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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

Measurement of boosted Higgs bosons produced via vector boson fusion or gluon fusion in the H →$ \textrm{b}\overline{\textrm{b}} $ decay mode using LHC proton-proton collision data at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 13 TeV

A measurement is performed of Higgs bosons produced with high transverse momentum (p$_{T}$) via vector boson or gluon fusion in proton-proton collisions. The result is based on a data set with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected in 2016–2018 with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{−1}$. The decay of a high-p$_{T}$ Higgs boson to a boosted bottom quark-antiquark pair is selected using large-radius jets and employing jet substructure and heavy-flavor taggers based on machine learning techniques. Independent regions targeting the vector boson and gluon fusion mechanisms are defined based on the topology of two quark-initiated jets with large pseudorapidity separation. The signal strengths for both processes are extracted simultaneously by performing a maximum likelihood fit to data in the large-radius jet mass distribution. The observed signal strengths relative to the standard model expectation are $ {4.9}_{-1.6}^{+1.9} $ and $ {1.6}_{-1.5}^{+1.7} $ for the vector boson and gluon fusion mechanisms, respectively. A differential cross section measurement is also reported in the simplified template cross section framework.[graphic not available: see fulltext]

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Hydrogen Dynamics in Supercritical Water Probed by Neutron Scattering and Computer Simulations

In this work, an investigation of supercritical water is presented combining inelastic and deep inelastic neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations based on a machine-learned potential of ab initio quality. The local hydrogen dynamics is investigated at 250 bar and in the temperature range of 553–823 K, covering the evolution from subcritical liquid to supercritical gas-like water. The evolution of libration, bending, and stretching motions in the vibrational density of states is studied, analyzing the spectral features by a mode decomposition. Moreover, the hydrogen nuclear momentum distribution is measured, and its anisotropy is probed experimentally. It is shown that hydrogen bonds survive up to the higher temperatures investigated, and we discuss our results in the framework of the coupling between intramolecular modes and intermolecular librations. Results show that the local potential affecting hydrogen becomes less anisotropic within the molecular plane in the supercritical phase, and we attribute this result to the presence of more distorted hydrogen bonds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Evolutionary characteristics of intergenic transcribed regions indicate rare novel genes and widespread noisy transcription in the Poaceae

Abstract Extensive transcriptional activity occurring in intergenic regions of genomes has raised the question whether intergenic transcription represents the activity of novel genes or noisy expression. To address this, we evaluated cross-species and post-duplication sequence and expression conservation of intergenic transcribed regions (ITRs) in four Poaceae species. Among 43,301 ITRs across the four species, 34,460 (80%) are species-specific. ITRs found across species tend to be more divergent in expression and have more recent duplicates compared to annotated genes. To assess if ITRs are functional (under selection), machine learning models were established in Oryza sativa (rice) that could accurately distinguish between phenotype genes and pseudogenes (area under curve-receiver operating characteristic = 0.94). Based on the models, 584 (8%) and 4391 (61%) rice ITRs are classified as likely functional and nonfunctional with high confidence, respectively. ITRs with conserved expression and ancient retained duplicates, features that were not part of the model, are frequently classified as likely-functional, suggesting these characteristics could serve as pragmatic rules of thumb for identifying candidate sequences likely to be under selection. This study also provides a framework to identify novel genes using comparative transcriptomic data to improve genome annotation that is fundamental for connecting genotype to phenotype in crop and model systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Study of Overfitting by Machine Learning Methods Using Generalization Equations

The training error of Machine Learning (ML) methods has been extensively used for performance assessment, and its low values have been used as a main justification for complex methods such as estimator fusion and ensembles, and hyper parameter tuning. We present two practical cases where independent tests indicate that the low training error is more of a reflection of over-fitting rather than the generalization ability. We derive a generic form of the generalization equations that separates the training error terms of ML methods from their epistemic terms that correspond to approximation and learnability properties. It provides a framework to separately account for both terms to ensure an overall high generalization performance. For regression estimation tasks, we derive conditions for performance enhancements achieved by hyper parameter tuning, and fusion and ensemble methods over their constituent methods. We present experimental measurements and ML estimates that illustrate the analytical results for the throughput profile estimation of a data transport infrastructure.

