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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Assessing the theory-data tension in neutrino-induced charged pion production: the effect of final-state nucleon distortion

Pion production on nuclei constitutes a significant part of the total cross section in experiments involving few-GeV neutrinos. Combined analyses of data on deuterium and heavier nuclei points to tensions between the bubble chamber data and the data of the MINER$\nu$A experiment, which are often ascribed to unspecified nuclear effects. To understand the origin of these tensions, a microscopic quantum mechanical framework is needed to compute nuclear matrix elements. We use the local approximation to the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation (RDWIA) to assess the role of final-state nucleon distortion. To perform this comparison under conditions relevant to neutrino experiments, we compute cross sections for the MINER$\nu$A and T2K charged pion production datasets. The inclusion of nucleon distortion leads to a reduction of the cross section up to 10%, but to no significant change in shape of the flux-averaged cross sections. Results with and without distortion compare favorably to experimental data, with the exception of the low-$Q^2$ MINER$\nu$A $\pi^+$ data. We point out that hydrogen target data from BEBC is also overpredicted at low-$Q^2$, and that the discrepancy is similar in shape and magnitude to what is found in comparison to MINER$\nu$A data. Including nucleon distortion alone cannot explain the overprediction of low-$Q^2$ cross sections measured by MINER$\nu$A. The similar overprediction of BEBC data on hydrogen means that it is impossible to ascribe this discrepancy solely to a nuclear effect. Axial couplings and their $Q^2$ dependence should ideally be derived from more precise data on hydrogen and deuterium.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement Of The Total Cross-Section Of Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Coherent Pion Production in NOvA Near Detector

Charged Current (CC) coherent neutrino-nucleus pion production is characterized by small momentum transferred to the nucleus, which is left in its ground state. Despite the relatively large uncertainties on the production cross-section, coherent production of mesons by neutrinos represents an important process, as it can shed light on the structure of the weak current and can also constitute a potential source of background for modern neutrino oscillation experiments and searches for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics. This Ph.D. thesis presents a new measurement of CC coherent pion production in the NOvA near detector at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). The analysis is based on the use of both particle identification and kinematic selection criteria based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to achieve a selection purity of 60%. Given the energy range 1-5 GeV accessible with the available NOvA exposure in the NuMI beam, the results will also be relevant for f uture neutrino experiments like the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lattice QCD Constraints on the Fourth Mellin Moment of the Pion Light Cone Distribution Amplitude using the HOPE method

The light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) of the pion contains information about the parton momentum carried by the quarks and is an important theoretical input for various predictions of exclusive processes at high energy, including the pion electromagnetic form factor. Progress towards constraining the fourth Mellin moment of the LCDA using the heavy-quark operator product expansion (HOPE) method is presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

A study of charge symmetry violation in fragmentation functions extracted from semi-inclusive electroproduction of charged pions from protons and deuterons

We have measured the flavor dependence of multiplicities for ?+ and ?? production in semi- inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) on proton and deuteron targets. We used a 10.6 GeV electron beam at Jefferson Lab, and 4 msr solid angle spectrometers (HMS for electrons, SHMS for pions), the lepton vertex spanned the kinematic range 0.3 < ? < 0.6, 2 < ?2 < 5 GeV2, and 4 < ?2 < 11 GeV2. The pion fractional momentum range was 0.3 < ? < 0.7 and the small transverse momentum range was 0 < ?? < 0.25 GeV. We used the multiplicities to form sum-and- difference ratios, testing the validity of factorization. We extracted two favored and two unfavored flavor-dependent fragmentation functions (FFs) using these multiplicities. Assuming factorization at low ?? , we find that these two FFs allow for isospin breaking (charge symmetry violation) at low ?, while converging to a common flavor independent value at the highest ? of this experiment, where the factorization is most applicable.

