes theorem and the Kullback–Leibler divergence

Data-driven model-independent reconstructions of the dark energy equation of state w(z) are presented using Planck 2015 era CMB, BAO, SNIa and Lyman-α data. These reconstructions identify the w(z) behaviour supported by the data and show a bifurcation of the equation of state posterior in the range 1.5 < z < 3. Although the concordance ΛCDM model is consistent with the data at all redshifts in one of the bifurcated spaces, in the other a supernegative equation of state (also known as ‘phantom dark energy’) is identified within the 1.5σ confidence intervals of the posterior distribution. In order to identify the power of different datasets in constraining the dark energy equation of state, we use a novel formulation of the Kullback–Leibler divergence. Moreover, this formalism quantifies the information the data add when moving from priors to posteriors for each possible dataset combination. The SNIa and BAO datasets are shown to provide much more constraining power in comparison to the Lyman-α datasets. Furthermore, SNIa and BAO constrain most strongly around redshift range 0.1 - 0.5, whilst the Lyman-α data constrains weakly over a broader range. We do not attribute the supernegative favouring to any particular dataset, and note that the ΛCDM model was favoured at more than 2 log-units in Bayes factors over all the models tested despite the weakly preferred w(z) structure in the data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Survey geometry and the internal consistency of recent cosmic shear measurements

We explore the impact of an update to the typical approximation for the shape noise term in the analytic covariance matrix for cosmic shear experiments that assumes the absence of survey boundary and mask effects. We present an exact expression for the number of galaxy pairs in this term based on the survey mask, which leads to more than a factor of three increase in the shape noise on the largest measured scales for the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS-450) real-space cosmic shear data. We compare the result of this analytic expression to several alternative methods for measuring the shape noise from the data and find excellent agreement. This update to the covariance resolves any internal model tension evidenced by the previously large cosmological best-fitting χ 2 for the KiDS-450 cosmic shear data. The best-fitting χ 2 is reduced from 161 to 121 for 118 degrees of freedom. We also apply a correction to how the multiplicative shear calibration uncertainty is included in the covariance. This change shifts the inferred amplitude of the correlation function to higher values. In conclusion, we find that this improves agreement of the KiDS-450 cosmic shear results with Dark Energy Survey Year 1 and Planck results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Survey geometry and the internal consistency of recent cosmic shear measurements

Here, we explore the impact of an update to the typical approximation for the shape noise term in the analytic covariance matrix for cosmic shear experiments that assumes the absence of survey boundary and mask effects. We present an exact expression for the number of galaxy pairs in this term based on the the survey mask, which leads to more than a factor of three increase in the shape noise on the largest measured scales for the Kilo-Degree Survey (KIDS-450) real-space cosmic shear data. We compare the result of this analytic expression to several alternative methods for measuring the shape noise from the data and find excellent agreement. This update to the covariance resolves any internal model tension evidenced by the previously large cosmological best-fit $\chi^2$ for the KiDS-450 cosmic shear data. The best-fit $\chi^2$ is reduced from 161 to 121 for 118 degrees of freedom. We also apply a correction to how the multiplicative shear calibration uncertainty is included in the covariance. This change, along with a previously known update to the reported effective angular values of the data vector, jointly shift the inferred amplitude of the correlation function to higher values. Lastly, we find that this improves agreement of the KiDS-450 cosmic shear results with Dark Energy Survey Year 1 and Planck results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Improved measurement of the 2 ν β β half-life of 136 Xe with the EXO-200 detector

In this work, we report on an improved measurement of the 2 ν β β half-life of 136 Xe performed by EXO-200. The use of a large and homogeneous time-projection chamber allows for the precise estimate of the fiducial mass used for the measurement, resulting in a small systematic uncertainty. We also discuss in detail the data-analysis methods used for double- β decay searches with EXO-200, while emphasizing those directly related to the present measurement. The 136 Xe 2 ν β β half-life is found to be T 1 / 2 2 ν β β = 2.165 ± 0.016 ( stat ) ± 0.059 ( sys ) × 10 21 yr. Finally, this is the most precisely measured half-life of any 2 ν β β decay to date.