Rao, Nageswara↗

GLUE Code: A framework handling communication and interfaces between scales

Many scientific applications are inherently multiscale in nature. Such complex physical phenomena often require simultaneous execution and coordination of simulations spanning multiple time and length scales. This is possible by combining expensive small-scale simulations (such as molecular dynamics simulations) with larger scale simulations (such continuum limit/hydro solvers) to allow for considerably larger systems using task and data parallelism. However, the granularity of the tasks can be very large and often leads to load imbalance. Traditionally, we use approximations to streamline the computation of the more costly interactions and this introduces trade-offs between simulation cost and accuracy. In recent years, the available computational power and the advances in machine learning have made computing these scale-bridging interactions and multiscale simulations more feasible. One driving application has been plasma modeling in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), which is fundamentally multiscale in nature. This requires deep understanding of how to extrapolate microscopic information into macroscopically relevant scales. For example, in ICF one needs an accurate understanding of the connection between experimental observables and the underlying microphysics. The properties of the larger scales are often affected by the microscale behavior incorporated usually into the equations of state and ionic and electronic transport coefficients (Liboff, 1959; Rinderknecht et al., 2014; Rosenberg et al., 2015; Ross et al., 2017). Instead of incorporating this information using reliable molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, one often needs to use theoretical models, due to the inability of MD to reach engineering scales (Glosli et al., 2007; Marinak et al., 1998). One approach to resolve this issue is by coupling two MD simulations of different scales via force interpolation, e.g., the AdResS method (Krekeler et al., 2018; Nagarajan et al., 2013). Another approach, which we will pursue in the scope of this work, is by enabling scale bridging between MD simulations and meso/macro-scale models through the development and support of application programming interfaces that these different applications can interact through.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A forward modeling approach to analyzing galaxy clustering with S IM BIG

We present cosmological constraints from a simulation-based inference (SBI) analysis of galaxy clustering from the SimBIG forward modeling framework. SimBIG leverages the predictive power of high-fidelity simulations and provides an inference framework that can extract cosmological information on small nonlinear scales. In this work, we apply SimBIG to the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) CMASS galaxy sample and analyze the power spectrum, P ℓ (k), to k max = 0.5 h/Mpc. We construct 20,000 simulated galaxy samples using our forward model, which is based on 2,000 high-resolution Quijote N -body simulations and includes detailed survey realism for a more complete treatment of observational systematics. We then conduct SBI by training normalizing flows using the simulated samples and infer the posterior distribution of ΛCDM cosmological parameters: Ω m , Ω b , h, n s , σ 8 . We derive significant constraints on Ω m and σ 8 , which are consistent with previous works. Our constraint on σ 8 is 27% more precise than standard P ℓ analyses because we exploit additional cosmological information on nonlinear scales beyond the limit of current analytic models, k > 0.25 h/Mpc. This improvement is equivalent to the statistical gain expected from a standard P ℓ analysis of galaxy sample ~ 60% larger than CMASS. While we focus on P ℓ in this work for validation and comparison to the literature, SimBIG provides a framework for analyzing galaxy clustering using any summary statistic. We expect further improvements on cosmological constraints from subsequent SimBIG analyses of summary statistics beyond P ℓ .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Data-driven closure modeling for hypersonic turbulent flows

