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At least 1,747 records · Page 97

Blinded challenge for precision cosmology with large-scale structure: Results from effective field theory for the redshift-space galaxy power spectrum

An accurate theoretical template for the galaxy power spectrum is key for the success of ongoing and future spectroscopic surveys. We examine to what extent the effective field theory (EFT) of large-scale structure is able to provide such a template and correctly estimate cosmological parameters. To that end, we initiate a blinded challenge to infer cosmological parameters from the redshift-space power spectrum of high-resolution mock catalogs mimicking the BOSS galaxy sample but covering a 100 times larger cumulative volume. This gigantic simulation volume allows us to separate systematic bias due to theoretical modeling from the statistical error due to sample variance. The challenge is to measure three unknown input parameters used in the simulation: the Hubble constant, the matter density fraction, and the clustering amplitude. We present analyses done by two independent teams, who have fitted the mock simulation data generated by yet another independent group. This allows us to avoid any confirmation bias by analyzers and to pin down possible tuning of the specific EFT implementations. Both independent teams have recovered the true values of the input parameters within subpercent statistical errors corresponding to the total simulation volume.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Chromospheric Variability: Analysis of 36 years of Time Series from the National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak Ca II K-line Monitoring Program

Analysis of more than 36 years of time series of seven parameters measured in the NSO/AFRL/Sac Peak K-line monitoring program elucidates five elucidates five components of the variation: (1) the solar cycle (period approx. 11 years), (2) quasi-periodic variations (periods approx 100 days), (3) a broad band stochastic process (wide range of periods), (4) rotational modulation, and (5) random observational errors. Correlation and power spectrum analyses elucidate periodic and aperiodic variation of the chromospheric parameters. Time-frequency analysis illuminates periodic and quasi periodic signals, details of frequency modulation due to differential rotation, and in particular elucidates the rather complex harmonic structure (1) and (2) at time scales in the range approx 0.1 - 10 years. These results using only full-disk data further suggest that similar analyses will be useful at detecting and characterizing differential rotation in stars from stellar light-curves such as those being produced by NASA's Kepler observatory. Component (3) consists of variations over a range of timescales, in the manner of a 1/f random noise process. A timedependent Wilson-Bappu effect appears to be present in the solar cycle variations (1), but not in the stochastic process (3). Component (4) characterizes differential rotation of the active regions, and (5) is of course not characteristic of solar variability, but the fact that the observational errors are quite small greatly facilitates the analysis of the other components. The recent data suggest that the current cycle is starting late and may be relatively weak. The data analyzed in this paper can be found at the National Solar Observatory web site http://nsosp.nso.edu/cak_mon/, or by file transfer protocol at ftp://ftp.nso.edu/idl/cak.parameters.

Solar physics↗

Tomographic constraints on gravity from angular redshift fluctuations in the late Universe

Fluctuations in sky maps of galaxy redshifts, dubbed angular redshift fluctuations (ARF), contain precise information about the growth rate of structures and the nature of gravity in the Universe. Specifically, ARFs constrain the combination of cosmological parameters H/H 0 fσ 8 (z), while being an intrinsically tomographic probe and largely insensitive to many observational systematic errors, all without requiring the assumption of any redshift-to-distance relation under a given fiducial cosmology. We present the first cosmological constraints derived from ARF by using Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) LOWZ(Low redshift(Z))+CMASS(Constant MASS) DR12(Data Release 12) galaxy samples, obtaining 7 per cent accurate constraints on H/H 0 fσ 8 (z) at more than 20 redshifts over the range z ϵ [0.26, 0.72]. Our best-fitting value is 10 per cent larger, but compatible at the 1.4σ level, than the ΛCDM expectation set by Planck observations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. In conclusion, our tomographic measurements, combined with these CMB data, provide one of the strongest constraints on the gravity index γ, $\gamma =0.44^{+0.09}_{-0.07}$, which lies within 2σ of the prediction of General Relativity (γGR ≃ 0.55).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Kinetic equilibrium reconstructions of plasmas in the MAST database and preparation for reconstruction of the first plasmas in MAST upgrade