136Xe↗

High-intensity-beam study of O 17 ( p , γ ) F 18 and thermonuclear reaction rates for O 17 + p

Hydrogen burning of the oxygen isotopes takes place in low-mass stars, asymptotic giant branch stars, and classical novae. Observations of oxygen elemental and isotopic abundances in stellar spectra or in presolar grains provide strong constraints for stellar models if reliable thermonuclear reaction rates for hydrogen burning of oxygen are available. We present the results of a new measurement of the 17 O ( p , γ ) 18 F reaction in the laboratory bombarding energy range of 170 – 530 keV. The measurement is performed with significantly higher beam intensities ( I max ≈ 2 mA) compared to previous work and by employing a sophisticated γ -ray coincidence spectrometer. We measured the cross section at much lower energies than previous in-beam experiments. Furthermore we apply a novel data-analysis method that is based on the decomposition of different contributions to the measured pulse-height spectrum. Our measured strengths of the low-energy resonances amount to ω γ pres ( 193 keV ) = ( 1.86 ± 0.13 ) × 10 - 6 eV and ω γ pres ( 518 keV ) = ( 13.70 ± 0.96 ) × 10 - 3 eV. For the direct capture S factor at zero energy, we find a value of S DC pres ( 0 ) = 4.82 ± 0.41 keV b. We also present new thermonuclear rates for the 17 O + p reactions, taking into account all consistent results from previous measurements.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The AXEAP2 program for K β X-ray emission spectra analysis using artificial intelligence

The processing and analysis of synchrotron data can be a complex task, requiring specialized expertise and knowledge. Our previous work addressed the challenge of X-ray emission spectrum (XES) data processing by developing a standalone application using unsupervised machine learning. However, the task of analyzing the processed spectra remains another challenge. Although the non-resonant K β XES of 3 d transition metals are known to provide electronic structure information such as oxidation and spin state, finding appropriate parameters to match experimental data is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Here, a new XES data analysis method based on the genetic algorithm is demonstrated, applying it to Mn, Co and Ni oxides. This approach is also implemented as a standalone application, Argonne X-ray Emission Analysis 2 ( AXEAP2 ), which finds a set of parameters that result in a high-quality fit of the experimental spectrum with minimal intervention. AXEAP2 is able to find a set of parameters that reproduce the experimental spectrum, and provide insights into the 3 d electron spin state, 3 d –3 p electron exchange force and K β emission core-hole lifetime.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy using independent grazing-incidence focusing and convexly bent Bragg-crystal dispersing optics

We present a modular instrument for dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy (DXAS) developed for the Advanced Spectroscopy Beamline at Sector 25 of the Advanced Photon Source. The setup employs a double-multilayer monochromator to provide X-rays with a broad energy bandwidth, Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors for focusing, a convexly bent Bragg-crystal polychromator for energy dispersion, and a pixel-array detector to resolve all X-ray energies and collect their intensity simultaneously, thereby enabling acquisition of a full X-ray absorption spectrum in a single shot. The use of separate optics for X-ray focusing and energy dispersion provides high spatial resolution and avoids chromatic aberrations inherent in focusing bent-crystal optics, and a modular design makes implementation of the technique at other beamlines possible without requiring modifications to the upstream beamline configurations. Theoretical calculations are performed to determine optimal instrument operating parameters and demonstrate that an energy resolution better than the K-edge core-hole lifetime broadening can be maintained while providing a sufficient bandwidth for X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy through the full operating range of 5–11 keV. Additionally, instrument design, data analysis methods, and initial DXAS results on lithium–manganese–nickel oxide laminates are presented.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

PANDA-FES: Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for Advancing Fusion Energy Science

Nuclear fusion is a potential source of carbon-free electricity with many concepts in development. The Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for Advancing Fusion Energy Science (PANDA-FES) suite has been deployed since 2021 to measure neutron yield, energy, and spatiotemporal source location at two different Z-pinch fusion devices. This diagnostic can be used at a variety of facilities pursuing fusion in the magnetic, inertial, and magneto-inertial regimes. These different regimes have a wide range of time scales from less than 100 ns to a few μ s, neutron yields from 10 6 to 10 11 , and noise environments. Neutron yield is measured through activation of 79 Br and 89 Y with calibrated detectors. Temporal, spatial, and energy dependence of neutrons is measured with scintillators coupled to photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Experimental setups and data analysis methods have been developed for these conditions. Finally, neutron yield, neutron energy anisotropy, and spatiotemporal evolution of the source have been measured.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Improving Mixed-phase Cloud Parameterization in Climate Model with the ACRF Measurements