Bhatt, Hem↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flavor Dependence of Charged Pion Fragmentation Functions

We have measured the flavor dependence of multiplicities for π + and π - production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) on proton and deuteron to explore a possible charge symmetry violation in fragmentation functions. The experiment used an electron beam with energies of 10.2 and 10.6 GeV at Jefferson Lab and the Hall-C spectrometers. The electron kinematics spanned the range 0.3 < x < 0.6, 2 < Q 2 < 5.5 GeV2, and 2.2 < W < 3.2 GeV. The pion fractional momentum range was 0.3 < z < 0.7, and the transverse momentum range was 0 < p T < 0.25 GeV/c. Assuming factorization and allowing for isospin breaking, the results can be described by two “favored” and two “unfavored” effective low p T fragmentation functions that are flavor-dependent. We find each pair converges to a common flavor-independent fragmentation function at the highest W, where factorization is most applicable.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nonperturbative aspects of the electromagnetic pion form factor at high energies

The structure of hadronic form factors at high energies and their deviations from perturbative quantum chromodynamics provide insight on nonperturbative dynamics. Using an approach that is consistent with dispersion relations, we construct a model that simultaneously accounts for the pion wave function, gluonic exchanges, and quark Reggeization. In particular, we find that quark Reggeization can be investigated at high energies by studying scaling violation of the form factor.

Form factors↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for an Anomalous Production of Charged-Current 𝜈 𝑒 Interactions without Visible Pions across Multiple Kinematic Observables in MicroBooNE

This Letter presents an investigation of low-energy electron-neutrino interactions in the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam by the MicroBooNE experiment, motivated by the excess of electron-neutrino-like events observed by the MiniBooNE experiment. This is the first measurement to use data from all five years of operation of the MicroBooNE experiment, corresponding to an exposure of 1.11 × 10 21 protons on target, a 70% increase on past results. Two samples of electron neutrino interactions without visible pions are used, one with visible protons and one without any visible protons. The MicroBooNE data show reasonable agreement with the nominal prediction, with 𝑝 values ≥26.7% when the two 𝜈 𝑒 samples are combined, though the prediction exceeds the data in limited regions of phase space. The data are further compared to two empirical models that modify the predicted rate of electron-neutrino interactions in different variables in the simulation to match the unfolded MiniBooNE low energy excess. In the first model, this unfolding is performed as a function of electron neutrino energy, while the second model aims to match the observed shower energy and angle distributions of the MiniBooNE excess. This measurement excludes an electronlike interpretation of the MiniBooNE excess based on these models at >99% CLs in all kinematic variables.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Insights into the emergence of mass from studies of pion and kaon structure

There are two mass generating mechanisms in the standard model of particle physics (SM). One is related to the Higgs boson and fairly well understood. The other is embedded in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the SM’s strong interaction piece; and although responsible for emergence of the roughly 1 GeV mass scale that characterises the proton and hence all observable matter, the source and impacts of this emergent hadronic mass (EHM) remain puzzling. As bound states seeded by a valence-quark and -antiquark, pseudoscalar mesons present a simpler problem in quantum field theory than that associated with the nucleon. Consequently, there is a large array of robust predictions for pion and kaon properties whose empirical validation will provide a clear window onto many effects of both mass generating mechanisms and the constructive interference between them. This has now become significant because new-era experimental facilities, in operation, construction, or planning, are capable of conducting such tests and thereby contributing greatly to resolving the puzzles of EHM. These aspects of experiment, phenomenology, and theory, along with contemporary successes and challenges, are reviewed herein. In addition to providing an overview of the experimental status, we focus on recent progress made using continuum Schwinger function methods and lattice-regularised QCD. Further, advances made using other theoretical tools are also sketched. Our primary goal is to highlight the potential gains that can accrue from a coherent effort aimed at finally reaching an understanding of the character and structure of Nature’s Nambu–Goldstone modes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Centrality dependence of Lévy-stable two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in $\sqrt{𝑠{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions

The PHENIX experiment measured the centrality dependence of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlation functions in $\sqrt{𝑠{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The data are well represented by Lévy-stable source distributions. The extracted source parameters are the correlation-strength parameter 𝜆, the Lévy index of stability 𝛼, and the Lévy-scale parameter 𝑅 as a function of transverse mass 𝑚 𝑇 and centrality. The 𝜆⁡(𝑚 𝑇 ) parameter is constant at larger values of 𝑚 𝑇 , but decreases as 𝑚 𝑇 decreases. The Lévy-scale parameter 𝑅⁡(𝑚 𝑇 ) decreases with 𝑚 𝑇 and exhibits proportionality to the length scale of the nuclear overlap region. The Lévy exponent 𝛼⁡(𝑚 𝑇 ) is independent of 𝑚 𝑇 within uncertainties in each investigated centrality bin, but shows a clear centrality dependence. At all centralities, the Lévy exponent 𝛼 is significantly different from that of Gaussian (𝛼 = 2) or Cauchy (𝛼 = 1) source distributions. Comparisons to the predictions of Monte-Carlo simulations of resonance-decay chains show that, in all but the most peripheral centrality class (50%–60%), the obtained results are inconsistent with the measurements, unless a significant reduction of the in-medium mass of the 𝜂′ meson is included. Finally, in each centrality class, the best value of the in-medium 𝜂′ mass is compared to the mass of the 𝜂 meson, as well as to several theoretical predictions that consider restoration of U 𝐴⁢ (1) symmetry in hot hadronic matter.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Drell-Yan process with pions and polarized nucleons

The Drell-Yan process provides important information on the internal structure of hadrons including transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). In this work we present calculations for all leading twist structure functions de- scribing the pion induced Drell-Yan process. The non-perturbative input for the TMDs is taken from the light-front constituent quark model, the spectator model, and available parametrizations of TMDs extracted from the experimental data. TMD evolution is implemented at Next-to-Leading Logarithmic precision for the first time for all asymmetries. Our results are compatible with the first experimental information, help to interpret the data from ongoing experiments, and will allow one to quantitatively assess the models in future when more precise data will become available.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Positivity and geometric function theory constraints on pion scattering

This paper presents the fascinating correspondence between the geometric function theory and the scattering amplitudes with O(N) global symmetry. A crucial ingredient to show such correspondence is a fully crossing symmetric dispersion relation in the z-variable, rather than the fixed channel dispersion relation. We have written down fully crossing symmetric dispersion relation for O(N) model in z-variable for three independent combinations of isospin amplitudes. We have presented three independent sum rules or locality constraints for the O(N) model arising from the fully crossing symmetric dispersion relations. We have derived three sets of positivity conditions. We have obtained two-sided bounds on Taylor coefficients of physical Pion amplitudes around the crossing symmetric point (for example, π + π – → π 0 π 0 ) applying the positivity conditions and the Bieberbach-Rogosinski inequalities from geometric function theory.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Elastic nucleon-pion scattering at m π = 200 MeV from lattice QCD

Elastic nucleon-pion scattering amplitudes are computed using lattice QCD on a single ensemble of gauge field configurations with N f = 2 + 1 dynamical quark flavors and m π = 200 MeV. The s-wave scattering lengths with both total isospins I = 1/2 and I = 3/2 are inferred from the finite-volume spectrum below the inelastic threshold together with the I = 3/2 p-wave containing the Δ(1232) resonance. The amplitudes are well-described by the effective range expansion with parameters constrained by fits to the finite-volume energy levels, enabling a determination of the I = 3/2 scattering length with statistical errors below 5%, while the I = 1/2 scattering length is somewhat less precisely evaluated. Systematic errors due to excited states and the influence of higher partial waves are controlled, providing a step toward future computations down to physical light quark masses with multiple lattice spacings and volumes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nucleon helicity generalized parton distribution at physical pion mass from lattice QCD

The generalized parton distributions (GPDs) offer a window on three-dimensional imaging of the nucleon, providing understanding of how the fundamental properties of the nucleon, such as its mass and spin, arise from the underlying quark and gluon degrees of freedom. In this work, we present the first lattice calculation of the nucleon isovector helicity GPD at physical pion mass, using an a≈0.09 fm lattice ensemble with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks generated by MILC Collaboration. We perform the GPD calculation in Breit frame using averaged nucleon boost momentum P z ≈2.2 GeV with nonzero momentum transfers in [0.2,1.0] GeV 2 . Nonperturbative renormalization in RI/MOM scheme is used to obtain the quasi-distribution before matching to the lightcone GPDs. The three-dimensional distribution $\tilde{H}$(x, Q 2 ) is presented, along with the three-dimensional nucleon tomography and impact-parameter-dependent distribution for selected Bjorken x at μ=3 GeV in $\overline{MS}$ scheme.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Collins asymmetries for pion-in-jet production in polarized ℓp collisions at the EIC