Reconstructions of plasma equilibria using magnetic sensors were routine during operation of the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) device, but reconstructions using kinetic profiles were not. These are necessary for stability and disruption analysis of the MAST database, as well as for operation in the upgrade to the device, MAST-U. The three-dimensional (3D) code VALEN is used to determine eddy currents in the 3D vessel structures for vacuum coil test shots, which are then mapped to effective resistances in the two-dimensional vessel groupings in the EFIT equilibrium reconstruction code to be used in conjunction with nearby loop voltage measurements for estimated currents in the structures during reconstruction. Kinetic equilibrium reconstructions with EFIT, using all available magnetic sensors as well as Thomson scattering measurements of electron temperature and density, charge exchange recombination spectroscopy measurements of ion temperature, and internal magnetic field pitch angle measurements from a motional Stark effect (MSE) diagnostic are performed for a large database of MAST discharges. Excellent convergence errors are obtained for the portions of the discharges where the stored energy was not too low, and it is found that reconstructions performed with temperature and density measurements but without MSE data usually already match the pitch angle measurements well. A database of 275 kinetic equilibria is used to test the ideal MHD stability calculation capability for MAST. In conclusion, the necessary changes to conducting structure in VALEN, and diagnostic setup in EFIT have been completed for the upgrade from MAST to MAST-U, enabling kinetic reconstructions to commence from the first plasma discharges of the upgraded device.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Magnetic resonance imaging of the calcaneus: preliminary assessment of trabecular bone-dependent regional variations in marrow relaxation time compared with dual X-ray absorptiometry

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Marrow transverse relaxation time (T2*) in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be related to the density and structure of the surrounding trabecular network. We investigated regional variations of T2* in the human calcaneus and compared the findings with bone mineral density (BMD), as measured by dual X-ray absorpiometry (DXA). Short- and long-term precisions were evaluated first to determine whether MR imaging would be useful for the clinical assessment of disease status and progression in osteoporosis. METHODS: Gradient-recalled echo MR images of the calcaneus were acquired at 1.5 T from six volunteers. Measurements of T2* were compared with BMD and (for one volunteer) conventional radiography. RESULTS: T2* values showed significant regional variation; they typically were shortest in the superior region of the calcaneus. There was a linear correlation between MR and DXA measurements (r = .66 for 1/T2* versus BMD). Differences in T2* attributable to variations in analysis region-of-interest placement were not significant for five of the six volunteers. Sagittal MR images had short- and long-term precision errors of 4.2% and 3.3%, respectively. For DXA, the precision was 1.3% (coefficient of variation). CONCLUSION: MR imaging may be useful for trabecular bone assessment in the calcaneus. However, given the large regional variations in bone density and structure, the choice of an ROI is likely to play a major role in the accuracy, precision, and overall clinical efficacy of T2* measurements.

Non-NASA Center↗

Constraining the Multiscale Structure of Geophysical Fields in Machine Learning: The Case of Precipitation

The use of deep-learning algorithms for estimating the value of geophysical variables from remotely sensed information is rapidly expanding. The typical objective function minimized in such algorithms is the mean square error (MSE), which is known to lead to smooth estimates with compressed dynamical range as compared to the true distribution of the variable of interest. Here, we introduce and evaluate alternative objective functions, focusing on the retrieval of precipitation rates from satellite passive microwave radiometric measurements using a deep convolutional neural network. For this testbed application, the results show that explicitly imposing the preservation of the statistical distribution and spatial wavelet power spectrum of the target variable allows to accurately reproduce extreme values and sharp gradients across multiple scales in this study.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Security of quantum position-verification limits Hamiltonian simulation via holography

We investigate the link between quantum position-verification (QPV) and holography established in [1] using holographic quantum error correcting codes as toy models. By inserting the “temporal” scaling of the AdS metric by hand via the bulk Hamiltonian interaction strength, we recover a toy model with consistent causality structure. This leads to an interesting implication between two topics in quantum information: if position-based verification is secure against attacks with small entanglement then there are new fundamental lower bounds for resources required for one Hamiltonian to simulate another.