The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations remain a workhorse technology for simulating compressible fluid flows of practical interest. Due to model-form errors, however, RANS models can yield erroneous predictions that preclude their use on mission-critical problems. This report summarizes work performed from FY22-FY24 focused on improving RANS models for hypersonic flows using data-driven modeling and scientific machine learning. In this work we: 1. Investigate the current capabilities of RANS models in Sandia’s parallel aerodynamics and re-entry code (SPARC) for hypersonic flows with a focus on shock boundary layer interactions (SBLIs), 2. Assess several established corrections that exist in the literature aimed at improving predictions for SBLIs, 3. Develop improved models for the Reynolds stress tensor using tensor-basis neural networks, 4. Develop a neural-network-based variable turbulent Prandtl number model to reduce errors in wall heating in SBLIs. 5. Begin future investigations including employing the LIFE framework to improve wall heating predictions in SBLIs as well as the ensemble Kalman filter. We find that current RANS models in SPARC are deficient for complex SBLI flows. In particular, no current model jointly predicts wall heat flux, wall shear stress, and wall pressure with reasonable accuracy. Existing corrections help, but do not alleviate this issue altogether. The development of improved models for the Reynolds stress tensor via tensor-basis neural networks results in more predictive RANS models across a suite of low-speed and high-speed cases. For hypersonic boundary layers, the inclusion of the wall-normal Reynolds stress via TBNNs has an appreciable impact on the wall-normal momentum balance and wall quantities. However, we find that improvements to the Reynolds stress tensor do not address the over-prediction in wall heat flux in SBLIs. We find that a neural-network-based variable turbulent Prandtl number model systematically and substantially improves wall heating predictions for a range of SBLI cases.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Towards a Robust Adaptive Digital Twin for Fusion Applications

The development of a digital twin system for fusion applications is essential for enhancing the prediction, analysis, and optimization of complex plasma processes. Machine learning (ML), particularly deep learning has demonstrated strong capabilities in modeling such highly nonlinear and intricate systems. However, two critical challenges limit the deployment of deep learning-based digital twins: Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) and data drift. UQ is vital for ensuring trustworthy predictions, especially in decision-support scenarios. Additionally, data-driven models are often sensitive to changes in the underlying data distribution, such as shot-to-shot variations in fusion experiments, which can lead to performance degradation over time. To address these challenges, we are developing an uncertainty-aware, adaptive digital twin framework. Our approach incorporates deep learning models enhanced with Gaussian Process approximations for predictive uncertainty estimation, coupled with an online learning mechanism that enables continuous model adaptation to new experimental data. This adaptive capability allows the data driven models to respond effectively to evolving plasma behaviors and equipment conditions. Specifically, to mitigate the effects of shot-to-shot drift, our system updates itself incrementally as new data becomes available, improving both robustness and fidelity. Our vision is to evolve this data driven model into a self-sustaining digital twin system that leverages UQ based feedback to continuously refine itself and potentially support real-time decision making. This presentation will cover a brief background on uncertainty quantification for ML, our ongoing effort on development of UQ capabilities for ML, our data science pipeline from data collection to model development and analysis and online learning framework for modeling coil deflection at DIII-D. I will also briefly touch upon opportunities and challenges in development of digital twin framework.

Sammuli, Brian [General Atomics]↗

Physics-Informed Machine Learning-Aided System Space Discretization

Decision-making is the process of identifying and choosing alternatives based on an agreed-upon set of metrics and preferences established by the decision-maker. There are options to be considered during the decision-making process and each option offers a different trajectory and associated success profile in moving from a given system state to the desired system state. The decision-making process typically involves uncertainties associated with the current component and system states. In this sense, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) can be an analytical method and tool for accomplishing the probabilistic aspect of the decision-making process. Dynamic PRA is an evolution of conventional PRA methodology in which driving forces on modeled plant elements and the element behaviors are explicitly modeled over time. In the recent past, risk assessment methodologies have evolved to address risk issues in a continuously evolving environment and a novel probabilistic dynamics framework in continuous time and state-space discretization forms has been proposed. While state-space discretization has shown its strength in both consequence and causal reasoning modes, several challenges, including the computational requirement and physically meaningful system state identification, exist. Conventional system space discretization has usually been done by either the equal width discretization method or a data-driven method. Those methods naturally possess challenges coming from the physical understanding of discretized system space (i.e., system state) and the trajectory moving from a given system state to another system state. The purpose of this paper is to present a physics-based and data-driven system state discretization method such that one can justify what the discretized system space implies and understand the state trajectory from the viewpoint of operational actions.