Mixed-phase cloud microphysical and dynamical processes are still poorly understood, and their representation in GCMs is a major source of uncertainties in overall cloud feedback in GCMs. Thus improving mixed-phase cloud parameterizations in climate models is critical to reducing the climate forecast uncertainties. This study aims at providing improved knowledge of mixed-phase cloud properties from the long-term ACRF observations and improving mixed-phase clouds simulations in the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5). The key accomplishments are: 1) An improved retrieval algorithm was developed to provide liquid droplet concentration for drizzling or mixed-phase stratiform clouds. 2) A new ice concentration retrieval algorithm for stratiform mixed-phase clouds was developed. 3) A strong seasonal aerosol impact on ice generation in Arctic mixed-phase clouds was identified, which is mainly attributed to the high dust occurrence during the spring season. 4) A suite of multi-senor algorithms was applied to long-term ARM observations at the Barrow site to provide a complete dataset (LWC and effective radius profile for liquid phase, and IWC, Dge profiles and ice concentration for ice phase) to characterize Arctic stratiform mixed-phase clouds. This multi-year stratiform mixed-phase cloud dataset provides necessary information to study related processes, evaluate model stratiform mixed-phase cloud simulations, and improve model stratiform mixed-phase cloud parameterization. 5). A new in situ data analysis method was developed to quantify liquid mass partition in convective mixed-phase clouds. For the first time, we reliably compared liquid mass partitions in stratiform and convective mixed-phase clouds. Due to the different dynamics in stratiform and convective mixed-phase clouds, the temperature dependencies of liquid mass partitions are significantly different due to much higher ice concentrations in convective mixed phase clouds. 6) Systematic evaluations of mixed-phase cloud simulations by CAM5 were performed. Measurement results indicate that ice concentrations control stratiform mixed-phase cloud properties. The improvement of ice concentration parameterization in the CAM5 was done in close collaboration with Dr. Xiaohong Liu, PNNL (now at University of Wyoming).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Quantification of 85 Rb, 136 Ce, 142 Nd and 150 Nd Enriched Isotope Standards

Enriched isotope standards are required for routine nuclear fuel burnup and other radiochemical analyses. In 2017 Idaho National Laboratory (INL) generated isotope standard solutions containing enriched 85 Rb, 136 Ce, 142 Nd, and 150 Nd. Oxide and chloride forms of each enriched isotope were obtained from the Oak Ridge Isotope Production program, dissolved, and quantified by isotope dilution-multi collector mass spectrometry. Quantification of the isotope solutions was performed independently by two separate laboratories at INL: the Analytical Laboratory (AL) at the Material and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the Ultra-trace Analytical Laboratory (UAL) in Idaho Falls. Concentration measurement results for all solutions and 142 Nd isotope ratio values reported by both laboratories are in quantitative agreement with each other, while isotope ratio values reported for 150 Nd are observed to have an apparent ~0.8% bias between the results of each laboratory. Data for 85 Rb/ 87 Rb isotope ratio values for UAL TIMS measurements and AL MC-ICP-MS measurements are in quantitative agreement with each other, while those of UAL MC-ICP-MS are observed to be much higher due to the existence of unidentified polyatomic interferences in the 84-88 m/z range for this instrument. Concentration and isotope ratio values for these isotope tracer solutions, along with detailed description of the analytical and data analysis methods utilized, are reported herein.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Time-resolved and steady-state studies of biologically and chemically relevant systems using laser, absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy

In Chapter 2 several experimental and data analysis methods used in this thesis are described. In Chapter 3 steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of the efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a, in the feces of animals and it was found that their levels far exceed those reported to be inhibitory to efflux pumps. In Chapter 4 the solvation dynamics of 6-Propionyl-2-(N,Ndimethyl) aminonaphthalene (PRODAN) was studied in reverse micelles. The two fluorescent states of PRODAN solvate on different time scales and as such care must be exercised in solvation dynamic studies involving it and its analogs. In Chapter 5 we studied the experimental and theoretical solvation dynamics of coumarin 153 (C153) in wild-type (WT) and modified myoglobins. Based on the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence studies, we have concluded that it is important to thoroughly characterize the structure of a protein and probe system before comparing the theoretical and experimental results. In Chapter 6 the photophysical and spectral properties of a derivative of the medically relevant compound curcumin called cyclocurcumin was studied. Based on NMR, fluorescence, and absorption studies, the ground- and excited-states of cyclocurcumin are complicated by the existence of multiple structural isomers. In Chapter 7 the hydrolysis of cellulose by a pure form of cellulase in an ionic liquid, HEMA, and its aqueous mixtures at various temperatures were studied with the goal of increasing the cellulose to glucose conversion for biofuel production. It was found that HEMA imparts an additional stability to cellulase and can allow for faster conversion of cellulose to glucose using a pre-treatment step in comparison to only buffer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