AdS-CFT Correspondence↗

Third-Order Møller–Plesset Theory Made More Useful? The Role of Density Functional Theory Orbitals

The practical utility of Møller–Plesset (MP) perturbation theory is severely constrained by the use of Hartree–Fock (HF) orbitals. It has recently been shown that the use of regularized orbital-optimized MP2 orbitals and scaling of MP3 energy could lead to a significant reduction in MP3 error. In this work, we examine whether density functional theory (DFT)-optimized orbitals can be similarly employed to improve the performance of MP theory at both the MP2 and MP3 levels. We find that the use of DFT orbitals leads to significantly improved performance for prediction of thermochemistry, barrier heights, noncovalent interactions, and dipole moments relative to the standard HF-based MP theory. Indeed, MP3 (with or without scaling) with DFT orbitals is found to surpass the accuracy of coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) for several data sets. We also found that the results are not particularly functional sensitive in most cases (although range-separated hybrid functionals with low delocalization error perform the best). As such, MP3 based on DFT orbitals thus appears to be an efficient, noniterative O(N 6 ) scaling wave-function approach for single-reference electronic structure computations. Scaled MP2 with DFT orbitals is also found to be quite accurate in many cases, although modern double hybrid functionals are likely to be considerably more accurate.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dynamic in-context learning with conversational models for data extraction and materials property prediction

The advent of natural language processing and large language models (LLMs) has revolutionized the extraction of data from unstructured scholarly papers. However, ensuring data trustworthiness remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we introduce PropertyExtractor, an open-source tool that leverages advanced conversational LLMs such as Google gemini-pro and OpenAI gpt-4, blends zero-shot with few-shot in-context learning, and employs engineered prompts for the dynamic refinement of structured information hierarchies—enabling autonomous, efficient, scalable, and accurate identification, extraction, and verification of material property data. Our tests on material data demonstrate precision and recall that exceed 95% with an error rate of ∼9%, highlighting the effectiveness and versatility of the toolkit. Finally, databases for 2D material thicknesses, a critical parameter for device integration, and energy bandgap values are developed using PropertyExtractor. In particular, for the thickness database, the rapid evolution of the field has outpaced both experimental measurements and computational methods, creating a significant data gap. Our work addresses this gap and showcases the potential of PropertyExtractor as a reliable and efficient tool for the autonomous generation of various material property databases, advancing the field.

Ekuma, Chinedu E. (ORCID:0000000258527556)↗

Full-Shape analysis of the power spectrum and bispectrum of DESI DR1 LRG and QSO samples

We present the first joint analysis of the power spectrum and bispectrum using the Data Release 1 (DR1) of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), focusing on Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) and quasars (QSOs) across a redshift range of 0.4 ≤ z ≤ 2.1. By combining the two- and three-point statistics, we are able to partially break the degeneracy between the logarithmic growth rate, f(z), and the amplitude of dark matter fluctuations, σ s8 (z), which cannot be measured separately in analyses that only involve the power spectrum. In comparison with the (fiducial) Planck ΛCDM cosmology we obtain f/f fid = {0.888 -0.089 +0.186 ,0.977 -0.220 +0.182 ,1.030 -0.085 +0.368 }, σ s8 /σ fid s8 = {1.224 -0.133 +0.091 ,1.071 -0.163 +0.278 ,1.00 0 -0.223 +0.088 } respectively for the three LRG redshift bins, corresponding to a cumulative 10.1% constraint on f, and of 8.4% on σ s8 , including the systematic error budget. Additionally, we obtain constraints for the ShapeFit compressed parameters describing the isotropic scaling parameter, α iso (z), the Alcock-Paczyński parameter, α AP (z), the combined growth of structure parameter fσ s8 (z), and the combined shape parameter m(z)+n(z). Their cumulative constraints from our joint power spectrum-bispectrum analysis are respectively σ αiso = 0.9% (9% improvement with respect to our power spectrum-only analysis); σ α AP = 2.3% (no improvement with respect to power spectrum-only analysis, which is expected given that the bispectrum monopole has no significant anisotropic signal); σ fσs8 = 5.1% (9% improvement); σ m+n = 2.3% (11% improvement). These results are fully consistent with the main DESI power spectrum analysis, demonstrating the robustness of the DESI cosmological constraints, and compatible with Planck ΛCDM cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Study of γ γ → γ ψ ( 2 S ) at Belle