We study Collins azimuthal asymmetries for pion-in-jet production in polarized lepton-proton collisions, extending previous analyses of polarized pp scattering to a complementary and theoretically simpler process. We keep adopting a simplified transverse momentum dependent (TMD) approach, with a collinear configuration for the initial state, and employ the transversity and Collins fragmentation functions as extracted from semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation processes. We then compute azimuthal asymmetries for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) kinematics, both within a leading order (LO) approach and by including quasireal photon exchange in the Weizsäcker-Williams approximation. Although this contribution is relevant in the whole kinematical range explored, it does not spoil the dominance of quark-initiated channels, leaving only a marginal role to their gluon counterparts. In this respect, Collins asymmetries in lepton-proton processes allow for a much clearer access to the transversity distribution, including its sea-quark component. As we will argue, a comparison with future EIC data could represent a further step in testing the hypothesis of the universality of the Collins function as well as of the TMD factorization for this class of processes.

Azimuthal asymmetries↗
DOE OSTI2023

Glueballs at physical pion mass

Glueballs are investigated through gluonic operators on two $ N_f=2+1 $ RBC/UKQCD gauge ensembles at the physical pion mass. The statistical errors of glueball correlation functions are considerably reduced through the cluster decomposition error reduction (CDER) method. The Bethe-Salpeter wave functions are obtained for the scalar, tensor, and pseudoscalar glueballs by using spatially extended glueball operators defined through the gauge potential $ A_\mu(x) $ in the Coulomb gauge. These wave functions exhibit similar features of non-relativistic two-gluon systems and are used to optimize the signals of the related correlation functions at the early time regions, where the ground state masses are extracted. These masses are close to those from the quenched approximation and indicate the possible existence of glueballs at the physical point. The resonance feature of glueballs and the mixing with conventional mesons and multi-hadron systems should be considered in a more systematic lattice study.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A D$_2$O detector for flux normalization of a pion decay-at-rest neutrino source

We report on the technical design and expected performance of a 592 kg heavy-water-Cherenkov detector to measure the absolute neutrino flux from the pion-decay-at-rest neutrino source at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The detector will be located roughly 20 m from the SNS target and will measure the neutrino flux with better than 5% statistical uncertainty in 2 years. This heavy-water detector will serve as the first module of a two-module detector system to ultimately measure the neutrino flux to 2–3% at both the First Target Station and the planned Second Target Station of the SNS. This detector will significantly reduce a dominant systematic uncertainty for neutrino cross-section measurements at the SNS, increasing the sensitivity of searches for new physics.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Exploratory calculation of 𝐾 L → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − decay from lattice QCD at physical pion mass

We compute the complex, long-distance two-photon-exchange amplitude which contributes to the rare 𝐾 L → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − decay from lattice QCD. We use a 24 3 × 64 physical-pion-mass gauge field ensemble at an inverse lattice spacing of 1.023 GeV and a QED ∞ -based formalism. Our implementation strategies for all five non-SU(3)-flavor-suppressed diagram topologies are given in detail. We achieve a 25% statistical precision on the dispersive part of this long-distance amplitude. This calculation is carried out with 2+1 quark flavors and therefore requires the addition of counterterms to compensate for the absence of the Glashow-Iliopoulos-Maiani mechanism. These counterterms are not included in the current calculation and will be the subject of a second paper. Although a direct comparison to experiment cannot yet be made because of those omitted counterterms, the present exploratory calculation allows one to identify principal sources of statistical uncertainty in this calculation. The precision of our results is limited by the reconstruction of the physical contribution of the 𝜂 intermediate state, for which various strategies are tested and compared.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