In Situ Synchrotron Tensile Investigations on Ultrasonic Additive Manufactured (UAM) Zirconium

The microstructure evolution of ultrasonic additive manufactured (UAM) zirconium under room temperature uniaxial tensile straining is reported. Miniature dog-bone tensile specimens of two orientations were cut from a UAM zirconium bar for in situ synchrotron tensile tests. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) scanning at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory was used to unveil the changes in microstructure of the entire gauge regions throughout the straining. A series of WAXS data analysis methods were utilized to quantify both elastic and plastic deformation mechanisms within the strained specimens. Stress concentrations were identified during early stage of plastic deformation, which become candidate necking positions and eventually lead to failure. Fracture surface analysis implied that these stress concentration locations may be correlated to the fabrication defects, providing insightful guidance for future improvement of the UAM zirconium process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Algorithms and file structures to enhance software workflows for ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS): CRADA 410 (Final Report)

This document is the final report for CRADA 410 (Project No. 72496). The purpose of this project was supporting customizations of algorithms and raw data file structures to enhance software workflows for liquid chromatography (LC), mass spectrometry (MS) and ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS)-based metabolite characterization. PNNL worked with Agilent to evaluate and improve the integration of ion mobility into existing MS data analysis methods of Agilent software tools. The project augmented PNNL’s capabilities to analyze complex omics samples. These capabilities are directly beneficial to DOE and PNNL efforts to characterize and analyze compounds in microbial and plant communities. The project assisted Agilent in further developing improved instrument-software solutions combining ion mobility with mass spectrometry for widespread applications in life sciences and other fields.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A selection of giant radio sources from NVSS

Results of the application of pattern-recognition techniques to the problem of identifying giant radio sources (GRSs) from the data in the NVSS catalog are presented, and issues affecting the process are explored. Decision-tree pattern-recognition software was applied to training-set source pairs developed from known NVSS large-angular-size radio galaxies. The full training set consisted of 51,195 source pairs, 48 of which were known GRSs for which each lobe was primarily represented by a single catalog component. The source pairs had a maximum separation of $20^{\prime} $ and a minimum component area of 1.87 square arcmin at the 1.4 mJy level. The importance of comparing the resulting probability distributions of the training and application sets for cases of unknown class ratio is demonstrated. The probability of correctly ranking a randomly selected (GRS, non-GRS) pair from the best of the tested classifiers was determined to be 97.8 ± 1.5%. The best classifiers were applied to the over 870,000 candidate pairs from the entire catalog. Images of higher-ranked sources were visually screened, and a table of over 1600 candidates, including morphological annotation, is presented. These systems include doubles and triples, wide-angle tail and narrow-angle tail, S- or Z-shaped systems, and core-jets and resolved cores. In conclusion, while some resolved-lobe systems are recovered with this technique, generally it is expected that such systems would require a different approach.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

TDCOSMO - XVII. New time delays in 22 lensed quasars from optical monitoring with the ESO-VST 2.6m and MPG 2.2m telescopes

We present new time delays, the main ingredient of time delay cosmography, for 22 lensed quasars resulting from high-cadence r-band monitoring on the 2.6 m ESO VLT Survey Telescope and Max-Planck-Gesellschaft 2.2 m telescope. Each lensed quasar was typically monitored for one to four seasons, often shared between the two telescopes to mitigate the interruptions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample of targets consists of 19 quadruply and 3 doubly imaged quasars, which received a total of 1918 hours of on-sky time split into 21 581 wide-field frames, each 320 seconds long. In a given field, the 5-σ depth of the combined exposures typically reaches the 27th magnitude, while that of single visits is 24.5 mag – similar to the expected depth of the upcoming Vera-Rubin LSST. The fluxes of the different lensed images of the targets were reliably de-blended, providing not only light curves with photometric precision down to the photon noise limit, but also high-resolution models of the targets whose features and astrometry were systematically confirmed in Hubble Space Telescope imaging. This was made possible thanks to a new photometric pipeline, lightcurver, and the forward modelling method STARRED. Finally, the time delays between pairs of curves and their uncertainties were estimated, taking into account the degeneracy due to microlensing, and for the first time the full covariance matrices of the delay pairs are provided. Of note, this survey, with 13 square degrees, has applications beyond that of time delays, such as the study of the structure function of the multiple high-redshift quasars present in the footprint at a new high in terms of both depth and frequency. The reduced images will be available through the European Southern Observatory Science Portal.Key words: methods: data analysis / surveys / distance scale

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