Kim, Junyung↗

Physics-Informed Neural Networks for PDE-Constrained Optimization and Control

The goal of optimal control is to determine a sequence of inputs for maximizing or minimizing a given performance criterion subject to the dynamics and constraints of the system under observation. This work introduces Control Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs), which simultaneously learn both the system states and the optimal control signal in a single-stage framework that leverages the system’s underlying physical laws. While prior approaches often follow a two-stage process-modeling, the system first and then devising its control—the presented novel framework embeds the necessary optimality conditions directly into the network architecture and loss function. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the novel methodology by solving various open-loop optimal control problems governed by analytical, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional partial differential equations (PDEs).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

AI-Based Analytics and Energy Modeling Framework for Characterizing Urban Energy Systems

Developing location-specific district energy models is essential for understanding energy patterns and supporting efficient management and planning decisions. However, accurately characterizing these models remains challenging due to gaps in building characteristics and labor-intensive traditional modeling workflows. To address these challenges, we develop an AI-based framework that integrates top-down and bottom-up building energy data to automate urban energy model characterization. The framework trains multimodal deep learning models using heterogeneous ResStockTM datasets to infer missing building characteristics from varying levels of known information and generate simulation-ready inputs for district-scale energy modeling. It also employs a conditioning-based injection approach to generate ”what-if” scenarios, enabling users to explore retrofit, efficiency, and technology-upgrade pathways. Integrated within URBANoptTM, a bottom-up district energy modeling platform for simulating co-located buildings, the framework infers detailed building-level inputs required for bottom-up simulations. Both localized and generalized AI models are developed to learn relationships across categorical, numerical, and time-series data, enabling reconstruction of missing attributes and generation of targeted upgrade scenarios. We demonstrate this methodology on a residential neighborhood in Baltimore, MD, assessing internal consistency against ResStock reference data and URBANopt simulation, and comparing selected attributes against real-world building characteristics. Results show strong overall predictive accuracy in data completion and scenario generation, with localized and generalized models offering complementary trade-offs between precision and scalability. Overall, our automated framework streamlines energy modeling and provides a reliable framework for urban building energy characterization.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Computationally Accelerated Discovery and Experimental Demonstration of High-Performance Materials for Advanced Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