Using 980 fb -1 of data at and around the Υ(nS)(n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) resonances collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider, the two-photon process γγ → γψ(2S) is studied from the threshold to 4.2 GeV for the first time. Two structures are seen in the invariant mass distribution of γψ(2S): one at M R 1 = 3922.4 ± 6.5 ± 2.0 MeV/c 2 with a width of Γ R 1 = 22 ± 17 ± 4 MeV, and another at M R 2 = 4014.3 ± 4.0 ± 1.5 MeV/c 2 with a width of Γ R 2 = 4 ± 11 ± 6 MeV; the signals are parametrized with the incoherent sum of two Breit- Wigner functions. The first structure is consistent with the X(3915) or the χ c2 (3930), and the local statistical significance is determined to be 3.1σ with the systematic uncertainties included. The second matches none of the known charmonium or charmonium like states, and its global significance is determined to be 2.8σ including the look-elsewhere effect. The production rates are Γ γγ B(R 1 → γψ(2S)) = 9.8 ± 3.6 ± 1.2 eV assuming (J PC , |λ|) = (0 ++ , 0) or 2.0 ± 0.7 ± 0.2 eV with (2 ++ , 2) for the first structure and Γ γγ B(R 2 → γψ(2S)) = 6.2 ± 2.2 ± 0.8 eV with (0 ++ , 0) or 1.2 ± 0.4 ± 0.2 eV with (2 ++ , 2) for the second one. Furthermore, the first errors are statistical and the second systematic, and λ is the helicity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Reconstruction of plasma equilibrium and eddy current induced error fields in the Lithium Tokamak eXperiment-β (Final Report)

This is the final report for the DOE award DE-SC0019239, titled “Reconstruction of plasma equilibrium and eddy current induced error fields in the Lithium Tokamak eXperiment-b” for the period July 1, 2018 – July 2, 2023. This award supported research into computational models for plasma equilibrium and 3D conducting structures in the Lithium Tokamak eXperiment-b (LTX-b) using the PSI-Tri/TokaMaker and PSI-Tet codes. Additional detail on progress in support of these tasks is provided below.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evidence for Universality in the Initial Planetesimal Mass Function

Planetesimals may form from the gravitational collapse of dense particle clumps initiated by the streaming instability. We use simulations of aerodynamically coupled gas–particle mixtures to investigate whether the properties of planetesimals formed in this way depend upon the sizes of the particles that participate in the instability. Based on three high-resolution simulations that span a range of dimensionless stopping times 6×10{sup −3}⩽τ⩽2, no statistically significant differences in the initial planetesimal mass function are found. The mass functions are fit by a power law, dN/dM{sub p}∝M{sub p}{sup −p}, with p = 1.5–1.7 and errors of Δp≈0.1. Comparing the particle density fields prior to collapse, we find that the high-wavenumber power spectra are similarly indistinguishable, though the large-scale geometry of structures induced via the streaming instability is significantly different between all three cases. We interpret the results as evidence for a near-universal slope to the mass function, arising from the small-scale structure of streaming-induced turbulence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Impact of White Dwarf Luminosity Profiles on Oscillation Frequencies