This project achieved its overarching goal of accelerating the discovery and validation of solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) materials through a tightly integrated approach that combined high-throughput computational screening, advanced machine learning (ML), and experimental testing. Guided by the objectives outlined in the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO), our work fulfilled all major milestones across four technical tasks and delivered scientific breakthroughs and practical tools that significantly exceeded the original scope of the project. We began by addressing the challenge of predicting material phase stability through machine learning. A novel Python module was developed to generate thousands of meaningful features from composition, structure, and electronic properties, enabling rapid and reproducible ML model development. Using these tools, we trained a model to predict temperature-dependent Gibbs energies (G(T)) for inorganic crystalline materials with near-chemical accuracy—roughly 40 meV/atom—marking the first such descriptor of its kind. We also introduced a new machine-learned tolerance factor, τ, that accurately predicted perovskite formability with over 90% success, outperforming traditional heuristic models, such as the Goldschmidt tolerance factor. These capabilities allowed for rapid and accurate predictions of phase stability across a vast oxide composition space, setting the stage for high-throughput thermodynamic screening. Building on this foundation, we conducted an extensive computational screening of candidate STCH oxide materials. Over 1.1 million perovskite compositions were evaluated using the τ descriptor, leading to the identification of more than 27,000 predicted stable structures. Using density functional theory (DFT), we refined over 68,000 multinary perovskite structures and computed oxygen vacancy formation energies for over 1,300 ternary and double perovskites. These calculations enabled us to isolate compounds with redox behavior consistent with STCH requirements and resulted in a public dataset now hosted on the Materials Project. Recognizing that thermodynamic screening alone is insufficient, we addressed kinetic limitations by developing a suite of tools to estimate transition state (TS) energies for key redox reactions. We implemented a novel bounding approach that provides lower and upper estimates of TS energies with dramatically reduced computational cost, requiring less than 10% of the CPU time of a full nudged elastic band (NEB) calculation while maintaining high accuracy. This enabled rapid evaluation of over 200 reaction pathways across 90 materials. To further accelerate screening, we developed a SISSO-based ML model to predict diffusion barriers with a 96.7% success rate in classifying fast vs. slow materials, supporting a robust, data-driven framework for assessing redox kinetics. Experimental validation was critical to confirming the predictive power of our models. We synthesized and tested a wide array of candidate materials, including Mn-doped hercynite and several Gd- and La-based perovskites. Notably, Sr 0.4 Gd 0.6 Mn 0.6 Al 0.4 O 3 (SGMA) and Gd 0.5 La 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 0.5 O 3 (GLCF) emerged as leading STCH materials, exhibiting robust redox cycling and high hydrogen yields exceeding 150 µmol H 2 /g per cycle. These materials also retained over 50% of their hydrogen productivity under high-conversion conditions (H 2 O:H 2 = 1333:1), demonstrating strong thermodynamic favorability and promising performance under industrially relevant scenarios. Additional candidates, such as La 2 MnNiO 6 (L2MN), were found to produce even higher yields than ceria under standard STCH conditions. Our collaborators at Sandia National Laboratories confirmed these findings using high-temperature X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, observing stable phase evolution and reversible redox activity. In several respects, the project went beyond the goals initially outlined in the SOPO. We published 17 peer-reviewed articles, including a large dataset of over 66,000 theoretical perovskites and a new structure prediction method (SPuDS-DFT) that accurately identifies ground-state structures at a fraction of the cost of traditional DFT. We demonstrated that our machine-learned G(T) model offers accuracy rivaling quasiharmonic calculations while being orders of magnitude faster. In partnership with the Materials Project, we made our datasets openly available, providing a powerful new resource for the broader materials science community. The combined computational and experimental advances of this project represent a significant advance in STCH materials discovery. By creating a robust, generalizable, and open workflow for thermodynamic and kinetic screening, and validating key findings through synthesis and reactor testing, we have provided a practical and scalable pathway for the rapid identification of new redox-active materials. The tools, data, and materials developed under this project are already supporting ongoing research and have laid the groundwork for the next generation of solar fuel technologies.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Continuous conditional generative adversarial networks for data-driven solutions of poroelasticity with heterogeneous material properties

Machine learning-based data-driven modeling can allow computationally efficient time-dependent solutions of PDEs, such as those that describe subsurface multiphysical problems. In this work, our previous approach (Kadeethum et al., 2021d) of conditional generative adversarial networks (cGAN) developed for the solution of steady-state problems involving highly heterogeneous material properties is extended to time-dependent problems by adopting the concept of continuous cGAN (CcGAN). The CcGAN that can condition continuous variables is developed to incorporate the time domain through either element-wise addition or conditional batch normalization. Moreover, this framework can handle training data that contain different timestamps and then predict timestamps that do not exist in the training data. As a numerical example, the transient response of the coupled poroelastic process is studied in two different permeability fields: Zinn & Harvey transformation and a bimodal transformation. The proposed CcGAN uses heterogeneous permeability fields as input parameters while pressure and displacement fields over time are model output. Our results show that the model provides sufficient accuracy with computational speed-up. This robust framework will enable us to perform real-time reservoir management and robust uncertainty quantification in poroelastic problems.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Study of Data-Driven Mesh-Model Optimization in System Thermal-Hydraulic Simulation

Quantification of nuclear power plant safety risk requires a systematic and yet practical approach to identification of accident scenarios, assessment of their likelihood and consequences. Instrumental to this goal is risk-informed safety margin characterization (RISMC) framework, whose realization requires computationally robust and affordable methods for sufficiently accurate simulation of complex multi-dimensional physical phenomena, such as turbulent and multi-phase flow. The CFD-like correlation-based codes with 3D simulation capability (e.g., GOTHIC) ensure computational efficiency using coarse mesh size and the sub-grid phenomena in the boundary layer that can be captured by adequate constitutive correlations. However, the error sources and user effects on the selection of mesh size and models lead to unpredictable simulation error, while rich High-Fidelity (HF) data from experiments and numerical simulation using validated code or DNS are not fully explored. It would be useful to have a “smart” data-driven multi-scale framework in which the low-resolution models can be “taught” to emulate high-resolution models. The objective of this work is to develop and evaluate a physical-based data-driven mesh-model optimization approach (Optimized Mesh/Model Information System, OMIS) to estimate the simulation error and give advice on the optimized selection of coarse mesh size and Low-Fidelity (LF) models for System Thermal Hydraulic (STH) simulation to achieve accuracy comparable to that of HF models. This approach takes advantages of computational efficiency of coarse-mesh simulation and application of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Assessment of Machine Learning Wall Modeling Approaches for Large Eddy Simulation of Gas Turbine Film Cooling Flows: An a Priori Study

Here, in this work, a priori analysis of machine learning (ML) strategies is carried out with the goal of data-driven wall modeling for large eddy simulation (LES) of gas turbine film cooling flows. High-fidelity flow datasets are extracted from wall-resolved LES (WRLES) of flow over a flat plate interacting with the coolant flow supplied by a single row of 7-7-7 shaped cooling holes inclined at 30 degrees with the flat plate at different blowing ratios (BR). The WRLES are performed using the high-order Nek5000 spectral element computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. Light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) is employed as the ML algorithm for the data-driven wall model. Parametric tests are conducted to systematically assess the influence of a wide range of input flow features (velocity components, velocity gradients, pressure gradients, and fluid properties) on the accuracy of ML wall model with respect to prediction of wall shear stress. In addition, the use of spatial stencil and time delay is also explored within the ML wall modeling framework. It is shown that features associated with gradients of the streamwise and spanwise velocity components have a major impact on the prediction fidelity of wall model, while the effect of gradients of wall-normal velocity component is found to be negligible. Moreover, adding flow feature information from an x-y-z spatial stencil significantly improves the ML model accuracy and generalizability compared to just using local flow features from the matching location. Overall, highest prediction accuracy is achieved when both spatial stencil and time delay features are incorporated within the data-driven wall modeling paradigm.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Affine Transformations to Correlate Experimental and Simulated EDS Spectra for Multi-Element Systems

Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) is an essential technique for determining elemental concentrations and distributions within microstructures, critical for materials discovery, optimization, and qualification. However, most published EDS data is qualitative because current quantitative EDS analysis methods require extensive calibration and post-processing, limiting their practicality and widespread adoption. This work seeks to establish a framework for accelerated EDS characterization and spectrum analysis that can leverage ML to analyze correlations between various elemental compositions and resulting EDS spectra. The complex physics and data result in a high-dimensional problem that grows exponentially with the number of elements in the system and the complexity of the spectrum analysis. ML provides a way to compute and optimize the results of this highly dimensional problem in a flexible way to tailor it to the user’s specific needs and material system. However, the framework emphasizes transparency through a strictly mathematical affine transformation, so the analysis remains understandable and reviewable to facilitate adoption by the scientific community. While currently implemented methods are simplistic and unvalidated, further development and demonstration of this framework could enable high-throughput, accurate, and accessible EDS characterization.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