KIC 08626021 is a pulsating DB white dwarf (WD) of considerable recent interest, and the first of its class to be extensively monitored by Kepler for its pulsation properties. Fitting the observed oscillation frequencies of KIC 08626021 to a model can yield insights into its otherwise-hidden internal structure. Template-based WD models choose a luminosity profile where the luminosity is proportional to the enclosed mass, ${L}_{r}\,\propto \,{M}_{r}$, independent of the effective temperature T eff . Evolutionary models of young WDs with T eff ≳ 25,000 K suggest that neutrino emission gives rise to luminosity profiles with L r ${/}\!\!\!\!\!\!{\propto }$ M r . We explore this contrast by comparing the oscillation frequencies between two nearly identical WD models: one with an enforced ${L}_{r}\propto {M}_{r}$ luminosity profile, and the other with a luminosity profile determined by the star's previous evolution history. We find that the low-order g-mode frequencies differ by up to ≃70 μHz over the range of Kepler observations for KIC 08626021. This suggests that by neglecting the proper thermal structure of the star (e.g., accounting for the effect of plasmon neutrino losses), the model frequencies calculated by using an ${L}_{r}\propto {M}_{r}$ profile may have uncorrected, effectively random errors at the level of tens of μHz. A mean frequency difference of 30 μHz, based on linearly extrapolating published results, suggests a template model uncertainty in the fit precision of ≃12% in WD mass, ≃9% in the radius, and ≃3% in the central oxygen mass fraction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Data and code from: Multivariate bayesian regression model for predicting disposed ash composition at U.S. coal fired power stations

This dataset contains the code and data files needed for implementation of a Multivariate Bayesian Regression model, described in Jin et al. (2025), for the historical prediction of the chemical composition of disposed coal ash at U.S. coal fired power plants as a function of annualized coal purchase data. The integrated coal supply data file (CoalSupplyDataset.csv) represents a compilation of monthly fuel purchase records for the period 1973-2022 at major U.S. power stations. These records were obtained from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The CSV file also contains, for each coal purchase record, the coal region of the mine as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Data entry errors and data gaps in the EIA records were corrected as described in Jin et al. This CSV file represents the integrated coal supply data after corrections were made. The model structure and fitting parameters are encoded in pickle file format (Bayesian.pkl). The model was developed with the coal supply data and coal ash composition data, apportioned according to the Stratified Shuffle Split for training and testing subsets. The model was built using Python and the PyMC library. Reference Publication: Jin, Z.; Huang, J.; Hower, J.C.; Hsu-Kim, H.(2025). Predictive Assessment of the Chemical Composition of Coal Ash in Reserve at U.S. Disposal Sites. Environmental Science & Technology.

Coal ash composition↗

Maximum theoretical angular accuracy of planar and linear arrays of sensors

The maximum theoretical accuracy in the angular location of a radiating object that can be obtained by using a planar or linear array is studied. The elements are assumed to have identical radiation patterns and the complex voltages observed at their ports are assumed to be subject to phase measurement errors, having normal probability density. An optimum scheme for the statistical extraction of the parameters defining the direction is established noting that the presence of thermal noise does not affect the structure of the estimator. Comparisons with the conventional multiple interferometric techniques are made.

Borgiotti, G. V.↗

Method of fan sound mode structure determination computer program user's manual: Modal calculation program

A computer user's manual describing the operation and the essential features of the Modal Calculation Program is presented. The modal Calculation Program calculates the amplitude and phase of modal structures by means of acoustic pressure measurements obtained from microphones placed at selected locations within the fan inlet duct. In addition, the Modal Calculation Program also calculates the first-order errors in the modal coefficients that are due to tolerances in microphone location coordinates and inaccuracies in the acoustic pressure measurements.

Pickett, G. F.↗